Three days.. three days..!

Seeing if I can write a blog without the pressure of being late for work.. chances are.. non.

- A lovely weekend! Got to see Closing Night at the Workshop. I love that we can all recognize each other by our laughs. That's a pretty sweet thing.

- Late night Mystery Cafe gig. Nice thing: they fed us. How cool is that?

- Wake up Sunday to "what day is it??" thoughts. Indeed. I was blurry.

- Attempted to run around the Lake. My cheeks got very red, my eyes watered and my nose whimpered. The rest of my body followed suit. That was not as successful as one would have liked.

- Davey visited!!! OHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! BNI youth and onto..

- Improv a Go Go! W00t! Hellendrung, Scott & Assoc. were up again... YEAAA!!! Troy wears a dress from Target damn well. Happy birthday, Tim!!!! :)

Well, yes.. that was the weekend. It was very lovely, and actually very rejuvenating - - a blur of 'go do stuff' tempered by lovely meals and relaxing. (also tempered by Neuske's Braunschweiger. Otherwise known as "liver sausage". It's the stuff you wake up secretly in the middle of the night to eat, and then stink afterwards. It's been a weekend of pickled beets, pickled herring and liver sausage. I'm your 90 year old grandma. Nice to meetcha.)

We're up at the Beat Coffee House (28th & Hennepin) tonight.. 8 p.m. show! Myself, Katie M., James M., Dan J., and possibly Dave Kapp... Excitement! Delicious excitement!

Jen, go do stuff..

Onward.

I don't mean to be a jerk..

Got treated to dinner at Nye's last night - - I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Yum... Cabbage rolls and pierogies and pickled herring and I'm suddenly burping cabbage...

I don't usually think of Nye's as a dinner place, but.. yes indeed, it's an old school supper club in it's heart of hearts. The manager came up and talked with us, the lettuce is all iceberg, the herring is served with saltine packets.. It made me nostalgic for going out to meals out with my mom and dad.. (the Palmer house or to the Sunshine bakery - - the restaurant inside of the Sunshine Grocery store). Talking with the manager was totally part of the deal. Good stuff.

I could eat pickled herring possibly daily, with utter disgusting abandon. Dear lord.

I made a Minnesotan faux pax right before dinner.. We were in the magazine aisle in the Lunds in Nordeast. However, that aisle is also the check-out aisle. People lined up dutifully behind us, as we unknowingly giggled over magazines. A cashier came up to us and said, "They're waiting in line..." (motioning to the 10 or so people behind us) - - we were suddenly at fault for holding up the entire check out lane, and suddently, the Very Rude People. I spurted out, "We're just looking at stuff!", followed by, "It's their fault if they don't ask!" Indeed. It made me mad at first (goddammit! Why can't strangers just look each other in the eye around here, and ask the very simple question if we were in line? i.e. We weren't..), and also very defensive (I should have been aware.. I should have known..) And finally - - reconciliation. If this had happened in, say, Amsterdam, I would have felt dumb for ignoring a social norm. And educated about how-this-culture-works. It's a double-standard to not do the same here. Stoopid culture. Ah well..

Late night improv gig tonight, but first, hopefully, to go get some BNW on.. Yea. :) (this post is mostly made up of Pickled Herring and complaining, isn't it? Ah well..)

Onward.

Mai fancy...

Indeed!

Saw "George Orwell's Animal Farm" by Jon Ferguson & Ktron last night..

- It was catered by the Red Stag Supper Club, a place I am goony about.. yum. And they served Pigs in a Blanket - - Appropriate!

- Saw some favorite-avorite people! (Hi Scott!) And Mr. Serrand actually seemed to remember me from my brief and pained tenure as Box Office chick at Jeune Lune! Goodness!!

- My goodness, what lovely performances. I only got grumbly and squinty-eyed when a couple of people weren't projecting.. (grumble.. the Southern space is huuuge).. but these times were rare, few and far between.. And the level of performance on the whole was pretty damned impressive. Plus, one of my favorite and most-gorgeous-people-in-the-world were there. (Miss Christiana Clark just rocks my socks..)

- Whoever played old Major (and whoever played the surviving sheep) were just wonderful also.. And the raven and Napolean and.. I know it's a collectively-created-thing, but, oh, for programs with character names in them!

- The only thing that left me grumpy was the damned story itself. It's such a 20th century story (written early on, and then just replayed and replayed again and again..) And it's a story we know. It may be relevant to us 20th century left-overs, but I'm hoping it won't be to our grandchildren. That it will be obvious that that sort of behavior is stupid and destructive. That there will be some sort of evolutionary shift (just as we're getting taller and our skulls are getting thinner) that deems that sort of thought unthinkable. I'm just going to count on that, and leave the politics where they lay. The politics the play addresses are still old and reeking of 1980(4) or so..

- I figured out where I had seen Ktron before. Youth Frontiers auditions. Many many Youth Frontiers auditions.. ;) I was never hired by Youth Frontiers, but, seriously, I tried...

Much Museum-ing. Much snow! (although Aric says it's cocaine, and that makes me giggle). Tonight should hopefully be lovely, followed by Museum and a late late gig tomorrow.. Here's for hoping! w00t!

Onward.

Oh, right.. This is what makes me late...

For work. Late for work. Clarifying.

- There isn't much that can be said about the 4th that hasn't been already (even saying that feels old), but... I love the honest-to-god HOPE and energy buzzing through peeps. Even more, I love that people are now turning over the hope card, and picking up the 'work' card. However, what's work? Tax hikes? Awkward political choices? I don't know, but yet desperately want to get to the work portion. All this renewed hope and beautiful nationalism has me so alive and grateful, and also a tad freaked out. (The pessimist and optimist inside of me aren't talking -- they're both a little stunned. Happily stunned, but still stunned.)

- I love that Barack (can I call you Barack?) promised his girls a puppy. (And, my god, his acceptance speech was perfect..) I also loved McCain's concession speech.. Yes, this was the John McCain we remember...

- I love that Uptown exploded with people happily yelling at each other and fireworks and, I guess, a street dance. Honestly, it made me nervous (what? People excited for their country? We must be three steps awake from drink-the-kool-aid blind patriotism and nuclear weapons in military parades.. Yes, my reaction is paranoid...but I've just never seen this happen before..), and also left me astonished. How cool! How non-cynical! How unlike me...!

- To celebrate the victory also felt a little like celebrating the system... go General Washington! *dancedance* Go Warren G. Harding! *dancedance* Will a renewed interest in our country's history come of this? Will it be hard to get the John Adams HBO miniseries on Netflix? Who knows!

- Nervous and happy. Yep. Let's get quickly to the work part, please...

- Talked to my old high school friend Brett, who is so disinfranchised from the system.. Reminded me that it's all corrupt, bought and sold anyway (part of which I agree with), and that it'll just be anarchy in 40 years (I don't quite agree with that, but who knows), so relax the f out. *grin* Nothing like some honest cynicism to knock a person back down a bit...

- Cynicism aside, Barack is my man. I can cautiously hope with a capitol H too.

- Okay. Must get clean. I think I get to see a fancy show tonight! Yea!! I don't think I get to run today... Booo...

Time to go be a mosquito..

Onward.

Post A-Go-Go haze...

Or truly, a happy post weekend haze.. Happily swimmin' in the fuzz..

- The Youth did great! First teenage improv performance of the year! Holy hannah -- a great turn out, three great sets, proud and pleased adults and teens. Cool beans. :)

- Delicious dinner and company... :) The tuna salad from the Wedge IS the best. (I think the dark secret to egg/chicken/tuna/etc. salads might be the crispies. Those little chopped up bits of celery and onion and all the things I'm too lazy to put in at home. Granted, I don't think I've ever attempted a ham salad, and 'am not sure if I want my ham salad 'crispy', but.. It's good to plan for the future!)

- Improv a Go Go! I'm still all happy blurry from this. Happy blurry Jill and Butch, happy blurry John, happy blurry Tom (holy crap, Tom!! Awesome!!) and happy blurry us. Many thanks to Tim and Troy.. Wheee! I'm caught in perma-smile.

Today I rake. (Tomorrow I vote and hold my breath.) I've realized that the purpose of this blog entry may be just to expound upon the merits of mayonaisse-based salads. No matter!!

Onward.

I am full of clafouti!

Clafouti! A classic french breakfasty/dessert thing. First attempted about 4 years ago with cherries. Found out that fancy "clafouti" is secretly crepe batter (which is secretly runny pancake batter with an extra egg or two) poured over berries and baked. Ha! And so, today was strawberry clafouti. I just like attempting to say clafouti. I'm sure I'm saying it completely incorrect. As I attempted to say the name of the street in NYC ("Houston"... "House-ton".. "huuston".. mer.)

Yea for Saturday. And, also, yea for Friday! Halloween! It's just fun to walk through Uptown and see random wandering pop culture things, possibly dead and/or sexy. Woke up bright and early on Saturday and attempted to run with out a sweatshirt yesterday - - foolish foolish Jen. It was cold!!! Even the geese seemed a'tad nonplussed.

A full day of science-museum-ing, dinner at Jasmine Deli, and then sat and listened to Serge Gainsbourgh. Although the hipsternish inside of me thought I knew this man and was quite familiar with his work, my true self only knew that he was the father of Charlotte Gainsbourgh, and that's it. My take on Serge Gainsbourgh:
- it's the best if you can have someone translating each verse as you listen. The best in the world.
- yes, he WAS incredibly influential. I'm an idiot. Look, there's Leonard Cohen! Look, there's David Byrne! Look, there's Pet Shop Boys! Look, there's a path for Paul Simon to follow into Graceland! Look, there's Pulp! Look, there's Ween! Damn you, Serge Gainsbourgh!
- He was naughty. Oof. Thumbing-your-nose-at-you naughty. "Lemon Incest" has been running through my head for hours.

