Ghosties

So, last night in the bedroom, Sharon and I were just about to go to sleep. I was looking at the TV, and Sharon was on her side facing Dad's desk.

Suddenly I heard a plastic movement kind of sound, which I thought was the dog, since his little "house" is over on that side. But Sharon opened her eyes and saw our stand-up fan (about 5' high) rocking back and forth!

When I looked over, the dog was peeking out, like: "What the fuck was THAT?"

We were afraid it might be rats, but I looked around with the flashlight and everything was secure. The window wasn't open, so it wasn't wind. There was a power cord but it would have been too weak to cause the movement.

Took this photo in the morning:

Just before we moved in here, two years ago, Sharon was in the backyard with the owners and a worker, when suddenly a box slid across the back porch a short distance.  They all saw it. 

Cynthia said: "Oh yeah, we have a ghost here. I see it sometimes near the jacuzzi."

Her husband David said: "We have a... GHOST?"

Performing THE MAGGOT on the Dr. Phil stage!

Having attending one taping with Sharon, I knew they'd start the Dr. Phil show with an audience warmup that included a dance contest. 3 dancers, and they all get a Dr. Phil coffee mug!

I'd almost done it last time, but was just a little late on the draw.

This time, two months later, I had plenty of time to figure out my moves and prepare myself emotionally.  Almost as soon as the contest was announced, I waved my arm and became the first contestant. I modeled my opening on Napoleon Dynamite, and then went into my "maggot" moves, which looks kind of like miming a fish swimming backwards. The host loved the dance and asked me to show him how to do it. Great applause and cheers, many nice comments afterward, and I walked home with a Dr. Phil cup at last!

Great show too, especially the second episode.  There was a kid deep into drink and drugs, and at one point he blurted out that it was good to have broken up with his girlfriend, because "...at least there weren't any more abortions!" The girlfriend completely dissolved in tears, but Dr. Phil leaned over and said: "I'm the editor, and that part won't be going into the show."

Stedmuro Reviews

Reviews are starting to come in.  These are friends, but where else are we gonna get 'em?

From Don Campau, multi-talented musician and radio DJ:

Hello Dino and Russ,

I am delighted to receive the collab CD and report that is it awesome!

The production is top notch (of course), the songs excellent and more than 
anything the balance between you two is just right. I assumed that it might lean 
towards one direction or another but I found it rich in both of your styles and 
voices. I could tell the leads apart generally ( good stuff all) and hearing  
both of your vocals really adds to the balance. 

Really fine release and I look forward to some radio play tomorrow on my KKUP 
show.

More details later...Congrats!


Don 

From Peter Gullerud, same kinda guy at pinekoneradio.com:

ITS EXCELLENT!   AIRPLAY RIGHT  NOW!

THANKS DINO!   A++++++++!!!!!

The Black Orchestra

So far, "just" an ear infection and an occasional cough & headache.

Even so, I'm starting to gather songs for my next solo CD, tentatively titled THE BLACK ORCHESTRA (which was the code name for the attempts on Hitler's life by his own men.)

Hoping to create these songs with more dense & heavier drums, samples, bass, and keyboards - guitar will be used more sparingly, as I think I've done enough upfront playing for a while.

Brian Wilson, Jeff Beck, and Micky Saunders

Despite my looming cold, Sharon and I had a great weekend seeing our friend Micky Saunders playing with PANDORA at the Continental Club in Glendora (our dinner bill was only $44 with 4 rum & diets!) and then using our free, KLOS BLOOD DRIVE tickets to see Brian Wilson and Jeff Beck at the Greek.

The seats were almost back there with the Tree People, but we were in direct alignment with the stage, and unlike the Bowl it's really tough to get a bad seat at the Greek. We even lucked out on parking, after circling the venue for 15 minutes waiting for the lots to open. Out of there in a killer 15 minutes!

Great show. Brian wasn't always on key (even more than usual) and it'd be nice if he threw a couple more lead vocals to Al Jardine... but the band was amazing (always love seeing Darian Sahanaja on stage!) and Jeff Beck dazzled with some classic Jazz-prog guitar.

Below, my mandatory shitty cell phone pic.

UPDATE: forgot to mention running into my friend Chris and his wife Connee. Chris had said he couldn't afford the tickets, but I guess he decided he could! They were close enough to "borrow" the Jeff Beck setlist from the nerdy kid who grabbed it!

