the Championships Wimbledon

I love tennis! I just finished watching Serena’s semi-final match and getting ready to watch Venus take on Safina (why she’s ranked # 1 I’ll never understand). I’m rooting for Venus to take it all the way again this year. Hooray for DVR!! Not sure who I like in the men’s matches. I’m kind of indifferent but I just love to watch whoever’s playing.

So happy for the 3-day weekend. Tomorrow we’ll be cleaning up the house and just taking care of some errands. Then on the 4th we’re having some folks over since we’ll have a good look at a lot of the fireworks (though they’re not my cup of tea) from our perch here above Mission Bay.

Enjoy your holiday!

 

shouldn’t my ears have been on fire?

About a month ago or so, Han got an email from his friend in Hollywood who also happens to be the guy that Han uses for mastering all of his clients’ projects.  This guy is phenomenal.  A real-life Grammy winner. A top dog. The real deal. And as I mentioned, also a friend.  He & Han have worked together for the last 12 years and they’ve built up a strong fellowship.  So, it’s natural that he was included on our list of people to receive our 2nd annual holiday CD.

[If I haven't mentioned it before, last year we decided to record a song and send that out as our holiday card, rather than just a card.  Yes, more expensive, but so much more meaningful (I think).  In 2007, DK & I traded verses on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" while Han played a beautiful acoustic version of "Silent Night" in the background. Last year, we added on to it, with Han & DK doing a duet of "You Belong to Me" and then me reading an awesome poem I found by Timothy Steele called "Toward the Winter Solstice."  The cover of the CD is a picture of the three of us.  Aww.  So, the CD is recorded and duplicated. The photo is taken and reproduced.  I assemble the CD's and mail them. Lots of people got them.  Friends, family, business associates etc.  Our plan is to continue to add something new every year so we'll ultimately be able to release our own holiday album.  Hee!  But really, everyone will hear DK as she grows up and hopefully we'll capture some studio/holiday magic.  I'm already thinking about what I can do for this year's version.]

Back to the story. So Awesome Mastering Guy receives the CD and decides to have a listen to it while he has a moment.  He is set up in his superior mastering listening room.  Suddenly, some people show up to have a chat with him about their next project that he will work on.  They come into the listening room while Han & DK’s song is playing and instead of turning it off to attend to business, they keep listening to it.  They hear me read the poem and apparently (according to the email) are impressed and/or taken with my voice/performance of the piece.  I can only assume that Awesome Mastering Guy tells them who we are and what they’re listening to before they move to the reason they’re there.

Now who are these people?   Well…remember this?  That’s right.  It was only Robert Plant and Allison Krauss.  !!!!!!!  Insert your most flabbergasted exclamation here and then multiply it by about a million.  I know.  It blows me away, too.  When Han told me, I simply couldn’t comprehend it.  How does such a thing happen?  And yet, it is that very thing that does happen on occasion in this crazy little life of mine.

 

how I rang in 2009

Once upon a time on New Year’s Eve, 2008, my friends Matt & Joey (a girl) had a party to celebrate their new home together and of course, the new year. Han & I and many of our closest friends gathered to drink, graze, rock, roll, talk, laugh and overall be together to cross the threshold into 2009. Did I mention there was also a photo booth?

Han & I had a room that was a 3 minute walk away so we wouldn’t have to worry about the amateurs out that night. I had made sugar-and-spice candied walnuts and pecans to bring over. I wore my hair in pigtails and drank Karl Strauss Red Trolley ale from a keg all night. Did I mention there was also a photo booth?

Han didn’t drink much, some champagne and a little bit of Jameson. He rocked the drums in the sound-proof garage while I mingled from room to room, always finding someone fun to talk to or cheers with. Did I mention there was also a photo booth?

Han & I took some photos together rather early in the overall timeframe of the evening. They are good photos of us, rather tame in their composition. Cathryn had created the photo booth outside on the patio. A beautiful red curtain as a backdrop and a room divider on the side for some privacy from the party. The camera was digital and had a timer or you could just find someone to snap the button. It also had a flip screen so you could see the photo that would result and thus pose as you saw fit. It seems nearly everyone made their way over to the booth during the night. Some of us more than others as the night wore on and the drinks kept going down. The results are crazy funny and only speak to the complete abandon we all seemed to be feeling as we ushered out what was such a sorrowful year for so many of us. These photos that are emerging on Facebook and myspace are awesome, if not slightly embarrassing and unflattering (for me). But they capture a shared evening that was beyond any doubt a most awesome beginning to the year.

