A full night's sleep. No dealing with the hot and cold. No running to the toidy. No waking up and wanting to hit the sack again or at least needing to with a heavy aching head. A full night's sleep... something we all take for granted until it is snatched away for some reason or another. I finally got one last night.

Whatever this was it hit me hard. Oh, I'm still not out of the woods yet (still a wee wobbly on my feet too) but I do spy evidence of the meadow up ahead. I used to be a sickly child. Then from early adulthood till now didn't got sick rarely (I count allergies more of an environmental affliction than illness) but when I do catch a cold or some other thing... it hits hard. I have come to consider it as a reminder of our mortality... a reminder of making the best of what we have... and what we have left.

And why stale cigarettes, Lecram? I saw getting sick as an opportunity to quit smoking. Cigarettes taste the foulest when one is ill. Case and point... there is a pack sitting in front of me that was purchased on Sunday. Only 7 had been smoked... and stale cigarettes are the absolute vilest tasting things in the world. Here's hoping enough of the physical addicting toxins have also been purged from my system.

I think that's a lot to count.

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I do have to admit that there was a little ego gratification as I walked through the door at the Exit Theater and Richard, the co-producer of the SF Fringe announced (albeit tongue in cheek) "The Rogue is Here! The Rogue is Here".

I have been going up to the Fringe for years... first as an independent producer, then an audience member, then as producer of the Rogue and now back as an audience member. We are now professional friends. I know many of the regular performers and the producers... in a way, it has become my creative home away from home. I still feel like a welcomed guest and there is an easy casualness amongst all of us.

This was Solitaire's first time and I'm pretty sure from the time we hit the ground in the city her high expectations were exceeded. First by the welcoming reception at the Exit then at the performance of "The Sewers" where we had arranged to meet the lovely Mia and her beau Julian. To say that she was shell-shocked by the content, style and level of performance could easily be an understatement. It really was a wonderful show. I have followed the progress of Banana, Bag & Bodice for years and from the creative standpoint... they did not disappoint.

We also met up with my friend Tiffany and her friend Jose who joined us on this first night romp. We gathered at The Chieftan, a pub down the street from The Garage performance space for a drink then migrated to Original Joe's where we were to meet up with APJ and Steve. Once again, the news spread that the Rogues were present and both APJ and Solitaire were bombarded with questions about our festival. All of this groundwork was laid out both by Steve and Mia who (apart from being wonderful hosts) had already spread the news of of our presence and introduced us to performers (who after being given an effusive work over by Solitaire's pitch) bare now seriously considering applying for the Rogue.

We closed down Original Joe's and ran into the cast of The Sewers who invited us to join them for drinks at Frank's... a little dive down the block. There was more chatting and drinking and we finally (admittedly a little drunk) hit the hotel at 2:30 ish in the AM.

I was happy that I had forced and been forced to attend this year.

There'll be a vlog coming soon on more of the

This week... my count is in this song.



If you want to know what Da Count is all about... click the the flashing sign at the top of this post.

no internet for me this weekend

I'm swearing off it, I tell ya! I am taking no laptop and have banned myself from any internet cafes I might trip upon.

Arrangements have been finalized and I AM going up to SF for the Fringe! (Of course, barring any unforeseen circumstances.) OK... truth of the matter is... I am going to see shows up at the Fringe but this trip is more of a break for me. There are telltale signs why I need one.

1. I've been muttering to myself of late. (But Lecram... you do that anyway.)

2. I've been muttering back to my muttering. (crickets chirping)

3. I break out into song while doing the laundry... in time with the spin cycle.

4. The phrase "I don't wanna" has crept into every third sentence I speak.

5. The neighbor's cat has stopped hanging out at my place just to drive my dogs crazy... and I'm convinced that this is a sign of the apocalypse.

So... I'll post on Friday and you won't see me till Monday. So there!

not everything I wanted to...

... but I did get some things accomplished today. Of course, there are still oodles to do and I'll get to them tomorrow.

I was up at 4 AM this morning. It happens every time I have a couple of scotches the night before... which isn't as often as it used to be... which is just as well.

Anyway, being up reminded me of a writing routine that I used to practice several years ago. The quiet of the morning was a great time. I would write until 7 then do my morning chores. Get back to writing at 10 am then break to cook and eat lunch at noon. The afternoon was usually left to other pursuits... which often included a nap. At 8 PM I would review the writing I had done for the day... do minor rewrites and put down notes for the next morning's write. That worked pretty well for a while. I do need to set aside time and routine for my next write though. Something workable that will maximize output.

Actually, of late I've been feeling the need to formalize a schedule for my day which of late has been pretty loose.

Perhaps more in the AM

Yeah, it's my second post for the day. I just finished reading a couple of posts that were thematically similar and thought I'd chime in on the subject. Os wrote about the possibility of an upcoming last gig with his band and the lovely Joy shared some revelations illuminated on a very recent trip. Both touched upon the subject of "evolve or dissolve".

It is a truism that (whether we like it or not) permeates just about every aspect of our lives. Change is constant. Our choices on the matter lie between being reactive or proactive. The former more often than not involves a lot of finger pointing and reciting the "It's not my fault" mantra.

