Where did I go?

Umm.. not really anywhere.

Things that have happened:
- I've stopped blogging.

- I've stopped listening to NPR.

The blogging stuff will probably begin again (i.e. now), but I don't know if I will take on the NPR quite yet.. I've tried. It tastes like... dried newspaper. Sad thoughts. Knowledge. I'm gonna wait for just a bit.

Other things that have happened:

- Community Ed! I've started a Community Ed "Body Sculpt" class, which is both weird and delightful. I am the youngest in the class by at least 20+ years. We lift handweights and listen to afro pop and motown. Last time, my instructor opened up class by turning on some King Crimson. She saw Zappa live in L.A., the Mothers of Invention were ushering. Bwahahaha!!!

- I have today off (it's my regular day off). However, it has been eaten by a tire & oil change. *sigh* My Mondays shall never be just a day off. Perhaps this is okay.

This is all I shall write for now, as this computer is about to fall asleep. Baby steps..

Onward.

I'm a private person...

... then why do I blog?

It's a good question.

- I like to write.

- My memory sucks. I like to keep track.

- I like to write for an audience, real or perceived. (I know there's a couple of you)

Here's the thing: it's starting to throw me off when someone in real life comments on what I've written. As what I've written usually drips out of my mind and then I forget. Alas, here are my options:

- Make my blog-a-roo just for me

- Man up and deal that if people are nice enough to read, and then what they read elicits them to respond -- take that as a compliment and deal.

- Move this over to Livejournal and make it subscription only. Alas...

My boss took me aside today and questioned how I was doing, in a worldly sort of way. Which has totally throw me off my game: being told you seem stressed or frazzled almost automatically makes one wonder if you are actually stressed or frazzled.

And so you might become this thing you didn't even know you were.

F*&k that, I say. I went back to re-talk to her about this (arrghh), and here's what I truly got from the conversation:

- Do your job

- Don't be late

- Take a vacation

All good advice! It seems (to me) that I take a fair amount of time off, but bosslady says that I haven't stopped running since I started working here (yes, that's how I am.. although I'm growing out of it) and that if I do take time off, it's purpose driven and not a "vacation". (um.. yeah, she's pretty awesome.. but it was a strange thing to hear.. still not sure if it's true..) Anywhoo, it was meant with love, and also meant to protect me from myself. As I have been not-as-good as I should be in some aspects of my job (see above two).

She's worried about burn out. I wasn't planning on burning out, but now I'm wondering if I am, in fact, doing exactly that. Suck. See above twist. Time to re-examine, re-assess and become something good.

(Maybe I'm not that private of a person.. but I'm certainly weirdly private about a number of things.. as we all are.)

Went to my first Major League Baseball Game yesterday - the Twins Dome Opener, or D'opener. It was lovely fun, I've never been in the Metrodome before, I had a Domedog and upon reflection and morning dry mouth, too much beer.

Despite the overbeerness, Monday was just all sorts of wonderful and good (breakfast! puppy dog tail! comics! sunshine! More!). Yea. :) These are the things that are important... but I still gotta watch out for this burn out thing, and keep it at arm's length.

Or change things completely. Whoop!

Onward.

I will be referring...

..to my grey hair as my "sparkles". It may or may not work. I could just color the stuff, but it's self-obsessive to watch the stuff pop up, so I turn from the coloring and obsess away...

Friends are unexpectedly at the Museum! W00t! Again, the joys of having people come to your work place. Yea!!!

Ka-Baam!! performed for Sample Night at the History Theater, and then for our BLB slot on Thursday. Well done, citizens of Ka-Baam!! We ate (what should have been) Happy Hour together before Sample Night, and found the company most awesome. Indeed, Improv people, we should have more parties together.

Thurs involved (before Ka-Baam!!) an official type meeting, a forum at the Seward Coop, and delicious TrueThai. Holy jumping jacks, is True Thai good. We went and soon realized that we were surrounded by people aged 25-35. They seemed to have segregated us all to the back.

