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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

GIANT BUBBLES IN OAKLAND SUNDAY 11/25/18!!! 1pm sharp!



Natasha and Delilah are 9 and 6!
woah.




And I'm pretty much Bubble Retired...BUT because I am going to bubble for Delilah's class soon, I need to warm up a little, and after all this smoke and worry, I think bubbles are just the thing for Oakland folks, if I can do it and save my knees...

It's up to you.

I will bubble Mosswood Park on Sunday, November 25, 2018, with almost all my giant equipment I used to use... if I can get at least two people two volunteer to carry in the supplies (lotsa water, buckets, and poles). We'll meet in the parking lot off Webster Street by the tennis courts and move the stuff about 50 feet onto the lawn.

UPDATE: I have two volunteers! Bubbles at 1pm, all done by 2pm so don't drag your feet!

If you've only seen videos, you owe it to yourself to come see the real deal in person. It is kinda mindblowing.

Watch this space for time updates....

Sunday, January 14, 2018

A Light Goes On







At 2:23 in the morning
a light goes on
and with the eyes and the grace of a newborn mole rat
I fumble with Delilah’s snaps as if I’m wearing mittens
so tired, so utterly incompetent
until I see her eyes are wide open
and she’s smiling at me like an old Buddhist monk.


At 2:23 on a Tuesday afternoon
a light goes on
between the tangle of maligned and misaligned synapses
and the brave, embattled heart
of a skeptical 5th grader
whose confidence is a Middle Eastern suburb:
why rebuild when the sky buzzes with menace day in and out?
Yet somehow she and I have planted an intrepid little garden in the rubble
and its inexplicable glow of newness and promise
shows her this can happen
And she does the rest.


Then
At 2:23 on a Saturday
a light goes on
in the crawlway between
my minefield of failures and
your anxious house of cards.
And we again risk disaster, calamity, collapse
to glance sideways at one another in the middle
and remember
we are often mistaken about ourselves
but never about each other.
A deep certainty of brokenness, of wrongness
clears like smoke or settling dust
because you love me anyway
and I you
without pause or reservation
perhaps because we meet here most Saturdays
provided Hell gets chilly and both girls are asleep.


So, finally, after all
at 2:23 or 7:25 or 9:48
perhaps Delilah is deceptively wise
when she ignores the candy-colored plastic
and stares and stares
at the ceiling
at the light.


--By Mike Miller, for Emily Miller, 9-29-12

Monday, December 4, 2017

Bubble Wrap Up for Now ... 2017

Well, after a long break I tried bubbling a party with 4 foot wands...and my knee said no, Mike, no.

So sadly, I will not be bubbling until I figure out this knee thing, and I just discovered my website has gone down mysteriously, so this will be the new repository for my Bubble Project. I'm very proud of this work, please give it a few minutes (and if you like it, you should note that they are actually all a bit different...come take a break and watch a new one every once in awhile, when you need a breather and a little perspective). Much love all!!!!!

Natasha is 8 and Delilah is 5!

I'm 49 and the USS Pampanito is 75!


Update! The Website with all the videos is back up!! http://kermitbubbleboy.com


Youtube Bubble playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IdthTw0Sms&list=PL805A147D88209BBF


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Bubble Reel 2014, CalAcademy, and TREASURE ISLAND!

Natasha is 5 and Delilah is 2.5!
I'll be bubbling Natasha's school's Fall Festival and Walkathon on October 18!


*********

Degen's Birthday Mashup was good enough to become the new Bubble Reel!




There will be BUBBLES HERE!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1978350955638939/


And Bubbles HERE!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Farewell San Francisco! May 25th! Bonus Bubble Party!

***IMPORTANT: PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR UPDATES BEFORE HEADING TO THE EVENT!!!(to check latest post on Facebook event page)***

Natasha is 4 2/3
Delilah is 2.
I am moving my DLS practice to the East Bay where I live, so I can see more of that (above).
And less of that (below).
I will dearly, desperately miss all of my students, colleagues, and West Bay friends. If you think you might be one of these, please come bid me farewell on this day, even just for a minute on your way to the museum or something. It will mean a lot to me; I'm the type of person who can be a BART-ride away and not see you for aeons...in spite of an achey heart each day.
so:


SUNDAY MAY 25, 2014
Golden Gate Park

11am-ish - 4pm-ish

BRING: 
Only you, if the stress of bringing something else might keep you from coming!


 We won't say no if you want to bring
1. Food you like and might share


2. Something to sit upon, if that's a thing you do


 
 

3. Outdoor Things with which You Like to Play 
(Balls, Mitts, Frisbees, Stomp Rockets, BUBBLES, Gliders,  playful cousins and neighbors, etc.)


