Memories of "Interpreting for the Theatre"

Since I received news of Alan Champion's death yesterday, I have been immersed in memories of not only Alan, but the other instructors, the friends I made, the deeply personal experiences I had and how much the program really shaped me as an interpreter.  I've posted about some of it in the past, so I won't go into it again here. Mostly, I'm just remembering some really good times and posting it here will keep a lot of good memories all together in an easy-to-find location.

Alan Champion in 2005 with the "Interpreting for the Theatre" students.  We were at the theatre rehearsing for "La Cage Au Folles" - our project.

This was an interpreted production of "Rent" in 2000? I'm not sure of the year - it was one of the times I went to support a friend. I think it was pre-9/11...The first interpreter on the left was a student in the program, then Candace Broecker-Penn, Alan Champion, and Rick Rubin.

This is the 1999 group after the performance of "Miss Saigon" on Broadway.

I have to figure out how to crop this photo so it is more normal and usable. Anyway, this is the  "TDF At Juilliard" Class 1999.  I think it was the second year of the one-week intensive. Our project show was "Miss Saigon". I interpreted the opening song of the second act, "Bui Doi".

From the caption on the photo, you can see this was the "TDF at Juilliard Class of 2005". My current boss was in this class - we didn't know we would eventually have a regular working relationship. That was years later.  And sweet Trixie (Raymont Anderson) in the black and orange shirt on the right.  I have been in and out of touch with several of these folks over the years.

The escalator up to the Juilliard School. Taken in 1996 in anticipation of my eventual attendance in the program.  Even then, I knew it would have a profound impact on me.

1999 TDF/Juillaird "Interpreting for the Theatre" Class.  Digital cameras make a huge difference, don't they?  I am trying to doctor this one up, but I'm having some challenges with my photo program.

1999 - The TDF Program instructors all together in one place.

After the last day of the program, Tammy, Kristen (not pictured) and I went to see "Les Miserables". This was after the show - you can tell by our bawling red faces.

Raymont Anderson, aka "Trixie" (see shirt) sending us love from D.C.

TDF Class of 2005. I am looking for the class list - I think I was smart enough to record the names so that I would remember them in the future. I don't think I have everyone's full name, but I have a close approximation. Candace Broecker-Penn and Alan Champion are reclined in front. 

This was the post-program wrap up where we had an opportunity to provide feedback and discuss the successes of the week. It was an INCREDIBLE WEEK. Some TRULY amazing people were in this program.

Lunch on Saturday - the last day. L-R: Becky, Kathy and Libby.

The Metropolitan Opera House. Steps away from the Juilliard dorms.

Night view from my dorm window.

Raymont Anderson

Melissa, Amanda, Judy, me

View from my dorm window in the daytime.

Becky, Ray, Katy and I were walking back from the show...the store was closing up at 12am.

I apologize for not having all the last names AND that I may spell some names incorrectly.  Back row: Jennifer Wilkinson; Molly; Raymont Anderson; Jean Miller; Judy Robbins; Christine I - S; Mia, Nancy, Pam Parham   Middle row:  Katy; Bri; Melissa; Wing Butler; Jessie Romer; Kathy Fehrjohn  Front row:  Rachel; Becky; Amanda Rose; Libby; Maria

 

Looking down at the Metropolitan Opera House from the dorm room. They were having a fair outside that Saturday.

I am still looking to get correct spellings for all the names here. I have such cherished memories of my time with the TDF program, the students, the shows, New York and the instructors.

Alan Champion - Teacher, Mentor, Friend

One of my favorite pictures of Candy and Alan together. From 1999 "TDF/TAP Interpreting for the Theatre" program at The Juilliard School.  

Candace Broeker-Penn and Alan Champion interpreting for a theatrical production

Alan teaching/interpreting

Alan in a tuxedo. Lovely. 

The instant I saw Alan Champion in New York City, in the Juilliard School in 1999 for the "Interpreting for the Theatre" Intensive program, I leaned over to my friend and said, "I LOVE him!"  I felt an instant connection/fascination/adoration for him. As the week went on, that feeling intensified.  It never went away. I left at the end of the week feeling bereft.  I was determined that I needed more contact and more opportunity to meet him, know him, work with him, let him teach me and mentor me and hopefully get to know him better. 

 I went back to visit the program a few years later when one of my friends went. And then another time and another. I think I went 3 times to support my friends and then I went back and I took the program again in 2005. Something about the way Alan saw the world and expressed himself resonated deeply for me. He had high expectations of everyone around him, including himself. He was funny, brilliant, kind, wicked. He was a great teacher, a brilliant interpreter, a kind person. He was well-rounded for an interpreter - he sang classical music and raised show cats.

There is so much more I want to say and yet, when it all comes down to it, I was in his physical presence only a few times. We were Facebook friends and one night, I had a dream about him. I sent him an email and I told him how much he had touched me and that I didn't want to presume, but I just felt a strong connection to him and I wanted to thank him for his presence in my life. He wrote back and told me about his illness - he had a rare form of cancer.  He said our friendship was the kind that if we didn't see each other for 85 years, we would just pick up where we left off. What a gift!

Tragically, the world lost an incredibly talented, kind, funny, joyous human being today. Alan passed away surrounded by his family after a mighty struggle with cancer. My heart is broken right now. I regret that I didn't go to New York in the fall to see him one last time. I hate that I let "life" get in the way.

Alan, I miss you already.  

***All the links lead to articles or videos of Alan from various sources. This was my personal little tribute, but there are many more that remember Alan's work as a sign language interpreter on Broadway and in other capacities. 

A Letter to Myself

Dear Jean-
Please start paying more attention to your intuition. If you REALLY, REALLY don't want to do something - DON'T DO IT.  Helping your friends is a good thing, but not at your own expense. While it maybe be a self-fulfilling prophecy, it seems to happen EVERY TIME. Pay attention. I mean it. Next time, I'm going to have to pull out the big guns.

Sincerely,
One who really does know better

Bad Moodiness

Wednesdays seem to be an uphill battle for me right now. For some reason, I am more tired on Wednesdays than any other day of the week. I don't stay up late on Tuesdays or anything. I don't have to get up early on Tuesdays...it doesn't make sense to me, but for about the last two months, I have struggled with getting up on time, getting out of the house.

Today, I had a call that I had to be on for work, but I was running late. Then, I didn't have the number and passcode I needed, so I had to pull it up on the home computer which made me even later.

