Stay in school, watch 'Scott Pilgrim'; both are equally rewarding.

School started this week, which to some sounds the death knolls of summer, and just translates to "no more free time". And to those people, I say, "No, sir or madame, you're doing it wrong." School (college especially) is your chance to do and learn about exactly what you want. You know that thing that you love, that maybe you don't think you could make a career out of, but you still kinda hope you can anyway? Yeah, that's what you're supposed to be doing right now. Do it. Learn it. This is the time of your life where you can do whatever you want, take courses that you find interesting, and no one thinks it's a waste of time! (Okay, maybe someone will, but that's because they wish they had the option to do what you're doing.)

Yeah, sure, you're gonna have to apply yourself a little bit. Big whoop. And maybe you'll have to wake up before the crack of noon every now and then. Boo hoo. But you get to spend your time defining yourself as a person, and bettering every aspect of your life in the process. You can get a little taste of that future career that you really really want. And, if you play your cards right and actually do apply yourself, that dream job will stop being a dream job and be your real job.

It's so exciting to think that from here on out, we make our own decisions. We get to choose our field, our job, our path, and really work for it. Yes, you do have to work for it. But, come on. No one's just gonna hand you the job of your dreams (unless you're really really lucky). And even if they did hand it to you, you'd probably screw it up. Because unless you did the work that it takes to earn that job, you're definitely not gonna be able to do it.

So, yeah. College is cool. Sometimes it's the most random classes that take you by surprise and end up teaching you the most.

In other news, 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' came out. So please go watch it. Not only will it completely blow your mind to pieces, it needs your help. We need to support good, original, fresh films. Universal took a risk on this movie; it's quirky and niche and weird--oh, right, and GOOD. It's such a sight for sore eyes; we get so much garbage, especially now (how many 'SAW' movies are there? And 'Jackass 3D'? Really?), that this could be the start of a huge movement in Hollywood where studios take risks on good movies. But only if it makes money. And right now, it's not making money.

What is everyone seeing? 'The Expendables'? I haven't seen it yet (I'd like to), but I can guarantee that it's not original, not risky, not heartfelt; at least nowhere near 'Scott Pilgrim'. Everyone that sees it at least like it, most people love it. It's phenomenal. From a filmmaking perspective, the thing's brilliant. The direction, editing, effects, acting, writing, music, techniques; it's all there, guys. You won't be disappointed. Help support good films in Hollywood and we'll get more of them. Let it die, and we'll get 'Transformers 5', 'Saw 24' and more Zac Efron. And is that really what you want? Really?

In other, other news, I've started production on a short film I wrote about five years ago. I'd filmed it back then with a friend of mine on a crappy camera, and it never made it to the editing room (it was pretty funny, though). But a couple years back I rewrote it, heavily cleaned it up and improved it, and cast a new lead. But then I didn't do anything. Until now...

It's called 'P. D. Stands for Pretty Dumb' (people that have known me for a long time may recognize it), and it's a mockumentary about this private detective, Jim Boe, who's just completely oblivious. We've shot a bit of it so far (piece by little piece, we're getting there; below I included a little 'behind-the-scenes picture from shooting), and it's looking pretty funny. I'm doing everything I can to really nail this one. If I don't like a shot completely, we redo it. No more moving on just 'cause we need to get stuff done (for the most part). I want to make sure every shot is deliberate, and exactly how I want it, before we move to the next one. That way, I can be 100% proud of the outcome (and, if it sucks, I'm 100% to blame).

I love being behind the camera, though. It's home to me. When I'm directing, there's basically nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing. Sure, there's scenes that take FOREVER to get right, and that can get frustrating, but it's a small price to pay to be doing this for real.

It's not gonna be long enough to submit to contests or festivals or anything like that, but it's something that's not too short, not too long, hopefully well-produced and written, that I can show people without any qualifiers of , "Oh, that scene's rough", or "We didn't have time to reshoot that", or "The microphone broke". This is something I can get behind and I won't stop until it's the way I want it. And so far, it's looking really good. It's something simple and small I can pull off during the hustle bustle of school, work, and ten million other things.

