in town

Yay, I'm in Portland for a month and it makes me happy. 

List of things that make me happy:

1) getting to see Joe! (even better when he makes me breakfast, we work on my bike, and watch math documentaries in between searching the depths of our souls and growing emotionally and all that). He is rad (and brilliant, and silly, and focused, and so kind and loving and considerate. I'm a lucky Hannah.)

2) Scout! (a very close second to the bf. even better to catch the two of them snuggling.)

3) the library! I've become a voracious reader lately thanks to the library and this lovely little thing called putting things on hold. I've read 4 more books by Chris Bohjalian this month, David Sedaris' newest collection, and just started Derrick Jensen's A Language Older Than Words. (I felt obligated to make a list as I've not updated my GoodReads page in ages.)

4) BIKING. 

5) Getting to perform in a real theater. Like with fancy lights and a black floor and seats that people pay for. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job bringing the puppets to the kids in cafetoriums across the land, but I've gotta say, it's pretty freakin' sweet to be treated like a professional every once and again.

6) My house. My bed. My kitchen. My lovely housemates. Having a home and a community. 

happy happy Hannah. Life is good.

yesterday was the best

Yesterday we did a show at a school with the Deaf Education program for the county so I not only got to do 2 shows (WITH WORKING EQUIPTMENT, rock on), but I got to go to their classroom and introduce them to the story and puppets in ASL. Followed by a lovely drive back up to Bellingham, tasty food, good cheap wine, chattin' on the tele-phone with the bf, and socialization with Amanda and friends, and bed-time Dr. Who. Purdy awesome.

Starting with Sunday, I'm in town for a month. More awesome.

Now, onward post-sleeping in brunch and two more shows. Huzzah!

jonesin' for the southland

So, last night after I'd checked into a crappy hotel in ARMPIT OF AMERICA otherwise known as Puyallup, Washington, I flicked on the tele to zone out. Yeah, this is why I don't own an idiot box, because I'd actually do this more frequently if I did. Regardless, I was flipping through, and came across a travel show about hot dogs... Yup, hot dogs. And in the intro they showed a clip from the Varsity (of course) and so I watched a 30 minute show about hot dogs just to watch the 5 minute segment about the Varsity. And I nearly cried. For serious. 

It continues to amaze me that I actually miss Atlanta at all, and how sharp that's getting. Granted I haven't visited in over a year, but still. The list I could make about things I hate about that place is loooong, but today I had the funny thought that I might actually end back there someday. And that wouldn't be the end of the world. It's kind of how I thought I would never in a million years go to UGA and then ended up having a really great experience there. It would amuse me to no end if I made a home for myself in the place that I can't stop running from. 

Ya see, besides a cache of my favorite people in the world living there, there is the minor bit about the Center for Puppetry Arts being there. Yeah, like THE place for puppets in the 'ole US of A. Ironic, huh? Ah, this life thing, never fails to surprise me. 

I am counting the days until my roadtrip (constantly evolving, new update: Not doing the O'Neil. One puppet conference is enough for this summer). I am at a weird place in Portland. I have realized that it actually makes me uncomfortable to be living in a place not only of such uniform thought, but thought that so closely aligns with my own. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm craving some conservatives. Girl needs to be challenged. Girl needs some diversity, ya herd? Also, I'm not exactly deepening the connections I have here (because I'm working all the damn time, and honestly the only people I see these days are Joe, my housemates, work folks, and folks from Meeting all of whom I love, but still...). At the same time all of these people that I love, and I mean that in a would walk-in-front-of-a-bus-for kind of way, aren't here. And I'm barely maintaining friendships with them. The time difference really messes with my ability to keep up with people, and I've just done a crappy job at it of late. Le sigh. Needless to say, I am Very VERY excited about this summer and can feel my expectations rising like a thermometer in Georgia in July. 

So if you're reading this, and live far away, this is for you. A little love letter from my little rainy home away from home. I don't think I could have said it better than my beautiful, talented, makes-me-laugh-'til-I-snort, kindred spirit friend, Lauren. Big love, y'all. Big love.

overworked and unafraid

So, I haven't had 2 consecutive days off in over a month. I'm tired. A bit cranky. My batteries need rechargin'. Even those of us who love what we do can't do it ALL THE FEAKING TIME. Ahem. Did I mention cranky?

Next month is looking better. Had a little chat with my boss. Everyone is afraid of her because Sweet Momma J has a few Jeckyl/Hyde tendencies. I am really not afraid of her. This makes me a bit of a minority in my office.

Planning to try to get away next weekend perhaps. Dipping into savings for my own sanity seems worth it right now. (A note: the only way I have any savings right now is that I've got some crazy generous grandparents, aaaaand once I put money in my savings account I pretend it's not there. Until times like these, that is.)

I needs sleep and love. Sleep and love. Is that too much to ask for? I think not.

busy busy, road trip, good stuff

Hey, so guess what? I'm busy. Big surprise there. 