Onto a wonderful Halloween housewarming party.. it was spoooooky.. and wonderful. Sigh. Eric K. was f'in freaky. And David B. offered one of the damn Tim Gunn impressions ever. (Fred and David might be a super hero team. ... yes.. just like Hawk and Dove.. just sayin'.)

And now I'm full of claflouti. And it's warm out. Time to get off butt. And do clafouti-covered dishes.

Onward.

I'm back, yes. I'm wearing black, technically...

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEENNN!!!

I'm off to the Dale/University Salvation Army, in search of Halloween duds. Last year, the Dale/University Salvation Army was hoppin', in a really happy buzzy way. I hope it's the same..

- Got back in time, after one of the more stressful traveling bits. And I'm not the guy who had the heart attack. ... :(

- Missed a meeting, rescheduled. Took the light rail, took a bus, and then jogged my butt around a lake (in an attempt to start working off the parts of NYC that I drank)

- CREATURE FEATURE! G'dang, this was fun. So please. I was pleased with myself until the end, and then I was not as pleased with myself. But.. Damn, it was lovely. My cohorts were lovely. So funny! (Joe was a killer architect.. how good is a killer architect? So good! And Josh was Blocky. And Hannah was Ranch. And Lauren was a hologram.. it continues!!!)

- It's a pretty happy day at the Museum. There was something seemingly important I was going to blather about. Dammit.

- I'm gonna commit to NaNoWriMo. If I can blather in a blog almost daily, I should try and use that force for good.

- It turns out I write backwards pretty easily. Not well, but easily.

Hellendrung, Scott & Associates will be at Improv A Go Go this Sunday! You want to see it! (and so do we..)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! :)

Onward.

Wednesdaisy...

Hump Day! Hump day is started by "sleeping in" -- NYC is an hour ahead.. It's like I'm sleeping until 9:30 a.m..

- I walk. Screw the subway. Google says its a 40 min walk to my friend Brian's office. Begin!

- It almost snows. Yet I am warm. Except for my nose. And cheeks. And fingers.

- Brian is the puveyor of all things good - music and food. We eat roasted chicken and desserts in the tiniest of cafes, surrounded by NY Fashion Institute students (who are babies.)

- Walk through the flower district (2 blocks), mistakenly enter a wholesale shop (dumb), and walk my way south and west.

- Thank god for the tiny Madison Square park and benches.

- Forbidden Planet! And the Strand bookstore. The Strand takes my ass and hands it back to me...

- I purchase sock puppet portraits from an artist in Union Square. This seems appropriate.

- Wander around the Lower East Side.. wander...

- Collaspe in Kelly's apartment, await her call.

- Schiller's!!! Go to Schiller's!!! I fall in love with Schiller's. I order a glass of red, and they hand me a soft and warm sugar-cinnamon donut. Free. I heart Schiller's.

- Kelly walks me 10 blocks to a sexygritty basement sake bar. It was sexy and gritty.. And delicious.

- Kelly is sick, and wisely retires early. I take one last walk around her neighborhood. I don't want another drink, I'm not hungry, I just want to walk.

- sleep.

I'm at the airport, after a series of public transports. A gentleman just had a heart attack literally 15 feet away from me. Everyone jumped up, ran and called for help, or just stared... It took maybe 7 minutes for the cops and EMTs to arrive. A passenger rushed to grab a difibulator, offduty nurses and medics came out of the woodwork, the rest just stared.

I couldn't see the gentleman, just tried to watch reactions. They finally took him away, all the while hitting his chest. :( No one's happy, except for the creepy grandpa that just kept smiling, and walked his toddler grandson around the scene.

Flight delayed. Woman with monstrous stroller being a jerk to the ticket lady. Blaaaaahhh! Blah. But I'm boarding a plane, and am safe...

I hear its warm in Mpls.

Onward.

now, BLLOOOOOOD!

Yes, NYC would eat me up and spit out my bones. That's okay.

- Grab at slice at Ray's. Ehhhh..

- Kelly and I head to the American Museum of Natural History. YEAAAA!!!!! Geeking out begins.. It's huuuuge and lovely. Beautifully presented. All up to date. So much to see.. Dinosaurs, and an special exhibit on horses, and "Cosmic Collisions" planetarium show... yeaaa!!

- Head towards Chelsea. Spend a long time in a lovely place called "The Half King". Edamame, pigs in a blanket and bread pudding..? Meet some more of Kelly's crew, which is absolutely lovely..

- Onto Blood Manor. They did a really good job! The nice girl in front of me lets me hang onto her bag. I picture our group, lost in an actual horror movie, and wonder which one of us might survive.

- At one part, they hand you these 3Desque glasses to wear. Combined with the blacklights and the dayglow splatters, they're damned effective. One of the kids in front of me wonders to his girlfriend, "I wonder if this what it's like to be on LCD." (adorable, I tell you).

- Onto Mustang Salley's for a last one with Kelly's friend, and then onto a "dive bar in soho" (how was it a dive bar? No clue..) Meet more people, which is nice... (yes, if you're from Brooklyn, you dress like you're in the Hold Steady. Plastic frame glasses and pearl button shirts, please.)

- Then a chipolte chicken taco next to Kelly's place (OH MY GOD!! The most brilliant chipolte chicken taco ever..) and sleep.

Is that what happened yesterday?

It'd be amazing to move here, ...but I'd want to do it with someone. I can play around the edges of this place, but if it was done for reals, I'd want someone to share it with/keep each other sane/not get lonely. You can talk to everyone in the world here, but it's still a lonely place, I think. I love it though.

And who I am to say - - I've only been here for two days, riding the coattails of a dear friend. Very lucky.

Now to meet dear friend Brian.. again, time to attempt subways. Yearrrrgh..

Onward.

Le Coq! ... coq!

Typing this out as quickly as I can, as I should get my butt in gear.. However, this is not a get your butt in gear sort of morning. It's a recover in your friend's modern kitchen morning..

- Navigated the NYC subway system annnnd Manhattan!!! Four little blocks of Manhattan, navigated. I am super proud.

- People watching has begun. Damn, them New Yorkers are well dressed.

- Kelly and I zip our way to Union Square, sample and purchase delicious farmers' market veggies, zip our way to her place (across the street from the goddamn Katz Deli.. the when Harry Met Sally Katz deli). En route, there is a knish purchased.

- Rooftop eats! Bottle of wine! Amazing views! Tiny dogs in unexpected places!

- We wander through Chinatown and Little Italy, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass? something like that...) Drinks and snacks... Bartender was a transplanted too cool for school Roseville-ian. Weird.

- Onto the Galapagos Art Space - - astonishingly beautiful and sexy performance space. The acoustics were a little rough for the material we were seeing (British accents and whatnot.. but the performers figured that out pretty quickly, and the audience listened even better..) hey look, drinks...

- Saw "The Floating Brothel", an amazingly lovely piece. Yes, the title is cringe inducing, but the story was good and honest, and told physically and succinctly (and using only a 3'x6' platform - - as a honest and beautiful storytelling device). And the acting was damned lovely too! Went onto the website, and have found that most of the actors are Yale-trained, and a good chunk of them have studied at Le Coq.

- Le Coq!!!! I wanna do that... Damn you Yale and Le Coq (le coq!!!!!!!!! You pop up in many many things I like.. heh. ew.) Can a 33 year old improviser/interactive comedian/museum theater performer pick herself out of the Midwest and shove her way into a high-falutin' art scene (le coqqqqqq!)... Yes. But, it can also probably be done in the Midwest with the incredibly talented people we get to play with... who didn't go to Yale. (coq) It's fun to ponder though.. Just how artsy do ya wanna be? Are you doing it to tell a story, or just to be artsy? These coq people seem to use it for the forces of good. I still like being a killer hedgehog though...

- ....(coq)

- Onto an Irish pub to meet a lovely friend of Kelly's (lawyer/gallery owner... of course). I find NYCers relatively chatty, and did some lovely chatting... Got invited to a Halloween party at a place called Boucarou.. 12 midnight. The password is Anta. (there's a password!) Hey look, the bartender just gave me another drink.. I didn't even have to ask. New York is magic!

- The cash I took out to pay for snacks and bevvies for the next couple of days is also gone i.e. spent. New York IS magic! That was quick...

- I wake up a painful mess. Somehow, Kelly is dressed and professional. I shower (or, rather, stick head under faucet for 20 minutes). I medicate. I take a nap. Sunny warm NYC has turned to wet, grey, rainy NYC. It hasn't stopped raining for the last.. six hours? Something like that. It's actually intimidating. The dog next door is so sad and howls...

Tonight, we go to a Haunted House. I will pee my pants. *sigh* But it'll be excellent! Time to go get wet... Take that, Manhattan!!

(coq)

Onward.

One misfire away from doom.. DOOOOOM!!!

Just saw Chuck C. at the airport! Yeaa for travel hugs.. He looked remarkably awake and sparkly.. I probably looked ragged and stoned.

Took FMJ's photos with Butch's point and click (which did a damn fine job..) Holy crap, that was fun. Little tiny bit of short fast fun photography...

Stitch, Bitch n' Die had our last performance (hopefully it will come back..) It was madness! Madness, I tell you... The audience was here, and then there, and then when a gun wouldn't go off, we about lost it as a cast, slipping in the word 'impotent'. Both horrifying and delightful..! Aghhh! Yeaa!! We are professionals..!..?..!

PG joined us at BLB, which was lovely...Woke up at 4:40 a.m., which was one of the more difficult waking-uppings, as there was a cuddly bed inside and outside looked cold and grey.

Surrounded by tired and tense Minnesotans.

Onward.

I got over yesterday...

Sometimes you just need a day stuck in your head to realize that you don't exactly want to be there constantly...

