Confession is good for the soul (and the laundry)

Perhaps, like my darling BFF, you noticed that the Gold Stars for Grown-Ups counter was stuck on 6 stars for about 2 months. I ran out of the sheets where i kept track of stars. See how forlorn the pad looks hanging there at the bathroom door all naked and alone? I ran out of the sheets the same week my grandma died and then there was work and the play and, well, stuff. I had the new tablet, i just kept putting off setting it up. And without the system in place to reward myself, i started slacking off. When the sheet is hanging there with quiet recrimination - Have you mopped the kitchen yet? Have you? Have You? HAVE YOU? - i remember to do things, but without it, not so much. Two weeks ago, i set up the new system, tweaked things a bit, and set new goals. Then i promptly left the continent for 10 days. Way to plan, Nikster! Anyhoo, i am once again exposing my lameness to create accountability for myself. This weekend i am back on track, people! I will be uploading Hawaii photos, writing a post about the play for my cousin, cleaning my closet and doing laundry. Perhaps i will even do something about the check engine light that has been on for a month. Wish me luck (and stars).

Thwart Hog!!!!

I'm back.
I'm wading through piles of mail and laundry and work and pictures to share my adventures with you, but today I am being stalked by...
the THWART HOG! (drawing by TM Amy)
I'm not going to go through every misstep, closed door and ridiculous situation that has transpired today but know that i am close to hysterical laughter, the kind that you can't stop once you start.
Once i am back from hiding, i'll post some Pacific joy.

tiny differences

Every conference is similar; every convention center is unique on the outside, uniform on the inside. But it has been nice to find that every turn Hawaii sneaks in a tiny detail to remind us that we are not in just any location. Yes, we are eating generic turkey sandwich box lunches, but it comes with Maui chips, macadamia nut cookies and guava soda.

Aloha, people!

This is the view from my private balcony. It faces west so i am going to spend the next hour sitting out there watching the sun set into the Pacific. This is surreal. (posted 6:00pm Hawaii time, midnight Eastern time)

you're ugly, you smell and i want you dead

STINKBUGS! uuuuuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!! Stupid freaking stinkbugs. It's not bad enough that they are spreading like a pestilence through corn fields? It's not bad enough that smell gross unless you kill them and then they smell worse? NOW they have to be conspiring to get into my house? I found several in between the screen and the first pane of my ancient windows. They hadn't made it into the bedroom yet, but two were just sitting in my living room. Mocking me. Taunting me. Being generally smelly. I don't have an aversion to most insect or other crawly, scabby or slimy things, but these guys freak me the heck out. Maybe it is because last weekend i went to take a sip of my Diet Dr Pepper and ended up with a stinkbug IN MY MOUTH instead. DDP was spit all over the wall and the hardwood floors and I could feel a split second of wriggling and the taste, the taste, the taste. If you think they smell bad, you can not even imagine the taste. No wonder these stupid things don't have any natural predators. BLECH!

ominous, but beautiful

Yes, the days are getting shorter, but sometimes it means that you get to see this when you leave work: I love that the clouds are so heavy that they block all of the scattering setting sunlight completely from the sky above, leaving just a grey-blue wash. I love that it looks like the underside of the clouds were dipped in pink paint. It only stayed like this for a moment, but it was breathtaking, if a bit apocalyptic.

getting there from here

As i have said before, i live in a suburb masquerading as a small town.
I love it.
Just when all the comfort and normalcy makes you wonder if perhaps it would be more exciting to live in the city, you notice a unicyclist coming up the road across from the drugstore.
Yes, you read that correctly,
UNICYCLIST!
No joke, this guy wasn't in front of his house practicing for a talent show or performing at a kid's party.
He was utilizing a unicycle to traverse Edmondson Avenue.
Really.
And he didn't come to mess around.
Oh no.
With as much zoom as my camera has i tried to capture all of his PPE (personal protective equipment) -
You might expect the helmet and the reflective vest, but the goggles were a bit of a surprise and the gloves were downright perplexing. It's not like there are handlebars to grip or anything.
Good luck to you, unicycle-man.
Thank you for being eco-friendly.
And look out for that car.
Yes, just another day in the Nikiverse.
Thank God i always have my camera so that i can prove that i don't make this stuff up!

