I just realized...

that of all the pictures I posted from my vacation, most have locations that don't immediately scream out to you where the picture was taken. No pyramids, no towers, no churches. While I have lots of those pictures, I think the same aesthetic that caused the majority of my postcards to be of works in the museums I was visiting, has caused the pictures to be of the things I saw that others may or may not have seen, and that others may or may not have decided to take pictures of. The wonderful thing about a digital camera is that you know if something makes a good picture fairly quickly, and you never really run out of film. It is hard to pack real film these days as they airports use heavy duty x-rays on luggage which have a good chance of damaging or ruining outright unprocessed film which may be checked. You can always take another storage card, or do what I did on this trip, which was upload the photos onto my laptop daily. The advantage there is you have a larger view of them and really know if they turned out well or not, which is something the screen on the back of a camera is not likely to show convincingly, at least not on the camera I have.

The sun was out today, so my apartment is nice and warm, unlike yesterday, when it never quite got there.

Work-less Monday

It took several tries, but I was finally able to upload a picture, one not from my trip, but from the house, taken while messing with the camera last night. There will be a few more over the course of time since I took quite a few, generally of things I have taken pictures of before, but last night I was using more candlelight and no flash. There was some other light, but it was more of the oblique sort.

Today, I scheduled off. I actually did the final bit of shopping needed for my nieces & nephews: now, comes the shipping. There is also a little waiting involved this week, as I am hoping for something to arrive for one of my nieces that I ordered from online. Because all my Christmas cards were packed, I finally decided to get out my Christmas boxes, though I haven't yet figured out where to put the tree, since the sofa takes up much of the open space that was available last year, and upending it on its are is not in my plans. Also, while getting boxes out and writing this, laundry is happening. This is probably multi-tasking at its best, especially as it doesn't involve a phone or work. I guess I could add to the fun by opening a beer, but that might be too much, causing me to collapse in a fit of what to do next--type, unpack boxes, or drink more, luckily, I have an hour until the laundry requires folding. Danish pseudo-rap holiday tunes....sometimes, I wonder what I was thinking, but smile instead, sort of happy that odd things show up on my ipod, and it isn't all the traditional stuff everyone else has, though there is a fair share of that, too.

Casting Couch for Christmas?

With lyrics like "girls should be obscene and not heard," this is one of Kay Martin's holiday songs. There is something about the raunchiness of 50's/60's bachelor music, at least I am guessing that is who her main audience was, and though it doesn't have the camp coefficient of Mae West's Holiday Album from then, it is just as listenable, if you don't mind the entendres.

More candles burning today, but no tree as yet. I just haven't motivated myself to go to my storage locker and pull out the boxes, because then I could watch the Grinch as well. Amazing how many things just seem to get put off, since I know, without plans to be elsewhere, I will likely pull everything out of the closet and set things up.

***Added a bit later, but didn't want a new post.****

It is nice to check email and discover messages from people you sent postcards to while abroad. Aside from my family, several friends received them as well, and those messages are trickling in, and it is nice to know people enjoyed them and were surprised, though in some cases I missed people by a month or so in the timing (such as they are going to be in Paris at Christmas). Of course it would have been a great shock to actually run into someone I know there, though it would have been fun and a great surprise.

Sunday Morning, with no bright sun

And unlike last night, the living room is chilly. I guess I have figured out one reason to have a laptop, which is because it is portable, it allows me to write from the living room. It is an awfully expensive solution to being able to type in the living room, but then I can also generally surf the net, and even watch things, though this latter seems to be used the least. In addition to the laptop, I still have to figure out what I am doing with this blog as well. It is nice having something to do everyday, but I still have to come up with something that is compelling for content, since me sitting on the sofa typing with my legs covered in a blanket is not truly compelling content. For some many years, people had a life they considered private, and in this age, many people are choosing to take their private lives public, though even in that, you have to wonder just how much is on display. How much of what people are thinking is posted? Is the self-editing done by everyone, or just a certain sort? With the celebrity train wrecks that make the news, I feel certain, the closer someone's life is to a catastrophe, the less is actually mentioned online, and if it is mentioned, then gloss is the word. The problem I have is that I don't do all that much. I don't go out, because I really don't just want to spend all my time in bars, though they are a frequent destination, since it is good to get away from home. I don't have to work tomorrow, so I should find something fun tonight, but since I was up at 6 this morning, I am not likely to be awake long enough for that. I will find something to do today, but it may take a bit. Perhaps the renovated & expanded museum here, though my trip probably did even more damage to my perception, which wasn't terribly impressed after my visit to their old facility, but I can hope.

The candle is still burning...

This morning I lit a candle, one of those with some indeterminate scent, like "autumn leaves falling in the river." Anyway, it is still burning and doesn't look like much has really been melted, but I could be wrong. My apartment generally does an incredible job retaining heat. For example, the bedroom baseboard heater is set to 65 F or so, and there is no heat on at all in the rest of the apartment. Kip stopped by, and said it was t-shirt weather in my place. Actually, t-shirt and shorts is more like it. Once I doubt I am going out any more in a given day, it is time to put shorts on. If I actually turn the heat off, it is cold when I want to go to bed. I don't recall my electric bill being any greater for this use of electricity, though I doubt it is really excessive.

Some song called "Santa's on a Diet" is playing, and I am sort of curious where it came from. I don't recognize it, but since it is on the least played playlist, it either showed up after Christmas last year, or was some part of a compilation this year, though it seemed a little to gimmicky for any compilation I have uploaded this year. (I haven't put my Tijuana Brass knock-offs on my ipod yet, and that is the main gimmicky thing from this year, so far.)

