Inspiration through Exhaustion

Business again is consuming as we've moved into rehearsals for "No Snowflake in an Avalanche." As much as I was hesitant to direct the show, I'm already starting to feel better about it. There's no doubt in my mind that this reassurance comes from having Jenna with me in rehearsals. It is an extra encouragement to be the best I can be, plus, as many have noticed, she provides a balance.

The cast is wonderful and I can't wait to get further into this play with them and really let it explore where it needs to go. I've never worked with so many actors who have so much more experience than I do, and I know already that it is going to be fulfilling rather than frustrating.

Do not get me wrong though. There are already aspects to this which are frustrating. Mostly, that it is putting us into an even more crunched schedule. But, under the right circumstances, this is where I do my best work, and I believe "No Snowflake in an Avalanche" has the potential to be the best show I've ever done. Not to make this blog an advertisement, but ECS is having a fundraiser on December 8th, and if you can come out to BalMar in Ballard, support the show, and enjoy some happy hour prices all night, I'd love to see you! Email me for more details!

As far as Wedding Planning goes, we've secured DeLille Cellars for 9/10/11…NOT PLANNED, but it will be hard for me to forget…AND we're working with our caterer now to plan a menu. I think there is still so much to do, that I've lost sight of it. Jenna is on top of it though, and she tells me what to do and when to do it. Which is alllll I neeeeed.

Sorry for the gigantic post, but it's about LA, so it has to be huge!

"They call Los Angeles the "City Of Angels." I didn't find it to be that, exactly. But I'll allow there are some nice folks there" - The Stranger in The Big Lebowski

It is tough to get back into a routine after only four days off of it. Especially when they were four great days. And your routine, well, it's alright most of the time. So here I am, back at work, writing this blog while catching up on the important work I missed in those coupla days off. Drinkin' my coffee. Let me recount, for you, the long weekend:

It started just as any other weekend, at 5pm. Only this time, it was on a Wednesday, last Wednesday to be exact, instead of a Friday. We headed from work to the airport, thanks to Jenna's parents for giving us the ride. I can't say that either of us were feeling back up to par, to quote my Grandpa Porter, but we weren't in as sorry a state as we had been. The flight down was nice and easy, and we arrived, and Heather and Alex arrived to pick us up from the airport, and we drove to The Thirsty Kitty in…well, I can't remember what part of town its in, but I know it's pretty close to Santa Monica. The bar was cool, and pretty close to what I imagine LA bars to be like. Dark, with booths and tall tables, and a large empty area on the floor, with an old kung-fu movie being projected onto the wall. It struck me as a bar I would never see in Seattle. It didn't have a lot of finesse and thought put into it. It just sort of was what it was, which worked well enough. We had a couple cocktails and talked to Alex & Heathers' friends (I didn't talk much, but I am socially awkward, especially in new places with people I don't know), then we drove to their house, which is in Lawndale.

We had some more to drink once we got home, and started to thaw the connection between best friends that have been apart. I've found that it usually takes a few days to get back to that completely natural place. Unfortunately, our visits always only seem to last three or four days, and so it feels too too brief.

The next day, Thursday, was a special day. It was Disneyland Day! Hoooray! Which meant some driving, to Anaheim. But first, we had to eat! This became a lot of what we did in LA, driving, and eating. Lot's of eating, but some really awesome food. So we went to a Peruvian place near their house called El Pollo Inka (it's a sort of chain, but no locations in Seattle, unfortunately. The food was really fantastic. I had a chicken dish, which had a creamy spicy sauce with potatos & rice. I can't get it out of my head, and I want more of it, so we will have to find a Peruvian restaurant in Seattle. Any suggestions?

Disneyland was awesome! We got the park-hopper pass, and here's a tip, Disneyland in November on a Thursday means very few lines. That's because USUALLY the weather is not fantastic, and most people aren't vacationing in California at the beginning of November. But this Thursday, the weather was absolutely perfect. We thought it was going to be really hot, like 90 degrees, but it was really pleasant all day. The longest we waited in any line was 15 minutes, and we went on every ride we wanted to in Disneyland and California Adventure (and one that nobody but I wanted to go on, that stupid ferris wheel, which really wasn't at all fun, but I wanted to give it a 2nd chance. NEVER AGAIN). Since we had been up pretty late the night before, we were pretty exhausted so we left before the park closed, but not before stopping for dinner at an excellent Japanese restaurant that serves Ramen. It was delicious noodles in a pork broth, with delicious fatty yummy pork meat. So good. Then we went home and pretty immediately hit the sack.

