Tuesday, December 15, 2009

ode to the new girl (thanks mark)

here comes sickness, walking down my street
shaking her hips like she's some kinda treat
all the neighborhood dogs licking at her feet
here comes sickness, walking down my street

here comes sickness, moving up my block
when she comes to my house, I hope she don't knock
all the neighborhood dogs sniffing at her crotch
here comes sickness, moving up my block

there goes sickness, in my daddy's car
good riddance to the both of you, I hope you go far
all the neighborhood dogs should be drunk in the bar
there goes sickness
in my daddy's car

Thursday, October 22, 2009

daily inspiration



Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Brent Booth; 21 years old; Des Moines, Iowa; $30, 1990-92

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

fake boobs and c'boy boots

you guessed it! back from dallas. where there are a lot of both of the items listed above.

it was pretty damn fun.

got in about 9 on friday, and beyer and i headed to this place called humperdink's, which is a restaurant & brewery- great pick by him. much to my dismay, they didn't have a cool "humperdink's" or "butt-face amber ale" t-shirt, but we had fun there. our cute little waitress asked if i was a vegetarian after i ordered the garden burger, and it seemed like a pretty rare thing in the big D, judging by her response.... i think that the rest of the weekend proved that it actually WAS a pretty rare thing around those parts.

after staying up way too late friday night laughing at each other's friends on facebook, we sprung up saturday at 7:30 to get out to the game asap. we were parked and in the fairgrounds by 10am, after sitting in a bit of traffic and paying way too much to leave our rental car in a backyard. super gorgeous, perfect football day at a sunny 75. (we burned.)

so the game was awesome. (except for the sooners losing...) we were 11th row, right by the "o" in oklahoma- corner of the end zone. the seats were just high enough to get a good depth/view of the plays. now that we know the chants and were able to (sort of) blend in to "soonerville", i decided that we should go every year! we did get heckled a bit for our shirts- beyer had his standard ohio state and i had badgers... we got everything from "alright big ten!" to "are you two lost?" but that was funny too.

the fair had its ups and downs. i love a fair, but come on, i have pretty high standards living in MN. didn't get a really good first impression when we met really-drunk-homophobic-texas-fan in line for tickets when we got there. he yelled some slurs, almost barfed (this is all BEFORE the game, mind you, so it is before 11am), and shook beyer's hand. this was one of those times that i stared my ultrahate eyes, blood boiling, watching him so closely, so that if he even grazes up against me he is getting a push as hard as i can deliver. anyhow. here are some good and bad things about the texas state fair:

good:

1. big midway with the texas star- the largest ferris wheel in north america!
2. nice weather
3. you can take the train to the front gate
4. the longhorns are cool
5. entire "room" out of butter- people, books, everything. (couldn't go in, though...)
6. they booked pipers there, which was nice, even though they played out on the lawn!
7. all the food that i had was good! (corn, fries, enchiladas, fried pecan pie!)
8. kitchy art deco design to the buildings, stadium, and other structures

bad:

1. you need to buy tickets for all the food & drink
2. almost all of the food vendors are "generic"- and any booth sells pretty similar stuff with maybe one different item!
3. it is basically all in one big "parking lot". not very pretty.
4. not enough variety in the food- no real "ethnic" foods except mexican
5. (so) almost no vegetarian options
6. by the time you find the one vendor with good beer you are about to leave. and i mean ONE.
7. really long lines -due to inefficient production/staff- that make you miss out on foods (deep fried butter!).

so, can you tell it's kind of "all about the food" for me??? there were other cool things, like a mini parade, and a lot of stuff we didn't fit in, but come on. the food and the variety in that and other things. they are missing a lot!

we were pooped by the end of the day, and apparently missed running into leann rimes and eddie cibrian, who were of course rooting longhorns even though i don't think either of them even went to college.

sunday we watched football and i went to the dallas museum of art. another beautiful day, and free art is always good. now i am happily at home, trying to stop my face from peeling and trying to catch the mouse in my house. :)

Thursday, September 24, 2009

daily inspiration



still from maison martin margiela's paris show, 2008.

