where's my daughter?

Vacation

2010-09-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

IMG_5109
Originally uploaded by GrammyShu.

Mom's got a few photos from our trip up to Oregon this weekend. We've been soo so busy lately - this was a well-needed change of pace. Bregmans unplugged!

2010-06-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

2010-06-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

One of the many evidences that I chose the right man:

I truly cannot think of a single ex-boyfriend who would have bought me a bright orange retro bicycle. Seth lost my bike a few years ago, and he has maintained that he owes me one.
Boy, did he deliver.

We are painting the house on Saturday. Take a good last look at that purple!

2010-06-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

2010-05-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of porches when they create an outdoor container where there isn't one, but in the case of our back yard the porch is overkill. It's a box within a box that keeps the kitchen and outdoor space separate.

We have been brainstorming the next iteration - double doors with a little deck that flows right onto the patio with trellises that give us a little more privacy. Since we won't be doing that soon, we've also been brainstorming a temporary solution to the flow problem: removing porch walls. We were explaining this all to our awesome neighbors Jean-Francois and Nora last weekend, and JF suggested we just do it right then.

And then JF said he and Nora have some spare stairs in their back yard they'd be happy to give us. Spare stairs? Yeah.

et voila

2010-04-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

This photo revived my frustration... the kitchen grout will not come clean. I have scrubbed and bleached and scrubbed again. I've looked into painting it, but I really don't want it to look like a craft project. Has anyone had success with products like these?

2010-04-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

The weather in Oakland has been stunning for the last couple weeks. I never thought I wanted to live in a warm place, but I am officially converted. I predict a summer full of leaving the doors and windows open and wearing tank tops from sun up to sun down. Novel!

When she was in town, miss Anjie helped me tremendously by clearing out the weeds in the back yard (before). Alesia helped, too... Thanks, beautiful Stricklands!

tadah!

Saturday was the Spring Plant Sale at the Berkeley Botanical Garden, but at the last minute I was asked to teach a dance class right in the middle of the sale. I thought I wasn't going to make it, but I raced up the hill in my sweaty clothes and impulse bought two wagons-full of a lot of plants I've never even seen before. I can't wait to see what takes off.

+ =

I also started in on pots. The house had three ugly, plastic, faux concrete pots in the back yard, and i scrubbed and spray painted them. Then, the neighbors offered us eight pots they were not planning to use. Since big pots are expensive, I feel like I won the lottery.

Last night we got home from Marin (more teaching) to light the grill for sausages and make our first official ensalata caprese of the summer. This is my favorite warm-weather food, and I'm hoping to be walking out back to pick my own tomatoes and basil by the end of the summer.

Oh yeah, and I am going to take a saw to this pronto so we can see our pretty plants.

2010-04-15T11:53:00.001-07:00

I played the classic "the show must go on" card at dance class last Friday when my back tweaked in an exercise early on. Short story: Should have quit right then. Shorter story: owie. I've been unable to dance this week, and stuck staring at a lot of ceilings getting fixed or trying to relax. Totally boring. Then, I developed a nasty ingrown toenail because of the way the nail was cut at a lovely pedicure I got on Saturday. The good news is that the show does go on, and I'm on the mend, not permanently damaged, etc. The back is still siezed up, but I have a lot more range each day. I got the toe fixed this morning. It's kind of gross to describe the actual (minor) surgery, so instead I'll provide visuals of the very cool time capsule podiatrist's office where I got it done. I asked the doctor if he had intentionally furnished the office with mid-century furniture to match the building or if it had just always been that way. He said, "Always like this. It just shows you how old I am."

2010-04-12T11:40:00.001-07:00

This photo of me and Josie was taken in the Lois Greenfield workshop by Matthew Kertesz. He recreated it with martial artists at our shoot a few weeks ago.

I asked this gentleman if in their training they ever pick people up. "No, not really," he said. I said, "OK, then, I'll pick you up." Nina looks like she's got her partner in the palm of her hand!
We thought we were pretty cool until Fred and Darren took their turns solo. Martial Artists win!

2010-04-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about how these turned out, especially because there's no reason to have made them other than for fun.

Can you see the seven players we represent in the football photos below?

Dance photos by Matthew Kertesz. Football photos unknown...

2010-04-04T22:57:00.001-07:00

Seth helped me pick out plants (nursery open!), then he spent the afternoon in the attic
drilling holes and running speaker wire to the kitchen and dining room
while I put a few plants in the ground.

