Rocktober!

Much fun is to be had this month, damn the financial torpedoes, full speed ahead I say! On my musical and otherwise horizon:

Saturday 10/11: Chris Isaak at The Fillmore with Sal -woo hoo!

Sunday 10/12: KUSF Record swap/bootleg show on the SF State campus We've been to these "boot shows" before and found some AMAZING bootleg DVD's! Genesis with Gabriel? Check. Old Floyd w/Syd TV Appearances? Check. Beatles galore? Check. I'm looking for some Split Enz this time around...and maybe some Beck.

Saturday 10/18: Plant trees with Stoney! Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam and many volunteers will be planting trees in the Outer Sunset in SF during the day, then playing The Grand ballroom on Van Ness Saturday evening along with Vince Mira (who apparently is hugely into Johnny Cash) and the Hank Khoir (featuring notable Northwest artists Barbara Ireland and the Roy Kay Trio). I think the Hank Khoir is actually a play on the word Choir and they do a lot of Hank Williams covers. Whatever it is, Stoney's sanging and playing and it's gonna rock, ya'all!

Sunday 10/19: Shan and I are doing the total rock star thing and flying to LA and back in one day. We fly out in the wee early morning hours to walk in Aidswalk LA on the General Hospital/Night Shift team! Our lovely Kimberly McCullough (Robin Scorpio on General Hospital) is the opening ceremony speaker, and Jason Thompson (Patrick Drake on GH), our Pearl Jam homie (he's a huge fan!) will be there too - along with other GH peeps we love (Carolyn Hennessy aka Diane and Brandon Barash, aka hot Johnny Zacchara). Plus it's raising money for a great cause! I've almost met my fundraising goal, thanks to many generous pals. If you feel so inclined to help, here's the link!

Other than that, my month will be spent checking FiveThirtyEight.com and StealBackYourVote.com until November 4th!

PUPpy dogs and ice cream

This is the best video compilation I've ever seen in my life. I want to be the creamy filling in a Steven and Stephen cookie sandwich.

Funniest. Photos. Ever.

I am sorting through the mountainous volumes of photos stored in my laptop, and came across these, taken by dear friend Laurie in Australia on November 18, 2006. This is my pals Jason, Rob and me (along with other enthusiasts) at a Pearl Jam concert at the Acer Arena in Sydney, taken from across the arena. My guess is that it's during "Alive" when the lights are good and up, but I'm not 100% sure. Either way, it's funny as hell to see us "in action", dontcha think? Rock out!

199? Are you out of your mind??????

Today is a day that will live in infamy.

I am still happily skipping down the road of Food Addiction Recovery. Eating abstinent meals, calling my sponsor, working it. In program, we weigh once a month, which I think is wonderful...it shifts the focus from weight loss and the number on the scale to dealing with the addiction. That said, I still do have some number goals with regard to my weight.

Since I've been trying to "kick" food, (I started Weight Watchers in September 2000), I've wanted to weigh less than 200 pounds. I had been weighing myself weekly until I started FA May 17th of this year. For about a month, I still weighed weekly, not knowing the FA Way is once a month. So I started weighing on my anniversary date, my sponsor and I agreed that was okay for me. As I become more engaged in FA meetings, I want to share more, and everyone else that shares their weigh-in numbers does so on the first of the month - that is kind of the "touchstone" for everyone in program, whether in the basic program or in the maintenance program (at goal weight) or not. So as of October 1st, today, I will weigh myself on the first of the month.

So being that it is October 1st, I got on the scale this morning. On September 17th, I was at 203 pounds. Today, I am....(HUGE long drum roll please) 199 pounds!!!! I HAVE DONE IT!!! I broke 200 for the first time since 1984!!!!!! (!!!!!) I got on and off the scale 4 times to make sure it wasn't some sort of mistake. It isn't. I'm going to keep on keeping on, no matter what. The next milestone will be 175 lbs., I guess. That isn't intangible, which is in itself miraculous.

