Grog

Sunday, October 26 2008
23:00

MB and I had dinner at the Hi-Life. . .I got the harvest empenadas which were really, really good. Then, forgetting how gigantic it is, I got the hazelnut/strawberry shortcake for dessert. I'm totally stuffed now. Last night we went to Chaiyo, on BR's recommendation. Not bad. Warrants further visits, though it's way up in Northgate.

The big news this week was MB getting in a car accident. Physically, she's more or less unharmed. Otherwise, it was very rough. The car is toast, it is now gone for good. Of all the ways for a Subaru and a garbage truck to meet at 35 miles per hour in the middle of an intersetion, it could have been much worse. I'm very glad she's not hurt.

The officer on the scene assigned blame to MB. She also wrote down the completely and totally wrong make and model of car on the citation. She wrote the license number down wrong, then looked that up in the computer, and put down "2006 Audi A4, commercial vehicle, owned by [some people from Sammamish]". Now, I realize not everyone knows the difference between a 1995 Subaru Legacy and a 2006 Audi A4, but it was pretty easy to read the "Subaru" and "Legacy" badges on the back of the car!! So I wondered how the officer's judgement about blame could really be trusted.

In other news. . .in an astonishingly out-to-lunch move, the director of the place where TTA performs scheduled a dance rehearsal for the upstairs room during our pre-show rehearsal. Because, somehow, he didn't get the message from last season that the sound of thundering stomps on the ceiling, bits of which would fall to the floor, rattling the light fixtures, just doesn't make for a very good pre-show acoustic music rehearsal condition. Jax nearly went ballistic; the rest of us were merely pissed. Curt called NM and did a little explaining.

Meanwhile, work is exciting in many ways. Lots going on around there. Not all of it fun.

2 Days Later

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
22:36

Waiting for MB to get back from her editing class. It was nice and sunny, if cold, today. Got to take MB to the auto shop to pick up her car as I was driving to work this morning, she called right as I was heading out the door, that was nice. We were both in cheerful moods. That reminds me, my car needs work, I should go schedule that now.

Spent a lot of today fighting with installing Win2k3 on a machine I'd had to wipe in order to use all the disk space on, a slight understanding about an order that happened right as I was leaving town week before last. Oh well.

I should also probably practice a little guitar tonight. Meanwhile, this Abunadh Scotch is really tasty. . .

Home again

Monday, October 20 2008
Seattle, WA
24:38

Got home Saturday afternoon. The completing events - cleanup, packing, departures, were very smooth and pleasant on Saturday morning. MB and I offerred to drive Danielle up to Ballard and let her rest at MB's place, then drive her to the airport - she had a late night flight, and IA's plan was to let her sit at the airport all day. Along the way, we ended up getting volunteered to host CP and PL at her place too. We got them all situated there, then went back to my place and took a nap / relaxed for a few hours. We met up with the 3 again at 6 for dinner at Sam's Sushi. That was good. We were all still pretty tired I think. We took Danielle to the airport, ChrisP came along for the ride. Then we went home. ChrisP had a schedule to take the bus around midnight to the airport, as his flight was at 6 AM. I guess it worked, he is back on the East coast now. PL spent the night at MB's.

Sunday, slept in. Had brunch at Besalu. Sooooo good, that place. Indulged. News from PL, Curt was showing him around town (his flight was late Sunday night). Lounged around the house - MB dozed while I finished up A Scanner Darkly. Went grocery shopping. Got the keys from Peter before he headed out to the airport. Had baked potatoes for dinner, and got to bed pretty early.

Back to work today. Still generally a bit tired, but not too bad. MB got a bug so was feeling icky but coping with it well. Full team meeting at Bob and Jax's - lots of good observations and feedback. Then, 20 minutes of TTA rehearsal because hey, we have another show on Thursday. Back home, did some financial work and email stuff, then typing up my hand-written entries from the course. Very sleepy now! and I still have to edit my posts. Hope I can hit the sack by 1:00 - MB went to sleep at 12.

Raft Island - Friday

Friday, October 17 2008
ASC+RC, RI, WA
11:41

Just had a finance meeting w/ CG and the other CG. Checks written for expenses and facility. Lunch soon. I am the timekeeper for today, whacking the bell on the half-hour.

The show was great. Terrifying beforehand - the sound was impossible.

