The Umbrella Dance

When Sleep Walks

2011-08-01T16:56:00.001-07:00

Sleep has been elusive. Time to stalk it.
On the plus side, I'll probably be painting more again.

Thanksgiving on the East Coast

2010-11-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

New England has to be one of my favorite places to be when the weather starts getting colder. The fall is amazing, and I'm one of those silly people who actually enjoys cold weather, provided I'm adequately dressed for it. And ESPECIALLY when there is a wood stove and hot beverages involved.

Florida

2010-07-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

We got evacuated out of the State Park we were staying at on the Keys. Apparently they
don't stay open for tropical storms. And we stayed in a Travelodge last night in Florida City. This morning it was raining sideways and the trees were shedding palm fronds and all the hotel employees were running around slamming and locking all the storm-shutters, so we decided to move up our St. Augustine stay.
Still. Tropical Storm Bonnie was nothing to what's going on up in Wisconsin right now. I saw the weather map last night and the entire lower half of the state was covered with tornado and flash-flood symbols. Yikes.

New Orleans, LA

2010-07-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Delicious. All I'll bother saying for now.

Texas

2010-07-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

So we stayed with Gray's brother and his family in Plano while we were going through Texas. Originally we thought we'd only be in Texas maybe two days. But it turned out to be more like four. It was fun! We visited Dallas and Austin.

Bluewater Lake and the Land that Never Was

2010-07-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

So, today we left our camp site early and piled in the car, driving south and then east on I-40. We got slightly lost near Flagstaff thanks to some confusing signs and some highway construction, but we managed to get to the Petrified Forest by mid-afternoon.
We had a great tour with a Park Ranger named Tiffany who turned what could have been a mildly entertaining excursion through some pretty petrified wood into a mind bending tour through a land described in scientific projection. A washed forest in the tropics full of 200' tall coniferous and rampaging reptiles. A giant river that carried trees along, stripping them of bark and limb and root and then submerging them and covering them in mud and ash, sealing the away from oxygen so the silica could slowly replace the trees' cells with crystal.
After bidding Tiffany goodbye, we drove north through the park and exited on I-40E... So far so good... Then came New Mexico.
When we crossed the border and passed Gallup, it was still PLENTY light out, and between the GPS and the AAA Road Atlas, we felt confident about our ability to find our camp site in Bluewater Lake State Park. I mean, it was a state park after all, how hard could it be? ...That's when we turned on the NM-612...
For anyone travelling through New Mexico, who happens to want to stay at or even visit Bluewater Lake, be warned: DO NOT TAKE NM-612! It's a dirty trick. There's a road that ends in water. And there's a tiny town that doesn't appear on the map or the GPS, and the ratio of cars to houses is rather alarming. What was that movie with the mutant cannibals in New Mexico? Well we were a little worried that the residents were collecting the vehicles of the lost tourists they'd eaten. Also, the only living people we saw in town were four 10-13 year old boys on bicycles who were riding down the road into oncoming traffic (and by oncoming traffic I mean us, cause there were no other cars to reassure us, which should have tipped us off perhaps) and they looked at us as though they'd never seen other people before in their lives and weren't at all sure what to make of us. Another house we passed had several abandoned kids bikes strewn along the driveway, but no sign of life. The town seemed quite abandoned, despite the twelve cars in various states of repair in every single yard. And some of those cars were quite shiny and new looking. Anyways, we were content to follow NM-612 despite the warning signs, trusting that it would eventually lead us either to our camp-ground or turn into NM-412 and loop back around to I-40... Untill the pavement stopped and the road started going through an uninhabited part of Cibola National Forest and the sun started setting. As we turned around and decided to force the GPS to recalculate, the giant ominous cloud began obscuring more and more of the sky. We followed the GPS back through the tiny town (the boys on bikes now nowhere in evidence), and soon we were turning onto some other tiny unpaved road. Concerned that the sun was setting and it was starting to throw random drops of rain at us every once in a while, not to mention worried that the driveways of the two lonely farm houses on this side of the lake looked more worn than the unpaved road that led past them, we decided to stop and ask a local for directions. BAD idea. We never actually caught the man's name, but apparently his neighbour (who may have been his brother or his cousin) was named Jerry. Anyhow, when Irwin shouted "hello", he shouted "goodbye!" from somewhere inside his house. When Irwin asked if we could bother him for directions cause we were lost, he told us every question would cost us $5. Irwin and Grayson told him we didn't have that kind of money on us and he demanded what we planned to do if we got robbed, because, he assured us, robbers prefer cash. Luckily that's when Gray cut in and asked him how to get to the Bluewater Lake State Park Campgrounds. The man didn't know, but he became very chatty. He went on some long rant about going fishing with his brother-cousin-neighbor-Jerry and how they ran into a bear with two cubs and he nearly didn't make it back in time to meet with his parole officer. That's about when Irwin and Gray started backing toward the car. We thanked him for his help as he told us Jerry would know better, and the boys jumped in the car and we left as fast as we could, retracing our steps to I-40.
Eventually we found our camp ground, but it was dark and the sky was full of mosquitoes and threatening rain and the camp ground was closed. So we drove back toward I-40 yet again. As we crested a hill and came into view of the interstate, someone set off a bunch of fireworks to our left. It felt congratulatory as though celebrating getting out alive.
So tonight we're staying in a hotel nearby. Linzy and I used the pool which is open all night. It was extremely refreshing.
And now I'm off to go enjoy a real bed for the first and last time in a while.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

2010-07-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

So after changing cars and loading up on provisions, the City Kid Liberation Front marathon drove to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona where we pitched our tents and napped for two hours. We decided to take in our first awake views of the Grand Canyon from Grand View Point, and the beginning of the old Copper Miners' trail there.
We're going to do a little hiking and explore the Painted Desert and Antelope Canyon before we move on to the Petrified Forest and then to Bluewater Lake in New Mexico on the 6th.

Possum Kingdom vs. Dinosaur Valley

2010-06-29T21:20:00.001-07:00

What do you think?

Hop Hop Hop aaaaand FLY

2010-05-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

So some people are aware that I'll finally be getting back to the point of this blog for a while this summer. I'll be going on a road trip with Irwin and some friends of ours. Finally hitting the Deep South, where I didn't go before because that's just a bad idea and a half to hitch that alone. This time, we'll be camping it most of the time. And we'll be gone for a month and a half about.
I'm really excited for the desert. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Marin with a sandwich and a blanket for two

2010-01-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

So Irwin and I went to Marin today. Sandwiches packed and a hopeful if somewhat skeptical raised eyebrow to the "Peace Tea" that looks like they jacked Arizona's cans.
We started by heading to the Marin County Civic Center building. It's a beautiful specimen of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. It also happens to be the building of Gattaca fame. I was not expecting the place to be quite so accessible, seeing as it houses the Superior Court of Marin and all of their administrative offices and such (although, it does house the library too, and that has to be accessible). I also wasn't expecting its roof to be quite so vividly BLUE. I guess either I missed that in the movie, they tweaked it, or it had been severely faded at the time of shooting. There is a really lovely little picnic area that you can reach from the end of the 4th floor and it has a pretty spectacular view. Unfortunately photos don't do the place justice, so I can't really share the place. But I guess this is true of most places. Especially places worth visiting.

We went to Muir Beach to watch the sun start its descent and play dodge the water, holding tight to the blanket that sheltered us from the wind and watching the waves crash incredibly evenly along the shore. The bench up on the cliff provided a good vantage point for people watching.
We made it to Sausalito in time to watch the sunset-pink clouds darken over the boats as we ate fish and chips on the waterfront.

Into the Moonrise

2009-10-07T16:48:00.001-07:00

Carved for Irwin, in wood, for our 6th anniversary.

An East Coast Wing

2009-08-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

It's lovely when you realize you travel well together. It's fun to travel, but it's better when you have someone to share it with.

We had an adventure even trying to find the place we were staying. The lovely Miss Bea allowed us to stay at her place in Astoria while she was In San Francisco. It was wonderful. It was great getting to see her place too. It shows her personality, which is wonderful and artistic and made us feel right at home.

We spent days walking New York City, exploring the museums and cafes and parks. It was a million degrees but dressing light and drinking water helped a lot. As did the AC in the museums and a lot of frozen yogurt.

I'd say one of my favorite things was the Morgan Library. And another was the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Guggenheim. Both were amazing. I could have spent days in those exhibits and not gotten bored.

New York was more than two weeks could have shown us, but we smiled and laughed and explored as much as we could in the time we had.

I owe Irwin one silver gilt Nef for his birthday. =P

Boston was beautiful too, and we really should have given it more time. We got to see the Mapparium,and we ate cannoli in North End, but we didn't get to dump tea in the harbor. We stayed in a hostel which was actually pretty cool. And next time we'll spend more time looking around for sure. There are a lot of things I'd love to see there. Of course, that just means we have more reason to return.

It was also fun seeing my family up in New Hampshire. It's so funny getting to see my cousins as little as I do, realizing they're growing up too. When did this happen?

The Great East Coast Adventure

2009-08-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

The night before leaving on this great adventure, Irwin and I went out for Marni Thai with the lovely Misses Sophia and Bea. Delicious food that we had left overs of for breakfast as we watched the clock the next morning in anticipation; it time to leave for the airport.
Our flight was delayed due to the massive storms they've been having over the wast coast, so Irwin and I played chess in the cafe overlooking our departure gate, which clearly read out every new delay as "Delayed Weather". Eventually we also ended up circling for an hour outside New York as well. The captain announced at one point that we had enough fuel for about an hour and a half of circling and that after that we'd need to divert to refuel. But when we got on the ground the rain had left the air slightly cleaner.
We made it into Manhattan by rail and stumbled around Time Square looking at how it lit up the streets for blocks all around and how it was practically daylight in the square itself. Despite the late hour, or perhaps because of it, the whole area was full of people. Being a giant tourist spot in the middle of the Theater District, it's not surprising in the least. Also, the place is warm enough at night, during the day it's stifling.

Kidnapp and Adventure

2009-07-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

So on Wednesday I'm kidnapping Irwin and we're heading to New York, where the lovely Miss Bea Kwan is allowing us to bunker while we blend in in New York. We will be equip with mustaches and trench coats.
After that we'll be pouring tea in the harbor in Boston, kickin it with homies in NH, and seeing a show on Broadway.
Pictures of our escapades will follow.

A list of things to do before I die.

2009-05-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

Please feel free to throw suggestions at me!

Also, these are in no particular order.

