Focusing in! and Out...

I realize that, for the past 6 months, this blog has been mostly focused on all the changes going on in my personal life. While a useful tool for keeping everyone up to date, that wasn't my original reason for starting BTTLG. Sometimes, one gets so consumed with their current circumstances, one loses track and just goes where the winds of change seem to be blowing them. Now that I have dropped anchor, and while I'm in a sort of getting-things-together limbo, I'd like to refocus my thoughts here and get back to what BTTLG is all about...

And what is that? What are the reasons I started writing in this way? Hmmm...

1 - Because I love discovering new things and sharing those dicoveries with others.
2 - Because there are wonderful people doing things out in the world who should be recognized for their efforts in the smallest of ways we can recognize them.
3 - It will be an account I can keep and pass down through the family.
4 - Because I love making "favorites" lists.
5 - I love having a place for people to find me and participate in a conversation even if they are miles away.

I realize that the content bounds from subject to subject, but so does my life, just as a child bounds from one game to the next. I have never been one to stay in one context for very long, and I tend to, as Henry David Thoreau puts so well, "live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign [myself] to the influences of each." It is those "influences" I like writing about. There are so many seasons, fragrances, drinks, and fruits to experience! This blog, ultimately, is an exercize in "play." I have a feeling, as I settle into my new circumstances, I will be a lot more playful than I have been in years!

So, in the coming days, I am going to reformulate a format that encompasses all of the above, giving myself the liberties of expansiveness and miscellany. I hope I continue to engage those of you who read, knowing that I can't please all of you all the time. If you are bored by knitting, for instance, an abiding hobby of mine, skip that entry and look to others. I'll try to organize by labels so you can find what you want to find. Also, in the next post, I'll give a synopsis of some likely recurring subjects. A "mind-map", if you will. And, if I die having never written well-structured and focused content, having never entertained as I strive to entertain, having no readers but myself and my "captured audience" - (friends and family), at least my decendants will have the babblings of an eccentric ancestor to puzzle over... which makes the whole passtime worth it in the end.

Sluggish seas.

I haven't been able to work on my apartment hardly at all! ARGH!

It seems I am having what one could call "abundance issues". They are really the best issues to have if one must have issues, but they are issues nonetheless. Since I moved in, I have gotten 3 jobs, all with friends of mine and all fairly fun and stress-free.

So, my theme of the year is still alive and kicking! Even when I wish it would take a short break so I can get my apartment painted, my things unpacked, and my housewarming party planned. *sigh* Luckily, all of this work will allow me to get those numerous things I need for civilized living. (Bed, coffee maker, trifle dish... just kidding on the trifle dish, mom... no, I don't need one for Christmas.)

I also haven't had time to take a single picture yet, but that is on my list of things to do soon. I have limited dsl access until I settle into a weekly studio schedule, so keep checking in when you can and I'll pop in more often when I settle into the shallows.

Dropping anchor!

Yippee...

I have finally moved into my new place! Sheesh. I have had a crazy couple of weeks trying to get approved and moved, so I have a lengthy update to cover all that time! (So, this will be a long one!)

My new apartment is in Astoria, 3 blocks down from Leese, and just big enough for me and my two cats. I would show you pictures, but I am going to be painting the whole place and would rather unveil the space when all the work is done.

At the moment, I am living without quite a few important things:

1. A bed. (I'm using Leese's airbed).
2. A coffeemaker. Yes, I heard you gasp in disbelief. How can this be so! Don't worry... it's the first item on my list of things to buy.
3. An iron. I have to steam things out in the bathroom by turning on the hot water and closing the door.
4. A couch. Using fold-up chairs for now.
5. A TV. Thank god for Netflix, the internet, and good friends who let you borrow their DVD players.
   
6. The internet. Sheesh. This one is really hard. I'm going to have to live without it, though, until I get my financial situation solidified.
7. A microwave. Guess I'll just have to wait 45 minutes for my Amy's frozen dinners to heat up in that old-fashioned oven.

Hmmm... those are the big things. There are a million other small things that I'll have to get one day, but can do without for a while.

Once the place is clean and painted, it will be wonderful. I am already loving the solitude! I kept my promise to myself and waited until I moved to read Harry Potter. I started it the first night I slept there by myself. There's nothing like a little brilliant fantasy to take one's mind off the fact that the person they have slept beside for the past 5 years is no longer warming that particular side of the bed.

Speaking of that whole development, I promised to post pictures of the Image Campaign I did for First Wives World. Joe and his crew have done a magnificent job editing the footage and I can't wait until they launch with the new FWW website! These photos just don't do the campaign justice, but here they are anyway.
...
Me looking not-so-bad against an orange background.
...
On set . Since I am friends with some of the crew, they decided to use me as the guinea pig to get the ball rolling. I don't mind being a guinea pig, really, as long as it's not for the trial run of a new amusement park roller-coaster or an (ahem) reformulated feminine product.
... Joe and Julie make a great team. I can't wait to see them in action on a feature.
...
This a me with some of the other major FWW players: (from left to right) Joe, the image campaign Director; Jonas, an invaluable producer; Akillah, another "First Wife"; and Danielle, producer/art department head.

Like I said, I can't wait for you to see the actual image campaign spots. They really give you a sense of the amazing women who are out there and their wildly different experiences with divorce. I'll post the links as soon as they are available.

I am also doing a "vlog" or video-blog that will document all the highs and lows of the process. That will be coming out with the new-site launch as well. More on that later...

*** *** *** ***

In other exciting news, another wonderful site has launched and I am very proud to have been a small part of the production team for the video element.

It is called Panwapa.

It is a website that was constructed to help kids gain awareness of the wider world and all of the worlds rich cultures. The website is set up like a social network. Kids can join, design an online "avatar", build their own Panwapa house, and contact kids from other countries. Panwapa, itself, is a floating island with it's own inhabitants who navigate all the issues of cross-cultural relationships. If you clink on the TV on the home page, you will see segments of a muppet-styled show much like Sesame Street with different characters. As a matter of fact, Sesame Workshop created the site as part of their award-winning outreach effort to educate all the world's children.

I have already created my own avatar! If you visit the site look for USA1058. That's me!

Thanks to C. Boyd for bringing me on as the Art Director. She is the one behind the lovely production design of the island world in the videos and she also designed most of the icons you'll see in the "flags" section.

Let me know what you think of the site if you happen to visit.

OK - that's all for now. I'll try to track down another internet connection for another post soon. I have a feeling you'll be seeing much more of me now that I'm settled!

