And then she yells from the kitchen - "I'm alright!!"

I've spent the last couple hours getting together a bday cake for T.
I am making a similar one to last year's lemon blueberry cake with white chocolate frosting . . . I am adding raspberries.

ANYWAYS. I have a history of klutziness. My father's UNironic nickname for me is Grace . . . for more than one reason. If I ever decided to exercise my second amendment right, I would probably shoot myself in the armpit...or somewhere equally ridiculous and impossible.

My kitchen is not huge...two people in there can work, as long as there is good communication and not too many elbows (or large knives) flying around. But, it's not big by any means. So, I'm standing in front of the sink (back to the fridge, oven behind me to the right). The oven timer starts beeping. Time to take out the cakes.

But wait! My hands are covered with icing! Ack! Grab a towel! BEEP BEEP BEEP!!

Back up to hit the timer button and RUN the back of my ankles SMACK into the open oven drawer...which throws off my balance. I'm about to topple over headfirst into the marble countertop behind...but manage to throw a wrist up and somehow catch myself enough against the top cabinets to not fall over. Also...I miraculously managed to miss placing my hand palm down on the extremely hot cooktop right below the cabinet I DID grab.

All of this made a huge noise: metallic banging from the drawer and cursing from yours truly. And then, lest Sibling in his room think I've done myself in, I yell out "I'm alright!" Thinking that he would come running out to check on his poor klutz of a sister...I only start to crack up myself when I hear his feeble attempt at holding back laughter and a week "Glad to hear it!" coming from down the hall.

I think I need my own personal bubble-wrap-protector-suit. Either that, or everything ELSE needs to be bubble wrapped for me.

I'm going to go ice my wrist now.

the irony

I sent a box to P today for his bday. After I sent it, I started laughing to myself, because I realized that out of the food items I sent...most were purchased at Trader Joe's, and were therefore "organic" in nature.

It just cracks me up in retrospect . . . sending organic food to a war zone.
How Californian of me.

But, you *know* . . . the REAL reason that the man of steel himself was able to stop bullets and leap over tall buildings? He must have been eating organic food!

:P

Opa!

Greek dancing was awesome. A ton of fun - roughly 2.5 hours of fun, along with hopping, skipping, grapvineing and counting in 7/8 or 3/16 time.

Being a musician and being able to hear the off-beats definitely helped my case.

Since tonight was a free class, there were probably about 45 people there. It was packed! We learned three easy dances, then had a break and then it was 'practice' time...that was when all the crazy dancing happened (and all the regulars got to request what dance they wanted to practice).

I figured out a majority of the patterns with the help of a couple of the regulars there guiding me . . . but there was at least one that left me just...totally confused. Fun to watch, though!!

I will definitely go back on Monday's that I don't have rehearsal. But - oh man - I made the mistake of not stretching before the dancing mania started tonight. NOT a good idea to have skipped that part...and now my calves are hating me. *doh*

Because sometimes you just gotta dance . . .

. . . shoulder to shoulder, grapevining in 7/8 time.

Guess what!

It’s Bay Area National Dance Week.
Tonight I’m headed to the “Greek Feet” Greek dancing class…how fun is that!?

There are a ton of events happening all week long . . . so if you’re local, check out the calendar of classes & performances!

Feelin' Groovy

It's been a good weekend. My last free weekend until . . . the end of May. Lots of performing and traveling to do in the meantime! hooray!

Part 1: Music
I spent a good chunk of time this weekend making mix-cd's (how early 90s of me!) for a couple people.

Ty's bday is Tuesday (29 on the 29th!), so I've made a 3-disc retrospective entitled
"A musical safari through 29 years of listening to great music."
Yes. It is awesome, I know. Everything from jazz to Tori Amos to Simon & Garfunkle.

I also burned a few for P, who'll be celebrating #40 in the desert. In his case, they are themed: "music for kicking ass & amping up;" "classical/opera mania;" "everything else, including the kitchen sink."

I'm excited. I've rediscovered a lot of music I haven't listened to in a while - and that was nice.

Part 2: Film
AZ and I went to see "The Life Before Her Eyes".

Holy Crap. That movie did a number on both of us, I think. I literally could not speak after it ended...the theater stayed really quiet for a long time (akin to after, say, Schindler's List or The Pianist). Many were weeping. I know I had tears...
It was a beautiful film. And an horrific one. On a basic level, it was about a girl and a Columbine-esque high school massacre. Having grown up in Denver, where sibling was in high school at the time that that happened...well, let's just say that it all hit a little too close to home for me.

I jumped in my seat several times from the gun shots in the film.

The movie did not have a clean ending. No pretty-bow-tied-around-it-ready-to-go-on-to-the-next-viewer type of thing. No, it chewed at me all night. And it wasn't until this afternoon, waiting in line at the grocery store, that I had some insight into *what* perhaps had actually transpired at the end of the film. I will not spoil it here . . . but man. It was intense.

