This is the Life! (of Nathaniel Jones)

Spring Break! Wooo!

wisenaboo — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:16:54 +0000

Big, fun, exciting times in Austin, TX, ladies and gents: it’s Spring Break!

You may have thought that I would not have a spring break this year, now that I’m out of school (as I thought until a few days ago), but as it turns out, Esther’s Follies is used as a venue during SXSW, which means that there are no Esther’s Follies shows this week, so everybody has the week off.

There are tons of people showing up now for SXSW (huge film/music festival - kind of like Bumbershoot, except that it takes over the entire downtown area for a couple weeks). I was looking at the list of events, wishing that I could go, but unfortunately I don’t have the money for a pass (cheapest passes that are only good for movies start at $300, while the complete pass that is good for movies, music, and interactive events is $1050).

But the good news is that there are also a bunch of things that you can get into without having a pass, so I plan on exploring to find as many as I can during my week off. And, I was talking to Doug (Esther’s Follies musical director) after the show tonight, and he said that he may be able to get me in to see the super-awesome comedy show that’s happening at the Esther’s Follies theater next weekend, which the official announcement describes as “an evening of comedy featuring Human Giant, Janeane Garofalo, Eugene Mirman, Brian Posehn and many more.” If you don’t know who those people are, look them up, because they are good.

“So Esther’s Follies is working out, then?” Yes it is. I just got paid for the first time ($100 - not a huge pile of money, but exciting none-the-less as it’s my first payday as a professional writer), and after Spring Break here, I’m going to be joining the official Esther’s Follies writers, and they’re going to start trying to find sketches that they can fit me in as an actor. I’m more excited about this than I have been about anything in a long, long while.

Once things really get moving and I start performing in the show, you all should fly down to Austin to see me.

Stephen Colbert is On Notice

wisenaboo — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:21:31 +0000

Howdy, strangers - you may have been wondering what I’ve been up to in the over-a-month since I last posted. Well, good news, because now I’m going to tell you all about it.

When last I wrote, I was in rehearsals for Henry V and looking for a job.

Well, now Henry V is over. It was an interesting theatrical experience - it was a teeny-tiny theater (our biggest night we had 25 people, and we had to open up the over flow seating to fit everyone in) with copious amounts of alcohol flowing both in the audience and backstage (the last weekend the director/actor playing Henry V sent an e-mail out to the cast telling everyone to stop getting drink before intermission). It was a fun time; dunno if I’ll be in another play there, but I’ll certainly go and be an audience member.

Much of my time not spent sending out more resumes and doing the show was spent following the Obama campaign, which looks like it may officially take the nomination as early as a week from now. The Texas primary isn’t until next Tuesday, but I went and voted in the early voting last Friday, so now all that’s left to do is to go to the caucus on Tuesday, and try to get out the vote as much as possible.

But the biggest news is what I’ve been saving for last - I have (kinda-sorta) gotten a job (finally), and the real exciting thing about it is that it’s not even a lame Toys R Us-style job - it’s my first actual professional writing gig, writing sketches for Esther’s Follies (you probably have never heard of it, but it’s kind of a big deal). I haven’t actually gotten any money from it yet, but I will shortly, as some of the sketches I’ve written are being incorporated into the presidential debate sketch, and another is going in as a stand-alone segment. After almost a year, I’m finally starting to make real progress towards being a professional writer/actor (the actor part hopefully comes on Monday after I go to my second audition).

That brings me to why Stephen Colbert is On Notice - I wrote four sketches this past week to present at the writer’s meeting on Monday - one of which was on Hillary Clinton going after Obama for plagiarism. The gist of the sketch is that Clinton goes on about how plagiarism is bad, and then devolves into her screaming famous movie lines (”I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it any more!” and the like). It went over very well at the writer’s meeting, and that’s one of the ones that’s being incorporated into the debate sketch.

Well, on Tuesday night’s Colbert Report (a full day after the writers meeting, and several full days after I had written the sketch), during his opening, he also talks about the plagiarism charges, and has a rant about how plagiarism is bad, and then devolves into him screaming famous movie lines (”I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it any more!” and the like). Sound familiar? The really funny bit is that the movie quotes he uses are the exact same ones I used in the sketch, with the exception of the last one - he ended with “Nobody puts baby in the corner,” which I had in my original draft, but changed to “This! Is! SPARTA!” at the last minute. So, Stephen Colbert - you are on notice.

