In Which I Create a Dapper Cupcake

Just so you are all aware: Mustaches are in right now. Not on faces, just by themselves. I can count on one hand the men who I think look good with a mustache (Here's looking at you Pete Price!).

Sometimes at work I have to cut out fondant decorations to go on custom cakes/cupcakes. Last week while I was making 250 tiny microphones for the CMA award cupcakes, I took a small break and came up with this little beauty:

I love my job.

In Which I am Well Suited for My Job

Cake. It's an essential non-essential. No real nutritional value, nothing practical to recommend it to our better judgement. But it's a symbol of something far more important than practicality and nutrition. By baking or buying a cake, we are saying "I care about you." "I am proud of you." "I think you deserve the best." "I appreciate you." and "I love you."

Cake used to be for the upper class. Having sugar and extra flour meant that you were wealthy. Having a pastry chef who could create a centerpiece out of dessert foods meant that you could throw a really good party. Those things are still true. Cake is still for those of us who have disposable income. Some of us can afford only a few cupcakes while others can spend $70 on two dozen without batting an eye.

I knew I would enjoy selling cupcakes because I LOVE cake. I love smelling it. I love eating it. I love helping people figure out which cake they want to eat. And, most importantly, I love talking about cake. From baking methods, to flavors, to ingredients...you name it. I want people to ask me about the cupcakes.

This precious deliciousness, this love in food form, is powerful. For the most part, it inspires goodwill and cheerfulness. Something I did not expect to love about my job was how- for a few moments at least- I become a part of people's lives. When I ask "How can I help you today?" sometimes they just say, "I need a dozen cupcakes." But more often than not, they start telling me about how it's their sister's birthday, or that their kids made A Honor Roll, or how their girlfriend has been really busy lately and deserves a treat. Occasionally it comes off like they're trying to justify their cake eating habits to me, but usually it's quite genuine and it makes me feel really special. It's an honor to be a part of people's celebrations.

I think it makes them feel good when they see that I am delighted for them. The warm fuzzies start swarming and they leave me tips (sometimes) and I tell them to come back, and they say they will. Then I help the next person and it starts all over again- except when it doesn't. Not everyone can be made happy by cake. Some folks will always be displeased, no matter what.

It seems like a simple recipe for happiness: a cup-sized serving of sugary bread with a pile of buttercream on top. Ta-Dah! Before you know it, icing-induced smiles are spreading like wildfire. Perhaps Rousseau's "great princess" was not being flippant when she said , "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche." Maybe she was onto something. Wouldn't it be great if we could solve the world's problems by"Let[ting] them eat cake"?

In Which I Explain Why I Can't Quite Get It Together

Here's what's happening in my life:

Some days I go to work at the cupcake shop and come home for an hour and then go to rehearsal with Sammy. Other days I go to rehearsal with Sammy and then come home for an hour and then go to the cupcake shop. On my days off, I go with Sammy to networking events which are lots of fun, but they take all day and they don't pay. On the rare days that I have completely off, Carlos and I go to parks, go furniture shopping, or we just sit on our (awesome) couch and watch movies.

That is why there are these huge gaps between posts where no one knows what's happening in my life. I am sorry that this is the case. But right now, it just is. I thought October was going to be fairly laid back, but Sammy has tons of shows and two of the girls I work with at the cupcake place are getting married- so I'm getting leaned on pretty heavily in both directions. Please let me supplement that statement by saying that I don't mind this at all. I love love love being busy. I am so excited to be working so much. I am making lots of money at cupcakes and we WILL be making lots of money with the magic gigs we will get from all of the networking Sammy has been doing.

I have some time off this weekend, but it won't be down time. I am happy and proud to be attending my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. It'll be a whirlwind of a visit, but I wouldn't miss it for the world.

On a final note, I would like to say that Carlos has been fantastic through all of this. He is supportive and understanding. Relocating was crazy and hard and scary and stressful for both of us. I think we have done really well and I could not ask for a better partner.

In Which We Go to Grand Rapids

Sooooo....
We went to Michigan.

That was kindof a disaster, but it worked out really well in the end and we got to see some cool stuff.

9 hour car ride. Sammy, Derek, and me. Piece of cake after that 30 hour trek to the middle of nowhere, USA. (If I never go to Almost Canada again, it'll be too soon.)

After driving all night long, we went for breakfast to a nifty place that came highly recommended on Yelp. Where would we be without smart phones? At that point, all 3 of us discovered that I am not a morning person and that without proper nutrition, I am super cranky at the world. All of us were, really. I was just the most vocal. They laughed at me.

After breakfast (why do I only crave grits when I cross the Mason Dixon line and can't get them??), Sammy went to schmooze. Derek and I loaded in the illusions- no small feat, plus the loading dock attendant was a bit up tight. Luckily the venue guys lent us some pretty strong hands. They were really helpful. They showed us the lighting and let us know what effects would be at our disposal (precious few!).  Our showcase would take place in one of the hotel's many ballrooms. This one had crystal chandeliers lit with purple LEDs. They were beautiful, but clashed horribly with the obligatory obnoxious carpet that seems to plague hotel ballrooms- no matter how ritzy the joint (and this one was VERY ritzy). Derek and I put the boxes together, trying to leave as few loose ends as possible but finally we had to sleep. Leaving Sammy at the hotel Derek and I found our way to the more affordable Baymont Inn where the 3 of us would spend the night. It was clean looking. Very bright and welcoming. The front desk attendant was pleasant, but she informed us that our room only had 1 bed. For the three of us. We worked it out with a minimum of awkwardness.

Later that evening, we went to our sound check and finished setting things up. We got to see a bit of the other acts as they were checking in. The convention rooms at the hotel were a hub of activity. Tensions were high. Everyone had paid their money to showcase here. Everyone had a lot riding on their 15 minute time slot. Our act went on last. No pressure, right?

The showcase was good, but not our best work. I can't really go into detail on that one. It could have gone better. And next time it will. It was an excellent experience to have had.

In Which I Buckle Down

Hey hey!
Exciting things are about to happen here on Backstage. And by exciting things I mean THINGS. It's been a long time since I posted, but we're about to take a fun time machine ride and fix some stuff. Woot!

xoxoxox

In Which I am Still Alive

It's been a very crazy week. I'm not being able to post at all right now since I have no internet at MY NEW APARTMENT! Woo! So exciting. It's beautiful. Can't wait to post some pictures of it. That will come in time. For right now there isn't much. Going to Goodwill and around today to try to find some coffee table/night stand/dining table type pieces.

In Which You Should Check This Out

HEY LOOK AT THIS! 

It's the promotional video for The Magic Story, the show we've been working on. Yay!