Part 3: Travel Opportunities
I opened my email to find an invitation from a friend who's turning 30 next year and wants to get a bunch of folks together for a short cruise down to Cabo. It's not until a year from now - but, hey...sounds like fun to me!

Part 4: Long-Distance Friends
I had the chance to catch up with an old friend today who lives a couple time zones East of here. As soon as she called...I knew. I knew what she was going to say. And I was right. Let the baby parade continue!! One more honorary niece (or nephew?!) for me!! I'm so excited :)

come out, come out whomever you are!

Because I'm feeling curious today . . . let's make it delurking weekend. If you happen by this blog this weekend...stop on by the comments section and say hello. You know who you are. And, really, I know who you are, too - or at least where you're from (I'm looking at you, Canada.)

Maybe you googled "Devo hats" and ended up here. (That's a popular keyword search for this here blog). Or perhaps it was "Anne Geddes," also popular for some reason. And weird.

Anyways - say "hey"... I'm friendly. Or hola, or what's up doc, or however one says hello in Danish, while we're at it. I don't bite. And you can keep it anonymous, if you REALLY want to do so.

That is all...have a great day....I know I am!!

Old vs. Modern (Postmodern?) Friday Fives

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live without?
Recorded music!

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day? Why?
Fast Food drive-thrus. Thinking back on my childhood – man, we went to them a lot. It’s just not healthy, and the impact of those ingrained childhood habits are hard to undo.

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If so, do you use it (them)?
I have a tape deck and a record player. I use both of them.
(And up until about 5 years ago, my family still had an 8-track player. I think it finally died, though).

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something else?
I think it is a mix of both. Good change is exciting…bad change is scary. My great Aunt was alive for the entirety of the 20th century (1897-2005) – and I am positive that the changes SHE saw in the world during the course of her lifetime will eclipse anything I might experience. I mean, the changes in our current age are significant, yes…but how does, say, an mp3 player compare to the automobile? Flying? The fall of the Iron Curtain? I just don’t know…maybe I’m desensitized to change, since everything changes so quickly.

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process.
A moral compass. One step could be parents taking responsibility for their kids (disciplining them, teaching right from wrong) – and not leaving it up to teachers to “babysit” them, as is so often the case.

Notes to self #814 - #819

• Do not buy tights which appear to have already been opened. Even if they are the only pair in your size hanging on the rack (TALL!).
  
  
• Make sure you have the correct size tights with you BEFORE arriving at the theater. If not, make sure you have an extra pair.
  
  
• When standing in the bathroom cursing at the tights which will not come up much past your knees . . . make sure your director is not in one of the bathroom stalls. You might frighten her.
  
  
• If you are lacking an extra pair of tights, make sure you have a pair of scissors. Or nail clippers. Use them to cut out the crotch of too-short tights so that you don’t have to walk like a duck all night long.
  
  
• When not onstage, do not make the mistake of sitting down! Sitting down only causes the too-short tights to fall even more.
  
  
• Make sure – of course – that this all happens during a performance, so that the onstage orchestra ALSO gets the pleasure of watching you in the wings as you wrestle with the crapulous tights underneath 20 pounds of skirt. There is just not a graceful way of doing this, especially whilst wearing a torso-bend-preventing corset.

I have to get it outta my system...rant

Something stupid that really irks me is how in a group of a dozen and a half or so, no one seems to know how to load a freakin’ dishwasher. Seriously. I go to put my coffee mug in at the end of the day and it’s like all hell has broken loose in that damp dungeon of dishes.

Cups have fallen over flat on their sides, bowls are turned upwards: neither of those positions will get the dishes CLEAN, you know. I mean, is it *really* that difficult to put the mugs and glasses in properly along the sides of the top rack? They don’t tip over that way! Amazing! And the bowls go FACE DOWN so all the little chucks of dried oatmeal left behind have a better chance of getting washed away. Except for the fact that oatmeal sticks like molasses in July and seriously can’t you rinse off the bigger chunks before you put it in upside-down?

Maybe it’s just my OCD. But EVERY time – I can’t help myself – I fix the dishes. Because *I* don’t want to be drinking someone else’s leftovers in my morning coffee…I don’t know about the rest of the crew.

(Yeah…I’m a little testy today. I thought it would be a nice, easy day…and that I would be able to relax, do some mindless things like filing, and be in power-saver mode thus conserving my energy for tonight’s performance. But no. Those were pipe dreams, I guess. I’ve already had to deal with too many “crises” today … which aren’t really “crises” at all except for the fact that some people choose to make them as much. And because some assume they are critical, I’M treated as if they are…when really, they are not. And now my shoulders are creeping up, up, up towards my ears the tension building and it is all I can do to take a deep breath and force them down to normal, click my heels together and repeat over and over in my head “There’s no such thing as TPS reports, there’s no such thing as TPS reports, there’s no such thing as TPS reports…”)

PS: Happy Administrative Professional’s Day!

