I joined The Slow Biking Movement this weekend! An appropriate group for me since I am the slowest cycler alive... Today I went to the grocery store which was 1.7 miles away... took me 15 minutes and my average speed was 6.5 miles per hour. Yeah, I think I qualify. Anyway, I'm going to track my savings/freedom from Big Oil. Yes, I still take the car to work but it's turning out to be a real joy to commute by bike after work.

The bike however is just an environmental mission. The real purpose of this blog is to track activities in our area. I jogged the Firecracker Frolic 5k in Easley, SC today for the fourth... Easley is a great town... with good coffee and great bacon and cheese biscuits. Next time I go, I'm checking out the Twisted Bean. If I'd had a folding bike, I could have checked out more of the town, but oh well, I covered a certain amount by foot.

Well tomorrow if you are so inclined, get up early and go run in this beautiful race... July 5, Lake Rabun - Rabun Ramble 5K & 10K, 7:30am. Info: Sandy O'Brien (706)782-7043, (917)903-8961. One year I'm going to make it.

Idina Menzel (from Wicked! And Rent?) is going to appear 7/18/2008 8:00 PM in the Chastain Park Amphitheatre inAtlanta, GA Should I go? Are they sold out? She's a magnificent singer, so there may be no more tickets at this point. anyway, this goes on my hmmmm.... list.

And Urinetown is on in Atlanta so I need to put that on my definite to do list... I'll find the url later on. Right now I'm on the hunt for fireworks. I think I want to find some...

The Diddly Squat Weekend

My weekend was so unimpressive, uninspiring, that I didn't even want to write down the details. The low point came when I was going through my email Sunday night... and boo hoo sob, noticed that Stateboro, Ga has a huge, relatively new bookstore... and boo hoo sob, I was there! I went! I looked around... and yet, I failed to conquer. And when will I venture back? Who knows? I only go a couple of times a year, so that was one wasted opportunity. Oh well... if I save the money I would have spent on books (er... maybe 46.89...) and put it into a CD... perhaps by the time I go back... I'll have 47.60. Woo hoo! Wachovia, here I come!

Oh well, as Scarlett always noted, "Tomorrow is another day." Hopefully I'll be able to get out this weekend. There are some worthy offerings if you're willing to travel. In the theatre world, you might head toward Clemson, SC to check out The Adventures of Robin Hood, written by Michele L. Vacca. The website is at: http://www.clemsonlittletheatre.com/news.htm
The performances are on March 7, 8, 9 & 14, 15, 16, 2008

From the website: Sherwood Forest comes to our stage, as this delightful, fast moving, and witty play brings Robin and his Merrie Band looking for an opportunity to perform daring, dashing deeds in their customary fun-loving fashion. Learning that the nasty and nefarious Sheriff of Nottingham is about to collect taxes (again!), they don disguises and dash into town, temporarily foiling the Sheriff in a series of clever ploys. Later, a disguised Robin and his friends mingle with the crowds at the fair in Nottingham, and engage in a number of bold, dramatic, and comic adventures, as each side attempts to outwit the other. The action fills the stage with archery and swordplay. Can triumph for our hero, Robin, be far behind? Join us in Sherwood for the excitement, the spectacle, and the fun!

I don't know if that's a show geared for children... or for the thumb sucking adult... who er... enjoys Those-Younger-Than-Young-Adult-Writers... heh, okay, before the hate mail starts, yes I'm kidding! Anyway, I should google that playwright, but er... I see I haven't, so er... maybe you should meet me halfway. Self serve and all of that. Does Google deliver? If so, I'll take extra cheese with my info. And a side of fries.

And to continue the theme of Arrested Juvenelia Developmentia, you could also head over to the Abbeville Opera house to go see The Wizard Of Oz! Check out the website at http://www.abbevillecitysc.com/history/schedule.aspx The performance dates are at 8:00 pm on Friday, March 7,Saturday, March 8, Friday, March 14, Saturday, March 15, and Afternoon Matinees (3:00 pm) on Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, March 15

And in Greenville, SC... check out: warehousetheatre.com
The play is Sight Unseen by Donald Margulies. The time is Mar. 14-16, 20-23, 27-29

From the website: Sight Unseen is the story of wildly successful painter Jonathan Waxman who is in search of the one thing that once made him truly great…Patricia. The only problem is Patricia has married Nick and won’t forgive Jonathan for what he did in the past. This production follows the events that lead up to this English country-side meeting where all three people search for answers and the nature of true art.