In Which I Come from Greatness

Hi all! It's been a while since I updated on magic stuff an it's going to be a little longer. I haven't had the first moment to reflect. We've just been so busy. Traveling is no joke! I was just on Facebook this morning and saw that a relative of mine (Rick) shared this article about my granddad Lenoir's book, Postmarks. Super cool!

In Which I Paint

I have been painting on my clothes again- don't tell my mom!!! (Hi mom.)
For some reason, I have jellyfish on the brain lately. I am putting them everywhere. I really love how simple they are, but there's so much to them visually. I guess it's the fabric-like folds and iridescent film, the flowing tendrils that make them so much fun to paint. Here's a finished one:

It's a good first one. I'm working on putting some on the shower curtain for our new apartment right now. (Don't know if we've been approved yet, but fingers crossed! We should hear on Monday or Tuesday.)

In Which We are Shot Again

After work today (I had my first full shift at the cupcake shop!), Sammy and I went to our photo shoot with Goldie of Goldie Locks (an awesome band). She was great. So easy to work with and she was true to our vision for the shots. She made it happen. We had a lot of fun.

She's an interesting person. Such a fantastic mixture of a total badass, no-bull attitude, but at the same time she is good-natured and approachable.  I'm very impressed with her. She does the band thing, but also has studio space for photo shoots. And she sews costumes. Tons of talent. And she believes in the Universe. We talked for some time about how you create your own reality and how both of us have so much cool, healthy, amazing stuff going on in our lives. It was neat to run into someone with a similar outlook to my own. When I mentioned Carlos moving here and things falling into place she said, "Oh that gives me chills." 

Not to mention, the photos look AMAZING. Even "raw"- no photoshop or anything- they are really gorgeous. I can't wait to see them. Those should be coming up on Facebook any day now. I know Sammy is anxious to get them out into the social media world and really build some hype for the new show. 

So, yeah. Good, good day. I'm continuing to learn a lot at the cupcake shop. Really looking forward to trying my hand at some creative stuff. I got to decorate a piece of fondant today. A girl about my age came in and said, "Can you put something red on it and make it say 'Beast'?" I got a jaggedy piece of red fondant and scrawled "Beast" across it. I think it turned out well. She seemed quite pleased. There will be more of that kind of thing down the road as I get more comfortable with the basic duties. I'm hoping we can focus on the window display soon. It's pretty bare and I sometimes see people pass us by because they don't seem to know what we sell or if we're open, etc. 

Life is happening!!! I'm so glad that I'm here. I am so lucky to be doing this. 

Here are a couple of the photos. Sammy touched them up just a bit.

In Which Fall is Approaching

Fall is in the air today. It's felt good. Instead of the heavy, stagnant summer heat, the breeze is cool. Fresh, like change. For the better. I'm still staying with Sammy- a fact that weighs heavier on my mind every day, but the apartment hunt continues. And we're close, I'm almost sure of it.

I went to the mall. I went to Arby's. I went to K-Mart. They messed up my order at Arby's so, I got a free chocolate turnover out of the deal. Pretty sweet.

I feel a change coming on. A good one. Fall always makes me think of rich colors and warm sun and cool wind and pumpkin picking and leaf fights and rosy cheeks and cold noses and close hugs and static electricity and fly-away-hairs and soft scarves. I am excited for all of those things.

These are some pictures from a by-gone era that pretty much epitomize fall for me.

In Which We are Shot

Ok! Lots of stuff has been happening in the last few days. Sammy is very busy prepping for the showcases coming up. We leave the 13th for Michigan and by the 19th we'll be in Florida. Crazy crazy. Part of the preparation for this was doing a video shoot of some of our illusions.

Because I am bad at scheduling, I accidentally let my cupcake job put me on for Saturday too. Luckily they only wanted me from 10-1 and the shoot went until 3, so I was able to rush out of there and get to the venue in plenty of time to help perform the illusions that included me. I went in to the cupcake shop in stage makeup. I debated also putting on the false eyelashes, but decided against it. I didn't want to look like a total freak. In retrospect though, it probably would have been fine. Anyway, it all worked out. The tricks went smoothly. The outfits looked good. Here are some shots, for those of you who don't do the Facebook:

This is for our 1920's piece where we do a dance and then Sammy turns into me. So crazy! I'll post some video clips as soon as I can. It's a really fun bit.

This is for the "Future of Magic" segment where Sammy puts me into a trance and then makes me levitate! 

This new show is totally kick-ass, not only because of the illusions and costumes, etc. but we also have an AMAZING team! Our stagehand Derek and our stage manager Chris are so great. We couldn't have done this without them. Big thank-yous! 

The adventure continues tomorrow when we go to a photo shoot! I'm going to be in more of Sammy's promo pictures. Neat! 

In Which I am Shorn

After work on Friday, I took a little trip around the corner to Great Clips. Sammy had approved my wishes to get my hair cut. Our original agreement included me growing it out to be long and flowy. But that's not really my style. Besides, we both feel that we will stand apart from the crowd if my look is more...non-traditional.

Before:

I had gotten it shaved about mid-May. This is a little more than 3 months' worth of growth. 

After:

So much easier! And better for the wigs. I am so happy with it. 

In Which We Met

Just for fun, Carlos and I have each written our own version of how we met. We wrote them independently- no consulting and no comparing. This is a fun game.


He says:

The meeting between Sarah and myself almost didn't happen. If I were to have followed my typical routine of leaving work with a sense of lost dignity, turning down invitations to hang out with friends, and returning home only to retreat to bed in defeat, I would have missed out on one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Despite my sour mood, I decided to take a friend up on her offer to meet at Asheville's beloved dive bar, Broadways. Afraid the night would play out in disappointment and be an absolute waste of time, I proceeded through the door into a room of gloomy stares and neon lights.

As I walked through the bar of unfamilar faces (in my saturated jeans that reaked of Indian scented dishwater) I approached the door leading to the patio area. There I saw a few fellow co-workers and a good amount of friends of a friend of a friend that were nameless to me playing apples to apples. I searched for a space to sit at the combined tables that seemed to be assembled to house the last supper of party games. No such luck. Then, I turned slightly to my  right and, to my saving grace, noticed two people I vaguely knew along with a cute stranger. It was very unlike me, but I took it upon myself to pull a chair up next to her and make my presence as non threatening as possible. And yes. My luck. The chair was soaked with water.

Now that my jeans felt as if I just put them on after immediately stepping out of a pool I introduced myself. "Hi, I'm [the] Carlos, and whats your name?" Pretty standard introduction, but Ive never been a guy who throws out one liner bear traps. "Sarah" she says as we both shook hands.  With her elbows fixed on the chair's arm rest, one leg crossed over the other in tight blue jeans, and a mysterious glow illuminating from her face I instanty felt comfortable. We begin talking about typical typicals, not so typicals, interests, and our current pursuits. There seemed to be a nice connection between the both of us.

