Things I knew but 'am relearning: Part 184

Gaaack!!! So tired! So dazed! So.. ehhhhhh! My own fault... kinda..

Things I learned:

- When you want to go home, go the heck home. Edit the scene. It's others' choice if they stay - - don't feel you have to. Just go!

- Repeat the above message about 900 times.

I'm tired and worn out. Today, however, should be fun of good stuff - - if I can pull myself together, and start talking and focusing like a regular human being. I don't feel like a regular human being. I feel a tired and grumpy pufferfish - - all prickly and cynical (as I'm sure all pufferfish are).

I'll get over it, I swear.

But first I have to load a "Wheel of the Future" into my upright bass-filled Kia. Yeah. This is questionable.

Heyy!!! Come see Mike Fotis's show TONIGHT at the Theater Garage, starting at 7 p.m.. It's Fringe! Happy Fringing all!! (does it feel like Fringe? Not to me, said the pufferfish.. but it will, hopefully..)

The Eagle's Club pt. 2

Some things are brilliant...

The Eagle's Club in Seward... pt. 1

I think I kinda love it...

Have we mentioned the nanoscale?

Hello... Monday stampeded by like a herd of mice with places to go..

* Work! It was a day of three: tripping over a stool in front of an audience (which worried said audience a great deal), dropping a microphone (which worried me a great deal), and accidently throwing a small plush gibbon at a 5 year old's head. My aim was true -- it just sort of bounced off her temple, and she looked nonplussed (this is naturally what happens at an interactive monkey show. Isn't art interesting? I am not surprised). I, on the other hand, began adult-crisis mode (Are u ok??? The gibbon and I are really really really sorry). However, thank goodness, Mom and Emma were both suuuuuper cool. I never want to attack someone under six with a gibbon again...

* 'Went to a financial advisor, who told me a couple thing I already knew and a couple I hadn't considered. Not the call of action I was secretly hoping for. Left unsettled. Ehhhhhh...

* Conga with dear friend Sue!!!! Life is more balanced again... :)

* Herkimer's with dear friend T.R.!!! Life is funny and sweet too. (and sometimes, you get old and people you met when they were 15 are suddenly 21 with stories... Amazing.) :)

This week, friends from all over the nation are in St.Paul to discuss the future of Nanoscale Informal Science Education. They are awesome, rockin' people--I'm used to going to their city to talk about this stuff, and attempting to party like a rock star. This is their first time (for me) that they've come here to party, but while I'm on the clock. Last night ended on a dock on the Mississippi, with beers and acoustic guitars. (y'know.. Like we always do here in MN...*???*). I'm a weenie and already tired... But it's lovely... We will educate the public about things that hard!! W00t! (so tired)

Onward.

Hammerschlagen!!!! Or, How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Batman...

Yeaaa!!! It's been a jam-packed 12 hours. NOW, the maltipoo is sleepy. Not at 6:30 a.m. (when he decided that it was time to run and play), but now. Pickles, my friend, that.. is Bullshit.

Hammerschlagen! PIC and I ended up at the absolutely wonderful Dave's for his Sümmerfest--Brats! Beer! Hammer-n-nailed together--delightful!

We were introduced to the game of Hammerschlagen (or, as Josh called it, HammerNail). H.S. was developed by drunk, bored Germans, who found themselves with nothing but nails and time. (H.S. involves hitting nails into a log with the wrong end of a hammer. Metaphor runs deep in this game.)

* Watch out for petite girls in long skirts!! They schlag hammers like none others.

* I am again impressed with various friends' hand-eye coordination. Wow! I'm just sayin' -- people have mad, hidden skills.

* H.S. presented the world with an active, visual representation of my learning curve. Hi, Jen's Learning Curve. It's steep.

I got home around 3:30 a.m.,and the roommate moved in around 9 a.m.. I am tired. Remind me about the Scottish Jehovah's witness (he's adorable).

My house smells weird, as her stuff smells weird (i.e. different). It'l go away, but its just... weird.

Oh--PIC and I took in "Dark Knight" last night.

I wasn't looking fwd to it. Christian Bale hasn't done much that makes me excited (another obsessed, humorless character? Oh, Mr.Bale), and I felt similarily about Christopher Nolan (another humorless movie about obsessed males? Sacrificing everything and everyone in their life for unattainable goals..? Oh yes, more of that please... I have a serious Nolan-sized brick on my shoulder.)

