being at home for the past few days has afforded me the ability to sleep in. . . . till 11 or so almost every day. one thing that i've really noticed about sleeping in is that my dreams get more and more quirky the more i sleep in. if you take to believing that sleep involves some sort of recouperative brain actions. . . like the sorting of memories from short to longterm memory storage and such. . . then perhaps, after doing all the normal daily duties, my synapses hold a short meeting and decide, 'hey, it's time for some fun. . . exactly how bizzare can we make these dreams for her?'. . .

this morning's dream took place in a target store after hours. kate baker had decided ther were a few things she wanted to shoplift, and i was gonna help her. however, there were a lot of employees working after hours, restocking and cleaning and such. . . .and for some reason a lot fo the employees were small children. so whenever i tried to duck and hide, it was always in their view. . . i was scared that they would give away my hiding place, but for some reason they couldn't speak an understandable english, and all the older employees paid them little attention. one child employee did manage to take away the one bad of bits that i had grabbed, which included a shirt kate wanted for her sister. it had some brand across the chest, which would disappear and reveal the word 'BREASTS' in huge letters when warmed, like hyper color. anyway, after hiding for a while, kate found me, and we managed to run around and grab the rest of what she was looking for, and took off through and unguarded passageway. outside, it was daylight, and there were tons of people around. honestly, most of them looked like they were from the movie Grease. . . . and they gave us a knowing look after seeing our bags.

but. . . i think two mornings ago was even more bizarre. i guess i was getting dressed or something. i looked down and noticed that my left boob had moved significatly toward the center of my chest, and my right boob had started to move slightly closer to my right side. and to my pure disgust, there was a small boob forming symmetrically to my right one. oh and a huge puss nodule near my left shoulder, which of course i popped and let ooze for a good half hour. immediately i wondered how a plastic surgeon would be able to handle replacing my boobs. . . ( not at all considering how having three boobs could make me really popular on the freak circuit. . . or 'girls gone wild'. . . . .HA) sometime after all that i went to work and had to do a shopping run. the home depot and office depot had merged, and they were one big store. there was two girls who worked there. they had started dating one another a while ago, and i'd gotten really used to seeing them and hearing about the latest bit of their relationship. . . (run like a mom and pop store in a way. . . or should i say, a mom and mom store) anyway, they let me know that they were doing to their perspective homes for holiday, but then they were going to move away together. i wished them luck, and realized it would suck to have to get used to new people owning that store.

and there you have it. exactly what portion of my brain was in charge of conjuring up any of those ideas and images? maybe i shouldn't sleep in so late. . .

it's christmas eve. . . though it feel little like it. i'm nearly finished cleaning my room. i think i started about a month ago. all i ahve left to do is some laundry and packing. i'll leave for home tomorrow around noon. i think my room will be in pretty good order by then. the floor is so mess free i'll be able to run a vacuum recklessly around without losing small treasures. i have some music stuff to do. . . to prepare my ipod for travel. i have a 4 hour layover in chicago. . . maybe i'll bring a dvd as well!

i've been thinking about how amazing my immune system is. . . like maybe all the vitamins i take are really working, or the acupuncture is (though i haven't been for a treatment in 3 weeks). . . jared has been sick for a week, and i've been in wonder that i haven't caught it yet. . . but oh the hubris. after working extra long hours in a very cold theatre basement. . . and just in time for me to take some time off. . . i've come down with a killer head cold. so not only will i be flying sick, but i'll get to battle both it and cat allergies at home- mom and dad. . . hope you've stocked up well on soft kleenex! apparently if i constantly blow my nose. . . my eyes don't water. yipee

jared's working at borders, i've been cleaning. . . and i did shop a little. but i'd hoped that if i mostly rested today, that this bug would move out of me. i don't wanna be sick when there's important work to do. . . which has been quite often lately. but there was plenty of time about a month ago for me to take a sick day and what not! but nooooooooo. . . it's gotta come on when i finally get to have some 'me' time. . . .dammit!

anyway. . . till later, probably while i'm in sub zero temperatures in northern ny. . . .happy holidays!

well. . . i've hit an all new low. before last night i had made peace with the fact that i've fallen asleep while watching south park, and while watching my much beloved daily show with jon stewart. however last night was rather unforgivable, i fell asleep while watching a new eddie izzard video. what has BECOME OF ME?!

what i want to do. . .

i want to. . .

work out, eat, sleep, write, call, talk, play, sleep, read, watch lots of tv, cook, sleep, add pictures to this blog, finish christmas crap, relax, clean, sleep. . . . but i can't seem to get off my ass at the moment. i'm kind of impressed that i'm able to write almost coherent sentences at all. . . .

i want to call in sick. . but i know i won't. . . too many things to do to get ready for next week. maybe, i will take a day if i feel like i'm ready for the upcoming meeting. . . . i need a day of nothing. . . and there aren't any openings coming up. arg.hmm. . . maybe wednesday.

******************************************************************************
what i did. . . .

thursday. . . cleaned out scene shop with the carpenters so we can start decorating for the christmas party. passed around amny a favored rum ball. attended the annual staff christmas dinner. good food, and a really good midori sour.

friday. . . went into work (kinda headachy- from one cocktail?!) for longer than a full day to help set up the donor christmas party. . . (we usually don't work fridays because we work 10 hour days monday thru thursday) and i honestly can't remember if i did anything interesting that evening. . . i think i was too tired.

saturday. . . went into work for a couple of hours to make sure the party was really set to go. went home, showered, made homemade egg nog- with pumpkin flavoring and lots of rum. called a friend to see if she wanted to go to the espanola light parade with me. . . she was too tired. i stopped by another friend's place to stop off some books, a video game, and egg nog- she's recently out of the hospital and kinda bed ridden. drove to espanola for the light parade. . lots of fun. . . . but not as much fun as with a couple other people. came home and fell asleep watching south park. . . . disgusting. . . . 12:30 am. . . unbelievable.

sunday. . . slept in till 12:15 pm. . . . again, disgusting. . . but damn i was tired. cleaned kitchen a little, went to breakfast (at 2pm) with jared, ran into cassie, planned evening at plaza. did some christmas shopping, searched for perfect small desk to help organize my newly cleaned room, but was sadly disappointed by my choices, which means there will be a large clump of stuff waiting for a desk for a little while longer. . cluttering my otherwise clean room. stopped home for an hour, then off to the plaza for some holiday festivities. . . had late dinner at oasis, and home too late to do laundry (which is drying as i write) barely made it into the shower. . . just too lethargic.

monday. . . take down all holiday crap in the shop and restore all tools so we can continue to work on scenery for this upcoming season. sat on ass most of the evening. . . not even watching tv, doing laundry, and writing very uninspiredly.

do you think this was on purpose. . . . or just some poor dyslexic without a decent spell check?

ok. . . so i have 'what not to wear' on in the background. they just gave this woman a $50 grand shopping spree in paris. kind of amazing. . . . and the show is kinda fun to watch. . . but i'm thinking. . . $50 grand. . . paris. me, with that money and plane ticket. . . i could set up a nice little apartment and live fairly richly for a year. . . possibly longer. and this woman will spend it. . . on clothes, in less than 3 days time. sadly incredible. . . . incredibly sad?

hallmark needs to expand. . . . .


i went into a hallmark yesterday afternoon. . . i usually like the card selection in target, but i thought hallmark would have something nice and i didn't plan to trek all the way to target out here. the hallmark was kinda small, and had a high worker to low customer ratio. the 'get well' area was the farthest from the door. . . so it took me a small bit to actually find it. and by the time i started looking through it, i was already offered help from two different people.

there were the religious cards, and the sappy inspirational cards, i was just looking for a well wishes and slightly funny/ get well and cute type thing. . . i was sadly disappointed. and twice more, i was offered help. . . i graciously declined, but what i really wanted to say was, 'why yes, could you point me out a proper card for a co-worker/friend having a partial hysterectomy, another coworker/friend having surgery to remove a cyst from her ovary, and a third card for my aunt who recently decided to split from my uncle?'

there was a serious operation card or two. . . but they were a little too sappy. so, in the end i chose two slightly cute and cheesy 'get well' cards, and a 'happy new home' card (trying to find the positive in a separation.) where are the sweet funny distraction cards with half naked men, promises of many alcoholic libations, and silly girls' nights out. these people are dealing with serious issues. . . do we have to stroke the pain, fear, and depression? it doesn't have to be a, 'congratulations on losing 'x' amount of pounds! who knew that a uterus/ cyst/ spouse weighed so much?!' kinda card. . . just something to slightly distact and amuse. . . oh well. . . .

just recently found this again and thought i'd share. . . it's just so damn funny!


Notes From An Inexperienced Chili Taster Named FRANK, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:

"Recently I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment, and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted. Here are the scorecards from the event:

*** Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili

JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.

JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

FRANK: Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

*** Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili

JUDGE ONE: Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.

JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

FRANK: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

*** Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili

JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.

JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.

FRANK: Call the EPA, I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now, get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all the beer.

*** Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic

JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it, is it possible to burn-out taste buds? Sally,the bar maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills; that 300 lb. bitch is starting to look HOT, just like this nuclear-waste I'm eating. Is chili an aphrodisiac?

*** Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover

JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

FRANK: My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off? It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!

*** Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety

JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers.

JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.

FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that slut Sally, she must be kinkier than I thought. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone!

*** Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili

JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should note that I am worried about Judge Number 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

FRANK: You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a damn thing. I've lost the sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava-like shit to match my damn shirt. At least during the autopsy they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful. Screw it, I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4 inch hole in my stomach.

*** Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili

JUDGE ONE: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all, not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

JUDGE TWO: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge Number 3 passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor Yank, wonder how he'd have reacted to a really hot chili?

FRANK: -------------- (editor's note: Judge #3 was unable to report)

This is a true story about a recent wedding that took place at Clemson University. It was in the local newspaper and even Jay Leno mentioned it.

It was a huge wedding with about 300 guests. After the wedding at the reception, the groom got up on stage with a microphone to talk to the crowd. He said he wanted to thank everyone for coming, many from long distances, to support them at their wedding. He especially wanted to thank the bride's and his family and to thank his new father-in-law for providing such a lavish reception.

As a token of his deep appreciation he said he wanted to give everyone a special gift just from him. So taped to the bottom of everyone's chair, including the wedding party, was a manila envelope.

He said this was his gift to everyone, and asked them to open their envelope. Inside each manila envelope was an 8x10 glossy of his bride having sex with the best man.

The groom had gotten suspicious of them weeks earlier and had hired a private detective to tail them.

After just standing there, just watching the guests' reactions for a couple of minutes, he turned to the best man and said, "F--- you!".

Then he turned to his bride and said, "F--- you!".

Then he turned to the dumbfounded crowd and said, "I'm outta here."

He had the marriage annulled first thing in the morning. While most people would have canceled the wedding immediately after finding out about the affair, this guy goes through with the charade, as if nothing were wrong. His revenge for making the bride's parents pay over $32,000 for a 300 guest wedding and reception, and best of all, trashing the bride's and best man's reputations in front of 300 friends and family members.

This guy has balls the size of church bells.

Do you think we might get a MasterCard "priceless" commercial out of this?

Elegant wedding reception for 300 family members and friends........$32,000

Wedding photographs commemorating the occasion..........................$3,000

Deluxe two week honeymoon accommodations in Maui......................$8,500

The look on everyone's face when they see the 8x10 glossy of the bride humping the best man ..............................................Priceless

There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's MasterCard

How to tell if you live in a red, or blue state.
-from betty bowers

Blue States: Home of good schools
Red States: Homeskooled good


Blue States: Want a big tent for their Party.
Red States: Wears a big tent to her party.


Blue States: Favor electric cars
Red States: Favor electric chairs


Blue States: Concerned about ballooning deficits' effect on capital markets turning gains into thin air
Red States: Concerned about whether it's demons that make balloons float in thin air


Blue States: Dream of making enough money to kite and swim with Czechs in Biarritz
Red States: Dream of kiting enough checks to swim in Schlitz


Blue States: Favor institutionalized health care for the poor
Red States: Favor institutionalizing the poor


Blue States: After the 9/11 attacks, put coffins in the ground
Red States: After the 9/11 attacks, put magnetic flags on the car


Blue States: Forget that God did not give Adam a Steve
Red States: Forget that not only did God give Abraham three wives, He gave Solomon 300 concubines


Blue States: Enormous cities that serve as the engines of human progress
Red States: Enormous Hummers that serve as the engines for Arab oil


Blue States: Provide the "tax" part of "tax and spend"
Red States: Provide the "spend on a new 8-lane highway to link a Wal-Mart to the Olive Garden" part of "tax and spend"


Blue States: Believe we're all brothers and sisters under the skin.
Red States: Don't mind if we're brothers and sisters under the sheets.


Blue States: Fighting to clean up skid row
Red States: Fighting to clean up skid marks


Blue States: 9/11 survivors mourned at night as the television coverage showed those killed
Red States: Mourned television coverage of 9/11 that killed that night's "Survivor" show


Blue States: Concerned about global warming
Red States: Don't like to travel and are too fat to fit in an airline seat anyway, so glad to hear that the tropics are coming to Texas. Yee-haw!


Blue States: Follow Jesus, but doesn't believe in Him
Red States: Believe in Jesus, but doesn't follow Him


Blue States: Want to repeal the Patriot Act
Red States: Want to repeal the Emancipation Proclamation


Blue States: Looking for a method to weaken China every day
Red States: Sold everyday china for a weekend of meth


Blue States: Favor drafting annoying laws on assault rifles
Red States: Assault annoying in-laws with rifles after being drafted


Blue States: Want the right for everyone to worship as they choose
Red States: Want the right to choose everyone's worship


Blue States: Champion women wrestling with the right to choose
Red States: Choose women's wrestling championships


Blue States: Want a rational energy policy
Red States: Want policy of energetic irrationalism


Blue States: Used benefits to assist victims on account of attacks
Red States: Used attacks to benefit Toby Keith's bank account


Blue States: Watched friends in New York die in foxy attacks on America
Red States: Attack New York on Fox for not being friends of America


Blue States: Believe God loves us and gave everyone free will to be different
Red States: Believe God willed us to freely hate everyone different


Blue States: Believe absence makes the heart grow fonder
Red States: Believe abstinence saves the tart from plunder


Blue States: Believe in Mr. Darwin's theory of "Evolution"
Red States: Believe in Mr. Jesus' "Talking Snake" theory


Blue States: Slave to pay inheritance taxes
Red States: Inherited slaves


Blue States: Buy art
Red States: Collect Beanie Babies

something amusing for a snowy monday morning. . .

yes, there was a bit of powder on the roads, so i took my ride to the opera a little slower than usual. . . but the highway seemed fine and i was becoming rather annoyed with someone in front of my who kept riding their brakes and wasn't able to decided on which lane they wanted to occupy. . . when i had the chance to pass them i felt a superior snow driver. . . but as i fishtailed onto the actual opera road, i decided to not be as cocky and took the ride even more slowly.

even driving straight through one patch i could feel my car pull from below me. i slowed down more, thinking about how i would joke about my lateness and blame it on having only front wheel drive and a bad road. however, coming around one of the many bends in the road, there were all of my coworkers. some just pulled over, and one or two more actually had skidded off the road a bit. . . they motioned to me to keep going as far as i could. among them were 3 pick up trucks and one car. . . .further up a hill was another car, skidding slightly as he tried to make it up the last bit of hill. i stopped breifly behind him (since he was in the middle of the road) but he also motioned for me to continue past him. it was a tougher start. . . i slipped a bit, but then got my car rocking and pumped my gas pedal, or brake pedal (depending on the needs) the entire way into the parking lot. as i crawled up the hill i saw people cheering me on from behind.

once situated inside, i called their cell phones to see if they needed help, but they were going to rely on one of them with four wheel drive to try and tow them out. i should note that at 8am and hour later, i haven't heard them come in yet. . . but i figure they'll call if they need help.

so, whether it's luck, something odd about my car, or my extremely good snow driving skills honed in upstate ny (my first time ever driving was on black ice). . . i'm the first into the parking lot this morning. :) whoo hoo?!

my non-ghost story

not sure why, but i don't think i've relayed this one yet, and it came up in my mind (probably because of the sci-fi show that i can now enjoy with my cable. . 'ghost hunters'). . . so thought i'd share.

it was my first summer in kent, when i had to work at Porthole, sorry, i mean Porthouse. . . summer theatre company. i was befriending a bunch of people that were new to me. . . and somewhere down the line we got into ghost stories. the painter, i think his name was neil (terrible that i can't remember) mentioned that he liked to take people on this drive where they could see a ghost in a graveyard. he'd been doing it for about 5 years. . . and taken many a people out to this graveyard to see this ghost. i thought this sounded great. . . we could go ghost hunting! yipee. . .

as the story goes, this gray woman appears in the evening to watch over a grave- supposedly belonging to a loved one. i asked if anyone had seen her during the day, and no. . . no one had bothered to go out there during the day. then i asked how close anyone had gotten to her, and if anyone had attempted to make contact. .. . . no one had ever gotten out of the car. this absolutely needed some investigation.

it was me, another electrician -matt, the painter-neil, and the assistant technical director (i think his name was jason). we piled into neil's car and went on a decently lengthy ride. . . through a lot of rural land, twists and turns. definitely off the beaten path. i was armed pretty well, with a flashlight, a laser pointer, and some salt- (i'd heard it's rather protective and i though, better safe then sorry- JUST IN CASE) everyone was all gun ho about checking this out to the largest extent possible.

we approached the graveyard, and there she was. a tall gray figure leaning over a gravestone. we were all very excited. . . . neil made to turn around and make another pass and jason exclaimed that she was facing the other way on our first pass. . . i wasn't sure. . .. i wanted to get out and get a closer, and better look. and all of a sudden, matt and jason weren't up to getting out of the car. 'no, i'm not sure.' 'let's just head back.'. . . . blah blah blah. . . no we were getting out of the car and getting a closer look.

neil pulled into the small lot. and we all got out and started walking towards her. ok, now i may have seemed pretty ballsy, but i was completely nervous as well. . . what if she was a real ghost? how was i going to react to that? we made out way to her very slowly. i decided not to use a laser pointer, rationalizing that if she was a real ghosst that somehow pointing a laser beam into her would be rather disrespectful, and i didn't want to anger her. . . just in case. she kinda looked like stone. . . but it was so gray out, there was no decent defining light source to help out. . . we needed to get closer.