Also, I'm hoping to make Jim a recurring character. I already have another script (needs to be wholly revised) and some neat ideas for future stories with this guy, but I'm focusing on the first one for now. This is part of my self-college. I'm actually making my own movies and learning from those experiences, which I think is invaluable. And so freaking gratifying, you have no idea. If you're interested in something, go do it yourself. Don't wait for someone else to tell you the "right" way to do it. Figure it out. Make it happen. It's awesome, and so are you.

But you're probably also lazy. Yeah, me too. Sucks, doesn't it? Partly why this post is two weeks overdue. Guess I'm trying to make up for that in length. So I'll cut it off now and stop rambling. And in honor of college starting, I'll give you college kids the cliffnotes version:

• Stay in school, don't do drugs
• PAY TO SEE SCOTT PILGRIM. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE (or at least make you laugh)
• I'm making a movie, and so should you

There you go. Now go do your homework.

-Micah

How glasses made me think about death and stuff.

So, I guess this makes the third post about getting glasses. 'Cause I actually have 'em now. Today is my first day wearing them, so I'm still getting used to them. But wow, I never knew words could look this good before.

It's weird to think that I've gone my whole life, never having seen words the way that most people see them. It's especially weird, since I'm a writer, and I deal with words all the time. Kind of ironic. Also kind of ironic is the fact that I'm a filmmaker, and yet I have flawed vision. A field that is so very visual and relies on sight, in which I have a vision and express to the world that vision that I see, and yet I can't even rely on my own eyes completely. 'Tis odd.

Now, I'm not blind, so it's not actually all that dramatic. My vision really isn't that bad. I've just been putting a lot of strain on my eyes. But crikey, do these things make a difference. It really is remarkable how different things look to me (at least close-up things). Screens, paper, books, cellphones; it's like a veil has lifted from my eyes and now I see everything clearly.

One example that should illustrate the difference is that today on the drive over to Mason to edit Absolution, I tried reading a chapter in my Improv book, to see if my glasses helped with my ability to read in the car. And oh my goodness, they did. For the first time, well, ever, I read a book in the car for an extended period of time and felt...nothing. No headaches, no motion sickness, no dizzyness. I've never been able to do that. I can't tell you how amazing that feels.

As an added plus, I think they look pretty spankin', too. I like the look, even if it is only part time. Besides, now I really look like a geek writer.

On a similar but more philosophical note, I want to talk a little bit about mortality, namely my own. It's a really weird thing that's been dawning on me, especially now when I'm supposedly in my prime, but it has been. I've really been seeing the limitations of this physical body. Obviously, the fact that I need glasses is one of the indicators. But I've also just been faced with different things that make me realize that, if I'm not careful enough, or if I misjudge something, I could do serious, permanent damage to myself. And if I don't take care of my body, I won't be able to do all the things I want to do.

And, frankly, I probably don't have the time to do everything I want to do in my life. Of course, I'll have plenty of time to do a lot--if not most--of it. But not everything. I have to make choices and sacrifices. Novel concept, I know. But there's one thing to know that intellectually, and it's another to know it from experience and realization.

Sorry for the no-funny post today. I'll think up a good knock-knock joke for next time. And don't worry, I'm not depressed or anything. Just more motivated to get this show on the road.

-Micah

Air is evil, and other news...

It's funny how the little random note I put in my last post (about getting an eye exam) is the biggest development in my life since last week when I wrote that.

I went to the eye doctor for the first time, like, ever. At least that I can remember. And, by the way, they are cruel people. If you're unfamiliar, they do a little pre-test (always hated those in school, too. It's all the pain of a real test, but it doesn't count toward your grade. Awesome.). And in that pre-test, first they have you look into these two machines, then the lady says, "Okay, this next machine is gonna blow a puff of air into your eye." And you're sitting there like the little lab rat thinking, 'What the crap is she talking about?' And so you put your chin on the little stand and you put your eye up to the machine. And then BAM! She actually does it. She actually sends a puff of air into your eye.

And it's not some little breeze of wind, either. It's like a .50 caliber shot of air beind aimed directly into your eye. Don't tell me that's scientific. "Oh, well, looks like you have some eye damage, so, guess you need glasses!" It can't tell them anything about my eyes except that now they're irritated 'cause you shot a freaking bolt of air into my eye. Worst part? She did it three times. Uh, I only have two eyes, lady.