But the photo booth was not even my favorite part of the evening. It happened probably around 11:58 pm. Han & I were standing outside with another friend of ours. Across the patio, I saw some of our other friends. People we’ve come to know and love on new levels in 2008. I turned to say something to Han when the most amazing thing happened. Those friends all made their way over to us, saying, “Now we’re in the right place.” When I thought back on that moment yesterday (and again even now), tears fill my eyes. The fact that they all happen to be women (aside from Han of course) is another marvel to me and fills me with complete bliss. As we counted down, I felt such relief, and great anticipation for a better year. And with this group around me, with these shared feelings, the energy was palpable and amazing. And then it was midnight in San Diego. I kissed Han, and Cathryn, and Marcia, and Barbara, and the Becky. And in that moment all seemed right with the world.

Things only got better as we went around to Matt & Joey and other friends to offer our well wishes with warm hugs and kisses.  So thank you my dear friends for being there for me and for each other to get us through that bitch of a year. I am so excited to see what 2009 has in store for all of us.

And with that, I give you a photo that will surely go down in history, our Charlie’s Angels pose…happy new year!

 

goodbye 2008

So this year sucked in a lot of ways. Every year always has its ups and downs but this year seemed like every time there was an up, the down was like a swift kick in the gut followed by a pummeling that left me exhausted for weeks.

As so many other blogs are doing (and why wouldn’t they), there are various re-caps, summing ups and favorites lists to send 2008 on its way. I will not deviate from that much, but I’ll first give my thoughts on some things I’m thinking about as the new year is but hours away for me.

My sister already has her “resolutions” in place. I put that word in quotations only because it’s become such a cliche. They are goals, things to look forward to, simple accomplishments and major ideas. As she said, “I have everything from “Eat at the Red Iguana” to “end the year lighter than I started it.”” I have not yet committed anything to paper or planner or blog, but the overall sense I have for 2009 in relation to making it a good year is self care. (did you see that, Mom?) I want to be more aware of the ways I can take care of myself so that I can be more joyous, more free, more loving, etc. These things, like so much in life, are big and small. A pedicure, a walk, a guilt-free day of reading, a movie, health…

There are other thoughts I have for ‘09 but that is the one that has been resonating the most these last few days. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that I have not fully committed to that concept this year, as much as I thought I was at some points. I need to find a way to integrate it into my daily life so that it’s not just about “me” time, but a shift in how I tackle all of my tasks. This realization has been slow-coming but, if successful, will help align a lot of things that frequently seem out of whack.

So on to the ‘08 re-cap. And speaking of “resolutions”, let’s look back at what I envisioned for this year:

1. Reduce my impact on the earth.
2. Read 20-25 books.
3. Get back to my poetry roots.
4. Better prepare for the holidays.
5. Take a couple trips.
6. Release “Best of Meeting Grace” volume 2
7. Acoustic Duo goals:
- book and route tours of TX, NoCal, Northwest and midwest
- book locally
- help coordinate recording of 5th studio album

8. Rock band goals:
- work to increase visibility of band
- help coordinate recording of 1st album
- book locally and potentially regionally

9. Studio goals:
- develop word of mouth campaign to attract new clients

# 1 (Reduce my impact on the earth.) was not as successful as I’d hoped. I do remember to take my own bags to the grocery stores if I’m planning a shopping trip, but the impromptu trips after work were not as “green” as I’d hoped. I also did not lose any weight, but instead probably gained some.

I got very close to accomplishing goal # 2 (Read 20-25 books.) I read 19 books this year which I’m thrilled about. I finished both books I was reading (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and The Almost Moon) on Monday and thought I could speed-read one more to make my goal but it’s not going to happen. Still, I loved this reading goal and it will make a return appearance for ‘09.

Goal # 3 (Get back to my poetry roots.) started out strong. I had some readings this year, I wrote some new work, and I was published a couple times. All of that in itself is really great and I’m proud of it, but I guess compared to my more prolific “early” years, I may have been a bit too far-reaching in this goal. I need to understand that my place in and my stamina for the poetry scene I once flourished in is a journey that’s come to a close. That is not to say my writing is finished or anything, but I just need to shape it into something else. Maybe it’s not about attending readings, maybe it’s about being published more and finding a new connection to other poets who are out there. I have some ideas about this one as well for ‘09. Stay tuned.

I think I did pretty good with goal # 4 (Better prepare for the holidays.) Throughout the year I kept a list of gift ideas and a wish list (sometimes they overlapped). I also completed a homemade poem-a-month calendar (limited edition) for my immediate family which had been a goal of mine in ‘07 that crashed & burned. The CD we did for our family and friends was also really fun and very well-received. My shopping was done by early December and I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I will admit that I never felt the Christmas spirit and I’m sad about that. That is not to say I was unhappy or ungrateful, but there is just something in the season that I usually always feel and this year it did not shine through. This was another good goal and I bet I can improve on it for ‘09.

