Photo by: N.L. Belardes
One Bakersfield Woman's Blog to Mankind
Friday, January 18, 2008
Bird's Eye View
My front yard...
My front yard...
Labels: Bakersfield, Bird in tree, birds, front yard, Photography, Tree, view
Thursday, November 08, 2007
The 5K Walk and the Mysterious Lady in Red
One bright and early Saturday morning not too long ago, I met up with ‘M’ my trainer from physical therapy and NL of Noveltownand ABC23 for the Fall Festival 5K/10K run/walk at River Walk Park. Through bribery of Supreme Bean coffee, I convinced NL to do the 5K walk with me. A leisurely stroll in the park for NL, I soon learned that 5K is a lot farther than it sounds.
At check in we were given real race numbers and at 9:00 AM everyone lined up at the starting point as if it was the New York Marathon. Like Katie Holmes, I registered under an alias (my real name) instead of Matildakay.
‘M’ of coarse was doing the 10K run while pushing his son in a stroller. Show off!
There were other members from my physical therapy group participating in the race including a lady in red who kicks my butt regularly.
NL was a good friend and sport keeping pace with me when he could have left me in the dust. Even though we were among the last to finish, he had fun with his video camera and put together this little video of our 5K-walk experience.
“Go Matildakay!” ‘M’ yelled as he ran by pushing his stroller during the last half of the 5K walk.
“So annoying!”
“Why?” NL asked.
“Because he’s running 10K while pushing a stroller!”
“He’s a good trainer, he’s encouraging you.”
“I know. I just wish I could do that.”
We never did catch the mysterious lady in red from my physical therapy group, but she was at the finish line cheering me on. I managed to finish the 5K walk (just over 3 miles) in around 50 minutes, which is not too bad. And even though I was sore the rest of the day, I’m really glad that I challenged myself and accomplished the 5K walk.
“I read all about you.” NL told ‘M’ after the 5K walk.
“You read about me?” ‘M’ asked, “Oh right, I don’t want to know.”
“A lot of people read about you on Matildakay’s blog.”
“You’re famous.” I grinned. ‘M’ shook his head and walked away.
I’ll probably get double exercises for making ‘M’ famous. I thought.
But the following Monday…
“You get ‘extra points’ for doing the 5K walk.” ‘M’ said when I walked into physical therapy.
“Now you have to do the next run/walk we have scheduled.”
Oh no! What did I get myself into?
One bright and early Saturday morning not too long ago, I met up with ‘M’ my trainer from physical therapy and NL of Noveltownand ABC23 for the Fall Festival 5K/10K run/walk at River Walk Park. Through bribery of Supreme Bean coffee, I convinced NL to do the 5K walk with me. A leisurely stroll in the park for NL, I soon learned that 5K is a lot farther than it sounds.
At check in we were given real race numbers and at 9:00 AM everyone lined up at the starting point as if it was the New York Marathon. Like Katie Holmes, I registered under an alias (my real name) instead of Matildakay.
‘M’ of coarse was doing the 10K run while pushing his son in a stroller. Show off!
There were other members from my physical therapy group participating in the race including a lady in red who kicks my butt regularly.
NL was a good friend and sport keeping pace with me when he could have left me in the dust. Even though we were among the last to finish, he had fun with his video camera and put together this little video of our 5K-walk experience.
“Go Matildakay!” ‘M’ yelled as he ran by pushing his stroller during the last half of the 5K walk.
“So annoying!”
“Why?” NL asked.
“Because he’s running 10K while pushing a stroller!”
“He’s a good trainer, he’s encouraging you.”
“I know. I just wish I could do that.”
We never did catch the mysterious lady in red from my physical therapy group, but she was at the finish line cheering me on. I managed to finish the 5K walk (just over 3 miles) in around 50 minutes, which is not too bad. And even though I was sore the rest of the day, I’m really glad that I challenged myself and accomplished the 5K walk.
“I read all about you.” NL told ‘M’ after the 5K walk.
“You read about me?” ‘M’ asked, “Oh right, I don’t want to know.”
“A lot of people read about you on Matildakay’s blog.”
“You’re famous.” I grinned. ‘M’ shook his head and walked away.
I’ll probably get double exercises for making ‘M’ famous. I thought.
But the following Monday…
“You get ‘extra points’ for doing the 5K walk.” ‘M’ said when I walked into physical therapy.
“Now you have to do the next run/walk we have scheduled.”
Oh no! What did I get myself into?
Labels: 'M', 10K Walk, 5K Walk, Bakersfield, Blogging, exercising, Katie Holmes, N.L. Belardes, New York Marathon, Physical Therapy, River Walk Park, Terrio Therapy Fitness, walking
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sleepless in Bakersfield and One Degree of Separation
Late last night I was laying in bed not sleeping again for what seemed like the hundredth night in a row. Anyone who’s read my blog regularly knows that I suffer from insomnia and have for several years now. I fight the non-sleeping disease with books, music, movies and late night TV. Sometimes I wander through the house looking for something to occupy my thoughts. Other times I stare out my bedroom window watching the tree branches sway back and forth looking for that illusive dream state.
Last night while flipping through the channels on TV I found an old favorite movie, Sleepless in Seattle. Nora Ephron knows how to write a good romantic comedy! Tom Hanks, the sleepless one, and Meg Ryan are two characters on opposite coasts both looking for that something in their life that is missing. Magic!
Perhaps the missing magic is the thing that causes insomnia.
I pondered the ‘magic’ theory while Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s search for magic drew them inevitably together. When suddenly I realized I had been one degree of separation from Nora Ephron, which made me two degrees of separation from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan!
I met Hallie Ephron, an accomplished author and Nora Ephron’s sister, at the Yosemite Writers Conference this past August. I drank a glass of wine with Hallie Ephron and had a conversation about writing at the presenter’s party in Bonnie Hearn Hill’s suite. I talked and drank with the queen of the romantic comedy’s sister! Unbelievable. Magic!
I don’t know why I finally realized the importance of that conversation and glass of wine last night. At the time, I thought I was just talking to another published author and presenter. I won’t take that conversation and glass of wine for granted ever again.
Last August I was one degree of separation from Nora Ephron, but for now, I remain sleepless in Bakersfield.
Late last night I was laying in bed not sleeping again for what seemed like the hundredth night in a row. Anyone who’s read my blog regularly knows that I suffer from insomnia and have for several years now. I fight the non-sleeping disease with books, music, movies and late night TV. Sometimes I wander through the house looking for something to occupy my thoughts. Other times I stare out my bedroom window watching the tree branches sway back and forth looking for that illusive dream state.
Last night while flipping through the channels on TV I found an old favorite movie, Sleepless in Seattle. Nora Ephron knows how to write a good romantic comedy! Tom Hanks, the sleepless one, and Meg Ryan are two characters on opposite coasts both looking for that something in their life that is missing. Magic!
Perhaps the missing magic is the thing that causes insomnia.
I pondered the ‘magic’ theory while Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s search for magic drew them inevitably together. When suddenly I realized I had been one degree of separation from Nora Ephron, which made me two degrees of separation from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan!
I met Hallie Ephron, an accomplished author and Nora Ephron’s sister, at the Yosemite Writers Conference this past August. I drank a glass of wine with Hallie Ephron and had a conversation about writing at the presenter’s party in Bonnie Hearn Hill’s suite. I talked and drank with the queen of the romantic comedy’s sister! Unbelievable. Magic!
I don’t know why I finally realized the importance of that conversation and glass of wine last night. At the time, I thought I was just talking to another published author and presenter. I won’t take that conversation and glass of wine for granted ever again.
Last August I was one degree of separation from Nora Ephron, but for now, I remain sleepless in Bakersfield.
Labels: Bakersfield, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Hallie Ephron, Insomnia, magic, Meg Ryan, Nora Ephron, One degree of separation, Romantic Comedy, sleep, Sleepless in Seattle, Tom Hanks
Friday, September 07, 2007
Every girl deserves a love story…
A Bakersfield man is walking 150 miles from Bakersfield to Anaheim to prove his love to his girlfriend because he says, “Every girl deserves a love story.”
Read the story on ABC23. ABC is keeping an updated Travel Journal so keep checking in on this love struck man to see if he makes it to Anaheim. I think Love will find a way...
Watch the compelling video. You’ll fall in love with this guy by the end.
Every girl deserves a love story…
That’s the most romantic thing I’ve heard in quite a long time. What a great love story!
I deserve a love story!
I like that…
Love Story Update:
Love meets him half way in Valencia, he proposes and she accepts! Sometimes Fairy Tales do come true. Watch the amazing proposal video on ABC23 Love Walk story at the bottom of the Travel Journal.
A Bakersfield man is walking 150 miles from Bakersfield to Anaheim to prove his love to his girlfriend because he says, “Every girl deserves a love story.”
Read the story on ABC23. ABC is keeping an updated Travel Journal so keep checking in on this love struck man to see if he makes it to Anaheim. I think Love will find a way...
Watch the compelling video. You’ll fall in love with this guy by the end.
Every girl deserves a love story…
That’s the most romantic thing I’ve heard in quite a long time. What a great love story!
I deserve a love story!
I like that…
Love Story Update:
Love meets him half way in Valencia, he proposes and she accepts! Sometimes Fairy Tales do come true. Watch the amazing proposal video on ABC23 Love Walk story at the bottom of the Travel Journal.
Labels: ABC 23, Bakersfield, Bakersfield man, Love, love story, walk
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Pelican Point
Pismo Beach, California
Pismo Beach, California
Labels: Bakersfield, California, ocean, Pelican Point, pelicans, Pismo Beach
Thursday, August 16, 2007
When it rains, it pours…
Everything always seems to happen all at the same time. Isn’t that always the case? I think seeing just how much we can handle is God’s test. “She’s not stressed to the point of having a stroke yet, let’s give her more!”
It’s definitely been pouring in my life lately...
My computers are rebelling. The warranty on my laptop expired the same month I paid it off. Talk about timing! I don’t always renew warranties, but since I can’t afford to replace or repair the laptop right now, I thought I better renew. Well the dang warranty cost $300! At least I can make payments.
My desktop monitor is dying. There are fluorescent squiggly lines in crazy patterns all over the screen. Its as if the pixels are breaking. Or the screen is about to give birth to an alien! It’s gotten so bad that I can’t see photos on the screen. And I have some really cool photos I’ve wanted to post but can’t because I can’t see through the fluorescent squiggles. So frustrating! Not to mention that now is not the most opportune time financially for me to have to buy a new monitor.
I went monitor shopping the other night and the sales rep suggested that I plug my computer into another monitor to make sure it’s the monitor and not the video card. The VIDEO CARD! I wonder how much a video card is? I should have priced the video cards, but I was afraid. If it’s the video card, I’ll have to enlist the help of a computer friend because I’m clueless. Todd if you read this, help! Needless to say, I haven't solved my computer issues yet.
And then for some unknown reason the plumbing at my house declared war. The shower and bathtub backed up and wouldn’t drain. I found myself knee deep in water fighting a clog and cleaning up a mess when a friend texted me, “I just met Dwight Yoakam.” Totally unfair! Thankfully the toilet stayed in neutral territory. The kitchen facet however did not. It was leaking all over the kitchen counter. A sprinkler valve outside was also leaking and causing puddles of standing water. Which normally wouldn’t be a problem, but with the West Nile epidemic in Kern County and the crop dusters spraying the city with pesticides, standing water is a problem.
When you rent, dealing with a property management company for repairs can be a pain in the butt. I’m always afraid they will raise my rent if they have to fix a lot of things; however, I needed a plumber, so I broke down and called the management company and now the plumbing has been beaten into submission.
Did I mention that my fridge is leaking? After ten years of keeping my Pepsi/diet Pepsi’s cold, of moving from house to house with me, my fridge is sick and dying. It’s leaking bodily fluids all over the kitchen floor. It randomly soaks my socks when I unknowingly step in a puddle of water on the kitchen floor. Yuck! I can’t afford a new fridge. I keep babying it hoping it will hold on a little bit longer… but in its critical condition, it could go at any time.
If the computers, the plumbing and the fridge weren’t enough to give me a stroke, my PG&E bill almost did. It’s sky high! So high it needs its own zip code. I didn’t know you could use that much electricity in one month. Obviously you can.
And that’s just what’s been going on at home. Thank goodness nothing is wrong with my car at the moment.
My professional life has been in a complete uproar this past month. With the housing market bubble popped, things have been quite uncertain and tough business decisions have had to be made. Unfortunately, I’ve had to be a part of the decision making process while dealing with double the work as I assumed project manager duties on top of my regular office manager duties and dealing with employee’s unwillingness to adjust. Basically I’ve had a migraine headache and stress up the wazu for weeks now. I need a vacation!
