1st Show of 2009: Geographer!

I can always count on Jenn to clue me into cool things.

She got me into her friend’s band, Geographer, last year, and I think this is the third time I’ve seen them. Each time, I am completely impressed. This time was at Cafe du Nord. Their songs are interesting both in music and in lyrics, and all three men are great musicians. You should go see them; they’re playing with the Heavenly States at the Rickshaw Stop on Feb 5th, and at Cafe du Nord again in April.

At this particular show, they were opening for the Botticellis, but the show started at nine pm, and there were three bands, and it was a school night, and I am evidently getting old, because three songs into the Botticellis, I really wanted to get in my pajamas and lay down. But I liked what I heard, and I’d like to see them again! Just earlier. Please?

Want to invite me to a show? Are you on SonicLiving? Come be my friend.

Words, words, words

I’ve been hitting the gym at work. I haven’t talked about it much, for fear that if/when I stop, I’ll read my former glory and feel so, so bad about myself. But I’ve discovered a wonderful thing about cardio machines:

UNINTERRUPTED READING TIME

I don’t get to read as much as I’d like. The easiest solution would be to get off the freaking Internet and pick up a book, but I’ve gotten very bad at that in the last few years. However, when I’m huffing up a pretend hill on the treadmill, or pumping up a pretend hill on the exercise bike*, I can easily read several articles from a magazine. I’m terribly excited about the prospect of actually being up to date with my Newsweeks. Now, when Trevor mentions something from the latest issue, I can actually respond. Hallelujah.

Oh, also, I’ve lost five pounds.

* Obviously, I like going up hills. Actually, as an asthmatic, it’s an easy way to increase intensity without increasing speed.

On Recent Dreams

I have no idea what my brain is trying to tell me. If I were to subscribe to the belief that dreams are more than random flashes of brain activity.

Two nights ago: I was heading to Pilates class, except that the studio was now in the midst of some really nice rocks, right next to the ocean. And the studio was made of mostly glass, so one could enjoy some very nice views. As I walked in, I saw my dance teacher (who does not teach Pilates) run through the lobby in a full ballerina outfit, complete with tutu. She ran into a room with a bunch of other similarly dressed, and they were evidently having a meeting. I decided to run to the bathroom before class. There was a line, and I noticed that no one was going on a particular stall. Liat, who was in line ahead of me, said that people didn’t like to use that stall because it wasn’t very private. I didn’t feel like waiting, so I pushed in.
And was immediately confronted with a set of stairs. I walked up the stairs, and at the top was a toilet in a glass box, on top of a rock. The view was amazing, but I could also see hikers playing on the rocks and kids in the surf, which I guess meant they could see me, too. But I didn’t care. I did my business and headed back down.
The Pilates class was packed. As in, everyone’s mats were crammed in Tetris style. My dance teacher (again) comes in and starts the class, but it’s not Pilates, it’s some exercise where we lay down on the mat, then jump up and start jumping up and down. Then on the mat again. I was very confused, and worried about injury from those around me.

Alone in the fridge no more

Dear Napa Cabbage.

I’m sorry I ever doubted you. This is the second time you showed up at my house, and the first time, I shoved you in the crisper until you looked disgusting, and then composted you. To be honest, I had no idea what to do with you. But then, last night, craving ramen-y soup goodness, I chopped you up and tossed you in for the last three minutes of boiling. BRILLIANT IDEA. You were delicious and filling and really completed the soup. I’m sorry I ever doubted your usefulness. Never again, I swear.

Love,
Mace the Ramen-Lover

Mace: past, present and future

January 1st, 2009

I decided to try one of those “take a picture of myself every day” projects. Sure, it’s vain, but my guess is as the year goes by, I’ll get bored and start getting creative. Plus, if I open my Flickr and it’s just pictures of myself, I’ll get really annoyed and go out and take a picture of something else. Heck, maybe if my camera is out, I’ll just take pictures of other things naturally!

A few years ago, my friend Jenn and I were at an OKGo show (at a tiny club, before they made it big on the internet), and because it was cheap and all ages, we were easily the oldest people there. We couldn’t have been more than 27 at the time, as well, and man, did we flaunt our wristbands that told everyone we were over 21. Woo. At any rate, we’re watching one of the forgettable opening bands, and I realize that the girl standing about five feet in front of me looks exactly like I did in high school. I mention this to Jenn, and her eyes get wide and she says she’d just been thinking the same thing about the other girl in front of us. We contemplated being harbingers for awhile. We finally decided not to talk to the girls, because even though Jenn and I like how we turned out, we don’t know how our 16 year old selves would have reacted.