Monday, September 21, 2009

at least THIS isn't happening to me.



i was just in my coworker's office and she had a gorgeous bouquet of red roses in the corner, still wrapped up like they just were delivered from the florist. i made a quick, i'm saying-this-in-passing-and-not-prying-about-where-they-came-from comment about how pretty they were. well, she grumbled something and rolled her eyes, which is a typical move from this hardened single mom. after finishing our business, she told me the story about how she went on a date with this guy and that now he will not leave her alone. after one dinner, and a week of not calling him back, the man left 30 messages on her phone IN ONE DAY!

and you know, fellas, if that doesn't work, try the roses. she'll probably come around. because that is such a creative idea.

so if you have heard about crazy voicemail guy (http://melodymaker.posterous.com/the-reason-some-girls-stay-single-very-funny), know that these dudes really are out there! scary.

i was amused by this gal's miserable story, smirking on my way back to my little office. but i was also thinking about another interesting piece- the way people that you don't really know can sort of randomly open up to you about some pretty private parts of their lives. has this happened to you? are we just catching people at an odd moment?

for example (based on actual events):

ollie: hi, how's it going?
coworker: oh i'm okay, how are you?
ollie: good.
coworker: well, my teenage daughter's pregnant.

now since my interections with someone like this are limited, that's pretty much all i know about them. so when i see this person, do i say, "hey, how's that pregnant daughter of yours? did she run away again?" because that's what i'm thinking.

oh, and about the gal that went on the date? she changed her phone number... but he obviously knows where she works!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

hey big D... here we come!



just booked my flight to go to dallas today, and i'm super excited. it's a new major metropolitan area for me to visit, and i'm looking forward to squashing my completely irrational bad vibe about the entire state of texas. i will have to do my research now on this red river shootout game and get ready to get my cheer on. i like all things drama, so the game should be fun, the fair should be a blast, and i can't wait to have this tall, handsome gentleman welcoming me!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

daily inspiration


Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, PA.

this is where my heart lived for a while.

have I told you, lately ...

... about WORK?
i have been labeled "top choice" for a job that i interviewed for, and want, even though it's on contract.

... about CRIME?
a woman got raped a block away from my friend's house in NE mpls about a couple of weeks ago. my friend was home at the time, but didn't hear the woman's screams.

... about LEISURE?
i went to a wedding last weekend at a brazilian restaurant that had good food but not enough seats for everyone. we had to ask the kitchen staff for plates and forks and sat on a bench in the garden.

... about ART?
i got a piece in the popular show at the MN state fair in st. paul. opening reception for artists is tonight!

... about FAMILY?
my folks are coming to visit for 10 days starting this friday. time to gear up for that...

... about MONEY?
i just got dumped by my health insurance because i can't afford to pay the COBRA premiums. i need to figure that out as soon as possible.

... about MY DRIVING?
got a ticket from st. paul's finest yesterday driving to work. looks like i can get it off my record if i meet with a hearing officer. still have to pay the $121.00 fine though.

... about MUSIC?
going to De La Soul this thursday! so excited.

... about FOOD?
had a delicious pizza at punch today- it had been too long.

... about TRAVEL?
i am 90% sure i'm going to dallas for the red river shootout in october. that will be a hoot. will check out the texas state fair!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

daily inspiration



Adam Horovitz and Kathleen Hanna

Monday, August 17, 2009

satisfaction

today's question:
would you rather have a generous slice of your favorite pie,



or a whole pie, that is not your favorite, but may be "good enough"?