After the call, I was listening to the radio on the way to work and they were talking about how the state police in Michigan have a device where they can pull all your information from your cell/smart phone in the blink of an eye - even if you haven't committed a crime.  Many folks will say, "What do you have to hide on your phone?" but that is really beside the point.  It isn't that I have things to hide or private things or even anything that would get me into minor trouble - I don't. Why are we so willing to give up our privacy/rights for the sake of convenience?

Before you cry out "HYPOCRITE!", I am aware of the fact that my presence on Facebook and here on the blog means that I have already given up a certain amount of personal privacy. This is true. But I choose where and when and how I share. Those who know me know that there is much that is NOT SAID here, not said on Facebook.  I struggle mightily with the whole thing. Where is the line?  Is it my choice?  If I had my laptop sitting in my car and got pulled over, would we say it was okay for that information to be transmitted - for no reason- to the police? Would it be okay for them to say, take my address book and my personal correspondence?  I was reminded of this quote today:

AAARGGGHH!!  Sometimes, I wish my brain would just SHUT UP.

Anyway, the day continued that way ALL DAY LONG and then finally I got to watch "American Idol" but my bad day continued and I wasn't really too impressed with any of them tonight. I guess I will have to watch it again when I'm in a better mood.

Procrastinator

I am just a big procrastinator. I didn't pick a theme. I thought about it a lot...I have a million excuses I could trot out, but the bottom line is that I just didn't do it.

What I have realized in this process is that I don't do enough of some of the things I love enough to make those themes feel relevant - which is why I want to do them. Perhaps if I get through the Book theme or the Movie theme, I will be inspired to explore more.

I am excited for a movie that is coming out soon (based on a book) called "The Help". I saw a commercial for it and right away, the cover of the book came to me and I wondered why I haven't bought it before now - sounds right up my alley - southern literature, main characters are spunky women...I wonder if the back synopsis was just not engaging enough or if the title just didn't appeal or...? Anyway, I love seeing a movie based on a book - if the premise of the movie is good, it means the book will automatically be better (at least 95% of the time). Sometimes I just want to make sure that I will care if I'm investing the time in the book. Since I don't read as much as I used to, I don't want to waste the time on something I'm not going to enjoy.  (This thought process has no logic or validity. I'm annoyed that the thought even occurs to me, but it is where I'm at right now. I NEED to carve out more reading time or at least figure out why I'm NOT...)

A Blog in Search of a Theme

A friend of mine had a status update on FB that I really enjoyed. The person had said that they wanted to participate in the "30 Days of Songs" Challenge but the day 1 theme stumped them - "Favorite Song".  I think most of us feel that way when asked to say what our "FAVORITE" anything is.  We don't really like to commit in the U.S. (maybe that is just me projecting, but I think I see a trend).  My response was, "Just pick your Favorite Song TODAY." And she did!

After I saw my friend start participating in the "30 Days of Songs" Challenge (or whatever it is officially called), I realized that I had my themes. I have a hard time wandering aimlessly in BlogWorld without a theme. I get into the whole, "I had a bad/good/crappy/great day. I ate soup for lunch" thing.  That's okay occasionally, but sometimes I just want to write about something else.  I like the idea of remembering stuff...the most fun I had on my blog was a post I did that was all lists of goofy stuff. I will have to find it and repost or something.

Anyway, I decided that there could be "30 Days of Songs", "30 Days of Movies", "30 Days of Books" and probably a million more..."30 Days of Shows".  I know that I have covered some of these things in random postings over the last couple of years, but I thought that they could, at the very least, spur some remembering.  If you have been here more than once, you know that I am all over a good memory.

So, the first order of business is to choose which one to do first.  I thought about doing the Song one first, but then I didn't want to seem too much like a copycat. Then I realized that no one would care and that I was just procrastinating. Since my Poetry Month was a dismal failure, I feel like I have to make it up in some way...

Anyway, tune in tomorrow to find out what I actually decided.  And weigh in if you have a preference. I mean, I write it, but you read it. If there is a topic that spurs your interest or another "30 Days of..." that seems fun, let me know. :)

And, as always, thanks to those of you who stop by. I love knowing that we are all connecting with the world in so many diverse ways.

Still in a Rut and the Food Revolution

I'm in a rut. I've been in a rut for a long time. It's not a horrible thing - I have just been noticing more and more which means I have to get out of it. I didn't get anything done this weekend that I wanted to do - errands and things that involved leaving the house. I have been a hermit every weekend for a long time and I have been thinking that I have to start going to the movies or something. I'm okay with the hermit thing in the rainy months, but when it starts to warm up and the sun starts shining, it is good to get out a bit.

I also didn't do any art journaling this weekend, which was disappointing, but not surprising.  I hope to do some this week or next weekend.

I watched a tape of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution from last Tuesday. I'm pretty sure I wrote about him last year. I love his passion and his honest approach with people.  As I watch the shows, I hearken back to the lunches we had when I was a kid.  We lived in German during my early elementary years and went to school in the maid's quarters and in old military barracks, so we didn't have school lunches. We were able to buy milk (white milk - no flavors) and we either brought a lunch or went home for lunch.  This was best for me, anyway, because I probably wouldn't have eaten much they offered anyway.  In Panama City, Florida, I remember eating occasional school lunches, but I still didn't like much of what they had. In middle school and high school, I rarely ate lunch - I usually saved the money to buy books. But they still actually cooked food in the schools back then. In high school, in the afternoon, they baked fresh bread rolls. For a treat, my friend Jeffa and I would buy a roll and a cup of pop. You could only get soda after they had stopped serving lunches and it was only available for a period or two. We considered it a rare treat.  We complained about lunch food back then, but at least it was actual food...what a crazy world we are living in right now that we don't even know how to feed our kids healthy food and MILK.   If you haven't seen the show, the second episode is on Tuesday this week.  It is definitely thought-provoking.

Booty from Collage

Here's some photos of my new stuff from my trip to Collage on Thursday:

I didn't get a good photo of the washi tape, really, or the circus-y paper.  They will be showing up soon, though, in some pages, so you will be able to see them.  I'm excited to play around a little bit. Next, some colored washi tape. I think I will have to order the colors I want online.

Traffic Terrorism

I drove home tonight and had the worst commute I have had in a long, long time. The irony was that the traffic itself wasn't any worse, volume-wise, than any normal day.  I left work at around 6:00pm and things were pretty good for a while.

