where did August go?

Wow, just noticed my last blog entry was about a moth. Exciting. And now all of August has flown by. And I've been a rehearsal room at the G since the Fringe. Assistant Directing doesn't involve much besides sitting next to the director waiting for a command. Lucky the G's rehearsal rooms have a view. So now I can follow my post about a moth with posts about geese. Interesting exercise in meditation, this sitting and just watching thing. I don't think I'll be signing up to AD again soon.

perspectives on aging

Wikipedia

The life expectancy at age x, denoted , is then calculated by adding up the probabilities to survive to every age. This is the expected number of complete years lived (one may think of it as the number of birthdays they celebrate).

Because age is rounded down to the last birthday, on average people live half a year beyond their final birthday, so half a year is added to the life expectancy to calculate the full life expectancy.

Life expectancy is by definition an arithmetic mean. It can be calculated also by integrating the survival curve from ages 0 to positive infinity (the maximum lifespan, sometimes called 'omega'). For an extinct cohort (all people born in year 1850, for example), of course, it can simply be calculated by averaging the ages at death. For cohorts with some survivors it is estimated by using mortality experience in recent years.

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Washington Times
... 2003 was the first time the average life expectancy of all U.S. women, regardless of race, exceeded 80 years ...
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seniorjournal.com
Headline: Rich White Men Doing the Best in Fight to Extend Longevity in U.S.
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very local stats

berkeley

Went to Berkeley to see Jeune Lune's Figaro. Hiked up the mountain to the University's botanical gardens. Was rewarded with this 20-foot high freaky plant. Awesome what grows on this planet.

Berkeley is pretty weird about smoking in public. And they really don't know how to make a pastrami sandwich. And they are politically correct pretty far past the point of annoying smugness.

But otherwise it's a beautiful place. And the show was great.

what's a blog for if not publicity?

Who's got time to blog? I'm too busy directing a show, this one by the fabulous Alan Berks. Very very excited I am.

Everywhere Signs Fall
Starring Paul Cram, Tracey Maloney & John Middleton
Written by Alan Berks, Directed by Leah Cooper
A world premiere presented by Gremlin Theatre

A thrilling rollercoaster ride through mystery, tragedy and romance
in a steamy motel room in hot, seedy Phoenix, Arizona.

April 18 - May 11
Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. / Sundays at 4:30 p.m.
No performance on Sunday, April 20
Industry Night on Monday, April 28
Preview Thursday, April 17

Tickets $18
$15 seniors and Fringe button holders
Under 30? Pay half your age any night.
For tickets call (651) 228-7008

Loading Dock Theatre
409 Sibley St., Saint Paul, MN

Tracey Maloney appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
Postcard Photograph: Travis Anderson
Postcard Graphic Design: Matthew Foster, Chez Pixel

sigh

Foster went to L.A. for his birthday. I didn't ask for stories about the trip because it's embarrassing to cry in front of a large group of people at the Leaning Tower. But a casual visit to his blog put me face to suddenly teary face with this photo. Eucalyptus, palm, sun, how you taunt me.

ohmigod, the sun, the sun, the sun

Now that my nighttime breathing is back to choking-free, I slept soundly all the way through to 8:30, hours later than I've made it all the mornings of the last week. And I guess we're far enough into the season that the sun is coming earlier and at a steadily new angle. Today it came bursting through the window by the bed, and that's what woke me up.

There isn't enough hyperbole or exclamation marks to express how good it is to be wakened by the sun. Watch out for me today, I'll be knocking people over in single bounds with my tall-building leaps.

back among the living

After nearly a week of lying around moaning, celebrated a return to health by seeing Black Label Movement's Wreck at the Southern Theater on Friday. A dance piece "set inside the last watertight compartment of a recently sunk ore boat resting at the bottom of Lake Superior," it was an amazing ride. Human bodies conveying mechanical objects and forces of nature while still always being human bodies, fragile human spirits. Reminded both me and Alan of that time we nearly drowned in that riptide in CA. Reminded me how much I miss the ocean. Every time I dare think I've seen enough on stage, I'm again amazed at the breadth and depth of what these bodies we have can convey.

points for whining

I haven't been sick in ages. Pretty much since that long visit to the Honduran hospital. And that's a really really long time for me to go without being sick. Indulged deeply in some World Wide Whining about a haircut. Now I'm sick. Tell me that isn't karma. Going to the doctor today to see if this is strep throat or whine fever.

minnesotans are so polite!

See, really, really short. Like a boy. My Minnesotan friends are so nice. My Californian friends will say, "Girl, that's just bad. Here, wear my hat honey."