But.. Damn. Dark Knight was good. Batman looked like Batman (even if he sounded like Tom Waits' drunk uncle--that was a silly choice.) The cinematography was amazing. I've never wanted to move to Chicago before, but now I do. And goddamn Heath Ledger--not only was he jawdropping, but the character was amazingly well handled within the deeper context of the story. Crazy.

There will still moments of utter humorlessness, but they're topped with a nice layer of humanity. I was riveted basically the entire time, even during the questionable cell-sonar god machine. (Oh, Morgan Freeman....)

Dammit. I like a Batman movie. (ohhh! And Harvey Dent! Excellent!!)

My animals are being adorable. I need to look like a human being soon.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Onward.

Post-goin'-out

Kids were uber (imagine the umlaut) cute at the Museum yesterday - - we dealt with monkeys, played Star Wars-based game shows, and I did my big silly show. In the front row were two four year olds, who had recently been shown that swirling your finger by your head and looking slyly at your partner is super-secret-spy-speak for "That person in front of us is CRAAAZY". Four year olds being sneaky is adorable. They'd try to communicate CRAAZY slyly to each other, but then get caught up in the story.. etc.. Yea!

Ended up at Conga (in NE, across the street from the Wells Fargo on Central) for Happy Hour with dear friends, including Partner In Crime. We slogged back 2-4-1s and ate delish half off appetizers (Pernil en Tostones, which basically means Pork and *starchy fried* Bananas - - Pork & Bananas go great together. Beautiful people were dancing beautifully, we gawked. More food (half a chicken for $3!?), more drink... indulgence!

Then to the Vegas Lounge (for the first time) for Karaoke. Where I fail in the cool, monotone hipster-song (Cake), I succeed in the screechy, slightly histrionic ballad (Bonnie Tyler) - - Bonnie Tyler, thank you for my jam.

Now I'm crawling out of the post-goin'-out dregs (did I get enough sleep? How is my tummy? ...I'm luckier than I deserve) .. blagghh. Really fun night though. I, possibly unnecessarily, feel guilty. Like "That was a stupid thing to do" - - when I don't think I did anything too terribly stupid. Did I? No? No. Aghhhhh...? It sucks to feel a certain way when you don't understand why you do - - or perhaps, I do understand and 'am just in denial. Ah well.. :(

Congrats to the kids for opening up the BNW mainstage show!!! Congrats to the kids for opening up "The Temp"! Congrats to all you kids mentioned in this month's Minnesota Monthly (seriously - - it's a Fringe who's who in there)

Tonight should be fun. Tomorrow should involves some loveliness (baby shower!), along with some possible weirdness (roommate moves in... aghhhh? No.. it's good. Or.. it should be.) Who knows... Please wish us luck.

Onward.

Chicken Girl and Rollercoasters...

I seemingly had so much to blather about on the way in, but my brain has emptied now that the computer is on.

So, sometime last summer, a 9ish year old girl on a bike decided to play chicken with my car. I slowed down, she swerved around the front of my car, looked back to laugh at me, I gave her a goddamn contemptuous dismissive look, which made her yell "Bitch!". Oh, and I got mad. Not because of the "Bitch"-thing (as that meant that the look had landed), but rather the kids-SHOULD-NOT-play with the f-ing traffic. That could have gone horribly. It was righteous, adult anger. I was 'in the right' - - and MAD. End of story.

Anywhoo, I'm driving through my neighborhood last night, and there's a group of kids walking through the middle of the street about a block away. This is a common occurrence. As I pull forward, one of them - - a 10ish year old girl in red - - starts walking AT my moving car. (This all happens in the space of about five seconds). I slow down (as one does) and when she decides to be close enough, seemingly ready to hit my moving car, I lay on the horn. She jump and screams, I drive away. And start giggling. I can hear her giggling too.

Dammit! I dearly hope there's only one 10 year old girl in Camden either stupid or ballsy enough to actively play with traffic. But that was actually kinda.. fun. I so wanted to be MAD. But I couldn't. I know it's sort of a dirty-old-man thing to surprise kids and then laugh at them. But she goddamn had it comin'.... And I dearly hope that she stops f-ing with cars.