In limbo

I had great intentions of posting a segment about my latest shoot for the First Wives World image campaign, but I am in a state of mild agitation this week as I wait to see if I've been approved for the only apartment I've liked enough for which to submit a deposit.

*sigh*

I hate waiting!

In the meantime, here's a picture of 2 little mischief makers who have made the apartment hunt a hell of a lot harder:
They are lucky they are cute. Realtors keep asking me if I can leave them behind, but who could abandon such great cats? I've had them for 11 years now. They are like family to me. And Gizmo is a fierce watch-cat who I'll definitely need if I'm going to be living alone!

*sigh*

OK - I'm off to pack up the china. (Yes, can you believe it? I own china. Thanks to my mom and her quirky southern traditions. I've had it for 4 years now and never used it once! Hmmm... maybe getting this apartment will be a nice reason to have a fancy dinner on my Jewel Sapphire Lenox collection. Of course, I only have 3 sets, so I guess it will have to be for me and 2 other lucky people! All the rest of you will have to use the fiesta ware. Sorry!)

Trapeze!

Guess what? I finally got away from the city for a weekend! I haven't had an official vacation in ages, what with all the saving for a new apartment and work and such... so I decided to do something dramatic. Can someone please tell me what's more dramatic than aerial acrobatics? OK - there are tons of things I can think of, but none of them are less than 2 hours away, fairly affordable, and can be experienced in a weekend.

It was Julie's idea. We both took a beginner's class in June at TSNY. Julie liked it so much that she and her husband signed up for an Intensive Flying Workshop. (You may remember the pics I posted not too long ago.) I was working all summer, so I wasn't available for the IFW... sad! But then Julie found out about the Trapeze rig at Club Getaway and signed us up for 8 hours of weekend air time. Yikes! 8 hours! Sheesh...

I discovered quickly that Julie is an excellent travel partner. She brought everything we may need for any kind of mishap that could occur:
...And when we got there, we barely had time to get settled into our cabin before we were swept up onto the rig! Here's my attempt at catching the "Set Whip", my first trick.
...

...
We met lots of dedicated and entertaining people. The instructor team was headed by Jeff, Dino, and Bobby from the Espana Streb Trapeze Academy. I think I might take a class or two there this fall. Here's Fran, a seasoned aerialist, doing some impressive maneuvers on silks.
... Trapeze isn't the only recreational activity at Club Getaway. There is also a lake for water-skiing, kayaking, or swimming; a climbing wall and zip-line; archery, dancing, and hiking, and even a bizarre drinking game called Flip Cup which turned out to be a very popular activity!
...
But, we weren't there for Flip Cup or those other, ahem, humdrum pastimes. Here's Julie working hard on obtaining a professional flyer swing! Notice her unassisted, one-handed take-off...
...



Can you believe we actually woke up at 6:00 am every morning? (My mom will be so proud!) There was absolutely no way I was going up on that board without downing at least 2 cups of coffee! But, it pays off in the end as you can see below...



Yay for me!

An akika, Hannah, and a sunset.

So, it's Sept. 3rd and guess what?

I didn't find an apartment! Sad!!! I was the one left standing when the music stopped. Needless to say, I do have a rather high bar set in terms of what I need. Wood floors. Sunlight. My cats. Easy N/W train access. A stove for cryin' out loud. Can you believe that people these days can live in an apartment without a stove? I may not cook that often, but I'd like the option to break out the Dutch Oven once in a while. (At least until NASA invents some version of the replicator.)

I took Labor Day weekend off to lackadaisically lament my circumstances, escaping into several movies and a Sci-Fi miniseries called The Lost Room. I loved the first 4 episodes of this bizarre little piece of television. The bus-ticket segment made every molecule in my body happy. I think I would have been happier with the rest of it if, rather than a miniseries, they had completed an entire season. The writers certainly left enough of an open ending to suggest they may turn it into one. If so, I may have to break down and get cable. (At the moment I make do with basic television and Netflix for the must-sees.)

Fortunately, all I need is a little mind-expanding sci-fi to help get my bark-chewing perspective zoomed out to standard cosmic focus. With that one vision-blocking Redwood back to normal toothpick height, I released all the expectations I had around moving and decided to have a labor-free Labor Day.

Lucky for me, Ahmed's friend Hani invited us to an akika for his newborn son, Adam, in Astoria Park. An akika is a celebratory gathering of friends and family of a newborn. I have been to several and they are truly festive occasions: tables laden with Egyptian cuisine, mounds of presents and cards packed with money, scores of beaming adults and five times as many kids barreling around the park. Here is Hani, his wife, and their son:
And here's a better view of Adam.

He's only 9 days old! Oh, I could hardly stand the cuteness. I cooched and cooed and took scads of pictures, packing in the cute fix, and then, just as I was coming off the high, look who popped up!
That's Jen and her daughter Hannah, who, coincidentally, were also attending a little gathering in the park less than 2 yards away! Weirdly enough, I had run into her husband, Hiro, on the train a few days before and had been meaning to call and touch base. How do you like that for universal synchronicity?

I ended up having a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and took this picture of Ahmed as we were leaving the park:
and found this quote to accompany it, being so fitting for who he works to be:

"We must get back into relation, vivid and nourishing relation to the cosmos and the universe. The way is through daily ritual, and is an affair of the individual and the household, a ritual of dawn and noon and sunset, the ritual of the kindling fire and pouring water, the ritual of the first breath, and the last." -D.H. Lawrence

Packing, La Vie, and Joe Cool & the Cat

Yikes!

The end of the month is looming and I still don't have an apartment! *sigh* Such is the nature of NYC. Every time I move it feels like I'm playing a game called "Musical Apartments" where the music of life stops, a bunch of people stand up and run around like crazy trying to get their butts in another spot before the music starts up again. Lets hope that I'm not the one left standing this month!

I am packing nonetheless... a little bit every day. Ahmed and I seem to be separating things out well. He keeps the microwave. I keep the steamer. He keeps the couch, (thank God). I keep the kitchen table. We have a few pieces that we both don't want, so I'll have to find out a way to dispose of those things.

I'm also having to create 2 piles: one pile for my new apartment and one for the office. I'll be moving office stuff in on Thursday, yay! We still have to buy a few things and decorate, but phone and DSL will be up soon and I'm making do with an interim table until I find a desk I like. (Office desk design is like sneaker design: most of it is awful!)

Even though I'm swamped with work, my friends are making sure I have some fun! Julie and Joe took Leese and I out to La Vie for my birthday. It was just my kind of night. A seedy tent at a shadowy pier on a misty night. Mad contortionists, precarious balancing maneuvers, and a flyer in chains. Even a bit of full frontal nudity! I felt like John Constantine might show up at any minute. (The authentic blond British JC - not the insipid Hollywood version.) Check out Joe's blog for a picture or two. I was off camera duty that night!

