Monday, March 31, 2008
Birthday Greetings to his Wolfeness!
His Wolfeness turns (an astonishing!) 59 today. But it is 59 going on 14 as any friend of Wolfe knows.
Happy Birthday Wolfe!
Happy Birthday Wolfe!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday - more TTA preparations
The House Circle met at Curt’s this morning. Something felt very strange, though I was unable to put my finger on it at the time. (Later, it seemed to me it may have been some sort of feng shui issue, though the specifics of it are still a little vague to me.) We worked on circulating Trapiche for nearly the entire time.
Then off to LB’s to pick up plants. She is a member of thee Ballard Garden Club and responded to my plea for donated plants to install in the (empty) planter bed at Fremont Abbey. Together we dug up Shasta daisies, pergolium, and a kind of geranium which I then planted over at the abbey.
Next stop was Travgor’s – but only briefly as I was sent home to pick up an autopole so we could create one instance of the four lighting setups we’ll need for the show. Quickly crossed town and back to find Travis and Curt in a sea of fixtures and cables testing each component of this patchwork of lighting gear. (We really, really need a lighting tech. And a sound tech. And a few more people on the house team.) Soon we had one model of the four we’ll require for the show. It’s components were identified and Travis pulled together the other three sets of similar configurations and packed it all up. My car was loaded with four of the risers. Curt’s car was filled with lighting gear. And we called it a day.
Then off to LB’s to pick up plants. She is a member of thee Ballard Garden Club and responded to my plea for donated plants to install in the (empty) planter bed at Fremont Abbey. Together we dug up Shasta daisies, pergolium, and a kind of geranium which I then planted over at the abbey.
Next stop was Travgor’s – but only briefly as I was sent home to pick up an autopole so we could create one instance of the four lighting setups we’ll need for the show. Quickly crossed town and back to find Travis and Curt in a sea of fixtures and cables testing each component of this patchwork of lighting gear. (We really, really need a lighting tech. And a sound tech. And a few more people on the house team.) Soon we had one model of the four we’ll require for the show. It’s components were identified and Travis pulled together the other three sets of similar configurations and packed it all up. My car was loaded with four of the risers. Curt’s car was filled with lighting gear. And we called it a day.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Final Day at Trinity
The last day at Trinity.
The last sitting in the space was a surreal bon voyage of sorts. A large gathering was taking place in adjacent rooms, which meant chatty, party-like conversation out in the hall – where I’m sure no one suspected that behind that red door to room 329 were eight individuals in meditation. Then, the force of power tools rose up through the walls from somewhere two floors down. It was as if the space was already re-absorbed and re-inhabited by the Trinity community. This certainly cut through any inclination to nostalgia anyone might have for the place. At the end of the sitting, I observed a simple, and disarmingly moving manifestation of gratitude to the place. I saw a form of love.
During rehearsal, I sat in with Ian and MB for a meeting about house issues. Then a quick trip home to check on a Craigslist posting for lighting gear that Travis had noticed earlier in the week. Back to Trinity in time to catch the last few minutes of rehearsal where the team was running through the set list. Tears for the second time today to hear the team from this place in this circle in this room - feeling the force this experience has had on my life.
Next, practical matters move to the front. My car and Curt’s get loaded up with items destined for Goodwill. Back to load up again with items that will either be stored or taken to the Fremont Abbey Arts Center. Final clean up and painting the floor. A stop at home to unload some things and then over to Travgor’s for the final painting sessions with the risers. This time, it is the black trim that gets painted. I clean the seven brushes and the painting task is complete. Dinner and a movie with the painting gang in the hopes the risers will be dry enough by the end of the movie to load into cars, but fatigue sets in and I decide to leave early with a plan to return tomorrow to load the car with fully dry risers.
Curt gets a kick out of Taylor's technique for moving across the freshly painted floor to close the windows.
The last sitting in the space was a surreal bon voyage of sorts. A large gathering was taking place in adjacent rooms, which meant chatty, party-like conversation out in the hall – where I’m sure no one suspected that behind that red door to room 329 were eight individuals in meditation. Then, the force of power tools rose up through the walls from somewhere two floors down. It was as if the space was already re-absorbed and re-inhabited by the Trinity community. This certainly cut through any inclination to nostalgia anyone might have for the place. At the end of the sitting, I observed a simple, and disarmingly moving manifestation of gratitude to the place. I saw a form of love.