There will be at least two or three AWESOME bubble-maker folks, and I will set out some nifty equipment for people to use... but mostly, I will greet and chat, and, hopefully, get to play frisbee with some kids whom I usually only meet sitting at a desk, you know, thinking, and being all scholarly until smoke comes out of our ears.
Much Love!

RSVPs will help me know I won't be whimpering alone in the park all day :)

Thursday, December 19, 2013

One Bubble Event between now and May 2014 ?!?!

Delilah is 19 months and Natasha is 4 1/3
Emily and I are not.

















For some strange reason, I've had very little bubble time lately... BUT
I will be putting out buckets and wands for all comers
DEC 29, 2013 at 1pm in SARATOGA, CA!!! (click for more info)
Please come! And tell everybody!

Love you!
:)
Mike

Friday, September 13, 2013

The Summer of Professional Bubbling

Natasha is 4 and Delilah is 1 1/3

Thanks to Louis Pearl for his shout out at the San Francisco Day School show!

Next Up ,Treasure Island Music Festival! I bubble on Sunday October 20th between noon and four; Sterling Johnson will be there Saturday!

I bubbled SOOOOOOOooo many parties and things this summer (Great Reviews on Yelp!) that I'm actually glad to be back to my beloved real job this fall. But the bubbles will never cease!

Here's video:
http://kermitbubbleboy.net

Here's my latest non-bubble project:
http://mikecanhelp.net/winwin.html

Here's that Yelp page:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mike-miller-bubbles-oakland

yay!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Giant Bubble Party V!

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR GOOD PICS FROM THE BUBBLE PARTY!

Natasha is 3.16; Delilah is 6 months old today; Grandpa is...not.

This little clip is all I have of the Bubble Party today for Oakland and for my Birthday.





Oh and the 5 or so  newest Annual Bubble Photo Exchange pics should be up here by the 20th or so. It is already AWESOME! Thank you everyone!

Here's a sample from the inimitable Louis Pearl!


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Time for you, YES, YOU, to participate!!!

Delilah is 5 months old!
(btw click any photo to see all of them enlarged and uncropped--so worth it!)

Natasha is 3!
The SF Bubble Project is on hold but occasionally I get some funny checks for bubbling events.

First!

Come one! Come all!
GIANT BUBBLE PARTY V
November 18, 2012
Mosswood Park near Kaiser

Click for details!

_________________________________

And also...


is accepting submissions now through November 18!

A passing whim that became awesome now evolves into an idea whose time has come!

Last year for my birthday, I half-seriously asked folks to
1. Make bubble for me
2. Point at it and take a picture
3. Send me the picture for my blog

And people sent me amazing pictures and video!:


I was deeply moved and had thought that it would be too much to ask folks to do something like that again...but then I thought...why isn't there a regular forum for bubble and/or photography enthusiasts to show off their finest work with the work of others that they could admire, enjoy and be proud to be placed among? After all, bubbles are both one of the most compelling and one of the most difficult photographic subjects known to humanity, right? So let's show off and share what we can do together!

My birthday is November 18th and I'll let you each decide if you want to adhere to the "Happy Birthday Mike" [point!] tradition or simply capture something lovely for us. I will display images and embed video here in this blog (where images are clickable for full-size viewing) and, for those who e-mail or dropbox me high quality images, I'll make a Facebook album and/or Fan page and/or a big html page where the images can be seen in all their glory like this: http://kermitbubbleboy.net/fransbub.jpg

If you send me your name and/or website or whatever, I'll label it however you like.

I know so many more bubblers now--and photographers too!--that I'm very excited to see what we get. I for one am going to make a very short video of a very new piece of equipment ;)...and I may ask a bubble buddy or two to let me take some pictures of their bubbles while I'm at it...




Monday, March 12, 2012

The Press!

To Any New Friends: Check out the whole, generous bubble community worldwide that taught me everything I know!

____________________________________________
Natasha is 2.5 today!

Bubbles in Golden Gate Park got some wonderful press, but Esther Reyes sent the best picture (click to enlarge)
Here's what Peter Hartlaub had to say in the Chronicle. Such a lovely article!


Want to come see me? Watch this blog or e-mail me and invite me to your favorite park!

:)
Mike

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Bubbling That Big West Bay Park...


Natasha is 2.42!

And if you want to come see bubbles and/or bubble yourself with lots of other folks March 11...
Here's the invitation page:


Come and Play!

Several projects in the works... stay tuned!

Oh! Bubbling Land's End was shot and edited entirely on 2-27-12!:
(full screen HD highly recommended, 'play' then 'pause' to give it time to load...)


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Giant Bubble Party 4 was FANTASTIC!

Natasha is 2.29
And Giant Bubble Party 4 was fantastic!
(Full Screen HD Highly Recommended!)


Monday, December 12, 2011

GIANT BUBBLE PARTY 4 in Saratoga, CA!