The playwright Donald Margulies was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1954. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and won a Pulitzer.

This would definitely be for the adult theatre-goer. Yup, one less thing to google. ah, certainty is a grand thing...

And oh! I DID do something today... I hosted the second installment of The Attack/Ambush Bookclub! It was a fascinating experiment. You go up to a person with their guard down... you throw your printout at them... And oh yeah, this week's offering is http://rumble.sy2.com/stories/55word.html... Meanwhile, your captive audience is reading their 55 words thinking it's a grocery list, a to do list, whatever... and then, in the space of 2 20 seconds or less, you have implanted a story virus into someone's brain. Today's ambush went rather well. They liked the story, but sadly had no time to get into imagery, metaphor, etc. After all, I had ordered my drink and was waiting for my check so my reader was busy lol. Hopefully as the week goes on, I'll have more ambushes to describe.

So... read, reflect and consider going on the attack! People say they have no time to read... but you can force the process! This is step One in taking our culture back.

On that note... Good night!

Current Events in NE Ga and SC

I hate missing out on weekend events in my area. It happens all the time. I have CIA-like files of running events, local theatrical productions, book-related events, and writing opportunties... everything that I care about, everything that I constantly forget about... until Monday morning, that is. So, in an effort to improve my life, my plan is to note some of the events going on in Northeast Georgia and South Carolina… (I’m a dabbler, and I try to do it all.)

Book Events:

There is a new bookstore, “bell, Book, and candle,” in downtown Lavonia, Georgia on Vickery Street. It’s located inside the Health and Nutrition Center. I’m partial to the store because it’s owned by a friend of mine, but hey, even if I didn’t know Jean, I’d be hanging out at the place. Jean sells new books, used books, candles and other gifts, so check it out.

On Saturday, her new book club met, and we discussed “Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen. (For an in-depth review, look for my comments at Goodreads.com.) I started reading this book reluctantly at 12am Friday night… only because the book club met the following day at 2pm… and I couldn’t put it down. I read until 4:30 in the morning. It was bawdy, it had a oh-my-what’s-going-to-happen-next kind of plot, and say yes to the lovely language! It read like a long poem… Sarah Addison Allen (shorten that name, Missy!) has a gloriously poetic style that oddly enough isn’t obtuse or hard to read. It’s the kind of book that you can read after a hard day at work… when you don’t even feel like reading cereal boxes. Or frozen pizza microwave instructions. And it’s light reading, but it’s a book you can give to a picky, snotty literary fiction type of reader, (me!) and they’ll read it eagerly without complaining (not once!). Sarah Addison Allen (have ya shortened that name yet, Missy?) is the bridge between the Grisham and Pynchon crowd… She's a Can’t we just all get along, Rodney King type of writer… well, okay maybe that’s pushing it, but it is next year's perfect Xmas gift… sadly only 944 days away. But hey, thanks Jean for making me read Allen. I can’t WAIT until her next book… and you know, when that book comes out, I’m going to that book signing! I want to meet the person who has created the world’s most unusual, and insane villains.

So... The book for next month’s book club is Jodi Picoult’s Vanishing Acts.

Okay enough about books. Trees are getting nervous.

Upcoming road races:

Yes, you should consider a 5k. It would be good for your poor unused legs. You can walk ‘em… in some of them, you can give your dog a workout, (although some races don’t encourage man’s best friend to show up. You’ll have to call ahead as the rules are different in each race.). Your kids can run and get a ribbon. Your grandma can run and beat me… It’s a good way to start or end the day. There are races that would probably let you crawl in one…. Er… yeah, come to think of it, I think I’ve done that more than once… I confess I became obsessed last year when a 75 year old whipped past me, finishing about 9 minutes faster than I did. It's amazing how fast humilation grows on you. And how it sticks to you. How it won't come off. How... Okay, never mind.

