She Walked Away

Two Weekends. Update!

I have a bit of a Girl Crush on Amy Poehler - and it's not just because I could put her in my purse and take her with me wherever I go. And I'm just guessing she smells like lavender. I especially love her on Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. Say what you will about the current cast, compare them to the Jane Curtin/Dan Ackroyd/Gilda Radner era if you want to, but that cute-as-a-button Amy Poehler is too funny to miss. On the current incarnation of Weekend Update, Amy and her co-anchor, Seth Myers have a segment called, "Really!?!" I don't know if every one is funny, but the few I have seen are hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjtVnqZCndo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WacQbfwUsK8

So MY Really!?! moment came last weekend. I pedaled my pink bicycle up to the village to meet a friend and her daughter for coffee. The daughter is two, so she just had juice. At any rate, I presented my friend with a Barack Obama campaign button which she immediately pinned on her sweater. At that, this politically aware person of two years said, "I need one of those." Really!?! Living here in the very red midwest, I must say to this young political activist, yes, you DO need one of these. Really.

This weekend was a great time, too. The weather was really warm, but it allowed for a little bicycling and general schmoozing about on said bicycle, plus I got a little lawn work done on Saturday while Olive played with her latest canine houseguest, Dash. On Friday, my dear friend was telling me about her family's plans to be out of town all weekend. When I asked her about Dash, it was really because I wanted to put him in my purse and take him to my house for the weekend anyway (move over Amy Poehler!). So Dash got in my car, not my purse, and Olive had company for the weekend. Great.

 

 

Dash01

I also saw George Carlin on Saturday night. No surprises. George was true to form and I enjoyed laughing at him as much as listening to the people around me reacting to him. The audience was certainly perfect for people-watching.

Yesterday I invested in my very first roll of super-duper-primo-quality drawing paper. I bought a 10-yard roll of 42" wide Rives BFK. If it wasn't so expensive, I swear I would sleep on it. I briefly considered naming it as I petted it and placed it ever-so-gently into my car. So it smacks of misplaced maternal instincts... I haven't seen you walking in my shoes lately.

Really.

 

 

 

QotD: The Main Cast

Who are the most frequently mentioned people on your Vox blog? 
Submitted by Amirul B Ruslan.  

Uh. She's not really a people, but I mention Olive most frequently. I hope that doesn't make me some oddball recluse who only talks about her dog. I also mention my cat, Lys from time to time. Out of respect for others and their privacy, I rarely mention real people by their real names, but I recall mentioning my friend [not really] Gladys on occasion!

 

Olive's Closeup

Oh, Henry!

I'm the Queen of Justification. I was on Saturday, anyway. I took a late afternoon trip to a big-box retailer - not the one I have been free of for months now that begins with a W, either. Funny how that letter is starting to be negative for me in several ways...

Anyway, at this retailer, I discovered a 3-Disc set of Season One of the Henry Rollins Show from IFC.

 

Here's where the justification comes in: For $19.99, I can watch the entire season. For close to $60.00 a month, I can get crappy cable that doesn't even include IFC or the Sundance Channel. Plus, it's only for one month. A cable bill is more than an annual membership to Public Television and NPR! This is just good economy, if you ask me.

Then there is the convenience factor: I can stop it and go to the bathroom. Pause for beer. Pause for heading outside to sprayfix my charcoal drawing. Restart. Stop, backup and replay it just to see if what I think he said is what he said.

Watch his guests over and over.

Wish Eddie Izzard still wore women's clothes in public. I miss your legs, Eddie, and I'm not kidding.

Watch and listen to his fantastic musical guests. Thank you, Ben Harper, you're so underrated.

It was nice to spend Saturday Night with Henry Rollins. Henry, I hope it was good for you, too, but if it wasn't it's not going to stop me from doing it again. And again.

Wrapping Things Up...!

It's been another crazy week for me as I try to wrap up my semester, continue my recovery from surgery and deal with all the things that come up for homeowners when the weather warms up (and your side yard is a muddy mess).

Tomorrow I'll be participating in The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with my school team and a good friend. It should be a fun, albeit circuslike, atmosphere. Our plan is to hop on public transportation after the event to seek out quality beer at my favorite Scottish Pub in the Arts District. We'll have well-deserved great weather, as we have today, so a big event and a special excursion should be quite the ticket!!

Last weekend's crummy weather wasn't great for having a canine houseguest, and I'm sure if you polled Olive, she'd vote for another playdate this weekend, too. My neighbors also just adopted an adorable Sheltie Mix puppy, so there is a lot of running the fence, bouncing and barking going on when I'm home and the dogs are both out. As long as Neighbor Puppy is home and the weather is nice, I should be outside all day Sunday with Olive. Actually drawing outside will be a welcome change, plus I still have to address the mess in the yard (and the fact that my air conditioning unit that plunged into the trench a few weeks back now sits a good 18 inches lower than it did before).