'guys, i think she's just a statue. . . i think.' i said it outloud, but had this image in my head. . . . her own head was facing downwards and was covered by a cascade of hair, so we couldn't see any facial features. . . but if you've seen the first ghostbuster movie then you might have an understanding for my mental image. each time i tried to imagine getting close enough to see her face, i envisioned her head upturning to reveal this hideously angry demonic face. . . kinda like that part in ghostbusters where they first encounter that librarian ghost and yell, 'get her' and she transforms into a rather scary entity. so even though i was verbally trying to convince the group and myself. . . . this image was slowing my feet a little.

we were then only a row of gravestones away from her. she was stone. . . .we were nearly completely sure. there was only one act to solidify it. someone needed to actually walk up and touch her. . . 'i'm not gonna touch her, you do it.' . . . 'uh huh. . . you!'. . . 'i dare you'. . . 'no way, i dare you!'. . . . you get the idea.

then suddenly a car was approaching. . . someone yelled that it was a cop. the group of us went to duck for cover. . . . matt and neil fled to the side, and jason and i ended up right at her feet. . . bumping into her. complete stone. a very sad looking figure standing over the grave with one arm draped over the top of the stone, and her grecian like draped dress just adding to the weight that seemed to sit with her. she was slightly larger then real life. . . and just really sad, and, well, kinda creepy looking . . . . but not a ghost.

we drove back home, feeling a little triumphant. . . and a little regretful. we'd disproved this wonderful thing that neil had been participating in for years. but we did have a pretty good time, and a good story to tell afterward.






"when you sit right down in the middle of yourself
you're gonna wanna have a comfortable chair"

soooo. . . guess who has a cable modem and digital cable. . . . that's right. . . this girl. and guess who's watched about 4 hours of celebrity poker in the past two days. . . . that's right. . . this girl. well, jared and i are still working out how to both share an IP. . . but that will change when we get te wireless router. . . oh yeah. . . so, we're sharing the net, but i'm here now!. . . whoo hooo. . . . .

it's all very exciting. but other than complete sensory overload. . . there's not too much happening. i've watched daily show, while downloading movie trailers and chatting online. . . . what else is there to life really? now, if i could only win the lottery so i would never have to leave my apt. . or by that time it would be a stylish house. . . but i think you get the idea.

MEME
(got this from another person's live journal)

Sometimes late at night... i wake up and find that i've been squinting, for hours, in my dream.

If only I could go back... i would pay more attention.

Someone told me once that... if i said 'bloody mary' into a mirror at midnight, a woman would appear and attempt to kill me. . . i still have NEVER done it.

I have no willpower when... faced with a brownie. . . and not the little female ones selling cookies, but the scrumptious chocolatey ones.

I can't stand... snotty loud people.

When I think of love... i feel overwhelmed.

I always question... myself. . . not enough trust there.

The last time I cried... was last night while taking a hot shower i thought of my grandmother (who has passed away) and racked my brain for five minutes when i though i'd forgotten the anniversary date of her death. . .then i remembered, april 7th-she died, april 8- is my grandfather's birthday, and april 9th is their wedding anniversary.

My reoccuring dream... is of a car crash. . . the car is buried in rubble and dirt, but a small seed (one cell of me) germinates until it creates another human-someone that i'm fearful of, that isn't at all me. (i've had it since i was 6 or so. . . but not recently)

Cell phones... can be really handy . . . and REALLY annoying.

You are about to expire. You can say two words to the world before you go. What two words would you choose to carry on in the life you left behind? . . . be kind.


these were her answers. . .

Sometimes late at night... I wake up and check on Jonah, even though nothing is wrong.

If only I could go back... I would fight harder for everything.

Someone told me once that... if you put rose petals under your pillow at night, you would dream about the man you were going to marry.

I have no willpower when... faced with peer pressure.

I can't stand... incompetent people.

When I think of love... I am forever hopeful.

I always question... people's reasoning.

The last time I cried... was this morning, after I dropped off a screaming Jonah at daycare.

My reoccuring dream... is that I am in the middle of a war and bombs are dropping all around me.

Cell phones... are dangerous to talk on while you're driving.

You are about to expire. You can say two words to the world before you go. What two words would you choose to carry on in the life you left behind? Remember me.*

*but, ah, forget my fate

ok. . . how about some advice. . .

i'm sick of my hair. . . sick sick sick of it.

i kinda want to grow it out, at least a little more, but i can't seem to wait long enough before i actually cut it. i tend to keep it in pigtails while at work. . . which is the majority of the time. . . . and i let it down, whether it's curly or if i straighten it. . . on weekends. . .

i've been toying and researching the idea of doing some dreadlock action. . . .

any ideas?

i think i'm too depressed to blog. . . . i wonder if there will be any psychiatrists that will make out fiscally from election depression?

well, one thing to be happy? about is that this time next week, i should have cable, and shortly after that. . .cable modem. . . . whoo-hoo.

i almost posted different thoughts along the whole election. . . .but i think i've become apathetic.

i am glad i no longer live in ohio. . . i guess that's one thing. hope all is well with you all.

"your next bold move"

coming of age during the plague
of reagan and bush
watching capitalism gun down democracy
it had this funny effect on me
i guess

i am cancer
i am HIV
and i'm down at the blue jesus
blue cross hospital
just lookin' up from my pillow
feeling blessed

and the mighty multinationals
have monopolized the oxygen
so it's as easy as breathing
for us all to participate

yes they're buying and selling
off shares of air
and you know it's all around you
but it's hard to point and say "there"
so you just sit on your hands
and quietly contemplate

your next bold move
the next thing you're gonna need to prove
to yourself

what a waste of thumbs that are opposable
to make machines that are disposable
and sell them to seagulls flying in circles
around one big right wing

yes, the left wing was broken long ago
by the slingshot of cointelpro
and now it's so hard to have faith in
anything

especially your next bold move
or the next thing you're gonna need to prove
to yourself

you want to track each trickle
back to its source
and then scream up the faucet
'til your face is hoarse
cuz you're surrounded by a world's worth
of things you just can't excuse

but you've got the hard cough of a chain smoker
and you're at the arctic circle playing strip poker
and it's getting colder and colder
everytime you lose

so go ahead
make your next bold move
tell us
what's the next thing you're gonna need to prove
to yourself

-ani difranco

so, last weekend i flew out to las vegas for a lighting conference. ii had already heard from some people that they would or wouldn't be there, so i was excited about catching up with some people. i was also to meet up with people from work and walk around the show floor to check out different technologies and such, things that might be useful to us in the future. . . oh, yeah. . . and hang out in las vegas BABY!. . .

first night i met up with trevor. . . he set up a great place for us at the orleans hotel. . . . i didn't actually take a picture of it. . but the outside was themed to look a little like buildings from a new orleans street.

the first night, trevor and i decided to catch a shuttle to downtown and walk around as many casinos as possible. . . we only got about half as far as we wanted and had to hit the other side later. . . but it is kinda like disney for adults. all the different themes and such. we stopped a ghiradelli for some treats and witnessed a lame outdoor concert. . . . the only thing fun about it was a drunk couple dancing. . . and not that part so much, but the part when the man hoisted the woman up and as she slid down her short jean skirt slid up revealing that she had decided to go commando that evening. . . well done!

this is trevor and me at the venetian. . .

we were about to head back toward the shuttle after walking through the venetian a bit when low and behold, i ran into my college roommate, and her new husband on their honeymoon! i had kinda thought, as i was getting on my plane, that she had mentioned they were honeymooning in vegas sometime in october. . . . but it was totally great running into her on a whim. we made plans that evening to meet up for lunch a little later in the weekend. . .

here's us after dinner outside paradise island. . .

friday day, trevor and i walked the show floor and i ran into a bunch of people from emerson, brian fehd, brian pratt, dave marcucci (who i hadn't seen since he left school my freshman year). . . then the santa fe opera group showed up. oh, and i got a call from matt filmeck (from kent who now lives and works in the vegas area) to meet up for lunch. so matt picked trevor and me up for dinner, then we headed out to see if we could catch a show of penn and teller. . . . we made it, and it was fantastic! half the time they debunk magic and make fun of all the shows in vegas, and the rest of the time they amaze you with their own magic. teller does this trick. . . so wonderful, with the shadow of a flower in a vase projected. as he cuts at the shadow of the flower, the bits he slices at on the real flower just downstage of him actually fall off. . . . so simple in a way, and so bewildering. . .

