harder, better, faster, stronger

Back from the Saint of George and in Oregonland! Hooray! Actually, I had a pretty fun time. We finished everything with time to spare. I really liked the painter I worked with, we had lots of good times and fun conversation. I only wish she weren't going to grad school in Utah. It'd be so much cooler for her to hook me up with jobs if she were somewhere else.

I had In N Out the night before I left and it was delicious. I noticed it one night on my way home from Annie's place (after we watched a movie) and I was like, "Wait, that was NOT here last summer." The next day I asked at work how long the In N Out had been there and they told me it had just opened like, two weeks before I had gotten there. What luck! So tasty. Now, for all the Provoites who used to drive to Vegas to get some In N Out, you only have to drive four hours to St. George!

Another adventure was my flight-missing-fiasco . . . that was insane. I slept in the morning I was supposed to leave, got up in a panic, and started crying at the thought of being stranded in Utah. Like a baby. It was traumatic. It all worked out okay though, and the planned three-hour layover in Phoenix turned out to be only about ten minutes long by the time I got on different flights and made it there. Phew. Props to Delta and US Airways for taking care of me and not making me pay any flight change fees.

Now, I am busily taking a printmaking class from Royal Nebeker, and it's great. I did it in order to beef up my portfolio and add a stronger section of the visual arts, which is something I've been planning on doing for a while. I've been thinking about doing some canvas painting this summer too, but I have no time as the class/workshop is from 10:30am to 4:30pm and all the rest of my time is pretty much taken up by this one boy. But, the workshop ends this Friday, so maybe I'll clean my room and set up a mini-studio on the south end.

Hey, one of my pieces is in the AVA Gallery downtown! I submitted it last minute to the show and the jurors chose it to be included! It's kind of a funny show . . . an anagama/printmaking show. It's not officially through the college, but the people who submitted stuff and organized it are almost all students or former students. So, if you're interested in owning a piece of my work, it'll only cost you $130. Or, maybe if you were to be my friend and be nice to me, I would give you one.

i don't want it fasti don't want it free

So, guess who's employed?? It's not actually as exciting as all that. I am employed, but only for one week. I'm down in St. George . . . back in Utah . . . working for Tuacahn. Doug is designing two shows down here this year, they're opening this week, and are behind painting-wise. He called me up and asked if I was working on a project ([scoff], don't make me laugh, Doug) and since I wasn't, he asked if I'd come down and help him out. I said yes. People are important to me. So are connections, although I don't think any I'll be making here will get me where I want to go. I digress.

They flew me down and set me up in the Chalet Motel which is the same place I stayed when I first got to St. George last summer. It's causing all kinds of deja vu and it's funny how some things in my life are completely and totally different than they were a year ago and some are exactly the same. And in order to perpetuate my nostalgic musings, I find myself listening to the same music I did while in a room very similar to this one ten months ago. I am a glutton for memories.

In addition to the sweet motel room, they've also fixed me up with a rig with which to drive to and from the theatre (about 20 minutes away). I say "rig" because it is indeed, a rig. It is a Dodge Dakota Sport extended cab. Seriously. Anyone who knows me and sees me driving this vehicle would probably keel over with laughter. It's huge and so ridiculously mid-western. At least it has a CD player. Mmmmm. Neon Bible.

I worked about four hours today after I flew in . . . there are several set pieces that need lots of work and apparently two haven't even been built. It'll be a fun week. It's really nice coming in as the help and having everyone be really grateful and praising you. On top of that, I hold no responsibility for what does or does not get done (beyond the integrity of my own work, of course) with the sets. Foot-loose and fancy-free. I'm pretty much icing on the set designer's proverbial cake and can do no wrong. Hear me roar.

I bought a bunch of junk food at the grocery store tonight. I do dumb things when I let my power go to my head.

take a step before runningtake a breath now before you die

So remember how I was like, "Blah, blah, blah, I'm blogging again!" and then I disappeared for two weeks? Yeah, sorry about that. But, here I am again! I've resurfaced.

As previously mentioned, I learned how to throw on a potter's wheel and even went back for a second go-around. (HA! Pun totally intended.) Also funny, all my life I've wanted to learn how to do it, and now that I do/have, I'm kind of disenchanted. It takes a great deal of patience and a real innovation for designing shape . . . neither of which I think I am inclined toward, although, both could potentially be learned. I feel like doing ceramics is one of those things in which a lot of people have interest and end up trying, but few fall in love with. There are few that love it enough, but I wholly respect those who do. I don't think I'll make it into the Love Category, but I would go do it again and probably will since I have the materials and equipment pretty readily available for me. Karl said I did extremely well for a person who'd never thrown before, and so, you may call me a virtuoso. But, a tragic one, because I won't work to develop this divinely given talent. No, but seriously, it was fun and I liked it. Because I didn't keep any of the pieces I threw, I'll go again . . . I want at least one piece to show for my work.

DEATH CAB! I went to see Death Cab in concert in Bend. It was a great weekend, and the drive was long, but surprisingly bearable. It rained while we were waiting in line and during both the opening bands, so I felt all soggy . . . until Benny came and shared his beautiful face and voice and lyrics and music. The openers were Mates of State and The Decemberists. MoS were a lot more rock-sounding than they have been on albums past, so that was refreshing. And, I'm glad I finally got to see The Decemberists play. I sort of felt like I was pretending to be an Oregonian before I saw them live, but now I don't have to be a poser anymore! And, Colin knows how to work that crowd . . . man, what a character. Death Cab was amazing, of course, and played a great selection of songs with a lovely balance between the old and new. They played "Marching Bands" which was the one song I voiced a desire to hear during our five hour drive down. Now I feel like I can call myself a Seattlite since I've seen DCfC live . . . oh, and they're coming to PDX later this month which slays me. I might be in Arizona . . . but we'll see . . . I'm going to try to make it to that concert too.

I went to the Coaster! It'd been far too long. I saw Side by Side by Sondheim and it was just okay, as community theatre often turns out to be. I loved being there, though. It was cathartic just being in a theatre again.

I got my bass back. I got my groove back. It's been fun playing again and I think I'll keep it for now instead of selling it like I had planned.

I've been spending a lot of time cleaning my room lately. Seems to be part of that quarter-life crisis: crash at home and while you're there, do your parents a favor and overhaul your bedroom. Said overhaul usually includes getting rid of old things by the 32-gallon-bagful and putting everything else neatly in boxes. During this process you run into old things you forgot you kept. There are so many things I don't want anymore but can't bring myself to throw away. I guess that's what those boxes are for.

On an impulse, I bought both Attack and Release and Consolers of the Lonely. I was thinking about it and buying CDs is kind of like voting. Yeah, you only count for one and it may not seem very significant, but being part of the vote is. Being part of the "albums sold" number is important.