Day 901 – Rehearse and Rest

A dreaded heatwave is on the way and I am googling terms like “vertical window fans” and “swamp cooler”.

Now, I already have a swamp cooler, but it’s starting to make a weird noise and I am worried it’s on the fritz. And I do have a window fan in the kitchen, but I think I need another one for the window by my bed. However, that wall does not have an outlet, so here’s to hoping I don’t trip over long extension cords in my apartment.

Did I mention I hate summer?

I guess hate is a harsh word. I don’t like it. I bought an autumn scented candle today because I am trying usher in the next season as quickly as possible.

In other news….

The last and final stop on the summer mini tour of my one-woman show, “Born Again in Berkeley” is this Friday in Redwood City:

BUY TICKETS HERE

I’m working a half day tomorrow because I gotta rehearse and rest. And then on Friday, after the show, I am going straight to an AirBnb on the coast. What’s crazy is that I booked it before I knew a heatwave was coming! Thank you Jesus!

Alright, time for ice cream.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022:

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Day 900 -Water Water Everywhere

I worked from home today knowing the water to my apartment building was to be turned off this afternoon. I quickly showered, washed dishes, and did all that I could do before noon, that involved water. I was reminded of a documentary I saw several years ago about Cuba and how in certain parts, people only have running water for one hour a day. They showed a woman with her bin of dirty dishes by the sink, waiting for the water to turn on. And then they showed Fidel Castro admitting that his socialist communist idealist views, didn’t really work.

Then I got an email about Algal Bloom:

“A very large fish kill occurred at Lake Merritt on August 28-29 and reports are around 10,000 fish were killed.”

CREWS TO START CLEANING UP DEAD FISH AT LAKE MERRITT ON WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE HEAT WAVE

This morning when I was getting coffee, I overheard people talking about it and “all the dead fish.”

After work I went on a walk at a nearby trail and ran into this:

Before I wouldn’t have paid much attention, but now I see it as a beautiful thing. Water is life. Oh and also on my walk on the Cascade Trail at Anthony Chabot Regional Park:

FOUND IT

I was one for two in geocaching.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022:

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Day 899 – I Will Survive

This morning before I left for work, my landlord taped a note to my door notifying the tenants that the water would be turned off for part of the afternoon tomorrow. I work from home tomorrow and was feeling a bit cranky about it and then I saw this headline:

Surely, I can survive an afternoon without running water, right?

And then I saw this headline:

I’ll be okay.

In other news, tonight is my last night with these girls:

After work I scooped their litterboxes one last time, washed the dishes, and swept the floor. These kitties are messy! A cat nanny’s job is never done.

I’m ready for bed. Good night.

Monday, August 29, 2022:

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Day 898 – Quiet Quitting

I’m pretty fried as I type this. I’ve got one more show this Friday that I have to reserve my energy for and then I am heading to the beach for Labor Day weekend. Oh, how I wish I didn’t have a day job.

If I didn’t have a day job, I could put all my energy into creative pursuits. Of course, I don’t know how I would pay rent every month and my health insurance would probably disappear. But what is life without a little whimsy?

Kidding of course. I am not quitting my job. But I like to pretend some days that I am retiring any day now and I start to organize my cubicle as if I am getting ready to leave for good. I purge old documents. I shred things. I make sure not to leave any personal items in my workspace- like pictures. I pretend I am “moving out” and this little practice makes me feel better. It gives me hope.

There’s a term floating around the Twitterverse called “quiet quitting” where people do just the minimum at work and do not go above and beyond. Sometimes I think it’s tempting to act like that, but it’s just not in my nature.

Tonight is my second to last night watching these two:

They could not be more different.

Too tired to watch Netflix. I’m going to bed. Good night.

Sunday, August 28, 2022:

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Day 897 -What Today Looked Like

My friend’s father passed away tonight. His health took a turn earlier this week and today was his last day on earth.

Sunset Tonight

A few years ago, when our friend Andrea died, I took a picture of the sunset that evening because I wanted to remember what the day looked like. Part of why I started blogging every night at the beginning of Covid was because I wanted to document what the days looked like during a specific time in history. I am so grateful for people who make documentaries, so I wanted to leave my contribution.

Earlier today, my friend and I went over to the hospital so she could visit her dad. The hospital wasn’t allowing too many visitors, so my friend went up to the 10th floor and I waited on the first-floor outdoor atrium.

View from the Atrium

We were there for about an hour and a half, then her stepmom came to visit while my friend and I grabbed a bite and decided to take a walk at a nearby cemetery. I know that may seem like a weird place to take a walk, but it’s one of my friend’s favorite places.

