oh crap. I lost the comment setting. and all of the old comments. into the ether.

Okay. They are now back. Even if all the old comments are gone. Today it begins anew.

Small triumphs! I changed the template, with just a click of the mouse.

I'm in major procrastination mode, which I really shouldn't be. I have plenty of work to do-the current main project on the table are 4 hats for the "It's a Small World" ride at Disneyland. They have a big anniversary coming up next May and are sprucing up the ride. I was so full of energy for this project when I started pursuing it back in late April, but by the time I got the actual okay to get started a few weeks ago I was over it. Except now they expect hats. Feh.

I could also be doing some laundry or sending out headshots.

Hello, blog!

Last night I was perusing a copy of Weird NJ. This is a magazine Steve gets sometimes as he hails from Atlantic City. Check this out.

Angela and I had our first Two Non Blondes writing meeting this afternoon since we last did the show back in November. The concept of Mean Girls and a story we both heard on NPR this past weekend prompted me to revisit one of my favorite time wasters, Googling people I went to high school with.

Today I was struck that some of the girls I went to HS with really have names for porn. Courtney Wells and Traci Innocent seem to lead a whole other life outside of Southington, CT.

I checked. It's not them.

People I Hate:
The citizens who feel that is fine for them to park in front of the drive thru mailboxes at the post office. The ones where you pull up, put the mail in, and drive away. For some reason, at my little local PO, someone inevitably parks there. The car is empty, and the hazards are not flashing. And they don't have handicapped plates or hang tag. And no one is having a heart attack on the sidewalk or in the vestibule. Why? Why?

I had an audition today WAY down behind the Orange Curtain, so I spent a lot of time on the 5. I passed a billboard promoting a radio station called The Fish. It was for a Christian radio station. There was a colorful graphic of a "creationist" fish, and a bland, white, smiling family. What got me was the tag Line. "SAFE for the entire family!"

I certainly understand the need for family programming, but it struck me as odd. As opposed to DANGEROUS radio? HARMFUL radio? Radio that consists of knives and lit matches? It seemed like Acceptable or Appropriate were the adjectives they were looking for. I think the tag "For the Entire Family!" would have been the best, because of the aliteration of Fish, For and Family.

Most of the other billboards consisted of mortgage lending banks, strip clubs and casinos, so maybe the SAFE was in comparion to those bunch of crooks.

I hate blogger. At least, I hate blooger on my iMac with 9.1 or whatever shitty OS i have. On Steve's PC, you click on a box to get the photo on the blog. i have to write code. I'm okay with that. I have a file folder of rosetta stone-like scraps that tell me what to do. But now, i can't figure out step one. So the rest is moot. Did they change things? How do I get to a place called "upload path" so I can fill in the blank? I will never see "image options" (where I know to choose "inline") I even know how to align left and make the picture small! I have enjoyed a blissful 4 months where I ACTUALLY knew how to do something on the computer without having to get help from Steve (or Marty or Alicia or the help line.) Clearly that time has come to an end.

Something is going to get broken.

Poor Bedroom Phone. It has suffered so much over the years because of Computer's misdeeds.

All I wanted to do was procrastinate instead of cleaning the house and driving downtown to do shopping for the next job.

I'm not sure why, but making raincoats for commercial ready cats is also THIS week's job, too. This project has dragged on now for almost three weeks, which is about 12 years in "Commercial World." We had a Dog and Pony show for the client and the producers this morning, and no one would to commit to a decision. The cameras roll Thursday morning. Somehow I'm still making versions of things. By things, I mean swimmies and hats. The raincoat has escaped notice. That's right, swimmies for a cat. They match his goggles. Which the trained cat willingly wears for more than 10 seconds. Willingly means the trainer is feeding him chicken pieces on a stick.

I had forgotten some of the terms used in advertising while I was lolly-gagging in television. "That's perfect! We love it!" actually means, "Can you show us other options? There is still 39 hours left." "Hi, I'm S**** from the Agency. I flew in from Boston for this meeting," really means, "I have no decision making power at all. And I forgot my camera. So could you take the pictures? And email them out? Now?"

