Beautiful Blogger

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In my dreams

Last night I dreamt I was relaxing in a bathtub and noticed the water was filling up too high. I reached to turn off the faucet and saw my hair dryer slipping off the side of the tub and into the water. The power was on and fearing I would get shocked, I tried to shut it off. But the hair dryer kept turning itself on again and kept falling into the water. I soon realized that I wasn’t going to get hurt and that I didn’t need to be afraid.

Secret...

I'm slightly suspicious of a big man with a little dog. I'm not sure why.

Pure Tone

Loud and clear, void of confusion, no need for interpretation. A sound different than any I've heard before.

Is it just me

Or was tonight the most beautiful night you've ever seen?

It ain't me babe

Even though I've been an editor for many years, when I'm asked a question about editing, a voice in my head says, why are they asking ME this stuff? And when I answer the question correctly, the voice in my head says, how the hell do I KNOW this stuff?

Here's an email I sent someone today after a meeting at a Soho postproduction house.

Dear R,

I did find out a little more about the Final Cut/Avid transfer. Of course you could do the Quicktime export as we talked about, but that would only work if you didn't need to re-edit the footage. In other words, you can't break apart a mixed piece into layers once it's in Quicktime form. There is a way to create an EDL with the Avid assets, but from what I understand, regardless of how you do it, the results are less than perfect. If you can leave the piece as is, if all you want to do is insert additional footage and have no need to change the audio in any way, then the Quicktime would be an easy solution.

Hope that helps.

Katie

Fact #2,019

The happiest time of my life was when Annie was a baby.

She waits for me

The moment I laid my eyes on the red rocks of Sedona, I knew it would become an important place for me, a significant part of my future. And though my vision of the future has changed dramatically since then, my vision of Sedona has remained. I don't need to clear my schedule or make reservations, because finding my way back will be as effortless as opening a door and stepping inside.

Something Wonderful This Way Comes

Maybe it's just hope or maybe it's faith, but I could swear something big is going to happen. I can't put my finger on it, I don't know when it will be, but I can taste it.

'Round Midnight

The Half Note Will Return...

... at some point today... when I have something to say.

It's beautiful outside!

'Round Midnight

I pull up a chair beside an open window, and whether I shed a few tears or have a few laughs, Dexter is my go to man.

Visit aerophant for tonight's inspiration.

My world works

Yesterday I was compelled to post a fact about a long lost friend, and yesterday my long lost friend was compelled to look me up on the Internet...and came across that post.

Quote

"Without music life would be a mistake."

~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Maternal moment

When Annie was born and asleep in my arms in the hospital bed, I began the counting of her fingers and toes. I started with her tiny left foot. One, two, three, four, five... I panicked. She only has FIVE! Then I remembered there was also her right foot to consider.

Fact: # 1,106

When I was three I met a little girl who became my best friend. Now she's a man and I don't know where he is.

Sunday night

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~Marianne Williamson

Lost my head

I received a card from my hair stylist asking how I was liking my latest cut. Today I sent her a reply, only to re-read it later and wonder if this was a normal response…


Hey Alexis,

I wanted to tell you that since you cut my hair it's just looking better and better every day. My life is slightly upside down right now and it's so odd to discover how much it helps that my hair is looking so good. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? I mean, my locks won't pay my bills or bring me love, but having a great cut has actually been a comfort to me in recent weeks. It looked amazing when you did it at the salon and it looks great when I blow it out at home, but you know what? I love it most when I simply wash it and towel dry. I've never appreciated or enjoyed my hair all that much, but ever since it landed in your skillful hands, I am completely full of myself!

You are simply the greatest stylist, artist and magician on the planet.

Thank you, I'll see you in May.

Katie

What a girl needs

A little cash, some good jazz, and an adoring and playful lover.

What friends are for

When contemplating contacting a man I met while in Sedona, I hesitate because I don't want to feel like a desperate, middle-aged woman who's hunting down a 34-year-old hunk that gave her some attention one night at a party.

Tai's response: "Let's look at it this way: 34-year-old kinda hunky guy who lives in bumfuck Southwest, has the great good luck to meet incredible, gorgeous, funny, artistic, accomplished, available New York woman who decides to waste a little of her time flirting with him. He should fall on his knees and thank heaven above!"

Running around today...

... and tonight.

Happy weekend from The Half Note.

