Taking the Commuter Train to Circus Town March 30, 2008

It’s A’s mom’s birthday and we’re taking her to see Cirque du Soleil and then going to eat dinner at some restaurant that floats. Being a reviewer for the last year or so, I no longer go to see shows as an extracurricular activity. This’ll be the first performance in months that I’m not bringing a notebook to.

We went to Cirque when they were in town last time, and it was phenomenal. It made me want to run off and join the circus. Except I know I’d end up being a roustabout, not the cool lady dangling from a rope by her ankle.

Since we’re going out with mom and it’s her day and all, and we’re going to the “theatah” (in a tent on a brown site, yes, but still a big fancy show), I’m having a hell of a time deciding what to wear. I have to dress like a grownup most days of the week, and I try not to on weekends. I always feel conspicuously overdressed whenever I wear work clothes to non-work things. But I’m guessing jeans and a Portland Spelling Bee t-shirt aren’t going to cut it.

Runny: Everywhere You Want to Be March 27, 2008

Yeah so I’ve been busy. When I decide to get involved in stuff, apparently I don’t fuck around. I’m working my job, I’m starting my own business, I’m volunteering for the Democrats, I’m volunteering for a public art project, I’m doing slightly paid but not well work for the Downtown Association (see the super-rad new walking map’s website here), and I just applied to be on the board of an industry association. Criminy. You’d think I wasn’t a lazy schlub who loves her some couch surfing more than anything else in the world.

Oh, and we’re still doing the ridiculously insane exercise deal. Almost three months down. And I’m still swimming in fat pants but not buying new ones yet. I’m just walking around looking like a clown or a toddler (depends on the shoes).

I actually managed to split the seat of the pants I was wearing yesterday. Having done that before because my duds were too tight, I found it funny that it happened because they were too loose. I was in the bookstore and I crouched down to look at a book on the bottom shelf. And the seat of my pants, riding as it was mid-thigh, wasn’t inclined to stretch that way. Awesome. Nothing makes you happier to be alive than having an entire store of people on their lunch break hear your ass break free of your pants. I guess at least it’s good I wasn’t leafing through porn magazines when it happened.

So. ORbike did a cool little profile on me and didn’t make me sound like too much of a jackass. Here’s the link.
And here’s a crapload of links to Mercury reviews since the last time I barfed up a load of reviews. Speaking of barf, come ON, Portland. Decent theater really isn’t that hard to make. My standards have been sufficiently lowered by living out here for a few years now. I’m not looking for genius. I’m just looking for better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Scotland Road
Dreamgirls
The Importance of Being Earnest
Tales of Ordinary Madness
The Clean House