The next day started with a delicious breakfast in Redondo Beach area at Uncle Bill's Pancake House. I got this delicious scramble with green chilis in it. Awesome, but so much food! Then we walked along the coast, and saw the smog out to sea that day. The sky above us and the city was clear, but out over the water, you could see the gross green haze of pollution. I am glad I don't see that in Seattle, even if I do see clouds more often. Then, Heather had to go to work, and we went to the pier in Redondo Beach area, walked around, and then went to Hermosa Beach. We went to The Mermaid for some beers. This place has obviously been around for forever, and the bartender, Mike, was a cool character. Crazy Californian. Then we walked on Hermosa Beach, and the waves were huge! I can see why surfing is big there. In fact, the waves were so huge, that as we had waded out in my rolled up jeans a little to far, a big wave crashed down and I couldn't get out in time, so my pants got pretty soaked. Fun times. We picked up Heather from work, then went and got some Ethiopian food at a place I think called Merkato. I've never had Ethiopian before and really liked it. I know Seattle has some good places, so Jenna & I will be frequenting those more often.

Then (Friday was a long day..) We headed up to Griffith Park Observatory. On the way, though, we stopped at the La Brea Tarpits, but as it was dark already, we couldn't see much of the big pit. We could certainly smell the tar though. Jenna's dad really loved it when he went there years ago, but as we found out, he really loved the museum which had fossils and all sorts of info, which we did not see. Once we got to Griffith Park Observatory, the view of LA was awesome. You could see everything. Really cool. Except the Hollywood Sign, which you would have a great view of, but they were not lighting it up that night. I guess, for energy conservation or something, they don’t light it every night. STUPID PLANET EARTH AND STUPID POOR CALIFORNIA ECONOMY! We went to one of the planetarium shows, and it was "Light of the Valkerie," which was an exhibit based on Aurora Borealis to the tune of Ride of the Valkerie by Wagner. It would have been cool, but the guy narrating had this stupid story to tell. Ifwe could've just watched the stars & lights with the music, I think we would've enjoyed it more. Then we stood in line for an hour (longer than any ride at Disneyland) to look through the 75 year old telescope at Jupiter. We could see three of the moons. It was pretty cool, but I don’t know if an hour long line cool.

THEN, we went to Hollywood (because I wanted to see some stars!), and we saw the Chinese Theatre, which (STARS!) had a premiere for the AFI Film Festival! In reality, I didn't care about the celebrity stars, but we did want to see the foot & handprints in the cement, but they wouldn't let us until the premiere was over. So we hung around for about an hour til they all left, and I only saw one STAR that I recognized. It was Bruce Davison (From Harry & the Hendersons…and X-Men…and a Seinfeld episode). So that was cool. Then we went home, drank some wine, and played some Rock Band until about 4:30am and went to bed.

On Saturday, we had a 7 course breakfast. We made it, and it really only had 2 courses, but it took 7 different courses to eat it all. We made hashbrowns (which I screwed up because I cooked them with too much oil in the 2nd & 3rd course), and then Alex made crepes, which were delicious, but because you have to make them one at a time, took a long time. Then we had to get ready for the BBQ they were having that night so we got to see the Costco in Lawndale area! Woohoooo! We played a board game (I can't remember the name…but it was fun…) and then the BBQ started, and David & Zach, who I was friends with in high-school, came, so it was great to see them!

Sunday rolls around and we start the day with Breakfast with Mike & Emily Oliver, Derek Schreck & Genevieve Kolve! So that was really great to see them and catch up with them! Stupid Los Angeles stealing away all of our friends! Everyone should come back (or come for the first time) to Seattle! LA sucks anyway! Traffic sucks, smog sucks, crazy people suck…Venice Beach was full of crazy people. Including one guy who was walking & jumping on broken glass for money. And several "Doctor's Offices" where you can get your card for Medical Marijuana. I had no idea that it was so easy to get that stuff in Cali. We did not, but we saw plenty of people in line for it.

The trip felt long & short at the same time. But it was really awesome to hang out with Heather & Alex again, and I hope we have more opportunites more frequently. Like when they move to Seattle. Right, guys?

WACA-WACA

Today we head to LA for the weekend to visit Heather and Alex, my best friends from Highschool. I am feeling much better, thankfully. Jenna is feeling better, too, but still has a pretty nasty cough, and sometimes sounds like a dying cat when she talks (in the cutest way possible!)