- HELL-lo, museum. I got to host a Halloween Contest Competion, which was both awesome, dramatic, and adorable.. Highlights:

- Snake Warrior! Almost skin tight, snake pattern body suit with mask, worn with aqua shoes and a plastic killy thing. "Because I like mythology.." Yes!

- The buck-toothed Paleontologist "Because paleontologists are real people.."

- All of the bad witches... Who wants to be a good witch on Halloween, honestly?

- A shouted Darth Vader impression through a plastic mask... "LUKE!..."

- A dramatic how-i-made-this-costume story...

- The Renaissance Princess with glasses and a lisp.

- Adorable pirates and princesses and honeybees and an American Cheerleader (to which I unwisely said, "I didn't think they existed..." I was unwise..)

- Lesson #358 learned: Stop with the attempts at wit, shut yer gob, and get to the next kid. Astronaut ice cream for the winners (delish!)

The best Stitch n' Bitch audience ever... A delight! Very lucky. :)

Afterwards, instead of attempting the BLB or Herkimer, we found ourselves at "I-Moto" ("Moto-I"?).. Anywhoo, the new Japanese place on Lyndale. What?, you're saying, there's a Japanese place on Lyndale? Yes!! Next to the Theater Garage, in the old Machu Picchu site. And although the decor is rather beautiful and sexy, the beers are only $4-5 and the food is all street food, basically.. No sushi, but more noodles and half chickens and steamed buns ($3 each!) and holy crab cakes, what deliciousness is this? What incredibly perky waittress is this? I WILL have another Surly, young dear, and when you say the word "snnnacks", it might just be over the top. With every serving of snnacks, a different runner would bring out our plate and proclaim quietly, "This is my favorite.." We must have incredible taste (but, honestly, they were all delicious. Waitrons! I believe you!)

Then to watch "Finding Nemo" with healing Partner in Crime, who now has holes in his head where teeth used to be.

It's a stupidly jam-packed day today, but, honestly... It shouldn't be that bad.. It might even be fun, if we let it be...

Onward.

Saturdayyyyy? of note... Poi Jen Pondering...

It's Saturday. Truly? Friday didn't seem like Friday until I realized the Education floor was almost empty at 4 p.m.. Indeed, it was Friday.

Wasn't there something blog-gable?

- Went for a run at insane-o hour this morning. In the moment, it didn't feel like insane-o hour, until I realized that 7:30 a.m. was not meant for jogging, but rather for walk-of-shaming. However, jogging was done!

- Wearing a thrift-store cardigan, t-shirt, and clogs... do you ever realize that you've been dressing within the same theme for the past 15 years? (AGHHH!) The t-shirt have gotten smaller (the 90s were rife with baggy t's), but that's about it...

October shows are winding down!

- Final Creature Feature *sob*, this Thursday, 8 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop. I was the monster last Thursday... a hedgehog. However, I was not as scary as I wanted to be. :( This made me sad. Indeed, perhaps a hedgehog (even with tons of killer quills) is not that scary. (Josh's goddamn giant hamster was suuuuuper scary! And he pooped the entire time! Perhaps I shouldn't have snorfled so much. Dangit. Next time...) Come catch the last one this Thusrday!! :)

- Final two "Stitch, Bitch n' Die!"s tonight, 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 7 p.m., at the Bryant Lake Bowl!! oooohhh! What a maroon! I truly enjoy this show... Please come check it out.. (now with awesome crafting competition at the end!!)

Talked to my sister briefly, who claimed she had "no time to breath". Talked with my uncle just briefly about official things. I'm mostly just sort of stuck in my head, pondering and thinking a lot. That's a silly place to be, but an almost necessary one. This pondering is interrupted at random intervals for "dressing up like a mosquito" time at the museum. Truly.. It's a really silly show. (and if you want to see the CSI exhibit, lemme know!) :)

Onward.

It's so dumb..!

It's so dumb that because of the way my innards are set up, they might randomly seize up every 28 days or so, and cause what are innocently referred to as "cramps". owowow. Thankfully, the chemical compound called "ibuprofen" comes in tasty little pill form. Nom nom nom... (owwwww)

At Java Jacks, which is on Washington Ave N. I am sitting at a bar. They are playing White Stripes. There are outlets everywhere and free wifi. I am hyper-pleased.

Visited the Minneapolis Public School Warehouse sale! Good gracious! I guess they have one every few months or so.

Location:
THERE IS ONLY ONE ROAD TO THE MPLS PUBLIC SCHOOL WAREHOUSE. 1550 Jackson St NE door N should have multiple points of entry, but alas, it does not! You must turn west onto 13th off of Central Ave, and then desperately search for signs. I took me 15 minutes of circling to figure this out. Surprisingly, this didn't bug me as much as I thought it would. I tried to remind myself to be pissy, but couldn't work up the momentum. I love the old warehouses around 13th & Quincy Ave in Nordeast. It's where I used to practice with a band (underneath a mattress warehouse) back when I was cool. And it's so cool to see artists find these warehouses and fill them full of goodness. Neat.

Stuff:
Oh my god! A warehouse, all brick and old, filled with old public school stuff. Pianos (with the letters of the notes written on the keys!) for $5. An old scoreboard. Tables and wash stations and strange cabinets and old shop signs and ahhhh.. awesome. Followed the signs back to the musical instruments.

More Stuff:
It turns out that Minneapolis is closing down it's Musical Repair Department. This is a pity, according to a retired orchestra teacher, and I agree. Who knew that Minneapolis Public Schools had its own inhouse musical instrument repair shop - - isn't that cool. Now, as the teacher told me, it's being outsourced. What does an inhouse musical repair shop have? Beautiful amazing used and new old musical instrument bits (plus full ancient saxophones, dozens of clarinets, darkened flutes, drum heads, brass sousaphone bells.. beautiful!). I hung over the stringed instrument bits (public school orchestra, 8 years...).. Wood! and String! and more wood... aghhhhh!!!!

If anyone's played in band/orchestra, and played off of public school instruments - - there's an underdoggeness to it. Each instrument was precious (even if in horrible shape), and was to be protected and practiced on - - here was your key to this activity you liked to do, and you just had to pay a rental fee for something that might potentially cost $1,000s of dollars. And here were the memories and beloved beaten up instruments from over 50 years of Mpls Public School music programs. Bittersweet and practical all at the same time...

I asked the ladies working the til what might happen to the rest of the stuff if it doesn't get sold, and they said (sadly) that they didn't know. So much wonderful potential (violin bridges, bow hair, piano wire, brass valves, more more more), possibly to go to waste. Argh!

I put down a bid on a cello body (adding to the mystique of the Public School sale.. not only was it impossible to get to.. you didn't know if you could purchase something you wanted or not. Tricky..)

HEY!!! You know what's tonight? CREATURE FEATURE!!! 8 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop. Hells to the yeah, my friends. Please come watch! Possibly scary, should be funny...

Onward.

My life just ain't that excitin'...

..which is okay. It's just been a three week run of funeral/travel/birthday.

Fine day at the museum, which was bright & bustly compared to the greycold sweep of outside. I like that the weather today was sort of a caricature of what a cold, wet autumn day should be -- well played, whoever plans these things.

Throngs of K-2nd graders in uniforms made the museum pretty adorable. Compared to the kindergarteners, the 2nd graders are 7 going on 30.

I prep for a little more travel next week. In an attempt to actively increase my debt, I visit my old college roomie and amazing friend Kelly in NYC on Monday (limited time off + life's too short = go see Kelly now!). Kelly is the loveliest of successful smartypants, beautiful, lives in Manhattan, and can probably drink me under the table. Awesome. I have requested to eat a slice and maybe walk a lot (although the Essex Sea plays in Brooklyn on Wednesday!! Aghhh!!!) If you have any recommendations of who/what/eat, lemme know... :)

For some reason, 2012 has been knocking against my subconsious of late, enough to freak it out a little. Either I've read too much or not enough, but if the end of the world (or global human elightenment) happens, I mostly hope that my pets will be okay.

Onward.

P.S. Creature Feature!! Tomorrow, 8 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop!!! Improvised horror, made just for you (you sick bastard..) Yea!!!

Inflection

Really lovely night, after cleaning the house and exploring the backyard with the dog & cat. (I attempted blue eyeshadow in a non-ironic fashion. Almost succeeded! ... Almost.)

Purchased some cigarettes after lovely dinner of spicy squid (nom nom nom) and a pork omelet (oh, Thai..! We asked nearly everyone at the King & I if they knew Ellie... Ellie's name automatically made everyone smile. Yea!). Slid my ID under the plastic cashier box (the box they keep SuperAmerica cashiers in). The pierced/neck-tattoo'd guy peered at my ID and said, "There's no way you could be _that_ old."

Thank you.. ...?

Ha. Hrm.

But I am and that's alright with me. Very very thankful for you (yes, you!) and feeling loved.. Thank you!!!

(*grin* Now I get to give my mom and sister a hard time for not calling.. My family -- including me.. I am the worst of offenders -- sucks at birthdays...)

Onward.

Hewwww....

The animals just totally bonked head when trying to jump at the same time.

That was pretty adorable.

Onward.

I'm the luckiest girl in the world, you are the bestest of all peeps...

This is a big ol hug. To you and everyone else.

The weekend has sped by -- got back Saturday morning, lost my car in the Humphrey Terminal ramp (I'm an idiot), taught on Saturday afternoon, then Stitch n' Bitch, followed by cast party.. Just lovely. At about 11 p.m., I counted and realized I had been awake for about 20 hours, after 4 hours of sleep. Good night.

Sunday - Got a full 8 hours of sleep, and zoomed into work (being film noir bugs with Bob is super fun), ran around a lake (yea!), had gametime happy hour with dear friend Greg, Stitch n' Bitch, onto a reading (Isaac & I got to play a super fun game.. He is totally a monkey), and then getting to see the boy... Yea!

