Fourth of July

Well! What a whirlwind. I did not end up getting the Balsams gig, but I DID come in second place, which was awesome and amazing! I'm so grateful for all the support and enthusiasm people showed for me. Also, Martin, who won, is perfect for the job. It was such a great learning experience on so many levels; and now I am equally excited for a summer at Omega, building my empire of absurdity, frolicking, teaching dance, and hopefully scooting over to Boston now and then to work on recording a cd!! Woo woo- it will be called "Do You Know Any Dylan?" and will include such chart-toppers as "Hot Damn!" "The Train Song," "Break Me Down," "Adelaide," "Glorianne," and more. I'm so psyched to have a real cd which I'll be excited to record and sell and promote. There will also be an illustrated booklet of lyrics, of course. Hooray!

My plan is then to take it on the road in the fall, and follow with various wandering minstrel adventures.... but for now, it is a beautiful summer and I have a new tent with ample platform space for open mike nights and festivities, and the Bingeing with the Buddha web-series is on a roll. Check it out here, on facebook, or here, on youtube. You'll also find a back story on Betsy and Wetsy and the Unconscious Movement to your left. Betsy and Wetsy worked several shifts together this week, which was mildly terrifying for the rest of campus. Above is what our cart looked like. Below is our threatening note to Arch-Nemesis Bruce Maintenance, which was

written on a box that was later thrown at us from a moving golf cart during a thrilling cart chase, and even later placed on his abducted bike.

Yesterday I took a day-long workshop with writer and performance artist Laura Zam, who was wonderful and funny and real and it was just what I needed to get some grounded tips about making a living as a freelance artist. It's all about the multiple streams of income, which sounds about right to me. I'm also jazzed about a six week class being offered by a freelance writer on getting published. Slowly but surely my faith in the ol' Whatever It Is is re-building... it never completely left, but I was just unsure about how much to weave it in to a rational, grounded existence. But it's already weaved itself, and all I have to do is follow where it leads me, and work hard at what I love.

Yesterday I also went on an empowering seven mile walk through the countryside with friends, and there were horses and camels and a gorgeous sunset and beautiful farmhouses and it felt like we were in a Mark Twain novel, except for the camels. Although there were lots of camels in Innocents Abroad. I had a stick I had been chewing on and at one point it was gone and my friend Melissa is pretty sure I ate it.

Anyhoo! Thanks so much to everyone who has been awesome in voting and subscribing and following and all that and stay tuned for continuing fun, and check out Bingeing with the Buddha on facebook! Upcoming webisodes will include "Julia Child Survives in the Wilderness," "Small Talk" with special guest Monique Powell, and a pilgrimage to see the World's Largest Garden Gnome.

Good-bye for now! xoxo