Friday, two separate people told me I looked frazzled -- dammit. Perhaps it's lack of days off or the fact that this week has been set to Continuous Activity.. I do not know. I did not feel frazzled, and was saddened by the diagnosis. Poo.

Tonight might involve the very sexy "Starting of the Taxes", or, more better, going to see dear friends be funny.

Easter is next weekend (!!!), and I cannot wait. Easter means excuses to do little, visit dear family, drive to Wi, purchase Cadbury Cream Eggs, and see pictures of baby animals. Yeaaa!! Hoping it's lovely.

Oh hey!! The amazingTroy has entered his first in-Ireland blog. You will enjoy! Rabidlime.net

Onward.

Two blog day to nuthin'..

Ahh.. it's that time in Minnesota where Minnesota confirms that there is no such thing as summer or spring. It's as simple as San Francisco not having seasons or Arizona always being warm. Spring and sunshine were simply some sort of dream that we were stupid for having.

As soon as we have given up hope completely, perhaps something will change, baby birds will be born, and my lawn will need tending. But until then...

It's been a busy weekend... It doesn't take very long for life to be completely different in many aspects..

Friday: The Minneapolis Comedy Death Squad opened for Doug Stanhope at the Varsity!! Holy crap!! I was lucky enough to come along. ..this seems like weeks ago, now..

- DAMN!!! Audiences can be dicks!! Usually, it's not entire audiences, it's just one or two crazy people. These crazy people got handled so beautifully by the boys, it was shocking. A joy to behold. The boys did awesome.

- Doug Stanhope was great, period. He acknowledges that his act and what he says can attract idiots. There's a little bit of Kurt Cobain in Doug Stanhope.

- The afterparty was ridiculous. New, incredibly generous friends spoiled everyone. I may still be recovering...

Saturday: Work!!! and then Wedding!!! Friends of PBau were getting married: a chunk of those attending have either work or have worked at the Green Mill. *grin* Given where I have spent either an embarrassing or impressive amount of time over the last ten years, there were many familiar faces, happily out of context.

It was also a reminder of how nice it is to look nice for each other: it is fun to dress up. :)

We got a sweet table against a wall and people watched. People watching at a wedding is possibly better than people watching at an airport, as there's rituals involved!! Father-daughter dances, slightly creepy dollar dances, the scandalous getting of the garter.. my god. All blanketed by happy silliness, glass clinking, storytelling, toasts, and cake.

Sunday: Rehearsals! Go Teens!! Ka-Baam!! Then onto First Avenue Staff Party. Yea!! And holy crap, check out Chooglin. Here's the deal.

- Their drummer rules.

- It's rock and it's kinda blues and it's a little Pink Floyd doing rock and blues, but it's also boys from Minneapolis being showmen rock stars. There's a little Hold Steady. There's a little Springsteen. You watch them and want to be in their band.

- They all sing!!! Loudly and unabashedly.

- THEY HAVE A BRASS BAND. And the arrangements are great.

So yes.. Chooglin ='s yum.

Finally saw D4. Dillinger Four do good.

What Happened Next: Monday and Tuesday were either spent in a warehouse (next to food or cameras) or teaching. Very very lucky. They were both 12+ hour days (Tuesday required a 6 a.m. wake up call), but.. it's what I'd like to be doing. And very blessed to have good people to do these things with. It's just a blur of either telling people to do stuff or warehouse studio time.

By the end of Monday night, I was a bit of a cranky pants.

By the end of Tuesday night, I had given in to being Punchy Jen. Hellooo, Punchy Jen. Brains, be gone... and they were.

Finished Tuesday night by watching "Amelie", complimented by All American Pizza (pictured. yes. it was a lot of pickles. yum.), cheap red wine, and fried cauliflower. All of which were possibly the best things in the world. Someone's spoiling me. :)

Hey! It's Wednesday! Read City Pages! Check yer horoscope! And come see Ka-Baam!! tomorrow at the Bryant Lake Bowl, 10 p.m.. (there's a preview tonight at the History Theater's Sample Night... shhh)

Onward.