Utterly Humiliated.

(Me, circa 1995.)

I was sitting next to Mary Alice from "Ace of Cakes," which wasn't strategic planning on my part though it may sound that way. I'm such a sucker for celebrities. She was genuinely warm, open, delightful, and terrified.

"I am so nervous!" she said, grabbing my arm.

"It'll be fine! There's good energy here," I said, trying to quell my own nerves in the process. It was a sold-out show last night, which is a testament not only to the local media who plugged the event in City Paper, The Sun, Metromix (sigh), and a variety of other outlets but also to the show's organizers, Jamie and Kat. The publicity had been thorough, and Metro Gallery was full.

Everyone's stories were hilarious. Three of us read aloud from journals, one guy read his memoir about his mother ("The Real Housewives of Linthicum"), there were stories about losing virginities and getting caught masturbating and getting sober after years of drinking.

And, let me tell you, there is nothing, nothing in this world like standing up in front of a room full of people with a spotlight on you and speaking into a microphone. Nothing. I forgot about the rush, the energy, the spectacle of it all. Damn, I love being on stage. (Clearly.)

Anyway, the whole thing was a huge success and my performance went well, and I just have to thank the kid I was in love with through the whole of the seventh grade as well as my best friend at the time who completely betrayed me and not only TOLD HIM I was in love with him but then STARTED GOING OUT WITH HIM HERSELF which was my first lesson in Never Trust Female Friends Who Are Whores. Between the two of them, I have enough material for a memoir. Of a seventh grader. That could be interesting.

In other news: I'm headed to the Meyerhoff tonight to see a screening of Psycho with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra playing live along with the film. I'm not overly fond of horror movies, but I am fond of New Experiences, and a live orchestration would certainly be a New Experience.

I've got such a shit ton of things to get done today, but day off tomorrow which I intend to spend lying by Ghil's friend's pool. I need a vacation. The last one was just too crazy.