December already. December 6??
Been a wee while since the last update (how often to blog entries start that way?). So what's been up... house is coming along OK, finishing up the winterizing soon. Band is coming along, some great jams that I've recorded, and been digging through to find parts that go together. Improv is excessively fun, funnest thing of all, but after a while it can seem like you're spinning your wheels. It's worked well to gel the band and throw out ideas without criticism, and get the fires going, but it'll be good to get real songs done. And I need to work on my lyrics and vocals. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll make serious progress till the week off I have around the holidays. But that will hopefully be intensive, I have nothing else to focus on, and I'll be at home.
I've also been occupied with movie-making! Not that big budget, Hollywood fare that pays the bills, but my own shorts. It started with assisting Proctor on his short, which went really well, and he's got an awesome camera. Then I was inspired to get something done for PDI's Lo-Tech Cinema, 3-minute film fest. I threw out some ideas to my oft-co-conspirators Tom, Eric, Vicki, and Garth. (Tom) Gilx really liked one idea, and developed it way further than I had, so he's taken it over to direct, which is great. But we figured it deserved more attention than the month-to-make-it, 3-minutes-max, format, so we set that aside, and I came up with another quickie idea that we've started producing. First shoot was a bit rough, my first time directing in a few years, and I'm also starring in it. And the weather prevented our outdoor shoot, so we did the interiors. Now we're backed up against the wall to get our exterior scenes done, and the weather is foreboding on the only 2 weekend days we can shoot. And trying to coordinate 8 volunteers' scheds, a couple days before I need em. Then that gives me 4 days to edit and sound mix. Yikes. Looking forward to it tho. We're planning on picking up the first project again in January.
It's been kinda quite on the social/cultural front. Went to an amazing show by 2 Foot Yard at the SF JCC. Someday I'll map out the 'Sleepytime<->Charming Hostess' family tree, and how 75% of all Bay Area eclectic musicians fit into it, but 2 Foot Yard is one of my favorite facets, as far as technical exploitation, songcrafting, stylistic variations, and flow of the show. This was possibly the most extensive and well-executed performance of theirs I've seen, so kudos. It was great catching up with everyone, I feel very honored to know them as well as I do. Also, Lisa Fay was running sound, and we went out for dinner (or whatever you eat at 1 AM is called), and got filled in with her life. She'll be back in Oakland, after her tour with the Smuin Ballet, so hopefully get collaborations with her again.
Thanksgiving was a becoming-traditional trek to OC to visit Bonnie's family. Her brother Tracy came out from Carson City on the Amtrak, the first time I've met him, good guy. We drove down on Thanksgiving day (remarkably smooth traffic wise), and Annie and Steve had taken very ill but managed to get through dinner. Then we went to a movie (a tradition of mine, I guess) to see 'The Fountain'. Ugh, wretched, so overblown and unfocused. Friday, we went with Bonnie's dad Jack to the Huntington Library in Pasadena. First I'd even heard of it - it's from a wealthy family who have opened their private collection of art (Blue Boy and Pinky), rare documents (Guttenberg bible, Chaucer manuscript), pottery (vases and china sets, etc), plus the sprawling grounds which include a Japanese Tea Garden, and cactus garden. Very cool and unique museum-going experience, I highly recommend anyone in LA who may have run the gamut of museums to check this place out! (OK, first check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, but the Huntington a close second!). Saturday we met up with Bonnie's long-time friend in Long Beach (nice meeting her and family), and I strolled Belmont Shores shopping (including Fingerprints Music and Polly's Coffee) whilst they went for coffee. Then we made our drive back up, managed to avoid the insanity that was Sunday.
We have houseguests this week also, Steven Leyba and his paramour Sarah. He's been nomadic of late, and this is the biggest chunk of time Bonnie and I have gotten to spend with him, and we have a history of domesticity (he sub-let my Berkeley place when I was in NZ the first time; I moved into the Berkeley duplex when he vacated that in '03), so it's been good times having him around.
Bonnie's birthday bash was in full effect on Dec 3. She has a tradition of big dinner parties (much classier and more intimate than beer bashes or the like), but since this was the first at the new house (the indoors aren't spacious enough to host it), we spread out the tables in the yard and had a lunch. It was spectacular - my friends (who have become Bonnie's friends), Bonnie's friends (who have become MY friends), new neighbors, wonderful food, a great contingent of musical talent ( Andrea Prichett did an informal gig with guitar and singing).