Tomorrow, I have a little more shopping to do, then I am done. I have to wait for something to come in, then I can ship everything, though I think I can ship some stuff on Monday, though tomorrow will be the final check on that. Not having a car has been nice, as in removing my ability to get around on a whim and making me consider things, I have also spent less money. This year's gift giving seems to be for a reduced number of people--basically my nieces & nephews. It is after 9 p.m., and even though I don't work on Sundays, I do think I will be getting to bed soon, so I should wrap this up.

Pictures from Elsewhere

Surely, at some point I should stop using pictures from my holiday, but I don't really see why, at least not just yet. Imagine, I have over two hundred to choose from, so I really haven't even begun exhausting the possibilities. I don't think I have exhausted the possibilities, but I do think the picture needs to be interesting, and since everyone has seen countless pictures of Notre Dame, and while I have an exceptional night shot, I don't see much reason to post the daytime photos. I am getting better at not taking pictures of everything, but the taking pictures of everything is such an ingrained traditional necessity of being a tourist. Without a camera, a tourist you are not, but instead just someone roaming the streets. Do tourists use anything other than painful albums of photos to explain their holidays to others? More importantly, do others really care about your holiday, or are they just being polite? Keep your comments brief, with only a detail or two, humorous preferable over some inconvenience, unless you can make the two coincide.

The very upper part of my upper lip is chapped. One of those oddly annoying places to get chapped because chap stick never seems to go that far, at least not when I apply it.

And then there were seven

Seven days so far in December, and seven absolutely marvelous and illuminating blog posts. While I am sure it is hardly a record for most people, and probably not really one for me either, as there is a lot more of the month left, so there is plenty of time for me to stop here, gradually wondering why, indeed, I stopped. I get the feeling that blogs, much like social networking sites, are a sort of fad, and that unless one really has some pressing reason to continue with it, one day it will end, and at that time, it will be because it is seen as a chore, and no longer fun. There are only so many ways to challenge yourself to continue spewing out pixels in this medium. Since I haven't been doing much creatively in other mediums lately, I find this one to be useful. The truly marvelous thing about this is that sometimes it can be horribly revealing and at others, it is nothing more than a bit more pointless pollution, wasting the reader's time. Truthfully though, is this really that much worse than a bodice ripper or television? (I really like the Tom Waits/Peter Murphy collaboration.) The sorry thing about this medium is when people do little else but live their life to have something to write, rather than enjoying life as it happens. Another sad thing about this medium, is that as I was told earlier, people won't always notice an update without a picture, obviously the picture should change with each post, though it did just occur to me to post the same picture post after post after post, but then, based on what I say here, even fewer than my current readership will see what I have to say, since they won't have an immediate visual clue that change has occurred.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, I guess I should be more in the holiday mood. It isn't really a lack of mood here, but lack of desire to rig someplace for my pint size tree, which last year managed to stay on display until February. Artificial trees are a great boon to those of us who happen to be lazy. Lazy...perhaps the descriptive adjective I should apply to me, though I don't really like it.

Yesterday's Image, Today!

After my complaints yesterday, it seems things are working better today, though oddly I feel worse. How is it that when the computer works correctly, I get sick? It isn't a big deal, though I am not looking forward to tomorrow. With luck, I can get through with Ibuprofen--without, it will be ugly. Because of my incredible lack of feeling anything faintly resembling good, I also seem to have a lack of anything to write. I have wished I could just shut my brain off for much of the day, curl up into a very cozy fetal position, and sleep the day away. Not to mislead, I did take a nap after work, and I do plan on going to bed early. I will likely skip any alcohol tonight as well, since my understanding is that it does more harm than good when one doesn't feel as spry as one should.

I just moved the laptop to my lap as I sit on the sofa, with little light except that being shed by the screen. For some reason, this seems indulgent. After years of the computer being tied to a certain place, now it is free, though I haven't made it as free as it could be, since I don't always haul it around with me. By not doing work on it, taking it places is really much more conspicuous consumption than anything else, but I shouldn't let that bother me. I do enough conspicuous non-consumption, that letting someone see me running around with a laptop isn't a bad thing, and I can always pretend to be doing very important things, like checking out the situation if I were to move. Job hunting is very important.

To wrap today's rambling nonsense up, I guess I need saran wrap, because otherwise the picture is useless. I believe a museum in Vienna has a model for the figure used in this fountain, and I found it remarkable there when I saw it. I didn't realize that it was part of something larger, though similar to a multi-figure Rodin sculpture, all the figures are identical, which does not make for a dull composition.

Such a lovely collection of photos

I have a lovely collection of photos, but something is up and I seem to be having problems uploading one as an example. Actually, like all the recent photos, it is from my trip to Europe. Every day back is another day I wouldn't mind being on vacation, though that is not a realistic option. Currently, I am still amazing myself at my ability to use this computer for nothing except those silly things laptops were meant for. Instead of writing this post from the desktop in the bedroom, I am using the laptop on the sofa. Since I don't mind the small screen, I can also watch the occasional television show on DVD, though I don't know how long that fascination will last. If I buy a television, now is the season to do it, with all the holiday markdowns. I also just deposited all the unused traveler's checks (which would be all of them) into my checking account, so there is a bit of extra money there. All that is left is to visit an electronics store, and I think Kip would be up for that, though I do not know if I would be up for blowing the money for a big, flat, television, though I have no problems spending smaller quantities on nice beer. Currently, I am working on the St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, and enjoying it, though probably not enough to go drop $20 for a bottle with the appropriate keepsake glass at the Old Town. The thing is though, that because the Belgians allow themselves a few more ingredients than the Germans, their beers seem more complex, but they aren't the thing for a quick, feeling thirsty, quencher, because of this complexity--leave that to pilseners.