Really? AGAIN?!!!

Because I like to make note of these things, I must sadly disclose that I just caught MY THIRD COLD OF THE YEAR.... totally blowing my recent average of once a year.

And though I hate to blame people with thankless jobs, I know this came from Elizabeth's Parent-Teacher night at Hollywood High, because I found myself in very close proximity with one coughing teacher and another who complained about having a headache and feeling sick.  In both cases I had no hand sanitizer and was sitting very close just to hear them speak above the din.

Reminds me of when the kids used to bring home colds and the flu from elementary school!

No work today so I'm safe there, at least.

Stedmuro Finished at Last!

Russ Stedman just sent me the mastered version of our collab CD, and it sounds amazing!

Now, finally, after 2.5 years of off & on recording (mostly OFF) this project can go to the printer! It will be a small run, but I'm sure Russ will have it available as a download as well.

Russ points out that we actually started talking about doing this in 2010 (or earlier?) but I didn't finish Dino's 50 until early 2011, so that's when I start counting.

Now... next project? Probably an outtakes collection called Dino's 56, and after that another solo CD - just a single, non-grandiose disc project.

UPDATE: The CD is printed and released! (In very small quantities, but still...)
It can be bought HERE, and a free download will soon be available.

http://www.russstedman.com/stedmuro.html

Waterlogged!

Two weeks or so since my last post, and I'm still huffing the albuterol and still coughing way too much, but the chest is clear and I can sleep and I've signed with Soundelux for another year, so things are looking up.

Well, except for this morning, where I spent a lot of time looking down at my flailing body parts in the L.A. Fitness pool with Sharon. She wanted to start a water aerobics class, so I tagged along, thinking I could just bob in place if things got tough. Not a chance! We had a great instructor but she immediately came and talked with us because we were new, and there was no way I was gonna be allowed to "skate" (or bob!) through her class!

Felt great, though, and we plan to return tomorrow and as often as possible during the coming weeks.

My Current Drug Regimine

I feel like Hunter Thompson or Tim Leary  (except, still alive!)

This is what I take every day to get through my bronchitis, pneumonia, and chronic cough:

Levofloxicin
Q-var inhaler
Albuterol treatments as needed
vicodin (for back and chest pain)
xanax (for sleep and anxiety)
Doxycycline
Steroid rescue inhaler
Codeine cough syrup

I'm finally feeling semi-functional today, and am hoping I can sleep through the night without my 3:00 AM coughing jag.  Back to the doc on Friday for follow-up.

Escondido Resorto

Had a great weekend at the Welk Resort in Escondido with Sharon and the Gower family: Nick, Friday, and Elizabeth.  This was our first "extended family" vacation and it was a lot of fun. Our rooms were pretty much a modern apartment, with more than enough beds and kitchen space.

Sharon  mostly cooked, but we also had breakfast Sunday morning at the restaurant.

Of course, who catches a cold in the heat of summer? ME!! So I spent most of my time pretending I was trying to get better in Florida, sunning myself or attempting to sleep it off.

So much better than just another weekend at home!

Photos: Our back porch, and Nick with the entire pool to himself!

UPDATE

Well, of course, I can never just catch a cold. Been hacking myself to death for a week, and just had X Rays and found out I have bronchitis and the beginnings of pneumonia. Another day off work!

Elmwood Lives On!

In spite of myself, and against my own better judgement,  I started writing the ELMWOOD sequel while I was off work for a couple weeks.

My plan was to hit all my journals and tapes and do a massive amount of research, but I miss writing about those characters so much that it just started pouring out of me. I did check a few files here and there but the writing has mostly been pretty automatic.

I guess it's more for me than the 30 (max) people who have read Elmwood!

Added later:

Still kicking around titles.

How about: ELMWOOD II - The Continuing Adventures!

Nick in the LEGIT Writers Room!

Can't wait to see what they come up with!

Kumotz! (Part One)

The Magical Memory Tour continued on Sunday, June 30, with a visit from my old friend Jim Kimura.

Since I've had no contact with any friends from North Hollywood where I grew to be 5, my earliest friends were Jim Kimura and another guy named Sam Volpe.  We all went to kindergarten and first grade at Van Ness School just a few blocks from Gower street.  Then, when we transferred to Christ the King to take first grade over again (still don't know how that worked!) Jim's smiling Hawaiian face was there to greet me!

