west uptowner

terni facade at san martino, originally uploaded by plastictaxi.

we landed this morning, and now are sipping capuccinos at the festival central area in Terni, Umbria. I'm here with the crowd from /dance/songs/, we are taking over a chunk of parking lot (though in italy parking lots look like plazas) and doing three 11pm shows this week.
www.exsiriterni.it

We are seriously lagged, but also so relieved to be here and actually see what we have for equipment and support. The organizers are beautiful people, and the city itself is lovely and tourist-free. Aside from us, I guess. I wasn't sure what to expect from Terni: the lonely planet didn't even have a city map for this place -- they only mentioned it as St.Valentine's hometown and called it "the Manchester of Italy".

But this place is the perfect change of scenery for me right now: I am connected to home but not surrounded by it, so I can work and then put the work down.

God bless my lover Bea who is packing boxes as I write this.

# posted by trev @ 11:29 a.m. 2 comments

ulster coin wash late, originally uploaded by plastictaxi.

Night time is the right time for laundry.

Finally took a slow breath tonight, after I don't know how many days of running. I can feel the pressure to stop working, to take time off -- the temptation to fuck off like a surly adolescent instead of going to that meeting and drinking beer all night at the pool hall instead.

I used to call that "lack of vacation sickness".

This week I draughted four discrete shows: two touring gigs (my drawings were based on assumption and questionable communication, so I am not going to put too much stock by them - especially since one of them has been redone 3 times, and could be once more, tonight), one gig for someone else, and a preliminary set design. On the periphery are three other set drawings begging for attention.

If that was all I'd be okay - I love that kind of work. But we just bought a house, and are dealing with a thousand minor details that assault us in waves like surprise attacks from a distant antagonist. And today was a grant application deadline for two huge 3-year programs.

So the tension has been a little heavy at home. At some point yesterday, as she was telling me things that would mean hours of rewriting, and I struggled to grasp everything, I said, "No, but Bea -- tell me that one more time because I'm either slow or stupid right now." She said, "yes. you're stupid". the conversation went down from there.

But today we breathe with confidence, and walk two inches taller, despite exhaustion. For the grants went into the mail, and out of our lives for a few months at least. The pleasure of dreaming up a new life in our own house is sinking in, despite the insurers and bankers telling us our business. And my busy work schedule is about to take in a trip to Italy.

even so, I am surprised by how the mind simply ... stops working when it has had enough. like an old battery.

# posted by trev @ 8:38 p.m. 1 comments