that's what I've been up to. Tomorrow is gettin' serious with the lender, and yet another trip to Kentfield for yet more administrative crap associated with teaching. I guess later this week I'll start moving in to my little ole studio.

My first teaching session was last Thursday. It went ok, I guess, but they all just sat there and stared at me like I was a zoo exhibit. This week I've got to go slower and engage them with hands-on stuff.

Oh yeah, party crashin'... well, at coffee yesterday (Saturday), good ole John Stanger mentioned that good ole Tim Welch was having a birthday party up at the Tourist Club.

I imagined another low-key affair, the usual suspects sunning on the deck over a pitcher of beer. But no, I'd forgotten that Tim is mister hig-end caterer, and so in fact I lucked into one of the better parties I've been to in quite a while. Hor d'oeuvres(?) included freshly caught and smoked salmon on cucumber slices, lovely little wontons made in real time in the Club kitchen with an excellent marmelade-ish sauce. There were roasted oysters going on downstairs that I managed to miss. Then they slapped down like a hundred chicken legs and a number of seriously huge chunks of marianated beef onto the grill. Noodles, salad, endless beer, good dancing music. thanks Tim, happy birthday and you throw a hell of a party!