So, more news as it breaks... next post should have the results of my craziness to get the short project done.
I've also been occupied with movie-making! Not that big budget, Hollywood fare that pays the bills, but my own shorts. It started with assisting Proctor on his short, which went really well, and he's got an awesome camera. Then I was inspired to get something done for PDI's Lo-Tech Cinema, 3-minute film fest. I threw out some ideas to my oft-co-conspirators Tom, Eric, Vicki, and Garth. (Tom) Gilx really liked one idea, and developed it way further than I had, so he's taken it over to direct, which is great. But we figured it deserved more attention than the month-to-make-it, 3-minutes-max, format, so we set that aside, and I came up with another quickie idea that we've started producing. First shoot was a bit rough, my first time directing in a few years, and I'm also starring in it. And the weather prevented our outdoor shoot, so we did the interiors. Now we're backed up against the wall to get our exterior scenes done, and the weather is foreboding on the only 2 weekend days we can shoot. And trying to coordinate 8 volunteers' scheds, a couple days before I need em. Then that gives me 4 days to edit and sound mix. Yikes. Looking forward to it tho. We're planning on picking up the first project again in January.
It's been kinda quite on the social/cultural front. Went to an amazing show by 2 Foot Yard at the SF JCC. Someday I'll map out the 'Sleepytime<->Charming Hostess' family tree, and how 75% of all Bay Area eclectic musicians fit into it, but 2 Foot Yard is one of my favorite facets, as far as technical exploitation, songcrafting, stylistic variations, and flow of the show. This was possibly the most extensive and well-executed performance of theirs I've seen, so kudos. It was great catching up with everyone, I feel very honored to know them as well as I do. Also, Lisa Fay was running sound, and we went out for dinner (or whatever you eat at 1 AM is called), and got filled in with her life. She'll be back in Oakland, after her tour with the Smuin Ballet, so hopefully get collaborations with her again.
Thanksgiving was a becoming-traditional trek to OC to visit Bonnie's family. Her brother Tracy came out from Carson City on the Amtrak, the first time I've met him, good guy. We drove down on Thanksgiving day (remarkably smooth traffic wise), and Annie and Steve had taken very ill but managed to get through dinner. Then we went to a movie (a tradition of mine, I guess) to see 'The Fountain'. Ugh, wretched, so overblown and unfocused. Friday, we went with Bonnie's dad Jack to the Huntington Library in Pasadena. First I'd even heard of it - it's from a wealthy family who have opened their private collection of art (Blue Boy and Pinky), rare documents (Guttenberg bible, Chaucer manuscript), pottery (vases and china sets, etc), plus the sprawling grounds which include a Japanese Tea Garden, and cactus garden. Very cool and unique museum-going experience, I highly recommend anyone in LA who may have run the gamut of museums to check this place out! (OK, first check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, but the Huntington a close second!). Saturday we met up with Bonnie's long-time friend in Long Beach (nice meeting her and family), and I strolled Belmont Shores shopping (including Fingerprints Music and Polly's Coffee) whilst they went for coffee. Then we made our drive back up, managed to avoid the insanity that was Sunday.
We have houseguests this week also, Steven Leyba and his paramour Sarah. He's been nomadic of late, and this is the biggest chunk of time Bonnie and I have gotten to spend with him, and we have a history of domesticity (he sub-let my Berkeley place when I was in NZ the first time; I moved into the Berkeley duplex when he vacated that in '03), so it's been good times having him around.
Bonnie's birthday bash was in full effect on Dec 3. She has a tradition of big dinner parties (much classier and more intimate than beer bashes or the like), but since this was the first at the new house (the indoors aren't spacious enough to host it), we spread out the tables in the yard and had a lunch. It was spectacular - my friends (who have become Bonnie's friends), Bonnie's friends (who have become MY friends), new neighbors, wonderful food, a great contingent of musical talent ( Andrea Prichett did an informal gig with guitar and singing).
So, more news as it breaks... next post should have the results of my craziness to get the short project done.
posted by pegasusgiraffe at 2:59 AM
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