Summer days drifting away

It has been a long busy Summer filled with gigs, fun events and family.

The weather was lovely in June instead of the low pressure mass that usually covers us, AKA the "June Gloom". I had a wonderful time performing at REPS and spending the weekends with Ira, Andrew and my brother playing board games and drinking whiskey.

July was extremely intense. Not only did we have a gig with UC7 every weekend, my nephew Vincent was here for the month visiting and I babysat him every Tuesday-Friday evening from about 2PM to 11PM while my brother was working. He is a very sweet and fun little boy but for someone who never spends time with children, it was exhausting! Mom came to visit for a few days so she could see her grandson and hear my band play. We had 4th of July parade at Enumclaw, Kent Cornucopia Days, King County Fair, a private party on Camano Island and the Packwood Carshow. Whew. It was exhausting but a real blast.

What didn't help was I was also going to the doctor and trying out different medications for a huge cyst on my right ovary which was causing significant pain and excessive bleeding. It started in early May and didn't get figured out until the end of July.

August has been fun and also going by in a blink. The band had a big party on the 3rd. There was lots of people, lots of food and we played for a few hours up on a nicely built stage in the bass player's beautiful back yard. It was a good way to end our Summer season. On August the 10th I got my first Saturday off to myself. Ira was very busy that week setting up stages for various outdoor festivals around the Sound so I got a nice relaxing weekend to myself. Even got a chance to play some video games I bought on the Steam Summer sale! Last weekend my parents were in town and it was a ton of fun to play tourist with them. UC7 also had a wedding gig at the Tacoma Outboard Association. We've played for these folks at least 7 times since I joined the band so it felt very comfortable and relaxed. There are some issues with the used board we just bought and I had zero monitors all night. It felt like I was shouting into a wet paper bag the whole time. I couldn't hear a damn thing I was doing. Takes a lot of the fun out of it.

We're having a little BBQ this weekend and then next weekend is Labor Day. I've spent such little time at the house this Summer, I'm thinking of staying in my jammies, locking the doors and pretending I'm not home. Have myself a small staycation reading Game of Thrones and watching Netflix.

It's been super wonderful but I'm really looking forward to chilly nights inside where I can play in my kitchen, make a nice soup and finish a book in front of the fire. I love cool, rainy weather! It's part of the reason why I moved here! This Summer has been far too gorgeous for far too long. Bring on Autumn!!

September should be a little quieter for me but we do already have 1 gig lined up for UC7 the first Saturday. In 3 weeks me, Ira, mom and Dave get to go to Kauai for 8 days!!!!! I'm so excited. It came so fast. It's been ages and ages since I've gotten to take a nice long trip somewhere. This is going to be wonderful. When we get back, Ira has a lot of work to do for Oktoberfest, which I will be taking my brother to for his birthday and acting as his DD. He deserves it! The final weekend in September will be Ira and I's 8 year anniversary. We probably won't do anything too special since most of our money will be blown going to Hawaii.

November I already have a few things going on. I may not get to do a play this fall since I already have a few commitments. There's a gig with the band the first weekend and then mid November I'll be flying to North Hollywood. There's an old time radio convention called SPERDVAC that I have been invited to. They're paying for my plane ticket, hotel and food. I just have to show up and perform! The ticket has already been purchased. I'll be flying in and out of Burbank. My mom is so excited for me, she's going to be joining me on this little adventure. I'm really looking forward to this. I'll be seeing some folks I've gotten to know over the years at REPS and getting a chance to meet some new ones. Before I know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then my birthday!

Then another gig with the band (we're playing the first Saturday in September, October, November and December at Nikki's Restaurant and Lounge in Covington), holiday parties and our annual trip down to CA to visit the family before coming back for New Years Eve. Perhaps I'll having nothing going on in January.

2013 has been quite an exciting, busy and productive year. I did get to be in a production of "Leaving Iowa" and get to see some really fantastic theater earlier this Spring so if I don't get to do a Christmas show this year, I suppose it wouldn't break my heart. It is challenging trying to be an actor, singer, voice-over artist, office manager, spouse, sister, daughter and cat mummy while keeping a clean house and a little bit of my sanity. I do require some peace and quiet now and then and a chance to unwind and get bored. I'll have to block it out on my calendar first...

Pacific Northwest Accent

I've lived here since April of 2007 and at first I didn't hear it at all. Little pieces started to pop up here and there sometimes resulting in confusion. Now I hear it everywhere and even fear I'm starting to lean towards the Pacific Northwest Accent.

Here's a great clip from NPR about it. 

I hear it every time I go to the grocery store. The lady asks me "Would you like a beg?" as she's ringing me up.

A friend was telling me about Angle Lake and I was googling "Engle Lake" and couldn't find where she was talking about.

I hear about bands going on tore, or toreists visiting the city. Though I suppose I might be the slightly weird one here as I pronounce tour with two distinct syllables as in TOO-er. I blame being taught to speak English by French people. I also get called Canadian sometimes for pronouncing couch like COW-ooch. I do NOT however say Aboot.

People think me profusely when I do them a favor.

The worst was when I was in a play with a lovely woman named Jan. Every time someone would call her name, I would hear "Hey Jenn!" and got really confused when they weren't talking to me.

Now that I hear it so distinctly, it has become a lot easier to pinpoint who is from here and who is a transplant. Since California is the naughty C word I try not to mention too much that I'm from there but perhaps my big wide A's give me away. "Oh Thaaaaank you, I don't need a bAg!"

Who knows, after another decade of living here I might start putting my thengs in begs more often!