There will be more photos when it stops raining...
which is not supposed to be tomorrow...

I hope my new plants survive.

2010-04-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been jackhammered, but I finally get to say - let's go buy some plants! This bed still needed to have the soil loosened, the weeds dug out, and some mulch worked in. It was a big project, but I got it all done today with the help of my new favorite tool, and the sweet gentlemen of american soil and stone.

Miss Kiki made quite the fuss about being left out of such a "fun" project. I eventually let her out and tied her to the tree in the front, because how can you say no to this begface?

Tomorrow is Easter, and we were invited to a house down the street to watch an egg hunt and meet some new friends. I heard another neighbor is famous for his Easter gin fizzes.

Shoot, will the nurseries be closed?!

2010-03-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went to another photo shoot with Matthew Kertesz. He's the one who took the umbrella and puff ball pictures a couple months ago. He recruited some martial artists (seen in the pic above), and asked if I would find some new dancers to jump around in the studio. We won't get the photos for a couple weeks, but I can't wait to see one shot in particular, which was an idea born at the flea market.

I bought a handful of vintage photos recently, two of which are these football shots. Football is my very least favorite sport, but I love how these pictures could easily be from a modern dance performance... with a little change in attire and locale. We set up a neat shot this weekend that is inspired by these photos. I'll post the dancer version later so you can compare. Meanwhile, excuse me while I take some more aleve and force myself to go to dance class. Jumping and tackling - both very hard work!

2010-03-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

2010-03-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

...of sideways vision. It's me and Sharon looking at Alesia. Photo by Rob. Alesia is teaching us all how to look at her, literally and figuratively. As a group of friends relatively late to the baby game, and still quite tentative about starting families, this little peach (and her brave mommy) are showing us there's magic on the other side.

2010-03-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

I'm intrigued watching what has come to life in the soil that was formerly positively dominated by an overgrowth of night jasmine and shrubs. I think this is a weed, but it's definitely the cutest one I've seed so far.

2010-03-21T10:19:00.001-07:00

2010-03-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung in the neighborhood, and though I'm so ready for my first East Bay summer, I cannot believe it is the end of March. I suppose time flies when you are absorbed in projects and adjusting to new places.

Our projects have been twofold lately: home rejuvenation continues, with a little bit of peeking out of the gopher hole at what's happening around us in Oakland.

On the rejuve front, the latest big project was digging out the stubborn root systems of the former (overgrown) hedges on the sidewalk so that we can start over with new plants. The process has happened in stages, from breaking down most of the hedges with a chainsaw and lopper in November, to hacking down the rest of them and digging up roots a couple weeks ago.

Google street maps view of our house, about two years ago.

Seth in November - "trim the hedges" turns into...

"these hedges have to go"

and now we are down to two rose bushes, which were hidden under the other bushes with the salamanders (!) for who knows how many years.

Another project has been mostly Seth's: wiring the speaker system in the living room (under the room and up the walls for the rears), and moving into a new piece of furniture that hides the cords for our whole AV setup. I'm impressed with this line from ikea called Besta.

It looks a lot like the one we wanted but could not afford.

On the 'hood exploration front, we've found a handful of new spots for drinking and eating, and the best part is that everything is so dang easy to get to. On top of that, it's easy to park once you get there. This is so novel after 10 years in SF...

Latest digs:

Cafe Van Kleef, home of the signature Greyhound - fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and vodka, with a full quarter grapefruit garnish.

Also home of the first Night of the Minis. More mini nights to come...

Burma Superstar - we know it from SF, but we love it local! larger space, and we didn't have to wait. no way! way.

Mua - By far one of my favorite places ever. A converted warehouse with restaurant tables below and a lounge up over the kitchen with birds-eye view of the action.

Off to teach the sweet girls in Marin. I leave you with one photo of our neighborhood. The trees are exploding - can you smell the blossoms?

