KNita KNittin'

Crowns, crops, castles and catsup...I mean catch-up!...

Here are some shots of the show, and backstage.
I wont' bore you with how much in love with these people I am anymore...Just enjoy the pics!

I also just had my "hur did" ("hair done", for the uninitiated) and got me a new pair of specs in the process...

And then, I got my tax return, and I made the mistake of mentioning to my drug pushers that I might be making a purchase from them soon...I ended up with this...

Yeah, it's a Matchless...I'm in love.

After the show closed, my body shut down, I got a cold, and have been nursing it ever since.  I've been so very tired, and trying to get enough sleep in hopes of recovering and getting back into a structured workout schedule, and it's proving to be difficult.  Today, I'm going shopping with the woman who will design my dress for the wedding of 2 of my favorite peoples.  I still need to get to my friends house and have her string me up so I can get pics of my custom corset as soon as time allows...which will hopefully be this coming week, or possibly when I get back from vacation...Mmmmm vacation.  Humboldt county, here I be comin'!!

It was a good run...

Well, the show is over.

Finally! Towards the end we started selling out shows, and sold out the last 3 shows.  The cast was fantastic, and we were greatly appreciated by those who came...and came BACK!!

This was an experience for me folks.  Most of you who know me, know I was born a upper middle-class white kid...so to speak. I grew up in Sunnyvale, and was the only black kid in class or school for a while at least until 4th grade.  So, the whole racial thing has been a "thing" in my life for a while.  I didn't have any black friends growing up, and now, I have many, and a lot of them grew up like me.  But unlike me, sought out being part of the "black heritage" where I was content to be who I was where I was.  It wasn't until this show, that I actually "felt" black...if that makes any sense.  I felt included, I felt loved, and damn...I felt good.  I don't think I have any more to add to that except to say that this whole play was a life changing experience for me.  I'm considering wearing hats...I may have to attend church in Oakland from time to time...small changes, but changes nonetheless.  I was blessed and touched by this play as were the myriad of those who came to revel in it with us.  I am blessed to have been part of such an amazing thing. 

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Knitting...well...Haven't been knitting...until just recently.  The hand is still healing, and because it hasn't been used, other tendons are getting cranky and giving me grief.  dammit.  But I have started knitting...just not a lot.  After the play, My body gave out, and I took a couple days off to recoup and started spinning a lot.  Finished playing some green BFL, which needs to be soaked, whacked and balanced, and I started on some 100% Merino...yum.

Oh, and did I mention the new wheel??

I got a new wheel.

Pics to come.

"Our crowns have been bought and paid for. All we have to do is wear them!"

This is the first line of the show, and it is spoken by Mother Shaw.  That's me!!
Well, suffice it to say, opening weekend, and the week prior to opening are usually pretty damned stressful.  So much so that I've had very minor, though annoying panic attacks, but thankfully, the adrenaline rush from being onstage takes care of these things.  Also, thankfully, I'm taking the day off today so that I don't have to think about much of anything else except my belly button.  Yay!!

The show had a fantastically wonderful opening.  We are performing @ the San Pedro Square theater in San Jose, and it's a quaint little theater with a bar, wood floors and comfortable seating.  Not a bad seat in the house.  It only seats a little over 100 people, but it's a wonderful wonderful place to perform.  I hope those of you that can come, will come.  Click on the poster to the left, and get all the details you need. 

In the meantime, I'm takin' a nap!!

I did the macarena with a llama in an elevator because that's how I roll....

I should really stop sending these on.  They're so stupid, but I do anyway.  I guess it's better than crack.

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Follow directions then delete mine and put your sentence at the top and forward on (don't forget to send me a copy, I need a laugh too...) You can dispense with the sending back, thanks
 
Pick the month you were born:
January - I kicked
February - I loved
March - I karate chopped
April - I licked
May - I jumped on
June - I smelled
July - I did the Macarena With
August - I had lunch with
September - I danced with
October - I sang to
November - I yelled at
December - I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:
1- a birdbath
2 - a monster
3 - a phone
4 - a fork
5 - a snowman
6 - a gangster
7 - my mobile phone
8 - my dog
9 - my best friends' boyfriend
10 - my neighbor
11- my science teacher
12 - a banana
13 - a fireman
14 - a stuffed animal
15 - a goat
16 - a pickle
17 - your mom
18 - a spoon
19 - a smurf
20 - a baseball bat
21 - a ninja
22 - Chuck Norris
23 - a noodle
24 - a squirrel
25 - a football player
26 - my sister
27 - -my brother
28 - an iPod
29 - a surfer
30 - a homeless guy
31 - a llama