The next time it happens, if it does, I may just stop there, and introduce myself (IF she doesn't run away or call me a bitch randomly... these are all possibilities too.) Who knows.

Lovely evening of hanging out, some lovely food, some questionable service (she was like me as a waitress - - social thing down! Timing thing not so..).

Someone I like hanging out with is taking off again (he's had a summer of awesome travel...). As boss-Steph put it, it's kinda a roller-coaster. I'm workin' on balance - - so much like a lovely song by Amos Lee, I'll keep it loose and keep it tight, or perhaps like 38 Special, I will indeed hold on loosely, but won't let go. Thanks, 38 Special.

'Had a dream last night that I was in a Fringe Show based on a nonexistent comic drawn by Craig R. Russell and I had no idea what my lines were. Troy (of SOTUP) :) was there, and his lines were gibberish. There was a heavy rental theme before that.

Onward.

Here is the church and here is the steeple, we sure are cute for two ugly people...

Yesterday was lovely. Really really lovely. If I can figure out how to incorporate parts of yesterday into a more regular life, that'd be awesome.

My friend Sambush helped to hook me up with gig with a large media provider. We filmed stories that had been sent into a large car dealership. It was lovely to be outside, fun to do, the two film-guys were just awesome, and I'd be Sam's straight man any day of the week. We even got lunch out of it. More of that, please.

I overpacked for the shoot, and now need to empty my car of 50 odd pounds of clothes and props. Ridiculous. However, the leopard-print stretchy pants continue to be a hit, I tell you.

Afterwards, I took the cat-pee-covered couch out of the garage!! I swept the garage!! I cleared a space in the basement!! I recycled the majority of the cardboard in the garage!! (I finally figured out how to ready cardboard for the recycling truck!) I thought petty unnecessary passive-aggressive thoughts about those who had left stuff with me, including family. Passive-aggressive thoughts = lame. An actual two car garage = awesome.

There's more to do, but I'm pretty damn proud for the moment.

My horoscope told me to get mad yesterday, and I hope I used that 'rage' to clean, rather than to produce snippy inner monologues.

I can clean and move large things and stain and repaint and feel all manly. I'd like to expand my manliness into the realm of plumbing and possibly large home-repair and finishing.

I'm on a giving away spree. Anyone want a hammock? (it's rope) Anyone want a large Amish-made amoire? (it's heavy, but really lovely).

Went to PG's, where he treated me to an awesome cold soup, and I ruined his would-be omelet. He has the ability to flip a six-egg communal omelet. I have the ability to make it into a scramble. Arghhh! Luckily, as he puts it, "I have patience for American cooks.." It was lovely though. Really really lovely.

July is running down Tom Petty's dream... (drain?) August will be busy. Why does September worry me? No matter. (lame.)

Onward.

In my kitchen, cookin' up stuff.. (finally)

Thank you thank you thank you - - I'm not sure how to comment back on comments on my blog. Maybe there's no way. Maybe I'm just dumb. Either way - - thank you. These things mean the world.

I've had my head all kerfluffed by stuff I need to work out. And it's been hard to remember to count blessings and keep perspective... when one's head is all buried in seemingly really important sand. I'm very lucky to have people in my life who drag me back (i.e. you), and sometimes hand me a sandwich - - so - - again, thank you!

I got to hang out with some of you awesome people last night, and got totally spoiled with food, beer and support - - very lucky. (Thank you!) Short term plans - - I apply for some money making things today, and see a financial advisor on Monday. (The Powderhorn Residents Group is one of the coolest organizations around.)

Fun game from last night - - "Headlines"! It is purchasable from Twin Cities Green (run by the lovely and generous Tina and Ryan), so it's all green n' stuff. The players are given a photograph, everyone writes a 'headline', you vote on your favorite, and however many votes you get is how many spaces you move up on the board. You get a certain distance, and then you have to write with a theme. ehhhh? Pretty simple, pretty fun - - it's like a really slow short form game.

Traffic was weird this morning. I don't know why. Just.. weird. Not normal moving. However, the Current played a three-song-set of happiness...

