weapons of massdistraction

Somehow childhood seems like several lifetimes ago. Especially the bit where I was raised Catholic for a spell, before renouncing it. So this morning, as I was standing in the oh-so-glamorous cat litter aisle at Super Target, I did a double take. I wanted to shout “hey lady, you’ve got some schmutz on your forehead!” When I realized the ashy smudge was an intentional tonsure. Yep, today was Ash Wednesday. It takes me by surprise every year! Even after posting about how yesterday was Fat Tuesday. Some day I’ll remember and won’t be taken aback. Maybe. Today was spent taking care of business (work, some car stuff, some life stuff) and I’m staying in tonight, rather than 1) seeing Anvil at Station Four 2) watching The Beyond at The Trylon Theater or 3) attending the Science Museum’s Buccaneer’s Ball.

Five good things I did see today:

• This is a beautiful sentiment: “Intellect and romance triumph over brute force and cynicism!”
• Another good read, sent by a friend today: The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino. I have more spoons this year than I did last year, that’s for sure. And I plan to hang on to them.
• Silly but cute, “The nerdiest lovers’ spat Twitter has ever seen“
• This is an interesting read: The myth of the eight-hour sleep. In particular this bit: A doctor’s manual from 16th Century France even advised couples that the best time to conceive was not at the end of a long day’s labour but “after the first sleep”, when “they have more enjoyment” and “do it better”
• And lastly, well written commentary - and debate in the comments - about why Sex is Not Spiritual. As a secular humanist, I fully endorse the author’s viewpoint that we need to make the most of the here and now, in our meatbags.

I’d been zoning out to Julianna Barwick’s loops and layers while the boy played Luigi’s Mansion on the Wii and both cats snored. Somehow we’d all been crammed together in one tiny corner of our apartment, exceedingly cozy-like. Until Freddy the cat growled in his sleep and got the jimmy legs on the couch next to me. Surprised me right out of my reveries. Guess it’s back to planning my next photo series and maybe giving into last night’s episode of Glee.

We didn’t travel much when I was growing up. A handful of trips up North. One road trip to Chicago / Milwaukee. My inaugural airplane flight was at age 17, to visit family in Arizona (that was after my brother died; he never flew). I left the continent for the first time at age 25 when I was pregnant with my son. After he was born I vowed to show him the world. Sadly I don’t have the funds to do a bang up job of it. Our passports have lapsed and he’s left the country just once, on a trip to Iceland. But he’s traveled domestically quite a bit with me and also with his paternal grandmother. Sadly Spring break always sneaks up on me. For one thing it’s in early March, which is hardly Spring. Especially with last year’s all winter long snowmageddon. Spring Break 2011 we barely left the house. But not just because we were snowed in. 2010 was our Milwaukee trip, which was pleasant enough though bitterly cold. Spring Break 2009 was straight up sad. We definitely peaked with the Seattle/Portland adventures of 2008 (well, in 2007 the kid went to Disneyland without me). We haven’t got that kind of cash money nowadays but I want to bring the fun back a little bit with a trip to a Duluth waterpark hotel. Balanced, of course, by a trip to the dentist to have the lad’s fillings filled. I know how to bring the party.

Five good things:

• Not long ago a co-worker volunteered for the Art Buddies program. I remember him being a little apprehensive initially, when he discovered the student he was paired with was on the autism spectrum. But he made it work. And made a huge impact in this little boy’s life. This story got me a little choked up.
• French bulldog adopts wild boar piglets - awwwwww.
• Based on Michael Pollan’s talk “Food Rules” given at the RSA, this animation was created in the context of the RSA/Nominet Trust film competition.
• Bounce With Me, the Queen Diva Big Freedia is returning to the Turf Club! And this time it *won’t* be on a weeknight.
• This last one is a little more “buh?” than “whoa!” but still. Books by the Foot. Not for the sake of reading. Strictly appearances only. And I wonder if they had anything to do with this.

It’s been a weird week movie-wise. Our Tuesday night surprise was an advanced screening of the 21 Jump Street movie. Going in I didn’t realize it was rated R. Thankfully it was mostly silly and the raunchier humor went over my son’s head (I think). Today I’ve agreed to take the lad to see The Phantom Menace in 3D. I saw it the first time around at theaters, at midnight on opening night, when my son was in utero. And like Simon Pegg’s character Tim on Spaced, I felt utterly betrayed by it. And here I am, going back for more. Oof. Jar Jar.

Earlier I was digging through a storage bin of my old vintage purses. Some inherited. Others scored while thrifting. All are cute but most are impractically petite. Especially if I want to schlepp along even one camera. Or heck, just have a place to stash my lipstick and keys. So they don’t get taken out often. As I was trying to decide which might look best with my new cocktail dress I pried one open and out tumbled some old polaroids. Very very old polaroids. From the early 90s. Taken by an ex who moved out of state years ago. They were polaroids of…well. Himself. In a very particular area. HEY-O! And this was just the tip of the iceberg in my week of UNWANTED WANGS. Let’s not even get into the wide range of emotions that said appendages evoke.

