Thursday, October 21, 2010
The other day I stumbled across a trailer for a movie I can relate to. Who Does She Think She Is? is “a 2008 American documentary film about the societal push for women to choose between art and motherhood and the struggle a group of female artists face in attempting to reconcile both parts of their lives.” Curious to see it now, especially as I prepare to balance a winter of the day job, ensuring the kid’s school transition is successful, and getting ready for a few art shows (including some collaborations with the boyfriend).
Five good and/or interesting items for this Thursday:
- In honor of Jon Stewart’s upcoming Rally to Restore Sanity, Salon nominates a few fine folks. Including the shirtless skateboarder who put a would-be flaming pastor in his place with his “simple, direct common-sense action. Non-violent, casual, calm. Problem solved.”
- Poster Offensive 5 is right around the corner! History of, for the unfamiliar: “Poster Offensive was created by Jeff Johnson, owner and creative director of Spunk Design Machine, as a direct response to the re-election of George W. Bush as President of the United States in 2004.”
- Artist Spotlight: Alan Macdonald - “The commercialization of heaven, or what 17th century painters know about Diet Coke that we don’t.” More can be found on his site.
- I enjoy Doctor Who as much as the next guy/gal, but someone a little too obsessed is blogging the minutiae of Amy Pond’s outfits.
- In more news of sci-fi nerds clashing with reality…From a Klingon Armory to a Defendant’s Cache: “When federal agents raided a home in central New Jersey on Wednesday, they discovered nothing short of a private armory, with pistols and rifles hidden throughout its 25-plus rooms. But they found something else — something, it would become clear later, that should give earthlings pause.” (it was a Volkoth Battle Sword replica)
The boy is on his annual school break for MEA. In past years I’ve taken this opportunity to spend some time with him up in Duluth but couldn’t afford it this go around. The silver lining? His grandmother happens to be in town, consulting for her former employer. And will have some free time to take the kiddo overnight at her hotel. They’re planning to go out for Thai food, swim in the hotel pool and watch The Karate Kid remake. Not too shabby.
Indian Summer may finally be over. The chill is returning to the air, as it should, for a proper Fall. Maybe it’s time to throw on that Thuggie, or perhaps a DARPA Hoodie? Personally I’d really like one of these empire dress/hoodie combos, but would prefer one in red.
Five good things for this fine Friday:
There are more Fall/Halloween themed events occurring than you can shake a stick at. Friends are hosting an annual Fall Feast on their farm this weekend, but we’re squeezing in a visit to the Midwest Comic Book Association’s FallCon first. Evil Dead: The Musical opens soon at the Illusion Theater. There’s the annual Barebones puppet performance outdoors. The Soap Factory’s Haunted Basement is going strong. PINK HOBO Gallery’s 2nd annual Halloween Party and Monster Art Show entices. And the Twin Cities Flickr group will be venturing to an area orchard where I may or may not procure our pumpkins for carving. Can’t wait to soak in more beautiful Fall color this weekend.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The last week or so I’ve had a recurring dream…of the house I grew up in. The upstairs, in particular, where my brother’s room was. Until his senior year, that is, when he went away to die horribly in the hospital. He was still seventeen when diagnosed with leukemia and eighteen when it killed him. His bedroom was left untouched for the first few years after his death, like a shrine. And it appears in my dreams frequently. Today he would have turned forty. He has been dead longer than he lived but I still grieve for him. Even more so than I do for Felix, the son I lost. But I never got to know my stillborn son whereas Tom was my brother, friend and confidante for the first fifteen years of my life. As long as I live Tom will never be forgotten.
Five good things my brother would have enjoyed:
Had Tom lived I’m sure his world have expanded. As he grew up and evolved he would have a great many more interests. But there are some things that nerds like us will always enjoy. I think of him when my co-workers bust out their tabletop role playing games. And he’ll be on my mind as my son and I attend Saturday’s FallCon comic book convention. I wish he could join us.