Anywho, after that was over, I went to see the doctor (who, for the record, could moonlight as an auctioneer; I swear I was in and out of his office in under five minutes), who then gave me the verdict: I'm farsighted. Apparently for the last who-knows-how-many years, I've been putting a lot of strain on my eyes by doing such simple things as reading, or using the computer; both of which I do a lot.

So, I got my perscription, and got to pick out my very first pair of frames. I guess I'm kinda picky when it comes to glasses, but hey, they've gotta go on my face, so why not be picky? I finally decided on a pair that make me look, as the guy said, "James Dean-ish", which I'm quite alright with.

I'm pretty excited, because headaches are not fun, and I've been getting them more and more (I've also been spending more time in front of computers and reading, a la editing and stuff). I've had them for a long time, but never really linked them to my eyes. After going 19 years without glasses, though, this'll be weird. But I like weird, and I like change, so, bring it.

Annoying part is, they still have to mail 'em out to me. They should be here by the 13th, but still...I kinda need them now...

-Micah

Busy like, whoa.

This year has been one of the busiest and most interesting years of my life. It's been full of first-time experiences that I'll never forget, creativity, excitement, joy, fear; so much has happened. And it's only halfway over. And that's how I like it.

I hope to one day do a full write-up of all my separate experiences, and I'm gonna try and work on that and doing more personal writing here. But, geez, man. I've got a lot to get through.

I've already chronicled my eye-opening experiences visiting New York City for the first time, which was incredible. But that was just one of many amazing, fantastic experiences I've had this year.

In May I got a job writing for examiner.com as the Manassas Movies Examiner. It's a pretty cool gig; you write articles, they pay you based on traffic. Recently the site shifted their focus over to a local-based model, so basically, they want you to write articles related to your area (mine being Manassas). Which, being in Manassas, and writing about movies, makes it really hard to find a local spin to my articles. Some days I just say 'screw it' and don't even bother, but there's crafty ways of doing it. Overall, it's a good experience, and something to go on the resumé.

In early June I took a 5-day trip to North Carolina with my dad and one of my many brothers. We went to visit my dad's parents; it had been years since I'd seen them, and it was great. I have kind of a hectic lifestyle, so it was nice to slow down for a few days. I got to see my aunt and uncle (it had been a while since I'd seen them as well), go to the beach for the first time in many years, go to the pool, go to my uncle's family reunion on the beach and meet his family; lots of great memories. Some of the best ones are just when me and Caleb (my younger brother) would play Red Dead Redemption late into the night, or when my dad got me a special gift in the form of cigars for me and him, and we just sat out on the porch and talked. I really got to see and interact with my father on a very personal level on this trip, and that meant--and means--a lot to me. I don't think I truly conveyed to him how special that was, but it really had an impact on me.

After getting back from North Carolina, it was only two more weeks until I was hitting the road again, this time driving with my youth group up to Assateague National Park in Maryland, where we camped on the beach for three days. This trip was so enriching, I can't wait to do it again next year. I made and strengthened friendships that will last me a lifetime, and really got to bond with my church family in a special way. Lots of shared memories, like ghost crab hunting, fireworks on the beach, our little Hibachi grill, and a thunderstorm that was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Yes, we all got sunburned (although I came back looking like a day-laborer; I guess I tan pretty well), but ask any one of us, and we'd do it again in a heartbeat.

In between all these amazing experiences were writers meetings with a couple of guys that I'm doing a new project with. Those have really helped me with growing as a writer and collaborator, and helped to give me more drive and motivation to pursue my passions that much more. The guys are hilarious, and we spend most of our meetings laughing our heads off, and actually getting stuff done (amazing, I know). I'm excited and nervous at the same time to be working with other people that are just as creative and funny (if not moreso) than myself.

In mid-July, we had some interesting problems come our way; the main one in the form of Child Protective Services knocking on our door. Apparently, all that's needed to spark an investigation is an anonymous phone call (with mostly-fabricated details) and they'll send someone over that day. We were not thrilled, to say the least. But we complied, and after seeing that my siblings are not neglected, but instead intelligent, happy, fun-loving kids, they pretty much had no leg to stand on; however, there was a week of super-intense house cleaning that went on after that. Despite the attack on our family (anyone who knows anything about us is always extremely surprised when I tell them what happened, proving the ridiculousness of the claims), we managed to grow closer together through it.