As the conversation and the night continued I began to worry that my speech would become noticeably slurrly. Not eating for hours, being as dehydrated as a dried apricot, and drinking  usually does that to people (or I just may be speaking for myself). After finishing my first beverage without plans of leaving anytime soon I offered to buy Sarah a drink. I asked what she would like? and she responds to me "I'll just have another soda water with lime." Question marks spun in my head like the barrel of a revolver as I walked to the bar. I then thought to myself, she hadnt been drinking and she is still here talking to me.  I must be doing something right and this isnt just me imagining sparks.

I returned with our drinks and we chatted more at length. Our time and night was coming to end, and i knew i couldnt leave this place without asking for her phone number. "Asheville is small town, but what would be the chances that I run into this girl again?" I thought to myself. Right as I opened my mouth to shyfully ask for Sarah's number, she had her phone out to get mine. We begin to throw out possible hang out plans as we both nodded our heads and smiled in approval. As I watched her walk off with Ryan and company I proceeded to thank my friend for the invitation out. If I would have become victim to the motions I wouldn't have meet Sarah. Instead, I left that hole-in-the wall dive bar where people go to hide their faces and mask their depression feeling hopeful,brand new, and no longer defeated.

I say:

Carlos started out as the friend of a friend, Jeni. Jeni and I go to similar events sometimes, so the fact that Carlos and I had not crossed paths before May 30th (thank you, Facebook) is a bit strange. Our other mutual friend, Ryan, invited me out for drinks at Broadways (one of her and Jeni's haunts) that night. I had just gotten home from a long day of chicken salad slinging at the cinema. I could easily have said, "No thanks, hun. I'm hitting the hay." But I didn't. I got cute and went all the way to Asheville.

We were having a nice enough time there. I was out on the patio, sipping my favorite through a straw, talking with Miss Ryan over the sound of boisterous lesbians when I looked up and saw Carlos's frame in the doorway. His shoulders were squared as he surveyed the room and there was look on his face that said he was happy to be there. Tattooed roses bloomed down one muscular arm. The first thing I thought was, "Oh, he's cute." The second thing I thought was, "He's probably gay." How could a guy who is that well put-together, wearing that tight a shirt be coming to see this group of people (lotta fantastic queer folks in that circle) and be straight? No such luck, right?

Gay or not, I would have been pleased to talk with him, but I was surprised and more than a little glad to see him make a casual bee-line for the chair next to mine. Even though it was wet from an afternoon rain shower, he stayed put. As he and Ryan and I exchanged words, I noticed a playfulness in his responses and genuine interest on his face when I spoke. Ryan ducked out once she saw the spark between us (she's a good, good friend). Although when Carlos was otherwise occupied, she whispered to me urgently, "Get his number!" (again, good, good friend). Mr. Ventura and I found ourselves in conversation for pretty much the whole evening- stopping only when we had exchanged digits to ensure the pleasure of repetition.

He texted me a day or so later. That was it- the beginning of something beautiful.

In Which We Take a Leap

When I say "We" I do not mean the royal "We." For the last few months, I have had the great privilege of knowing Carlos. He has encouraged me to follow my dreams- in fact, if not for his (and others') vote of confidence, I would not be where I am now. He feeds me and he makes me laugh. He makes me feel like the beautiful, smart, confident woman I was raised to be. I don't want to get all mushy, but I do want to impress upon my readers how wonderful he is since you have not all had the chance to meet him.

Keeping the above in mind, remember when I said that exciting things are happening? They are! Big news: Carlos has decided to move to Nashville. We are looking for an apartment together. I am very happy about this. It's a journey and a risk, but one that we are taking together. And, since this is a joint endeavor, we are also collaborating on this entry. So, without further ado! Here he is, my guest co-poster, Carlos! Welcome to Backstage, Carlos!

The pleasure is all mine, Ms. 'Cretia ['Cretia is the name Carlos has given to my crazy alter ego]. As cliche as it may sound, meeting Sarah has changed my life signficantly. Prior to being aquianted (which was in place where someone would give you a sideways glance for mentioning) living in Asheville was series of let downs and false hope. Granted my stay in this tiny bubble of namaste, beer culture hasn't been completely dissappointing. I have enjoyed small pockets of satisfication and happiness along with befriending a handful of wonderful people. One of those people, which I am sure you will all agree, is the beautiful Sarah Ellen Ray.

Why thank you, Carlos! So, that's our big news. He will hopefully be here sometime this month, but definitely by th beginning of October. Yay!

In Which I Cupcake It Up

I went in for my first shift at the cupcake shop today. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. It looks like it's going to be a good fit. It's very similar to everything I've ever done as far as customer service goes, although the stakes are somewhat higher here. It is Nashville. You never know who's who and who is connected with whom...this shop does bring in the country music stars for sure. It's pretty simple retail. It's the cake/cupcake orders that get a bit intricate, but there's a folder and a system for everything. Once I learn that, no problem.

There are around 30 flavors of cupcakes. They are all so beautiful. I am allowed to use glitter and small fondant decorations at my discretion. Teehee. During downtime, we work with fondant either for special orders or just seasonal decorations for the in-store cupcakes. It's a lot of fun.

I went in from 8am-12:30 today. Little short shift. Anything else might have been a bit overwhelming. I was encouraged to take cupcakes with me as I left. They want me to try all of the flavors so that I'll know what I'm selling. Such a hardship! I have already eaten one. It was amazing.

I can tell I'm really going to enjoy this. As we were working out how we would make owl beaks and pumpkin tendrils, I thought, "I can't believe this is part of my job." I know it won't always be fun. There will be hard days and times when I'm confused. I will probably end up doing something wrong. But that's work. And if I have to be employed (which I do), I'd say I have the 2 best jobs around.

In Which I Make Breakfast

Turkey bacon and zucchini omelet. Less fancy version of stuff Carlos makes for me. I made cream puffs yesterday. They are just ok. The puffs themselves are not the texture I was hoping for. Rather more mushy than I had hoped. The filling (coconut cream pudding) is the best part and I ate half of it last night sans puff.

We have rehearsal with our stagehand, Derek, at noon today. Then we are looking for costumes and wigs!

In Which I Help

I went to Wal-Mart today. Surprise! I feel like I go there an awful lot. I should have gone to the farmers' market. But this was close. And it was raining. And I had not much to eat.