I just want to add . . . .

...just wanted to add to my previous post. It is horribly tragic and sad when anyone - regardless of their job - committs suicide. I have known my (un)fair share of people who have died in this manner, and it is a painful subject.

People close to me have suffered major depression. They do still. And this is - in many circles - a taboo subject to discuss. Almost anything having to do with mental health, really, has a "do-not-go-there" aura about it, which in turn can make it that much more difficult for people to get the help they need.

I am pretty laid back, yes. But when it comes to topics such as mental health, depression, suicide...and to hear of SO MANY people not getting the help they need...ARGH. It just infuriates - and saddens - me.


I know what it is like for the people left behind.

staggering

I read this report about the staggering numbers of returning OIF/OEF veterans suffering from PTSD and/or depression. It makes me sick to my stomach when I stop and think about it.

And, in today's paper, this article on the state of care (or lack thereof) at the VA hospitals. Granted - perhaps it is a blanket generalization to say that each and every VA center falls under the category of "complete mess"...but, it doesn't seem that that's too far off the mark.

It doesn't matter what one's opinion of the GWOT is. We're talking about men and women - sons, daughters, brothers, mothers, etc - who have spent months and years fighting in [insert adjective/perjorative here] wars, only to come home and get the run-around when trying to get help for their wounds - both mental and physical?

That is just disgusting.

filling in the, ahem, blanks

I can't remember where I got this list . . . maybe [insert social networking site here] or someone's blog...so...sorry if I took it without giving credit where it's due...!

1. Who did you last shoot a dirty look at [sic]? Hmmm...a taxi driver cutting me off.
2 .What kind of car do you drive?
Volvo (how stereotypically SF, right? But that car has saved my life more than once.)
3. Have you ever had a garage sale? Many, but not at my current address.
4. What color is your iPod? Black & Red U2 iPod
5. What kind of dog do you have? n/a. I have a fish.
6. What's for dinner tonight? Had dinner with AZ at Pasta P.
7. What is the last drink you drank? Water
8. Last time you were sick? Last week due to allergies.
9. How long is your hair? Long right now - past my shoulders.
10. Are you happy right now? Pretty happy, yes.
11. What did you say last? I laughed with S at Futurama.
12. Who came over last? Haven't been home much myself, but I think it was the folks who came over for game night a weekish ago.
13. Do you drink beer? Yes, but not regularly
14. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? nope
15. What is your favorite key chain on your keys? handy dandy carabiner
16. What is in your pocket? chapstick and change
17. Who is the last person you had a phone conversation with? S
18. What DVD is in your DVD player? Not sure...
19. What's something fun you did today? Got to catch up w/AZ
20. What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? I start itching
21. What are you listening to right now? Family Guy
22. What have you had to drink so far today? Coffee, tea, water
23. When is your birthday? 7/11
24. What's the area code for your cell phone? I still have a CO cell phone. I haven't lived in CO since 1997.
25. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? haha...it's a Denver Bronco tshirt my mom sent me...lol
26. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? nope
27. How many states in the U.S. have you been to? I don't feel like counting...but well over half of them. I've lived in four.
28. What are you going to do after this? probably try to go to bed soon
29. What is something you need to go shopping for? groceries
30. Do you like pickles? yes
31. How about olives? yes
32. What is your favorite kind of gum? peppermint
33. Do you have any tan lines? on my shoulders (ha - from getting burned a week ago)
34. Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? ms. lessig
35. Who was the last person to call you baby? prolly CPT, actually.
36.When you're at the grocery store do you use the self checkout? sometimes
37. Has anyone ever sang to you? oh yes
38. Has anyone ever given you roses? yes
39. If you were abandoned in the wilderness, would you survive? Maybe. I have a decent sense of direction, and have eaten bugs before....so I got that going for me.
40. What is your favorite color? blue, pink, black, red
41. What color are your eyes? blue
42. What is a compliment you receive way too often? way too often? really? um..how about "wow, you're tall"...lol
43. How tall are you? 5'11.5"
44. Who was the last person to say they loved you and when? my momma on the phone today :)
45. Do you like your parents? I do.
46. Why did your last relationship end? We are on different paths.
47. Who was the last person you said you loved on the phone? my momma
48. Where is the furthest place you've traveled? Croatia, I believe
49. Which do you prefer, to eat or sleep? hmmm right now, sleep
50. Do you look more like your mom or your dad? I'm a pretty good mix
51. How long does it take you to shower? 10 minutes on your average morning. Longer if I don't have to rush off to work.
52. Can you do splits? no
53. Can you use the grill? sure
54. Are you flexible? fairly
55. What did you on New Years Eve 2007? helped cook a 6-course meal for a kickass party 56. Was your mom a cheerleader? nope
57. What is the last letter of your middle name? n
58. How many hours of sleep did you get last night? 6.5
59. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? yes
60. Are you scared of flying? no
61. What do you sleep in? pj's
62.Do you have any tattoos? hahah...not really...excepting the fake one I won playing skee-ball a few weeks ago...it's bugs bunny.
63. Have you ever been to Los Angeles? yes
64. What jewelry do you wear all the time? earrings, usually a ring or two
65. What is your favorite song at the moment? too many to list...
66. What song do you HATE? anything by natalie merchant
67. Do you like chocolate? dark chocolate is best
68. Are you easy to get along with? generally
69. Any upcoming events you're excited about? my current show!