after the show matt drove us out to the freemont st. experience. . . .

i was a little disappointed that they only do one show a night that is just loud music and swirly shapes and colors. . . . they've moved to doing small movies instead, as you can see. . . this one was about alien abduction. . . lame. . .

here are trevor and matt watching the canapy. . .

and here are me and matt. . . don't know why i'm so compelled to take these self portrait type shots, when i'm contantly looking in the wrong direction and half cut out of the picture. . . . but oh well. . .

so, that was friday. saturday i met with jen and scott for lunch and we chatted a bit. . . then i was scheduled to meet with the santa fe opera people and we were all going to walk around and check out different booths and such. it was a long afternoon, but there is such a difference walking into a booth and asking for a demostration when you have a world famous lighting designer, duane schuler, walking in with you. suddenly the people there want to show you every little thing and allow you to touch and check out a few more things than when you are without said designer. even fehd, who i caught up with half way through asked if i knew the man in the black sport coat in the group i was standing with. . . and i said, 'yeah, that's duane, i work with him at the opera'. . . and brian was impressed. . . . :) i wish i had taken a couple of pictures of the other people there. . . but it was kind of a work environment, and it felt tacky/ desparate to do so. . . even with the camera phone.

saturday night, trevor and i went to see blueman group. . .yeah, i saw the show. . . AGAIN. . . and still LOVED it. and as an added extra. . . . at the top of the show, when they scroll through people's names and make you say happy birthday and such to different audience members. . . my name scrolled across. . . well, i was laughing so hard that i missed that i had been announced as an olympic gold medal winner. . . i don't even know what event. the entire audience congratulated me, and the woman next to me asked if i was really a gold member winner. . . i had to tell her no. . . (i should've said it was only a silver!)

yeah, show was incredible, as usual. and trevor and i walked around a few more casinos. i actually didn't put one single coin in a slot, or do ANY gambling. . . just not in me i guess. but here's a shot of a sunset with part of the venetian statuary in the foreground. . . .



we also stopped at aladdins, where we got some drinks and dessert. dave, my santa fe opera boss, told me that there was a dessert there that would make me blush. actually, i think it was the wild turkey liqueor that the bartender suggested that did the blushing. . .but the creole bread pudding suffle was very good. . . . then we walked through that casino and watched an indoor rainstorm. . . slighly unimpressive compared to the water fountain at the bellagio. . . but the inside of the casino was pretty. . .


anyway, we went back to the hotel with enough time to catch a quick nap, pack, shower and get to our planes. . . it was a great weekend. and this week i've caught a cold, or something, i'm a little worried that it will turn into bronchitis. . . bleh!

anyway, all from here, for now. . .


"don't give me songs, give me something to sing about"
Buffy, from the musical episode

so, there's more coming this weekend about my trip to vegas with pictures. . . but till then, i found this and thought it was rather amusing . . . check it out if you get a chance. just another sting at the president. . . and the one sided media we get to see about him . . .

http://onesimplequestion.blogspot.com/

and this had some interesting news about a former 'for bush' group. . . .

http://bushesagainstbush.com/mt/

all for now. . . till latah!

so, i've been trying to clean up this blog. . since on this computer at least, all the posts are after all the crap in the side bar. is this happening to everyone, or just me. i think it's lame.

well. . . not too sure why, but i am soooooo AWAKE today. could be anticipation for travelling away for the weekend. . . could be empathy excitement from the call i got from my friend who i'm meeting in las vegas- who was WAY excited about going to the conference. . . . or maybe it's my latest acupuncture treatment really going to work for my body. . . not too sure, but i'm digging it, and i hope it keeps up.

so yeah. i gotta do some packing tonight. . . make sure that none of my daily carried work tools, which are commonly mistaken for terrorists weapons, will set off detectors and such. it's actually a long process since so many of the bags i like to carry have LOTS of pockets- and i like to fill them with the 'just in case' items. .. so i gotta rummage through all of that, then actually pick and pack clothes, toiletries and such. perhaps my room will be cleaned a little in the process- only to be destroyed when i get back and throw down everything i travelled with onto my bedroom floor. . . . eh, i'll just leave it messy. i have my ipod for listening pleasure, and a new book that i'm looking forward to. even though the flights are short. . . maybe i'll get to read a decent part, especially if i'm still THIS awake.

whoo-hoo. . . .

"don't give me songs, give me something to sing about."
(can you name this quote?)

i can't think of anything interesting or noteworthy to blog here. i finished a book that a friend loaned me. . and no, it wasn't the cryptimonicon. . . which i still haven't finished. . . too heady for me still. this one was by the same author as sex and the city. i expected to find the characters amusing though i can't relate to them. . .like sex and the city. . . but the main character. . .i couldn't stand her, so i guess more than anything, i'm surprised that i was able to finish it. 'trading up'. . .that's the title. yeah. . . not one i'll buy for myself.

i did pick up 'mirror, mirror' the newer one by gregory mcguire, who wrote 'wicked'. this one is supposed to be an alternative look at 'snow white'. it'll be nice for the plane. oh yeah. i'm attending LDI in las vegas (conference for us people into lighting and stage technology) this upcoming weekend. i hope to see a number of friends, walk around the show floor, and maybe get lost in the whole adult disney world thing. i'm such a sucker for all the fake places like paris and such.

yeah. . . not much happening. . .

ipod there for i am. . . .

irip, i-import, iburn, isynch, icreate fun playlists. . . . ilove my ipod.

so i had some cd's in my car. . . and yes, there were exposed to heat and sunlight, but i don't think directly. . and yes they were exposed to water. . . since i decided to pack a cooler and i kinda let the extra ice melt onto the floor of my car. .. so also, moisture, indirectly. and i should preempt this by saying that before i went on my little trip all the discs were fine. . . two and a half weeks later, this is what i pulled out of the cd holder. . .



crazy huh. . . . completely ruined.

the day after we went to the balloon fiesta. . . there was an accident. smokey the bear got caught on a radio tower. 600 feet up and the driver and two youngsters had to climb down the tower. . .

you can see it here. . ..

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/11/earlyshow/living/parenting/main648582.shtml

(copy and paste)

well, it was that time of year again. . . BALLOON FIESTA. and jared and i decided to sleep an extra hour and got stuck in tons of traffic because of it. something to keep in mind next time. . . get there EARLY. . . . it's better. anyway, after some really annoyingly diverted traffic, we got there in time to see the last hundred or so launch, including some great special shapes.

here was our ascent onto the field. . .

you can kinda see the profile of the bees. . . my favorites. . . blowing up.

then there was a shaped supposedly based on findings that the incan civilization may have launched balloons. . .

one of the better ones. . and most clever ideas. . . a space shutter balloon. . actually larger than the real thing. . .

old mac donald's barn. . .

the brazillians apparently had a several new special shapes entries.. . and here was one. . . a squirrel. . .

here you can see one of the bees and the squirrel as they float out to catch up with all the rest. the two bees launch in perfect synch, turning and moving upwards like a set of olympic synchro swimmers. . . i got a movie, but don't know how to launch it here. . .

here's a little pirate boy with cat in a barrel. . .

a scarecrow. . .

chilli peppers. . . no new mexico event would be complete without some!. . .

a single manned swing balloon thing. . .

and this is one for my brother. . .i'm pretty sure it is his favorite beer. . .

and finally. . . someone who seems to have attended MANY of these. . .

so even though we were late. . . it was again. . TOTALLY worth it!

Monday, September 20th, 2004
Put Away Your Hankies...a message from Michael Moore

9/20/04

Dear Friends,

Enough of the handwringing! Enough of the doomsaying! Do I have to come there and personally calm you down? Stop with all the defeatism, OK? Bush IS a goner -- IF we all just quit our whining and bellyaching and stop shaking like a bunch of nervous ninnies. Geez, this is embarrassing! The Republicans are laughing at us. Do you ever see them cry, "Oh, it's all over! We are finished! Bush can't win! Waaaaaa!"

Hell no. It's never over for them until the last ballot is shredded. They are never finished -- they just keeping moving forward like sharks that never sleep, always pushing, pulling, kicking, blocking, lying.

They are relentless and that is why we secretly admire them -- they just simply never, ever give up. Only 30% of the country calls itself "Republican," yet the Republicans own it all -- the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and the majority of the governorships. How do you think they've been able to pull that off considering they are a minority? It's because they eat you and me and every other liberal for breakfast and then spend the rest of the day wreaking havoc on the planet.

Look at us -- what a bunch of crybabies. Bush gets a bounce after his convention and you would have thought the Germans had run through Poland again. The Bushies are coming, the Bushies are coming! Yes, they caught Kerry asleep on the Swift Boat thing. Yes, they found the frequency in Dan Rather and ran with it. Suddenly it's like, "THE END IS NEAR! THE SKY IS FALLING!"

No, it is not. If I hear one more person tell me how lousy a candidate Kerry is and how he can't win... Dammit, of COURSE he's a lousy candidate -- he's a Democrat, for heavens sake! That party is so pathetic, they even lose the elections they win! What were you expecting, Bruce Springsteen heading up the ticket? Bruce would make a helluva president, but guys like him don't run -- and neither do you or I. People like Kerry run.

