Effed by the Wind

mysteriousness he motioned the

WEEKEND RECAP

Friday

My mom was in town (still is till tomorrow), so after a delicious lunch at the Wild Ginger (I’d never been there but it really is as good as everyone says it is. Sometimes hype is justified), I met her for dinner in Redmond with the women of a family with whom we’ve known for 20 years. Weird. Anyway, we dined at Anthony’s which, being a seafood restaurant was still nice enough to make a pasta dish for me without the seafood. I really hate making special requests like that but if it’s between being embarrassed and missing a meal on someone else’s dime, I’m going to pick the former. After dinner, I met some folks at Ye Olde Canterbury for a quick 3 drinks before heading to bed. It was kind of quiet in there for a Friday. I hope that isn’t indicative of poor business because life without the Canterbury would be truly difficult.

Saturday

I hit a noon yoga class because I knew I wouldn’t be able to make my usual Sunday 4pm class. It had been two weeks since I’d made it to a class (both because of busy schedules and general lazyness. Bad.) and my attendance of late has been spotty in general. Needless to say, the lack of practice made my performance extremely poor. As a result, I am still sore. I really can’t go that long again. However, I hope to avoid that particular teacher in the future. While being a perfectly nice woman with what I’m sure is the best of intentions, she spoke so slooooooooowly, that the class seemed to last for ages and ages. It actually only went about 8 minutes over, but I just don’t think I can handle that kind of Haites-like environment again. I need a teacher that speaks quickly and constantly, thus making me feel like I’m working towards something, rather than stuck in something that will never end.
After class, being both famished and curious, I whipped myself up a vegetarian version of a McGriddle sandwich. It was, in fact, as delicious as the commercials boast. And my veggie version is probably slightly less heart-attack inducing. With some difficulty, I tried to select a movie to watch. I consulted my library loans and started with About Schmidt. About 10 minutes in, I was already bored to tears and so I put in 21 Grams. It was much more entertaining (Sean Penn aside) and I was reasonably invested in all the crying and drug abuse. But then Faye showed up and so we decided to watch THX 1138 instead. Turns out we should have just watched the trailer as it contained all the relevant information to understand the story and all the action from an otherwise extremely slow moving and uninteresting film. Bravo, Georgie. Another winner for you. I can see why you really went places after that. The best part was the description on the back of the box that said something to the effect of “this film paved the way for future George Lucas films such as ‘American Graffitti’ “. Ah yes. I could really see the fountain of influence for “American Graffiti” in a sci-fi social “commentary” such as THX 1138. Also, way to use the titular sound system.
After that, Dom and I supped with my mom at Roti and then drove her back to Redmond, where she is staying with the aforementioned 20 year family friends. We joined Elyse, Gene and a cast of 20’s at The House of Fun for the going away party of DJ Ron (a.k.a. DJ Nightshift). Drinks were drunk and dances were done. Everything went quite swimmingly right up to the point where we were leaving. As we walked down the (very treacherous) stairs to the car, I slipped and skidded down the pavement, skinning and bruising my already challenged knees. If it weren’t for the fortunate placement of Elyse’s ass, I would have been much more seriously injured. Thank you, Elyse’s ass. You saved my life and I shall never forget that. Here’s to you.

Sunday

Dom and I picked my mom up in Redmond once again and caught a ferry over to Vashon so that she could meet Dom’s dad and see the island. My mom was appropriately impressed with the flora and fauna of the island. We enjoyed a walk in the woods with Kirby the Beagle and some horse poop. We ate THE most delicious eggs at Homegrown. Apparently, I have never had fresh farm eggs before. It’s amazing how different (and delectable) they taste. After Vashon, we met the family friends at Ray’s Boat house were again we ate delicious food and drank some delicious wine. Really, this weekend has been all about eating and drinking. And I’m ok with that.

Tonight I get to scam one more free meal before my mom returns to New Mexico in the morning. I really hope one never gets too old to be taken out to meals by their parents.