2010-03-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

sideways vision . teresa brazen and alesia strickland

2010-02-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

( )

2010-02-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

Phase I - drink some wine, grab and peel:

Phase II - spray with warm water and scrape with a putty knife:

Phase III - score in spirals and zigzags, spray WP Chomp (I should have used a roller), scrape with putty knife:

the goal is a smooth surface onto which i can paste new paper. i'm loving experiencing the kitchen as it was designed in the 50's, but i'm not going to pretend it looks pretty when you get a little closer... there is still a lot to peel and scrub before i can prime and paper. the green paper has started to come off in some small spots, but i don't feel confident that i can get it all off without causing a lot of damage (and personal trauma). i spend a day like today working on it, and i think, "it's time to hire someone!" but then i wait 2 weeks, forget how much my hands hurt after several hours of scraping and go back in for more.

phase IV is to go back and get the stubborn spots (many!), and clean up all the edges where the paper goes behind cabinets and window vinyl (do i have to remove the vinyl panels? i think i know the answer...)

phase V is cleaning and painting with primer. i swear up and down that even if it looks really great with a freshly painted plain wall, i will not give up on the wallpaper.

p.s. i'm considering a new blog for the house rejuve conversation, since so many remodel blogs have inspired and instructed me in my projects. how many websites do i need?

2010-02-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

is this photo visible to you?

there is something going on on my work computer where only some photos in my flickr account are visible. hopefully i'm showing you a picture i snapped of jen in class on monday night. She is in town for a visit, and we've been dancing up a storm (minus skipping a class to get my tires replaced...)

we've been working on a duet, and now i'm inspired to choreograph more. who wants to dance?

2010-01-29T13:37:00.000-08:00

My college apartment. The best.

From the bay bridge looking at Coit Tower.

Neighbor/boyfriend Wrigley with Kiki on a break from playing.

Raw plywood shelves hung in the office...

...which means two more boxes empty and out of the way.

The curtain fabric.

My middle school dancers in their piece with the door I built.

A cocktail date with Teresa at her apartment.

A dinner date with Maggie and Ivy at Spice Monkey

2010-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night, I hung curtains in our office and decided I hated them. Wednesday morning, I stepped back and decided to look for black and white curtains with a splash of color. Wednesday afternoon, I saw the photo on the left and went WAAAANNNT, which started a big web search for vintage barkcloth fabric and curtains.

I didn't know it was called barkcloth until 50's Pam of RetroRenovation.com included the word in the photo title. Seth and I keep referring to "that rough, nubby stuff" when we talk about those thick, funky, mid-century curtains. That's barkcloth!

I'll tell you the end of the story first, which is that today I found the exact same fabric from Pam's photo on etsy! It is just enough for my curtains and only cost me 30 bucks, compared with my other favorites, which are each $100.

The rest of the story is that I found four choices that were great candidates, and also have me trying to make up other projects so I can buy more....

Fabulous 4 YARDS of atomic barkcloth on etsy
(matches my dining room, ouch!)

Haley's Comet barkcloth at Full Swing Textiles

Retro Check on ebay

Cotton optical drape material c. 70s or 80s on ebay
(This one is not barkcloth, but I still heart.)

2010-01-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's easy to focus on all the things yet to be done on my list for improving the house, but I'm taking time to appreciate the have-dones. Paint color has made a dramatic difference in turning the house into a home. Last week I finished painting the hall and entry, making the upstairs paint jobs officially done.

The hallway is Glidden Antique White. At first glance you don't notice the color at all, but you also don't notice that you want to run screaming, which is how I felt in the white hall when we returned from our holiday vacation.

The entry is also Glidden Antique White, and we removed the mirror on the closet door to calm the space down. It's a much nicer view from the living room now.

We went back and forth about the teal in the dining room when the first coat was on the wall, but I love it now. I like how the existing cream curtains contrast, a combination I never would have thought I would like.

The living room took several tries, but we landed on Sherwin Williams Interactive Cream. It looks great with the curtains, too.

There's one project left for the upstairs, and it's in progress but a big job I've conveniently saved for last. Wallpaper. Stay tuned...

2010-01-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'm performing in a piece in this show this weekend. I wish I were flying in the air like they do, but at least I get to share a stage with these beauties. I'll be dancing on the ground in a piece I choreographed last year. Stacey and Jorge are traveling up to Portland, too, to dance some classic PDP rep. Jen and I have been brainstorming ways to get A-Wol and PDP together for a long time. This is the beginning.

2009-12-25T20:53:00.000-08:00

It took a long time to get out of Oakland on Tuesday, but we did it. The day and a half of driving were long, but beautiful. The weather was perfect. The Kiki was a trooper.

This is what we awoke to on Thursday.

And this, today. Christmas.

I hope it was a merry day for everyone, full of love and magic.