Yes, OF COURSE any of us would have run a better, smarter, kick-ass campaign. Of course we would have smacked each and every one of those phony swifty boaty bastards down. But WE are not running for president -- Kerry is. So quit complaining and work with what we have. Oprah just gave 300 women a... Pontiac! Did you see any of them frowning and moaning and screaming, "Oh God, NOT a friggin' Pontiac!" Of course not, they were happy. The Pontiacs all had four wheels, an engine and a gas pedal. You want more than that, well, I can't help you. I had a Pontiac once and it lasted a good year. And it was a VERY good year.

My friends, it is time for a reality check.

1. The polls are wrong. They are all over the map like diarrhea. On Friday, one poll had Bush 13 points ahead -- and another poll had them both tied. There are three reasons why the polls are b.s.: One, they are polling "likely voters." "Likely" means those who have consistently voted in the past few elections. So that cuts out young people who are voting for the first time and a ton of non-voters who are definitely going to vote in THIS election. Second, they are not polling people who use their cell phone as their primary phone. Again, that means they are not talking to young people. Finally, most of the polls are weighted with too many Republicans, as pollster John Zogby revealed last week. You are being snookered if you believe any of these polls.

2. Kerry has brought in the Clinton A-team. Instead of shunning Clinton (as Gore did), Kerry has decided to not make that mistake.

3. Traveling around the country, as I've been doing, I gotta tell ya, there is a hell of a lot of unrest out there. Much of it is not being captured by the mainstream press. But it is simmering and it is real. Do not let those well-produced Bush rallies of angry white people scare you. Turn off the TV! (Except Jon Stewart and Bill Moyers -- everything else is just a sugar-coated lie).

4. Conventional wisdom says if the election is decided on "9/11" (the fear of terrorism), Bush wins. But if it is decided on the job we are doing in Iraq, then Bush loses. And folks, that "job," you might have noticed, has descended into the third level of a hell we used to call Vietnam. There is no way out. It is a full-blown mess of a quagmire and the body bags will sadly only mount higher. Regardless of what Kerry meant by his original war vote, he ain't the one who sent those kids to their deaths -- and Mr. and Mrs. Middle America knows it. Had Bush bothered to show up when he was in the "service" he might have somewhat of a clue as to how to recognize an immoral war that cannot be "won." All he has delivered to Iraq was that plasticized turkey last Thanksgiving. It is this failure of monumental proportions that is going to cook his goose come this November.

So, do not despair. All is not over. Far from it. The Bush people need you to believe that it is over. They need you to slump back into your easy chair and feel that sick pain in your gut as you contemplate another four years of George W. Bush. They need you to wish we had a candidate who didn't windsurf and who was just as smart as we were when WE knew Bush was lying about WMD and Saddam planning 9/11. It's like Karl Rove is hypnotizing you -- "Kerry voted for the war...Kerry voted for the war...Kerrrrrryyy vooootted fooooor theeee warrrrrrrrrr..."

Yes...Yes...Yesssss....He did! HE DID! No sense in fighting now...what I need is sleep...sleeep...sleeeeeeppppp...

WAKE UP! The majority are with us! More than half of all Americans are pro-choice, want stronger environmental laws, are appalled that assault weapons are back on the street -- and 54% now believe the war is wrong. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM OF ANY OF THIS -- YOU JUST HAVE TO GIVE THEM A RAY OF HOPE AND A RIDE TO THE POLLS. CAN YOU DO THAT? WILL YOU DO THAT?

Just for me, please? Buck up. The country is almost back in our hands. Not another negative word until Nov. 3rd! Then you can bitch all you want about how you wish Kerry was still that long-haired kid who once had the courage to stand up for something. Personally, I think that kid is still inside him. Instead of the wailing and gnashing of your teeth, why not hold out a hand to him and help the inner soldier/protester come out and defeat the forces of evil we now so desperately face. Do we have any other choice?

Yours,

Michael Moore

Debate Drinking Game


Drink One Sip If:
Anyone says "terrorism"
Anyone says "Halliburton"
Anyone says "flip flop"
Anyone says "Saddam Hussein"
Anyone blames "the media"
Anyone mentions their own military service
Anyone says "September 11"
One candidate interrupts another candidate


Drink Two Sips If:
Bush says "cut and run"
Kerry says "W stands for wrong"
If either candidate talks past their time limit
Kerry brings up Bush's "Mission Accomplished" moment
Bush mentions Crawford, TX
Anyone looks at the wrong camera
Anyone whips out "evidence"
Anyone says "Osama bin Laden"
Anyone mentions blogs
Anyone invokes the hurricane sympathy vote
Anyone mentions "North Korea"
Kerry mentions Bush wants to reinstate the draft
Every time you see anyone wearing the yellow "LiveSTRONG" bracelet


Finish Your Glass If:
Anyone in the audience gets dragged out of the auditorium
Anyone in the audience gets off an unscripted question
Bush mispronounces any word or name
Anyone says "Osama bin Hidin'"
Anyone uses a sports metaphor
Anyone attempts to speak Spanish to pander to Latinos


Do a Shot If:
Bush mentions the deficit
Bush accuses Kerry of being "French on terrorism"
Kerry accuses Bush of being a pansy for avoiding Vietnam
Bush admits he made a mistake ("miscalculation" counts)
Ralph Nader shows up insisting on airtime


Finish the Bottle If:
Anyone challenges anyone to a dual
The moderator rips off his mask to reveal his true identity is Karl Rove

DAMN SCI FI CHANNEL!

yesterday it was buck rogers. . . today it's battlestar galatica! hours and hour of kinda lame but nostalgic tv. i hope i can break the trance soon so i can get showered and perhaps a little productive today.

I'm BOUND!

ok, not to a chair with scratchy ropes or anything. . . but in a hardcover!


yes, this is my mfa thesis. . . i went to look it up in the kent library, since i hadn't seen it yet. the library search engine said it was available, so i went to the right set of stacks and sound some of my friends' theses. . . . but not mine. now, i did have these fantasies that i wold find it with pages torn and large red marker drawn through it and all that, but since i couldn't find it, i started to believe that maybe it had been used as kindling. i searched the restocking shelves on several floors. . . nothing. finally i resorted to the special collections/ archives. since the thesis was a kent state thesis the school had to keep a special copy in their archives. . . this copy could never leave the library. i had to fill out paperwork, leave all writing utensils except a pencil behind, and i had to be very sneaky in taking the picture. .. .of my OWN damn thesis.

anyway, it all worked out, none of the pages were torn out or edited away. . .at least on this copy!

i did make it to kent, and spent some time with anyone i could get a hold of. . . though, my camera didn't come out as often then. but i spent time with j, chaela, emily, and sarah. what did i visit? well, there was mike's place. . . and the x-wing!


and i did stop by the school, but no one was really around. . . a good thing i think, but i did visit a special spot. . . a couple of bathrooms that i always found rather entertaining.

back on the road, and on my way to kent. i saw a number of these, but getting a snapshot off wasn't easy. . .
i call it gay truck love. . .


and then some political ranting spray painting on the back of a truck. . .

so, i had planned on stopping early on in tennessee and spending the night in a hotel before heading into abingdon and seeing the barter crew. . . . but then i remembered that i hadn't talked to a friend of mine from just inside tennessee in a LONG time. . . so i called her and left her an urgent message that she needed to get back to me TODAY TODAY TODAY!. . . and she did. . . so instead of resting i pressed on into johnson city tennessee to rachel's! it was great getting to catch up and hang out with her, though i think i maybe kept her up past her bedtime, since she had work as a 9 to 5-er. . . .

i then went out to the barter crew and got to visit a bunch of people i hadn't seen in a couple of years. here's rachel and stephan shortly after we finished a goodie basket for those poor souls stuck in tech all day. . .


then a couple evenings sitting over at stephan and teresa's with some old friends and some new people i just met. . .





they have a really cute place. . . decorated and painted, and even using different set pieces from different shows. . . and i spent the night there, teresa got me all set up and even had a 'chad blanket' for me. . . one of those wonderful afgans that chad made in his crocheting days.



it was so nice seeing some of the old crew. and there have been some big changes to some of the spaces i used to spend a lot of time in. it was so bizarre, i spent so much time there. . . and yet, i couldn't remember where one radio shack in that town was. . . i usually pride myself on knowing where all the radio shacks are. . . and at one time i did know, but not so much any more.

as i left santa fe, on the first leg of my trip, i had a nice sunset in my rear view mirror. .

and just as an absolute check that i was on my way and going the right direction. . .

did you know that the sci-fi channel was running a short marathon of buck rogers of the 25 century this morning? neither did i! good thing i scanned the channels before getting up to do anything productive this morning! whew. . . .travesty averted.