I had just picked out a buggy and begun to roam aimlessly about, as I sometimes do. Suddenly a little girl of about 7 years old came up to me and said, "Excuse me, I've lost my mom. Can you help me find her?" I told her I would, of course. I suggested that we go to the customer service desk and call her over the intercom. The little girl, "She told me not to do that." Yikes. I have no idea what situation these folks are in and it was best not to ask. So, I asked if she knew her mom's cell number. Thankfully she did and I typed it in. No answer. Then, the girl went to check to see if their car was still in the lot (who would leave their child at Wal-Mart???). It was. She came back and said, "I think I know where she is. I can find her." And then ran off. I followed her loosely just to be sure that she would, in fact, be reunited with her people. She seemed to be enjoying the freedom of wandering alone and I figured she had no more idea where her mother was than I did. I called the number again. No answer. I tried again. At last someone picked up. It was clear that whoever I was talking to did not speak English as a first language and it took me several tries to communicate that her daughter was looking for her and had enlisted my help. Finally we understood each other and I said, "Come to the frozen pizza aisle. That's where we'll wait for you." I corralled the child and told her that we would wait here. This made no difference to her. "I see my brother." And she ran to him. The two of them ran to another child who was pushing a cart. The three of them (all under 10 years old) talked for a second and then started toward the impulse-buy bins at the registers. I followed, wondering who and where their parents could be. I asked the girl, "Where are your people?" She pointed to a seemingly random woman who was standing nearby. "Are you in charge of these kids?" I said, perhaps rather more sharply than I intended. I saw that she had similar features to the children as she looked at me and nodded absently. "Ok, just checking." And then I wheeled off, amazed.

I have a problem with people. I have a problem with irresponsible people who choose to have more children than they can keep up with (IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT!!!!). I also disapprove of people who take said children to Wal-Mart (prime kid-snatcher territory!!!!). I do not appreciate being roped into a weird situation. And IF I were the mother of a lost child, I would have the GOOD sense to be thankful to the person who brought my child back to me unscathed.

What really matters is that I did a good deed. I was not upset on my own behalf for not being thanked (maybe a lil bit...). I was upset on the girl's behalf. She felt lost enough and worried enough to ask me for help, yet her mother was not concerned about being separated in the least. That's the troubling bit.

Now I have groceries. Maybe if I eat them I will not have the urge to yell at folk.

In Which I am Hired

I got the job at the cupcake shop! I start at 8am on Tuesday. I'm very excited about this. Almost done with this limbo stuff. My new life is really about to start. Sammy has been such a gem. I have enjoyed staying with him and I'm so grateful. But I know he's ready to have his space back and god knows I'm ready to get some of my own. The apartment search continues, but it's a heck of a lot easier to look now that I know my price range.

Sounds like I'm going to have to sign a secrecy agreement for this company too, which I'm more than happy to do. Can't have those recipes running all over town. I'll have whole head full of classified information.

So much goodness!!!

In Which I Go Home

It took some serious shaking to get the badland dust off of my shoes. Seriously, that stuff gets everywhere and it lingers! 

I felt like SC and I had been to Mars and back. The distance, the landscape, and the complete other-ness of it all- I needed to be with the people I love. So, I went to Asheville for a couple days. That was wonderful. It felt really good to be at my grandparents' house, eating home made food at that 100 year old table, visiting with the folks who raised me. That's medicine worth driving for. 

Carlos and I decided to be 10 again. We bought water guns and sidewalk chalk. We drew a picture of St. Louis on the ground at the park and then shot at each other with the plastic pistols until we were both liberally sprinkled. 

I got to see Ryan and Poncho and Adam, too. That was great. I miss my buds when I'm in Music City. Wish I could have had a night at the Rose with the rest, but there just wasn't time. 

Little Hendersonville is growing up. I noticed a few new construction sites on my way to the old homestead. Leaving it was hard. My family is so much a part of me; it's not easy having them so many hours away. At least it's only 5 and not 35. I am glad to be back in Nashville. Exciting things are happening here. Like SC booking more shows! And me interviewing at the cupcake shop today! I think it went well. Won't hear back until Monday or Tuesday. Oh Labor Day *sigh*. 

Playing with the idea of making cupcakes tonight. I've been kinda wanting one since the interview and I think I have all the ingredients... 

In Which I am Not a Thief

So, the craigslist response from the previous post was a serious no-go. It was a boarding house-type situation with some pretty sinister-looking characters. One of the tenants reminded me of Ernie from Hey Arnold! He was not unpleasant. The rest were slightly scary. The proprietor wanted $400 a month for a room, plus about $150 in utilities. And did I mention that 6 people share ONE bathroom?

Apparently the room was for rent immediately because the previous tenant brought alcohol into the house which was not allowed. She had been asked to leave by month's end, but showed up while I was looking at the tiny wood paneled room- still filled with her things. After spouting some rude, aggressive words she seemed to calm down. I very carefully kept my hands where she could see them so that she would not think I was trying to steal from her. Not that she had a single thing I would have been willing to touch, let alone take.

Luckily I had Sammy with me. I felt better about going into a potentially strange situation with him than by myself.

In Which We are Back in Nashville

After a quick hop, skip, and jump (plus a 100million year drive) we are back from whence we came. It was an adventure going all that way, but we are more than happy to be back in a familiar corner of the world.

I spent all of yesterday in bed. I ate an entire box of mac n' cheese. (The good kind. Target was having a  dollar special on Annie's.) I chatted with my mom and grandma and Carlos via Skype. That was awesome. I looked for jobs and I looked for houses. I think I've found both. Since starting this post, I have gotten an email saying that one of the places I liked on Craigslist is available starting the 1st of September! I have a job interview today and another on Friday. I really like the sounds of that one. It's at a cupcake shop. The owner happened to be in as I was filling out the application. She seemed interested in my background in decorating (fake) cakes since she is looking for someone to help her with the front window. Wouldn't it be crazy to get paid to do artwork? It's what I went to school for and everything. Who ever heard of such a thing??

Things are just happening so fast right now. I'm freaking out. In a good way. But freaking out. We'll see how it all turns out. I trust that the little Tetris pieces will fall into the proper holes with a little help from me. It's all in the flick of the wrist and good, quick decision-making.

In Which We Discover the Fun We Saved

Here is a visual memoir of my visit to the zoo with Carlos. Please keep in mind that these are from a disposable camera. The low-techiness of it is what makes it so much fun.

He needed coffee before looking at wildlife. I should probably crop this man and his jean shorts out of the picture.

This one is probably my favorite. Fierce! 

The giraffes were licking the trees like they were flavored wall paper. (The snozberries taste like snozberries!)

Carlos's giraffe impression. Teehee.

