Midway

Christmas music still rings through the PA as I eat a pastrami sandwich made by a cute, corn fed, Midwestern boy at an airport diner. He smiles at me shyly when I repeat that I don't need a pickle with my sandwich.

It's amazing to me how quiet and clean it is here, and how nice the people are in general. It reminds me of what my life used to be like. Simple.  Lacking in the texture and diversity the Bay Area confronts me with on a daily basis. Here I find myself feeling comfortable and restless... I think I long for this kind of peace sometimes - but it's weird to remember what it's like to be the "only Asian".

Santacon and beyond

Noah texts me and says, "Are you joining us for Santacon?  I can buy you your Santa costume, only $5!" ...  I had to work on the student film that day, but said I would join if I could. 

Santacon is where a bunch of people dress up like Santa Claus and wander around the city getting drunk. ?  I think.  I went for a few hours, and then left for the film shoot.  I returned later to join my friends for a french exit at another friend's party, and then to hit the DNA lounge for some Santa dancing.  Oh, the holidays...

This weekend, I had 4 parties to go to. 

Noah and Joe's A Very Ukulele Christmas CD release / ugly christmas sweater party, Sarah and David's holiday happy hour, AMP's Christmas Party, and Isabel and Jimmy's holiday party. 

Lots of friends and lots of fun!  Lots of food.  :)

On set

I was cast in a student film that was shot over the last two weekends.  I played the part of a 21 year old girl in college who was accepted into med school, but gets pregnant with her 22 year old boyfriend (the star of the film).  I don't want to give too much away in case I decide to share the film, but I will tell you that it was one of the most challenging and complex parts I've ever had to play.

The 22 year old was actually played by a 22 year old, and was with whom I shared my first on screen kiss.  !!  (...it actually wasn't as scary as I thought it would be).  I also had to cry on screen for this film, and do a scene in the shower.  It was all very tastefully and respectfully done, but what an emotional, exhausting, and invigorating experience... and, it's always fascinating to me how much you grow when you really push yourself. 

Part of the film was shot at the top of Campanile (above), the clock-tower on Berkeley campus.  Beautiful... 

Love songs

This poem made me cry...

jake shimabukuro

 at the warfield...  lost in the purity, the smoke swirling in the stage lights, the immaculate sound...

Thankful

i'm thankful for: laughter that you can't stop. found love, lost love, enduring love, freak out and lose your mind love, sweet love... sad songs. creme brulee that is perfectly scorched and perfectly creamy. great memories. my amazing family and friends. platform shoes. and bossa nova that sounds like a beach dressed in beige...

If only it were that easy...

The 1s

I was at a co-worker's desk yesterday and found these 1s.  He said I could have them so I took them, kept one for myself, and gave the other two to the other Executive Assistants in the office.  

Later, I sent the other EAs an email that said this:

"Look, the people you are after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances. We guard you while you sleep."

- Fight Club. :)

Sorry to geek out, I'm weirdly obsessed with the 1s right now.

The other EAs thought i wanted to start a flight club...  Later, I sent them another email that said this:

I feel like i've just given you too much exposure to my over active mind. :)  sorry!  

what happened was, at the end of today someone asked about the 1s.  they said something like, "what's with the 1s?"  i responded, "all the EAs have 1s... (then off the top of my head said something like) you know, cause we're the 1s who do everything, and the 1s who know all the stuff, and the 1s who get blamed for all the crap..." haha...   and, that reminded me of this quote from fight club and made me realize that we are the 1s...  (pause for dramatic effect.).  anyway, it doesn't have anything to do with fight club (or anything really) directly, just reminded me of that quote from the movie.  ("...we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances.  We guard you while you sleep...")  it's a loose connection but, i guess i was thinking that we're the "we (or 1s)" he was referring to in the movie.  the people who get it all done.  sooo yeah, i made the connection, thought it was sort of interesting and that it gave the 1s a purpose, so i thought i'd send it along thinking you guys would also make the same amazing connection and we'd all be proud of the fact that we found a reason for the 1s.  ?  

:D 

(do you think i'm crazy now?  i mean, more than before...?)

Back in black

I got to work the hip hop dance fest again with the amazingly talented lighting designer, Jennyb!!  This time I assisted in the lighting booth, so took lots of notes and really soaked in all of the behind the scenes chatter that produces a great show.  It was a lot more brain work for me this year, in lieu of all the crazy running around from last year.  I missed being connected with the stage and the performers, but being in the booth felt like I was more a part of the creative process.  There were definitely benefits to doing both and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to work the show from both perspectives.

This is absolutely one of my favorite shows in the bay area.  It's so inspiring and full of energy that you can't help but leave feeling full of life and ready to dance! 

All of the groups were amazing, but my favorites this year were:  Robot Boys, Academy of Villains, Plague, and FBC.

Louise Erdrich, The Painted

"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could."

Did you know you can mix Mucinex with a bunch of other drugs?  Here's a link in case you're interested:  http://www.bjchealth.org/?id=5488&sid=3  I'm presently mixing it with Sinex. 

Tonight started out at this bar (pictured above).  Civilized, classy, stylish.  The conversation was nice, and the company the exact kind you'd hope for after a long work week.  I stayed for a little over an hour and then headed to Alameda for dinner with a good friend at one of our favorite sushi bars -- which has remarkable customer service and the most delightful restaurant birthday celebrations I've ever experienced.  They turn off the lights and bring out dessert with this tiny golden tree, and then they all sing happy birthday with their lovely voices and Japanese accents.  It's the kind of thing that makes you smile from this deep deep place -- completely heartwarming and amazing.  When you go to leave, all the waitstaff lines up at the door to say thank you and wish you a good night.  <3

On my way home after dinner, a friend invited me out to an Irish pub in North Beach.  Now, really, you'd think I'd know better...but it wasn't so bad.  :) Silly old men downstairs, and strange enfeebled young men upstairs, but ... a cute place overall, and I was in cute company. 

==========

This week was full of awesome.  :)

Meditation with Angela
Dinner and a movie w/ Brian and Teresa
Taqueria and tea w/ Tommy
Hank IV and Andy's birthday

...but also missing a bit of awesome...which was you if you don't see yourself listed here. :)

If only I could shut off my brain

I've been kind of sad lately... while being surrounded by wonderful things. 