Speaking of dying cats, Washington State went crazy yesterday, I think! Still no final word about Murray vs Rossi, but it's looking like Murray will win! And, according to the ballot tracker, my ballot hasn't even been counted yet…sooooo…yeah. BUT, I'm pretty amazed that 1100 and 1105 didn't win. Really? I thought, if anyone, WA would approve this one. For those who aren't familiar, this is the Inititiave that would stop liquor sales from going to the state, and would instead expand hard liquor sales to private companies, and make the state's duty ENFORCEMENT of liquor laws. From what I gathered about this Initiative, then, was that the benefits would be: cheaper liquor for consumers, a liquor program not monopolized by the state, more enforcement on businesses selling to minors, etc. The negatives are that the state would not receive the mark-up that they currently put on liquor sales, and that the cost of employing enforcement officers would increase. I can see reasons to vote either way on this initiative, but I thought that WA state voters would easily approve this initiative. The other initiative I thought WA voters would easily approve was 1098, which created a state income tax (which WA currently doesn't have) to tax the wealthiest residents and put that money to education and health care, while also lowering taxes for small business. Again, I can see reasons for voting either way on this initiative as well, but I thought WA voters would approve it, though it lost by a fair amount. Looking at the Initiatives, I think they all ended up going in the opposite direction that I thought they would go in. You'll notice I haven't told you how I voted. NONYADAMN BUSINESS! Overall, I'm pretty disappointed, but I think that it is probably a good thing that Republicans have the House, Democrates have the Senate, and Obama is in office. I am hoping that this way, we'll be able to accomplish more (for a list of things already accomplished, do some research….). Of course, this is optimism, and it all comes down to whether or not compromise can and does happen. I sincerely hope it does.

On a different note, last night's dance lesson was a lot of fun. I felt better about it (and better in general) than last week. Afterwards we got Rancho Bravo for dinner and Molly Moons for dessert. Olive Oil Ice Cream was delicious, but it was best because it was mixed with the Salted Caramel, which provided enough contrast.

Also, maybe it's this red cup from Starbucks. Or the tingling in my throat & nose, the residue of a cold. Maybe it's the darkening days, but I'm getting ready for the holidays! It's probably just Hallmark & Target's evil influence on consumers, but it puts me in a jollier mood.

That will all be thrown away in a about 12 hours though, when we arrive in 70 degree Los Angeles. Yes, California, the state of even more liberal liberals, not-quite-entirely-legal-to-everyone marijuana, Disneyland, and Hollywood. I am so excited to see Heather & Alex, but disappointed Nicoliosis isn't able to come. This will be a nice break, though. I need a vacation!

Dancing Prude

I think I've ommitted a great detail!

In the past week of being sick, I forgot to write about our first dance class, last week. I'm reminded because we have another one tonight, and I'm relieved that I feel much better than last time. Dance Class is no minor detail. For two years Jenna has been begging me to take dance classes with her. For many reasons, my fear of embarrassment not being a small one, I've postponed and postponed. Although, technically, it had been something I wanted to do, I'm also not a fan of doing things I'm not good at. I'm already well aware that I am not a Fred Astaire ore Justin Timberlake, but closer on the scale to…well..ME. Add on top of that the fact that for two years (until August of this year) we did not have work schedules that met up and I typically was always working in the evenings. And again, add on top of that the fact that I SUCK AT DANCING.

But, before we even got engaged, when we both found ourselves in day jobs, I knew the time had come, and I was excited. Whether or not I personally felt like I would have fun, I knew that she would, and I knew that Jenna had been wanting this for a long time. As fate would have it, there was a livingsocial deal one morning for a really great price on month-long dance class at Century Ballroom. We both saw it and purchased one, and then the time had to come to figure out when to take the classes! I was already set to begin directing "Five Gold Rings," so that ruled out August & September. The next session for Swing I began last week, and we signed up, and here we go!

So, as you can imagine, coming to last Tuesday, I am filled with excitement to try this whole thing, apprehensiveness at my already known inability to dance, and mucus. I had hit my stride in terms of being sick, and I had to go dance. Not only that, but I had to dance with other people. YES, OTHER PEOPLE. One of my conditions on doing this whole dance thing was that I was taking classes so as to learn how to dance with Jenna, and therefore, I wouldn't need to dance with other people, and so we weren't going to take one of those "and now rotate" dance classes. Let me be clear: I understand the reason for rotation, for dancing with other people, for all of this. I don't care! She's stuck with me now, and she's stuck with me however I dance! I don't want to dance with all these other people who paid to be in this class! Anybody can pay to be in the class! ANYBODY! I don't want to dance with ANYBODY, I want to dance with JENNA!

