OK, kids, this is me going dark grey. I'll be seeing some of you at the F2F, if I survive the plane flight and subsequent spending-time-with-family.

Be careful out there!

For Bayistas who would like a cheap fun Sunday gig at a place with great drinks, I'll be performing 2 or 3 songs at the monthly cabaret "Bijou". It's Bijou's 1 year anniversary.

Martuni's 4 Valencia St. (@Market) $5 cover 7pm (But arrive early if you want a seat...it's always well-attended).

I'll be doing some '30s mountain music.

The ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY show features:

- DONNA SACHET, local legend, chanteusse and alll-around good gal. She's probably done more work for charity than anyone I know. Tonight, she's just gonna sing. And what a lovely, rich, deep voice it is. EXCITING to have her on-board.

- MEGAN LYNCH, accompanied by KELLY MCCUBBIN. Megan has been headlining shows lately. She's at the forefront of a new scene called "Crooners and Songbirds." Great big voice. This will be Megan's fifth Bijou.

- LILIANA HERRERA, Latin songbird. Straight from two succesful showcases in the Mission, Liliana is going to regale us with standards, most likely en Espanol.

- NIKKI STARR. Well, we hope, don't we? Love this gal. She's the most talented lipsynching gospel queen around. But she's gonna sing LIVE. This will be Nikki's first Bijou.

- The return of MAMA TRACY ST.CYR. A capella blues singer with warmth and heart that, like fine wine, improves with age. She's been performing since 1959 and I am honored to have her at the anniversary show.

- The return of KATYA LUDMILLA SMIRNOFF-SKYY. She's been away since the Christmas show. This will mark her 9th Bijou.

- The return of JUSTIN WEATHERBY. This will mark Justin's 5th Bijou. He just finished a highly successful run of "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers." Cute kid, great energy.

- The maiden voyage of TOM HARDING, stride pianist. He's gonna do one song and one only, so make sure you ain't in the 'loo. He's great. And funny.

- The maiden voyage of MARY REGAN, witty vocal comedienne. Very clever gal. Knows how to work the room!

- The maiden voyage of MICHAEL PHILLIS ... and a first for me, too ... Michael will be the first non-music based performer at Bijou, providing selections from his powerful one-man show "D*Faced." High-larious.

- The return of COOKIE DOUGH, the queen that started it all for me. She opened the door for drag cabaret at Martuni's. Love this gal like a sistah and know that you will want to embrace her, too!

There is one special person who will be feted and roasted ... the person who has been at the most Bijou nights. Who? Enquiring minds wanna know!

Want to request some job~ma for 1PM EST. Situation has been totally FUBAR, as in the general offer was made, with assurances that I'd be contacted about the details (piddly things like salary and job description), but paperwork was filed without discussing it, then he refused to negotiate on the salary, etc. FUBAR, I tell you. Now, we're having A Talk. So, job~ma and give her more money~ma is heartily requested.

I don't call, I don't write.

On orders from Allyson, I'm here to announce I got married 10 days ago.

Ceremony: Santa Barbara Courthouse Reception: Rose garden across from the mission Groom: Andrew

It was all kinds of fun (to my astonishment--parties make me nervous) and the honeymoon in La Jolla was equally lovely.

As you were. :)

Apparently, someone has decided that I can be trusted to educate our children (well, those from ages 6-12). Oddly, these people have actually met me. As of tomorrow, I will be a credentialed teacher.

Tomorrow I will be graduating. Four years of college, of making it through my ol' Kentucky home, and there's no way I could have done it without each and every one of you.

This is the second graduation you have seen me through, and in putting my thoughts together on the closing of this part of my life, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being there for me, through all the heartaches, joys, and lessons of growing up. Thank you for seeing me through all of my freak-outs and rejoincing with me in my triumphs. Thank you for your laughter, your tears, your advice, your struggles and your lives. You may not realize it, but I know, I *know*, that the only way I got through these last four years as well as I did was because of each and every one of you.

I miss and love you all. What gives me peace and joy, going into this new, unknown part of my life, is knowing that I have your love and support behind me. Thank you for being my family. Thank you for everything.

At Prom, Karl asked me when my next gig is. My next solo gig isn't booked yet, but my next gig of any sort is another engagement of Uke-y Stardust. If you've been wanting to get around to visiting the Chabot Space & Science Center anyway, make it this Friday. [link]

We've just promised, in a scary contractual legally binding sense, to pay way more money than I can ever imagine actually having, but way less than anyplace else we looked at, for the following:

exterior: [link]

library: [link]

kitchen: [link]

living: [link]

nerd hole: [link]

deck: [link]

I have a chance at a three year posting in Tokyo that I really want. Any spare job~ma would be very much welcome.