Only somewhat chaotic. Lots of guitarists - 19 - 24 in the whole team from the course. MB passe don her House Manager role to AA, who did well. DW, SBC, others catered dinner - PB+J, apples, brownies. Yummy. Danielle made the brownies, but forgot the flour. They were like half-congealed chocolate lava. Wonderful, if daunting. The complete opposite of the ones I made the other day. She seems to be completely loving this course, being here, what is happening. A very positive presence.

We got to "sleep in" yesterday and today - 7:45 sitting instead of 7:00. Both those nights, up until 1 AM plus. When we got back last night, MB/DW/SBC put out some chips, dip, and brownies for us. Pretty quick completion meeting then relaxed time with the snacks. MB and I stood outside and watched the deer eat for a bit.

Patrick S. just departed. Some leakage today. Talked to Doug about Cormac McCarthy, Coen Brothers movies, Philip K. Dick, etc. AA talked about various nasty hand injuries he's sustained (crushed, impaled, etc).

Raft Island - Wednesday

Wednesday, October 15 2008
All Saints Camp and Retreat Center, Raft Island, WA
16:53

We're doing pauses on the half-hour during the course. It was on the hour until yesterday.

The weather has been from chilly to cold. Some sun, some clouds. A little rain, just a sprinkle, on Monday.

The performance team has been posted. It's everybody but Anthony, Jacob, and GregM.

We had a good meeting looking at roles and concerns for the "tour".

I've nicknamed X "Mr. Noisypants" - he has nylon pants that make incessant swishy sounds when he fidgets, which is often. Y's nickname is "Enemy of Silence". Mr. Self-Loathing, also. There is never a cendence, ending, quiet moment, etc without a twitch from Y. Every mistake he makes is tragic in his own mind. Z is also pretty bad about the twitching after pieces end, I've noticed.

Lost Pedro have performed quite a lot, also Zesty Enterprise. MB performed w/ 3 or 4 groups - playing Asturias, Growing Circle,

17:00 - pause

and Askesis, three times. Victor organized that. I played twice - lead once, bass the other time. Didn't know the bass as I should have, oops. I missed the re-entrance.

BR is back today, not sure for how long. Through dinner, probably.

Ian had an issue during TTA perf team rehearsal before tea. A knot in his back? while SBC was working. Excruciating, from the look of it. Tears were streaming.

DanielleW is the only "kitchen team" person here, meaning the only one who signed up solely for that part of the course. Also, the only one not to play any guitar (SBC even played at a few circles).

One of my roommates drives me completely nuts, making incredible, vast amounts of noise both when going to bed (after everyone else) and when getting up in the morning (before everyone else).

I had strange dreams on Monday night - I kept "waking up", but was somewhere else. Different people, different situations. In one, I was one of a small group of colonists on Mars. I comforted myself, about not being able to sleep, by remembering "hey, I need to remember that I am, actually, on the planet Mars!". Weird!

Good break time now. Also, got some spare time after lunch, so sang in the women's shower room for a bit. "Body Beat" at 5:45. These are good. Tiring, often, but good. 3 so far. Was sore for two days after the first one (jumping and squatting).

Going to shave now.

Raft Island - Monday

Monday, October 13 2008
All Saints Camp and Retreat Center, Raft Island, WA
23:15

Not journalized much here. Great course so far. Yesterday was epic. I was super tired. Today, much better. Though sore - Tony had us doing lots of jumping and squatting during "Body Beat".

Just had a good full circle. Jax led whizzing. Impressive. Lots of fun. Broke my pick in two places.

Not a large course - 25 total, with some comings and goings. Peter L arrived today. Hank maybe tomorrow or Wednesday. Ray P. leaves Wednesday AM.

A little tough but not too bad so far being "apart" yet nearby MB.

Have worked dessert (last night) and dinner tonight. Was Head Chef for dessert, working with Ian: brownies. They turned out dry and dull. Like there was too much flour, but that was the recipe. Hmm. ChrisG was HC tonight, TM on the team too. Black beans and rice with lime - great.

In this room: Lance H, Doug E, Rob R, me, Peter L. Bob was here Saturday night.

We've done two Skirts - one last night, one tonight. Good. BillR was here for that tonight (and for dinner Saturday night).

There are some deer that live around here. They came by in the afternoon to munch on apples (there are several in the field) and grass. They don't seem to frightened of people, just wary.

Well, to bed now.