That’s about it, I think. If you’re in Austin and would like to join me in seeing Esther’s Follies this weekend, let me know.

More news to come, hopefully in less than a month this time.

Mardi Gras on 6th Street

wisenaboo — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:10:06 +0000

Mardi Gras pictures! Warning: one picture contains side-boob nudity, so don’t look if your boss is standing behind you.

Gobama! Gobama! Go!

wisenaboo — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:41:20 +0000

Decent Stache

wisenaboo — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:32:27 +0000

That moustache almost won me the prize for Best Moustache at the Beauty Bar’s Moustache Party last night, but, alas, I was defeated by a guy with a store-bought ’stache.

Not a lot of real news to post - I’m sending out resumes every day, have rehearsals for Henry V in the evenings, I’m getting back into shape (down about ten pounds since I started keeping track), I’m becoming skilled at Frets on Fire (”Guitar Hero” clone), been on some dates, been around to some new places in Austin that I hadn’t seen yet…

So, things are pretty good. Henry V opens on January 31st, I’m going to be doing some singing valentines with a quartet from the Chord Rangers.

Only complaint right now, aside from lack of people offering me jobs, is that I have far too much time on my hands.

On the plus side, I do look very debonaire with my moustache.

Henry V

wisenaboo — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:23:50 +0000

Good news, everyone!

After more than a year off the stage, I am finally going to be in a play again: Henry V, at the Velvet Rut Theater here in Austin, TX. I’ll be playing the Archbishop of Canterbury, which means that not only will I be in a play, but I may also have the opportunity to wear a very large hat in a play. What could be better?

It’s a very small theater (it’s actually someone’s house that has been converted into a theater) and I won’t be paid anything, but it’ll be good to be in a show anyway. And, should introduce me to some of the theater people in Austin, and perhaps somebody will come see the show and say “hey you - I want to pay you to be in this other show” as a bonus.

The show runs Th-Sa Nights at 8pm for four weeks, starting Jan. 31. So, if you’re in Austin, you should come see it.

In other news, as weeks pass I’m getting fewer and fewer hours at ‘Where “I” Work,’ and so I am forced to find a new job once again. This makes me mad, because if I had known that I was going to run out of hours so soon after Christmas, I would have asked to end my employment there on the 21st like the other seasonal employees so that I could have gone home for christmas. Boo, ‘Where “I” Work,” boo.

But, I cleaned up my resume, and am sending it around now. Of the places I’ve applied so far, the two I’d most like to come through are GSD&M Marketing, which I’ve been told is a very good company to work for, and the other is CompassLearning, another place which I’ve been told is good to work for. Unfortunately I am nowhere near qualified for the positions I applied for at those places, but I noted in my cover letters that I was open to lower level positions as well, so we’ll see what happens with those. I’ve also sent out resumes to a couple other marketing places, and some random jobs I saw on craigslist. I actually was called in for an interview at one of them today, but I had to call back and cancel the interview when I discovered that it was way on the other side of town, and no buses travel within 5 miles of it (I would have had to spend two hours on the bus, and then walk an additional five miles to get there).

Hopefully that’s a good sign, however, and more calls should come rolling in any minute.

Happy 2008!

wisenaboo — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:44:15 +0000

Goodbye, 2007! Welcome, 2008!

I ended up spending my New Years Eve with the usual gang at Fleming’s, a schmancy steak house in downtown. Quite an adventure maneuvering through the New Years Eve traffic, but it was well worth it. Rather low key, just had some good food and some good wine, and a glass of champagne as we counted down to midnight.

Following the cheers and tooting of horns, we walked back to the cars, and then further maneuvering through traffic to head home again. Not a very long celebration of New Years, but an enjoyable one none the less. See you next year, all!

(actually, I’ll see you this year, as it’s too late for the “see you next year” line)

2007 in Review

wisenaboo — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:18:35 +0000

One of my most eventful, life-changing years ever, oversimplified and condensed into a list!

January:
First day of 2007, I shaved off most of my hair and made a lovely music video about it.

I helped JF save the world by making websites and flash animations about stick figures trying to jump from one symbolic triangle to another

I began my final quarter as a college student.

