The NWS has issued a tornado watch for the Natl Capital Area until 5pm today.

The Pain at the Pump is a Pain in my Rump

Cheapest gas prices in your area are found HERE , on AAA's Fuel Price Finder website.
*sigh*
This is absolutely insane. I REALLY wish I had a bike!

Worst First Pitch Ever.

...wow...nice to see she is finally dressing her age..
...just ridiculous.

Undisovered Tribe found!

An undisovered tribe has been found! Imagine how freaked out they were seeing a helicopter for the first time and not knowing what it is...read the story here...

Global Warming anyone?

Two Weather Channel feature stories on the Memorial Day tornado outbreak.
One is a day by day recap, the other is the best raw video footage. Check them out!

Happy Birthday, Andy!

A very Happy Birthday to DC's own BAD SANTA, Andy Brownstein. I hope that there is a cookiepuss in your future today, my friend!
luv,
SGS

Memorial Day 2008 - Photos

We had an impromptu barbecue last night, inviting a few folks over sort of last minute to grill out and celebrate with us. I had the best time! It was great to reconnect with Andrew and Katie, always great to see Eleasha and Kara Tameika Watkins, and I believe that most of the Stephen Schwartz Project cast was in my backyard, too!








Matt spent a lot of time working on the yard, and I thought that it looked great!
He even had the idea to bring the downstairs couch outside for more seating options! This proved to be a fantastic idea, as we barely had enough places to sit!









Buddha enjoyed a game of monkey in the middle between Kurt and Laura.












These are some cute shots of Andrew,Katie, Annabell and Eleasha...

















Other Random Party Shots...


We had a great time and I can think of no better of a way to have kicked off Summer 2008!
Thanks for coming!
Luv,
SGS

I hope this show comes to DC...

Because They Have No Words, the true story of one man's journey into "the chaos of animal rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," is making its Chicago area premiere at the Piven Theatre in Evanston, IL.
The play has done very well in California, where it started out. It garnered two L.A. Stage Alliance 2007 Ovation Award nominations.
I think that the story sounds beautiful.
I hope someone here snatches it up so that I can see it!
More on the Piven Theatre Workshop and the play, Because They Have No Words.

Kurt Boehm is playing a Bunny. Nuff Said.

(from left, Cyana Cook, Jennifer Timberlake and Danny Pushkin) keep a young bunny (Kurt Boehm) awake.
Washington Post had a cute little article on Kurt's forray into bunnydom.
Goodnight Moon runs at Atlas Performing Arts Center June 6 - June 22.
Click HERE for more info.

My New Favorite Song...Madonna and Justin Timberlake in "4 Minutes to Save the World"

A Summer Home

I got a wild hair tonight to situate my back yard to it's usual summer form. I drained the pond and refilled it, swept the patio and pulled out old faithfull (the old tent).
Is this picture a snapshot from a moon landing? No. It is the skeleton of the tent.




I then cleaned off my summer throne and got it ready for many nights of movie viewing outdoors...(always the first film watched outside is JAWS.) It just seems right.







This is the finished result of my work.








Highlights include the line up of chairs (like at a 50's sock hop)...







I love this outdoor room that I create every year with small differences. This is my Summer palace.
Summer has officially arrived in the Smith/Conner/Halbrook house. The first outdoor movie showing of Jaws will cement this on Monday afternoon.
Goodnight, Arlington.
Luv,
SGS

Colorado Tornado

In case you didn't see this footage, you should check it out. So so scary. Imagine being one of those cars on the road.
wow.

Dear readers,
I got this e-mail in, and felt the need to pass it on in it's entirety to you to let you know that the Shirlington/Signatue garage is still a mess with no explanation.
WHEN WILL THIS MADNESS END?

Stephen,
Please let me know what you find out w/ the towing. I was towed last Friday at 12:45 am and got there 5 minutes late after they towed me. Another person in the garage said they came thru and took 10 cars, mine being one of them. I called Federal Realty and spoke to a guy who claimed to be the manager at 301-998-8100. He was a jerk and said it was basically my own fault b/c there is a sign telling you that you will get towed. I pointed out there are no hours listed on the sign and that I was parked in a library spot from 8 pm to when I was towed and that I was told I could park there in the past since the library is not open. Anyhow, I called the tow company and they gave no help either. The manager at Shirlington Library agreed that it was a shame and she would look into it but don't call her for at least a week b/c she is really busy with other stuff. So anyhow, please let me know if you need anyone else to get involved in this and I will be more than happy too and please keep me in the loop of what you find out.

TARANTULA!!!

I watched this film this morning at like 6AM (I couldn't get back to sleep). I am in total love with it! I LOVE this trailer..."Dynamite CAN'T STOP IT!!"
Enjoy...

Keeping Afloat...

