Archive for February, 2010

Decisions in Santa Monica

Entertainment, Leisure, Restaurant | Posted by admin
Feb 27 2010

He’s looking at her and she’s looking at him and that might be enough, just enough, to start things into wonder.  It rolls into wonder, and she wonders some things about him, and he wonders about her, and some of the somethings are exactly the same.  There is a life of adventure behind them as vast as the beach, and adventure before them as vast as the sea.  One holds more adventure than the other, and they are both about ready to wonder if the one they’re embarking on is less.  They will find out that their suspicions are correct, if they decide to go forward with the suspicions.

This is another story that takes place in Santa Monica hotels where the dreams from the night before turn out to be true as the day wears on, and this is the price paid for leaving adventure behind.  It’s as small as a sand dollar, but larger than anything that can be measured with the human hand.  This is the same afternoon that the smell of garlic coming from the local restaurant will remind her of a favorite Thai place, one that she has forgotten about.  She forgot because it’s been here, waiting for her all along.

This is the same afternoon the leads into the evening when he finds out that his very favorite folk musician is in the same cafe they are.  These sudden surprises should be misleading them, forecasting adventures to come, and tempting them to take this road.  But they are not mislead, and see that although these adventures are large, the next ones, the ones right around the corner are very small.  But they take it anyway, because they can see that this is like the sea, and as far as they can see, there is an immanent threat of calm, and they like the calm so much that they assume that it has something to do with taking this trip together.

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To Become a Painter in Brooklyn, New York

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 25 2010

A couple of years ago I visited my friend Robert in New York.  The great thing about visiting him is that each time I do, he lives in a different part of the city, and at that time he was living in Brooklyn.  He had a three story house that was rent controlled, and he had an extra room open to rent out.  I was considering a move, but wanted to go there and hang out for a little while to see if I was ready to live in such a huge city.  I really wanted to live there, as I am a painter and there is something that makes being an artist very real when you are in New York.  In my small hometown, art was seen as something of a hobby, with most people not realizing that yes, artists can make it their living, their livelihood and their world.

So, on that trip one of the first places we visited was the Brooklyn Museum.   This is one of the largest and one of the oldest art museums in the United States, and when you walk through the doors and are surrounded by everything from contemporary work to that of the ancient Egyptians, you become aware that art is history.  It is the history of the soul of the artist and it documents the history of their times, of their societies.  The truth is I was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging.  In my hometown, artists are viewed as a bit kooky, a little on the nutty side, but here in Brooklyn it is the others, the rest of the people outside of the art world that are the nutty ones.  So although I was far away from home, I had finally found my people.  This makes sense to feel this at the Brooklyn Museum, after all it is their mission, to bridge the gaps of time and culture by bring all of the together in one place.

So, after a few hours, Robert and I went to one of the restaurants in the city, and had a talk.  I was overcome with emotion when I told him that I was going to take his extra room.  I knew that I was about to make an immense journey in life, and that I was about to leave a town that I had grown up in and lived my entire life.  But even though I was getting ready to leave that hometown, I knew that what I was actually doing in moving to Brooklyn was in fact coming home.

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Symphony Orchestra at UC Irvine

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 23 2010

Many people consider getting away to Los Angeles for a weekend or longer a great opportunity for fun and some relaxation. Okay, maybe not relaxation, but definitely fun. Meanwhile, having been born and raised in Los Angeles, and still living there as an adult I recently got away for the weekend and went to Irvine for a some fun, excitement, and you guessed it, relaxation. Los Angeles is a great city and full of exciting entertainment and cultural options. However, one is unlikely to get a lot of rest while visiting that city. In addition, it can be a little difficult to get a lot of rest when one lives there. This is why I stress the importance of the peace and relaxation I experienced while staying in Irvine. People like me do the same thing every year, which is why the Irvine hotels and resorts remain full throughout the seasons.

I went with my good friend Charles. The two of us try and get out of the city at least twice a year though frequently we end up making the road trip up to San Francisco because it’s also a great place for fun and exciting adventures. However, last month we only had a two days and we just needed to get away. He had a friend who is a music student at UC Irvine and mentioned a concert that the school’s symphony was putting up that weekend. It sounded interesting and we could stay with Charles’ friend Mike, which meant that the whole weekend would be kind of cheap. UC Irvine has a really high quality music program, according to Charles and Mike, I’m not a musician, and the symphony is supposed to be really terrific. Well, I might not be one to give a critical evaluation, though I can certainly said I was impressed and really enjoyed it. The concert took place in the Irvine Barclay Theatre, which was a cool place to hear and see it. The next day we spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying tossing a Frisbee around in the park. It was a beautiful afternoon and it felt great to alternate a bit of running and lying around in the grass. It was really a great weekend.