And then there's Maude

What a day... Busy like no one's business at work, which was nice as it made the afternoon just zoom. After work I went over to this cafe/pub called Brauer's and enjoyed a Belgian on tap as well as an oak-aged domestic, also on tap. The world of beers holds a variety to explore, and I am lucky to be able to explore in this part of the country, as it is one of the richest areas to explore beer, in many of its types and seasons. I can't say why I have become fascinated with beer, or if it is just a temporary passion, much like what I wonder about with Mom & her periodic interests. Regardless, I am going to enjoy the interest while it lasts, and before my waistline expands to such a point that I need to call it off, though if I am smart and careful, perhaps this won't actually raise its head as a concern.

Other than the beers & a tasty lamb burger, the day hasn't consisted of much outside of work. Last night Dave called to discuss the world of living by decisions you make even if your family doesn't really support them. I felt lousy because I couldn't really give much in the way of advice here. While it makes sense to anyone who needs to make such a decision, "do what you feel is right" is just not the sort of supportive advice most people need. Much to his dismay, his family isn't real keen on his graduate school endeavor, even 1.5 years into it, and are tactless enough to tell him so. Under such an assault, there is little you can do but remain faithful to the spirit of the initial decision and stick to it, if for no other reason than to prove them wrong, because dropping out will only prove them correct, even if their lack of faith and support was a contributing factor. I guess for me, I was lucky, as aside from the initial snide comments from Mom, most of my family kept quiet, and while I was in Romania, they all had the grace not to trash what I was doing on the international phone calls that occasionally happened--it makes me think I had it easy.

Absolutely amazing what different families do under similar circumstances. Mom eventually turned a leaf over and decided Peace Corps was a good thing, and aside from my sister, I still don't know what the rest of the family thought of the whole adventure, though none of them took the time to visit, which might say all that needs to be said.

When the audience is nil

In a Newsweek interview, Imre Kertesz mentioned that writing when you didn't believe the work would be published was a liberating experience, as opposed to writing for the masses or commercial success. The interview was shortly after he received the Nobel Prize and the question was sort of aimed at "Fatelessness." I enjoyed the book, and found it fascinating how horror and kindness coexisted in the camps. The reason I thought about it was my honest belief that this blog isn't really read, because there isn't really anything here. Somehow, through the wonder of modern technology, something can be posted for people to read, but because there is so much posted, there is no one left with the free minutes to devote to it. Whether I can work something out of this, I don't know, as I do believe too much navel gazing makes for a boring blog (or anything else for that matter). I guess I could label the posts, link to numerous other blogs, and generally work at ways to build readership, but, seriously, what do I have to offer people for such a few minutes of their life? The occasional post railing against the idiots in Washington, perhaps a silly picture, or not silly, an observation of what I have been reading? I wonder how all these make a life worth reading. A life worth living is an infinitely subtler beast than one worth reading, but it is the latter which is created here, and that sort of focus is what has generally been missing. Life has days when you are busy, days when you don't feel like writing, days when you really have various mundane activities to attend to (like laundry & rent & etc.), and it is these days which vanish from the blog, but it is these missing days that interest people. I tried the one a day posting method, but couldn't really think of anything for too many consecutive days that I wanted to write about, and for some reason, I have made the assumption that if I don't want to write about it, then no one will want to read about it, but with no readers, is that really an issue. Could I really spend a bit of time telling people how I wipe my arse after a good dump? And if I did, would they actually read it, and more importantly comment on it? The feedback is what is fun, even if I don't add anything as a response to the feedback. Discouragement sets in after so many postings without comments--obviously I am not connecting. Life is that way, and if anyone is actually reading this magnificent run on paragraph, which I see no end to, as I am rambling so contentedly, will they actually make a comment. (Anyone that is except Dave, who I know glances at the blog when there is a new picture.) Busy clippers, hairdresser on fire...something delightfully perverse in the lyrics. Feedback & Commentary....wow, a pair of capitalized words, this might be serious, but only if I change the name of the blog to that. With all that is going on, a blog that is a call to arms or a blog that reminds people of what sort of erosion is daily occurring to the rights that Jefferson & Hamilton disagreed about. The Hamiltonians are winning, which is kind of odd, since the Jeffersonians were for so long, but more government control because the masses demand care is what seems to be happening. Just yesterday I commented to my father about how much easier going to Europe was than coming home. Let's face it, while I had to obtain a visa for China, there was still less paperwork to get into the country than there is here, and Europe, it is a dream....probably because they assume certain things on flights from the United States.

Sunday... (the piano has been drinking)

The picture is from the tail end of my trip, during my layover at the Copenhagen Airport. It also is very visual as to what I have been doing since wrapping up what little Christmas shopping I did today, though it doesn't really reflect the import of another decision I have to make, about whether or not to fly to Evansville for the holiday. The family would be thrilled, though I think I will miss Greg and his family, though that isn't a surprise since I knew they visited at Thanksgiving. Even if I went home, my timing would be lousy if I really intended to go to my class reunion, since it is the following weekend.

Snow in Seattle

It is the first of December and the first snow in the city. It has been coming down for over an hour, though tomorrow is supposed to be rain, but we have white stuff, and I am sure those who ski are happy because if it is snowing here, than it is likely snowing more in the mountains.

All I can say is that I am glad Mother Nature gave me a few days back home prior to dumping snow. Last year after vacation, it started to snow before I managed to get home from the airport, and I had to drag my little roller luggage through the slush.

House for let in Antwerp

It wasn't this house, but on this street, filled with Art Nouveau wonders, there is a house for let, actually I think it is for sale, but either way, there would be something cool about living in one of these places, much like there would be something cool about living in a home designed by Wright.