Answer

In answer to the question "What is spirit gum?"

It's a funk-nasty liquid adhesive used to stick the following to one's face (for theatrical purposes):

1. Facial hair (sideburns, mustaches, etc)
2. Lace fronts on wigs, so that they blend in seamlessly and appear more real (especially over the temples if it won't lie flush)
3. Prosthetics (noses, "scars", chins, etc...)

It hurts like a mo-fo to remove most of the time, especially for those of us with the sensitve skin. And it requires its own special "spirit gum adhesive remover". The most basic form is a solution of gum in ether. Good stuff right there.

I keep some backstage for use in cases #2 and #3. Or for stopping a run in my tights.

Men use it mostly for facial hair - especially when doing period pieces involving lots of lambchop sideburns and the like. I have to admit, though, that there have been many times I thought it would be hilarious to sport a mustache...especially when playing a crotchety, old Italian woman. Ha! (But somehow the directors never go for it...lol)

small world Sunday and other stuff

I stayed up way too late last night, afterall, having had some coffee to keep me awake for my drive home...I couldn't sleep until 3am. No bueno.

So this morning, before getting ready for church, I dragged my tired ass outta bed at 8 and went for a walk & coffee (it was pretty this morning!). No one - I mean NO one - is out that early on a Sunday morning here in SF. On my way back home, I ran into R at the intersection near my house - totally random. I didn't even know he was back in SF...and out on an early Sunday morning way on the other side of town from where he (now) lives. So that was fun, though, to see him.

After church (well, okay, Rona & I ducked out a little early to get (more) coffee) I ran into someone else I knew when I was headed back to my car. It was a performer friend I hadn't seen in several months, so that was fun to randomly see her. I then headed to SFO to pick up Sibling & S.
---
Our show over the weekend was in Antioch - which, well, it's about an hour-and-a-half into the East Bay from here. And it could not be more different from SF. Suburbia to the max, man. I mean, having grown up in Suburbia...well, I guess I can't really say too much. However, having lived in a really urban area for the last several years - it was like stepping into another planet for a while.

They have a really beautifully renovated theater - kinda art-deco style, which has signatures on the walls from everyone who's ever performed there - some of them dating back to the late 1930s! But the best part was the location: in the historic downtown city center, which only stretches for a few blocks. The theater shared a street with a really good Mexican restaurant (necessita hablar espagnol), an Armory and a dance studio. Talk about eclectic.

So - if you're ever in the mood to purchase a gun after ballet class and before some tasty carnitas . . . boy do I know the town for you!

The opening show went well; the audience was appreciative & pretty attentive (for a 2pm matinee made up of mostly the silver-haired crowd). All of us performing had a great time, I'll tell you that. Once all of the male castmembers got used to having to watch their step around us women - we all have ridiculously long trains on our dresses - everything went smoothly.
And - I am happy to say - this go around I don't have to play an old woman! No old-age make-up for me this time . . . I get to be pretty and young! And wear an amazingly beautiful dress. I will have to take a picture of it...it's gorgeous....red with black lace and a crazy corset (which - I'm getting used to singing in, I have to admit), all topped off with an auburn wig. I'm totally diggin' it.

(This pretty youthfulness won't last long though - this summer I get to play a mean old lady all done up kabuki style! Looking foward to that!)

backstage box

Because I have hit the post-performance-adrenaline-crash wall, today's posting will be a list. This is what it takes to transform my everyday self into whomever it is I need to be for a performance, as well as deal with any small crisis that may occur. What I take to the theater in my backstage box:

• 1 box (a bright blue, old-school caboodle)
• cell phone (to keep time - not all dressing rooms have clocks! wtf?)
• nail file & clippers
• dental floss
• sewing kit
• bandaids/neosporin
• bobby pins & hair pins
• wig cap (so sexy. . . let me tell you...ha)
• advil/tylenol
• 3 lipsticks in tube form
• 1 compact of flat lipsticks
• 2 lip liners
• 4 eyeliners
• eyebrow pencil
• 5 shades of eyeshadow
• loose translucent powder
• 2 shades of m.a.c. studio tech foundation
• 3 shades of kryolan foundation
• concealer
• old-age base
• spirit gum & hair for "facial hair"
• stipple sponge
• cotton swabs & squares
• combs
• make-up brush cleaner
• 2 blush compacts
• lotion
• pencil sharpener
• pen
• 3 sets of false eyelashes
• 1 tube of eyelash glue
• eyelash curler
• a dozen or so brushes & applicators of varying sizes & uses
• mascara
• hairspray
• chewing gum
• antibacterial hand stuff
• face cleanser/make-up remover
• hand-held mirror
• deodorant
• contact solution
• lozenges
• socks
• tights
• moleskin

Shaku Maku*

To my delight, I had an email from P waiting in my inbox when I logged-in this morning. It was a nice surprise…and the first any of us had heard from him in two-and-a-half months.