We had this conversation going into the class, and I put my foot down! But then I learned that the fundamental thing about dance is lifting your foot UP! (and then putting it down again, but what's the point, when you just have to lift it up again? These dancers really have no conviction…they go round and round in circles all the time (BAH DUM CHUM). So when the instructors said that we would be rotating partners, I looked at Jenna, and gave her the "Nuh-uh" look. She smiled, and somebody else in the class was on my team, because he kept trying to interrupt the instructor while he was going on and on about the benefits of promiscuous dancing. Finally, after their sermon of LOVE and BEING SOCIAL, they said what I wanted to hear, which was: "of course if you really want to, you can stay with your partner and the rotation will go around you." YES! Take that, everything outside of my comfort zone! And yet…

Okay, so they made a good point in that it helps you dance better with your partner if you learn from others as well. So we tried the rotation thing once. Which was fine, because that was during the easy stuff. Rock Step triple step triple step. Rock step triple step triple step. Easy stuff. I can do that! So we rotated and I did this with some people who were better than me, a majority of people who felt pretty comfortable witht his, but not much else, and some people who…well, let's just say they made me feel more comfortable with myself on the dance floor. By the time Jenna got back to me in the rotation, though, it was time to start actually doing something….and I did not want to try that with a bunch of other people, so we stayed together the rest of the class. I hope we will stay together as partners througout tonight's class as well, but we'll see.

I've been practicing the swing rhythm all week, but I was having trouble with just the simple move they showed us last week. I'm a little concerned about what tonight's class may bring! Yikes!

Wish me luck!
Nathaniel

Screw You, Monday!

Good Morning! Or….Good Whatever-Time-Of-Day-It-Is!

Boy it's a doozy of a day out there here in Seattle. Rain so heavy it just washed away all those left-over trick-or-treaters hanging out in the streets. So wet, we've got fish in our office! And to top that off, daylight is just starting to arrive. It's as if the sun said, "Whoah! That's too much rain for me! I'll stay in bed longer." But I didn't get to stay in bed longer! No fair, sun. No Fair!

Well, it's Monday, and another weekend just went by like a shooting star. It's something to wish on, and then it's gone. This was the first Halloween that I haven't done anything for (except carve pumpkins and eat candy) in as long as I can remember. With everything else going on, I just can't say we had the inclination or motivation to put time into a costume, and go somewhere! Especially with me being sick, and Jenna trying desperately to not get sick, it just was not in the cards this year. Being sick is the worst. But I'll tell you what we did instead!

On Saturday, we visited Willow's Lodge in Woodinville, which was, as we decided, the last of our options for a venue for the ceremony & reception. Although, just like everywhere else, it was beautiful, we had issues with how the ceremony would go if there were to be rain. In addition, with all of the other venues we've seen, we've realized none are as unique as Delille Cellars. SO, with that said, we've made our decision! We will be having the ceremony & reception at Delille Cellars! Hoorah! WINE!....PONDS!!..........WIIIINNNNEEE!!!!! We will be contacting them this week in hopes of securing a date and putting down that deposit and then….we can do everything else in the freaking world that we need to do! Hoorah! An added bonus* about this option is that we can bring our own beer, which means savings on kegs, which also means, I can choose what beer to serve! I'm thinking several pony kegs to add variety. MMMMM…beer.

Speaking of beer, being sick sucks! It sucks a lot.

And then we went to the Huskies game and that's enough said about that.

On Sunday we had lunch with the parents. That is, my parents, my brother, and Jenna's parents. This has happened before, about a year ago, and in a years time I forgot how awkward it is. BOY IS IT AWKWARD. But it got better, after a little while, and in the end I think everyone had a really great time. How can you go wrong with Olive Garden? (And for all those people who want to tell me all the awful things about Olive Garden, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. LET ME ENJOY MY SALAD, MY BREADSTICKS, MY FREE REFILLS ON SODA, AND WHATEVER DELICIOUS ENTRÉE I CHOOSE TO GET, AND KEEP YOUR POLITICS OUT OF MY DINNER!)

The rest of the day we spent at home looking at (you guessed it) more wedding stuff. Jenna made the mistake a little while ago of bringing up the fact that there will be music in this wedding, so I find myself holed up in my little office, scouring my iTunes for music for the ceremony & reception. Give me the task of a playlist and you can garrauntee you won't see me for….I dunno, it could be months at this point.

I'm going to finish this, and get back to work. Because of my stupid cough (I HATE BEING SICK) I only got a couple hours of sleep last night…so I'm trying to maintain a steady pace to keep myself awake. I think it's probably time for more tea…

Until next time!

Nathaniel

*I was going to say "My favorite part about this venue is…" but that's not true. It's just an incredible property and I'm very excited to get married there with or without beer. Maybe. Okay, so I want the beer, so what? Does that make me horrible? It does? FINE! With or without the beer! Happy?

In The Sick Of It

I write this with conflicting emotions.
On the one hand, there is a warmth explosion,
and I have been given the fortune
of nostrils clearing,
headache disappearing,
and healthiness nearing.
On the other hand, I am filled with sadness,
as I learned that I have passed this
to my Jenna, my promised and bestest.