I tend to get into the lane I need to be in and stay there unless there is some huge problem. Tonight there was an accident near a merge.  I waited pretty patiently in my lane, but as I got closer to the accident, there were police, tow trucks, an ODOT truck, the car involved, people milling.  It was raining and I couldn't tell from where I was if the cars were in the lane.  I decided to move to the left lane and take my chances, knowing that there is an alternative route if I can't get back over to the right in time for my exit. I prefer to give the police as much room to work as possible.

After I moved over and traffic eased up, I waited until there was a big, open space (several car lengths between cars) and signaled right and moved over.  The driver in the car behind me was OUTRAGED and immediately started trying to get around me - not to pass me, apparently, but to be sure they got back into the lane directly in front of me. I'm fine with that - if you are a freaky, control-freak driver, I would rather you get in front of me.  I won't go into the whole detailed story of this car, but let's just say that it took them awhile to forget how I had wronged them so that they could proceed to cross 4 lanes of freeway traffic to get off at their exit because they had been so busy lane hopping and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The even scarier driving trend I have seen manifested itself for the third time this week during my nightmare commute.  It is my interpretation that folks do not actually know what the turn signal knob does or is for. I think they get bored in the car and they think that the turn signal stick on the wheel is some built-in kinesthetic toy for them to entertain themselves with until traffic starts moving again.  For the third time this week, a car in front of me turned on their turn signal to go right. Then they changed it to move to the left. Then the right. Then the left. Then nothing before finally turning the turn signal on one way and moving the opposite way.  Do people really not know that turn signals are not for communicating with the mother ship - they are supposed to share your plans of movement with other drivers.

Honestly, I could have kissed the ground when I got home.  I just started to feel really vulnerable and nervous. I'm guessing I'm just tired from the week and that it will be fine again next week.  Mass transit is starting to look more attractive...

Mission Acomplished

I made myself go to Collage tonight after work. I was in the office until 7pm, so I knew I had limited time since the store was only open until 8pm. I think that was a plus for me so that I didn't feel compelled to look at e.v.e.r.y. s.i.n.g.l.e. t.h.i.n.g.

I went for the bright pink washi tape I saw in a photo on their blog, but I suspect that they had enhanced the color OR that it was all sold out by the time I got there.  For some reason, I'm not really attracted by the tapes that are just solid colors - I like the bright colors and I like the stuff that has designs.  I keep challenging myself to buy things that are "typical Jean" so that I can change up the look of some of the pages I do and whatnot, but I'm not very good at it - even when I try. I suppose I could buy something I don't particularly like, but I'm not sure I see the value in that either.

I did get some paper that was not my usual thing in terms of design - I will post photos tomorrow.  I bought one set that has circus-y stuff on it. I'm not really interested in the circus or going to the circus, movies about the circus, books about the circus (i.e. "Water for Elephants" does not interest me in the least - movie OR book even though everyone I know who has read the book LOVED IT).  I'm just trying to challenge my perspectives and broaden my range.  We'll see if it worked.

Customer Appreciation Day at Collage on Alberta

I read that tomorrow is Customer Appreciation Day at Collage!  20% off your purchases including class tuition.  I'm not sure I'm ready for a class, but I think I will try to get there today. It will be my pre-treat for completing my taxes tomorrow. Ick.

Anyway, if you are in Portland, there are two stores - one on Alberta and one is over in Woodstock, I believe.  If you want to know more, I have them in the Beautiful Blogs section on the right side of my blog - you can look for "Collage" and click on the link.

Thai Tuesday

I finally had some Thai food today and it was *delicious*, as usual.  I ate too much and regretted that part, but it tasted really, really good.

When I first started working at my current job, I think I may have been to a Thai restaurant once in my life...maybe.  We used to pick up food for the staff on the weekends and the weekend crew was really big on Thai food. I finally randomly tried some curry because I got sick of trying to figure out what restaurant was close by that I could stop at for my own lunch/dinner.  We frequented this one place but after   a time when all the vegetables in the curry were still froze and the third time they gave us a "vegetarian" dish with chicken in it, n and THEN gave us attitude about it (they told us that we needed to bring the dish back to prove that we hadn't just eaten it and then wanted a refund or more food - a reasonable request if you aren't nasty about it).

After dealing with the woman, I was like, "Um, why do we keep giving our business to a restaurant that clearly doesn't care about their customers? They are nasty, they get the orders wrong every time and the food isn't even cooked sometimes."  That week, I decided to stop at a Thai restaurant I had seen as I came off the freeway every day. I had lunch there and it was love.  The staff and I got to a point where we literally were eating Thai food there 3 nights a week.

It was heart-breaking to leave my little Thai place and move to our new building. There are two Thai restaurants nearby but they just aren't the same as the little place I frequented for about 4 years.  I still go there every couple of months (like I did today) and I bring all my guests there who come for work.  We used to have Thai every Tuesday (hence the post name) and today was just a nice revisiting of an old haunt.

If you are ever in Vancouver, Washington or in Portland, Oregon, go to Thai Terrace.  They are fantastic.

Random Thoughts from Monday

With all the hit-and-run accidents that have been happening lately, including drivers hitting pedestrians and bicyclists, doesn't it seem like maybe people are missing some kind of skill or knowledge base?  Is it that they don't understand the rules of the road and then hit these people or that they don't know that if they hit someone they should stop?  Is it that so many more drivers don't have insurance or they are just idiots?  It is kind of scary to see this total lack of skill on a daily basis. Everyone can't be on their phones can they?  Is it really wise to have all those flashing yellow left turn arrows when people can barely figure out how to drive anyway?  How do people learn the new rules once they have their driver's license?  I have noticed new stuff that happens and then I go online to figure out the new rules - like for the bicycle boxes in Portland. I'm not confident that everyone looks up the new rules of the road to be sure they understand them.

Anyone else notice the proliferation of Canada Geese around this year?  They are lovely but I can't ever remember seeing so many of them and in such varied locations.  There were two just in a parking lot as I drove home the other day and I thought maybe they had lost their way. I wished I had my camera with me, but alas, I did not.  Did the Canada Geese always come here but they had more places to hide so we just didn't really see them?

I'm sure I have many more random thoughts I could share, but that's all I can remember from my day.

Art Journal and Nemo

I watched "Finding Nemo" today - no reason, just popped it in and really enjoyed it. It just made me laugh and is such a sweet story with Dory and the Dad and Nemo learning to be independent.  I haven't seen it in awhile, but it hit the spot today.

Then I worked a little on my art journal. I have a piece from yesterday, too, that I worked in my other "type" of journal - the Teesha Moore 16 page journal. I haven't worked in those recently and I feel like I am doing different stuff - it comes from a different place and is a really different process.  I love doing both, but I think I have needed to figure out what it is that I am wanting to do, how I want to do it, what I expect.  I have been having fun and still want to explore all the possibilities.

