July 31, 2008

9:06 p.m.

Keen-Waaaaaahh

The mystical grain of the aztecs, or whatever it is. It's very good when cooked in chicken broth and tossed around with stir fried vegetables. My new staple grain. Quinoa.

So far so good on the dietary changes; no indigestion, not enough to write about. That all by itself is a big improvement.

Our gig last night was sweet. It was their biggest crowd so far this summer, and we saw lots of old fans and friends. This place is a little museum, housed in a beautiful Victorian... well, house, and we play on the big lawn among the grape arbors and the roses. I went the wrong way to get there (because I can't remember where anything is in my neighborhood any more), and was late enough that we'd have to skip going over anything. Meanwhile Chris forgot two tote bags that had cables and the snake in them. The snake is all the cords that plug into the microphones and instrument boxes, wrapped up into one long thing so it's easy to connect them in a line. Carol had to drive all the way back home -- a good half hour each way, sans traffic -- to get them, while Chris and I finished putting up the rest of the PA and I set out CDs. We started a bit late and had some ongoing feedback problems at times, but otherwise it was lovely. We were at our ragged best, I'd say, not having rehearsed. It did not rain.

A whole group, from the holistic magazine that is sending out 600 of my brochures shortly, showed up in support of us and said how excited they were about my new Celebrancy business. My Reiki teacher and her husband were there, too.

I'd brought some of my books and debated whether to put them out -- will it rain? Will anyone be able to afford any of them? I'd figured out a pricing scheme that I thought was fairer to me than the way I've priced some things before. I at least wanted people to see them. In the end I asked for a spare card table, covered it with my purple velvet cloth, and made a beautiful display. At the end of the night I was delighted to find I'd sold $95 worth of books! Just when the car tax bill came in!! I'm so lucky.

The car tax bill did not stop me from going to Jerry's Artarama and buying more papers today. I know which ones are popular now, that I want to use again and again. Dar is poised to peddle books to a couple of Charles Street stores, so my goal is to make stock for that before leaving for England.

But the rest of the week and weekend I think I am taking off. I get to clean Rose's house at some point, and I made a lot of headway in the kitchen today, but I want to "chill" (in quotes because it's bloody hot in here even with the two little a/c's on -- just can't cut through the summer swelter on the third floor) and watch Netflix. There were two waiting for me here. Let's see: The Great Life, a Bette Davis and Mary Astor film, where a refined Southern socialite and a vitriolic concert pianist vie for the affections of reckless flyboy played by George Brent. Tragedy! Surprise! Plot twists! Shall it be this? Or: But I'm a Cheerleader, a hilarious satire about a young cheerleader dating the football captain, whose parents suspect she is gay and ship her off to Closet Camp, ONLY to have her meet tomboy Graham Eaton, who helps her recognize her sexual orientation. Oh, decisions. I think I'll start off with a selected short. My friend Ducky managed to get the famous Carol Burnett skit, "Rebeccy" (takeoff on the Daphne du Maurier story) on a DVD. What an enviable evening lies ahead for those without stomach troubles.