Day off

We have some neighbors who are very nice. They have a back courtyard area that is right next to our house, which they fill with flowers and a little table and chairs. They also fill it with so many ridiculous things that we refer to it as the circus. The man of the couple, Dave, is a plumber, so he built a fountain out of some flowerpots and things. There are Christmas lights strung everywhere, and a light up palm tree. The strings of lights criss cross over the patio, and a huge American flag hangs from the center. Over the summer everything was red white and blue; now the lights are all orange and there are purple bats and spiders and some kind of really really creepy R.O.U.S. type thing perched atop the crisscross of lights. They leave everything turned off until they go to bed, at which point they turn on the whole circus, fountain and all, and go inside. The sound of the fountain makes me think it is raining all the time and makes me have to pee constantly. They are good neighbors, friendly and a little quirky. They have two dogs, Daisy and Susie. They've had Daisy for a while. She has incredibly short legs and is very shaggy, and kind of hops when she moves. She barks loudly whenever we come in the gate, all the way until we make it back to our door and inside. The people who used to live here had cats, so she sometimes peeks around as we're going in to see if we have any. Susie is a new dog. Daisy is working hard to teach her how to bark incessantly at any humans. She's coming along well with that training.

We know Daisy's name for sure, because every time she barks we hear her owners yelling, "Daisy! Daisy! That's enough!" And Susie being a new dog, we hear her name shouted pretty often as well. And we hear the lady saying "Daaave? Hey Dave?" all the time, so we know the plumber is Dave. But he never seems to call her, so even though we see her all the time, we don't know her name. There is a chance that it's Mary. We may never know.



If you come over any night of the week you can see the circus.

Since Friday is my day off, I always feel the urge to do something awesome on Thursday night, but I can never find anyone up for doing awesome things with me. Ben was working late yesterday, and then went to the gym, and I had no luck with anyone else. So I decided it was the time to bake my apple pie. I turned on good music and cracked open a beer and put on my apron and got bakin'. When Ben came home I presented him with a delicious bowl of apple peelings. He had a mostly-full bottle of Port from his work receptiony thing, and I had bought some Dubliner cheese, and we had some yummy almonds too. We were classy, and I was drunky and spicing up my pie before I got it in the oven. We danced with our wine glasses in hand and were very silly and it was perhaps a sickeningly adorable evening of careless fun spent by two young lovebirds in their little apartment.

And then we got to eat this for breakfast.
Seriously, I can't believe I made this thing. It's incredible. If you come over in the next couple days you can have a slice.

fun stuff

I forgot to write about how I played a kids show at Celtic Fest on Saturday. Saturday was a pretty great day. Went to Cozy Corner with Ben, and then to the Renegade Craft Fair where I bought a really beautiful new bag, and then I played kids songs in this little area of Celtic Fest until it started raining, and then I met Ben, Mike and Neal at Delilah's where they had been drinking beers and beers, beat Ben and Neal at pool, drove them to Ricobene's for amazing huge sandwiches, snuggled down with Ben and watched Flightplan and went to bed.

I feel like I've worked a ton this week, and at this point in the session things are pretty slow. I'm anxious for my day off tomorrow! Yesterday I spent the whole workday working on a song that I started thinking about on my bike that morning, and I had it finished by 4pm. It's so awesome to pull a guitar off the wall and mess around with it in between phone calls and customers. After work Ben and I biked to Piper's Alley; we had been invited to see a free early preview of a new movie called Blood Diamond that will be out sometime this winter. It was okay. We got to fill out surveys afterwards about how we liked the movie. Then we ate burritos at Picante. They were a little gross. We saw a lady walk by wearing part of a tree.