Woke up at 4:45 am a confused and dazed mess. (I had woke up around 2 am, and couldn't get back to sleep), drove to Adam's house by 5:35 am, carpooled to Rochester and performed for about 300 Ohlmstead County workers. I've never started a day, much less a birthday, by singing "I'm a butt doctor of love!!!!" to the blues. It was really lovely.

Now I'm at D'amico & Sons, spoiling myself to a three salad sample and a glass of wine, pretending that I once studied abroad in Italy, and that this meal reminds me Milan.

I'm overwhelmed and it fills my heart. Very generous, very lovely birthday wishes from very lovely and very generous people.. I am so blessed. Thank you!!!Thank you!!!Thank you!!!Thank you!!! I love you. :)

One tries to be selective about one takes personally... Traffic, try not to take personally. Cold weather, try not to take personally. Lovely wishes from amazing people - - I might take greedily personally, just to experience the love and send it back.

I am a butt doctor of love.

Onward.

(All 33 years of me says thank you!!!) :)

Teeeee

Too-early-to-be-this-happy, red faced, big voiced man to small Japanese adorable boy: WHERE YOU GOIN'?

Amazingly adorable Japanese 2 year old wearing a sweater vest: DISSSSSSSSNEYLAND!!!!

Man, loud enough so the whole plane turns: REALLY? IS THAT WHERE YOU'RE GOIN'?

Adorable 2 yr old: MICKEEEEY MOUSE!!!!!

They should probably have their own tv show -- perhaps as detective partners.

Man: WHAT DID THE LAB REPORT FIND IN THE CHRYSLER?!

Child: BLLLLLLLOOOOD!!

Man: REALLY? IS THAT WHAT YOU FOUND?!

Child: MICKEEEEEEY MOUSE!!!!

The little one would take his coffee in a sippy cup.

Man, Northwest has us packed in here. Why make a plane that anyone over 5'2", your knees will touch the chair in front of you? Why compress the American space bubble even more when you tilt the chairs back? The lady across the aisle from me is about my height, and is compressed between a lady with chair tilted impossibly back, and a guy with a mouthful of snuf. No offense to all my chewin', seat-reclinin' friends, but I worry for the lady's soul.

I'm tired. Taxi driver named Phillip took me from the hotel to the airport at 4:30 a.m. today. He's originally from NYC, moved after 9/11 (couldn't make a living after the attacks) and ended up loving Philly. Still gets back to NYC to visit family and close taxi-drivin' friends (they take him out for "steak and beer", which sounds pretty awesome), but says New Yorkers are two-faced: they act nice, but will stab you in the back. Says Philadelphians are much nicer. Asked him if he has met people, made friends, etc., and he said he meets a lot of people driving cab, and likes the discussions he has everyday. Being social. He made the trip to the airport lovely (even if I was a blurry, sleepy mess).

Detroit has the airport of the future. Who knew? (and cheap egg breakfasts.. I went for the overpriced Lucky Charms).

Onward.

Why so weird, weirdo..?

I'm tuckered. And truth be told, I didn't do that much...

- Woke up and went to the hotel gym thingie. Recycled air makes sweating super icky.

- I heart the Reading Terminal Market. Coffee and a ham & cheese crepe, watching old women in hats & construction workers eating salad & old acquaintences chatting, while I typed on free intenet and browsed a Philly daily. Really lovely.

- Four hours of Forum workshop. Walked back over to the Market during break and got some clam chowder/soup.

- Done!!! Almost. Free 1.5 hours spent wandering through DT Philly to Old Town.

- Saw the Liberty Bell. It's presented in a lovely way, with a whole bunch of signage, made to impress you with HOW IMPORTANT the Liberty Bell.

- Old Town is filled with people who work for the National Park Service. They all wear knatty, green, Dudley DoRight hats.

- To dinner in Chinatown, at Rangoon Burmese. It was delicious!!! People of Burma: I salute your culinary prowess!! Awesome!! My dessert was both red & green, gelatin & dairy.

- Spot a couple of collegues in the now hopping hotel lobby. Catch up with awesome ones at the Continental again.

I like Philadephia. I like the history. I kinda even like the dirt. I like the casual conversation that hides on the Coasts, that the Upper Midwest is so bad at -- strangers can talk to each other and it's not weird or creepy. It's lovely. People say please and thank you and notice each other. Granted, you can also get mugged n' shit, but I felt pretty darn safe the entire time I've been here. I even feel... welcome.

Like most big east coast cities, it's made up of all flavors of people -- abject poverty to men in business suits. But mostly, I think Phillie feels like a place people come to work. I like that.

Being Downtown may be starting to play with me... It feels like a while since I've seen a horizon, or been not-surrounded by tall (albeit rather old and lovely) buildings. Most trips aren't spent entirely in a downtown area, and as much as I dig it, it makes me jumpy and tired too. And I didn't know that. I think I'd grow out of it with prolonged exposure. Just didn't know I'd get the jumpies.

Flight at 6:30 am tomorrow. Argh.

Wish us luck.

Onward.

Ben Franklin invented the internet...

Forum done. It went alright (pretty darn well), with one big reservation that makes me sad and mad - - but really, it went alright. It comes down to - - know yer space. But, with this traveling presentation sort of thing, you rarely if ever know your space. So accessibility issues were crap. But, after the anticipation and stress of presenting the forum to your (very nice, but super smarty pants) peers, and then to have it go well EXCEPT for that accessibility part... I truly can't complain. But did I? yesh.

We had the forum at the Franklin Institute, in a big ole room with a big ole Ben Franklin stuck in it. They recently installed a light show (purty darn cool light show) which visually implies how Ben Franklin not only invented the fire department and bifocals, but also DNA, the airplane, and possibly ladders. Ben Franklin was super smart.

Ended up at the Cherry Street Tavern, and then to one of Philly's "Starr" Restaurants, the Continental , all complete with a rooftop patio and swankiness. I pronounced Yuengling wrong about a million times. (which waiter quizzed me on... "it feels like I'm ordering a panda").

Philadelphia - - cool, underdog town. So far, I dig. Yea!! Super good food, good people, old history, pretty buildings, quietly working against all sorts of crap (or others' opinions of crap) that used to be... This probably isn't the next Portland, but it could be the Brooklyn (shhhhhhhhhh). But without the hipster cool that might come with a Brooklyn... Go Phillies!

(They're giving away Obama/Phillies pins in Chinatown, I guess...)

Wish us all luck.

Onward.

Ain't no pretension...

..at the Reading Terminal Market.

It's blue collar! The food's the real deal! And it's actually used by locals (at least on a Thurs.). The Mpls World Market on Chicago Ave feels like it belong in Mpls (neo-lib, all Heart of the Beast-kinda) and Vancouver's Market feels like it belongs there (Fancy! Polished! Pricey!), and the Terminal belongs here (not fucking around, so many choices, sales people, police, and Pensylvania Dutch wearing Sketchers -- everyone here just to mind their own business and eat. And everyone's, in general, nice.) I'm sitting on lawn furniture in a common eating area: ain't no pretension here. Except for me. Yea!

Go Phillies! Got generously taken to South Philly to watch the game at "The Devil's Den", a beer-snobbery neighborhood pub. (Delicious! They put bacon and cheese on my fries! I win!) I learned the back stories of lots of Phillie's players (good god! No wonder they make trading cards! How do you keep this s#it straight? It was like hearing someone describe a soap opera or an improv set -- but with made-up baseball terms). The bar got louder as the game went longer and everyone got drunker, and then suddenly -- BAM!!!! Phillies to the World Series! The bar explodes! So happy!! Outside, cars start honking. I hear a helicopter.

The helicopter sound continues for the next two hours.

We walk two blocks to my co-worker's friend's row house of spoooky neatness, and then walk to try and catch a bus. Philly is still communicating via happy masculine shouts out of car windows and carhorn-honking. We catch a taxi to the hotel.

I'm still not focusing. Food and coffee. But there's Pennsylvania dutch to feed me. Bring on the scrapple! (..perhaps.)

Wish me luck for tonight. (aghhhh...)

Onward.

Baseball...

..is heart-attack-inducing.

And then they played one of the victory songs from one of the Rocky's.

Seriously.

Tiny little living space...

In the tiniest, little plane! I'm in a single person row! (It's kind of exciting) They 'checked' my carry-on bag at the end of the fly-way... Almost by hand. It's like flying the way our ancestors used to.. ;)

Lindbergh Terminal parking lot was full -- full! The treck to and from the Humphrey was made. If I was 65 and had to walk a half mile through parking ramps, plus then a lightrail trick and a tram, I'd be peeved. However, I'm 32 and have no good excuse.

Onward.

No time for self-reflection! Too busy dancing!

Today was go! Go, chickadee!

Tomorrow I leave for Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love and the Fresh Prince. I can hope that it's secretly akin to Provincetown (ggggGay!), but alas, I think might be filled with just history and cheesesteak. But that's okay! I've heard good things about Philly.

The travel is for ASTC, conference of scientific debauchery. I can only stay two days, but...

- I have to run a forum.

- I have to find a place for possibly 40 people to eat dinner together.

Jesus.

Jesus!! But these things will be done, and I will board a Continental flight and sleep in a DT Marriott.

And that's about all I know.

I leave from the direct from the Museum tomorrow. Travel blathering soon to follow.

Onward.

Shot out of a gentle cannon...

There picture is of the cemetary where grandpa was buried. Note the loveliness, note the corn. Also note the dark mass behind the tree -- that was the ... What do you call those?... dirt scooper. It felt like it was trying to hide from us...

- We sat on cookie-monster-fur covered chairs, underneath a small blue tent (that was actually marked "Bacon".. I guess the name of the funeral company was Bacon, but it was still odd. My grandpa is/was not bacon). Scripture was read, my aunt and uncle said a few things that still make me want to cry. It was beautiful and sad. But, it's good...

