Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in lilieblue's LiveJournal:

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Saturday, September 19th, 2009
12:41 am	some things I never write here! Here is some updatey juice: - the bed bugs.  i never posted here to begin with, but most of you probably know: Ryan and I had bed bugs.  We're not ashamed, we now have our NYC BB merit badge!  But yes, hated, hated parasites... they came in on our first purchase together, a beautiful (BUT EVIL) second hand couch from the Seventh Ave flea market (FIRST CLUE!!)  the couch is now gone and a beautiful new one from Design Within Reach on order!- we had exterminator treatments galore, SO MUCH LAUNDRY, and...moderate success!  We haven't seen them or been bitten in well well over 90 days (55 is sort of a bellweather) but our neighbor down the hall got them recently (from us?  brought them in on her own? no telling) and luckily the landlord (after screaming at me on the phone) decided it was time to do the right thing and treat the whole building, instead of just an apartment at a time.  This is excellent news to us, though after this round of treatments is all over, I think we will be signing up for the preventive treatments from the pest control folks.  An ounce of prevention and all that.   -I took my first cooking class at ICE using the awesome gift certificate given to me by friends on the occasion of my 40th birthday. I decided my first class would be a class in Essentials of Sichuan Cooking taught by Chef Norman Weinstein, and it did not disappoint.  We made a 6 course feast of Hot-Sour soup (the secret is the vinegar- swatow brand) and no chili oil!  It was awesome and ruined restaurant soup for me!  Then we had our hand at Cold Sesame Noodles.  (Again, RUINED for me). I think the secret was the preserved vegetable.  Delish.  Then chicken with peanuts- this was done in a wok- and we got to talk about wok techniques and how to recreate at home (HARD due to heat source and equipment, but one can try!) then we moved on to  Ma Po Tofu (again, amazing) and then steamed pork with rice powder coating.  I have to just stop here for a moment, to reflect on this dish.  It has all the essentials of Shichuan cooking:  chili paste, Sichuan pepper, garlic/ginger/scallions...but then coated in rice powder- which we made- and you should, too, do not buy it in the store!  It's so easy and keeps for months! All was steamed and came out just so....sublime.  Our tongues were numb and tingly.  Le sigh!  We finished up with sliced fish with hot bean sauce- the fish was cooked in oil over low heat- poached in oil-and the result was flaky awesome.  The sauce was simple and so to die for.  I learned so much about knife skills, different cooking methods, the importance of prep and temperature in chinese cooking....it's only too bad that there aren't more regular classes taught by this truly incredible teacher and chef.  And....i have no wok, no steamer, no ladel to incorporate the slurry!  that I am thinking that I need to maybe make this my winter project.  Anyone hungry? -tomorrow i am auditioning for a very low-key performance opportunity with Wally Cardona's modern dance troupe as part of their upcoming show at BAM.  It's called 'Really Real' and has about 12 non-dancers (that is me, for those of you watching) standing and walking and sitting and lying down throughout.  I am really intrigued by the project- to the point that I am seriously looking to clear my schedule, in my absolutely busiest time at work, to make room for this, should they choose me.  I have felt a little stagnated in my own personal creative life, and giving myself over to this- the idea of doing it- has lit a fire under me unlike any I have felt in a loooooong time.  Wish me luck! -co-habitating.  I am learning so much.  I am so grateful, every day, that I have Ryan here to keep me grounded.  Bed bugs aside, living together, and tackling challenges together, has been a trip.  I would give any amount of money for the journey to continue without the constant challenges that are beyond our control, but it's been an excellent teaching tool to look beyond and live through the moment.  I soooooo look forward to the day when we have a house, and a garden, and dog.  The end. -goals next year: more cooking.  a trip to chicago to go to alinea (and Marie's!), a trip to Paris with Ryan, and to get pictures hung on the wall without feeling anxious about stupid bugs.  That's not too much to ask of a year, is it? (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, April 27th, 2009