I did get to go to the coast for a couple days. However, it was a destination wedding trip, no not mine, and not a relaxing vacation. I had forgotten how stressed out brides were, and mother’s of the bride, and sister’s of the bride… people snap really fast under wedding stress. But I was there to support my dear friend, mother of the bride, and her daughters, so I shut my mouth and stayed out of their way. “Everything looks so beautiful!” Goes a long way towards soothing bridezilla. And the wedding truly was beautiful. If I can ever see photos on my computer screen again, I will post a couple.
Add physical therapy and my insurance claim and my stress cup runneth over! Excuse me while I go stand out in the rain for a while...
Everything always seems to happen all at the same time. Isn’t that always the case? I think seeing just how much we can handle is God’s test. “She’s not stressed to the point of having a stroke yet, let’s give her more!”
It’s definitely been pouring in my life lately...
My computers are rebelling. The warranty on my laptop expired the same month I paid it off. Talk about timing! I don’t always renew warranties, but since I can’t afford to replace or repair the laptop right now, I thought I better renew. Well the dang warranty cost $300! At least I can make payments.
My desktop monitor is dying. There are fluorescent squiggly lines in crazy patterns all over the screen. Its as if the pixels are breaking. Or the screen is about to give birth to an alien! It’s gotten so bad that I can’t see photos on the screen. And I have some really cool photos I’ve wanted to post but can’t because I can’t see through the fluorescent squiggles. So frustrating! Not to mention that now is not the most opportune time financially for me to have to buy a new monitor.
I went monitor shopping the other night and the sales rep suggested that I plug my computer into another monitor to make sure it’s the monitor and not the video card. The VIDEO CARD! I wonder how much a video card is? I should have priced the video cards, but I was afraid. If it’s the video card, I’ll have to enlist the help of a computer friend because I’m clueless. Todd if you read this, help! Needless to say, I haven't solved my computer issues yet.
And then for some unknown reason the plumbing at my house declared war. The shower and bathtub backed up and wouldn’t drain. I found myself knee deep in water fighting a clog and cleaning up a mess when a friend texted me, “I just met Dwight Yoakam.” Totally unfair! Thankfully the toilet stayed in neutral territory. The kitchen facet however did not. It was leaking all over the kitchen counter. A sprinkler valve outside was also leaking and causing puddles of standing water. Which normally wouldn’t be a problem, but with the West Nile epidemic in Kern County and the crop dusters spraying the city with pesticides, standing water is a problem.
When you rent, dealing with a property management company for repairs can be a pain in the butt. I’m always afraid they will raise my rent if they have to fix a lot of things; however, I needed a plumber, so I broke down and called the management company and now the plumbing has been beaten into submission.
Did I mention that my fridge is leaking? After ten years of keeping my Pepsi/diet Pepsi’s cold, of moving from house to house with me, my fridge is sick and dying. It’s leaking bodily fluids all over the kitchen floor. It randomly soaks my socks when I unknowingly step in a puddle of water on the kitchen floor. Yuck! I can’t afford a new fridge. I keep babying it hoping it will hold on a little bit longer… but in its critical condition, it could go at any time.
If the computers, the plumbing and the fridge weren’t enough to give me a stroke, my PG&E bill almost did. It’s sky high! So high it needs its own zip code. I didn’t know you could use that much electricity in one month. Obviously you can.
And that’s just what’s been going on at home. Thank goodness nothing is wrong with my car at the moment.
My professional life has been in a complete uproar this past month. With the housing market bubble popped, things have been quite uncertain and tough business decisions have had to be made. Unfortunately, I’ve had to be a part of the decision making process while dealing with double the work as I assumed project manager duties on top of my regular office manager duties and dealing with employee’s unwillingness to adjust. Basically I’ve had a migraine headache and stress up the wazu for weeks now. I need a vacation!
I did get to go to the coast for a couple days. However, it was a destination wedding trip, no not mine, and not a relaxing vacation. I had forgotten how stressed out brides were, and mother’s of the bride, and sister’s of the bride… people snap really fast under wedding stress. But I was there to support my dear friend, mother of the bride, and her daughters, so I shut my mouth and stayed out of their way. “Everything looks so beautiful!” Goes a long way towards soothing bridezilla. And the wedding truly was beautiful. If I can ever see photos on my computer screen again, I will post a couple.
Add physical therapy and my insurance claim and my stress cup runneth over! Excuse me while I go stand out in the rain for a while...
Labels: Bakersfield, central coast, computer problems, pesticides, plumbing problems, stress, vacation, weddings, West Nile Virus
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Rich Ferguson's 'With This Kiss'
With this kiss there are revelations tattooed upon our lips; revelations more easily read on account of this silent pact with recognition where I'm beginning to see that we are slowly becoming healed... ~Rich Ferguson
Los Angeles Spoken Word Poet Rich Ferguson has a new music video for his spoken word poem With This Kiss...
With This Kiss is one of my favorite's from Rich's spoken word album Where I Come From. (Buy your copy here)
I lose myself inside Rich's lyrical prose and discover unspoken nuances of my personality every time I listen to Where I Come From. Even physical therapy and my relationship with my deformed knees was illuminated through Rich's spoken word poem Bones.
Where I Come From makes you think, makes you listen...
Rich Ferguson's spoken word is not boring poetry. N.L. described it as: "a spoken word masterpiece that blasts at you like a Robbie Robertson/Velvet Underground counterculture shotgun ripped from the hip." (Read N.L.'s review of Where I Come From)
Dive into Rich Ferguson's spoken word... it might just affect your life the way it did mine.
With this kiss there are revelations tattooed upon our lips; revelations more easily read on account of this silent pact with recognition where I'm beginning to see that we are slowly becoming healed... ~Rich Ferguson
Los Angeles Spoken Word Poet Rich Ferguson has a new music video for his spoken word poem With This Kiss...
With This Kiss is one of my favorite's from Rich's spoken word album Where I Come From. (Buy your copy here)
I lose myself inside Rich's lyrical prose and discover unspoken nuances of my personality every time I listen to Where I Come From. Even physical therapy and my relationship with my deformed knees was illuminated through Rich's spoken word poem Bones.
Where I Come From makes you think, makes you listen...
Rich Ferguson's spoken word is not boring poetry. N.L. described it as: "a spoken word masterpiece that blasts at you like a Robbie Robertson/Velvet Underground counterculture shotgun ripped from the hip." (Read N.L.'s review of Where I Come From)
Dive into Rich Ferguson's spoken word... it might just affect your life the way it did mine.
Labels: Bakersfield, Kiss, Los Angeles, N.L. Belardes, Poetry, Rich Ferguson, Spoken Word
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Are you doing your Summer Reading?
Remember when you were a kid and your teachers would send a recommended summer reading list home with you at the end of the school year hoping you would do more than just play video games, like improve your mind. How many of you were good boys and girls and actually read a few books on the recommended summer reading list? How much did your summer reading influence your life as a child? As an adult? Is reading a passion in your life?
I don’t know about you, but I’m always reading. I have a stack of books at home that are in my “to be read” pile, but I continue to buy more books. I can’t help myself. My logic is I’ll eventually read them all.
Noveltown is not only passionate about writers, we’re passionate about readers too! Without readers the Indie literary presses and the publishing world would come to a screeching halt and eventually cease to exist. Books would become coasters, or those things you press flowers in, or worse! I don’t even want to imagine a world without books, its too horrible a thought. For in books our imaginations run free within world’s writers create for us. J. K. Rowling is the most successful author ever because of readers!
It’s mid summer and Noveltown just wanted to check in on you to make sure you’re doing your summer reading…
For all of you Paperback Writer readers who are book sluts, word whores, always carry a book with you in your purse or backpack, read while laying out by the pool, on the beach or by a lake, and plan what books you’re taking with you on vacation we’ve got some fabulous recommended summer reading for you.
(Read the full blog on Paperback Writer for great summer reading recommendations from Salon.com and Noveltown)
Remember when you were a kid and your teachers would send a recommended summer reading list home with you at the end of the school year hoping you would do more than just play video games, like improve your mind. How many of you were good boys and girls and actually read a few books on the recommended summer reading list? How much did your summer reading influence your life as a child? As an adult? Is reading a passion in your life?
I don’t know about you, but I’m always reading. I have a stack of books at home that are in my “to be read” pile, but I continue to buy more books. I can’t help myself. My logic is I’ll eventually read them all.
Noveltown is not only passionate about writers, we’re passionate about readers too! Without readers the Indie literary presses and the publishing world would come to a screeching halt and eventually cease to exist. Books would become coasters, or those things you press flowers in, or worse! I don’t even want to imagine a world without books, its too horrible a thought. For in books our imaginations run free within world’s writers create for us. J. K. Rowling is the most successful author ever because of readers!
It’s mid summer and Noveltown just wanted to check in on you to make sure you’re doing your summer reading…
For all of you Paperback Writer readers who are book sluts, word whores, always carry a book with you in your purse or backpack, read while laying out by the pool, on the beach or by a lake, and plan what books you’re taking with you on vacation we’ve got some fabulous recommended summer reading for you.
(Read the full blog on Paperback Writer for great summer reading recommendations from Salon.com and Noveltown)
Labels: Bakersfield, J.K. Rowling, Literary, memoirs, novels, Noveltown, Reading
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Looks like I'm not the only one with Annoying Cat problems!
The annoying cats that constantly plague me seem to be infesting other neighborhoods as well. N.L. exposes one such neighborhood's cat infestation on Paperback Writer.
And for those of you who thought I was making up my annoying cat problem... take a look at this photo! Take a look at what I deal with everyday!
God help us, annoying cats are taking over the world!
There should be laws against annoying cat infestations.
The annoying cats that constantly plague me seem to be infesting other neighborhoods as well. N.L. exposes one such neighborhood's cat infestation on Paperback Writer.
And for those of you who thought I was making up my annoying cat problem... take a look at this photo! Take a look at what I deal with everyday!
God help us, annoying cats are taking over the world!
There should be laws against annoying cat infestations.
Labels: annoying cats, Bakersfield, cat infestation
Monday, July 09, 2007
A Girls night out with Darren Hayes at the Roxy
Recently, chingpea and I traveled to Hollywood for a girl’s night out with Darren Hayes at the famous Roxy nightclub.
I don’t know what it is about Hollywood, perhaps it’s the gritty underbelly night life, or the magical feeling that celebrities frequent those clubs, those restaurants, or the realization that “this is where the movies are made,” the giant building size movie billboards, or maybe it’s the stars on the sidewalks, but I love exploring Hollywood. And I haven’t done a lot of Hollywood exploring in my life. My first real Hollywood experience was the night I blew my knee out after seeing the play Trainspotting. Since then I’ve only ventured to Hollywood a few times. I saw World Wide Spies at the Viper Room, I’ve eaten at Astro Burger and Mel’s Drive Thru and I’ve walked around Sunset and Hollywood Blvd. So, I was very excited to see my favorite pop star and the Roxy all on the same night.
Apparently everyone else in the world had the same idea of going out in Hollywood that night. The Los Angeles Film Festival was in full fanfare at the Hollywood Bowl, Ratatouille was premiering at the Kodak Theatre with some red carpet action, Darren Hayes was at the Roxy, Prince was at the Roosevelt Hotel for his seven gig stay, and there were many other events going on as well. What did all of these Hollywood events have to do with two Smalltown girls on a mission to see Darren Hayes?
Traffic. Detours. And Parking.
We navigated through constipated traffic and Hollywood detours in a giant truck we weren’t used to driving as we tried to get to the Roxy on Sunset. Let me just say chingpea is the master of LA traffic! I would have had a nervous breakdown driving that truck in that traffic. With all the detours, we couldn’t figure out how to get back to Sunset. So we asked a man on one of the side streets and he said, “go up to the corner, 'Roger-it' and that street will take you to Sunset, the Roxy will just be a little ways down from there,” turned out he was a regular at the Roxy. I was glad that chingpea was driving, because I had no idea what 'Roger-it' meant!
Once we found the Roxy, we had to find parking. The first public parking lot we tried charged thirty dollars to park! We kept driving until we found one under ten dollars and luckily it was within walking distance of the Roxy. Outside the Roxy, we waited in a line that was at least three blocks long and grew the longer we waited.
So did my excitement…
Unlike John Mayer’s concert where I fell under his gravitational spell, I’ve been in LOVE with Darren Hayes and his music for the past eight years. I’ll admit that I’ve been in love to the point of musical pop star obsession. His music has affected me that much. Not only was I about to see a rare Darren Hayes U.S. performance, (he hasn’t toured in the U.S. since 2000) but it was also chingpea’s Darren Hayes initiation. I wondered if she would love him as much as I did?
Soon the line started moving and we were finally inside the famous Roxy nightclub. It was really dark inside the Roxy! We crowded in as close as we could to the stage and waited with hundreds of fans all in love with Darren Hayes for what was to be an amazing show.