Day of the Dead parade w/ Noah.
Yummy dinner and Cat Lady at ODC with Aria.
Dancing w/ Alex and Joe.
Meeting w/ local Asian filmmakers, two impromptu film shoots, great connections, and new friends.
Blackbird with Anna and random city adventures.
The Ripcurl surf competition at Ocean Beach.
Come out and play games.
Perfect girl's night out at a restaurant turned speakeasy...

Direct my sail

My friend, Jon, said that taking control never works and that I should let go. "...to let go you just gotta release the handlebars..."

*deepbreathandexhale*

At 16, I was mistaken for being 12. At 19, a 6th grader (so, also 12?). At 21, a 14 year old....?!

I'm 36 and generally mistaken for being somewhere between 23 and 28 - which you'd think would work to my advantage....

Here's what's wrong with being single and looking younger than you are:

1. Guys your age or older (in my experience) treat you like you're an idiot until they find out your age.

2. Younger guys think you're their age, which gets you surrounded by lots of younger guys.


What does this have to do with relinquishing control? Well, I can't do anything about how I look. I can't do anything about who I like or don't like. I can't do anything about who likes or doesn't like me....

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

*handlebarsreleased*

If I slept, I probably wouldn't be tired.

I'm walking to a taqueria in the Mission tonight and a guy walking by points at me and says, "YOU are sexy..." I seem to always take these things with a grain of disbelief. ? ...but, maybe that's actually the problem.

~~~~

Things I haven't mentioned, but should, include: Phedra w/ the lovely Gabriella, dinner w/ Matt and Jess and little Wilder, Stella bella, happy hour w/ Aram, Punchline w/ Joan, celebration of speech victory w/ Josh and the wine bar, Total BS and Hank IV, Rosencrantz and Gildenstein are Dead (on stage!) and fancy dinner w/ Noah, and soccer w/ Teresa!

Am I too old for Halloween...

...cause WTF... ?!

I dressed up as a Tim Burton doll. Black and white stripey dress, awesome fur collared vest thingy, crazy wirey hair, lots of black eye make-up, dull lips.

First stop was a co-worker's party. Gorgeous house, older crowd, amazing food, photographer, psychic. I had to leave before I could get a reading... but, I probably should've stayed there all night.

Second stop was the Monster Ball. Mostly Asian, mostly in underwear, crappy DJ, mostly 25 year olds, and I wasn't dressed like a hooker so I felt a little out of place -- though, I did get some nice compliments on my crazy hair.

My favorite part of the night was in the bathroom with Emily -- the woman working there said, "You have the toilet seat stuck to your skirt." We looked, and she had the seat cover hanging out of her underwear.

What happened to the days when girls wore clothes for Halloween? When people dressed up scary, or in an actual costumes that weren't meant to just look slutty...? And, at what point did it become "sexy" for girls to bump and grind on each other... ?!

hopeless place

Tonight, this guy says to me, "...so, you're a great catch just waiting to be caught...".

It's weird how some things can make you feel completely trapped.

I think my readership has plummeted after I removed my blog link from the status on my gchat... but, it had to be done. ...or, maybe my subject matter and "protection" of those I'm writing about has made me less searchable. Either way, thank you (YOU) for still reading.

Tonight, I gave a speech at work about stage combat as part of a series we're doing called "Why I love...". It's an internal get-to-know-your-co-workers kind of thing, but done all out - complete with posters, trading cards of the speakers, and wine and cheese for good attendance. I wished for severely broken legs before the speech and I believe it was a success...and, actually, it was quite an invigorating process to have to go through. There are moments when I realize that I'm pretty lucky to work at the company I do.

Tonight, I also had a drunken reading of some old journal writings over the phone with a good friend. I used to be so deep, he said... so, I've decided to include the following in this space since I seem to be in a moment of taking risks. I wrote this just before I moved here, I think, so...11 years ago? I have written part of this on my blog before, but here it is in its entirety, unedited:

Everything melds into this blur of coffee and canned conversation and I begin to wonder if a focus point exists in a world full of passion originated from an underground emphatic determination to find truth in the beauty of pure expressed emotion. And I know that they all are connected by a right of purpose ununderstood, but they...know... And I get lost sometimes....in the conversation...in the passing thoughts of your fingers drumming on my back a perfect rhythm...and I float off to a place where it still doesn't make sense but the view is better. Can I feel it? Do I hear it? Can I see? But who are you to judge my intentions locked up in your own insecurities pushing them on to me.... if you don't like me, quit trying to stand next to me and how dare you kiss me on the cheek and expect me to kiss back. And the race begins again....for impressions nervously made in a noisy bar for all of the uninterested spectators to see that you have the courage to make me walk away without ever seeing who you are....and I become that girl....who's beyond superficial meetings but can't seem to get away from them. I'm looking for inspiration with all the rest of the directionless people working on 4 hours of sleep and wondering why they didn't seem to notice because they were too tired to care....And all of a sudden it becomes clear. I drop the chains off my back....and stare into the distance....

Love LIFE

"I do not regret the things I have done, but those I did not do." - Lucas, Empire Records -- quoting Mark Twain, I think. ?

I went on more abandoned places adventures this weekend, then ended up at a corn maze for zombie tag. Zombie tag was not as fun as it was supposed to be but, regardless, it was pretty fun being out in the corn maze and the day/night adventures were just generally great all around. I have to admit, I think going to the abandoned amusement park terrifying haunted house actually made the zombie tag maze a piece of cake. It was interesting to discover a positive outcome from that experience...

Dîner en Blanc

I was invited to Le Dîner à San Francisco about a month ago.  This was the invitation I received from my friend Keenan: 

The first Diner en Blanc San Francisco is happening this October, and I'm on the reservation list. This means that I get to have a table with three guests for the event.

It started in Paris 35 years ago, so calling it a flashmob sounds kind of déclassé, but essentially, that's what it is. 1,000 people will descend on an undisclosed, iconic, outdoor location, bringing dinner, tables, chairs, and ambience, and wearing all white.

If you're reading this, then I think you may be interested in joining along, however, if we follow the rules, only three people can come. We'll see how that goes...

For the curious, a blog about this year's event in Paris: http://paris.untappedcities.com/2011/06/17/in-pictures-the-2011-paris-diner-en-blanc/

~~~~

From what I understand, this event had more like 3500 people. 

We met in the Music Concourse in Golden Gate park. 

It was quite a spectacular sight to find so many people dressed in white mingling amongst the fountains and tables.  They launched little, elegant, hot air balloons at random intervals and had Parisian street signs posted around the event. 

