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It’s my birthday.  As I sit here in the early morning, before anyone else is up, I contemplate the day.  It’s always awkward at work.  I haven’t specifically told my co-workers, though I know that at least a couple people know.  Do I want attention or do I want to just be left alone?  A little of both.  I usually take my birthday off from work to avoid this kind of thing, but I didn’t this year.

Last weekend I went up to my parents’ house to see them and also because my sister and nephew were in town.  On Saturday, my dad & I had a heart-to-heart in the kitchen while the ladies got ready to go to lunch.  It simultaneously breaks my heart and fills it up to know how much both he and my mom love me and want me to be okay. I want it, too.  I realize now that I have always skirted depression, but in earlier years, I chalked it up to artistic melancholy.  It never lasted very long because I was able to bounce back pretty well.  This time it’s just taking a bit longer to bounce back.   It’s a very frustrating place to be when your rational and logical mind knows exactly what you’re supposed to be doing to not feel this way but the rest of you just doesn’t want to cooperate.  I don’t know how better to explain it.  I can tell myself over and over again that in order to feel better I have to do A, B, and C.  It’s a completely different thing to actually do those things.

My mom, sister & I went to Lizarran in Fullerton for tapas which were served up by a Mexican named Raoul.  The food was good for the most part, the best being the bread with tomato and garlic.  The simplest dish was the tastiest and most satisfying.  Now if that’s not a recipe for a life lesson…

After lunch, we came home and each of us drifted off to different things.  Coming together to talk or going off to read or nap.  It was all acceptable.  That’s one reason I love coming home.  I can do absolutely whatever feels right and it’s okay.  I tend to always want to rest or nap when I’m there.

For dinner, I exerted my authority as the early birthday girl and chose to go to El Cholo for some delicious Mexican food.  The service was great and the food was fantastic.  We told them it was my birthday so they came around to clap and sing while I wore a gigantic sombrero.  I also got a free flan that my mom & I shared.  It was tasty.

We were all stuffed so after the requisite photos in front of the restaurant, we headed home.  The rest of the night was TV watching and chatting, reading and falling asleep on various pieces of furniture.

On Sunday morning, we all roused naturally and Dad made chocolate chip waffles plus eggs and potatoes.  So good.  At one point, I went outside to the back yard by myself.  It was a gorgeous morning and the sun was shining brightly.  There was a moment as I stood looking at the garden when things seemed absolutely right.  And more than that, I had a feeling that everything was going to be just fine.  Perhaps a moment of clarity, but I remember feeling completely at peace.  Maybe it was a flash of deja vu, or some kind of time warp of when I lived there in high school and all my adult life lay ahead of me and was full of possibility.  I felt that same kind of easy anticipation, of not knowing what’s to come but knowing it will all work out.

Not long after breakfast, it was time to head back to San Diego by way of the grocery store.  Han was also heading back from Las Vegas around the same time I was leaving.  The drive home was easy, uneventful and we had a nice night.

It was great to be with my family over the weekend.  Sandy is looking amazing as she continues her weight loss journey.  My dad has also joined WW and I wish him great success.  My mom is a sweet soul who only wants the best for me.  Tristan is growing up well.   We’ll see them all again at Christmas (maybe Mom & Dad sooner but I’m not sure).

Now it’s time to get to the day. Tonight the Rock Band is playing at the Belly-Up and I hope some of our friends come out for that and for my birthday.  Here’s hoping for a great day!

 

somewhat restorative weekend, US Open & Harry Potter

I finally started the 7th book in the Harry Potter series.  The reason I waited a bit between reading the book and seeing the 6th movie was because I had a feeling I would get really sucked in.  And that’s exactly what happened.  I think I started it on Saturday and I’m nearly 3/4 done already.  I just couldn’t put it down.  It was even a weighty decision tonight whether to post something here or dive back in with Harry so close to finding another Horcrux.

That’s what I did all weekend.  Most of it.  Friday night, we ate a nice dinner (I made cashew chicken).  Saturday, we met with a woman who’s helping to promote a show later this month.  After that, I was reading and had the US Open constantly.  How about that Melanie Oudin?  I like that girl.  Good for her.  Saturday night, Han had a gig but I stayed home and continued reading and watching and just being mellow.

