Things that got hit by lightning last night: Transamerica Pyramid, towers on both GG and Bay Bridges, Cranes building the new bridge.

And the plane my sister was flying to Newark on!

Wait. While she was IN THE PLANE, FLYING?

I've spent the last two weeks working on a show with the Mayor of Sunnydale. And Tuesday during rehearsal Mr. Trick hung out with us for a little while.

!! So cool!

While she was IN THE PLANE, FLYING?

Aiyiyi. I was on a plane that was hit by lightning once. It was fine -- planes are built to withstand some pretty heavy-duty shit -- but, quite frankly, TERRIFYING.

Wait. While she was IN THE PLANE, FLYING?

Reading her next text, no; the plane was hit in flight while OTHER people were on it. It landed in SF, then had to be checked out before it could fly her to Newark. Then in Newark, the plane that was supposed to take her home also had some problems, so they had to get one from Baltimore, and... yeah. Still in Newark.

Very cool, aurelia!

I'm paying bills right now (AIOK, I guess?). Passover ends this weekend, so I look forward to baking some bread. I want to see Cabin in the Woods, and still need to see Hunger Games, but that'll probably wait until Monday. Oh, god, taxes, I should probably do something about those. Whoops.

Tomorrow is organizing volunteers to hang 500 lost dog flyers, and Sunday is the zoo with cousins. Also, grocery shopping.

Go tankless, Burrell, for sure!

Thanks Liese. I've been advocating tankless too.

Hey aurelia- I have a tech question for you if you are still here (I don't know if you have noticed, doing lights, but thought I would ask)

In your experience when doing 10 out of 12 tech rehearsals with costumes, does the time it takes the actors to get into costume count as part of that ten? So if the rehearsal is noon-midnight with a two hour break- are the actors called before noon so you can go with tech at noon, or all they called at noon to go at 12:30?

I'm going to a gay-country-dancing "Hoedown" all weekend--lessons and dances all day and evening. Two problems: one, I worked out with a trainer yesterday and wasn't thinking, and now my quads are on fire. Not good for dancing all weekend. Oops. Two, a not-close friend is throwing an amazing sounding birthday bash tonight, but to go I would (a) need a costume and (b) have to skip the opening night dance of the hoedown (there's only two dances--Fri/Sat). Can't really do both, I don't think (costume changes and timing, oh my). Argh.

Are you doing electric or gas? If the latter, the exhaust pipes are more expensive, but it is worthwhile. Since I didn't do it, I can't speak from experience. But realistically for us, with long periods of time we're not in the house, and frequent variance of the people in the house, i.e, water demand, it should have been a no brainer. We got talked out of it because the plumber was uncomfortable with it, so get a plumber who's used to them.

But the idea of only consuming resources when you're using the hot water, and not for it just to sit there, plus as much hot water as you need on demand...that's a winning combination for me. When ours gives up the ghost, we're switching for sure. We did the piping for it already.

In your experience when doing 10 out of 12 tech rehearsals with costumes, does the time it takes the actors to get into costume count as part of that ten? So if the rehearsal is noon-midnight with a two hour break- are the actors called before noon so you can go with tech at noon, or all they called at noon to go at 12:30?

The hours listed are the hours the actors are called. So called at noon, on stage at 12:30 or so. Getting out of costume is not necessarily factored in though, so on stage right up until midnight. Same goes for the dinner break; on stage until the break, but 1/2 hour for costumes after the dinner break.

If it's an equity show, all fittings, haircuts, etc. have to fit within the 10 of 12 hours. Actors cannot be called for more time than that.