If you'd like to follow my personal blog through LJ, you can add the user crshelton_blog to your friend list.  Thanks to isquiesque  for setting this up!

I'm using my Google Shared Items feed to combine my various blogs and social bookmarking stuff.  Here's the link:

http://www.google.com/reader/public/atom/user/01655794242211186437/state/com.google/broadcast

If anyone has troubles with it, let me know!   Keep in touch!

-Christopher

I have posted some photos from Earnest at http://crshelton.blogspot.com/

Also, I finally posted my Wii friend-codes.  If you have a Wii, please register me!  My miis are lonely.

I haven't written here in almost four years.  I am sorry for that.  Here is a brief summary of my life since then:

Having moved back to CA from NY, I was working as a karaoke host when I last wrote. 

Nothing exciting happened to me until the next Spring (2005), when I met my beautiful girlfriend Allison.  Through a complicated series of events, we ended up moving to NY together in the fall.  I moved directly;  She took the less direct route, through Germany.

We lived in NYC for a year until we ran out of money, and moved back to Santa Cruz in January of 2007.

I have been involved with plenty of theater and music here in Santa Cruz, and we plan to move back to NYC this fall.

If I have not been in touch with you, I apologize.  Please leave me a comment with a summary of your own adventures, so that I can catch up with you.  Then, head over to my new journal at http://crshelton.blogspot.com/.  I have posted a little information and some links regarding my latest theater project.  

I am eager to reconnect with all of you.  I intend to keep the new journal alive, so please do subscribe and leave comments to let me know that someone is reading it...  If subscribing to a blogspot journal is too much hassle for you LJ folks, let me know that too.  I like the interface over there, but it's not worth alienating my friends over (as if disappearing for four years wasn't enough to accomplish that already).

~Christopher

Howdy.

I've been busy here in Santa Cruz, writing plays and working as a Karaoke Host at the Boardwalk Bowl. If you live nearby, come check out the karaoke fun on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We start up at 8 and go until the bar closes. If you're lucky maybe the signals will get crossed and the screen will switch over to porn. It's been known to happen.

My real motive for posting is that I need the help of any Aptos area folks who had Sue Clow as a teacher. She, along with Carolyn Moscatel and some others, will be retiring this month. Somebody came up with the nice idea of dedicating the stage at Aptos Jr. in her name. Unfortunately we've run into some red tape. First we needed to raise $800, which has been done, but now we're being told that the school board needs more community support.

If you have the time to write a short letter voicing your support, you can E-mail it to Ray_Blute@PVUSD.net, and copy it to Carolyn_Moscatel@PVUSD.net. It would be great to see this happen, and I know there are a lot of you who took her drama classes. If you know anyone else who might be able to write, pass the message along. The board will be voting on the issue in a week or two.

Thanks guys!

The Answers to my lyric meme:

Songs that were never guessed in italics

1) Ballad of Hard Luck Henry - Hank Snow and Garrison Kiellor

2) In This Diary - Ataris

3) Motown Philly - Boys II Men

4) Blue - Joni Mitchell

5) A Case of You - Joni Mitchell

6) Billy the Goat Girl - Oliver Brown

7) Get Over It - Avril Lavigne

8) Telephoto Lens - Oliver Brown

9) Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver (Covered by Ani Difranco)

10) Stan - Eminem w/ Dido

11) This is the Life - Weird Al

12) Looking Back on Today - Ataris

13) Sorry I Am - Ani Difranco

14) I'll Make Love to You - Boys II Men

15) Political Science - Randy Newman

16) Nobody's Fool - Avril Lavigne

17) Anything but Ordinary - Avril Lavigne

18) Fly - Moxy Fruvous

19) Glass Vase Cello Case - Tattle Tale

20) Untouchable Face - Ani Difranco

Date:	2004-05-04 17:06
Subject:	Lyric Meme
Security:	Public
Mood:	accomplished

Pull up your playlist on your computer or MP3 player, set it to shuffle and write down your favorite line from the first twenty songs that play. Try not to include the song's title in any of the lyrics.

EDIT : Already guessed songs in italics

1) I'm looking for a lassy, one who's Christian name is Pague/ Who sought a Klondike Miner and who wrote it on an egg.

2) I guess when it comes down to it, being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up is.

3) Jet Black Benz, Plenty of Friends, and all the Philly Steaks you can Eat

4) Here is a shell for you, inside you'll hear a sigh/ A Foggy Lullaby. There is your song from me.

5) Just before our love got lost you said 'I am as constant as the northern star'/ I said 'Constantly in the darkness, where's that at? If you want me I'll be in the bar.'