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

daily inspiration



Andres Serrano's Bloodstream, 1987

Monday, August 10, 2009

lightning and leather kilts

well, spending the weekend at irish fair here in mn was pretty great. i heard some fantastic music, watched talented dancers, drank lots of free beer, hung out with my friends, ate baked potatoes, and even showed off my darling dog. oh, and did i mention SURVIVING THE 5K?

it was very, very humid and rainy, and i had to stop to walk a couple of times, but i did make it through the race with the help of my friend jimmy the piper running along with me. i looked like a wet tomato by the time we crossed the finish line, but it was well worth it. a little different than the treadmill at the Y. seeing the "end of the line" the whole time definitely would have helped! i think i just need to get outside and try running some more, because apparently people think that this is what i do, now, running. what have I gotten myself into...

Friday, August 7, 2009

weekend inspiration



Dropkick Murphys. Going to see them tonight!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

daily inspiration


Cindy Sherman's Untitled #153, 1985

what's hiding right in front of our faces?

this quote was, for starters. it is posted in a semi-obscure area of my workplace and i just noticed it this week. (i have been here since march.) i think it was meant for me to see.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”
- Alexander Graham Bell

it is hard for me to remember to keep my eyes open sometimes, and recognize opportunity when it presents itself. and it is also difficult for me to look forward instead of back. but i'm trying. the idea of keeping options open is a frightening thing, though, because i feel like i do a lot better when i have a clear path or role that i am supposed to play. ambiguity, i'm finding, can screw with your expectations. i think, for me, it needs to be a system of alternating between surveying options and taking a path. it's just tricky to do this with a lot of things at once!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

daily inspiration


Dick Butkus, University of Illinois

against my better judgement...


... i am doing a 5k this weekend. "run/WALK", i keep reminding myself, since i haven't exactly been "training". (i hear that's a good idea, even for 3 miles, apparently?) anyway, back in the day i was a 5x/week Y-goer, very consistent and comfortable with an hour of cardio. but that routine never quite got back up to par since my personal life took an unexpected turn over a year and a half ago. so i am pretty nervous about getting out there in an organized event at this point, in front of a bunch of people, people that probably run on a regular basis. part of me thinks that it will be hard, part of me thinks it will be no big deal. but a little different than the treadmill at the Y. really, i think i want to do it because i don't know if i can. so wish me luck!


Tuesday, August 4, 2009

target practice / daily inspiration


Mark Morrisroe's Two X-Rays of Mark Morrisroe's Chest With Embedded Bullet, 1989.

last week and again today i feel like i have a bullseye painted on my face. apparently some of the things i am doing, what i thought was very delicately and thoughtfully, are not sitting well with others. i am starting to feel a bit beaten up by this, and i am trying to take deep breaths and wait for the dust to settle, slightly confused and exercising my patience. but i need the end of these recent stresses to be in sight, seriously. i plan on curing these feelings with heavy doses of art and music for the rest of the week.

Monday, August 3, 2009

daily inspiration


Nan Goldin's Rise and Monty on the lounge chair, NYC, 1988.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

walking, thinking, listening to guitars


i have a few events that are stressing me out this week. but they are about 1/3 finished. i had been planning for today's gathering to be terrible, but it wasn't. i am hoping that tomorrow's event will go better than expected too. 

i have been listening to that sonic youth album quite a bit. and that is helping. last night i went on a walk for an hour, and i didn't even have my dog with me. i just listened to that album and looked around closer at parts of my neighborhood that i don't usually walk by. it helped. here is a picture from the show, which is where i was exactly one week ago at this time, sipping my guinness out of a plastic cup at first avenue with my dear friend.

