After a day of travel, I’m awake and alive in beautiful downtown Portland, blogging from the cafe at Powell’s on 11th, and there is no more snow. In fact, it’s so warm I don’t have to wear a jacket. The light looks like San Francisco, especially in the afternoons, and it’s like I can tell, in my bones, that the Pacific Ocean is closer than it’s been in months.

I checked into my apartment, walked around the Pearl District, wandered into a free reading of a play being considered for next year’s season at PCS, did yoga until my head felt like it was going to fall off my spine, and am generally catching up on weeks of backlogged business since before the Convergence and Denver.

I miss Robert & Caitlin, and I had a moment of loneliness when I found myself in my artist housing, with nothing to do but unpack and start prepping for the next show. But it’s so, so great to be back on this coast. And my apartment has a blender, a luxury I’ve wanted since last April.

Talked to Ron Allen, too. He’s very excited about the EYE MOUTH opening at NOTE this Wednesday.

This show (SAGN) marks one year of freelance assistant directing. And one of the things I’ve learned, the hard way, is to always get to town much earlier than needed, so you can settle in. We don’t start rehearsals till the 4th of March. Plenty of time to read the collected works of Kesey.