Here's what I have been doing:

This is the Teesha Moore-style journal. I love the brightness of the background and the framing around the pages.  This process is usually more artful - I try to match things and change things up a bit on these pages, so this page isn't complete. I don't know what I will do with it, but it definitely needs more on it.

This is before I put any text on it. I am thinking text with white ink, but I haven't decided what I'm going to write about or if I will just put a poem or song lyrics or a quote on here. Best to wait until I know.

I got a magazine with a whole spread using this model, so you will probably see her a lot. I think she is gorgeous and quite exotic looking and they put her in a bunch of stunning colors, as well. Kind of fun, but also hard to get the background right. I struggled a bit with the background and I'm not sure I got it right, but every page can't be a masterpiece, right? It's all good.

For some reason, I like having the photos of the spread - things look one way when they are isolated, but when you put the spread together, it can take on a whole new look. Sometimes they get married together and sometimes there is nothing to unite the two pages.

Six Years In One Place

I realized this week that I have been at my current job for 6 years as of 4/4/11.  It is hard for me to relate to that - in many ways, it seems like so much longer and in other ways, I can't believe it has been six years.

I still remember the first meeting the company had when they came to Portland - it was the day after I had accepted a job coordinating interpreters at a local University. I went to the big meeting where all the interpreters were, but I had just accepted what I thought would be the last job I would ever need...who knew that in the space of a year, I would be working for a new company in a field I hadn't even dreamed of in my life.

I remember the first day so vividly - it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced and it seemed like utter chaos.  Within a few hours, I wondered if I could go back and get my old job back. It took me some time and I realized that I was supposed to be there - it was going to be the challenge that would never stop being a challenge for me - how to maintain calm and composure in a state of constant change. As I meet other people who work for other companies in our industry, I realize that the industry has a lot of chaos and each company (as any workplace) has its own challenges.  That knowledge really helps when it gets hard or crazy because I know that at least I know our world and our special brand of challenge and I know, for the most part, how to navigate through it.

I must say that I have learned and done things I would never have thought I could, would do and I have found skills and abilities in myself that I never imagined. I miss interpreting every day, but I haven't given it up completely and I never will.  I like being challenged regularly although I could live without SOME of the challenges. It is never boring there and that keeps me on my toes. Some days I wish for a little boredom, but looking back, I know I made the right decision.

Happy Realization

I went to see "Billy Elliot" last night - the show I had expected to interpret and then had to cancel and then my offsite canceled, but I had already asked someone to take over for me.  For a couple of days, there was a part of me that was a bit irritated that the offsite was canceled and I had given up the show.  I think I just didn't want to miss out on the fun and this was a new show, so I was a bit disappointed to lose the opportunity although I knew everything was in extremely capable hands (literally).

I was so HAPPY as I was watching the show and the interpreters because it was EXACTLY the right thing.  The interpreters were a perfect match to the show and each other and it was just right.  It was one of those funny moments when I was like, "Doh! This all worked out exactly as it was supposed to!"  It was such a pleasure to watch them work, to enjoy the show and to just trust that sometimes I don't know why things happen the way that they do, but it is all heading to the good place.  I wasn't supposed to do this show. The right people were there, doing it, enjoying it and doing a great job.

I'm not really explaining myself well, I don't think, but I know what I mean...I guess that's the point. I just figured something out about myself and it is all good.

Art Journal Catch Up

I finally took photos of my art journal pages from a couple of weekends ago (I think that's when it was).  I kept moving my camera around and then when I was ready and wanting to take some photos, I couldn't find the dang thing.

I still feel like there is a lot I need to do with all of these pages to "finish" them, but I'm not there yet, so I'm just making the pages and enjoying the process.  That's important, too.

Passing Up an Opportunity

Sweet Honey in the Rock was here tonight doing a concert.  When I first heard about it, I was scheduled to interpret "Billy Elliot" tomorrow night, so I didn't think I could go.  I sort of resigned myself to it and then I was scheduled to go out of town for an offsite meeting for work and had to ask someone else to do "Billy Elliot", so I really knew that I couldn't go to Sweet Honey.

The offsite got postponed and I realized I could go to the show, but for some reason I hesitated.  I LOVE them - they are one of the groups that I still would pay money to see live.  I'm not a concert person really - nowadays it is too loud and I just don't really enjoy most concerts.  Sweet Honey is different, but I still decided not to go. The last time I went, I really enjoyed it, but I also know that the group has been reconfigured a bit - a couple of members left and were replaced - maybe that's part of it. I'm afraid that I will put all these expectations on it and disappoint myself...

Anyway, I'm sure they were brilliant. I don't regret not going, but I think the next time they are here, I'm going to just do it.

Impulse Control

So, I left work today determined to go to Collage on Alberta and buy some of the Washi tape that I have been coveting. Just a couple of rolls. So, I'm in my car, cruising along I-5. The traffic is super-light for this time of day.  I'm approaching my exit. I can feel the impulse - "just go home".  I want the tape. I can do some art tonight. I want to. I have been thinking about it for three days. "Just go home. The traffic is light. It was like you were supposed to head home." I'm staring at the sign for my exit - 1/4 mile now.  I'm not slowing down. No turn signal. "Just go home." I'm getting irritated with myself - for heaven's sake - stopping will take 30 minutes max.

"Okay... You don't have to go straight home, but you should get to the other side of town. Why else would the traffic be so light. Go to Uwajimaya. They probably have Washi tape. It's right on the way." I drive on, headed for Uwajimaya. I get to my side of town and start thinking about where I need to cut over to get to the store. "I bet the store is crowded this time of day. Remember the last time you stopped at Trader Joe's at this time of day? Packed."

So, I'm sure it will not come as a surprise to anyone that I did not stop anywhere on the way home. I just went home. I'm not upset about it, I just think it is funny how easily I can quell my own impulses sometimes. I'm sure I will get there when I'm supposed to.

Standing on Principle

So, I don't watch "CSI" or "SVU" or "Criminal Minds" or "Bones" or any of those other shows. The reason for this is that I can't bear to watch even the first five minutes of gruesomeness. I have a couple of shows I like - "Blue Bloods" tends to be a little different and I really like Nathan Fillion on "Castle".  I have enjoyed "Castle" for the most part, but tonight - just a few minutes ago, in fact, they went there. The first five minutes grossness that turned me off all those other programs.  I just turned it off. I refuse to be exposed to that kind of ick - even on a show that I have watched and sometimes enjoyed. I stopped watching most television because of the ick factor.

