Que Sera Sera

When I hear things that remind me of something, I see the thing I remember. Like when I hear the preamble to The Constitution, I see the manuscript. When I imagine something, the imagination is always visual. Quite often I think of abstract concepts, like relationships between data or the steps in a process as a picture. When I remember an event, especially one that was very short, I see the image. I don't remember the words that were said, just the visions I saw.

I think in pictures. I only use words to descibe the picture I see in my mind. So if I say, "I see", you can be sure that I understand.

A storm is arriving as I write. It was overcast all morning and the wind is just coming up now. I like to watch the rain. It makes all of the petty man-made problems of the world seem even more so inconseqential. It reminds me that I am just another humble being on the planet, just like all the other people, no more or less important than each other.

Lately I think that the only purpose of religion is to make people artificially unhappy. I know that for billions of people religion gives them solace in their very difficult existence. I know that it gives people a structured sense of right and wrong that they didn't have to create and maintain themselves; something they can point to for validation when things go very wrong.

But lately I see deep wounds in people; wounds borne of hatred and intolerance. I think to myself that these wounds are all the result of people's fantasies about how we got here and the supernatural rulers that they imagine. Then I see people killed in terrible violent ways in the name of religion. I see hatred instilled in the innocent children who are told from birth that the group that they belong to is superior to the other groups that are hated; hated for having a different creation fantasy, a different supernatural ruler, a different book.

Ultimately the people who are killed were someone's sweet innocent helpless newborn. Someone whose mother and father loved and held them. Their mother and father gathered food and provided shelter from the rain and the wild beasts. Their mother and father taught them to speak, to dress themselves, and to do all the things needed to sustain their life.

Why don't these people see the obvious? That each one of us is a humble being on the planet, no more or less important than the next. That we all begin and end in the same way, and that we all get wet in the rain.

It seems that religion is taking over everything in the political sphere and I see that globally. I think that literally terrible; that is, it induces terror. I would like to see religion remain within the person, and that politics and government remain secular. I don't think I ever will, even if I live a very long time.

Big top part deux

Die termites, die!!

So we stayed out of the casa for a couple of nights and this is what it looked like while we were away. There to the left of the orange tree there is a sign that says essentially, 'keep out or die choking'.

We had a nice time staying with Sharon's mom. (Thanks!!) We had the doggies with us and boarded the kitties. We ended up in a much smaller than usual bed but we made the best of it. I had rehearsal until late both nights so I missed out on watching all the Olympians do their schtick.

Work has been viry viry bizy. Lots of meetings and stuff.

All of you people: If you don't come see my show I'm gonna say you don't like musical theatre. I have a list and I will be checking off names. Lisa S, you are off the hook. Yes I know the tickets are like $24 but you get to see me, Sir Studley, in tights. I sing, and dance, and say stuff like, "She's in the moat again!"

Under the big top

Wednesday our house gets fumigated. Think, "very ginormous tent and lots of poisonous gas".

To do this you have to move out for about three days, move all your food and drink and houseplants, board the cats, care for the dogs, find someplace for the kids, deal with the lack of Internet access and all the junk on the computers, bring along all the stuff you need for work, school, and rehearsal. You also need to take all the stuff off of the outside of your house, move the potted plants, soak around the house, move the decorative rocks back, take off a few fence boards where they attach to the house, open all the stored boxes, take clothes out of plastic bags, open all the drawers and cabinets, turn off the gas, and turn off anything that is plugged in. You also have to throw out all the ice in your icemaker so when you return you don't have any friggin ice for drinkies.

Then in three days you get to put everything back the way it was before. Oh yeah, you have to pay them too. And PG&E says they can hook up the gas on Saturday, the day after we get back in the house. Extra blankets on Friday night.

Everyone should own at least one old house in their life.

day comes

sun rising
illuminating
the fog in my head

eerie dreams growing more transparent
now they are gone
never to return

slowly at first
then in a rush
life's endless expectations
nuances of color
waking

pushing aside the cocoon
making my way
naked
searching for something

preparations made
I am fit for the world
clothed, fed

yet still naked and hungry
deep in my mind

Um, random

I found this postcard at renfaire at a carving booth. The fellow's name is Bill Horgos.

I think I can totally identify with the bear.

What I did on my vacation

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I was busy 'n shit. I know all of you hang on my every word, especially you.

OK Grace, start crowing. Our fair weather has given way to Actual Cold(tm) and we expect it to get into the really cold's overnight. Brrr. Time to cover a few delicate plants. At least we didn't have any earthquakes today.