He’s in a new area now, which will make it harder for those of us back home to follow the news/milblog trails near him…but on the plus side, he *might* get back to the fob more often and have internet access. I am just praying that he’s not here or here or even here.

But then again, what do I know? I make it a point to seek out information through various channels, and actively spend time and resources volunteering with these fine folks . . . so, yeah, I guess I am more aware of the goings-on than your average civilian walking around downtown SF. But, it’s probably a good thing I don’t know more than I actually do . . . because sometimes knowledge is dangerous – even if just for my own sanity.

Friday Fives - 24 hours

Think about what you might like to do if you knew it would only last for 24 hours.
There are no reality boundaries to these imaginings. So here are the five things for you to consider...

1) If you could dramatically change your physical appearance for 24 hours, what would you do?
I would want to be very short - for the change in perspective, and to see if people treated me differently.

2) If you could live in another place for 24 hours where would you go?
New Orleans

3) You get to do somebody else's job for a day...
CIA undercover agent

4) Spend the day with another person from anywhere in time and space...
My grandmother . . . I miss her and never got to know her other than in the context of me being a kid. I would love to pick her brain on so many things now that I am an adult.

5) A magical power is yours. Which one would you pick?
Something along the lines of being able to transport myself through the space/time continuum.

Freeze-dried nation

Is it just me? Or has there been a resurgence of the popularity in freeze-dried foods? What brought this to mind were the delicious freeze-dried strawberries Ty brought home from Trader Joe’s when he was crashed out on our couch. Also, at our local market down the street, I’ve noticed some Petaluma-based food corporation making their own freeze-dried fruit snacks.

So when I went to Trader Joe’s today over my lunch hour, I bought some of the aforementioned strawberries, as well as some mangoes. They are a tasty-tangy-sweet-crunchy snack. A snack made of flavored air.

Maybe it was just us folks of a certain generation, but I remember being fascinated with Astronaut Ice Cream as a kid. Freeze-dried ice cream – the concept still boggles my mind. Does anyone else remember that? Seems to me it was a fad to buy it (as civilians) sometime around the early ‘80s. I can recall begging my mom to get it for us. And I still remember the weird airy-sweet taste of each of the flavors (vanilla – strawberry – chocolate).

Ahh . . . the reminiscences of youth . . .

dreamy

In general, I lean towards being an insomniac. I think part of it is that I find myself keeping the schedule of both a performer (late nights rehearsing leading up to performances) as well as that of a salaried minion (read: day-job). There are some nights - many - that I just can't get to sleep. I don't wind down. To the point of panic attacks, when I'm strung out enough. My doctor and I tried many things . . . and I've found melatonin supplements to be a HUGE help in combating said insomnia. The trouble happens when I wait to take it until there's not enough time to sleep without being groggy the next morning.

In any case, I've remembered to take it on a somewhat consistent basis over the last few days. And the best - and worst - part is the dreaming. I almost never ever remember my dreams when I don't take the melatonin, probably because I'm never really reaching that deep REM cycle.

The dreaming is the best and worst part because the dreams feel so real. And if they are nice dreams . . . well, that's one thing. But when they border on the nightmare-side of things...*shiver*. I could do without those, thank you very much. I can't quite remember last night's...but it was more on the scary side, as I remember waking up and feeling relieved to find myself at home in bed.

Sunday night's dream was just surreal: I was searching high and low for my chapstick. (Which, well - that's more like reality, really.) And Sibling was, too. And then we ended up in the grocery store, looking for the chapstick aisle, to no avail. It was very frustrating. Indeed.

Vituperation

I have a mean streak. Most people do. I try to keep mine in check, and I’d like to think (perhaps foolishly) that since:
a) I’m old enough to know better, and
b) I claim the title of “Practicing Christian”
it would be easy to keep said streak in check. But that is just not always the case. My particular brand of invective tends to reveal itself in the form of not thinking before speaking. This can either mean consciously taking a verbal shot at someone - making a witty low-blow which helps me score points with one party by detracting from another one - or just flat-out not taking a moment to consider the repercussions of my word vomit before spewing it forth.

In the last week I have found myself on more than one occasion suddenly reeling in the wake of my own sarcasms. I am pretty sarcastic, but on these particular occasions, I took it too far. And I found myself hastily snapped to my humiliated humbled senses, trying to pull the foot out of my mouth as quickly as possible, without causing further damage. And, even though apologies were issued in short order . . . it still is a horrid feeling knowing that I have wounded someone.

