We've found a place to stay! Hooray!
That's the end of rhyming for this blog post, I promise.
But seriously...I'm thrilled to report that my dear friend Mango Lick's boyfriend has organised for us to sublet his house until we leave for abroad (which has now been bumped up to late March/early April), meaning that we no longer have to:
- tear up while watching "The Pursuit of Happyness"
- spend every single day enjoying the plethora of activites, shelter and air-conditioning on offer at Queensland Art Gallery (which, overlooking the fact that I don't get paid to plug them, you have GOT to go see if you're in Brissie and have children. It is like heaven on a nappy-wipe.)
- regress to our wild pre-kids days of continuously crashing on people's couches.
HUZZAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
There Ain't No Groupies Like 3-year-old Groupies
So I'm doing story-telling at the new schmicko and amazing art gallery (which, might I add, is completely and utterly stunning and more importantly, child-friendly right down to the air conditioning and on-tap supplies of sunscreen) for the APT Kids Summer Spectacular.
Such a sweet gig - I get paid to rock up, tell stories for 25 minutes and then take my own kids to some of the wicked activities on offer and thus actually look like a semi-decent parent.
Then of course, today I actually got mobbed at the end of the show. By toddlers, no less. Have I made it, or what?
Such a sweet gig - I get paid to rock up, tell stories for 25 minutes and then take my own kids to some of the wicked activities on offer and thus actually look like a semi-decent parent.
Then of course, today I actually got mobbed at the end of the show. By toddlers, no less. Have I made it, or what?
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
The Comic Mummy Turns 250!
Haha, sorry I couldn't resist.
The rate I've been blogging since moving the blog here (which, might I add, wasn't even a year ago), there's almost been a birthday every week. I feel like one of those women from the last century who had 17 kids. Actually no, not quite that bad. My uterus, at last check, was still inside my body. Anyhooo......I shouldn't joke about such things, lest comedy karma comes back to bite me in the ass. Or the uterus. Or whatever.
I'm in a bit of a strange mood. To update y'all:
- we're still homeless, looking for a temporary and cheap abode;
- we're still enjoying the novelty of this. Stay tuned though - once we have to start milking stray cats to fill up the bowl of homebrand cornflakes, things could be different; HOWEVER
- more excitingly, the entire family is going to be heading overseas in the middle of this year!!! We've been talking about this for ages, and having just packed up the house and with the kids not yet legally required to be in school, figure there's probably not going to be a better time to do this. Originally we were going to do Canada, but job opportunities for Tim are so much better in the UK, so looks like that's the plan. Go over, I'll do my show at Edinburgh Fringe Fest in August and then hang round for six months or so with Tim teaching and me gigging and hopefully getting the odd travel trip to Europe in between.
But for now...scrimping, saving and savouring sunny weather and happy friends.
Poverty-stricken or no, life rocks.
The rate I've been blogging since moving the blog here (which, might I add, wasn't even a year ago), there's almost been a birthday every week. I feel like one of those women from the last century who had 17 kids. Actually no, not quite that bad. My uterus, at last check, was still inside my body. Anyhooo......I shouldn't joke about such things, lest comedy karma comes back to bite me in the ass. Or the uterus. Or whatever.
I'm in a bit of a strange mood. To update y'all:
- we're still homeless, looking for a temporary and cheap abode;
- we're still enjoying the novelty of this. Stay tuned though - once we have to start milking stray cats to fill up the bowl of homebrand cornflakes, things could be different; HOWEVER
- more excitingly, the entire family is going to be heading overseas in the middle of this year!!! We've been talking about this for ages, and having just packed up the house and with the kids not yet legally required to be in school, figure there's probably not going to be a better time to do this. Originally we were going to do Canada, but job opportunities for Tim are so much better in the UK, so looks like that's the plan. Go over, I'll do my show at Edinburgh Fringe Fest in August and then hang round for six months or so with Tim teaching and me gigging and hopefully getting the odd travel trip to Europe in between.
But for now...scrimping, saving and savouring sunny weather and happy friends.
Poverty-stricken or no, life rocks.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Houston, We Have A Performer
Ella: Mummy, what's this? (does a bow.)
Me: A bow.
Ella: When do you bow?
Me: Right after you've finished your performance.
Ella: Why?
Me: I guess so you can let people say thank you for performing.
Ella: Can you please make me skip and then clap?
Me: Okay.
(spinning the skipping rope, Ella jumping five or six times until missing the rope)
Me: (clapping) Yay! Woohoo! Ella! etc....
Ella: (bowing) Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen... (yelling) IS EVERYBODY HAVING A GOOD TIME?!!!!!
***
I promise I'm not training her.
No, REALLY.
Me: A bow.
Ella: When do you bow?
Me: Right after you've finished your performance.
Ella: Why?
Me: I guess so you can let people say thank you for performing.
Ella: Can you please make me skip and then clap?
Me: Okay.
(spinning the skipping rope, Ella jumping five or six times until missing the rope)
Me: (clapping) Yay! Woohoo! Ella! etc....
