So.
If Kevin can find the time to write, then I can, too. Also, *somebody* got a new laptop for our household, and told me that I could use it to do all of my "work," so I guess it's time for me to do some "work." On my weblog. On the interwebz.
How to Accidentally Have a Really Good Date
(On Saint Patrick's Day)
(Without Seeing Any Drunk People)
Drive absurdly far north of the metro
Drop off a bunch of stuff at Savers that's been taking up space in your small apartment
Get a 25% off coupon
Worry that you might have included a bag of stuff that was actually trash in your donation
Decide they'll probably throw it away for you
Get a white button-down and black pants (his)
Get a pair of green Danskos and a grey skirt with a weird zipper (hers)
Seriously contemplate a pair of orthopedic shoes for work (hers)
Get a home phone (prop) and a VCR (hope it rewinds videos faster than the other one)
Go to Menards and get lost looking for the bathroom
Get some toffee nuts, some drill bits
Lament the fact that they are out of the sale tarps
Spend 20 minutes deliberating over a new shower head
See a guy eating a whole Domino's pizza in the log cabin snack area of Menards
Go to Sonic
Listen to This American Life on your phone
Eat foot-long hot dogs and ice cream
Hold hands
Drive into the sunset
17 March 2013
04 May 2012
This. This is. This is it.
So you make an homage.
And another.
And another.
And you practice.
And you create your practice.
And you make something every day.
And then eventually you find what, amongst all of the homage, is yours.
Okay.
So, let's.
And another.
And another.
And you practice.
And you create your practice.
And you make something every day.
And then eventually you find what, amongst all of the homage, is yours.
Okay.
So, let's.
01 May 2012
09 December 2011
Post-Ravagers, Stuck in the Interwebs
Did you miss me?
I was here:
(First photo by me, second by Stacy Schwartz)
No promises, but I might be back at it. Any requests?
I was here:
Making this:
(First photo by me, second by Stacy Schwartz)
No promises, but I might be back at it. Any requests?
09 May 2011
the ravagers seoul
Thanks to Michele Farley for the schmancy photos, and thanks to all of the other lovelies that took photos in workshop sessions.
02 May 2011
09 February 2011
To the end of radio silence.
So...
How have you been?
I've been pretty swell.
I'm in the beginning stages of writing The Ravagers for Savage Umbrella. It's complicated, it's challenging, it's a pretty exciting process involving workshops in two cities across the globe from one another.
So, with some creative writing, I'm breaking the blog silence. Here I am! Hello!
Love from the land of morning calm,
b
How have you been?
I've been pretty swell.
I'm in the beginning stages of writing The Ravagers for Savage Umbrella. It's complicated, it's challenging, it's a pretty exciting process involving workshops in two cities across the globe from one another.
So, with some creative writing, I'm breaking the blog silence. Here I am! Hello!
Love from the land of morning calm,
b
08 November 2010
21 July 2010
Ms. Blake Planet
There people is eating a planet!
There's planet is the chocolate.
There is living many alien.
and air is jelly.
so alien can eat.
there is the space jellyfish.
(Jason)
There's planet is the chocolate.
There is living many alien.
and air is jelly.
so alien can eat.
there is the space jellyfish.
(Jason)
24 June 2010
Today was ...
... not what I would call a successful day of teaching.
Starting with not being properly amused by the individual antics of my preschoolers.
Followed by a 5 year-old with a nosebleed.
Then a kid asking about my new necklace: "So, if I pull too hard, it will break?"
"Yes, it will break."
And ... YANK.
And then, what exactly? The grumpiness that resulted from all of this led eventually to treating my last class with utter disdain, in response to their volume level and general rowdiness, eventually ending the school day with a kid I've had for 10 months telling me, "I think bad teacher."
"I've had you every day for 10 months. I'm a bad teacher every day or just today?"
"Just today."
"Well, I think maybe you were a bad student today, too."
Not really a day to be proud of.
