![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Sorry, couldn't resist.
So, yeah. The weekend. I did have some apprehension surrounding it, for what I think were good reasons, but none of my fears were realized. It was the best possible visit and weekend that I could have hoped for.
Friday - I was picked up at MSP by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
briandmage, who took me to lunch at the Chatterbox, which is a very SF-feeling place. After lunch, I toured B's new (salmon-colored) home and then we went over to redwright's house. Much hugging and chatting and me ooh-ing over the home improvements ensued. S took me to the uptown Leaning Tower, where I met up with Marcy & Adam and their two daughters, Lisa & Spencer and their son, and Sean & Jen. I didn't recognize the Tower! They totally remodeled! Sigh. After dinner, I hauled ass down to Intermedia Arts to see scoundrel01 in Great Moments Of Kung Fu Theater History. Hi-larious. I especially liked the Kung-Fu Ionesco bit.
Post-show, Mike and I went back to his place so I could frass with his roommate (Bean) a bit while Mike warshed up and changed, and then we went over todorajar's for a small gathering o'peeps. Mo, Mikey, Brian, Sally, Fred, Alisa, Dustin, Bob, Matt, and Dave were all there, and it was good. It was very good. I introduced everyone to Fernet (or, as they call it now, Ferret) and Corb Lund (mighty neighborly, mighty neighborly), we saw the "Rehab" video (no, no, no), there was much chatting and one-on-one time, and we were all very happy. Also, we had cowboy hats! It was a good time. Sally and I wandered home and hopped in the hot tub, and then beddy-bye.
Saturday, Sal and I went party-shopping and dress-shopping, because I LEFT MY DRESS IN SF. Augh! So we had to scour Dayton's/Marshall Field's/Macy's for a dress that would appropriately show off my tat and still not make me look preggers. We finally found a cute black-and-white polka-dotted halter dress that is vaguely rockabilly (and not at all stripper-like!). We finished up the shopping at Beyerly's, and then home, where I napped and they cleaned. Bad guest, no biscuit.
That night, I went with Sal to her show - I ended up having to park the car as she ran in to the theater, because downtown was insane. We found out later that Prairie Home Companion was at the State that night, with Wilco performing. I had to remember where my cheap super-secret parking spot was, but I got to see the show! It's amazing - Autistic License. Just wonderful. And then Sally and I sped back to the party - which was already in progress. That was the second time I've "returned to the fold" at a Sally party, the first one being after my accident. Both times, I was nervous as hell pre-party, wondering how it was going to be.
Oh, the party was wonderful. It was great to see so many people, and to have so many people see me happy and healthy, as opposed to the hollow shell I was when I left. I did my usual Sally-party thing of hanging out in the kitchen, right in front of the sink. At least that way people have to pass by me and say hello, right? PLUS, The Baron Von Raschke himself showed up to my party! How awesome is that? (Fred is in a show at the History Theater about MN wrestling, and it stars The Baron.) We partied far into the night, with a post-party hot tub. Yay. So much love contained in that night. So much.
Sunday, we staggered around, Fred made bacon and Grand Marnier French toast, Sal and I went to Target, and we all made calls to our respective mommas. Mo & Mikey came over to hot tub, and then we all went to karaoke at The 1029 Bar. The 1029? Large with the WTF and the amusement. It's a Nordeast bar, so it feels like a small-town dive bar. It's also a cop bar, and we were pretty much the only people doing karaoke that night. This made for some interesting expressions on the faces of the regular patrons. I heard one woman call her friend and said, "There's a bunch of theater people doing karaoke at The 1029. You gotta come down here and see this." Highlights of the night included Mo doing an interpretive dance to Carolyn's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart", Mike (and Terry and Fred) dancing to Sally singing "Everything's Comin' Up Roses", Mo and Sal and me singing "Rehab", Terry, Carolyn, Fred, and Mike singing "Bohemian Rhapsody", Carson singing some Motorhead song and "Apeman", Sal singing "I'll Fly Away"... Much hilarity. Oh, and Carl stopped by! Awesome. It was great to see him.
Monday, I just packed up and waited for Mikey to pick me up for lunch at Wasabi, where we were joined by Mo, Brian, Debbie, Sally, and Heather (my college roomie). After lunch, I said my good-byes to most everyone and went with Heather to see her husband John and their new house in north St. Paul. Then, I flew home. And left my cowboy hat on the plane, which upsets me all out of proportion. I choose to blame the toddler that was in the row with me - he was small enough to sit on his parents' laps, and he would. not. shut. up. the. entire. damn. flight. I'm pro-kids, but that was a little trying. To his parents' credit, they were doing their best to keep a very active toddler occupied and quiet - he just wasn't cooperating. I think they even gave him toddler Benadryl at one point, which didn't seem to have an effect. So. I miss that hat - it had a lot of great memories attached to it.
It was a wonderful and odd weekend. Minneapolis is at once familiar and strange - I know where most everything is, but it repeatedly struck me how flat/green/spread-out it is. It felt a little isolating, actually - everyone in their own houses, doing their own thing. I think I would have to still be in theater if I had stayed - otherwise I'd be too apart from everything. Given how much healthier I am out of theater, that's a little scary. I miss everyone so much, it physically hurts. But it felt so nice to be back in SF, to see the Bay, to be among a lot of people. I spent the weekend listening to people talk about their houses and theater, and I have no personal stake in either. My path has seriously diverged from the life my friends lead, from the life I was leading. I still mourn what I had, while being happy in this new life. I enjoyed all the love from this weekend, and it was brought home to me that I probably cannot return permanently. When I left Alaska, it was gladly. I knew all along I didn't belong there. When I left Minneapolis, it was because I had to. I never quite fit in, but I managed to carve out a niche for myself. I miss my friends and that community so very much.
However, living here has been incredibly good for me. It was remarked a few times how much more relaxed I am now, how much more able I am to roll with things. I don't worry about my place here, I don't worry about being wrong, I'm not in fear of saying the wrong thing. (Well, I do, because I'm me, but you get the drift.) Part of that is not being in an unhealthy relationship any more, and I do think part of it is how accepting California is. And, part of it is due to the relationship with Martin. He's taught me a lot - or, at least, listened to me and offered comments as I've worked through things.
I need a French phrase or German word for feeling happy and melancholy at the same time. Happiness at the present situation, but keenly missing the past. Something. That's where I am, at any rate.
Almost no pictures were taken last weekend, so here is a fuzzy one from Edwin's cellphone:
So, yeah. The weekend. I did have some apprehension surrounding it, for what I think were good reasons, but none of my fears were realized. It was the best possible visit and weekend that I could have hoped for.
Friday - I was picked up at MSP by
briandmage, who took me to lunch at the Chatterbox, which is a very SF-feeling place. After lunch, I toured B's new (salmon-colored) home and then we went over to redwright's house. Much hugging and chatting and me ooh-ing over the home improvements ensued. S took me to the uptown Leaning Tower, where I met up with Marcy & Adam and their two daughters, Lisa & Spencer and their son, and Sean & Jen. I didn't recognize the Tower! They totally remodeled! Sigh. After dinner, I hauled ass down to Intermedia Arts to see scoundrel01 in Great Moments Of Kung Fu Theater History. Hi-larious. I especially liked the Kung-Fu Ionesco bit. Post-show, Mike and I went back to his place so I could frass with his roommate (Bean) a bit while Mike warshed up and changed, and then we went over to
dorajar's for a small gathering o'peeps. Mo, Mikey, Brian, Sally, Fred, Alisa, Dustin, Bob, Matt, and Dave were all there, and it was good. It was very good. I introduced everyone to Fernet (or, as they call it now, Ferret) and Corb Lund (mighty neighborly, mighty neighborly), we saw the "Rehab" video (no, no, no), there was much chatting and one-on-one time, and we were all very happy. Also, we had cowboy hats! It was a good time. Sally and I wandered home and hopped in the hot tub, and then beddy-bye. Saturday, Sal and I went party-shopping and dress-shopping, because I LEFT MY DRESS IN SF. Augh! So we had to scour Dayton's/Marshall Field's/Macy's for a dress that would appropriately show off my tat and still not make me look preggers. We finally found a cute black-and-white polka-dotted halter dress that is vaguely rockabilly (and not at all stripper-like!). We finished up the shopping at Beyerly's, and then home, where I napped and they cleaned. Bad guest, no biscuit.
That night, I went with Sal to her show - I ended up having to park the car as she ran in to the theater, because downtown was insane. We found out later that Prairie Home Companion was at the State that night, with Wilco performing. I had to remember where my cheap super-secret parking spot was, but I got to see the show! It's amazing - Autistic License. Just wonderful. And then Sally and I sped back to the party - which was already in progress. That was the second time I've "returned to the fold" at a Sally party, the first one being after my accident. Both times, I was nervous as hell pre-party, wondering how it was going to be.
Oh, the party was wonderful. It was great to see so many people, and to have so many people see me happy and healthy, as opposed to the hollow shell I was when I left. I did my usual Sally-party thing of hanging out in the kitchen, right in front of the sink. At least that way people have to pass by me and say hello, right? PLUS, The Baron Von Raschke himself showed up to my party! How awesome is that? (Fred is in a show at the History Theater about MN wrestling, and it stars The Baron.) We partied far into the night, with a post-party hot tub. Yay. So much love contained in that night. So much.
Sunday, we staggered around, Fred made bacon and Grand Marnier French toast, Sal and I went to Target, and we all made calls to our respective mommas. Mo & Mikey came over to hot tub, and then we all went to karaoke at The 1029 Bar. The 1029? Large with the WTF and the amusement. It's a Nordeast bar, so it feels like a small-town dive bar. It's also a cop bar, and we were pretty much the only people doing karaoke that night. This made for some interesting expressions on the faces of the regular patrons. I heard one woman call her friend and said, "There's a bunch of theater people doing karaoke at The 1029. You gotta come down here and see this." Highlights of the night included Mo doing an interpretive dance to Carolyn's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart", Mike (and Terry and Fred) dancing to Sally singing "Everything's Comin' Up Roses", Mo and Sal and me singing "Rehab", Terry, Carolyn, Fred, and Mike singing "Bohemian Rhapsody", Carson singing some Motorhead song and "Apeman", Sal singing "I'll Fly Away"... Much hilarity. Oh, and Carl stopped by! Awesome. It was great to see him.
Monday, I just packed up and waited for Mikey to pick me up for lunch at Wasabi, where we were joined by Mo, Brian, Debbie, Sally, and Heather (my college roomie). After lunch, I said my good-byes to most everyone and went with Heather to see her husband John and their new house in north St. Paul. Then, I flew home. And left my cowboy hat on the plane, which upsets me all out of proportion. I choose to blame the toddler that was in the row with me - he was small enough to sit on his parents' laps, and he would. not. shut. up. the. entire. damn. flight. I'm pro-kids, but that was a little trying. To his parents' credit, they were doing their best to keep a very active toddler occupied and quiet - he just wasn't cooperating. I think they even gave him toddler Benadryl at one point, which didn't seem to have an effect. So. I miss that hat - it had a lot of great memories attached to it.
It was a wonderful and odd weekend. Minneapolis is at once familiar and strange - I know where most everything is, but it repeatedly struck me how flat/green/spread-out it is. It felt a little isolating, actually - everyone in their own houses, doing their own thing. I think I would have to still be in theater if I had stayed - otherwise I'd be too apart from everything. Given how much healthier I am out of theater, that's a little scary. I miss everyone so much, it physically hurts. But it felt so nice to be back in SF, to see the Bay, to be among a lot of people. I spent the weekend listening to people talk about their houses and theater, and I have no personal stake in either. My path has seriously diverged from the life my friends lead, from the life I was leading. I still mourn what I had, while being happy in this new life. I enjoyed all the love from this weekend, and it was brought home to me that I probably cannot return permanently. When I left Alaska, it was gladly. I knew all along I didn't belong there. When I left Minneapolis, it was because I had to. I never quite fit in, but I managed to carve out a niche for myself. I miss my friends and that community so very much.
However, living here has been incredibly good for me. It was remarked a few times how much more relaxed I am now, how much more able I am to roll with things. I don't worry about my place here, I don't worry about being wrong, I'm not in fear of saying the wrong thing. (Well, I do, because I'm me, but you get the drift.) Part of that is not being in an unhealthy relationship any more, and I do think part of it is how accepting California is. And, part of it is due to the relationship with Martin. He's taught me a lot - or, at least, listened to me and offered comments as I've worked through things.
I need a French phrase or German word for feeling happy and melancholy at the same time. Happiness at the present situation, but keenly missing the past. Something. That's where I am, at any rate.
Almost no pictures were taken last weekend, so here is a fuzzy one from Edwin's cellphone:
 |
Ari, Carolyn, and Juliana, 5-11-07 Carolyn and I are (drunkenly) trying to look like Bond girls. Ari is, of course, Bond. Ari Bond. |