I need to work on this.

“’Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove
all doubt.”
– Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

“If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all.”
– Thumper, Walt Disney’s Bambi

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your
sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
– Psalm 19:14

“If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
– Ephesians 4:28-32

devil, thy name is C-A-T

I drafted an entire tirade on cats, allergies, asthma and the politics/ethics of bringing cats to work without consulting upon the allergies and results of said allergies on the people who work for you (even IF the cat is being brought in to eat mice). I mean...if you want to pay me not to do my job...I guess that's your decision.

Anyways.

I wrote it. Got it (somewhat) out of my system. And then wrote to our lovely stage manager asking nicely if the cat could disappear for our current hell week (tech week) before we open on Saturday.

And, she wrote me back...and I am so happy, the cat will be gone. Cat's are cute, but they are all little devils in relation to my immune system.

So - a parting request - please pray that my allergy-induced asthma and swolled-up throat would clear up quickly. They are making breathing (much less, say, opera singin') a real beeyotch right now. And I would *really* like to be able to do what I've been hired/contracted/paid to do come Saturday.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some nasal spray to use and SFGiant's traffic to fight.

Funny!

This hit my funny bone this morning...here's today's "Rhymes with Orange" comic strip (by Hilary B. Price):

summertime

It is so summertime for us this weekend! 80+ weather does not happen during our *actual* summer months (that's when we get socked in with fog) . . .

The morning started early with breakfast at the Pork Store Cafe in the Haight with Sibling & S. We got there before they opened. On the way there, I said to S, "Man...I am just not awake yet. We must be crazy, right? Getting up at 7:30 am on a Saturday, what was I thinking?"

S's reply: "Nah, we're not crazy. We're just white people."

I almost fell on the ground laughing at that. OMG. It's going to be a good day. I have a callback audition later this afternoon, but for now I'm headed to the beach...

California Girl

When I was younger, I NEVER wanted to live in California...and here I've been for just about 7 years.

I know I've lived in NorCal for a long time as is evidenced by what I cooked for dinner tonight. You've got the "Hippy Elements"(tofu and brown rice); the "Asian Influence" (baby bok choi and water chestnuts in my stirfry); and the "Napa Effect" (a nice California red wine to accompany the meal).

Sibling walked in and was like . . . "What on EARTH are you cooking? (It smells good, though.)"

*Clearly* he has not lived in California long enough.


And now - to round out my lovely day, after having been to the beach on our 80-degree spring evening - I'm enjoying said dinner and wine with "the kids" and watching Star Wars. I haven't watched the original (Episode IV) in over a year (!) but boy howdy, I still know all the dialogue.

BLAST!

Friday Fives - Moving

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?
16 times. The last time was in 2003, when I moved into my current place. MOST of those moves took place between the years 1997-2003.

2. What do you love and hate about moving?
I love that it forces me to throw out a bunch of crap. I hate that it is so stressful, and I usually get sick from dust flying around.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?
Depends on the move – I’ve done it myself, had friends & family move me and had professional movers involved at times.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?
Drink a lot of water. Get rid of anything you hesitate about keeping.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?
Not planning on leaving my current home in the near future. As far as other moves go . . . there is almost always something going on in my head or my life…right now, it’s cooking with and eating more vegetables.

Protest photos

1. Looking down around 10am...people headed down towards the Ferry Building. 2. I saw this woman walking down the middle of the barricaded Embarcadero...that's the only torch I saw :)
3. Team Tibet - across the street from us...
4. Team China/Olympics/USA etc...also across the street from us.
5. After hearing that the torch was no longer coming down this street - everyone else decided to take to it . . . (this is looking down on them from our 3rd floor windows).

Photos on the way - I promise

. . . . but I left my camera at work - d'oh!

However...I have to report to Jury Duty tomorrow afternoon, and I anticipate having some down time. I'm planning on taking the laptop and posting the photos then (they have free wireless at the courthouse...yay!)

Okay then - nighty night everyone!

I love the smell of napalm protesters in the morning.

Protests, parties and parades – three things San Francisco does really well.

And today was no different; even the weather cooperated with crisp blue skies and a brisk wind, thus ensuring that various flags supporting various causes could display their brilliant colors with ease.

From my vantage point (looking down on the Embarcadero from three floors off the ground), the morning was calm. Only the metal SFPD barricades stacked and waiting at the street corners gave a hint of the day’s activities yet to unfold. As the morning progressed, groups of protesters (or supporters – depending on your point of view) made their way down the Embarcadero, underneath our windows.

Singing. Shouting. Cheering. Drumming. And flags – so many flags – passing below us.

The torch route was right outside of our un-reinforced masonry building walls. Key word there being was.

Over my lunch hour, I went out into the fray to snap some pictures. And wait. And wait some more. For the torch that *sniff* never came. I went back up to my office and my coworkers, watching streaming live coverage, said that though the relay had started, the torch had temporarily disappeared into a warehouse further down the Embarcadero.

