Down shifting in the Fast Lane

Life is finally beginning to slow down. Thank all that is great and good in the world!

I closed The Diary of Anne Frank last week. The show is one of the most depressing stories ever told, and it really happened. Doing it 2 to 3 times a day, 5 or 6 days a week can really get to you. I am exhausted, grumpy and easily annoyed.

But now it is over. Side Show goes up this weekend. It is a concert presentation of the show as a fundraiser and a kind of backers audition for a full production this summer. After the concert, vacation in sunny Puerto Rico!

Side Show will most likely be my last major project for a while. I am tired. I am really tired of auditioning! And it doesn't help that you audition and audition, putting in some really good ones, and then, without being considered for a larger role, producers go trolling for the people who didn't audition to play principal parts. And I am really beginning to resent listening to director friends talk about all the people they want for principals and features in their next project but you are not one of them.

I think I am going to be leaving the musical stage for a while. I want to be more than performing right now. I want something that I can really sink my teeth into. Doing ensemble for something like Side Show is fun (great music, great cast) and I am performing, which is always a high, but I don't feel like I am doing any work. Not like a I got to do in Anne Frank and especially in An Empty Plate at the Cafe du Grand Beouf.

So, if they come looking for me, great. I will consider any opportunity offered, but there are plenty of choristers out there. I need interesting, growth potential work or I need rest.

What the hell, I will blog!

Dear Reader,
So it seems I can never get the hang of this blog thing. It has been almost a month since I tried to say anything. I suppose I put to much importance on what I want to say.

Part of the problem is I think I want to say something deep and purposeful, but then I think, do I want everyone who might be reading this blog to know that? There are some I would love to know that, but others it might be too much. This is because people who read this KNOW who writes this. And for that matter, does anyone really care? Well, yes, people do care, but should I bore the rest of you with the deep renderings of my twisted, dissappointed, confused soul?

In the mean time I just upgraded to the new blogger. I had been resisting. But why? It is not like I used the old one to any degree to make me hang on to it.

On an unrelated note, Burger King keeps playing a commercial on the radio that is making me nuts. A man with a hidden mike goes to Arkansas and asks if he can get a "Mustard Whopper". Not a Whopper with mustard that the young lady is more than happy to make him, but a Mustard Whopper like they make in Texas. Since you can get a Mustard Whopper in Texas and not Arkansas, Texas is somehow better. What the hell? BK is the have it your way place. If you want mustard on your whopper, you should just be able to ask for it. You shouldn't expect that they will have a special whopper with mustard on it?

I wonder what they would do if I went into a Texas BK and ordered a Mustard Whopper with no Mustard. You mean you want a regular whopper sir? No, I want a Mustard Whopper, I just want to have it my way!

Where did I go?

So, dear reader, you probably wonder where the hell did I go! My little pic has been missing for an unknown length of time. It is due to my joining the high speed DSL highway.

My icon was saved on a server that was connected to my dial up account. I only use that server for the icon. I didn't even realize the impact it would have.

So I uploaded the icon to another server I have access to, but still, I remained a little red x! What was up with that?

It finally occurs to me today that I only needed to republish my blog! Gee, maybe if I poseted more, I would have noticed and fixed it sooner!

On the related note on catching up on my on-line reading, I found out some distressing news about the Queen of Florida. A tragic event brought about a dark time for the kingdom, but from what I hear, all is going well toward brighter days, and her highness is showing a face to her subjects that even Queen Elizabeth would be proud of. God save the Queen!

Catching up!

It is two days before Christmas. The day is only just getting started!

This week I got the yearly ornaments out to the neices and nephews. Sure, they will be late, but they are out.

I got packages off to the parents. Because it included a box my mother sent me to route to her (I guess the cookware people wouldn't ship to Puerto Rico), it cost $50 normal, so I paid the extra $20 to get it there by Wednesday. My step-father's books will be two days late, but they are out!

Today I clean out the car so I can go to storage and get the Christmas stuff. Primary goal is to get tree up and lit. If some ornaments make it today, great. Tomorrow will be all about the tree with a break to see family for a birthday.