Friday, I joined the usual suspects to go see Julie and Joe's Trapeze School student showcase. They have gotten so good! The general theme was circus and most people thought that Joe just may cop out on a costume for the event, but he came through with flying colors! Literally. Here they are in full regalia:

They both made their catches and managed to look pretty graceful in the process. (As opposed to moi... the official flying ragdoll.) Unfortunately, it was too dark to get any good pics of them in the air, but Joe got it all on HD, so when he gets it up on his blog, I'll direct you there.

Sheesh - lots of other stuff going on at the moment. I guess I have to save a few tidbits for later, though. Keep your fingers crossed about my own place! It has to pop up sooner or later.

S

A smattering...

of interesting wobjects, (web-objects).

Some of my favorite books are collections of the oddments of existence such as Wanley's Wonders of the Little World and The Queer, The Quaint, and The Quizzical. But, this morning I found out the the web is increasingly becoming a rich resource for these kinds of collections. Luckily there are people following in Wanley's footsteps! People such as Uri Westphal.

I stumbled across a collection of "Mutatoes" during my morning blog reading. (Don't worry, they aren't a bunch of vegetarian comic book heroes...)

The pictures are wonderful:
And then I started poking around the other pages on the site and found Retrozoology: a page dedicated to ancient and odd descriptions of animals like the Octopus.

The best thing about these web-based collections is that they often come with full color pictures as seen above and you can easily access them without having to trek all the way to the rare books section of your local library.

Thank you...

My birthday was yesterday and I just want to pop in and say thank you to all of the wonderful people who called to wish me a happy one!

My favorite present so far is a talking Steve Irwin action figure who says "Crikey!" when you touch his front pocket. Hee hee...

Anyway - it is good to be 31! Thanks for all of your calls and emails... and have a wonderful Wednesday!

My apologies to the universe and everyone in it...

Sheesh.

OK - so I am just going to lay it all out right here so everyone knows what is going on with me.

I am so unbelievably out of integrity right now with practically everyone.

I have at least 12 people I owe calls to that I haven't called yet. I have forgotten my phone at home twice in the past week. Everything I have mailed in the past two months has been mailed late. I haven't packed a single box. I forgot to buy cat food for the cats last night. I haven't been following a workout regimen. I didn't check all the fonts on the drafting I sent to the printer. Because I forgot my phone, I couldn't call my step-dad on his birthday. I didn't tell Ahmed I was going to be working on Sunday. I forgot to call my prescriptions into the pharmacist. I keep forgetting to schedule all these things into my phone so I have a digital reminder.

In short, I am slightly overwhelmed with life right now.

Actually, I am so overwhelmed - I don't even have time to worry about being overwhelmed. I feel pretty empty. Like a robot has taken over my body and is just processing one command after another. The commands don't really make sense. I just do what is put in front of me to do.

I have 4 priorities at the moment:

1. sign a lease on a new apartment
2. pack to move into said apartment
3. pack to move into new studio
4. keep making money so I can afford all this moving

*sigh*

As a result of this - hopefully short-lived - hurricane of discombobulation... some people aren't very happy with me at the moment. And I just don't have the energy to make things right. So - to all of you who I dearly love, but just can't reach out to right now: I'm sorry I'm not available. I hope you'll forgive my lapse and know that it's temporary. I'll be more settled in a month or two when I have my own apartment and have settled into living by myself. I think about you even if I'm not calling/writing/emailing. And soon, as my step-dad likes to say: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

Oh - and by the way, I just have to point out that the best person in the world to help you though the stormy straits of life is a mother who calls to remind you to take it easy on yourself! You are only human after all...

(No matter how much you wish you could wrinkle your face like Samantha Stephens and have your house packed with the twitch of a nose!)

41 Union Square West...

Guess what that is???

That beautiful address is the address of my new work space in Manhattan! Yay! Julie and I signed the lease yesterday and we can't believe our luck!

Union Square is the ideal place for me. We have Barnes and Noble, Whole Foods, the Farmer's Market, Zen Palate, ABC Carpet and Home, Staples, Forbidden Planet, a beautiful park, and the Union Square Holiday Market within a 3 minute walking distance. Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond, 2 movie theaters, and a slew of sushi restaurants aren't much farther away. The L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5,and 6 all stop there... so we are very accessible!

The studio itself is pretty small, but should fit the two of us just fine for a year. The previous tenants left a bookshelf and two cabinets that we plan on keeping. The landlord says it is ok for us to paint, so we will be picking colors soon! We have one window that faces north, so we can see the Empire State Building and a section of Broadway.

Anyway, it's not a bad birthday present for the Universe to throw my way! (It looks like my theme of Beauty and Abundance is still alive and kicking!) I'll post pictures soon so you can see for yourself. Hope to see you all there one day!

Jonathan Ross Snogs Neil Gaiman

"Jonathan and I were the last of the presenters, and we hadn't worked anything out to do because I turned up so late. ("You'll be funny," I said, having found myself on stage with Jonathan a few times before. "I'll be the straight man." )

It was almost midnight. Everyone was tired. The energy was ebbing from the room...

Jonathan explained that he was famous in England, and that he loved comics... He loved comics so much he had named his son after Kurtzman and Kirby. He loved comics even more than he loved masturbation. And he loved masturbation.... And he was off.

Now Jonathan Ross is funny. He has hosted more awards shows than probably any human being alive. And he was in his element.

Every now and again, I'd manage to stop laughing, and get us back onto announcing and presenting awards. (I was thrilled to present one to Alison Bechdel for Fun Home, one to Gene Luen Yang for American Born Chinese.)

Finally the mad gleam in Jonathan's eye focussed on me, and he announced that we would now celebrate the Eisners and comics... by re-enacting Madonna and Britney Spears' famous kiss at the MTV music awards...

So yesterday night, on that stage, in front of thousands of comics fans and professionals, I got an Eisner, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian award and was snogged by Jonathan Ross.

Maddy thought it was funny. She said I turned lots of interesting colours."

Ha!

For those of you who don't know who Neil Gaiman is, (how depraved you have been!), he's a writer who first gained recognition in the Comics world with the acclaimed Vertigo series The Sandman. He went on to write best-selling novels... please see his bio here.

Now, several of his books are being made into movies including Stardust, which will be in theaters on August 10th, and Coraline, which is scheduled to be released in 2008.

