Skydeck

Short video of our visit to the Skydeck of the Sears Tower.  (Just a reminder, if you receive this blog as an e-mail update, you may have to go to the blog website to watch the video.)

Brenda and David: Chicago '10

My BFF (for 15 years!), Brenda and her wonderful boyfriend David spent 4 lovely days with me in Chicago. 

Some highlights:
- We went to the Sears Tower and did brave things:

 - Stuffed ourselves with the Stuffed Pizza Special at Giordano's:

 - Re-lived Millenium Park

 - Brenda discovers that Jackson Pollock brings out her eyes:

 - King Tut and I have words:

 - Brenda blows a kiss to Obama on his old stomping grounds (U. of Chicago):

 - We eat the best Italian food EVER at La Scarola (and for the record, Brenda did not finish the entire meat lasagna.  She would never do such a thing.  ::cough::)

  - I, however, would finish the entire tiramisu:

Thanks Brenda and David!  I miss you already!!

The SnorkleBaby

This is something I have to post, HAVE TO, because it is too bizarre and random to ignore. 

Last night I dreamt I had a baby girl.  This in itself is not abnormal, I often dream about having children, maybe four to five times a year.  So, in this dream, I had a baby girl.  And I was very excited about having a baby girl.  I was at an amusement park with my family.  At the amusement park I'm walking along, watching the rollercoasters and I remember, "Oh yeah, I just had a baby girl.  Where is she?"  I walk over to where my aunt is standing, cradling my child.  I look into her arms.  There lay a beautiful baby, pale skin, dark brown almond-shaped eyes, with a CONE-SHAPED HEAD AND A SNORKLE COMING OUT OF HER FOREHEAD.

Now, if you are having difficulty picturing this, please refer to the children's cartoon from the early '80s, "The Snorks."  I have included a picture above.  "The Snorks" were underwater creatures with snorkles protruding from the tops of their heads.  Got it?  Okay, now picture a small baby girl that strongly resembles yours truly, with a CONE-SHAPED HEAD AND A SNORKLE COMING OUT OF HER FOREHEAD.  I think the snorkle was a fleshy pink color.

Obviously, in my dream I panicked, as one would, and I said, "Why does my baby have a snorkle coming out of its forehead?"  At which point my aunt said, "Oh don't worry, it's not permanent.  She'll just have to take some enzymes, and it will go away eventually.  The conehead will even out too."  Whew!  Thank God!  And so I take the baby in my arms and coo at it, marveling at its (almost) miraculous perfection.

The baby's name was Cecilia.

I have no idea where this dream comes from.  I can refer to Jung, and ponder how every character in my dream represents a different aspect of myself.  What part of my personage does a Snorklebaby reflect?  An inner freakishness?  Nagging self-doubt?  Am I overly-busy and hence, drowning?

These are weekend happenings that might have influenced my dream:

1) I watched "The Delivery" episode of The Office.  They named the baby Cecilia.
2) Thanh and I had a discussion about cystic fibrosis and enzymes.
3) I had a cold with some chest congestion.
4) I ate some vietnamese sausage with rice cakes and fish sauce before I went to sleep. 

Your call.  I'd love to hear your feedback.

Making eggs.

Reviews!

Here we go!

"I confess, I have zero interest in the whole punk phenomenon, but Moss' script for this Pavement Group production is dead-on, as is director David Perez's direction and the supporting performances of the masterfully morphing Tanya McBride and Keith Neagle." - Hedy Weiss Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Sun Times Review

"Tanya McBride masters various roles, including that of a f%#kable Ronald Reagan."  - Tony Adler, Chicago Reader

Chicago Reader Review

"The cast is rounded out by Keith Neagle and Tanya McBride, who play multiple parts with gusto. One of the most bizarre dream/hallucination sequences I’ve ever seen features McBride in a bikini top and a Reagan mask. It’s an image that won’t leave me for a long time." - Scotty Zacher, Chicago Theatre Blog

Chicago Theatre Blog Review

FIVE STARS from Time-Out Chicago!

Time-Out Review

One of Newcity Stage's Top Five picks of the week:

"Acting is controlled, perfectly paced, and full of hormonal energy." Monica Westin, Newcity Stage

Newcity Review