A few minutes later, we saw the torch pop up on the screen, in front of the 1960s Holiday Inn on Van Ness….and it was back on track. But not coming this way at all. The whole route changed! It was like a big trick played on all the protesters. It was also a big trick played on all the supporters, too, some of whom had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the torch.

I wanted to see it all – the protests, the torchbearers (I found out today that I know one of the torchbearers – wacky), the crowds. The excitement was palpable, and made working this afternoon next to impossible.

Alas, finding out that the torch was not going to end up near us was a letdown. If the protesting had not gotten “out of hand” down near the Ferry Plaza, things might have turned out differently.

Oh well. There’s always next year.

I’ll post my protester photos tonight after I get home from rehearsal.

Bring it on

The torch has landed and I'll be at work tomorrow (not jury duty) to hopefully catch some of the madness on film my digital camera.

I'll post whatever pics I can . . .

w00t!

Note to self #567

Do not eat a 73% dark chocolate square after 7pm.
You will NOT be able to sleep.

My dog ain't dead, my wife ain't done and left me, and I have yet to drown my tears in beers

. . . so why can't I stop listening to country music?

On my drive down to Monterey, I started listening to country music (once I got past San Jose). One of the Great Knowns of life is:

When driving cross-country, one is guaranteed that at least one of the following genres of music will be readily available on the radio - if not on one station, on several: Country, Christian and Spanish

I did flip through those three genres for a while before settling on Country. I used to listen to Country music a lot - back in say...1980s and up through the early 1990s. So, I found this station playing songs I knew from back then, and it was like a trip down memory lane. It was great driving music (as the day was perfect for driving - crisp, sunny, blue skies) and I rambled down the road with the windows down, leaving a trail of honky-tonk in my dust.

And yet today, on my way to work, instead of my tuning in to my usual morning show or NPR, I kept the radio dialed to Country station (yes, there is one in SF!) and didn't bother to change it. Boggles the mind really.

Or maybe not . . . even though I am a self-proclaimed "city girl" I do love the Country, be it the South or the Mountains or yes, even the farm country of CA. I slow down in the country...people are friendlier...and the world just seems to move at a more manageable pace.

Now I don't plan on moving out of the city anytime in the near future (shoot - I'm not sure where "Opera Singer" meets "Country Living" - are you?) but I love to visit. I can't wait to get back to the Rockies for a bit...and would love to head back to NC to visit my friends still at the Lake and up in the Smokies. Beautiful country out there, indeed. And, well, there's also family in Louisiana, not to mention a myriad of friends scattered across the Southeast in general.

For now, though, I'll settle for my decades-old Garth Brooks cd's, a sunny day and a long open highway stretched out before me . . .

habit

I'm so much so in the habit of blogging everyday now that...today, for example, when I have too few (or is that too many?) thoughts running around my brain, I automatically turn on the computer and log-in, fingers poised and ready to go...

L-O-A-D-I-N-G

...but sometimes the blank screen is daunting, instead of beckoning. The curser sits there. Mocking me. Its righteous little arrow pointing pointlessly at the void of white space waiting to be filled. To be utilized in such a way as the blogosphere has never seen before.

That's a lot of presssure!

Ack...oh well.

The blank page has been fed. For now.

My weekend in pictures

Friday five - Revelation

From the RevGals...
How has God revealed him/herself to you in a:

1. Book
I guess the Sunday School answer would be...uh...the Bible.
As for a non-Biblical book...I'll have to think about that...

2.Film
Far Away, So Close!

3. Song
Not in a particular song . . . but in the blasting of the radio, windows rolled down, open highway stretching out as far as the eye can see...

4. Another person
Many people inspire me...and I see God working in and through many people...

5. Creation
The grains of sand on the beach

funny

So - along the same vein as Stuff White People Like, we now have Stuff Christians Like. It's pretty funny, I have to say. A lot of 'em took me waaaay back to youth group.

Good times.

Every now and then

My recent schedule has been:

Work
Home for long enough to practice and perhaps fix dinner
Rehearsal
Sleep

Rinse. Repeat. Throw in a quick trip to SoCal. Rinse. Repeat.

This week was pretty stressful work-wise for various reasons, and I am just feeling rundown. Add to that the fact that everytime I'm at home, there is no peace and quiet (not a reflection against anyone in particular, just that there are 4 people currently inhabiting 1000 square feet). I've reached the point where I'm ready to crawl out of my skin. Some people are external processors - they need to talk things out. I am a good friend to these kinds of folks, because I am pretty much the opposite - I don't like to talk things out. Which means I'm a good listener..haha. And on those occasions when I DO talk things out, then it is because it is something I've been mulling over for a VERY long time, usually. But in order to process, I need to either get away from everything or lock myself in my room and re-alphabatize my cd collection (which I've been known to do).
(Side note: I don't qualify blogging as "external processing" as much as I think of it as "brain-dumping", seeing as I don't have to actually *talk* to anyone in particular. And I can edit myself.)