Ella: (bowing) Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen... (yelling) IS EVERYBODY HAVING A GOOD TIME?!!!!!
***
I promise I'm not training her.
No, REALLY.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Woodford Folk Festival: A Spaced Odyssey
Wow. I may never recover. For this year's Woodford Folk Festival was definitely up there amongst one of the best weeks of my entire life.
I've been to five Woodfords now, but this one was the first in years that has featured a marked time without kids. We took them up for the first couple of days - unfortunately these were the days that decided to be rain-drenched and mud-soaked - still, the kids had a wicked, if not messy, time, spent mostly at the kids' fest. Which, might I add, completely rocks. Ella totally dug her juggling workshop and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to do it again next year when her gross motor skills actually allow her to catch.
Woodford with kids = fun but hard work.
Wooford with rain and kids = hell on a mud-stick.
Hence, a couple of days in and we opted for a trip up the Coast to drop the kids off for a lovely little holiday with Auntie Liz and Uncle Andrew, thereby giving Mummy Jen and Daddy Tim the first ever occurrence of four nights off together since Ella was born.
Let me hear you say "YEAH!!"
In short, we had a blast. Highlights in bullet point:
- camping with the comedians and posse at the infamous Retox Centre in the performers' camp (including S Sorenson, Alan Glover, Simon Rogers, Bart Freebairn, Chris Radburn, Mandy Nolan and regular visits from Liz Skitch and more...) with conversations, rants and outbursts that left my insides absolutely sore from laughter, far more than anything I've ever seen onstage.
- jamming some improv songs with fellow camper Doctor Harry and having a go at performing a couple in a fill-in spot I did in the club on Thursday; it was okay but I think I've since decided that improv songs alone probably isn't the best thing in a stand-up environment, but I'm dead keen to experiment more with it, get better at it and find a form where it does work for solo stuff!
- performing in the improv night, where amongst other things, I was bestowed the absolute unadulterated honour of playing "The World's First Hippy."
- rocking out in a couple of gigs at the Chai Tent (a place so close to my heart and dreadlocks...not that I have them but if I did that's where it'd be) where a couple of teenage boys called out to me saying "We adore you!" Not really who I would have picked as my typical audience (nor would I have picked that as the language they would use for a compliment) but I enjoyed both. Oh, plus two cute young ladies found me backstage after and told me "Oh my God, we're like totally being your groupies."
"Oh my God!" I replied. "I have groupies!"
- bringing in the new year at the amphitheatre with my hubby, darling sister Ang, and the posse of friends & limbs.
- getting my mojo back yet again with my gorgeous hubby: whaddya know, all we needed was a few nights off.
- seeing (in no particular order:)
Mal Webb (who also caught my Chai Tent set and we chatted backstage after: what a lovely man and bloody brilliant performer - I WANNA LOOP STATION!)
Hamill on Trial (WHOA WHOA WHOA) - talk about a guy who is just so confident in who he is and by asking nothing from the audience, is actually rewarded with complete authority over them. Just amazing.
Kya - I was on a deadline to get back to the campsite yet could NOT walk past the concert stage when I overheard these girls' stunning voices and harmonies. I bumped into them later that night in the Bazaar and told them as much.
Kaki King - technically brilliant but I didn't make it through more than two songs. I know some people were raving about her, and I do admire the confidence of someone whose approach is 'I'm so genius at what I do I really don't need to do anything but sit here and play' but I guess I've realised I do appreciate showmanship.
Rory McLeod - I first saw him in Tasmania years and years ago and thought he was brilliant then, so seeing him be one of the 'it' people of this year's fest was quite cool. An amazing storyteller - you really feel like each of his songs really holds huge significance for him.
Herb Armstrong - I can't remember his full name, only that he's apparentyl Louis Armstrong's grand-son...talk about stage presence. The guy had the audience eating out of his hand the night we caught him in the Blues Tent - he seemed hugely disappointed at the end when he wasn't allowed to proceed with the encore due to time constraints.
Umbilical Brothers - I could barely see cos the concert stage was bulging like a fat gut over the top of jeans, but the bit I did catch was enjoyable. Their physical commitment to everything they do - and their connection with each other - is just perfect.
PO' Girl - this folky four-some of girlies from Canada just played some of the most gorgeous melodies: we crossed paths backstage at the Chai Tent and...what do you know, they're nice too.
Kafka - who, I'm so chuffed to say, were playing with my and Mango Lick's dear mate Kelly Timmons, who was BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. I was so proud, I almost shed a tear of chai.
Oh, oh, and so many more...but in short, I learned something about performing from every single person I ever saw. It was by far the best Woodford I've ever been too, though in fairness, that's possible just cos I had my hands free.
Excuse me now while I battle off my post-fest blues.
*sniff*
I've been to five Woodfords now, but this one was the first in years that has featured a marked time without kids. We took them up for the first couple of days - unfortunately these were the days that decided to be rain-drenched and mud-soaked - still, the kids had a wicked, if not messy, time, spent mostly at the kids' fest. Which, might I add, completely rocks. Ella totally dug her juggling workshop and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to do it again next year when her gross motor skills actually allow her to catch.
