The Dreaming

Halloween is almost upon us, and I find myself involved in the Little Red Studio's Halloween show entitled The Dreaming: An Erotic Haunted House. Now, despite the title, it's not actually a haunted house in the more traditional sense. It's a performance, and the space is certainly haunted, but...well, here's the write up:

"Step quietly inside a young woman's dream and experience the erotic through her eyes. Seductive and surprising, sweet and terrifying, The Dreaming is Halloween as only Little Red Studio can offer. Join us for Little Red Studio's 2nd Annual presentation of Seattle's only erotic Haunted House."

My role in this production is that of a ghost - I decided on a Hollywood Golden Age starlet who had od'ed on martinis and sleeping pills. I stagger about in a white satin night gown and matching robe, my martini glass still in my hand, drunkenly berating the pretty guests and flirting with every decently attractive male that passes by. It's by far too much fun. I wish there had been enough time and resources to construct a second outfit for the show - I would enjoy switching up characters. I may still attempt to dig through my closet and find something, though I have an issue with white. As one may well imagine, I don't own much white. My first ghost costume was pieced together over the past few weeks by raiding every Goodwill in a ten mile radius and ordering from clearance sales online. As I told a friend, I don't even own white underwear!

Well, my wardrobe aside, it's a fantastic show, and if you're anywhere in the Seattle area, or even western Washington, I highly recommend seeing it. The Dreaming will run every night through to Halloween, two shows a night.

- Sway

Other People's Children (And the problems they present)

So earlier today I stood on the sidewalk at 5th and Walnut, impatiently waiting for my daughter to get home from school. I figured it would be your average day - she and her friend Didi would bounce off the bus, run ahead, and Didi would steer the conversation towards boys while Fiona would just be happy to have a friend to talk with. Imagine my surprise when instead, a sobbing child ran off the bus into my arms, clinging to me with miserable desperation. Didi followed her off the bus murmuring, "Fiona, I'm sorry." My daughter just continued to cling to me, and we walked back towards my car.

Once her friend had left, Fiona tearfully informed me that Didi had scared her by yelling at her. Wanting to be reasonable, I asked why, and couldn't get more than a choked "I don't know" in response.

My daughter is young for her age, very sensitive. She's so much like her mother that my heart breaks for her. I remember those years of my life - crushed by even the slightest rejection or disappointment. I still cry in the face of significant disappointment (I've just learned enough self control to do it when no one's looking). My first impulse is to tell her that she shouldn't talk to Didi anymore, but I know that's not right. They need to work out whatever this is on their own. I can't protect her from every slight, and I shouldn't. The girls are at the age where children really start to pick up on casual cruelty, and I can't very well tell Fiona to avoid all the other children in her school to avoid getting her feelings hurt.

I do intend to tell her that she doesn't have to put up with it - she doesn't have to boycott her friend, but she does need to say that she won't let Didi treat her that way. I hope I can present it in a way that sticks.

This would be why, with maybe three exceptions, I don't like other people's children.

Oh. My. Cod.

I wanted to begin this with some clever Captain Hook reference, but I just wasn't feeling as inspired as one would have liked.

This is actually a combination of two or three other recipes. I took what I liked, discarded what sounded boring. And here we go!

3/4 cup white miso
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup mirin
3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp sesame oil

2 lbs cod fillets or fillet pieces

Combine all ingredients (except the cod) in a small saucepan. Whisk together on medium heat until well blended and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Refridgerate for a couple hours to make sure it's cold, then add the cod. Marinate for 24 to 48 hours.

Scrape excess marinade from the cod fillets, and arrange on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet. Broil six inches from heat for 7-10 minutes until browned.

I served this with sugar snap peas and udon noodles tossed with no more than a teaspoon of sesame oil. I encourage you to be creative.

Enjoy!

- Sway

The Novel Month Cometh

Good evening, gentle reader. Tomorrow will be a day of fantastic foods. I have two recipes for the weekend - one that I'm serving tomorrow night, and one that will be marinating until Monday evening. But that is a story for another day.

Today, lurking in my Inbox, was an email from the Seattle Municipal Liaison reminding me that National Novel Writing Month was a mere twenty-two days away. This will be my third attempted NaNoWriMo. The first I didn't really put much into. The second began well, but was pushed aside in favor of my first ever paying gig as an event planner. So here we are, hoping that "third time's a charm" is more than just an old adage.

I have a story idea that I am considering heavily for this project. Not too long ago, a friend of mine charged me with the task to "make vampires interesting again". She accompanied this task with a small sketch she had done some time ago, and the images in the sketch brought to mind what I feel are some rather brilliant takes on vampires and mythos. I hope I'm right.

I'm not certain if making an outline or anything of the sort would help. I have a bad habit of beginning a story, knowing where I want it to go, and not being able to get it there. I just lose my momentum. It's unfortunate, and very frustrating. I know NaNoWriMo is hard, but with the circumstances in my life right now I have no excuse not to succeed. Particularly if I really am as gifted a writer as everyone likes to tell me I am.

- Sway

The time of the Blood Moon

I beg your pardon, gentle reader. I promised more and have delivered so little. Well, time we improved things then.

I will admit that I haven't been feeling quite my best lately. I cam into my moon time a little late this cycle, and as such it is wreaking unholy vengeance on me for daring to allow the stress and tension I was carrying from moving and school starting to hold it back. I have muscle aches from my mid back down into my upper thighs, as I have had all day, and I feel vaguely like I've been run over. Even the dulcet tones of Jack Skellington singing in the background doesn't seem to be cheering me. A dismal day indeed.

Does anyone else recall the days of Health Class when they're going over the human body and reproductive cycles, and they tell you brightly and cheerfully that a woman's period should only run 3 - 5 days, and that anything more severe than "mild discomfort from abdominal cramping" is unusual? Has anyone else longed for one of these text book periods? Why are we continuing to lie to our daughters about what they will go through? It's outrageous, really.

Well, enough about that. I'm off to make a cup of tea and see if we have any decent chocolate hiding in the pantry. And take another muscle relaxant. I haven't had a day like this in some time.