I downloaded video to my computer and edited my first little clip, and even posted it to YouTube. I feel very techo savvy. Let's see if it works.

(NOTHING)(TIME PASSES)(STEVE COMES HOME AND DOES SOMETHING COMPUTERY)

alright...sigh...THIS one should do it.


Dexter Dancing

How do you know it's fall in Los Angeles? Carla says it's when girls start to wear Uggs with their mini skirts, Keelie says it's when you get your pedicure in a dark color like wine, and I say it's when you order pumpkin lattes at Starbucks.

My love for Target and knock-off items is not a secret. Ang and I would joke of "Prada of Canal Street" back in our NYC days. It all looks pretty good until it has to stand next to the real thing.

My latest Target bag, which is big enough to be a purse and a diaper bag, with out screaming DIAPER BAG, is a brown faux suede number with contrast stitching and a braided pleather handle. At 24 bucks it was a steal, and I don't care if it falls apart in three months, which it is already showing signs of doing.

My posh friend Sarah sat down next to me at rehearsal the other night, and plopped down a lovely leather bag. So lovely and leathery you could smell it. It was delicious. As I checked it out, I realized IT WAS MY BAG. But the REAL one. Same boxy shape with stitching, but hers had it in the same color. Same sort of braided handle, but more, and it slung through these amazing leather covered giant grommets. Did I mention real leather? It was beautiful.

It didn't make me feel bad about my own bag, or even covet hers. Well maybe that a little. It was more fascinating to trace the fashions at Target, and how immediate they go from runway to store. I know that is a brand new bag for her, and it's not anything I've seen in a fashion rag ad lately, though I have to admit I'm not reading them all right now. The bag was not a signature or immediately recognized bag, Louis Vitton or Coach or whatever with the logo crap. It was just an excellent design, that must have been knocked off the minute it hit the runway. I'm sure if I start looking around, I'll find out who makes it for real. I was too cool to ask her.

There was a great article in the New Yorker recently talking of that whole phenom. It doesn't take away from sales, as the Target customer is not the same as the couture customer, and it builds in a reason to have to buy all new couture next year, when every Tiffany and Brandi has your bag.

We are all back from our travels, and so happy to finally be home and getting back into our regular routines. Dexter was only home for about 10 days in the last month, and it that time he has outgrown both his cradle and Moses Basket. He still fits in them, but with his new found skills of rolling over and rolling around, those just fence him in, man! He needs to roll free! So he has graduated to the Pack-n-Play until I can pick up the crib from our friend BJ. Not sure where it is going yet.

In grown up news, I am beside myself with delight that the New York Times has done away with Times Select, and am gorging myself on back columns from Maureen Dowd. Steve and I are both on cleaning, sorting and throwing away binges, and I am trying to find a buyer for my grandmother's china. I may end up keeping it after all, if I can't. Next place to try are Palm Springs consignment shops.

Now that I have been able to start exercising again, I's starting to feel like my old self, but it is amazing to me what a difference 12 pounds makes, which is what I still have to lose. I still can't fit into my old clothes yet, and the big nursing boobs are the main culprit. He is down to only two feedings a day, but there they are. They must be getting a little smaller, as I'm using the smaller hooks. But still!

I did a show last Saturday night at the Farmlab/Not a Cornfield/Under Spring performance space called Puppets After Hours, with The Countess. Personally, my material killed and the entire show was a rousing success. There were 400 people in attendance, and it had been written up in the LA Times Calender section that Thursday. As a result, The Countess will now be going into the City of Sin Show over at ACME next Friday, instead of the Cirque du Soleil character I had been working on. It doesn't matter to me either way, as I am happy to be getting back on stage, and frankly, I'd rather be wearing all black and having people look at my chin, than any kind of get up I would have created for the Cirque one.


Here is the boy...