Work today... long.... it's beautiful outside and that's where I want to be!

music feels good

I had my ipod on shuffle on the long drive to teach in the suburbs yesterday. Sometimes shuffle really blows but yesterday it was a perfect DJ, pulling out songs I wouldn't have picked but that matched my mood impeccably. You Make Me So Very Happy- I would have thought it was too cheesey, wouldn't have put it on. But there it was, and it was perfect, and I teared up a little bit. This story is also influenced by the fact that yesterday was the monthly phenomenon that Ben has named "Sad Tuesday," a day in which hormone-heavy tears will find a way to fall out of my face and I will feel a little too rocked by the world. My ipod must have been having Sad Tuesday too or something because it was mellow and a little moody but solidly glad in the right places. All You Need is Love. Miracle Drug. Happiness is a Warm Gun. Passing Afternoon. Porno Starlet vs. Radio Clown. Star Witness. Soldier Girl. Sovay. Grace Cathedral Hill. In The Lost and Found. Casimir Pulaski Day. The Weather. Far Far Away. Rest of My Life. Watching the Wheels. Enjoy Your Rabbit. I heard all of those on the way to or from work. It ruled.

On my bicycle I am a prolific writer. I have debated wearing a little microphone so that I can remember later what I came up with while I was biking. I've been trying hard to write more songs. I get so frustrated when I work on something for a while and then it turns out to be just like something else... I get frustrated in general if I have any moment of difficulty, and then I give up until I can think of something that comes all at once. This is why I have very few finished songs. I'm trying to work on it. I was talking to this girl who works at the store at the school who does tarot readings, and so I asked her a question about songwriting. She told me it looked like I overthink things too much instead of just writing, and that I'm afraid to write anything that's not perfect. The she showed me the card that represented my "process," which was the eight of swords, which is a picture of a tied up, blindfolded, barefoot girl trying to walk through a field but she is encircled by swords stuck into the ground. It was my first experience with tarot, and it was weird, but also fascinating.

It's cold outside. And inside our house, it is also cold. I'm nervous for winter. All mittens, all the time.

Day of awesome

Thursday was AWESOME.

I was in a great mood. The sun was out, I biked to work, it had finally stopped being rainy and gloomy, I drank coffee and got all revved up. Gigs were coming my way. I got booked for another birthday party in October. I picked up some sub shifts for WW. A friend at the school suggested we make some music together. Andrea and Aerin were scheduling rehearsals for their I heard they needed a last minute sub for the kids piano classes the next day and I offered, but it was already set. Then I got another call; they needed a sub THAT AFTERNOON. So, I finished my shift at the desk, jumped on my bike, and zipped over to the other location of the school to teach two kids piano classes. It was awesome! I taught piano lessons to little kids! It's a team taught class, so we did some group games and stuff, and then the kids go one at a time with one of the teachers for a private lesson. So that's what I did. I was very excited and proud.

I am amazed that I am a real music teacher, a musician who makes a (meager) living teaching and performing and working at a music school. At the wedding people complimented me and asked if I "did this for a living." And I got to say... well, yes, kind of. Awesome!

Thursday night continued to be great. I was in such a good mood, and Ben put me in an even better mood. Cooked me a delicious mushroom scramble with red peppers and feta, and took lots of funny pictures on his computer, and had a goood time. Then we biked to Handlebar for an ice cream sundae dessert, sat outside, it was so fun.

Friday was pretty good too. Went to guitar class and yoga, did laundry, talked to mom on the phone, fired up the grill. Kendra and Marc gave us tons of leftover meat from their wedding. We made a sign for the front of our freezer to remind us how much meat is in there so we can check it off when we eat it. We can now check off one giant delicious steak.

With our bellies full once again of steak and wine we hopped on our bikes and went to Victry Gardens to see Maggie (formerly Turnski), my friend from high school, in Come Back Little Sheba. My friend Kevin was in some shows we saw there, and he was at the show with some friends. It was crazy to see Maggie on stage, but it was a great production and we had a good time. I hadn't told her we were coming, but my laugh apparently alerted her of my presence. After the show we got some drinks at Red Lion, and then at Delilah's. It was a good time.

Saturday work all day. Ben worked too down in Hyde Park. It was Apple Fest in Lincoln Square. On my lunch break I walked down and bought a piece of not so good pie. The I bought a bag of apples to make my own oh so good pie. Hooray for fall.

Drinking, Meat

I hate it when I get busy and then feel like having to blog it out feels like an obligation. But I don't want to forget about stuff.