2009-12-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

this was how i spent the first half of today. either behind or in front of the camera at the space that is shared by project bandaloop and matt haber in west oakland. two photographers rented the space for the day to experiment with mid-air moment-capture photography. photography IS moment-capture, of course, but this is a whole larger challenge because the capture has to be the most beautiful possible moment within a single jump (yeah, in the air!). the photographer must open the shutter at just the right moment, and the mover must try to jump beautifully the entire time. it makes you think twice every time you see a gorgeous photo, because you know there were a number of shots that were either sucky, almost right, with one finger off, too much tension in the lips, not enough air, etc. etc. etc. it's hard to get one good photo. i hope in five hours we got a few! the photos above are of teresa, who also blogged about today over on teawithteresa.com. a few more of my friends were there, and i can't wait to share the photos with you when i get them.
stay tuned!

2009-12-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

Seth and I would be the first to tell you if his turkey had sucked, but it so did not. Not only was the bird amazing, but every single other dish was excellent. It was our first Thanksgiving as hosts, so success wasn't guaranteed. It must have been the teal walls in the dining room. Or the china I finally got to use. Or the company we got to keep. Yeah, it was mom, dad, papa joe, matt, rhi, tyler and teresa that made it all taste soooo good.

This family vacation to Seth and Jenni's came along with the best housewarming gift these old-home owners could have wanted: manual labor.

These are the things we checked off the list. From top, Left to right.... Doors planed, doors rehung, dog door installed, gutters cleaned, fence fixed, hedges hacked, curtains made and hung, dimmers installed, doorbell fixed, window fixed, new blinds hung,we even made a planter.

Thanks to my amazing family for coming to visit and working your butts off on our new home. It is so much nicer both because you improved it and because you brought your love into it.

2009-11-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

Seth and I are simultaneously tackling unpacking and improving in our sweet new house. The improvements are the more tempting projects, since they involve dreaming, scheming, and learning new skills. The unpacking had to make some headway yesterday, though, because we are getting ready for six house guests. At the top of the list was clearing space in the garage, where boxes both full and empty have been living, so that we can slide in a car to give a driveway spot to dad's big truck. Check!

We have a little rearranging to do in the basement today, and because of the cold and that it's going to serve as a bedroom, we really need to get the curtains back up in the (freshly finally painted) living room.

Another project today is Seth's second foray under a sink. (His first was to install a water filtration system in the kitchen.)

Yesterday we got a new washer and dryer, because we broke ours within three weeks of moving in. They were very old, these are very new. We love them, however the installation nudged the plumbing under the utility sink just enough to reveal that the seals are just too old to hold. The sink is broken, but the sexy washer and dryer work!

My plan is to paint a second coat on the dining room so those curtains can go up, too, but what's tempting me most is wallpaper shopping. I've got two candidates for the small area that needs replacing, but I keep thinking there is a better one out there. If not, these two both match the tile and the retro-meets-mod vision. My six house guests, prepare to discuss!

You can see in this photo the corner where this will go (also imagine wood blinds!)

2009-11-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

a swarm of visitors and reasons to celebrate have turned our house into a home. thanks to our friends and family, we are learning just how warm our new place can be.

certain projects have been treading water...

but i did manage to hang the bedroom curtains last night.

2009-11-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

2009-10-29T14:09:00.001-07:00

2009-10-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to see some photos from our tour of Ireland, please click either the full album, which contains 150 photos, or the highlights album, which contains 53. It was a wonderful trip, and my only regret is that I didn't have much time when I got back to reflect and digest.

Seth and I have been in contract for a house in Oakland for six weeks now. We've been reluctant to report much on the process because it has seemed at every turn like we could come out on the top or the bottom. It's been one of the most challenging times I can remember. I do have good news, though: we are signing the papers in 20 minutes.

2009-10-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

2009-10-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

2009-10-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

Back from Ireland with a major deadline day today. Once I get all the paperwork done and passed to the right places and people, I'm hoping to be in touch with all of you that I've missed so much and then to tackle the photos from our tour.

2009-09-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Since I will be missing Alesia's first birthday on Tuesday, I'm wishing her an early One today. I love you, little wonder!

from Jenni Bregman on Vimeo.

2009-09-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

We are obligated to consider its faults, but we are also growing fond of its beauties.

We went over for a house inspection, and some neighbors we'd met a couple weeks ago came out on their porch to ask "did you go for it?" When we gave them the thumbs up, he hooted and she clapped. There are hurdles to leap and challenges ahead, but so much sweetness to offset the stress and fear. Not to mention persimmons, lemons and a red front door.

