August 2005

Woe Nellie!

I've been busy getting things in place for piano teaching and other work here in the Tracy area. I've signed up with two employment agencies and have appointments at two others. Today's employment screening took a gleeful three hours of poorly managed testing. Color me 'burnt umber' (because I've already used up the 'unimpressed' crayon). I've also been submitting applications for part-time graphic design jobs as they come available.

I just had a meeting with one of the yellow pages advertisers to market my piano teaching business. I've made contact with a music store in Modesto to rent studio space to teach there one day per week. I've also networked with the local music store, the music teachers association and the executive director of the Stanislaus Arts Council.

Thursday I take my driving test to get my California license.

It makes me tired just writing out all that I've done. No worries though: it's not been all work and no play. I've gotten in tons of eating, sleeping, cuddling, chatting, gaming and internet surfing. I'd be a rich man if only I could have found a way to get paid for catching up on my Strongbad e-mails. Being on DSL after a year of 28k migranes is like eating a Godiva Double Chocolate Raspberry Truffle after a year of munching on rusty nails.

Stating the Obvious

"sordid galoshes stagger beneath a luscious goddess"

Amusing Developments

It's only been 2 weeks, but today we were in Wal-Mart picking up a baby mattress...

Domestic Bliss

Curt and I are now legally domestic partners in the grand state of California. That gives us all the legal rights we need and makes us happier than clams (cuz, come on, how happy can clams really be?).

Ruggedly Coifed

A friend of Curt's asked him what I looked like. After his description his friend said, "so, he's kinda rugged looking?" Curt responded, "Yeah, kinda, but in the whole multiple hair products, metrosexual sort of way."

Come One, Come All

A comment I made to Valette: "What's with this whole blogging revolution in our family? It was just supposed to be you and me desperately trying to be you. I feel slighted."

Bossco's
Prudhoeman
All Askan Gal

Leftovers Never Tasted So Good

I've been using up leftovers from our dinner party on Saturday. Tonight I used up the rest of the chilled fruit soup. Talk about a gourmet smoothie: fresh pears, fresh pineapple, chamomile tea, dessert wine, frozen raspberries, raspberry syrup and crushed ice. Damn that's good.

Party On Garth

Curt and I threw a dinner party Saturday night for several of his friends. We planned, bought and prepped food for a few days before that and then cooked the majority of the day on Saturday. The event was great in the sense that everyone loved the food, everyone enjoyed themselves and most importantly... everyone loved me (as if there was any doubt). The meal was made from scratch, served in multiple courses and consisted of:

Selection of wines
Blanched asparagus wrapped in provolone cheese and ham slices
Crustini with cream cheese, pesto and sun dried tomato
Stuffed mushrooms

Chilled Pear and Pineapple Soup
Salad with glazed walnuts, gorgonzola and an apple vinagrette
Gorgonzola, spinach and bacon stuffed chicken breast in a lemon mustard sauce
Herb basted baked squash and tomato casserole topped with parmesan
A selection of herbal teas
A dessert with 2 lbs of semi-sweet chocolate mixed with meringue in a thick brownie crust topped with whipped cream

Drop Everything

Curt and I drove to Sonora to see The Full Monty on Friday night. This is a musical version based on the original movie. This version was set in Buffalo, NY as was evidenced by the gratuitous swearing and over-the-top penile humor. I really love that story, but didn't feel like the music was anything that really enhanced it. In fact, the music wasn't all that great in general. The appeal of the show was that it was more a strip show filled with jr. high comedy. And by "appeal" I of course mean the dumbing down of a tasteful storyline to appeal to middle class America. And not being one to disappoint, middle class America flocked to the auditorium fully prepared to hoot, holler and throw underwear at the stage. Despite the poor comparison to the film the musical is fun, just not the slice of art that I was hoping for.

Will This Hurt Your Colon?

Nothing like a little comma sutra to spice up your punctuation.

California Dreaming - Day 4 (the beginning)

I finally got to my new home in Tracy almost midnight on Monday night. After my suitcases threw up all over the place I've been finding places to put everything and am starting to settle in. This major transition has certainly brought out the uncertain, neurotic, wishy-washy, bug-eyed-child-who-was-left-behind-at-the-grocery-store side of my personality. Lucky Curt. Once I stop feeling the need to talk to the furniture and affectionately pet the lamp post while calling it "Fluffy," I think I'll be just fine.

California Dreaming - Day 4 (the rides)

Monday we drove from Laguna Beach to Valencia (north of Los Angeles) to spend the afternoon at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Curt hadn't been on a roller coaster in years and once our stomachs returned to us after The Viper we had a great time. We got soaked on the Roaring Rapids, began to dry out while experiencing the Psyclone, got wet again with the Log Jammer, ate some mediocre pretzels and italian ice, enjoyed the brand new Batman the Ride and ended the day by getting photos in one of those tiny little photo booths. By the way, two grown men trying to fit into one of those photo booths... quite the comedy routine.

California Dreaming - Day 3 (the art)

After returning from the beach we went to the Festival of Arts. While the community band playing Jr. High-esque tunes lowered the quality of the exhibit, the art itself was awesome. There were over 100 artists represented covering a wide range of mediums.

I loved some of the art like this reflection photo and several other pieces that begged to be stuffed in my pocket and snuck out the back exit...

Curt and I discovered we have the same taste in art which is bloody brilliant. None of that froo-froo scenic crap for us. We want substance! We want statement! We want lack of plaster breast molds that are passed off as art!