I highly recommend all of his material, but most especially The Sandman. It has some rather shocking subject matter, (you must have a high tolerance for violence and nudity), but also an ingenious convergence of classic mythology, modern culture, philosophical perspectives of the universe, and just all around great story telling. Not to mention an unbelievable collection of covers by Dave McKean! Yum.

Extras (Sir Ian McKellen)

By the way, did you know that laughing helps you lose weight? Yep... apparently so...
And in the interest of getting us all to lose a pound or two, here's a clip from a show called Extras. It stars Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman, an struggling actor who only ever ends up being an extra in films starring some of films heaviest hitters. Here's what happens when he gets a chance to pick Ian McKellen's brain about acting:

My Dad, A Papoose, and Extras.

So - I promised I would tell you a bit more about my Dad at the end of the month since his birthday was on Tuesday. Happy Birthday, Dad! Why don't I paint a portrait of him though a bit of free association, shall I? Sort of a recipe for JBFT. A pinch of this, a dash of that... here are the ingredients:

In a large mixing bowl, pour in 3 cups rock and roll, preferably:

• Signs by Tesla
• Not Ready To Make Nice by The Dixie Chicks
• The Weight by The Band

Add in:

• one electric guitar to punch it up and
• one acoustic guitar to mellow it out

Mix in a drizzle of vintage sci-fi, perhaps from a well aged bottle of Twilight Zone or Star Trek, Next Generation.

Add one cup each of:

• Freshly mown grass
• Alum
• Motor Oil
• Appalachian river water

Drop in two tbsp each of

• Tax consultant
• Tennessee Squire

A dash of brain teaser adds complexity.

Stir in a few obscenities for color.

But don't forget the scripture which adds body and ties all the other ingredients together.

Stir well until compassion and wit begin to emerge. Original lyrics will start to rise to the top.
Bake until neck is nice and red.

Serve with a side of Bev and a few good old boys.

Enjoy!

Hee hee... now you have an inkling of what JBFT might be like. Try him. You'll like him.

*** *** ***

In other news, here's what I made over the weekend:
-


It's a papoose for my Palm Treo. I haven't bought a skin for it yet, so I decided to make one for now. Hopefully, it will keep my new toy somewhat protected while I lug it around the city. I used one of my favorite yarns: Noro, Silk Garden in Rainbow. Yummy!

And, have I mentioned my discovery of Extras? Actually, Leese brought it to my attention when she was looking for clips of Ian McKellen on Youtube. Hmmm... I guess now I'm going to have to figure out how to post Youtube clips on here... brb...

In other news...

I had the pleasure of being part of another First Wives World interview, although this one was more of a round table discussion than a one-on-one interview. (Above is a screen shot of the FWW home page.)

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous before this one because I knew that I would be talking about my personal life in front of a bunch of people I know rather than two people I know. Not to mention the fact that I'm used to being on the behind-the-scenes side of the camera. But, as soon as I got there, all my concerns were put to rest.

First of all, Julie and Joe, friends of mine who introduced me to First Wives World and who also help them with film production, always make me feel at home. Julie has this was of being so calmly inquisitive that I usually find myself happy to spill all the beans I have, which is a good place to be in when your supposed to be spilling your beans for a national social network.

I also was able to meet the producers who are making FWW possible. I won't say anymore about them just yet, because I don't know if they are the kind of producers who like to be in the spotlight or the kind of producers who prefer to remain mysterious benefactors, but I will say that they were lovely people and I'm glad they are in the world making forums like this available to people who need them and I hope they keep it up because they are doing a great job.

I really enjoyed getting to know the other women at the table. The four of us come from such different backgrounds with radically different stories, but it seemed so natural to be talking to them about the circumstances of my impending separation. I particularly enjoyed talking to Michelle, a single mother who is taking care of both herself and a daughter! (Sheesh - I am having a hard enough time figuring out how to provide for the one of me!) It was good to be with women my age who are on the other side of this particular transition. Being with them makes it feel less insurmountable somehow. In any case, the whole discussion was relaxed, well balanced, and sometimes pretty funny. (Heather was pretty quick with the witty divorcee one-liners.) Over all, I enjoyed myself immensely and I can't wait to see what the outcome will be. Don't worry, I'll post the links here as soon as they are up on the site.

Strangely enough, I think my participation with First Wives World is the main thing that is anchoring me to the future I need to move into. Despite our irreconcilable differences when it comes to religion and children, my relationship with Ahmed is so comfortable and content that I think we could stretch this transition period out over a couple of years if nothing was pushing me to make a change right now. If I hadn't put myself out on a national network, I just might settle for mere contentment rather than true happiness. (Which just happens to be my worst nightmare. I would much rather be that superb meteor than a sleepy and permanent planet... vague reference I know... see whole quote below.)

So - thank you Julie and Joe, for recognizing the potential story in me, (and Ahmed), and for hitching me to the back of this ever-expanding vehicle which is pulling me faster up a hill that it may have taken me forever to climb. I can't wait to see the view from the top!

Oh yes... and here's that quote:

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” - Jack London

Visual backlog...

I took some pictures on the 4th of July that turned out nicely. If I ever get tired of being an art director, I'll probably take photography classes. Above is Astoria Park before the sun went down. I spent a lovely evening with some of my favorite designers. Below are my two favorite fireworks shots.
The Sinister Empire...

Here is a picture I took of The Empire State Building one night around midnight. It was wonderfully foggy that night! I love the city in the fog. The buildings become mysterious and exotic, as if shady people are working on secret things somewhere in the lofty bowels of metal and glass.

Back in the saddle.

Time for an update... no?

Or a few, for that matter. I have been out in the real world for so long I have totally shirked my virtual responsibilities. I have also realized how family-centric my posts have been of late, so I thought I'd get back to all the other facets of life.

What have I been up to???

I have been working my tail off. That's what. I will be moving into my own apartment this fall. All by myself! Which is slightly intimidating because I've never lived by myself before. I have a sneaking suspicion I am going to love it, but you never know... I am an extrovert after all. But, I have my two lovely cats. And, hopefully, lots of company! Right, girls? (Leese, Julie, Tara, Kristin, Mary, Cassandra... and your handsome cohorts, of course.)

I have to say that I'm lucky, because, for the most part, I love the career path I've chosen for myself. Being a freelance designer in NYC is always an adventure. I get to work with tons of creative, and sometimes notable, people. Every job is different... some are purely graphics related where I get to flex my Adobe muscles. Some require set design for puppets. (They don't teach you how to design puppet scenery in school. They should, considering the vast puppet population of the world.) Some are installation heavy, which means lots of standing on ladders, juggling tools, managing deliveries, and working with great shop or house crews.