These past few days have been filled
With soup, blankets, sleep, and still.
And, if at all possible, so the next few will.
But this weekend is already full with plans and more
Tomorrow to Willow's Lodge for another grand tour
Then to Montlake to watch the Huskies defend and score
Sunday to lunch with both sets of parents
Which promises to be such a fun event
I plan on drinking, drinking, repeat, then rinse.

For poets and writers and scholars of theatre
Who've noticed I haven't obeyed any meter
I promise next time I'll try to be neater
But I just wanted to say why I've been so quiet
These past few days that have gone by quite silent:
I've been at war with a viral villain so violent
It's had me knocked out, unable to focus
On diamonds or weddings or honeymoon mochas
But I'm now wide awake, the alarm has woke us.
Or at least me. Jenna may still stay asleep.

Oh My God!!! The Illness Has Taken Over! I Think I Am Dying….

- Nathaniel

One Weekend in October

Why, my weekend, you ask? It was quite good!

The day leading up to the weekend was not one that I would put into the halls of infamy, nor one that I would really care to remember any further, but let me only say that it was a long and dreadful day at work, due to the exhaustion suffered from only sleeping a few spare hours the night before. However, my spirit, though hindered, was fueled by the thought of what was to come that evening: a party in celebration of our engagement! Somehow I managed to scrape through the day with eyes open, and when five o clock finally arrived, I could feel the exhaustion dragging me down as I walked from my office to Pacific Place Mall to wait while Jenna had her hair styled. After a trip home to change, we arrived at Café Metropolitain on Capitol Hill and the festivities quickly began. It was a wonderful night filled with friends, and joy, and of course, a decent number of libations. A very special thank you to Danielle Franich for putting this together, and for the book. The notes left were wonderful. Though my exhaustion blurred much of the night, it was wonderful to see and talk to so many of the people we love, and I think soon enough somebody else probably will be required to get engaged, so the same mass can come together again and celebrate. Once I became late enough that all wanted to retire, we made the drive home, detouring through the Jack-in-the-Box drivethru, as neither of us had had any dinner. Then, after a long day of work and celebration, we slept, and it was good.

We slept, and it was good, unti Saturday morning, when we awoke to a blustery day with a busy schedule full of crap to do.

First off, to visit another possible venue location: Columbia Crest Winery in Woodinville. Our hopes were high for Columbia, as it is featured and ranked quite well in magazines and websites and such. However, I must say, we've already ruled it out as an option. For us, it does not have enough flare and character to warrant the price. However, at the time of leaving, we had only seen Columbia and Delille, and we knew that either would be suitible, if necessary.

We then had time for lunch, and stopped at the Rancho Bravo on 45th street in Wallingford. We were quite satisfied with the tacos. Yet, we were both rather dissatisfied due to the lack of tamales, which have easily become my favorite part of Rancho Bravo. Let's hope next time we're not left so wanting.

Next on the agenda, the second round of auditions for "No Snowflake in an Avalanche." This was an enjoyable time spent in the presence of Jake Farley, watching actors showcase their talents. Overall, we had some very wonderful people come to auditions of the two weekends, and I believe we will have a cast by the end of this week. Through all of the engagement celebrations and plans for the wedding, it is getting more and more difficult to focus on the other task at hand: The three shows Emerald City Scene will be producing between now and June.

Once auditions had finished, we had about an hour before our appointment at the Edgewater Hotel, so we relaxed a bit in the car, discussed different things which needed to be done, and when could tackle them. When that time was up, we drove to the waterfront. Before reaching the waterfront, though, we had to wait for a train to pass. I have not had the annoyance of waiting for a train to pass for quite a while, and was not pleased that this happened both on the way to the hotel, and upon leaving it as well.

On entering the Edgewater, however, it was beautiful. The sinks in the bathroom are a fountain of some sort, which were very peaceful and nice. The room for the ceremony and reception look out over the water, and it is stunning. I imagine on a day less rain-filled as Saturday, it would be breathtaking. This hotel does not have many of the logistical issues from Delille Cellars, however it does have an issue with the tables. For the ceremony & reception to happen in the same room, they keep the tables set to the side in the room until after the ceremony, at which point the stack the chairs, move the tables, and re-set the chairs. This, I think, is a fantastic plan. The problem is, the tables to the side makes the room feel cramped during the ceremony. There is a way of masking the tables from view during the ceremony, but from what we have heard that can run to a high expense. We will be doing a bit more research on that aspect in this week, before we visit our final option on Saturday, Willow's Lodge in Woodinville. Lisa, however, the Event Coordinator for the space, was very professional and I trust anything we need from her will be taken care of.