*SCUBA Dive in the Philippines
*Explore small towns and Ruins in Thailand
*Hike the High Road to Machu Picchu
*Kayak (And visit a produce market to eat raw turnip) in Greenland
*Attend a festival in India
*Visit an abandoned theme park in Japan
* Swim in the natural hot springs in Iceland (also visit the Dwarf Cliffs and the Land of 1000 Waterfalls)
*Attend the Rose Harvest in spring in Agros, Cyprus
* Collect a piece of coral off a beach on Koh Russei Island off Cambodia's southwest coast
*Eat granita and brioche in Sicily (and try marzipan and play bacci ball on a beach, also visit Taormina maybe hike Mt Edna, and take another look at those mummies)
*See Shipwreck Beach on Lanai
*Take a water taxi in Panama
*Paint boats in Vietnam and Bangledesh
*Take a train on the transSiberia Railway
*Bungee Jump in New Zealand
*See the early Christian Cave Complexes in the Anatolian Region
*Cross a wood-slat bridge in the Canadian Rockies
*Relax in the shadow of the Pyramids in Egypt
*Taste REAL Cinnamon in Sri Lanka
*Feed pigeons in San Marco Square again before Venice sinks too much further

Anything I'm forgetting? I know, there's so much that's not on here....

Colorado in the Spring Time

2009-05-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

I spent a week in Colorado with Little Bit and her Patrick and their Elusive Wombat Lucy. We spent a lot of time in the cheese aisle of the grocery store and we made some delicious pies inspired by Pushing Daisies.

Shaking Out The Wings

2009-05-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Aviator glasses, check.
Sense of Adventure, Check.
Finally, a companion? CHECK!

Ok, so I'm not off the continent yet, but I do have several trips lined up for this year. It's taken me forever and a half since I've promised to save up and travel "the legit way". But finally, I'm ready to shake the dust off my wings and zoom around like a kid pretending to be an airplane. Yes, I'm that excited.

First trip on the menu takes me out to Colorado, where I get to visit the lovely Miss Goldfish, and possibly see my Cousin Kimmy who's graduating high school while I'm out there. Oh yeah, and may even run into Oleg, who I haven't seen since my last trip through Tennessee.
Some good old Colorado will help me shake this work rut I've been in. I need to go hiking. Lys, you're going with me.

The second trip I'm hopping all the way to New York! And I'm doing that with Eye in tow! Finally! After more than five years, he's consented to come on an adventure with me! Next I'll try to persuade him to hop a train with me to Arizona or New Mexico to go explore those caves. We'll have to be careful though. That's Native American land.
Anyways, on this trip to the East Coast we'll be staying on the couch of the lovely Miss Bea Quan, and making her chocolate ravioli. Hopefully we'll also make it to the Met and bum around Central Park. Or find some new cafe or bookstore or something. I dunno! We'll figure it out!
We're also going North to visit the coven of Eccentric Mauchlys up in that place called Plymouth NH. I haven't seen them in WAY too long. There may be lake swimming and canoeing involved. I'm not sure yet. But it will be excellent.
I'm also hoping to visit Boston or something. But I have yet to figure out transportation. Knowing me I'll come up with something brilliant.

Alright, enough of my happy planning for now. Work calls.

Beacause it's frikkin adorable, that's why.

2009-05-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

I want a little animal to tickle!

Fly By Winter

2009-04-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly this year is disappearing on me. Already four months in and I've hardly caught my breath. Winter is fading fast into memory as the plum trees bust out in pink all around the city. It's a relief to get outside most days.
So now I suppose it's time to focus. No idea where my head has been these last few months. Submerged in book after book of delicious science fiction. Time to bust out the school books and the traveling shoes.
I've finally booked a flight to Colorado to visit Lys and Patrick and their Elusive Wombat Lucy next month. I've been promising I'd visit in May, but I think Lys had thought I'd forgotten. It'll be nice to see them again. Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, despite the long car stay in the blizzard in the mountains, and the resulting long stay in the airport. This time I'll be closer to Denver, so no worries.
Alright, enough of this. It's another gorgeous day out and I'm determined to do something with it.

Rupa & The April Fishes

2009-02-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

Goals for the New Year

2009-01-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
This new moon ushers in the year of the Ox. Which means I'm starting a new 12 year cycle. It's exciting, and somewhat intimidating. How should I start it off? I want to set a good tone for the next twelve years.
So I have some goals I'd like to put down.
Goal 1: I am going to get off this continent and travel. I am going to visit someplace new.
Goal 2: I will work on my graphic novel.
Goal 3: I will finish at city and transfer.
Goal 4: I will get my own bow and get relatively good with it.
Goal 5: I will sew the clothes I bought the material to make.
Goal 6: At some point I will dress up like a pirate and take a boat out on Stow Lake.
Goal 7: I will go to the symphony and I will bring my sketchbook.
Goal 8: I will learn to drive and get my license.

Project Muse Filming

2008-10-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

At Cafe Velo Rouge.

blow

2008-10-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Make a wish and...

Same mediums as the last. Watercolor, ink, gouache, and Gum Arabic on wood.

wish forest

2008-09-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

watercolor, gouache, resin, and ink on wood.

2008-09-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

Night Wanderer

2008-09-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

A painting I finished last night. Ink, watercolor, gouache, and Gum Arabic on wood.
For Irwin. <3

books, theories, and politics

2008-08-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I sent out an email to some people about the scariness that is McCain and his VP candidate. If anyone would like to discuss it here they're welcome to, and it's preferred to reply-all emails.

In otherness, I finished re-reading The Golden Compass (by Philip Pullman) for the first time since 1997 and am currently marveling once again at it. I remember why I loved that trilogy and why, like with Nix's Abhorsen trilogy, I was completely transfixed as a child, waiting on pins and needles waiting for the next to come out.

It's interesting also reading this now, having just finished The Scar (by China Mieville) before it. They're both about Probability Theory (philosophical, not mathematical, though obviously super-related). Or, it's basically the central idea to the plots. The Probability Theory is about how for every possible outcome of any divergent moment there exists a reality in which each comes true, essentially creating infinite realities that may be similar or vastly different, and lie closer together depending on similarity. It's a concept that's played with by many writers and can be explained well by some. It's fun to see the different plots and characters that weave around it, helping the writer explore and project the theory so that the readers can understand.
If anyone has read these or other books that deal with the Probability Theory, I'd be interested in what they have to say!

Strange Landscapes

2008-07-31T23:41:00.001-07:00

Stillbirthing Novels

2008-07-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

I want to go someplace by the water with a blanket and a hot tea.
I have the words and the pictures on the tip of my mind, just out of reach.
And I've been working myself into a coma, where no energy is left to create.
No energy left to sleep.
Perhaps instead I SHOULD take my blanket down to the water and drink in the stars to sooth me with their burning reassurance. Burn the tense energy from me so I can relax again.

2008-07-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

I've finally started drawing again recently. It's odd how sometimes you can feel like you're just realizing how completely you'd shut down. I'm continuing in grub phase, and hopefully soon I'll re-emerge as a fully fledged Julia-thing.
For the moment I'll sit and let my cat purr at me, then I'll go find my camera and try uploading some pictures. Maybe I'll write something more about recent too. I've seen some movies, heard some music. You know, stuff.

Oh yeah, the necklace is a Mark Poulin creation I got from him at the Jazz festival. He's pretty cool. You should check him out on etsy.

Back in New Hampshire again

2008-06-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, so I'm back in NH, for my Aunt's wedding reception. It was a pretty good time! I'll upload pictures eventually. Maybe even soon.
I'm staying with my Uncle Larry and Aunt Sara and their adorable kids again. It's really fun getting to see them again so soon. Turns out while I was gone, Simon and Noah developed a penchant for making awesome adorable videos! Check them out!

My cousins are the super cute Korean ones. The one who MURdered the CIA agent's father, and the head of the thugs who he hired to do the agent in.

Burma

2008-06-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

the meaning of christmas

2008-05-23T17:51:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm still here

2008-05-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. I'm still here.
I'll get better at responding soon I hope. I've been a little unwell. Hopefully it's a passing state of being. And passing quickly at that.

Anyways, till then, I offer a few pictures.

Water

2008-04-23T20:46:00.001-07:00

Obama in 30 seconds

2008-04-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

So now that we're all getting nervous about the November elections, maybe it's time to start with a warm up vote.
This video is entered in the "Obama in 30 seconds" video contest. And it's really pretty good. Ok, I'm biased. No, not cause it's the one featured in Wired. It's the candidate I vote for... and my mom happens to be the mother in the video.
Anyways, on monday (the 21st) they open the polls for people to vote for the one they like most. There's a lot of good ones out there. So hopefully people who read this will at least look at them.

For anyone confused, the video is the last page ("9th image") in the gallery.

Because it's Awesome. "Hero"

2008-04-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Horticulture Therapy

2008-04-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

So I've taken several strategies in pulling myself out of the depression I've been in.

One is gardening. I've taken to haunting plant nurseries and our back yard. I've gotten a book on plant propagation and now, as Irwin and my sister would put it, I've turned into a gardening machine. I've got seedlings in our kitchen windows for a bit of the greenhouse effect.
I've started growing peppermint and basil in the back yard. I'll have to find a new home for the sunflowers once they get big.
It's also been nice and sunny, which not only is great for the gardening bit, but helps get me my vitamin D, which San Franciscans can be severely lacking in. It's interesting to note that in San Francisco Seasonal Affected Disorder is one of the most common psychological disorders.

Another thing is I've taken the cookbooks off my shelves. I made a really good dinner night before last, with the help of the wonderful basil ripper, Irwin. And there will be more food to come.

My longtime family friend, Amelia's birthday is coming up on Tuesday, and I intend to make her a cake just as soon as I can get over there to see her, family in tow. Speaking of horticulture therapy, her mother is one of the greenest thumbs I know, so that will be good too.

Oh yeah, and I've taken to eating more of my happy foods. It's odd how much food can effect your mood. When you eat something you're not excited about, it's less fulfilling. Personally, I've been going back to food that makes me smile. Indian Coconut Lamb Curry. Vietnamese Jook. Thai Tofu Satay. And always, Japanese Sushi. And I have all of these in my neighborhood.

Now I need to find a place with a pool. Or go up to Silver Lake. I really want to swim. But there aren't really any good places around since I'm not insane and have no intention of swimming in the Bay or the Ocean. At least not here. The water is toxic, the riptides are strong, and the sharks are plentiful... So if any of my friends are interested in a trip up to the mountains for some lake swimming, I'll help with the gas money.

Pie

2008-04-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

So on Saturday my friend Jimmy had an opening at Cafe Di Bartolo in Oakland. Irwin and I took public transit out to see it, and ended up getting slightly lost on the 1.6mile walk from the 19th street bart station to the cafe... Ok, so it was my fault. I wrote down "walk until you see it" as the last part of the directions, not anticipating a rather confusing and obnoxious jump in address numbers. Anyways, we DID make it, and Jacob and Grayson met us there. Afterwards we left to find food and headed back to Jacob's where I fell asleep waiting for David to get there. So they went to play pool without me and I got a little sleep, slightly disturbed by allergies and something that bit one side of my body and not the other.