During my professional career, I have gotten paid to:

1. Cover Dave Grohl, (Foo Fighters), in tin foil.
2. Create pop-art images of William Shatner, (which he may actually have in his house!)
3. Get very close and personal with a slew of Henson puppets in the windows of Macy's, (and yes, Mrs. Piggy can be pretty high maintenance.)
4. Build a replica of the Nimbus 2000.
5. Paint every nook and cranny of Studio 54 when Cabaret moved in. And let me tell you, Leese and I did some mighty precarious maneuvering to get the dome ceiling touched up!
6. Serve burnt eggs to an actor take after take after take... (sorry Andrew, but the script did call for it!)
7. Watch LL Cool J rehearse without a shirt on... (Ok, not really paid to do that. We were on a break. Really. Come on... do you blame us? Who can get work done when LL's in the building? Um, no really... we were on a break.)
8. Glitterize everything within a 50 ft. radius. (I used to come home with glitter in places you wouldn't believe.)
9. Smuggle plastic shotguns though the Lincoln Tunnel. I was actually stopped by a cop who asked me point blank, "Ma'am, are you carrying any weapons of mass destruction?" What do you say to that when you have a pile of toy guns in the back? "Well, officer, not really weapons of MASS destruction..."

And my number 10. comes from a job that I worked on this summer: installing artifacts into the Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium in Times Square. Yes, folks, I got to personally handle real Jivaro shrunken heads. About 20 of them. I have to admit, they are pretty cool. For me, the term "shrunken head" used to be just a catch phrase for freaky crap. Not anymore. The Jivaro tribes are fascinating! (I'm not going to go into detail here. You'll have to go to Ripley's and see for yourself.) I do have a few pictures, though...And here is me and Catman who was invited for the opening night party along with other interesting Ripley-esque characters.
In any case, the job was a little nuts, because of time constraints and lots of contractors all trying to get everything done at the same time. I know from the pictures it look like I did all that work by myself, but that's only because I haven't found out if I can post pictures of the great people with whom I worked. (Feel free to write in and request an appearance, guys.) The artifact crew was fantastic, pretty much my dream crew, and very good at rolling with the late-night-tight-space sort of punches. If anyone ever needs a good props person, I have several great people to recommend. Hopefully I'll be working with them all again soon.

So, there you go... that's what I was up to for most of May and June. Lots of other things happened during that time, but I'll post a follow up tomorrow. Sleep tight!

Yikes!

Sheesh... how the time flies!

Can you believe over a month has passed and I haven't stepped foot inside my beloved BTtLG? Sad!

I'll tell you what happened: the Crazy-Job-From-Hell swallowed me whole and it took me a while to crawl out from under a pile of work. I hate to admit this about myself, but I really do have a one-track-mind. If I get immersed in one aspect of life, it is very easy for me to forget all the other aspects. Bills don't get paid. Emails don't get written. Calls don't get made and people start to think I've moved to Timbuktu or, god forbid, that I'm mad at them, (which is never the case.)

So after the job ended, I caught up on the rest of my life... (especially the bills part!) and here I am.

Lots happened while I was busy with the CJFH. First off, Father's Day came and went. I just didn't have time to sit down on Father's Day weekend and tell you about my wonderful dad, so I'm hijacking July 6 and making it an honorary fathers day just for JBFT. Here is a picture of me in his arms when I was 1!

Isn't he handsome? Yes, he was a young father, but he was such a fun one! My favorite memories of my dad in the days of my childhood are:

1. playing tickle monster on the living room floor.
2. when he would let Liz and me ride in the back of the truck.
3. telling us bizarre bedtime stories, (that he made up), about giant clams and running noses.
4. watching him work. I've always admired how much my dad can get done in one day. Since we lived on a farm back then, there was a lot of work to get done! Baling hay, tilling fields, laying cement blocks for tool sheds, feeding the animals, etc.
5. being with him in the ocean at the beach. There's nothing like clinging to your Dad's neck while waves are crashing into you... it's safe and exhilarating all at the same time!
6. his unbelievable composure while teaching me how to drive. Seriously... he's the best driver's-ed teacher in the world. He doesn't even blink an eye when one runs a giant GMC truck into one's chimney. (That does happen to everyone, doesn't it?)
7. going to the Lynard Skynard concert in SC. Yes, I'm showing my true colors here. I have been to a Skynard concert and I'll admit it... it rocked! (Of course, I was 14 at the time... and I was with my dad... but my dad happens to party harder than most people my age, so what can I say?)
8. The day he rescued me from a vicious battle involving a bike and a barbed-wire fence.
9. Watching him with groups of people. He's always been good in groups. He calls it "politickin". I call it natural charisma.
10. watching movies on weekend afternoons...
    

Me - "Dad, why did the little alien guy's finger glow when he touched..."
Dad - "If you be quiet and listen, you just might find out."
Me - "But, Dad, what does it mean when the he says phone..."
Dad - "If you listen, you'll see."
Me - "Um, Dad, why is he getting sick?"
Dad - "Sarah, shut up and watch the movie."

Hee hee... now some of you know why I'm such a movie Nazi!

Happy (hijacked) Father's Day, Dad!!! I love you!

You'll be hearing more about him later this month. His birthday is coming up!

Liz!

May is a big month for me. This will show in my posts or lack thereof...

In addition to Mother's Day and Memorial Day, May is a month of family birthdays.
(And I'm starting to have quite a few friends with birthdays in May as well.) So, I hope you will indulge a few more tribute entries.

Friday was my sister's birthday. My sister, Elizabeth, is my only sibling and it's a miracle we didn't seriously maim each other when we were younger. (I would say "it's a miracle we didn't kill each other when we were younger", but I've come to learn that our sibling rivalry pales in comparison to others.)

Liz and I were pretty adept at bringing out each other's dark side back then. My dark side was sardonic and dismissive. Liz could be obstinate and explosive. She threw the most physical punches, but my verbal darts could be even more painful. As the older sister, I tended to ignore her a lot which created a lot of resentment on her part. I believed, on the whole, life would be a lot easier without an aggravating little sister.

Thank goodness the universe doesn't give in to such naive little desires.

Who could guess that the one person who causes the most vexation in one chapter of your life would turn out to be the most supportive in the next?

At some point in our 20's, I think we both realized the impact of having an estranged sibling. It just feels wrong on a molecular level. Something is not quite right with the universe when your sister isn't talking to you. Yes, life goes on and, yes, it's a pretty good life, but something is missing!

So, we started doing what it takes to forgive those childhood injustices. Sometimes that forgiveness takes a lot of work. But, Liz and I are no strangers to hard work.