After the tour, we made the drive back home (and, as I said, stopped again for the train). Then it was off to a film with my brother. It was the cast & crew screening of a film he had worked on this summer, and I was very impressed. The quality was more than I expected from a film locally produced, and from the budget, it was really spectacular that such wonderful cinematography, sound, and editing came through. The only disappointment was, upon leaving the theatre we happened upon a miniture downpour, and the remainder of my popcorn was no longer edible. I have a great fondness for popcorn the next day, and always try to save some. We then returned to our apartment, and had a drink with my brother Ben. Then he left to make the drive back to Anacortes, and it was again time for sleep.

As I am writing, I find I must be going on in too much detail as this has become quite long. I will be brief about Sunday. Though it had perhaps not the best start (a broken plate and some other mishaps during the preparation of breakfast), it turned out to be a relaxing day where Jenna and I carved pumpkins and watched the football game. Then I went to a celebration party of my friend Arya, where some friends had created a musical with the lead character based on Arya, played by my friend James. It was entertaining and fun, and I was impressed with what they had put together.

Overall, it was an event-filled weekend, but was able to provide some nice relaxation. Unfortunately, though, as I write this, I fear I may be getting sick. I will keep you afoot of the progress of this virus, if indeed that is what it can be called. And, also, I promise not to write in such a boring fashion whenever we meet again.

Sincerely,
Nathaniel

VEGAS Wedding ain't gettin' to look so bad!

*narrator's note: for those who first read this as Shotgun Wedding...it was brought to my attention what exactly that means. I just meant a wedding with no big to-do!. So it now says Vegas Wedding. Enjoy*

Heyyyyyoooo. Back in the swing of things! Gettin' those fingertips a-typin' again! Wooohoooo! (Nathaniel pulls out a 6-shooter and empties a few rounds into the air) Now that's more like it! (I should note right now, before an angry mob or an angry Jenna comes knockin' at my door, that in every piece of these blogs, take them with a grain of salt and a sense of humor. )

Let's continue on, whatdya say? So after decidn' tgit hitched on wednersday, Thursday rolls around and my heads all up in them clouds all day long singin' purty songs and whatnot. We've received many blessings from friends and family all 'round the world, sendin their happiest thoughts on over to us, the happy couple. And we go on home and get on the computer, head on over to what they call theknot.com and decide to do a little plannin' here, little plannin' there. See, we's already know we can't have the weddin' til 10-12 months from now, on a count of Jenna's best friend Alisa travellin the world and workin' on organic farms and not bein' here til then. So, ways I see it, we got plenty of time. In fact, if my math's correct (which, it's been a long time since I've been in school, so maybe my math ain't so great no more) we nearly got a whole year! So anyway, we type in an esteemated date into theknot.com and it pops up with just how many days we got. It said 315 days. Boy, that's a lot of days! Why, if I put away a dollar a day, I'd have…let's see here….hmmm…carry the one…$315.00!!! That'd be helpful in payin' for the wedding, right?

So then we click on the Checklist. It's this newfangled thing which gives you a checklist of things ya need to get done before ya say your vows and kiss one another. And just as I'm sittin' there baskin' in the enjoyment of havin' a beautiful fiancee and everything right in the world, the Checklist tells us all the things we gotta do practically yesterday in order to say those I Do's. Let me break it down just a little bit for ya. This month we gotta:

- Appraise & insure engagement ring
- Figure out a wedding budget
- Finalize our guest list.
- Finalize our wedding party.
- Choose a date and time.
- Book a venue.
- Start lookin' for a wedding dress
- Start getting' in shape for that dress and tuxedo
- Have an engagement party.
- Get engagement photos.
- Interview wedding caterers & sign contract
- Interview prospective officiants
- Choose your wedding colors

And that's just the major things. There's a few other things in there it says we oughta do as well. Whoooweeee this is gonna be a lot more work than I thought! We're supposed to be producin' three plays between now and the wedding! Now we got this website hootin' 'n hollerin' about do this 'n do that. Well Gee Willickers (sp? I'm not really sure how one spells that, but I've always been intrigued and entertained by the phrase). And on top of all this, I find out my $315 that I'm gonna save with my dollar-a-day plan over this time ain't gonna be much more'n a drop in the proverbial bucket! Well Holy Smokes! Well Son-of-a-Gun!

Now don't take this as if it's me complainin' at all. It ain't, not one bit. I'm one happy puppy, all said and done, and am enjoyin' all the plannin' and preparin'. It just all is a bit suprising, is all.