1) Spartan 5K and Sprint, Athens, Ga 9 a.m. Come join us for the 23rd Annual Spartan 5K and Spartan Sprint. Come set your PR in the 5K as the last 3/4 mile is all downhill. Arrive early as the 5K participants will be bussed to the start. Packet pickup is at the Tillman Center on the Athens Academy Campus. Athens Academy is located on US 441 between Athens and Watkinsville, GA.

Hand painted earthenware awards will be presented to the Overall Male/Female, Masters Male/Female and top three Male/Female in age groups beginning 10 and under through 75 and over. Finish line management by Classic Race Services with complete results online within 24 hours at www.runningintheusa.com, www.active.com, and www.coolrunning.com.
Fees:
$15.00 by 1/31/08, $20.00 afterwards.
Online Registration Closes:
02/07/08 11:59 PM

2) Inaugural 5K Mission Track & 1M Journey Sprint - Monroe, GA- 3:00PM
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Venue: Harmony Baptist Church, 1310 Harmony Church Road, Monroe, GA 30655

Come join us at Harmony Baptist Church for the Inaugural 5K Mission Track and 1 Mile Journey Sprint. The start/finish will be held at Harmony Baptist Church, located just 20 minutes south of Athens, GA at 1310 Harmony Church Road, Monroe, GA 30655. Proceeds from the race will benefit the various mission projects of the church.
Packet pickup and race day registration will be held at the church beginning at 2:00PM. The course will run through the country side of Walton County on paved roads.
Fees:
$15.00 BY 1/31/08, $20.00 afterwards to race day.
Online Registration Closes:
02/07/08 11:59 PM

3) FEBUARY 9, 2008 (Saturday) 3pm ABBEVILLE 8K
Venue: Abbeville Area Rehab & Wellness Center 428 Thomson Circle, Abbeville, SC 29620

Come on down and enjoy the scenic historical views of down town Abbeville. Stay and have dinner in one of the local restaurants or shop in one of the many stores located in the down town area. You can also feel good in knowing that you are helping our community as we are raising money for community wellness programs for children in the area.
Fees:
$15.00 with student ID, $20.00 pre-registration(01/09/08), $25.00 race day registration


For more info and to sign up, go to active.com (That’s where I sign up 90 per cent of the time.)

Okay, enough about races. You weren’t going anyway.

Writing opportunities:

TheatreRats is now accepting submissions for The Fourth Annual Chester Horn Short Play Festival, to be held late Spring/Early Summer 2008. Plays may be any genre, any cast size. Scripts must be 15 pages or less. Submissions must be submitted electronically as Word or PDF files. Limit: 2 submissions per playwright. Due to the high volume of submissions, entries that do not follow these guidelines will not be considered.
International submissions and short musicals are strongly encouraged as well. Please send all submissions electronically to scripts@theatrerats.com. Submission deadline is February 15, 2008.


WAFFLE HOUSE STORIES-- DEADLINE: February 15, 2008 GENRE: Short Stories/Nonfiction DETAILS: Unpublished, short stories 3,000 words or less, must be set inside of waffle house. PRIZE: Publication in anthology. URL: http://www.wafflestories.com EMAIL: wafflestories@gmail.com

The Underground Players are pleased to announce the 1st Annual Longwood Ten-Minute Play Festival. Open to any theme, style and approach, all playwrights (except those affiliated with Longwood University) are invited to submit no more than two scripts.
Here are the details:
Scripts should run no longer than ten minutes.
Stapled copies are fine.
Set and technical requirements should be minimal.
Each script must include author-contact information on its cover page.
Winners will be notified by e-mail and then posted on brierycreekpress.org on or before March 1, 2007. Plays will be produced in late April. Winners will receive a DVD recording of their play.
Please send plays (hard copies only) to the following address by February 16:
Longwood Ten-Minute Play Festival
English Department
Longwood University
Farmville, VA 23909


4) A Call for Submissions... of the Faery Taile Kynde!

CatsCurious Press is looking for humorous fairy tale re-tellings written from ONE POV only... the protagonist's. Story length must be between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Detailed guidelines are at http://www.catscuriouspress.com/guidelines.aspx The deadline is 3/31/2008

And with that, TREES ARE FALLING… RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! Oh dear, I’ve already covered running… Good night!