There were two opening acts: Julien and Tempo Shark. Both were a perfect combination of music to compliment Darren Hayes. Julien was an acoustic duo with a beautiful tenor voice whose music I really enjoyed.
And Tempo Shark was an electro-pop band whose lead singer was flirty, and their music made you want to dance.
The excitement in the crowd began to spark after Tempo Shark left the stage. The vibe was infectious and soon the crowd began to chant Darren’s name. When Darren Hayes took the stage, it was like he had never been gone. Darren wrote about the show on his blog:
“At first, the chanting of my name and the screaming I honestly thought must have been for something else. I did not expect such a vibe and it fueled a show that the band and crew were calling the best on the tour.”
Recently, chingpea and I traveled to Hollywood for a girl’s night out with Darren Hayes at the famous Roxy nightclub.
I don’t know what it is about Hollywood, perhaps it’s the gritty underbelly night life, or the magical feeling that celebrities frequent those clubs, those restaurants, or the realization that “this is where the movies are made,” the giant building size movie billboards, or maybe it’s the stars on the sidewalks, but I love exploring Hollywood. And I haven’t done a lot of Hollywood exploring in my life. My first real Hollywood experience was the night I blew my knee out after seeing the play Trainspotting. Since then I’ve only ventured to Hollywood a few times. I saw World Wide Spies at the Viper Room, I’ve eaten at Astro Burger and Mel’s Drive Thru and I’ve walked around Sunset and Hollywood Blvd. So, I was very excited to see my favorite pop star and the Roxy all on the same night.
Apparently everyone else in the world had the same idea of going out in Hollywood that night. The Los Angeles Film Festival was in full fanfare at the Hollywood Bowl, Ratatouille was premiering at the Kodak Theatre with some red carpet action, Darren Hayes was at the Roxy, Prince was at the Roosevelt Hotel for his seven gig stay, and there were many other events going on as well. What did all of these Hollywood events have to do with two Smalltown girls on a mission to see Darren Hayes?
Traffic. Detours. And Parking.
We navigated through constipated traffic and Hollywood detours in a giant truck we weren’t used to driving as we tried to get to the Roxy on Sunset. Let me just say chingpea is the master of LA traffic! I would have had a nervous breakdown driving that truck in that traffic. With all the detours, we couldn’t figure out how to get back to Sunset. So we asked a man on one of the side streets and he said, “go up to the corner, 'Roger-it' and that street will take you to Sunset, the Roxy will just be a little ways down from there,” turned out he was a regular at the Roxy. I was glad that chingpea was driving, because I had no idea what 'Roger-it' meant!
Once we found the Roxy, we had to find parking. The first public parking lot we tried charged thirty dollars to park! We kept driving until we found one under ten dollars and luckily it was within walking distance of the Roxy. Outside the Roxy, we waited in a line that was at least three blocks long and grew the longer we waited.
So did my excitement…
Unlike John Mayer’s concert where I fell under his gravitational spell, I’ve been in LOVE with Darren Hayes and his music for the past eight years. I’ll admit that I’ve been in love to the point of musical pop star obsession. His music has affected me that much. Not only was I about to see a rare Darren Hayes U.S. performance, (he hasn’t toured in the U.S. since 2000) but it was also chingpea’s Darren Hayes initiation. I wondered if she would love him as much as I did?
Soon the line started moving and we were finally inside the famous Roxy nightclub. It was really dark inside the Roxy! We crowded in as close as we could to the stage and waited with hundreds of fans all in love with Darren Hayes for what was to be an amazing show.
There were two opening acts: Julien and Tempo Shark. Both were a perfect combination of music to compliment Darren Hayes. Julien was an acoustic duo with a beautiful tenor voice whose music I really enjoyed.
And Tempo Shark was an electro-pop band whose lead singer was flirty, and their music made you want to dance.
The excitement in the crowd began to spark after Tempo Shark left the stage. The vibe was infectious and soon the crowd began to chant Darren’s name. When Darren Hayes took the stage, it was like he had never been gone. Darren wrote about the show on his blog:
“At first, the chanting of my name and the screaming I honestly thought must have been for something else. I did not expect such a vibe and it fueled a show that the band and crew were calling the best on the tour.”
I was so glad to be there with chingpea, among those people and Darren Hayes, at the Roxy, in that magical moment. It was surreal.
Darren performed an electric energized set that included old Savage Garden favorites: I Want You, Carry on Dancing and an acoustic version of I Don’t Know You Anymore. The crowd sang along to I Don’t Know You Anymore drowning Darren out until he stopped singing and listened to the sea of voices for a few lines. It was an incredible moment. So personal. So intimate.
Carry on Dancing - (Lighting is dark, but sound quality is good)
He did not perform the expected Savage Garden number one hits, focusing instead on the new music from his upcoming album This Delicate Thing We’ve Made including: On the Verge of Something Wonderful, Who Would Have Thought, Step into the Light and How to Build a Time Machine. How to Build a Time Machine is an amazing song! Wouldn't we all like to build a time machine and go back in time and bring back only the joy in our lives. I know I would.
He seemed to be more focused on the future than the past both musically and personally. His new music, like his new life, and even the way he performed/reworked his old music, had an infectious sincere happy vibe that made you believe all was right with the world. 
How to Build a Time Machine - Darren tells a story at beginning of video.(Lighting is dark, but sound quality is good)
He may not have performed some of my old favorite Savage Garden hits, but Darren did perform some of my favorite songs from his Tension and the Spark album, which I listen to constantly, including: Unlovable and I Like the Way. Unlovable was amazing live!
Surprisingly he also performed a dead-on cover of Prince’s Baby I’m a Star, which was out of this world. He ended it with his own Pop!ular and joked about “Bringing Sexy Back.”
Darren came back on stage at the end of the night to perform Void and Insatiable as a double encore, both were incredible live, and he left us all wanting more… especially this Smalltown girl.
He also joked about the reasons he hadn’t performed in the U.S. in seven years stating:
“I got Kelly Clarksoned. I put out two albums that I really believed in which got buried by a big, bad record label. I spent some time finding myself, and I got married to my boyfriend. You can do that in England!”
The crowd screamed and cheered louder and was Truly Madly Crazy for him. His long absence was forgiven.
Darren Hayes ROCKED the Roxy!
At the end of the show, as chingpea and I ventured out onto Sunset again, I realized that the intimate, up close and personal setting of the Roxy was the only way to see Darren Hayes perform. He had shared something special with us, part of himself, that wouldn’t have happened in a much larger venue. And I was even more in love with him and his music than before.
After such a great night of music... we rode Darren's vibe out into the night to conquer L.A. traffic again in the giant truck. As we drove down Sunset past the Ivy we saw about twenty Paparrazi photographing someone in a SUV parked outside. The camera flashes sparkled in the night like fireworks but we couldn't see which celebrity they were stalking. It was my first Paparrazi sighting. It was Hollywood.
Photos/videos by: chingpea
Labels: Bakersfield, Darren Hayes, Hollywood, LA Film Festival, Music, paparrazi, pop, Prince, Ratatouille, Smalltown Girls, The Roxy
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Some Place Cool
The triple digit heatwave is finally here... we're baking in Bakersfield!
Last Saturday some friends and I escaped the heat on an impromptu trip to Santa Barbara where I actually had to buy a sweatshirt. Can you imagine that? I bought a sweatshirt in July because I was cold! My Bakersfield attire of tank top and sunscreen was no match for the cooler climate of Santa Barbara.
As we walked around the pier and State Street enjoying the cool winds, the sound of sea gulls, the salty air, and the adventure of another city, Bakersfield's heatwave was all but forgotten.
And so was any thought of responsibility. It was a nice lazy day.
And in this heat... I'll escape in my mind, I'll think of Santa Barbara, of some place cool.
Care to join me?
The triple digit heatwave is finally here... we're baking in Bakersfield!
Last Saturday some friends and I escaped the heat on an impromptu trip to Santa Barbara where I actually had to buy a sweatshirt. Can you imagine that? I bought a sweatshirt in July because I was cold! My Bakersfield attire of tank top and sunscreen was no match for the cooler climate of Santa Barbara.
As we walked around the pier and State Street enjoying the cool winds, the sound of sea gulls, the salty air, and the adventure of another city, Bakersfield's heatwave was all but forgotten.
And so was any thought of responsibility. It was a nice lazy day.
And in this heat... I'll escape in my mind, I'll think of Santa Barbara, of some place cool.
Care to join me?
Labels: Bakersfield, cool, heatwave, Santa Barbara
Thursday, July 05, 2007
John Mayer's Gravity
A couple weeks ago, chingpea and I traveled to the Big NO (Fresno, California) to see John Mayer perform at the Savemart Center. Ben Folds, who opened for John Mayer, was already performing when we arrived. After grabbing a slice of pizza, we found our seats and caught the last song or two of his set. That boy can play a mean piano!
Soon John Mayer, fresh from another breakup with Jessica Simpson and sporting a new haircut, took the stage and started the night off with an old favorite, No Such Thing. And that was all it took, his gravity was too strong for me… I fell like a child. I was pulled under his spell by his jazzy, bluesy guitar playing, gravelly voice and romantic storytelling lyrics. The adorable facial expressions he made while singing was a bonus! And when he sang Good Love is On the Way, I believed him.
I believed him even though I fought off the hands of the drunk hip-hop dude next to me who used every hip-hop dance move he knew to feel me up through out the whole concert. But even drunk hip-hop dude couldn’t break John Mayer’s gravitational pull… I was hooked, sucked into John Mayer’s gravity.
He sang Waiting on the World to Change, Why Georgia and my personal anthem Bigger Than My Body which always reminds me that I can do more than my knees allow me to, among other songs. He ended the set with Gravity and brought the house down with his bluesy rendition. John Mayer gives good gravity!
He came back on stage for an acoustic set of: 3x5, Slow Danicng, The Hurt and I’m Gonna Find Another You. He introduced The Hurt as a new song, but he wouldn’t tell us whom he wrote it about because, “it would just end up in People magazine,” so he thought it better to just shut up and sing. We all knew whom he was talking about anyway.
The Hurt was not a favorite of chingpea’s, but I liked it. So I’ll leave you with John Mayer singing The Hurt and maybe it will swirl around in your mind the way it did mine all the way home from Fresno that night.
Photos by: Glenda Bunag
A couple weeks ago, chingpea and I traveled to the Big NO (Fresno, California) to see John Mayer perform at the Savemart Center. Ben Folds, who opened for John Mayer, was already performing when we arrived. After grabbing a slice of pizza, we found our seats and caught the last song or two of his set. That boy can play a mean piano!
Soon John Mayer, fresh from another breakup with Jessica Simpson and sporting a new haircut, took the stage and started the night off with an old favorite, No Such Thing. And that was all it took, his gravity was too strong for me… I fell like a child. I was pulled under his spell by his jazzy, bluesy guitar playing, gravelly voice and romantic storytelling lyrics. The adorable facial expressions he made while singing was a bonus! And when he sang Good Love is On the Way, I believed him.
I believed him even though I fought off the hands of the drunk hip-hop dude next to me who used every hip-hop dance move he knew to feel me up through out the whole concert. But even drunk hip-hop dude couldn’t break John Mayer’s gravitational pull… I was hooked, sucked into John Mayer’s gravity.
He sang Waiting on the World to Change, Why Georgia and my personal anthem Bigger Than My Body which always reminds me that I can do more than my knees allow me to, among other songs. He ended the set with Gravity and brought the house down with his bluesy rendition. John Mayer gives good gravity!
He came back on stage for an acoustic set of: 3x5, Slow Danicng, The Hurt and I’m Gonna Find Another You. He introduced The Hurt as a new song, but he wouldn’t tell us whom he wrote it about because, “it would just end up in People magazine,” so he thought it better to just shut up and sing. We all knew whom he was talking about anyway.
The Hurt was not a favorite of chingpea’s, but I liked it. So I’ll leave you with John Mayer singing The Hurt and maybe it will swirl around in your mind the way it did mine all the way home from Fresno that night.
Photos by: Glenda Bunag
Labels: Bakersfield, California Central Valley, Fresno, gravity, Jessica Simpson, John Mayer
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
A Volcanic 4th of July
Many years ago, when I was a young girl, several of my cousins and I were spending the summer with my grandparents on their farm.
It was the 4th of July and the older boys had an idea to make a volcano in which to set fireworks off in. A volcano, which would erupt with Whistling Pete’s and other fireworks. It was the grandest idea we’d had all summer!
We tagged along as the older boys snuck into the barn and found a piece of wood, a pipe about two feet long, a bag of cement and some wire mesh with which to construct our volcano.
We weren’t allowed to play in the barn where the farm equipment was kept. If grandpa found out that we had taken things from the barn, we’d all get our butts tanned. But being on the farm meant survival and freedom from city life, freedom from our parents, so we climbed haystacks and tractors and hid grandpa’s work truck from him. It was all in good fun. Besides grandpa could never stay mad at us grandkids for very long, he loved us too much.
