Here’s a brief run-down– starts out pretty terse, now that I re-read it, but I was trying to keep it short– and I don’t know how much I went into last time we spoke. (I’m hoping you and I have spoken before– otherwise perusing this blog is kind of creepy):
Starting with college: Went to University of Evansville. Majored in Design Theatre. Did a minor in Art, and got two associated degrees in Graphic Design and Sculpture. Did a semester abroad, going to school in England. Met Lana last semester of senior year. Fell madly in love. Got married 6 months later. (Some thought this a mite rash. Some who thought so have since split up, while we are still together.) Went to graduate school together at the University of Washington– she did a Doctorate in English, with her emphasis in Victorian Studies. I did an MFA in Scenic Design. Completed my MFA with an internship at the Royal National Theatre (I had interned there & the Royal Opera House in college, so it was awesome to build on that experience).
Lana finished her doctorate while on fellowship at Cambridge. Immediately following her graduation, She got a job as an Assistant Professor of English at California State University, Fullerton– and we moved from Seattle to Orange County. We initially moved into artist housing at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, CA, for a month (I got a job at the theatre before we moved down); next, into a house in Huntington Beach, CA, owned by a fellow professor in Lana’s new department who was doing a “teaching abroad” term in London; then, to a bungalow in Brea; and, finally, to our current accommodations, a house in Buena Park. (I.E. we “moved” to California FOUR TIMES.)
Last June 25th, our second daughter, Sawyer August Dalley, was born. She has a wonderful temperament, and is amazingly patient with her two older siblings (who are… demonstrative… with their affections). She is happy to sit and observe all that goes on (though please do not ask her to roll over– sitting, yes, but rolling, NO).
Nearly four years ago (as of March 10th), our first daughter, Finley Sofia Dalley, was born. She has slowly changed from “pudgy baby” to “young woman with opinions to contend with.” Very sure of herself, very talkative. Eli has been a treat with her thus far… Very kind and caring. Eli and his sister now “go to school”– he goes to second grade at Acacia Elementary in Fullerton, she goes to a daycare facility on campus at CSUF.
Eli, the seven year old, is getting “older” all the time. (I am attempting to forgo the privilege of aging, myself…) A process that is crazy and disconcerting to watch. He is doing well in school, reading well, and evidently doing well in maths (a bit of a shocker to his liberal-arts-major parents). He is entertaining the notion of being a designer for Lego when he grows up– a dream I also fondly cherished for many years. At this point, our Lego purchases for him must entitle us to some stock options, so getting that dream job may be easier than it seems to me now. In temperament, he and Finley seem to play to opposites in gender roles. He is gentler and somewhat reserved, she is more outgoing. He is more introspective, she is more assertive. I appreciate these shifts from stereotype– we enjoy having a strong young woman, and will nurture an intellectual boy– it seems like the world can use more of both.
After six months, I left South Coast Repertory (where I had started when we initially moved down), and began a new job: I currently work as an Assistant Art Director in the Art Departments of two “tween” comedies on Nickelodeon. I started there on a show called “iCarly,” where I am additionally credited as the Sculptor. I began by building the hero sculptures for the show (“hero” is a term for items in a t.v. show that are referred to specifically in the script, are manipulated in an obvious way on camera, or are otherwise given extra camera time), and shortly thereafter started work as the graphic designer for the show as well. (Fittingly, there is an artist from Seattle written into the script!) The show went on hiatus during the writer’s strike, and I did anything and everything I could during the interim– I worked on a movie, I built websites, I worked for the toy company Mattel– but after those 14 weeks and 2 days were over (not that I counted), I returned to the show. In Season Three of the show, I moved up in the Art Department again, to my current title as Assistant Art Director. iCarly alternates it’s production with another Dan Schneider show called “vicTORIous” which I am also privileged to Assistant Art Direct.
We started this blog because we have been given an opportunity to travel back to England through Lana’s work (she is still at Cal State Fullerton, but will be teaching in London for a semester as part of the CSUF study abroad program). We thought a blog would be a way to keep folks at home posted on our activities & whereabouts. (What do you think so far?)
That’s it in short(ish) form.
cheers, tristan miles theopholis dalley
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Eli Dalley
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