12:01 am	so many things My knees have bruises on them from washing the floor of our new apartment on my hands and knees. My shoulders are sore from washing the ceiling fans on a ladder. My brain is wrapping around the million things to get done before next weekend, and coming to terms with fact that more new things will keep being added to that list, that they will all get done, or not done, and that it will all be ok. My allergies are insane from packing and purging in my current apartment. I'm so hopeful and thankful for my life with Ryan. My heart is heavy  imagining the world without Frankie, but also know that the love and support he has from all of us will help him transition from this life to the next, and it's the best gift we could ever give him. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 6th, 2009
3:33 pm	California dreamin' things are shaping up, though no tickets have been booked yet.  here's the general plan- a big 'hey' to my LA peeps fly to LA on or around March 19th World Baseball Classic whatever through Tuesday, March 24th March 24-27- hang in LA- anyone need labor/entertainment in exchange for a pillow to put my head on at night? Fly to SF on March 27 Stops (sleeping stops)  along the coast: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Cambria, Santa Barbara ending in Seal Beach Hoping to book hotels and airfare this weekend just so I don't have to think about it anymore, except to look forward to it! (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 20th, 2008
6:15 pm	Push It Push It, originally uploaded by Swifty. The Mermaid Parade is tomorrow, and I am so excited. Well, really excited, but trying to pace myself. Plenty of fun to last me all day. The routine is looking sharp and costumes are all coming together. Life is good. Photo by Swifty. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
2:32 pm	Shoes Shoes, originally uploaded by Lilieblue. Pair one of the 3-pair shopping therapy day. A picture, as requested. The color on the photo is not so hot (it was taken with my camera phone) so it doesnt accurately reflect that these are a very creamy tan with dark chocolate trim. They sport 3" heels but I have worn them all day and so far, nary a complaint from my tootsies. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
4:11 pm	Babbo I am been insanely busy.  Everything is getting done, though, and according to sources,  pretty well at that.  Sweet.  One month down, 11 to go...or something like that. Ry and I are headed to Babbo to meet Amy and Paul for dinner.  What Superbowl? :-)  It has been a dream of mine to go to Babbo!  Will hopefully not be too drunk when I return home to report on how awesome it was. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007
6:40 pm	Gifts for girls I have many young women in my life aged six months - 13.  I am currently seeking gifts for them that will engage their minds and spark their curiosity.  Magazine subscriptions (that are not this generation's Tiger Beat), books, crafts etc...are at the top of my lists, but any specifics that any of you have on particular ones would be appreciated.  That goes especially to those of you math/science inclined!   Okay, the six-month old is getting a rubber ball, but for the rest of them... (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, November 16th, 2007
12:50 pm	Best Marching Group- Mermaid Parade 2007 Best Marching Group, originally uploaded by Lilieblue. Last night, at what was a glorious frim fram all around, David from Coney Island USA came to present Amy Jacobus and I (and each and every single marcher and performer and car driver etc....) that marched/danced under the banner of the Brooklyn Bombshell Revue. This is the trophy. I don't have words for how much it means to me, and how unbelieveably beautiful and so Coney Islandy she is. Utterly perfect. The only other award I'd like to win is the Tony, and sorry, kids, but she totally beats a Tony. No one managed to get shots of us jumping up and down last night *sigh* but the memory will live on for a long time. I don't think Amy will ever live down her decision to give me the trophy. But I am so happy she did! I will let her visit!!! She really needs a pedestal to live on, doesn't she? And now I must search in earnest for next year's song... (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007