# 5 (Take a couple trips.) was accomplished. I heart traveling and wish I had the disposable income to back it up as much as I would like. And although some of the trips we thought we’d take at the beginning of the year didn’t actually happen, the fates still played roles in taking me (and sometimes Han & DK) to some interesting locations. Places I went in 2008:

- Las Vegas (June)
- Julian (June)
- Mansfield, Missouri (July)
- Clinton, Iowa (October)
- Redding, CA (November)
- Chico, CA (November)
- San Francisco, CA (November)
- various trips to LA over the year

It looks like there will be Texas, at least, in 2009, and maybe (hopefully) more.

# 6 (Release “Best of Meeting Grace” volume 2) was accomplished and with it came the close of Meeting Grace itself, the house concert series I had started in 2000. I miss it in some ways, but don’t in a lot of others. The compilation CD is awesome and I’m so glad to have the memories that each performance brings.

The Acoustic Duo goals for # 7 were mostly accomplished. They toured in the midwest and NorCal and made appearances at conferences in Texas and Arizona that will help boost their schedule in ‘09. Their local bookings all were great and they are still at work on that 5th album. It will be a high priority in early ‘09.

The Rock Band goals for # 8 were general and thus more “easy.” They played regularly in town, but LA is still a tough nut to crack. They are also still in the process of recording that first album which will make ‘09 a year for release parties and hopefully some good press.

# 9’s studio goals was solitary as it is a work in progress. The name changed and a new website is in the works. Clients have been steady and should only continue as Han continues to produce amazing sounding records. All of the music business goals will remain in place with hopes to be more strategic and prepare sooner for 2010, especially with regard to the Acoustic Duo.

And that’s that. Of course, aside from the goals I set for myself, there were some other happenings (minor & major) of 2008 in my small world.

- we staged two large Acoustic Duo shows with 350+ at each (February & August)
- I volunteered as a community reader at an elementary school in Chula Vista (February)
- hosted last Meeting Grace show (March)
- we moved (April)
- Rob & Paulette’s wedding (April)
- new babies for Laurel & Lee (April), Devon & Anna (July) & Rob & Paulette (September)
- hosted a fundraiser benefit show for Eric Lowen of Lowen & Navarro who has ALS that raised over $2,000 (April)
- all the family (including Mia) visit (April)
- Junior Theatre performances with DK : Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (crew – May) and CATS (pit singer – November)
- meeting many of Han’s close friends from high school at a memorial for his friend Paul (May)
- Jonny & Cathryn’s wedding (June)
- Robert Plant & Allison Kraus concert (June)
- Jenny & Brad’s wedding (July)
- Han getting Amy Tan’s autograph for me (September)
- visiting Alcatraz and seeing Lucinda at the Fillmore (November)
- Disneyland twice while it’s decorated for the holidays, once with S, T, Han & DK and again with just Han (November & December)

And in the larger world we share, the economic fall-out has been the story of the year, but I’d rather focus on the jubilation of electing Barack Obama as the next president of the United States and look forward to 1-20-09 when he is inaugurated.

Finally, I can’t possibly sum up this year without speaking about the deaths of family and friends, acquaintances and others that all happened this year. As of today, the count is 11 as another soul left us yesterday. Julie was a close friend of DK’s mom and a very special person to DK herself having known her since she was a small girl. I had met Julie a couple times when we had gatherings for DK’s birthday in the past. May she rest in peace along with:

Paul Lowry
Craig Yerkes
“Papa” Herman Light
Brendan Moran
Dan Ely
Wanda Light
Scott Zensen
Lorna “Doone” Hamilton
Cindy’s mom
Dave “Smitty” Smith

This ended up being a very long post but hey, I’m re-capping a whole year! Here’s wishing you (and me!) a more prosperous, more health-filled, more life-affirming, more positive, more productive, more rockin’, more loving, more blissful new year and may it all start right away!

 

cold toes

Although it’s no 2 below, winter is here in San Diego. There’s been a steady rain all day and chilly temps (for here, people! I know it’s still scores better than most places right now), probably down in the mid-40s. I somehow missed that this was supposed to happen today and my choice in footwear is not conducive to the puddles and overall wetness everywhere.
~~
In other news, I can’t say yet that I’m full of Christmas spirit. It just hasn’t hit me yet. But I want it to. Maybe if I can find a showing of “Love, Actually”… (I just did, it’s on USA on Christmas Eve at 6 am. I will set my DVR!) Maybe this weather will get me there, or finishing up my gift-wrapping tonight. I’m waiting…

 

numb3rs

5 – days ’til Christmas

75 – packages I mailed out today

9 - people Han and/or I know who have passed on this year (RIP: Paul, Craig, Dan, Scott, Lorna, Papa Herman, Wanda, Brendan, Smitty)

$1.56 – lowest price of gas I’ve seen in San Diego

37 – how old I turned on my last birthday

2 – poems I had published this year

2 – days Han & I spent at Disneyland last week (our Christmas present to each other)

401(k) – contribution will be matched by my employer in 2009

10 – shows on the DVR right now

3 – loads of laundry to do

24 – cookies I made last night

2 – books I’m currently reading

13 – days since my last post

7 – gifts left to wrap

98 – miles from my house to my parents’ house where we’ll be on Christmas Eve & part of Christmas day

160 – photos I have to download

2009 – year I can’t wait to get here

 

December mornings

With NaBloPoMo wrapped up (I think I missed just a couple days), the question is whether the daily posting will continue.  I will say like I’ve always said.  I will try to post more regularly but I doubt it will be every day.