Oh! Tonight at 10 p.m., Brave New Workshop - - Come see Mike Fotis preview his Fringe show! (and come see me go "owww", as I reintroduce myself to my bass. Owwwww...) Mike not only tells damn funny stories, but is a snazzy dresser and all-around soul of goodness.

Onward.

I feel as though I've purchased something from the adult section of the cat food aisle. I don't know if Sebastien & I are ready to experience this tender of a moment together, much less any whisker lickin/g.

Dog treats offer nothing so sensual.

Is this what Purina thinks cat owners want? Or perhaps serving the crazy cat lady in all of us? I DID purchase it. There are a LOT of hearts on this packging. And the peaceful lady and her cat on the package ARE reclining, all dressed in white (possibly satin, it's hard to tell).

Damn you, Purina!!! ...creepy. (yet soothing.... dammit.)

Sebastien's & my love is currently Crab Flavored. Last week, it was a 'Dreamy Duo' of Milk & Cheese.

..creepy.

***************

Not knowing what to do with "Wednesday", I called my sister, who suggested a girl's night of pampering and chic flicks. So I did my nails, and watched the original Star Wars (whew. There are some stinky lines in that movie. That being said, I ADORE U, PETER CUSHING!!!!!) Is there anything better than than the last 15 minutes of that movie? At times, no. Even the ceremony at the end gets me.

Someday, I'll watch Rudy and Miracle and Hoosiers and every other movie I know that will twist me up and wring me out. Until then, the emotional distance of the Rebel Assault on the Death Star, please.

'Woke up at 4 a.m. to Pickles defending the house loudly, and then my sleep-addled, no A/C brain treated me to a montage of things I've done wrong in the last 12 years -- poor choices, poor purchases, poor decisions. Thanks a lot, brain. The catch is that I probably wouldn't be where I now, good or bad, without those decisions... So suck it, brain. Gack. I'd honestly rather focus on the good ones, and hopefully make some backpaddingly excellent decisions in the future.. Right? I'm supposed to be gaining experience, right? ...meh.

Looking forward to the weekend -- it should be fun! There is reception-ness and PG comes back and maybe an Adorable rehearsal and just maybe it will rain today (yeaaaa!)

And someday, I will come out of this vague morning funk (I'm still a little peeved at my brain, but can't deny that it may have a point...)

Onward.

Brilliant!!!

(I can't seem to get the picture to post... lamers).

BRILLIANT!!!

I've subscribed to Urban Prankster (Improv Everywhere's Blog) and I've been trying to think of Mpls-based Pranking goodness.. Googly eyes might be more my speed...

Onward.

Morning emo blog

Life is so harrrddd... I have no motivation (I just brainstormed one, but it seems like a lame thing to do... But necessary). I have no monnnnney (This is basically true. At least, not in the thing I call a checking/saving account. This sucks big donkey balls. Not having magical mystical money turns one quite grumpy, if you live in an almost functioning society where one exchanges it for goods and services. Which gave my trip to the library to the library a vaguely socialist feel *what a fine service for the people* and a horribly beaureacratic nonsense-y one *who designed this?! Why can't I do a search THIS way? Even the self check out wasn't intuitive*.) Blech.

The books are exciting though.

I checked out a Pimsler language tape.. If you've never checked out a Pimsler language tape/CD, there is nothing that will make a person (comedy-oriented person, at least) more whiggy. So mockable! So ridiculous! And I got it to take it seriously..(arghh). The CD is kinda horrible, but not quite to the delightful stage -- it's highjacked by it's usefulness. It feels like wearing argyle socks -- not cute whimsical argyle socks, but the socks of repetion, shame and usefulness. Am I repeating what the man tells me to say? Yes I am! Do I turn it down when I come to an intersection? Yes I do!!

I also got a couple of phrase books, including the sexy Lonely Planet phrase book, which has a whole section dedicated to gettin some (The section starts with 'Pick Up Lines' to 'Rejections' to 'Getting Closer' onto 'Sex', then 'Love' and finally 'Problems'. - Delightful!)

Someone I like spending time with speaks a billion other languages, so I'm trying to impress him with my ability to mangle his. Needless to say, French -- much like English -- is dumb.

The dog kept waking me up last night - not pleased! But it's cooler today, I think.

Onward.

Centralized. Questionably centralized.