So, if all goes well, there will be Christmas. And then I start planning on next year. One needs to get back into the habit of timeliness!

What has happened to Christmas?

I have almost totally lost track of Christmas. It is horrible.

I used to have my tree up by the end of Thanksgiving Weekend, a party, gifts and ornaments bought for various family members wrapped and sent. There was a time when extended family got cookies!

This year, it is the 20th. Still no tree. Last year it went up Christmas Eve and day. This year may be the same. I host Secret Santa, so it has to go up!

No general party in years!

By chance, some gifts and ornaments have gone out in time, but many others have not. I guess I will add a note saying to save for next year. One sister-in-law might leave the tree up for a while, but the another takes it down on the 26th. At least I will see one set of Nieces/Nephews on Christmas Day, so THEY won't be late.

Everything else is just not ready. It's awful! Various relatives still talk about and miss my cookies, but I haven't been able to even think about trying in many years. I just can't get myself organized. It is just ridiculous!

Maybe I should just start planning next Christmas now ...

I’VE DONE 84 OF THE 145 THINGS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

This was a list of the “dumbest” things, but a lot of the things weren’t dumb, so I changed the title! Some of them aren't that surprising, but it was better than dumb.

People might be surprised if they knew you . . .

(x) Smoked A Cigarette
( ) Smoked A Cigar
(x) Tried Weed
(x) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex
(x) Drank Alcohol

So Far:4

(x) Are / Been In Love
(x) Shoplifted
( ) Been Fired
(x) Been In A Fist Fight

So Far: 7

( ) Snuck Out Of A Parent's House
(x) Had Feelings For Someone Who Didn't Have Them Back
( ) Been Arrested
(x) Made out With A Stranger
(x) Gone Out On A Blind Date

SO FAR: 10

( ) Had A Crush On An Older Person
(x) Skipped School
( ) Slept With A Co-worker
(x) Seen Someone / Something Die

SO FAR: 12

(x) Had A Crush On One Of Your Friends
(x) Been To Paris
(x) Been To Spain
(x) Been On A Plane
( ) Thrown Up From Drinking

SO FAR: 16

(x) Eaten Sushi
(x) Been Snowboarding/Skiing
( ) Met Someone BECAUSE Of Myspace

SO FAR: 18

( ) Been In An Abusive Relationship
(x) Taken Pain Killers
(x)"Liked" Someone Who You Cant Have
(x) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(x) Made A Snow Angel

SO FAR: 22

(x) Drank Tea
(x) Flown A Kite
(x) Built A Sand Castle
(x) Gone Puddle Jumping
(x) Played Dress Up

SO FAR: 27

(x) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
(x) Gone Sledding
(x) Cheated While Playing A Game
(x) Been Lonely
(x) Fallen Asleep At Work / School

SO FAR: 32

(x) Used A Fake / Someone Else's ID
(x) Watched The Sun Set
( ) Felt An Earthquake
( ) Killed A Snake

SO FAR: 34

(x) Been Tickled
( ) Been Robbed / Vandalized
( ) Robbed Someone
(x) Been Misunderstood
( ) Pet A Deer

SO FAR: 36

(x) Won A Contest
( ) Been Suspended From School
(x) Had Detention
(x) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident

SO FAR: 39

(x) Had / Have Braces
( ) eaten a whole gallon of ice cream in one night
(x) had deja vu
(x) danced in the moonlight

SO FAR: 42

(x) Hated The Way You Looked
( ) Pole Danced
(x) Questioned Your Heart
( ) Been Obsessed With Post-It Note

SO FAR: 44

(x) Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(x) Been Lost
( ) Been To The Opposite Side Of The World
(x) Swam In The Ocean / Gulf
(x) Felt Like You Were Dying

SO FAR: 48

(x) Cried Yourself To Sleep
(x) Played Cops And Robbers
( ) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
(x) Sang Karaoke
( ) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins

SO FAR: 51

(x) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't
(x) Made Prank Phone Calls
(x) Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose
( ) Set a friend's eyebrows on fire
( ) Kissed In The Rain

