my other new favorite thing

The inimitable RKatz offhandedly asked if I listened to the American Theatre Wing's "Downstage Center" podcasts. I do now, and you should, too. I'm very proud of what I do as a fringe theater actor in the Northwest, but the opportunity to listen to real, live career artists ("What are those, Mommy?") discuss the craft is not to be missed. 

Of particular note: James Earl Jones on the value of education, the "delusion" of race, not being an activist, and how annoying it is that film actors play entire roles off-voice for effect. (Of a talented actor playing an American president on TV, "He whispers. Too. Fucking. Much.")

eat it, Sallie

Ladies and gentlemen! today, July 15th, over nine years after my college graduation, I have hit 'send' on the final payment of my student loan.

(One of my two student loans.)
(The smaller one, incidentally.)
(Whatever, lemme enjoy this moment, OK?)

Feels like freedom, friends.

for spacious skies

Basil just introduced me to my new favorite thing.

I got the Hem album "Funnel Cloud" last night and listened to it on repeat for four hours. (I'm sure my neighbors enjoyed it as much as I did.) It's sort of bluesy alt-country via Tin Pan Alley -- Rodgers & Hart clearly gave Great American Houses of New York and Almost Home a little smooch -- and it's the sweetest little slice of Americana I've ever heard. In celebration of this great nation, I plan on acquiring and devouring the rest of the discography as soon as possible.

(Thanks, Bas!)

Rabbit, rabbit

My Mid-Year's Resolution (don't you make those?) is more dinner parties. I intend to start immediately with grilled tofu, asparagus, and carrots, and a cocktail that we accidentally invented last weekend. Hooray, summer!

It's official...

... and I couldn't be happier. Beautiful!

photo by Ella Blue.

summer in Seattle

Man, I've had a great day.

The weather is beautiful, I managed to drag my butt out of bed in time for a 10 a.m. yoga class, had a glass of wine with B. Hambly on her roof, bought some gorgeous beets and two balls of yarn, ate some delicious fried zucchini, and found a dress for B.'s wedding in the costume closet.

Almost makes winter seem worth it, doesn't it?

Show your work!

Problem in grade school arithmetic, problem today: I suck at describing my processes.

It’s partly sheer laziness. I raced ahead to the exciting part (answers! yay!), and now I have to go back and do some boring housekeeping to tell you how I did it?

Partly forgetfulness, too. I don’t have a good system for cataloging finished crafts, so I never remember that I need images to catalogue.

So in the last three months I have delivered the following, entirely undocumented:

• 12-inch cake with a hand-piped ‘Fighting A’
• birthday cake covered in ganache and a sunburst of realistic chocolate leaves
• towering German Chocolate cake (my second stab at homemade caramel)
• 2 pairs pajamas, altered with optical illusion sleeves
• 1 pair sock garters
• 2 prosthetic hands with “gripping” snaps and dangling gore
• 1940s vamp costume for a lady coyote
• six gold-tasseled pasties and a merkin for a coyote striptease

Seriously. Awesomeness, every bit of it. You’d be totally impressed if I had a single picture with which to impress you.