Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Okay, here’s my stab at getting back to blogging. It’s early morning and it’s Mulan’s first day of second grade today. She is nervous and excited about it. I am not nervous, but REALLY EXCITED. Oh, this was a long summer. Oh, I really know now what parents feel like when school starts. Oh, oh, oh, do I need school to start. Yes, yes, I do. It will be hard not to go buy a bottle of champagne on the way home.

We went away on vacation for over a month – nearly five weeks. It was fun, it was interesting, it was somewhat educational and enlightening for Mulan, and it wiped me out like never before. What was I thinking? How did I think this trip was going to be restful? But, in any case, it had great moments and now I am remembering those more than I am remembering all the waiting in airports and the whining and all of that. We went to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington, Seattle, Spokane, N. Idaho to a lake cabin with my family, then to England – to Manchester and then London – and then to Morocco, to Marrakesh, Essaouira (the best part of the trip was there, in my opinion) and in the Atlas mountains for a few nights at a little hotel made for adults to rest and chill and I had a child who wanted to do cartwheels and jump in the pool and do it all with me every minute non-stop.

I think the best part of the trip, for me, was the last five days since we’ve been back in the country. We headed to Chicago first, where my fiancé lives (wow, it’s still so weird to say that) and since we were on European time we were up and wandering around his house at four in the morning. So we all drove to the beach on Lake Michigan and watched the sun come up. Then, Mulan and I headed back here to L.A. and we have been getting up every morning around five fifteen and going to Runyon Canyon while it’s still dark and there are stars out, and then watching the city light up as we ascend the hill. Our dog, Arden, is in heaven with this turn of events. In fact, right now, since it is the very time we have been doing these sojourns, he is sitting at my feet, whimpering and gazing out the door, because he must think it’s time to go, go, go to Runyon Canyon.

But I let Mulan sleep this morning since it’s the first day of school. Oh! The first day of school! Oh Dear Lord In Heaven Who Isn’t There: Thank you! Thank You! I bow down before you in praise and thanks for Sept. 5th to arrive! I sing glad tidings and offer gifts of thanks that the time this time of the year has come!!!

So. I drop Mulan off at school today and immediately go the post-production house to watch the final-final cut of the movie. Before I left we basically finished everything but the end credits. And now we are watching the whole movie. And then, it is DONE.

I don’t know what the future of the movie will be. We are submitting it to Sundance, and in the meantime we will be conferring with representatives and so forth about what is possible to do. I will keep you posted.

Also, at some point today or tomorrow, I will post the performances I have scheduled for the fall. I’m in Chicago in October, Bothell, Washington in October, and New Jersey and Connecticut in November. Also, Jill Sobule and I are doing shows here in L.A. at Largo in November, and we are going to put our song on our websites soon, very soon.

So, even though this isn’t much of a post, I thought I would start the SCHOOL YEAR OFF, with a blog/forum entry. Oh! It’s so lovely to write that: The School Year Begins! Oh! Oh! Oh!

16 comments:

Greg said...

YEAHHHHHH!!!!! You're back!!! So glad to hear from you again Julia and that you and Mulan had a wonderful vacation. And OMG! Congratulations on your engagement! I'm hoping to take that big step soon too.

I was really excited to see that you'll be at the FFRF convention with Christopher Hitchens. I loved your show and can't wait to see the movie. Thank for all that you are doing Julia to make deep, critical thinking something we don't need to be ashamed of doing. The world desperately needs courageous people like you.

Greg

Cliff O'Neill said...

Julia,

You're the best! Welcome back!

Anonymous said...

I'm SO glad you're back! We ordered CD's and haven't received them, and now I know why (didn't know you were on vacation).

Also, PLEASE add me as a friend on Myspace, I sent you a request!

Thanks, glad you had an awesome time.

Chuck Sigars said...

Wow. What a vacation; thanks for the vicarious trip I took just now. And looking forward to seeing you in Bothell (just down the road from me)in October if I can manage to make that. Congratulations.

Fargofan1 said...

Glad you're back! Your prayer was hilarious. I think I'm your biggest fan (but not in the stalker-like, Misery sense).

Anonymous said...

YAAAAAY, bienvenida Julia! I have been checking for a while and always came up with that old June 26th entry. Keep us posted re your performances with Jill Sobule. I've seen it once and loved it.
By the way, thanks to Greg I have just found out about FFRF. Yes, I am new in the country and still have a lot to learn.

Anonymous said...

I'm giggling so hard over here, thinking that you must sound just like your mom when she was saying, "you were so ready, you were so ready" to go to school, so she fudged your birthday, and you realized later that SHE was so ready for you to go off to kindergarten. OK, yes, I saw "Letting Go of God" three times.

(Giggles some more....)

Can't wait to see the finished movie!

Dharma Kelleher said...

Glad to hear that you're getting a bit of a mommy break, and also that the movie is done. At least the creation part of it.

It's funny how the word "fiance'" sounds so weird at first, isn't it? And just when you start to get used to it, next thing you know you're married and now there are new words to get used to like "husband".

Just never take him for granted. Never expect him to make you happy. I know that sounds strange, but you're in charge of your own happiness. As soon as you abdicate that, you're in deep doo-doo!

And never play the mind-reading games! Don't expect him to read your mind or your mood unless you tell him what you're thinking or feeling. And don't think you know what he's thinking or feeling unless he tells you. Just don't go there!

And never let the wedding plans overshadow the relationship. A 20-minute ceremony means diddly to a lifetime of bliss. I've been married for nine years and when it's done right, it's amazing.

I love you, Julia. You deserve to be happy!

Peace out!
Dharmashanti

Donita Curioso said...

Yay! We'll see you at the Largo!

Petra said...

We homeschool, so I don't really get to do the, "Yay, it's September" happy dance. I do my happy dance when my boys go to day camp for a week in the summer! Time alone is VERY peaceful! LOL

When I read your post, I too, thought of the section of LGOG where your mother fibbed about your birthday because SHE was so ready for you to go to school! We do all become our mothers, don't we? (The REALLY scary thing is when you hear your own mother's voice coming out of your young child's mouth!)

Thanks for the giggle, Julia.

: ) Petra

LTYM said...

I was so excited for school to start that I almost pressed a 20 into my son's Kindergarten teacher's hand when I saw her.

Glad I found your blog!

Caffeine Court said...

Just found your blog. Love it. Keep up the posting-I used to write and perform comedy-now I stay home with the kids and do an occasional VO. Please let me live vicariously through you!

Anonymous said...

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manoj_freeman@yahoo.com

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Gregory J. Trujillo said...

Thankfully my kid is still young and hasn’t yet hit the school-going age. I wonder how Phd Thesis Writers send their kids to school – I mean I am a thesis writer and I don’t even have time to think about anything else. Anyway, I will see when the time comes. May take some help from parenting blogs.

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