I try and be fair. I work by the hour. (Blessed union hours on this one) This is the point in the process where I start padding my hours. One could rationalize that I'm charging for the "thinking and fretting time." The one shining face was the guy from the post house. First he was early, and he already knew there was no cell phone service in Newhall Ranch Adjacent, so he was able to be focused and make his very own decisions. He cheerfully said the magic words, "Don't worry about a blue stripe on the boots! The Flame guy will clean that right up. NO PROBLEM." (sorry Alicia) He liked the Orange Swimmies and the Tall Boots. And he left early, right before the hemming and hawing began. He is my new hero.



(This is Ernest, the fit model.)

This week's job is making a raincoat and sou'wester hat for a cat. It's for a new Meow Mix commercial. Ernest has been my fit model all week, and has been fairly agreeable about it.

That brings me to How To Be Creative. Do check out this essay and the rest of this guy's site. The essay is about the balance between Art and Earning A Living. It will make you feel better, I promise.

As you read on Steve's site, we went to Las Vegas for a few days with Dave and Michelle. I think Steve has finally had his fill of Sin City, but I feel moved to defend it, even though truly, I could take it or leave it. I have been wanting to go to Europe again so badly that it pains me to think we spent even a few hundred dollars that could have been in the Euro Fund, but we went, had fun, and now the vacation fund starts again at zero.

Why I Enjoy Going to Las Vegas

1. I think the drive through the barren desert is quite peaceful and beautiful. I grew up in the rolling hills of New England, and I find the stark desert fascinating. Also, 4 hours alone in the car is just enough time, thanks.

2. The Spas. This experience is not to be missed. All of the larger hotels have them, and you don't actually have to be staying there to use them. All Day. For 20 bucks you can get a day pass. What happens in the spa you ask? Relaxing. First, it always smells lovely. Most of Las Vegas smells like cigarettes, so being surrounded by lavender is very calming. I spend the afternoon going from whirlpool to sauna to eucalyptus steam room. All of these facilities are state of the art and super clean. In between I get a little sun at the pool and take a shower in a slate lined stall with a shower head the size of a dinner plate. The robes are big, fluffy and white. There are fresh, folded towels everywhere. Towels that I neither laundered or folded, and I am encouraged to use as many as I want. Then I hang out and read. In the fluffy robe, with a towel on my head. Maybe have some ice water with lemon, a little snack, a tea or coffee. This whole afternoon costs $20, and might even be free, if you are a guest at that hotel.

3. Shopping. And I Don't Pay Retail! Not only does Las Vegas have a bunch of outlet malls in and around the city, it also has some of the best thrift stores I have ever been to. Rich old folks move to the area to retire, die, and all their cool stuff ends up at the Goodwill. And not just clothes, but dishes and furniture.

4.Food. This time around we went to the most amazing Thai resturant, Lotus of Siam. It wasn't on the strip, but out where the civilians live. Dave had heard about it on The Food Network, and it supposedly the best Thai resturant in North America. I think it lived up to that claim. And a bargain! We ordered soup for the table, an appetizer, and four entrees. With a nice tip included it came out to $23 each. I can also highly recommend the buffet at the Paris. Go for lunch. Besides a trippy setting (Paris as if produced by Disney) the food is amazing. Authentic French and American cuisine for $17.95. Our friend Mare's dad is a world renown chef, and he recommends it. Don't fill up on the bread!

5. Cheesy Shows. This may be a perk of having worked making costumes for so long, but I have a few friends who live in Las Vegas, and I always get the hook-up for something. If not free, then at least the 2 for 1.

All that said, I wish we had taken the money and gone up the coast for a few days and camped. Of course, I don't think Michelle and Dave would have been into that, and we wouldn't have run into Jeremy and Gionfrano. And if you do decide to take a trip to Sin City, one or two nights is really all you need. A good stopover to somewhere else, or a little weekend jaunt.