Sunday morning, the Acoustic Duo were on a local morning TV show to promote the upcoming San Diego Music Awards (Thursday!).  Both the Acoustic Duo AND the Rock Band are nominated for Best Album (Americana/Country for AD and Rock for RB) for their respective albums that we released earlier this year.  Plus a bunch of folks that Han produced are nominated, too.  It’s usually a fun, kind of weird night.  No one knows whether to take it too seriously or to just blow it off, but I think everyone secretly wants to win, for whatever reason.  I know I wanted to win when I was nominated way back when for Best Local Recording for my first CD (another Han production, his first actually).   Anyway, so Sunday was the TV spot, then it was home for a bit.  I went grocery shopping and Han had a session.  I had loftily thought I would make it up to Escondido to go to my dear friend Robt’s reading, but it was not in the cards.

That evening, I put forth the effort to recreate a recipe that our dear Louisiana friend once made for us: sweet smothered pork chops.  It came out pretty good, so I was pleased with it.

And Monday…a day off.  Slept in a bit, kept reading, more tennis.  Except, another weird health issue, so to speak.  My nose really hurt.  Like I’d been punched in the face (but I hadn’t been).  Tenderness across the bridge of the nose, and very sensitive should I “crinkle” my nose.   Monday was not the first day of this, it’d been like that for a couple days and it’s happened before, but on Monday, the weather changed, and with it came multiple sneezes and lots of congestion for me.  With a tender nose, this was not good times.   I took ibuprofen, I called the doctor (who said to take ibuprofen and an allergy pill).  I even tried the neti pot.  There was some relief but with the nose pain and the congestion, plus I took the one heavy duty allergy pill I had left, I wasn’t doing anything or going anywhere.  We’d been invited to Cathryn’s for a bbq.  Han went with DK.  I stayed on the couch.  I dozed heavily between chapters and matches.

On the one hand, it really sucked to feel laid up a bit.  But on the other hand, I relished it.  I didn’t email, I didn’t work, I didn’t busy myself.  That alone made it a good weekend.  I also tried to be really conscious of what I ate and drank.  Lots of water and single, smaller portions of whatever I was eating.  Han & I also talked about trying to walk every afternoon when I get home from work.  Small steps.

Today was DK’s first day of 7th grade at her new performing arts school.  She was not thrilled with all the rules and regulations that took up all of the class time, but her classes include theater, dance, English, world history, etc.  It’ll be good.

Han is up at another studio tonight working with a client on some piano tracks ’til late tonight.  Rafael Nadal just beat Monfils.  It may be time to get in a chapter or two (or five or six) and then answer some emails and do some other tasks for the music stuff.   Bona nit!

 

more pain – a broken toe! (and other news)

So August has not been my best month physically.  I’m over the rib pain as described in the last post, but then yesterday morning, as I was getting ready for work, I stubbed my left pinky toe on the coffee table in the living room.  No big deal, right?  Wrong.  As I made my way to work, I realized that the toe just wasn’t feeling right.  Then, when I looked at it, it was swollen and had started bruising.

I emailed my sister who I knew had suffered a broken toe before (I learned later that she’s broken a toe three different times!) She was a very knowledgeable toe nurse.  She said to get some first aid tape, take some ibuprofen, elevate it.  But I was at work.  No tape in the first aid kit.  I made a makeshift ice pack and tried to elevate as much as I could at my desk.  It really hurt to walk, and I found that I had to turn my left foot sideways a bit thus making my walk look much like Igor’s, kind of a stride/drag/shuffle kind of thing.

I called my doctor’s office and they said they would have a nurse call me.  I left work around 2pm, because my foot was throbbing and I just needed to take care of it.  I also had to hit the grocery store as there was zero food in the house and the two other residents were returning that evening.   It took me about 45 minutes in the grocery store, pathetic.  It did include a call to my sister for advice on the kind of tape I was supposed to get (when I learned of the 3 broken toes she’s suffered).

I made my way home, put away the groceries, “buddy-taped” my toe,  and sat down to try to get a little work done, but my work laptop couldn’t connect to the network.  Then, I had to handle something with regard to DK’s return trip from Seattle.  I decided to nap for 20 minutes from 5-5:20pm and then be up for my 5:30 call with the health coach and then the 6pm arrival of Han.