For dinner we brought:  champagne, wine, salad, tamales, meatballs, and banana cream pie.  We lost the girl who was supposed to bring bread, cheese, and fruit at the last minute to a broken down car, but were joined later by a last minute invitee who brought us much needed candles and water. 

The temperature was perfect and I was in great company. 

Thanks Keenan!

The exhibit

After the wedding in Portland (see last post), I went back to my hotel room and slept for something like 3 hours.  I had planned to walk around a bit but apparently my body needed rest, so much that I woke up achy... Yup, sick.  Just in time to hop on a redeye to New York for work. 

I was called to New York last Wednesday.  They wanted me to leave on Thursday so I could be at work on Friday. I would stay through the weekend, work Monday and Tuesday, and head back Wednesday (yesterday).  It would've meant a free weekend in New York, but missing the haunted amusement park, seeing Jason and Erin, and attending Stacy and John's wedding.  Work said I could come when was best for me, but that being there Monday and Tuesday would really help out -- especially because they wanted me to work the exhibit Tuesday night. 

A 10:25pm departure.  I downed some Niquil at the Portland airport and hoped for the best.

I'm usually a really good plane sleeper and Niquil tends to knock me out... but, I landed in New York about 5 hours later having barely slept a wink.  I went to my hotel room, showered, changed, and started my Monday. 

Work was a bit of a blur, and everyone kept telling me how great I looked.  ?  ...which seems to happen to me when I haven't slept at all.  The less I sleep, apparently, the better I look.  ??  It's consistent and very weird. 

I did manage to sneak in dinner with a friend on Monday, but it was an early night.

Tuesday I woke up with the chills.  I got up and took some Dayquil and Advil and wrapped myself up.  The sucky part about being flown to New York for work is you have to work.  I got up, showered, and headed in. 

Tuesday night I got to see the exhibit, finally, after so much anticipation.  The exhibit was a huge public art installation we did for one of our clients.  The executive I work for was a lead in the creative direction of the project, so I did a ton of support work on it.  I had seen bits and pieces and was hoping I'd have a chance to see the finished product in person so, even though I knew this trip (aside from being sick) wouldn't afford time to play, I was really excited to have the chance to come out.  It was beautiful!!  Just what I expected.  I was so happy to be there to celebrate it with my executive and the lead principal on the project.  Really detailed, inspiring, magnificent work.

I went to bed early that night as well, slept in a bit on Wednesday, headed straight to the airport, slept all the way back to the bay, went to bed early again last night, and here I am... 

City of Roses

I arrived in the City of Roses on Saturday afternoon and realized that the last time I had been there was in 2006, just before Danny and I broke up... Who knew that would come rushing back as I walked passed the security gate... 

Portland hasn't changed -- it's just as beautiful and friendly and easy as I remembered.  I, on the other hand, have changed quite a bit....

I needed to run some errands, so I went to the mall across the street from my hotel.  I walked in and a very handsome young man started talking to me.  He said he was looking for his new fiancé and wanted to know my name.  I told him and said that I was looking for a make-up brush.  As I walked away, he called to me.  "Kristen, wait up!  So, you're not wearing any make-up right now?  Well, then you don't need it because you look beautiful.".  He was sweet.  He asked my age so I told him I was 36, and he said, "I'm 19, but I'll be 20 next week.  Can I call you?". I told him I was only there until tomorrow but that he had just made my day. 

Next on the agenda was a dinner with Jason and Erin and their two beautiful kids.  It was so great to catch up with them and meet their little ones. 

This visit was for Stacy and John's wedding.  They had a late happy hour reception on Saturday night, and then a nice ceremony in small banquet hall in the woods on Sunday afternoon.  I didn't get to see them enough, but I wish them the very best as they move forward in this new phase of their life. 

Reckless abandon

This photo is of an abandoned hospital, the third of three stops on a late night spooky adventure.  

The first stop was a terrifying abandoned amusement park turned haunted amusement park in Guerneville.  I don't actually like haunted houses, and I don't know if I've ever been as scared as I was in this one.  My heart was beating out of my chest and I was literally sweating by the time we walked out of there.  I actually think there was a point at which the people working/scaring felt sort of bad for me.  I'm kind of embarrassed at how completely terrified I was...but, one of the guys I was with said I was great, that the people who worked there were waiting for someone like me to show up all night, and that he wished he could be in my head and feel that way.  !!!

The second stop was an abandoned winery in Santa Rosa.  A beautiful dilapidated set of buildings at the end of a field -- covered in graffiti with the moon shining through the fallen roofs. 

I have a friend who has a thing for abandoned stuff and, apparently, I "seem like a risk taker" so he knew I would go on this adventure.... the haunted amusement park was a little much for me.  The rest of it was a little spooky, but lovely...  

Dodgeball!

My company entered a design firm dodgeball tournament and it was sooo much funnn!!!  Dodgeball is somehow way better as an adult.  ?  ... although, we did have this weird moment where Kelvin was cussing out the ref while Rob yelled at the team for "NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER OR COORDINATING ENOUGH!!'  ha!  Wow...  :)


This week was full of awesome.  Aside from getting out of the office for dodgeball day, I had a great catch up session with Joan, movie night w/ Noah and Joe, Dodgeball practice which was weirdly fun, my aunt and uncle were in town! BBB, Anna's birthday party, my first guitar lesson, Lachelle at Luka's, Broadsword at the Marina, Brian's birthday party, and a fun night with Michael.... and, I still have more weekend to go.  ;)

Fully loaded

"What made you start smoking again?"

"...well, that's a loaded question."

"Sounds like it must be a loaded answer..."

We wander, shop, dance, and then head to the courtyard for some air.  We sit on a bench not far from a guy who is lighting up a cigarette.  Another guy walks up and stands in front of the smoking guy and absently starts shaking his ass to the music -- which makes the smoking guy twist all up on the bench to avoid the shaking ass.  I giggle.  Me and smoking guy make brief eye contact and he scoots out of ass shaking range to greet us with a slurry introduction. 

"Hi, I'm Aaron... I just came from a wedding... what's your names?  ...wow, can I just say that the two of you look absolutely stunning tonight.  *grin*"  (Aaron wasn't actually his name...I heard him wrong.)

A mix between Ben Affleck, Richard Gere, and...a baby?  He's really drunk, but sort of strangely charming.  ?

Aaron tells us about his job and shows us videos of him on a boat.  He then pulls out a joint and starts smoking it while displaying an app on his phone that counts how long it's been since his last cigarette.  ....  ???  He tells us he just started smoking again about a month ago...

