Mail Call

Things are going pretty well here in Fuerzaland. Time is flying and life is good! Nothing super jazzy to report but next week I will be in Miami (for work) and Bogota (for pleasure) so expect to see some adventure posts creeping back.

I came home tonight quite haggard from a grueling 12-hour workday+Phone Booth time with Katie and Laura (reunited and it feels so good!) to find TWO treasures awaiting me in my mail file:

The first, a standard corporate FedEx envelope from Barclay's Bank (Tran! Delightfully TYPICAL). Inside: Photos from the long lost disposable camera from our Spring Break 2005 trip to Amsterdam! Taken before the digital era - well not really - these shots are the only vestiges of our gnarly week in the Netherlands back when I had a fauxhawk. Highlights of this trip include binging and purging at pretty much every flenje house in the city; getting fucked up then boarding a two 2-hr train to Rotterdam only to realize we pretty much had no money for the remaining five days of the trip; and partying with a band who pedaled us from gig to gig on the backs of their bikes while we held their instruments (I got stuck with the f-ing keyboard). There was also the proud moment when I couldn't get into our shitty hotel room because Sasha's visitor had exceeded maximum occupancy of two so I had to wait in the gutter until they were finished only to find my friend wearing my kimono passed out on the dirty mattress with no sheets.

Tran's package also included a bag filled with chocolate ears and toes. How well my friend knows my taste!


drugs and cartography (this map incidentally found residence on Ted's wall for many months)


with the band; the bed when it still had sheets


where is my St. David's t-shirt???


The second, an artfully hand painted envelope from Ted. WHETTOS!!! I have been on the receiving end of Ted's frequent small-batch comics for over a year. It has been a read joy following the mis/adventures in Tetonia and beyond. When he moved back East from Idaho recently I'd assumed my days of mini mail treasures were finished. It looks like the project is over for now but not without a last hurrah: twenty-four juicy travel journals plus two long-ass letters were enclosed in the package documenting his cross-country journey (by way of SF). This is enough material for me to get my Excellent Adventures fix for at least some time. I eagerly await the next installment in whatever capacity (screen prints?!).

Now I am going to curl up in bed and read them.

Seattle/Bellingham/Glacier, WA: A Flannel Vancation

Katie and I began our voyage to Courtney Love's mother-state on Friday evening but we didn't make it to Seattle until after 1am on account of weather delays. Laura picked us up in Coco and whisked us north to Bellingham. It was great to be reunited with Laura who has been living in Washington for the winter ("FUCK YEAH!"). We parked Coco on the beach, cracked a few brews with Laura's hunk Gunther, and hit the hay before the sun rose over the San Juan islands in the distance.

The next morning we stuffed ourselves with a delicious brunch at the Little Cheerful Cafe and spend the day lit hours poking around for treasures in thrift and junk shops. The state of Washington is a totally unearthed reserve of under priced riches! I made off with a sequined cashmere sweater and Laura and Shrimp bought a fringed dress+jacket, unicorn, mink hat, wood bowl, tea set, and other items between them. After a long day of hunting we grabbed some famous burritos at Casa Que Pasa. Then we went and dicked around Gunther's art studio while he tinkered with the biodeisel hookup in his van. It was taking forever so the three of us made our way north for the evenings festivities.

We grabbed some booze at the Nooksack Reservation (by "we" I mean Shrimp - I had to wait in the van since I lost my driver's licence at SFO!!!!) and stopped by a party in a part of the state that is not in a town but for postal purposes is located in Deming. The party was in the show house of this beautiful sustainable pre-fab home and was packed with snowboarders. The brand new hard wood floors provided the perfect surface for sliding around in sock feet and determining if we were goofy (Shrimp) or regular (unfortunately....moi). After some time at the party we drove up to Glacier, the tiny mountain town on the edge of Canada where Laura has been living/knowing everyone, and caught the ruckus Sugar, Sugar, Sugar show at Baker's (the only bar in town). When the bar closed linked Coco to Laura's friend Donkey's van in the parking lot and had a giant van party with the SSS rockers plus a zillion other people. Once we ran out of booze, Laura, somewhat recklessly, drove eight of us in the van over to her friend Jason's house and crashed Coco into a snowbank on the side of the driveway. Unable to budge the van, we just cranked the stereo and had a big dance party in the street. We were soon joined by other carloads of people heading to Jason's. The spontaneous several-dozen dancer boogie was unfazed by three visits by local police. We eventually brought the party inside once the reality that it was around zero degree hit us. Laura fell on Jason's wood burning stove at one point and the rest is history. Ouch.

Haggard, we awoke the next morning in various states of disarray from crashing on floor/couch/futon of our host's cabin and made oatmeal before hitting the slopes! Mt. Baker is a beautiful mountain and Laura is an excellent snowboard instructor. I hadn't snowboarded since Tahoe '97 and it was the first time for Katie "raised in the jungle" Murphy so you might imagine the quality of our performances. Nonetheless, we gave it our best. After putting in a solid afternoon of "shredding" we heading back to Bellingham for a feast them some quality Coco time for the rest of the night. Around 3:30am we drove back to Seattle in time for Laura to drop us off at the airport where we took a crack of dawn flight to make it home in time for work on Monday.



Coco reunion


Laura's van and Gunther's van = van love


Lipstick brunch; A GOAT IN A TRUCK IN DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM


vintage wares


San Juan Islands in the distance


We spent hours here. HOURS.


Van party post-Sugar Sugar Sugar show






Burn


A real life glacier!


@ Mt. Baker

Anything for Aht

I huffed and puffed super fast on my bike in heels, garters, and fake lashes to meet Pete, Andy and Aaron at the SFMOMA for free beer night but by the time we got there it was packed. Pete and I sipped some cocktails at the brand-new Blood Hound (not dive-y enough for my taste but sweet enough) before schlepping around SOMA.

We met Bill and partner at SOMArt's gallery opening for Hibridity, curated by Rio Yanez, son and pal of Rene, with whom I did the Frida show (and GGP shoot!). It was great to catch up with Rene for a second to pick his brain about his plans for the upcoming Warhol exhibit at the de Young. He is planning something similar to the Frida show and I am trying to weasel my way into the project.

We took Bill's car back to 111 Minna for the much anticipated Pin it Up, Babycakes opening extravaganza. I have been waiting for this event for a whole year! The show is a joint effort between two of my burlesque friends, Sweet M'Alice (Alice Stribling) and Tinky Sparkle (Jessica Whiteside), for whom I have posed in the past (note: stripping in front of a rowdy audience is a lot less awkward then standing sweaty in skivvies alone in front of a babe-artist). When we got there around ten the place was packed! Kitten on the Keys MCed the performances with Tres Fromaqique cabaret band and several acts. Pete and I arrived just in time to see Betty perform. Always drool-worthy. I was able to catch up with a ton of dear faces - it seemed like every burlesque friend was there in full effect. I miss that crowd! We stayed until we ran out of drink money and I ate about seven cupcakes. The show will be up for a while - I recommend checking it out! Plus Minna has a cheapass happy hour.

We hit up Amnesia then Pete had to go to bed and I convinced my room mates to drive me back down to SOMA to boogie with Megan and Kevin and Shern.


SOMArts Hibridity opening


Kill Bill; Rio+Rene




Robber of the arts!


Rene's project - next step, Linda and Ruby extra large!


111 Minna; Alice Stribling herself


Ruby+Heather; Frank Chu is EVERYWHERE


Kitten on the Keys merch; Tiff+Ruby


Tres Fromagique


Tink and Holly


Kitten on the Keys plus Betty




Ruby+Holly; Siah+Milkshake