View from the Cemetery

We stretched our legs, chatted, and visited Andrea:

Then we grabbed a drink at a nearby coffee shop and charged our phones. She went back the hospital, and I went back to my cat sitting gig in Berkeley. Her father passed soon after.

Love you my friend.

Saturday, August 27, 2022:

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Day 896 – Recharge

I slept heavy last night and it was glorious. I went to bed earlier than normal and woke up later than usual. My body really needed the rest.

I’m still feeling a bit lazy, but not zombie-like anymore, thank you Jesus.

I worked from home today and did laundry. And then afterwards I headed to the Berkeley Marina for some refreshingly cool weather….

And of course….

FOUND IT!

Truth be told, these nano geocaches make me a bit cranky because they are so small and it’s difficult to sign the paper log. I couldn’t even get the lid open. But they are magnetic and easiest to hide.

Tomorrow I have another day of laying low. I desperately need my downtime to recharge my internal batteries. Signs of an introvert.

Alright- time for Hulu. It’s a Hulu night.

Friday, August 26, 2022:

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Day 895 – Zombie Days

I still feel sluggish and hungover from last weekend. Note to Self: Always take the next day off after a show. Always. I don’t know how musicians who tour- do it. Night after night. No wonder Steve Nicks did drugs. She said she would get a copy of Fleetwood Mac’s tour itinerary and just think, “well, I can’t possibly do this without coke!”

Don’t worry, I am not taking up drugs. I am sipping iced coffee though-that’s my drug of choice.

And yet I somehow managed to get some work done today at the office. I was like a zombie going through the motions. I was putting one foot in front of the other, my fingers moving, typing, and somehow answering emails. And then I went back over to my friend’s place to watch a Zoom Q&A about Hip Hop music. And now I am lounging on a couch, laptop on the lap, writing this blog while the cat looks on.

Okay the cat is getting the zoomies now! I better log off.

Thursday, August 25, 2022:

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Day 894 – Waiting for Autumn

The fog rolled in tonight and it was just glorious.

When does autumn start again? I am counting down the days. In the meanwhile, an ice cream truck rolled down the street today. An ice cream truck. I haven’t seen one in years. It was pink.

I am still feeling the effects of my double header weekend. Still tired. Even my friend noticed tonight as we broke bread at her place. As I type this, I feel like nodding off. No Netflix for me tonight. But with the foggy Berkeley breeze blowing through the bedroom window, I will sleep like a kitten.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022:

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Day 893 – Double Trouble

Today I was back at work and feeling the effects of doing two shows this past weekend. I really needed one more day to recover, but oh well.

And then after work, I packed a bag and high tailed it back to the Hotel La Kitteh.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

I gotta keep ’em occupied with toys and bright shiny objects. It’s the least I can do when they are couped up in the house all day.

And then I met with a friend for dinner al fresco. As we dined outside the marine layer shot us a cool breeze and it even began to get a little chilly. In August. I love the Bay Area.

Alright, time for Netflix.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022:

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Day 892 – August 22nd

Today is August 22nd and this date always feels familiar to me- and then I realize, my first day of college, was August 22, 1988.

I remember it was weird starting school in August because from kindergarten through high school, we always started in September.

So there I was, on August 22, 1988, sitting in my first college drama class – Drama 122 at Diablo Valley College. I was riveted as Mr. Kirkwood paced the arena theatre giving us a lecture about the basic principles of acting.

“If you have never taken an acting class in your life- you are in the right class. If you have taken drama classes your entire life — you are in the right class.”

I hung on his every word. Finally – finally, I wasn’t bored in school!

Because I could pick the classes I wanted for a change – and it made all the difference in the world.

Tonight, on August 22, 2022, I performed the first twenty minutes of my solo show “Born Again in Berkeley” – at the Marsh Theatre in Berkeley. As I stepped on stage, I noticed that the back door to the lobby was still propped open and was letting light into the theatre. I found it distracting but managed to stay focused and not let it throw me off- a discipline I have learned through the years, especially in Mr. Kirkwood’s classes. He taught that if a stage light fell from the ceiling while you’re in the middle of a performance, you don’t ignore it, but use it somehow. Now I didn’t ignore the extra light that was filtering into the theater, but I did use the frustration that I was feeling, in my performance. It gave me a little extra energy.

Alright, back to my day job tomorrow. It’s been so nice not having to think about work. My brain really needed this.

NEXT PERFORMANCE of “Born Again in Berkeley” – Entire 63-minute show:

Friday, September 2, 2022 – Redwood City, CA – BUY TICKETS HERE

Monday, August 22, 2022:

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