Now, to cut this story down a bit, as I am known for ramblin on every now and again, just last night we went and visited our first option for the venue for the ceremony/reception. Delille Cellars in Woodinville, and boy let me tell ya, it is beautiful. We're really keen on the idea of having the ceremony & reception in the same locale, and we're also purty sure we like the idea of a winery out in Woodinville, as well. So havin' this be our first place to see, I think we're pretty happy bout our options. The grounds are fantastic and I imagine quite unique. There are two ponds, plenty of wide open areas of grass for parking and walking and whatnot. The grounds have two separate areas for ceremony & reception, which is also real nice. Only issue is, our primary guest list is a little big for the grounds. Now, we can fit everyone, but it's gonna be a bit tight, should we go with this place. The other issue is the bathroom sitcheashun (say it out loud. It's situation, okay? LET ME HAVE MY FUN!). They've got just two bathrooms, and one is meant for menfolk only and one is meant for womenfolk only. The big issue is, the one for the womenfolk is located up in the gettin'-ready room for the bride, so it's tough before the ceremony for any females to use the restroom, less they share with the men. Which I see as bein' a real potential for a tough traffic jam.

But anyways, they're quite beautiful, they have some darn good wine, Diane who showed us round the place was fantastic and very nice and helpful and even stayed late so we could get out there and see the place on a weeknight. This weekend we're goin' to see Columbia Winery and the Edgewater hotel. And then next weekend, Willow's Lodge. Also, tomorrow night Danielle is throwin' us an engagement party, which should be plenty of fun, I'm sure.

I'll continue on with my Top Songs as that was a quite enjoyable pasttime in the past....time:
1. Cee-Lo - Fuck You
2. The Avett Brothers - A Lover Like You
3. Ryan Adams & Elton John - Daniel
4. Taio Cruz - Dynomite
5. Ryan Adams - Strawberry Wine

Until next time,
Nathaniel

Re-Engage (Spoiler Alert: title has two meanings.)

Well hello old friend! How are you?

Yes, I am talking to my blog…but it has been so long! So much to share!

You see, I find that the best blogs are born of some sort of "important event" in the narrator's life. The reasons are numerous, but mainly that a) people actually enjoy reading about important events rather than "that bitch becky was wearing the exact same shirt as me" or "I like chocolate ice cream"; and b) it gives the writer a reason to keep writing, even if not for himself, for those who want to know about the event. NBC's The Event probably has one hell of a blog, come to think of it. A sexy blog. So what is my sexy event, that is causing me to re-engage with this blog?

Many of you readers (if there any of you left after the cold cold months of my unintentional cold cold shoulder) probably already know, but to be totally formal about it (what is more formal than a facebook update and a blog post): Jenna and I are engaged! For some this comes as expected news, for others a total surprise. For me? A little bit of both, to be honest. No no, I am not surprised that we are engaged, I was there when I nervously popped the question, after all, silly reader, and I was also there when she said yes (though for some maybe that is the surprise). What surprises me is how easily it all fell into place.

It was not a surprise proposal, at all (which, by the way, for those anxiously awaiting just one detail, happened on Wednesday Oct 13th at roughly 9oclockish). We'd been talking about it for quite a while, and really, it just came down gettin' that dang rang. And I knew that she had to be there to help pick out the ring, because though I have impeccible taste, hers is impeccibler. So we did some internet shopping and talking and such over the past few weeks, and then on Sunday the 10th, without much going on that day, I made the little suggestion "want to go ring shopping?" And boy oh boy that was it. She wanted to see the shiny shiny. She needed that sparkle, yes she did. So we went to a couple places at Northgate Mall and it took us a few stores to get comfortable with the idea that WE WERE SHOPPING FOR AN ENGAGEMENT RING HOLY CRAP THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE WERE DOING WE'RE GOING TO GET MARRIED! So yeah, it was a little awkward for us, and probably for the sales people trying to help us buy HOLY CRAP A FREAKING ENGAGEMENT RING AHHHHHH!.

Finally, we ended up at Shane Co. in Alderwood, which was great. All day I had been wanting a sodypop, and when we got there, the customer service person (not salesperson…they don't work on commission) asked me if I wanted something to drink, water or a coke or something, and bingo, right there I knew this was the place for us because I got my sodypop (plus they were awesome and have a ton of selection, no pressure, lowish prices and none of those blood diamonds that movie was about). So after a few hours of looking at different bands and settings and diamonds…we settled on one. And we made the purchase. And they said "Okay, this will be ready for you on Wednesday." And we walked out the door, poorer…and not yet engaged. And then we called our parents and told them, and they said congratulations, but really, all they could congratulate us on was a purchase. She could still say no, you know.

So then we went to see The Social Network. Have you heard of it? Good flick.

The next three days crawled by like a bear who, in September, thought it was November, but was awakened by that commercial for The Event, and then had to crawl to get the remote to turn off the freaking TV. And then came Wednesday, where I couldn't concentrate on anything, felt so nervous I thought I might throw up, and to top it off, had Indian food for lunch. Straightaway after work, we drove up to Lynnwood, got the ring, and headed home to change, then off to dinner.