When I woke up, I quickly checked Han’s flight to find out that his plane was arriving at that moment!  I shuffled to the car just as my health coach called.  We rescheduled for Wednesday, so that’s good.  Han arrived and it was all good.  The Acoustic Duo’s trip to the midwest was a great success with no major hiccups.   We relaxed at home and slowly as the night wore on, my toe just throbbed.

DK was dropped off by her mom around 10 pm and we heard about her trip for while.  It was nice to have everyone home.  But by 11 pm, I knew it was time for a vicodin and sleep.

~

While Han was gone, I spent a lot of time at home on my own.  I started on my volunteer work doing preliminary reading of 40 poems to evaluate them and provide my recommendations as to whether or not they be included in an upcoming anthology.  I read some of my current books.  I watched the premieres of two of my favorite shows (Top Chef and Project Runway).  I went to a work function on Friday (pre-party and Pades game) which was fun, though I made my way home after the 5th inning.  I napped.  I did some Acoustic Duo work and some Rock Band work.   I ate pasta.

On Sunday, I went up to my folks’ house as they were hosting a little get-together for my aunt & her husband’s 40th wedding anniversary.  They would be there as well as my other aunt and uncle (my dad’s sibs), my cousin and his wife and kid, and my other cousin and his companion.   It was a tough transportation day as it was hot, congested, and then I got stuck behind a stopped train for a while which made me irritable.  When I finally detoured, there was a car crash in the intersection I needed to cross so had to make another detour.  I arrived only about 15 minutes ahead of the other guests, sweaty and with a headache that never quite went away all afternoon.

My parents are remodeling their kitchen, so I was even more impressed that they offered to host since they had no functioning appliances (other than the refrigerator, temporarily located in the dining room).  But still they pulled off a nice gathering, croissant sandwiches, potato salad, regular salad, California rolls.  And a gigantic cake.  It seems like everyone had a nice time.

The drive home was better, no stoppages or accidents.  I finished up some laundry, did a little reading, and some other tasks then hit the sack, not knowing what awaited my toe the very next morning.

 

the Sunday edition

Sleeping in a bit…Denver omelettes with toast, hash browns and bacon…reading in a recliner…a cool shower…

That’s my Sunday so far and there’s not a thing wrong with it. I’ll be here with the family the rest of the afternoon, then I’ll be heading back down to San Diego in the evening.

Last night, we went to dinner at Panda Inn which was pretty good.  After that, we got home and took our requisite family photos in front of the house.  By the way, Sandy looks great.  Slim and smiley. I told everyone these would be my “before” pictures.  Now to create a program and stick with it.

Later, Sandy & I went to the store for a 6-pack of Coronitas, then I tackled the garage.  I went through some boxes of old clothes (my old tennis uniforms!), but also found some old pictures from when I was 4-H, plus a bunch of my old concert shirts.  One is of The Cure, I’ll see if DK might want to wear it.  Then I shuffled back & forth between Sandy & Dad chatting on the back porch, to talking with Mom in her room.  It was a pleasant evening.  T was happily playing on his DS.

Got a text from Han before I went to bed saying the Acoustic Duo gig that night had gone well, which I was glad to hear.  That’s all for now…until next time, consider everything I’ve written about in this post to be my daily joy.

 

the return of Java Joe’s & the rest of what’s happening

I’m behind!

I didn’t post on Thursday because almost as soon as I got home from work, Han & I were out the door to run a couple errands before heading down to the new Java Joe’s.   Earlier in the year, Joe was planning to open up a new spot, but now he is co-opting (so to speak) with an existing place and booking music and running the place 4 nights a week (Thursday thru Sunday).  Han is scheduled to play there every Thursday in August with John, an old friend of ours.  The 2 of them used to play together back in the days of the first Java Joe’s in Poway.

It was cool to hear them play together again.  Han on his drum and John singing and playing guitar.  Han’s talent on the drum is truly remarkable.  The crowd was light but enthusiastic.  Hopefully, as word gets out, it will take on a new life.

Yesterday, I missed posting because I had a busy day at work, then after work, I drove up to LA to my folks’ house as my sister and her son are in town to visit.  Sandy will leave on Monday so I’m spending the weekend up here.  When I arrived last night, we hung around the dining room table and chatte for a while, then watched some TV.  I went to bed around 11 pm.  I was tired!