During rehearsal, I sat in with Ian and MB for a meeting about house issues. Then a quick trip home to check on a Craigslist posting for lighting gear that Travis had noticed earlier in the week. Back to Trinity in time to catch the last few minutes of rehearsal where the team was running through the set list. Tears for the second time today to hear the team from this place in this circle in this room - feeling the force this experience has had on my life.
Next, practical matters move to the front. My car and Curt’s get loaded up with items destined for Goodwill. Back to load up again with items that will either be stored or taken to the Fremont Abbey Arts Center. Final clean up and painting the floor. A stop at home to unload some things and then over to Travgor’s for the final painting sessions with the risers. This time, it is the black trim that gets painted. I clean the seven brushes and the painting task is complete. Dinner and a movie with the painting gang in the hopes the risers will be dry enough by the end of the movie to load into cars, but fatigue sets in and I decide to leave early with a plan to return tomorrow to load the car with fully dry risers.
Curt gets a kick out of Taylor's technique for moving across the freshly painted floor to close the windows.
Friday, March 28, 2008
more weather
Weather on March 28th at 9:52am:
From yesterday's walk:
~~~~~
No sun today. Snow instead!
Still, I spent some time with the fresh daffodils. Even inspired to print something - only to discover that once again, I cannot print from Photoshop to the Behemoth.
~~~~~~
The snow gave way to rain and now it is simply cold and grey. The week has been dominated by Tuning the Air activities; finding and purchasing lighting stands, finding and purchasing lights, more graphics work for the banner and Aframe, painting risers with Igor, hauling all the way up to Lynnwood to pick up stools ordered for a possible seating solution. I had to enter a Walmart store to pick up the stools! I think this is only topped by the visit to the adult video store last year (part of the real estate search) as a measure of my dedication to the project.
After more than a week of struggling with a TTA writing task, I asked for help. One of the first statements the helper made was ‘I don’t see what is so difficult about this’. I felt disrespected by this comment. And not helped at all. It transpired there was a large discrepancy between our views of the task. And I was not going to get any help for the assignment as I saw it. The only help available - if you can call it that - was to be persuaded to a different definition of the task. I will try this other definition on as an experiment.
From yesterday's walk:
~~~~~
No sun today. Snow instead!
Still, I spent some time with the fresh daffodils. Even inspired to print something - only to discover that once again, I cannot print from Photoshop to the Behemoth.
~~~~~~The snow gave way to rain and now it is simply cold and grey. The week has been dominated by Tuning the Air activities; finding and purchasing lighting stands, finding and purchasing lights, more graphics work for the banner and Aframe, painting risers with Igor, hauling all the way up to Lynnwood to pick up stools ordered for a possible seating solution. I had to enter a Walmart store to pick up the stools! I think this is only topped by the visit to the adult video store last year (part of the real estate search) as a measure of my dedication to the project.
After more than a week of struggling with a TTA writing task, I asked for help. One of the first statements the helper made was ‘I don’t see what is so difficult about this’. I felt disrespected by this comment. And not helped at all. It transpired there was a large discrepancy between our views of the task. And I was not going to get any help for the assignment as I saw it. The only help available - if you can call it that - was to be persuaded to a different definition of the task. I will try this other definition on as an experiment.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
A little more yellow
The weatherman seems to have no clue that Spring is supposed to be here.
More yellow
and a little blue
More yellow
and a little blue
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Exploring yellow today
Mostly rainy this morning, but the sun is making momentary appearances and my new digs offer many options for exploring. These are from the kitchen window with a bit of butcher paper leaned up against it.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I've been doing this for longer than I realize...
Looking for something else this evening, I'm finding a bunch of other stuff. Among this 'other stuff' was an CD cover I designed for the California Guitar Trio in 2001. The Trio opted not to use my design (which I only now realize may have been at least in part the result of sending them a really, really bad jpg draft.)
The design was based on an actual photo that Paul had sent me:
...which I overhauled to clean it up and added the title of the CD, 'Live at the Key Club'.
It is unexciting, but - considering my negligible Photoshop chops at the time - not too shabby execution overall. I should have taken out the 'with special guests' part, but I was trying to mimic reality.
All I can find is this tiny jpg to show you what they ended up using:
The design was based on an actual photo that Paul had sent me:
...which I overhauled to clean it up and added the title of the CD, 'Live at the Key Club'.
It is unexciting, but - considering my negligible Photoshop chops at the time - not too shabby execution overall. I should have taken out the 'with special guests' part, but I was trying to mimic reality.