2009-09-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

2009-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

When I was going to 12-step meetings in an eating disorder recovery program, I had a really hard time with the higher power part of the program. It was enough for me to be going through such a challenging reorientation toward food and my body, so I couldn't also muster a reorientation toward God. The best thing I could come up with was an idea of my own God, who embodies all the best qualities in me, and has a direct channel to the wisdom I haven't even unlocked yet. I imagined her floating behind me, like hybrid hummingbird/butterfly/jellyfish, pushing me along.

I've been rehearsing every day this week with the memory of that time. We are hosting a guest choreographer who is setting a piece on PDP for the fall show - Maija Garcia is a former PDP dancer and current dancer with Bill T. Jones. She started the rehearsal process by asking us to recall a period in our lives that we felt we were swimming upstream, against the current. Then she asked us to be that current, but over the course of the piece we also become the force that reverses it.

What an interesting bit of synchronicity to have received this photograph in email this morning. Photo by Rafa Hernandez from the photography workshop with Lois Greenfield last Saturday, my Mamala's birthday.

jellyfish photo by nascity

2009-08-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

2009-08-15T10:33:00.001-07:00

when we pat our chests, kiki jumps up and we catch her paws.
unless there is a camera waiting to capture it!

2009-08-13T15:42:00.001-07:00

echo house - didn't get it.

2009-08-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

keepin' it in perspective.

2009-08-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

The first house that we see that isn't boring makes my toes curl and falls just outside our price range. As far as we can tell, this house would cancel all foreseeable Christmas gifts and weekend getaways, plus probably any wiggle room for the dog to need eye drops or me to buy new shoes. Part of me thinks that's just how buying a house is, and probably we live too frivolously anyway, but another part of me wonders just how far you go for a *thing*. The debate gets much more convoluted when the thing would look smashing with your furniture in it.

(1953!)

It's on a hill, and there are a lot of stairs, so we would need to figure out something to make it more accessible. The hill is a little shallow for a driveway, and this morning I realized the obvious solution is a golf cart! Seth, rightfully, sees this as a needless problem for high priced home to have, and I, of course, have designed the path, know exactly where to park it, and have even determined how many keys we will need.

My brain hurts.

Vintage golf cart
Originally uploaded by JennRation Design.

I'm just saying!

2009-07-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

i could call it something sweet, like "wish list" or "some day",
but some things you just see and WANT.

big chill refrigerators. now with dishwashers!

a new design has been added to the origo collection for iittala. it's like the scrambled version of our dishes, and you know i love remixes... i saw a largish mixing or serving bowl advertised in dwell, but i can't find it online.

okay, this one i haven't even seen, but my brain likes to pick the best ones and move in mentally. this is my house-hunting downfall. i can't just see them as little boxes whose characteristics check or don't check off items on a list we made. as soon as a little box checks off a hair of a majority of those list bits, i start painting the walls, picking out refrigerators and ... wanting. which then makes me feel greedy and competitive. and also sets me up for a string of heartbreaks. here, do the mental move-in with me, and we call all be dreamy together: 4103 patterson

now i'll tell you that before we even got to the weekend, when we were supposed to see this, it is listed as pending on the mls.

2009-07-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Seth and I have an appointment with a realtor to see several houses tomorrow afternoon. The kind you need a big loan to get, and then you can paint the walls whatever color you want, but you also have to fix your own toilet if it won't flush. House buying was always an intimidating subject, and then it started to be fun (especially the painting the walls part). It's intimidating all over again because we got official and got pre-approved for a loan and called an agent. And I have a map of Oakland.

Oakland... nobody calls a big house "charming,"* and our price range = Charming. We're still looking in SF, but our dollars will go further on the other side of the bay bridge. Our minds are open to change, our dog is open to a yard. These are pipe dreams, and I anticipate this experience could be rough. Maybe some days I won't want to talk about it. Maybe we'll give up and decide to rent for longer (we can rent all the words we can't buy, like Spacious.) But maybe we'll find a little house to call our own, and we'll actually have more than we thought we could. Or even just enough. Cross your fingers?

*now, when they use the word "gem," you have to kind of take a second look. unless they use this word for the house you lived in on an ant hill for five months before your landlord kicked you out to sell the place. (and 2 years later he still owns it and has it listed for 200k less than he bought it three years ago.)

2009-07-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

You are loved, you are missed terribly, and you are never ever out of our hearts. Happy Birthday to my oldest and dearest friend. I'm elated to have known you through so many phases, and to have seen you become an amazing mother over the last year. You are inspiring, brave, and strong, and you have the biggest heart and soul I have ever ever seen. I am so glad you are with us for your birthday!

We celebrated Anjie last night at Ivy and Robijn's beautiful new spot in Oakland. They made tacos, and we made more memories. Anjie, you are the best excuse to come together!

More photos (through the wonderful lens of Tom):

umbrella photo credit: Mute*

2009-07-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

2009-06-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Seth and I were determined to participate in one of our local high holidays this year. As you can imagine, Gay Pride weekend is huge in San Francisco. It's almost too huge, especially over a couple of days of abnormally broiling weather, but we slathered on sunscreen, wore practical footwear, and even took public transportation to commune with the revelers.

Saturday's big event is a party in Dolores Park. It's part lawn concert, part picnic, part excuse to go topless (san francisco loves the topless). There were thooouuusands of people in this little park in the scorching heat. The smart ones brought umbrellas, and the dumb ones wore jeans (me! teresa!). At 7pm the whole crowd siphons onto the street to become the Dyke March, and the march ends in the castro to become the giant Pink Party. We skipped the march and party, because three hours in the direct sun with cold beers is kind of event enough for these two.

Sunday is the big huge parade up Market Street, which ends in a big huge fesitival party at the Civic Center, and parties all over the Castro. It was a rare Sunday without rehearsal, and I thought I'd make it to the parade, but we didn't motivate until the afternoon to check out what was happening. It was packed everywhere, the booth I waited in line for was out of food, and it was too hot to dance at the stages. We clocked about an hour and then moved on.

Even though we're maybe not so much crowd people any more, it's the spirit of Pride that I wanted to see and feel. San Francisco is a great gleaming disco ball, and people come from all over the world just to wear a mesh shirt or a wig or a tutu in public, then dance all night without anyone giving two shits. There are probably people here who don't approve, but on Pride weekend, lucky for all of us, they stay home.

SFGate has more photos here. And Tangobaby has a really great collection here.

2009-06-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

watch out! tsssss.

2009-06-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

2009-06-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ming's Coffee Shop was my go-to spot for my go-to breakfast for a couple years, and one day it was gone. *pout*

New Ming's opened around the same time, but it doesn't open early for breakfast. I went today for the first time, and even though I haven't seen the staff in over a year, they remembered me... and my regular breakfast.

she: Haven't see you for a while!
me: i know, not since you closed the other restaurant. you are not open for breakfast any more!
she: No, but you can still order scrambled eggs and rice. It costs six dollars and thirty-five cents now.

2009-06-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

i went to find the video so i could share the song, and it turns out the video is pretty adorable. volume up!

2009-06-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

film fest this sunday!
http://tickets.scarycow.com

update: the daydream series picked up an audience favorite award per ballots during the screening. judges' tallies have yet to be announced.

the film is so beautiful, i can't see how the team won't win something.
i was really proud to be a part of such a beautiful thing.

2009-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

seth and i stayed at this magical house in mendocino as a little last hurrah when he took his full time, Real Job at Live Nation, which also came with Real Two-Week Vacation limitations. we had to squeeze one in before they started asking him to "accrue" free time. vacation photos here.

i took a little road trip to l.a. to see milosh play at two venues. they were tiny shows, but hugely satisfying. we chatted about a little dance video project, which you'll hear about when i'm done being coy about it... that's pfisterer on the left and milosh on the right.

anjie was in town to help throw sofie a birthday party in the park. the party was to take place on my birthday, which was a-ok with me, but anj surprised me by getting a few friends out for drinks and dinner the night before. in this pic we are at the st. francis drinking aviations in the lobby. pix of sofie's birthday.

ivy and robijn moved into a new little spot in oakland, and i helped them unpack and settle in a bit. more shots of the cabin-like gem.

kiki has been to the vet twice in one week, once because i finally decided to have her tested for her leaking problem, and then again when she got an infection in her eyes. we thought it would be a good idea to walk to the vet, but it took us an hour, which made us 30 minutes late. on our way home we called sofie to rescue us.

i figured out i'm sad at about the same time every month, so i'm wondering if i might try stopping with the birth control pills. that might be tmi, but i know people who blog about their trips to the bathroom (ahem). any ladies out there who feel like their chemistry changed, and getting off the pill made a difference? (cue Anonymous commenter who always tells me i'm bi-polar. you are obviously a man.)