It is Saturday, and I am at a loss of what sort of constructive things to do. The world here is still as stultifying as when I left, and work seemed beyond absurd this week. Somehow, I really need to find the mysterious whatever that allows one to be braindead all week, doing ridiculous and repetitive tasks. I can't say when I will find that whatever, but I do hope it happens soon, before the pleasure from my trip totally fades, causing depression at the rut to which I returned. In truth, I have been trying to avoid that rut, but I can't say I am doing all that great a job.

Oh, I found Brugse Zot at the grocery store, so I am enjoying that bit of my trip, and can do so repeatedly, even if it wasn't my favorite beer.

I am alive...vacation is fun

The only problem I have discovered thus far is a scarcity of wifi connections. I guess therre are some out there, since I found this one, but places that have them aren't clearly marked, except the Pompidou Center in Paris, which is very well marked, but it wasn't someplace I really wanted to take my computer so I could log into the net. I will try to update things, but no promises, at least until I get back home.

The transit strike in Paris meant I walked alot...and I do mean a lot.

From Emerald to Lights

I don't quite know if Paris is the city of light or city of lights, though this time of the year, I would think the latter would be most appropriate. For whatever reason, what would visiting Paris be like if there weren't a transit strike going on. It seems as if I am going to be on the inconvenienced side of that equation upon my arrival--nothing like a 50 Euro cab ride to endear you to a city. It is Paris, but, being the stupid traveller I am, I thought since there was a strike last month, i would not have to deal with one in November. At some point, I will learn that not all unions behave like those in the United States.

The markets here are out of locally grown flowers, and I don't expect to see much in that vein while I am gone, but with luck the change of scenery will do me the proverbially much good. Sometime after I get there, I will do what I can to update the blog, and hopefully the update will include pictures, though there is still no guarantee they will pertain to what I am writing, except in that vague way a picture of Paris with an article about the place have a connection.

Still Sunday, still not really up to much

Considering whether or not to take another picture using the colored pencil filter. Since it is brighter out now than it was earlier, more detail shows up. It is sort of odd, not having any major plans to work out, though I guess it would be prudent to begin looking through the guidebooks and plans things to do, though I doubt I will get around to that. I will look into them for some suggestions, other than self-catering, to keep food costs reasonable, but more of this advice will revolve around finding places which don't cater to tourists. I could probably resort to fast food as well, though that seems a bit of sacrilege in Paris, though it isn't likely I will visit someplace with a Michelin star, so this shouldn't be a major concern for me. I just hope I manage to hold out through all the museums.

A Little Early

I thought, hey, let's do a blog post, then I realized my coffee wasn't even ready and I was barely cognizant. The coffee has been taken care of, and now my blog pictures are beginning to be a bit narcissistic, and if not that, then at least, look what I can do. Built in cameras have some use, though I haven't really decided on the perfect use yet. I have been told they are there so the government can spy on you when you are using your laptop, but it seems awfully idiotic (perfect, then, for government work) since many people close their laptops when not using them, and when you are using it, the government is only going to see an image of someone typing.

Sunday morning with surf music in the background and good coffee in my mug. I have most of the clothing part of packing taken care of, provided I don't change my mind about anything. I may decided to add a long-sleeve shirt or two, since much of what I have packed is for weather similar to here, which in looking at weather.com, seems appropriate. That's it for now.

Worn Out

Saturday, just prior to vacation, and I am feeling as worn out as the sign pictured. I finally got around to getting myself packed, at least when it comes to clothes. There is a bit more work to do when it comes to my carry on, with the computer, camera, and a couple of days worth of clothes. Quite wacky the list I need to fit into my backpack, and the other decisions I need to make, such as DVD's, Ipod, or other digital distractions. I doubt I will take any with me, though I might, because I don't see much reason to saddle myself with it. I am really hoping the funk will lift before my plane lands at CDG. It is always hard to say, but I am sure once I find myself leaving work early on Tuesday, the funk will lift, though there will be the requisite amount of panic and concern for time prior to me getting to the airport, dealing with the TSA, and getting a seat. Oh well...Tuesday will be here soon enough.

This evening I went to Zayda Buddies again for dinner. The food isn't bad, but I couldn't quite not laugh at people paying $3.00 a can for Blatz, Hamm's, Schlitz, & something called Golden Grain or Grain Field--a midwestern beer that must originate further west in the midwestern landscape than my knowledge. They have bottles of Leinenkugel, which is a good beer, but the other stuff is just bad, and they might as well stick with the PBR, since it is cheaper and just as good. Oh well, I wasn't drinking it, so I shouldn't have too much fun at their expense. It is just one of those things, having grown up there, some things you just don't miss.

Growing Financial Paranoia

It is odd, after several years not having a credit card, though having a debit card, with my upcoming trip to Europe, I am becoming paranoid about my debit cards not working. I haven't received the credit card I applied for, so I could earn miles for all of my hotel charges, and I am worrying about the debit cards not being accepted. Don't get me wrong, I have never had a problem using them abroad previously, but there is a first time for everything, and I don't want this to be that time. As it is, I am doing those things, like considering buying Euros ahead of time, for at least a cushion, which would make a cut off less disastrous. What makes me really wonder though, and while I was in Romania and heading to other places on the continent during holiday, I never really worried about the whole thing, but I had a back up card just in case, so is this just because I don't have the safety net I am accustomed to, or is it because Bush's push to have Americans live in fear is rubbing off on me, and in a peculiar fashion because of my upcoming vacation. It is hard to say, but I have noticed that at least one person I know also seems to be acting in a more peculiarly paranoid fashion. The culture of fear has begun, and it will take some effort to get myself out of it, and some effort to make sure those around me don't succumb as well.

