Coachella kicked my ass. :(

I was able to deal with the heat (I wore a summer dress and my Philippines hat), but walking around all day and breathing in the dust and cigarette smoke were just too much for me. Next time, I should wear my Philippines face mask to complete the look.

But, I did get to see Rufus perform songs from the new album! It's gonna be sooooooo good! He even wore pajamas on stage. How cute! Can't wait to see him at the El Rey tomorrow...

Upcoming travel:

May 4-7: Massachusetts/D.C.
May 8-15: Hawaii
May 23-ish - June 4-ish: Hawaii

Boas, Fans Dances, and the "W" Word.

Burlesque dance lesson #2 was pretty fun. It wasn't as strenuous as last week's lesson. Hooray! We got to play with burlesque props -- luxuriant feather boas, giant fans, chairs, and everyone's favorite, tassels! Burlesque is such a strange art form, and I love it. Hey, there's going to be a burlesque event in Glendale on June 7th. We should go!

You know what? I AM NOT BENDY. That's one thing I've learned from having an instructor who is a ballet dancer. I need more yoga.

John's here this week, and we've been doing wedding planning non-stop. Tasks accomplished: selected officiant, hired caterer, put deposit down for florist, decided on musicians, found equipment rental companies who hopefully won't rip us off, printed invitations, and finally understood why brides sweat the details (because there are so! goddamn! many!) You know what the most frequently asked question is by vendors? "So what's your theme color?" Honestly, I hadn't thought about it because I didn't think it was very important in the grand scheme of life and marriage. But apparently, it is. (By the way, they're green and gold.)

Coachella is this weekend. Yay vacation! But why would Coachella schedule Rufus against Jesus & Mary Chain, and Andrew Bird against The Decemberists? *cries*

Shake it!

Hi! I just got back from my very first burlesque dance lesson! Today's lesson was about floor movements (meaning, lowering yourself to the floor and bringing yourself back up). My legs are soooooo tired! After that, we reviewed struts, turns, and kicks, then learned some routines! It was a wonderful lesson and a great workout. The instructor is pretty laid back and a lot of fun. I highly recommend this class! It's not a progressive series, so it's totally fine to drop in. Next class (props... bring a pair of gloves!) is Sunday at 2pm. If I'm not doing wedding planning that day, I hope to see you there! Let me know if you'd like more info!

*edited for correctness
**Update: So, I went to bed reeaaaallly early last night because my legs were just... not... moving. This morning, I can't bend them very well and it hurts to sit down and stand up! I'm happy though. It was worth it!

This one's for Em and Meli.

Q: Why did He-Man go back to college?

A: To get his PhD of the Universe!

Badum-ching!

Shortbus.

This is the most beautiful movie I've ever seen.

It's a movie about sexual self-discovery. It will change your life.

I want John Cameron Mitchell to be my sex therapist.

A glimpse into my future.

Leonard Cohen and current girlfriend, Anjani Thomas.



How come when Leonard Cohen does it, nobody makes a fuss?

Okay, I'm ready.

I love my wedding! Hooray!

If you knew what had been going through my mind this last month, you'd be proud of me right now...

I am just blog-happy today...

...or maybe I'm just bored?

So, in my previous post about The Prestige, I swoon over Hugh Jackman and claim that he looks like a mix of Neil, Rufus, and Bertrand. Behold!


Neil


Rufus


Bertrand


Hugh

Stephen Colbert on the Equal Rights Amendment.

No explanation necessary. :)

The Prestige.

Last night, I watched The Prestige, which was written and directed by the Nolan brothers (makers of my favorite movie of all time Memento). This movie is about a deep and obsessive rivalry between two magicians in turn-of-the-century London. It uses a non-linear narrative style, which I love, to gradually unravel the mysteries of the two characters and the secrets to their tricks. It... can be quite confusing as you try to figure out what the hell is going on, but it falls together nicely in the end. It's a movie about illusions, and is itself an illusion! Brilliant! Anyway, I liked it.

What I really wanted to note was that this movie is full of really. Hot. Guys.


Christian Bale, a.k.a. Batman! Not too shabby.


Hugh Jackman, a.k.a. Wolverine, a.k.a. VAN HELSING! Hottttt. I think he looks like a mix of Neil Diamond, Rufus Wainwright, and Bertrand.


And finally... David Bowie as Nikola Tesla! What the hell? But I'm not complaining!

Busy! And now, sick. :(

Hey everybody! Totally life-changing events have been happening, like, every day... and I haven't been posting about them! I guess everybody here already knows that Jill and Nerissa got married (not to each other) and that, uhm, I'm getting married too! Wow!

Now that my body has decided that it's time to rest and drink fluids, I finally have a moment to reflect on the life-coloring events that shape my every day.

What I'm watching:

Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man -- Documentary on Leonard Cohen, including interview snippets with Leonard, other artists commenting on his work, and performances from the 2005 tribute concert on Sydney. Rufus was well-represented in the movie. Eeeeeeee, dreamy!! But really, Leonard Cohen's songwriting is just breathtaking.

Leonard Lyric of the Day is:

And clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,
you fixed yourself, you said, 'Well, nevermind.
We are ugly but we have the music.'

Night of the Living Dead -- Really, really, really good zombie movie from 1968. Kind of a downer, though. I'm totally digging the insomniac television programming in Hawaii (which is broadcast at like 10pm due to the time shift).

Sing Your Way to Better Sex -- The Wet Spots! I have this one on a constant loop.

What I'm listening to:

Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha -- Sometimes I listen to him and think: Is he... better than Rufus??????? Nah!!!!!!!!!