Sunday I went to the Walnut Creek Farmer's Market and got some Rainbow Orchards Apple Juice, which I brought over to WCI where Irwin and the guys were playing basket ball. After they tired themselves out I shot a few hoops while they were trying to decide where to get food.
Jimmy came up with the brilliant suggestion of getting pie at Marie Callender's, so we went and got some lunch and two pies, which ended up being a little too much, but immensely entertaining, as Jimmy tried to cut it and distribute it. There were six of us and unfortunately Marie Callender's likes to insert a blunt ineffective slice divider that cuts each pie into five.

So anyways, I told Matt I'd put up some pictures of people up here. Here are a few. Maybe this summer we can get some with YOU in them with us, Matt.

Pictures from our trip to Hearst Castle

2008-04-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

The Drive there was beautiful. We had some new CDs to listen to, which made the traffic bearable. There were some huge dunes. A sand factory. A peninsula which when the oceans were higher was actually an island. Oh yeah, and a helicopter parked on the side of the ridiculously twisty narrow highway 1.

The Castle itself was amazing too. And don't worry, I didn't forget to look up. They imported centuries old European ceilings. It would have been a waste not to look. Although I feel a bit bad for the villas and monasteries that got stripped for this building project. I suppose they did get paid when they were in a recession... So it was good for them right then... But still, that's centuries of history they sold and it would be worth much more now... And a lot of the antiques and art that William Hearst bought is now sitting in warehouses... Can you believe that?

And then there was the drive back home. We stopped along the cliffs to watch the sunset. Then drove home in the dark.

a visit to a ridiculously sumptuous estate

2008-03-31T23:24:00.000-07:00

Irwin and I drove down to Hearst Castle recently. Talk about insanely lavish. I'll put pictures up when I have the time (energy). It was really fun. I love driving with him. And highway 1 is always incredible.
Actually, I've been more and more seriously entertaining my dream of becoming a hermit. Maybe not completely secluded. But I've been seriously wanting to just go live on a farm somewhere...
When I was little I always thought in the back of my mind that if I didn't become a teacher or a writer or an archaeologist, maybe I'd find myself a nice mountain to go live on. Kinda like my mom's uncle. Who's a hermit. On a mountain... And his son used to be a hermit on the other side of that mountain... Maybe I could go live there now that he's no longer being a hermit.
Or I can just keep trudging towards my doctorate... So I can study other people...
Anyways. More and pictures later.

A Day at The Zoo and a Birthday Wish For Sophie

2008-03-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

So First of all, today is my oldest sister's birthday. Miss Sophia turns 20 today. (Wow, I feel old)
Happy Birthday Sophie. I hope this year is amazing for you.

Yesterday Irwin and I got up and took the 18 bus to the Zoo. Yes, the same zoo where the Tiger was shot. It's got a lot of new barriers up. And less tigers...
It was a lot of fun though.
My Biological Anthropology teacher was giving an extra credit lecture there. The college can't have any official fieldtrips because people are idiots and try to use them as excuses to sue the college for any possible misfortune they may happen to suffer on them or even on their way there and back. Anyways, whatever, it was great. He had a lot of interesting things to say about the primates, pro-simeons, and marsupials. The Gorilla exhibit is still closed because after the tiger attacked those guys that were being jerks to it, the zoo put up cameras and found that people make a habit of throwing things and yelling at the animals. The Gorillas apparently get a lot of torture from the idiots that visit. But for the most part the animals are now enjoying a little peace, thanks to the slight reinstatement of respect that that tiger bought them with its life... And the signs that are now posted in front of every exhibit warning people not to torment the animals under threat of legal penalties...

Oh yeah! I did have my shoes pecked by a rather confused Guinea Foul though. It as rather like being charged by a very small raptor. Or a rather dinosaur-like chicken.

Phascolarctos cinereus

Ursus Maritimus

Ursus Arctos

After the zoo we went to Ocean Beach and had a picnic on the wall while we watched an ultimate frizbee tournament. That was pretty fun. It was a beautiful day and there wasn't even a cold wind at the beach. Just warm sunshine. So no sand got in my peanut butter and banana sandwich. The last two teams to play each other in the tournament kind of reminded me of the game between the Warriors and the Suns. Both were high scoring teams with great offenses and weak defenses.

We came home and watched The Princess Bride, and then I made some pasta and a salad, with Irwin's help. It was really delicious, but I forgot to warn Irwin that I made the salad dressing kinda spicy. Sorry Irwin!

I just found out today that one of my friends from middle school/ the high school years (if not the actual high school) is engaged. So I'd just like to say congratulations to Deirdre here too. Luck with the dresses D! And the ring re-sizing! =P

Spin

2008-03-01T10:01:00.001-08:00

Mama's Royal Napkin Art Competition

2008-03-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

The Mama's Royal Cafe in Oakland's napkin art competition... Looks pretty awesome huh? Look through the galleries from the last few years. Some of the artwork is really amazing.

Carnival at The De Young

2008-03-01T00:45:00.000-08:00

So I went to the De Young Museum with Irwin and Marlon yesterday, which was AWESOME.
I happen to enjoy the De Young, despite some funky arranging on the part of the curator. (As Irwin and Carlo and I, and later Irwin and Marlon and I discussed) The transitions between the periods and places is a little awkward in some parts... ok, most parts... It's a little ADD. Kind of like the average American attention span in museums... So I guess in some respects it might hold the interest of Americans a little better, but at the same time the ones that DO have the attention span to enjoy museums might find it slightly choppy.
The artworks they have there are really great though. I have some favorites in their permanent collection.
Also there were not only some great temporary exhibits up, but it was Carnival, and they were having a costume party where they were teaching everyone the basic salsa steps.
Afterward the three of us went to this Indian restaurant over on 9th between Irving and Judah. It was delicious and cheap. A great combination. Then we walked down the block past a more expensive Indian place and over to the bar there for a drink before Mar dropped us off at my place.
That was a fun time. And we made plans to hang out over at Mar's place sometime to play pool.

The Bracelet Project: A Portrait of the City in Black and White

2008-02-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

So I'm going to be working on a project That I would like to include people in if they're interested.

Firstly, I'm going to make a whole bunch of friendship bracelets in several different colors. They would wear different color bracelets depending on the interests they chose to affiliate with, and answer different questions based on what they are most passionate about.

Then I'm going to interview people across the city (In coffee houses, on campuses, downtown, the beach, etc). They don't need to disclose their real name. A nickname of their superhero name will suffice.

I will take a black and white photo of them wearing the bracelets. The photos don't need to include their face if they are uncomfortable with that, as long as it shows the bracelet on their wrist or ankle.

I'd like to then find a place that would let me hang them all together as a show that I can invite the people who were interviewed to. If they kept their bracelets they could easily find people with similar interests there, though since the images would all be black and white they could maintain a little anonymity if they elected not to have their face in the picture or their real name on the interview. They could maintain their secret identity.

V-Day Excursion

2008-02-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

So I spent Valentine's Day morning in the hospital getting poked and prodded. But afterwards, to cheer me up, Irwin decided we should drive somewhere and asked me where we should go. Originally I had thought about exploring the caves east of his place, but then out of nowhere The Mystery Spot jumped into my head. So we drove down to Santa Cruz and got to tour the place. It was pretty cool. I'd have loved to spend a lot of time there messing around in the crooked shack, but the group we were with wasn't very interesting. We'll have to go back there with our own levels and roll-y things. It'll be fun.
And after leaving there we decided to avoid traffic and take highway 1 back up the peninsula. Somewhere between Pescadero and Half Moon Bay we got out of the car to run around on the beach collecting rocks and throwing them at other rocks. It was a lot of fun.
Pictures to come once I get them off Irwin's camera.

Tacos in Cabo with Sophia

2008-02-18T22:39:00.000-08:00

So during our brief visit to Cabo, Sophie and I wandered off on our own into the city and ended up eating at the crazy lobster. Good food. It was nice getting to spend time with just my sister in another country. Phialia! We need to go to REAL Mexico together! game?

Some pictures that echo the past

2008-02-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

These pictures look nearly exactly like a series of pictures that my mom took of me and my dad in Hawaii when I was very small. Bree is a little older than I was though. My dad's a bit older in these pictures too. I'll have to see if I can find those pictures of me and my dad so I can put them next to these and gawk.

More smiles from the family visit

2008-02-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

A focus on the happy moments

2008-02-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

I recently spend a week with my family. It came on the heels of some very sad news, but we managed some smiles despite it all.
Here's a focus on some of the happy moments.

Politics in this country makes me cry

2008-02-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

and sometimes speechless with rage and horror...

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Oops_White_House_spokesman_admits_telecoms_0212.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/us/13fisa.html?_r=3&hp=&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The F-Car and the Wharf

2008-01-18T00:28:00.000-08:00

So today Irwin was craving fish and chips and I suggested the best place to find that would be the wharf.
We caught the F-car on Market and took it down to Pier 39 where we got off and stopped in Chowders for some New England Clam Chowder true SF style in Sourdough bread bowl and a basket of fish and chips. All good. I really liked how these pictures from the diner came out.
I think some of the best pictures came off the ride there. We were in the back of the old fashioned street car playing around with the camera. You have to love the care free moments when you don't give a damn if others are watching. Of course, this is something one has to temper with courtesy. For instance you don't want to have a giant cupcaking session in the back of the bus. That's just gross. Anyways, unfortunately the ones from the streetcar are slightly dark and I don't have access to editing software in a convenient time and place, so I won't be putting them up.

Mt. Diablo and the Sea of Clouds

2008-01-17T23:23:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post some photos from the trip Irwin and I took up Mt. Diablo, but having neither time nor a computer I haven't done so till now.
It was a really wonderful trip. One of the last days of freedom that we had before Spring Sem hit us full in the face on monday. So all the following took place on the 11th.
It's very hard not to get up easily when you're excited about a day. So we woke up and bounded out of bed to drive Irwin's dad to the Raider's building in Alameda to pick something up from his work before dropping him off at the Oakland Coliseum BART station and turning the car around.
At first we weren't sure where we were headed, Berkeley or Mt. Diablo. But we decided on Mt. Diablo as we flew past exits for Rockridge. We'll visit Narnia another day. We had big plans for the tallest spot this half of the bay area. The lone inland peak in the line of the coastal mountain ranges. This mountain has been associated with creation myths and religious ceremonies for all of the Native American tribes as far inland as the Sierra Nevadas for centuries. Perhaps longer. And honestly it's not hard to see why.
We had to go through the thick cloud layer to reach the summit. The clouds were dense and shrouded the world so well you could hardly see ten feet in front of you. A dangerous driving condition on thin steep roads full of hair pin turns and side slanting dips. Irwin laughed at me hanging tightly onto the handle on the passenger side, half amused half exasperated with me as I assured him that I was confident in his driving ability but not so much in the car (despite his attempts to reassure me that the SUV wouldn't roll down the mountain) or the condition of the road (even though no one had blocked it off so we should presumably not have to worry about it)... I held tight and tried to keep my flinching and nervous jumping as discrete as possible and trying to pass it off as the bumpy road jolting me up and down. I don't think he was fooled. It didn't help much that when I reach certain elevations I lose hearing abilities in my left ear... the ear that happens to be closest to him when he's driving and I'm in the passenger seat.
Luckily we were able to vent the tension a bit with many stops on the way up so that we could get out and take pictures and watch a very bold coyote follow us along the road and then run down the hill to a ravine.
When we finally broke through the cloud layer the scene nearly took my breath away quite literally as we came around another super sharp turn and I had to suppress a cry of amazement as I didn't want Irwin to get distracted from the road and my vertigo hit me something awful. It didn't lessen until we got out and I was able to put both feet on the ground and feel it not moving or falling away beneath me.
Above the clouds it was sunny and clear. Practically warm. Perfect summer weather with just a hint of winter breeze.
Looking down you could see the sea of clouds stretching out to the coastal mountain range to the west and as far into the valley as we physically visible. We were surrounded. Here and there tall foothills and minor peaks made it above the clouds as well, emerging like islands to keep us company in the blindingly bright world of 3000-something feet. I kept imagining zeppelins or air ships. Flying boats to be ferrying between the peaks.
Anyways, it was a beautiful day. Actually a beautiful couple of days. Filled with smiles.

