We're in Calistoga Celebrating Lisa's 40th Birthday

Pool time today.

Relentless Authenticity 2

Okay were back. Is it enough to tell the truth? No I aspire to showing up. A friend suggested recently while we were at the Fire Ballet that it might have some elements of Rock Horror. My response, on no, the Crucible is much to serious, too dark to dabble is pop culture. FAIL

The whole ballet was a combination of Rocky Horror, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Thriller. And I loved it. But where did my batting away of her deduction come from. My defensiveness. I continue to want to be right, know more and be the "in kid".

So my authenticity shows up when I am leading from my heart and not my defenseness. My joyful spirit is most apparent when I am not afraid or showoffy....

Somehow I suspect this conversation will keep returning to fear. Fear of being fired, fear of not being loved, fear of being my crazy mother or father, fear of just being the old fat lady.

What are you afraid of?

Logo: Markey Scheuer Thank You

It represents my foibles more tha an actual portrait.

Dracul: Prince of Fire

What a spectacle of Fire, and performance. With nods to Thriller, Rocky Horror and some I am sure I missed, it was clever, gorgeous and fun. My favorite scene was a scene with fire everywhere, lining the stairwell, BIG lanterns on each side of the stage, fire spinning, fire eating, forging, plasma cutting, glass blowing and dancing all at the same time. Spectacle I say. There were moments I was afraid for the performers others where I could not believe how huge the show was, i.e., when Dracul came to the stage from overhead on a "crane" that moves across the entire ceiling, or when the Fire breathing Dragon arrived on stage.

My favorite move was a part of the ballet, in which "Dammit-Janet" jumps into the protaginists arms with her knees curled under her. I assume this is not an unusual move but it just felt like "grace", a still quiet moment in theatre of noise and magnitude.

Dracul was an aerialist and used the scarves so beautifully.

We had seen one of the Crucible's outside operas a couple of years ago and this was so much more personal, I loved it. We live in an amazing place.

We went to the Gala because our friend Lisa was turning 40 and our friend Jewel is turning 60 and we thought it would be a fun way to celebrate.

Crucible photos: Eric Gillett

photo of MonkeyBoy, Lisa, Jewel, affinity - Thank you Ethan Stock, CEO Zvents, http://www.zvents.com/

I Love Tap Dancing

Tap Dancing makes me happy. :<)

Peace Sign by Tony Labat on Patricia's Green

There is a brand new piece of art on Patricia's Green. A Peace Sign by Tony Labat. I love San Franciso, I was at the meeting of the San Fancisco Arts Commission Visual Arts Committee where they talked about installing this peace sign, and now here it is.

photo: imola yellow

Then here are the peace signs I made last year for a charm swamp with my jewelry friends. Very different magnitude. I would love to work in the bigger size, and I have on occasion.

Here is a paper mache sculpture I made for Burning Man in '05 on my dining room table, that is my friend Ellen posing with Bunny Gort...

The American Dream Burning Man 2008

Check it out:

http://www.lennyjones.net/burn2008/burn2008splash2/BURN2008splash.html

Bacon Schwag What more can one ask for!

http://tangobaby2.blogspot.com/2009/01/gift.html

photo: Tangobaby

Christmas in January

Marcia organized a Cafe party at Burning Man Headquarters last night and a little white elephant gift exchange. We had a great time, saw some friends and liked our gifts, a book by Martin Gardner and a fibreoptic hair barrette....a lovely little outing, Thanks Marcia!

Today was great

This was my first day off in a long time where I just hung out and watched a video of my choosing and talked to my old friend Porter for over an hour, and picked up the house and made meatloaf and just loved being at home alone.

Porter and I talk about things I just don't talk to anyone else about, we wax a little nostalgic, we talk about the impact of music, hip hop, rap, the ever whiny Neil Young, his "mitigation" training, my recent adventures, his living in South Carolina. Just the things old friends talk about, and he makes me laugh.

Another good thing happened today, Meghan from the Burning Man office called and asked me to help with the Regional Summit at the end of February.

So make a note, Flambe Lounge is going to be on Saturday February 28....

Now time for meatloaf.

It's all about ME!

I am finding life pretty difficult right now! Our bathroom is torn apart and another weird period at work. I swore years ago I would never be afraid for my job again, that I would be financially secure enough that I would always have the option of quitting. But my health insurance is $680 a month and there is my share of the mortgage, moderate, but still, and of course like everyone I don't have the same savings account balance I used to have.

So how do I keep my promise to myself? Be the best I can be, work hard, give them value for their $$, but not succumb to fear, oh yeah, that grateful thing.

I have a job!
I have a beloved!
I can have a real conversation with almost all my friends and talk about real things!
I have better health than I could have thought at this age and size!
I have an amazing rich life filled with more adventure than I have the time to write about. Just in December...

• Burning Man Holiday Party (MonkeyBoy was Santa)
• a Sweet Sixteen Party
• SantaCon
• MonkeyBoy's work party
• My work party at the Julia Morgan Ballroom, very cool
• newZonia (Life as Art) introduction - fundraiser for BRAF
• Tamale Festivites
• Grateful Graphics Open House
• Rex Foundation Gala (Grateful Dead non-profit) Bonus points: photo op w/Wavy Gravy
• Christmas at our Friend Jewel's
• Holiday Visit with Benny and Ellen
• Alice & Elizabeth One Woman Play
• Holdiay breakfast with my dear friend

And I get to live in amazing San Francisco, where there is always another adventure right out my window, or down the street, or across town.

grateful,grateful,grateful,grateful,grateful,grateful,grateful

photo: Mr. Nightshade

I <3 San Francisco

Photo by Ben Golub, found at SFCitizen