Late July brought about the wonder known as Comic Con. This was the first time I'd been to California, the first time I'd flown in about five years, and the first time going to any sort of convention like this. It was the singlehanded most exhausting experience of my life, and it was amazing. I could write a book on that experience by itself. San Diego was gorgeous. The amount of people there was unimaginably insane. I met people I've been a longtime fan of, and some people I've just seen on TV or in movies. I made new friends. I became closer with old friends. I waited in a metric crapton of lines. I also got a lot of useless swag (but swag is awesome anyway). It was really inspirational for me.

Over the course of this year, my passion for filmmaking and entertaining has been growing at an exponential pace. I finally know what it feels like to really have a passion for something. I thought I knew before, but I've never felt this way before; it's really unexplainable. It's like this burning desire to do something that just grows and grows with every day, and every new opportunity just feeds the fire so much more. It's kind of scary, but I'm loving the drive and determination it's given me.

I just bought a book on improv to try and help develop those skills in spontaneity and comedy, but also on how to tell a good story. It's as much to help me become a better performer, as it is to help me become a better writer and director and public speaker. I'm only a chapter in, but so far it looks promising. The book's called "Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation" and it's written by Charna Halpern, Del Close and Kim "Howard" Johnson.

After getting back from Comic Con, it really motivated me to get a longtime project of mine, the Absolution Movie, underway. So I spent all day yesterday preparing and sorting footage, watching it, writing, etc., to get this thing moving. As I write this, I'm sitting next to Nathan as he begins to edit the first couple scenes of the film, and it's exciting to be in the Director's chair once again. We have a lot of cool ideas that we're working on, and we're really excited for everyone to see them. But it's a long road to haul.

Throughout everything this year, one of the constants has been my amazing girlfriend, Lizzy, who's been just amazing. She's incredibly supportive of me and my crazy ideas and crazier schedule. She's been patient and understanding, and that means a lot to me. We got together on December 21st (her birthday), so she's one of the big changes this year for me as well. It's scary, 'cause she's smarter and prettier than me, but she's modest too and doesn't like to rub it in my face (much). She gets along great with my family, and she's pretty much all you could ask for in a girl, and I'm very happy.

I've got other projects and ideas rolling around in my head, including several short films I'm going to write and produce in the coming year or so, but those shall stay locked inside my cranial vortex for now. And yes, that's a scientific term. Cranial vortex.

Don't quote me on that.

Random note: I think I may have slight astigmatism. Kinda wanna get my eyes checked. Hm...

Until next time I take the time to let you all know what's going on, adios; and never slow down. There's not enough time to slow down.

-Micah

New York!: Part 3

And now for the final part of my first solo expedition out into the great unknown; er, New York city. I say solo, not because I was alone, but because there was no one else there that was related to me. Or responsible for me. Or that I was responsible for. I was, for a few days, on my own (although we were most graciously housed and taken care of by Peter's wonderful relatives). It's the first time it's ever been like that for me, and I gotta say, I enjoyed being responsible for myself. I love my family to pieces, don't get me wrong, but I'm getting to that age where, soon enough, whether I like it or not, personal responsibility is thrust on me. I need my own job, I have my own bills, I'll have to find my own health care, feed myself, clothe myself, etc., etc. And one by one, I seem to be confronted with those different things, getting a little more responsibility here and there. I'm easing into adulthood. And maybe that's why these years (college) are typically regarded as some of the best times. You get a lot more freedom to do whatever you want, but not quite all the responsibility it entails.

But I digress. That's another post for another time. Back to New York.

Wednesday. We woke up around 9:15, made ourselves presentable, the headed for the city around 10. Our first destination was the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), specifically for the Tim Burton exhibit. We had a timed visit, for 12:30, so when we got there closer to 12, we had a look around at a few other exhibits first. One that was really neat was a performance art that was being held in this large, open room. There were two plain wooden chairs on either end of a plain wooden table. At one end sat a woman in a dark, plain dress. The other chair was empty. There was a large square of masking tape going around the scene, with one small section cut out of it. Anyone from the audience was invited to come sit quietly in the empty chair for as long or short as they please. When the chair was empty, the woman would have her head bowed. When someone would sit, the woman would sit up and stare at the newcomer.