Gifts

Annie sleeping soundly in my bed, the smell of pancakes on the stove, a joyful piece of music introducing us to morning.

Old news

I stopped regularly reading the newspaper a couple of years ago, but today as I had toast and coffee around the corner at Angela's Diner, I was compelled to pick up the New York Times. And do you know what I learned? I learned that I still can’t manage to like a politician no matter how much good he's doing in the world, I learned that there's a big problem over there in the Middle East, I learned that vaccines are causing kids to behave in unusual ways, and I learned that drug companies are slipping cash bonuses into the pockets of highly respected doctors.

Wow.

New Visitors to The Half Note

Costa Rica, South Africa.

Basketball Diaries

My brother Danny used to work for the Madison Square Garden TV channel and I benefited by getting free tickets to concerts as well as seats to all the sporting events. One night I was watching a Knicks game and got really frustrated because the court and the players seemed blurry to me and I was missing all the action. Just then my brother stopped by to say hello and I asked him if I could try on his glasses. When I did, everything came into view and I made an appointment with an optometrist the next day. I scored myself some specs and though I may not wear them all the time, I always have them on when courtside.

I can feel it.

Something’s coming, it’s on its way to me. I'm not sure what it is, but it'll be here soon.

This aint it...

... but did you see that moon tonight?

Tuesday Night

Hey!

I'm blogging from work!

Today is the first day of spring and it's kind of a rush not knowing what it will bring.

Love,

Katie

Healing wounds

After looking forward to going to bed early last night, I finally closed my eyes around 1:30 a.m. I wanted to be up at 5:30 before day one of a three day job in Chelsea, editing a piece for The Normandy Museum in France. I wanted time for the gym, a leisurely breakfast and a long, hot shower. I wanted to wash my hair and blow-dry it nice, I wanted a peaceful walk with Annie to school before hopping on the train. And even though 1:30 was later than I aimed for, it was all going to be doable. Then at 3:30 a.m. I was woken up by the clanking and banging of my bedroom's radiator. Half asleep and in the dark, I got down on my knees. I tried to turn the valve but couldn’t get it tight enough to stop the noise. I turned and turned, so desperate to climb back into my bed, but on the final turn, hot water started spilling onto the floor then spraying out and burning my hand. I went searching the apartment for pliers to no avail, I wrapped the valve in a wet rag and battled with it while my hand throbbed in excruciating pain. It was so dark outside and so late, and suddenly a wave of aloneness swept over me. As the relentless rattling of the radiator grew louder and the water continued to pour out, I felt sorry for myself, pathetic, and I sat on the floor and wept.

Eventually the water stopped coming, I opened both windows wide, climbed back into bed, fell asleep at 5:30 and woke up 2 hours later after dreaming of a man who broke my heart.

I jumped in the shower, there was no time to wash my hair and I'm always slightly out of sorts if my hair isn't clean. I put on eye make-up but it couldn’t conceal the night before. There’d be no leisurely breakfast, instead I shoved down a protein bar as I rushed to get Annie, then we ran all the way to school so she wouldn’t be late.

As the train carried me downtown I turned on my iPod and tried to move beyond the past few hours. The conductor announced there was trouble on the tracks at 59th street and we would be held... until we weren’t held any more. I was going to be late for a job I would only be working two or three days.

There was a family on the train, a grandmother, her four grown kids and one grandchild. The little girl sat beside me and her young father stood above us talking with his sister. They were playful and sweet with one another, all sharing a train ride and getting off at their respective stops. When it was clear we wouldn't be moving for a while, the young father said to his sister, “Maybe I should entertain everyone.” But the sister teasingly told him no one would appreciate that so early in the morning.

“Do you sing?” I asked. He smiled and nodded.

“Do you sing well?” He said yes.

“Then why don’t you sing for us?" I said, "It wouldn’t be nice if you kept that to yourself while we’re stuck here.”

The sister whispered to her brother, “Sing for her.”

He stood over me, slightly bent down, and looked deeply into my tired eyes. He sang me a love song, the kind about not leaving, the kind about staying, the kind about not being able to live without... and his voice was better than good, it was beautiful, powerful and tender. As the song came to an end, his family watched him in silence and with pride, and when they saw tears coming down my face, they all laughed, I laughed too.

Soon the train pulled forward and we all resumed our conversations, and just before I stood up to exit at 34th street the little girl looked up at me and smiled.