SO FAR: 54

(x) Written A Letter To Santa Claus
( ) Been Kissed Under A Mistletoe
(x) Watched The Sun Set With Someone You Care / Cared About
(x) Blown Bubbles
(x) Made A Bonfire On The Beach

SO FAR: 58

(x) Crashed A Party
( ) Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
(x) Gone Roller-skating / Roller-blading
(x) Had A Wish Come True
( ) Had your leg humped by a dog

SO FAR: 61

( ) Worn Pearls
( ) Jumped Off A Bridge
( ) Swam With Dolphins/sharks

SO FAR: 61

(x) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole / Freezer/ice Cube
( ) Kissed A Fish
(x) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes
(x) Sat On A Roof Top

So FAR: 64

(x) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs
( ) Done A One-Handed Cartwheel
( ) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours
(x) Stayed Up All Night

SO FAR: 66

( ) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(x) Climbed A Tree
(x) Had / Been In A Tree House
( ) Scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone

SO FAR: 68

(x) Believe In Ghosts
( ) Have / Had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes
(x) Gone Streaking
( ) Gone to Jail / or just Visited

SO FAR: 70

(x) Played Chicken
(x) Been Pushed Into A Pool/Lake With All Your Clothes On
(x) Broken A Bone

SO FAR: 73

( ) Caught A Fish Then Ate It
( ) Made A Porno Video
(x) Caught A Butterfly
(x) Laughed So Hard You Cried
( ) Cried So Hard You Laughed..

SO FAR: 75

(x) Cheated On A Test
(x) Forgotten Someone's Name
( ) Slept Naked
( ) French Braided Someone’s Hair
( ) Been Kicked Out Of Your House

SO FAR: 77

(x) Rode A Roller Coaster
(x) Went Scuba-Diving / Snorkeling
( ) Black-Mailed Someone
( ) Been Black Mailed

SO FAR: 79

(x) Been Used
(x) Fell Going Up The Stairs
( ) Licked A Cat
(x) Bitten Someone
(x) Licked Someone

So Far: 83

( ) Had a loaded gun pointed at you soft, bb, paint
( ) Flattened someone’s tires
(x) Rode in a car until the gas light came on
( ) Drove into a pole/street sign
( ) Cut somebody’s brakes

So Far: 84

Repost Your Results Like This...
I’VE DONE # OF THE 145 THINGS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

A Nightmare with Frog and Toad

I had the craziest nightmare last night about a job I am doing now.

I sub in once a week as Frog in A Year with Frog and Toad. In the dream I am ready to do the show. We do the opening number, everything goes fine. At the end of the number I rush off for my first costume change. I struggle with the tie a bit when I realize I have left two numbers early and the next number is about to start.

I can't get my tie back on, as I sing the first few bars from off stage. I get myself basically pulled back together, sans tie, and get on stage before the number complete falls apart.

The show continues and I do come to the costume change. I rush off and start stripping when I notice that I forgot to lay out my quick changes! I rush back to the dressing room and start stripping. I wear a body suit in the show, and it is impossible to get off. I hear over the monitor that the orchestra is vamping, which is odd since it is a CD, and Toad is vamping. Then I realize that the body suit never comes off and I am going to have to get it on again, and the show is left in a holding pattern and I can't seem to move fast enough and I wake up!

It doesn't seem to matter that the first costume change is actually under dressed, or should have been.

I go on once a week, we had a week off due to the holiday and my neice will be coming to see me on my first day back. Granted she will see the third of three shows that day, so any cobweb should be shaken out. Still, in general, I don't want there to be any cobweb problems.

All of a sudden it is high anxiety!

Yeah for the Garden State!

"New Jersey's highest court opened the door Wednesday to making the state the second in the nation to allow gay marriage, ruling that lawmakers must offer homosexuals either marriage or something like it, such as civil unions."

I have to agree with the majority in this case as well. I know the dissenters wanted more, but this is the problem I have always seen. Gay couples rally that they want marriage, but the term "marriage" is too wrapped up in the religious institution. That marriage has both legal and religious connotations has always been the problem, even though people could get legally married with out any religious involvement.

I have always believed that if activists asked for a legal institution that was the same as the one afforded marriage, but that was called something else, far less people would object.