The work is called "The Artist Is Present" by Marina Abramovic. It was really interesting to see the two people staring at each other, unmoving (although some of the participants would shift and move). It's hard enough to stare at someone you know in the eyes for longer than a couple seconds, much less someone you've never seen before, all the while being watched by hundreds of people. The whole thing was confusing at first, but once we figured it out, it was captivating. However, we were on a time crunch, so we had to move on.

Next we went to the Tim Burton exhibit for our "appointment". The place was packed. Remember: this was a Wednesday afternoon, but there were hundreds of people in the exhibit. Lines everywhere. We quickly realized that our "timed appointment" meant absolutely nothing (maybe it's only enforced on the weekends?), and it took a while to see everything, partly because of the mass crowds of people in front of us, but partly because of the sheer volume of work Mr. Burton has done. There were so many pieces of art, most of which (to my surprise) were drawings. Especially in his younger years, Burton did tons and tons of sketches. Mostly pen and paper, with some pastel or watercolor here and there, but they definitely capture his style. These were actually more interesting to me than the movie props they had. Seeing his sketches made us wonder why his movies are so tame. Sure, they're weird, but in comparison, he definitely has a lot darker, more disturbing things in his mind. Maybe they're not mainstream enough. Whatever the case, I'm interested to see if his movies start to reflect his drawings more.

Speaking of his movies, they had a bunch of neat props. Different props from Beetlejuice; several cowls from Batman, along with the Penguin's carriage; Edward Scissorhand's suit; the cape from Sleepy Hollow; helmet from Planet of the Apes; lots of figures from Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride; as well as the razors from Sweeney Todd. There were also concept sketches and paintings to go with the props, so it was cool to see what ideas made it into the final design.

After finishing up at the MoMA, we visited a local bakery we'd heard about that sells gigantic cookies. And they really were. It's called Levain Bakery, and if you get the chance, stop in and try one of the cookies. They're incredible. After that we had some authentic New York pizza at a local pizza shop, which was also great.

Then was Emeril. Peter's dad got tickets to this new show Emeril Lagasse's doing, called the Emeril Lagasse show, which is kind of like a mix between a variety show and a cooking show. It's a little weird. Each episode has audience participation games and a special guest, among other things. Our episode was a special family episode, so there were lots of kids in the audience, most of Emeril's family was there, and the special guest was none other than: Elmo. If you've never seen Elmo outside of Sesame Street, you must; he's hilarious. He was the highlight of the show.

The show itself was kind of awkward, unfortunately. Partly due to the new format, partly due to the fact that his son was really obnoxious and kept interrupting him. It just fell flat. Emeril really needs to get back to his roots. The variety thing just doesn't work for him, and you can tell he's not really passionate about it; he doesn't seem comfortable doing it. The best parts were when he was cooking, and unfortunately not a whole lot of that happened. Overall, it was disappointing, although it was cool to see Emeril (and Elmo, for that matter). The show airs starting March 28th on ION, and airs every Sunday after that. I believe ours airs the first Sunday in May.

Next was our final plans for New York: the play "Extinction", featuring James Roday (Psych) and Michael Weston (House). The play was at the Cherry Lane Theatre, a small venue, roughly 150 seats. I didn't know much about the play going in, except not to expect to see Shawn Spencer on stage. James Roday's character in the play, Finn, was definitely a different character for him, which was refreshing to see. Shawn's great and all, but it's good to see actors break out and do other roles, too.

The play's about two former college roommates who go on occasional weekends of debauchery. At the start, it's been over a year since they've seen each other, and they're getting together for another wild weekend. Michael Weston's character, Max, is gearing up like nothing's changed, but when Finn arrives, it's obvious that he's not so into the whole idea anymore. He's fine with catching up and having a good time with his friend, but he doesn't want to do anything stupid. Max thinks it's dumb and tries to get Finn to give in and party like old times. Finn reveals that he's got a baby on the way. This hardly does anything to dissuade Max, who just tries harder. Eventually Finn reveals that he's also married to the mother. Max is shocked; not only is his best friend married, but he wasn't asked to be the best man; he wasn't even invited. This sparks a spiraling series of events that further tear these two friends apart. Later, two girls are brought in to complicate things even more (played by Amanda Detmer and Stephanie Frame).