Motel Restaurant

After play practice two weeks ago, the director declared that she was going to go try the Motel Restaurant by the Beltway, did anyone want to go with her? Are you kidding me? You know the kind of place i am talking about here, huge neon letters that tell you nothing you couldn't have figured out on your own (as pointed out by stage manager, Debbie) at a place that probably once did a thriving business, but has fallen on some hard times. This is the kind of place that we have all passed a zillion times, but never dare to stop. But by jimminy, we were going to dare. First, Michelle had to put up the rear seat of her station wagon, which i declared to be a rumble seat, but was then immediately referred to as the rumple seat It was a bit of a tight fit for actors Samantha and Erica, but we all made it to the infamous location unscathed. We were even more unsure what type or quality of food we would find since the big sign said RESTAURANT, the door sign said Coffee Shop and the road sign said Chappies. Imagine our delight to find a diner on one side and a lovely dining room on the other with a big round booth just waiting for a group of hungry thespians. The menu was huge and varied. It was easy for all of us to find something to order, even with 2 vegetarians and 1 allergic-to-gluten-dairy-eggs-ian. The restaurant had somewhat recently been bought and refurbished and now tries to live up to the motto: Get Happy at Chappie's. The service was good, the food was good and the prices were good. We spent almost 2 hours laughing and talking and eating and yes, we did indeed get happy! It was so good in fact that i went back the next day by myself for some lunch. I sat on the diner side this time, revelling in the awesome touches of yesteryear, like the lamps over the counter and the ultra-cool clock. Give Chappie's a try - it's at the Beltway and Washington Blvd, by the Home Depot; you really can't miss it. (though remember that there is no exit 10 going south, take Sulphur Spring Rd off of the 95S exit) No doubt i will go back. And i will even refer to them by their proper name, Chappie's, though in my heart it will always be -

DiPasquales

Last week's adventure in "Triple D dining in Baltimore" found the team again in Highlandtown, but this time we were a few blocks off of Eastern Ave walking along rowhouses not only sporting the original brick or FormaStone, but also painted in an amazing array of colors. The picture doesn't fully communicate the coolness, but it was like walking through rainbow sherbet. We were on our way to a fabulous Italian market called DiPasquales. Overwhelming would be the word i'd use to describe it: rows and rows of Italian groceries, open bins of bulk beans and legumes, a full deli, a brick-oven, and lots of people eating and talking. I don't think any of us were expecting it to be so crowded or jam-packed with stuff. And the menu - great googley moogley were there a zillion things to choose from. On the show, Guy had showcased arancine -Sicilian rice balls- which I had never heard of, but felt compelled to try (pictured here in the front; chicken parm with penne in the back). It was an interesting mix of crunchy and chewy and something else i can't describe, but it was definitely tasty. I also ordered a sausage and rapini (broccoli rabe) calzone that about the size of my head. It was delicious and filling and lunch the next day as well. Personally, i found the rapini to be a bit too bitter - i would have used spinach - but otherwise i give it a big thumbs up. Since it was a market i could get some other out-of-the-ordinary treats as well, like black cherry soda and Italian chocolate that had this weird white coating that i couldn't determine if it was to be consumed or not. I just ate it. The whole thing was yummy, coating and all. It was a nice lunch trip to finish off the summer and to welcome the newest members of the team, Adam and Addison. There are still several places on the list and we will hit them when we can.

For Kaaren

How can you possibly say,
that this isn't sexy?
(i love that since this pic was taken at 11 last night after 4.5 hours of dress rehearsal, the half-sweated-off stage makeup makes me look like a dude in drag)