We kept watch as the older boys constructed the volcano. First the pipe was attached to the piece of wood and resembled the remains of my stolen yard fountain.
Next they attached the wire mesh around the pipe and mixed the cement thickly applying it to the wire mesh and pipe shaping it like a mountain. They carried their creation, one boy on each side walking slowly, and hid it behind the barn letting it bake and harden in the sun all day.
That night as the family gathered outside for fireworks, the cement volcano was ready to erupt. The older boys proudly brought out their volcanic creation and dropped the first shooting streaming firework into the pipe hole in the top of the volcano cement mountain, lit it and watched the volcanic firework eruption with pride in their eyes.
Their grand volcano idea worked!
It was the best homemade firework erupting volcano ever!
Of course we all got in trouble for taking the cement from the barn. But grandpa didn’t stay mad too long… he was blinded by our volcanic 4th of July genius.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
Many years ago, when I was a young girl, several of my cousins and I were spending the summer with my grandparents on their farm.
It was the 4th of July and the older boys had an idea to make a volcano in which to set fireworks off in. A volcano, which would erupt with Whistling Pete’s and other fireworks. It was the grandest idea we’d had all summer!
We tagged along as the older boys snuck into the barn and found a piece of wood, a pipe about two feet long, a bag of cement and some wire mesh with which to construct our volcano.
We weren’t allowed to play in the barn where the farm equipment was kept. If grandpa found out that we had taken things from the barn, we’d all get our butts tanned. But being on the farm meant survival and freedom from city life, freedom from our parents, so we climbed haystacks and tractors and hid grandpa’s work truck from him. It was all in good fun. Besides grandpa could never stay mad at us grandkids for very long, he loved us too much.
We kept watch as the older boys constructed the volcano. First the pipe was attached to the piece of wood and resembled the remains of my stolen yard fountain.
Next they attached the wire mesh around the pipe and mixed the cement thickly applying it to the wire mesh and pipe shaping it like a mountain. They carried their creation, one boy on each side walking slowly, and hid it behind the barn letting it bake and harden in the sun all day.
That night as the family gathered outside for fireworks, the cement volcano was ready to erupt. The older boys proudly brought out their volcanic creation and dropped the first shooting streaming firework into the pipe hole in the top of the volcano cement mountain, lit it and watched the volcanic firework eruption with pride in their eyes.
Their grand volcano idea worked!
It was the best homemade firework erupting volcano ever!
Of course we all got in trouble for taking the cement from the barn. But grandpa didn’t stay mad too long… he was blinded by our volcanic 4th of July genius.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
Labels: 4th of July, Bakersfield, California Central Valley, eruptions, farm, fireworks, volcano
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Memoir discussions...
I discovered interesting discussions on the memoir this week and shared the ins and outs of the memoir with everyone at Noveltown.
Here's a little bit about the memoir:
Recently, I finished reading Alice Sebold’s memoir: Lucky, a courageous tale of her brutal rape as a college freshman and the transformation in her life that followed. Typically I read more novels than I do memoirs. I don’t know that I would ever have picked up a memoir about a violent rape if Alice Sebold hadn’t been the author. It’s not that I can’t handle reading about rape or violence, but perhaps it’s the trueness of the subject and the personal connection to the author that changes the reality of the words. In a memoir the author shares a little piece of their soul with you in the telling of their story.
However, I find Sebold’s writing so compelling, so open and enchanting, I couldn’t help myself. She took a horrific story of rape and turned it into a story about her life I could not stop reading. The affect of a brutal rape on a person’s life was never more revealing to me than when Sebold stated: “After telling the hard facts to anyone, from lover to friend, I have changed in their eyes.”
After having just devoured Sebold’s memoir, I was ecstatic to find a great discussion on memoirs this week over on the Pub Rants blog from literary agent Kristin who participated in a panel at the Backspace Conference entitled: How to Publish a Memoir if You Aren’t Famous. She wrote several blogs discussing memoirs, which turned out to be the most popular genre at the Backspace Conference. She also brought up some great points that I just had to share with all of you writers contemplating writing a memoir.
Kristin writes:
“Lots of people want to write a memoir and it’s also the hardest project to get published by a non-celebrity. And here’s my little rant, very few people actually have stories that are big enough to capture national attention and hence, editor attention.”
What does that mean for those of you writing memoirs? It means that whether you have experienced divorce, or was a child of divorced parents, had abandonment issues, have mental health issues, suffered heartbreak, lived a wild life of sex, drugs and rock and roll, was in the military and went to war, graduated top of your class in college, had cancer, failed in business, lost a child or spouse, was violently attacked, or any other thing that you’ve experienced in your life, millions of other people have experienced them too.
So what sets your story apart from the millions of other similar stories? What makes your story worthy of garnering attention, of being published?
“People need to have a persuasive reason to read your story. Were you famous or associated with someone famous? If not, you have to find a way to tell your story that is so involving and compelling and unique that it grabs the reader from the very first sentence and never lets them go until the end.”
There's a lot more tips about the memoir. Read the full blog and join in the discussion on Paperback Writer.
I discovered interesting discussions on the memoir this week and shared the ins and outs of the memoir with everyone at Noveltown.
Here's a little bit about the memoir:
Recently, I finished reading Alice Sebold’s memoir: Lucky, a courageous tale of her brutal rape as a college freshman and the transformation in her life that followed. Typically I read more novels than I do memoirs. I don’t know that I would ever have picked up a memoir about a violent rape if Alice Sebold hadn’t been the author. It’s not that I can’t handle reading about rape or violence, but perhaps it’s the trueness of the subject and the personal connection to the author that changes the reality of the words. In a memoir the author shares a little piece of their soul with you in the telling of their story.
However, I find Sebold’s writing so compelling, so open and enchanting, I couldn’t help myself. She took a horrific story of rape and turned it into a story about her life I could not stop reading. The affect of a brutal rape on a person’s life was never more revealing to me than when Sebold stated: “After telling the hard facts to anyone, from lover to friend, I have changed in their eyes.”
After having just devoured Sebold’s memoir, I was ecstatic to find a great discussion on memoirs this week over on the Pub Rants blog from literary agent Kristin who participated in a panel at the Backspace Conference entitled: How to Publish a Memoir if You Aren’t Famous. She wrote several blogs discussing memoirs, which turned out to be the most popular genre at the Backspace Conference. She also brought up some great points that I just had to share with all of you writers contemplating writing a memoir.
Kristin writes:
“Lots of people want to write a memoir and it’s also the hardest project to get published by a non-celebrity. And here’s my little rant, very few people actually have stories that are big enough to capture national attention and hence, editor attention.”
What does that mean for those of you writing memoirs? It means that whether you have experienced divorce, or was a child of divorced parents, had abandonment issues, have mental health issues, suffered heartbreak, lived a wild life of sex, drugs and rock and roll, was in the military and went to war, graduated top of your class in college, had cancer, failed in business, lost a child or spouse, was violently attacked, or any other thing that you’ve experienced in your life, millions of other people have experienced them too.
So what sets your story apart from the millions of other similar stories? What makes your story worthy of garnering attention, of being published?
“People need to have a persuasive reason to read your story. Were you famous or associated with someone famous? If not, you have to find a way to tell your story that is so involving and compelling and unique that it grabs the reader from the very first sentence and never lets them go until the end.”
There's a lot more tips about the memoir. Read the full blog and join in the discussion on Paperback Writer.
Labels: Bakersfield, books, Literary, memoir, Noveltown, Paperback Writer, Writing
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Oh, My Nola...
A few days before my birthday, Harry Connick Jr. was in town with his Big Band singing music from his two new albums Oh, My Nola and Chanson du Vieux Carré celebrating his home town of New Orleans, one of my favorite cities I have ever spent time in.
I had really been looking forward to seeing Harry again! He is by far one of my all time favorite musicians and performers. And the only way to see Harry is up close and personal, sitting in the orchestra pit where you are close enough to see and hear Harry tapping his foot in time to his piano playing, close enough to watch Harry’s hands playing rapid jazz piano rhythms and melodies, and close enough to feel the deep inflections of Harry’s voice like kisses on your skin when he sings.
I don’t believe you would have the same concert experience sitting back in the general audience as you do in the orchestra pit because Harry is so personable with those sitting close, engaging them in conversation, making jokes about waking up inside the Rabobank on his tour bus, laughing, dancing and shaking his bootie, and flashing those heart-melting dimples when he smiles. The people in the orchestra pit participate in the show whereas those in the general audience watch.
New Orleans music has its own sound and emotion that always takes me back to the times I’ve spent in that great city. Harry Connick Jr. and his Big Band play it like it was the only music that ever existed or mattered. They played from their hearts music from their childhoods, home town and legendary mentors along with original songs from Harry Connick Jr. Harry and all the members of his Big Band are extraordinary musicians and they showcased their talent as if they were having the time of their lives. You could just tell they all love what they do!
Although Harry began the show with one of my all time favorite songs: Come By Me, the show consisted mostly of music from his two new New Orleans albums featuring songs like: Working in a Coal Mine, Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey?, Oh, My Nola, Luscious, New Orleans, Bourban Street Parade, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and Do Dat Thing, which was a tribute to legendary New Orleans musicians, among other songs.
There were three moments in the show that really stood out for me and made it a night to remember…
The first was when Harry sang Let Them Talk. A ballad, Harry sang it like no other could with his deep romantic voice that melted my heart when he sang the words, “I want the whole wide world to know…that I, I really love you so.”
The second was when Harry left the grand piano at center stage to go play an old upright piano off to the side of the stage in a set that looked like a New Orleans club on Bourban Street. He played the most amazing and intricate piano solo song I have ever heard that brought the crowd to its feet. He effortlessly reminded me of why he is my all time favorite jazz pianist. I wish I could play my upright piano half as good. Alas, I do not have Harry’s talent.
He went on to play a few more songs from the New Orleans club set on the old upright piano with his Big Band and I felt like I was back in New Orleans. Back on Bourban Street in jazz clubs and restaurants where jazz musicians poured out great music while waiters walked around with baking sheets of fresh hot biscuits straight from the oven. I could taste the buttered biscuits melting in my mouth as Harry played and sang about New Orleans memories and legends.
And the third was during Mardi Gras in New Orleans when chingpea threw a Mardi Gras bead necklace on stage and Harry danced over and put it around his neck. One of our group had touched something that now touched Harry!
When that beaded necklace hit the stage I remembered being in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, watching the parades, being one of thousands crowded onto Bourban Street as people on the hotel balconies threw Mardi Gras beads down to those in the street. I remembered the music. I remembered New Orleans with all its grandeur and history.
Oh, My Nola… I’ll remember you through your music.
*Pictures posted were found on the internet and are not from the Oh, My Nola concert in Bakersfield as photography was not allowed.
A few days before my birthday, Harry Connick Jr. was in town with his Big Band singing music from his two new albums Oh, My Nola and Chanson du Vieux Carré celebrating his home town of New Orleans, one of my favorite cities I have ever spent time in.
I had really been looking forward to seeing Harry again! He is by far one of my all time favorite musicians and performers. And the only way to see Harry is up close and personal, sitting in the orchestra pit where you are close enough to see and hear Harry tapping his foot in time to his piano playing, close enough to watch Harry’s hands playing rapid jazz piano rhythms and melodies, and close enough to feel the deep inflections of Harry’s voice like kisses on your skin when he sings.
I don’t believe you would have the same concert experience sitting back in the general audience as you do in the orchestra pit because Harry is so personable with those sitting close, engaging them in conversation, making jokes about waking up inside the Rabobank on his tour bus, laughing, dancing and shaking his bootie, and flashing those heart-melting dimples when he smiles. The people in the orchestra pit participate in the show whereas those in the general audience watch.
New Orleans music has its own sound and emotion that always takes me back to the times I’ve spent in that great city. Harry Connick Jr. and his Big Band play it like it was the only music that ever existed or mattered. They played from their hearts music from their childhoods, home town and legendary mentors along with original songs from Harry Connick Jr. Harry and all the members of his Big Band are extraordinary musicians and they showcased their talent as if they were having the time of their lives. You could just tell they all love what they do!
Although Harry began the show with one of my all time favorite songs: Come By Me, the show consisted mostly of music from his two new New Orleans albums featuring songs like: Working in a Coal Mine, Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey?, Oh, My Nola, Luscious, New Orleans, Bourban Street Parade, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and Do Dat Thing, which was a tribute to legendary New Orleans musicians, among other songs.
There were three moments in the show that really stood out for me and made it a night to remember…
The first was when Harry sang Let Them Talk. A ballad, Harry sang it like no other could with his deep romantic voice that melted my heart when he sang the words, “I want the whole wide world to know…that I, I really love you so.”