This morning, after eating a gigantic croissant, Sandy & I went to the movie.  We saw “The Proposal.”  It was better than I thought it would be. I forget how much of a sucker I am for those rom-coms, but they always get to me.  After the movie, we met my mom, dad & T at Puffy Taco, a place that’s been featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”  I had the taco plate (2 puffies, rice & beans).  I selected carne asada to fill my ‘puffies.’  We brought it back home and it was quite tasty.  Tonight, we’ll be going to Panda Inn (Panda Express’s parent).  This visit seems to have quite the gastronomic flair to it, eh?

To catch up on the joy-seeking:

Thursday’s joy: being back in the familiar atmosphere of Java Joe’s and thinking about all the memories I have of each of its incarnations

Friday’s joy: eating In ‘n’ Out Burger and hanging out with the family and the summer night air of this high school town of mine

Saturday’s joy: so far…hanging out with my slim sister and more just overall family time

 

7-8-9

Too bad I wasn’t writing this at 4:56, then it would be 4:56, 7/8/09.  Or maybe waited 10 more minutes and it would be 7/8/09, 10:11.  That one’s cooler.

Anyway…one last comment about MJ, now that my mom, my dad, my sister and my aunt have all posted.  I was glad (from the parts I saw and what Han described) that it seemed, as much as it could, like a family funeral, with a mostly dignified respect that everyone deserves.   Of course, hearing his daughter speak was powerful and I definitely feel for the kids.   I have the same kind of feeling I had after Kurt Cobain died.  His daughter was only 2 years old.  She’s 17 now and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing about her more as she gets older.  I think the same will be true of Michael’s kids.  May they retain a  groundedness that they seem to have already (somehow!).

Beyond that, I don’t have much to say really.  More and more I’m striving to find a measure of joy in each day.  My sister has a simple one line note on her blog called “Today’s Joy.”  I like that idea.  Perhaps I will try to emulate it.  Perhaps if I am aware that I should notice where the joy is in my daily hours, it will become easier to only see that.

Today’s joy: Han making chocolate chip waffles for dinner (and noting that he knows they’ll probably never be as good as my dad’s).

 

Happy 4th of July

Hi folks…well I already missed a day but I hope you’ll forgive me.  There’s not much to report.  Serena won the women’s final against Venus, and they went on to win the women’s doubles titles, too.  Most impressive.  Tomorrow morning, it’s Roddick against Federer.  I hope it’s a good match regardless of the outcome.

We’re having some friends over today to celebrate the holiday. Grilling, drinks, the usual.  We’ve been in housecleaning mode so that’s always a good thing.  Back to usual Sunday stuff tomorrow (laundry, groceries etc).  Kind of boring, but sometimes things are just ordinary.

Have a great holiday!

 

where I’ve been

What was I saying before about the passage of time?  James Taylor sang that the “secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”  I’m not sure about that, but I’m definitely a master of letting time slip by seemingly unnoticed!  So here’s a re-cap, broken up by subject so you can pick & choose what you’d like to learn about

Han’s Birthday
Han’s birthday was a great success.  In part because of the chocolate peanut butter cake I made from scratch.  Goodness!  I got the recipe here, and all her tips were much appreciated!  During the day, we went down to a club and did a photo shoot for the Rock Band’s album.  It was a fun time and we’re looking forward to seeing the results.  In the evening, we had some friends over at the house for a pre-party kind of thing before heading down to Ocean Beach to hear our friends, Deadline Friday, rock out Winston’s.  They even had Han up on stage on a song.  He got shots of Patron all night from friends and it was just a good time all around.  

Books
On the 8th, I went to book club and opinions were mixed on “Away.”  Now we’re reading “Missing Mom” and I’m not loving it. But I’m sticking with it.  I’m also reading “Water for Elephants” and already finished book 2 in the Harry Potter series.