Attempting to find the humor in any given situation is a skill I’ve cultivated over the years. There were some pretty discouraging moments over the long weekend, trapped indoors during the St. Paul Art Crawl. Especially so when passers by expressed outright disgust over our artwork, right in front of us (this happened to both the boyfriend and myself - and we’d put up our most palatable, inoffensive pieces for this crowd). But I’m trying to look on the bright side. I had some pleasant conversations with some lovely folks - both artists and visitors. I got to play with some adorable geckos. I did make a few sales (it’s never too late, purchases can always be made via etsy) and my son enjoyed watching his old tech VHS tapes on the boyfriend’s functioning VCR in his loft…while texting me ridiculous messages like “doodoobuttpoopyhead” - thanks kid.
After spending the bulk of the weekend indoors I headed outside before dark last night. Yeah, just to my own backyard, but it was a joy to capture some of the fall color there and then kick back in a lawn chair with a good book or two. And I submitted one of those photos to Heather Champ’s 10/10/10 project.
Five good and/or weird things:
Last Friday I had a delightful - and delightfully weird - photo shoot with musician Curtiss A. That got me even more excited about more upcoming collaborative photo projects and group art shows and preparing to submit to Paper Darts Literary Magazine. Creating the art, as I’m compelled to, scratches an itch. And I’d do it even if no one looked at it (though I’m glad for the feedback, positive or negative, really). It’s one of the best ways to get through a long Minnesotan winter. And that really is right around the corner, even if we are in the throes of Indian summer right now.
It was back to work with a bang yesterday morning! A long-estranged family member called my place of employment…and left a message about my brother. Who has been dead for over 20 years. After that intrusion I found my inbox held around 900 new messages to wade through. Even so, I was happy to be among my people. And happier still to be home after work, where I could cook many fine Fall foods (despite the summer-like weather). I baked a loaf of multi-grain bread while making mashed potatoes/parsnips and roasting some golden beets, which I served on a bed of fresh spinach.
Other items of note:
When I was at Quimby’s in Chicago I bought my son a book. A book I thought he’d really enjoy. He loved the underrated Iron Giant so much, and we both been into robot-related things for so long, but after reading The Gigantic Robot together? He looked at me and said “mom, that was SAD. Why’d you get me such a sad book?” Honey, sometimes life is sad. Last night he read a Star Wars novelization instead. I kept wanting to shout “It’s A Trap!” at him but that wouldn’t have been very helpful.
Personally I could really go for a quiet weekend of hiding out, curled up with one of my new book purchases, but I’ll be doing something very different instead. Promoting myself/my photography at St. Paul’s Art Crawl. Eep! This is my first time participating. Wish me luck!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
And we’re back. Our getaway was brief and involved lots of driving but there were also laughing fits, some fine meals, visits with friends, the weirdness of House on the Rock and bearing witness to an incredible Swans performance at the Bottom Lounge. My brain is still processing it all (never mind the couple hundred photos to sort through).
Five good things before I head back to work:
Now to throw myself headfirst into it. Packing lunches, pestering the kid to put on some deodorant, and drowning in the deluge that poured into my inbox while I was away.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
While I often try to talk my way around it, my son has a disability. Or so I’m told. However you care to label him I will concede that his autism often makes the daily grind more challenging. From his new teacher:
…while he has made progress in his printing objectives, the skill remains a slow, laborious task for him that does not allow him the ability to express his thoughts efficiently.
Yes, this is a thing that I have noticed. To that end he’s always used computers at home and my office and has recently taken to texting me short, silly messages from his new cell phone. But this bit was encouraging:
I would like to talk about transitioning to a goal and objectives that are based upon keyboarding and technology. Parker is bright and could more effectively take notes in class and report his knowledge with some assistive technology device. I could see doing a words per minute objective. I would also see an objective for independently operating some device by choosing files, saving files, transferring files, editing and printing.