April 11, 2005
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

accord atheist birdwatch expurgate dope

My friend Erik is one of those amazing writers who will be “discovered” long after his death as being one of the most funny, inventive and accurate “voices” of the 21st century. He keeps some of his writing on this website. My personal favorite is this piece which I have a feeling is “based on a true story”. It makes me laugh out loud in several places which tends to be dangerous for on-the-sly work reading. But I'll take my chances.

April 11, 2005
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

66131

This review bothers me. It’s a review of the new SCTV and Kids in the Hall DVD’s by Sean Nelson. I don’t know why I’m surprised that someone from The Stranger doesn’t like something. I guess it’s because that particular author has expressed a love for Mr. Show in the past. So I only assumed that he would appreciate the genius of the Kids in The Hall as well. I can’t speak for SCTV. I honestly never saw more than clips of that show (on clips shows about comedy). But I CAN defend my favorite 5 comedians from Canada. I realize that Mr. Show is the greatest (and most timeless) social and political commentary that America has in the way of comedy. But sometimes you need a little light-hearted abstraction in your sketch shows. The Kids in the Hall are that for me. And occasionally they WERE kind of dark. (Especially anything that Bruce McCulloch did). So maybe the Chicken Lady got a little old by the third sketch. But you can’t deny Dave Foley’s performance in the first one (particularly his delivery of the line “A beer” in response to the question “Can I get you a beer or would you rather just drink out of the toilet?”). You can’t deny the genius of “sarcastic guy” or the fun of “Daves I know”. Bruce’s troubled teenager character is hilarious and accurate (at least for any girl who was friends with a burnout guy in high school). And what about the Nutty Bunnies? Or Police Department? Or ANY of Bruce McCulloch’s monologues ( “That’s America” especially). Sure, you can mention all the most popular sketches and dismiss them as being played out or unimaginative. But that’s the nature of ANYTHING that can be called “the most popular”. It’s the lesser known gems that I love. Maybe it’s because I never stopped watching Kids in the Hall. I watched the reruns on Comedy Central and then I watched my tapes of those reruns. Seeing the guys live at the Paramount a few years ago was a highlight of my show-going career. I laughed heartily at material both old and new. Maybe they didn't have the biting, unforgiving humor of Mr. Show. But they certainly had a charm all their own. Maybe the work they’ve done since has been embarrassingly awful (with the exception of Bruce McCulloch’s brilliant first album) but there was a time when they were a refreshing voice in alternative comedy. And I’m glad I’m not too much of a bitter old hipster to appreciate that.

April 7, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, Hug Your Television . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

New 'Marathon Mice’ outrun rodent peers

Remember this newsletter that I posted about a while back? The one which is put out quarterly by one of the partners of the company I work for? The one which sounds like the ravings of a mad man? Well, the new “marketing specialist” in our office has just read the letter and despite all the rambling about mosquitoes and taxi cabs, the thing she feels makes it a bad letter that she keeps harping on is the fact that he used the word “ubiquitous”. She claims that this word, which she pronounces “ubiquious” is not only a word that she has never heard before, but also one that “people just wouldn't use in normal conversation”. Maybe so, because we live in an anti-intellectual society. But don't you want your investment adviser to be able to craft a sentence better in writing than in “normal conversation”? Apparently, she'd prefer the letter say something like “Dude, the market is rad!”. I can't wait to see what she churns out for the company.

April 7, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, I'm Working . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

aborigine kirov allegoric

I just finished watching season 1 of Carnivale on DVD last night. I want more!! (Even though the “behind the scenes documentary was L.A.M.E.)

Here's a question: Why is the DVD $60 if there's only 10 episodes and, like, ONE special feature? And why are these 10 episodes on 6 DVD's? These people need to talk to Joss Whedon's people about how to package a TV series DVD. I really want to watch the series again but I have to return it to the library and I can't afford a $60 DVD!

April 6, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, Hug Your Television . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

do you remember how you were

PICTURES!!