California Dreaming - Day 3 (the horrors)

Sunday involved a nude beach. Just one comment: if that rather rotund gentleman had bent over to pick up his sunscreen one more time I think I might have hurt someone.

California Dreaming - Day 2 (the laughs)

In Laguna Beach our accomodations were much smaller, but tons more cute. We walked to a nice Californian cuisine restaurant for dinner with a friend of Curt's. Then we were off to see The Musical of Musicals, an hysterical musical that mimicks and mocks the big name musical theatre composers. Each composer-styled mini-musical had the time honored storyline: "You must pay the rent! I can't pay the rent! You must pay the rent! I can't pay the rent! I'll pay the rent!" How can you go wrong with such a meaty plot? It's a witty show that is most appreciated by those who are pretty familiar the musicals being mocked, but I found it a ton of laughs even when I knew I was missing some of the "in" jokes. It's a show I recommend seeing.

California Dreaming - Day 2 (the food)

Saturday we drove a few more hours to Laguna Beach. We ate at Nature's Grill & Juice Bar in Ventura along the way and had the best smoothies of our lives. The guacamole was amazing as were the entrees. It's the type of place I might drive out of my way to visit again. Tasty!

California Dreaming - Day 1 (the echo)

I arrived in the great state of California this past Friday after flying all night. The first thing I did after landing in Oakland... took a 5 hour drive to Santa Barbara with Curt. Reviews had said the rooms at this charming Santa Barbara hotel were extremely tiny so we made sure to specify that we wanted a large room and boy did we ever get it. It had a football field for a bedroom area and what we liked to refer to as the "east wing" was actually the kitchen/dining room. Getting lost in the northern staircase of the southeastern turret was my only concern...

Irony Lost

A photo I wish I had gotten...

On the deck of a small espresso shop in Homer there is a little group of kids chairs with a small table. On the railing right behind this grouping... two well-used ash trays.

Pillow Talk

It's 4 hours until I leave my Homer job for the last time and 5.5 hours until I'm on the plane to Anchorage. I'm all packed, boxes are shipped and my luggage is sitting in my mom's Yukon waiting delivery to the airport along with yours truly. I've wrapped up all work projects and written an office procedures manual for my successor. The problem with not leaving everything until the last minute is that I'm sitting at my desk with nothing to do and absolutely no motivation to seek out either new life or new civilizations when it comes to work projects. What I really would like to do is take a huge, long nap. Perhaps I can convince my assistant that I'll be working on projects in the basement all afternoon and simply find a place to curl up.

Raise Your Glasses Please

For the last year I've been "crashing at my parents for bit," "reconnecting with my roots" or "in a temporary living situation." The truth of the fact is that I was living at my parent's house. While they provided me with what was essentially a 1,000 sq ft apartment, I was still living with my parents. That was definitely a blow to my independent ego at first, but in the end I am so thankful to them for their support and sacrifice throughout the last year. It's been a difficult, but amazing year and they helped me through. In addition to the space, the dish washing, and the occasional devouring of entire bags of potato chips, dad loaned me a vehicle for the year as well. Their generosity helped me get back on my feet emotionally and financially and I'm forever grateful to them. Mom and dad... here's to you.

True Fruitopia

Frozen bananas, pineapple, orange juice, crushed ice, peach syrup and strawberry syrup... It's these sorts of gleeful combinations that make the world a better place.

Brown Mustard Wash

With all that's going on these last few days in the grand 'ol state of Alaska, I think I'm on the verge of jumping the couch and clothing myself in fax paper while I sing the national anthem to the special lint friends that live in my pocket.

// my personal research assistant: Jay //

I Feel Like Cookie Monster

Being the sugar addict that I am and being in the midst of a major life change I've been heartly off the wagon for the last few weeks. As such sitting through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this evening was probably not my brightest idea as of late. The up side? I haven't had a Toblerone in years and loved every post-movie, addictively purchased bite. Oh, and the movie rocked too. Definitely one to see again.

Four Legged Accessories

Get it now, while supplies last! This item is going fast. Join the legions of people who are stepping out in style. Buy the PuppyPurse today!!!

Darned Thing Keeps Breaking

It's not that rednecks don't have springform pans. They just use them for things like making cement doorstops.

New Depths of Shallowness

Have you ever obtained a credit card just because the card had a cool design? It's a purely hypothetical question. No reason at all, just asking. You haven't? Right. Well, I haven't either, I was just curious. Though it really does have a kick-ass design...

Majora on the Minora

Another photo in my continual quest to prove there are female symbols in the world.

Steady Diet of Smoothies

I�ve always had this sense that choosing a relationship was like choosing a smoothie at the juice bar: there are 15 different ingredient options, but you can only choose 4 of them. You have to narrow down your needs into the top 4 items and decide what things you can live without. With Curt I get all 15 ingredients and more (they have tons of special ingredients they never tell the public about... it's a consipiracy). Consider me in smoothie heaven.

I Reject You More Than You Reject Me

I was so hoping to turn down the job I interviewed for in San Francisco. Instead they had the nerve to reject me first. How rude.

It actually works pretty well, because I had already decided that I wanted to focus on building my piano studio again, teaching lessons, doing various gigs, accompanying, and doing freelance graphic design. So what may seem like a consolation prize is much more in line with what I'd love doing anyway. This plan will take a heck of a lot more work, but it'll be a lot more fulfilling.

I'm inclined to call this company at which I interviewed and decline their rejection because I'm pulling myself from the running.