"What made you start smoking again?"

He proceeds to tell us detailed stories about a Japanese woman he got pregnant who ran away with his baby, two failed marriages, run-ins with Katt Williams and Dave Chappelle, and a letter he wrote to Maury Povich... his stories are laced with humor and dripping with charm.  "...but, what made you start smoking again?".  Another story would replace the answer. 

Before he goes, he starts spelling something in my ear again and again.  "It's my name..." he says, "A. R. ..." he starts giving me mnemonic devices so I won't forget it.  "Do you want me to find you?"  I ask, "and, will you tell me why you started smoking...?!"

He's about walk away, when he leans in one last time to say, "I have a live-in girlfriend who doesn't like it when I smoke.  I'm trying to get rid of her.  Find me."  

Did I forget to mention the supernova...

There's so much I haven't mentioned from the last couple weeks... birthday parties, shows, Jennifer's departure for college, flash mob class, a night at The Lost Church, nice dinners with friends, work events, a ukulele session, a soul house party, and a perfect adventure though the Oakland Hills in search of the supernova...

:)

This weekend, I had a great night out with Gabriella, Keenan, Brian, and Teresa.  A quick stop at a gallery, then off to Berkeley to see a David Bowie cover band and Total B.S. (Bob Segar).  We thought Matt would be playing with Total B.S. but apparently he broke his hand...!  So, we missed him that night, but super fun show and super fun time regardless!!

Saturday, I cleaned, did laundry, took a dress to get tailored...then met up with miss Kara for a night on the town.  We found ourselves at a bar in downtown Oakland for a drink, then off to the New Parish for some dancing 'n stuff.  We met a fascinating man at the Parish...which I will have to blog about separately.  :) 

Today, (er...yesterday) I went to flash mob class, caught up a bit with Gabriella, took an amazing nap, had a quick dinner w/ Digs, then headed out to pub trivia with Brian, Teresa, Jen, Justin, Robb, and friends.  We got third place tonight!

My life's been a little taken over by plans with my amazing friends these days... but, I'm so lucky to have so many amazing friends.  :)  I do want to start thinking about classes and shows again soon though...

City of Angels...

I'm dancing at a club, and this tower of Asian yumminess says to me, "Are you ready for this?" and does a sexy unbutton-his-shirt dance to reveal a tiger tattooed across his very nice chest.  I giggle...and just keep dancing.  ?  He pulls me into his arms, which puts me about a foot or so off of the ground, and then lifts me above his head and kind of caveman yells while I dangle and squeal and thank God that I'm wearing little dress shorts instead of a skirt.... !!

A very unplanned last minute road trip with the girls.  :)

I'm no longer allowed to listen to Niggas in Paris while driving but, aside from that -- dim sum, shopping, the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA, taco trucks, clubbing, the beach, Caribbean food, getting lost, giggling, music, girl talk, driving...

...the Asian caveman comes by to dance and then wanders off -- he is friends of friends, a little Sung Kang and a little...Marky Mark(?)... and, a little bit aggressive for my taste. 

At the end of the night, he pulls me close and asks, "Are you scared?" 

"I'm kind of scared..." I admit. 

He says, "Don't be..." 

...I turn my head and his kiss lands on my cheek...

Things I'll never forget:  to pay attention to the road while Niggas in Paris is playing, how generous and lovely girlfriends can be, that the beach is always amazing and, no matter how many kisses are dodged -- a sexy tiger will make an impression... 

;)

lost in space...

One night, in a room in a beautiful house in San Juan Capistrano, I sang an entire Sundays album to an audience I that thought was sleeping...

A head full of daydreams. A heart full of...

Adventures in art 'n stuff

After a treacherous piggy back ride (I was in 4 inch heels) over hills of concrete, dirt, shrubbery, and boulders, we made our way through this amazing graffiti homeless tent camp and found ourselves here... by the bay.  Metal and concrete, paint, words and pictures. 

Another friend and I found ourselves admiring a giant mural on Shotwell after watching a short documentary about street art at the MOMA. 

This weekend was full of random adventure, new places, great art and great friends.  I went to the Marin Shakes steampunk Tempest, a lindy hop class/dance, a hookah lounge, had a lovely breakfast with some lovely ladies, hit a music festival in Japantown, saw a movie, had a breakfast/walk with a favorite, got a massage, and had a nice dinner/dessert.

Long weekends with no plans seem to fill up with the best things. 

"You are one very, very talented lady of stunning beauty."

Stunning? This was sent to me in a rejection email by a playwright I auditioned for.  It was a confusing message... overall. 

I need to figure out what's next.  I'm not working on anything specific at the moment so I'm considering an acting class, continuing to audition, a photography and/or writing class, or producing another show.  I've actually been thinking a lot about an ongoing series of shows that create a safe space for new artists to explore...

...but it'd have to be done exactly right, wouldn't it?

Sleep deprived

Midnites for maniacs!  Holly came into town for the Edgar Wright triple feature on Friday night at the Castro theater.  Scott Pilgrim vs the World (best movie ever), Hot Fuzz, and Shaun of the Dead.  Yesssss!!  The movies, plus Q&As with Edgar, had us at the theater until like 3am!  Gabriella and Cathy (and their little bottles of alcohol) joined us too -- ha!

On Saturday, I joined Gabriella, Morgan, and their friends for the late show of Stuffed and Unstrung at the Curran.  Crazy improv puppetshow awesome! 

I am so sleep deprived that there are parts of the last two weeks that I don't actually remember...  I haven't fully rested from my vacation, which is catching up with me, while not properly slowing me down.  I haven't mentioned that in the last week/weekend, I've also gone to an audition, trivia night, dinners with friends, and a beer fundraiser party.  Miss Holly has been staying with me (along with another friend of hers over the weekend) and we've had yummy breakfasts (which means I've been up "early") and late nights.  So fun, but I'm soo tired...

I was planning to go to LA for Labor Day -- but, now, I am planning to sleep.  :)

Blues, books, BBQs, and backyards...

My first weekend after my vacation, and then flying in on Monday morning and working all week, was supposed to be relaxing... but instead:

I went blues dancing on Friday night. Blues dancing is somewhere between swing dancing and dirty dancing... depending on your partner. It's very social, however, and a lot of fun -- not to mention, done to some great music! After blues dancing, I went to see a friend's band at Benders. The band was a bit of an escape after dancing, which you'll have to ask me about in person.

Saturday, I woke up, took my car in for a service, went to a book swap, and then to a going away BBQ/party, which later joined with a birthday party.