5:49 pm	in Chicago this Thursday? If you're in the Chicago area this Thursday evening and have nothing better to do, you can go and see what I used to do in my other life: http://threecatthursdays.com/2007/10/09/three-cat-thursdays-new-works-minnie-america/ I've no idea how it will be, but I am very fond of the play.  Cross fingers that it does well/has a good little life. Ryan is trying to convince me that I should fly out for it, but I really haven't had anything to do with it, and the logistics are a little wobbly.  If I do, any of you Chicagoans around? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, November 2nd, 2007
3:55 pm	I feel like an adult There is a downside (just one?) to being home sick and having internet access and that is online shopping.  I got it into my head the other day that what I really wanted were two items that I have coveted for a long time, and never bought.  They both feel extravagant, but also good investments for what I like to think of as "real adult life."   They have both arrived in the mail and while I may struggle to get them home tonight, and might also struggle with where to put/use them, and also struggle to eat the foods that go with each due to lingering illness, they are mine MINE!!!   item #1:  Kitchen Aid  Artisan Mixer in Majestic Yellow item #2: set of Wusthof steak knives Some day I really hope to have a house/condo/apartment with a kitchen I can dance and sing around and cook/bake in, filled with people that I love to cook/bake for, and maybe a dog.  The end. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
12:23 pm	My costume! My costume!, originally uploaded by Lilieblue. Today I am representing Kalamazoo, MI by wearing my authentic replica of an All American Girls Baseball League uniform. I have officially "won" Halloween in the office. In other news, I am recovering from a terrible cold (I blame Livia- HA!) but am otherwise very happy to be home, to have had such a great time on the road (I hope to blog about this more later...) and am really looking forward to a couple of calm months ahead. *cross fingers* (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 30th, 2007
12:39 pm	My boyfriend is out of town: I'm pathetic 1. squealed with delight when I was at the grocery store last night (yes, ladies and gentlemen, she's grocery shopping at 9 pm on a Saturday night) when I saw that they carry BARRY'S TEA*.  http://www.barrystea.ie/site/gold.html And for a couple dollars less than at the tea shop, though still a couple more than if I'd purchased it in Ireland.  But STILL!  Barry's Tea!  In my local grocery! *This will be less pathetic to exactly one reader. :-) 2. Watched the trailer to 'Grace is Gone' mostly for the Cusack factor.  Bawled my freaking eyes out.  I must see this!  Also watched the trailer for "The Darjeeling Limited' and while it didn't make me cry, it's the kind of movie I wish I was clever enough to write, but am not, and will love, so must must see it.  The prequel is available for free on itunes.  Check it out here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/ 3. It is 1 pm, and I am still in my pajamas.  Current Mood: chipper Current Music: Foo Fighter's: Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
6:14 pm	If only my vote had counted the first time around...  "A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida. The one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work." -- Ronald Reagan in his recently published diaries, May 17, 1986. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 20th, 2007
11:14 am	Things I learned in Ireland So I don't forget... -The JFK Delta International Terminal runs entirely on the whim of underpaid and clueless subcontractors.  -Lucy is awesome.  -Skim what? -The Irish make damn good butter.   -Ditto on the brown bread.  Is that 'brack'?  Dunno, but it's awesome. -The Guinness in Dublin is just okay. -The Guinness in the old man pubs out in the country?  Good lordy! -If someone offers you something to eat, you must eat it. - Chips/crisps come in individual serving bags ONLY.  If you're throwing a party, god help you.  (I think it's because they would get soggy and mold if not eaten immediately.  Just a theory.) -Tea. -Holy shit, Cadbury makes the European equivalent of Ho-Hos only with real chocolate! - Ryan is a very good driver. -Don't eat the Gammon Steak! -I really need to learn how to drive standard.  Just in case. -All cows in Ireland are 'free-range' -I love sheep. -The smell of a turf fire as the day is turning to chill is maybe the best smell ever. -There's old shit everywhere and it's rarely marked on the map.  Used to be a castle, now it's a cow house. - Everything is 'brilliant.'  And you will hate yourself when you start using the word.  