The second was when Harry left the grand piano at center stage to go play an old upright piano off to the side of the stage in a set that looked like a New Orleans club on Bourban Street. He played the most amazing and intricate piano solo song I have ever heard that brought the crowd to its feet. He effortlessly reminded me of why he is my all time favorite jazz pianist. I wish I could play my upright piano half as good. Alas, I do not have Harry’s talent.
He went on to play a few more songs from the New Orleans club set on the old upright piano with his Big Band and I felt like I was back in New Orleans. Back on Bourban Street in jazz clubs and restaurants where jazz musicians poured out great music while waiters walked around with baking sheets of fresh hot biscuits straight from the oven. I could taste the buttered biscuits melting in my mouth as Harry played and sang about New Orleans memories and legends.
And the third was during Mardi Gras in New Orleans when chingpea threw a Mardi Gras bead necklace on stage and Harry danced over and put it around his neck. One of our group had touched something that now touched Harry!
When that beaded necklace hit the stage I remembered being in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, watching the parades, being one of thousands crowded onto Bourban Street as people on the hotel balconies threw Mardi Gras beads down to those in the street. I remembered the music. I remembered New Orleans with all its grandeur and history.
Oh, My Nola… I’ll remember you through your music.
*Pictures posted were found on the internet and are not from the Oh, My Nola concert in Bakersfield as photography was not allowed.
Labels: Bakersfield, Bourban Street, Harry Connick Jr., jazz music, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Oh My Nola, piano
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Captain Jack goes to the End of the World and breaks another record
For my male readers who are tired of hearing me wax poetic about Captain Jack and Johnny Depp, who gag every time I post another Captain Jack/Johnny Depp photo, please feel free to skip right over this blog, in fact go read about me being a zombie… this blog is for the females.
I’ve been looking forward to the opening of the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean and seeing Captain Jack once again on the big screen all year. In fact I have been obsessed. And like any good obsessed smalltown girl, I joined my friends after work last Thursday evening to wait in line for the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End wearing my favorite Captain Jack t-shirt.
We waited in the heat as the sun had decided to burn down upon us as if we were lost at sea with no cover. Those next to me in line opened an umbrella and tried to find shade. While others camped out in lawn chairs and on blankets text messaging and reading books. There were many pirates from the local Pirates Guild in full pirate regalia in line having mock sword fights, smoking cigarettes and talking in “arghs,” I wanted one of their fabulous pirate costumes.
Chingpea and I argued with a 4-year-old pirate over Captain Jack and Will Turner. The 4 year old claimed: “Captain Jack is old,” chingpea and I were heart broken for our beloved Captain Jack. I guess each generation has their pirate, Will Turner can be the young ones pirate, Captain Jack is chingpea’s and mine.
Finally they began to let us into the theatre. Pirates 3 At World’s End was worth the wait! I liked it much better than Pirates 2 Dead Man’s Chest. There were amazing Singapore scenes, the tyrannical East India Company and the demolishment of democracy, the journey to Davy Jones’ Locker to rescue Captain Jack, a sea goddess, the pirate brethren, great sword fights, and love and betrayal.
Even though it took a while for Captain Jack to make an appearance, once found he was larger than life in every scene. And though he suffered from delusions because of his visit to the locker, he was nobody’s fool. All of the main characters story lines were completed and we found out the answers to many unanswered questions from the previous two movies. Each of the characters seemed to have their own agenda, and at times it was hard to figure out who was betraying whom. In the end Will and Elizabeth’s love and Captain Jack’s good heart won the day.
I’ve read in articles where Johnny Depp is so attached to his Captain Jack character that he’s not quite ready to give him up. Believe me, I’m not ready to give up Captain Jack yet either. In the end the movie is left open for a fourth installment of Pirates should every one so desire it. I certainly wouldn’t object to more Captain Jack and Pirates movies.
In the meantime, Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End broke the record for best Memorial Day opening with $142.1 million for the three-day weekend and another $14 million on the premiere last Thursday. And with sold out shows continuing those numbers will only climb.
I’ve seen the movie twice now and can’t wait to see it a few more times at the theatre; it’s a wild pirate ride to the end of the world.
For my male readers who are tired of hearing me wax poetic about Captain Jack and Johnny Depp, who gag every time I post another Captain Jack/Johnny Depp photo, please feel free to skip right over this blog, in fact go read about me being a zombie… this blog is for the females.
I’ve been looking forward to the opening of the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean and seeing Captain Jack once again on the big screen all year. In fact I have been obsessed. And like any good obsessed smalltown girl, I joined my friends after work last Thursday evening to wait in line for the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End wearing my favorite Captain Jack t-shirt.
We waited in the heat as the sun had decided to burn down upon us as if we were lost at sea with no cover. Those next to me in line opened an umbrella and tried to find shade. While others camped out in lawn chairs and on blankets text messaging and reading books. There were many pirates from the local Pirates Guild in full pirate regalia in line having mock sword fights, smoking cigarettes and talking in “arghs,” I wanted one of their fabulous pirate costumes.
Chingpea and I argued with a 4-year-old pirate over Captain Jack and Will Turner. The 4 year old claimed: “Captain Jack is old,” chingpea and I were heart broken for our beloved Captain Jack. I guess each generation has their pirate, Will Turner can be the young ones pirate, Captain Jack is chingpea’s and mine.
Finally they began to let us into the theatre. Pirates 3 At World’s End was worth the wait! I liked it much better than Pirates 2 Dead Man’s Chest. There were amazing Singapore scenes, the tyrannical East India Company and the demolishment of democracy, the journey to Davy Jones’ Locker to rescue Captain Jack, a sea goddess, the pirate brethren, great sword fights, and love and betrayal.
Even though it took a while for Captain Jack to make an appearance, once found he was larger than life in every scene. And though he suffered from delusions because of his visit to the locker, he was nobody’s fool. All of the main characters story lines were completed and we found out the answers to many unanswered questions from the previous two movies. Each of the characters seemed to have their own agenda, and at times it was hard to figure out who was betraying whom. In the end Will and Elizabeth’s love and Captain Jack’s good heart won the day.
I’ve read in articles where Johnny Depp is so attached to his Captain Jack character that he’s not quite ready to give him up. Believe me, I’m not ready to give up Captain Jack yet either. In the end the movie is left open for a fourth installment of Pirates should every one so desire it. I certainly wouldn’t object to more Captain Jack and Pirates movies.
In the meantime, Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End broke the record for best Memorial Day opening with $142.1 million for the three-day weekend and another $14 million on the premiere last Thursday. And with sold out shows continuing those numbers will only climb.
I’ve seen the movie twice now and can’t wait to see it a few more times at the theatre; it’s a wild pirate ride to the end of the world.
Labels: Bakersfield, Captain Jack, Johnny Depp, Kern County Pirates Guild, Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End, Smalltown Girls
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tonight I'm seeing a New Orleans man...
Harry Connick Jr. is in town tonight with his New Orleans tour singing songs about one of my favorite cities I've ever spent time in.
My friends and I will be there with our drool on.
**Updated: I'll regale you all with Harry Connick, Jr. tales soon...
Harry Connick Jr. is in town tonight with his New Orleans tour singing songs about one of my favorite cities I've ever spent time in.
My friends and I will be there with our drool on.
**Updated: I'll regale you all with Harry Connick, Jr. tales soon...
Labels: Bakersfield, Harry Connick Jr., jazz music, New Orleans, Rabobank
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
A New Crop of Annoying Cats
I was walking from the house to the garage the other day when out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the many annoying cats that belong to my little old cat lady next door neighbor, lounging under the trees in my back yard.
Annoying cats! I thought and then froze mid-step.
Kittens! There were four annoying kittens snuggled up next to that annoying cat!
“Unbelievable they're multiplying!” I said out loud. The annoying cat actually winked at me.
Of course I immediately went back into the house and grabbed my camera to get photographic proof for you all, my readers, of the fruit of the cat-wailing and moaning and sex-screaming – cat sex rendezvous’ I constantly suffer through night after night after night as if they were the ‘outside my window pornographic theatre players’.
So here they are… the new crop of annoying cats!
I wonder if the SPCA picks up annoying cats and kittens?
I wonder if my little old cat lady neighbor knows her annoying cat brood has grown by four?
Why in the world did that annoying cat pick my yard to have kittens in?
Ugh! Just what I need… more annoying cats to deal with.
I was walking from the house to the garage the other day when out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the many annoying cats that belong to my little old cat lady next door neighbor, lounging under the trees in my back yard.
Annoying cats! I thought and then froze mid-step.
Kittens! There were four annoying kittens snuggled up next to that annoying cat!
“Unbelievable they're multiplying!” I said out loud. The annoying cat actually winked at me.
Of course I immediately went back into the house and grabbed my camera to get photographic proof for you all, my readers, of the fruit of the cat-wailing and moaning and sex-screaming – cat sex rendezvous’ I constantly suffer through night after night after night as if they were the ‘outside my window pornographic theatre players’.
So here they are… the new crop of annoying cats!
I wonder if the SPCA picks up annoying cats and kittens?
I wonder if my little old cat lady neighbor knows her annoying cat brood has grown by four?
Why in the world did that annoying cat pick my yard to have kittens in?
Ugh! Just what I need… more annoying cats to deal with.
Labels: annoying cats, Bakersfield, kittens, SPCA
Friday, May 18, 2007
Wretched Flesh! Get your Zombie on…
Hectic Films is filming their zombie movie Wretched Flesh this weekend. Are you going to be a zombie? I am! This is your one chance to be a zombie in a Hectic Films horror flick. So come out and get your zombie on… Hectic Films needs all the zombies they can get.
Watch the teaser test video for Wretched Flesh…
Here are all the details from Hectic Films:
“For those of you who don't know… We are making a Zombie Movie called Wretched Flesh. So far we have a lot of the community helping out with to make this local project awesome! We have local bands making songs The Silence Club (of course! We can't make any video without that awesome sound) OP Stylee, Isaac Rocha from Safe Sounds (The song he submitted is the one in the trailer, Awesome huh?) and Dirty Spanglish (their song is actually going to be called Wretched Flesh!!). We need more songs from local bands so if you are interested make a song about zombies! We have also had an extreme amount of help and support from Noveltown (Thanks Guys!). Even Padgett Productions who donated some time at our studio to train some zombies how to get crazy. We would just like to say thanks!
So with the help of some local filmmakers, MeatyDish Productions, Birdloaf, Vindictive Films, Poop Productions, Some guy Named Walter and Stupid Kid Productions, this should be an awesome flick. We will be meeting up at the Down Towner Inn on 13th and Chester on May 20th, 2007 at 2pm. If you wanna be a zombie show up! If you wanna help out show up. If you want to watch show up. If you would like to stop by and take pictures, give us money, feed us show up!!!! We want to make this the biggest no budget production that has ever been here in Bakersfield so come down!
If you want to be a zombie just show up in crappy clothes and the make-up artists will do the rest! We will have some clothes also to use for the shoot. All the make-up artists will be promoted on our site! So stop by and check that out in a few weeks! Along with the bands that make songs for the movie.
Oh yes keep in mind that there is going to be a private showing of the finished project for only those who were in it! So again if you are interested let us know!”
Hectic Films is filming their zombie movie Wretched Flesh this weekend. Are you going to be a zombie? I am! This is your one chance to be a zombie in a Hectic Films horror flick. So come out and get your zombie on… Hectic Films needs all the zombies they can get.
Watch the teaser test video for Wretched Flesh…
Here are all the details from Hectic Films:
“For those of you who don't know… We are making a Zombie Movie called Wretched Flesh. So far we have a lot of the community helping out with to make this local project awesome! We have local bands making songs The Silence Club (of course! We can't make any video without that awesome sound) OP Stylee, Isaac Rocha from Safe Sounds (The song he submitted is the one in the trailer, Awesome huh?) and Dirty Spanglish (their song is actually going to be called Wretched Flesh!!). We need more songs from local bands so if you are interested make a song about zombies! We have also had an extreme amount of help and support from Noveltown (Thanks Guys!). Even Padgett Productions who donated some time at our studio to train some zombies how to get crazy. We would just like to say thanks!
So with the help of some local filmmakers, MeatyDish Productions, Birdloaf, Vindictive Films, Poop Productions, Some guy Named Walter and Stupid Kid Productions, this should be an awesome flick. We will be meeting up at the Down Towner Inn on 13th and Chester on May 20th, 2007 at 2pm. If you wanna be a zombie show up! If you wanna help out show up. If you want to watch show up. If you would like to stop by and take pictures, give us money, feed us show up!!!! We want to make this the biggest no budget production that has ever been here in Bakersfield so come down!