On Sunday, I went to an annual party a friend throws to celebrate the years he's lived in San Francisco. They had Tahitian dance performance (with audience participation - above) and Boylesque. :) Then I went to Brian and Teresa's new place in Oakland for some pizza and Magic game education.

Productive and fun! Mostly fun.

This is why I live in the East Bay

Well, this and a ton of other reasons... :)

I'm sitting in the Yerba Buena Gardens waiting to go Blues dancing.  It's foggy...like I'm actually in a cloud...damp, hazy...   I'm wearing a skirt, boots, and knee socks -- which is my favorite combination for a chilly San Francisco summer.  My oufit appears to be drawing a lot of attention...which probably means I look inappropriately dressed for the fog...   The diversity of this city never ceases to surprise me.  I was just watching a punk, fairy godmother guy denying the wishes of his very homely over weight friend... corporate people and professors types have walked by, teenagers, hippies, computer guys, moms, old people, fashion people... With every race and color mixed in. 

There's no place like San Francisco.

Jetlag

After my last post, my flight from NY to SF was delayed from 7:20pm to 1:50am... Yeowch, is right. I was in the airport for something like 8 and a half hours. I arrived in the Bay around 5am, went home, slept for about 2 hours, and made it to work by 10am... this week has felt like a dream.

A New York minute...

After a really late night, I woke up pretty easily on Thursday, got everything done at the apartment, left right on time, got on Airlink to Edinburgh airport, freaked out because I was supposed to be going to Glascow airport, hopped off Airlink intending to get on the train to Glascow, thought it would take too long and grabbed a cab. The cab quoted 125 pounds and said it would take an hour to get to Glascow. I told him I was on a flight to NY at 12:05pm (it was then 10:30am)... about 7 minutes later the cab driver asked to see my ticket info because he checked the flights at Glascow (on his iPhone while driving) and nothing was going to NY at or around 12:05pm... 25 pounds later he dropped me off at Edinburgh airport with just enough time to get on my flight. Whew!! CRAZY!!!! How did I not look to see what airport I was flying from...?!!

I landed in New York at 2:50pm, met up with Simón to drop stuff off and get cleaned up, and then headed out to meet Patrick for the 7:30pm arrival time for Sleep No More (an interactive Macbeth performance). The show was interesting, and fun to experience, but I wanted to see a stronger storyline. ?

After the show, Patrick and I walked a bit of the highline, and then headed down to meet Desire (in the picture above) and her friends at a party where I was also meeting back up with Simón (who is also in the picture above, but you can't really see him). It was so great to see Des!

Friday, I got to have a late lunch with the lovely Holly Chou, and then Simón took me to a very nice dinner with him and his brother. Afterward, we split from his brother and hit a Speakeasy near Chinatown. ... "it's supposed to be right here..."

On Saturday, Simón and I rode a lot of public transportation :), saw a NY fringe show called... Billy? (I think that was the name) ...and I purposely missed my flight home. We had a nice dinner at a Turkish restaurant and sat on his back patio in the rain, chatting and smoking hookah.

It's Sunday. I'm about to head to the airport and I can't believe how perfect that last two weeks have been. There were some hard moments, and some lonely moments, but what a great adventure....

:)

...and, scene.

I stopped running and strolled today...

I woke up and went to see Man of Valour, an incredible one man show about a man learning to face his demons using storytelling + mime + projection. It was phenominal!! There was a moment when the man struggles with his dark side, which is shown by the actor "removing" a mask to reveal an evil character, and it was quite a startling and distinct transition. The actor did an exceptional job making his imaginary world precisely clear...

Next up was The Dark Philosophers. This was another one that was performed beautifully, but I didn't fully understand. From the reviews, it needs a bit more development and is about a Welsh writer, which explains a lot of the mystery. If I had done my homework, I probably would've gotten more out of it, but a wonderful performance regardless.

I ended my Fringe experience with the comedian Daniel Sloss. I heard he was a great young performer, and that he was excellent.... I liked him, but I honestly wasn't blown away. I met some lovely people today as I was sitting around between shows, and some of his fans who I was talking with before this show told me afterwards that his stuff isn't as strong as it used to be. Oh well. He's only 20 (or something like that), and started doing comedy when he was 16! I'm sure once he transitions more into adulthood, he'll find his flow again.

After Daniel, I took a long walk home in the rain. It was beautiful and warm, and I couldn't help but think that I should neglect all of my responsibilities and just stay here. The festival has been amazing, and I love talking to people about theatre. The city is beautiful and it's great hanging with Nik and seeing Anna. *sigh* ... but I do miss my cats and my bed and Bay Area food and driving and being in the same country as all of the wonderful people in my life. :)

Arthur's seat

I felt like I was running all day today! I had planned to meet Nik on the Mile at 10:40am, but somehow took a really long time getting ready and ended up running through town to meet him before 11am when I said he should no longer wait for me. Not having phones here has made planning a little tricky. Luckily I met him in time, so we decided to go to Arthur's Seat. Arthur's Seat is a steep, jagged, beautiful hike up a landmark hill in Edinburgh. It has a amazing views of the city and, according to a local shop owner, is supposed to be a 45 minute hike if you have good legs, and an hour and 15 minute hike if you don't. :) We made it to the top in about 30-35 minutes, we think.

We were in kind of a rush to get to the top, because Anna arrived in Edinburgh and I told her I'd meet her at 1:30pm. Because of Nik and I's great legs, we were able to do the hike and get to the meeting place with time to spare.

Nik had a performance today, so Anna and I hung out and caught up for a bit, and then I headed to a Korean clown show. The show was aMAZing!!! Wow, so funny and such great skill!! Made me happy. ;)

After the Korean clowns, I had some time on my own so I did a little shopping, and then headed to The Monster in the Hall. Monster was an excellent, beautifully performed, and an incredibly creative piece about a girl coping with having a single parent who has MS. It was charming, funny, and quite moving.

I didn't realize how long The Monster in the Hall was, so I bought tickets at a venue about 20 minutes away for a show that started about 10 minutes after Monster let out. !!! I started to run back across the city to the next show, and then gave up and jumped in a cab. Luckily they had late seating, so I was able to see the Sharron Matthews show tonight.

Finally, I had planned to meet Nik and maybe Anna for free comedy, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it might not happen, so I ran home to check my email and found I had messages from both of them saying they were kind of worn out. Nik mentioned he might be still up to hang out if it was something a bit more mellow, so we decided to meet between our places for a nice late night drink.