So the pictures from this past weekend's Jai Thai Karaoke excursion are up. Looking at them, I remembered a few other funny details from the night including the fact that when Dom sang “The Rainbow Connection”, the DJ made him hold stuffed animals. Also, I remembered this morning that we had decided that the male equivalent of “Show us your tits” is “show us your balls” and we shouted it at a few people who were singing. I'm pretty sure it was only shouted at people we knew. PRETTY sure.

Please enjoy pictures from Faye's Housewarming as well (including fun with P.B.R.).

The blast from the past vault includes pictures from Elyse's and Gene's housewarming (that the Stranger crashed and the Bobcats rocked). AND here's some really cool photos from karaoke at the Bus Stop . We were in rare form that night. (And by rare, I mean off our nuts).

finicky headquarter

WEEKEND RECAP

Friday
Faye had her long-awaited housewarming party. And warm we did. We managed to pack a good 15 people in there and we drank and spoke of porn and ate bread with cheese. I felt like an adult, I did. This part should probably be longer but frankly, I drank a lot of champagne that night and all I remember is that I had a good time. And that “Heat of the Moment” is one of the BEST songs to listen to when you’re drunk.

Saturday
Faye and I finally took our director photos for the press packs that we will send out along with our festival submissions for Snow Day. We have been pouring over this item on our to-do list for a long time because every picture we have of ourselves is either too silly (taken when drinking or hanging out) or just not very good pictures (if taken when we actually ARE directing). So we staged some artsy fartsy pictures of us at Volunteer park. Two rolls of film’s worth. We took pictures of us smiling and not smiling. Looking at the camera and looking off into the distance. Sitting on stares and standing in interesting doorways. Hopefully there will be SOMETHING cool in there because damnit if this isn’t one of those needlessly complicated situations! We need pictures that are both professional and original. Pictures that both represent who we are and don’t freak people out…We’ll see what we get I guess. After we took about a roll and a half of us being directory, we needed to finish the roll. So there are the inevitable pictures of me pretending that I’m a hobo and that various things found around the park were my penis. Um…how old are we?
Later, we had a brief writer’s meeting and then met people at Jai Thai for dinner and to check out the new Saturday karaoke situation. We were joined by various people coming and going throughout the night but most people got to witness the splendor that was Anne, the man with breasts who was either a pre-op tranny who didn’t bother with makeup or a man who was trying out drag for the night but didn’t really understand the concept. Either way, he/she was very nice and high-fived everybody as they left the stage. She/he also played an inflatable guitar and danced for most of the evening. We were also served by an extremely drunk waiter who kept sitting down with us when he took our order and then would engage in conversation with us and forget what he was doing. To expedite the process, we started ordering more than one drink at a time. The karaoke selection itself, being from the same DJ who works at the Wild Rose, was INCREDIBLE! Butt rock, classic rock, alternative and show tunes. Anything and everything a chap can unload and sing is in that book. Furthermore, there weren’t THAT many people in the bar at any given time so we each got to sing an average of three songs! Some might find the eclectic company to be off-putting. Being a veteran of El Toro in Tacoma, I found it comforting. Needless to say, I will definitely be a repeat visitor to Jai Thai karaoke! Song highlights include Faye singing “The Heat of the Moment” (the unofficial theme song for last weekend), Anne singing (period), and a personal highlight of mine is getting to sing “Skid Row” from Little Shop of Horrors with Chris and Dom.

Sunday
I spent the morning watching Carnivắle, which is a show that I am quickly becoming obsessed with. Like I NEED another one of those. Then I did some home-yoga and got ready to go see Sin City.
I went in with low expectations based on, well, ALL of Robert Rodriguez’s other films. While they are typically entertaining and ultraviolent (good) they are also typically full of laughable dialogue and uninspired music. Well, Sin City is the cream of the crop in terms of ultraviolence. I was giddy with amputations and throat slitting and paintball-esque blood flying everywhere. I was also giddy with a new crush on Clive Owen who is the slickest thing in grease and leather that I have seen in a long time. The dialogue was cheesy but it was perfect for the nouveau-noir cinematography. What a fun film! Even with the presence of Brittney Murphy and Jessica Alba and with some of the most irritating line readings ever from Alexis Bledel, it was still fun! After it was over, we stayed in the theatre and counted how many times Robert Rodriguez’s name appeared in the credits. The answer is 7. Hello, Narcissus? My name is Robert Rodriguez. I will give you a run for your money. Also, you killed my father. Actually, we think he may have thrown some aliases in there as well. Regardless, I had a blast. Also, the Cinerama is responsible in no small part for the fun we had. Any movie is automatically enhanced by that big beautiful screen and those cushy seats. Even Garden State.