No pictures, I think

No entertaining pictures today, but that is as much because I didn't take any this week (even of the boy dressed as Captain Underpants), as that I don't feel like raiding the few that are on here, as they don't quite express my mood. Much like my friend Dave, I am still accustoming myself to using a laptop keyboard, though I hope my learning curve is faster than his, but I can't quite say, since my writing on the computer at this point is limited to this blog, and however often I decide to update.

For my trip, I am fairly sure that Cologne is now out of the picture, though not because it wouldn't be a worthy side trip, but because I am hoping to find enough in Antwerp to keep me busy, though if I don't, I can always leave early on my final day to see what trouble I can get into in Amsterdam, that short train ride away, and the final destination on my Paris-Amsterdam open jaw ticket trip. I really need to find a wittier name for the trip, but it hasn't come yet. It isn't like my Castle & Campanile tour of '04, where I went to as many castles and climbed as many campaniles as I could, perhaps when I start the trip, I will find a fun name for it.

On a slightly different note, it is interesting to read, while he personally finds water-boarding deplorable, the attorney general nominee isn't quite sure if it is illegal. Over the centuries, it hasn't necessarily been unusual, but I think today, most would consider it cruel and unusual as a form of interrogation; therefore, it should be illegal. The commentary creates the impression that he is trying to prevent lawsuits and potentially being required prosecute his own staff, though there may be laws on the books that protect them. From that perspective, his answers make sense, though they don't make him sound like he oozes integrity. As a country, I really believe we need to move forward and away from the aspects of this presidency that make the United States out to be a participant in atrocities, rather than the beacon of hope and light it has more traditionally, if not accurately, been perceived as. Too bad the executive branch doesn't see it that way.

Forlorn Monday?

Mondays seem a lot like the photo of the old vacuum repair shop. I don't know what is going to go in there, which is sort of like the beginning of the week, with not knowing where it will lead. Beyond what will happen at work or in the news, there is something sad about the weekend passing, and, for most people, the work week does not really hold hope for most people, but it is the grind necessary for another pay day. For me, at least, this is something which should change. I don't know the path yet for my change, but I keep feeling it is necessary.

My day today, after work, where one colleague had to leave and take a sick child to the doctor, hasn't consisted of much. Taking some sweaters I plan on taking to Europe to the cleaner, nothing like clean sweaters when traveling Northern Europe in November. Other than that, there is an itinerary change I am contemplating, but haven't put it into work yet, and don't know if I will go blind, or actually make reservations. For my comfort, reservations, but for a change, perhaps just seeing what shows up, sort of like in Split, where a local offered a room, cheaper than the hotels, and in a decent location. They could use the money more than the hotel was my thought. In so many former Communist countries, the pensioners have some of the most difficult times, fixed income and rising prices are a bad combination.

Later Sunday

I forgot all about this picture. The sign is no longer there, but, as you can see, Seattle does like its informers, though I don't believe a cut of the fine is included to reimburse you for your minutes. What bothers me is that something as innocuous as this can potentially lead to reporting of other actions. I hate to be an alarmist, and perhaps this message is just a bit late, but with each of our civil liberties daily being called into question, because terrorists use phones, use the internet, read newspapers, and watch television. Not to mention, they drive cars, ride bikes, use public transportation, etc. The theory being, I guess, if you monitor everything, you can stop something, though in truth, if you monitor everything, then there is no freedom, because people are scared of expressing opinions. This isn't a new soap box, but the photo seemed to call for it. After doing some cleaning around here, I went outside, enjoyed the afternoon, went to OKOK Gallery, though I didn't much like the art on display, and also went to the grocery store and purchased food that isn't very good for me.

Sunday (Etta & Laundry)

Nothing like a Sunday for hanging about all morning, putzing around the house, doing laundry, and finally unloading the dishwasher. I must say, I don't really know how much time is saves me, but I only run it when I am either going to bed or leaving because it is too loud. I think I need more detergent for it, since the box I bought a year ago is about empty--the same for the box of dryer sheets, also over a year old. I am sure that the age of household products isn't really what you thought about when you decided to read this, but such things happen. Sundays with Etta James playing on the stereo, and a countertop that still needs to be cleaned off, and brushes that need the paint cleaned from them, though there hasn't been much activity on that front.

People always want to know what is going on, but there isn't really ever that much. Last night I went to Zayda Buddies' Pizza & Bar and enjoyed some Moose Drool and pizza--the closest I have found yet to Turoni's, back in Evansville, IN. They call it Minnesota style here, but I hardly think that an appropriate name, since it is obviously a more wide-ranging style, and I don't think Indiana had a crush of immigrants from Minnesota teaching them how to make pizza.

Leaves of Dave

Today, for the first time, I have received a note from Dave on unique stationary, though not a new one, and one he may not have spent much money on, but if he raked all them, there was a bit of time involved. Anyway, one day not long ago, I received the lovely alien postcard, then today I had an envelope. Walking up the stairs (I live on the 3rd floor), I noticed the interesting play of shadows, and I became curious...did he send me a bunch of leaves? Has Dave gone from being a poet to being a performance writer? What do the leaves imply? Is Dave having a greener than thou moment?

I don't really know the answers to any of these questions, but the 3 leaf letter was fun to read, and I just have to hope the leaves don't get much darker, or parts will be very difficult to decipher in the future.

Other than that, it was a day at work, and a Thursday at that.


******just updated*****
Since I had no picture, I didn't really want a brand new post. Anyway, let us all cheer Maritime Pacific's Windfest seasonal off to a well deserved rest, and hope for its speedy return. I would swear it was only a couple of weeks back that I filled my growler with Windfest, but when I went back tonight, it was gone. Far too soon, after a stay of only 4 weeks or so. Anyway, as Kip says, you can drink well around here if your favorites are seasonals rather than the standbys. Actually, I think you can have a better beer experience by drining the seasonal offerings.