"I like your hair," she said, "It’s pretty.

Happy Birthday Ornette Coleman

Basketball Diaries

Here's an excerpt from a letter I wrote to my father when I was about 20.

Dear Pop,

...Great L.A. Houston game, wasn’t it? Even though I like Boston, I'm hoping Houston will take the championship. I've even managed to get all my friends here in Santa Cruz excited about the upcoming games.

Bought a b-ball at the flea market, Tai and I shoot hoops every afternoon at the high school.

Look out Larry Bird, here comes Katie Bowen.

Loaf Love

Okay, so maybe the people who make the price labels for Eli's Health bread don't know how to spell, but here's just one more reason why I'm such a fan of the stuff.

Quote

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care, for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”

~Buddha

What a girl wants

Something new, something fresh, something unexpected, something real. Something that makes her feel like she's on a rollercoaster, taking her as high as she wants to go but where the drop allows her to land somewhere soft, enabling her to go again and again.

Bluebird

Drinking coffee with hazelnut syrup, listening to the bluebird now, hearing her song for the first time. There's a smile on my face, and even if she sings for me just this once...I give thanks.

Quote

“Lean your body forward slightly to support the guitar against your chest, for the poetry of the music should resound in your heart.”

~Andre Segovia

From "Overheard in New York."

Woman on cell: "Seriously, every time I hear a guy say he's pro-choice, I just want to have his babies!"

~Upper West Side.

Realization #2043

I never had what I think it is I lost.

Turn it around

When I was a kid in San Francisco, I protested the building of this tower and now look, someone went ahead and made it art.

Leo Horoscope by Rob Brezsny

Week of March 15, 2007

Here are the blessings I wish for you in the coming week: (1) not a sudden evacuation from a pitch-dark tunnel into a blinding light, but rather a gradual transition from the frigid blackness to cool grayness to warm brightness; (2) not an eruption out of a claustrophobic squeeze into the middle of nowhere, but rather a natural evolution from an interesting limitation to an expansive possibility; (3) not a stressful rocket launch from the bottomless abyss to a scary peak, but rather an exhilarating joyride from the lower depths to the ringing heights.

Blog on Hold

All is well, will return soon.
Love, Katie
xoxoxox

Clarity Rocks

Film festivals and fantasies of the future feel so good, but clarity (I got a big dose in Sedona), that's where it's at.

Sound Search

I'd like to travel the world, I'd like to live a life of joy and love and ecstasy, but right now all I really want is to know how to post music on my blog. Though the songs would surely be somewhat lost in translation, it might just help express my ever changing feelings of hope and faith, sorrow and grief. (And you all know how I love to express myself...)

Surreal Sedona

Before the second screening of our film began and I was getting ready to check picture and sound, a man from the theatre audience approached me and said, "You probably don’t remember me..." He went on to say that he was my neighbor when I was 18, living in Phoenix with my boyfriend Russell. I could feel the tape in my brain kick into high gear, rewinding at full speed, trying to leave the moment I was in and locate the time in history he spoke of. Though I couldn’t remember if we had barbeques together, watched sports on TV or talked politics, I did recognize his face, and suddenly the tape stopped on him in uniform. I asked if he’d been in the military back then and he said yes. He also said that he regularly visits “The Half Note.”

Here's the one picture I have, taken in the apartment complex where we all lived a lifetime ago.

Thanks for saying hello, it was great to see you, it really was.

Help Wanted

Does anyone know how to post audio clips onto a blog?

Lost & Found

Lost: My favorite Alpaca wool scarf. Cream colored, softer than anything you've ever felt, purchased one winter on a magical trip to Upstate New York, lost one winter on a magical trip to Sedona.

If found, please return to The Half Note. I really miss it.

Pretty Picture

You can play the blues for me anytime.

Time Lapse Coast to Coast

Isn't it wonderful when you're searching for something and you stumble upon something else that's even better than what you were searching for?

I came across this video and I just love it. Volume up... enjoy the ride.

Katie

My good fortune

I rarely meet people who I connect with so immediately and so deeply, but I did with Lizzie, a new friend of mine who we took to Sedona with us. She took wonderful care of Annie while David and I worked the festival, she was also an open and compassionate companion to me, and I'm so glad I met her on the lower east side of New York, on a magical and transantastic night.

The way things aren't

I bought a plane ticket I thought was taking me to California, but it's taking me to Hawaii instead.