I'm just going to stick with my happy "American Idol" and "Amazing Race" - happy people doing some cool stuff. No bloody bodies, no grossness, no shock-value ick.

Drawing a Blank

I was tempted to do some art today but I watched a movie instead. Not very inspiring. Still feeling kind of icky - I have a virus or something and today I just felt all jittery and couldn't really settle on anything. Disappointing, but there you go.

I am going to try to stop by Collage on Alberta this week - I have developed a new obsession with Japanese decorative masking tape. I saw on their Facebook page that they just got a new shipment in. I bought some from the Idea-ology collection at another art place and I fell in love with it. I want to get some in PINK and Yellow. :) And maybe some designs.

Passing It On

Since two of the blogs I follow pretty regularly linked to this site, I went there, read the post and now I am recommending that you, too, read it.  You don't have to be an artist to incorporate the principles - and it is fun, too. The blog I first saw it on was D'Blogala and the second one was Kelly Kilmer's.

There were so many parts that I loved that I decided not to list them here and just let you go and enjoy the presentation for yourself.  The one thing I did "steal" was a quote from the presentation:

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." - Goethe

Isn't that a great quote?

The biggest bummer of today is that I left my camera at work so I can't post any art journal photos this weekend. :(

April Beginnings

I am always leery of April Fool's Day. I don't like practical jokes, so I don't play them.  The way I see it, if I can't take it well, I can't go up against other people.  I can enjoy other people's jokes when they aren't ON ME...

Now as I enter into April, I'm trying to decide if I want to do the whole "April is National Poetry Month" thing or if I can figure out my own theme. The Nablopomo theme is SPROUT this month which I don't think I can really relate to...I guess we will see.

Happy April.

Clouds and Chipotle

When did "The Cloud" become a regular part of our vernacular?  It just appeared all of the sudden and everyone uses it ubiquitously, as if they know what they are talking about. What the hell is "the cloud"?  I ask this because of the screen shot I am including here as Exhibit A:

I understand that "the cloud" has something to do with storage and the internet, I just don't understand it and why we need it. I think it is weird how everyone just starts using terms when they don't really know what they are talking about.

The first time this happened that I really noticed was when "chipotle" came on the scene. One day, suddenly, there was a restaurant called "chipotle" and there was "chipotle sauce" and chipotle chicken and chipotle chipotle.  It made me crazy. I asked people what it was and no one knew.  Was it a sauce? Was it a spice? If it was a spice, where did it come from? Why were we just hearing about it for the first time?  Was it something that used to be called something else before like Myanmar used to be Burma?  When they started talking about the coupe in Myanmar, I was like..."Um...why have I never heard of this country before?" After a little research, I figured it out.

I feel like I am experiencing some kind of accelerated aging process or something - I feel all crotchety when this stuff happens.  I guess when you roll with the punches, sometimes you get hit. No one likes to get hit. Even a little bit.  Maybe that's it.

So, just to show that I adapt eventually, I thought I would put in a plug for chipotle. I'm sure that in a year or so, I will be ranting about this again and I will be perfectly comfortable with "the cloud" at that point and will point to this post as an example of terms that came before the next one. So, my favorite food with chipotle is Alexia's spicy sweet potato fries seasoned with chipotle.

These are great broiled (they get crispier that way). I have only found them at Fred Meyer's.  Trader Joe's has the regular sweet potato fries, but not these spicy ones. Yummy!

Happy Homecoming!

I went to work today - I was feeling trepidation because I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel all day, but I decided to go try it out and if I got sick again, I would just leave. I think one of the down sides to working more than 15 or 20 minutes from home is that I get kind of paranoid about being sick at work and trying to get home. One of my worst fears has always been getting a migraine in some faraway place and not being able to get home. It sort of happened to me once, so I know what I'm talking about. A one hour drive turned into about 4 hours of hell.

Anyway, when I got home at 7:00 pm, I found an amazon.com box and inside was a copy of Patti Digh's new book, "What I Wish for You: Simple Wisdom for a Happy Life"!!  For information about her Simple Wisdom book tour, you should check out her blog.  I'm so excited to start reading her book! It was the perfect gift to greet me after a long "I was sick yesterday but I'm going to work anyway" kind of day. (I'm feeling much better, by the way. Glad I went to work.)

Once I have been able to dig into the book, I will do a little review here for you. Also, she will be up in Seattle in May, so I am trying to plan a trip up to the reading/tour stop.  More on that as I know more.

Sick Day

I have some kind of virus. I feel yukky. Stayed home and did some work on computer, called in for meetings. That's all.

And naps are good. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

"The Color Purple" 25 Years Later

I was reading the newspaper today and when I came to the TV Listings, I read them (which I don't usually do...).  Oprah had a 25th Anniversary Reunion of  the cast of "The Color Purple" today.  I was so disappointed that I didn't know that until well after it was over - then I remembered that they have a "new" channel (since the change to digital television - meh) that shows the Oprah from that day at 10pm! Yay!

I loved seeing Oprah reunited with Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover. You could see in all the actors this sense of relationship and the memories of doing the movie together. I can only imagine the sense of pride they must have about making one of the most splendid, brilliant movies ever.

I'm pretty sure I've written about "The Color Purple" here before, but I was so moved watching the show, I just had to gush about it again.

I'm pretty sure that Steven Spielberg made this movie as the preliminary movie leading him to "Schindler's List". What I KNOW is that he is responsible for at least two of the most incredible and heart-filled movie movies ever made.  "The Color Purple" is so amazing in terms of visuals, emotional depth, honesty, great acting...I love everything about this film and I always have.  I'm still blown away by the fact that it was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and it didn't win ANY!  I'm sorry, but if that wasn't political, I don't know what is.  I remember watching the Academy Awards for 1993 and thinking, "If Steven Spielberg doesn't win ANYTHING, I'm never watching this show again."  Luckily, the Academy was fair and gave him and "Schindler's List" its due.  "The Color Purple" will just live on in infamy as one of the worst Oscar denials ever.

Anyway, Oprah asked everyone their favorite lines from the film and they were fun to listen to and I remembered one line from a young kid. Mister is in the old, run-down house and the kids are running wild through the house and one of the kids comes in and says, "It's gon' rain on your head!" - my favorite line.  But there are so many favorite moments in the film - I love the end, I love ANY scene with Nettie in it - she was really an amazing actress. When Celie gets her letters.  Shug Avery going back to the church.  Ahh.  I will have to watch the movie this weekend.  I wish they would have this on the big screen again for the 25th Anniversary. I know they won't, but it would be good to see that way again.