It Will Be Two Feet Deep

2008-01-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

A short video inspired by Bach's book Illusions.
The Edge of the Pond

Ushering In the New Year with Sushi and Cake

2008-01-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

I spent New Years with my favorite people. I love New Years because you get to choose how you spend it and who with. There are no forced customs really except staying up to watch the clock turn and hear everyone around you suddenly burst out shouting happily.
Irwin and I got some prosciutto and manchego and some really delicious sparkling pear juice to welcome in the new year (Sweet and Salty. The way you're supposed to do it to bring luck and happiness. These things are important.) and we stayed in and spent a low-key night watching season 2 of Bones on dvd (Irwin's Christmas present to me). I'm such a geek. Even my guilty pleasure TV series is about Anthropology and I only watch once it's come out on dvd. ANYway, it was perfect. And mom walked in five minutes after we heard the sound of the whole city shouting and banging and setting off fireworks and firecrackers. It was nice getting to see her in the first five minutes of the New Year. Poor thing was just coming home from work.
The next day we woke up pretty late, and then Sophie joined us and we went to Sushi Bang (one of my absolute favorite sushi places. The woman, Susie, who works there knows me by name because I've been going in there since they opened. Irwin and I were some of their first customers. Anyway, I got to spend a happy time eating delicious food with Irwin and Sophie. New Years is much MUCH better than Thanksgiving or Christmas for me.
Anyways, it continued to be awesome as Irwin and I caught the 2 downtown and walked through Chinatown, where we stopped in several stores to polk around and look at stuff and only actually buy stuff (stone chops and some new carving tools) in one of my favorite stores that is going out of business, and through the eastern end of North Beach to Cafe Greco. Milk and chocolate mousse cake in a lively warm cafe was the perfect end to New Years Day.

Irwin Being "serious", and me being definitely not.

A Flashback to New Years Eve

2008-01-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, forgot to talk about New Years Eve.
I got to spend that with friends too. I woke up on Jacob's floor, with Irwin on the couch nearby. Jacob was still sleeping. I think everyone was tired except me. I'd intended to stay awake and hang out with my friends during our holiday party, but I'd opened at the cafe the day of the party and closed the night before that. So I had ended up falling asleep on the couch relatively early and waking up in time for 2am waffles and bacon. Yeah, my friends are awesome like 2am bacon. Are yours? Anyway, I woke up and hung out with Irwin and Jacob and Grayson, who stopped by, for a little bit, but Jacob had to go to work. So for a while it was Gray, Irwin, and me making balloon animals. Yeah. Balloon animals. in Jacob's living room. Then Grayson had to go and Irwin and I tried to clean up a little before giving up and going down to see Jacob and David at work then skipping off to get Green Tea Cafe. On our way there we saw Johnny drive by in a car, shouting out the window to Irwin. So we ended up meeting up with him and Chris for lunch at Pyramid. I hadn't seen Johnny since he'd moved down to So-Cal. SO it was kinda cool getting to see him.
Afterward Irwin and I headed over to Barnes and Nobel and hung out at the cafe reading and drawing and looking through art books. Then we headed out to the City where I got some prosciutto, manchego, and sparkling pear juice and we chilled out and were cozy.

Another War We Don't Intend To Win

2007-12-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

Once again, President Bush is lying to the American people, the people he's supposed to be representing, and trying to persuade us into consenting to another war, whether by actual consent or the consent of silence and inaction. We can't let him pull us into Iran when he's known for months, and now we all know as well, that Iran disabled their nuclear weapons program years ago. This fact (as well as his knowledge of this fact for the last few months) has been acknowledged by his own National Security Adviser. It is not alright that our president continuously lies to us about such consequential things as this. We cannot afford another war, and most in this country do not want it. We have to let our president know that his bid for war will not be supported by us, twist facts as he may. It's imperative that our congress should stand up against the war-mongering duo, since the people have elected them to speak for their constituents, not sit idly by. President Bush has no authority to wage war against Iran, but he will if we say nothing.

A Possible Contributor to the Lack of Respect Shown Elders by Today's Youth

2007-12-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Note that I said A contributor. I don't think this is the only or even the most prominent cause for the marked lack of respect shown by today's 1st World Country youth to their elders and especially their parents.
I was on the bus the other day and I overheard a group of older men and women grumbling about how their children and "the kids today" don't respect them or listen to them. And they all said it wasn't so when they were younger. I wanted to join the conversation with a hypothesis that came to me then.
The hypothesis was this:
The exponential development of and current social dependency on technologies that have been developed during the lifetimes of the current "up and coming" generations influences and contributes to a lack of subordination or reverence in said generation, today's youth. Technological knowledge is almost a birthright now of any child born in a first world country. It used to be that skills and knowledge required to build a career and make a living or even just live well was passed down from the generation above from parents to children or masters to apprentices. Now older people tend to know less about these technologies that rule today's American economy, making kids feel like they know more than or as well as adults, undermining respect that used to be given automatically to those older or more experienced.

Irwin challenged me saying that really it all began to fall apart when T.V.s became a household item, and grew worse once people started having multiple televisions in a home. People used to be closer connected to their family unit, spending time with them at meal times or even gathering around the television to watch the news and discuss it. Now there are many channels and many shows, and people schedule their lives around them. A father in one room watching the football game and a kid in the other room watching whatever crappy reality show came out this season. There's no more real family bonding time thanks to this particular household technology.
I agree. I think this is another major contributor. There's a disconnect fostered by yet another technology.
I also think, however, that with the rise from tertiary to secondary and now to the primary sector of economic activity, people's fates are less intertwined with that of their families to begin with. And while that in itself may not have caused the same vast disconnect, it certainly allowed for it.

Ok, so much for that. I'll now turn the floor over to the people who'd like to challenge or add to it. I enjoyed all the responses I got to my rant on fairy and folktales. Perhaps I should continue this open forum discussion board style while I'm in San Francisco being a good productive little member of society.

An open response to the anonymous commenter on my rant about fairy and folk tales

2007-12-01T01:48:00.000-08:00

Indeed, anonymous commenter, it's true the age is a remnant from a time when 16 was considered adult. My problem is that in today's society, where these tales are still being told, now by Disney instead of the old woman on the corner, they haven't adjusted the age to reflect the infantalization of today's youth. No longer are the kids today mature at 16 or equipped to make life decisions such as in regards to marriage and kids.
We've idealized the age of 16 because of leaving it a remnant. Now all our dreams are supposed to come true at that age when most kids are just trying to get through highschool and not get in yet another fight with their parents.
If we treated the kids today in such a way that they grew up MATURE enough to make such decisions I wouldn't have a problem.
Just because todays kids grow up fast, doesn't mean they grow up mature. In fact, I'd argue that the commercialism and the sexuality and violence in the media make them grow up with a lightly warped view that they then turn into reality via emulation.

P.S. Dear god I would HATE to be 16 again.

The kindness of strangers in fairy and folk tales, and the merits of Silver Nose and Blue Beard

2007-11-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Just a fair warning, this is a bit of a rant.

As anyone who knows me knows, I collect fairy and folk tales.

I've long been perturbed by what we might call "The Disney Effect", and the horrible lack of personality displayed by most "Prince Charming"s and the like. Not to mention the age of the main characters (They always seems to be 16. Yes, sure, lets all find "true love" at sixteen, marry the pretty girl with big jugs in the sparkling dress or the handsome loaded prince with no personality who I just met for two seconds as I was crossing some road or running around singing with woodland creatures like a wishy washy idiot, and never have to work at the relationship or anything else for that matter ever again cause it'll all be perfect.).

Ok, I know that makes me sound really cynical, but we feed these completely unrealistic images of "love" to our nation's kids at a very young age and they all grow up thinking that at the first sign of some hormone-induced love coma they have to rush out and be with that person ("how horrible and unreasonable for parents to impose curfews and tell us that it's not the best time to start having sex or staying out with this very cute person I'm all drooly over! Don't they understand? I'm fourteen! I've found true love two years early!"). Is it really any wonder that we have the highest divorce rate in the world? People rush out and get married and then don't realize they have to work to make it last and stay as wonderful as before. Instead when it gets hard they think they made a horrible mistake and married the wrong person and that Prince Charming or Cinderella is still out there somewhere.

I'm not saying arranged marriages are a better system. I'm saying that at least in those countries where parents talk and try to find compatible matches for their children the people getting married don't go into marriage expecting a flawless and effortless fairytale ending. Unfortunately, you also can also then get things like bride burning and unchecked spread of STDs from undiscussed infidelity which as a rule of culture is accepted and/or at least unmentioned. Not like this is an inevitable outcome or anything. It just is a high hazard found in cultures with arranged marriages like Japan and India. (Japan, India, I'm not picking on you! I swear!)

Really I think that the "Marry for Love" concept can work and work well. We just have to go into it realizing that maturity and an expectation of compromise is a must for successfully knowing who you want to stay with and make it work. Most Disney movies don't promote this. Most of their heroines are anorexic sixteen year olds with abnormally large chests for such waif-like bodies and annoying anti-gravity powers that make their hair very big. They also have a tendency to be sheltered and extremely naive about the world. The who should come upon them or at least into their line of sight, but some worldly giant with gleaming teeth and hair just as bouncy as theirs, and oh yea, usually a title and some money to speak of. Gasp and swoon girls! It's the first guy you've seen with such a charming laugh! Or legs. Or maybe the first guy you've ever seen, thanks to some crazy fairy or sorcerer or prediction combined with over-protective parents. And hey guys! Look at that girl who is somehow skinnier and bustier and more naive that all the rest! And doesn't her bouncy hair just compliment your own? Oh wait, does prince charming have enough personality to notice the naiveté? Perhaps not, but the rest is probably pretty accurate. Commence story of someone or other (step-mom, troll, above mentioned fairy, sorcerer, or spell) attempting to come between them, incapacitating little girlie, who invariably loses heart and starts crying if some crone or woodland creature or whatever doesn't help keep her chin up, and allowing the prince to perform some brawny stupid heroic or other to prove his love or whatever and win the girl and then they marry and there's some narrator telling you they lived happily ever after.
I will admit that there have been some more recent and much more evolved stories from Disney, starting in the 90s with tales borrowed from other cultures, like Mulan, or from history (albeit some really twisted hardly recognizable adaptations of history), like Pocahontas, where the girl isn't so obnoxious and helpless and actually gets a chance to do some rescuing, and the guy has a bit more personality and maybe a little less money too! This is their version of girl power. Notice they're still unnaturally thin and still are assisted by their little animal friends who are male. At least it's a step in the right direction...
Honestly Disney's best films were done in conjunction with Pixar, and I give all the credit to the geniuses over at Pixar's ridiculously awesome complex in Emeryville and wherever else they might work from.