On one last beer note, a brewery in California makes a marvelous malty belgian style brown callled Brother Thelonius, which I highly recommend. What could have been a joke of a beer with a cute name/label is really quite good.

Expensive new toy

Why it gave me code instead of a picture in the text box, I don't know, but I tried for a picture since it has been a bit. (In preview the picture was back, so I am hoping that is the way it is, really.)

My new expensive toy is a MacBook, and I have spent most of the evening trying to get the internet working for it, and I did eventually manage it. The only problem now is if I ever need to print from it, since I don't have the two computers networked.

That is about it, I am just happy that things are moving along, however slowly.

The government wants my books!

I remember reading something about the lists that our federal government has decided to keep on all of us.  For some reason, books have made the cut, and I am sure web sites have made the cut as well, but that is still secret (and the existence of those records likely still being denied), and this fact was made clear to me at the independent bookseller I went to over the weekend.  Perhaps it is time for me to stop using my debit card, which will make life for her more difficult, but at least all my titles won't be expressed to a DoJ list.  Actually, I guess they could subpoena Library Thing, or even just view it, but that isn't up to date...

The books of interest, by the way, are "Rick Steves' Paris 2007" and "the Lonely Planet City Guide to Amsterdam. "  I don't know, harmless books in my opinion, but I am sure the government, with insistence similar to that used to invoke Saddam & 9/11 correlations, will find some way to damn the purchases.  Such is life, and at least I know the Ministry of Information will correct things for me...

from Camus

I was just sitting down to read a bit before heading to bed. I am still working on Camus' writing for Combat. It is taking me a while, but it isn't really a novel you sit and read, rather it is a series of editorials that you read in small quantities. With this war in Iraq going on, his comments on what is justifiable in war, taken in context, reveal much of what seems to be wrong right now. Today's interesting note, from the 2nd paragraph of the editorial dated 14 November, 1944: "Modern warfare is so lethal that no country, no matter how numerous its population, can allow itself to go to war half prepared." If this was so sixty years ago, has anything changed to make it untrue? If so, perhaps our Executive Branch would care to enlighten us.

too much time online?

I think I spent too much time over at LOLCats today, only to find this picture (text is mine) at Davo's blog (see sidebar link).  Hopefully, he considers that appropriate credit.  I haven't been down to the Puyallup fair here, but I have heard it is trans-fat free.  Leave it to Washington to ensure something like that makes front page news.  There is slow new and no news, and aside from some shootings down at the Market (Pike's Place, I think, since it is the only one capitalized around here), this has been a no news week around here.  That's about it.

August already

Today, browsing the web while munching on dinner, I found this article in the Guardian UK.  For some reason I don't recall seeing any articles recently in the American papers about 190,000 weapons which can't be accounted for in Iraq, but were distributed to the security force by the U.S. and its allies.  Is a joke about shooting ourselves in the foot appropriate here?

In business news, I feel sorry for all the employees at Chrysler.  I think Daimler gave them a raw deal, and I think their new owners will give it to them even worse.  I wonder what sort of parachute they gave the Home Depot guy.  Good thing for Chrysler he weaseled 200 million out of Home Depot, since he won't have negotiated for nearly as much if (or when) they ask him to leave.

Random thoughts on International Affairs

For whatever reasons, perhaps because of the book on Picasso I am reading, or perhaps because I just finished the last Harry Potter novel, some thoughts have come to mind about world affairs:

Will China's surge in demand for natural resources lead to a mending of fences with Russia, allowing Russia to play China against Europe for resources?  Russia has not proven itself unwilling to use this card.

How many more, Iraqis & Americans, will die before something is really done there?  (The same holds true for Afghanistan too, but from what I have read, it seems the Afghans are at least trying to help restore order, though if we keep bombing our friends, that may end as well.)

How long will Pakistan hold out against the "Islamists"?  Musharraf's friendly dictatorship just doesn't seem all that stable.

While not really a blip on anyone's radar, how long will the poorest classes in India refrain from revolution, causing turmoil there as well?  If something happens in Pakistan, will the new regime look to Kashmir to bolster their strength (not wanting to give up what they consider theirs).

Africa & South America are strangely off this list for now, but Chavez is causing a right fit in his part of the latter, especially amongst the neighbors, the poorest of which probably hear him and think how nice it will be to have natural resource revenues split amongst them all.  To some degree, part of the profits in such things do belong to all, and probably more than any country really taxes the companies involved.

There was something I saw somewhere, me and my lousy documentation, about young Israelis not being keen on staying in Israel, but without the article to refer to, that will remain to speculation, and to the speculation on what will happen there if a voluntary exodus occurs (which I don't think is mentioned in the Bible).

An entry because it is something to do.

Sundays are weird sorts of days sometimes.  Today was one for me.  I wasn't terribly up for anything, and spent the day accordingly, doing a bit of this and a bit of that.  While surfing the web, I came across a few blogs which featured the "farewell for now" message.  I guess I find it kind of interesting to post that sort of message, though I guess if I had any regular readers, it wouldn't seem so odd--letting people know there is no reason to continue checking on a regular basis is good manners.  (Manners on the Internet? Maybe that is why it seems an odd blog topic?) 