We attended grades 1-7 at CKS, had to transfer to Blessed Sacrament (just south of where I'm working) for 8, then did four years at Daniel Murphy High (not to mention the Boy Scouts!)  Despite all that, we were never close friends - in fact, in a couple instances he actually threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't stay away from a girl named Michele.  However, that was an anomaly, and mostly we just KNEW each other.

I think Jim may have missed both our high school reunions, but he was definitely missing from the 20-year reunion in '95, and a rumor was going around that he was dead. Although another guy insisted that was bullshit, I've still been worried all these years and sad that I never got to hook up with Jim again.

The last time I saw Jim was sometime in the early 80's, and he told me he was a film lighting man, so I decided to look him up on IMDB.  Somehow I got a working phone number and he answered!

More coming...

Grandma's House - 25 Years Later

On Fathers Day at 11:00 AM, Sharon and I walked down to the corner of Gower and Rosewood to visit my Grandparents' old house.  This is the same home where my Mom and her brothers were raised, from sometime in the '20s until it was sold in the late 80's.

Probably my earliest memory is from this house: my Grandmother giving me a soapy bath in the kitchen sink (my siblings have similar memories.) We visited this house many times even before we moved up the street when I was almost 6.  This was the house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, countless birthday parties, weddings, lunches, visits, and just plain hanging out any time we felt like it. Mom and Dad also made great use of Grandma & Pa for date nights or weekends, and would come retrieve us kids sleeping soundly in front of a roaring fireplace.

So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I prepared myself to see what was left of the old house, two owners and 25+ years later.

Foolishly, I had coffee but otherwise didn't eat breakfast or have any water or juice.  The temperature was already past 70.  So when we walked in and began taking in all the rooms, I got overwhelmed rather quickly. I told them I was doing two things simultaneously: admiring their home, but also feeling myself back in the spaces I knew so well and remembering how it was.

Moving into the backyard, which was pretty much unrecognizable (as was the kitchen), I suddenly had a full blown anxiety attack, and not just my usual, heart-pounding kind; I literally couldn't talk, couldn't breathe, couldn't think! All my anecdotes withered away into nothingness. I guess I hid my panic fairly well, because Sharon said she only realized in retrospect that I was acting weird.

Anyway, going upstairs helped a little, but any time I tried to speak, the panic feeling came back twice as strong. If I'd asked for a water, that would've helped tremendously; but all I could think was: THIS IS OVERWHELMING.

Lynda and Bob were very nice and accommodating, but I'm so pissed that I lost the ability to converse.

However, I finally got to show Sharon Grandma's house, and see again it for myself. And hopefully I haven't worn out the DiMuro welcome for good!

Eight Years Complete! Reset the clock for Year Nine!

Eight years ago today, I met Sharon at the Waterfront Cafe on the Venice Boardwalk for lunch.

We met again the next day, because I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing her again!

Now into Year Nine, that first date has essentially NEVER ENDED. And I never WANT it to end!

I love you Sharon! Thanks for willingly facing another year of adventure with the idiot you call your husband!

(Above pic is from Date 4, at a wine tasting fund raiser for Nick's school.)

Boe Hughes R.I.P.

Went to the funeral service for my Godmother and "virtual Aunt" Rose (Boe) Hughes this morning. It was really nice, relaxed, and sweet. It was held at Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood,  just a couple blocks south of my work, and the last time I was there was for my Dad's service.

The church is right next to the school "Elmwood" and I attended in the 8th grade.  In my book, everything takes place at one school, but in reality they closed down our elementary school and shipped us all up to Blessed Sacrament for our final year.

I took a picture on my way in. Not only did it FEEL like we were being taught by Nazis - it actually LOOKS like the Weimar Republic!

More Fun From The Record Sale!

I was actually a bit disappointed when I first hit the $1 record sale last Saturday, but almost as soon as I got home, I realized that many of the records I picked were much more valuable than they seemed. At least a couple of them might sell in the +30 range, and there were quite a few that could go anywhere from $7 to $15 and beyond.

But the coolest find was when I returned at around noon.  Remember, at that point ALL the boxes of records had been pawed through by at least 50 hardened sellers & collectors.... yet I always find stuff that everybody else has somehow overlooked.