Anyway, I'm floating on a little purple cloud right now. :)

Off-line Time

I enjoyed a mostly off-line day today.  I haven't been feeling great this weekend, so after a bit of sick this morning and going back to bed, I took it easy. Played some solitaire, did some art journaling (photos tomorrow), did some pen and ink puzzles, watched a movie, and all the normal at-home stuff.

I'm considering a theme for April, but I haven't come up with any ideas. I'm sure I will find something. I have been a little aimless lately and a theme will put me back on track a bit.

Here's to a good week. Monday is right around the corner, so I better get off to bed.

I Know I'm Sick When...

I had to cancel my plans for today because I am not feeling well. Once I gave into the fact that I wasn't feeling well, I put a movie on, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - one of my ALL-TIME favorites. And I slept through all but about the first 2 minutes. I thought about just putting it on again when I finally woke up, but I didn't.

I hate being sick.

Solitaire Phase

Sometimes there is nothing like a good game of solitaire after a long week. I don't need a 3G computer to do that. There is just something very zen about playing solitaire on a Friday night after a very long week.

Looking at a pretty busy weekend, so I'm taking the rest now before I have to jump into the other stuff.

"Secret Millionaire" and Techology Rant

Topic 1: "Secret Millionaire" is my new favorite television program. I love seeing the good work that people are doing in the world despite sometimes overwhelming obstacles. It makes me appreciate what I have a lot more and think about what I can do to help make the world a better place. And it makes me cry every time I watch it.

Topic 2: I'm so tired of hearing about the Android iPad Super-3G 4G extra-fast smart coverage super-duper phones and computers and the cloud and how we can manipulate photos and everything should be faster and we can now watch television and walk the dog and talk on the phone and email and text and listen to music all a the same time. I'm tired of having to dodge people as I am walking because they are looking down at their phones and not paying attention to where they are walking. Or having to listen to people's phone conversations because I am in proximity to the conversation. Please use your ear piece and not speaker phone. It makes no sense that our television screens and computer monitors are getting bigger but we are being encouraged to utilize smaller and smaller screens to access the same information/entertainment. I barely use my smart phone for anything, I don't watch television on a tiny screen and my eyes can definitely feel when I have been on the computer for too long.

I'm not against technology or even against technological improvements. I just wonder how fast is fast enough. I just prefer humans. I like all my gadgets and I use them, but they don't control my life. The more crazy it seems, the more I want to back away.

I think I have just felt barraged this week by commercials and speaker phone calls and lots of technology "stuff". It will all work itself out. I just needed to rant.

Ahh - I Have Been Waiting

I LOVED this performance back in 1985. Sheila E. on the American Music Awards. Ahhh. Nice.  A little blast from the past.



I know that I am old now because I know for certain that 1985 was one of the best musical years EVER and it was the year I graduated from high school. That is the beginning of the end, isn't it? When you know your music is the BEST music? I think I'm willing to say that music was great from the mid-60s through the mid-90s and then I had a rapid drop-off from popular music.

But 1985. Yum. Great year. Prince's "Purple Rain", Madonna, Wham, Culture Club, Duran Duran and yes, my secret (or not-so-secret back then) crush on Rick Springfield. I'm sure there are more to be listed, but I can't reel them off from memory anymore. Hee hee.

See - here are some #1 songs from 1985. Who knew I would find this?

Burned Out

The change of Daylight Savings Time (I don't know if we turned it on or off and frankly, I don't care) throws me off every year.  It starts this 3-4 week cycle where I am tired and feeling all out of sorts and annoyed about it.  It is frustrating to me. We don't live in an agrarian society any longer, so let's just leave the freaking time alone.

Anyway, that's the skinny for today. I hope I can get over it QUICKLY.

Art Journaling Update from the Weekend

I was having some problems with my photo editor yesterday, so I was delayed in posting some of my new pages from last week. Mostly I did them over the weekend, but I did a lot of cutting and sorting last week.  Also, I have a new glue that I am using. I can't decide if I like it or not - it gets really heated up and mushy which can be positive and negative, but it smells good and so far, it is a good adhesive. It is Coccoina (no idea how to say it).  It is solvent free and smells a little like almonds. :)

Here are some new pages:

This one is my favorite of the bunch. I like the legs and the skirt. It felt like I was breaking out of a rut or something.  I am looking for more images that will help me stretch and do different things.

I couldn't resist using the colored windows background on several pages. I thought it tied them together nicely, even though they are all really different pages.  Obviously, I love the multicolored nature of them and they are just so vibrant. It helped some of the more muted colors show up better.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Rogers

I have to admit to you all that I was not a fan of Mr. Rogers as a child. He had a number of strikes against him out of the gate: 1. My sister loved him 2. He spoke in a quiet voice 3. I had seen Sesame Street and The Electric Company first

Now that I'm an adult, I respect and admire Fred Rogers for his love of children and his ability to be a stable and consistent presence in a world that can be so chaotic for kids (and adults, for that matter).

I was reminded today that it is Mr. Rogers' birthday and my friend added a lovely quote that I thought was worth sharing: "Why in the world couldn't we use this thing called television for the broadcasting of grace through the land"~Fred Rogers (March 20, 1928 - February 27, 2003)

Below is a video of the Daytime Emmy Awards 1997 Presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Fred Rogers and his acceptance speech. Lovely.

"Over the Rainbow" and other songs

The makers of "GLEE" did something BRILLIANT on their second DVD set for the first year (they should add it for the first part of the season, too). In the extras, they added a "Glee Music Jukebox" so that if you want to just listen to all the music without watching each episode, you can do that. It is such a great idea.  Sometimes, I want something in the background, but I don't always want to watch something.

Today, I was in need of some tune out time, so I put on the Glee Jukebox and had a field day.  There are some spectacular songs on the set. The ones that really got me tonight (and usually do) were "One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not a Home", "To Sir With Love" and the ukulele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  The last two always get me teared up. Tonight, I remembered that the first time I heard that version was on an episode of "ER" when Mark Greene died. I went on YouTube and found that version (although it is a montage and not the original scene it was from).

"Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole with scenes from "ER"


There is just something so soothing about an afternoon with music. It was very, very nice.