But then I skipped the report cards, ate dinner, watched some mindless TV, and then saw a friend's band play in a venue so tiny most of the patrons stood on the sidewalk to watch. Later, I went with two lovely friends and their dog to a favorite bar to eat dokbokki and we got sucked into watching "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" with the sound turned down, and suddenly life felt a lot more manageable.
Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day.
Starting with not being properly amused by the individual antics of my preschoolers.
Followed by a 5 year-old with a nosebleed.
Then a kid asking about my new necklace: "So, if I pull too hard, it will break?"
"Yes, it will break."
And ... YANK.
And then, what exactly? The grumpiness that resulted from all of this led eventually to treating my last class with utter disdain, in response to their volume level and general rowdiness, eventually ending the school day with a kid I've had for 10 months telling me, "I think bad teacher."
"I've had you every day for 10 months. I'm a bad teacher every day or just today?"
"Just today."
"Well, I think maybe you were a bad student today, too."
Not really a day to be proud of.
But then I skipped the report cards, ate dinner, watched some mindless TV, and then saw a friend's band play in a venue so tiny most of the patrons stood on the sidewalk to watch. Later, I went with two lovely friends and their dog to a favorite bar to eat dokbokki and we got sucked into watching "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" with the sound turned down, and suddenly life felt a lot more manageable.
Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day.
23 June 2010
changechangechange
Woah!
Watch out!
New layout!
I just couldn't resist this picture ... so, here we are. The first major template/layout change since 2005. I can tell the text will be a little bit more difficult to read, but several of the handful of you that read this are reading it via RSS feed anyway, so ... I'm going to give it a try. At least for a little while.
b
p.s. While I do have an awesome air-conditioner in my apartment, I also added a new fan that I bought yesterday, and it's blowing on me right now, and it's AWESOME.
p.p.s. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get report cards done, and after that, I'm going to see about writing to you, dearest Internet. Are you ready?
Watch out!
New layout!
I just couldn't resist this picture ... so, here we are. The first major template/layout change since 2005. I can tell the text will be a little bit more difficult to read, but several of the handful of you that read this are reading it via RSS feed anyway, so ... I'm going to give it a try. At least for a little while.
b
p.s. While I do have an awesome air-conditioner in my apartment, I also added a new fan that I bought yesterday, and it's blowing on me right now, and it's AWESOME.
p.p.s. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get report cards done, and after that, I'm going to see about writing to you, dearest Internet. Are you ready?
20 May 2010
13 May 2010
a wide world
It's just after midnight on a Thursday night/Friday morning. I'm wearing a face mask, drinking a glass of wine, paying bills, and trying to donate money to a few good causes in America while I sit in my apartment in Seoul, South Korea.
Think about how all of that is possible.
I tried to call the Manhattan Arts Center to donate to MXTW, but the connection was bad, so I'm on hold with the Market to talk to my mom to see if she can do it for me... MAC, get online donation set up STAT. And while you're at it, get somebody to redesign your website, because it's ugly and it's been ugly for about a decade. I'm telling you the truth because I love you.
So, here's a list of things for tonight:
1. I just paid off half of the remaining balance of my credit card. Next month it will be done. YEAH.
2. I'm going to have my student loan paid off in a couple of months, at the outside.
3. I've finally paid all of my official personal debt. (Eric and Ben, thanks for waiting almost 2 years for that money.)
4. I wish I'd have gone to bed 2 hours ago, at least.
5. The parents of my pre-school class have decided that tomorrow they will buy all of the preschoolers and their teachers pizza for lunch. PRESCHOOL PIZZA PARTY.
6. If you're able, help MXTW get to the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Send them some money, even just a few bucks. If you can, go SEE them, in Manhattan, and/or at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. They full of so much discipline and energy and creativity.
7. I can hear someone dribbling a basketball 13 stories below.
8. Saturday is Teacher's Day, and a kid gave me some EXTRA SPARKLY FUCHSIA LIPGLOSS as a gift. Wicked.
9. I finally took pictures of my tots. So, watch out.
10. Love from Putnam County:
Think about how all of that is possible.