But it's brilliant, so you do. -Best Guinness I had in Ireland was in Kilfenora (the town of the crosses!  But let's not put up any actual directions on how to get to them!) at Linanne's.  Can't miss it. Should have made it a pint. -There are no soft drinks on tap at any pub, maybe any where, in all of Ireland.  And yeah, a Coke will cost the same as a stout.  - Ice in a drink is never a given. -Salmon eaten on the day that it is caught is so much better than anything I've ever had anywhere else ever my whole life. -Everything is going to be okay.  Always.  Just slog through it and keep your chin up. Count your blessings. -Rugby is awesome. -Galway is the East Village of Ireland. -The Cliffs of Mohr really are that amazing. -I need to not wait so long to take another vacation like this. And I know what I need to do next time: even less doing, lots more being/listening/experiencing. Just jotting down things to remember.  I still have ideas that I will blog about the whole trip, but for now this will do. (Comment on this)
Monday, September 17th, 2007
1:11 pm	How to buy produce Dear Fellow Farmer's Market shoppers: It has come to my attention that many citified folk got nary a clue how to pick out produce, so let me give you a few pointers: Corn:  Corn is best chosen by the heft of the ear.  If it feels heavy in your hand, you got yourself a good one.  If you're not sure what 'heavy' is, try picking up a few of the same size, and giving it a try.  Pick the heaviest one.  DO NOT PULL BACK THE HUSK OR THE SILK!  Doing so dries out the ear- so even if you're going to pick it for yourself, you've just ruined it.  It is also a health code violation (makes it a breeding ground for bacteria and other nastiness.)   Cantelope:  Cantelope is perfect (sweet and dense) when it passes these two tests:  1- at the stem end, the melon gives slightly to your touch.  If it doesn't give at all, it's not ripe.  If you stick your finger through the skin, it's overripe.  2- sweet smell at the stem end.  if it 'gives' but there's no sweet smell, it's probably been picked too early and will most likely taste like cardboard. Peaches and nectarines:  Peaches and nectarines are best when they have a lot of red on the skin, and smell great.  Sometimes I give it a *slight* squeeze just to make sure they aren'y mealy.  Squeeze hard enough to tell, light enough not to bruise the fruit.  If you're making a fruit dessert, doing any canning or making preserves, you want the fruit as ripe as possible so pick out fruit that may even be turning overripe. Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, limes and lemons): The heavier it is, the juicier it is.  Always pick up a few in your hand- pick the heaviest ones.  The condition of the skin is not always a good indicator! Brown and soft spots are to be avoided, though, as it means the fruit is starting to rot from the inside. Watermelon: My grandpa always liked to thump a watermelon with his hand to see if it was ripe.  It's supposed to make a very satisfying sound when it's ready.  Watermelon is almost foolproof, though, so as long as the skin is a nice deep green- depending on the variety, of course. If it's sliced in the store already, look for deep red flesh and juice. Green beans:  The greener the beans, and the shinier the skin, the better the beans.  Brown spots indicate that they have started to turn, and a lighter skin will mean for a very cardboardy texture and taste when cooked. Passionfruit:  The nastier it looks, the better it is. Mangos:  They usually have two colors on the skin.  In the tradition mango that most of us see in the store, there's yellow and red.  First look for ones with deeper colors.  Then do a little squeeze test.  When mangos are ripe, the flesh under the skin should give a little- not too much.  If it's hard, the poor thing isn't ripe and will taste like nothing.  If you're not sure which color indicates ripeness, try the gentle squeeze test on a couple of them and you should figure it out pretty quick. Onions:  Smell it!  If you smell onion, put it back!  It's gone bad.  Onions should not smell oniony at all.  They also shouldn't have any markings or wet spots.  At the grocery store the onions that they usually put out to purchase by the pound are from bags that were damaged, so buyer beware! Rant ended!  Current Mood: geeky (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