The play is a look at the male psyche from several different points of view, and is very much a guy play in that sense. It's mainly about these two men, talking about what it means to be men. The script is serious in terms of material and ideas, but executed brilliantly with lots of comedy. It's really brought to life by all four actors. Not one of them were weak; each character has development and depth to them, each one different from the rest, with different goals. The ending isn't a happy-go-lucky fairytale ending; it's rather jarring and really makes you think about everything that's happened in the play. The last show was on the 14th, but if you get the chance to see another production, it's worth seeing. But it's definitely not one for the kiddos.

After the play, we went and waited outside the stage exit. About ten minutes later the actors came out and started talking to people, signing autographs and taking pictures. They were all extremely nice, and they stuck around 'till everyone got a chance to say hi. They were still there chatting when we headed home. Meeting James Roday was definitely the highlight of the trip (although the whole trip was fantastic). He's super nice, and I complimented him on his impressive mustache, to which he replied, "Thanks man, but you better soak it up now; I'll have to shave it in two weeks for Psych."

After all that we went home on the ferry for the last time. Next day, Peter's dad drove us all back home, and thus ended our New York trip.

It really was incredible, and if you have the opportunity, go. It's a great place, with so much history and culture, and so much going on, as well as some incredibly nice people, which was also a little surprising. There's the stereotype of northerners being stuck-up, but everyone we ran into was nice and pleasant. Sure, if we'd had to drive in New York, it might be a different story, but we didn't.

I don't think I'll ever forget this trip. It was eye-opening, tiring, fun, and a great first experience. Thank you to everyone who made it possible and helped us out. We were shown such great generosity, and we really appreciate it. And thanks for reading this, and give me some feedback if you can.

Thanks again.

-Micah

New York!: Part 2

Wow. My mind has been inundated with so much stuff over the last couple days that it doesn't quite know how to comprehend it all. I'm going to try, though. I took over 150 pictures with my iPhone. I'm not gonna put them all up here obviously, but I've been really impressed with the iPhone's camera. There's only been a couple of times where it wasn't quite good enough for the shot I wanted, but overall, I got a lot of fantastic photos, and I think you'll agree. So without further ado, here's my second day in the Empire State.

We got up at around 8, got ready, and headed into the city around 9. I got a better look at the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline on the ferry over, and I gotta say, we couldn't have had better weather. It was incredible. Sunny, warm; just great.

We took a couple more trains 'till we arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were some cool street vendors outside, one of which was selling this really neat fork artwork, where he'd taken different shaped and colored forks and bent them into different shapes (there was a frog, a rocketship, and other things). We moved on inside.

The first exhibit we went to was the ancient Egypt exhibit, which was great. There were hundreds of artifacts and sculptures and pieces of tombs, mainly from the Old Kingdom of Egypt. They even had an entire tomb surrounded by a little moat in one room. After that we moved onto the ancient Japanese art, which was also really cool. Scrolls and tapestries, a few sculptures, and lots of paintings.

Those being the two exhibits we really wanted to see, as well as being pressed for time, we poked around a little bit more then moved on to none other than the Empire State Building. And yeah, it's huge. You can't really get a sense of how big it is without actually seeing it in person. And of course, we went inside.

It's kind of a rip because you have to pay $20 to get to the 86th floor Observatory. To get to the 102nd, you have to pay an additional $15. We decided that 86 stories up was good enough for us. And it really was. It was a really cool and interesting phenomenon to be so high above everything, especially in such a dense city. I got some great photos (and even a little video).

Next on the agenda was a little lunch a la Wendy's (it was quick and cheap), then on to 30 Rockefeller Plaza for Jimmy Fallon. On the way, in the subway, we ran into some street performers, including a Michael Jackson impersonator. He had a boombox blaring MJ tunes, backup dancers, and he was wearing the iconic red leather jacket. It was actually quitge impressive how good the guy was. Even did a great moonwalk. When the show ended, we caught our train to Fallon.

They were actually really professional about it. We got there around 3:15, they processed us in about 10 minutes (if that), then told us to be back there at 4 (not a minute before). Also, while there, we randomly saw Kristen Schaal (you probably know her as Mel from the "Flight of the Conchords" TV show on HBO). With about half an hour too kill we figured we'd visit Nintendo World, which was a 3-minute walk from 30 Rock.