I have wanted this goal for so very long, and saying I want it didn't really mean anything before I started the Food Addicts program. I really began to see how wrapped up my life was in treating myself and soothing myself with food. Now I just feel so free from that. I can feel my feelings, good and bad, and it is pretty damned glorious. Friday I am leading a meeting in San Jose, and have another one scheduled October 25th. So I can share my story of experience, strength and hope with others who suffer. What great timing to have achieved that milestone so I can share it! Huge love to all who are reading this - because if you are, it means you've given me invaluable support on my journey. I couldn't have done it without you!

Post-It Note Geek

Since they were invented, I have been moderately obsessed with Post-It Notes. I've used them for bookmarks, section tabs for my Pearl Jam tour binder when I'm on the road, I use them daily at work for fax transmittals, special notes, the normal stuff. 1 1/2" x 2" pastel plain and 3" x 3" yellow lined (in a pop-up dispenser) are fixtures on my desk and used daily. I have a collection of novelty pre-printed ones that dates back to 1985 (I think the oldest one I have is one that has a bull in the corner standing on a pile of papers that reads "Bullsheet"). Hands down, the best current purveyor of pre-printed novelty Post-Its is KnockKnock.biz. I want pretty much everything they sell, and order a small selection from them a couple of times a year. I had to limit myself, because I mean - they rule! My recent purchases are:

KnockKnock has tons of other tchotchkes that are macabre but fun (my favorite combo), so poking around their site is highly recommended.

I have seen Post-It Elvii artwork, Post-It wallpaper - now that was a great idea! It was on one of those HG-TV shows I watch - someone did a whole wall, maybe 6 feet square, of 3" x 3" notes in vibrant colors, and had them several layers deep so when they soiled, discolored or were written on, a new one could be exposed. Coolness! What reminded me of my obsession was this amazing video that was on the news the other night about a gentleman who made a Mona Lisa out of Post-It's. 12,000 notes, and 40 hours of work. Check it, yo!

In the ultimate Post-It Geek coup, I went to an office products show with my friend Jane sometime back yonder in the 1990's, and Arthur Fry, the inventor of Post-Its, was appearing at the 3M booth. As soon as we found out he was there, we made a bee line for him and got on our knees in homage to the great man -we seriously prostrated ourselves, bowing down, hands in the air in a "we're not worthy" way. Mr. Fry was so very sweet, dismissing our reverence and insisting we stand, saying "No bowing, hugging!" and he welcomed our embrace. We thanked him for the positive impact he has had on our lives, and feel lucky to have been able to meet the man.

(In other news, my posting topic reminds me of that song by Fred Blassie that Dr. Demento used to play all the time, Pencil-Necked Geek...if Fred was around today, he'd sing it for me. "Nothing but a Post-It Note Geek" and the chorus would sing "Post-It Note Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeek" in a haunting undertone). Yeah, taking too far once again.

80's Music Vids GALORE!!!

Oh my gawd!!! Dear friend Mick just sent me the link for this AMAZING site, and to quote her "it's the reason the interwebs was created!" 80's Music Videos Go! View! Dig out your flourescent gear, capezios, Aqua Net, Madonna bangles....It's the look, it's the look...The Look of LOVE! -- KD

On Yer Bike!

For the first time since I was 13, I think, I now have a bicycle! WOO HOO! I have been wanting one for a long time, and have been planning seriously for the purchase since mid-summer; I went out Friday and got a Schwinn Sierra GS. I've become immediately obsessed with wanting to ride at every given moment! I rode Saturday 3 times (to my Mom's, back and then around my neighborhood for a half hour), and this morning I did my first venture out, riding in the bike lane to my old high school, around the big block and back home, about 40 minutes. I mainly got it to ride to work since I'm so close, but already I'm enjoying the hell out of the thing. I got it at Fremont Schwinn Cyclery which has been in business since I was in kindergarten, and I'm stoked to support the local Mom & Pop since I own one myself. I had to do it up right and got a cool royal blue helmet, fancy lock, and then I sent Rob out this morning to get a bike pump and gauge and an odometer so I can rack up the miles. If I'm not careful, I'm gonna turn into a bike geek! And proud of it.