Today got hot! Holy crap! Good intentions of "running" this afternoon flew out the window.. (I may try a later thing... or maybe just do sit ups at home.. eh.)

I attempted the Mpls Central Public Library today. It reminded me of my college library (big.. confusing.. pay for parking)... There are few signs in the Mpls Public Library - - you are to know what to do by smell. The maps are confusing, and don't show any dewey decimal-ness (*grin* I want to be part of a kid's speed metal group called "Dewey Decibel"). Mpls - - why did you suck all the fun out of going to a library? Jen - - do you need all of your libraries to be Barnes & Nobles? Lame!

Despite the lack of joy, the comics section was finally found, and fun was had again. I left with two cookbooks, five comics (er.. graphic novels. It always feels weird to find the dirty book in the Library. There was some Anime that was raunchier than expected. *grin* I had to turn the book over to be sure they were really doing what it looked like they were doing, and, yes.. I think they were. I put it back, and then picked up another that was boob-filled. You crazy Japanese!), and three "how to learn a foreign language" things. However, I bypassed "Infrared Wedding Photography" and numerous Harry S. Truman biographies.

Back to work.

Onward.

Iz so kleen!

Yes and yea! Back yard hassled with! First floor floors washed or swept! Dusting attempted! Front porch un-white trashed! Feelin' better and less shamed. Huzzah.

Except that I've lost the garbage bags. This seems like a wholly improbable thing to do, but there you go.

24 hour Improv Festival completed! I hope that Josh K. didn't break something by consuming that much Red Bull. I got to play with Stagecoach, Team Negate (teee!), Adorable, & Vaudeville... 'Played pianer for Larnyx, which is always delightful... Davie & I had a set that felt really good (awww, why's he gotta go? But I'm so proud of him for doing so..) and Adorable went 40 minutes. Not that we were doing groundbreaking stuff, but we could have happily gone for another 20, happy & deliriously zombie and glass-vagina-breaking our way....

Shower,a drop off at ARC's, and a after-school special trip to the Library... Wish me luck.

Oh! Reading Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind" -- It's fabulous (Hopefully I got the title right).. Might be a must read.

Anything else? Happy pretty summer day. I hope it's treating you well...

Onward.

It's weird only if you choose it to be so...

Posted my first 'rental/roomie' ad on Criagslist... My goodness, that feels weird, but necessary. Like going to the gynecologist.

(This is true on so many levels..)

Late night Six Ring last night was actually lovely, and partially delirious--nothing like some 1 a.m. Improv after a full's day of work. They did awesome though! :)

Happily ran around the lake (of the Isles) this morning -- it was lovely--and purchased lemonade from possibly the cutest, most well-designed lemonade stand -- ever! Adorable and so... everything you'd want your design-wise lemonade stand to be. Bright colors, hip stencils. My cardboard box and paper sign model was blown out of the water. The kid was pretty cute too.

Tonight, I hope to eat well, play happily, and see good peeps -- what's a good housewarming gift??? (Brillo pads? Bleach? The Home Depot gift card that I wish I could afford... Someday...)

(Good news!! My long dead laptop decided to turn on! I hope it makes a habit of this!!! 'Wanted to make some zombie or christ reference to my laptop, but I shall not! I shall just be grateful for what time it has with me... That sounds a trifle fatalistic, but that's ok!)

Onward.

Super pretty.

Suuuuper pretty.

And here it comes. Your guide to living in down times. Or at least, the tips. It's all a bit ridiculous (some of them don't apply to me, and some of them are pretty obvious, but it's always nice to see these things written.) Arrrrghhh...

Strange disjoint day yesterday, but happily capped off by Venture Bros. with Kevin M. YUM! De-friggin'-lightful. We ate cheesy puffs, drank a couple beers, and celebrated one of the finest animated shows around. Damn. There was even a Double Dare reference. And a The Damned reference. It'd been too long...

I stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up said cheesy puffs, only to relearn a valuable lesson about grocery store sushi.

My mom mentioned someone at the college she works at, getting financial aid for traveling and having to write about it. My secret response was "well, if someone paid me to travel, I could sure as hell write about it.." ...and realized that that's a pretty crappy response. Maybe I should actually start by trying to write something interesting while stuck in the everyday. That'd be good. Maybe I'd be a better writer if one could find meaning in the mundane.. huh, Jen, huh??? (Travel writing seems like a cop-out. Of course, it's going to be interesting! Your perspective has shifted!) So - - anywhoo... I'd like to get on that. Maybe it's time to replace that laptop.