I know, they will say gays have the right to be called married, but no one can stop you from saying it that way. But, no court in the world should be asked to make a religious institution perform or recognize a marriage.

Just as religion shouldn't govern how we make our laws, government is not supposed to govern religion. As long as a gay couple can be afforded the same LEGAL rights as a hetero couple, this is a victory. It doesn't matter if it is called a civil union or a marriage. A rose by any other name ...

Ashes to Ashes ...

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

What's on my Ipod?

Very often you see people posting "What they are listening to now?" or "What's on your Ipod now?"

I filled up my Ipod Shuffle completely this week for the first time, so I thought I would share what was on it. Not every title. Ack! That would be ridiculous. Maybe someday in a streaming paragraph when I am THAT bored.

I give a listing by genre. Since Soundtrack is so varied, I did a subdivision of that by Title. Plus occasional commentary.

Alternative – 9
Alternative & Punk – 11
Classical – 2
Country – 1
Disney – 2
Experimental Jazz – 2 (both The Hundredth Monkey. Indie Indy band of a friend with no label and thus no Itunes Genre. Went with their MySpace genre)
Holiday – 1 (Diana Krall's Jingle Bells!)
Inspirational – 4
Pop – 10
Rock – 9
Soundtrack – 72
   You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – 2
   Will Roger’s Follies – 1
   Wicked – 10
   West Side Story – 1 (by Little Richard no less)
   Urinetown – 2
   Tick tick Boom – 12
   The Producers – 1
   The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 3
   Spamalot – 2
   Rent – 9
   Ragtime – 2
   Moulin Rouge – 4
   Little Women – 4
   Hairspray – 1
   Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?– 1
   Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – 2
   Bernstein’s New York – 2
   Avenue Q – 12
   Animaniacs – 1
Vocal – 10
World – 1 (The Orange & The Green)

Stupid or Smart?

When I was in college, studying to be an actor, they required you to take a class in another discipline your sophomore year. I took stage management. I enjoyed it and I thought having another skill might make me more employable.

My Junior year I took lighting design and technology as an elective. Also enjoyable. Another diverse skill.

Years later, after making my break into the Houston theater scene with "Assassins", I picked up some Stage Management jobs as a way to introduce myself to various theaters. My fondest memory of that time was having an actor, who had been in "Assassins", see me working on a show as the SM and saying to me, "What a wonderful direction for you to go in!" Ah, memories!

Now, from my current vantage point, I wonder if that wasn't all a big mistake. Some people might agree. When they find out you are good at a non-acting skill that few people are good at, they begin to rely on you for the non-acting skill instead of the acting.

I have worked hard for people to see me as a diverse artist, capable of doing many things to be a working artist, but I am not performing as much as I would like. I am not getting the kind of work that I want.

So, I fear lighting and other general techie stuff will have to go on sabbatical. Sorry you two! Hope you don't get too rusty sitting there in the closet!

My friend Carol, the ancient yuletide troll, is making the big move to NYC at a time that many people would say is late in one's career. This is a very brave and scary thing.

Though I love NYC, and living there would definitely be an adventure, I am also devoted to the idea that one should be able to live in the provinces and survive as an artist. I have role models to follow and fellows who agree. But demands of jobs taken for my technical skill have gotten too much in the way.

Times they are a changing. I am a changing. It is time to not be afraid any more.

It could also mean I am a crappy actor, a second rate singer, and should be happy to be pushing the GO button on the light board in a cramped, stuffy booth. But enough of self pity...

I can get into this result!

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 90% Catwoman 85% The Flash 80% Superman 75% Green Lantern 70% Iron Man 70% Robin 65% Batman 40% Hulk 40% Supergirl 35% Wonder Woman 35%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Yahoooooooo!

So, a month ago I started using the Yahoo calendar feature in my Yahoo mail on-line and it is kind of actually working. Since I have access to it any time I am at any computer, I can but appointments on there anytime I get referenced to them via e-mail.

Of course, if I need my calendar handy for anything, I have to print the month or two, but I think I can get used to that idea.

What I like best are the reminders you get via e-mail. I get two remainders (24 and 6 hours) for each appointment and a daily e-mail listing all appointments that day. Now I have no excuse to forget what is coming.

