grapesky

It has been snowing here in the Martha Lake neighborhood in Lynnwood, Washington since about 11 am. It’s not sticking to the roads, but sticking quite nicely to my overgrown grass. Today is March 28th, 2008. It is snowing in MARCH. Considering that the first day of spring was 8 days ago, it does seem a bit odd, especially for Seattle. If I was in Switzerland, well, it would be competely expected.

The daffodils and other spring flowers look very out of place in the wintry white weather.

Moonvertising.

 brilliant.

1. 5 Spot on Queen Anne: for it’s revolving menu and great atmosphere.

2. Tango Tapas Restaurant on Capitol Hill: Queso Fundido and El Diablo

3. Dragonfish on Pine in Downtown: Best Happy Hour

4. Fado’s Irish Pub on 1st in Downtown: Mini Burgers and Guiness

5. Noodle Ranch in Belltown: Noodles

6. Dick’s Drive In on Capitol Hill: Late night food. Dicks Deluxe!

7. Lowell’s Restaurant and Bar in Pike Place Market: Fish and Chips

8. Pizza Brava in the U-District: Pizza by the Slice

9. Icon Grill: The Best Ice Cream Sundae ever!

10. Pho Tan Brothers in the U-District: Pho Ga

http://joonitree.muxtape.com

my online mix tape for you.

My favorite season is spring. The flowers begin blooming, the leaves come back on the trees and the grass is the greenest. In Seattle, we do get a lot of rain, but in the spring, whenever the sun comes out, everything just sparkles and seems brighter. I used to be a very depressed person and the winter months would just kill me. I would mope about for most of January and February, but when March would hit and everything started blooming, my whole countenance would change.

During Springtime, I get very antsy. When I was in college, I would skip more classes than any other time of the year. Something in me just ITCHES to get out and have an adventure. I want to leave town, go somewhere, experience the new. Now that I am not in school and don’t have a spring break, I will need to make a plan for an adventure.

Perhaps another kite flying expedition. Any suggestions of good Kite Flying places in the Puget Sound?

After being gone for three weeks, I am appreciating my house much more. I love the squeaky stairs, my cold room, my never-at home roomates… all of it. I find that when I am home, I don’t want to leave it and I am finding reasons that I need to stay home. I have to work this weekend which is extremely frustrating because I would much rather stay home, clean and mow my lawn. At least I am appreciating my house more now that I have been getting very little time in it.

I have been on the road for three weeks now. 3 shows, back to back. Between the first show, which was in LA and the second, in Las Vegas, some of my coworkers and I decided to take a road trip instead of flying. Now, LA is four hours from Vegas. However, we thought it might be fun to do a little sightseeing. We settled in on Death Valley.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Death Valley is an amazingly beautiful place, but perhaps taking a nine hour road trip between shows was not such a good idea. By the time we made it to Death Valley, after stopping every hour for various different reasons, the sun was going down behind the hills and everyone was just ready to get to Vegas and to the hotel. I had to make them stop for about 10 minutes, so i could at least get some shots of the valley.

Part of the problem was that between the three SUVs, we had 5 GPS systems, each one telling us to go a different way. So most of the ride consisted of the drivers arguing over the radio about what road to turn on and the fastest way to get to Vegas.

At least I got some pictures, including this one.

Waking up in the middle of the night to utilities laying power in your room may not seem like a nightmare to you, but to someone like me who has been spending most of her days working in a dark backstage, it’s a horrible dream. Lately, I have been waking up at 2am or 3, jolting out of bed thinking that I am in the middle of a keynote and I am needed to set up the stage, help a demoer or that something is going wrong. It really puts a damper on the good night’s sleep.

I’ve come up with a new strategy that I am going to try out tonight. Since backstage is always dark, and since my hotel room is dark at night, I am going to try leaving a light on when I head to bed. I can’t change the lighting backstage, but I can in my room. Perhaps then, when I wake up, I will see the light and know that I am not, in fact, at a keynote, but rather, in a hotel room.

 Then, hopefully, I will get some decent REM.

I have been spending a lot of time in a dark backstage area. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world. When we go to a Show, a Concert or a Conference, we walk in expecting to be entertained, WOW-ed or some other similar reaction, having NO CLUE all the work that goes into the whole show. The production crew takes an empty hall or ballroom and turns it into a stage with curtains, lights and powerful sound with breathtaking speed, sometimes overnight.

 On the show circuit, everyone knows everyone, and in a way, its like a little family. It’s just a family whose house keeps getting put up then t down a few days later with a million hours of manpower  . It’s kind of like Extreme Home Makeover, but with a GroundHog Day twist.

Backstage has a certain protocol, language and culture. Those who operate within the culture are accepted, but if someone has no clue as to what goes on and is invited backstage they are usually called things like “Talent” or “The Executive” or “The Entertainment.” If someone like me is new and says things the wrong way, I found out quickly that I just get a blank stare like I am talking to them in Swahili or Japanese. It pays to find someone to help you navigate the lingo and etiquette.

I still have a lot to learn, but I think I am finally getting the hang of it. Honestly, it’s really been my favorite part of my job, even with all the stress and issues that come up with Show Business. It’s a crazy but cozy little world and I hope I get to stick around for a while…