If you want to be a zombie just show up in crappy clothes and the make-up artists will do the rest! We will have some clothes also to use for the shoot. All the make-up artists will be promoted on our site! So stop by and check that out in a few weeks! Along with the bands that make songs for the movie.
Oh yes keep in mind that there is going to be a private showing of the finished project for only those who were in it! So again if you are interested let us know!”
Labels: Bakersfield, filmmakers, Hectic Films, Horror films, Noveltown, Zombies
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The Noveltown Review
Take a look inside the Noveltown Review...
The newest literary magazine out of the California Central Valley features some great writers from across the country.
Fiction stories by: Brad Listi, N. Frank Daniels, Conrad Romo and Susan Henderson.
Literary articles by: Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Cindy Wathen, N. Frank Daniels, Robin Slick, Susan Henderson and N.L. Belardes.
Poetry by: Matildakay, Rich Ferguson and Jenn Williams.
The layout is classy and goregeous! The writing is outstanding! You won't be able to put it down.
Get your free copy in Bakersfield at Russo's Books at the Marketplace or Metro Art Galleries downtown.
Or order your copy online at www.noveltown.net/books. (Online orders - minimal cost to cover shipping).
Read excerpts from the magazine and see photos from the Noveltown Review's premier Mixer on Paperback Writer.
**Updated: Read Greg Goodsell's review of the Noveltown Review on Bakotopia and leave a comment.
Be Noveltown's friend... add Noveltown on myspace!
Take a look inside the Noveltown Review...
The newest literary magazine out of the California Central Valley features some great writers from across the country.
Fiction stories by: Brad Listi, N. Frank Daniels, Conrad Romo and Susan Henderson.
Literary articles by: Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Cindy Wathen, N. Frank Daniels, Robin Slick, Susan Henderson and N.L. Belardes.
Poetry by: Matildakay, Rich Ferguson and Jenn Williams.
The layout is classy and goregeous! The writing is outstanding! You won't be able to put it down.
Get your free copy in Bakersfield at Russo's Books at the Marketplace or Metro Art Galleries downtown.
Or order your copy online at www.noveltown.net/books. (Online orders - minimal cost to cover shipping).
Read excerpts from the magazine and see photos from the Noveltown Review's premier Mixer on Paperback Writer.
**Updated: Read Greg Goodsell's review of the Noveltown Review on Bakotopia and leave a comment.
Be Noveltown's friend... add Noveltown on myspace!
Labels: Bakersfield, Brad Listi, California Central Valley, Cindy Wathen, N. Frank Daniels, N.L. Belardes, Noveltown, Rich Ferguson, Robin Slick, Susan Henerson, The Noveltown Review
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Some Annoying Cats have Talent
Some annoying cats have talent. Like Nora, the piano playing annoying cat and Internet star, her youtube video has had 2.5 million views.
Watch the musical stylings of annoying cat Nora:
My little old cat lady neighbor’s annoying cats are not in the same league as Nora. No, their talents are: lazily lounging in my yard, eerily staring me down, pacing back and forth on the window ledges, creepy close encounters, waking me up at night with their cat-wailing and moaning and sex-screaming – cat sex rendezvous’ outside my bedroom window, using my yard as their personal toilet and killing birds and leaving their remains for me to find.
I do have a piano, but there is no way in hell I’m letting any of those annoying cats into my house to play it. I don’t think I’d do it even for 2.5 million unique visitors to my blog.
No, I think things are better left the way they are between the annoying cats and myself. Them being the bane of my existence and me plotting their demise by air pistol or any other of the various fun suggestions readers and friends have made. They’re lucky I still brake for annoying cats on my street!
Some annoying cats have talent. Like Nora, the piano playing annoying cat and Internet star, her youtube video has had 2.5 million views.
Watch the musical stylings of annoying cat Nora:
My little old cat lady neighbor’s annoying cats are not in the same league as Nora. No, their talents are: lazily lounging in my yard, eerily staring me down, pacing back and forth on the window ledges, creepy close encounters, waking me up at night with their cat-wailing and moaning and sex-screaming – cat sex rendezvous’ outside my bedroom window, using my yard as their personal toilet and killing birds and leaving their remains for me to find.
I do have a piano, but there is no way in hell I’m letting any of those annoying cats into my house to play it. I don’t think I’d do it even for 2.5 million unique visitors to my blog.
No, I think things are better left the way they are between the annoying cats and myself. Them being the bane of my existence and me plotting their demise by air pistol or any other of the various fun suggestions readers and friends have made. They’re lucky I still brake for annoying cats on my street!
Labels: annoying cats, Bakersfield, Blogging, Music, piano
Sunday, April 01, 2007
The Great Fountain Mystery
I’m not a yard person. Meaning I don’t like yard work. In fact I don’t do it. I have a gardener. The house I live in now, the gardener is provided by the property management company and included in my rent. The gardener comes on Thursday afternoon. Because the gardener works for the property management company instead of me, we don’t have conversations. We don’t talk about the dead looking banana trees that they never trim. We don’t talk about the flowering tree that hangs over the back fence and gate and is so overgrown that it feels like a jungle. In fact other than the occasional sound of the lawnmower in the backyard when I go home for lunch, or the tell tale sign of the back gate being left open, I’d never even know the gardener had been there. They mow the grass and that’s about it.
I like my house better than any house I’ve lived in as an ‘adult’. It’s got a big front yard that wraps around the house and a nice size back yard. If it wasn’t for my neighbor’s annoying cats camping out in my yard it would be idyllic. The front yard even came with a good size fountain near the front door in what I guess would be the flower bed if it had flowers instead of shrubs.
I never gave the fountain much thought. It was pretty to look at but wasn’t a working fountain with water and all. My friend’s little girl once filled it with wild flowers she pulled from the grass. But to me it was just a yard ornament. That was until recently.
“What happened to the fountain in your yard?” My dad asked.
“I don’t know. What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s missing.” Dad stated.
“Missing!”
“Yeah its gone. Didn’t you notice?”
I rarely use my front door. I always enter my house through the side door after parking the car in the garage. So I hadn’t noticed the fountain was gone.
Now there is a pipe sticking up out of a slab of cement where the fountain used to be.
It looks strange.
I have to ask. Who in their right mind would steal a fountain? And how does someone steal a fountain?
Do a bunch of guys sitting around drinking beer decide to steal a fountain on a drunken dare and pull up in front of my house in the middle of the night with tools and strong arm the fountain into a truck?
It has to be the oddest thing to steal.
I have to admit; my first thought was to suspect the gardener. But since we don’t talk about the yard, I didn’t think I could accuse him of stealing the fountain.
And then there is the dilemma of telling the property management company that someone stole the fountain from the front yard. Would they make me pay for it? I wondered.
I still don’t know the answer to that one.
The other day a friend and I were driving past Las Palmas Nursery on Coffee Road and we both noticed all the fountains and fancy garden ornaments.
“There’s your fountain.” My friend joked.
I laughed. But I couldn’t help but wonder… Is there a black market for yard fountains?
It’s a mystery.
I’m not a yard person. Meaning I don’t like yard work. In fact I don’t do it. I have a gardener. The house I live in now, the gardener is provided by the property management company and included in my rent. The gardener comes on Thursday afternoon. Because the gardener works for the property management company instead of me, we don’t have conversations. We don’t talk about the dead looking banana trees that they never trim. We don’t talk about the flowering tree that hangs over the back fence and gate and is so overgrown that it feels like a jungle. In fact other than the occasional sound of the lawnmower in the backyard when I go home for lunch, or the tell tale sign of the back gate being left open, I’d never even know the gardener had been there. They mow the grass and that’s about it.
I like my house better than any house I’ve lived in as an ‘adult’. It’s got a big front yard that wraps around the house and a nice size back yard. If it wasn’t for my neighbor’s annoying cats camping out in my yard it would be idyllic. The front yard even came with a good size fountain near the front door in what I guess would be the flower bed if it had flowers instead of shrubs.
I never gave the fountain much thought. It was pretty to look at but wasn’t a working fountain with water and all. My friend’s little girl once filled it with wild flowers she pulled from the grass. But to me it was just a yard ornament. That was until recently.
“What happened to the fountain in your yard?” My dad asked.
“I don’t know. What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s missing.” Dad stated.
“Missing!”
“Yeah its gone. Didn’t you notice?”
I rarely use my front door. I always enter my house through the side door after parking the car in the garage. So I hadn’t noticed the fountain was gone.
Now there is a pipe sticking up out of a slab of cement where the fountain used to be.
It looks strange.
I have to ask. Who in their right mind would steal a fountain? And how does someone steal a fountain?
Do a bunch of guys sitting around drinking beer decide to steal a fountain on a drunken dare and pull up in front of my house in the middle of the night with tools and strong arm the fountain into a truck?
It has to be the oddest thing to steal.
I have to admit; my first thought was to suspect the gardener. But since we don’t talk about the yard, I didn’t think I could accuse him of stealing the fountain.
And then there is the dilemma of telling the property management company that someone stole the fountain from the front yard. Would they make me pay for it? I wondered.
I still don’t know the answer to that one.
The other day a friend and I were driving past Las Palmas Nursery on Coffee Road and we both noticed all the fountains and fancy garden ornaments.
“There’s your fountain.” My friend joked.
I laughed. But I couldn’t help but wonder… Is there a black market for yard fountains?
It’s a mystery.
Labels: annoying cats, Bakersfield, flowers, Fountain, gardening, Mystery, yard work
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Crime and Punishment
“I’m a little bit sore today.” ‘M’ told Tom, a post-rehab patient on the hamstring machine next to me at physical therapy.
“You’re sore? I’ve barely been able to walk or move the last couple of weeks thanks to you!” I told ‘M’.
“That’s why they call it W-O-R-K-ing-out. It’s not relaxing-out.”
“Oh really.” I said.
“Yep.”
“I’ve been going home and threatening to have you beat up.”
“Oh, you’ve been talking about me again have you?”
“Yep.”
“Wait, you’re writing about me on the Internet again aren’t you?” ‘M’ asked.
“Yep. Last time I wrote about your groupies.”
“My groupies?”
“Yeah all your women clients.”
“Oh brother.”
“My readers think you’re HOT.”
“I’m hot?” ‘M’ asked.
“What did you do, post a picture of him on the Internet?” Tom asked while counting repetitions on the hamstring machine.
“No, I just linked up to his staff page on Terrio’s website.” I explained.
“Oh God!” ‘M’ slapped his forehead, “Your work-out just got really hard!”
“Ugh.”
“The worst thing you can do is piss ‘M’ off.” Tom said.
“Squat and Row!” ‘M’ ordered.
“What’s this?” I asked.
‘M’ had placed a balance board where I was supposed to squat.
“Do your squats on the balance board.” ‘M’ instructed.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” I looked at ‘M’ as if he was nuts.
I can barely squat on stable ground much less on a balance board that moves like a skateboard with the wheels in the middle of the board instead of on the ends.
“You can do it! Squat!”
I tried to squat wobbling back and forth like a Weeble Wobble hanging onto the rope for dear life.
“Now row.” ‘M’ instructed.
I held the squat, tried to balance on the moving board and pulled the rope with 35 pounds of weight attached to it as if I was rowing a boat. I nearly wobbled right off the board onto my head.
“Two sets of 15!” ‘M’ left me to my wobbling.
This is my punishment for telling ‘M’ my readers think he’s hot... I tried to squat and balance again.
“I’m a little bit sore today.” ‘M’ told Tom, a post-rehab patient on the hamstring machine next to me at physical therapy.
“You’re sore? I’ve barely been able to walk or move the last couple of weeks thanks to you!” I told ‘M’.
“That’s why they call it W-O-R-K-ing-out. It’s not relaxing-out.”
“Oh really.” I said.
“Yep.”
“I’ve been going home and threatening to have you beat up.”
“Oh, you’ve been talking about me again have you?”
“Yep.”
“Wait, you’re writing about me on the Internet again aren’t you?” ‘M’ asked.
“Yep. Last time I wrote about your groupies.”
“My groupies?”
“Yeah all your women clients.”
“Oh brother.”
“My readers think you’re HOT.”
“I’m hot?” ‘M’ asked.
“What did you do, post a picture of him on the Internet?” Tom asked while counting repetitions on the hamstring machine.
“No, I just linked up to his staff page on Terrio’s website.” I explained.
“Oh God!” ‘M’ slapped his forehead, “Your work-out just got really hard!”
“Ugh.”
“The worst thing you can do is piss ‘M’ off.” Tom said.
“Squat and Row!” ‘M’ ordered.
“What’s this?” I asked.
‘M’ had placed a balance board where I was supposed to squat.
“Do your squats on the balance board.” ‘M’ instructed.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” I looked at ‘M’ as if he was nuts.
I can barely squat on stable ground much less on a balance board that moves like a skateboard with the wheels in the middle of the board instead of on the ends.
“You can do it! Squat!”