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The Shakespeare Garden of New York City

Arts & Culture, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 20 2010

Central Park is huge.  Unless one takes the time to wonder through slowly, or unless one is lucky enough to have a knowledgeable guide, there are many smaller sections of the park that may get missed.  One such section of the garden is the Shakespeare Garden, known to be one of the best spots in the city to stop and literally smell the roses.  One of the things about New York that so surprised me the first time I visited, was the gardens.  The gardens located in the abandoned spaces between the high rise skyscrapers, and the gardens that hung off of the fire escapes throughout the city.

This was not the concrete jungle I was expecting, it was a bunch of people living in a very small area, who valued beauty, even if was just a pot of geraniums outside the kitchen window.  Many of the parks in New York went through times of neglect and disrepair, be it whether the country was consumed with the happenings of the Second World War, or whether the people were to distracted trying to survive during the Great Depression.  By the middle of the 1970′s however, many parks got renovated, such as Washington Square Park in the East Village, and Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

So too, did the Shakespeare Garden of Central Park, start to be tended and cleaned up.  William Shakespeare wrote about many aspects of life in his prose and his plays, and this garden in the park, is dedicated to him.  Only plants and flowers that he had made mention of in his writings, are located within the garden.  Hotels are plentiful on the Upper East side, and if you are traveling to the city in the spring time, look here for those that will ensure you close access to the park, as this is a blooming time that you really do not want to miss.  Who knows, you may be able to time it in order to see a play, Shakespeare in the Park, in Shakespeare’s Garden…what a better way to celebrate the life of the beloved Bard?

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Valentines Day at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder

Food, Leisure, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 19 2010

My boyfriend planned the most romantic adventure for us today and not only did it really surprise me, as he’s not typically a romantic acting individual, but it was also incredibly touching because I know how much attention and thought he put into the whole thing. Anyway the day started with a phone call. He innocently and casually asked what I was doing. I had just finished doing some laundry so while that wasn’t terribly exciting that’s what I told him. Then he asked if he could stop over later and asked what I would be doing. I didn’t think anything was odd and just said it would be fine though I would be going to the store in a minute. As I walked out of my house there was a beautiful vase of roses sitting on my car with a large box of chocolates.

I had to smile and thought Paul must have called me from out there and wanted to get me to walk outside. I looked around and didn’t see him when suddenly a large plum of red and white balloons floated over my carport.
A moment later he walked around from the side of the house carrying a picnic basket and a smile.

That would have been more than enough for me as I was already so touched and pleased that I really didn’t expect anything else. However, we got into his car and headed out of town in the direction of Boulder. We met at the University of Colorado during our senior year and our first date was at a place called Frasca Food and Wine. Sure enough we pulled in to their parking lot and went in for lunch. I asked what the picnic basket was for if that’s where we were eating and he told me not to worry about it. We had a great lunch and passed by the Boulder hotel we planned to return to one day after we’re married. We went out to a beautiful country area and he threw down a blanket and we had a great conversation and enjoyed the strawberries, cheesecake and wine he had in the basket. It was really an amazing day.

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Santa Rosa Symphony Inspires Violinist

Arts & Culture, Employment, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 17 2010

Okay, I’m only 21 but I think after last summer I have much of the rest of my life planned out. No one takes me seriously when I tell them this so I’m confiding it to you though I express my plans to manifest these elements in a more relaxed fashion. It all started when I spent a week in Santa Rosa last summer with my parents. I almost didn’t even go with them because it was an incredibly busy summer for me and I had some important performance dates coming up. I’m a music performance major and will graduate next year with a degree in violin performance. I have played the violin since I was seven and don’t remember ever not loving it in the last fourteen years. Okay, that’s a lie, I have actually hated it a few times but it’s one of those love hate relationship things.

Anyway, they really wanted me to go and I was able to rearrange my schedule and I don’t think I could have done anything greater for myself that summer. We spent a week in one of the Santa Rosa hotels that was in an older section of town. It was really cool and had a nice historic feel. I absolutely fell in love with the city almost from the moment I arrived there and am one hundred percent sure that this is where I want to move when I finish school. We attended a performance of the Santa Rosa Symphony and I really enjoyed it and respect the company. Of course I would love to audition for them and earn a spot but I’ll just do some freelance performance until that happens. This is where people tell me I’m naive, but I feel like I’ll be able to make a living, at least pay my bills by doing some private teaching and also working freelance performance jobs. Meanwhile, I definitely plan to move to Santa Rosa and maybe live there for the rest of my life, who knows. It’s a beautiful city and I love it and I also believe that things will just work out fine with continued hard work and commitment.