Monday, July 27, 2009

focus




i am sad today, but wanted to do a post about something that wasn't.

so i am doing a post about my two old polaroid cameras, the 350 land camera and the amigo 620. both of these were inherited, and i just purchased some film and instructions via ebay. the 350, which was made between 1969 and 1971, works, and i am currently trying to master the processing time. i took a test snapshot of my house and will post it on here as soon as i can. it is an interesting model and who wouldn't love the accordion-style bellows? haven't loaded the film into the amigo yet, but stay tuned for further updates on that. looks like that was made around 1982.

my textile project will resume this week and i will post some shots of that too. worried that the ideal size might exceed the requirements for submittal into the competition at the fair.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

so no one told you life was gonna be this way...

i have some friends that are doing some pretty exciting things right now, and i am very proud of them. one of my friends is going to be a new mother in a couple of months, a role that's coming a little sooner than she'd expected. another friend is just settling into her new house, and she's not exactly sharing it with someone as she'd planned. a third friend is in crazy new love, reeling, every day richer and more exciting than the one before. but she has to navigate a bit of a complicated family situation in the meantime.

all of these women are in somewhat revolutionary situations, situations that were a little bit outside of the plan, that simultaneously excite and terrify each of them. i am proudly right behind them on these journeys. i am happy, they are energizing for me to share and i'm proud to be by each of their sides!

i hope that someone will be saying "i have a friend that is going back to school and starting a new career" soon, about me. that can be my next challenge. i am already "simultaneously excited and terrified" of that happening.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

accomodations

HI-Madison. Hostel. Thurs and Fri private room (for 2). Saturday hoping for a cancellation or to crash with friends.

friday. crysal corner


saturday. monmartre. 9 piece disco band and film fest goers. yay.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Big Fun Trip

Madison it is!

Big Trip

What's the plan, Stanford? Most me a map and such. It'll make me look busy while I am between parent-teacher conferences.

Friday, January 30, 2009

all the rage

why yes it truly is all the rage.

Speaking of rage, my anger has once again subsided, dissolved, resolved. Through my own thoughts and actions! YAY!

Buddy is coming for tacos with me and the boys tonight. A little practice around kids will be good for him.

I am working on the soundtrack of my life--it's fun and exciting and you bet "if he tries anything" is one of the college years, living with ollie songs!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

good intentions

dear diary. i have only the best intentions.

i am going to start doing a.m. yoga at home tomorrow, i have decided. i was going to start today, but once i put the dvd in this morning i learned that you need props for this type of thing.

so that sounds like a good start to my days, right? when the dog is around, he won't be a fan- i can picture the grunts and stares now...

i still might join the gym if they send me that free pass and i like it.

other aspirations this week include finally starting the comet art project and practicing music a lot. because even though next week isn't my audition yet, i am going to make it in the band soon. mark my words!

tonight i am having dinner with an old friend that i am trying to believe doesn't hate me for the mess that i've created. i think it will be ok, the last time i saw her it was before christmas, and time has flown.

so that is my first post. i'm struggling to even continue this blog with the mention of oprah in the first post! barf-a-roo, but just kidding, k.

for the love of Wednesday

I once had a gorgeous cat named Wednesday. I was mildly allergic to him, but I just had to be careful about the eyes. And yes, his mamma was called Tuesday!

Bear had not been to school since last Wednesday, because thurs and fri were emergency cold days, mon MLK, tues teachers institute, and today he wakes up with a cough and fever. Come on! He's okay, it's just ridiculous that he has been home for so long. Bored.

Work was good yesterday. The whole school was feeling electrified by the inauguration.

My anger/disappointment with Buddy is dying down. I knew all along that he was a distraction. I was hoping it'd be more fun and last a bit longer, though. That's what she said!!!!! I know that he is decent guy, so I think I'll get my KILLER dog tag back one day. I just wish it was now, because otherwise I'll be unsuspecting and it'll bring up negative feelings at a time when perhaps I'd say I was doing well.

You know how it is with those books that are so popular, Oprah'ized and recommended by a zillion people? Well, I am taking Eat Pray Love pretty much Hook Line Sinker. Of course, the author shares so much of her personality that there are quite a few things about her that bug me, but then she's so human I just have to love her.

I have an epic poem inside, I think it'll flow out by my 33rd birthday.