There was a lovely snow storm (enough snow for pictures, but not so much as the huge storm that we had after the Thanksgiving Break)

My illustrations for “The Hairy Ape” were published in an online Eugene O’Neill magazine.

I used my amazing dance skills to win a bottle of sparkling cider in a dance contest.

I made a new website about clowns.

I increased my amazing photoshop skills.

I went to a party and had so much to drink that I got sick, for the first time ever.

I founded “Short Change,” the organization dedicated to the advancement of People of Below Average Height, after discovering that in order to audition for the role of Wolverine at Universal Studios, you must be 6′2″ even though the character of Wolverine is only supposed to be 5′3″.

February:
I made a bunch of “Raising Hell” Valentines for Valentine’s Day.

I went to the library and got a large pile of my favorite books from when I was a kid, and then I read them.

I began to figure out where I wanted to move post-graduation. Austin, TX rose to the top spot not long after.

I bought an Awesome Recording Studio online and decided to use it to record an Old Time Radio play for my senior project.

I wrote the best book ever, “101 Greatest Poop Jokes.”

I worked the light board and headed the change-over crew for “Trial of God” and “History of the Devil”

March:
I produced the radio play “Darryll Hall’s Thoughts” by Arch Obler for my senior project.

I tried to make the most of my last month in Bellingham, exploring places I had not gotten to, and spending time with people I wish I had spent more time with while I had the chance.

I learned how to tie my shoes.

I graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Theater, emphasis on acting and writing.

April:
I crafted an elaborate April Fools Day Ruse to trick people into thinking that I was getting married.

I started working with JF again, to further save the world with by contacting alien forces, and selling people used office furniture.

I crammed everything I could into two suitcases, and flew to Austin, TX.

I started to get settled into my first real apartment (not counting campus housing), and getting settled into my new surroundings.

Once I had the internet up and working, I started working full time on JF’s websites. When I wasn’t working, I was exploring Austin.

I made a new website for Blue Chair Entertainment

I attempted to rid my apartment of ants (a battle that continues to this day).

I discovered that in these parts, 99 Cent Day at the Savers is Serious Business, and much strategy is needed if you want to get anything good.

I wrote the fourth episode of Legends of Hogwarts, “Harry Potter and the Copyright Infringement”

I started going to open mic nights at the Velveeta Room Comedy Club downtown.

I began singing with the Austin Chord Rangers Barbershop Chorus.

May:
I met Jon “Uncle Rico” Gries after seeing Napoleon Dynamite at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater.

I saw Dan Bern in concert, and it was great. At the concert, I met Hillary, who would then go on to play Hermione in the cartoon version of “Harry Potter and the Copyright Infringement.”

I went to local Austin coffee place ‘The Spiderhouse,’ and met Lila, who would later go on to be my girlfriend for a while.

I bought an eight pound ham, and while I was unable to eat it all, I did write a lovely poem about it.

My computer was taken down by a virus, and I had to spend around $1100 to get the data recovered. While that was going on, I bought a new computer so that I could continue working while the other computer was in the shop.

I competed in the O. Henry Pun-Off. While the audience liked my puns, apparently the judges did not.

I recorded two song parodies - “I’m Too Elderly for my Shirt” and “I Get a Kick out of Me”

I started officially going out with Lila.

June:
My job situation suddenly seemed much more precarious than I had thought it was, and my stress level rose a great deal.

I made another new website, “The Star Times.”

I finished the cartoon version of Harry Potter and the Copyright Infringement”

I got to see a great deal of Austin and tried all kinds of new things with Lila, but at the end of the month I called it all off because I thought things were far too serious too fast.

July:

I read the entire Harry Potter series as a warm up to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”

I went to the Austin 4th of July Fireworks show and met Meghan and Sharrone, who would go on to be the people I spend most of my time with nowadays.

I went to see the new Harry Potter with Lila, as we were friendly again.

I finished the Cosmic Contact site so that everyone on Earth will realize we need to ask the aliens for help in saving the world.

A few hours after finishing the website, I flew to London, England.

August:
I spent three weeks traveling around England, Scotland, and Wales with my Grandpa Jones.

When I got back from the UK, I quit my job as JF’s webguy.

With my new unemployed free time, I took more time to explore Austin, as while I was working for him I didn’t get to do as much of that sort of thing as I wanted.

I decided to call off my “two years here then move to another new city” plan, as I realized that was a really terrible idea.