What is the last number of the year you were born:
1 -  In my car
2  - On your car
3 - In a hole
4 - Under your bed
5  - Riding a Motorcycle
6  - sliding down a hill
7  - in an elevator
8 - at the dinner table
9  - In line at the bank
0  - in your bathroom

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White - because I can do no wrong.
Black - because that's how I roll.
Pink - because I'm NOT crazy.
Red - because the voices told me to.
Blue - because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green - because I think I need some serious help.
Purple - because I'm AWESOME!
Gray - because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow - because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange - because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown - because I can.
Other - because I'm a Ninja!
None - because I can't control myself!

I can't wait to see w hat you get stuck with!

**sigh**

So, as far as I can tell, in an attempt to relax from being a bit stressed about my performances, I managed to have a "death grip" on my knitting needles which stressed out tendons in my thumb and i now have a great big case of tenosynovitis. Yay.  Yay RSI's (actually RSI's can suck it). Needless to say, I hate it.  I am splinted and on anti-inflamm's (800mg Motrin).  I've been taking 1, 3 times a day.  Today, seeing as there is LITTLE OR NO IMPROVEMENT after a week, i've upped the dosage to 2, 3 times a day.  Before you get all "it'll fuck up your stomach" on me, you have to understand that this is NOT my first time with a tendonitis issue or 800mg Motrin.  I'm not addicted to pain meds, and I know I can handle the double dosage.  Trust me.

Anyway, this is the reason I am not posting anything remotely related to knitting.  I am saddened.  I was going to have my bass player's sweater done, my niece's baby blanket done, but alas.  The universe has told me to sit still...well, at least with the hands anyway, I've started not coming home after work since I get home at 6 and have rehearsals at 7.  On the bright side, my very stressful weekend (last weekend) paid off handsomely.  Actually, I'm putting my voice to use well enough to make a nice piece of change every month.  That works!  When the play's over, I'll be looking for new musical ventures, more exercise, and definitely new knitting.  Whee!

And BTW, if you don't know, I'm gonna tell ya:

Crowns (as you can see to your left) is going to be awesome.  y'all need to come.

An attempt to catch up...

Hi y'all,

As some of you know, I'm in the throes of rehearsing for a play that will debut in March.  So, my days are long.  I don't get as much knitting/spinning time as I would like.  I would like to spin at night, but I get home, and am pretty much done, and hit the hay.  I would like to knit more, but I have 2 projects that have stalled me, though I did cast on for the Leyburn sock yesterday.  We'll see how well that goes.  I am sorely behind on xmas presents, and just will have to be until further notice. 

In addition to the lapsed knitting, I have 2 transcription gigs, I have church gigs every weekend for 3 weeks, I have Kung Fu and BBC at least 3 times a week and...oy vey. I  shouldn't complain.  I'm busy, and I love it, but the only way to get through it is to blog-complain so here I am.  I'm totally behind on updating my Ravelry, and taking pics of my fiber and stuff?? Fuggedaboudit. 

However, I did go to and survive the most amazing event this month.  The Laundromat.  Aha!! Fooled you!! I'm kidding.  It was the inauguration.  I was totally there.  I had a ticket and didn't get in, but I was there.  It was freakin' cold and I was freakin' tired, and boy did I sleep a lot, but...I was there.  You can touch me later.  By Appointment only.

Hopefully, when things cool down a bit...in APRIL...<----rolling eyes...I'll get to a serious knitting update and stuff.  Hopefully.  One can always hope. 

I haven't posted lately, so...

Let's start with a Meme, shall we??

1. Once you've been tagged you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, shortcomings, or goals.
2. At the end choose 16 people to be tagged.
3. You have to tag the person who tagged you.
4. If I tagged you its because I want to know more about you.