Activities abound this weekend... but all at strange times.

Onward.

Well, and then there's that...

What will make this blog more exciting? How about a picture of a cute dog/teddy/thingie... adorable!

Yesterday was a unexciting blur of 'lil bits of work, 'lil bits of talk, and a lovely rehearsal involving two of my favorite people and the Green Mill. Yes, it may not technically qualify as "rehearsal", but it was necessary and the first step to real rehearsals. I'm excited. :)

I ran around Lake of the Isles, and found that I no longer have the urge to tell the lake to suck it. Awesome. Perhaps Lake of the Isles and I can now live in peace - - it remains to be seen.

I had requested a weird work schedule today, as I thought my morning would be chock a block with activity. Alas, that activity got taken away, and I spent the morning feeling like a... bad kid. That was a little silly. However, I meditated by means of sewing cute red cordouroy "draft stops" (I'm so ready for winter) and my first stuffed animal. It's a mouse. If it comes out, please expect pictures. Domestication of self nearing completion.

So, this weekend is the 24 Hour Improv Marathon at the Brave New Workshop!!! Come see me, if y'wanna...!!! It's for a great cause!! Check out www.bravenewworkshop.com for additional details. But come see moi at:

12:35 a.m. Sunday morning/Saturday night - Vaudeville with a Pig (Dave Jennings & Me)

1:10 a.m. Sunday morning/Saturday night - Stagecoach (The Six Ring Circus coaches unite!)

1:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon - THE GROUP THAT IS YET TO BE NAMED. (but Jim Robinson will be involved - - need there be more said? Beth Aylmer, Kelly Kohlbacher and more!)

8 p.m. Sunday night - Adorable!!! (Butch n' Josh n' me)

I will be raising $$ for this...

Onward.

Pickles porn

My dog just discovered a toy in the yard that squeaks. It sounds like he's torturing Mickey Mouse's infant. It's Malti-poo heaven.

Maltipoos, much like the T-Rex, respond only to movement. It took him a good two days to discover this toy.

The cat only observes and sighs.

Onward.

Softballed.

Yesterday blurred by, taken up by more sewing (The Starbucks barista asked me about my wallet! Success!) & cleaning the partial-hell out of my garage. I am one couch away from a super clean carhouse -- awesome! Celebrated by purchasing white thread at Target and heading over to Steph's for beer and chips.

I was going to follow Steph to kickball, but instead got a call from Davey re: softball. That's what I am -- the desperate booty call of organized sports.

I have wanted to join the Skirt Turtles for a while, but my Monday nights got strangely sucked away. No matter.

Within the play of the game, I found myself thinking of friends in terms I haven't used.. at all... in my adult life. Like "Mike is really good at throwing & catching" and "Jim can run really fast" and "DEB IS GOOD!"

I was also reintroduced to the back field (that sounds dirty), and felt that same creeping dread every time a ball was hit. (Davey traded gloves with me.. I don't think that have made any difference..) It was like trying to remember how to speak Spanish again, after 20 years of not speaking Spanish. But I hit the ball three times, successfully not closing my eyes! And.. the Skirt Turtles rock.

I came to realize why I haven't sought out organized sports.. Like organized religion, it's a lot of pressure (not from the Skirt Turtles - - they were awesome): I don't want to f up with everyone watching. Your rules seem hindering. Can't I do my own thing. Someone will be better at this stuff than me, and possibly trash talk my inability to connect. Organized theatre or organized music, I can cover if I mess up. Within the sports arena, it's immediately clear that I swim in realms of suck. I could get better - - but right now, suck.

However, the plus of organized sport (and, one would hope, religion), is that you get chicken wings and pizza afterwards. Success!

All things being equal, I would actually honestly really now love to go to a batting cage and/or throw a ball around. That sounds like fun. :)If you feel like either of those, please let me know.

Started off the day by putting off getting up, and then heading over to the Children's Museum to play with some preschoolers. They were crazy adorable. We brought mouse ears. Adorable!

Onward.

happy.. 7th?