Whatever. The actual reason for this post is something else I've decided to take issue with. And this isn't just with Disney's version of stories. This is with the original stories. Although I will say it's an interesting tell on the cultures they came from and their values and beliefs about gender and ability and the like.

I've been reading Italo Calvino's anthology Italian Folk Tales, and after reading up to the end of "Money Can Do Everything", I had to stop and put the book down and glare off into the distance. Has anyone else noticed how often the protagonist gets help from some random old person or animal who comes up with the brilliant plan that they then pull off and somehow never get any credit or real thanks for? Maybe it's not as pronounced in some of the more modern re-tellings of stories. But if you read the old versions that are collected in anthologies of folk-tales or fairy-tales from whatever culture or country, in the versions or close to the versions that were passed along by word of mouth before they were collected, it's painfully common for the protagonist to be super lazy and unthoughtful, or dim-witted, or to just pass the time bemoaning their condition or situation and waiting. Thank goodness for them they all have some wise old wet-nurse or sailor or random old crone to give them advice if not actually plot and work for them so they can get out of their pickle and somehow end up with some beautiful wife and a kingdom or whatever. Then you never hear of the old helper again. Or they get magical gifts from some animal or tiny person they meet, even though often they don't actually do anything to deserve the present.

Thank goodness for the heroine of "Silver Nose" (also known as "How The Devil Married Three Sisters") who tricked the devil into taking her two older and less clever sisters and eventually herself out of his hell closet and taking them back to their mother. She at least used her own cunning to bale them out. On a side (and hopefully somewhat explanatory) note, "Silver Nose" is an Italian tale that has a more well known French counterpart in "Blue Beard", though the two tales are not really the same. Also, I wonder if anyone has read or heard the Russian "Masha's Tale"? It's actually very much like that. Except instead of a Bear it's the Devil dressed like a gentleman with a silver nose. But the method of escape is very similar. Think laundry instead of cakes and pies.

I'm all for Happily Ever After, I just don't think we should be teaching our children that they come easily.

This had made me realize what an incredible geek I am. I doubt anyone reading this entry is understanding my references.
Oh well. I got it off my chest. This is the purpose of a blog after all.

New Job, New Passport, New Smile

2007-11-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

So for those of you who don't know, yes, I'm in SF.
And will be here for a while. With the exception of course of a few days in February that I'll be on some cruise ship with the rest of the numerous family on my dad's side.
Which reminds me, I have to make sure that I tell my teachers and my NEW JOB that I'll need four days in february.
Yes, I just got a job at Bay Bread! I'm so freaking giddy.
Ok, I'm off to go get passport photos done.

A Forray into Fire Land and the Safe Return

2007-11-26T21:52:00.001-08:00

First of all, I'd like to say a big Thank You to my cousin Gwen and her awesome boyfriend Matt for the ride down to San Diego. Cheers!

Secondly, I'd like to say: Oh yeah, by the way, I went to San Diego!
It wasn't a long visit. And if I could have I'd have stayed longer. But I have a passport issue to attend to, so I had to come back.

To all the people in LA who I wanted to visit and haven't gotten to this time around: I'm sorry! I miss you! I'll try to get down there again soon, but I really do have to work to make sure I have the money for school books and stuff for the upcoming semester...
Yes, I can be responsible too.

So anyway, I did have fun in the land of crazy and horribly constant fires. My family had been evacuated a few weeks ago when the fires came ridiculously close to burning down their houses. Luckily they're back at home now and safe to boot. (Others weren't so lucky. A few people were burned in their cars as they tried to flee. The fire was faster. One couple survived by staying in their pool as the fire burned their house to the ground and reduced their yard to ashes. I feel bad for the animals. There are a lot of horse ranches down there, and the fires are too fast and too unpredictable for most of the animals to be saved... But I've digressed, and this is depressing.)

Back to the having fun bit. I did. I got to see a lot of my dad's side of the family that I also hadn't seen in years. It's funny having your entire family remember you as a pre-teen when you're 22. I got a lot of shocked looks and gasps when I pulled out my ID to get a wrist-band allowing me to order alcoholic beverages if I so chose (which I didn't).

My Aunt Marcy threw my Uncle Peter a surprise party which was awesome.

It was the first time I'd met a few of my younger cousins too. I have to say, Jenna is ADORABLE. There's no getting around it. And she's crazy smart too.

Home again Home again

2007-11-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

jiggitty jig.
Well, I ended up coming home a lot sooner than I'd planned originally.
It's ok though. My adventures are far from over.

Nashville again

2007-11-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

So I stayed in Florida a bit shorter than originally anticipated, but I made it to Nashville, Tennessee alright. Oleg picked me up at the Greyhound station.
By the way, Gremlin is adorable. And very soft.

Made it to Florida

2007-11-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

So I'm now in the Public Library in Jacksonvile.
It's nice and warm down here, and sunny. Looks like I just barely stayed ahead of the weather.
There was a freeze in South Calorina last night. It ended their crop season early.
But it looks like it's still warm enough to go swimming here.
Anyways, I'll post more later. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm alright.

The Lion Museum Continued (Bringing more of The Met Museum To You)

2007-11-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is a detail from Claude Lorraine's painting The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet. I liked the expression, the movement, the detail... The ships were also well done, very detailed... But the painting is huge, and everything in it is small. Small and intricate. It would have been a stronger composition if Lorraine (who's real last name was apparently Gellee.) had chosen part of his painting and made it bigger. And some of my friends are going to laugh that I'm talking about the composition, cause they think that's just what people comment on when they have nothing better to say, but I'm serious. The composition was seriously lacking. But hey, who am I to criticize? The guy painted better than I ever will.

This is Georges de La Tour's The Fortune Teller. I liked the old gypsy's wrinkly face, and how the young gypsies were picking his pockets. I don't know, I guess it was just done well.

This glassy eyed Madonna by Caravaggio was interesting to me because of the expression on her face and how she seems a bit... I don't know... tired of the whole thing. Like she wished someone had asked her if she wanted the whole deal. And also cause the toddler Jesus is in a kind of bratty show off superior pose as if he's lording it over his cousin John how he's the center of attention (really, no horribly inappropriate pun intended, I promise). It's not that I'm dissing any of the religion or any of the people in the pictures. I'm really not. I'm just saying that you hardly ever see such a human looking portrayal. And I'm sure it wasn't intentional...

I thought this girl was a riot. She had binoculars to counter my camera. It was great.

Ok, I know, it's a chair. But if you look closely, it looks like someone drew a chair and it sprang into being. Like Athena from Zeus's head. I mean... Look at it!

German made ivory portable diptych sundials. are they awesome or what? Mid 1500s to very early 1600s.

A table clock and it's guts. I thought it was so cool how they had removed all the inner workings of these clocks and watches so you could see how they worked. I want to make one...

Roemer. Isn't that a cool name? I dunno. It's a map on a chalice. Why would you use a diamond engraving tip to put a map on a glass chalice? Because you're that bad-ass a cartographer, that's why. Dutch mid-17th century.

Padlock and Key. The card is actually quite legible if you look at this picture in full size. Just click on it!

The gate in the middle of the Medieval Statuary was pretty cool. I liked walking through it, so I did a few times more than was strictly necessary. The museum guard raised an eyebrow at me, but what does he know? He gets to walk through it all the time! How often am I in there?

A statue of the Virgin Mary of the Annunciation.

The two Marys. The one facing the camera is Mary Magdalene and the other is the Virgin.

A Statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

This is a leaf from a Psalter. It's from an English court school around the mid 1200s. It's tempera and gold leaf on vellum.

This is enamel on copper-gilt. There were a lot of little scenes like this that were apparently affixed to the front of books and stuff.

A Super old Mahzor (Prayer Book). This thing is from the 1400s. It's Italian. Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment. And sooooooo pretty.....

These little reliquary things freaked me out. People used to carry around little pieces of saints and stuff in these... yeaaah....

A Japanese mask. There were a lot of really cool Japanese things. Unfortunately, my camera was on the blink at that point... Yea.... I think it's cool that they put the beard on the mask, and kinds think it's creepy cause some guy probably cut off the lower half of his beard and stuck it there...

A really awesome lock and key. There were actually several of these locks and keys around this part of the museum. It was awesome.

A Siren statue. I thought the tentacles were interesting. And I'm not sure if it was intentional or if one of the spikes fell off cause I'm not tall enough to really examine it, but I also like the asymmetrical nature of her crown.

Here's the tiny little gallery they made for the Byzantine Egyptian exhibit. It's under the Grand Staircase. I kind of think they just knocked down the janitorial alcove and put in the brick to make it look cool. I giggle cause I keep imagining the janitor from SCRUBS and this facial expression if they knocked down the little room where he and his posse hang out. I'm giggling now! And I'm pretty sure the people behind me in that gallery thought I was loopy. Because after all, the Byzantine Egyptian exhibit is a very serious place! hehehe!

I liked this little Madonna and baby Jesus statue cause it was the only one in this whole gallery where she looked happy and he looked adoring, not judging, and she wasn't holding her bare breast. It just looks so much happier than the others did.

This is a gondola bow. I particularly like the little sea monster on the top. It makes me think of the monster impression my mom used to do when I was little. I know she'd really like this one too. So would Irwin.

This is a room that was just taken out of a Palazzo in Venezia. Yea. Just taken. Original Floor boards and all. Crazy huh? I wonder what they did in the palace. Did they build another room there or is it just a giant hole where a room used to be?

There were a lot of people painting in the European Paintings Gallery while I was there. You have to apply for a permit to be allowed to paint with anything but watercolors in there, so it's kinda cool that people do it. They had their easels set up with their drop clothes and their wooden cases of oil paints. Most of them were listening to music on their headphones so they could ignore the docents and tour guides and the gawking museum goers such as myself who might otherwise have been tempted to try engaging them in conversation. There was this one girl who was a ridiculously good copycat (It looked more like the original than the original did! Just kidding). I think she might be practicing to become a master con-artist. Or maybe that's just my overactive imagination and she's learning the way the old masters did, copying other masters' works to develop technique.
Unfortunately, my camera battery died while I was in the armory. Which is unfortunate. But really, you can't go through that place in one day. So I'm going to go back. And also you can't get a real picture of the place from my crummy snapshots anyway. So if you're ever in New York, go visit the Met Museum!!! Even if you've been before their exhibits are always changing, as with any good museum.