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Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 15 2010

Somedays I just want to relax and do nothing at all; some of the best days of my life, in fact, I’ve spent doing just that, often lounging on a grassy hill or under a tree in a park.  One of the best parks in which to do that might just be located in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.  Considered a prized jewel amongst the regional parks of this valley, there’s Sugar House Park, about 110 acres of rolling greenery.  Is there an irony that this site was also the site for the old State Prison?  An area once used for incarceration is now available for public use:  There’s seven pavilions that you may reserve for groups, there’s soccer and baseball fields, regulation-sized.  Three’s a cement basketball quart that was donated by the Utah Jazz, as well as a couple of areas designed specifically for children to play, seven volleyball courts, a hill for sleigh-riding, and an amphitheater capable of holding about 220 people.  You’ll find all this in the Sugar House area in Salt Lake City, with two entrances for automobiles off 2100 South, at about 1400 East and 1500 East.

With all the things you might do here, it’s possible to forget that you can also just take a walk and enjoy the views.  In addition to everything else, there’s a park road that’s about a mile and three-eighths long.  Its sixteen foot wide inside lane is popular for walking, but also for runners or bicyclists, and, since it’s winter now, cross-country ski trainers.

I have a feeling that many people arriving in town and just hire a van or rent a car and speed on up to Park City to ski or watch films.  But these folks might one day find it worth the time to grab a hotel in Salt Lake City, and see the sights closer to town.

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Four Major Sports Teams in Philadelphia

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 12 2010

Growing up in Philadelphia I couldn’t help but be a sports fan. And when asked which is my favorite many people are surprised to hear that it’s baseball. I love baseball and am extremely passionate about the Phillies and growing up I would attend games at the Veteran’s Stadium, or now it’s the Citizen’s Bank Park where they play, as often as I could, which was actually pretty often. Those were always great afternoons when my best friend Bobby and I would get to head down to the stadium. My grandparents would usually give me a couple of extra dollars to get a hot dog and a soda. Bobby always wanted peanuts and only peanuts.

I’m also a big fan of the Philadelphia 76ers and basketball is probably my second favorite sport. I did get to see as many 76ers games growing up but that’s also probably because I really never made the effort. I went to a few and enjoyed them but was always my dad’s or uncle’s or somebody’s guest. I think this is also because it just seemed so easy for a couple of kids to get some cheap ball park tickets and head out to Saturday afternoon baseball game, but basketball games are usually in the evening and it just didn’t feel practical or something.

Of course sports in Philadelphia don’t end there and I always get track of the rosters and success of each season though I honestly never had the passion for something like the Eagles though how can a person not enjoy football season. And of course Philly is one of those towns that has a team in all four major sports and the Flyers are our hockey team. I was interested in the Eagles and the Flyers and always watched the football games but you have to understand you just don’t grow up in Philadelphia without becoming an Eagles fan. It’s un patriotic, you know? As far as I can tell it’s similar to what I understand about growing up in the state of Nebraska and being a Cornhusker’s fan. People from outside Philly, like in the surrounding region, will come in and stay in one of the cool places find rooms to see the games.

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Key Largo Matey Lost at Sea

Leisure, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 08 2010

With coral reefs, everglades, and limestone just beneath the surface, the mysteries of Key Largo are larger than what meets the eye.  This is a place that can teach one to live in the moment, because when one is living in the here and now, one is one with all of the things in the world that celebrate oneness.  It’s wonderful to feel such oneness in Key Largo, and to enter into this world where one is always at oneness.  For places to stay in the oneness, this link can get you on your way, and the rest is adventure, and if you happen to like Bertie Higgins as much as I do, then please take some of my words as a a cautionary tale.

If you happen to fall in love, and find yourself dressed like a pirate and staying with your loved one, also dressed like a pirate, be careful when you are on a ship.  This is common sense for some, and certainly for me now, but at the time, we figured we were safe at sea, because the sea was our home, our mother, and we were her eternal orphans.  We did have it all, and we had a plan to pillage and plunder, and live off the fat of the land, along with the fat of the places we plundered.  But the stars were different than we had imagined, and the stars had far more complicated plans for us.