Weekend is over...again...so quickly

At the OK OK Gallery, there is a show by Gregory Euclide, and I stopped in today, as I try to monthly, just to see what was there.  Some big stuff, and then there were these.  It is as if someone decided to cut up packing bubbles and glue them over quarter-sized watercolors.  The result was then mounted to a nail which had been hammered into the gallery wall.  The upper double row on the postcard show what they looked like, but there is really nothing to indicate the look of abject horror on the staff's face when I suggested popping the bubbles.  This, apparently, is not interactive art, though in looking at it, I was reminded of a couple of things.  When I was a kid, back then, there we these decorative pieces which consisted of a couple of colors of sand sandwiched in between some plastic, as you turned it, the sand would change patterns.  His pictures, inexplicably, reminded me of those sand patters.  They also seemed too precious, but that is strictly an opinion.

Tuesday...only Tuesday...

Here I am wishing it were some other day of the week, I don't know if it is because of the temperature (upper 80's-lower 90's), or some other reason.  I added a handful of books to my Librarything, but haven't otherwise done much today, aside from work of course.

If I ever decided to do a series of silk screens, it did occur to me that the Forbidden City would be a fun image.  For the record though, the Starbuck's which is there, is really unobtrusive--even more so when you you consider the shop it is in would remain a retail knick-knack establishment if Starbuck's were forced to close, since it takes up less than half the space in that souvenir-coffee shop corner.

Progression...

Here is what it looks like now:

And here is what it looked like on July 4th when it was originally painted:

Personally, I like the current version better, though there is still some work to do on the chin.  I am pleased the hair no longer resembles some sort of bad Afro, while it still isn't textured correctly, at least it is a major improvement.

The work week has been a bit odd, with the holiday in the middle and everything.  I haven't really done much, though went out for a few beers, and while I highly recommend the Lock and Keel's Ranch-Style Quesadilla (BBQ Chicken), all I can say for their version of a french dip is to politely request a bit less salt in the au jus, as it was promising that point aside.

Finished...I think

Last night I added a few more touches to this picture, and I think I might call it finished.  I don't know that I consider it very good, but for a painting at the end of a single oil painting class I will consider it passable, as I do think it could have turned out much worse.  Likely, it won't ever make it into a portfolio, at least not without further tweaking.

I also think my study in purple and orange is going to get a major revision, but I still have work to do on what I need to add.  Of course, a picture will arrive, hopefully better than the one posted, when the process is complete.

I am trying to decide what to do on my day off tomorrow, though I believe my decision will probably include paint, nothing is yet in stone there.

Sunday in the Kitchen

Yesterday, I did a bit of touch-up on this painting which I did mostly last weekend, but one of my hills was too pointy for my liking.  I still can't say for sure that I like it and that it is done, but it is a nice experiment.  I had been thinking about doing some color variations on the work by Moser that I copied earlier this year, but not much has come of it.  This is one of the color combinations I was thinking about, though I do think a bit larger scale would do them justice, as from the books in the background, this is a small painting.

Today, fighting against the beautiful weather and the normal Sunday blahs, I did manage to get to work on my portrait of a woman sitting.  I think there was some improvement, but I am not sure if I managed to get it where I want to call it finished.  

Apologies about the glare on both pictures, but I wasn't in the mood to fuss with lighting today, and since the portrait is still very not dry, I would rather not take the chance of messing it up.

One nice thing about today though, is that it was another day where I was so absorbed in painting I didn't realize the time passing, being quite shocked when "The Seven Deadly Sins" wrapped up.  I hadn't really thought about the next music selection, so if I wanted music, I needed to either turn the radio on, or find to play, both required me to put my brushes down.

Bogle & Gates

Today I noticed a bar code on the wooden base of my new sofa with the name "Bogle & Gates" on it.  Not having much of a clue as to what they did, but figuring it was an inventory control sticker, I decided to look it up.  It seems they were a 100+ year old law firm in the Northwest which dissolved in the late '90s.  It doesn't make me feel any different about my sofa, and I can't say that I am unhappy the firm who defended Exxon in the Exxon Valdez dissolved, but I am sure the lawyers all found someplace else to litigate.  By the way, it doesn't appear from what I read that the Exxon case had anything to do with their dissolution, but rather some firm in Minneapolis who hired a bunch of partner and associates from them at a single time which seems to have done them in. 

 

Oops...missed a week again...

While it seems I have been doing a good job lately of not writing, I have in the past week, finally acquired a sofa, and reread all the extant Harry Potter novels in preparation for the new one.  I have also thought about the new iPhone, but still can't justify the cost or a two year contract.  Finally, when I get a good picture of it, I will post the painting I was working on earlier this week, which I may or may not be finished with.  

My modem made an odd noise earlier, so I hope there is nothing wrong.  Everything appears to be working correctly, but appearances are just that.

On top of all that, a book I ordered last weekend came in, "Glitter and Doom:  German Portraits from the 1920s."  I started reading it this morning, after perusing it some last night.  It is a catalog from a show about the Neue Sachlichkeit artists active during the Weimar Republic, generally focused on those active in Berlin (I can not yet say exclusively).  So far, it is interesting, and I am really only breaking the reading up because it occurred to me that I needed to update here, before people lost hope and stopped reading.

Today is looking to be a nice day, so hopefully I won't get too caught up in my book and will get outside.  If I feel like painting, then nice day or not, I will work on that.  I have a small canvas, now I just need an appropriate image.  Enough for now, time to continue reading until I am done with my coffee, then to something else.