Clock Watching Doesn't Work

Today, I was ready to go home by 3:30pm...not that I didn't have anything to do - I just was sort of done.   I always feel guilty when I start feeling like that. I was discombobulated all week and everyone could tell - a couple of people said, "What's wrong with you?" in a laughing way because I didn't know what day it was or I looked confused when they asked me questions. Then, today, while I was on a conference call, my eyes decided they were tired and I got all squinty for the rest of the day, so it made me look tired. When people tell you, "Wow, you look tired", you start to feel tired. Hence my tiny stint of clock-watching.

What is funny about clock-watching for me is that I feel guilty about it so I start looking for projects and usually, those clock-watching days end up being days that I stay even later than normal. This was no exception.  I finally landed on writing a weekly update (which I have been remiss in doing for a month or more) and ended up not leaving work about an hour after I had planned.  I don't mind, though, because it does mean that I wasn't slacking off and I don't feel as bad for wanting to leave at 3:30pm when I stayed until 6:30pm.

Horoscope for this week

I read my TV Guide Horoscope this week and it was exactly...no, I mean EXACTLY what happened. I have to go dig it out and then I will post it here. It freaked me out a little. *sigh*.

I feel a little guilty that I didn't plan something at work for St. Patrick's Day. I have some folks who don't celebrate holidays and now I'm just a bit stumped about what to do. When I'm stumped, I tend to...forget things. I almost didn't even wear green - nothing was clean. I finally settled on a green scrunchie for my pony tail.

**Correction:  The horoscope is for March 21 - April 3 (TV Guide comes out ahead of time. I still think this is prophetic:  " Radical changes, most likely involving your career, will occur over the next few weeks.  Be mentally and physically prepared to move in a new direction at a moment's notice. If you truly want to thrive, rather than simply survive, you've got to be flexible."

Like a Hole in My Head

So, after an emotionally eventful day, I went to the Aaron Brothers Art store (I don't think I got the name right) where I was looking for frames for some work stuff.  I didn't find the frames I needed, but I DID stumble into the aisle where they had Jim Holtz Idea-ology items for sale. Um. Hello!  I LOVE his stuff but thus far, I have avoided being in a store with said items. Not true today. I had to buy some stuff. I bought a little more than I should have, but it was less money than I rounded when I was calculating, so that's good.  I need more stuff for my art journal like I need a hole in my head. I mean, really. BUT I'm so excited and this little bit of retail therapy made me feel a little better.

On the health front, I feel like I'm coming down with something. :( Hopefully, it is brief and almost over. It isn't bad - just not feeling quite right.

I was going to do some art stuff today but I got caught up doing some stuff on Facebook and then I watched American Idol.  Set up for art takes too long to start it at 10:00pm, so I just decided to wait until tomorrow. I'm excited to use some of the new stuff.

Strange Morning Dream

I slept like a log last night and woke up at 6:00am to my alarm clock, but I didn't hear the alarm because I was still hearing a dream I was having.  In my dream, the alarm didn't ring - it was the soft, sweet voice of a Japanese girl reciting haiku to me. When I woke up, I heard her voice say, "Write this down", but I didn't remember the haiku.  I think I must have hit snooze or something and went back to sleep to see if she would tell me the haiku again.  This happened 3 times, I woke again at 6:12am, 6:18am and 6:40am. Finally, the last time, when I woke, I didn't hear the alarm going off again, I just heard her voice saying, "Do everything you need to do, every day." 

The content of the dream is vague - I can see images but I don't really know what was happening. There was definitely a Roby sensibility to it - there was a portion where I was trying on clothes and he was urging me to try something new.

When I was finally able to really detatch from the dream and see the time, I was running about 10 minutes later than I usually would on Tuesdays.  I hurried to get ready, but everything seemed very slow and quiet - almost like I was in a bubble or something. When I finally left my house (on time, might I add), traffic was quieter than normal, it was a little darker (DST), and I was able to make good time and get to my job with plenty of time.

So, all in all, I have had a strange sense following me all day. "Do everything you need to do, every day."  Something I need to think about, obviously.

Evaluating Daily Blogging

I have to stop waiting until right before bed to blog. I think that is part of my unrest - by this time of night, I don't have a lot to say - my brain is tired.  I blog late because it really is the only time that I can count on regularly.  When I have tried writing when I get home from work, the time varies too much, I get busy, or I'm tired or it makes me want to write about work. I don't want to write about work. It isn't that interesting. That's why I keep the blog - to find other parts of my life and keep that interesting.

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking about recently.

I guess it is back to the same old complaint I have had - I'm better with a theme! :)

On My Mind Lately

I went out briefly today to get gas and run to the store and I heard a clip on the radio from a young woman who was inspired to become a teacher because her mother had been a teacher for 30 years.  She talked about the hours (7am-6pm and work at home, on the weekends), money of her pocket, lesson plans, grading, commitment, passion and none of it was a complaint. She was proud of her work and the only thing she said was that she hoped the work teachers did wasn't undervalued.  A husband was talking to the radio show host and could barely hold back tears as he talked about the commitment his wife had to her special education students.  When we stop caring about the education and care of our children, we are definitely in trouble as a culture.

My heart goes out to those in New Zealand and in Japan and all the places impacted by the earthquakes and tsunamis and by the potential issues with the nuclear power plants.

Sometimes, I get overwhelmed by all the problems and tragedies in our world. I didn't feel overwhelmed today - just thoughtful. Just wondering how to participate without politicizing, how to help without growing fatigued. There is so much need and so much to do. I know we can pull through and help others. That's the good part. People step up when there is the most need. Sometimes it takes something tragic to step outside of ourselves, but if it works, then that is the lesson we have to take from it all.

Art Journal Pages Part II this week

For some reason, I had some problems posting pictures this week. I'm hoping I will be able to get the last couple of art journal pages up here for today.  I don't know why the Blogger in Draft sometimes gives me fits with photos. :(

Anyway, here are the photos of the last couple of pages I did. Not done, I think, but they are a start.

Yes, the photo is Anne Hathaway. It was in an Elle or Vogue magazine, but I thought it was a lovely photo of her, so I decided to use it.

Catching Up!!

Hey all you loyal friends out there - I have been doing stuff for the blog, just not getting to it this week to get everything typed in.  I will get caught up over the weekend and will be back in the regular, daily saddle online again.  Sometimes, it is just easier to do the handwritten thing for a few days.

Thanks for your support and for your visits!  More soon!

Photo Finish!

I was finally able to catch up my photos a little tonight, but it took me a little while to get them onto the blog...

First, I have the photos of the hysterical kitchen brush and gloves I received as a gift from some friends at a dinner party back in February. Good clean fun!

