Palmengarten

Saturday I went to Frankfurt with my German class. We arrived at 11:00 a.m. and immediately began a walking tour. The tourguide told us how many people rode the subway every day in Frankfurt.

At 11:12 a.m. I dipped into a coffee shop for a quick cup and when I came out my class was nowhere to be found. PERFECT!

By noon I was in the Palmengarten. doing what I had to do...


Hiding in the bamboo...


Thinking of Bambouche...






this must be the spot...


...among the foliage...


...blooms...



...tiny Japanese fruit...


...a waterfall.


...a frowning Easter Island face.



Plus greenhouses and a garden dedicated to Goethe (full post coming on that). Set me right for the day before I set off to walk the last 8K of the marathon route. I'll spare you all the photos of intersections and streetsigns, but if you're interested, go to:
http://download.yousendit.com/A32EA05849E57F49
in the next seven days and download a little movie I made of the route. "Free running porn."

The Rite of Spring (2)

10 days to premiere......


7 tanks


full orchestra


head lighting designer


Jason and Mats


Cesar and Brea

>


Brides and Grooms

Freizeit = Freetime

When I'm not in the theater and Fred's not seperating german verbs, where can you find us? OUTSIDE!!!!

Kassel is home to Germany's "Largest Hillside Park" with acres of hiking, two castles, and a famous statue of Herkules (covered in scaffolding for 10 months now, but still - ? - a source of local pride). Just 5 minutes from home is a winding bike path along the Fulda river, cutting through pine forests, hills, and small farms:











A huge city park by the Orangerie, an old castle, sits at the foot of the theater. It's filled with birch trees, lakes, and a running track where Fred meets up with other local fast guys for speed work.












Kassel may be the Scranton, Pennslyvania of Germany as far as nightlife's concerned (shout out to Frau Cali), but it's heaven to us.

Real Genius

Check. It. Out.

The Oct. 1 issue of New York Magazine shouts out New York's top five tattoo artists - their "Needle Geniuses" - and guess which five-footer is looking down on all the others?

STEPHANIE TAMEZ!!!!

Rita is so proud of her momma!


I hope all you suckers made your appointments yesterday, because it's gonna be a while...

Here are pictures Madeline took of The Genius At Work on my arm.

there you you there go

Overseas move = works on paper
Cheap German Apartment = Big White Walls


this by Amy Morken.



this by M.P. Landis (from his WD series)

War comes home. War leaves home.

My older brother, Maj. Geoff Schmalz, ships off to Iraq with his U.S. Army battalion this month. I feel fortunate that in the first four and a half years of the war, he has pulled duty after duty that kept him out of combat, but I also knew it had to happen some time. He leaves on his daughter Mary's birthday.

Be safe my brother. I'll be keeping it high and tight on top until you get back.

October... bring it.

"Ya Gotta Believe!"


"I can't f**kin' believe it."


My dear buddy Gregg (pictured above eating peanuts @ Shea, Summer 2007) gifted me with a Mets jersey this summer before I headed off to DE (the Kaz Matsui jerseys were 80% off, seeing as he hit .200 for the Mets and got booed clear to Colorado two years ago... not a big seller), figuring I could wear it proudly in Kassel where nobody knew a Kazmatsui from a Hazmatsuit (answer: an H and a T).

Matsui hit .287 for the playoff bound Rockies this year and the Mets... well...
I really shouldn't be this close to the oven wearing Mets gear.


Speaking of sick... It's October, and you know what that means... COLD AND FLU SEASON. I've spent the last week with a killer drain-o phlegmfest. Lily's been sleeping with earplugs...
On the upside, "Taschentüchen" is one of the naughiest-sounding words in the Deutsch language even AFTER you find out what it means...



A month and a half in Kassel. Lily got paid. We had enough left over for some used speakers from the electronic store up the street. We're in business. YAHOO!


Music is barely music piping out of a laptop. These little numbers, on the other hand...

Tonight's playlist:
Herbie Hancock "Headhunters" (aka "the stereo test record")
Bill Withers "Still Bill"
Caetano Veloso "Transa"
Candi Staton "Stand by your Man" ("all the comforts of home/with no responsibility no how" - thank you, Candi, for telling me about my life)
Eric Dolphy "Out There"