- Hal, somehow related, standing on my right during the service, said the Lord's Prayer with the most beautiful lilt I've ever heard. No one says the Lord Prayer like that...

- You notice strange things. The complimentary kleenex come in plastic wrapper that makes a lot of noise if you try to open it. The wind kept playing with the tent and brushing gold leaves off of the trees. The funeral director, "Rob", was kind of a blowhard.

- Funeral directors! Granted, I've only dealt with two, but they're a bit weird. Rob spent what little conversation we had impressing me with where he was from ("small town in Northeastern Illinois.. Maybe you've heard of it? Chicago?"), impressing me with his madskillz ("my brother said 'Rob, you could play your cello for any large metropolitan orchestra... Why do you choose to do what you do, and why in the middle of nowhere?' "), and both loving and belittling my Grandpa's hometown ("And I told him, I love it here. It's Mayberry, y'know. Out there, it's 2008. Here, it's 1957!"). He also managed to slam where I live ("you live in Mpls? Why? *chuckle*") and fein offense when I called him sir. Gack, Rob...

- Went to my grandpa's cousin's house for cookies, photos and coffee. The men all look vaguely the same, all the women give good hugs. Carol's place is basically on a kind-of farm: this equals cats!! and sileage.

- I had to run away wayyy too soon to make it to Mpls for Stitch n' Bitch -- it went really well! Sad to leave family, both extended and close, so soon...

- Met up with the boy at a lovely party for a lovely man (who shares my bday!) :) Good awesome funny people, killerdiller martini too...!

- Relaxed & enjoyed Sunday morning/afternoon...

- Youth Improv has begun!

- Sunday Stitch n' Bitch went well...

- Onto Stereolab with Kevin...?! Really? But it was wonderful. They were great, my dear friend Greg was there, saw James (guy I took my first improv class with!), and danceddanced to the French...

- I have a crush on the band Beatrix*Jar..

Have I actually been to a Beatrix*Jar concert, own any of their songs? No. But pls google them and admire the cuteness. They're beautiful. I introduced myself based strictly on their marketing. Yes, I love that picture that much. (They play with DanceBand on the 29th or so!!)

- Pizza Luce slice and home...

Normally, weekends don't quite stretch across the experience spectrum that much. But.. I was very lucky, and I feel very loved. And.. sad. And okay. Good. I think.

Onward.

Iiiiiiiooooooooowa o whoa whoa oh whoa iiiioooowa

The drive down was lovely.. it's beautiful down here.. and warmer. Even the grass is changing colors, not just the trees. And.. wind farms. I'm nutty for wind farms. Pretty pretty. I like that a very-familiar landscape is being changed in the most science-fiction seeming, yet hopefully very positive, way. The windmills look more like art or aliens, rather than power plants.

Stopped by my alma mater, Iowa State, on my way to Des Moines...

- They've classed the place up! New branding, new bookstore, new changes to the student union. Iowa State now looks all Big 10 n' shit. Stopped by the M-Shop, and was thrilled to find that it still smelled the same.

- Walked around the horoscope on the floor, saw the campanile (sp?); Ralph Nader decided to come visit Ames at the same time. Weird.

- Ames specializes in a warm, glowing variety of fall.. yum.

- Stopped in the music building, which was like homecoming. Saw three teachers I dug and one I didn't. Saw two music secretaries that I adore. Looked at baby pictures from old classmates - - just lovely.

- Walked back to the student union and purchased my first bit of ISU paraphernalia. Tug at my heart, I will buy your stuff.

Drove the rest of the way to Johnston, Iowa, where the hotel is, about 20 minutes from Maxwell. My grandpa was born in Maxwell, he'll be buried there, when it's warm and the leaves are slipping from green to gold. That's kind of lovely.

- Caught up with my mom, sister, brother in law. Us girls, we all look the same.

- Caught up with my aunt, uncle and two cousins from Cali. My two cousins still share their almost telepathic link: a casual intimacy that sibling-ness and button-pushing usually gets in the way of. I want to wonder at it, but that would be rude (so I'll just do it here).

- 'Ate dinner at a supper club, one that specializes in the three hour meal. We shared stories, caught up (it's been a long time); Uncle Dave brought pictures of Grandpa from about 1913 on... Wow. :)

- Put the Scott side of the family together, and, again, we all look the same. However, the Californian Scotts as a whole are beautiful and just southern-Cali polished. They're also smart, sweet, funny and I'm so damned lucky to know them. As far as relatives go, they should be out of my related-to league. :)

- I ate too much.

- I just learned what HBO plays at 11:30 p.m. on a Friday.. aghhhh!! Really??! Oh, of course really... But I also found "Family Matters". Oh. And "Project Runway". Good lord.

Onward to tomorrow.
Good night.

Friday

There's a really needy maltipoo on my lap -- like really needy. If I don't give him tummy rubs, he might explode.

- Yeaaa, Creature Feature! Did Josh Eakright make me a teary mess? Well, yes of course, but then he spent the rest of the time scaring the bejeezus out of me. Josh was the kid you either really really wanted to play Ghost in the Graveyard with or completely the opposite. Scariest goddamn giant hamster...

- Can I tell you how much I love this damn show? And how I'm am continually amazed/surprised/delighted by the cast? It's all ambrosia n' shit... If only I could stop breaking on stage... (p.s. Survivors were a manic delight... Again!! See above comment and apply it to the Survivors boys...)

- Three people I know/love/respect admitted to reading my blog -- thank u! It's so nice to hear, and makes me very grateful that you put up with, well, me..

- Thank you for all the kind words, hugs and well-wishes regarding my granddad... My heart fills up and I am so grateful and so damned lucky.

Leave for Iowa today. That mix of sad happy thoughts.. When every funeral becomes part celebration of that person and part reunion: all loving and still sad. Which leads me to think:

- We all need to have more goddamn parties. Or host your own funeral every five years or so.. (a fun-eral, if you will..) Let the lost loved ones come out of the woodwork... Guilt your friends on the coasts into invading flyover country. Have your mom meet your dealer. Just saying, my dad would have loved his funeral.

- Must pack! Must slide into car and reacquaint one's self with I-35. I see a bunch of people who look like me in a couple of hours...

(I almost just typed Inward... Well.. Yes that too...)

Onward.

Recovering...

Indeed recovering. And putting off emails I need to write, and things I should be shoulding.

- Six Ring Circus was super fun last night. I approve! It's also just fun to play.. I also discovered the reason as to why I've been tear'd-up-runny-nose-giggly on stage, and that reason's name is Josh Eakright. Josh makes me laugh like I'm having an allergic reaction, and I mean that as an utter compliment. I laugh, my eyes water, my nose runs - - it's like a really really funny kodak commercial. Well played, Mr. Eakright!

- Missed Joshtoberfest... :(

- Got sucked into a quasi-politico debate with really good, smart people. This smarty-pantsing was accompanied and fueled by a questionable amount of beverages.

- Got home around 2 a.m.. Foolish, Jen. But it was a lovely evening though, truly...

- Still figuring out Grandpa's funeral arrangements. Everyone's just waiting, still in hover mode.

- It's not cool having to wear your favorite black dress twice in two years for funerals. It's now my favorite-black-funeral dress. I'd rather not go to a funeral for a while after this. And need to wear the dress to a wedding or a brisque (sp?) or something...

- My sister flies in tomorrow (yea!)

Speaking of tomorrow...

CREATURE FEATURE, Tomorrow (Thursday)! 10 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop!!! Life is too short, and this will be damned funny. Come see me be reduced to a giggly teary snotty mess yet again! Who will be the monster? What will be the monster? Survivors of the Undead Plague open!! Zombie funny too? Damn!!

Onward.

What do you do?

When a funeral is four days away, and you have no family in town? You hover... I was lucky enough to have the day off from work (so lucky! I win!) so I... hovered. A lot.

- got props for the museum*

- ran errands (Target! Trader Joe's!)

- ran unsuccessfully around Lake Calhoun

- dropped my delicious Mini Tin fish sandwich on the cement

- was encouraged by strangers to still eat the sandwich (agreed!)

- wasted hours on the internet

- planted the bulbs that Ellie gave me

- created refrigerator pickled carrots

- lit the recipe on fire by nearby candle

- made black bean stew (no recipe, no fire)

- made spicy cornbread

- halloween'd the porch. My porch is now maybe 10% spooky. The black.. thing behind the pumpkin is a bundle of branches I've had for over a year, now tied together with hemp (thanks, the 90s!!!), and then, today, spray painted black. I tried to make something that, in my mind, suckers would pay $25 for at Pier One. I may have however just made spray-painted branches. No matter.

- distracted myself into a unsatisfied but accomplished frenzy.

Talked to both my sister and my uncle. Looking forward to seeing them both...

Onward.
* there was an honest to god pulpit at the thrift store. $99 for your own take home pulpit! It might light up too....

What you can and can't...

Yesterday's Stitch n' Bitch went great, after a yesterday of little-house-things.

The cast was happily mowing away on nachoes (dear lord, I heart nachoes) and drink tickets and chatter, and my cell phone rang. It was my Uncle Dave. dammit.

My Grandpa Scott passed away last night. He was 95 years old. He had been sleeping a lot (like 18 hours a day?) and had been moved into hospice. I knew he hadn't been doing well, but I didn't know that.

I didn't know what to say to my Uncle except I love you and I'm so sorry. All I could think was how my Uncle lost his only brother (my dad) last year and now his father, and how that was so sad. But I couldn't feel anything myself, and so I walked back into the Bryant Lake Bowl and told the cast.

"...but I don't feel anything right now.." I didn't. This really confused me.

"Well, honey, that's because you're in shock," said my director.

"Oh."