I can't stand the smell of the gloves, though. I left them in my car for a day after I got them and the odor was NOXIOUS.  I have to get them all soaped up and use them a few times and that weird plastic smell will go away. :)

Here are some photos of the pages I did over the weekend:

Wednesday is Hump Day

I woke up today and I wasn't even sure what day it was. I have a phone meeting scheduled on Wednesday mornings and it is the most likely day for me to be discombobulated and I'm NEVER where I need to be for the call. Today, I was driving, made the call and had to pull over when I realized I couldn't talk and drive at the same time. I'm glad that I'm smart enough to realize that I couldn't make both happen today. Sometimes you can have the "how are you? I'm on my way conversations" or the listening to the other person talk conversations in the car, but not the important, "what's going on at work? Where do you need help? What are your goals?" kind of talk.  At least I can't.

It is funny how things have evolved over time - we went from not talking on phones in the car because we didn't have them, then when I got a cell phone, I talked on the phone all the way down to Monmouth 3 times a week (it was a bad time in my life).  Then the shine wore off of cell phones, so less talking while driving. Then there was the whole smart phone creation and the period of time where I worked at night and I was expected to keep up on the daytime stuff even though I didn't start officially until 3:30pm.  I texted in the car, did conference calls in the car, etc.  In 2008, a law in Washington changed that you couldn't text in the car or have the cell phone in your hand while driving. Can I say that I was never so happy?  In preparation for the inplementation of the law, I just put my cell phone in my purse and stopped answering anything while in the car.  I was HYPER vigilante about it for a long time. Now, I will listen to a conference call or talk on the phone with my earpiece if I HAVE TO, but with the understanding that at the first sign of trouble, I throw it down and call back when I'm not mobile.

Anyway, this is what was on my mind today...

Tuesday Tidbit

Well, it is kind of amazing how easily you can change your habits in a short amount of time...not in a good way though.  Why is it that within the space of a week (less than a week), I can get out of the habit of blogging here each day but can't break other habits that quickly?  It is kind of irritating.  I'm glad I have started carrying around a little notebook though, so that I can jot down my thoughts as needed.  It is important to me to write something every day as a commitment to myself.  It is the only one I have been able to keep steadily for a long time, so I am determined not to break that one.

Back to Real Life, I guess

Trips and the like always unsettle me even when they are good. It just takes me some time to settle back into my life and my schedule.

The weekend was good - did some art but I had left my camera at work, so I will post some pics in the next couple of days or so.  I'm still trying to find a groove for daily art, but I'm just not there yet.

Started reading "Tiger's Curse" by Colleen Houck when I was in the airport for my trip - I have it on my Kindle, although I want to purchase hard cover copies since I know the author.  It is fun to read something written by someone I know - it is so amazing what she has accomplished in a short time. I haven't done too much reading since the trip, but I will get back to it.

Getting ready to interpret "Billy Elliott" in April.  For some reason, I'm dragging my feet on this one but I really liked the movie. I know it will be fine - I just have to find a hook into the music. Tomorrow night, OPB is showing "Finding Billy Elliott" about the search for the boys who took the roles on. I think that will be one fun way to get attached to the show.

Anyway, that's all for now. I have staff meetings tomorrow, so I have to be ready for them. They aren't hard to do - just takes a little extra energy and "on" time. Off to bed!

Sundays are good days

I love Sundays. It is the designated day that I get to kind of do what I want. I have rehearsal today (really, splitting the script), but other than that, I can do what I'd like and I don't have to feel guilty.

Going to do a little art, watch some "24" and maybe watch my "Les Miserables" concert since it is on PBS tonight.

Ah. Time off is good.

Connections

I'm not sure I have mentioned this project here, but here is a lovely video giving you a taste of www.3X3X365.blogspot.com.

Please watch the video. It is beautiful.

When I watched the video, it just made me think of all the connections we have and that we don't think about. All the ways that we touch each other's lives when we aren't even thinking that we do. Some small thing we say, some small gesture, small help, small kindness and we make a giant ripple that we never even know occurred. This is so important - not only to help me be more conscious of myself, but to remember that when I operate from a place of goodness, even if I don't see it, it might make a difference somewhere - even where I least expect it.

Week End

This week has really been good but also squeezed the life out of me. I'm tired and my brain is a little sore from cramming so much into it.

I have been away from the computer for much of the week and I have to say that I didn't miss it all that much with the exception of a few minor moments. It may take me a little time to get myself back on track and to find a new balance.

I'm behind on a class I'm taking, on my art journal, on a couple of other items. It will be fine - just have to get in rhythm again.

Rant about Embedded Video Sizes

I don't know when YouTube changed the format of their videos so that when you embed them, they are huge. I can't figure out how to get them to be smaller. That is one reason I often post videos on the "Video Inspiration" page just so that they are in one place and they don't look so weird when they are bumped up against other posts.

That's all. That's my rant.

Beautiful

Several of my Facebook friends posted this today, so I thought I would bring it over here:



I love Poetry Slams. I love that I am getting back into some of my old passions. It feels good to feel that excitement again.

Back to Reality

I'm back.  I'm extraordinarily tired - long weekend, lots of traveling.  I had a good weekend and a good work summit.  I have some posts that I wrote while I was away and I will be posting them in the next couple of days. For now, I'm going to post this excellent video that I saw today and then I'm going to bed.

"You Are Spectacular" from Kind Over Matter:

Last Day, Home, More Airports

Wow! I'm toast. I stayed up WAY TOO LATE last night. A bunch of folks were in the lounge and we sat around telling "One thing You don't know about me" stories and "My worst interpreting moment" stories. It was good, clean fun. It is so nice to get to know people a little more personally. Nothing like some good story-telling to get things off to a good start.

Didn't really have a good night sleeping, so I'm really tired today. Luckily, my box arrived and I was able to hand out my little gifties. Just some stuff from www.tut.com that I thought might make people feel good. Kind of goofy, but that's me.

I wish I had stayed one more night and then had flown out tomorrow, but I didn't do it that way. My friend was there right as I stepped outside to call her and we were on our way back to Sacramento - about 2 hours and 45 minutes in traffic. I was hoping for time to have dinner with she and her partner, but it was not to be. I can't get to the airport late - it freaks me out. The last few times I've flown, I've miscalculated the time and I just don't want to do that again. One time I was the LAST person on the plane. Ick.

So I got here and the plane is delayed by about 15 minutes. Not bad. I was trying to do some work on my sidekick but I kept falling asleep. I'm writing this now because it is a little more active than typing on a tiny keyboard. I can't wait to get home and get some sleep.