I kinda wanna go see Sin City again…

April 4, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, Hug Your Television, I Made Movies . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

soul leaps momentarily into

This morning I realized that a LOT of people live in a vaguely Groundhog Day-like existence. This came to me this morning when I was walking my usual 5-block route from the bus stop to my office. The guy who sits outside of Rite Aid and tries to sell you cookies? Check. The young man with the Ricki-From-American-Beauty hat who works in my building and always catches up with my route two blocks from our destination? Check. The little girl with the backpack and her mother who stand on the kitty-corner from the library waiting for something (a bus, the father? I never find out)? Check. The man in the big red coat who sells Real Change outside my building? Check. If my make the 7:45 bus, I see these people every morning at the same moments without fail. On my way home, it’s a similar story. The bald Goth (I really want to know where he works) who is perpetually on his mobile gets on the 5:05 #10 bus with me every day. Our bus driver is a surly (but funny) black man who takes shit from no-one. In a way, knowing I will see these things every day is comforting. I feel a vague connection to all these people, knowing that even though we are in somewhat of a daily rut, we are in it together. In another way, I find the whole thing creepy and off-putting.

Regardless, when I leave this job, I will have to work my way into a different routine. Wonder who I’ll meet then…

March 31, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, I'm Working . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

aftermath

It was an amicable breakup conversation. Boss Man actually retracted his statement from last week about how he “wouldn't have hired” me in retrospect. He said he knows I do a great job and he always raves about me to other people we work with. He also said he was saddened by the fact that we were having this conversation but that he thought I had some good points. I think I caught him off guard because he said he needs to speak with one of the Powers That Be to give him “another perspective” on what to do. He also said that he was concerned about me just taking another job that isn't as good for me or doesn't pay as well just because I'm desperate for work. He said he'd rather I seek employment in my own time frame rather than just setting an abstract deadline for my departure. So I guess that means I can start looking for a job now and, if one comes up that is too good to pass up (i.e. equal to or better than the situation I'm in now), I can take it, but that I don't HAVE to leave June 1st if I'm not ready to go. He also said he wished he knew people in the film industry that he could hook me up with. One of our clients apparently has her own commercial production business and he said he could talk to her to see if she needs any help. He was very sympathetic and very eager to make sure that I do what is best for me. He also said he really appreciated the fact that I had the company's interest in mind whilst making this decision. He doesn't necessarily know if The Golden Child is an easy replacement for my job. The end result of today's conversation: He will speak with the PTB and he and I will speak again on Friday. No one is mad and no one is out for blood. I feel much better about things now. We will see what the PTB says though because she has a history of not liking me (or anybody) very much.

In the meantime, I need to start making some doctor's appointments.

March 30, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, I'm Working . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

workmanlike

I'm breaking up with job today at 12:30. Wish me luck. I spoke with the intern yesterday and she is definitely still uber-keen on having my job. So hopefully it will be as easy all as that.
I think the Boss knows that we're going to be having a serious chat because he suggested we do it over lunch.

My plan is to suggest that I train the Golden Child for the next two months until she is ready to be hired full time. Meanwhile, I will be saving whatever money I can and looking for new employment. And then, in June, I can cash in my remaining vacation days and get out of here. This is the best case scenario. Obviously, the worst case scenario is that my boss can tell me to leave now.

I will update later with some (hopefully) happy news of the first scenario.

March 30, 2005
Categories: Dear Diary, I'm Working . Tags: work . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

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