Tomorrow's my last full day in Edinburgh... and then NY.

Ducks, clowns, and ghosts

Traveling by myself has been great, but having Nik here has been really great. :) We walked up to the castle today but it was expensive to get in, so Nik used the phone and then we headed back down the Mile.

We split up for a while because I got a comp to a show called The Ducks. A friend of a friend directed it, and it was a beautifully done piece. The acting was exquisite... though, I'm not sure I completely understood what it was about. ?

Nik and I met back up to see a Japanese clown show called Tokyo Game: The Body Tights Man Show. Wow, super creative, fun, and kind of weird. :)

At the end of the day, Nik was nice enough to accompany (protect) me on The Ghost and Torture Tour: A Dark Historical Journey Above and Below Ground. When I arrived in Edinburgh, I was told there was a city built underground that people lived in at one point. It was awful living conditions and was eventually buried, but someone discovered it years later and now they do tours of the city with the option of the historical tour or the scary tour. When I was looking at the brochure, I apparently missed the part in italics. I think it was the most historical tour of the options, however, because the other tours were called: The Terror Tour: The Ultimate Terrifying Experience; and The Underground Tour: Scotland's Most Haunted Underground Experience... but it was still really scary. Sleeping tonight will not be easy...

It's been raining for (insert dramatic voice) FIVE HUNDRED YEARS...!!

Okay, more like two days.  Straight.  Which feels way longer when you're in another country and all you have to do is walk around in it.  So. Much. Rain.

Nikolas arrived!  We walked a bit of the Royal Mile in the rain and checked out some street performances.  There was a great little Asian magician from Canada (who had a British accent... ?  Unless we heard her wrong and she's not from Canada...which would make more sense.  :)) who did card tricks, and was quite a dynamic and funny performer.  

Nik and I split up to see separate shows, and I missed mine by seconds.  They don't do late seating, so I wandered around New Town looking for gifts.  Gifts from Scotland seem to consist of kilts, or random things in plaid... which is making me wish I had had more time to shop in Paris... and may mean I won't come back with gifts.  :P

I met up with Nik again at 10:45pm to see Spielpalast Cabaret, which was sort of a random miss match of clowning, burlesque, and sketches.  They had a live band that I really enjoyed.  

I have to admit, the shows I've seen so far have been fun, but nothing has really knocked my socks off.  ...though, I sort of think that's the nature of the Fringe.  Lots of things in the works.  

Rain

Today it rained. A lot.

The shows I saw today were Mission Drift, and Henry Paker. Mission Drift was an American group that did a show about ... the American dream. I think. Regardless, it was performed well and the music was quite alluring.

Henry Paker was stand-up comedian from England. I was the only person of color (and I think the only American) at this particular performance. At one point Henry said something about oriental cooking, and a woman a few people down leaned over to see my reaction...? It was just a reference...? so, that was weird... but he was pretty good. :)

This guy...

...or another guy in the apartment across the way that looks a lot like him, I think took a picture of me last night from this window. I saw him turn on the light and walk by a couple of times... then, a few minutes later, shut off the light and a little orange glow showed up in the window that was quickly pulled away, like the signal light from a camera that has the flashed turned off. So, here's a picture of him from my window. :P If he didn't take a picture of me, than I probably shouldn't have taken this picture and posted it but... oh well.

It's raining here. It's actually supposed to rain every day except Tuesday from now until I leave. I just bought a very cute umbrella.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh feels so easy compared to Paris. Speaking the language makes a huge difference, the people are nice, and everything is pretty close. I am missing the ease of public transportation, and the mystery and romance of Paris, but Edinburgh is beautiful and quite charming.

I saw a Chinese performance in the Princes Gardens today, checked out a comedy show called 4 Poofs and a Piano, and got a free ticket to Sex You (I'm gonna), which was a "show" about this guy trying to have sex with an audience member. I actually really liked Sex You, much more than I thought I would. It was like 3 weeks of dating someone who's really trying to impress you smashed into 45 minutes...sort of. :)

There were a ton of street performances going on, and the city is buzzing with the festival.

Au revoir!

Ah... Paris.

Sacre Coeur
Musee de Montmartre
Canal St. Martin
Ile de la Cite
Ile St. Louis
Lourve
Jardin des Tuileries
Arc de Triomphe
Centre Pompidou
Jardin du Luxembourg
Tour Eiffel
Musee de Lourve

I walked Montmartre, the neighborhood by the canal, the Iles, the Seine, the Lourve and Tuileries, Luxembourg, and the beautiful streets in Saint Germain, and Marais.

I ate crepes in Montmartre, Luxembourg, and at the Tour Eiffel. Went to the Thai restaurant, the bagel shop, and the cafe by the metro in my neighborhood. Had a delightful afternoon dessert at le Fumoir, and then a lovely dinner at the top of Centre Pompidou (spectacular view and an absolutely gorgeous waiter). And then dinner at the Budda Bar, and breakfast on the street near the Lourve with David and his friends. Nicolas recommended the macaroons from La Maison du Chocolat...and, he was right. The best chocolate macaroons. INCREDIBLE!!

The apartment was perfect. Right on the canal and so nice to come home to every night. I would fall into bed. Exhausted. And listen to the music of the French language being spoken on the street below my window.

Au revior, Paris! Merci...

Last day in Paris

Today, I went to the Eiffel Tower, road the Batobus (sp?), went to the Lourve, and was chased down the street in the Marais neighborhood by a man who claimed he needed and loved me... (so much for being safe in the gay part of town).  It's been a fascinating and wonderful adventure. 

More details to come... heading to Scotland tomorrow!

Paris

I'm sitting in my penthouse apartment listening to someone play the guitar on the canal.  It's 1:43am and I'm actually not exhausted.  This is the lastest I've been able to stay awake in this country.  I think I'm finally beating the jetlag. 

I was able to meet up with a friend tonight, which was nice.  It made me feel much closer to home to just be able to have an entire conversation in more than basic English.  I didn't realize I hadn't had a conversation like that in over 2 days. 

I've walked a ridiculous amount of Paris.  I know the trains well, have figured out how to get wifi and a toilet for free (given the right circumstances), and have seen some enchanting views and gorgeous tiny cobblestone streets. 

Today, a painter took a photo of me and said I might show up in his art some day. 

I hope this works...