ok, so there's a lot to come and a lot for me to work on, pictures to crop and change size and such. but i should be able to work on it shortly, just maybe not tonight. i was able to remove my things from storage in ohio this weekend with the help of my gracious parents. . yipee! now i just gotta go through my belongings and sort and such. hope you all are well.

ever wonder what type of job you might have had during the medival period?

i was a 'white knight'. . .. whatever that means

medival jobs

ok, a quick pic from the david byrne concert. . .




jon, the lighting director actually had me and lesley taking these shots from the booth. i can't exactly say that i'm a big fan. . . but the audience seemed to LOVE him, and he did put on a really great show. . . on the side is the tosco strings performing with him.

and he blogged about the concert in his tour journal at. . .

byrne's journal

two more days and i leave for a cross country road trip! and a vacation of sorts. can't wait. i've got lists of things to bring and i'm kinda making headway on getting a moving van for myself. . . damn they are stupid expensive!

lesley, the last of the electricians (other than myself) left this morning. it was really great having her around for the past week. between the two of us, we know enough of the system hear to really make it run smoothly. which reminds me, i'll have some pictures in a little bit. and now, the electrics office is empty. . . . this was the oddest of years. . . so high was my expectation for the end of summer, and i got my wish. . . it seemed to come so quickly. . . then i wished it hadn't.

well. . . in the last week, a lot was accomplished. lesley and i put on the concerts for lyle lovett, david byrne, and margret cho. we did a strike of the light hang in the roof. . . .i had a 25 pound light fall on my hand which was already sitting on a steel pipe. .. granted it fell from about a foot and a half above my hand. . . but it's still pretty swollen and sore. . . but NO BRUISE! nothing for people to gawk at and tell immediately that i was hit. no. . . just a really fat knuckle.

we also went out and saw 'hero'.. . . EXCELLENT film. . . may have to see it again sometime :) dad? interested in a little kung fu while i'm home?

i took her to see zozobra for her first time. . . they really seemed to prolong the burning of old man gloom this year. i had a better view of the fire dance which was pretty good, but after a while, you just want to see the massive puppet fire up! and it was really loud. . . kinda lame. . . but the fireworks were fantastic. . . and the actual burning was good too. . . . just too loud and a little too long.

i tried to get a costumed pet parade in over the weekend (as in see it, not participate in), but who knew it would be one of the largest attended bits of the fiesta. . . NO PARKING ANYWHERE, so i abandonned it and went home to fall asleep while watching some family guy. . . i love that show.

yeah. . . i'm way tired. but really looking forward to some books on tape. . . and listening to whatever the hell i want from my collection thanks to my new ipod! HA! and looking forward to seeing some people, and lots of land fly by.

then. . . after vacation, there's a routine to slip into. . . books to read, perhaps a tv show or two to get caught up in, three day weekends to bask in, a workout to revisit. . . and the baking company on the weekends to check my email. . . . ahhh, sounds nice. can't wait. .. but not there just yet. first, virginia, ohio, and ny!

a quick look at margret cho from my followspot perch . . .

the difference between night and day. . .

this would be a good way to describe the past two evenings for me. the first started on monday. . . the day lyle lovett was playing at the santa fe opera. my boss had left all the pertenant information with me, and lesley and i being the only electricians really left had planned on coming in and doing all the necessary work like pulling and preping color, patching the correct channels and then getting to focus with the lighting guy. well. . . all did not go as smoothly. first of lesley was about an hour late. .. and the lighting guy, 'jack' came in pitching a fit to the technical director. i was pulling color in the shop when paul, the technical director asked if i was ready to deal with this guy, being that he was fuming at the ears. i said sure. . . i actually have dealt with these types of guys before, but i did feel slightly unprepared, only in that i didn't do all the prep work that my boss had taken care of. so i met jack. . . . this is close to how our first conversation went. . .

after a goodmorning or two. .

jack: so, i really don't see my lights

me: well, your lights are there, chris has made the translation between your needs and our plot

jack: where are they?

me: in the coves (i'm pointing up)

jack: i see lights up there, but they won't work, and where's my color?

me: we;re dropping color as part of focus, we can't leave it in all night due to the wind.

jack: i don't see how this is going to work.

me: well, when my board op gets here and patches the show, she'd very quick, you and i can take a look together.

jack; ok

so i went down and continued to pull color. . . then jack had another cow.

jack; i just don't see how these lights are gonna work, is it too late to look at a different venue or rent something?

me: our rig is rather surprising, i think you should wait until you see it.

jack: when's chris getting here?

me: he's left for the season

jack: oh so he left you to deal with all this. so he wouldn't have to deal with these problems.

me: no, i'm sure that he left things in such a way that i can handle them competantly.

jack: fine

i continue to prep different things and lesley finally arrives and shortly into her patching jack throws his third fit. .

jack: these won't do how am i supposed to hit the band down here. . .

me: well in the agreement you weren't supposed to cross plaster line, so it will be more difficult to hit anything downstage of that. . . but he can hit a little down there.

jack: is the board op here?

me: yes and she's working, so in a little while we can send turn on some lights and do a rough focus so you can see how it will work.

jack: well what is supposed to hit here. . . (now the frustrating point here is that i have a translation of numbers in front of me that lesley is making clear, but for the time being he just needs to have me turn things on so while she's working i start calling for random numbers)

jack: well how is this supposed to reach anything. . . .

me: we can move it down the pipe or yoke it out and focus it there. . .

more numbers and stuff. . and i'm getting really frustrated.

me: how about you give us another ten minutes for lesley to complete the patch and i will go up and focus things so you can see them. ( i did know that there were a few more notes to do before hand but getting him to stop blowing steam was more important)

jack: fine. . . you finish and i won't react just yet.

WON"T REACT! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL FUCKING MORNING ASSHOLE! -ok, i didn't really get to say that, execpt downstairs with lesley when i relayed the story. ARGGGGGGGG

paul kept checking in with me. . . i assured him that jack would be just fine, he just didn't know it yet. i have a lot of faith in our rig, in the paperwork that chris created, and my and lesley's abilities.

however, jack was really frazzling me. and about that time, dave and charlie (two of my other bosses who were supposed to have left) walked in and caught wind of what was going on. finally i conceeded to let them get me through the rough part of focus. . . lesley on board and me talking down jack adn dave and charlie in the roof focusing. suddenly, lights were focused exactly where jack needed them and in the correct color. . . . and after getting through the rough patch me and another crew member took over for dave and charlie. . . and without a break or notification that we were actually going through a complete focus call. . . . that's exactly what we did. we then completed some notes on stage and we were done WAY before necessary. sadly jack rolled his eyes often at the focus since they were instruments he wasn't used to. . . to which i say, SUCK IT UP! this is a fucking opera house, not some shitty rock and roll rig!

anyway, the rest of the lovett crew couldn't stop thanking and complimenting me and lesley. . . how fast and efficient we were, and how we were able to make jack happy, though he himself never thanked. . . or APOLOGIZED to us. . . .

and all night and the next day it was praise from the lovett crew and our own technical director. ahhhhhhh. . . . *sigh*

now i don't know which is supposed to be bad and good. . . night or day, but the next morning was such a wonderous relief. lesley and i actually decided to come in early and put all the color in the lights and make sure the channel numbers were all right before the crew for david byrne's tour even got there. we were tired and sore, but we wanted to avoid another battle with a stupid lighting director. however, jon, the lighting guy for david byrne was a complete 180. after several morning pleasantries. . . we explained where we were in our process, and he seemed stunned at our 'overpreparedness.' he then said that we should take care of anything else on our agenda while he set up the stage stuff. we look bewildered. our purpose was to be there and help him set up. . . and he seemed glad for it, and for having true electricians on his call. maybe that was parrt of the problem. . . jack assumed that we would be stupid non electricians who couldn't handle the demands of a rig a third the size that we are normally used to working with. . . ASS!

lesley and i helped set up the deck and jon broke us till after lunch, when we would focus. . . . a real schedule. . . unbelievable! lesley stayed on the board and worked with jon while i and two other crew members focused. jon was quick, and pleasant, and knew exactly what he needed. . . and was impressed at our quickness. . . "wow, it's like having a crew of 35 up there.". . .. the other guy was a poor focuser. . . he could never tell when the light was on him and he was very bad at giving directions.

we finished the focus and jon and lesley programmed. . . and the show went fantastically. . . and again, lesley and i were surrounded with praise from both the tour crew and our technical director who was so pleased that we kept the tours happy.

i have to say. . . .even with the ASS encounter. . . i drove home each night, really tired, kinda sore. . . but with a huge smile on my face. both lesley and i worked really hard. . . . and we totally pulled it off and made it look easy. . . . made it look cool to be an electrician. . . . all ninja style or whatever. . .. our kung-fu rocked! so 'the difference between night and day' can also describe the difference in how i felt. . . these past two nights as opposed to the past summer. even when i, personally was doing good work and getting flattery on it from designers and co-workers. . . . i went home knowing that overall. . the electrics crew was nothing to be envious of. . . . . and just me and lesley working on these touring shows totally obliterated that. so sad that this past crew has no idea what it's like to feel how i and lesley felt the past couple of days. . .and how i've felt in the past when on a good crew. god it felt good.