Amazingly, there was a signed Harry Chapin LP that I snatched immediately. I'm sure it was passed over because of a rip along the bottom front, and an identical rip on the back (probably where a promo sticker had been.) But right in the middle, clear as day, was a dedication from Harry to an "Ed" at the Tonight Show!

Though I was excited, I knew the signature hadn't been authenticated, so I listed it for 32.99 as a Collectible on Amazon, figurine the rips would keep most buyers away.

But Sharon suspected it might be worth more; she did a little digging and discovered that lesser Harry signatures were going from $300-$900, and up into the 4-figure stratosphere! (Seems absurd, but I actually saw a listing for $5,000.) When I did a quick visual match with other known Harry signatures, it was clear I had The Real Deal. I tried an online autograph authentication service and they confirmed, and a certificate is on the way.

So, now my plan is to get a nice framing job so that the ripped bottom portion is not visible, and start selling high on Ebay and see what happens.  There's no way we're not gonna more than make up our investment of $1 (plus authentication and framing.)

I love records!!

Wild Coincidence

Picked up 90 records at the $1 record sale this weekend.  Some of them were hammered, but I actually found more than a few rare treasures, including a Near Mint Bozo LP that I've listed for about $44.

But the biggest surprise was a record & picture book of Heidi by Disney.  My friend Chris Assells noticed the listing, and told me his sister was the model for Heidi!

And suddenly, I can totally see the family resemblance!

Weirdest of all, it turns out nobody in his family even owns a copy! So, of course I'm giving it to him to pass along to Bonnie.

Deep Dish at the Improv!

Actually it was Saturday, May 25...

Sharon, Nick, and I drove to the Improv (right down Melrose) and saw Nick's buddy and cast-mate Dan Bakkedal performing with his improv group Deep Dish, which also featured Ike Barinholtzh from Mindy Project!

Both Deep Dish and the opening act were awesome, and Sharon later admitted she's never really seen live improv before.  Dan & his wife greeted us all, and gave Nick a hug.  We had drink, nachos, and a chicken Caesar wrap before the show - just enough to tide us over.  Lots of laughing, a great table right at the lip of the stage, good times.

We'll be back!

Just So I Don't Forget This...

Today, the Pope said that atheists can go to heaven, and the Boy Scouts voted to allow gay members.

WHERE THE HELL AM I?!

Here's to you, Norm - kicked out in 1968 as assistant troop leader of 363 because you had weight training pictures on the wall!

Meet The Old Boss

I prayed with Dr. Graham once (and worked at his film studio for 5 years) so does that mean I'm only one degree of separation from Richard Nixon?

For what it's worth, I don't believe any of the recent quotes being attributed to Billy are actually his. Billy was inclusive;  Franklin Graham is the bomb-throwing ass-wipe of the family.

It was THUS

Let me paint the scene...

A Soundelux invite-only screening of the latest Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, hosted by its mixer, Acadamy-award-winning Mike Minkler (his parents were also best friends with my parents, but that's another story.)

Todd AO-Glen Glenn, stage 1, one of the best mixing studios in Hollywood. Massive Screen, state of the art speakers & surrounds. Chilled beer and wine.

Just me, Sharon, and about 10 of my work friends (no Chris; he never does ANYTHING.)

Mike says: "Do you want it loud, or EXTRA loud?"

Extra!!

Then came a show so big, so sharp, and so real, that I actually clapped a couple times by accident.

And the big headliners? RUSH!  Wiping the stage with three cuts from MOVING PICTURES.  The entire R&R HOF became a sea of Rushian  SUPER FANS.

Your humble reporter was in ecstacy, and filled with mean, mean pride.

Beyond Subliminal

So, I guess the One Weird Trick is to hold it in your hand?

More Pics from Our Weekend

 The rest of the audience had a few miles on us (but not THAT many!)



















Leonesse Winery in Temecula

Joe Bologna and Renee Taylor!

Got to meet and chat with two of our favorite actor-writers at the Welk Theater last Friday.  Still amazingly talented, and incredibly open and sweet!

The show was called "If You Leave Me, I'm Coming With You" and was a kind of career summation with some very cool video clips between the live segments.