6) Billy the Goat Girl, be my Bride / You were never the one for loving

7) Don't turn around, I'm sick and I'm tired of your face

8) Wish I were a telephoto lens, so I could be with life close up/ What exactly is it fate intends, is this a joke? We'd all laugh.

9) The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn/ already I'm so lonesome I could die.

10) You ruined it now. I hope you can't Sleep and you Dream about it/ and when you Dream I hope you can't Sleep and you Scream about it/ I hope your Conscience Eats at you and you can't Breathe Without Me/

11) I buy a dozen cars when I'm in the mood, and I hire somebody to chew my food/ I'm just an upwardly mobile dude

12) If only I had one wish, I'd want a million trillion lifetimes that I could spend with you/ fall in love with you again and again, again...

13) I'm sorry I didn't sound more excited on the phone, I'm sorry that after all these years/ I left you feeling unrequited and alone, brought you to tears.

14) Throw your clothes on the floor, I'm gonna take my clothes off too / I've made plans to be with you.

15) We'll save Australia / Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo.

16) I'm not the milk and cheerios in your spoon.

17) If you look you will see that this world is a beautiful accident; turbulent, succulent, opulent, permanent, no way/ I wanna taste it.

18) One thing left to do... In the Roller Coaster's shadow they took off their shoes and bared their souls.

19) Breathe into my hands, I'll cup them like a glass to drink from...

20) To tell you the truth, I prefer the worst of you/ too bad you had to have a better half
****

Lots of repeat artists here, but oh well. Let the guessing begin!

This is the sort of thing that I already miss about living in New York City.

PACMANHATTAN

My only complaint is that the ghosts have to tag Pacman instead of just passing him on the street. In my mind that changes the game too much. Still, this is a really great idea.

Thanks to Ivan of ifmud for the link.

Date:	2004-05-01 01:24
Subject:	I'm smitten
Security:	Public
Mood:	dorky

= P

I have a silly non-sensical crush, and it's not completely futile (ie. Someone already taken). However, like a proper crush, it's also someone way out of my league.

Normally I try to repress such feelings, but this time around I'm diggin' it. It's kind of fun to daydream about someone and then become a blabbering fool whenever they're around.

Somebody tell me I've lost my marbles.

Today I read through my entire journal, and you know what I discovered? I used to be way more interesting than I am now.

Damn.

Date:	2004-04-26 17:24
Subject:	So. Freakin'. Cute.
Security:	Public
Mood:	silly

10 Day Old Marmoset:



Gimme Gimme Gimme!

Grr...

I appear to have left my drivers license on the airplane when I moved. Of course, I've been driving around all week and it's been no problem, but now that I know it's gone I can't drive any more.

I feel like Wile E. Coyote.

Howdy!

My apologies for disappearing over the last two weeks; it's' a magician thing. I have migrated to the sunny, sandy beach town of Santa Cruz California, also known as home sweet home.

To the New Yorkers : Summer was on it's way when I left. I hope you have lots of exciting adventures and warm fuzziness this year. Find a tree to climb (I can suggest one if you need me to) and relax a bit.

To the Californians : I managed to sneak some New York style adventure through security, and I need someone to share it with. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, so drop me a line. If you can teach me how to skateboard or surf, the Chai Milkshakes at Saturn Cafe are on me.

To everyone else : You may now resume contact with me as usual.

It's going to be a good year.

-Christopher

You are Maureen Dowd! You like to give people silly
nicknames and write in really short, non
sequitur paragraphs. You're the most playful of
the columnists and a rock-ribbed liberal, but
are often accused of being too flamboyant and
frivolous. You tend to focus on style over
substance, personality over politics. But your
heart is in the right place. Plus, you are a
total fox.


Which New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Date:	2004-02-21 09:01
Subject:	Takin' you back
Security:	Public
Mood:	nostalgic

Gold star of the day to anyone who can remember where these symbols come from:

Here is how this works: By request, I have been asked five questions. I will answer them presently. If you like, post a comment and I will ask *you* five questions, which you must then answer. You will post the answers to your journal, along with this explanation (or something similar), and then ask questions of any friends who request them.
Here is how this works: By request, I have been asked five questions. I will answer them presently. If you like, post a comment and I will ask *you* five questions, which you must then answer. You will post the answers to your journal, along with this explanation (or something similar), and then ask questions of any friends who request them.

These questions are from pokadot11

What is your favorite memory with the bug?

Hrm... This is a tough one. I'm going to have to go with the time we had a party and painted it for the ASB election.

Which one of the other four Sheltons would survive best in NY, and why?

Well, I hope I don't upset any of the other three by saying this, but I think Curtis would do the best here. I haven't had Mom out to visit yet, but I've had everyone else out, and he definitely eased into the NY life the quickest. He kept up in Times Square, and most of all kept a good sense of humor about him, as always. He just seemed to fit in here the most. I could totally see him meeting people and living it up in the city once he was old enough.