Rubbing Elbows with…
On Tuesday, 3/10, I got to meet a couple people who are simply remarkable musicians: David Rawlings and Gillian Welch. I’ve been listening to their music for years.  Han and the various groups he plays with cover her songs.  They are responsible for much of the sounds that make up Ryan Adams’ ”Heartbreaker” album, one of my favorites of all-time.  Turns out our friend, Matt, went to high school with Dave and they’ve recently re-connected.  In fact, back in January he took Han up to LA with him to hang out with him.  So Han came home with these amazing stories of people he met and music that was played.  Serious wow.  So, Dave & Gillian are playing the Belly-Up as the Dave Rawlings Machine, and they’re fabulous.  They did his songs for the most part, none of which I knew, but they threw in some covers like “It Ain’t Me Babe” that were just awesome.  Then, they invited their friends, Sean & Sara Watkins to join them.  Those two got huge as part of Nickel Creek.  The 4 of them played some great tunes and it was a great night of music.  So afterward, we hung out.  We were there with Matt & his girlfriend, and some of our other friends who are big fans of this music.  Dave & Gillian both remembered Han and hugged him when they saw him. Then they were introduced to the rest of us and we spent probably a good 30 minutes talking and hanging out.  Very cool. 

Which leads me to Sunday, 3/15.  I had decided to make my way up to LA (Tarzana to be exact) to attend a reading that featured my friend, Mindy Nettifee.  Mindy & I were on the Laguna Beach slam team together way back in ‘99 and I adore her.  I have not seen her nearly enough in these last years and I thought this would be a great opportunity.  I threw the option out there to my folks to join me if they wanted to and my dad took me up on it.  He even offered to drive his super cool SSR.  Awesome.  I drove up to their house, then he & I took off for the reading, after I grabbed some lunch with my mom.  On the way up we talked about all kinds of stuff and I relayed the story above about going to the show and meeting Gillian.  He had heard of her from me, but was also familiar somewhat with her work on “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”  I was so glad he drove, I knew I would have been super tired if I’d driven that whole way.  So we get there and walk into the Tarzana Community Cultural Center and I kid you not, Gillian Welch and Sara Watkins are standing there!  I couldn’t believe it!  Sara was plucking away at a little guitar with a couple people standing around her and Gillian was among them.  I went up to her and said hello and asked if she remembered me from the show the other night.  She said yes and shook my hand (I think she’s incredibly adorable and very striking in person).  She said she was tagging along with Sara for the day and that’s why she was there, and I explained why I was there, certain I was being the biggest dork ever. 

I signed up for the open reading (spot # 2), then my dad & I got some seats in the back row.  It was pretty crowded.  I was observing mostly, seeing a couple other poets I knew from my more prolific performing days.  Soon, the event started and it was kicked off by Sara singing a song, then she had Gillian join her, and they did a couple more songs, including one that I recognized from the show on Tuesday.  Gillian just played guitar and did some backing vocals. When they were finished, it was time for the features.  And just as Mindy was taking the “stage”, Gillian moved in to sit in the seat next to mine!  She didn’t say anything and it was the only seat left in the place, but still!  I found it hard to give Mindy my full attention because I was hyper-alert as to Gillian’s reactions to what she was hearing.  I wanted her to “get” Mindy, and Mindy made it very easy to do.  She’s great, with a very distinct delivery style and content.  I admire her ballsiness about so much and of course, that she’s been able to sustain herself with writing.  After her set, the next feature, Eloise Klein-Healy got up to perform.  She is probably in her late 50s or 60s and quite a character.  I enjoyed her reading very much.  All the while, I noticed small things about Gillian: her fair skin, her funky cowboy boots, the shifting of her weight, her throaty, sincere laughter, her intent ear.  She embodies a coolness that I want to bottle.

As Eloise finished up and they announced the break, I worked up my nerve to ask Gillian if she was staying for the open reading.  She said she didn’t know and that she’d have to check with her ride and pointed toward Sara.  I said something like, “Well, I’m reading…” as if that would hopefully sway the decision.  Big dork.  At the break, I was able to catch up with Mindy as well as say hello to my other friends, Rick Lupert & Brendan Constantine.  Mindy & I went outside to get some air, she’s adorable and it was great to see her. She said she’d be interested in coming down to San Diego if I put a show or something together.  That’s good inspiration!

