red hair and black leather

To my lovely friends who want me to return to MSP, I'm just sayin':

Minneapolis:
-3°F
Clear
Wind: NW at 7 mph
Humidity: 54%

San Francisco:
50°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: W at 14 mph
Humidity: 66%

I'm going to ride over the Bay Bridge into Sausalito, take a look around, come back over, and watch the games. You have fun with your negative temps, mmmkay? (I kid because I love....)

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 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.

Could my lovely and talented and knowledgeable f-list point me toward/hook me up with the following:

Songs about San Francisco (Bay Area/California will work, but I'm specifically looking for songs that reference SF).

Songs about Minneapolis (St. Paul will also work, but I'd prefer Minneapolis).

I've got a few (Lucero's "San Francisco", Lucinda Williams' "Minneapolis", "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay", Semisonic's body of work, etc.), but more is better in these cases.

Thanks, y'all.

Damn, I am exhausted. I haven't the faintest idea why I am so wiped out, but I am and have been so for a while. Maybe it's March, maybe I've been pushing myself too hard. I don't know. (Although if I've been pushing myself too hard, this does not bode well for marathon training.)


Note to the general public: not every shopping experience in Minnesota has to be a mall. Yes, we've been a retail-driven economy for a while, but that doesn't mean everything has to be in a mall or a mall-like atmosphere. Given all of that, here's a neat article on skyway shopping in Minneapolis, mostly focused on the Investor's Building (which I travel through every workday).


Why I love the Manolo: the Manolo he is all, meh, the boat of the Manolo they do not float.


Saw Pericles last night. I find myself suffering from the same reticence that my authorial brethren tend to undergo when commenting on novels they have read. Twin Cities theater is a small community, and anything I put up on the Interweb may come back to haunt me. I did find the production to be a good one, but I do have some criticisms and problems with the execution. We shall see if I get over my shyness.


Last weekend of Measure For Measure. Le phew. It's been a wonderful experience, but I am ready for it to be done. Project-driven or ADHD? You decide. (Actually, I tend to think that the current mania for ADHD diagnoses reflect a larger shift in our culture than in our biology. If you think about it, a scattered focus would allow our hunting-and-gathering ancestors to be more likely to sense danger or an opportunity for food, much more than a single, narrow focus would. I'm no anthropologist or sociologist, so take what I have to say with a generous helping of salt. Given that, I think I'm on to something here.)


I am mentally floating the idea of going in for the general Guthrie auditions in mid-March. I would be more apt to if I actually had a decent headshot.


Finally, my maternal grandparents are celebrating their 60th anniversary today. Happy Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa. I love you.

I am very much a tree person. In Fairbanks, there's not really shade trees. There's birch, alder, cottonwood, white spruce, and black spruce. All of those grow up instead of out, so the effect is many skinny trees all hanging out. In addition, the fall season is approximately one week long, so the trees just turn yellow and then shed their leaves. If they're lucky, they do it before the first big snow hits.

So, when I came to Minnesota, the thing that made me the happiest about my new home was the amazing, huge, overarching trees and the colors those would turn in the fall. One of my favorite sights was standing at the top of the hill in St. Peter looking towards the river, and seeing the entire valley aflame with these wonderful trees all orange and red and gorgeous. One of my favorite things about the Cities is how many trees there are in the city proper. We have parks, we have random green spaces, we have trees in between the sidewalks and street.

Why am I sad then? This is why: Minnesota is losing its shade trees. Dutch Elm disease is rampaging through the Cities, and old, stately trees are coming down. Orange spraypaint on a tree trunk can make me tear up at this point. I know it needs to happen, we have to get the infestation under control, but it seems so unfair. Especially since it seems that global warming is playing a major part in the growth of the beetle population, much like it is in the spruce stands in Alaska. One of the saddest sights I've seen is acres and acres of dead grey spruces, all leaning against each other as if needing each other's strength.

I know it's part of the ecosystem and cycle of life. It's still a heartbreaking sight.