I am so proud of my sister for who she is today. She is a direct, yet compassionate communicator. She is incredibly generous. She supports me in all the paths I choose to take, but she's also the first to hold me to account for my actions. There is the most wonderful connection between us that I guess you only ever have with a sibling.

I love you, Liz. Happy Birthday....

The Mother's Day cycle...

Sheesh - time got away from me this week!

So I promised in my last post that I would tell you what impact having my particular mother has had on my life, so here goes. (We have birthday "cycles" in my family largely due to the fact that a few of us have a hard time getting things in the mail in time to arrive on or close to the actual day, so we'll just call this the "Mother's Day Cycle" and extend M's Day another week since I'm late getting back to this post.)

In the last post, I laid out some quirky details about Mom. In this one, I would like to tell you about the three most important lessons she has taught me during my lifetime.

Lesson # 1: How to stand up for myself and say the things I need to say even when I'm terrified to say them.

I started dating my first real boyfriend in 8th grade. I was crazy over him! Gargantuan butterflies in my stomach kind of crazy. We went to 2 different schools, but had the same AG teacher and I met him on an AG field trip. I was stunned that he was interested in me and life was very fairy-taleish for a few months! Until he called one day to tell me that our AG teacher had approached him and asked if I was really his girlfriend. When he said yes, she proceeded to tell him that she couldn't see why he would be interested in me. She said I was irresponsible and immature and that he could do better than me. He told me all of this while I sat dumb-founded, cradling the receiver in my hands. I can't remember saying anything. I think I just hung up and sat sobbing in my room until my mom came to ask what was wrong.

I told her what my teacher had said about me. Needless to say, my mother was pretty irate. I was sure she was going to go down to school and read that teacher the riot act! (My mom is great at reading the riot act to people when needed. I myself have been on the receiving end a time or two.) Instead, she sat me down and told me I was going to have to confront this teacher myself. She told me what to say, which was good because I had a huge mish-mash of hurt and confusion in my brain. She told me to do it first thing the next day and that if I had any trouble, well... she had my back.

And I did. My heart was pounding out of my chest! I had never had to confront anyone before, much less an adult! I stopped the teacher in the hallway before the first bell and said how hurt I was and how disappointed I was in her as a mentor. That if she thought I was irresponsible and immature, what does she think of herself for saying such things behind some one's back. (Sounds pretty good... huh. Just followed the script Mom gave me, but it summed up all of my tumultuous feelings nicely.)

Since then, I've always had that ability to have the hard conversations. I can say things I need to say even when my heart is pounding and I feel like I might pass out. And, if I ever need to sort out the main issue from the mish-mash, my Mom is only a phone call away.

Lesson # 2: Never sacrifice my self to make someone else happy. (This is quite different from making sacrifices for other people.)

Most of you know that I am married to a wonderful man who happens to be Muslim. You also know that I love him and, in spite of that, things aren't going to work out for us marriage-wise. It has taken us 5 years to come to that conclusion. During those 5 years, I was confronted on so many levels! Do I convert to Islam so I won't lose the man I love? How can I honor his traditions and be myself at the same time? How do I live in the same house with someone who truly believes I am going to hell?

My marriage to Ahmed is one of the greatest miracles of my life. Our relationship could have turned ugly very early on. Part of the reason that I have been able to stay the course and build a loving relationship with Ahmed as well as honoring my own belief system is because I have my mother's voice ringing in my head. "Sarah, stay true to who you are."

My mother presided over our wedding. She has adopted Ahmed as her own son. She has a lot invested in our relationship and supports us as a couple, no matter what the future looks like. Still, whenever I call her for advice that one sentence is her most passionate precept. As a result, I have done the work it takes to draw my boundaries and to let Ahmed know who I am and who I'll never be. Because I am doing that work, he is as well. We have stopped pretending with each other. We have stopped trying to mold each other into the perfect spouse. We are happy. And we are happily getting separated. And we have an extraordinary future ahead of us. My mother will continue to love him as a son and to teach him the same lesson she has taught me... "Stay true to who you are."

Lesson # 3: The world is a spectacular place to live.

I told you earlier that my Mom loves bird-watching. That is just the pinnacle of the love-affair she has with life in general. I remember driving with her around the mountains of western NC and listening to her exclaim about the flaming azaleas and dogwoods. She is constantly delighted with the natural world. She loves the stark beauty of Winter as much as the extravagant florals of Spring.

I often meet women who are fighting the natural cycles of life. Women who defy age as long as they can with cosmetic surgery and expensive anti-wrinkle creams. My mother is 57 and she is one of the only women I know who is looking forward to turning 60! I have never had a fear of growing older because my mother makes it seem like so much fun.

My hope for the future is that Mom and I will be able to explore the world together, that we will continue to delight in growing older together, that we will help each other to unlock the many facets of who we are, and that we will always know that we are in each other's corner.

I love you, Mom, and I am honored to be your daughter.

Happy Mother's Day cycle!

Happy Mother's Day!

I thought I'd come out of my recent reticence for a very important post on a very important day!

This is the day I get to honor my mother.

I was born 30 years ago to a truly incredible woman. Her name is Helen Louise which is wonderfully descriptive of who she is in the world; Helen meaning "light" and Louise meaning "renowned fighter". She is a notable warrior for goodness in the world.

For those of you who haven't met my mother, here are a few of my favorite details about her:

1. She was a hippie. She believed in all of the great hippie values: peace, love, and happiness. She still does! Even better, she was a hippie who somehow avoided naming me Moonray or Sundance.
2. She was a debutante. I love this little piece of my mom's history. You should see the pictures... she was so gorgeous with a huge bouquet of roses and a sixties flip. She actually tried to get out of "coming out", but you know how southern aristocratic families are.
   