I'm sitting in Luxembourg gardens eating a crepe watching a surprisingly diverse group of men play bocce ball.  Everytime I look away I think a ball will fly out of the box and hit me in the head.  It never happens.  ...or hasn't yet... :)

It's my third day in Paris, and feels like I've been here for weeks.  I've walked so much of the city, and my back and feet are so sore that I'm wondering how I will make it through the rest of this trip!  :) 

I get talked to by men on the street.  The cute ones seem to only speak French.  If I give one of them my hand, I've found it's hard to get it back. 

The internet at my apartment isn't working, so getting online has been tricky.  At the same time, it's been good to be unplugged.  ...but, today, I think I've found a way to get free internet.  We'll see.  I also thought this yesterday.  It's been an ongoing quest. 

bah!

i want to blog so bad, but i'm running out time at this cafe!!! one thing... french people seem to know i'm korean.

An observation and an update

Why is it that Koreans put all the hot stuff in metal containers, and then give you metal chopsticks... ?  On the flip side, you can reuse metal chopsticks and they're easier to handle than those giant plastic ones. 

...

A week or so ago I was invited to join my friend Noah for a night of Jericho in the city.  Jericho is an urban street game where you run around shooting dart guns at each other and is sort of like capture the flag...but then it's not really anything like capture the flag...  Sooo fun though!!  I highly recommend it.

In between Jericho and my vacation, I've gotten to spend some nice time with Michael, go to an outdoor theatre production in Lodi with the lovely Kara, celebrate the high school graduation of my friend Jennifer, enjoy a great hike with Sky, and share a perfect Irish coffee with Gabriella.  Josh and I have also spent some time together since his return from Taiwan (yes, we're friends). 

...and then there's the webisodes... so, I thought I was cast as a comedy/action star in what would be an attempt at a youtube series modeled after some of the work by Freddie Wong.  It sounded like it'd be really fun stuff, but when we got "on set", it seemed more like a simple take on a cop series, and quickly evolved into something similar to "The Office".  But with cops.  And really low production quality.  And no action.  We did manage to pull off some alright comedy though because, as things evolved, the cast abandoned the script which turned out to be the best decision ever.  I did direct a push that I think is funny, but I'm not really proud to know that these videos are out there for the world to view.  I met some great people working on the project though.

... and off to Europe i go ... :)

I can't sleep.

Work has been extremely stressful the last couple weeks and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by my upcoming trip.  I've also been working on some amateur webisodes that have been time consuming and also stressful... not to mention attempting to maintain my crazy social life that seems to be growing exponentially these days.  Life has definitely been exciting, but ... I just want to sleep. 

Some highlights in the last couple weeks that weren't stressful include the Soul House party, Seussical the Musical (FANTASTIC SHOW!!), Stern Grove, soccer :), Nik's burlesque show, and I got to catch up with Maureen and Dave and meet their beautiful daughter Lily.  :)  Yay! 

...it's weird because (weird?) part of me feels like I can't sleep right now due to feelings of anxiety about not being able to sleep in Europe... (is that ridiculous?) 

Okay, off to count more sheep...

The story of Lewis

*photo of Matt, taken by me in West Oakland.

I pulled into the gate as the spotlight from the ghetto bird (helicopter) went right through our yard... "They must be close," I thought and went inside to find a young black man standing in our living room seeming frantic.  "Just listen to me!  Just listen to me for like 5 minutes...!!!" he was saying to someone in the room.  I thought we were being robbed; and, I tend to think I'm much bigger than I am so I was about to tell him to get the f*** out of my house when I heard Matt say, "...okay."   

"Oh, he's with Matt," I thought, which meant he's okay; so, I went upstairs to put my stuff away.

A few minutes later, I came downstairs with a bunch of key chains from my temp job.  I walked into the living room and Matt introduced me to Lewis.

"Kristen, this is Lewis." he said. 

Matt was eating spaghetti and he and Lewis were both sitting on the couch.  I said, "Hello," to Lewis and offered him a key chain. He took one and so did Matt, and then Matt started telling me about his day.  Matt said something like, "I was riding down California Street, and... oh, (to Lewis) I'm a bike messenger... and then, you know how in Colorado... oh, (to Lewis) we're from Colorado... ". It became clear pretty fast that Lewis didn't know much about Matt. 

A few minutes later our roommate, Aaron, came home.  Matt introduced Aaron to Lewis, and Aaron offered Lewis a beer.  Lewis said he was good, so Aaron grabbed himself a beer and sat down with us. 

Calvin (the Chinese guy who was always working on our house) was somewhere repeatedly yelling for Andy.  (Andy was a Brazilian guy who lived with us and who also did a lot of work on the house.) "[heavy Chinese accent] Andy! Andyyyy!" "Does Calvin know that Andy isn't home...?" I asked.  "Heh, apparently not." Matt said, and went into the kitchen. 

"So, how do you know Matt?" I asked Lewis.  "Oh, my brother lives in this neighborhood," he said, "and I was hanging out outside waiting for him to get home when Matt pulled up on his bike.  We were talking for a while...and then Matt said I could come in and hang out until my brother gets home." 

Matt would totally do that.  

Lewis said he was from Sacramento and was just down visiting for a couple of days. He seemed like a nice guy. 

Finally, Calvin stopped yelling and came inside.  "Andy not here.  We have no power.  I call for Andy, but Andy not here..."  I liked Calvin.  He spoke broken English on repeat and brought snacks for us that his wife would make.  I was told he'd always say, "make sure the girl gets some".  I walked Calvin to the door and waited to click him and his van out of the gate. 

Lewis came to the door and said he needed to leave too.  So soon?  He walked into the yard toward the door in the gate and wanted me to lock it behind him.  I told him I thought it would be okay, but Lewis seemed to disagree and grabbed Calvin and asked him to lock the gate behind him.  Calvin locked the gate behind Lewis and then got into his van.  I clicked Calvin out of the gate and went back inside.

When I sat down, Matt looked at me and said, "So, Lewis came running in through the backdoor..."

*blink*

Apparently, Lewis had robbed a store nearby, and then ran into our neighborhood and was jumping fences to get away from the police.  Calvin left the backdoor open while working on the house, so Lewis just ran right in.  When he saw Matt sitting on the couch eating spaghetti, he said, "Do you want to make $50?"  Matt said, "What...?"  Lewis said, "Just listen to me!  Just listen to me for like 5 minutes...!!"  Matt said, "...okay."  That's when I came in and went upstairs.  Lewis said, "What's with the girl, is she cool?"  Matt said, "Yeah, she's cool...".  Lewis told Matt that he had robbed a store and the cops were after him.  There were police all over our neighborhood and the spotlight had just gone over our house.  He had a bag of money he had thrown into a yard nearby, but the yard had a dog in it, so he couldn't get to it...but if Matt would let him hang out for like 20 minutes, he would bring him $50 when he could get to his money.  Matt said Lewis didn't pull a gun, and seemed desperate but not threatening, so he told him it was okay... and offered him some spaghetti. 

