making dreams come true

a worm hole is the only explanation I can give for my grievous absence. that, and work. of both the paid and art variety. I performed at Bumbershoot! a new slide show! it was nerve wracking and awesome and a dream come true. and being the first act of the day, the green room was packed with snacks. bonus!

this is the first year in 5 years that I have not worked the event. odd, but it felt weird to be there and not be so physically exhausted and sleep deprived. but it is an odd that I can definitely get use to. I recall many a morning biking to work feeling the exact consequences of my actions: working 12+ hours days lifting stupidly large awkward things, sleeping not my preferred 7+ hours, washing, rinsing, repeating. for like 2 weeks straight. one particularly beautiful late summer morning, I, bleary eyed, tired, was stopped at a stop light on Denny and Fairview. I looked up to the billboard and as soon as I registered what it was about, I almost burst into tears. it was a freaking WA Lotto ad where a guy in a glider has strapped a chicken to his chest, to show the little fowl what it is like to fly. (ok, all I could find when I googled 'lotto ad chicken guy in glider' was the penguin version. but I think if I had seen this one, I would have totally lost it right there in the street. I love penguins.) I think it was the caption, I can't remember it off the top of my head, that pushed me over the edge. something about making dreams come true. on any other day (for reals, ANY OTHER day) I would have thought nothing more of the ad than it being super clever. but take away my sleep and suddenly I am unable to control my emoting.

so instead of an emotional breakdown, this year for Bumbershoot, I drove myself almost to the point of throwing up with nerves! ah well, it wouldn't be a festival without some type of physical or psychological strain. and yes, totally worth it. see you all next year.

and now please rise for the national anthem

i love karaoke. love it.  to those who have never seen me karaoke, this may come as a surprise. but to those who have, it's pretty obvious. 

two life dreams have evolved due wholly in part to the cross cultural phenomenon (um, thank you philipines for the magic mic). i go into brief detail.

1. in my life, before i die, i want to write a one hit wonder song that makes it into the karaoke song books. hell, i don't even have to be in the band that makes it. or if i am, i don't even have to be the lead singer - tho that would be hella sweet. i just want to make one album with one band that has one one hit wonder. one smash one hit wonder - along the lines of 'don't stop believing.' (ok, not that journey is anything close to a one hit wonder, but that's the caliber of song i'm shooting for). which i think is maybe every other band's nightmare, to be a flash in the pan. but really i have other things to do than make a life long career out of music. i just wanna do it once. and do it well. join me if you dare.

2. one time at a storm game - wait, let me rephrase that- the one time i went to a storm game, (not that i wouldn't go again, or didn't have fun, or wasn't excited to score free tix, or have any beef against my sporty sisters, but it's just not something i have a burning desire to do on a regular basis or have the inclination to drop down money for. but if you have an extra ticket and need a date, i'm hella game. so to speak. and delightful company.) where was i. . . yes, the seattle storm. we (geode + i + geode's friends) and i got there in a timely fashion. we settled in our seats, we (ok, really i can only speak for myself) spent lots of time looking around at all the other 'storm fans' (but yeah really i was not the only one scoping out the crowd). then some too loudly amplified announcer began saying things, eventually persuading folks to get up and respect the gifted teenager who was about to sing a technically difficult but deceptively so cuz we all know it and think we can sing it just fine song. i got up to see better. the girl started singing. then it hit me. the only difference between this girl singing the national anthem at the start of a basketball game and me singing it up on some makeshift stage at a pub - age, refined vocal chords, crowd size and standing ovation aside - was the lack of words projected on the big screen. this kid was basically doing karaoke. karaoke +. extreme karaoke. i turned to geode, 'what if one day we came to a game and right before it started i excused myself then the next thing you know, they're calling my name and i'm out there in some snappy outfit belting it out for the masses? would you be impressed?'  'impressed, yes,' she replied, 'but not really surprised.'  ok, i don't remember what she said back to me, but the point is, someday, somewhere, somehow, you might find yourself at a sports event, you will find your seat, you will be touching up your friend's face paint when the announcer interrupts, asking you to get up out of your seats for the national anthem and please welcome to the stage. . .  ilvs.   

'uh, it's pronounced 'elvis'.'

odds are i will be at the waterwheel in ballard (wallingford?) this sunday night 9pm for some songage.  maybs i see you there.

PSA - and for the record, i don't need the alcohol to sing in front of peeps. i'm just not all that into drinking.  and i think it detracts from the true experience. and it's not the best for the vocal chords.