Natasha is 2.25!And I will be making Giant and Copious Bubbles in the South Bay on December 17!
Click for details: GIANT BUBBLE PARTY IV
I'll GIVE you some of my solution if you show up and bubble with us!
Tell a Friend!

This morning a photographer named Michael Gollotti caught me playing in the park and was kind enough to send some photos! Click to enlarge!



Thursday, November 17, 2011

Birthday Bubbles from Around the Globe!!!!!



Natasha is 26 months old!



And I am turning 43 on 11/18/11...

For my birthday I'm asking bubble friends (and 'regular' friends and family, too) to blow me a bubble, point at it so I know which one's for me, and send me a picture. So far I have these (keep checking back!) Woohoo! You should do it too! I can't begin to express how happy this makes me :) !!!

(click photos to enlarge--you won't regret it!)


Louis Pearl in....Louis Pearl land, USA? Where are you, Louis? That's a bona fide jellyfish bubble, btw. update: Louis is in Sebastopol, CA, apparently making him a Sebastopudlian... which you shouldn't say in mixed company, methinks.

Romi Shamai in Jerusalem! Awesome.


Lionel Stanhope in London! Standing ovation.



Woody in Washington State sent a pair! Perfect.
Todd K in Hawaii wins the award for the most cooly understated "point" maneuver (and some stellar garland action). Thanks Todd!




Bryce Miyauchi in Hawaii! A major mentor and long-distance chum of the first order. Lovely, Bryce!

Fabulous team bubble/point action from Bigbubble Zig in North Wales!!!!
Mike R in NoCal! This made my morning, Mike :)
Circobalena Balena in Messina, Italy! Or thereabouts, with a fantastic net!!! Oh, thank you!!!
Jasmin Belay in Vienna! Great picture, Jasmin and thanks for the kind wishes, too!
Ivo Caim in Alentejo, Portugal! A keeper.
Emily Miller and the 4th Chiller (due 5/12) from Oakland (temporarily brightening the West Bay). I love you both!
Dustin in Oregon! Awed silence is appropriate in the presence of Dustin's doin's. ...........
Julie in Texas broadens the scope for the good of all. Standing ovation. :)


Marilyn Doyle from Minnesota sends a double winner: herself in a bubble... made by Louis Pearl!
Teresa in Redwood City sends along this gem. Thanks Teresa! Lots of goodness going on in that picture :)


Andrew in the Philippines lent me a birthday Bubble-in-a-bubble-in-a-bubble video. The honor is mine, sir!

Felix in San Francisco came through with a classic! Thanks Felix, it means a lot to me!


Edward Smith in Cincinnati! Oh what a lovely way for ME to wake up this morning!


David Erck in Michigan sends one that deserves a close look! Wow, David!

Sly in France with the singing and the colored bubbles and the personalized titling?!?! Incroyable! Magnifique! I am touched and grateful.


June in Worcester offers up bonus gnomes! Ah, bonus gnomes. My favorite.

And Thomas sends frozen bubbles from Munich to make the joy last... ;) Hooray!


Jonny in Catania, Italy sent two fantastic ones--and the shirt makes me almost as happy as the stellar bubbling!
Juliana from Romania brings the elegance. Lovely, Juliana!

Catherine Armand in Paris sent hand-blown bubbles she made near the Sacré Cœur. Very nice, Kate, thank you!

OK. This is Felix Cartagena from Colorado. This one is very special to me. It may be my name as the "creator" of the Soap Bubble Fanciers Yahoo group...but I basically planted a seed and shrugged and walked away. It was Felix who watered it and tended it for its formative years and then a core of die-hard bubblers who really stuck with him and SBF to make it what it has become. I stepped back in years later and went, wait, what?! I love this!...and learned everything I know from the community that had grown there, mostly without me, while life happened with very few bubbles around me for several years. Felix says all the bubbles in this picture are for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you Felix.


Brian Lawrence in San Jose said he didn't have a picture but...would I test some equipment for him? And he proceeded to drop off a fantastic set of custom connectors and a lightweight loop --which he likes to call a "whisperer"--with extra juice-holding top string. Fantastic! And when I tried to return it, he said I was meant to keep it. Aw twist my arm, Brian! Thanks SO much.

Brian is another key player in making me the bubbler I am today. I was bubbling at Daze 1 with Dawn and water and he said casually, "here try some of this" offering some of his solution, and my mind was blown and my life began to change...




Ian Jarick from Sydney, Australia sent this one! I particularly like the colors on the top and the frustration I like to imagine having been engendered by the attempts to employ the candle and lighter :) ...Thanks Ian!!!!


(seriously, click to enlarge any of these. They're much better that way and Blogger arranges it as a slideshow for you!....and send your own, anytime, via e-mail or to my wall on Facebook!)