September:
After meeting a man at a bus stop who told me about his life, I realized that I was Doing It Wrong, and I started to take a long hard look at what I wanted out of life, and how I ought to go about it.

I tried out for Esther’s Follies, and was called back. Over three months later, I’m still trying to actually join the cast.

I sang with the Chord Rangers at their fall show - the first time I’d actually been in a barbershop concert since i first started with the Harmony Kings in high school.

I set up a blue screen in my studio/office and started playing around with special effects.

October:
I used my new video capabilities to start a new series on youtube: “Nathaniel Jones in the 23rd Century”

I continued to enjoy Austin with my copious amounts of free time, and I get to see Aqueduct in concert with Red Before Black, who I have just re-discovered thanks to their having an album on emusic.

I went to the SPEBSQSA SW District Fall 2007 Convention in Corpus Christi (that’s a barbershop convention, in case you didn’t follow all those abbreviations) and had a grand time

I made a Winnie Ther Pooh puppet out of a giant teddy bear to use as my Halloween costume.

I wore my bear to the Do512.com Halloween Party, and to a house party thrown by Ashley, a friend of Meghan and Sharrone.

While waiting on a real job, I tried to strike it rich by posting articles and videos to Associated Content - I ended up making over $30, but unfortunately that’s not nearly enough to make it worth my while to submit things to the site full time, so the job hunt continued.

November:
I finally gave in and started applying at retail stores and restaurants in my area, as my funds were dangerously low. After a few interviews, I was hired at ‘Where “I” Work’ (a large toy store with a prominantly displayed backwards letter in the middle), and I was to begin as soon as I got back from my Thanksgiving trip to Seattle.

I went to see the Upright Citizen’s Brigade when they performed at the Alamo.

I made a barbershop arrangement of the song “Happy Happy Joy Joy”

I spent about two weeks in Federal Way, starting out with my dad’s oridination as a deacon, and staying through Thanksgiving. While there, we all spent some time in Seattle, went to the Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, and I spent an afternoon in Bellingham (not enough time to see those that I was especially wanting to see while in town). Also spent a good deal of time cleaning up my bedroom, dividing my things into piles to either keep or donate to charity.

I turned 24, and for my birthday I went with a group up to see “Showgirls 2.0,” a showing of the movie Showgirls with humorous commentary.

December:
I decorated my apartment for Christmas, and got my first Christmas Tree (first one on my own, I should say).

I sang in a handful of Christmas Concerts with the Austin Chord Rangers.

I spent a weekend afraid that I was going to be evicted from my apartment because I was late with the rent. Turns out, it was all a misunderstanding, and my apartment is safe.

I went to M&S’s lovely Yulikah Party.

I made a new youtube video of very low quality called “Mr. Muggles and Mose”

I worked at Where “I” Work almost every day, and discovered I have amazing credit-card-sign-up skills.

I went to Austin Improv’s open improv night and enjoyed being able to perform again.

I did all of my christmas shopping and shipped everything off.

I enjoyed the Christmas decorations downtown, and went to the Trail of Lights with Heather, who I have just met.

I went to a pre-christmas dinner with those of the Usual Gang that would be away from Austin for Christmas.

After much anticipation, I went to see the movie version of Sweeney Todd.

Since I had to work on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, I was unable to fly home. So, on the Saturday before Christmas, I had a small get-together and white elephant gift exchange, and on Christmas Day I joined M&S for their traditional Jewish Christmas - we went out for Chinese food and to a movie. And after the movie, I had a date with Heather. Definitely not my usual christmas, and I was a bit sad to be away from the family for christmas for the first time ever, but I enjoyed it none-the-less.

As of this moment, I have no plans for New Years Eve, so the ending of this Year in Review will have to be put off until I actually now how the year will end.

Until then, here’s an adeau to 2007, and a warm welcome to 2008!

What a fun, sexy time for you

wisenaboo — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:48:56 +0000

(quoting George Michael from ‘Arrested Development’)

Fun and sexy time indeed as Christmas fast approaches in Austin, TX.

As we get nearer the day, Where “I” Work is becoming more hectic and insanity, as people are becoming desperate for the Must Have Toys which we sell out of moments after opening the doors. And to make matters more hectic, every few days Where “I” Work puts out a new ad with great Door Buster Deals, and of course we only have a handful of those half off items, so for the rest of the day people are upset, as it’s impossible that we would sell out of an item when there’s still a whole day worth of sale left.