It took me a minute to register what I had just heard and then I was like, "Whaaaat-the-hell-are-you-serious!?! !!! We-were-harboring-a-criminal-and-need-to-lock-all-of-the-doors-RIIIIGHT-NOWWW !!!!" 

!!!!!!

We locked the doors. 

Matt went upstairs to take a shower and Aaron went up to his room... I was sitting in the living room trying to soak it all in when someone started beating on the side of the house.

Most of the houses in our neighborhood had giant fences around them, with the exception of the house next door.  Since there's no space between houses in the ghetto, you could reach the side of our house from our neighbor's driveway.   

I went to the door to see who it was, and Lewis came around to the front of the gate.  "Come to the gate," he said, "but don't open it.". 

I went to the gate and Lewis hoisted up a case of Coronas.  "Let's just say this is for generosity." he said.  I took the Coronas and Lewis disappeared. 

...

I was still freaking out about this an hour later, when Matt said, " Okay, let's think about this from Lewis's perspective..."

Dude robs a store and runs into the ghetto looking for a place to hide.  He happens to run into the only non-black house in the neighborhood (three white guys, a Brazilian named Andy, and a little Asian girl).  Matt offers him spaghetti, I give him a key chain, and Aaron offers him a beer, while a Chinese man yells, "ANDY!!" every couple minutes, and by the time he leaves we are all best friends...   

Yeah, that is pretty cool... 

And, no, we never got the $50. 

A little while later, the locked backdoor opened. 

"Jon, is that you?". 

Jon said, "Yeah...it's ME!" 

:D  ...white guy number three. 

I've decided to go to Europe.  Finally.  For 10 days.  By myself.  (...well, so far anyway.  Wanna come?) 

I decided this on Tuesday, and bought my tickets today.  I'll be flying into France, out of Edinburgh, and I will stop through New York for a of couple days on my way home.  I really really want to go to Italy, but I don't think it will make sense for this trip... but, I'll likely head through England on my way to Scotland. 

I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing... but, I feel like this is something that I have to do right now.  Wish me luck!

The 4th

On a holiday weekend with little to no plans, I found myself:

Laughing and crying at brunch with an old friend...reconnecting in the most wonderful ways.

At the jazz festival with a bunch of new friends, filling me with laughter and music.

Enjoying the company of one of my favorite couples. Meeting their friends and having an amazing all-day adventure with stops at the grove, the beach, and a cozy apartment in the city.

Walking my flower-filled neighborhood, skipping BBQs for a completely indulgent nap, and at dinner with another one of my favorite people.

Perfect... :)

Stacey

:) 

Stacey, I love.

My cat swallowed a sewing needle!

On Thursday night at 10:30pm The Luscious Frankie J swallowed a sewing needle.... 

A torn up pair of jeans...
Holes around belt loops and pocket corners. 
I finished patching, and left the needle on the coffee table - still threaded.

Frankie J loves thread, string, hair - anything long and thin and apparently...edible.  I went to the computer and thought, "I need to put that thread away before Frankie eats it." ...turned around and it was gone.  Needle and all.

About two and a half hours later, after a visit to Berkeley Dog and Cat, I walked through my door, exhausted, with Frankie in tow.  I had a disk with an x-ray showing the needle in her stomach, and a head full of all of the possibilities of what could happen next.  The vet thought maybe I should leave her at the hospital on an IV overnight... that we should x-ray again tomorrow to see where it was, and then decide if we should do an endoscopy to get it out (if it was still in her stomach) or cut her open.  He said the needle could poke things, pass through things, or get stuck and cause problems - maybe death.  He said it would be very expensive (thousands of dollars), so it would be better to wait until morning when (it would still be thousands of dollars, but) we would no longer be under emergency rates...  but at that point the needle might no longer be in the stomach so our options would change.  Mixed into all of this, he said he had just seen a kitten who swallowed a needle and, a few days later, pooed that sucker right out with no problem... He didn't think the kitten would be able to pass it because the kitten was so small, but it did. 

His advice was dizzying and felt endless, money based, and non-conclusive.  When I asked him what I should do, he ran through the possibilities again... and, when I asked what he would do, I was bombarded with all of the things I could do or that could happen AGAIN. 

Finally, I asked what would happen if I took Frankie home to see if she would pass it - would it cause a lot of damage if I brought her back a couple days later if it hadn't come out?  He said, he couldn't be sure - but he didn't think it'd cause too much damage.... 

I went home and found this on the internet:  http://www.petlovers.com/vb//showthread.php?t=29981

I fed Frankie extra food, cried a little out of frustration, exhaustion, and uncertainty, and went to bed.  I was kind of a mess...but Frankie seemed fine.  

When I woke up the next day, Frankie still seemed fine.  I fed her again and went to work.  I checked on her at lunch... she was fine.  After work, fine.  I fed her extra again. 

On Friday, I went to work and didn't make it home at lunch. 

When I got home that night, Frankie seemed strange... she didn't greet me at the door, and seemed really sluggish.  I tried to play with her with a shoestring, but she just laid there letting it hit her in the face.  It'd almost been two days and the needle hadn't shown up in her poo. 

I didn't want to go back to Dog and Cat, so I called The Broadway Pet Hospital to see if I could talk to someone.  They were closed, so I left a message on their after hours hotline. 

After checking some veterinary clinic reviews, I decided to call the Pets Referral Center as well.  The woman I spoke with there listened to the situation and said that I had done the right thing by feeding Frankie extra, and that maybe Frankie was sluggish because I fed her too much... but if she was acting strange or in pain, maybe I should bring her in.  Frankie didn't seem like she was in pain, and had definitely acted similar in the past when she'd gotten into extra food so... I decided to wait another day. 

Later, I got a call back from the Broadway Pet Hospital.  The doctor left a message saying that Frankie could pass the needle, that she might be acting weird because she was about to pass it, and that I could probably wait...unless she was vomiting or acting really depressed. 

On Saturday, Frankie was back to her normal self.  A little fatter, but energetic, and fine.  I finally found the needle and thread early Sunday morning. *whew*