Now that my schedule is organized, I wonder if I can get the rest of it sorted out ....

An Ego booster!

My friend Radio Man is doing a short film. The director wanted to do a little rehearsal, but one of the actors is coming but of California for the shoot, and thus, isn't available before hand. RM asked me if I would come out with him and be his reading partner for rehearsal.

Sure, why not.

We were a little early by mistake, and waited while we watched a couple of scenes worked on their feet with a little pre-blocking.

Then another actor came in to play a transient for a couple of scenes. I was playing Jack, a middle aged, worn our number cruncher giving a stranger a lift from a local diner. RM was the stranger, I will call Hal since I can't remember his real name. Jack and Hal exit the gas station to find the bum peeing on Jack's car.

The actor playing the bum was, how shall I put it, committed. He was ready to pull down his pants, "pee" with a saline bottle, and even vomit on cue. I reminded him that I was only a stand in. Please don't vomit on me.

So, as we finished up that scene, and RM thought it was a table session and not memorized on anything, we moved on to that. This helped keep the bum actor from dropping trou, but it was all anyone could do to prevent a vomiting demonstration.

Finally, bum was done and we moved on to the Jack/Hal scenes.

After working through those, two other actors came in for their work, but they could not find a Jack to fill in, so I agreed to stay and work with them for a bit too.

When we were done the director asked if I would be interested in doing the film should something happen to the Cal. actor. That's not likely to happen, I am sure, and since RM and I work together on a schedule that has been prepared to allow him the time to do the movie, I don't know that I could do it, but it was real fun to get a request like that just out of the blue!

And his impression came back to me through other mutual channels. I have spent all these years trying to impress stage directors. Maybe I oughta be in pictures!

It just feels nice to get positive reinforcement when least expected.

IT

When you are a performer, one of the biggest variables is the "It Factor." Do you have IT? That is the question.

I often wonder if I have it and would like to think I do. When I perform, if I have the opportunity to greet the audience afterwards, I usually get good feedback on my performance. Many times the size of my role does not limit the audience from complimenting me on my work. When they see me, they clearly see it.

On the flip side, when I audition, getting a job often seems like a struggle. Some directors, including one or two whom I consider close personal friends, don't seem to see it. Some shows I am cast in with out hesitation. Clearly they saw it. Others, I can't seem to break in. They don't see it.

So I must have it, just not everyone can see it. That someone in the audience sees it keeps me pounding away at a career on the boards. Of course, if the director doesn't see it, it doesn't put money in the bank.

And now I have an audition at a theatre I haven't tried for in a couple of years. I three person musical that will very likely have a highly competitive list. They show is cute, I think I have the notes, I think I have the skills, I know I will have the audience and I think I have it. I just hope it isn't left at home that day ...

Yet Another Survey

Does any of this surprise you?

W H O . W A S . T H E . L A S T . P E R S O N . T H A T?
1. You hung out with? Debs
2. Rode in a car with? Debs
3. Went to the movies with? Karen
4. You went to the mall with? I shop alone
6. You talked on the phone to? Debs
7. Made you laugh? Dave

W O U L D . Y O U . R A T H E R?
1. Pierce your nose or tongue? Nose
2. Be serious or be funny? Funny
3. Drink whole or skim milk? Skim
4. Die in a fire or drown? Eek! Fire? Hopefully the smoke will knock me out.
5. Spend time with your parents or enemies? Parents

A N S W E R . T R U T H F U L L Y.
1. Do you like anyone? Yes

D O . Y O U . P R E F E R.
1. Sun or moon? Moon
2. Winter or Fall? Fall, especially if there are leaves to turn. Pretty!
3. left or right? Left
4. 10 acquaintances or two best friends? 2 best friends
5. Sunny or rainy? Sunny
6. Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream? Coffee!