We headed back inside and I quickly saw that Sara & Gillian were still there.  And actually, Mindy started talking with them as the MC read my name as the first person to read (I had signed up for spot # 2, but no one had signed up for #1).  So I made my way to the mic slowly, hoping they would stop talking and listen.  I began my first poem (Two Beer Buzz) and could still hear their voices in the other room.  Then, about midway through, I saw Mindy sit down and Gillian lean up against the door with her head down, a gesture I’d noticed when she was sitting next to me that made me understand she was listening.  I tried to keep cool, but as I was speaking out loud and trying to “perform” all I could think was ‘Gillian Welch is listening to me read a poem!!’   I am a dork.   My writing of this, I realize, makes me sound a bit obsessed, but I wouldn’t say that.  More fascinated than anything.  Here was someone who I’ve always thought I could/would get along with if we ever met, and then there it is!  I felt somewhat desperate to leap over this first/second meeting awkwardness and get to the being friends part, to know each other.  But, that’s not how it works!

So I read my second poem (When You Go) and felt more in control.  There was the added bit of nerves to be reading in front of these LA poets who know their shit, and who I admire.  But the reception I got was favorable and I was pleased overall.  After a few more readers, the event was over and folks were making their way out.  I made sure to get to Mindy, but then also said goodbye to Gillian (I even called her ‘Gil’) who answered with a ‘good to hear you.’  Very cool.  Even cooler?  Mindy gave me a copy of her book Sleepyhead Assassins.  Sweet! 

Dad & I drove back to his house, and I stayed only a bit and then got back on the road.  And to cap off the great day, it was time for “The Seventh Day” on KLOS (95.5), a program where three albums are played cover to cover, old school style, taking a break after side one.  And on the docket that day was all U2.  So I drove back to San Diego listening to every word of “The Joshua Tree,” another of my all-time favorites.  Quite a successful day!

Weekly Tidbits
The next week included St. Patrick’s Day which saw DK & I head over to Matt & Joey’s house for a small get-together.  Han didn’t join us as he’s working on the Acoustic Duo album.

On Wednesday, we all went to get Han’s birthday present: an iPhone!  He loves it and is finding new apps to use every day.  It’s great, too, for practical reasons.  He can use it in the studio since his equipment is all Mac stuff and he can sync it up and do all kinds of cool things that will assist him with his work. 

On Friday night, Rock Band played a gig at the grand opening of Frankie the Bull’s BBQ restaurant. Frankie the Bull was on the 2nd season of Top Chef.  It was a fun night and the folks seemed to like ‘em.  Hopefully it will turn into some more gigs!

Visit from Mom & Dad & a show
On Saturday, my mom & dad came down to visit and we went out to lunch at a neighborhood restaurant, the Bay Park Fish Co. I thought it was pretty good.  Then we brought back Extraordinary Desserts (where we also ran into Barb & Rosa from my book club!)  It was a very nice visit.  The folks left around 4ish and then I lounged.  I think I overloaded on sugar and my body was not pleased with me.  So I just took it easy until it was time to head out for the Acoustic Duo show.  Once there, I still wasn’t feeling great, but I rallied and it was fine.  The show went well.  With the downturn in the economy, fewer people are coming out to shows, but the crowd was great and the guys had a good time playing some brand new songs for the good people.

Kitchen Capers
An update on some of the culinary treats I’ve created lately… 
- steak salad
- fiery “fried” chicken
- Swedish meatballs
- cheese enchiladas
- breaded pork
- shrimp quesadillas
Yum!

Looking forward to:
- Acoustic Duo heading to LA to master their record, coordinating the effort to get said record off to manufacturing!
- Rock Band playing two gigs on Saturday (IndieFest and Cheers in Ramona)!
- preparing for the opening of the next incarnation of Java Joe’s!
- more kitchen experiments!
- National Poetry Month!
- baseball!

Some Fantastic “Mommy Blogs”
Although I have never given birth, have never dreamed of it, and have no plans to do so,  I have been captivated by the stories I’ve read on some of my favorite blogs about their journeys into and of motherhood.  Whether it’s the irreverent dooce describing her 2nd pregnancy just as her new book is released (written about the experience the first time around), the lovely Boho Girl discovering a boundless love with her adopted son, the sassy Schmoopy reaping the quiet happy moments with her little darling daughter, or my own sister detailing her life as a working mom of a great 11 year old boy, these women are inspirations simply in putting their words out there.  But more than anyone, Christina has written some of the most beautiful posts about her experience in these days (a month now!) since her 2nd child was born.  I’ve been a fan of her writing in general since I discovered her blog, but there is an extra edge, an extra vibrancy to these “Sprout” posts that are truly remarkable.  Thank you, ladies!

Hope to write again sooner than later!  Thanks for your attention if you made it all the way to the end!