So, my life is split between rehearsing, performing, unloading and loading vans that break (two last week alone), learning lines, walking scout, Quaker-ing, hanging out at home, and spending time with my b-b-b-b-boy friend. Yep, kids after a month or so we've made it official. Mr. Narvaez is my bf. 

So, for all of you waiting with baited breath: He's 27. Ecuadorian born, Miami raised. Did undergrad in Communication and Peace Studies with a minor in Women's studies at Loyola in Chicago. Did Americorps teaching ESL in Portland and is now in Oregon Tech's Sustainable Engineering program. He wants start a green non-profit training low-income people of color in practical skills to become certified in green building techniques so that they can enter the green revolution aaaand pull themselves out of poverty. He's interned at Green for All, and Van Jones even offered him a job. But besides all that, he's a man. He's got his shit together, knows what he wants, and has like, emotional boundaries and can communicate. He makes me feel like I'm sacred and beautiful and worthwhile. He's brilliant, but can be silly and snuggles like a champ. Did I mention that he's really cute? Swoon. And he's teaching me Spanish. Me gusta bailar!

So, other than being crazy busy with work and totally falling for a great guy, I'm planning the most epic of all epic road trips. It includes visiting all people and places I've neglected in recent months/years as well as 2 puppetry conferences/festivals. And all in less than 2 months! The itinerary has been through many phases and is by no means complete but as of now, I'll be driving Dave's car to the cabin and then flying home. Here's what I've got so far:

Leaving in early June take a couple of days to get to Yellowstone. Spend a couple of days exploring Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Pull the long haul across South Dakota and Iowa. Enter Illinois from the south, visiting James and Erica Wagoner (hs drama teacher and wife). Then into Chicago to visit Meghan from B&P as well as Joe's friends if he comes with. Then across to Waterbury Connecticut for the O'neil Puppetry Conference (June 13-21). Then up to Vermont so that Joe can visit UVM (for the other master's program he's interested in) and over for a day or so at Bread and Puppet in Glover. From there down to NJ to visit Linda. Hop on the train for a couple of days in NYC to visit LJ+Dave as well as college/hs friends (Buck, Betsy, etc.) Then down the east coast stopping for a couple of days at the cabin (and meeting up with Helen in NC?) before continuing onto Athens (Megan Louise, Lauren, Matt Weeks, etc.) then Atlanta (Nina, Gaelyn, Pops, GA Grands parents, etc.). Then there's the National Puppet fest in Atlanta July 14-19. After that I'll drop the car at the cabin and somehow make it back to Atlanta to fly to Austin (visiting with the Hollingsworth clan/checking out cool places to maybe potentially perhaps live someday), and flying back to Portland sometime in Late July. Phew!

That is all. My life is happy and full and moving forward at the speed of light. Hope to see you this summer!

a poem I wrote on new year's

I can feel the inside of my skin

dark and slimy wet velvet

opaque and shiny

it absorbs

digests

erases

my organs shine like mirrors

reflecting themselves into infinity

sparkling in the darkness

cold, and hard, and hollow.

I fit together like a puzzle,

nesting inside myself,

tongue and groove.

you'd never know by looking at me,

but if you pull my string,

I'll smile and hum

you'd never know

I've got diamonds in my toes.

yeah, yeah, I'm not dead on the side of the road

Again, as my life gets more awesome, my internet presence declines. I am not at all convinced that this is a bad thing.

I made it home from Olympia safe and sound. Spent a couple of weeks in the office doing a whole lot of nothing (I get cranky when I'm bored), but got to go out on the road again this week and do some shows. Finally got to catch up with Taryn and hear about Palestine. She also hooked us up with couches in Seattle and came and saw our show and helped us pack the van. Quite excellent. We also got to crash with my beloved roomie Anna's folks out in the boonies of Vaughn, Wa. It is absolutely beautiful country up there, and it was so relaxing and rejuvenating to spend a whole 24 hours in their crooked yellow house that is bursting at the seams with art, good food, love, and color. Her mother, Britta, is an artist who is loud and speaks very quickly, so I felt right at home.  She is also extremely kind and nurturing. The perfect hostess! I slept for 11 glorious hours (which I desperately needed), and left feeling inspired and relaxed. It just so happens that we'll be back in Vaughn this coming weekend, which I am quite excited about if only to hang out with Anna's folks once more. 

Also in work-land, I'm learning a new show to do at libraries around Portland Saturdays in February. It's called Who's in Hare's House? and is based on the West African folk tales about Sangura the hare, who just so happens to be the trickster who evolved into Brer Rabbit on this side of the Atlantic. Also, I've gotten the script for the show we'll be doing in town in April. It's called The Fabulous Bear and is a Polish story. I'm thrilled because the puppets are super light, and my only parts are that as  a narrator figure (just a brief introduction), and then later ... wait for it... a puppy! So most of my lines consist of, "Woof!" "Grrrrr!" "Arf!" THRILLED!

Aaaaaaand, I've started dating a fella who is pretty darn swell. It's still early, but he brings me flowers, showers me with affection, is terribly smart, and cooks a mean plantain. I'm a lucky lady.