Big plans abound: Front yard remodeling to pull out some junker plants, soil amending, put in a fence and gate, plant a variety of nifty plants, blah blah blah. Then we need to put in some French doors in place of a window in the dining room. In the process, we're looking to remodel the kitchen and make the dining room bigger. I see dust in our future. Sharon says we should move out and have it all done while we relax somewhere else. Hmmm $$$$$

So I actually made some progress learning actual dance steps. Shocking I know. I was amazed too. I am motivated by not wanting to look like a complete dork onstage for Once Upon A Mattress. Wish me luck. Seriously, the show is shaping up well and is a lot of fun. You should all come see it, even you Grace.

I died Saturday. Then I had a nice rare steak.

Sleep, Work/School, Eat, watch movie, drinkie, fold laundry, repeat... Gotta do taxes one of these days.

Olympia, pour me a drink

We're all gettin our straight drink on and watchin the 'limpic openin' ceremonials on the tee vee here in our crib while the tub heats up. We had the very fine Chinese take out from Ten Fu about a couple hours ago and so we'll be hungry in a little while but we'll be too buzzed to get the little boxes out of the fridge-izzle.

I got my cool jazz shoes. They're like black leather socks with little sole pieces. I'm pretty sure they'll turn me into a latter day Lee Trevino or whatever that famous dancer guy's name was that danced singing'ed in the rain. I look fabulous in them.

Rehearsal last night was fun. I found out that I stand in one place and pour wine for almost the whole number, then me and another knight pick up the lead. Sweet!

Tomorrow night I get to be killed in a murder mystery dinner! Woo HOO! The whole thing is about two hours of improv mixing with the crowd then telling them I am taking over their company and moving it to some horrid locale. Then I get poisoned. Better yet, I get paid enough to cover the Chinese food!

Summertime and the livin is easy

Well it was like 75 degrees with blue skies here today and I had planned to take off work this afternoon. What a great idea! (Too bad you're in the cold there Grace. But let's be honest, I'm just rubbing it in.) I'm sure we'll have an earthquake soon just to even things out.

I did a little shopping for jazz shoes* (*jazz shoes are leather shoes made special for dancing, with two separate sole pieces (one at the balls of your feet, one at the heel) so your foot can flex easily while you dance) for Once Upon A Mattress.

I wanted to get them today because I danced for three hours last night learning the Spanish Panic, a made-up dance in the show. I quickly ditched my regular shoes and danced in my socks for a while, until I started sliding around too much then I went barefoot. Today my feet were pretty unhappy and we have three more hours of dance rehearsal tonight. Hmmm. I'm gonna dance in cross-trainers (aka tennis shoes) tonight just so I don't have hurty feet tomorrow.

Of course they didn't have my size (fricken 13 thank you) and they are getting them "from the other store" so I can go try them on tomorrow. (Yes Amy, I'll see you there.)

I don't usually go all geopolitical and everything, but what the heck is wrong with all the folks in violent (people are dying, buildings are burning = violent) protest about the racist cartoons in the Dutch newspaper. OK, OK, so it is a grave insult to your religion perpetrated by a newspaper in a free country, but does that mean that people have to die because you are insulted by a cartoon? Really? Grow up and learn how to register your disgust, revulsion, and insult in productive ways. Violent protests and absolutist demands for "apologies" from governments are too much. Note to everyone: You and your religion (or lack thereof) will be mocked by the rest of everyone at some time. It's childish and hurtful, but it does not give you a licence to kill. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs no matter how much other people might not agree, but no matter what you can't kill innocent people because you were offended. Got it? Good. (Yeah, I know. Very few of the people in violent protest read the Flaming Scroll of Doom, but they really should.)

Hot February Nights

Well, there I was at about 9 PM putting out the recycling and the trash and I heard sirens, not the singing kind, the fire truck kind, and kinda close. I looked over at my neighbor's house and I could see flashing red lights. So I go on over to the end of the court and there are a whole lotta fire trucks arriving and Actual Flames(tm) coming up from another neighbor's roof across the street.

Holy crap fire trucks really clog up the street. I counted nine big ole fire trucks and two SUV kind of trucks. It looked like this:
The neighbors and their dogs are all OK. The fire started in the chimney, got onto their roof and then into the attic. There were lots of firefighters hauling hoses and chainsaws and axes and other rip-out-the-burning-stuff kind of tools. For some time you could hear the chainsaws going.

I went out again at about 10:15. The fire dudes were wrapping up things and rolling up the hoses. A fire cleanup contractor had arrived and the gas company fellows were just leaving. I suppose they'll have quite a mess to clean up tomorrow.

How nerdy can one get

Get yours here.