Labor Day: Worked my first birthday party, for some one year old twins. Kind of crazy. Out of control a little. They basically wanted me to be the CD playing as the guests arrived, rather than lead an actual class. Whatever, still pretty fun, happy way to make money. Went to grocery store to buy grillables, chocolate chip cookie ingredients, 6 avocados for guac. Threw great 10 hour long party. Was hostess with mostess. Wore hot fall outfit with boots and miniskirt. Many people came over during the course of the day. Did not rain till huddled under tarp at the very end of the night with Jason and Julie B. Drank booze. Ate meat.

Started new session of classes next day. Was a little worse for the wear that morning after all the meat, but still had fun and am excited. Have triplets in one class.

Had towing hearing. Liable for charges. Judge told me it would "behoove me to read posted signs."

Had lunch two times at "Cafe Emily," AKA Emily's new apartment around the corner from work. As she is currently unemployed and eager to show of her single girl pad she has asked us to come over to her house for lunch, where she whips up delicious beautiful food and we laugh and she makes the day better. Love her tons and tons.

Went shopping with Julie B at H&M, bought nothing. Went shopping more by myself. Ate at Sultans with Ben, thought he had gotten run over by a car when he was late after I thought I had seen him on his way. Was relieved and grateful. Eventually bought nifty red dress at Urban Outfitters for wedding.

Practiced, practiced, practiced.

Lucas and Delaney and Baby Owen and Morgan came to stay at our house. Ordered in from Taco Veloz with Taavo and Ben and sat outside eating taco taco burritos. Played with Baby Owen. He is a baby. He is also a brand new person that came from Lucas and Delaney together. They are a happy family. Biked to Handlebar with Ben and Morgan to meet up with Janna, Dan, Taavo and Meredith. Hugs, beers, fries. Came home and tried not to step on sleeping baby family.

AWESOME to see everyone.

Packed. Drove to Indiana with Janna and Brandon in the car. Cramped, yet fun and silly car time. Did not run out of gas. Ate buffalo burger at little restaurant.

Did not kill Ben / was not killed by Ben in the setting up of tent.

Everyone started working. The wedding was a fun hippy wedding in the woods, but involved a lot of work by everyone to put it on. I helped Janna with flowers, though on the first day once she was finally set with what she needed to start, she was stung by a bee, and as she is allergic, we left immediately for town to get Benadryl. We got a little lost on the way back and it was dark when we returned. We passed bottles around the campfire and ate brats, beans, corn, and marshmallows. Fun reminiscing, a ton of folks from Macalester, guitar singing, good times.

Saturday woke up, made egg sandwiches on campfire, worked. I helped Janna with flowers all day, other people were decorating, setting up tables, preparing greens and food, all kinds of things. There was a lot to do. Everything got ready in time, it didn't rain, the wedding was beautiful. I played guitar and sang three songs in the ceremony. Marc and Kendra got married to each other in a big open area with a dromenon/labyrinth on the ground. They looked pretty and happy. It was neat. After the ceremony Ben and Taavo and Dan and Alex and another guy started their grilling duty; Ben was in charge of grilling the meat. He had made a gallon of barbecue sauce at home, like a giant vat of homemade barbecue sauce, and a homemade rub for the chickens. There were many chickens and steaks to be cooked. The boys cooked em good, and I swear to you this was the BEST MEAT I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE. Particularly the steak. I don't even like beef very much usually or want to eat it but

THIS STEAK

WAS

UNBELIEVABLE TO EAT.

They got it all from a great farmer they knew, all free range, well fed, killed three days before, never frozen, healthy, AMAZING. The other food was great too, prepared by a nutty but skilled raw food chef, crazy sundried tomato coated nuts and sunflower pate in cucumbers and sundried tomato pate on fresh basil leaves and other GREAT yummies. I hung around with Meredith by the grill. We felt like grill wenches. The priestess who had officiated the ceremony and who owned the land came over and insisted that the grill boys take off their shirts under their aprons. They all did, and we all objectified them. None of us really ever sat down to eat but there was lots of fun and eating bit by juicy bit. More drinking, more meat. Macalester picture: KendraMarcDioLucasDelaneyMorganBrandonJannaDanLindsayPoppyJeremyEricJennyAnnaliseCarrie... maybe more people I'm forgetting. Champagne toasts. Cake - I cut and served it. Slideshow. Dancing dancing. Ben is a wedding dancing machine. Taavo dancing in apron only closed out the night. Campfire, enormous hollow log fire. Hot times, jillions of fun.