I told them a little about my grandpa's situation and how sad I felt for my uncle. And then my director raised his glass and said, "Well, here's to Grandpa Scott." And I laughed and said, "Dammit, you've made it real." and stepped out to go cry.

So very lucky to be with such good people, and 'have them at the right time, in this situation. Called my mom, who told me about her medical and work stuff, and told me that we could use some good news as she's tired of the bad variety. Then talked to my sister, who just felt incredibly guilty, and cried. My brother-in-law called me, which was an affirmation that I have a brother by marriage now, and it was the nicest thing. After paying up at the BLB, 'drove to Drew's house for some incredibly generous hugs and time. (thank you!!)

Death and getting older and I feel sad and go to Iowa on Friday, probably. I get to see people I love and cry some more. There is no script for this stuff, and there's a strange feeling that we don't know if we're doing it right. So I'll blog about it, my sister will cry, and my mom will worry over the practical.

I love Grandpa Scott and now he's in heaven, hangin' with my dad and my grandma. He saw a lot, and was smart, kind, funny, incredibly generous, softspoken, and short. He wore cardigans and was an excellent golfer. He married a beautiful woman way back in the 30s or so, and had two awesome boys who grew up in the 50s. His hair turned a perfect white sometime in the 70s or 80s, and he always looked dapper as hell. So very lucky to know him.

What a day... I might go run around a lake, or I might just stay in my pjs for a bit. Maybe I'll buy some dogfood for the incredibly needy maltipoo on my left.

Onward.

Sunny Friday Sunny day...

Creature Feature last night... oohhhh... I don't know if there's much that makes me happier. I was a teary snotty mess cuz of funny people (albeit, while onstage). If you missed last night, you've missed "Goblin Shark, Party Beach" (alternatively subtitled "Goblin Shark, Dune Buggy") - - Delight! Don't miss another! Next Thursday at 10 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop, and then at 8 p.m. all following Thursdays through October.

My birthday's coming up soon. Yea, go me. I will be a derivative of 11. That's more than I've ever been. Trying to decide what to do (quiet something? loud something? pizza something?). One of the few things that resonates is to have a cereal party (buy a bunch of cereals, milk, soymilk and invite everyone over. I love cereal! Everyone loves cereal! We all win! However, the looming shadow of the boozecereal hangover gives me the creepies.)

Dang. Travel's expensive. Just sayin'.

Boy goes to France today. I'm super excited for him - - France in the fall has a lovely sound. He will eat croissants and drink coffee!! He will see friends and eat yummy food!! He will be missed...

umumum... The place where I was hiding away has been filled with eating chatty people... Curse their adorableness! I'm sure I had something "important" to say... indeed... foiled again!

Come see Stitch n' Bitch, this Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl! W00t!

Onward. :)

Tuesday Bluesday - - it's fall

Holy hannah, is it fall. Yeaa, fall. The season of my birth. The season of sweaters and jackets. The season before the weather gets asinine. It's almost warm pajama time. Begin!

- Stitch n' Bitch is coming together. W00t w00t! It is fun. :) I am remembering how to drink wine from a box i.e. don't support with your neck, support with your hands. This all sounds incredibly dirty.

- Creature Feature this Thurs at 10 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop!!! Does it get any better?? No, sir, it does not..

Weren't there other things to blog about?

- Ellie invited me over for pudding cake & cake. This was one of the best things ever. Then she also gave me lilly bulbs! Good god! I owe this woman some lasagna.. :)

- Made fried zucchini and spicy tomato sauce yesterday. It was delish. I am super duper proud of my tomato sauce, of all things to be proud of. Zucchini muffins were also made Sunday. I am working against my zucchini phobia.

- Today is speeding by. The lake was ran around, and I stared at some geese. The upside of Canadian Geese upclose: they look like super huggable dinosaurs. The downside: when they look at you, they poop.

- I have the "I want to move to Portland" push again. The economy sucks. My house would probably not sell. I want to move to Portland, for no particular reason except for crush of the place. Greedy greedy Jen.

- Started writing. Yea me. Hoping to write like I jog - - it feels good, and it's an easy distraction (i.e. "I should be painting my ceiling, but... I'll be so healthy if I go jogging." See??) Unlike jogging, writing comes with the secret dream-hidden-bonus of the possibility of people paying you money for the words that come dribbling out of one's head. I like that possibility. (and not painting my ceiling)

- No one's going to pay me for jogging. The only useful thing that other's seem to get out of my jogging is geese poop. And geese poop may not be that useful, honestly.

Stitch n' Bitch opens this Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Come! Come!

Onward.

Sunday bloody Sunday....

Indeed!

All my bemoaning about being computerlessness is at an end (hopefully.) Much Saturday morning research was followed by a successful trip to Microcenter (a successful trip to Microcenter is like a successful trip to Kinko's... rare, precious, and not to be unappreciated). I now have a refurbished Compaq Presario somethingsomethingsomething. The height of my geekiness - - which is truly not that high - - I purchased ram. Damn!

I have spent this morning downloading Firefox and Chrome and saving passwords with abandon.. My ability to waste time has now increased 10 fold.

(And all you people I owe pictures to - - I should be able to edit them now! W00t!)

Yesterday was all computery, and then Stitch n' Bitch tech, and then to one of the nicest dinners I've ever been a part of. This lovely couple lives in the sweetest, hidden St. Paul neighborhood. She's from Belgium, he teaches animation at a local art school (and sez HI BUTCH!!). See - - they're amazing already. They live in this perfect midcentury bungalow which they've filled with goddamn beautiful MIDCENTURY FURNITURE. AHHHHHH!!! (Even the wallpaper in their bathroom is original. Their bathroom sink looked like it was styled after the front of a jetliner. Gahhhh...) I have serious boners for exactly that stuff, and here was a house, impeccably styled and filled with it. I think I drooled on anything. And then told them that I was drooling on everything. (They seemed unsurprised by it... I think they may get the reaction a fair amount). And what's more - - they were amazing, gracious, generous - - very welcoming to a freaking out 32 year old furniture ho. Follow that with conversation and wine and the other guests were equally amazing and cool, and... Very lucky. Lovely evening.

Of everyone one at the table, I was the least educated. Now, I've equated higher education with having midcentury furniture and dinner parties with people who make Werner Herzog jokes. I now want my masters. In what, I have no clue. I would love to receive one collecting furniture via Craigslist and attending festivals in the French Alps... Doesn't that sound nice? *sigh* Awesome.

Granted, I know they worked their tucuses off to get where they are. But, it's nice to peek in and wonder.

Today equals work. I don't wanna go to work. But I messed up, and now have to. I would rather be at Creature Feature. (I generally don't mind the Museum. It's just been a LOT of museum in the last three weeks. And I'm missing Creature Feature. :( )

Speaking of:

CREATURE FEATURE! This coming Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop! (and all Thursdays through October) annnd...

STITCH, BITCH n' DIE! This coming Saturday & Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl (and all Saturdays and Sundays through October)

Onward.

Doing more before 9:00 a.m....

.. than most people do everyday! ... well.. sometimes.

Yesterday just felt so damned.. disjoint. Nothing fit together, even though one thing happily slid into the next. Maybe it was sitting for three hours at an internal "Job Fair" (which felt like a honest to goodness job fair, people trying to sell each other to each other.. help!). And maybe, it was traffic on the drive home. My rhythm of "wake up, hit one work, hit next work, do shows, go to rehearsal" felt all false n' shit. Dingdongdangit. Gross.

However, this morning I was a paragon of getting stuff done. I went to Kinko's in Uptown (I have yet to spot the Kinko's of northern Mpls), ran around a lake, got puppydogtails and coffee from Isle's Coffee & Bunn (which, after running, was like smoking a pack of Winstons i.e. AWWWWWESOME), went to a random audition (I guess I'm a "Kathy Bates" type), and sped my way to work.

In this industriousness, I managed to smear gum on my driver's side window.. while driving. Made worse when I instinctually tried to open the window to get it off. Hah! I am a living metaphor.

This audition was for a fishing net company, and we were told to come dressed as Northern MN-nice. It was neat to see all of the familiars dressed up in their grungies. It was like "Pajama Day" at school, except instead of pajamas, it was mom jeans and flannel.

There was even free lunch today! My god! I owe someone some free lunch! (With fruit and coffee even!)

Fifteen minutes later, the free lunch has formed a freelunch lump in my stomach. I shall burp freelunch for the next five hours. This is the price one pays for freelunch.

All that stuff I need to do still needs to get done. Worried that the worries and disjointedness of yesterday will follow me into today. No matter!

Onward.

Just the way you are...

I had my tarot read a couple of weeks ago... (I know someone for reals and really good -- and cheap! -- if you're interested) The excellent advice from the reading was this:

- do things that will give you pleasure -- not the short term, debaucherous hang-over-forming sort of pleasure, but rather a pleasure comprised of satisfaction. Doesn't that sound nice?

- figure out what causes you this pleasure.

How to find out (this gets all new agey goony -- forgive me): go lookin' for the Chariot (movement while being still) by concentrating on the Priestess (intuition) and the Hermit (go get by yourself).

Huh, I said. These are not bad goals. I will take advantage of time by myself by pondering and relaxing. (there's another change coming, like a page flipping in a book). I will trust my vibe. I will relax. However, ISN'T THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW????

My 'meditation' time was spent cleaning the oven. I also watched some Venture Bros. while sanding a $3 Salv Army score. Goddammit. My inner child is working out its OCD. My painbody is all type A. I really think there's probably some things I should probably be doing. I posed a couple of these things to myself (Go get woodchips. Measure ceiling. Figure out how to winterproof windows & doors... Hrm. I may work on those. Memorize. I might do that too.), but I think I might compromise by exercising (I ran around Lake Calhoun yesterday and didn't die! W00t!), making dinner (hellooo, grits..) and doing some calling. Being by myself -- kinda. But it's so much.. easier to be distracted.