We got a little shopping done and killed some time before heading back at 4 for the show. We'd gotten there pretty early before (we were letter J), so we were guaranteed that position. They has us all line up in order (A-Z, then numbers), where we stood for about half an hour or so. At around 5 (our phones were off so my sense of time was a little fuzzy) they ushered us down the stairs, through metal detectors, up elevators, and into the studio. On our way in a woman handed us little cards with numbers on them, telling us some lucky audience member would win some big prize. My number was 30, Chelsea got 31 and Peter got 33. You'll see that significance in a minute.

We got our seats, and we actually had fantastic ones. We were the front row in the middle column, and I was all the way on the right side of it, right next to the aisle. Chelsea was next to me, then Peter next to her. After the audience was situated, a guy came out and started warming us up by cracking jokes and having fun with us. After about 20 minutes of that, the Roots (Fallon's show band) came out and started jamming something fierce. Their tuba player and bassist decided to race up and down the stairs, and the tuba player jumped to the ground. With his tuba. While playing it. Didn't even drop a note.

Then Fallon came out and the show started. He did his monologue then moved into a segment where he elected a President of the Audience by "randomly" selecting a numbered card. The number was 32. Yes, it should have been Peter. Yes, it was rigged. We saw them pull the guy out of line earlier, made him sign some forms, then whisk him away. Oh well, we weren't bitter.

The show continued on with the first guest being Chelsea Handler (of Chelsea Lately) who was kind of interesting. The best part about it was the fact that they did a 'martini race' game, where both Fallon and Handler had 60 seconds to make 3 martinis, run them around the audience, then pour whatever's left into a measuring cup. Whoever had the most left won. Well, on the home stretch, Jimmy slipped on a vodka spot and crashed into the little cart feet-first, cutting his hand in 5 places. It was surprising and (since he was fine) it was pretty funny. They kept harping on it, too, and the fact that they wrapped his hand in like five rolls of gauze helped add to the comedy.

The second guest was Matt Walsh (The Hangover), promoting his new show, "Players". He was a pretty funny, interesting guest, but the best part was the musical guests: none other than the Allman Brothers Band. They played "Whipping Post". And they completely rocked it. It was spectacular. They also played another song afterward for the audience. It was great.

After Fallon, we had reservations at a local restaurant called NINJA. It's pretty fancy, but completely worth it. First, they take you down (it's underground) in an elevator. A ninja pops out and tries to scare you when the doors open, but our guy wasn't extremely convincing. From there, you can either take the shortcut to your table, or take the 'Ninja Path', which is just a narrow, winding corridor where ninjas are supposed to jump out at you, although we didn't get any of that.

The tables are in their own little private rooms, basically, with carved wooden panels for doors. You're never completely closed off, but it's enough to have privacy. It's dark, everything's very Japanese and mysterious. Your ninja then comes and takes out a scroll, which she opens to reveal your menus. Now, the menu here is not exactly cheap, but you have the option of getting things a la carte, or getting one of the meal plans. Never having been there before, I went with a 5-course plan.

The first course were these shrimp rolls. They had some type of meat shell, with a shrimp puree inside, served with some fresh veggies, and the whole thing was lit on fire. It was good. Second course were basically California rolls, but they were better than your average rolls. There were a couple that had this delicious ginger sauce in them, and those were great. Third course was grilled salmon in a type of tomato-y sauce with a baked potato and cauliflower. This was excellent. Fourth course was a brisket cooked inside of an onion, served with some leafy greens and some interesting little red berries that were actually quite good. I didn't really eat the onion, but the dish was good. And finally, dessert. I got this ninja star dessert, which was a chocolate mousse-type cake in the shape of a ninja star, covered in a chocolate shell, with some edible gold flakes on top. It was delicious.

There was also a magician that came around near the end of the meal and performed a couple tricks for us, and he was really good. He also had an incredibly curly, Shakespearian mustache; so impressive that it deserved to be written about.

After NINJA, we decided to walk around Times Square, which certainly is a sight, especially at night. All the lights, the noise, the volume of people, the amount of things going on; it's a very cool place to walk around. There's also different types of street performers. We ran into Spiderman, who was running around taking pictures with people.

Then we went home and watched ourselves on Jimmy Fallon (the episode for March 9th, 2010). I was visible 5 times, Chelsea 4, and Peter 3. Go on and watch it on Hulu (it disappears in a couple weeks or so) to see if you can spot us.