There was a dark building that had snakes and fish and lizardy things. That was pretty cool, but bad for photo taking. 

Flamingos! Possibly the coolest creatures ever. They were so pretty in person. 

Zebras! :)

Later, at the Parthenon park...

So handsome. 

This was our attempt to take a picture of ourselves. We have bad aim.

 Also, both of my shoes broke. 

Prince Charming impression. 

That's all I have from our zoo day. Hooray funsavers! 

In Which We Get Close

South Dakota went on and on. But we finally did cross over. I was driving and Sammy was sleeping. The state line snuck up on me. That photo was meant to be of the sign. I was late snapping it, I guess.

We switched drivers one last time. I was glad to be done at the wheel. Not a huge fan of driving in general and I had seen more than enough prairie to last me a lifetime. The entire trip I kept getting Oklahoma! songs stuck in my head. There was a "bright golden haze" on every blessed meadow we passed.

In hour 30, I sanity was running low. It was around this time that I noticed the number of bugs that were inadvertently congregating on the windshield. Out here there seem to be more bugs than I am used to seeing and they also seemed larger than normal. As their flames of life were snuffed out, their insides streaked across our windshield in what (at the time) seemed like a very artistic way. I began rating the splats. There were several categories: size of splat, shape of splat, and juiciness. This one got about a 9 out of 10 I think.

After a particularly juicy one plastered itself directly in Sammy's line of vision, he said, "Eeww" and gave the glass a vigorous round of wiper fluid. This did not help as much as you might hope because in the same second another bug appeared in almost exactly the same spot, sending me into a hysterical fit of laughter that continued for far longer than I am willing to admit. 

Hour 31 of travel:

Luckily we were almost there.

In Which We Rest...Kinda

After traveling for about 18hours, we stopped in a Wal-Mart parking lot to take a cat nap. That only lasted a short while. I woke up around 5am to Sammy saying, "Sarah, we need to get out of here. There's a car getting towed over there." We probably would have been fine. The car in question was quite the beater and looked like it had been there for more than 3hours. Still, better safe than sorry.

This is me around 7am. 24 hours on the road is not kind to a person.

  

Since my toothbrush was buried beneath our other luggage, I bought some little on-the-go toothbrushes. They're cute. And they work about as well as you'd expect. Not nearly as satisfying as the real deal, but they did ok in a pinch. I have a thing about needing my teeth brushed. I don't quite feel like a real person until I do. 

Before                                                                          After

Yep. Exciting stuff. 

In Which We Start Our Journey

After no shower, no tooth brushing (my toothbrush was already packed, grr!), and precious little sleep Sammy and I rose early on the morning of the 17th. We were packed and out of town by 6:30am.

We made pretty good time, at least while Sammy drove. I drive like a little old lady- but being careful is always good.

On one of our early stops I saw this on the door of my stall

I feel like that's as close to an Elvis sighting as I'm going to get on this trip. But I am looking out for them all the same.

We drove through St. Louis which was beautiful. It had such a cool vibe with the arch and the old buildings. I could just tell that fun stuff was happening. I'd really like to spend some time there. Carlos has friends in that area, so chances are good that we'll get to go.

I spent some time drawing. I spent some time napping. I spent some quality time with my buddy Jimmy Buffett. He soothes me in such an uplifting way. When it started getting dark, I got freaked out a little. I just kept thinking how far I was from home. And what if I don't like this far-away place where we will stay for 3 whole weeks? What if something happens back home? Fret fret fret. Fat lot of good it did to worry when I was already more than 12 hours away. So I put some Buffetty goodness and chilled the hell out.

Driving Sammy's FJ Cruiser was interesting. It has enormous blindspots and weird side mirrors, so it took a lot of getting used to. Plus having the trailer on the back- I felt like a truck driver. I mostly tried to stay in the right lane. It was slower going, but changing lanes often felt like a bad plan.

As we headed further North, the land got flatter. Much flatter. It was strange to be able to see so far into the distance without the familiar punctuation of rolling mountains. Freeing, but a little terrifying as well.

In South Dakota Sammy and I noticed a change of pace. People stopped hurrying. They meander, sometimes aimlessly. Dakota time is similar to Island time, minus the warm breezes and boat drinks. Not having those things makes the slower tempo of life decidedly less tolerable.

Other things were different too. This is a photo of two bikers who have stopped to have a cigarette and stretch their legs at a road block. That's fine.

What is NOT fine is that neither was wearing a helmet- however there is one, unused, on the back of the motorcycle. How brilliant of them to bring one just in case they should need it. But wait? How will they know if they are about to get into a potentially life-threatening accident? If only they could put it on in advance as a preventative measure. I guess there are no helmet laws in South Dakota. Both are wearing bandanas. Why would you wear a bandana, but not a helmet? Really, to each his own. If you want to be a free-spirited dumbass and have the wind in your...bandana, whatever. But don't drive in front of ME! If you crash in front of my huge rig, there is a good chance I will mow over you in spite of my best efforts not to.

Another different thing was that they sell liquor in Wal-Mart in South Dakota. Want proof? Eh? Get it?

You can tell it's Wal-Mart because of the tags. Is it just me, or does selling liquor at Wal-Mart just sound like a bad plan? I've seen the creatures of Wal-Mart. Yeesh.

In Which We Say Goodnight

Carlos left Nashville, Murray left Nashville, Sammy and I prepare to leave Nashville- but first, we were scheduled to attend the music video release party for. The band unveiled their video at a costume party and then performed the song live on stage. Sammy and I made the lead singer (and the bass player) disappear! Woo hoo!

We arrived at the venue around 2pm and stayed there all day with not much to do. During that time, I took this photo.

That's for you, Ryan. I love you, girl.

Finally, around 6pm, folks started getting ready and getting into costume/makeup. Both of us had our makeup done by a lovely woman named Michelle. She was really nice, chatting to me the whole time. In addition to doing makeup, she also paints people's bodies and does photo shoots. She said I would make an excellent cat. She is also a cake decorator- and get this: she hates it! WHAT? "I'm really good at it- not to toot my own horn, but that's what people tell me. Anyway, you should come over to my house and I'll teach you everything I know. And in return, you can let me paint you up like a cat!" Um, let's see here...win, win...YES. No actual dates have been set, but I can get in touch with her and I am looking forward to doing so once I am back on that end of the world. Here is the makeup job she did on me. So beautiful!!!

And also this bite!

I felt like a little undead princess.

I actually signed a non-disclosure agreement and I'm not completely sure all that that entails so I won't go into much detail on our actual experience of being a part of the video release event. I will say though, costume balls are lots of fun. And the lead singer was a real gem. I like her lots. Not to mention that the band is kick-ass.

