Yay! Wendy is so cool. She just spent about an hour ironing out the bugs (i.e., doing everything that had to do with code) on my new template. Thank you, Wendy. I owe you one.

This is actually something of a problem. With most of my tech geek friends, I can say "I'll edit something for you some day." Doesn't work with Wendy -- she's a great wrtier and editor in her own right. I will be able to be a reader for her book project, but that seems less like a favor to her than a favor to me. How's the book going, Wendy? When can I have a look, huh? Huh?

Haven't posted for a few days, because I haven't been quite sure what to say. The work situation is hairy as all hell, but I don't really feel I can talk about it, as I'm supposed to be happy happy joy joy superviser for the folks I know there. So, alas, I feel I cannot comment publicly on what's going on. This is anathema to me, as I'm much more prone to just shooting my mouth off. Sigh. Very annoying.

So let's see, innocuous stuff: I went to see a couple of shows in the Fillet of Solo festival at Live Bait Theater, where my friend Lotti works. Jude, Chad and John (Lotti's cabana boy) were all there for the second show, Never the Straight Man. It was ok, but not great. I think we've gotten to the point in our culture that one man's coming out story isn't all that remarkable, so you need to have more of a point than that to make a show compelling. Mark Gagne was funny, but the whole thing fellt sort of anecdotal and unfocused. It was sort of funny story, funny story, sad moment, angry moment, funny story, poignant moment, angry moment, funny story, thank you good night. It covered so much time that he couldn't really focus well on any one aspect, draw out any one theme. It felt more like party conversation than a show.

Now the first performance of the evening, Still, by Susan McLaughlin Karp, was incredible. It told the sotry of her first pregnancy, which ended in a stillbirth. Sounds pretty grim, right? She managed to make it funny and engaging and enraging and poignant and horrifying all at the same time. She also made me realize that I am really, really too much of a wimp to give birth. Oy.

After the shows, Jude and Chad and Lotti and John and I went to Uncommon Ground for dessert and drinks. I am very, very bummed that Jude and Chad will be moving to Boston in Septmeber -- they're so much fun to hang out with, and very difficult to shock. This comes in handy when you're hanging out with Lotti and John. We terrorized the waitress a little, and she was tremendously nice about it. Talked way to much, about things usually better left unsaid (genitalia, the movie Showgirls, etc.) and had a really good time. Jude and Chad, you WILL have to come back into town for Jersild Day. Otherwise, I will send Lotti and John to Boston to hound you with Showgirls recitations until you beg for mercy.