Things that are happening now

Six minutes of fame

I’m part of the backup band for a local dance performance three nights this week — dress rehearsal was last night; it opens today. Actually I’m on for about two minutes out of a three hour show — Berkshire Dance Theatre is a big school; there must be 50 dancers on stage at some points. It’s a lot of fun: Lara and Yael, my drumming teachers (and the ones who got me involved in this) are a hoot, it’s just fun spending time with them. Some of the dancers are startlingly good, and they’re all really intense about it: super-elaborate costumes, a lifetime supply of spangles. And there’s a lot of adrenaline in being onstage — the routine that seemed so long when we were rehearsing it went by in an instant blur when we did it for real. I’m vicariously recapturing some of that high school drama vibe (it’s in a high school theater, after all.)

This road trip has feature creep

Does anyone local have a summer-weight tent that I could borrow? Something small enough to pack on a plane. Either that or suggestions on where I could buy a cheap and/or used one would be great.

Next week I fly to New Mexico to talk Business with Nate and Sara. We will whiteboard and brainstorm and prioritize and do all those good dotcom startup things. Then to Seattle where I’ll retrieve Sara’s car, visit some old friends, and see if it still feels like the city I used to live in. Then to Oregon where, unfortunately, I won’t be taking part in the shooting of Spidertron — the schedule just wouldn’t work out without me spending most of the summer wandering around the US, which Emily would have some objections to. (This trip will already be the longest period of time that she and I have been apart since we married.) Then to my sister’s house in San Luis Obispo, since she’s due to have a baby right around then, and since I haven’t seen any of my family for most of a year and it’d feel kind of silly to be on that coast without at least dropping in.

Then the part that I actually had in mind when I first planned the trip: I drive across the country looking at big things. Actually, now that I think of it: anyone have any suggestions? So far I’ve thought of spiral jetty, lightning field if I can spare the extra day it requires, the very large telescope array, Marfa, maybe Biosphere before they close it... it’s all kind of southwestern desert-intensive; partly because I like the desert, partly because that seems to be where they put things that are large.

I’m sure there are interesting Big Things elsewhere in the US but I can’t think of any (well, Mt. Rushmore, I guess, but that doesn’t really count.) Ideas, anyone?

It’s been a long time since I took a serious road trip. I’m alternately really looking forward to it, and worrying that it won’t live up to my memories of what roadtrips are like.

Wellbutrin 150mg

Here’s some news: I’ve been taking antidepressants for a little more than a month now. I know to many of you this doesn’t qualify as a big deal, and really it probably isn’t; I only mention it because it was starting to feel weird that I hadn’t mentioned it.

This was a very bad winter for me; I usually get pretty grim around February or so — doesn’t everyone? — but this time around was different — I haven’t been working, much, haven’t been playing, much, and it didn’t lift with the coming of spring... anyway. Jury’s still very much out: they were working really well for a while, I felt like myself again, had a burst of real productivity; then they weren’t anymore. I think. It’s surprisingly hard to tell, sometimes. If anyone wants more info about it, do ask; I’m going to try not to dwell on it here, because it’s difficult to gauge how much of this poking at my brain is interesting and how much of it is just not fun to read, but it’s not a big secret or anything.