All I can find is this tiny jpg to show you what they ended up using:
Lighting effects
Taxes are off to the accountant and most boxes are unpacked. What remains are mostly those items that don't quite have a place yet, so some pondering is taking place about whether to keep them at all. The alternative is to keep them boxed and I'm doing my best to avoid this.
One of the objectives of last night's Tuning the Air work at Fremont Abbey Arts Center was to determine how we will light the space. We brought a sampling of fixtures and played with the effects we could get. It is beginning to feel as though we can pull this off.
One of the objectives of last night's Tuning the Air work at Fremont Abbey Arts Center was to determine how we will light the space. We brought a sampling of fixtures and played with the effects we could get. It is beginning to feel as though we can pull this off.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
An Easter rising of sorts
An Easter afternoon spent making risers of unique configuration for TTA 2008. (My Canon is in the shop for repair so I dusted off the Nikon.)
Travis and Curt had cut most of the wood on Saturday so we could spare the neighbors the sound of a skillsaw on Easter Sunday. With that headstart, we begin with plywood, 2x6's and coffee.
Looking good...
...but they need legs and sanding...
...and painting.
Ta da!
Greg dropped in just in time to make a rare team photograph that includes the photographer.
Afterwards we ordered pizza and scary, scary Igor headed out with Ian for beverages and the makings of a salad.
Travis and Curt had cut most of the wood on Saturday so we could spare the neighbors the sound of a skillsaw on Easter Sunday. With that headstart, we begin with plywood, 2x6's and coffee.
Looking good...
...but they need legs and sanding...
...and painting.
Ta da!
Greg dropped in just in time to make a rare team photograph that includes the photographer.
Afterwards we ordered pizza and scary, scary Igor headed out with Ian for beverages and the makings of a salad.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Spring!
A walk to the post office late yesterday afternoon:
Taxes, new troubles with the Behemoth, the job search and TTA publicity keep me busy these days.
Began poking seeds into the soil here. Nasturtium and sunflowers.
The heating system in this new place is a tad strange. There is no separation between the vents that feed my landlord's unit and my own. As a result, sounds (such as her television) and smells (such as her bacon & eggs breakfast this morning) travel into my place without obstacle. I’ve smelled better bacon & eggs.
~~~~
I added GoogleAnalytics to a few pages of my website to see what I can see with it. Also re-activated one of my Flickr accounts. All part of steps to re-ignite in photography.
Taxes, new troubles with the Behemoth, the job search and TTA publicity keep me busy these days.Began poking seeds into the soil here. Nasturtium and sunflowers.
The heating system in this new place is a tad strange. There is no separation between the vents that feed my landlord's unit and my own. As a result, sounds (such as her television) and smells (such as her bacon & eggs breakfast this morning) travel into my place without obstacle. I’ve smelled better bacon & eggs.
~~~~
I added GoogleAnalytics to a few pages of my website to see what I can see with it. Also re-activated one of my Flickr accounts. All part of steps to re-ignite in photography.
This post is for LH
These are quick snaps from my walk home from the post office this evening. The light was fading and these are all taken from the hip, so to speak. But since I now live in an honest-to-God neighborhood, I'm gonna report back to LH that there really are some cozy places here.
An evening at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center
The Tuning the Air team gathered at Fremont Abbey last night to begin to work out the logistics of making Tuning the Air happen in that space. Here are some images.
First order of business is to define the circumference of the performance circle. How big can the circle be before those beams obstruct the player's ability to see each other?
The new riser gets placed and tested. A reality check on the proximity to the beams is necessary. Can the players move freely without banging a headstock or guitar body into a beam?
Our theme song for the evening may as well have been 'Getting to Know You' as the room became familar with us and we with it.
The lone riser gets placed nearest the entrance so we can see/feel the affect on an arriving member of the audience.
Next we sprinkle some chairs into the place to imagine the audience in the space.
Lots of opportunities and challenges to play with in the handful of weeks that lie between now and the first show of the season.
First order of business is to define the circumference of the performance circle. How big can the circle be before those beams obstruct the player's ability to see each other?
The new riser gets placed and tested. A reality check on the proximity to the beams is necessary. Can the players move freely without banging a headstock or guitar body into a beam?
Our theme song for the evening may as well have been 'Getting to Know You' as the room became familar with us and we with it.
The lone riser gets placed nearest the entrance so we can see/feel the affect on an arriving member of the audience.
Next we sprinkle some chairs into the place to imagine the audience in the space.
Lots of opportunities and challenges to play with in the handful of weeks that lie between now and the first show of the season.