16.  I drank paint thinner as a child, and had my stomach pumped when I was 2 years old.

15.  I also learned to swim that year.

14.  I had a "scat off" with Sandra Bernhardt during a concert of hers.

13.  I also sang for Wynton Marsalis.

12.  I want to be a voice actor and do voice overs for a living.

13.  I tried on a corset 4 days ago, and it brought out the "dominatrix" in me.

12.  I lost 100 pounds and gained it all back within 4 years.

13.  I'm in the midst of losing it again...20 down...

12.  I have an extra bone in my right foot.

11.  I am 5 years without a cigarette as of 2/15/09.

10.  I plan to retire in the Arcata/Eureka area.  I love Humboldt County.

 9.  I have 7 siblings and am on speaking terms with all of them.  I didn't realize how uncommon this was.

 8.  I play the violin, electric bass and piano as well as sing.

 7.  Apparently my "headlights" are always on when I perform.  I had a complaint during a high school show I was singing for that the boys were having impure thoughts while I was singing.      

 6.  I love cheesecake, but I love Jiffy cheesecake out of the box better than a real NY slice.

 5.  I have a freezer full of bananas because if I don't eat them within a certain span of the banana's lifetime, I won't eat it and then hope perhaps I'll make banana bread with them all.  I'm about up to 25. 

 4.  I have a penchant for BDSM, though I've been scared to approach it...until the corset happened.

 3.  I'm a freak. Sexually.  Straight up.  Maybe not so straight...

 2.  I don't like making my living behind a desk.  This will change.

 1.  I'm a jazz singer.  I had denounced this fact at one time.  I no longer do.

Tagging YarnWhore81 because I was supposed to...I don't think any of my other buddies have time to do this, but if you want, please share!!

Knitters are da bomb...

It's been over a month since I posted, and the last post was of me finishing up on a hat which I gave away.  I"m knitting it's brother as I speak.  Go figure.

Anyway, why are knitters the bomb:

Last week, the Obama camp had announced that the remaining living Tuskegee Airmen would be invited to the inauguration.  I thought that it might be possible for family members of the ones who'd passed to be able to get in on the goodness, and represent.  I posted to the LSG group on Ravelry and posted pics of my father, and his CMoH (Congressional Medal of Honor).  I had read that announcement in an article my sister sent me and commenced to weep at my desk at work for about an hour.

It was nice getting to release all of that emotion, and my posting was a part of the catharsis.  Well, about 4 people who read the post, PM'd me and by using connections they had, commenced to do some research on their own seeing if in fact I could be a representative of my father at the inauguration.  I got 4 different letters saying that it was not possible, but the fact that these bitches (I say that with huge love) would just up and do something like that for me...It's a beautiful thing, I tell ya.

I loves me some LSG bitches...

Pictures...More FO!!

My Turn a Square is done, as well as my Backyard Leaves!! Yay, me!!

I also started a pair of socks in BMFA STR Purple Rain.  These will be Pedicure socks...
Yeah, baby!!

Knitting and Spinning and friends and kleenex...

I apologize for the lack of pictures.  I'm not feeling so hot at the moment.  I contracted the cold that has been going around my BBC buddies, and it seems it was my turn.  It sucks, but it's not debilitating.  But it does suck.  Raw nose, and now low on Kleenex. Yay.

Anyway, I FO'd this weekend.  I completed my "Turn a Square" by Mr. Flood with my own handspun!  I love it.  Though I think I look kinda silly in it.  I'm sure I won't think that while I'm at the inauguration...at least that's the plan.  We'll see how that pans out.  I may or may not be able to go.  I forgot, I took a part in a play and we rehearse in January.  So...We'll see. 

This week, I made it my job to get to Purlescence and spend some time at the shop.  Something I've not been very good at achieving lately.  I started on Thursday where I got to see Greg who sings with SVGMC (Silicon Valley Gay Men's Choir), on Friday I got to see a delightful shipment of BMFA come in at the store, and just got to hang with a lot of wonderful people and even got to see some people I haven't seen in a long while.  I even showed up on Saturday where knitting goddess Sandi reminded me that I have a brain and should use it from time to time.  Big Brown's sleeves need a bit of ripping before I can continue...sigh... It was a knit/spinlicious couple of days. 

As far as spinning I am about ready to ply some BFL that I got from Etsy.  I still have some Crown Mountain to get through, and I think I may have to take a break from my "green period" (I bought an influx of green roving a while back), and may have to start on some of the deeper colors for a change of pace.  My spinning skeeoos continue to improve and I love that I'm able to relax more and have better control of what I spin. 

Photos coming, right now, I need more kleenex!!

(snort, hack, cough)