These puppets are pretty badly damaged. I spent the day pulling out broken ribs and replacing them. I’m sure they were lovely when they were new, but they were not designed to last as long as they have. I’ve also developed some nasty bruising on my leg from the plant, and today was my first day inside them. Who knows what fun things tomorrow will bring.

This is my first time in the L.A. area, aside from flying through on airplanes. So far I have seen smog but not traffic. I look forward to that and the other delights in the coming week.

I’m staying at the producer’s home, she’s very nice and has been in the business forever. You’ve seen her. She was “the Wendy’s Girl” back in the seventies/eighties.

I’ve only seen two of the puppets, but they do not bode well for the rest of the Audrey IIs. I’m afraid that the photos that made them look like the only real diference was color were somewhat inaccurate. In fact, I wonder what puppets those pictures were of, since these are yellow and those were purple. I’m nervous.

Yesterday something began to bloom that I am allergic to. After struggling with it, I gave in and took some medication this morning. As a result, my sinuses are clear, but my mind is fogged. I have to do much cleaning after the yard sale yesterday, as well as pack for my excursion tomorrow. I’m heading to Malibu to perfom Little Shop for a week. Should be exciting. Hopefully, whatever I’m allergic to won’t be blooming down there.

The yard sale was a grand success. We sold all of the big pieces that we wanted to, with the exception of the sofa. Hopefully that will find a new home soon. Afterwards, we joined the Celsi’s for some Thai food and relaxing conversation.

All-Star Stories Presents: Twenty Epics has just released the table of contents, with my name! It will be out early next year, so you may expect occasional updates from me.

I don’t know…it’s hot. My brain is melting.

In other news, Mom and Dad have gone to London to visit my brother.

Rob stubbed his toe, while wearing slippers, on our front steps and is now shy a toenail. I’ll spare you the details.

We carried our yard sale things down to the Celsi’s. Speaking of which, I have to get up early tomorrow.

Today is my brother’s birthday! I have no idea what his plans are, but I’m sure it will involve a pub.

Rob went down to Bethel Heights yesterday and wound up staying overnight because they wanted him back this morning. I knew that would happen.

I took advantage of the reversion to my spinster days to continue reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel which I’m very much enjoying.

We worked in the garden today and planted squash, cucumber and basil. I’ve been working on getting the info off my computer so I can send it out for repair. It has had an unpleasent purple stripe down the screen for the last year and this is the first opportunity I’ll have to do without it.

In the evening, we biked to the Roseway theater to see Star Wars. Hmm…if I focus on it as space opera then it’s easier to get over the grandiose plot, but it’s hard to get past the dialogue. There were lots of scenes that seemed to consist of, “Hello, I have important exposition to provide.” “Why, thank you for that exposition. May I provide some exposition in return.”

Today I went on a modeling gig. Rob came with me, and–sit down–modeled for a camera, willingly. We worked out at the beach for a photo duo. Debra and Charles were very nice and we had a great time. They do stock photography for various clients. When our photos are developed they will be in Debra and Charles’slifestyle series.

Don and Yan have taken home the Golden Pepper award for their astounding interpretation of citrus. Kitchen Kowal came in last. We feel pretty good about that. More details to follow! And I have pictures of that pesky champagne tasting too.

Rob and I slept in this morning, although I got up before him. I made biscuits for breakfast which was more of an adventure than one would suspect. I didn’t have quite enough flour, so I wound up adding blue cornmeal and steel cut oats to make up the difference. It’s actually nice. The secret, I’ve found, to using steel cut oats in baked goods is to put it in your liquids and let them sit, which softens them nicely.

After we puttered around, we went to the Farmer’s market and got some lovely produce. We are competing in Iron Chef tomorrow, but the theme ingredient is citrus so we didn’t get any of the main ingredients there. I won’t reveal anything that we did purchase for the competetion, because I know that Eve reads this weblog. She’s one of our main competitors tomorrow.

I researched recipes while we watched the Muppet Wizard of Oz last night, which was fairly dreadful, I’m sorry to say.

I’ll be getting on the airplane to go home in about an hour. Lately, I’ve been selected for special security screening every time out. I’m finding that I really don’t mind. I know the routine, it’s fast, and the lines for the SSSS are shorter than standard security. I make the security people laugh because I know to sit down and stick my feet out so they can scan them, without waiting to be asked.

It’s been a good trip, but I’m very much looking forward to being at home with Rob.

We finished the meetings today after getting lots of good work done. Emily and I rode back into NYC together and then headed out to a lovely restaurant for cocktails and appetizers. Then I met Peter and rode the train back up here. Tomorrow, I head back to Portland. Hurrah!

We had another great series of meetings. Lorna joined us today and we hammered out what is happening for most of the show.

I don’t have a clean wireless signal here, so this update has to be short. You may not get another till Friday.