Busy, Meet Butterflies. Butterflies, Meet Busy.

Whew!

And: WOW!

You know that old saying about "Be careful what you wish for?" Well I have a new one:

Be careful what you blog about!

Not so long ago I wrote a post about The Real Meaning Of Busy.

And I guess the Universe read it, because over the past ten days the Universe has had me busier than ever! Auditions and planning and checklists and meetings -- and more auditions and more planning and more checklists and meetings filling nearly every waking moment... and when you're getting a show like this ready nearly every moment is a waking moment!

While I haven't been too busy to Stop And See The Butterflies (at least some of them), I also haven't meant not to take a moment here and there to blog a bit.

But that's exactly what I did anyway, which was not to take those moments.

And you know what? I missed it, these little moments of communication.

Maybe Stop And Blog The Butterflies is what I should have written!

But it's a good reminder of what I oh so cleverly said about busy-ness: If we're not careful, we can all too easily let busy drive everything else from our lives -- and our fields of vision.

Seeing clearly what has to be done is essential to getting things done.

Seeing clearly what needs to be done is a close second.

But forgetting to see, as clearly as we can, all the other elements of life and the Universe and everything that's going on outside the boundaries of our particular busy... that, my friends is a blind spot that can ultimately cloud our vision of the other things we're trying to focus on.

So bring on the butterflies -- and the blog! I've got time... no matter what my schedule says.

More soon. (Promise!)

FaceBook? FaceWHISK!

Zabaglione (zäbəlˈyōnē) or in Doug speak Za-ba-Yon-eh
A noun.
An Italian dessert made of whipped and heated egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine, served hot or cold.


What is your zabaglione face?

The recipe first.

Take:
A dozen friends
A dozen egg yolks
2 cups or more of sugar
A cup of Marsala wine (to begin with)

Add all ingredients (except for the 12 friends) in a metal pan with handles.
Begin to stir briskly with a fork! You want to aerate the mixture for 30 minutes before serving.

(You are not allowed to use a mixer or any mechanical device: This is a labor of love, and one that does not permitted short cuts.)

This recipe is handed down from generation to generation and has not changed since the beginning of recorded time. (As far as I can tell.)

If you have ever tried to hand aerate anything, you know it requires a lot of strength and patience. You arm will soon cramp. This is where the 12 friends come in. The bowl is passed around the table as you continue to carry on your after-dinner conversation. If you happen to be Italian, you have a Zabaglione FACE, each person's expression and approach to the stirring stirringly different.

I watch each of my friends take the pan and continue the whisking.

Some stand up and hold it below their chests, talking to it like a child, calming the mixture down by “shhhhhh…shhhhhhhhh”ing it, speaking to it like it is a person.

Others almost absentmindedly set it in their lap and continue carrying on a conversation all the time they are whisking, yet never spilling a drop.

Some people fall into a blissful trace, almost as if connecting to God. They are in such a Zen Place of being that you almost feel like you're watching the most private of acts.

This is all done with care and love, and nobody refuses to help create this 3-ingredient nectar of the Gods. It is not that the Gods have chosen the 3 most amazing ingredients that make this the ultimate finish to any meal. (And BELIEVE ME it is in all of my 46 years the most INCREDIBLE thing I have ever tasted.)

It is incredible because each person present has added his or her own personal energy to these basic goods. It is this extra added something that you cannot see or buy anywhere that makes the -- in “Doug Speak” -- Za-Ba-Yon-Eh.

Simply the greatest after-dinner finish I have ever in my life had the simple honor of not only tasting but also helping to make.

Pick Up Your Feet (And Put Up Your Dukes!)

I’ve resumed my one hour morning “power walking.”

I have to walk -- years of dancing have made it impossible to run; my knees and ankles are just too taxed. Besides, you can burn as many calories in an hour of power walking as you can jogging.

The trick is to keep the pace high and constant. I make several tracks of my favorite songs and group them into different one-hour BPM (Beats Per Minute) groups on my i-Phone’s iPod so I can keep the pace constant and burn baby burn! I have Medium, Fast, and Ultimate Tempos…

This is not your morning stroll, this is at a comet's pace.

I begin my first power walk, navigating by the Adriatic Sea here in the Central East Coast of Italy. Spring is finally here.

I am reminded of an old Patty Duke movie called Billie, from the 60’s. She played a young athlete who had a knack for running fast. I mean really, really fast. Indeed, she was so fast that she was put onto the Boys’ Track Team!

When asked her secret, she told the team that all she did was play music in her head.(This was well before the iPod era!)

The faster the beat of the music she chose, the faster she ran. It was really quiet simple.

Today, with so much to do and start, I could easily begin to let the living of my life weigh me down.

OR… I could turn up the BMP in my head and get on with tackling the day and kicking some butt!!

Thanks, Patty, for the simple reminder that life is what YOU make it and for helping me turn up the beat and Go- Go- Go!!

So what are you guys waiting for?

Trash Is Treasure

Bryn and I will be in Italy for just a few months (2 ½ to be exact), and are lodged in a rented flat about five hundred meters from the Sea. As our apartment here has very little in the way of extras, we are in need of a few things to make it a home. And we’ve adopted another form of Legacy shopping, the sort of thing I used to do with Ron and Judy when we were in Barcelona back in 1992 for the Olympics.

We don’t pass a dumpster without looking to see what has been tossed out. Not inside the skip, mind you, just things placed along the side.

We have a name for what we find. We call them The Magic Dumpster Gifts.

Trust me, I know this sounds like a strange way to furnish a temporary home, but it is damned economical! We have had so much luck that we have even turned the Italians into Bin watchers!

So far, our most prized possession is the Art Deco mirror in mint condition which now graces our entryway. It is Frickin’ Huge!!

We have managed to outfit our entire balcony in Found Goods; you would be really amazed at what people toss out here. This includes a sofa, an antique table, a mid-century modern chair, a porcelain toilet base and a bidet (which we have cleverly turned into planters), as well as a fantastic metal washing tub, now also a planter, (Bryn is quite keen on having a proper English Garden on our beach-home's sunny terrace.)

You may be asking -- But where is the kitchen sink?

Well…

Actually we found one of those too, and it completes our porcelain planting.

Thanks to The Magic Dumpster!

You know, you would pay a lot of money for us to come “design on a dime” at your place!

Keep an eye out for us won’t you? Cheers!

A Fireman After All

It seems that I have found a parallel to my history here in Pescara, or more to the point my associate, Bryn, did.

We were having auditions in this small coastal town in Central Eastern Italy. As I was greeting the next group of hopefuls and explaining that I have had the honor of working on six Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies (the last two with Bryn), I mentioned that my last Winter Games was here in Italy. That was why I was asked to come be the director for the Mediterranean Games that will be held here this Summer.

As I’ve mentioned before, this region was hit by a devastating earthquake just a few short weeks ago, the epicenter not more than an hour’s plus drive from this seaside town. Pescara suffered little in the way of actual physical scars from the quake, but the town of L’Aquila up in the mountains took the full force of the deadly hit.

None of this is news to you, both from the “real” news coverage and, for this blog’s followers, my comments on the quake and its devastation and aftermath.

I explained to the audience that the first days of the Salt Lake City Auditions back in 2001 (for the 2002 Games) were scheduled to take place on September 11. We all know what day that was for the World. In Salt lake City, We struggled to find a reason, but we knew we had to move forward as a people in order to find a triumph from the tragedy.

I mentioned that I have a twin brother who is a Fire Captain, and another brother who was a Police Officer. My family, I said, was used to being on the frontlines and helping out people in need. I’ve always been so proud of my brothers and the help they provide.

Bryn said that now I get to do the same thing by putting together this Ceremony.

But instead of putting out a fire I am fanning one to life, a fire made out of spirit and honor, so very much present among the survivors, so these gentle people can find a foothold in moving forward. I know my brothers would be very proud of this!

His words meant a lot to me.

Thanks, Bryn – and while I’m at it, Happy Birthday!