I tried to call the Manhattan Arts Center to donate to MXTW, but the connection was bad, so I'm on hold with the Market to talk to my mom to see if she can do it for me... MAC, get online donation set up STAT. And while you're at it, get somebody to redesign your website, because it's ugly and it's been ugly for about a decade. I'm telling you the truth because I love you.
So, here's a list of things for tonight:
1. I just paid off half of the remaining balance of my credit card. Next month it will be done. YEAH.
2. I'm going to have my student loan paid off in a couple of months, at the outside.
3. I've finally paid all of my official personal debt. (Eric and Ben, thanks for waiting almost 2 years for that money.)
4. I wish I'd have gone to bed 2 hours ago, at least.
5. The parents of my pre-school class have decided that tomorrow they will buy all of the preschoolers and their teachers pizza for lunch. PRESCHOOL PIZZA PARTY.
6. If you're able, help MXTW get to the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Send them some money, even just a few bucks. If you can, go SEE them, in Manhattan, and/or at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. They full of so much discipline and energy and creativity.
7. I can hear someone dribbling a basketball 13 stories below.
8. Saturday is Teacher's Day, and a kid gave me some EXTRA SPARKLY FUCHSIA LIPGLOSS as a gift. Wicked.
9. I finally took pictures of my tots. So, watch out.
10. Love from Putnam County:
25 April 2010
The 25th Annual...
...Putnam County Spelling Bee.
1. Where do these musicals keep coming from? NOT something I would have foreseen.
2. My song is too low for me.
Because it's written for a man.
But that doesn't mean I ain't gonna try.
3. I keep falling down at rehearsal. Daily. In all sorts of situations. It's extremely embarrassing.
It's finally SPRING! There are flowers blooming EVERYWHERE! The beginning of last week had me in the pit of despair, but I'm feeling a little bit better now, seeing poppies and bougainvillea and beautiful red and yellow bushes everywhere. Going to rehearsal with highly entertaining folks doesn't hurt, either. Gonna try to keep in on the upswing for awhile.
Love from the land of yellow dust,
b
1. Where do these musicals keep coming from? NOT something I would have foreseen.
2. My song is too low for me.
Because it's written for a man.
But that doesn't mean I ain't gonna try.
3. I keep falling down at rehearsal. Daily. In all sorts of situations. It's extremely embarrassing.
It's finally SPRING! There are flowers blooming EVERYWHERE! The beginning of last week had me in the pit of despair, but I'm feeling a little bit better now, seeing poppies and bougainvillea and beautiful red and yellow bushes everywhere. Going to rehearsal with highly entertaining folks doesn't hurt, either. Gonna try to keep in on the upswing for awhile.
Love from the land of yellow dust,
b
04 April 2010
Go Go Gadget...
...iPod!
I bought an iPod Touch.
And guess what?
IT IS AWESOME.
(Thanks again to Chris for convincing his mom to give me the iPod mini that came with his iBook in 2005. It lasted nearly 5 years, and only recently did it start to only work for about a half an hour at a time. I learned to truly appreciate having a soundtrack to my life.)
Movin' and Groovin,'
bebe
I bought an iPod Touch.
And guess what?
IT IS AWESOME.
(Thanks again to Chris for convincing his mom to give me the iPod mini that came with his iBook in 2005. It lasted nearly 5 years, and only recently did it start to only work for about a half an hour at a time. I learned to truly appreciate having a soundtrack to my life.)
Movin' and Groovin,'
bebe
28 March 2010
delay
I have been busy rearranging my life.
Here are some highlights:
1. A new school year has begun. New students! New schedule!
2. I have started to teach pre-school in addition to elementary kids. Tiring, challenging, ADORABLE.
3. I have moved into a new apartment. IT IS AWESOME. There's a shower. There's a private washing machine. There's a full-sized refrigerator. Storage space. Big windows. 5-minute walk to work. Key-less entry. Several lights that aren't gross florescents. One table for working, another for eating. Enough counter space that I can cut potatoes without an unbelievable balancing act. SCORE.
