She journeyed from across the ocean imprisoned in her slim elegant bottle and tucked away between the softness of worn garments. Arriving on these shores last Thursday, her anticipated freedom was unceremoniously postponed for reasons unavoidable. She waited patiently knowing the allure of her seduction could only be contained for so long. Soon she would once again consume by being consumed.


fairy in a bottle

Waiting was no stranger to her. Before her recent flight she had waited on the oak shelf sheltered in the old store where potential lovers came and went. She spent the waiting hours reminiscing the foibles and accomplishments of past lovers whom she had granted her delicate but potent charms. The multitude had included poets and princes. Who would be next? Who would dare take on her insidious and sensuous challenge?

It was just then she felt movement. A knowing filled her being. Her full lips curled slightly betraying a sly smile. She had been acquired. Curiosity piqued as she squinted and strained for a glimpse of her new paramour through the frosted glass. This futile exercise only provided undefined and blurry shapes. The warmth radiating from the hands that caressed the bottle provided the only clue. She was his now… and he would soon be hers.

Now on the shores of a new land, she continued down her memory path smiling fondly at the pleasure, inspiration and madness she had past ignited. Next to her the empty vessel that once contained a now lost sister sat empty – the trophy of a conquest. Had this sister fired inspiration or tormented insanity? It was really of no consequence. She knew the memory of her sister was instrumental with her presence here today.

She felt another movement. The hour had arrived. She prepared herself. Soon her spicy sweetness would be consumed and she in turn would envelop her consumer.

A blast of fresh air rushed in as the bottle was uncorked. From the narrow opening she finally caught sight of her keeper. There were two of them. Neither a poet nor a prince, but that did not disqualify them from sampling her charms.


seduction of the green fairy

They took in the breath of her essence. Heady and excited they finally released her from the frosted prison that had been her home for so long. She swirled into their cups which they raised in salutation and drank in her delights. The dance had begun. With this consummation she knew that for now they would belong to her alone.

This is only because I watched "Under the Tuscan Sun" recently... which I liked. So here goes a short list of 10. None of these are in any particular order... and there are probably more that I like that I've forgotten.

* Like Water For Chocolate (also a great food movie)
* Shall We Dance" (both versions - English & Japanese)
* When Harry Met Sally ( one of the better "he thunk, she thunk" movies)
* The Road Home (theres food in this one too)
* Gone With The Wind (epic, melodramatic, silly - gotta love it!)
* Love Actually ( also fast emerging as one of my Christmas favorites)
* Amelie (quirky & charming)
* Sliding Doors (love the "what if" concept)
* Doctor Zhivago ( its David Lean - what's not to love? OK, the 60's hairstyles and costume designs are funny... but apart from that...)
* Indochine ( filmed in Malaysia)
* The Tall Guy ( great "date flick")

Honorable mention for "Ju Dou" - plays like a Greek tragedy & I love Gong Li.

UPDATE 1. 11:33: Found this blog and enjoyed the story.

UPDATE 1. 2:44 PM: Here is the trailer to the new King Kong movie. The trailer looks pretty good.

UPDATE 2. 3:17 PM: Found this link on a friend's myspace page. Its a cool flash presentation of the cyber future.

UPDATE 3. 5:10 PM: Downloaded Google Earth (Sorry, Mac version not available yet) and it thrilled and scared me all at the same time.

Here are a couple of views from today in my vege garden.


Randy feasting in my vege garden


The bounty today

Click here and navigate with your mouse.

I would like to thank all of you who participated in the Cybercue… and even those of you who were not able to connect but had one anyway… THANKS! We’ll try it again some time (hopefully soon) with a dry run on the connection first.

To any others out there who are reading this blog and are interested in participating in the next one… chime in by running a comment here.

I’m actually subbing for a friend at work today. The lesson plans are all prepared “packets” which leaves me free to blog and surf. Yeh, easy money!

I’ve been watching episodes from the third season of Northern Exposure of late. When it was first run in the early 90’s it was one of my favorite shows. Watching it again has been like reconnecting with an old friend. As a playwright I still derive quite a bit of inspiration from the crisp writing and quirky storylines that manage to weave into its fabric simple but thought provoking profundities.

The only unfortunate thing is that this DVD release has stripped some of the songs that were featured in the original episode soundtrack – copyright issues I guess. Too bad. From a directing standpoint it was one of the best uses of music I have come across. Songs were pointedly utilized to comment, juxtapose or enhance a particular scene or situation. Besides that they were just plain good songs. Nevertheless, it's still a damn good watch.

Sure, the cyberque extended as far as New Jersey but could not hop over the pond. Connection issues, I guess. No matter, we had a grand time anyway. Eating, silliness, cyberchats, food, drink, dancing... all in perfect weather. Hope you guys had a good time too.

Here are pictures of the day. We saved the "really good ones" for a pay porn site.


Eating in the shade in the front yard


Table of food.


Airplanejayne holding court in front of the house.