2009-05-26T20:38:00.001-07:00

2009-05-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

james taylor + carly simon = ben

2009-05-06T09:34:00.001-07:00

2009-05-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

I chose the more abstract images, because I'm fascinated by how succinctly these artists responded to the swine flu outbreak. But go to these photo pools and see recent images of people in Mexico City. It must just be the language I speak, because these photos say a lot more to me than the maps with red circles and newsy words like panic and pandemic.

2009-04-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, my Love! You are my most favorite person in the whole world.

2009-04-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

How much exactly are we talking about in taxes if I win a 2.4 million dollar house?
What is the median household income necessary to pay the annual taxes and insurance on a home that is worth 2.4 million dollars?
If a person making the amount of money I make should win this house, how many roommates would I need to have and at what rent to pay the annual taxes and insurance on this home?
Am I too poor to win this house?

2009-04-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

2009-04-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

the song i was listening to when heinz came downstairs and asked what beautiful music he was hearing in his kitchen. take 6 minutes to hear it. and if you love it, here's the live version.

2009-04-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

My trip to Hood River (with bookend time in Portland) was fantastic. First of all, the ladies of A-WOL are talented, funny and down to earth. I only spent two days with them, but full days in the theater have a way of connecting people. I was most nervous about remembering my piece, since I only started rehearsing it on Thursday night (in a school cafeteria and without mirrors), but I didn't blank out onstage. That would also be thanks to Jen and Alicia shouting cues at me, like "me!" "two!" "wings!" Oh yeah, and we sold out both our shows.

And let's talk about Hood River! I guess I've been there before, but young enough not to remember it. For all you Bay Area people, it's like if you took the people out of Mill Valley and substituted beer-drinking Oregonians, and then if you took Mill Valley out of the valley and put it next to three rivers and several mountains.

Also fantastic was the Columbia Center for the Arts, which combines a gallery, arts classroom, and theater. I'm inspired to get a tour together for PDP, because I know the NW would love what we do. I say this every year, but really - project PDPNW is on.

The rest of the photos

2009-04-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

i find these incredibly hilarious. thanks, michael.

2009-04-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

i'm passing anjie's cheer on, because this collage couldn't have said "cheer up, it's spring!" better.

2009-04-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

We spent our easter sunday afternoon at this pond on the College of Marin campus in Novato. There are some beautiful trails that wind up around the hillside, which kiki loved, but never as much as water. Her passion for swim fetch has ballooned in the last couple months, and she now begins each retrieval with a running leap and a belly flop. As you can imagine, I had to photograph a lot of splashing to get a shot of a leap.

2009-04-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

i'm performing in hood river next weekend with the talented dancers of a-wol. it's my piece that i'm doing, so i should probably know it already, but watching and doing are two different things. most especially because of vantage point. any dancer will tell you how difficult it is to learn a piece from a video, because you're always having to translate that the foot on the left is the right, and the arm on the right is the left, etc. my smart friend jen videotaped a rehearsal for me from the back, facing the audience. the dancers' perspective.

the only other challenge is that it's impossible to practice throwing people around alone in my kitchen. it would have been smart of me to get some friends together and learn these sequences with other people so i'd be more prepared. but bring it. rehearsal thursday night, tech friday, and by saturday i'll just be a seamless addition to the flock. because i professiono'

2009-04-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

I had the day off for Good Friday. I picked Michelle up downtown, gave her a quick tour of my neighborhood, grabbed a gab at my house, then drove her to the airport to pick up a rental car. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying not to go home (thanks to the dog walker). My first trip to Ohmega Salvage was inspiring and a must-see for anyone who loves old building fixtures.

2009-04-10T08:50:00.001-07:00

2009-04-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

2009-04-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

It's hard to describe, but the drink tastes gray. A dim, romantic gray.

2009-04-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

i'm reminded that i think this is the best song ever. how long has it been since you listened to "rock on"?

2009-04-04T21:38:00.001-07:00

2009-04-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

2009-03-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Mama Rhi and Grammy Shu were in town with mister Tyler these last few days. Poor Tyler was a little off his game because of the new scenery, but he perked up when we visited the Academy of Sciences.
He *loved* the tanks full of colorful fishes.

