I love my class by the way.

So I meant to make this post this weekend. It's nothing amazing. I just thought I would let you all know how much I love my Level 4 iO class. The teacher is awesome and the people are among my favorite of any improvisors I've worked with thus far. Bums me out that most of them already have a team going, because I'd really like to work with many of them. That fella with the glasses is Mike Enriquez. He's the best improv teacher I've had thus far. If everything in my life could go as well as this class, I would be walkin' on air.

Man, I love this guy.

And the results.

Well, Kristen was 100% right on all of these. I differed in opinion with her on one category and therefore, missed out on a perfect streak.

So it goes.

Kristen and my Oscar Predictions

Best Picture-Ryan and Kristen: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director- Ryan and Kristen Danny Boyle

Best Actor- Ryan: Micky Rourke Kristen: Sean Penn

Best Actress- Ryan: and Kristen: Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actor: Ryan and Kristen: Heath Ledger

Best Supporting Actress Ryan and Kristen: Penelope Cruz

Best Animated: Ryan and Kristen-Wall-E

Best Original Screenplay- Ryan and Kristen-Milk

Best Adapted Screenplay- Ryan and Kristen: Slumdog Millionaire

First and Last.

Last night I saw some absolutely mind blowing improv at iO. I'm not one to recap improv scenes, since I belive improv shows are something that only the audience at the show should ever experience. Many say that every show is being seen for "the first time and the last". Last night I saw Cougars and Mike Helicopter.







Then I went upstairs and met Kristen and Drew to enter the Powerball lottery for a chance to play with some veterens for the night. We didn't win, but the show was still fun to watch.

Vanity is sometimes uplifting.

It's certainly been one of those days. So let's recap the good things that happened so I can focus on that instead of the negative.

1. I made some major headway in Shadows of the Colossus today.
2. I watch National Lampoons Vacation, so damn good.
3. Normally I'm not a vain person, but I'm really proud of how good my hair looks today.

I'm singing to Nelson, ain't I baby.

That's an obscure title I know. It's an obscure line from A League of Their Own. The reason I use it is because I saw the man who played Nelson (a minor character) in that movie in a play called The Seafarer at Steppenwolf last night. It was awesome. I got the tickets for only 5 bucks, even though they usually cost 55. Kristen and I got to sit front row center. Another notable performer was the guy who played Claire Dane's dad on My So Called Life. The guy who played Martin Crane, Fraser's dad on Fraser, was also supposed to be in the show, but his understudy was performing. If you have the means (or find out about a sweet offer like I did) go see this show. It was really funny and dark and at times moving. Just loved it.

Photobloggin! Let's do this!

Valentine's day was very nice this year. After last year being a bit of a debacle I think we put together a nice and low key celebration.

On Friday I suprised Kristen with flowers at work and then after she got off we grabbed a pizza at Vines and then went to iO to see a show. The show was pretty mediocre and I didn't take any pictures.

On Saturday, after class, we met our friends Meagan and Michael at Guthrie's Tavern. This is the coolest bar, with a giant closet of board games that you can sit and play.



We decided to start with the game of LIFE. Usually I'm not much of a fan of the roll and move and never think board games. But this game did involve some skill. Making sure you pay off your loans, invest in stocks, etc. None of us had ever played the game to the end, by the rules. It was actually a lot of fun.



In the end, with a whopping 1.8 million dollars in her bank account at retirement, Kristen was the winner. She was happy.

We also attempted to play Balderdash, but it was way to complicated for us when we were drunk. A fun game if we had been sober. So Meagan and Michael headed home while Kristen and I went to iO to see some shows. We met our friends Keith and Drew there.





All in all, it was a good day.

In other news, I wish it was summer. Not necessarily for the warmth of the festivals. I just want to watch some baseball!

It's good to be back.

These last few weeks have been really positive for me. Getting a job would be the icing on the cake.

For those of you out there who don't know, Kristen blew my mind for my birthday. She covertly got my brother and three of my best friends to come out to Chicago and suprise me on my birthday. When you put that up against last years birthday where I invited 15 people to go to a bar and not one positive response was garnered, I would say this birthday was exponentially better.

To combine with all of that, I've met some improvisors who like the way I play and like me, do not feel like once a week in class is enough play time. I've gotten to sit in on some really fun shows with one sort of "pick up" team and tonight I sat in on a rehearsal with a more formal team. I'm not sure the motivation said team has in inviting me to the rehearsal, but I'm hoping that it was to evaluate how I play and ask me to join their team. I would love to be on a team again.

I constantly desire to make this into a photoblog. I have my camera, but I never remember to take pictures. Tomorrow is another day.