The Plan: Go to dinner at Tilth, in Wallingford, order some nice wine and food in the candlelit atmosphere that all great restaurants with great chefs have, and then, while waiting for the food to arrive, ask her to marry me. You see, I wanted to go to Tilth for a few reasons. Firstly, I've heard it has good food. We watched the Iron Chef America episode where the chef Maria Hines beat the Iron Chef. And we like watching Food Network. It's something we do. Secondly, and more importantly, Tilth as I said is located in Wallingford. Not far from Stone Soup Theatre, where we worked on The Shark& The Worm together and spent late nights literally watching paint dry together. And in the opposite direction a few blocks, where we stood in the rain for what seemed like an eternity hugging after drinks after a particularly bad night of tech. And then there's the restaurant where we had the conversation about whether or not it would be a good idea for us to date, and if it could ever even possibly work..(Spoiler Alert: it did.) So these were all put into the plan, and the reason for choosing the restaurant...

The Event: Arrive at Tilth, discover it is actually a house, turned into a restaurant, which is awesome but not the candlelit dinner I had been expecting. Sit next to a family, with young kids, eating dinner. Order wine. Forget how to talk for the majority of dinner, you know, because of nerves. Eat delicious dinner. Consider whether or not to ask her with 8 year old Sally sitting next to you. Decide no. Leave restaurant. Get almost back to car. Stop, ask her to marry me. She says "Yes Yes Of Course Of Course." and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..she said yes and we're engaged and mmmmmmmmmm.

Then, after some time, we got back in the car, started the engine, and on came the radio, playing "When A Man Loves a Woman" by (well I guess I was wrong, I thought it was Joe Cocker, turns out it was:) Percy Sledge. A perfect end to, what turned out to be, a perfect night.

#4 Love

Love at Cirque Du Soleil

What can I say? This show was incredible. It has reawakened my love for the beatles. My favorite sequences were either "Something" or "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite/ I Want You". I've never seen a cirque show before, so this was quite an experience. I can't imagine how
long that took to put together. This will definitely be one of the highlights for the year!

#3 An Apt Description Of Love at Robot Arms

#3 An Apt Description of Love

A world premiere script developed by Robot Arms, written by David Sinclair Bales, and directed by Joe Mangialardi. It's got some funny moments, some serious moments, bursts of honesty from nearly every character...and it's on an airplane. What usually impresses me most about Robot Arms shows, and this is the same with this show, is the design. For having a theatre in their living room, they manage to always create really unique and specific lighting designs. The sound design, also, is usually impeccable, a tribute to Kyle Thompson. I had a good time. It wasn't perfect, but that's not the point. I think the point of Robot Arms is that you have a good time...and I did.

#2 Pero at Seattle Children's Theatre

After SCT hosted Yaser Khaseb and his performance from Iran, "Mysterious Gifts", I have really been looking forward to seeing "Pero" (also part of the Connecting Stories program which brings theatre from other countries to the US, this one from Holland). "Mysterious Gifts" was incredible, no words, but a mixture of dance & puppetry, and I thought it was really incredible. But it met a lot of controversy, with SCT being a Children's Theatre, what is appropriate in other countries for children is not considered appropriate here. Enter "Pero." The stories are that this show was much sexier in its original incarnation, but being in the U.S. and recommended for young children, the sex was cut out for the SCT production. I had heard A LOT about this show, and none of it was making much sense until I saw it last night.

It is a mixture of puppetry, music, and live action. The music is the best part. It is very much like an operetta for children. A nice mixture of jazz & classical music. The two live piano players (who are also characters, the sun & the moon) are wonderful, scoring the show and giving it pace. The puppets were fine. Not at all what I had imagined, but after about 15 minutes I was won over by them. At first they seem very simple. Eventually, though, you see there is so much going on, and the specificity is impressive.

The script itself was confusing and at times just insulting. It was really something else to see, very different than anything else I have seen. It's another clear example, though, that SCT doesn't just do shows for children, but shows that adults will also enjoy (and probably get another story out of).

#1 Peter Pan at Seattle Children's Theatre

Inspired by others who have done this, I am going to attempt to see a show every week this year. So...without further ado:

Peter Pan at Seattle Children's Theatre.
Definitely enjoyed the show. Made me feel like a child again. David Pichette as Captain Hook was perfect. The designs were great. The flying was really cool, except for being able to see the cords...but what are you gonna do? The acting, with exception to David Pichette, was only alright...but most of the child characters were way too old, and didn't establish childishness enough. Tinkerbell wasn't very exciting. The idea of Tink being a projection was very cool, but I didn't think it was fully realized. I did really enjoy that the Indians were from India. The bollywood dance was great and an appreciated new addition.