The final weekend of November and of the Thanksgiving holiday saw the return of the book club.  Barb had invited a couple new women so we are now back to a festive 6 which should engage in some great discussions.  The book that was selected is “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” which I have yet to acquire.  It is hardcover and has been given the nod from Oprah so it’s impossible to find at any library.  I may have to bite the bullet and just buy this one.  I am told I won’t regret it.

Our holiday plans are coming together, which is nice.  Han & I will travel to see my parents on Christmas Eve.  My dad’s sisters and brother will also join us there.  It will be good to spend that time with them.  Last year was the first time I hadn’t spent the holiday with my family and it was a little sad for me, though I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Florida and Georgia to see Han’s mom and her family.  Plus Jeff was able to see his grandpa and I know that meant a lot to him.

We will also be making a trip to Disneyland with DK.  That will most likely be our main “gift” to each other.  Two days in the Magic Kingdom will be awesome.

This week (Thursday) is my company’s holiday party.  Han is going with me this year.  It is still supposed to be formal, but with 2200 people there, I doubt they will be monitoring wardrobe at the door.  It’s one of those obligatory things you have to do when your employer asks it of you.  It’s certainly not my favorite thing.  The bonus though is that I will get Friday off, which I will not complain about.

Happy December!

 

fun drunken blog post

That’s what happened last night.  My first drunk blog post.  Hee!  And except for the typical drunken exaggeration (maybe yesterday morning wasn’t the best of my entire life, but it was certainly quite nice), I still stand behind my post.  It was a good Thanksgiving and today has been good, too.  I slept ’til noon (!) and then got some lunch for myself, Han & a client of his that was over.  I made up a grocery list and a menu for next week, watched my recorded episodes of “Top Chef” and just relaxed.

We’re getting ready now to head out for Han’s Rock Band gig which should be a fun time.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

 

still technically Thanksgiving

I haven’t gone to bed yet, so even though it’s “technically” the day after Thanksgiving, meaning I would have missed another day of blogging in November…it’s still the same day in which I woke up, meaning I have not slept since it was “actually” Thanksgiving.

It was a great day, despite all of the indications in which it might not have been a good one.  I woke up naturally at 9 am. Read my book on the couch (finished it even!) and watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, something I don’t know I’ve ever done before in my life, at least from start to finish.  The rain came down and I opened one of the front windows to let in the sound and the wind.  It was one of the most perfect mornings of my life. The scent of the freshly blooming jade in front of our house, the smell of the ocean, the absolute perfect cadence of the raindrops made it simply supreme.

I am typing this now after our Thanksgiving outing at a good friend’s house (replete with three different kinds of turkey no less plus a ham!), and my typing is less than accurate.  There are many instances of deleting and backspacing.  But despite that, I am content.  We were with people who have been part of our lives for longer than I realized and as we conversed and shared the holiday, I was struck by how close we have become without being caught up with the day-to-day ups and downs of life.

Combining the shocking death of Scott yesterday, and really, all the others we’ve lost this year, with such a holiday of celebration, was an uplifting experience in a very uncommon way. I feel so lucky in so many ways, and it felt so good to share this day with these people who are family in a non-traditional sense.  My family (Mom, Dad, Sister), in particular, have never been extremely traditional with this holiday, and so, as I’ve grown older, it does not quite demand the particular emotion that many others feel at this time.  But it does not diminish the fact that I care deeply and am so very grateful and thankful to my immediate family for their enthusiastic and unrelenting support.  I am confident that even though we (or I) chose to not be together on this day that they know beyond any doubt how much I adore them and so desperately rely on their unconditional love at all times. 

It is with an abundant heart that I say I have no regrets in my life, and that I am doing everything I would do if I had the chance to do it all exactly like I wanted to.  I hope whoever reads this feels the same.

 

peace

It’s not a great shot but here’s what I wore for Halloween…my department at work dressed as hippies.  Several people asked if I was in costume.  I may not always have the attire, but I definitely have a hippie attitude most of the time. 

The dress is vintage, probably ‘66 or so and was worn by my grandmother and then later by my mom.  It’s 100% polyester but otherwise, I thought it was awesome.  Beads & bag from Target.

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow if you haven’t already.