 

birthday eve

Happy day before your birthday, Han!

Keeping a blog can sure remind you of the passage of time.  Lots of other things, too, but when you come back here and you realize your last post was February 12th, you just can’t believe it.  And I was going along so well with my every other day routine.  And I was writing some good stuff (I thought).

I wish I could tell you that after that last post, I had rushed to my desk and written 5 new amazing poems.  But that didn’t happen. So what have I been doing since February 12th?

In two words, cooking & reading.  There’s been other stuff in between, but those are the two things that first come to mind. When Han & I were first living together, he was repeatedly astonished at my lack of culinary skill.  That’s not to say he expected me to be in the kitchen to make sure his supper was ready on time, but in my single days, I just didn’t really cook much.  It was a lot of pasta and real simple stuff.  Stuff that he didn’t love.  He loves to cook but doesn’t have a lot of time for it.  Since we’ve moved in to this house (almost a year ago already!), I’ve made it a goal of mine to take on a lot more of the cooking and meal planning.  With DK a vegetarian again, that throws a curve into it all, too, but it all seems to be going okay.  I rely heavily on the internet, but Han recently had the idea to ask our family and friends to give us 5 recipes each.  So, there it is: if you’re reading this, please send me 5 of your favorite recipes, or recipes from your homeland (Mom, Mia) so we can expand our evening meals.  That said, our friend, John (of the gumbo-making) is in the kitchen right now making his sweet & smothered pork chops.  He told us that he didn’t have recipes written down but that he’d come over and make it and tell us what he was doing as he went along.   Yum.

Here’s a short list of some of the more interesting things I’ve made over the last 3 weeks:
- chicken stroganoff
- cashew chicken
- shrimp burritos
- chicken parmesan
- fish vera cruz

Tomorrow I plan to bake a cake for Han.  A chocolate peanut butter cake.  From scratch.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

On the reading front, I finished two books and will probably finish my other two by Sunday. [I've been keeping my Books page updated.] I try to read every spare minute, even when I’m waiting at traffic lights!  I’ve found it quite easy to keep up with all of the different stories.  This Sunday is my book club meeting (to discuss Away) and we’ll select a new book.  I’ll probably pick up a couple additional ones, too.  I’m loving the library!!

What else?  Han’s Acoustic Duo played a Valentine’s Day house concert, which went very well.   I had a day off for President’s Day.  I was part of a reading to celebrate the publication of an anthology I’m published in (more on that in another post to come).  And my parents celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary!

Speaking of parent, on the 21st, I drove up to LA to and spent the night at my folks house while my sister, her husband and her son were there for the day before they got on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera the next day.  We had a really great time.  We went out to lunch (MT & I had sushi), then my mom, sister & I went to see “He’s Just Not That Into You” (not bad).  I hadn’t planned to spend the night, but they applied heavy family pressure (not usual!) and we were having a great time, so I stayed.  We had In ‘n’ Out for dinner, then Red, Mom & I played Scrabble.  For the first time in quite a while, my mom did not win.  Red won the first game (with really awesome words!) and I somehow managed to win the second game.   In the morning, Dad made chocolate chip waffles (nostalgic!), eggs, bacon and sausage.  We hung out a bit and then I hit the road.  A very awesome visit!

That Sunday was the Oscars and Han & I watched them.  We thought they were great, including Hugh Jackman.  I read some blogs on the Monday following the show that just panned them, but I thought they were lovely.  Hooray for Kate Winslet.  I’d like to drink a pint with her.

From there, it was your basic week, except it was Marcia’s birthday! She was playing a gig with Barbara downtown so we went down to help her celebrate.  Before we arrived though, we made a stop at another place, which I can’t name yet, as it’s not opened.  But it’s the return of an establishment where I spent many many hours and where I met many of the people currently in my life.  The new location is downtown and the owners were working on some demolition to prepare for the opening (they’re shooting for early April).  They even let me do some demo of my own.  It was curiously satisfying to put a hammer through some drywall and do some damage!   After that, we made it to the bar, where we ended up hanging out for a long time.  Han actually sat in with Barbara & her band so it’s not like I could just leave (and not that I wanted to!).  It was a fun evening.  The night after that (the 27th for those keeping track), Han’s Rock Band had a gig which is always a good time.   

