Hi, all!

Last week the Mister and I were on the road, and even outfitted with all the technology that all the kids are talking about, like my laptop and iPhone, well, it still didn’t provide me with anything to blog about. Perhaps that’s something for me to note in the future: just can because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD!

My friend Mocha Jean Herrup, the very cool documentary filmmaker and film/TV/radio professor at Austin Community College has invited me to her film appreciation class this week to talk about Mystery Science Theater 3000. When my nieces and nephews were in grade school, I was always the person they brought in for career day – which just cracked me up! I had a succession of nieces and nephews who were roughly a year apart and all ended up going to the same school as my sisters and brothers and their families lived in the same school district. So I’d go to the same teacher’s third grade class for several years in a row and talk about my career. I’ll be honest – I know how to work a crowd and I’d bring candy for the kids so I’d be top of mind for them and create brand recognition for “Mary Jo Pehl”, and plus, it was an important and tactile “take away” for the third graders. Of course, I was never invited for career day when I was a temp. But for a few years, I’d talk about acting and stand up comedy, and then it was Mystery Science Theater 3000.

So Mocha Jean has also asked me to speak about my many “careers” and how certain career paths don’t necessarily fit into a degree program. I can definitely speak to that! The question is: do I bring candy to the class?

 Sorry I missed blogging…

…last Monday, gang, but the Husband and I were traveling back to Austin from Minneapolis allllllll day. As advanced as air travel might seem, it’s also awfully barbaric in this day and age and we had a day of flying and driving, and then when we finally landed at home, I was tired and delirious.

Thanks to everybody who came out to the Cinematic Titanic show at the Family Arena in St. Louis on Saturday. We hope y’all had a great time. We did – that movie always gives me a headache and shrivels my soul, but doing it live and having all y’all there makes it so much fun.

One of the great things about doing the shows is getting to meet so many of you after the shows. It’s cool to talk to everyone and find out where people came from and what brought them to the show. In St. Louis, one woman told me that her 9-year-old son went around quoting Pearl Forrestor: “Sometimes I think I lie because I’m evil.” That delighted me no end.

We also had a signing table. Now, I’m sure that over the years I’ve signed many things beyond, say, a photograph or a t-shirt or the MST3K Amazing Colossal Guide. There have been amazing Crows and Servos that people have built; in St. Louis a fellow came through the line with an SOL that I’d signed some time ago and now he was finally going to get Joel and Josh to sign it. I’m sure I’ve signed a body part here and there, although I do have “boundaries” when it comes to certain body parts.

But the meet and greet in St. Louis was a first. I got asked to sign an organ donor card as a witness. It was on the back of the guy’s driver’s license (sorry, I forgot your name, whoever you are!) and it cracked me up. But I thought it was great too, because I support organ donation (after you’re dead of course), so it was an honor too. And a first!

I also signed some really old MST3K t-shirts that were in pristine condition – and smelled freshly laundered! And a pair of jockey shorts, which I signed in a “neutral” area.

Thanks for a great night, everyone. And don’t miss our shows in Chicago in December at the very cool Lakeshore Theater.