Miss Kiki loved hanging out with Grammy and sniffing at Ty.

I'm doing office work today, so the let-down is understandably large. Boo. At least I have more family coming in tomorrow...

2009-03-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

2009-03-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

I know they play different commercials in different areas, depending on the market. My guess is that it's playing a lot more in liberal SF than in, say, Texas. I'm laughing.

nephew watch 2009

2009-03-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

my sources say he will appear on monday night....

2009-03-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

2009-03-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

tickle me, fancy soap

2009-03-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

I love to have my senses tickled. Today it's by the fancy soap I bought at Rainbow. I made a special trip just to buy soap, but I also impulse bought two of my favorite food products: Toby's tofu pate (which they now call "spread" or something), and Wildwood garlic aoli. These three things, plus a bottle of yin chao, are literally worth a whole trip downtown.

it's funny, but also... not.

2009-03-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

what is really going on

2009-03-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

matt says i don't blog so much lately. true. reason? i'm boring. but, who am i to judge...

things i find funny, so far today:

questlove, interviewed on fresh air today, when asked, "why do you wear an afro?" answered, "it just grows."

in an email from the office operations person (of fruit-math fame): "Next time I would like the “new paint look” to last more than three weeks."

in a report about what men prefer in a down market: "Researchers polled students about the size of their ideal woman. Male subjects who were made to feel insecure about their finances reported a preference for women who were, on average, roughly two pounds heavier than their financially confident counterparts" - um, two pounds is the low side of how much women fluctuate during a single day. if your study proves that the new generation of men can tell the difference between two pounds less or more on women, we have big problems ahead.

there was a really obnoxious tuba song during one of the breaks on fresh air this morning. i have turned to a song that is the opposite of tubas to try to wash the annoyance out of my ears. three times so far. it is working. enjoy.

little views, lately

2009-03-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

tilda swinton in AnOther Magazine vs. the photo i took to remember where i parked.

The Other Steve I met in Spain is looking at this right now, in Florida.

I am looking at this.

I went shopping in Portland over the weekend, and yesterday I got to put on new things.

I also have a new haircut.

Last night I had barbecue at Memphis Minnie's, in the Lower Haight.

This is how I felt after.

hello, pdx. what are you doing next weekend?

2009-02-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Jolee and Ryan!!

2009-02-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

photos from our trip to see this beautiful couple tie the knot are here.

2009-02-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

packing for cancun

2009-02-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

i think i'm going to take the dress in and have it made into a shirt. the dress is cute, but it doesn't hang well. i think it's a better look with the shorts. agreed?

whew!

2009-02-06T14:06:00.001-08:00

today i wanted to be someone else

2009-02-04T15:54:00.001-08:00

today i wanted to be someone else
Originally uploaded by *jenni..

how attached are we to our outsides reflecting our insides; being categorized correctly on a first impression? pretty attached, i think. i experimented with changing my hair, wearing clothes i wouldn't normally put together, and even wearing different perfume. just to shake my sense of identity. i know i don't look so different, but i feel really weird. disproportionately. iiiinteresting...

Update: it is Hugo Boss.

2009-02-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

and i even went to a hugo boss store in vegas, where the dude said, "orange?.. no, i haven't seen anything like that." spectacular gifts from jenni if you can find the damn outfit.

yes i do think i'm silly for being so obsessed with a thing

2009-01-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

but the more it evades me, the more i want it. i'm kind of obsessed with the dress now, too. silly.
i'm taking new measures to solve the mystery (realizes could have gone to library instead of paying so much for a back issue, but also time is money)

i know you're all *dying to see how the story ends....

i heart my iphone

2009-01-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

the aretha hat

2009-01-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

I didn't think that hat was such a big deal, but the internets have memed it beyond beyond, perhaps initiated by Ellen. As of this photo, it is never getting better:

little views

2009-01-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

the view from our living room yesterday. seth stayed home in the morning, so we had the whole family together. it was kiki and lacy's first inauguration.

the view from space. more pics if you click.

the view from my director's seat in portland. i think i would be sad it was over if i didn't have a workshop to look forward to teaching in march.

this is miss lacy loo in bode's bumbo.
she is getting more and more alert (and adorable) every day!

i'm still trying to do everything i can to make her giggle. any day now...

miss kiki is seth's baby. we have coffee in bed with her almost every morning.

so far so good, and fun!

2009-01-17T23:49:00.001-08:00