It's Monday, which is my day off. Today is an extra special day off as everything I had scheduled got cancelled -- success! (?)

- Took PG to the airport, after a run around most of a lake and breakfast. He's off to Buenos Aires (good lord, spelling?) for two weeks, lucky duck.

- It takes me a long time to eat cold soup. I cannot eat cold soup under pressure.

- Onto home, to dust for a potential-roomie meeting, which took all of 2 minutes. Judge my lifestyle, stranger! I feel she was unimpressed.

- I read a lot of Craft blogs. Lots of neo-hipster-make-it-yourself-thrift-friendly blogs. Not because I do this, but rather because it's something I'd like to be. Something I admire. Last night, all this media built up in me, and turned into a sewing massacre of success!!! I now have a wrap skirt made from a 1960's table cloth! I now have an oil cloth wallet! I, for the first time in my life, am almost out of white thread! The mind boggles. During this, I boozed on cheap red wine and smoked a single cigarette afterwards. Weird? Yes. Satisfying? Wholly crap, I made stuff!!!

- I sew like I draw. Impatiently.

- Before this, I made leftover-chicken pasta salad. This morning, I've made chili. I'm basically domesticating myself.

- This morning involved more sewing (damn u, <a href="http%3A%2F%2Fnikkishell.typepad.com%2Fwardroberefashion%2F">wardrobe refashion blog!</a>) and cleaning out the garage... Gross, but it's so close.

- My neighbor informed me that a kid had cut through my yard and stopped to take a drink at my hose. She waited for him on my stoop (she is awesome) and confronted him. He lied, and said he knew me, and said "she's got the little black dog." It's common knowledge that I have a dog, but weird to have a stranger use that knowledge as a lie of familiarity. Also, nothing's as private as you think. People will test garage doors and walk through your yard, just to see if you left a window open by mistake. It's not just North Mpls, but man... Just... weird. Part of me is "stay the hell out of my yard" and the other part is just glad that my house looks like salvation-army-land instead of crackville. I'm just gonna knock on wood, and be grateful for my yippy-ass dog. Invite no one in, keep your blinds down. Man.

Onward.

Happy Belated 4th!

This will be a quickie...

- Worked at the Museum... Full of families. Happy kids, most Star Wars knowledgeable.

- Jogged along the river. That was lovely.

- Onward to Joe & Teresa's, the kindest and most generous. Missed the softball game (booo). Found a huge number of people in their backyard! Awesome! It was like TCIF's kid brother... kinda.

- Krystal let us eat her food! We made corn! Corn is delicious!

- PG and I scurried down to Sea Salt Eatery. If you haven't been (this was my first time), it's absolutely lovely. Ellie wasn't lyin'. Right by the Minnehaha Falls - - fabulous fish, done fresh by really nice cool people. Seriously - these are good peeps, all late 20's early 30's, jawdroppingly laid back and nice. Excellent food, including a catfish po'boy which was worth the 5 a.m. heartburn.

- 'Tried a black beer, which is Brazilian. It was actually light and budweisery, but black. Cool.

- We missed the Roe Family Singers (booooo).

- Sea Salt played Bruce Springsteen on the stereo (yeaaaa!). I felt happily patriotic.

- We drove home in a happy technicolor war zone, as all of south Minnaepolis was exploding things.

Hoping your 4th was laid back and lovely. It's nice to drive through neighborhoods and see families/friends actively lounging. Making a point to lounge. Encouraging this point with beer and yard games. That's pretty sweet stuff.

More lounging! Now!

As long as it took this summer to get here, it's certainly clipping by.. but it's an okay pace so far. Let's see how August pans out. I hope July is full of loveliness. It weirdly feels like winter is around the corner, or that there's no way to enjoy summer enough. Ah well.

Onward.

That was yesterday...

I was grumpy yesterday. Someone beat me down with the grumpy stick. Sorry about that.

I couldn't work up the urge to do anything useful, and finally just gave up, resigning myself to the couch, Anthony Bourdain & bean dip. And after the Korea episode, Pickles & I decided to take a walk around Lake of Isles, as it was beeeeutiful yesterday. A phone call later, & Partner in Crime instead offered up a BBQ at friend Damon's place. And suddenly, it's fun city again! Yeaaa!

- Heard a rumor about the end of the new Hulk movie... I hope it's true...