11:16 am	I got a sunburn in Ireland! On the sky Road, originally uploaded by Lilieblue. No, really! It was sunny and warm in the sun and there were sheep everywhere and no skim milk and the most delicious butter ever, and the turf fires! the Guinness! the time when Ryan puked his way across Ireland! Ah, good times. I will attempt to write in more detail shortly, but suffice it to say that what I saw, I loved, and I didn't see (and hear and drink) enough. Ate enough, though. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
12:30 pm	Ireland awaits I was told that I should blog my upcoming (tomorrow!) trip to Ireland.  Mayhaps I will. I've been looking forward to traveling to Ireland what seems like my whole life.  I've imagined that it would feel so great to not feel out of place or out of fashion with my Connor nose, my pasty skin and freckles; to drown in the wind on my face and wide open spaces.  I've had a longing to be in the quiet- in a place with more sheep than people- to let my brain settle enough so that I might hear my own thoughts again.  To have lived for so long as a writer, and to have gone several years without writing significantly, has been interesting.  It took awhile, but I desperately miss hearing the voices and being called upon to serve them.  Choreography is my new great love, and honestly, I think I am a much better choreographer than writer, though of  course all my years in the theatre influence my work there. Everything I was becomes everything that I am.  Of course. Who knows what I will find in the quiet, but I am wanting and ready for it. Enough of the hoo-ha.  We fly to Dublin tomorrow night and spend the weekend with Lucy, drive to Connemara for the wind and the sheep portion of the trip, spend a couple days in Galway, all along drinking my weight in Guinness, and enjoying the first of what I hope are many adventures with Ryan.  Not that we haven't had our share of adventures, but those were all adventures that were thrust upon us.  This one we chose. Current Mood: excited (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 24th, 2007
11:27 pm	IMG_0869 IMG_0869, originally uploaded by ./Eli. The Mermaid Parade was everything we could have hoped for, and more! The weather was gorgeous, everyone dressed up and looked fantastic, the routine was smashing, the judges were wowed, and no one cried. My role as choreographer for the Brooklyn Bombshell Revue can be seen here: http://blip.tv/file/278582 I was very very happy with the way it turned out and thrilled with the enthusiasm that all of the dancers put into performing it. Yay! The after-party was a nice chaser for the beautiful day- it was at Flatbush Farm in Park Slope, a place I am very anxious to check out again for the great food and the hard pear cider on tap. Mmmmm. P.S. The Red Velvet Cake at the Wing Wagon on Flatbush between 7th and 8th Avenues totally rules. And because Miss Jodie was in town, (or is that just an excuse?) Ryan and I and George and Jodie hit the 7 train to the Mets game where my very favorite pitcher, John Maine, threw brilliantly for the win. Mr. Met paid a visit to our seats! (Check out Ryan and Jodie's Flickr for the evidence.) I'd do this weekend over again in a heartbeat. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 22nd, 2007
11:51 am	baby sailor baby sailor, originally uploaded by Lilieblue. There's no crying at the Mermaid Parade! Tomorrow is the Mermaid Parade, which means the summer is really here. Gorgeous weather is on tap, and somehow we managed to get about 30 people to rehearse and perform the routine. (They are outstanding!!) Amy and I shopped for bribes yesterday, and all I can say is that if we don't win the trophy with our killer combination of sharp suits, badass routine, and Bratz water wings, there is no justice in the world. Current Mood: ecstatic Current Music: Preservation Hall's 'Olympia on Parade' (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 3rd, 2007
12:02 pm	She's back She's back, originally uploaded by Lilieblue. Wonder Woman lives on my desk. This morning, she was MISSING! I gasped aloud and wondered, "What sick fuck would abscond with Wonder Woman?" And then I found her. She was 'upstairs' on my bookshelf, playing with a baseball player from Estonia and a midget bighead Tommy Lasorda. The sausages from Milwaukee had turned their backs. I have no idea what went on during the night. I don't have any problem with her getting out and seeing the sights on my desk, but I really wish she would have left me a note so I wouldn't have panicked. Though it would have been hysterical to send out an email to the company asking her whereabouts. It might have been the last hysterical thing I ever did at baseball, but it might have been worth it. (2 Comments |Comment on this)