I recall in my 20's thinking (in the arrogance of my youth) that I had"figured it all out" only to be faced shortly after with a sudden blast of life changing situations that challenged everything I believed in. (Ah, the absolute idealism of youth.) Still, I stubbornly held on, convinced that all the (unnecessary) attachments that I had amassed by that time would prove true when it all blew over... that I would emerge from that fiery furnace a triumphant hero ::music cue; triumphant glorious heavenly chorus:: hailed by the (now convinced) multitude with cheers of "You were right all along!" (Don't you just love these "movie moments" of mass epiphany that we project & fantasize when we are in the insidious clutches of our own hubris?)

Of course, that never happens and we are instead imprisoned and tortured by our self imposed dogma as we continue to spiral deeper into the "victim mode." We continue to wait for everything and everyone around us to change to "our way" while continuing to delude ourselves that by tightening our grip we can exert total control. Or we play the perverse "the time will come" game and of course it never does. And in that state of static we can choose either to be "inflicted by life" or to "make life happen."

How often have we seen it played out around us? The personal relationship that continues to fester into something painfully toxic because it has come to a stalemate. The business partnership that dissolves destructively into a backstabbing war just from the refusal to consider innovation. The artist refusing the adventure of "stretching" then sinking into the obscurity of a "one trick formulaic wonder". We can recognize it in others yet never do we want to admit that it would ever apply to ourselves.

And hopefully we wake up one morning with the decision to move forward by either evolving or dissolving. Either choice involves the release of our hubris.

There are critters in my roof I suspect of the rodent variety that need to be evicted. This influx usually occurs when renovation is undertaken somewhere in the neighborhood... which it has of late. So it's time to roll out the "rat balls"! My own recipe for rodent control.

Ingredients:
1 can of dog food
rat/mouse poison
paper towels

Method:
Mix dog food with rat poison. Put a tablespoon on a paper-towel and roll into a "paper ball". Repeat process until you run out of the lethal mixture. Place paper-balls in nooks where you suspect there is rodent activity... (presence of rodent poop is a good indicator.)

Firstly, rodents are attracted to paper. To them it's akin to winning a spree at an Ikea store. "Honey, I think this will look just darling in the nest... especially if it's shredded just so." Then they find that the pretty paper-ball has goodies inside. "Woo hoo! Pretty and yummy! Oh heaven... munch... munch." You can be sure that the news spreads among the rest of the rodent population... "Psst... paper-balls is manna!" "Ohhh... look I found one too... munch... munch..." Within 3 days the death march begins to the rodent's graveyard.

I pride myself with the effectiveness of my "rat-balls"! And yes... I used my vast training as a playwright to think like the rodents do in order to come up with the method for their "final solution".

At least the arrangements I've made are in place for me to go. (I will confirm one or two details later in the day.) I am still ambivalent but I am going simply because I need a break and this may be the one I have for a while. Though if I do go I may just shoot my next vlog from up there.

THIS MEANS I WILL HAVE TO GET IN SHAPE!
Because I am planning on doing a lot of walking while I am up there. To that end I plan on biking or walking here at least twice a day. I really don't see the point in keeling over in the middle of the street while I'm up there.

Yeah, I am going to catch some shows but that is not the primary reason for going. I really don't have to stump for the Rogue as others are going up just for that purpose. I just need to catch a city vibe... and indulge myself at my favorite hole-in-the-wall eateries... and at least catch a drink over at Original Joe's. I also hope to meet-up with a few friends and do a catch-up of sorts. Actually it would be fun to meet-up with bloggers who live in that area... so, if you are up for it... email me.

BAD LECRAM... BAD!
O.K. I'll fess up... part of what I did yesterday was surf on the net for details on the Adobe CS3 Production Suite. I am such a nerd.

* It's been a while since I've done a vlog. Not bloody likely that I'll be doing one today but I thought I'd mention it only because I miss doing it. Perhaps in the next couple of days.

* By 9:30 AM today I had made coffee, hung up the laundry to dry, watered the yard, and returned from my daily bike ride. Something about starting the day early and accomplishing the little things that just sets up the whole day in a better mood. There are still more things to do... like mopping and cooking and I suspect that my mid-day I will feel like a champion. LOL.

* Of late I have noticed (more so than most) that one of the causes of problems that people bring upon themselves is the unwillingness to let go. They would rather stew and plot revenge and destruction instead of letting things be. This even extends to plotting the diabolical destruction of an accomplishment that was created with pride. Just another example of hubris obscuring reason.

* There may be a good chance that I can and will actually go up to the SF Fringe the coming weekend. Just a couple more details to secure before that operation is a complete go.

Hope your weekend is going well. Now back to the business of accomplishing.

Now, let me first say that I enjoy, take pleasure and pride in starting "from scratch" whenever I cook. There is a certain air of alchemy in creating a dish from the combination of various ingredients. However, the preparation of the more traditional dishes can take several hours.

One such dish is Hainanese Chicken Rice which requires a time commitment for the desired results. But a couple of weeks ago while grocery shopping I came across this jar. Let me just say that it cut my "alchemy time" down by a full hour and a half... and the results were good.

So, my count today is the convenience of products such as this that ease the process when one is craving a certain dish and time is of the essence. Not to replace the joy of creating from scratch but more as a worthy substitute when you are in a pinch.

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above