Last weekend, I walked from Market and Montgomery to North Beach, and then back down through Chinatown to Market. The walk was long, but pleasant. I met Trevor in North Beach, and we walked back together. At one intersection, a woman passed in front of me. She had short silver hair, fringed in pink. She was wearing a cute but practical coat, and neat looking shoes. I turned to Trevor. “That’s me in the future!” I wonder if she saw me and recognized me from her past.

Christmas Vacation, happy sigh.

Moon/venus, originally uploaded by maceelaine.

I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life, but it’s been almost exclusively with my family. So I had a slight bit of trepidation when Trevor and I decided to go visit my aunt and uncle. We’d been on long, long road trips before, but this involved a plane. I’m happy to report that all was well. In fact, I think it’s possible we got along better on this trip than we usually do in our normal lives. I think it was the sleep.

Because damn, we slept a lot. One of my favorite facets of vacation is not having to be up and ready to go at any particular time, and we took advantage of it. Even if we woke up semi-early (10?), we’d stay in bed and watch TV. So much reality television. Rotting our brains.

When we finally got our asses out of bed, we had access to my aunt’s car, and we drove all over that damn state. We hit the Museum of Science and Nature (and Fun!), walked Denver’s 16th street pedestrian mall, toodled around Boulder and had some amazing BBQ, went to the movies (twice!), walked and walked and walked, saw two frozen waterfalls, saw Red Rocks, ate Czech food, went to the Denver Art Museum*, played in the snow, drove for hours, froze our asses off in the mountains, were very comfortable otherwise. I didn’t take as many pictures as I thought I would.

Returning to work on Monday, I found my card key wouldn’t open the door, and my stomach just sank. Luckily I know the location of the jerryrigged door, so I could get in. I felt better when I could log into my computer, and it turned out that my card had just deactivated itself. And security could reactivate it from their desk! I didn’t even have to move. Hooray.

Now it’s Wednesday, and I kind of wish I was still in Denver.

Obligatory New Year’s Post

Here, I keep of the tradition of looking at the year in list form:

The Best of 2008:

1. Jack.
   I mean, look at him:

   I adore this cat. Some time he frustrates the hell out of me, but for the most part, he is full of love and energy. I’ll stop now, because I can talk about my cat for ages, and I have.

2. My New Job.
   I really enjoy my new job as an Organic Chemist. It certainly has its challenges, and I’m not at technically adept as I’d like to be, but the word is interesting, and for the first time since graduating college I feel like a real scientist. I’m scared of more re-structuring, but I suppose I have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
3. A year and a half with Trevor.
   He’s sleeping next to me right now. He loves my cat, even though he hates cats. He makes me feel safe and warm and loved, and makes me want keep him safe and warm and loved.
4. Our Big Show.
   Covered here, but worth mentioning again. My dancing improved by leaps and bounds in 2008, and I think it’s just going to get better. I’m still trying to figure out how I can fit more dancing in my life, without sacrificing time with #5.
5. My friends.
   I’ll tell you a secret: this is the first time in my 31 years that I haven’t thought that people secretly hated me. It sounds silly, but there have been times in my life that I’ve been unceremoniously dumped by a circle of friends, and learned they only pretended to like me because of who I was dating.  Now, I have no fear that my friends are my friends. And I have great friends. I wanted to write something special about each one, but I’d be sad that I’d miss someone and feel horrible about it, and I realized that I am blessed with a LOT of friends. I love so many people.

The Worst of 2008:

1. Concerts.
   Seriously? I only went to hear music eight times in 2008? That is lame. I miss Tyler.
2. Feeling the pinch.
   I’m fortunate: I haven’t had to live paycheck to paycheck, but I definitely feel like I’ve had to cut back this year. I spent a fair amount of money on costumes for the big show. At least that can carry me through many, many more performances, since I had no professional wear. Trevor is a big fan of eating out, and that hit my wallet hard as well. But I’m making it. I just don’t have the nice little cushion to fall back on that I’m used to. I’m trying to look on the bright side and remind myself that I have a job, I have some money, and I’m cutting back on things in 2009.
3. Lack of follow through.
   This year, I had a very hard time completing things. I fell apart with “The Year Without” project, since I got so busy with the show, and then didn’t have the creativity or stamina to give something up. I started a sweater, and a blanket, and barley got 10% in either. I weigh more now than I did at the beginning of the year. All of my plants are dead (well, most of them. But most of them were annuals anyway).  I’m scared to make goals for 2009, but well, I’m going to do it anyways.

Goals for 2009:

1. Finish a damn crochet project.
2. Figure out how to dance more.
3. Double dutch.
4. Go to at least 10 concerts
5. Cook more/use ALL of my CSA box
   
6. Loose 10% of my bodyweight.
   

Merry Christmas, Y’all

Mace’s Xmas Outfit, originally uploaded by maceelaine.