And then it was March!  This week marked the official start of the recording for the Acoustic Duo’s next album.  It will be a quick project, they have a mastering date set for the end of the month.  We want to have them ready for a festival they’re on in May in Texas.  I’m really looking forward to the record and all the hoopla that goes with it. 

Also, the Rock Band’s record is also progressing now.  Han is laying down his vocal tracks this week (sandwiched in between his various other projects).  Both these records will be coming out around the same time which should be interesting promotion-wise.  We’ll have to plan our attacks strategically so we don’t cannibalize the projects and the relatively limited availability of promoting avenues.

What else?  Han’s birthday is tomorrow!  The day is starting with a Rock Band photo shoot for the record.  I’ll make the cake and probably some other food.  We’ll have some people over then head to OB to catch our friends playing down at Winston’s.  Later that week, we’ll head to the Belly-Up to catch David Rawlings Machine (and Gillian will be there, too).  I plan to drive up to Tarzana the weekend after to see my old friend, Mindy, at a reading.  My nephew’s birthday is coming up too so I gotta get something in the mail for him.  A few Rock Band gigs.  An Acoustic Duo gig. And then I’m looking at April.  Somewhere in there, I have to also prepare my taxes (easy) and work on the ones for Han and his multiple businesses (hard), schedule my spa session, ship some stuff, set up my external hard drive, catch up on my Late Night with Jimmy Fallon shows as well as the U2 performances on Letterman, upload my photos to flickr, and of course, cook and read

 

beginnings of unwritten blog posts in my head

- DK’s room is finished and I must give her credit on the color selection.  Han & I thought it would too dark, but it totally works.  I’ll post before & after pics soon.

- Had a fun time at the house concert.  This guy always has such a great spread in the green room. Lamb/beef meatballs, shrimp, salmon, lots of wine & beer, veggies, brie, so much good stuff.  Han plays percussion with this performer and these shows are always fun.  The performer is getting ready to head back to his “other job” up in SF, so getting to hang with him while we can is good.

- The family gathering has come & gone and it was, by all accounts, a rousing success.  My parents finally met Han’s (well, one half of them anyway).  I found out later that Han’s dad asked my dad when Han & I would be getting married.  I think my dad handled it well (‘they seem to be doing just fine…’) and later Han’s dad & stepmom hinted at wanting more grandkids to which we firmly told them to not expect them from us.
The gumbo that John made was spectacular, and bonus, we bought a rice cooker for the occasion and now we have that in our kitchen arsenal. Overall, it was a good time and I think everyone was glad they could be there.

- Obama’s inauguration was splendid.  We watched it at work, which was cool.  When I got home from work, I watched the speech again since Han had recorded it.  Awesome.

- C came over for an Acoustic Duo meeting.  Work has begun for their 5th record.

- Got a letter from Mary and wrote her back for her birthday.  Forgot to tell her that “yes!” I want another quilt.

- Last show of the music season in Fallbrook.  Thought of maybe going up to Long Beach to see some old poetry friends but decided to close out the season with these good music friends.

- Sitting in the audience of the “Year in Ink” publication party, I couldn’t help but contemplate the many people I still know in the poetry world of San Diego.  And how comfortable I feel in it.  I almost want my hair to be more dissheveled and haphazard because I’m a poet and it makes me look more like one. Some good readers, some okay, some new faces, some happily familiar ones.  It feels good to be published in this fine book, only 30 poems out of 400 submissions made it in.

- Han is sick.  Things are unbalanced.  I realize that I often feel quite uninspired.

- Have been watching the Australian Open.  Love tennis.

- Stayed home while Han’s Rock Band had a gig.  I began to compile a catalog of all of my poems, which ones have been published, and where.  For those that I didn’t have a copy of saved to my computer, I typed out and saved them.  It was quite the journey to return to some of those past poems and recall the girl/woman/dreamer who first wrote them.   Is she still here?

- Fun Superbowl party at Cathryn & Jonny’s.  Han won $50 on some pool.  Lots of munchies and the return of the best eggrolls in the world.

- The beginning of February and another opportunity to start over with the goals for the year.  How will they manifest themselves this month?  And how well did I do in January?

- Made some updates to the blog.  Added some new pages, updated the Flicks & Books pages.  Contemplating how to incorporate my old house concert stuff here.