All in all, it was a huge day, completely jam-packed, exhausting, and amazing. Such an incredible experience to be walking around in such a richly cultured area, so small yet so much going on everywhere. We spent almost 14 hours in the city that day, and we managed to get everything done that was on our to-do list.

Again, thank you for reading (I know it's long), look for the third and final post about my experiences in New York in the next day or two. Leave a comment.

-Micah

New York!: Part 1

I have never been to New York. Like, any part of it. I haven't even been close to it. The farthest North I've been is Delaware. But I've always wanted to go to the Empire State. One of the leading arts and showbiz capitals of the country, full of history and culture, exciting opportunity, world-famous cuisine, and cinematographic eye-candy.

So when my friend and co-writer/director from Absolution, Peter, asked me about going up to New York over spring break, you can probably guess I got a little excited. And over the past month or so, we've been planning this trip and now, spring break is here, and at the time of writing this, I'm actually here.

For the next couple of days I'm going to be (hopefully) forcing myself to write about my trip, part for anyone who's interested and actually likes reading my writing, part for myself to better enjoy what I'm experiencing by putting those experiences down on (pseudo) paper.

4:50 AM should not exist. It just shouldn't. No one likes it. There's no one that looks at the clock and is happy to see that readout. Unfortunately, 4:50 AM was a much too real reality for us this morning, as Peter and I began embarking on the journey of a lifetime. Okay, that's a bit hyperbolic, but it's pretty flippin' cool, especially for us. It's the first time either of us have gone anywhere significantly far away on our own, with no other family members there. It's pretty exciting.

After rolling our cold lumps-of-bodies into the car, we were dropped off at the VRE station for our 6:15 train to Union Station. Not having ridden in a train before (at least not in conscious memory), it was pretty cool, just to have the experience. We got to Union Station around 7:30, and waited for our 8:35 Amtrak to Penn Station. Also, inside the station was a random pigeon that tried to wreak havoc on those of us waiting. It was weird.

Our train was delayed almost half an hour, but at around 8:55 we boarded and, shortly thereafter, departed.

If you've never ridden on it, the Amtrak is really nice. I was surprised. Comfortable seats, plenty of leg room, power outlets, and free wifi (which never actually worked for me). It reminded me a lot of flying, so I was pretty impressed.

The trip was supposed to be about 3 1/2 hours. At first we just talked and observed, then I broke out my laptop and actually got a fair bit of writing done. Pretty pleasant trip, until we got lost.

Our stop was Penn Station, New York. So around 12 (right around when we were supposed to arrive), the train stopped at Penn Station. The attendant removed the ticket stubs he'd placed above our seats. So, we assumed that this was our stop.

Yeah. Not so much. Apparently, there are at least 4 Penn Stations on that route. One in Baltimore (which we had enough common sense to realize wasn't our stop), one in Pittsburgh, one in Newark, New Jersey, and our stop, in New York. Well, apparently the Penn Station that we got off at was in New Jersey. Who knew? There wasn't any sort of sign that said it was New Jersey until you're off the train and on the upper level. And by then, it's too late.

Fortunately, the NJ Transit goes right to Penn Station, New York, and is also pretty cheap. So at about 12:30 (half an hour late), we hopped on the new train and headed for our correct destination. Oh, and by the way, as if to mock us, we saw that pigeon again in Jersey.

Finally arriving at Penn Station about 45 minutes late, we met up with Peter's cousin, Chelsea, and got on another subway, which we took to the Staten Island Ferry. I've never been on a Ferry before, so we went out on the deck and enjoyed the ride from there. And it was great. The weather is also blissfully gorgeous right now, which is a nice change from the Snowmageddon and 40 MPH winds we've had recently.

Arriving at Staten Island, we took another train to the area where we're staying, then had a pleasant walk to the house. We made it.

When we got here, it was about 2:30, putting the total trip time (from the first train departure) at 8 hours 15 minutes. Needless to say, we're exhausted, and pretty much just laying around the house right now. But tomorrow we're heading into the city, and I'm stoked. We're gonna try and see a lot of sights, but we also have tickets to the Jimmy Fallon Show tomorrow, as well as a reservation at NINJA. Wednesday we've got tickets to Emeril and a play, Extinction, starring James Roday (Psych's Shawn Spencer).

Thanks for reading. I need to go knock myself unconscious for a few hours before heading out for the city tomorrow. I'll try and have another post tomorrow night.

-Micah