By this time next week, my classes will be over and I'll only be waiting for my final grades. I'm confident about them right now, but you never know. Subjective grading can sometimes bite you on the arse. I am treating myself for the successful completion of the academic term by going to see George Carlin, who said this:

"I often think how different the world would be if Hitler had not been turned down when he applied to art school."

That rings true for me on so many levels, George.

 

Bad Week. TGIF

I'll post more next week, but I will be working on Finals all weekend. I have a "In Progress" Critique on Monday, so I should calm down a little after that.

I also have a guest of the canine variety at my house this weekend. I'll try to get some pictures of him over the weekend. For now, Olive thinks she's at some Doggy Amusement Park. I'm just glad they wear each other out.

 

 

In Progress...

Last week I was very sick. I am convinced it was something awful and I picked it up at the surgery center a couple of weeks ago. Combine my stand up and pass out activities with the unseasonably cold temperatures from last week, and it's safe to say I got nearly nothing accomplished past Tuesday.

Today I am on the mend. I don't sound so wonderful, but I have less of my deathly palor and am only feeling light-headed because it's a whopping 78 degrees in my office. Ugh!

Finally yesterday, in my pajamas for the second straight day, I started my final project for my drawing class. It's surprising that I do fairly decent work when I feel like garbage, but I actually got on track and started sailing. My proposal was accepted and I am doing a series of Olive in the styles of other artists. My plan is to start with these five artists; Van Gogh, Schiele, Auerbach, Chagall and Close. I am close to being finished with the Van Gogh (please note that cheap masking tape takes some of your masonite with it):

 

OliveVG

Based loosely on this self-portrait (I'm pleased with the complimentary color scheme and the nearly identical sideways glances):

I started and discarded a version of Chagall. I'll get it right eventually, but my instincts were all off on this one. I have also started mapping out the Close, as it should be the most challenging of the group and I am going to get my instructor's advice on a change of medium. I have gotten to about 50% completion on a study for the Schiele piece, but need to complete a larger version.

All in all, not too bad for such a lost weekend. I also have at least one surprise to include, which I won't go into here. Suffice to say that it will be remniscent of a pop artist alive during my lifetime and involves some plastic you put in the oven... It's not my first use of the medium, but I am hoping it will provide at least a little (pun definitely intended) levity to my final portfolio review and critique. I do love surprises!

Saturday I watched the documentary, "The US vs. John Lennon." It was very interesting, especially considering that it happened in my lifetime, albeit before I had a political opinion, and it seems to be happening all over again in different ways with the Bush Administration. But I digress... that's a topic for another day.

Finally, on the subject of "In Progress," my nephew informed me yesterday that I will have a new niece or nephew in November. My sister-in-law is surprised - given that her two children will be 9 years apart - and excited, as am I. I am very happy to have the opportunity to get some baby projects going. It always feels like everyone I know is past babies, so this is very good news, indeed. My offer stands to take the baby directly home from the hospital and claim him or her as my own. I was informed that I might just get my wish, but that my nephew will certainly be included in the deal. Not a deterrent to me in the slightest.

 

One more thing - covered in dark chocolate

If you haven't... you should. A little strange at first, then totally addictive. Rich, hot and sweet - the ideal description!

Ginger is, of course, my hands-down favorite. They also come in Cinnamon and Peppermint (pictured).

 

Where did I see that?

I have to come up with a strategy for cataloging my thoughts. Sure, most of my thoughts are nonsense, but they could come in handy at some point.

Yesterday, a friend loaned me his soundtrack to Grey Gardens: The Musical. Christine Ebersole is simply remarkable. I can't imagine why I would listen to a Broadway Musical soundtrack two times in the same day, but I rather enjoyed it. If you haven't seen the documentary entitled Grey Gardens, by the Maysles Brothers, you just need to find it and watch it as soon as possible. I just love it!

Today, I have been listening to Thomas Fersen.

I would like to think I speak French, but really I don't. My high school French has long-since worn away, but I do tend to catch things when context is involved. Even if you have no idea what he's crooning about, you'd have to be in a coma not to enjoy Les Papillons. In fact, it prompts uncontrollable cha cha cha-ing.

I think I first heard Thomas Fersen on David Byrne's website Radio - but here again, I'm just not sure. If you've never listened to David Byrne's musical selections (changed monthly), you're missing out. I love David Byrne and his taste in music is simply lovely - and somewhat unexpected at times.

As for other housekeeping tidbits: I still have not opened my Chimay Ale. Maybe I just need someone to stop by one evening for an occasion to enjoy it. My air conditioning unit is once again sitting on a platform. I haven't run it for any length of time to be sure it's operational - but in spite of my mowing the yard Sunday, it is only April. Homework continues to occupy my time in the evenings as the semester inches along. My very abbreviated Summer schedule will be a welcome change. I'll have two classes over the Summer, then only two classes in the Fall. It's going to seem like a vacation!! My recovery after surgery seems relatively complete. Now I am dealing with some Spring allergies, but the temperature is supposed to drop into the 20's for lows over the next several days, so that should offer some relief.