As everyone knows, Zach and I are moving back in together, into a huge-yet-cute basement apartment. Part of the appeal of the apartment was the size, another part is the rent, and another part is the proximity to both of our workplaces. I haven't been doing much exploring of the neighborhood because I've been too busy trying to get all of my junk in. Still, I've noticed.... things... that have let me know that we have moved into a neighborhood that's out of our league.

Seriously. We have shot from funky bohemian to Rich People, with nary a stop in yuppiedom (which I'm not complaining about).

My run takes me past houses with lots that could fit 3 apartment buildings. There's a bus route available to me now that has at its main patrons people who easily make 6 figures a year. This house is two blocks away from me, and it's one of the homlier ones on that block.

Sheesh. I feel vaguely like a class traitor, and knowing that living in a basement apartment is the only way we'll ever live in this area doesn't help much.

Still, I'll enjoy while we've got it.

Sheesh.

So, does anyone have an opinion on Cingular's service? It seems that I will be involuntarily switching over to them - provided the Cingular - AT&T Wireless merger makes it past the regulatory boards. Hmmph.

In other news, I'm still recovering from last week. Daisy opened well, but damn, it was exhausting. The theater doesn't have an intercom, so I have to haul my butt up two flights of stairs an average of 9 times per performance. With an additional 9 times going back down, too. At least a Stairmaster has been rendered unnecessary for the duration. Phew. Plus, the 90-minute commute each way takes a lot out of a person.

But, we're open, and we close this weekend, and then I don't have to worry about it. Until March 1, when I train the SM that's in charge of the St. Paul run. Easy enough, though. I know the SM, and he's a sweetie. After that, it's all Bees, all the time.


Z & I are looking at an apartment tomorrow. It's with his landlord, so he could move ASAP, with me working out terms with my rental company. I may sublet for the remainder of my lease. We'll see. The apartment is in a slightly busier neighborhood than I'd like, but it's better than being too far out. Much better. It is also on the block where Dale moved after we broke up. That will be slightly weird. Just slightly, though.


The MCTC bus drivers are threatening to strike. Ergh. I completely support the union, Metro Transit is giving them a crapola deal, but I am veryvery glad I live close enough to walk in to work.


Probably won't get the Admin 3 position that I applied for her. Le sigh. Also, I have a Giant Filing Reorganisation Project Of Doom here, and it's failing to excite me. I live for the day when filing is not considered one of my major duties.


Fannish things: I'm sad about Angel being cancelled, but I probably won't miss it as much as most of my friends here. I haven't been able to keep up with it this season, and as such, am not that invested in the show. It saddens me that quality television is clearly not a priority to most TV execs, but we've known that since the 50s. Neil Simon even wrote a smash play about it. So, there it is. No more Jossiverse, at least not regularly. I'll buy the DVDs (eventually), Joss will get something else going (hopefully), and we'll keep on moving.

I am concerned about the impact this will have on b.org, but that will happen as it will, and there's not much I can do about it.

Something very petty, but I'm a little pissy at our local newpaper right now. They published a gushing piece about Lyn-Lake, which is the commercial district I tend to revolve around. It's fun and funky, with great theaters, restaurants, and shopping. It's also still overshadowed by the ultra-hip and mega-commercial Uptown just six blocks to the west. That's not going to stay that way for long, as gentrification is creeping its way east in the form of new condos and townhouses springing up in former parking lots.

Fine. I can deal. My immediate neighborhood will probably stay funky-esque for a few years at least, because there is nowhere for gentrification to come in. We're packed. However, I do resent my favorite place to wander and people-watch becoming the New!Hip!Thing!! It happened with Uptown, it's happening with Lyn-Lake. I live in the city (and avoid downtown on the weekends) to get away from the suburbanites, and they keep invading. What happened to NorthEast becoming "hip"? Why aren't they all up there???

Yeah, I know. I sound like an aging cranky pretentious hipster. Okay, the first three are accurate.

Still.

Maybe I need more sleep.

Get offa my lawn!!!