Five other good things for this fine Thursday:
This week has been flying by! Been busy with work/life/home (fyi I set up a sharynshoots twitter account, purely for photography-related bits and bobs). But I still have a bajillion tasks to take care of before happy fun vacation times can begin. Feel like I’m playing a game of beat the clock but I’m sure it will all work out in the end. Gulp.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Smarter, more resourceful homeowners try to stay one step ahead of decay. Especially in older homes like mine. But me? I tend to squeeze my eyes shut and hope for the best. So naturally the dishwasher and the kitchen sink are on the fritz AT THE SAME TIME. The dishwasher is refusing to latch and without latching it cannot run. And no, duct taping it shut didn’t work. Believe me, I tried. Washing the dishes by hand wouldn’t be quite so bad (ok, it sucks - I’ve been spoiled by having a dishwasher) but the kitchen sink is currently leaking into the cupboards rather than into the drain. Yesterday I jiggled and poked at it and managed to get it lining up so that, as long as I don’t turn the water on full force, I can kinda sorta use the sink. It seemed to take hours and hours to wash the dishes that had accumulated. Wheee. I would like to reverse the decrepitude in both kitchen resources but have funds for neither.
But hey, after years and years I did finally get around to hanging all that art that had been waiting to go up. So my house looks pretty and is comfortable, to me. Though with all its underlying problems it’s sort of like slapping a Hello Kitty band-aid on a third degree burn victim. But the little things, sometimes they make me feel like I’ve achieved something. Maybe that’s why I relate so much to this…This Is Why I’ll Never Be An Adult:
I begin to feel like I’ve accomplished my goals. It’s like I think that adulthood is something that can be earned like a trophy in one monumental burst of effort and then admired and coveted for the rest of one’s life.
Five good things for this fine Monday:
Somehow September is already skidding to a halt and October is raring to go. I kick things off Friday with an exciting parent/teacher conference! As we’re at a new school the IEP review process may be a completely different animal. I’m more than a bit apprehensive. But next week I’ll get to blow off some steam with a road trip through Wisconsin and Illinois. Taking the boyfriend to House on the Rock, as he’s never been (and it will be right up his alley) before seeing Swans in Chicago. And October won’t downshift after that. It’s high gear all month! The St. Paul Art Crawl, FallCon, our friends’ Fall harvest party on their farm, so many shows - like A Place to Bury Strangers, Peelander-Z, and Blonde Redhead. Then, of course, the main event - HALLOWEEN! No laying down.
Friday, September 24, 2010
My new/vintage prescription sunglasses came in yesterday…purchased with a Spectacle Shoppe Groupon! My last pair were from three or four prescriptions ago. Amazing what a difference a current Rx can make. Too bad it’s been so gloomy out I don’t actually need to wear them right now. But if I did they’d look great and I’d be able to see super well.
Friday’s other five good things:
Earlier today I discovered the top-secret hidden location (read: on a shelf over my head) of the blue cotton candy at work. This will make my kid very very happy. And he was already in a pretty good mood this morning. I hope he’s warming up to his new school. His previous school was only in session Monday-Thursday, which we both miss. But the new school does have something pretty awesome that the old school didn’t have - a pool. True, it is only for the special ed kids. But because of his IEP he was able to go swimming today, and every Friday from now on. But that’s as exciting as our Friday will get. Eschewing other plans in favor of hunkering down at home for the night. Tomorrow will be plenty busy, with our friends’ wedding.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
With Thursday’s five good things I attempt to stay particularly true to the post title:
This morning I just barely got the kid to school on time - and had to get too snippy with him just to get him out the door (I vow to get us up earlier and exude more patience tomorrow morning). So after dropping him off I realized I’d forgotten some things I needed for my day. I doubled back to the house for allergy meds, my wallet and a yoga mat. But I don’t feel like doubling back to the office after school, in this downpour, so yoga may not happen for me today anyhow. Instead there may be napping. With cats. A common theme as of late.