Our performance was a very small one- only a 20 minute set after the live performance of Goodnight. Unfortunately before we went on, one of our props (a bottle of water) spilled onto some of the other props. Water is not a magician's friend. Sammy got that sorted out though and we powered through (because he's awesome!). However, little did we know, we were not done dealing with misplaced moisture. Just as we were gathering our things and getting ready to take them to the car, BLAM! Downpour. Rainy rain just raining down in this really rain-like way. So much rain. But we had to get the hell out of town, so we ran in it- getting our costumes and magic props completely drenched.

It made for an exhausting day.

In Which We PLAY

Monday afternoon we were back to rehearsing. Carlos entertained himself about town during that time and then we all met back at Sammy's to go to the drag pageant at Play. It was terrific fun. There were queens everywhere!

I never really thought about this, but bathrooms are confusing places at drag shows. Is a ladies' room just for biological ladies? Is "ladies" even a biological term? Seems to be more of a mindset or an earned title than something determined by genitals. In my limited knowledge of queer studies, sex and gender are separate. Parts have nothing to do with gender, which begs the question, why are bathrooms divided only into men and women when a growing number of people identify across biological and gendered lines? It's an issue on which an entire doctoral thesis can (and probably has) been written. I am not equipped to speak about it with much authority, but it is something to think about. I am confident though, that even if a gender neutral restroom did exist at Play, the "ladies'" room at the drag show would still be over run with queens. It's more fun that way anyway: drag queens give good hair tips.

I never thought it would happen, but I actually got sparkled out. Too many sparkles, too much glitter, too much lip syncing. Carlos and I left before seeing who won the pageant. It was a fantastic way to spend the evening, but we just couldn't take it any more. And may I just say, he is an excellent sport. It may not have been his first choice for entertainment, but he went along with it and then got kindof into it. I loved watching his face when a queen would do a crazy move. I mean, it was impressive, but it was more fun to watch him be impressed.

In Which Carlos Comes to Nashville

He got in late on Saturday. It was so great to see him. It hadn't been all that long, but Sammy and I had been working so hard- it was nice to have Carlos to distract me for a few days.

On Sunday we went to the Nashville Zoo. That was super corny and couple-y. It was hard to navigate around small children. They were so eager to see the animals that they became oblivious to the big people around them. It was neat to observe (so cute!!), but rather a challenge. When you step on a kid, you're the bad guy- go figure, right? 

We bought disposable cameras so that we could take bad pictures and cherish them forever. I'm pretty excited about getting mine developed. There are several of Carlos imitating various animals, so we have that to look forward to.

After the zoo, we went to lunch at a place called the Pfunky Griddle. It was a really sweet little restaurant. The waitress sat us down at a small table with a metal hotplate built in. She flipped it on as we took our seats. We looked at the menu and discovered that most of the food choices were a cook-it-your-damn-self deal. That did not appeal to us, having just walked in the hot sun at the zoo, so we chose some fresh-sounding sandwiches and turned off the heat source. Why am I going to go out so I can cook for myself?? No. Just no. The sandwiches were amazing. Pineapple, cranberry, walnut chicken salad? Yes!!!

We had some extra time before our dinner engagement, so we went to the Parthenon park and pulled up a choice piece of shade. We knew we had chosen well because several groups of people wandered into the garden followed by photographers- obviously hoping to get their photos taken with the tiger lilies. Upon seeing us they looked disappointed and went to find another suitable backdrop. Carlos and I are just too pretty to have in the background of your picture. We will upstage you. Keep it in mind. 

Later that evening we had dinner with Carlos's friends Amanda and Jeff. They were lovely folks. Super nice. They brought their adorable baby. Having her there was both delightful (because babies are cute) and further confirmation that children are not for me. After dinner, as we walked back toward my car Carlos and I both professed how happy we were not to be in the new parents' shoes. Being responsible for another life is too much. Oh sweet freedom.

In Which I Play Catch-Up

Ok! Sooo, here we are waaay up North and waaay out West. It's really different. Not sure what I was expecting. But I have some filling in to do, so hang tight. We are going all the way back in time to Carlos's visit and working our way back to present day. Sound good? If not, too bad. It's my blog. :)

In Which We Bid Farewell

Earlier this evening, around midnight, Sammy and I had to take Murray back to the bus station so that he could go back home. We have so enjoyed working with him and talking to him. He is a dear man. He's good at what he does. I think a lot of him. When we begin rehearsing for The Magic Story in earnest we hope to bring him back.

For those who have not heard, Sammy and I will be going to the Northern-most Dakota tonight. We have an engagement at a club until around 11pm and then we will be hitting the road. We are a part of a local attraction that draws around 1,000 people a night. We will be performing a 20 minute routine 7 days a week for 3 weeks. I have no idea what to expect. According to one website, there are 7 museums in the town and a permanent population of 100. Not 100,000. No. 100 people. I am not overly hopeful of interesting society or entertaining diversions of any kind. I'm sure you can look forward to painfully regular updates on this blog.

I'll be honest: I do not relish the idea of being 23 hours away from my loved ones for 3 weeks. We will be quite far. I'll be not 1, but 2 time zones away. 5 hours' drive seems downright close when compared to what we'll do tomorrow. But this is good. I'm going places and seeing things. On a schedule. I will be back, god willing and the crik don't rise. (I'm brushing up on my Southernese for the Northerners.)

Sammy said, "I feel like I'm packing to go on the Oregon Trail." I laughingly agreed. That was a computer game when he and I were in elementary school. I think my wagon always caught the bubonic plague or something- I never made it to Oregon. Before he said that though, I had been thinking about The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet where Chuck and David bring enormous bags of food to go on a 2 hour space ship ride because they didn't want to "starve to death in the middle of outer space." That's how I felt packing up my own brown paper bag. There are all manner of edible odds and ends in there. Hopefully we won't waste away on the road.

In Which I am Well Looked After

I hope Carlos doesn't mind me sharing this abridged version of the note I found on the counter when Sammy and I returned from rehearsals on Tuesday. I am doing so only to show off his thoughtfulness and to show the folks back home that I am eating. It reads as follows:

8/14/12

Sarah,
I wish we had more time to spend with each other...I loved seeing you regardless (and always do)...I have left some things for you. Don't ever say you don't have time to eat. It can probably be separated in to 3 or 4 meals. Check the fridge. I hope you enjoy it.
-Carlos
P.S. the granola is a little overdone. sidenote: buy a broom.

:) :) :)

Sure enough, 2 bags of granola, a dish of "B.S. [brussel sprout] Tuna Salad" and "Nutty Chicken Salad" both complete with labels and drawings of a dead fish/sealion and a crazy chicken (respectively). I have eaten very well since Tuesday. We have not yet purchased a broom, per his request, but I suspect that's coming. Sammy does need one.

Of course it is all delicious. Very homey and comforting too.

In Which We are Rushed

Oh my goodness! So much has happened in the past few days. I don't have any time to relate it at the moment but things will slow down shortly. It's going to be Hell on wheels for the next two-three days. Literally. Sammy and I are heading to N. Dakota (22+ hours on the road). What's there, you ask? I'll let you know when we arrive. As far as I can tell, not much.

Carlos has been visiting for the past few days. He came up Saturday night and stayed until this afternoon. We had several fun outings which, again, I do not have time to write about.

Sammy and I have rehearsed for three shows today. We practiced for the Magic Story, for North Dakota, and for the music video release party we are attending on Thursday night. Plus we are going back to the space tonight so that we can finish painting props before loading up tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more adventures!
Love and granola. (Thank you, Carlos!!!! He made granola while I was at rehearsal today. What a guy!)

In Which Life is Busy

We worked hard yesterday.

I ate this breakfast to fuel up. Chicken sausage with potato, onion, and bell pepper. Side of toasty pita  and a dish of salsa. And one of my cupcakemuffins.

Late start, but we finished well after 9pm. Sammy and I took a dinner break and worked some more after we took Murray back to the Delearys'. We were too tired to actually rehearse, so instead we did paint touch ups on the set pieces that got grungy during transit from the Rutledge. I also painted some new props for the new show. The Magic Story is going to be so great, you guys! I've never done or seen anything like it. It's got a story line and illusions and history and dancing. So much coolness.

Before rehearsal yesterday, we all went to the costume store. Oh, dear god. I could spend fortunes in that place. So much sparkle! When I come back from North Dakota, there are about 5 wigs that are calling my name. We looked at everything but I only came out with a bowler hat and some false eyelashes. I'm a big fan of the bowler hat. I wore it out.

The fake lashes look great, but they're a bit of a pain in the ass. (I'm not wearing them in this picture.)
Murray put them on for me which was great. But now, the morning after, I look like a zombie. The black glue got all over the corners of my eyes and there are still bits of it in the creases of my eyelids...it's real gross. I've washed my face multiple times today to no avail. I'm stuck with it for the next little bit. I wouldn't mind so much, but we are about to go to the Pier 1 where I'd like to get a job (we need a prop) and it would be nice for them to see me looking my best.

Does anyone know a recipe that uses lots of milk? It seems when I bought a quart I really overestimated how much milk I would use and it says it expires tomorrow. I thought about making pancakes this morning, but then I went back to sleep instead.

In Which I Put the Bananas in Their Place

Today was weird. We did nothing. Correction: I did nothing. Sammy mostly had the day off, but he's always working. I made muffins. I also made a video of me making muffins. That's still in progress. I am learning how to use iMovie. I've never made an edit-able video before. My sainted mother followed me around with a video camera when I made my film debut in Meet the Planets (4th grade solar system project) and the sequel Meet the Muses (9th grade Greek mythology project). We filmed on location in chronological order.

This is going to sound really silly, but I'm trying this new thing where I don't waste food. It's just so easy to let things go bad. And when they do we think, whatever, I'll go get more. I made muffins so I could use the 3 bananas that were getting too freckle-y for comfort. Like teenagers, without warning they start breaking out into unsightly spots and mocking you "We're going bad and there's nothing you can do about it!" Along with the bananas, I used up the last of my bread and my pita today.  Usually it takes me quite some time to get through a whole loaf. But I've been enjoying a cheese toast before bed lately so the mold monster did not get this one.

Thanks to Bethany I am having home made salsa for snacks. I also made some spaghetti earlier this week with the sauce she put up last summer. Brought home-canned green beans as well, so I'll fix those up later this week. Strawberry-cherry jam from grandma is helping the home sickness too.

I got to Skype with Carlos today. That was amazing. He's in Asheville. I'm in Nashville. But there he was, on my computer. Crazy. I know that's old news to most people. But it's not old news to me. It's very new news and super exciting.

There was a residual funk, sort-of from my dream but mostly from not doing anything all day. Chatting online with my mom and seeing a friendly face definitely helped. Tomorrow is going to be productive. Lots of hard work. That's what I need.

The song of the day seems to be Songbird by Ryan Montbleau. I can't hear it enough. I love it so so much. None of the videos are great. If you have Spotify, play it there instead.

Kisses!

In Which I Need a Cupcake

I woke up in a strange place today. A strange place emotionally, not physically. Drag Bingo wasn't that wild, y'all. No, I awoke feeling odd because of the dream I had been having. I won't call it a strange dream because that is redundant. Dreams by their very nature are strange.

Anyway, in the dream, I was seeing the world from the perspective of a small boy. He had consulted the Powers that Be (Zeus or God in this instance) and asked to live in a perfect home where everyone got along all the time. The other people in his family spent the whole dream debating as to whether or not this was ethical or desirable. Finally they decided it was not. The whole sequence ended with the boy lingering outside the house's back door knowing that the moment he stepped inside the spell of perfection would not be there. When he crossed the threshold he began to cry, sobs that I felt in my gut- the deepest most earth-shattering longing I have ever experienced. However, as this drama ensued he was eating (or attempting to eat) from a large bag of potato chips. Very few actually got consumed because as he sobbed they got slobbery and fell out of his mouth.

A lot of the boy's family members looked like my own and everyone ended up in my grandma's back yard, so I can guess where my subconscious was going with all of this.

It took me several moments longer than usual to come fully awake. Chip-spewing aside, the way that boy cried shook me. I need a damn cupcake.

In Which We are Dragged Out to Play!

Oooh girl!
Drag Queen Bingo. That was a good, good time. Paige Turner was a sassy bitch. Between catty remarks and raunchy stories she called a few numbers. Gotta love it.

I almost got a bingo a few times. The last time I was only 1 away:

Sammy's friend Jodi got it though. She's the one who invited us out tonight, so she had karma on her side. We met some of her friends who were waiting at Mad Donna's when we got there. As we walked in the door, Paige said, "Well it's about time y'all sexy bitches got here! Come on in and grab a seat." That's what I call a welcome. During one of her numbers Paige walked by our table and I caught a distinct wiff of cotton candy. It was fitting since she was decked out in teal sparkles from head to booty.

During a brief intermission I got to talking to Jodi's buds who were discussing Rosh Hashana. I asked where would be a good place to go for services. Apparently there is a Conservative synagog nearby, so I'm excited about visiting.

Between finding folks to sit with at synagog and having my picture taken with a drag queen, my night was pretty well a win.