:)

hope everyone is well.

so, i haven't known the exact date or even the day of the week for about the past week and a half. i just know the days according to what is happening onstage. . . . for instance, 'simone closing day', 'strike day', 'moscow ballet load in day'. . . . i knew it was closing in on september, but it kinda snuck past me. . . and i sort missed my mom's birthday---and usually i'm pretty good at getting a call out at the very least. . . as it so happened i was returning their call when dad reminded me, and i looked at my watch and realized all the important first of the month things that were staring me in the face. arg. . . ..

so yeah, moscow ballet, although it's a czech company and the two leads are from st. petersburg. . . the company is VERY poorly organized, and i don't think they have an understanding of what it means to produce a show in 4 days. . . .the little things that are needed to make things run smoothly, like scenery that is already chosen, and not picked out of stock on the 2nd night of 3 rehearsal nights. . . and that's is just the tip of the iceberg. . . . . but i won't bore you all.

the staff of the lighting/electrics department all took monday off together after the strike day- sunday. . . . we all went shopping together and bought enough food for 2 cookouts, though we thought we would get through it all on monday. . . turns out we have a limit! ribs, grilled asparagus, grilled veggies, grilled chicken on a beer can, brisket, grilled pineapple, mashed sweet potatoes, apple pie, cheesecake. . . . . and there's still salmon, grilled portabello mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, carnivore smores, and grilled potatoes left to make and consume. but it was a lovely day off. . . a partial celebration for the completion of the season, and a partial party to celebrate the departure of our crew. such an odd lot. . . a group of people whom, if i knew outside of work, i would probably get along with exceedingly well. . . but in this situation. . . well, i've rarely been driven this crazy ever.

i remember, several years ago, when going through a rough patch, i was on the phone with fehd. . . one of my prized mentors. he asked this question, 'are you a lifer?'. . .. meaning, would i stay in theatre my whole life. it never occured to me to do anything else. and since then, there have been times when i've thought that maybe something else would be easier, more lucrative, less stressful. . . . but i know, within myself. . . that this is one of the few things that makes sense in my life. even when i've gone without sleep, food, laundry, relaxation. . . . when i'm in the midst of all this, mid-process, and during performance. . . i feel so balanced in a way. my getting out of bed has real purpose. so many of my friends are no longer in theatre. . . and even in my worst days of grad school, i never thought i'd leave theatre, i just knew i didn't want the be at THAT theatre. and this summer, the slightest inkling crept into my mind. . . . . maybe NOT this. . . .maybe something, anything less frustrating. i blamed the crew for this. . . . for this second guessing, and misalignment in my balance. i think i try to work hard, and always take pride in what i do. . . . and i just don't know why this kids were here. thier lack of stamina, pride, awareness, tenacity, focus, drive,. . . and most of all CONSISTANCY. . . was completely infuriating. . . and i found it offensive. . . personally. really. . . why should i bother to work so hard when they are able to work at the same establishment and just coast through?

. . . anyway, yeah, it was a rough summer. and now i'm bothered by something else a great mentor (kevin gallagher) told me. . . after listening to another classmate complain about their crew, i raved about mine. . . and kevin told me that i had good crews in part because of my own work ethic. i lead by example. and i have had GREAT crews. . . . with an occasional dud. . . but nothing like this. does that then mean that i carry some of the blame for this season going so poorly? had i tried to block my feelings a little more, and sucked it up. . . would the crew have done better? i fixed anything physical that they broke or couldn't repair themselves. . . . i actually worked really hard, and long hours. . . . is their a way i could've adjusted my attitude? half way through i lowered my expectations. . . and that way i was less disappointed. . . but not less bitter. i don't know. . . . and i'm not sure where i'm going with this. . . .

season over. guess i'll move on. . .but not from theatre. . . there were little sparks during the summer. . . enough to keep me going i suppose. one of the designers personally thanked me during an 'end of the evening' meeting for completing a set of lanterns that were thrown into the show last minute. . . but ended up being really well liked by the entire production team. and a few choice moments backstage when, during this one particular aria. . . the voice of the counter tenor just brought me to tears. . . i had no idea what he was singing about. . . but the pure emotion in his voice shook me, and i remembered that this whole thing is so much bigger than my problems. it has the power to really move people.

yeah. . . . enough of that for now. still got work to do. and soon enough i'll be working in the scene shop again, on a fairly regular schedule. . . with weekends, movie nights, predetermined laundry nights, premade lunches, and a workout routine. ahhhh. . . . can't wait.

just a few days left here. . . i've started getting those, 'too much to do and not enough time to do it in' headaches. but since i don't have to pack and leave, i'll take that as a plus. . . yes, it seems that i'll be here for another year. . . . or a partial year? damn, i hate it when i don't know for sure, makes planning things more difficult. but i'll take what i can get. . . as always.

the shows seem to be wrapping up nicely. and we're spending time thinking of how to improve the shop, and looking at upcoming challenges in next year's shows. meanwhile, i'm ripping all my discs onto my computer. . . i'm up to almost 6 days of music. . . . whoop-dee-do!

so, yeah. . . . after all the shows come down, there's a week where the moscow ballet is visiting and performing, then after that we'll be doing a series of concerts. . . lyle lovett, david byrne, and margret cho. . . . then, i think i'm gonna try to take some time off. . . . idealy, i'd like to take two weeks, visit ny, and get my stuff out of storage. . . . but, as always, i don't hold my breath. you never know what may come up.

i'd like to think that i have more to discuss or talk about. . . but nothing comes to mind just yet.

i hope all is well with everyone. . . .

20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity


1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.


2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.


3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask "You Want Fries with that?"


4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."


5 . Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.


6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Sexual Favors"


7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."


8. Don't use any punctuation


9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.


10. Ask People What Sex They Are. Laugh Hysterically After They Answer.


11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."


12. Sing Along At The Opera.


13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme.


14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play Tropical Sounds All Day.


15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.


16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Hard.



17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"


18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking Lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"


19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."


And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......


20. Copy and send this to someone to make them smile.. Its CalledTherapy...

A study at the University of Missouri shows that
the type of facial features that a woman finds attractive can differ
depending upon where she is at in her menstrual cycle.

For example: If a woman is ovulating, she is attracted to men with
rugged and masculine features. If she is menstruating or menopausal,
she is more prone to be attracted to a man with scissors jammed in his
temple and a bat shoved up his ass while he is on fire.

my long trip home. . .

it all started with a drive from boston to the providence airport. neill and i had plenty of time. . . . gobs of time. . . until there was an accident. . . not me, but a large one about 5 miles or so ahead of us. all traffic stopped for close to 3 hours. so i missed the first flight. neill and i finally made it into providence and i switched my flight to the absolute next one, at 6:20am the next morning. so i decided to stay in town till the next morning so there would be no chance of me getting stuck in traffic.

next morning, i showed up about 45 minutes before the flight, which was apparently not early enough. the woman behind the counter said that if i wanted to make the flight i shouldn't check any luggage. so i dragged my bag and carry-on toward security, where i knew there would be trouble when my gerber multi-tool showed up on their x-ray machines. all the signs along the way said to put 'all electronic devices in you carry-on bag.' so i did. . . even though everywhere else i've seen people take their lap-tops out.

so i make it to the x-ray machine. my carry-on gets pulled, and i get told that i should've taken my lap-top out, and that i'd be ushered to security school part 2. . . . but then they found the gerber. my bag was taken apart. . . everything was inspected. . . . the look on their faces when they found my green tea in a baggie was pretty precious. meanwhile, time is ticking away. so after a tedious inspection and a difficult repacking. . . . we move to security school part 2.

there are cloths that are wiped across everything i own and placed in a device that reads them for any sort of explosive material. (keep in mind, most of my bags hae MANY pockets. . . and all of these have to be emptied and wiped) somewhere along the way, one of the cloths set off an alarm. it's 6:17, flight leaves at 6:20. . . i give up, and sit down. an expert is brought over to inspect my bag more throroughly. i'm asked my exact address and my phone number. several minutes later, i'm allowed to pass through. . . . except for the gerber that is confiscated. (thankfully i was able to keep my wonderful and rather pricey surefire flashlight)

i walk down to the gate, and wait for someone to show up, since everyone has left along with the plane. finally someone shows, i explain the situation, and get moved to the 9:30 flight.

i missed TWO FLIGHTS! and now i'm gerberless. . . . sure, it could be worse. . . .but all in all, it's pretty lame. me, the poster child for terrorism. . . what they didn't realize is that i was sick. . . .and it wasn't a bomb that i was carrying that would hurt passengers, but a nasty headcold. i was a bioterrorist. . . . and i'm sure i coughed enough germs into the air to at least make a few people uncomfortable for a few days. . . .muhahahahahaha. . .

anyway, there's my lame story. . . .

so you may wonder. . how is it, when erika should be in flight, she is blogging. . .. WHA! how can this be?

well, neill (who was driving me to the providence airport) and i got stuck behind a really big accident. we were there for three hours and i missed my flight. . . .dammit. . .

so i got my flight moved to the very next time it could possibly be. . . tomorrow morning at 6:20am. . . not exactly ideal, but not as bad as it could be. so, here i am, in a comfort inn with a wireless connection. . . . yipee!

wireless connection, cable, and some bertucci pizza. . . what more could i ask for. though i would've really liked some sushi-since i ran around so much and didn't get a chance to get some in boston. . . but no one delevered here in providence. . . no sushi for me!

but i did get to 7 kitchens (or the chinatown eatery, if you wanna be technical) my first night in boston- GREAT pad thai. . . mmmmm. . . pad thai. . . and an avacado milkshake. . .. yummmm. . . . ok

i should get some sleep. . . so, g'night all.

although i was very tempted to sit around and waitch digital cable for the rest of my stay in boston. . . i didn't get to. . . instead i got in touch with a couple of friends and we made our way to the museum of science. . . . yes, one of my favorite haunts. . . and checked out the, behind the scenes 'lord of the ring' exhibit. the exhibit was really fun, lots of costumes, drawing, props, and explanations. . . and of course, 'the ring'. . which was encased in this super solution of sorts. it was a simple gold ring, all the fiery writing was done digitally. . .. but we had fun provoking stupid people by saying, 'ooh, oooh, i see it, you have to get the light just right, ooh, there it is again'. . . then walking away and listening to people trying to see it, and sometimes convincing themselves it was there. . . . . HA, . . . fools.

i wasn't willing to take the chance of having my camera, or camera phone confiscated, so, no pictures. . . . except. . . there was this fun set up where we could shoot ourselves with some of the effects used by the movie, in order to appear like hobbits and wizards. . . not that i need to look any shorter . . . but. . . .


the rest of the day, we shuffled around some exhibits while talking and such. . . . yep, me, neill (my friend from emerson), dan (my brother), sara (his girlfriend), dan (my highschool friend) and his boyfriend- mike, kelli (my friend from kent) and her boyfriend- dave. not a bad crowd.

one of the better exhibits was about risktakers. . . this is a group of us making the 'skyscraper' walk. . . and this is a little blurry, but it's kelli and dave making the same walk. . . if you're wondering, while walking over the fake i-beam, this is what it looked like below your feet. . . .

there was another place that challenged us to place as many balancing nails as we could, on one nail head. . . . alone we were able to do 6. . . but as a group we got 11!


we finished the evening with a great dinner at the cheesecake factory. . . not a bad way to spend a day!

JEN'S BIG DAY

so i flew out to boston, or boston by way of providence, for jen't wedding. the wedding was saturday. . . and i missed the opening night of the final santa fe show. . . . but i have to say, i'm really glad to have come out this way. . . and i'm sure opening went lovely.

so. . . i stayed with my brother the first night, and met up with neill, one of my friends from emerson (an my former san francisco roommate) so we could travel together to the wedding. -----ooooh. . . sorry, iron chef is on. . . . i'm stuck in a hotel room, which i will explain later.

ok, wedding. . . neill and i got there a little early, and well, i hadn't seen her in a couple of years, so we were looking to see her before the ceremony. we, accidentally, ran into the groom- whom neither of us had met, so weintroduced ourselves and found out where jen and her posse were set up. we were allowed in, and jen was there, in a beautiful dress, with her three bridesmaids, also in great dresses, in this picturesque room within this estate house.



here is neill and jen. . . she was so excited, but didn't seem nervous or neurotic. . . . just really happy.

this is the setting in the back yard for the ceremony. . .


the wedding was presided over by a justice of the peace, they both added some personal words to their vows. . . jen's sounded broken up by tears, but i had a little trouble hearing her. . . . and scott whipped out a newspaper for a prop, on which he wrote his vows (they are both newspaper journalists) his speech was exceedingly touching, sweet, and funny. . . lucky girl!



the tented dinner set up was also part of the estate. . . the colors and place setting were really well chosen. . . . very classy. there was a coctail break before the dinner while pictures of the wedding party were going on. there was a small room off the bar where there was a scrap book of the 'story of jen and scott', pictures from the bridal shower, and a picture frame to sign by all the guests.

neill and i were seated at the 'emerson table'. . . there were plenty of people that i recognized, but wasn't exactly close with, except my other roommate, who i haven't heard from since we left emerson. MOE! she looked great, she did a reading during the wedding, and we were able to catch up a bit while seated during the dinner.here's a shnot of the wedding party table. . .

during the normal dinner bit, both jen and scott slipped by our table to surprise one of her emerson friends with a birthday cake. . . since it was all the same day. . .

there was no chicken dance, macarena, or electric slide. . . but there was the hokey pokey. . . and dancing in general. all in all. . . a really great wedding and party, and it was so nice to be there for her and to see her so completely happy. . .

i'll finish up with a shot of the roommates. . . 6 years after emerson! can you believe it? 6 YEARS!

moe, jen, and me. . .

so last sunday. . . . one of the few designated days off all summer, by chance. . . me not being broke or busy or too far away. . . ani difranco played right here in santa fe, and i got to go. . . .

reminder, this is the FIRST ani show i have EVER been to. . . . most people, who know me, and know ani. . . don't understand how i've missed out. . . but finally, i made it. it was a really great venue. . .not too big or too small. . . a gorgeous night out (we were out under the stars and all). . . and ani was. . . well. . . she lived up to all the great stories i had ever heard about her concerts. it was just her and a string bass player (except for a couple of songs where she invited the opening act- also a great performance- to play along with her on the viola)---did you catch that mom? a pop indie viola player! yeah, his name was andy (?) bird. . . hold on, i need to do some quick research. . . . yep. . . got it, andrew bird. his first piece didn't catch me right. . . but the rest were really entrancing. . . he does this thing where he records himself live and then plays it back while playing over it live. . . and he'll continue to do this till he has a melody, harmony, percussion. . . then he can sing and whistle or whatever on top of it all. . . really kinda cool.

ok, but back to ani. . . she played so many numbers from the 'little plastic castles' album (one of my favorites) then of course a bunch of new stuff. . . .and some older ones. . . . but i was really surprised to hear so many from that one album. . . mostly for sentimental reasons, that album is really solid in my heart, so it was so warming to hear it.

and she never plays it the way it is on the cd. . . she always makes it something new for a live audience, . . . different instrumentation, different rhythm, different phrasing. . . it's really wonderful. i usually don't like 'live' recordings- with all the audience noise and such- but i could really gain an appreciation for it from this type of performance.

i know i've heard stories about her yelling at audience members for singing along too loudly. . . but she was in a really fantastic mood. . . . she only gave a snide 'hey' to a group of people that finished a phrase she had intended on changing. . . . (of course it was the 'fuck you' from untouchable face that was yelled out. . . . )

it was so wonderful, bizzarre, and heart renching in a way. . . to finally see someone who has become such an icon in my mind and life. . . . i was surprised that there were no surprises . . . . but not disappointed. . . just somehow intensely comforted.

yeah. . . something like that. . . .

i was worried about trying to get a camera in, but i guess they were totally allowed, but since i didn't know before hand, i went out and bought a cheap disposable. . . . on which the flash never shut off! how annoying. . .. (this is partially the reason i was thinking of getting a camera/phone. . . since i can always have my phone on me, in places where i sometimes don't want to carry a camera) so i ended up not taking many pictures because i find the flash completely abhorrent. . . . so we'll see if anything comes of that one shot i took at the top of the concert.

that's not the ending i really wanted for this post. . . . i'd like to have an ani guitar riff fading out in the background now. . . but this will have to do.

so tomorrow morning, bright and early. . . i'll be flying towards boston for my college roommate's wedding. sadly, the gift certificate i ordered for her, didn't make it to me in time, so my appearance alone will have to grace her enough till i get back and send her the gift certificate. . . . bummer, but at least i'll be there. it's totally gonna be a short time, but i'm hoping to hang out with a group of people, eat some coastal sushi. . get the 7 kitchens in chinatown, maybe see a movie, and hit the museum of science for their behind the scenes 'lord of the rings' exhibit. . . oh yeah, and attend a wedding. sounds like fun huh?

i know i'm not looking forward to the heat/ humidity. . . .but i got a tube of my favorite hair curling stuff from aveda. . . . see, in the desert i can have straight hair because there's no humidity to make it all frizz up. . . but i don't think i can count on having straight hair on the east coast. oh well. . . .

other than that i would LOVE to stop by some places in emerson, but most of it will be shut down, since it's summer and a weekend and all. . . . and i'd also love to stop byt the plaza, where i used to work my summers away. . . . but the best time to catch anyone there would be directly during the wedding festivities, so i don't think that will be happening. . . gee. . . guess i'll just have to settle with a group of friends and a wedding. . . . . :)

all and all. . i'm totally looking forward to a little time away from work- something i rarely say. . . . but this will be a nice break, and i can't wait to see jen, the blushing bride. . . i have this vision that she will be the epitome of all things bridal that i have ever imagined. . . . can't wait to post some pictures!