Nick's Show "Recovered" and Holding Court at Dallas' Baby Shower

Last Friday night, May 3, our whole extended family gathered at the Torrance Cultural Center (the same complex where Sharon and I first saw the Charles Phoenix Slide Show) for Nick's show RECOVERED.

Great, classic rock tunes and more recent hits as realized by the masters at Performing Arts Center West, with Nick acting as amiable host-mime-dancer.

RARE photos of the proud troops greeting the star in the Lobby! Peter Fallon, Legit producer, also attended.

Also, Nick holds court at Dallas' Baby Shower with a bunch of GURLS!

Dino's 50 Interview in Gajoob

Wow - I'd done an interview with Bryan Baker of Gajoob a while back after the release of DINO'S 50, and though it was slated for print, I just found it online!

Here's how it ends:

Tell me about the response to the album. What do you take from that?

The response to 50 has been very gratifying. Everybody loves the cover art, and it was chosen as Project of the Week at Furnace, where they took a really nice "glamour" shot for their online catalogue. Lots of people commented on the guitar parts, which is also nice to hear since I did spend a lot of time trying different chord formations, and tried playing with a certain amount of economy so that the guitar tracks were not simply aping each other (another point Don Campau likes to harp on!) People seem to appreciate the personal, humorous, and upbeat nature of the songs.

I've had a few comments about the lightweight lyrics, which is a byproduct of my quest to Stick To The Demos. In the future I will probably spend more time on that aspect, but at the same time I'm not Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan so that's never gonna change a whole lot!

Sharon was thrilled with how the CD turned out, and though she and I went through a rough phase with all our moving, she was never anything but totally supportive of the project, which is why I'm so thrilled to have her picture on the back cover with me. In fact, that photo has become one of our favorites and we had it printed on a canvas frame for our home.

http://www.gajoob.net/album.php?p=3825

Eerie Flashback

A week after I had to sell my beloved '70 Mustang for scrap in 1990, it appeared in an episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and I just HAPPENED to be the sound editor on that particular scene - no advance warning, just: "That's my car!!"

Sharon Won A Ham

Dino and Elizabeth on Folktales Cassette!

Almost 3/4 of a year ago, Elizabeth and I recorded a version of the Michelle Branch song EVERYWHERE for a small indie label's Top 40 compilation.

The double cassette project (!!) is finally released, but there are only 300 copies.  The songs can also be streamed online.

I've barely made it through the first 10 songs, and they are OUT THERE, but a lot of fun.  My submission is more traditional, and Eliz sings beautifully.

For info and streaming: folktalerecords.com

This Damned Week!

Still only Friday! Bombs, explosions, gun background check fail... and then the Hollywood Hooters gets a bomb scare and traffic turns into the Wild West while I'm trying to meet Sharon at the WSP for "To The Wonder!"

I liked the movie and wished it wouldn't end; however, I did not connect emotionally as I did with Tree of Life.  As whacked as that movie was, there were scenes of family life and growing up as a boy in the late 50's /early 60's that tore my heart out.  This one, I felt more like an observer.

But Sharon was very sweet to agree to my choice, and it's always nice to get out and see good films with state of the art picture, sound, and actual buttered popcorn (though you must ask for the butter!)

Nice Butt!

This is why I didn't have any girlfriends in 1968 (or '69, '70, '71, '72...)

Thanks to my old pal and Scout Leader John Doucette for the Blast from the Past!

LEGIT Finale!

Sharon & I spent our anniversary evening with Nick and the cast of LEGIT, watching the last episode of the season at Jim & Kate's house in the Hollywood Hills!

Very surreal, to watch the show and then see Jim, Dan, DJ, Mindy, Nick, and Kate watching themselves!

Had nice conversations with Dan about records and Walt about shooting the series.

They're all really nice, genuine people, and I'm so glad Nick has found such a great family of actors to work with.

Sharon and I had exchanged cards before we left - Sharon got us some beautiful personalized champaign glasses  ("Dino and Sharon 3rd Anniversary") - and once home we had sparkling wine and Astro Burger before watching LEGIT again!

Happy Anniversary Sharon! April 11, 2010

Three years? Can that really be ALL?

Oh wait... next June, we'll have been together EIGHT years!

Regardless, Sharon, thank you so much for your generosity and your amazing capacity to love in taking on both me (hard enough!) and my two kids (are you kidding?!)

I hope your joys in this marriage continue to be many, and your regrets few.

