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!!!