Sunday, woke up after sleeping terribly, ate eggs bacon coffee fruit at a little screened in porch area. Packed up, hung around, headed out. Slept partway home. Lunch at Quiznos. Packers game. Destroyed by Bears. Went to see Kevin's play at the Chopin theater, did crossword, went to sleep early.

Monday more new classes. Rainy rainy day. Lots of hanging around killing time for the rest of the day. Dinner at Potbelly's, groceries at TJs. Still reeling from the drinking and meat.

Tuesdaytoday, classes, rainy day again. Kevin's birthday, took him a present, ate soup and hung around playing guitars with him and his friend. Worked. Blahzee blahzee day.

Kendra, Marc and Dio are coming over tonight for some kind of computer deal with Ben, and they said they'd bring some leftover beer and meat!

Just what I need.

There's a noise in his head and he's out of control

Art Brut in my head today. Fun fun.

Weekend has been good. Friday I went back to the sketchtastic impound lot to schedule a towing hearing, after Ben's dad was nice enough to get ANOTHER letter notarized and faxed saying that I could represent him at a hearing.

Oh shit. I hope they gave me back the copy of that. They must have.

Did some cleaning and practicing. Played the wedding songs for Marc and Kendra, who were pleased. Went to Feed for dinner with Benny- fried catfish!! Bought some rugs for the apartment, which were a gift from Ben's mom's cousin Robin. Stayed in to finish setting up the apartment, put out the rugs, hung the last of the pictures, cleaned up.

Saturday was a wonderful day. Slept in for the first time in weeks and weeks. My parents and Julia came to see our new house for the first time. It was gorgeous out, and we grilled brats and corn and had a caprese salad with tomatoes from Grandma's garden and the basil Ben and I have been growing. Had ice cream at the place across the street from work, showed them the room I teach in, walked around. It was interesting to see their understanding of Lincoln Park grow. At first they were just commenting on the beautiful architecture of brand-spankin-new condo complexes and landscaping, but as the afternoon progressed my dad asked if there were any non-toddler kids in the neighborhood, and mom got shocked that my classes are basically only nannies, and asked if there are any old people, and commented that the wrought iron gates looked nice but gave a bit of a "keep out" feeling. Very homogeneous. It was great to just hang out and take it easy with my family though, and they loved our house. I love it too. Now that it's all set up and stuff. It's awesome.

When they left we decided to go over to the Chopin for some theater. We got in at the last minute to a sold-out showing of The Dumbwaiter/The Zoo Story. I loved both plays, and they made me remember how much I love to see live theater and people who want to make it and the unique way it is able to reflect humanity. It made me want to try writing plays, in addition of course to making me want to be in plays and direct them and play with interperetation and the shifting conveyance of meaning. Ah! I loved it. It was the greatest thing we could have done with the evening. After the show we walked up to six corners to eat pizza, drink beer and do the crossword puzzle at Santullos. Then we sat on top of a newspaper box on the corner and watched people walking by. We went home at 1 and I had to be at work in the morning, but I was unsleepy. #1 because new neighbors at the condo next door are apparently going to have raging loud keggers every night on their porch, #2 because I had coffee at the show, #3 because I was filled with artistic fervor. The play and the people watching made me anxious to be more creative, and to update my style. Since I have no money for clothes I started exploring my options for altering clothes I have but don't wear for whatever reason. Trying to up the cool biker quotient of my wardrobe, as it is all DIY, cost effective and hot. Sat on the bathroom floor with scissors cutting off pant bottoms and sleeves until 2:30. It made me think of a scene on Wishbone where Joe is sitting on his bed, cutting the sleeves off all of his t-shirts to be one of the cool kids. And Wishbone's like, "What, are you against sleeves now?" It embarrassed me.

It probably won't make me seem like a badass hot biker if I talk about Wishbone too much.