We made a mad dash to the last local post office still open – Eastridge Mall. They wouldn’t guarantee overnight delivery for Express mail, which seems weird, but that’s the option I got. A long wait at Red Robin later rewarded me with a VERY tall glass of Blue Moon beer. It required an entire wedge of orange, it was so tall. And so tasty.

With help from Simple Diary.

Then started writing double questions.

Ah, Murphy. The contact didn’t get it. Everyone came. *sigh* It’s always harder to explains this stuff in person. Andrew is better in live situations, but it was my plan, so I explained. They accepted it.

In retrospect, I would have swapped two of the guests, which they suggested, but I was too amped up to think about it properly. We made a PSA using the girls who didn’t get interviewed, so that worked out, too.

But I was working on a tension headache halfway through the second show, which continued until I fell asleep. I hate it when we have too many guests.

Currently I’m having issues with pictures there, so I may post without pics, and revise later. -_-;

Because I went to the circus! The iPod group of Apple celebrated the impending release of the iPad by treating the group to a soirée at the Fairmont and an evening at Cirque du Soleil – Ovo. (Keith works on system software, so neither one of us is sure why that’s part of the iPod group, but, hey, party!) The soirée was lovely, although not enough chairs. My favorite thing was the free two drinks, but a close second was the baked brie with fruit. Mmm, figs. Catered sushi can be dicey, but the Fairmont made a good maki. I’m not sure what the fish was, but it was delicious.

Apple took good care of us at the Cirque, too. A gallon of popcorn, large beverage, and a bag of M&M’s, not a little bag, either. The only flaw was the location of the seats. In a Murphy twist of fate, we were nearly in the same seats as when we saw Ovo a month ago. I had hoped for a different angle. The acts were still amazing, though. The slackwire act is the heart stopping, but the trampoline act is explosive. It was still wonderful.

Rusty’s show, “King’s Connections” was fun, but since it was my first time, I hung back directorally. Next time, I will crack the whip more, so that we can get it going faster. “Keith Explains!” went well – Keith was funny, and mostly moved quickly through the Cinequest film plots without getting bogged down overmuch.

After post “Keith Explains!” coffee at Coffee Society, I finished editing the episode, and left it to render overnight.

That said, it was slightly circular, as I hopped ADD-style from one thing to another. The feeling at home was a mess of my own making, reassuring diversions that kept me busy and engaged in every corner. Even the earthquake (a tiny 3.2) was nothing more than a quick look up, and a resumption of activity.

I was at peace with my messy, pigtailed hair, as long as it stayed out of my way, and it did. I made sure to hit Amphigory to restock hair color and pick up some cute braided scrunchies.

I decline to comment on allegations of generosity.

with help from Keel’s Simple Diary

Cinequest co-founder Halfdan Hussey, new San Jose mayor Chuck Reed, KNTV sports anchor Raj Mathai, and filmmaker Mira Nair all gave remarks to launch the festival and the film. Mayor Reed had a particularly nice statement about Cinequest, “Magic happens at the intersection of art and technology.”

The gala following the film at the Paragon was packed with people. Crowds were densest around food tables. Many also took advantage of the free alcoholic punch and coffee bar. Fare was light, yet satisfying. A DJ played a wide variety of music in the corner.

As the devouring hordes receded, it became more obvious who the filmmakers were. Clusters of filmmakers distributed flyers and engaged passerby with colorful descriptions of their upcoming films. I look forward to seeing the films by the folks I met: “Blood Car” and “Regarding Sarah.”

We kept our eyes peeled for a possible awkward encounter with a certain someone. So I almost missed seeing Brian Tong of Stir TV. Although, his blonde cock’s comb of hair is bigger and brighter than ever, so it would have been hard to miss him.

I worked as an intern on the show in 2004 up at KTSF. He remembered me, even though I only saw him during tapings. He seemed friendly and interested in what I’ve been up to, so I gave him one of Keith’s new Keith Explains! business cards. I’d forgotten mine. >_<

Today I did: A fair amount of reading, but not as much as I should have. ALSO taped “What’s Up Wit’ That?” where we had the Renaissance Faire as the subject. Sir Francis Drake and the General Manager, Lisa Stehl were our guests. It was a great show. It kept me on my toes. Keith has gone up to capture the tape right now. Don’t forget that you can see past episodes on Google Video.

TV I’m watching: “What’s Up Wit’ That?” at KMVT (Does it count as watching while you’re making it?)

What I’m reading: Bakhtin and GTO.

What I’m looking forward to: Arisa visiting this weekend and grog tasting at Maureen’s.

Current pet peeve: My inadequate ALS reminder band. (C’mon people, ever heard of contrasting lettering? Everyone thinks it’s for AIDS (a very worthy cause, but I have a silver bracelet for that), or the Red Cross. Also, how about putting the name of the disease in a visible spot? Cancer can get away with it because of Lance Armstrong, but ALSA doesn’t have anyone famous shilling the reminder bands. If I’m going to wear an ugly reminder band (I don’t really care for them–they look cheap), I at least want it to properly convey the message it should.)