I just bought new bedding and a new small set of dishes. I've put some things up on the walls, and have begun searching for more. I bought two houseplants, one of which seems to be thriving.
Yesterday, after eating a homemade brunch of grapefruit, strawberries, eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee, I lounged on my bed for a moment, and just thought awhile about how happy I felt. How this abode feels more like home in 2 weeks than my last apartment ever did. How much happier I've gotten in the last few months.
Now that I'm settling into my new digs, and have the internet once more, I'll be back to writing. Please send me needling messages if I lag too far behind.
Love from Seoul,
b
Here are some highlights:
1. A new school year has begun. New students! New schedule!
2. I have started to teach pre-school in addition to elementary kids. Tiring, challenging, ADORABLE.
3. I have moved into a new apartment. IT IS AWESOME. There's a shower. There's a private washing machine. There's a full-sized refrigerator. Storage space. Big windows. 5-minute walk to work. Key-less entry. Several lights that aren't gross florescents. One table for working, another for eating. Enough counter space that I can cut potatoes without an unbelievable balancing act. SCORE.
I just bought new bedding and a new small set of dishes. I've put some things up on the walls, and have begun searching for more. I bought two houseplants, one of which seems to be thriving.
Yesterday, after eating a homemade brunch of grapefruit, strawberries, eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee, I lounged on my bed for a moment, and just thought awhile about how happy I felt. How this abode feels more like home in 2 weeks than my last apartment ever did. How much happier I've gotten in the last few months.
Now that I'm settling into my new digs, and have the internet once more, I'll be back to writing. Please send me needling messages if I lag too far behind.
Love from Seoul,
b
23 February 2010
with a bullet
I had a dream last night that I was shot in the chest. I spent the rest of the dream-evening trying to get myself to an emergency room, but first had to deal with, I believe, some very serious party planning. I woke up before reaching a hospital, seeing the party come to fruition, or bleeding out.
14 February 2010
list of desirable attributes
great sense of humor
ability to make lists
delight in idiosyncrasy
likes to make breakfast in bed. coffee drinker. fiction reader.
understands the sexiness of the Golden Ratio
(making breakfast in bed is HARD! I think you ought to relent on that one. Maybe making it in the kitchen and eating it in bed...?)
(good call. thus amended.)
easy to finish, good pay, few complications
pro-repetition, pro-abstraction
goes to bed without fuss, puts the lid down
lanterns. shadows. dancing.
action, reaction, and full stillness, still fullness
yes make-believe, no pretending
plays well with others
smooth, soft, strong, resilient, easily repaired
stimulating, cost-effective
fascinated
cheap, well-worn
ace at cleaning up spilled milk and spilled marbles
(thank you to Lacey and Charles)
ability to make lists
delight in idiosyncrasy
likes to make breakfast in bed. coffee drinker. fiction reader.
understands the sexiness of the Golden Ratio
(making breakfast in bed is HARD! I think you ought to relent on that one. Maybe making it in the kitchen and eating it in bed...?)
(good call. thus amended.)
easy to finish, good pay, few complications
pro-repetition, pro-abstraction
goes to bed without fuss, puts the lid down
lanterns. shadows. dancing.
action, reaction, and full stillness, still fullness
yes make-believe, no pretending
plays well with others
smooth, soft, strong, resilient, easily repaired
stimulating, cost-effective
fascinated
cheap, well-worn
ace at cleaning up spilled milk and spilled marbles
(thank you to Lacey and Charles)
07 February 2010
all the food, drink, and indie rock you could ask for
Hongdae is the Bedford of Seoul. (This will only make sense to about 0.05% of you.) Plus it smells like Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire on the street where my favorite bar is located.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)