Edwardian Ball 2013

Awesome time last night at the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco. Have been meaning to go since forever, but finally made it happen, and so glad we did.

shacker as Sir Dragonfly

THE EDWARDIAN BALL is an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author Edward Gorey. Set in our own version of “Edwardian” times, this multi-media extravaganza has grown over the past decade from a small underground club night into an internationally recognized event, now operating with the blessing of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.

We’re not really dress-up people, but managed to pull some pretty good outfits together thanks to the charity of a few friends. And I sacrificed a perfectly good beard for the opportunity to wear a cartoonish fake mustache (still not sure what I was thinking, but it kinda worked).

Hard-core Gorey fans out-do themselves each year; some of the costumes are drop-dead gorgeous. My favorite (not pictured) was a full-on hard-hat diver complete with air hoses, weight belt and boots, accompanied by his lady-friend, who was being attacked by a giant squid. Astounding.

Maker Faire, Burning Man, and the Edwardian Ball – three totally different venues for creative group expression that had no analog 15 years ago. So glad they exist.

Scot and Amy - crazed couple

Full Flickr Set + slideshow (with a brief video)

Mission San Miguel

Stopped off with family at Mission San Miguel on the way home from the Central Coast last week – hadn’t been there for years. Caught this weird light glowing through a dusty old cow skin window.

Mission San Miguel 
Mission San Miguel
 

Q

I’ve been been wracking my brain trying to figure who played Jane the Junkie’s dad on Breaking Bad. Looked so familiar but couldn’t put a finger on the actor. Turns out it was Q all along (TNG):

John de Lancie
John de Lancie was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Kent State University where he won a scholarship to Juilliard. John’s father was a professional oboist with the Philadelphia Sympho…

Thistle Fluff

Two hours of ukulele and another fantastic hike with family on the Havey Canyon Trail, El Cerrito Hills. Caught this amazing cluster of thistles trapping all of their own fluff, which had blown off in recent winds. The fluff glows when afternoon sun filters through it.

Two houses of ukulele and a great hike. Thistle fluff on a lovely Sunday. 
Two houses of ukulele and a great hike. Thistle fluff on a lovely Sunday.

No Time!

Spotted at the local Japanese dry good store – NOTIME chewing gum. According to the friendly clerk, this is for times when you don’t have time to brush your teeth. To me, it reads like “Everything you do is a whirlwind frenzy!”

No time! 
No time!
 

Odyssey, Angel Island

Spent an incredible day Sunday traipsing around Angel Island with family and friends, immersed in the We Players’ interpretation of Homer’s Odyssey. Not so much a retelling of the whole story (which would be impossible) as an impressionistic series of vignettes, acted out in the many strange and wonderful old buildings scattered around the island. The audience hikes between settings (five miles total), with the players acting out bits and pieces of the opus in and amongst the audience – performing soliloquies, celebrations, music and poetry culled from the amazing 1200-year-old story of a hero’s voyage.

Calypso
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