The Lion Museum (Bringing The Met Museum To You)

2007-11-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not really called "the lion museum", and I'm not talking about the Zoo. I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today! I call it the Lion Museum because every exhibit I saw had a lion somewhere in it.
It was wonderful!
I walked there from the 33rd Street PATH train station. It's a great walk, past the zoo and all these really cool playgrounds. Why are the playgrounds in Central Park so much cooler than the playgrounds in Golden Gate Park? It's really not fair. (By the way, anyone not in the know, if you're in the Bay Area and you're wanting to go down a giant concrete slide similar to this one only longer, there's one in the park connected via tunnel to the Berkley Rose Garden! But you have to navigate there through Narnia. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you bring your own cardboard. The sand is already there. You throw the sand down the slide right before you, who should be seated on the cardboard big enough that you can hold on without scraping your fingers, start sliding. It'll make you go faster and keep you from wearing out your cardboard as quickly.)
Anyways, I got there and went in. I'm apparently not supposed to use the pictures I'm allowed to take in their galleries except for personal use. But their rules strictly prohibit the distribution of those pictures or the public showing of them... So if it's a blog, and that's KIND OF like a journal, does that count? It's not like these are professional grade pictures. In fact they're pretty crappy because of the lighting (which I know is supposedly to preserve the paintings, but I also think is to discourage photography). And if I say they're in the Met and this is to encourage anyone who DOES happen to read this to go and see the real ones since the pictures don't do them justice? Whatever. They can come yell at me if they find me.

There were a LOT of lions in that museum. All kinds of lions. In all kinds of contexts. It was pretty sweet.

There were a lot of other things too though.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes's Don Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuniga. An art history note (that most readers of this blog probably won't need): Christian art often uses birds to symbolize the soul, and Baroque art used caged birds to show innocence. The card by this painting speculated that "Goya may have intended this portrait as an illustration of the frail boundaries that separate the child's world from the forces of evil or as a commentary on the fleeting nature of innocence and youth." It goes on to say that this painting "may have been executed after the child's death in 1792, since the imagery and sinister undertone seem more characteristic of Goya's works of the 1790s."

Soap Bubbles, by Jean Simeon Chardin. I love this one. Apparently soap bubbles used to allude to the transience of life when used in paintings. Did anyone know that? I didn't. I guess that's something I'd know if I took an art history class...

Jean Marc Nattier did a bunch of paintings in the European Painting Gallery wing, a few of which I found interesting. Or at least parts of them. Like his portrait Madame Marsollier and Her Daughter. Apparently the woman was a well known beauty of the court born and bred and known as The Velvet Duchess for her pretensions. But what I liked were her daughter's eyes. The daughter was the only thing that seemed alive in the whole painting. The duchess was far to posed and glassy eyed.

Nattier's portrait of some courtier I forgot to make note of posed as Diana. I think it's funny cause Diana would never have worn so hindering a gettup, so the fur masks nothing. And Diana's recurve bow would have been strung with a usable string. The one the model was using had a string tied around the nocks and was ridiculously long. Did they think it dangerous to have a woman hold a usable bow? That she'd hurt herself or accidentally shoot someone with it? I bet she was amused too. She looks amused by something. Am I too critical of these paintings? I know they were all vanity portraits. Done in a very stuffy prude era none the less, so she would never have been allowed to pose in any sort of dress that Diana really would have worn...

Nattier's Louise Henriette de Bourbon-Conti, Later Duchesse d'Orleans. From the late 1600s to early 1700s. I liked how she was waist deep in water that was spilling out of the jar. Like the Mississippi river was flowing out of her water jug.

This incredible landscape was done by "El Greco" (Domenikos Theoto- kopoulos) sometime in the late 1500s or early 1600s. It shows Toledo from the north. Apparently the artist took some liberties with the placement of the buildings so that you could see the cathedral which would have been blocked from view from that angle.

Just a Little More Halloween

2007-10-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

Soho and The Village

2007-10-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

So it's Halloween (or All Hallows Eve) today. And apparently NYC takes Halloween seriously. It's awesome. I've had waning enthusiasm for the holiday since I think most people in California who aren't going to a skanky Halloween party have stopped trying as hard and there's been less participa- tion by kid friendly neighbor- hoods (a sentiment Irwin echoed today). But New York... I saw people in costume all day, everywhere. Working, shopping, playing, chilling. I saw kids trick or treating ALL DAY. Not only at residences. Almost every store participated. I saw kids going from store to store all day and by the end their pillow cases were loaded. I don't envy the parents of those kids. They have about a month or two of serious sugar fiending. They've got a parade in The Village too (which Elizabeth! was in). I saw the police out in droves (seriously at least 60-100 per block) blocking off the street in preparation for the parade. How do they find that many people to be police and still have there be civilians in this place?? At first I thought maybe it was a prearranged Halloween Joke where a whole company dressed up as the Police barricading themselves into pens made with those "Police Line Do Not Cross" fences. But no, they were actual police. On every block. In groups of 60-100. It was insane.

I met Elizabeth! today at the corner of E17thSt. and Broadway. We decided after ogling the pastries at the patisserie to instead get some food at the green market in Union Square across the street.

We got some Havarti cheese, a home made spinach and cheese in pie crust pasty, a brown roll, and some apples. We sat on the steps in the sun and ate it. It was wonderful.

Afterwards I wandered east to look at some cafes. I'd recommend both highly. They were wonderful. Very different though. I saw a ninja and a wolf man along the way. Among other things.

Atlas Cafe and Bakery is this tiny hole in the wall place with pretty red walls and mismatching tables and chairs that all go quite well in the little space. The walls are covered in chalk boards listing their extensive and extremely inclusive menu. They're very vegetarian and vegan friendly, though they also have really good non-veg food. They were also playing great middle eastern music while I was in there. I ordered a salad which came out promptly and was delicious and I watched the people come and go, and some of them sit inside and some of them sit in the little fenced in piece of sidewalk that had four tables and various chairs. If you ever find yourself on Second Avenue between 4th and 5th streets and you're hungry or even just want a drink, they're delicious, they have food for every mood, and it's all really reasonably priced. If you're not around there but want to try their food, they apparently have free delivery. Go figure!

Housing Works Used Book Cafe is awesome. It's part really amazing used books store part cafe. Or a really awesome bookstore with a cafe who's tables and chairs are scattered around it in alluring places, like the walkway in the loft that has a nice view of the store and the street. Very top notch people watching or studying or hanging out place. I'm super excited about it. If I had money and didn't have to worry about carrying too much stuff, I'd probably spend a lot of time and money in there. I'd go in there to journal and write people post cards about how awesome it is and how they should go there too. *laugh*

Anyway, I might have found a non-creepy person to give me a ride down to Florida! Apparently he and a super friendly German Shepard are on their way down to Fort Lauderdale to go kayaking and snorkeling! Sweet. So hopefully I'll be heading south in a few days.

After Central Park

2007-10-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

This man's job is to watch cement dry... And to keep people from writing in it while it does. But still. He sits there and reads. This is his job.

I just thought this was awesome. It looks like the model in the poster in the window is looking at the wigs on the cart. "Oooohh! What if I had hair like that? My agent would never allow it!"

Free nitrogen, anyone?
These were just sitting there across from Radio City.

I was caught taking pictures of people by this kid. hehehe. look at him! I was totally busted.

Ummm... pseudo- bicycle? I don't know what on earth this is. A collapsible bike I guess... he had it over his shoulder one moment, the next moment he was riding down the street on it going slower than the foot traffic.

More from Central Park

2007-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sunbathing in the park. The kids behind them have a skateboard and a soccer ball you can't see.

A little girl stretching at Wollman Skating rink. Trump apparently has bought the place up or something. I dunno, but his name's all over the place.

This kid was learning to skate. It was really cute. And that woman (his mom?) caught him every time.

This couple was really sweet. They were just talking on the bench in the sun in the park on a Tuesday afternoon.

This old woman cracked me up. She was dressed all stuffy and had a dower expression on for most of the time, but I watched her and she smirked and she pointed to leaves and had people pick them up for her, then she carried them around like a bouquet. She put on a good show of being crabby but she was definitely a kindred spirit. (Ok, anyone getting what character this reminded me of? I know Mom or Aunt Mary or Aunt Sara or my girl cousins would know.)

I liked the way these people were hanging out on a sunny patch of lawn near the pond. It was a comfortable sort of lounging that made it feel like a weekend, even though it was only maybe twenty yards from a busy midtown business/shopping part of Manhattan.

These two cracked me up. I don't know if this woman was the kid's mother or grandmother or babysitter or neighbor or just some random woman... I have no clue. But there they were sitting together on a park bench reading a book together. Her with her cigarette and him with his snow cone. She was reading out loud to him from some shopaholic book or something or other (anyone recognize the pink book jacket?) and unbeknown to her he was raising his eyebrows in a "you've got to be kidding me" look over her shoulder, but he was listening just the same.

I just liked the look of this old man and his new paper.

These summer dresses in the winter display cases were drawing a lot of looks from the passers by. This is the first window I passes upon leaving Central Park.

Central Park Is A Pace Apart

2007-10-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

I walked from the 33rd Street PATH Train station to Central Park today. Once I got there it was really quite relaxing, but the way there and back...
New Yorkers are big fans of the "If you see an opening, take it" mentality, whether or not they actually fit in the opening. The "Stratford Weave" has really saved my shoulders (Thank you Chele!).
Cigarette ash swirls in the spaces between people stopped at traffic signals. No one else seems to notice as they look for gaps between the cars in oncoming traffic. It looks like snow, already dirty before ever touching the ground.

A girl sitting on the monument to all Seafaring someones or other.

A View of midtown from The eastern end of Central Park.

Seabou. A 33 year old bike-taxi "driver" from West Africa. He's apparently here on a one year work permit or something. I He spoke somewhat fragmented English with a heavy accent, but he was pretty friendly and was able to give me directions.

The Carousel in Central Park. A ride is only $1.50! And it's an antique. All carved and painted by hand and everything...

A chess game going on at the House of Chess and Checkers. I stopped here to write some post cards and have a arrange to meet my cousin Elizabeth! for lunch tomorrow in Union Square at a patisserie.

More of Manhattan

2007-10-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

Manhattan Wind Tunnels

2007-10-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back To New York

2007-10-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I finally got a ride out of Plymouth. I loved seeing my family, but this trip now has less time for all other places and the in betweens. Oh well. Totally worth it.
I got the ride with a really awesome woman named Crescentia who lives in Pennsylvania. And along the way we picked up another girl named Lani from Florida. The ride with those two was a lot of fun. I'll probably come back and put more detail into this after I shower and whatnot. Or maybe tonight after I see some of the city.
So yeah, I'm now in Jersey City, right across the river from Manhattan.
More later!

PS. Larry and Sara! How was the soup? I'm sorry I had to leave before eating it. It smelled and looked delicious!

Lack of Motion and the Movie Marathon

2007-10-26T10:39:00.001-07:00

I have a real jones to watch Murder On The Orient Express. Anyone seen that? The 1974 murder mystery with pretty much every famous face of the time in it?
Yesterday I watched the Japanese film, Ping Pong. It was really good.
I can't seem to find a reliable ride out of here. The guy that I had arranged to get a ride to NY with has flaked out on me repeatedly since Tuesday... I've been here for nearly three weeks now. *sigh*
I also have been watching Miyazaki films and playing game cube with my cousins. It's been fun, but I still have so many places to visit before Thanksgiving... I don't know if I can see them all anymore... It's less than a month away.

Gremlin Update

2007-10-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

For all those who asked me if Oleg kept the kitten, the answer is Yes.

Some Pictures of the Family

2007-10-24T17:54:00.001-07:00

A Furry Friend

2007-10-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Yellow Whisper Blues

2007-10-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

We raked the yard today. We didn't really need to, in fact by all logical accounts it was an exercise in futility, meant only to keep Eve busy and out of people's hair. But I joined in. I'm pretty sure my family here thinks I'm crazy for volunteering to rake leaves in the middle of fall when several hours later there are just as many leaves on the ground and you can't tell you even bothered save for the large pile of leaves in the corner of the yard. But I derive a lot of pleasure from it. Standing there under the blue and white sky in the shadow of trees that make dark veins above me and rain down showers of yellow leaves every time the wind comes up. The leaves dance snow-like through the air, whispering as they come to rest on the grass you've just uncovered. Brushing past hair and cheek like the sky is sending kisses. I love it.

Rainy Walks Through Colorful Seas of Leaves

2007-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

It's rainy out. The clouds wrap themselves around me. Block out all the sounds but the soft crunch of wet leaves under foot. How girly do I feel listening to The Fray's "Look After You" in my head?
I miss Irwin.

New Hair Cut

2007-10-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

So here's my new hair cut. It's short in back and longer in front. Whatchya think?

An Apology to Noah

2007-10-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

I owe Noah an apology. I managed to be in the same town and still miss his birthday. I planned on going all the way up till Aunt Mary said it was too late to go over. I should have just walked there yesterday afternoon.
Anyways, Noah, I hope you had fun. When I called over there was enough background noise to suggest it. I'll give you a card before I leave.
Lots of love and birthday wishes.

A Proposition to be Considered

2007-10-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

My stay here seems to be lengthening again. I'll be here till the end of the week. Tomorrow is Noah's eleventh birthday, I wouldn't miss that. And then Aunt Mary has time off of work, so I'll spend some more time with her and Katie and Caroline. But I'm determined to get to New York by early next week.
During the week that I've been here the air has changed. The brightest reds have gone from the trees. The air is colder now. And the smokey smell of the wood burning stoves has become pleasantly pervasive.
I love this season. We don't get it on the west coast. It's too bad. It makes me want to be more productive. Like suddenly my throat has loosened and all the stories and images I've been trying to process come flowing out of me. I have to try to catch them now. I have to try to put them down on paper.
The graphic novel ideas I've had bubbling below my surface may come out soon. I hope they do.
I've mentioned before to several people that I'd like some help with it. Very specific help. So I would like to hear from several people about a possible collaborative project I'd love your help on.
Faded, of course, you already are helping, but I thought I'd include you on this list.
Bea, remember what I asked you when we made blondies? When you've got a lull in your work load and you're not trying to finish your incredibly awesome work for the possible opening in the show at the MOMA... still interested?

Spaghetti and Meatballs and trays full of cookies

2007-10-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

So it's been days since I last updated. I'm not dead. I'm actually having a blast with family, I just haven't had access to internet fast enough to put photos up, so I've been avoiding it slightly, cause it means saying "pictures to come" at the end of every entry.
Yes, I need to put up pictures. Because, they're awesome.
Anyways, I'm actually at my Uncle Larry and Aunt Sara's house right now, sitting here smelling Aunt Sara's magic cooking and getting seriously mouth-wateringly hungry. Like when cartoons smell something delicious and suddenly their friends become thanksgiving dinners.
Uncle Larry and I took little Eve to see the cows today. There were new born calfs there that she wouldn't say goodbye to. Eve's in her "helpful" age. She helpfully broke a whole carton of eggs the other night. It was pretty cute though (well, not the mess, but the way she'd been helping put groceries on the counter even though she's two and she was sitting in the cart herself).
Oooh! Dinner's ready, so I'll put the pictures up after dinner!

Ok, so other notes about the last few days, on Thursday we had a dinner at Mary's and saw Uncle Andy and Aunt Debbie, Larry and Sara and their awesome kids, and my Granddad and Jovette (which was... a little awkward...). Anyways, it was delicious.

Aunt Mary also got me a coat and hoodie cause I'm crazy for thinking I'll survive the great lakes around thanksgiving without them.

Oh yes, Aunt Mary and Caroline and I had an interesting breakfast this morning too...

Oooh, and last night I helped decorate nearly a hundred cookies for the Pony Club Auction today. That was actually pretty fun. Music on, icing and sprinkles everywhere. My Aunt Mary's a riot.

I saw my dad's brother, My Uncle Mike and his wife, Wendy, and their kids Elizabeth and Sarah. I really loved getting to see them, it was a lot of fun. We went to dinner.

Tomorrow I'm hopefully going to a farm to press apples into cider with my Uncle Larry and Simon and Noah and maybe Eve. She'll be very helpful I'm sure. Tonight she helped butter corn on the cob. And the couch. She's so cute. Although I'm sure the couch could have done with less butter.

I have more pictures to put up, but I'm going to go be social. More later.

The Drive Through the Doldrums and The New England Fall

2007-10-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm really glad I got to see Evelyn and Adrian. It was a lot of fun. And it'll bre REALLY fun seeing them for Thanksgiving at their place in Snowmass. It'll be a lot colder by the time I come back... and I forgot my jacket I was going to bring... It's in my room. Great. Oh well. I'll come up with somthing. Actually, I'll probably forget.

Anyways, after we left the cafe in Colorado we drove through the Rocky Mountains, exiting into The Flatlands. Or what I also call The Doldrums of the country... Through the remainder of Colorado, Kansas, and the rest of the states or parts of states that make up the Great Plains there is flat land that is very dry at this point in the year. The highway stretches on and on and the sky is so big it could swallow you whole. Which you might begin to wish for as the drive seems to go on forever. The tiny towns you come to are all very similar. All advertized by grain sillos and a little church, otherwise it's just a smattering or farms that may or may not be close enough together to constitute a town in the rest of the country. Don't get me wrong, the people we met in these places all seemed nice enough... But it's all very homogenized.
I just finished reading American Gods (a definite perfect pick recomended by Jesse. good call Jesse. I LOVED it. I recomend it highly to anyone interested in this blog. Or in mythology, or good writing in general. And especially to Neil Gaiman fans, since he wrote it. Of course, then you may have already read it.) and in that book it describes the middle of the country in a very accurate way. It was funny, and perfect, reading it when I did because I had the giant road atlas next to me and was riding through all the small towns. It was fun being able to say "I've been there!!!!"... Anyway, in the book it mentions that every tiny town has a sign accompanying their welcome to (insert town name here) sign. A sign stating that it's the home town of the champion or runner up of such and such. It's true. Every town we drove through. I wonder how these people (kids mostly) feel having their name be put on the town sign for the year. I wonder if it breeds bad blood between people who would otherwise only have friendly rivalries?

We stopped in French Lick, Indiana because Peter has been wanting to see that place for a while. We drove up in time to hang out in the Pumpkin Festival Carnival. I got a small pizza at the Fresh Off The Brick Pizza place and then walked around till I found myself watching the Til-A-Whirl with Ani lyrics running through my head. It was a moment before I realized the little girl had run straight over to me and was talking excitedly to me about how fun it was and how she was going to go again! I don't know who she was. Little kids tend to pick me out of the crowd. And this one did. She was so excited that Roy the Tilt-A-Whirl opperator noticed me and started talking to me, laughing when he realized I didn't know the kid. Apparently Roy spends six months out of the year riding around the country on his Harley and the other six traveling with the Carnival. Then the little girl came running back up, fist full of tickets and pulled on my sleeve, telling me to come on! Roy cast a look around and then said "Don't look suspicious!" and let me on for free cause I'd said I didn't have any tickets. It was so much fun!
After that it was pretty much more driving. As we drove past Indianapolis I noticed there was a giant closed sign over the road signs into the city. That made me laugh. Indianapolis is closed.
We made it up to Connecticut before stopping.
New England is incredible in the fall. I watched the night mists wax and wane over the grounds and the wet night air turn a soft grey before the sun came to shine through the trees and show off the colors of the leaves. It was incredible.
Peter drove up to Manchester where he bought me a bus ticket and I hung around the town waiting for the bus which was five hours away. Manchester is actually quite pretty. A lot of the classic brick you find in New England. I sat and read American Gods in a coffee house until it was nearly time for my bus, then I walked back to the station and watched the people. I finished the book on the bus ride, and caught a ten minute nap.
When I got into Plymouth and got off the bus downtown by the common, I was half an hour early, so I called my Aunt and told her. She and Caro arrived a few minutes later to scoop me up. It was fun as they got out of the car and came to hug me. I suddenly had that warm feeling of knowing you're loved and being excited to see people you love. We drove back to their new house and sat around in the kitchen talking and eating. Katie and Mark joined us as well for a while. Then Mark went to bed and Katie went out with friends.
I took a shower. Oh my god, I love water. It was probably the longest shower ever because I hadn't taken one in so long and I just wanted to stay in it forever.
Today Katie and Caro and Caroline's boyfriend Zack went on a treasure hunt of sorts. Driving around collecting things from a list that Aunt Mary gave us. Tarragon. Garlic granules. Sesame seeds. Bottles of home made rhubarb soda pop. We forgot the pumpkins. We'll probably pick those up tomorrow afternoon or something.
We're actually about to go over to my Uncle Larry and Aunt Sara's house. I haven't seen them in years either, and I'm really looking forward to it. Their youngest son Noah is a big Miazaki fan. And I have yet to meet their daughter Eve.
(This is a note from later when I'm putting up the pictures: Some of these pictures are from Simon's soccer game. Larry with Eve and Mary with Caro.)

Reunion of The Mauchly Clan

2007-10-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

So I finally made it into Plymouth, New Hampshire tonight! Peter drove me into Manchester and bought me a bus ticket up to Plymouth. When I got here my Aunt Mary and my cousin Caro picked me up and drove me back to the new house. It was dark, so I didn't see much of the outside, but the house on the inside is huge. And full of warmth.
I'm pretty excited to get to see my family this trip. It's been years since I've visited. Everyone's gotten so big... On Thursday we're bringing in all the uncles. That'll be a lot of fun.
I'm pretty tired, so I'll recount my last few days tomorrow. I'll do the picture thing then too.