And I can't think of a better way to celebrate than an early east coast viewing of Rodney On Legit!

xoxoxoxo

Happy Birthday Sharon!

Sharon is 51? Barely seems possible!

And OF COURSE today of all days would be a nightmare for you at work...

But the whole, extended family will celebrate with you tonight!

Love you Sweetie!  xoxoxoxo

UPDATE April 3:

Had a really nice dinner at La Cabana in Venice with Sharon, Nick, Sam & Liberty, Sarah,
Friday, and Elizabeth, plus Hailey the babysitter.

The food was good but more importantly AFFORDABLE.  Of course, Friday ate too much and had to stay home sick today (what's he gonna do about that in the Army?)

Sharon opened some gifts at the restaurant and then came home to open mine.  Not the greatest array but she seemed pleased.  And then, I was finally able to give her my "Audio Birthday Card" which was a CD greeting from a Sam Elliott soundalike! I don't think she was fooled (and James Herron, the actor, admits he's not Sam halfway through) but her facial expressions while listening were priceless.

Dino's 56

Today is the day. Please do not take this information and steal my identity.

This means my last official CD release, DINO'S 50, is starting to look very, very old.

For lunch, I had a roast beef sub off a truck called "Deano's Deli."  It was awesome, and worthy of my birthday.  Then I went to CVS and paid way too much for Prilosec, which both Nick and I must take daily. (Or Daley.)

A great gift early this morning:  LEGIT got renewed for Season Two!  I was so excited I awoke Nick to tell him.  He was quite surprised, and then he was asleep.

Dinner at the old Pasta Factory (whatever it's called now) with Sharon after work.

Just found out I have tomorrow off, in honor of the guy they nailed to the wood.

Somewhat Happy Birthday

I turn 56 on March 28, but that's a Thursday, and I asked Sharon for a nice hunk of cash to spend at the monthly record sale on McCadden.  Sharon teased the hell out of me the night before, when I kept hinting about the cash gift.  Turns out the card with the money was on my nightstand the whole time!

I could barely sleep, though I thought it was from excitement.  I was also having trouble peeing (i.e., it hurt!)

I did the record sale, but didn't feel that great.  After taking all my records to Soundelux, I realized something was very wrong. Got a 2:30 appointment at Motion Picture in Burbank, and discovered I had a bladder infection! Started taking Cipro an hour later, and it's practically gone already. I was also able to slip back into the record sale for one more hour, though my wish had been to hang out there all afternoon!

Anyway, I made some great picks, even in my infected, weakened state.

Dinner with Sharon on the actual day - somewhere cheap! LOL

Below, the record sale.

Being filmed For A Sound Editing Doc at USC

The film is currently titled YOU AIN'T HEARD NOTHIN' YET (hope they change that) and they invited myself and fellow Soundelux editors Chris Assells and Dan Hegeman to be interviewed on Saturday March 16.  We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot, and I believe they got a good 3 hours of footage. Word is they will follow up with location footage here at work.

Chime-Palooza

Wow! Going to the Chime Charter fundraising show at Cal State Northridge was a total trip.  I knew it would remind me of Julie but I had no idea how much.  They kept saying things like "Chime Charter School began in 2001 in a small church in Winnetka..." and I'd think: "Yeah, the church Julie had found for them!"  They'd say: "Chime Charter began with 70 students" and I'd think: "Yeah, and my kids were two of them!"

And then to have my wife Sharon and my stepson Nick involved, even for just one night, almost exactly 10 years after Julie's accident, was mind-blowing!

Nick did really well onstage, though he did leave for a pee break! He's a big Benjamin Bratt fan, and it was great to see Bratt take Nick under his wing, literally: he helped Nick find his marks onstage and otherwise seemed very protective of him.

And then out comes Sharon, moving microphones and breaking down the bass rig! Kind of late for a Roadie Career, but it was so cool to see her doing it!

Ten Years

My late wife Julie's car accident was ten years ago on February 25.

Tonight I'm going to a show put on by Chime Charter, the grade school she helped create, in which my stepson Nick Daley is a performer.

Weird! But very cool, Circle-of-Life stuff.

And this coming July, the kids and I will be taking the train to Michigan for the first time in at least 4 years.

Below, Julie and Elizabeth in Grand Rapids, Michigan, December 2001.