I tried to squat wobbling back and forth like a Weeble Wobble hanging onto the rope for dear life.
“Now row.” ‘M’ instructed.
I held the squat, tried to balance on the moving board and pulled the rope with 35 pounds of weight attached to it as if I was rowing a boat. I nearly wobbled right off the board onto my head.
“Two sets of 15!” ‘M’ left me to my wobbling.
This is my punishment for telling ‘M’ my readers think he’s hot... I tried to squat and balance again.
Labels: Bakersfield, exercising, Physical Therapy, Terrio Therapy Fitness, Weeble Wobble
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Stranger than Fiction
I love movies about writers. Writers are a strange breed. The good ones are disheveled, creative, brilliant and a little bit crazy. I always find it interesting to see how Hollywood portrays the writer.
In movies about writers the writers overcome tragedy, crisis, relationship issues and writer’s block to finish their books and grow as characters while giving us profound gems about the writing process. If the characters are well written, the story works.
Here are some of my favorite movies about writers:
Throw Mama from the Train – “A writer writes always.”
Finding Forrester – “No thinking – that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is… to write, not to think!”
Finding Neverland – “All great writers begin with a good leather binding and a respectable title.”
Stranger than Fiction joins my list of favorite writer movies – “Like anything worth writing, it came inexplicably and without method.”
These are all great movies, but what I like so much about Stranger than Fiction is the parallel stories about the writer, and the character the writer is writing.
Harold Crick hears a woman narrating his life and rather than accept that he’s crazy like the psychiatrist tells him, he seeks the help of a literary professor who instructs him to figure out what kind of story he’s in: a comedy or a tragedy. What a brilliant concept. Instead of accepting society’s norm and taking medication to fix your life… turn to literature and figure out what story you’re living. And change your life by changing the story you’re living. I just love that.
All great literature is either a comedy or a tragedy. And so is life.
Comedy or tragedy. There have been times when I’ve wanted to keep track in a notebook like Harold Crick did. Some days my life is comedy, some days its tragedy but I really like the idea of finding the answers to life in literature. That really appeals to me.
In movies about writers the writers overcome tragedy, crisis, relationship issues and writer’s block to finish their books and grow as characters while giving us profound gems about the writing process. If the characters are well written, the story works.
Here are some of my favorite movies about writers:
Throw Mama from the Train – “A writer writes always.”
Finding Forrester – “No thinking – that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is… to write, not to think!”
Wonder Boys – “Writers make choices.”
Finding Neverland – “All great writers begin with a good leather binding and a respectable title.”
Stranger than Fiction joins my list of favorite writer movies – “Like anything worth writing, it came inexplicably and without method.”
These are all great movies, but what I like so much about Stranger than Fiction is the parallel stories about the writer, and the character the writer is writing.
Harold Crick hears a woman narrating his life and rather than accept that he’s crazy like the psychiatrist tells him, he seeks the help of a literary professor who instructs him to figure out what kind of story he’s in: a comedy or a tragedy. What a brilliant concept. Instead of accepting society’s norm and taking medication to fix your life… turn to literature and figure out what story you’re living. And change your life by changing the story you’re living. I just love that.
All great literature is either a comedy or a tragedy. And so is life.
Comedy or tragedy. There have been times when I’ve wanted to keep track in a notebook like Harold Crick did. Some days my life is comedy, some days its tragedy but I really like the idea of finding the answers to life in literature. That really appeals to me.
Labels: Bakersfield, character, comedy, Finding Forrester, Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction, Throw Mama from the Train, tragedy, Wonder Boys, writers block, Writing
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Chaos, Music and Surreal Moments…
Lately it seems like I’ve been running at full speed. I’ve had so much going on I haven’t had a moment to myself. And thanks to the time change, every time I’ve sat still for a moment, I’ve fallen asleep. We only sprung forward an hour, but its taken me days to quit feeling exhausted.
My days have been filled with chaos, music and surreal moments…
I had a meeting with a lawyer that was actually positive and reassuring. Lawyers are not exactly my favorite people. No offense to any reader that might be a lawyer. But my experiences with lawyers throughout my divorce were less than great. In fact, I’ve spent a lot of money on lawyers with no real results.
So when I met with a lawyer regarding my insurance claim I was expecting similar treatment. But instead, I felt like this lawyer was actually on my side. Was he a champion for hire?
I spent an afternoon wandering the streets of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles with friends and ate really good Japanese food.
I got lost spiritually and found myself standing mere inches from Van Gogh’s Irises. I found myself in the brush strokes, the texture, the thickness, the layers, the colors, and the chaos and made a museum employee nervous by my proximity.
I experienced the same revelations when I encountered Monet, Degas and Rembrandt.
I felt small when faced with historical artifacts, sculptures and illustrated manuscripts. In the big scheme of life my existence seems insignificant in regards to history, God and religion on display in the rooms I walked but wasn’t allowed to touch.
I found peace in the architecture, gardens and spectacular California coast and Los Angeles city views at the Getty Museum. The solitary stone benches, the staircases, and the fountains felt like home. I could have stayed for days instead of hours.
Soon after finding myself at the Getty, I became Rock Star Struck.
I visited Hollywood, the land of movie stars, to worship at the feet of rock stars in the Viper Room. The rock stars in question are Los Angeles new wave rock band: World Wide Spies. I’d seen them perform a couple of times in Bakersfield, and I’m obsessed with their new album: Images of Black and White. It’s absolutely fabulous. But I was blown away by their performance at the Viper Room. The sound was amazing. World Wide Spies were bigger than life. I felt like I was front and center at an intimate U2 concert. And just like that… I succumbed to their philosophy.
Matildakay (lower left corner) Rock Star Struck by World Wide Spies
Having mastered the art of buying Police tickets online… I applied the same savvy technique and bought Harry Connick Jr. tickets. I may not have any vacation plans scheduled yet this year, but 2007 is already filling up with great music.
Bakotopia and their new compilation CD release filled my weekends with lots of great local music. Everything I ever needed to know about life I learned from a punk-rock song. What a sober realization.
I found myself in a deserted parking garage at midnight with bats flying over my head flapping their wings in a sinister fashion. An eerie omen for sure.
I fell in love with Something New and realized that love can be found in the most unexpected places if you just open your heart a little…
And Spring came early…
My life feels like I'm rushing head first into the fray like a blooming flower that I've neglected to water.
Lately it seems like I’ve been running at full speed. I’ve had so much going on I haven’t had a moment to myself. And thanks to the time change, every time I’ve sat still for a moment, I’ve fallen asleep. We only sprung forward an hour, but its taken me days to quit feeling exhausted.
My days have been filled with chaos, music and surreal moments…
I had a meeting with a lawyer that was actually positive and reassuring. Lawyers are not exactly my favorite people. No offense to any reader that might be a lawyer. But my experiences with lawyers throughout my divorce were less than great. In fact, I’ve spent a lot of money on lawyers with no real results.
So when I met with a lawyer regarding my insurance claim I was expecting similar treatment. But instead, I felt like this lawyer was actually on my side. Was he a champion for hire?
I spent an afternoon wandering the streets of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles with friends and ate really good Japanese food.
I got lost spiritually and found myself standing mere inches from Van Gogh’s Irises. I found myself in the brush strokes, the texture, the thickness, the layers, the colors, and the chaos and made a museum employee nervous by my proximity.
I experienced the same revelations when I encountered Monet, Degas and Rembrandt.
I felt small when faced with historical artifacts, sculptures and illustrated manuscripts. In the big scheme of life my existence seems insignificant in regards to history, God and religion on display in the rooms I walked but wasn’t allowed to touch.
I found peace in the architecture, gardens and spectacular California coast and Los Angeles city views at the Getty Museum. The solitary stone benches, the staircases, and the fountains felt like home. I could have stayed for days instead of hours.
Soon after finding myself at the Getty, I became Rock Star Struck.
I visited Hollywood, the land of movie stars, to worship at the feet of rock stars in the Viper Room. The rock stars in question are Los Angeles new wave rock band: World Wide Spies. I’d seen them perform a couple of times in Bakersfield, and I’m obsessed with their new album: Images of Black and White. It’s absolutely fabulous. But I was blown away by their performance at the Viper Room. The sound was amazing. World Wide Spies were bigger than life. I felt like I was front and center at an intimate U2 concert. And just like that… I succumbed to their philosophy.
Matildakay (lower left corner) Rock Star Struck by World Wide Spies
Having mastered the art of buying Police tickets online… I applied the same savvy technique and bought Harry Connick Jr. tickets. I may not have any vacation plans scheduled yet this year, but 2007 is already filling up with great music.
Bakotopia and their new compilation CD release filled my weekends with lots of great local music. Everything I ever needed to know about life I learned from a punk-rock song. What a sober realization.
I found myself in a deserted parking garage at midnight with bats flying over my head flapping their wings in a sinister fashion. An eerie omen for sure.
I fell in love with Something New and realized that love can be found in the most unexpected places if you just open your heart a little…
And Spring came early…
My life feels like I'm rushing head first into the fray like a blooming flower that I've neglected to water.
Labels: Bakersfield, Bakotopia, Getty Museum, Harry Connick Jr., punk rock, Rock Star, Spring, The Police, U2, World Wide Spies
Friday, March 09, 2007
Applying the Whore Attitude
Lately I’ve been applying the whore attitude to my life. NO I’m not talking about being an actual WHORE! God Forbid! Let me clarify that right now.
I’m talking about my new favorite band t-shirt from those Bakersfield lady rockers of Three Chord Whore and their “What the fuck are you looking at” attitude.
Something happens to me every time I wear my ‘Whore’ t-shirt. I’m filled with confidence. I become the ‘come back’ queen. I don’t take crap from anyone. And I feel liberated and like I could conquer the world. My Three Chord Whore t-shirt is this Bakersfield woman’s equivalent of Wonder Woman’s superhero suit. The only thing missing is the hooker heels.
Sure my friends smile and giggle at me when they see the bright pink ‘Whore’ written across my chest. They’re not used to me advertising myself as a whore.
“You want a piece of me?” I apply the whore attitude.
More giggles.
“I’m a ‘Whore’ after all.”
Maybe Shantell, Heather and Darcie would let me be an honorary Whore… I love their Gingerbread Girls song.
Lately I’ve been applying the whore attitude to my life. NO I’m not talking about being an actual WHORE! God Forbid! Let me clarify that right now.
I’m talking about my new favorite band t-shirt from those Bakersfield lady rockers of Three Chord Whore and their “What the fuck are you looking at” attitude.
Something happens to me every time I wear my ‘Whore’ t-shirt. I’m filled with confidence. I become the ‘come back’ queen. I don’t take crap from anyone. And I feel liberated and like I could conquer the world. My Three Chord Whore t-shirt is this Bakersfield woman’s equivalent of Wonder Woman’s superhero suit. The only thing missing is the hooker heels.
Sure my friends smile and giggle at me when they see the bright pink ‘Whore’ written across my chest. They’re not used to me advertising myself as a whore.
“You want a piece of me?” I apply the whore attitude.
More giggles.
“I’m a ‘Whore’ after all.”
Maybe Shantell, Heather and Darcie would let me be an honorary Whore… I love their Gingerbread Girls song.
Labels: Attitude, Bakersfield, Hooker heels, local bands, Music, Superhero Suit, Three Chord Whore, Wonder Woman
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
How to buy Police tickets from work
Last week Police tickets at Dodger Stadium went on sale at 10:00am on a weekday and I had the dilemma of figuring out how to buy Police tickets from work. My desk sits in an open area with no cubicle walls and my computer screen is visible to all who pass by. I also sit directly across from my boss’s office.
That morning I logged into ticketmaster.com found the Police dates and waited. I kept the Internet page minimized while working, checking it occasionally to see if the tickets were on sale yet.
Ten minutes to 10:00am I got my debit card out of my wallet, minimized the Internet page and continued working.
Five minutes to 10:00am I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets still not on sale. I minimized the Internet page and continued working.
Two minutes to 10:00am I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets still not on sale. I minimized the Internet page and continued working.
One minute to 10:00am I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets still not on sale. I minimized the Internet page and continued working.
10:00am! I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets now on sale! Woo hoo! I put in the number of tickets I wanted, chose a price range and clicked on “look for tickets”.
A box popped up on the screen that said: “Your wait time is approximately 7 minutes. If you refresh or hit back you’ll lose your place in line.”
“Your wait time is approximately 5 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 3 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 7 minutes.”
What? It’s going back up!
Just then my boss got up from his desk and walked past my desk towards another co-worker’s office.
Shit!
I quickly minimized the Internet page and pretended to be working. After he passed, I maximized the Internet page again.
“Your wait time is approximately 5 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 3 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 1 minute.”
One minute left!
Just then my boss walked back around the corner passing by my desk.
Shit!
I quickly minimized the Internet page again and pretended to be working. Once he was back at his desk, I maximized the Internet page again.
