Why am I not in bed?

Gotta journal.

Weekly meeting at work this morning almost ran out of things to talk about after half an hour, but somehow we managed to run 5 minutes over.  Weekend testing on one release went fine on my machine, so I installed the next release and found they had done a wonderful job implementing my suggestion on how to add a particular feature to the GUI. Ran out of time putting it through its paces.

Lunch was a trip to Fry's and Barn Thai, where they did have my CHM hat which I left there last week. Didn't get the email from the apartment so there's a package waiting to be picked up tomorrow. Barn Thai fails on their Pat Thai. They use some horrible thin round egg noodles not the flat rice ones. And not enough fish sauce.

Sill no pistachios at the Arab-Mexican market.

Changed at work and went to callbacks in Saratoga. We were warned that there would be a lot of waiting around, which is good, because the director/choreographer did almost everything in the wrong order. First she called all of us on stage at once (about 40 of us!) to learn what was supposed to be a simple number to show how well we moved. It was way too fast, and while each step was simple, it was put together in a complex way. Most of the other people actually are dancers, which made it all that harder for those who were not. Long story short, I was the only one who didn't even come close to getting it. Not interested, I won't be dancing in that (or any other) number. After she taught us all that, she sent us away, and taught a ballet number for the ballet folks, and then a tap number. She had the tappers audition first, then the ballet, then the rest of us.

After all the dance stuff, they had the women's ensemble all try a phrase from one musical number, and ended the evening with those of us chosen to try out for the sailor's quartet. It would have been nice if the first two notes of the song had been in the music he gave us. I'm not cut out to be a sailor, and luckily my buddy and highly experienced barbershop singer  David was there to share the bass singing duties. I did well, he did better. And he looks the part. It was interesting because the bass part was mostly easy, but the other three lines were just horrible. There was one tenor with a great voice who sang perfectly, but the rest of the guys were challenged. We did a bunch of combinations, and one of the ones David was in sounded great together.

I have music and lines to read tomorrow for the two parts I do fit, so that should be fun.

Plans for tomorrow:
Work
Vote
P/u package
lunch
more work
callbacks

Briefly because I need sleep

Good day at work, filed two bugs, played with a new feature I helped spec.

Lunchtime, automation guy came with me as I picked up a package at the apartment, voted, and then had lunch at a new sushi place. Excellent bento boxes, only $12.

3:45, set up camera in the parking lot ands took some photos of the transit of Venus, my boss helped (he's a pretty good photographer himself). Packed it up a little after 4

5:30, back out into the parking lot with the boss, both of us jazzed to see the little black dot on the sun today.

6:15, packed up and headed for callbacks in Saratoga, but a dead traffic signal at Prospect & Lawrence (four lanes in all directions, two left turn lanes in all directions) with no traffic cops made me 10 minutes late. Half an hour of crawling from the previous exit. I'll have to check the map for alternates, GPS was no help at all.

Callbacks were tedious but done very fairly. Everyone got at least one chance to read and sing for each part they were called back for. There were two annoying people, which is a very small number for the crowd we had. One is a woman whose husband is a mediocre singer and actor, but she burst into laughter for every little bit he did. Loud laughter. And she was the only one laughing. She just delights in him. Which I guess is an excellent quality in a wife. She was also going for a supporting role, I hope she doesn't get it. She is a bit less than mediocre. The other annoying person was one of the guys going for the two parts I'm most interested in. He's a good singer and actor, better than he thinks he is, so he will probably be cast, the annoying part is he won't shut up. He'll be the one at rehearsals whose chatter will keep us from hearing directions and will distract us. He's a good person, and I don't dislike him, I am merely annoyed by his inconsiderate behavior.

In brief (where have I said that before?): I did not see any good choice for the leading lady or the leading man. There were good choices for The Ingenue and all the supporting female roles and I know who I would pick for the two biggest male supporting parts. The two parts I tried out for could go to any of three of us.

Transit photos are here.
( teasers behind the cut )

Time for bed.