Five good non-dick related things:

• I joined the C.U.N.T. (C U Next Tuesday) ladies again, drinking sangria while crafting. Very nice. And afterward went on to another house for an “Exploratory Movie Night” featuring a young-ish Walter Mathau (total babe) and Babs in Hello, Dolly!
• Tomorrow night is Clockwork’s big 10th Anniversary Celebration. This time an invite-only cocktail party at an interesting venue. I may or may not have photos after the fact, depending on which purse I end up accessorizing with…
• Next month will be a good one for shows. The enchanting Julianna Barwick will be performing at the Walker Art Center, Australia’s Lower Dens at the Triple Rock and one of my closest friends will be debuting as the new drummer of Votyek.
• This week’s episode of Glee, with Ricky Martin as a tooth model turned Spanish teacher, plus Mexican pointy boots, was oh so good.
• Perfectly ripe avocados. For dinner last night, and for breakfast today.

Yesterday I saw that my old house is now for rent. I knew that’s what would be happening. The buyer was an investor with a property management company. But it’s still so surreal to see. The new owner made some slight improvements. I always meant to refinish those hardwood floors upstairs. And they replaced the crappy bathroom linoleum (I shelled out to replace the kitchen linoleum) and added a railing on the stairs. But they took out the expensive ceiling fans and painted the more vibrantly colored walls ULTRA BEIGE. Still, the kid and I are so much happier renting our new place in a way more awesome part of town. Good riddance.

Deja vu? It’s Groundhog Day again! And poor little Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow to see his shadow, thus predicting another six weeks of winter. This one has been so mild I don’t mind. Next year they should make Phil wear a tutu though. Or maybe those Inner Circle guys, the ones in tuxedos and tophats, should be the ones to wear tutus. Yeah!

Five good things:

• Die Antwoord is SO divisive. I fall squarely into the “love ‘em” camp. I’ve been enjoying them for a while and that continues with their latest release. I’m a little bit in love with Yolandi and can’t get “I Fink U Freeky” out of my head.
• I’m flying solo for Valentine’s Day this year. Well, not really…my son will be with me that night. And I may just drag him to a vegan gourmet dinner.
• Mojo Monkey Donuts is serving Valentine’s Day specials until V-Day. And they’re also working on making vegan donuts.
• I wanted to scoff at this but instead I LOLd - My Drunk Kitchen, S2E02: Raw Vegan Cheesecake
• “Seeing things that don’t generally get to be seen” - Crack The Surface, A Documentary Series On Urban Exploration

The last week or so has been a blur of junior high open houses and winter activities. This weekend promises more of the same, with bonus birthday parties, brunches and shows. No complaints.

As a photographer I am a fan of Intellectual Property protections, to an extent, and understand the need and desire for them. I try to both share and safeguard my work using Creative Commons and am licensing some of my photos through Getty Images. But fuck SOPA and PIPA. Yesterday’s “internet blackout” protest was interesting. I saw a lot of well-written pieces about this poorly thought out legislation. But hands down the best came from Matthew Inman / The Oatmeal who boiled it down to it’s “like dealing with a lion that has escaped from the zoo by blasting some kittens with a flame thrower” - well put.

Moving right along. I was SO excited about the fifth annual Diorama-Rama in Duluth. I gathered some materials to create my own diorama and had planned to drive up with a friend or two. And then. I realized my company’s big 10th anniversary celebration / cocktail party is the very same night. Clockwork will always win.

Five hot, bothered or otherwise interesting things:

• “The Actors Inside Big Bird, Chewbacca, Barney, and More“
• I feel like I’m not that easily surprised. But still. When I started reading about a short film called The Meaning of Robots I wasn’t expecting it to be about robot sex. “The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting an epic stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years.” Huh. I sort of want to see it but I also know I wouldn’t be able to un-see it. The documentary premieres at Sundance tomorrow night.
• Also weird but oddly intriguing, a co-worker was talking about humorist A. J. Jacobs, and one of his books, The Year of Living Biblically, about his quest to “live the ultimate biblical life. To follow every single rule in the Bible – as literally as possible.” The audio book version read by the author himself comes highly recommended.
• My son is still on a huge Sculpey clay kick. And a friend just pointed out this great idea, for DIY snow globes, with Sculpey clay. GENIUS!
• A brand spanking new MacBook Air arrived at work today JUST FOR ME. I see much data transfer and rejoicing in my immediate future.

So far 2012 has involved an awful lot of reading. In the last week alone I’ve devoured Dan O’Malley’s The Rook, that in one sitting, before doing nearly the same with Alice in Deadland. And then I got sucked into Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series - I’m on book two - with a main character who is a cross between Shadow from American Gods and Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files. But raunchier and more fun, and in Los Angeles. And yes, this is all the intellectual equivalent of junk food. But I require satisfaction! Especially considering I’ve been eating super healthily as of late. Also satisfying? Not staying in to read (tempting though it may be) but going out with friends tonight and pretty much all weekend ahead of me to some happy-making events and gatherings. I do need my people.