Well, as always, life goes on. Katie passed on Friday, and my family has been mourning her loss. In the interim, much has gone on.
I told you all earlier that I was going to start the tanning salon job last Thursday. That got postponed till (today) Tuesday. So I will teach children, then drive straight to the tanning salon. Details to follow.
I am financially in wreckage since SPIDERWOMAN closed, and yes I have several projects upcoming, including A SMILE TO HIDE THE PAIN at Signature in June, and an upcoming cabaret there in July, I am trying to make a living on many part time jobs. This is NO living. I had hoped for employment theatrically this summer, but that has fallen through, so it's CANDLES, teaching camp, Tanning Salon, and TICKETplace for me all summer. Sleep? I'll sleep when I'm dead.
So also adding to this attempt at making what I would were I employed gainfully theatrically, I agreed to do lawn maintenance on a beloved friend's yard this coming Sunday. This was a fantastic development, as I often forget that I know what the hell I am talking about when it comes to landscaping (a career that I careered out of back in 2005). Walking through his yard and observing what needed attention with the trimmers, I was reminded what an eye I do have for lawn care and maintenance, and was actually excited to start work on it Sunday. Anyone need lawnwork? I love transforming something. Whatever the product that I am transforming is: an old piece of furniture that I refurbish, pieces of cloth and rubber into a ghoul, wax blocks into candles, whatever the clay, I love to shape it.
Can I just say that ...wow...gas is almost $4??? Food is more expensive than ever....a clear measure of that is this: I bought 2 ears of corn tonight for $1.00.
This same time last year (I always hanker for corn on the grill this time of year), I could buy 4 ears for a dollar. This is only a small indication of how your money flies out of your pockets. With a piece-meal life like mine, when you are broke one month and barely treading water the next, it gets trickier.
On a movie front, I am REALLY into mutated nature-creature films right now. Mainly from the 50's...(atomic age radiation based terror of giant crabs and spiders attacking a city)...just becuase they make me happy. I feel like this genre of horror is going to make an Eco come back soon. It is the next phase of horror now, as environmental horrors are larger than ever. Horror will go here next. You wait and see. Soon enough giant insects will ravage Washington, DC on the silver screen again.
Eco-horror has been high on my must watch lists of Netflix rentals. More on this soon.
What else?
I saw the Stephen Schwartz Project at Metro Stage, which has one week left. I enjoyed it, and while I had a few issues with staging, thought that the ALL DC CAST sang their ASSES off, and sounded amazing. Go check it out, the tickets are inexpensive.
I also reconnected with another friend tongiht, who recently installed an addition into her house, and a lap pool into her house. (hence the photo at the top of this post). We swam and had a great time tonight. We will surely be going over there more in the future.










Oh, it also has a High Def TV that you can watch as you are swimming...ahh, the life...








SO all in all, life is hand to mouth for me, as it is for most.
I am exploring cabaret themes right now, and have stumbled upon (thanks to Matt and my Mom) a funny premise that I will just say would be a TV show setting. More to come on this hatching idea.
So, in closing on this early Tuesday morning, if you need candles, lawn care, or a man to sing his ass off, call me. I'm free all summer.
;)
Love,
Stephen

Katie Smith - In Memoriam

My brother James' dog, Katie passed today. She and Rusty were the best of friends. This sad news comes 9 weeks to the date of Rusty's passing. Too soon.
Katie was the first Smith dog to be an inside dog. She was my brother's dog, and he insisted that she stay inside, and would not bend from that. Look at her...how could anyone say no to that face?
Katie won all of our hearts, and soon came Rusty, and they became best buddies running through the yard and rolling each other.
I would like to think that they are doing that as I type this.
Katie was a beautiful creature, and as sweet as she could be. I will always remember her tender demeanor, but also remember her fierce barks when a stranger approached. She was an amazing creature all told.
I will always remember her and Rusty chasing each other in our back yard in Pennsyvania. The two of them running in green grass with skies of blue ablaze above them. That is where they are now. Reunited 9 weeks after Rusty's passing, running together again, Rusty bathing her in kisses as he always did.
God bless Rusty and Katie, together forever.
In Loving Memory.

Tuesday

Well, I thought I would open with a cute image of Buddha and Albert.
A brief synopsis of my life right now:
I am still working at Ticket Place, started teaching theatre games for Fairfax County Schools after school on Tuesdays, making candles, and just got another job at a tanning salon in Old Town Alexandria, which I start on Thursday.
Whew!
I also am doing this in June:
Bowen McCauley Dances Kander & Ebb

Bowen McCauley Dance company puts their contemporary style and spin on Kander & Ebb standards. Signature regulars Stephen Gregory Smith and Eleasha Gamble will accompany the dancers and sing the music of Kander & Ebb.
It’s an exciting evening in the theater by “the area’s premier dance company” (Danceview Times).

Tickets range from $34–$150.
June 12 – 15, 2008
In The ARK

And I have word that yes, you will see a new cabaret by me this summer at Signature...details to follow!
I designed a SUPER Deluxe Basket of candles for Kathy Fuller's daughter's high school silent auction. Here is what it looked like at the end:



She seemed happy with it, and if she is so inclined, will comment and let readers know where and when you can place your bid on this auction piece.


Other than that, I have watched 4 great movies that I will post about tomorrow, but till then, I am posting this while talking to my Mother, who is having trouble formatting Word documents as I am talking her through it.
So I must go.
Till tomorrow eve,
Steve

MATT CONNER IS HOT

I'm just saying...