Today there was an interesting fellow that came through my checkout line - a very stereotypical older Texan man and his wife brought up five small dog figures, saying that there was a sign that if you bought the whole set, it would cost $10.99. However, they rang up regular price (which for the five came out to $13. He was very adamant about getting those two dollars off, so I called on radio for a price check, but nobody could find any such sign.

In addition to this, what the fellow was calling a set was actually two of one type of dog, and three of another type. To be clear, there were only two different figures, but he had multiples of each one. This, to me, would not be considered a “set,” so even if there had been a deal on the set, he wouldn’t have been eligible. But he was refusing to budge until he had gotten those five dogs for ten-ninety-nine (say that with a thick Texan accent).

So I called my manager over, and he then called one of the guys that was working in the Imaginarium section over, and for at least ten minutes, there were three of us there at the register, with this guy demanding the discount, saying he would go to the Better Business Bureau and all kinds of things. After the ordeal, he decided he would just pay the full price and then write to the company to complain. So I finished ringing up the dogs, and just before he left, he said “Don’t worry - I’m not mad at you” and winked at me.

That was probably the most entertaining twenty minutes of work I’ve had so far since I’ve worked there. In case it doesn’t seem hilarious as you read the anecdote, you can just imagine that the actual event was far more entertaining in person.

In non-work related news, I had two days off in a row this week, and made good use of them. Tuesday (which was not actually a day off, but I consider after work on Tuesday part of that mid-week weekend) I did a bit of Christmas shopping (I won’t say what I bought, as it would spoil the surprise for those family members that read this), and that night I went to Austin Improv’s open Tuesday night deal (which I had not been to in the past because the Chord Rangers rehearse at the same time). The first two hours were class-like, talking about various ideas and playing improv games to demonstrate those ideas, and that was quite fun, but the best bit was the second half, when it was a mock show, in which we just got up and played improv games. There were some that I knew (freeze tag, 185’s, beastie boys, pan left/pan right, experts, etc) and some new ones (I don’t remember the names of the new ones, but they were good to add to my repertoire of improv games I know).

Wednesday (the first actual day off) was the biggest shopping day, and except for one thing that I had to go back and buy on Thursday, I finished my Christmas shopping. Not only did I get actual presents, I also got a nice pile of White Elephant-style gifts for the Christmas Party I’m throwing tomorrow evening (for those of you in Austin). I won’t list these items, either, but I can assure you they are amongst the best white elephant things I’ve seen.

Wednesday night I went to the Trail of Lights with Heather (another girl from the internet, who I met for the first time that night). The Trail of Lights is a walk-through path through Zilker park, with many christmas lights up on the trees, plus a wide variety of displays sponsored by area businesses. Unfortunately we were there just before they closed down for the night, so there wasn’t any live music, and some of the lights were off (the giant tree was only lit on one side, so I couldn’t get the full effect of standing underneath it and spinning around, as is apparently the custom).

Thursday I picked up the last present, and shipped everything off (apparently I shouldn’t have waited so long to shop/ship - I sent them with UPS’ “Guaranteed Arrival by Christmas” deal, and the shipping cost more than the presents. Oh well. The good news is that my family will have presents from me for Christmas.

And Thursday night I went out with the usual gang to a burger place that none of us had been to for a pre-christmas dinner, as Mauricio is leaving to go home for Christmas and won’t be back till January. After that I took the bus straight home rather than going over to play Rock Band, as I had to go to work today at 7am.

And I did go to work at 7am today. And I did indeed have an old man demand a discount price on little plastic dogs. And I started cleaning for my Christmas Party (though there will be much to do tomorrow as well), and now I’m going to bed. Long day ahead tomorrow - working eight hours in the busiest portion of the day (12:30-7pm), on a Saturday, on which we are having a Door Buster Sale. Wish me luck, y’all.

Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd

wisenaboo — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:14:24 +0000

Also, I forgot to mention, after months of waiting, I went to see Sweeney Todd tonight. In preparation for it, I dressed up and made myself a photoshop picture of me dressed as Sweeney:

(if it looks similar to the picture of me as Macbeth, that’s because it’s the same exact costume, just with a different hair style).

Definitely worth seeing, although it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.