3. She was a theatre major. I remember growing up watching my mom in community theatre. She was Nancy in Oliver and Peter in Peter Pan. I have very vivid memories of watching her being strangled by Bill Sykes in rehearsals. I was only 5 or 6 and was horrified the first time, but then, when she miraculously came back to life backstage, I was able to watch her being killed over and over with no apparent psychological scarring! If you have a chance, ask her about kissing a Prince in Into the Woods. Very funny story Here she is singing a solo in Coming of Age.
4. She has never been afraid to make a career change. My mother has tried her hand at many jobs during my lifetime: College Counselor, Psych Ward Director, Ski Patroller, Hospice Management.... and she always seems to know when it's time to make a change. A few years ago, she was ordained as an Episcopal Priest and is very committed to this calling. Still, she has an inner entrepreneur and I wouldn't be surprised if she opens a business on the side!
5. She is an avid birdwatcher. My mother is as excited to tell me about day-to-day birdfeeder dramas as she is about a great movie she may have seen. She always seems to be shocked and honored when a rare "crested whatsit" chooses to grace her back porch. If George Clooney rang her doorbell, I don't think he would get the same reaction! Poor George!
6. She is one of the most open-minded people I know. Um - I could go into some detail here, but probably shouldn't. Let's just say, social scandals never phase my Mom. She is as gracious to a surprise child born out of wedlock or an overly rude elder or the neighborhood vagrant as she is to any upstanding citizen. This comes in quite handy when a certain daughter calls home announce a sudden commitment ceremony to a foreign man her mother has never met.
7. She has a strange and unwavering commitment to make a Christmas dessert that no one ever eats. The desert is called Ribbon Salad and if you have a hankering to try such a thing, please come by our house around the 25th of December. Bring some friends. There will be more than enough to go around seeing as how, otherwise, it will sit untouched in the fridge until the New Year when it is thrown out with the tree.
   
8. She was allergic to cats and avoided having an indoor cat until she was tricked by the bleeding hearts of Holy Cross Church into saving a stranded kitten. She named the kitten "Dipsh*t" because she was pretty annoyed at having to care for a pitiful animal she never wanted in the first place. The more time Mom spent with that kitten, the fonder she became of the little fuzzball. "Dipsh*t" became "Dingbat" then just "Ding" and then "Ring". At some point Mom added the Ms. and Ms. Ring wound up living with us until she died many years later. She was my mother's favorite pet.

So there is an introduction... later today I'll tell you about the impact she's had on my life and the many gifts she's given me over the years. I love you Mom!

Treasures for the Senses

I woke up feeling particularly wealthy this morning.

Not in the monetary sense, (I tend to fall in the starving artist category), but more so in the details-of-life sense. So, I thought I would share the wealth today and this will probably turn out to be a long entry! I am opening my mental treasure chests. These are my personal treasures, but maybe they will spark a query about your own.

A Treasure of Words: Words are the simplest treasure. They are exquisite on their own, little sparkling gems without a setting, or strung into opulent aural necklaces. Here is a gem for each letter of the alphabet and a list of my favorite master-jewelers.

astonish * beetle * coriander * denizen * ellipse * frisky * gossamer * harlequin * incarnadine * jinx * kimono * legendary * macabre * nimble * oubliette * pepper * quince * rascal * sphinx * tempest * ultramarine * vertigo * whisper * xylocopa * yonder * zombie

Dorothy Dunnett * Angela Carter * Edgar Allen Poe * Neil Gaiman
William Shakespeare * Dylan Thomas * Charles Dickens * Mary Shelley

A Treasure of Creatures: I am an avid fan of shows like Nature and Planet Earth because they allow me to revel in the varieties of species. Technology is now so advanced, we can view the nocturnal habits of creatures we once thought were pure myth like the Hawk Moth. Here is my top ten list of bugs and beasties, (click on each entry to find out more about them:

1 - Bower Birds
2 - The Black and White Colobus Monkey
3 - The Flamboyant Cuttlefish
4 - Coleoptera: Lampyridae
5 - The Polar Bear
6 - The Emperor Tamarin
7 - The Golden Orb-Weaving Spider
8 - The Giraffe
9 - The Snowy Owl
10 - The Pygmy Marmoset Tarsier

A Treasure of Music: There are pieces of music that make my molecules hum. If only you could be a fly on the wall to see me dancing in my living room! You'd get a good laugh. I am so happy these soundtracks were put out into the world! They cover all kinds of emotional ground: triumph, wonder, desperation, madness, comfort, loss. The ones I've listed may not be the most well known by that particular composer, but they are the ones that I employ as the soundtracks for my own story.

1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - John Williams
2. Edward Scissorhands - Danny Elfman
3. The Last Starfighter, (main title) - Craig Safan
4. Twin Peaks - Angelo Badalamenti
5. Sommersby - Danny Elfman
6. Glory - James Horner
7. Requiem For a Dream - Clint Mansell
8. Batman - Danny Elfman
9. The Mission - Ennio Morricone
10. Amadeus - Mozart and others

Not so Manic...

Hello all -

I hope you had as great a weekend as I had. The sun really does wonders for my whole outlook on life. It's a good thing I don't live in Siberia or Seattle or a cave somewhere... no offence to Siberians or Seattleans or hermits.

I am sitting here at my little wooden desk next to the window and the breeze is so nice! I was out and about over the weekend and here are a few pictures I took:

:

Those are the spires of Grace Episcopal Church in Manhattan. It's not the biggest cathedral, but it's one of the prettiest. Lots of buds still waiting to flower.


And - I went yarn shopping. Yes, I hate to admit it, but yarn shopping is one of my vices. Nope - don't drink. Nope - don't smoke. Nope - don't do drugs. But, boy, I can spend a ton of money on yarn! I had to learn how to knit so I'd have something to do with all of that stuff! My favorite 2 yarn shops in the world are: Purl Soho in Manhattan and The Quarter Stitch in New Orleans. Purl Soho has a great blog called The Purl Bee with lots of good tutorials if you want to learn how to knit or crochet. The Quarter Stitch is slightly behind when it comes to online presence, but their storefront is the best! I'll dig up a photo and post it soon.

Here are the yarns I bought. And below is one of the projects I'd like to use them for... who doesn't need a pair of harlequin knee-highs? Yummy.

Woah - way past my bedtime! I have a ton of drafting to do tomorrow and Leese is a whipcracker, so I'm off. Have a great Tuesday!

Meet Olivia Grace

I finally have some pictures of the newest member of my family: Olivia Grace! The first picture is my uncle Casey with his tiny daughter. I wonder if she's going to be as tall as he is! Look at those teensy fingers against his giant ones! She has a ways to go.

Here is Olivia with 1) Grandma, 2) her mother, Cathy, and 3) her big brother Ben.

Great job, Cathy! Hmmm... now I have a baby to knit for! Yay!

A Sun Infusion

We finally got a bit of sun in the city today.

*dancing a jig, dancing a jig*

It made me so happy, I decided to come home and create some abstract color pieces in Adobe Illustrator. I just allowed myself to play with colors, patterns, and overlays... I had no specific vision in mind.

Here are the results:

The ringmaster returns...

Thank you, everyone, for participating in my previous post.

The Parlour Room will remain open for several days, so, if you haven't introduced yourself yet, please do so! I did find out that some people have the email feature confused with the comment feature. Also - please know that you don't have to leave an email address or url to leave a comment. Just your name will do. Or an alias if you are paranoid about little "looking glass spyders" tracking you down!

