Shrimp ala Krista!

Stir fry shrimp and vegetables, lentil soup, Janis' salad, cheese, fruit, wine, my molasses cookies, and great conversation with Krista, Rip, Janis and Katia in Iowa City.

Voila! Shrimpy! Thank you, Krista, for a beautiful dinner in your beautiful home. Happy New Year!

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Surprised Rick, Surprised Janelle and a Surprised deer.

My friend Janelle (2nd from left) celebrated her $%!th Birthday in Cedar Rapids and I surprised her. Her parents flank us.

I also surprised my theater buddy, Rip, who was performing in David Harrower's, "Blackbird", at Dreamwell Theater in Iowa City. Janice, Rip's wife, is on the left. "Blackbird" won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.

Oh - I also hit a deer on my way back home from a cabin (another story) in Wisconsin Monday evening. Not one nick on the car. Surprised deer and a surprised Jeff. Last thing I saw was the deer spinning around in the road off to the side. Would've check it out but there was a line of traffic behind me and there was nothing I could've done anyway - except kill it if it was wounded. Click on READ MORE! for a few more shots.

The Keller Clan in Cedar Rapids: Shannon (Jim's wife), Jim, Dean and Leslie. Jim's a close theater friend. Whenever we get together we whip out the gui-tar, sing and drink Bourbon and Dew all night. Dean and I closed shop at 3:30 a.m.

Jim (left) and his dad, Dean.

Theater friends Megan (left) and Steve Ginsberg (that's me, not Steve) hosted Janelle's bday party Saturday evening at their beautiful 19th century yellow Victorian. Megan, her friend Ted and I closed shop up at 5:00 a.m Sunday morning. Great actress and a great person. Thanks for the lodging, Ginsbergs!

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Sam Shepard's latest. And a "Fool for Love".

I was reading a review in the local paper of Shepard's latest book and I was immediately whisked back to the 1997 "Fool for Love" production I was in at the Riverside Theatre in Iowa City (regional theater). It was my first "comedic" turn...which is pretty interesting as the play is far from a being a comedy.

Left to right: Christi Kathol, me and Levy Lee Simon. I remember telling Lee during one particular moment in rehearsals to throw me up against the wall a little harder (I'm not a Method actor per se). He did. This play is intense in its words. Once the actors make the words come to life on stage, it's a powder keg. And Lee's bigger than I. One of my favorite theater experiences.

Read the New York Times review of Shepard's book.

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I became estranged from a friend today.

I've known this person since...ohhhh - since 1997. End of 1997. We are now estranged. Tough decision. I love her but, as they say, 'if you love someone, set them free'.

So I did. I won't go into details but she's draggin' me down. She has tired me out for the last time. I'm sick of being the only one "working" at the relationship. Friendships are two-way streets. Got to give to receive. Let this be a lesson: do not - I repeat - DO NOT fuck with an "Ircink". We will take you down.

Perhaps my friend will get her shit together. That would be nice...for her sake.

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Alleged Iowa City murderer takes easy way out - sonofabitch kills himself, wife and four adopted children

UPDATE: Authorities are now saying they're almost certain Sueppel ("sonofabitch") killed his family - they all died of blunt-force injuries - before he killed himself by crashing the family minivan on I-80.

AP reports that 5 people - a woman and her four children - were killed in an Iowa City, Iowa shooting. Dispatchers got a call at 6:31 a.m. today saying officers needed to get to the address immediately. The caller then hung up, police said. Officers found the house unlocked and discovered the bodies inside. While police initially said the victims had been shot, this has not been confirmed

Officers said they were not able to find the woman's husband, Steven Sueppel (sonofabitch). Court records show that the Sonofabitch, who lives at the address where the bodies were found, was indicted last month on federal charges of stealing about $560,000 from the bank where he worked. Police also said the family's van was missing. They said a single vehicle, fatal crash on Interstate 80 about 10 miles from the house may have involved the same van. However, the vehicle was on fire so officers are having a difficult time identifying the occupant, according to the department news release.



The Sonofabitch was charged last month with one count of embezzlement of bank funds and six counts of money laundering while serving as the vice president and controller of Hills Bank and Trust. Authorities said the alleged thefts occurred between July 26, 2000, and Sept. 12, 2007 and, in part, helped to supplement the Sonofabitch's cocaine habit. The Sonofabitch, 42, pleaded not guilty and was released on $250,000 bail. His trial was scheduled for April 21.

I spent 5 1/2 years in Cedar Rapids, which is about 25 miles north of Iowa City, so I'm intimate with the area. My friend in Chicago is from I.C. (I met her there in December of 1997 when I was performing in Jack & Jill at the regional theater, Riverside Theatre. We dated for a week.). Her father had business dealings with the bank the Sonofabitch worked for and knew him. Authorities have confirmed NOTHING at this point. But let's put two and two together. The Sonofabitch lived at the address with his wife and four children. A woman and four children were found dead in that home. The family minivan is missing but later turns up on the freeway after it careemed into an embankment and burst into flames. One charred body - beyond recognition - was found in the car. Sueppel was facing criminal charges, fines and imprisonment. Who do you think was in the minivan?

The Sonofabitch's children were ages 3, 5, 7 and 10. Go figure - he took the easy way out. I hope the flames flickering on the Sonofabitch'e body hurt and I hope it was an extremely slow and painful death. And then I hope he had second thoughts about killing himself at just about the point in time when it was too late.

Sonofabitch.

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