Need to purchase a new laptop. I've changed the harddrive in my old one 3 times. I've had my current one for about 5 years. It's time. Ahhh, money. However, now the world makes 10 inch laptops! They're adorable! Like little midget laptops! Pondering one of these. Will have to purchase separate CD drive, but.. still! ...maybe I just want a laptop that's proportionate to my tiny dog, car, and income.

'Used a laminating machine today. Laminating machine are like crack. Can I laminate something for you??

Tomorrow features some long term time at the museum again.. (all for nice stuff, but still.. It's a long day). Wednesday features some dropping off of said laminates (so pretty! So easily addictive!) and some Stich n' Bitch (Sat & Sundays in Oct @ the BLB!!).

But my favorite comes soon: Creature Feature!!!! Thursdays in October at the Brave New Workshop!!! Aghhhh!!! Creature Feature is even better than laminating machines by.. like.. a million. Promise.

Onward.

Buy my stuff!

Super short post...

- Buy my stuff! I'm on garage sale day number two! And, indeed, people have bought some of my stuff. I am pleased. I never thought sitting in a garage and staring at our extras with two other ladies could be so dang pleasant and relaxing - - but it is.

- Garage sale is also forcing me to stay in one place for hours on end. Bwaha! Delightful!

- Privacy NanoForum a'go! So happy. So pleased.. whew.. Collapse begins!

- Went to an art show last night (after feasting on the roast shoulder of something adorable.. it was very tasty though) with PIC last night, and had the loveliest of nights. Artists were cool, friendly, engaging, and fun! Art was just plain ol' cool. I purchased art!!! (a small necklace for myself, for my birthday) I got to hang out with the very cool artist herself, a bunch of other artists, and PIC in the artist's rockin' studio/pad/office. NEAT!

- There's a sweet spot on the Mississippi River behind this gallery that now Drew and I have been to twice (first for a solstice party - - when we froze our asses off, an possibly climbed over a fence and trecked through ice and snow to get to - - and now for a gallery open). It's sandy beach that looks over industrial to your front, river to your right, and downtown to your left. There's a bonfire. Good people come to appreciate this place, and they bring other good people. It's officially one of my favorite places in Minneapolis, and one you can get to so so rarely, if at all. Very lucky when we can.

Looking forward to this evening.

I got my running stuff back!! YEAA!! Thank you! Tomorrow's run is gonna kick my butt.

Onward.

Blah blah blah, going crosseyed a tad..

- I got cast! Yeaaa, happy & proud. However. I can't take it as I'm cast in something I committed to (this thing pays well & should be fun... Hopefully.. It shld be). Sad to turn good stuff with good people down though...dangit. :(

- If u can, try not to start your day getting reprimanded. I am resenting it as I let it hurt and steal my energy. Boo.

- I have a forum to run on Thursday. The organizing of this particular forum has been one of the most disjointed messes ever. Nice work, Jen? Non! However, did I also have to write the scenarios & did those come good? Oui! It was a see-what-Jen's-strengths-&-weaknesses-are party, as gross and/or as that sort of party can be...

- Did a commercial thingie. Yea! That was fun, I think.

- Cutest Monkey audience yesterday. So lucky.

- Had potluck dinner with friends -- success!! I made paprikas, which is basically stew with a LOT of paprika and floaty-dumpling things. The cat gives paprikas two paws up.

- I got some bizzness to take care of, lest the world explodes. Do/survive forum, make posters, memorize lines, write sketch, run garage sale -- this is all important on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Blurgh!

- I left my running shoes at a friend's house... Arghhh! A run would probably help.

Onward.

Okay...

I read Mike Fotis' latest post and I wanted to cry. Or at least destroy all crappy clerks. Mike - - I'm so sorry. They will burn in customer service hell.

- Thursday sped by. Coffee with Mr. Venske was lovely and I owe him some info. Yea! I also enjoyed a delicious bagel. Huzzah for delicious bagels!

- Youth coaches met. It was good. I was also told to start being not such a softie. Very well. I will let my edges show through.. Seriously kids - - do you really want seven years of improv teaching and/or embitterment to come shining through? You all are brilliant - - however, my lack of ability and/or time and/or ... you get the point. Gack!

- Had my tarot read! That was wonderful! Me and some certain major arcana are going to chill. I received some good plans and perspective - - very nice. :)

- Talked to Mr. Jennings, which was awesome. I'm so damned proud of him.

- Booze & Cruise! Drew lent me one of his roommate's bikes, and we tooled through DT Minneapolis (race the bus!), biked over the Stone Arch Bridge, ended up at a Polka Festival, grabbed dinner at Tuggs, biked to Red Stag, met Ole-the-bartender (who rules), had bacon dessert, walked to the Vegas Lounge, killed on "Midnight Train to Georgia", and biked our butts back. Such good times! Such loveliness!

- Minneapolis by bike is the prettiest Minneapolis.

- Woke up moderately okay (though sore) and took a 10 a.m. voiceover workshop which made me about jump out of my skin. Not in that excited way, but in that "aghhhhhhh... this gives me nothing!".. The workshop was mostly made up of talking about the business (yeah.), who's really good in the businesss (yeah.), why they're good (yeah.) and just sitting there, doin' nuttin'. However, five minutes before the workshop was over, he finally had us read some copy - - and that was actually fun. And he showed himself to be a wonderful coach. Argh. Will I try to go into voicework? Chances are - - no. It costs money up front and the market is flooded. However, does it pay well for not alot of work? Oui. Who knows. It was a lot for slightly hungover and very tired me to take.

- Saw some of my favorite people in the world (i.e. Steve A. and Sharon S. of TRP).

- Loveliest of weekends! Pizza with nice people and their new house, cleaning PG's place (which I adore - - it feels so good all clean and stuff.. whoosh!), buying a shower curtain, getting dinner at Eli's.. yum yum yum.

- Creature Feature starts soon!!!!!!!!!!!! Thursdays in October. We had rehearsal on Sunday. My eyes were watering with funny. How can this be so much fun? It's just that much fun. W00t!!!!!

I'm a bit all over the place. Apologies. More stuff to come.. mebbe.

Onward.

Luckier than we deserve...

Okay... Scratch above post. I need to make it to 1 p.m. tomorrow.. Then we'll deal with the week after.

- I worked. Worked worked, or some version of worked..

- Saw an awesome kid from the Steppingstone Improv thingie.. His name is Kyle.. Not Mark or Sherman or Mikey or whatever under god's green earth I called him. He is lovely and awesome.

- Restuffed lines back into my head. Lines felt like marshmallow fluff--possibly ready to tumble out at any moment. Or expand in a microwave.

- Fun person I got to play with at callbacks yesterday is actually the boyfriend of my old roommate. Said boyfriend now lives with dear friend Pogi, who almost took old roomate's room before she moved in. This world is strange & small.

- Did show. Given that these show are generally company buy-outs, you never know what sort of feel the audience is going to have, and 'tend to expect the worst. Alas, this was one of the best audiences ever, and the food service fed us afterwards (which never happens -- I ate like a conference go'er i.e. more than I should. Like a king.), and the show itself was just damn fun. So lucky.

- Lee said that the walleye they fed us was not actually walleye, but some Russian walleye substitute called "Xander". (Please insert "In Russia, _something_ _somethings_ you" joke here.)

- Hung out with two ladies from CT at the hotel bar afterwards, totally enjoying their out of town conference experience. Might hang out with them tomorrow, as they are a hoot, damned generous and funny. :) Yea for new friends! (and sweet lite-New England accents) We laughed alot.. Good people. :)

- Getting to bed to read and be super on top of things tomorrow. We hope.

Onward.

Don't let up 'til you get through today...

I can't stop, even though it's suuuuper tempting. If I can be prepared for tonight, then the rest of the week should slide, right? Hopefully right.

My neighbor Dan decided to talk to me... A conversation with Dan lasts a full 15 minutes, and he'd happy have it last more. Dan does not say hello. Dan has stuff to say. It's not necessarily a conversation to begin with, but rather a happy-toned Dan monologue of gloom. Dan informs me, in a happy tone, but yet disgusted, of who's been broken into and how little the house next to him is selling for, and how many crack dealers he's seen.. Mostly doom and gloom. Today's missive (which unfortunately came when I was damn'd late for work) ended with his tale of stupid heroic awesomeness.

Some kids were kicking in doors and going through houses a block up (I swear this is not a regular occurence, although we heard about this happening more this summer). Dan spotted them in his minivan, turned his damn van around, drove the wrong way up a one way street, drove onto the lawn, and "captured" them. Or at least chased them back to their house, where the cops were waiting. Holy crap!!

We both agreed that this was stupid of Dan, but pretty awesome.

And now the rented house that these thugs (teens though they were - - but still acting like thugs) lived in - - empty.

Happy call back last night - - lesson learned #5 - - if you 'act' drunk, you'll have to sober up. Shirley temples were my liquor placebo, and they worked! Damn!

Dinner with PG over a kitchen counter was lovely, got to run around a lake, and then fell asleep, reading. Pleased. MUST NOW RE-STUFF LINES INTO BRAIN AND PREP FOR WEIRD STUFF TOMORROW. GO GO GO.

Not letting up, gonna do it.

Hoping your day is good.

Onward.

Run rabbit - - really?

Writing a blog feels a tad... indulgent.. as there's stuff I need to do (but I'm a tad worried that I'll just run around in a circle if I don't focus)

- Monday, I worked. Makin' money, hopefully...

- THERE'S STUFF TO DO!

- Heyyy, I'm called back for that 'big interactive show' - - I didn't know that I was called back until yesterday (it could have been a late call i.e. someone dropped out.. ah well..) This still does not affirm my ability to tell a boner joke.