Woodford with kids = fun but hard work.
Wooford with rain and kids = hell on a mud-stick.
Hence, a couple of days in and we opted for a trip up the Coast to drop the kids off for a lovely little holiday with Auntie Liz and Uncle Andrew, thereby giving Mummy Jen and Daddy Tim the first ever occurrence of four nights off together since Ella was born.
Let me hear you say "YEAH!!"
In short, we had a blast. Highlights in bullet point:
- camping with the comedians and posse at the infamous Retox Centre in the performers' camp (including S Sorenson, Alan Glover, Simon Rogers, Bart Freebairn, Chris Radburn, Mandy Nolan and regular visits from Liz Skitch and more...) with conversations, rants and outbursts that left my insides absolutely sore from laughter, far more than anything I've ever seen onstage.
- jamming some improv songs with fellow camper Doctor Harry and having a go at performing a couple in a fill-in spot I did in the club on Thursday; it was okay but I think I've since decided that improv songs alone probably isn't the best thing in a stand-up environment, but I'm dead keen to experiment more with it, get better at it and find a form where it does work for solo stuff!
- performing in the improv night, where amongst other things, I was bestowed the absolute unadulterated honour of playing "The World's First Hippy."
- rocking out in a couple of gigs at the Chai Tent (a place so close to my heart and dreadlocks...not that I have them but if I did that's where it'd be) where a couple of teenage boys called out to me saying "We adore you!" Not really who I would have picked as my typical audience (nor would I have picked that as the language they would use for a compliment) but I enjoyed both. Oh, plus two cute young ladies found me backstage after and told me "Oh my God, we're like totally being your groupies."
"Oh my God!" I replied. "I have groupies!"
- bringing in the new year at the amphitheatre with my hubby, darling sister Ang, and the posse of friends & limbs.
- getting my mojo back yet again with my gorgeous hubby: whaddya know, all we needed was a few nights off.
- seeing (in no particular order:)
Mal Webb (who also caught my Chai Tent set and we chatted backstage after: what a lovely man and bloody brilliant performer - I WANNA LOOP STATION!)
Hamill on Trial (WHOA WHOA WHOA) - talk about a guy who is just so confident in who he is and by asking nothing from the audience, is actually rewarded with complete authority over them. Just amazing.
Kya - I was on a deadline to get back to the campsite yet could NOT walk past the concert stage when I overheard these girls' stunning voices and harmonies. I bumped into them later that night in the Bazaar and told them as much.
Kaki King - technically brilliant but I didn't make it through more than two songs. I know some people were raving about her, and I do admire the confidence of someone whose approach is 'I'm so genius at what I do I really don't need to do anything but sit here and play' but I guess I've realised I do appreciate showmanship.
Rory McLeod - I first saw him in Tasmania years and years ago and thought he was brilliant then, so seeing him be one of the 'it' people of this year's fest was quite cool. An amazing storyteller - you really feel like each of his songs really holds huge significance for him.
Herb Armstrong - I can't remember his full name, only that he's apparentyl Louis Armstrong's grand-son...talk about stage presence. The guy had the audience eating out of his hand the night we caught him in the Blues Tent - he seemed hugely disappointed at the end when he wasn't allowed to proceed with the encore due to time constraints.
Umbilical Brothers - I could barely see cos the concert stage was bulging like a fat gut over the top of jeans, but the bit I did catch was enjoyable. Their physical commitment to everything they do - and their connection with each other - is just perfect.
PO' Girl - this folky four-some of girlies from Canada just played some of the most gorgeous melodies: we crossed paths backstage at the Chai Tent and...what do you know, they're nice too.
Kafka - who, I'm so chuffed to say, were playing with my and Mango Lick's dear mate Kelly Timmons, who was BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. I was so proud, I almost shed a tear of chai.
Oh, oh, and so many more...but in short, I learned something about performing from every single person I ever saw. It was by far the best Woodford I've ever been too, though in fairness, that's possible just cos I had my hands free.
Excuse me now while I battle off my post-fest blues.
*sniff*
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
New Year, New Plan
To my dear readers,
No doubt you've all disowned this blog days ago - after all, how could I just ABANDON you like that?
Okay, so I left for Woodford Folk Festival for a week or so...but I did leave a little bowl of water out and the windows slightly down, so surely you can find some forgiveness in your heart...
Yeah? You're reading on? WOOHOO!!! Welcome back and I promise I'll be more attentive from now on.
Big Big BIG plans to share...but for now you'll just have to take my word for it.
I'll write soon! Promise.
Here, have a lollypop on me. x
No doubt you've all disowned this blog days ago - after all, how could I just ABANDON you like that?
Okay, so I left for Woodford Folk Festival for a week or so...but I did leave a little bowl of water out and the windows slightly down, so surely you can find some forgiveness in your heart...
Yeah? You're reading on? WOOHOO!!! Welcome back and I promise I'll be more attentive from now on.
Big Big BIG plans to share...but for now you'll just have to take my word for it.
I'll write soon! Promise.
Here, have a lollypop on me. x
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