Cue The Sun and the Portals to Narnia

2007-10-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

So this time I'm at a cafe about an hour outside of Denver in Colorado. It's pretty chill, full of kids on laptops. The guy behind the counter is on the internet too. He was pretty friendly, but he seems a bit bored. He's probably been on since 5:30.
Yesterday after leaving the Awesomeness that was the A Cup of Joe cafe, we bolted down to Moab where we got some camping groceries and then found a campground right on the Colorado River. It was BEAUTIFUL. The sky was completely covered in stars to the point where they formed clouds rather than constellations. There was no ambient light to make them shrink. And they were hemmed in on all sides back lighting the incredible Utah rock formations.
When the sun broke over those formations, before it even reached the river valley where we were, the place had red-amber glow from the light bouncing off the rocks and plateaus. We had breakfast down by the river.
After eating we drove to the Arches National Park and hiked around the North and South Window formations and the Turret Arch, then did the hike up to Delicate Arch. It was amazing. The climb up was really steep and the rock we were walking on was pretty slick, but luckily it was dry, so it was fine. There was one part where my vertigo threatened to take over, but I managed to push through it. And it was well worth it. As Sophie pointed out, that arch is a portal to Narnia. There's no doubt about it.
While I was up there enjoying the view and Peter was climbing all over the rocks like a monkey, I got into a conversation with a couple who were leading a small group of 6th and 7th graders from Spokane Washington on a little excursion around the country. They were really cool. I wish I'd gotten their information. But as I was talking to them and watching the kids pretend to be pushing the arch, I became aware of a little old woman staring at me. In a lull in the conversation I looked at her. She was squinting at me (which may have been from the blinding sun light or because she was old, or her confusion) and she said "You look tough, but you're really a very sweet girl!" As if she was surprised that any kid with pink hair could be friendly. I thought it was funny.
Actually, because of the nature of the hike up to the arch (the lack of flat footing in many places, the lack of shade in most of it, the necessity for some climbing up and down rocks, and the sheer height from which one could fall) I was surprised by the number of older people who were hiking it. Some seemed to be getting along fine, and I suspect them of lots of activity at home, but some seemed to struggle a bit. I think it's really cool that they're so determined though. Apparently there's a problem with people not bringing enough water and getting super dehydrated. While we were there there was a park ranger who had to hike some water up to this old couple. She said at least the water was lighter than her med pack and a lot less ominous. I have to agree.
Anyways, gotta go. A lot of driving left to go.

Salt Flats and the Road from Here to There

2007-10-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

So I left San Franciso after meeting up with Peter at Escape From New York Pizza on Castro at 2pm. We took the 80 East after a quick stop in Emeryville for XM radio and some Trader Joe's groceries. We accidentally got on the 50 East in Sacramento, but didn't regret the detour past Bridal Veil Falls (stoped to gather evergreen branches) and a stop in Tahoe at Sprouts Cafe where the guy behind the counter was playing Spoon and singing along, even dancing along at some points. It was awesome. The food ws really good too. So if you find yourself in Tahoe, I recomend stopping there.

Around 11:15pm PST we found ourselves driving through Nightengale Natural Hotsprings. It's a field of hot springs sending up steam sigls to be illuminated against the hills and star filled sky by a honey colored moon. At firt glance they were slightly disconcerting. Like wild fire smoke collumns with no dancing yellow flames to be seen.

We were on the road again early this morning, tearing up the road to Salt Lake City. We drove across a beautifully martian landscape. Sun burning golden, trying to dispell the ice that lay over everything. We stopped at rest stop to brush teeth and stretch and pick leaves. Giant grins on our faces as we pretended we weren't cold and scraped the ice off the antena.
Soon after we drove through a giant cloud of mist. It was like approaching a sea and going into it. It blocked out the sun. The ground there was white with frost. The sun was reduced to a thin white star through the white semi-opaque air. It made the landscape even more alien.

We stopped on the last stretch of hills before the Nevada/Utah border, picking lots of the flowers and grasses we saw the whole way through the state. Right after the sign welcoming us to Utah, the time zone changed and the ground levelled out. We'd entered the great salt flats of the Evaporation Basin. We stopped on the side of the road to arrange stones on the white surface of the salt fields. They weren't quite as solid as we'd thought from the road, but it didn't stop us.

Pink the sky I'm out of here

2007-09-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

So I decided to go pink. With the help of my favorite hair coloring assistant, Irwin, I managed to streak it. I was originally going to go blue. But the entire city was out of the color I wanted. And being the stubborn person I am I decided to do it a completely different color rather than compromise on the shade of blue.
Anyways, I also found a ride out of SF. I'm back on the road on monday. My new travel companion will be the well traveled Peter, who's taking me all the way to New Hampshire.
I'm excited to get back out there and see the world.
Soon you will see other places popping up here again.
Keep watching and the world will appear.

The Birthday Massacre

2007-09-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I finally dragged myself out of the house, despite an increasing feeling of just wanting to stay in. I'm glad I did. Marlon picked me up and we drove down to the DNA Lounge.
The Birthday Massacre didn't start playing till about eleven, but they were well worth the wait. They opened with Video Kid and her voice just washed over everything. The whole band was super dynamic and fun and their interactions and inability to keep a straight face made it obvious they were having a lot of fun. They had the whole audience psyched. Chibi was super adorable dancing around and striking pictures for the cameras and video phones she saw while not missing a beat. The entire crowd was in love with her.
Unfortunately I hadn't brought my camera with me. I was kicking myself the whole time. Next time I won't forget.

Sunset at China Beach

2007-09-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

The sun hits the water and bounces off, doubling the amount of amber light that hits the rocks. The water is silvery on top, shimmering between silver blue and pale gold. When it rushes into its arcs it shows a brilliant bottle green before it crests and crashes white to foam up the beach and grab your ankles. This is the time of day the sunbathers go their own way and the sun worshipers come to say farewell, staring reverently at the descending orb as it blazes away down the horizon. We stand still the while, just watching. A silent community of strangers all united in a sense of wordless awe. The air gets colder but no one moves to leave till the last of the gold has faded to more subdued pinks and blues. In the falling darkness the people are shadows, not unlike the columns of cobble stones and cement. The rock stacker has been here. Building monuments to this place. Finding balance in the heavy discarded pieces of foundations and roads. I build my sand castles around the bases of these columns. Little cities. I'm still sculpting sand while the rest of the sun-setters take their leave, drifting back up the cliff into the encroaching gloom. The stars come out to take up their vigil. I stay till the marine layer pushes me home to the warmth of tea and blankets.

Breakfast in Paris

2007-09-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well, okay, so I didn't have breakfast in Paris this morning. That would have been awesome though.
Actually, I did have some amazing fruit tarts baked fresh in our kitchen courtesy of my mom's boyfriend, Sascha. They were amazing. One pear with apricot jam and the other fig. And mom ingeniously paired it up with Swiss Gruyere cheese and mint tea. All this because mom asked Sascha where he wanted to have coffee and he said Paris. Paris. Don't we all.
I got a cute picture of my mom this morning too, but she won't let me put it up. Oh well.

Circling Mount Diablo

2007-09-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Irwin and I went for a drive around Mount Diablo. We were trying to find the way up it and ended up circling it and getting lost on a winding road in the Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. It was a beautiful trip though. The clouds on Mount Diablo were incredibly dramatic and forbidding. But in the Morgan Territory the sun was out, shining on the golden California hills. The State colors. Brilliant gold of the hills and blue of the sky and a dark green of the oaks. I love these colors. And the wide open rolling hills are home to me. This is where I grew up. Biking along badly paved trails across lolling stretches and seas of waving golden grasses under the enormous blue expanse of sky you feel you can fall upwards into. Resting in the shade of the deep dark green oaks and the silvery green and pink eucalyptus. This is something I crave. The smell of wind over miles of warm grass.
As usual, while the sun was out (before the clouds came to cover us too), I was too busy twirling and climbing on tables and all to be bothered to take pictures. So you only get to see the cloud cover. But it's okay, you can imagine.

Orange Skirt

2007-09-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here's something else I've made. I had to wear this one because I made it for myself, and my sister doesn't have the hips to hold it up. No offense, hon. Anyway, this is more my style. I generally stick to the longer flowing skirts I can twirl in.

Needle and Thread: a return to the workshop

2007-09-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

So one thing I've missed terribly while I was on the road is my workshop. My room with it's bottles of inks and trays of paints and beads. My spools of thread and boxes of cloth. I missed having all of my mediums on hand. You can't bring these things on the road with you.
I started working on a new line of simple dresses. I haven't finished the prototype yet, mostly because I am still trying to decide how full I want the skirt and whether I want to put in more details or leave it plain. I'm still playing around.
Here's what I have so far. Modeled by my lovely sister, Sophia.

Long Awaited Reunion and the Best Blondies Ever

2007-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I got to spend the day with my wonderful friend Bea Kwan today! It was perfect.
We put on our flour badges so we were ready for anything, turned the volume up on my Abbey Road CD, and made the best Butterscotch Blondies EVER. She also finally got to meet my cat, who loved her immediately. Of course.
I'm sooooo happy that we finally got to hang out again. I hadn't seen her since 10th grade. We won't let that happen again.

Oh, and I'd like to say that even though the recipe was bossy and mandated a 9" square pan and division into 16 squares, we used an 8" round pan and cut it like a pie. HA. It was delicious. We also used the same bowl for the wet and dry ingredients. And it was still awesome. Two bowls for this recipe is just a waste of bowls.

"Where should I put this CD?"
"Oh, just put that on the garlic."
"....You just said that completely seriously!!"
"...Yeah... I guess I did..."
I guess you would have had to be there.

The Awesome Butterscotch Blondie Recipe:

6 tablespoons butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 dash cocoa powder

note: Don't forget to pre-heat the oven! We did, and we had to wait for it! Lame. Pre-heat!!!

Combine melted butter and brown sugar; stirring until dissolved. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
"In another bowl" (or in the same one!!!) combine flour, baking powder, and salt. "Add to the butter mixture" (unless you already just did!). Spread the batter evenly in a well buttered "9 inch square pan" (unless you want to be a baking rebel. Then you can use an 8 inch round pan like us!). Sprinkle chips over top... Or smother the top. Your choice.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set... unless you are planning on eating it with vanilla ice cream, then you'll want to take it out with the center still slightly gooey. Because it's awesome like that. If you're planning on doing it our way, you won't want to wait for it to cool before cutting, like they say to. What do they know?

They say this makes 16 squares. Squares. HA. Our pie pieces were freaking sweet. Really sweet.
Anyway, try this recipe if you like butterscotch. You'll love it.

I want to go....

2007-09-19T09:41:00.001-07:00