We were not exactly pirates in the technical sense.  We had little plastic eye patches, and she wore a plastic peg leg and folded her leg under it.  We weren’t on our own ship, but more like a cruise ship, or perhaps better to call it, a canoe.  We sang that song over and over, and talked about what we would do when we got our first booty.  We loved life so dearly back in those days, or perhaps it’s better to say, that weekend.  Spiced rum was our love potion, and spiced rum is what done her in.  It’s hard to balance in a canoe.  It’s hard, sometimes, not to fall.  I don’t know if she is still angry with me for rowing back to shore before she had a chance to surface,  but I know that she thinks about me, because people tell me that when she hears my name, she turns all the colors of the rainbow, like a parrot.

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Theatre Department at Columbia University New York

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 03 2010

Well, sure I encouraged Paul to apply to Columbia University and thought it would be great choice for him. Meanwhile, I really only considered the quality and reputation of the theater department and the importance of his graduate degree. I really didn’t think about the reality of his life there, well and that part is great. What I mean is, and this is sort of difficult to admit because it feels selfish, but what I didn’t really consider is how much I would miss him and how I kind of wish he had never been accepted. Well, now I’ve said it, but instead of feeling better, which I thought was supposed to be the case when you admit things, I feel worse and am slightly paranoid I’ve jinxed the relationship. Too bad I didn’t think to jinx his application before he sent it off. Oops.

Well, that didn’t take long. I just got off the phone with Paul who said he really needed to speak to me about something. Unfortunately, he also said he couldn’t do it now because he had to get back to the Riverside Theater but wanted to make plans for a long conversation tomorrow. Yikes, what does he want to talk about? I think he said they were working on a production called Black Snow, but why would he want to talk to me about that? Besides, I’m kind of sick of hearing about what a great program it is and all the cool people that are in it and the great instructors there. He seems so happy. He couldn’t possibly be thinking about quitting. And I visited last October and saw the production of Lifetime Fairytale. It really is a good program, I give it that. But if he’s so happy there, dang, I don’t want to think about it. Why’d he call me to tell me he wanted to call me tomorrow? Why didn’t he just do it?

Okay, I’m back, I just called the airlines and also possible hotel reservations. They actually have good prices right now and you can find great deals here. But back to my dilemma, I thought maybe I should try and fly out tonight because I can’t top worrying about what he needs to talk about. He’s getting the MFA in Dramaturgy and expects to be finished in three years. Is he already thinking about staying in New York after he graduates? He said he was going to move back to Chicago, and come on, there are plenty of theater career opportunities here. And I’m here! This is going to drive me crazy. I have to try and get some sleep though. If I’m going to get dumped I don’t want to be sleep deprived when it happens. I gotta go, I’ll check back in tomorrow after I talk to him.

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Adventure in the Everglades of Fort Lauderdale

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 01 2010

A show that I watched regularly for a few months, was “CSI Miami”, and in the opening credits the airboat careens through the swamplands with Horatio standing ever so perfect, in his suit and his shades, while the Who is blasting in the background.  One of the funnest experiences I had was when I was staying in one of the many luxury hotels Fort Lauderdale offers.  I thought that it would be bikini filled days and all night dance parties, something I was not thrilled with, but I was visiting a very good friend who had moved to the city so I was ready to “While in Rome…”.  However, he surprised me with a trip just outside of Fort Lauderdale, to the Everglade National Forest, and treated me to a high speed ride through the Everglades, on an airboat.

Not only are these rides exhilarating, but they are nature wonderlands, education mixed with excitement.  The Florida Everglades are unspoiled expanses of jungle, and swamplands, filled with creatures that for me, had existed before, only in story books and in the movies.  The natural habitat is truly one of the most beautiful and stunning in the world.  When I was young I would frequent the Phoenix Zoo, in the city I grew up in…Phoenix, Arizona.  The alligator exhibit there at once thrilled me and excited me, they were creatures so prehistoric, so powerful, and yet so still.

To see them in their natural habitat came close to blowing my mind.  Add to that the plethora of exotic birds and colorful fish just beneath the surface of the water, and I felt as though I had come to life in one of those story books of my childhood.  These animals were not part of my everyday life, I knew that they existed somewhere, and to finally be in that “somewhere” was simple breathtaking.  I spent one week in Fort Lauderdale, and I did the requisite bikini beach day, and the all night dance party, but I could not stop thinking about my trip on the airboat, careening through the Florida Everglades wearing my cool shades and being amazed at the natural world that had surrounded me.

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