- Drove to NE looking for buddies (who had taken off), and found Hipshaker night (every Thurs at Jitters). Groovy R&B from the 60s and girls in cute dresses, unafraid to dance by themselves (as all girls in cute dresses should be). Adorable!! I wanna play!! (one girl was even wearing a hat... A thrifted 1930s hat with her homemade cherry-covered dress... Yea!!!) Next time, I'm dressin' up.

- PIC & I head for the hills, and then decide to attempt homemade fried mac n' cheese bites. We came close. I think the trick may be homemade sauce and possibly some corn starch. This was Sonics' fault (the chain, not the hedgehog)

- I work today and tomorrow, as I forgot to take them off... (yeargh?) But it shouldn't be bad.. It's not for long, and afterwards should be fun! Holiday weekend fun. PG leaves for Buenas Aires (sp?) on Sunday, so going to try and steal as much PG time as possible.

Happy 4th! Happy Birthday to the Great Experiment! Now go eat something patriotic... (W00t!)

Onward.

oh, fer hell...

You know me. Mornings are beautiful and lovely and suck ass. It's a half hour before my first show here at the museum, and I'm suitably grumpy. No reason to be grumpy. Just.. grumpy.

Well.. perhaps reason to be grumpy. Or, rather, I'm giving myself reasons to be hella grumpy. $$. Lack there of. Feeling a tad lost. These are normal things, and everyone (no matter how successful) goes through these things. However, f-ing A - - I'm feeling a tad grumpy and lost this morning.

Emailed a 20 year old stranger about living with me. That feels weird.

Looked over my finances. Wondered what I was doing wrong.

Have to do some financial stuff this morning. It's not hard, just crappy.

Have to do some financial stuff soooon (house-wise). Again, not hard. Just.. intimidating. And what's right!? No one knows.

And now my horoscope sends me this: "Watch out for vague plans and cheap solutions today. The first serious challenge may send you all the way back to square one". What!? ARGHGHH!! Should I just wait and see how things shake out!?

Again.. we all go through this. Money and finances can suck so bad, but I know they don't have to. argh.

Along these lines, I just read the superquick "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need" - - lovely!

(guys... I think I just need to sell my house. Maybe that's the truth of it. arrrgh.)

Anywhoo, here's the 6 Bunko Lessons to Careers...

1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses
3. It's not about you.
4. Persistence trumps talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint.

Vague and cool. I'd recommend the book to anyone, especially all of you's in college and such.

Okay.. I'm done complaining. Onward.

Where is the love?

I think the Workshop shrunk a little since the weekend. It's lost some of this weekend's glowing sheen, and has been replaced with a coziness, like coming back to your childhood home.

We're tired, and today grew into post-crazy-fun grumpy and tiredness. Argh. Luckily, good people are afoot, and good people understand.

It's almost the 4th of !uly -- how strange.

Onward.

Just us chickens...

Coldtowne actually ended up leaving this morning, which seems much better-er than leaving at 10 p.m. last night. The house is now down to 1 cute dog vs. 2, and 0 lovely gentlemen vs. 3. Ah well...

- Opened a show about monkeys & their puppet counterparts at the museum. Thank heaven for four year olds in cowboy boots. When I asked "Are you guys ready?", he very honestly replied "I don't know.." and then I had to confess that I wasn't sure if I was ready either. However, I was partially saved by the world of 4 year old stand up, where the standard monkey jokes (800 lb. Gorilla, make like a banana..) kill... Yea!

- Saw Wall-E. This is a big movie. There are so many damn layers to this movie. It's jaw-droppingly beautiful. And funny. And sweet. And smart. It's Pixar in the bigger sense -- it's about very very big (but small) things. (Plus... Um. A delightful cameo by someone who makes me very happy)

- Walked around St. Anthony Main and saw deer, bunnies, ducks, and a turtle. Idyllic! And.. "I don't trust this Obama fellow... Change is for hobos." (courtesy of Jastroch--funny)

- Coldtowne went to a baseball game, and I went to Psycho Suzis with Partner in Crime. This was like Christmas. Yea for balance!

And now I'm up, and everyone's gone. This truly means that it's back to takin care of stuff, and work, and whatever can fill a day. I'm on it.

Onward.