I am feeling slightly off though. Did too much rehearsing today on not quite enough sleep. Sammy says tomorrow will be an easy day. Ima hold him to it.

In Which We Get Hot Honey Rag Tattooed Upon Our Brains

We worked with Murray on some choreography today. It wasn't particularly hard stuff, but it was precise. And stylized. And we were at it for hours- about 11am until 5pm. I feel good about how hard we worked, but now I'm very tired. Looking forward to getting some sleep tonight and maybe having tomorrow kinda off. There's still some writing and sketching and research to be done, but we won't go full out like we did today. I like Murray a lot and I wish we could keep him around longer.

This evening we have planned to go to Drag Queen Bingo. I am so excited to see what that means. I hope it's amazing- how can it not be? Hopefully I can snap a few pictures. And hey, maybe I'll win some Bingo!

In Which I Love You

This is made possible by my brand new MacBook Pro! Thank you to the loved ones who put it in my hands! Here's a little clip from me to all of you who are being so amazingly encouraging.  I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I wish I could hug you all individually, but I cannot- at least not right this minute. So, until I can, please accept this token of my appreciation:

In Which We Were Up to No Good

Today was largely spent in a production meeting. Brainstorms! Woosh!

After rehearsing a bit, Sammy and I went to Starbucks. I actually purchased things there which is something I rarely do. Not a big fan of $4+ coffee drinks. The barista (barist-o?) guy was complimentary of my handcuff earrings, so I told him about my current employment. He seemed interested, so I let him know about our upcoming Nashville shows. We'll have to remember to take a poster by next time we're out flyer-ing- corporations don't usually put the signs out front, but they'll take one to circulate in the breakroom. After talking with the cashier a bit more, I walked out with a nickname, "Tink." Even though he had been a flirt, I liked the name. Maybe it'll catch on.

Anyway, I went to Starbucks with Sammy because he had arranged to meet with some guys about our open stage hand and stage manager positions. Both meetings seemed to go well. I sat at a separate table, pretending not to know Sammy- as if I was there independently of him.

I heard him say to the interviewee, "Would you like to see a trick? Let's see who we can get to volunteer here." Then he walked up to me, saying "Excuse me, miss? Can we ask for your help on a magic trick? I'm Sammy and I'm a magician. In magic school they taught me how to pick pocket without even touching your purse. I'm going to make this gesture and just by doing that, I can produce your driver's license out of my pocket."

I reacted in an appropriately sketched out way. He pulled my license out of his pocket. I tried to be convincing in my surprise. And I think I was. The potential stage hand flipped out. He couldn't believe it. Of course, like any rational person, his second reaction was "You two know each other. You have to. Where are your from?" I had heard Sammy telling this guy that he was from Hickory, NC. So, I (truthfully) said, "I'm from Hendersonville." Of course this fellow assumed I meant Hendersonville, TN and probably had no idea that there was also a Hendersonville, NC. Both of us being from North Carolina would have made the trick implausible, but we really sold it by convincing him that we did not know each other at all. Sammy left the interview alone- got into his car, drove out of the lot, and (naturally) came back to get me once our friend had gone. It was fun. And it will be more fun once we invite him to practice and he finds out that he was right all along. He seemed like a nice guy. Good natured, smart. I hope he's good for the show. And I hope he can forgive us for having a bit of fun at his expense.

Mischief managed!

In Which We Get Creative and I Eat Frozen Yogurt

Today has been a good one. Sammy and I spent the day with his creative consultant, Murray. He is a very nice man, he knows what he's doing, and he clearly cares about us and the show. We are so excited to be working with him! Rehearsals for The Magic Story will officially start tomorrow. I should be in bed right now, but I'm not because I needed to write this and eat some Ben and Jerry's Greek frozen yogurt (blueberry graham cracker!! mmm...). It was quite important.

Yesterday, I ate some of the granola that Carlos and I made before I left. It tasted amazing, but it also tasted like home which made me miss home. Bad. My immediate solution for this was to text as many people as possible to try to take my mind off of it. That worked pretty well. Plus I got a phone call from Matt! I've missed you, kid.

The thing that really brought me out of my homesicky funk was spending time with the Deleary family. The Delearys are mutual friends of Sammy and Murray. Murray is staying at their place while he's in Nashville working with us. The two Deleary sisters play music and sing. (I make wishes at 11:11 too, every chance I get.) They are quite talented. I expect you'll hear of them soon if you haven't already. Anyway, hanging out with a family was almost as good as hanging out with my family. They were lovely people- super welcoming, a very suitable substitute (for now).

Well, my fro yo is gone, so I expect I'll have a sugar crash at any moment. Better brush my teeth so I'll be ready.

This song is all over the radio. I like it lots. It gets in my head though.

Love and fuzzy bunnies!

In Which I Have a Day Off...Whatttt???

Well, it was sort-of a day off. I woke up at 8:30 to help Sammy unload the U-haul full of magic. Apparently Darius's notice that he was quitting went into effect immediately after the show. Ah, youth. SOooo...that meant Sammy and String Bean (yours truly) got to unload the heavy-ass illusions back into storage. Womp womp.

That actually went pretty well. No major injury to either of us or the sets. There was some damage to some of the wood, but a bit of spray paint will fix us up right. How lucky that Sammy ran across an assistant with a background in art!

Back at the apartment, I got dressed for the day and set out to find a nail salon. My mani is looking
peti-ful (eh??). Throwing $30+ at my nails every few weeks is impractical and impossible. Not wise spending. So I found the nearest beauty supply store and tried that instead. A good emory board and a nice top coat, plus a fresh white tip polish did the trick. Almost as good as the real deal at a fraction of the cost. Hooray thrift!

In the same little plaza I found an bakery with Arabic writing on the sign. They sold lots besides baked goods, in fact those were hardly even featured. There were head scarves and arm covers and shoes. Interesting stuff. I also found a set of violin strings at a music store next door. It only cost $20 when I expected to pay about $40. At the Family Dollar I found a measuring cup. For the second time in my life I find myself cooking in a bachelor's kitchen. His diet consists largely of hot dogs so I didn't have high hopes for his cookwear collection. Maybe he does have a measuring cup. If so, now he has two.

Then I went back to Thrift Smart. I am a big fan of this place. It's just fun to look around there. Of course the minute I walked in I could hear the shoes calling me from the back of the store. I even found some that fit. They were fun!

After walking down the aisle in them and seeing them on me in the mirror, I asked myself: Cinderella or Stripper?

I took them off and looked at the brand name

Mmm...stripper. 

I left them there. 

This has been an in-depth summary of my downtime. Thank you for reading.