A blood letting at the grill... spilt marinade.


Anticipation infront of the computer


Chatting with New Jersey


Thereminman getting into his meat.


Fresno's Beetles


SSM,JM & Thereminman at the Starline


Gettin down with babes at the Beetles


The Fresno 4 with Thereminman sneaking an eye in behind SSM


Passed out in an alleyway... the perfect end to a cyberque.

Do any of the locals want to list the food we had?

For those watching... or want to... This Cyberque Cam will be on until noon Pacific Time. It will then change to an exclusive broadcast via Yahoo Messenger for those who chimed in. Enjoy watching the prep.

Lelly has chimed in with her Yahoo ID. Kien, Vert and Blith... you guys need to chime in soon!

Here is the official marinade for the Cyberque.

Garlic
Ginger
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil

Chop garlic & ginger add soy & sesame. Baste on meat or vege of choice. Barbecue!

Lets go with the bad news first... the laptops that I have (from school) will not allow me to hook up the webcam to it. As such, the webcam from my office will have to suffice. (Those bastards have "administrative control.") So, a lot of the festivities will have to take place by the trailer in my driveway. It's better than nothing, I guess.

The good news.... the cyberque is on! We in Cali will begin at noon. That will give New Jersey and London/Brighton to chime in at 3 PM and 8 PM respectively.

Lud Boi, it'll be 3 or 4 AM your time but you are welcome to join in as well.

In order for this to happen... those of you who want a webcam feed from here MUST download Yahoo Messenger and set up a yahoo ID. Make sure you email it to me and I'll send you mine so that we can link up with the webcam/chat, etc. We have already done a test of the webcam/ chat with New Jersey and it works fine. (New Jersey has a webcam too... any luck with scoring a webcam in England???) The rest of you need to chime in quick if this is going to work. (Yeah, whats with the disorganization, England? One trip to Corsica and it all goes out the window?)

The first "common dish" will be a summer salad:
Red Onion
Tomato
Cucumber
Bell Peppers

Dressing options: Italian, vinegar & salt, or lime juice & salt.

Second "common dish" will appear on this blog tomorrow.

On a totally different subject... here is a blog with baby critters.

And more unrelated subjects... I took an IQ test and look what they gave this doofus!

Your IQ Is 115

Your Logical Intelligence is Genius Your Verbal Intelligence is Exceptional Your Mathematical Intelligence is Above Average Your General Knowledge is Above Average

In yet another unrelated story... I had come across this years ago and laughed my ass off!

I've been a total slug the last couple of days. Spent time just noodling on the computer with no primary objective. Something that I have not indulged in a very long time. It feels good-sort of like reconnecting with that old friend who was content just to hang and waste time with.

Thursday I head back up to SF to pick up Randy and son. It'll be a one day turn-around. No hanging out downtown or any of the usual activities that I love doing when I'm usually up in the city. No matter. The drive will be good. I actually enjoy the long drive. What's stranger is that I actually like driving in the city. A lot of people don't... afraid of getting lost, I'm guessing.

I actually enjoy getting lost. There is a certain adventure and a sense of discovery whenever I do. I have come across some interesting nooks that I wouldn't have otherwise. The urban explorer. I do it here at home as well. Love just getting in the truck and driving where the road takes me. Perhaps I'll do that today.

The night began at Full Circle Brewery where we drank freshly brewed beers and experienced both the All Too Real Players and the jangly pop of Trike Shop. Even SSM put aside his homicidal weekend schedule to join in the fun. The turnout was low but fun was had by all. JunkPuppetry, the moanful wail of the theremin, beers and easy fellowship... all ingredients for the begining of a fun evening.


the true nature of SSM unveiled

We then moved the party to an "event" over at the 3 Brush Gallery (which was conveniently located across from Fresno Community Hospital.) The place was peppered with the young and beautiful. The DJ was spinning ambient cool as fire dancers performed in the parking lot below. There was a cover charge but also an "open bar." After a while of kebitzing and being cool we collectively decided to have a nightcap at Livingstone's.


The crew sucking on booze at 3 Brush

Somehow SSM lost his way but we ended up having a good time despite the fact that the the joint was hopping from overflowing late-nite crowd. This just goes to prove that Friday Nights in Fresno can be fun.

Rogue faves and acclaimed troupe, the All Too Real Players will be flinging their brand of "found object puppetry" at you with their show "JUNKOLOGY" as they open for the Trike Shop.

Time: 8 PM (they will start ON TIME and it's a short show!)
Place: Full Circle Brewery, 620 F Street.
Date: Friday, June 17th
Cost: A measly $5

See ya there... and past the word!

I'm actually sitting in class subbing for a fellow teacher. I had agreed to do this a couple of weeks ago... and there was an offer of money. The gig is not too bad. Class goes between 11:40 AM to 1:55 PM for 2 days.