- Creature Feature rehearsal was all shades of fun. Damn. It's funny how just a couple new peeps (and shaking the whole format up) can change the entire flavor of a piece. (it may seems incredibly obvious, but.. it was nice opening up a box of crayons - - smells the same, but the colors are all different - -exciting!) W00t! I'm giddy.

- HUZZAH FOR THE BOZICS!!! Nice work all.. :)

- Strangest dream last night... I feel like I need to apologize to Shanan W.. I totally trashed her house, with some help. Sorry!!

Onward.

"and now, I 'spose its time for four cones..."

It's Iowa! Welcome back, Cotter... The land of eye contact and steak and potatoes...

- Mom goes to work, I clean the kitchen. We run to mom's car mechanic (at what used to be "Homer's" and is now called "Not-Homer's") about four times.

- Mom makes steak and potatoes for dinner. Literally. Delish.

- Drive about 30 miles to Vermillion S.D. to visit my old high school buddy Brett. Brett now lives in a huge trailer, smokes Marbarol Reds, works as a killerdiller baker in a grocery store, and can't stop telling stories or giggling. We go get drinks at the PrairieInn, a combination bar/hotel/bowling alley. It felt like coming home -- seeing Brett was... awesome.

- Wake up at 11?! Drive back up to South Dakota to meet my grandpa and his girlfriend at a joint called "Tobie's". Grandpa seems to be doing awesome, seems sharp as a tack, and despite some physical problems which are in-general sad, is currently doing a lot of stock day trading on the internet. This gives my mom tiny heart attacks.

Tobie's is rumored to have the best fried chicken in the area... Ohmigod.

* I demolish what was once the breast of a living thing. The skin is incredible. It was foodpornirific.

* Everything on my plate was a varying shade of beige. To drink, coffee. We danced the light brown fantastic.

* Pam, my grandpa's girlfriend, was being harassed by a fly. She asked the incredibly nice waittress for a flyswatter, smashed the bug into another table and said "Got 'em"

* After Pam had killed another fly, and we had devoured whatever was on our plastic plates, Grandpa says to the waittress, "Well, I 'spose its time for four cones." At Tobie's, I think as part of the meal, they give you ice milk cones. Almost as a reward. Brilliant!

- Pam & Grandpa have permission to go get some free apples. We drive to Tobie's widow's place (Tobie was a pretty wonderful guy) where we're supposed to pick windfall apples (apples that are already on the ground). Pam starts picking apples off of the trees. Mom and Grandpa begin to get nervous. Pam comes up to me, with an excited mischevious look on her face and says "Look wat I found. Pears." Indeed, Pam found this widow's pear tree and was picking un-permissioned pears. Scandal! This is when I realize that my grandpa's 91 year old girlfriend is trouble. However, she likes to make you a partner-in-crimes, and suddenly here I was, already to sneak pears with Pam. Super trouble!

- Mom makes a mention to grandad about Pam's unlicensed "tree" apple stealing, and Grandpa sighs, and says, basically, that he would move out of Pam's place "if only I could tie by own shoes..."

- As mom puts it, the generation who grew up during the depression are this mix of incredibly generous and incredibly cheap. It's true.

More stuff later. Thinking of the Bozics -- love to all!! :)

Onward.

Back in Sux...

Greetings from the south & west...

- Last couple of hours before boarding the plane were lovely... Tromped and sweated around Olympia Forest, west and north of Seattle. Lesson #554 - I have no idea what "steep" means... More slugs, a squirrel and two deer!

- I got booze on the plane! Exciting! Silly!

- Crash asleep after watching crazy Sarah Pelin. She is my Cruella de Ville and Tammy (Faye?) Baker, all rolled up in a crazy Chrisitan pita.

- A couple of errands around Thurs. Ended up in DT St. Paul, and took back any blogging bravda re: the RNC. Troops of police in riot gear. Not cool. Utterly surreal. They're just cops, but now they're cops nervous about beating someone up. Aghhh...

- Turns out many members of the RNC weren't eating in DT St. Paul... Nor on the strip in Mpls. Talked to a restaurant mgr who had been talking to other restaurant mgrs... Where the hell did these people eat? Are they all staying in Bloomington? (which, granted, I can't blame them for leaving warzone-ish St. Paul).

- Left for Sioux City around 7:30 p.m., after a meeting, and then unexpectedly meeting new friends. Yea for Ohio! :) Arrive about 1 a.m.

- Back in Sux City.. It's nice to be here on a non-holiday, and for no other reason than just to be here. I get to look around with non-colored eyes, before all the changes that happen to a city blend with all the other familiar.

- It's still crazy industrial. The industrial you don't notice as a kid, but acknowledge as an adult that that gravel pit has always been there.

- People can 4-way stop around here. Delicious! I'm going to 4-way stop my way all over this b*#&h. :)

- I told mom that Mrs. Pelin was crazy, and she nodded and said "She's from Alaska.. They're all crazy."* **

- Mom declares conventions as BS, and that all politics are bought and sold anyway. My mom is the nicest, funniest, smartest, sweetest woman ever--underlined with a thick black line of realism... Pessimism... Realisim

- We discussed supreme court decisions after the election. Here's the thing: I have no idea who she's voting for. But we both agreed that the supreme court possibilities are frightening.

- Meeting an old high school friend tonight, someone I haven't seen for maybe 12-13 years. We're getting beers in Vermillion, SD. ... Weird! Surrealific!

Wish us luck & luck to u... See u Sunday!

Onward.

* My mom trusts Alaska about as much as she trusts.. um.. the government. Corporations. Pharmaceutical companies. Nationally mandated smoking laws. (and she's a non-smoker). Taxes. Long story. Alaska = crazy and not to be trusted!

** I think Sarah Pelin may feast on beluga butter and flosses her teeth with seal whiskers. I'm hoping the wolves stage some sort of sit in.

I will come back and deal with reality...

Thus begins the route home. Agh. So much of what I read from MSP are (probably definitely) justifiably pissy missives regarding the RNC. I know things like debt and republicans (and a police state? Jesus. Give me a break. And on top of that, why are you surprised?... Yes, you've got 5 a.m. embittered Jen -- good morning) wait on the end of this trip.. I don't mind work... But... Urgh. The transition from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. has been an important one today. Counting the blessings that MSP holds to stay sane (fun... PIC...), but right now, picturing how to give it all up and how to make a living in Victoria.

- Drove back across the island. Lovely day, lovely weather... Stopped at Cathedral Grove (purty!), stopped at a couple of gas stations... Took our time.

- Welcome to Victoria! Where Vancouver felt like San Francisco Disney World, Victoria feels like Mpls. I officially like this town -- it feels livable. The downtown area is filled with old buildings, all bustling and full of commerce. The city's clean. Relatively safe. (like St. Paul, but if people lived in and internationals had a reason to visit St. Paul) People are nice (my Canadian mantra). There's homelessness, per any large city, and Canada's got its share of shameful spots. But I like it. Period. I could live at the hostel for a couple weeks.. Get on my feet...

- Stayed at the Oceanview Backpacker's Hostel, which I adored. Super clean, super tiny roon with high ceilings and a sun roof (yea for fourth floor). All painted by artists who had stayed there. All run by people who live there. Very cool, very clear on how to live there, all filled with people of all different accents. Happy.

- Ate sushi at Koto Japanese. Adorable waittresses. Banana tempura!

- Woke up at 4 a.m.. Back in line in our car for the ferry. More sitting.

Can't complain. Super duper trooper lucky. Looking forward to seeing those I love. And there's coffee on the ferry, which will help sanity some too...

Onward.

Experiencing white man's map envy..

Welcome to Vancouver Island, Land of the beautiful wet... It's Endor-ific! This whole island should be teemimg with sasquatch.

- Vancouver Island takes about 3 hours to cross. Couple that with a 1.5 hour ferry and a 2.5 hour ferry wait and suddenly we've been sitting/traveling the entire day.

- Tofino, tiny town on the Pacific Rim, was filled. It turns out Canadians also celebrate Labor Day -- however, they simply call it for what it is: "The Long Weekend". People are unintimidatingly laid-back.

- We found a place in Uclucet -- "The Little Beach Resort". We can see the sea, and have a kitchenette in a tiny half cabin-thingie. The guy at the front desk was a surfer and kayak-guy and said that eveyone knows everyone.

- This is not the "eh" brand of Canadians, this is the "hey" brand of Canadians. Take English, lilt it like Irish, sprinkle some Northern North America "oah"s and you've got the B.C. accent. "Beautiful boaht, hey?"

- There is one road to Tofino/Uclulet. It is highway 4. It twists and turns and ups and downs though massive forests, punctuated by greyblackblue rock and moss.

- Beach! Trees! Water! Wind! Surfers! (Tofino is the surfing capital of Canada -- who knew.) Big rocks! Europeans! Twisity roads! Pretty! Repeat!

- Saw two slugs, 4 inches across and 1 inch thick. Held a spiny star fish.

- People come here to surf. Anyone our age has that beautiful basted by salt, baked by sun look. I want to learn to surf and become a surf instructor in Tofino. It's what our sea kayak guide does, and she was hyper cool.

- Met Dan the sea plane pilot... Maybe early 30s, blonde fu-man chu, short hair, wearing aviator glasses. Had hairy blonde ear lobes. Spends his summers playing sea plane taxi and surfing and camping and hiking, and his winters traveling around the world, surfing. Yes, people live like this! Amazing to me!

- Grilled last night, after a beautiful day (lovely lunch at a place called Sobo. I could eat raw oysters and drink cold beer for hours, if you let me)

- Saw Sydney Inlet, one of the 5 remaining old growth inlets on Vancouver Island (out of an original125). Loggers would eat the world, if they could.

- Finally, its so quiet. So beautifully quiet.

- According to Canada, pizza comes from Boston and chowder comes from Manhattan.

Hoping to be in Victoria tonight. Taking the ferry and flying back tomorrow.

Onward.