“Your tickets have been located. Enter your credit card information in the next minute if you want to purchase.”
I quickly entered my credit card information.
Processing…
“Thank you for purchasing Police tickets. Your confirmation # is…”
Oh my God! I got Police tickets! I wanted to scream.
I couldn’t call my friends that I’d just bought Police tickets for because my boss would hear me telling them that I’d just bought Police tickets while at work!
I had to tell them I got Police tickets!
“I got Police tickets!” I sent in a text message.
“Oh my God! Police tickets!”
“Yeah. We’re going to see the Police.”
Last week Police tickets at Dodger Stadium went on sale at 10:00am on a weekday and I had the dilemma of figuring out how to buy Police tickets from work. My desk sits in an open area with no cubicle walls and my computer screen is visible to all who pass by. I also sit directly across from my boss’s office.
That morning I logged into ticketmaster.com found the Police dates and waited. I kept the Internet page minimized while working, checking it occasionally to see if the tickets were on sale yet.
Ten minutes to 10:00am I got my debit card out of my wallet, minimized the Internet page and continued working.
Five minutes to 10:00am I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets still not on sale. I minimized the Internet page and continued working.
Two minutes to 10:00am I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets still not on sale. I minimized the Internet page and continued working.
One minute to 10:00am I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets still not on sale. I minimized the Internet page and continued working.
10:00am! I refreshed the Internet page. Tickets now on sale! Woo hoo! I put in the number of tickets I wanted, chose a price range and clicked on “look for tickets”.
A box popped up on the screen that said: “Your wait time is approximately 7 minutes. If you refresh or hit back you’ll lose your place in line.”
“Your wait time is approximately 5 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 3 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 7 minutes.”
What? It’s going back up!
Just then my boss got up from his desk and walked past my desk towards another co-worker’s office.
Shit!
I quickly minimized the Internet page and pretended to be working. After he passed, I maximized the Internet page again.
“Your wait time is approximately 5 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 3 minutes.”
“Your wait time is approximately 1 minute.”
One minute left!
Just then my boss walked back around the corner passing by my desk.
Shit!
I quickly minimized the Internet page again and pretended to be working. Once he was back at his desk, I maximized the Internet page again.
“Your tickets have been located. Enter your credit card information in the next minute if you want to purchase.”
I quickly entered my credit card information.
Processing…
“Thank you for purchasing Police tickets. Your confirmation # is…”
Oh my God! I got Police tickets! I wanted to scream.
I couldn’t call my friends that I’d just bought Police tickets for because my boss would hear me telling them that I’d just bought Police tickets while at work!
I had to tell them I got Police tickets!
“I got Police tickets!” I sent in a text message.
“Oh my God! Police tickets!”
“Yeah. We’re going to see the Police.”
Labels: Bakersfield, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Music, The Police, tickets
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Year of the Pig
Recently some friends and I were in Chinatown Los Angeles for the Chinese New Year's parade. We ate Chinese food, did a little shopping and enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating culture.
Dragons roamed the streets...
Angels and people danced in the streets...
This landed at my feet as firecrackers exploaded all around us.
Porky and Petunia Pig.
2007... the year of the Pig.
Recently some friends and I were in Chinatown Los Angeles for the Chinese New Year's parade. We ate Chinese food, did a little shopping and enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating culture.
Dragons roamed the streets...
Angels and people danced in the streets...
This landed at my feet as firecrackers exploaded all around us.
Porky and Petunia Pig.
2007... the year of the Pig.
Labels: Bakersfield, Chinese New Year, Los Angeles, Parade, Pig
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Local Sports Debate
“When are you going to come to a game?” Nate, a Bakersfield Blitz player I work out with at physical therapy asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You go to the Condors games!”
“I like hockey. It’s fun to watch.”
“So is Football!”
“Not like hockey.” I said.
“What makes hockey more fun to watch?”
“It’s fast, difficult, rough and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
“Arena football is fast and rough!”
“She only likes the Condors!” ‘M’ explained wrapping Nate’s shoulder in heat pads.
“How many Condors players do you know?” Nate asked.
“None.”
“You know me and I’ve been trying to get you to go to a Blitz game for two years.”
“I don’t have to know the players to like the Condors.”
“You should go just to watch me play.”
“It’s football!” I walked away to do more exercises.
A little bit later Nate motioned for me to come over to the table he was laying on.
“He’s a Condor!” Nate mouthed pointing at the guy at the next table ‘M’ was working with.
Wow! A real live Condor two feet away from me! I had goose bumps!
“Which Condor is he?” Nate asked.
“I don’t know. He doesn’t have his uniform on.”
The Condors player was young, probably early twenty’s and looked like Ryan Gosling hiding under a baseball cap.
“You don’t know who he is? What kind of Condors fan are you?”
“I don’t hang out with the players.”
“Ask him for his autograph.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“That would be weird.”
“But you love the Condors!”
“I don’t have to be a groupie to love the Condors.”
Nate just shook his head at me.
“When are you going to come to a game?” Nate, a Bakersfield Blitz player I work out with at physical therapy asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You go to the Condors games!”
“I like hockey. It’s fun to watch.”
“So is Football!”
“Not like hockey.” I said.
“What makes hockey more fun to watch?”
“It’s fast, difficult, rough and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
“Arena football is fast and rough!”
“She only likes the Condors!” ‘M’ explained wrapping Nate’s shoulder in heat pads.
“How many Condors players do you know?” Nate asked.
“None.”
“You know me and I’ve been trying to get you to go to a Blitz game for two years.”
“I don’t have to know the players to like the Condors.”
“You should go just to watch me play.”
“It’s football!” I walked away to do more exercises.
A little bit later Nate motioned for me to come over to the table he was laying on.
“He’s a Condor!” Nate mouthed pointing at the guy at the next table ‘M’ was working with.
Wow! A real live Condor two feet away from me! I had goose bumps!
“Which Condor is he?” Nate asked.
“I don’t know. He doesn’t have his uniform on.”
The Condors player was young, probably early twenty’s and looked like Ryan Gosling hiding under a baseball cap.
“You don’t know who he is? What kind of Condors fan are you?”
“I don’t hang out with the players.”
“Ask him for his autograph.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“That would be weird.”
“But you love the Condors!”
“I don’t have to be a groupie to love the Condors.”
Nate just shook his head at me.
Labels: Bakersfield, Bakersfield Blitz, Bakersfield Condors, Football, Hockey, Local, Physical Therapy, Sports
Monday, February 19, 2007
The First Time
Virgin Records - Hollywood, CA - 2006
This past week was the first time I thought of Valentine’s Day as an ordinary day. Like every other Wednesday, I went to work and physical therapy and didn’t even think about the fact that the world expected your life to be perfect and wrapped up in a cute heart shaped box tied with a red ribbon.
Instead it was the first time I thought about how love comes in all different shapes and sizes and very rarely is it perfect or wrapped up in a cute heart shaped box tied with a red ribbon. And really the commercialized ideal love doesn’t fit me as well as the different shaped love.
It was the first time I heard about teenage love and first kisses and remembered how strange and wonderful all those feelings are the very first time you experience them in life. Feelings you relive when a man tells you he loves you for the first time.
It was the first time someone gave me a self-help book as a Valentine’s Day gift. Better Single than Sorry was the message they gave. It was the first time I ever felt that a self-help book was actually an insult. (People always feel like they’re fixing you by buying you self help books and since my divorce I’ve been given quite a few). It was the first time I wondered why someone would give me a self-help book.
It was the first time that I didn’t let Valentine’s Day define my life in any way.
Virgin Records - Hollywood, CA - 2006
This past week was the first time I thought of Valentine’s Day as an ordinary day. Like every other Wednesday, I went to work and physical therapy and didn’t even think about the fact that the world expected your life to be perfect and wrapped up in a cute heart shaped box tied with a red ribbon.
Instead it was the first time I thought about how love comes in all different shapes and sizes and very rarely is it perfect or wrapped up in a cute heart shaped box tied with a red ribbon. And really the commercialized ideal love doesn’t fit me as well as the different shaped love.
It was the first time I heard about teenage love and first kisses and remembered how strange and wonderful all those feelings are the very first time you experience them in life. Feelings you relive when a man tells you he loves you for the first time.
It was the first time someone gave me a self-help book as a Valentine’s Day gift. Better Single than Sorry was the message they gave. It was the first time I ever felt that a self-help book was actually an insult. (People always feel like they’re fixing you by buying you self help books and since my divorce I’ve been given quite a few). It was the first time I wondered why someone would give me a self-help book.
It was the first time that I didn’t let Valentine’s Day define my life in any way.
Labels: Bakersfield, Divorce, First Time, Love, Self-help, Single, Valentine's Day, Virgin Records
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Meeting Jen Bowles and Christopher Taylor at the 18th Street Art Gallery
The Art Studio and 18th Street Art Gallery had its first artist reception and art show under the new direction of Jenn Williams. The artist was Jen Bowles and the art show was “Calculated Spontaneity”.
I represented Noveltown and my first thought upon seeing the 18th Street Art Gallery was: Wow, what a great space!
The Art Studio and 18th Street Art Gallery
Jen Bowles large-scale vibrant paintings are mesmerizing…
There was already quite a crowd of people when I arrived at the gallery. They lingered around Jen Bowles paintings contemplating the intensity of the colors and the textures.
“It’s all about texture and color for me,” Jen Bowles explained. She’s a full time artist in Bakersfield.
Jen Bowles talking about her art
Bowles classified her art as non-representational rather than abstract. I asked her about her chosen medium. “It’s acrylic on board.” She explained, reluctant to reveal the techniques she’d developed in achieving the texture in her paintings.
Greg Goodsell asked what she thought of the Bakersfield art community: “For me, Bakersfield is kind of coming around, and they’re really becoming more interested in art. I feel that there’s a lot of people who enjoy the more non-representational type art.
“I have sold a couple pieces. I’m out here and I’m showing my artwork and I’m excited about it. I hope people will enjoy it and will be interested in it.”
Jen Bowles is as vibrant as her paintings. How can people not love this new Bakersfield art and art studio? Contact Jen Bowles at: jenbowles@bak.rr.com.
Jen Bowles and Jenn Williams
Jenn Williams gave me a tour of the Art Studio, which included a classroom work area for art classes and wall space that artists rent to display and sell their art, which Jenn called ‘Art Boutiques’. (Read the interview she gave Noveltown about her Art Studio and Gallery).
Jenn Williams looks like art herself…
Chris, of Christopher Taylor Portrait Design shares the Art Studio. I asked how long he had been doing photography.
“Full time for about five years,” he said. “I’ve done everything from portraits, weddings, commercial photography and fine art. I’ve even been the annoying resort ‘do you want your picture taken’ guy.”
Christopher Taylor
One of Christopher Taylor’
The Art Studio and 18th Street Art Gallery had its first artist reception and art show under the new direction of Jenn Williams. The artist was Jen Bowles and the art show was “Calculated Spontaneity”.
I represented Noveltown and my first thought upon seeing the 18th Street Art Gallery was: Wow, what a great space!
The Art Studio and 18th Street Art Gallery
Jen Bowles large-scale vibrant paintings are mesmerizing…
There was already quite a crowd of people when I arrived at the gallery. They lingered around Jen Bowles paintings contemplating the intensity of the colors and the textures.
“It’s all about texture and color for me,” Jen Bowles explained. She’s a full time artist in Bakersfield.
Jen Bowles talking about her art
Bowles classified her art as non-representational rather than abstract. I asked her about her chosen medium. “It’s acrylic on board.” She explained, reluctant to reveal the techniques she’d developed in achieving the texture in her paintings.
Greg Goodsell asked what she thought of the Bakersfield art community: “For me, Bakersfield is kind of coming around, and they’re really becoming more interested in art. I feel that there’s a lot of people who enjoy the more non-representational type art.
“I have sold a couple pieces. I’m out here and I’m showing my artwork and I’m excited about it. I hope people will enjoy it and will be interested in it.”
Jen Bowles is as vibrant as her paintings. How can people not love this new Bakersfield art and art studio? Contact Jen Bowles at: jenbowles@bak.rr.com.
Jen Bowles and Jenn Williams
Jenn Williams gave me a tour of the Art Studio, which included a classroom work area for art classes and wall space that artists rent to display and sell their art, which Jenn called ‘Art Boutiques’. (Read the interview she gave Noveltown about her Art Studio and Gallery).
Jenn Williams looks like art herself…
Chris, of Christopher Taylor Portrait Design shares the Art Studio. I asked how long he had been doing photography.
“Full time for about five years,” he said. “I’ve done everything from portraits, weddings, commercial photography and fine art. I’ve even been the annoying resort ‘do you want your picture taken’ guy.”
Christopher Taylor
One of Christopher Taylor’