This also gives me an opportunity to "feel things out" on the employment front. Was it just "burn out" that I was reacting to a few weeks ago? Do I really want to continue doing this as a source of steady income? I'll tell you my conclusions when I have reached them myself.

Later today I meet with the kids for a rehearsal for tomorrow's show.

More later.

So, we get to San Francisco. Park the car saunter over to the Essex... and the door is locked! On the window we see this notice. (click on the pic for a bigger picture.)


The notice
What??? It closed??? I was dumbfounded. This was MY place. It was a quaint old hotel (with great rates) that was a home away from home when I was up in the City. I've had many a good time there. The owner, staff and I were like family.

This was THE place I recommended to all my friends ... many of whom would sometimes get discount rates just by dropping my name. It was the spot in the city where we indulged in rooftop parties. Now all of that would never be again.


The Essex
So, we checked in across the street at the Air Travel Hotel... bigger rooms but not as quaint. I was mourning the loss of the Essex... so, we proceeded down to Kaplan's on Market Street where I proceeded to drown my sorrows by purchasing a new pair of boots.

I had an appointment to meet up with and old school chum, Jonathan Mudueideen at 6. To kill the time I decided to introduce Randy to one of my favorite watering holes-Red's Corner. We sit at the bar and we are immediately assulted by notices on the wall announcing that "Red's is Closing" at the end of the month! First the Essex and now Red's???


Red's Corner

Now the drink becomes bitter-sweet. Many a time I have slurpped a Bloody Mary while watching the locals, touristas and freaks mingle in there. Now thats not to be as well??? What is going on?? I secretly blame the yuppies and the growing yuppification of the city. Why don't they just stay in Marin???


Inside Red's

We meet up with Jonathan and proceed to Original Joe's. Is that place closing down as well?? Thankfully it's not. There is however a 30 minute wait for tables. This gives us "catch-up time" with Jonathan and Steven who also joins us at the bar. I have not seen Jonathan in 25 years so there is quite a bit of catching up to do.


From left to right... me, Steven, Jonathan & Randy having dinner at Original Joe's

On my drive back today I reflected on the short trip. Buddha was right. Nothing is permanent.

Well, the MJ verdict is in. That's all I have to say about that.

For you regulars (and not so regular) on this blog... I've added some features. They include a clock, a guest map, a hit counter, a theatre news feed and a button to my webcam page.

I leave tomorrow for an over-nighter in SF. Taking a friend to the airport who is flying off to London for a week. Kein, check your email... something is on its way to you and your virgin email account bounced as your quota has been exceeded. I'll resend the email later tonight.

Click here!

Jade & APJ outside the Starline last night

OK... not really. We met at the Starline last night and I couldn't help but take the pic. Anyway looks like New Jersey may chime in on the cyberque as well. A mutual friend of Lelly and me , Richard in Malaysia has been scoping out the blogs and I think that he should also join in the fun. So what if its 4 AM???

Looking into Skype for both chat options and video. If allelse fails there is ww.com and we could chat via msn messenger or icq. I'll keep you updated.

O.K. ... so I finally posted a pic of me. Damn, it was tough to find a decent one. Go ahead laugh if you must!

Yup, he did. And here is proof from the actual cartoon.

The olive tree on Olive Ave. at "patio al fresco" of the Revue.

Its been awhile since I had coffee at the Revue. This use to be my daily ritual. I would waltz in at 7 ish in the morning and leave by 9:30 for work. Those were the good old days when my schedule wasn't as stringent as it has been in the last year. Sure there is a Statbucks only a 2 minute walk away but I have always had a soft spot for the locally owned joint.

The little alcove where the "patio al fresco" is situated was my hang of choice. This is where the "Revue Heads" held court just about every day. There was Charlie, the model train store owner and proud Vietnam Vet. Jim, the retired mailman who began each conversation with "You know..." and who was tolerated because he had a cute dog. Bill, the cop from Madera and computer nerd who never took off his shades.

Sure there were others but these were the regulars... and they all had opinions and they made sure that these opinions were voiced. When the caffeine kicked in, these opinions would fly fast and furious along with the volume level. On many a morning we would be in stitches when a balloon of seriousness would be incisvely popped by the quick witted and sarcastic jab by one of the patio crowd.

There was also the obligaory moment of silence whenever a sweet young thing with a bodacious bod would saunter into the cafe. Heck, she didn't have to be sweet or young... but a bodacious bod always stopped everyone in their tracks. Even Charlie, who tells very involved and animated stories would suddenly fall silent. He usually managed to recover to continue the tale in all its gory splendor and have us all chuckling within minutes.

I've only known of 2 occasions when he actually lost complete train of thought... aand so did the rest of us... and silence reigned on the patio for at least 10 minutes. After the distraction had long gone, from one corner a voice meekly piped up, "Breeder?"

"Oh yeah." "Breeder for sure." Everyone throwing confirmation into the ring... and magically everything went back to normal.

This morning Charlie was there. I was happy to see him. No breeders came by but it's nice to know that some things don't change.