To our lurker: thanks for saying you are out there! I love mysterious messages from mysterious people. And - somehow, I don't think you are the only one.

I received a request for more pictures and saw that Julie said something about that on Joe's blog as well, so I will honor that request.

One other thing:
If you look to the left you will see a feature called "Sarah's Amorphic Library". This is a collection of entries on other blogs that might interest you. Adventures in chicken knitting, for instance, and regular posts from Neil Gaiman's journal, among others.

Stay tuned for a few more Stardust stills and a few other tidbits.

Parlour Room

OK - so this is a special kind of post.

This is the "Parlour Room" of posts.

Most of you visit on a regular basis. Thank you! That's exactly what keeps me writing. (I was never much of a journal writer mainly because I always thought: what's the point in writing something no one is ever going to read?)

The great thing about blogs is that it gives the reader a chance to respond. See the tiny little link below this, (and every), post that reads "comment"? That is the interactive element on this page! That little button gives you a voice! How exciting!

OK - so most of you know this. Please be patient while I bring the rest of the class up to date. (My mom, for instance, may have a ton of trouble figuring this out... sorry, mom, but you know it's true! )

Bloggers love comments. Comments validate our existence. Comments make this whole exercise feel more like a conversation than a dissertation. Comments also let you know who else is reading...

Let me tell you that one of the driving forces for me to be here is to build a community of people who love life, art, and unique expressions of existence. Thanks for being here! Please spread the word... and - since this is the "Parlour Room" post, please introduce yourself! BTW - anytime you see Parlour Room, that will be an opportunity to make your presence known. Shall we see how crowded it will get in here by the end of the year?

And now, your host will take her seat and give you the stage.

*much clapping and whistling from the audience*

Infuriated by Lost? Get your answers here.

After my first aid class yesterday, I received a number of phone calls from various people. We chatted. I filled them in on my Saturday whereabouts. Then they would ask the inevitable question... "Sarah, you are a designer. Why on earth would you want to take a first aid class?"

Here are my answers listed in chronological order. If you get the heebie-jeebies easily, I would skip this post.

In 2001, I worked at a scenery shop in Manhattan. My boss had a sudden seizure. He flipped out of his rolling office chair and cracked his head on the concrete floor. His eyes were rolled back into his head. There was blood seeping out of an abrasion somewhere on his skull. No one in the shop knew what to do.

In 2003, I was riding a bus on my way to work one morning. As we pulled into the bus stop, everyone on the bus jumped up and started screaming. I was the last to get off the bus. I saw an obviously mentally ill man flailing his arm in the air. His arm was flopping in an unnatural manner. Blood was spurting from the place where his bone was jutting through the skin. (He had been riding on the bus with his arm out the window. When we rounded the corner, his arm was crunched between the bus and a parked truck.) Everyone who had been on the bus was standing in a circle around him, but no one was making a move to help him. And, I admit, it was an intimidating situation.

In January of this year, I was riding the subway when a man tried to hop on the train before the doors closed and didn't make it. The doors closed on his shoulders and he fell forward onto his face. Apparently, something had broken in his back and he couldn't move. It took 15 minutes for the paramedics to arrive.

In March of this year, I was walking down the street when a teenager walked up to me and asked where the nearest emergency room was. He was holding a bloody napkin over a cut on his arm. I asked him what happened and he said he had been attacked by another group of kids. Then he showed me the stab wound in his back.

In all of these situations, I immediately jumped in to help. It's not something I think about. When I see someone who needs help, my first thought is how to help them. Unfortunately, my second thought is: "Crap... what if I just wind up making the situation worse?"

Up until now, I've been lucky. I did exactly the right thing for my boss. I could have done more for the guy on the bus and the kid with the stab wounds if I knew then what I know now. And, lucky for the man on the train, there was a doctor in the subway car.

Like I said, when your living in a city packed with 8 million people, you are bound to run into a few injuries here or there. So, if you are a designer, (or a lawyer/writer/producer/ad exec/house cleaner/etc...) with a penchant for responding to emergency situations, I highly recommend studying up on your first aid skills. You could very well save someone's finger/leg/memory/range of motion/life.

Here is the link for class listings at The American Red Cross of Greater NY. And a link for Red Cross websites anywhere else in the country.

Early Bird Gets the Splint

Hey everybody.

I don't think a single one of you is up yet. Well... maybe a few of you are peeking though puffy eyelids at 7:30 on a Saturday morning.

I am up! I've had my Joe and I'm ready to go...

My friend Julie and I are off to a Standard First Aid class today. Why? you ask...

Well, it's a long story. And a gross one. But, I'll tell you about it later. Don't worry, I'm not concerned about your knee-jerk disgust reflexes. I just don't have time right now. Suffice it to say, I have Samaritan tendencies, but don't know a darn thing about first aid. And, when you're walking around in city packed with 8 million people you are bound to run into a few injuries here or there.

Yikes! Time flies when I'm here and it's almost 7:45... so I'm off! Have a great Saturday and I'll see you on the other side of the CPR dummy.

Over and Out

Papaya!

Here is another flower in my Garden of Bizarre Delights. I love PaPaYa's artwork. Here is a link to Anahata Katkin's blog so you can get to know the mind behind the makings. Whenever I need a good visual infusion, I go there or to Papaya's online store to gorge myself on the color. What a feast!

I miss you
Originally uploaded by Anahata Katkin.

Wednesday and a Star...

I love Wednesday nights...

Well, for the next 3 months I will. I am taking an incredible seminar at Landmark Education called the Living Passionately seminar. (Those who know me know that I already live life pretty passionately - but hey if you're addicted to chocolate, what is there to do but eat more chocolate?)

This is what I am aiming for during the course of the seminar:

1) Getting my own studio.

2) Generating a new, (and very different), future with my husband.

3) Setting myself up so I can move into my dream apartment with joy and ease.

4) Playing for the sake of playing... games that I make up.

Hmmm - I am sure there will be more to come, but that's a good start.

I am so grateful that Landmark Education is on the planet. The Landmark Forum was the greatest ride I have ever taken. I wish I could do it all over again just to experience those first time mind-blowing realizations. If you register - let me know. I love hearing the stories of Forum graduates!

OK - so on to other news: Stardust is coming out this fall. Just in time for my birthday! I have been a fan of Neil Gaiman since highschool (early 90's) and this is one of my favorite Gaiman stories. Here is a picture of Claire Danes as The Star.

Isn't she gorgeous? There are more yummy photos that you can see here.

The design is so delicious - I can hardly wait... OK- off to bed. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite!