Mr. Bean

So another fun thing I did whilst sick and watching too much youtube, was some random on-line shopping. For some reason i decided that not only did i deserve a new sewing machine, but that i really, truly NEEDED one. I have a serger that we got for free from some people leaving the building, but i've been too afraid to even try to thread it, let alone use it, so it has sat sadly in the kitchen for, um, quite some time.... however, i purchased a quite excellent brother LS-2125i sewing machine that is useful for "basic sewing, mending, crafting and scrapbooking" and is advertised to have "maximum ease to make sewing fun and simple." sweet. well, i concur. the bobbin is threaded, clothes have been mended, strange fabric scraps have been played with and i still have not broken the little guy. :)

So I introduce you to Mr. Bean - my first creation. Dave thinks that he is perpetually stoned. i think he may just be really, really chill. But one thing is for sure, Mr. Bean's not too worried about anything at all..... :)

ricky was a young boy....

so when I was feeling like crap last week, I spent a ridiculous amount of time one afternoon watching hair bands on youtube. it was so awesome. i couldn't find everything i was looking for (L.A. Guns were clearly not as popular as i thought they were), but I have now had this song in my head for over a week: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Xd8ykpZkwA

i admit that i loved this song when it came out, however, I always felt slightly uncomfortable that the lead singer, Sebastian Bach, was/is prettier than i am....

while we are admitting things. i also like queensryche's operation mindcrime concept album. a lot.

the circus is a harsh mistress

Yesterday, my absolutely incredible russian trapeze coach got me to do multiple hip circles on the static trapeze. even one hip circle is difficult. i think by my 3rd try I did 5. it was stupifying. Some of you may be saying, WTF? Arwen you are speaking total gibberish. Yeah. Ok. Point taken. Well, thank god for youtube. Here is a video that will show you a)what they are; and b) that they are so hard, someone even created a helper device to learn them: Click ME

Ok. Anyway. That’s what happened to my arms. I even had sleeves on. Circus is awesome.

Let’s see… what else? I still feel a bit crappy and we’re supposed to go see Willie Nelson tonight, so that’s a bummer. Last night we had a really lovely girls night at Ti Cous. Goddamn those crepes are good no matter what you think about the place. I was very anti-Ti Cous for quite some time due to the snottiness of the the wait staff, but it seems to be much better now. Oh god! And tomorrow I have my aerial silk debut at a BRAF fundraiser at SupperClub here in the city. Info: http://www.donatetoblackrockarts.org/2ndanflyoli4.html This should be rather daunting and exciting and certainly invigorating as long as I do not spray snot at the audience. There will be a spotlight and everything. Pleasing.

This weekend we are supposed to go to Yosemite. To camp. For 4 days. It’s snowing. We’ll see what happens. *sigh* And I had heard that the waterfalls were kicking ass. *sigh*

stuck in fishbowl. ugh.

ugh. jeez. i've been nursing this damn drippy phlegmy ass cold for SO many days now and it is SO time for it to go the hell away... oh but nooooooooo.... it seems to have planted its alien hosts into my chest thereby creating this donkey braying type cough sound that has recently been resulting in totally nasty snot chunk upheaval and makes me a pretty hot and classy person to be around right now. plus, when you talk to me, i can't hear you. which means that i am also a dazzling conversationalist at the moment.

goodbye mr. speedy, my dear friend....

In memoriam...

let us now bow our heads for a moment of silence for Mr. Speedy. And Mr. Speedy Too. For they have left us in a rather quick and dirty way, yet the happiness and freedom they provided will not be soon forgotten....

Mr. Speedy (a beautiful LeMond Poprad...just lovely, really. which was way too nice for me..being the crusty daily bike commuter that I am...) was gifted to me by Dave after my last bike was stolen which was a nifty bike that I had been gifted by the Northern Police Station due to the heinous nature of my bike before that being stolen and then the ensuing obnoxious way I was treated by the police. But that's a long story that you can hear all about in my song “My bike had a Burger Bell”: here
(if that doesn't work – go to www.merple.com and find the Burger Bell song – while you are there peruse some of Dave's awesome music.)

ANYway...upon first receiving Mr. Speedy I thought myself unworthy. Such a thing of classy, 'tricked-out' beauty. Far superior to any of its predecessors.... i did not want the responsibility of such a high-end item mixed in with my day to day commuting. But Mr. Speedy and I got to know one another and came to an understanding. He took good care of me and I took good care of him. His uncle Spud had even just sent him new wheels since his back tire had blown recently, totally decimating the rim. Ah well. Some asshole will be enjoying that wheel now, complete with the new tough ass tire that I had just received for Festivus. Dave even taught me how to put the wheel together and the tire on and it was very special. But alas, last night at some garish hour of the dead dank rain-soaked late night/early morn, some hoople-head jumped the fence behind our apartment building where there is a small backyard, entered through the back door (which is not a locking door, because no one except tenants should be able to be there), entered the ground level of the building, walked straight to the small back door to the garage and managed (quite easily by the look of it) to obliterate the lock on the door using some medieval type looking scary ass crow bar three pronged straight outta Nightmare on Elm Street tool weapon thing. (We only know this because they LEFT IT BEHIND.) They entered the garage and proceeded to leave the motorcycles and car and climb-gym bags and most of the musical instruments and clothes and helmets and scores and scores and scores of very expensive music recording equiptment that Dave was storing down there and his computer and countless other things and made off with two bikes (Mr. Speedy and Mr. Speedy Too) and Dave's fretless bass. As they must have been rushing to get Mr. Speedy back out and down the hallway to the outside front of the building, my nice new cold weather motorcycle gloves must have slipped off and been ignored, cause they were found in the hallway. That was nice at least. I really like these gloves. My Sky Blue Turtle Fur neckie thing was not found, so I can only assume that they were cold? And yes. Once again they got a Burger Bell along with the deal.

We received a very loud knock on the door at 5:30am this morning from the building caretaker who is the only other person with access to the garage. He had been on the way to work and was first upon the scene and wanted to let us know right away. We pulled our sorry asses out of bed (Dave first, as I have been nursing a nasty ass cold and was planning on sleeping in and trying to get better. HA. HA.) and then proceeded to do all the smart things one is supposed to do. Took stock of the situation. Went through inventory of lost items. Called Police. Retrieved bike serial number information. Made tea. Started packing all other items in garage up and taking them upstairs to the apartment. Ate bagel. Met with Police and gave report. Blahblahblah.

So now I will take my sorry ass and put it back in a sleeping type position. Then we will take MOMWOW to the airport. Then there will be sleep.

But for Mr. Speedy? I will never know how much crack he was sold for....maybe it's best not to know...i do know that I NEVER want to see that break-in tool EVER again. 'Twill haunt my dreams.....

R.I.P. Mr. Speedy
Beloved Bike of Zoominess
4/11/07

Wow. So much excitement, no time to catch breath…

Holy crap there is a lot to report. But if I keep thinking that I will get around to writing a nice big post, I will keep not doing it, so I’m just going to start spewing… ooooh… haven’t used that word in awhile… spewing… good word.

Also good word = hoople-head (sp?). From ‘Deadwood’, which is a freaking awesome show by the way and a current obsession… so, it's kind of like: "Ugh. Look at that drunken hoople-head down there trying to put a saddle on that pig!” pleasing.

OK – so this is really kinda crazy, but my movie Hog Island is being released this month. As in, omigoodness you can buy it from amazon.com kind of released. I’m just going to share with you the note from the director/producer:

“I have some very exciting news. The DVD of Hog Island
will be released in North America and Mexico on April
24!

Vanguard International Cinema (vanguardcinema.com) is
the distribution company. This is the real deal.

The more people who buy the DVD, the more momentum
will build for Vanguard's marketing department and
retailers and renters to have it. We want it to fly
off the shelves. So tell your friends and family.
Amazon.com lists it at a discounted price. They can
order now!

Your local video store will also have an opportunity
to buy it to make it available. I believe that
Vanguard contacts some 30,000 retailers and renters.
I'll let you know when I learn more about how that
process works -- and we can notify our local video
stores.”

Wow, huh? Here is the Amazon link straight to it: http://www.amazon.com/Hog-Island/dp/B000MGBLX2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1534346-3290552?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1175707040&sr=8-1

Also – had my first real (as in PAID) aerial gig offered and accepted and then canceled all in a 24 hour period… but more on that when I return… I must go make artichokes now…

i say tissu, you say fabric, i say silk... which one is it?

ok. so dave took a little video of my tissu routine practice 2 weekends ago (and FYI - the routine is still very much in progress)... but then last night, I come home from dinner and he had taught himself some movie editing tricks (supervised by MOMWOW) and presented me with this:

(please note the use of deborah's lovely place of employment - that would be One True Media - check 'em out...it was super easy to create a free account, upload the video and get the blog code.)

Make an on-line slide show at onetruemedia.com