A B O U T . Y O U.
1. What time is it? 8:03am
1. First Name? Andrew
3. What do you want to do? Get out of debt!
4. Where do you wanna live? NYC
5. How many kids do you want? Maybe
6. You want to get married? Eventually, in a manner
8. Are you double jointed? No
10. Can you cross your eyes? Yes
11. Do you make your bed daily? No

R A N D O M.
1. Which shoe goes on first? Left
2. Ever thrown a shoe at someone? No
3. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Twirl
2. Have you ever eaten Spam? No!
3. Favorite ice cream? Coffee (see inadequate choices above!)
4. How many kinds of cereal are in your cabinet? Zero
5. Do you cook? Sometimes
6. Current mood? Tired and blue.

IN . THE. LAST. 48 HOURS. HAVE. YOU.
1. Bought something? No
2. Sang? Yes
3. Been hugged? Yes
4. Felt stupid? Yes
5. Missed someone? Yes
6. Danced Crazy? Yes
7. Gotten your hair cut? No
8. Cried? Not really, but close
9. mad? No
10. been kissed? No (see crying above)

. S T U F F .
1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? Yes
2. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? With someone
3. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes

I am Lost!

Take the quiz:
Which LOST character are you?

Charlie
You are Charlie You are an ex-rocker trying to kick a drug habit. While on the island you have met a very nice girl Claire.

Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!


In the summary, it showed I scored a 3 on Charlie. Kind of hoping for Jack, but only scored a 1. I suppose all guys want to be Jack ...

No more goody goody two shoes ...

Things have just been crazy this week. Work all day, work all night. Thursday was especially bad.

Things were crazy in the office. The phone was ringing off the hook with all kinds of "difficult" customers. Some were rude, others just has difficult orders to fill, and it just kept coming.

So this started me kind of down when I got to rehearsal, and it was a long, gotta get through it, exhausting night.

During the show, I bum a cigarette off another character. This cigarette happened to come home with me. One unexpected thought I had all evening was I wanted to smoke that thing. I got home, got out the ashtray I save for my mother, and I smoked that thing.

I got smoke in my eyes and a scratchy, wooly, burning feeling at the back of my throat, but I smoked it, right down to the filter. No apparent physical affects, so I am still not sure why people do it on a daily basis. Only a strange sense of accomplishment. I have no idea what I accomplished, but there you have it.

Keeping up with the Joneses

One thing I can not seem to get the hang of is keeping a calendar. I can keep up with a date book for about a week until I start leaving it at home or work or the car.

I tried using Outlook on my lap top since half my appts. are work related, but even then I wasn't doing well to go straight to it.

Now, after some praises from Radio Man, I am giving Yahoo! Calendar a try. I moved to that instead of reaffirming Outlook because Outlook is only available on my lap top, while Yahoo! is available on any computer. As long as I can get to a computer, I can check my schedule and I can print it out if I need to bring a hard copy to a meeting. Well, at least at work. I don't have a printer at home. Haven't in years, but I don't need one really now, since I go to work first things most days and can always print something there.

It has been working pretty well. My default reminders are 1 day and 6 hours before, and I get an e-mail about that. Any day with a schedule also gets an e-mail sent outlining the day. Of course, today, I deleted a reminder/itinerary without looking at it. I knew what it was for, but still that will be a bad habit to get into. That will be like leaving it in the car or on the desk. Assuming I "know" my schedule is what gets me in trouble.

... now wait a G** damned minute!

I realized after going to bed last night that I made a mistake. I was accused of being as bad of a whiner as the people I was railing against in my last blog.

I responded by basically agreeing, and blaming it on 5 years of saved up whining. But having reconsidered, I have to strongly disagree.

I was ranting. I was raving. I was being ridiculously unfair to a situation where I only knew just a few of the facts. I was NOT whining. Whiners sit around and complain with no plan to move forward otherwise. I had private complaints about my situation, but I never stopped planning how I was going to get to the next day. For 1 month I slept on a couch which doesn't come with a power bill. Compassion paid my power bill for 2 months. Rent covered my power bill for 3 months. After 6 months, I was paying my own bills again. FEMA never paid for my power bill.

As for compassion? I had compassion. A year ago, a whole population went through a hell that was unimaginable until it was witnessed. They needed help. They needed support.

I am still sorry about how their lives were dramatically changed, but in a year, you need to be responsible for your electricity. Since when is electricity an unalienable right?