Praise the Lord for "Mental Health Days" and my boss encouraging me to take one.

---
and...here comes a brain dump now...I LOVE performing. But I hate having to miss important life things because I "already have a gig" MONTHS in advance. Seriously - I already have stuff on my calendar for MARCH 2009. WTF? I should be happy about this, right? And I am, mostly. But here's a snippet of conversation I was having tonight with Ty (he's currently on our couch): he asked me "What do you want for your life?" (Shoot, he could probably get away with asking me anything and I would answer. It's hard to hide something from someone you've known your whole life.)

Two things came to mind almost immediately, even though it took me a while to answer. But after some more prodding, my answers were:
1. I - EVENTUALLY - would like to get married.
2. I would like the freedom and flexibilty to travel.

That's it. Those were the two things on my list. Maybe if I (when I?) take the time to mull things over a bit, the list would grow...but, my gut instinct right now has just those two things on it. Now, I don't have any plans on #1 being fulfilled in the near future, but item #2 is definitely easier to implement in the short-term, but in the long-term (at least in my life right now) is harder...that flexibility wanes. Which frustrates me.

I took this picture last weekend at Newport Beach. We had a fun - albeit very quick - trip down there. There is never a dull moment with the family.
I got there early on Saturday morning, and we hit the ground running. Went to Balboa Island and walked around/shopped and then took the very across to the peninsula, where we explored, played in the arcade (skeeball!) and had some delicous seafood. Afterwards, we walked to the beach...now. It was cold (for SoCal) a good chunk of the day. Sibling's big fleece jacket was my saving grace, since I had not thought it necessary to bring my own along.
Saturday night, when we finally returned to the hotel and Dad went to bed, the rest of us decided to hit the town. Actually, we were just looking for the movie theatre, but the lack of car and directions to any theaters prevented this from happening. So, instead, we hit up an Irish pub we found (close to the movie theater we found but at which no movies we wanted to see were playing).

It was a good decision. We had a lot of fun. And didn't cause too much trouble...HA. The funniest part, though, was the cab ride home. Our hotel was not far from the pub, but it was late, and rainy and cold. So, we ended up splitting a van cab (Mom, Sibling, S and I) with two 30-something fratboys. Here is part of our conversation:

DG#1 (Drunk Guy #1): So, where are you guys from?
Sibling: San Francisco
Mom: Colorado
DG#1: Colorado? Oh yeah? Where's that?
Me: Really? You know . . . mountains....Denver Broncos.....etc....
DG#1: Oh yeah...yeah
Me: Actually - no - it's a little beach town just a little West of here...less touristy.
DG#2: Hey - hey - we could show you all around Newport Beach! 365, 24/7 let the goodtimes roll, yeah....

Mom (getting out at the hotel): So.....you're unemployed?

Sibling starts cracking up - as he is the only one who heard her ask DG#2 that question. He promptly filled the rest of us in, though...

Citius, Altius, Fortius*

I don’t know about ya’ll, but perhaps, like me, you’ve also been following the China/Tibet news and heard about this guy and this woman wanting to boycott the Olympics (remains to be seen how far that goes, although Chancellor Merkel will not be attending, herself). And of course, San Francisco’s very own Pelosi has asked our President to boycott the Ceremony. Speaking of . . . San Francisco is the only American city to get the torch – next Wednesday, in fact – and the entire argument is coming to rest, in a manner of speaking, close to home. The Olympic Torch route (see below) takes the torch immediately in front of the building I like to call “my office away from home”. Not once, but twice, will it pass outside of our doors. This makes me both very excited (I’ve always loved the Olympics) and not a little anxious, as I know that there are already huge demonstrations being planned.


I have been summoned for jury duty next week, so either I will be down at the courthouse, far away from the drama unfolding on the streets next Wednesday OR I will be in the thick of it – staking out a prime viewing spot on the roof of our 3 story building, snapping pictures of the whole event. I kind of hope I get to be taking pictures…that is, of course, assuming I can get to work that day. Not sure what the security and road closures are going to be – but I know they will be in place . . . not to mention the people (both pro and anti) there to see the torch pass by, the media, the tourists, etc. Never a dull moment, indeed!

*The Olympic Motto: "Swifter, Higher, Stronger"

april fool's on me

Well. 9:00 am has come and gone and I - despite my best efforts - did not make it to the aforeblogged event at the Ferry Building this morning. I had *FRANTIC* phone calls from not one but two people at work this morning. Both my "counterparts" would be out of the office today and could I *please* adjust my schedule accordingly to make it in earlier thus ensuring the office didn't implode in on itself...??

:P

World Freeze Day

is on April 1.


If anyone in SF wants to join in the TomApril's foolery, you can join me here for the 9:00am go-time. I'll be there a little earlier than that, getting coffee...

sweet.