Last summer I fasted for 4 days, this year I did 6 days. There is light euphoria, mental lucidity a kinda acidic, toxic feel. I drink fresh fruit and veggie juices before, during and after the fast and they become very filling as the days wear on. My main problem is the insomnia. I have way too much energy.
Summer '09 thus far- Here are Magnus and Nightstalker, defenders of the cats from butcher birds (blue jays), and defenders of our ears from mockingbirds at night-
Microdot dons the ceremonial socks-
Microdot and Destroyer are showing some brotherly love...
Upset the Rhythm Showcase at the Smell. The wonderful Lucky Dragons are on-
Flames engulfed 2 craftsman houses down the street. It was started by someone w/ illegal fireworks in the garage of an apartment building. The fire spread to 4 houses via the trees.
This house used to sell plants and garden fixtures. I loved these houses.
At Family Bookstore, I saw Golden Hits set up more patch cords than I've ever seen-
They were followed by SF's Bulbs-
The night's music was very ambient and soundtracky. A Bulbs member is playing in the display window.
On July 11th, my band Auto Da Fe played at the Lotus Festival on the Echo Park lake and it was so fun and easy breezy lakeside. Literally and figuratively. After, we went to Brie's BBQ and she told us the story about seeing the Beastie Boys play at Diva Zappa's 5th birthday party on the diving board as they threw watermelons in the pool for the kids to dive for. Wha? We later went back to the festival to see the most colorful fireworks ever.
On the 4th of July, my fellow 1st grade teacher Lesley married our PE teacher Jason in a beautiful Catholic church.
We saw fireworks just outside their reception at the LA Fairgrounds and a group of little kids were screaming "Mich-ael Jack-son!" everytime they boomed. He hadn't even had a hit in their lifetimes.
Summer '08 never really was posted due to my cat RayRay passing away. I just had to keep moving, not reflecting. This year, as last year, we went to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna. It's where paintings are peopled and vice versa. It's always an amazing spectacle.
I remember Summer '08 as being crazy hot and the Cali wildfires starting early.
The heat was one of the reasons this guy was so incredibly inspiring. I was walking up to Trader Joe's from the Claremont village (maybe a 1/2 mile) w/ my ipod, damning the heat when this guy passes me up. He was almost to Santa Monica and had taken a detour into Claremont to use the internet. He had gone through like 50 pairs of shoes and had been walking for a year!!! I gave him $10 for his travels, as he was relying on donations, although he never asked for it. He had received some media attention at that point but his website is now down. Hope he made it, it sure was a hot summer.
Bet he wished he could jump into my friend Kara's lagoon/jacuzzi.
At the Scripps secret garden, my friends Kimmy and Laszlo got married in 114 degree weather. I played my yangqin and read Rilke. A few people jumped in the fountain afterward. It was part traditional Vietnamese Buddhist and part Western. She and I were Art majors together there. It's an insanely beautiful women's college of art and humanities in the Claremont College community. We both now teach Kindergarten and/or 1st grade 2 blocks from each other in Pomona.
I went to see Yaz w/ pals (Faye, Jamii, Stacey, Tisha, me and Glennda in front).
In August, Sam and I toured the West Coast. He read short, funny stories from his zine 'Clog' and I played Chinese classical pieces on my hammered dulcimer (yangqin) and showed my documentary about music in China. I had filmed it from 1998-99 when I was there on a grant doing music research traveling to every nook, cranny and corner of that country interviewing and filming. It took me 10 yrs. to get around to editing the 60 hours of footage. I guess I was inspired to do it by the outta control Chinese Olympic debutante ball of that summer. Here's some snaps of the tour. Here Sam and I celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary in San Francisco-
Klamath Falls, Oregon if you ever need to shoot your piano-
Beware of the giant that guards the township of Grant, Oregon. He steals 8-tracks and sells them at the swap meet.
Meet her dog, Otis, as he digs a hole in the mud and naps in it. He can emit time from his eyes.
She and Justin put us up in their hideway in Kamilche. He can emit time, too, he just chose not to here on a full stomach.
We played at Phantom City Records and Dumpster Values. I am drumming up some sales. Hey, that's shoe business! Yuk Yuk!
Sam read from Sarah's art studio above. He'd make a crummy Repunzel with that hair.
Who have we here? These little softies were made by Coco Howard at the Anne Bonny store we played at. Wow, such a great shop o' curios. She gave me a blue fuzzy guy. I love it so.
Here's Coco and her lovely daughter. Congrats! Coco just got married to Spencer the shop owner!
She has many great fluffy wall pieces on her site Softlife.
For my birthday we went to see the Chinese acrobats at the Hollywood Bowl-
And who should be lurking there, waiting to take our money, but David Leibe Hart of the Tim & Eric Show. He drew our portrait which oddly resembled every other drawing he had. He wants me to tell you that he needs a girlfriend and to contact him thru me, if interested. 