If you had to pursue a career that wasn't in the performing arts, what would it be?

Well, If I could just pick one, then I'd be an astronaut. If I were seriously going to choose another career to pursue? I think I'd go the complete opposite route and become one of these Wall Street guys or something. I'd pick a job where I worked really hard at something that didn't give a lot of creative leeway, but one where I made good money so I could play on my time off.

What's your all-time favorite X-Files episode, and why?

Now *this* is a tough question. I must say I'm a fan of the vampire episode, with Luke Wilson as the sheriff, but I don't think it's my favorite. Of course *everybody* likes the circus episode, and the one with the guy writing the book, where everyone says 'Bleep Bleep' instead of cursing.
I also like the one with the Dork who steals Mulder's identity. F... B... I.., that cracks me up every time. I also like the serious episodes though, like the Pajama HEart episode, that one might be my favorite. Practically the whole first season was great though....

Oh I don't know man, I can't pick one.

If you could have one talent you don't already have, what would you choose?

I wish I could dance really well.

Date:	2004-02-15 04:54
Subject:	The five question meme
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

Ah, it is time for this meme again. Here is how this works: By request, I have been asked five questions. I will answer them presently. If you like, post a comment and I will ask *you* five questions, which you must then answer. You will post the answers to your journal, along with this explanation (or something similar), and then ask questions of any friends who request them.

Todays Questions brought to you by jfpbookworm:

1. You got on my friends list via ifmud; what brought you there?

In Fourth or Fifth grade my good friend Dave and I were computer geeks, and one of us got a hold of "Masterpieces of Infocom". Back then it came on something like 30 floppy disks. We played all the games, and started making up our own text adventures, and tried programming one or two in BASIC. We all know how that turned out.
In sixth grade, through some arts program in the schools, we had a woman come give drama workshops to our class. Her name was Judith Pintar. She taught us about AGT, and she played the harp. I don't think I ever finished writing any AGT games, but I remember Dave writing a decent one.
In my Junior year of High School I met Nick Badagliacca, who had also been an Infocom fan. It was he who introduced me to the annual IFcomp, and got me really interested in IF again. I started reading the IF newsgroups, and I think I signed onto ifMUD once or twice as a guest, but didn't really get it.
One evening shortly after I moved to NYC I was bored and decided to try the MUD again, and I ended up hanging around for a day or two. As chance would have it, veek came into town to visit right around that time, and I tagged along to a dinner-meet. Incidentally, this was also the first time I ever ate Sushi.
Some of the people at dinner were planning to visit veek in Boston the following weekend, and I got tricked into going with them. I met several MUDders there, and ate great food, and then I was hooked!

2. What's the one misconception about magicians you'd most like to clear up?

That we're out to fool you. The pleasure in experiencing good magic tricks is not in trying to figure them out, and the pleasure in performing them is not in feeling smug because 'I know the secret and you don't'. Next time you have the chance to watch a magician perform, try and see if there's something else being offered, besides the puzzle. If there isn't then it's possible you're watching one of the many magic losers who actually *do* just want to feel smug, and you have my permission to call them on it. But *good* magic will always be about the experience, not the puzzle.

3. Do ordinary-sized hats seem tiny to you now?

No, but recently I saw an upturned, ordinary sized, Top Hat in a costume shop, and I had a weird out-of-body/displacement thing go on in my brain. I won't say I *saw* myself in the hat, but I kind of felt it, and it made me feel ill for a moment.

4. What one aspect of Santa Cruz would you most like to import to New York, and vice versa?

This is a tough question. Santa Cruz is *so* different from NYC, it's almost impossible for me to imagine any aspect of it being imported. My first thought is 'the people', but actually I don't suppose the people from Santa Cruz are that different from the people in NYC. I think if you put everybody from Santa Cruz here in New York, they would eventually start acting like New Yorkers, and if you put New Yorkers in Santa Cruz, they would eventually start acting like Santa Cruz folks. I'm going to say that if I could import any on aspect of Santa Cruz into NY, I would just take Pacific Garden Mall and replace a few blocks of the west village with it.
From New York City to Santa Cruz, no question; The public transportation, including subways.

5. You're cursed to do only one thing for the rest of eternity. What's the most palatable choice?

Dream.

Happy Friday 13th!

I made coffee in a pot on my stovetop. Coffee grounds and water, boiled and strained. It was very strong coffee, and now I am hyper-caffeinated.

The nice thing about this method is that when you finish your Cup o' Joe, you can read your fortune in the bottom of the mug, like Tea-Leaves. Mine says "You will not sleep for several days".

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