Dumpster diving to a new level

I don't recall hearing about "Freegans" until reading this article. I find it interesting, if not inevitable, that eco-consciousness has hit this level. While I believe that just driving a Prius and buying eco-indulgences (carbon offsets) does minimal good, minimal is still better than none. Somewhere between these scavenging (I don't know if there is a preferred term for this sort of shopping by these 21st century hunter-gatherers) souls and rampant consumerism there is a ground where most can live, and live comfortably. Personally, I prefer to save time and buy my food at the grocery, though I don't drive there, preferring to walk. Dropping out of capitalism, while a fun-sounding idea, isn't really practical for most people if you want a balanced life. If you don't have to come up with rent money (because you own or live with relatives), then spending time scavenging your next meal and a dinette set is fine, but I have rent, and I have things I would rather spend my off hours doing, so I will buy. For some of us, it is easier to modify some habits rather than reject that which we were born into. Personally, I buy a mix of new and used stuff, whether clothing or furniture, walk many places, including work, and try to remember to turn lights off, not let faucets drip, and other small things (yes, I recycle as well). I do own a car, and even though it isn't currently running, don't drive it to work when it is, nor do I generally drive it to the store. It is the small things done by large numbers which will change things, rather than the large changes to one's personal life made by the few. Like it or not, this is a capitalist country, and in this country, money talks and business watches where dollars are spent. Only changing the habits of current and future generations will bring about responsible eco-awareness. Remembering that just because something new is out there (I think an iPhone would be great, but my current cell-phone still works), it doesn't need replacing until it is no longer functional--please don't confuse functional with stylish or newest or more feature-laden. Let me emphasize, that I don't believe these people are wrong, but I do think there is another way, not better, but different. One last thing, if everyone stopped buying things, there would be no grocery stores or restaurants to scavenge behind, nor dumpsters full of still good stuff.

still meddling

Shortly after finishing my last post, I changed the color of the church building, and yesterday I turned the dark line across the bottom into a dark triangle. I am still trying to assess the damage or improvement. I do like the church as a darker color, and maybe still need to go darker with the entrance, but don't know. I am also still having compositional issues. There are some nice areas, but overall, I think there is too much going on, hence the problems I am having deciding where next. It seems for basic unity, either I need to put a street or square in front of the thing or bring the horizon down and fill the foreground with housetops. Such pesky decisions, but at least I know a few of the options open to me.

Working something out.

The image quality is pretty bad, so my apologies ahead of time. I am trying to work on some sort of small scale picture combining various impressions of Romania, including the view from the Hotel Prahova where we were whisked for our first week or so of training/acclimation. Some things in this gouache I like, while I am not sure the whole thing works as well as I would like. (The pencil lines which can barely be perceived indicate the size of canvas I am working with, which is tiny, only 5"x7".) I like the way the church dome fits into the sky, but don't care much for the way the factory works compositionally, though it is the balance to the church. With the exception of the trees, the lower portion of the picture is dull and pretty boring. (I have to start putting my fingers in the right place for typing, as I am tired of constant correction.) Considering the way this picture is being done, perhaps I only need to adjust some colors.

I really should have something brilliant and witty to add, but frankly, it hasn't been one of those summers (or late springs, if you must). I have read some 20th century art history and artist biographies, but nothing so stellar I feel it must be shared. My car died a few weeks ago, and there is still the issue of getting it fixed, which involves me going over to my boss' one Saturday and displaying my mechanical ineptitude. Otherwise, there is nothing aside from work going on.

Romania...again...

It may have been de-crimalized in 2001, but Romanians still have an issue with gay people. It would have been fun to be there, more fun to have been at the first two years ago, when the marchers weren't dodging stones. I don't have much more to add, but articles on Romania catch my eye, this one was a bit unfortunate. Hopefully, the link will work for a bit.

Hopper and Bauhaus

I just finished reading a couple of Taschen publications, their books on Edward Hopper and the Bauhaus. From their book on Hopper, and my personal experience, I would say he painted ennui and the dislocation one feels even in the most familiar of places. Somehow this is an American theme (as the book implies Europeans still don't "get him"), perhaps because of how technology transformed the country, and how there were centuries of thought fighting for survival while it did so.

The Bauhaus book was enlightening for what it said about the history of the school, most of which I didn't know. The almost mystical leanings of the early Bauhaus (due to the influence of Itten), and how a couple of painters (Kandinsky & Klee) were instructors there for most of its existence, though I normally don't associate either with the movement, as I always thought of it as an "industrial" design and architecture movement (though architecture wasn't officially taught until the latter half of its existence. I think only in America would one forget how "small" Europe is and be blind to how everything else going on in the twenties would have influenced it--there was even bauhausian theatre.

Explaining Beer Tastes

I don't quite know how you explain beer. I have never been told which flavors are what, regarding malts, hops, and other fun things. Regardless, I rather like beer in its variety, and constantly try new and different ones. Today, the beer happens to be a doppelbock, Salvator, from Paulaner in Germany. This was available by the bottle at Fred Meyer, so that is what I bought, a bottle. It has a strong flavor, which always pleases me, now if I can place the flavor, it would help me describe it. Oh well, with time and some effort at explaining things, this will get easier, but I thought if I can add a bit of variety to the blog, it would make it both more pleasurable to write and to read. It is still only Tuesday and XTC are Skylarking while the oven is pre-heating and I am drinking. Cleaning and straightening are on the agenda this evening as well. For more on bocks, go here.

Actually, I have the suspicion this will turn into something as oblique as wine or Scotch tasting, but let us really hope it doesn't move into something so sublime as vodka tasting.

Another Week Begins

Another week, with bits and pieces of everything all over the place. I have managed to do a bit of work around the house in preparation for a house guest, but there is still work to do, of course. I wish deep thoughts were abounding today, but Yma just finished Wimoweh, and if she doesn't blow away deep thoughts, then perhaps something along Eno's ambient line is for you (if you can't blow them away, just put them asleep). Work today had little going for it, other than it seemed that a lot of people called in, and considering how dreary it was outside, chances are they might have really been sick. Maybe later I will add more, but for now, this is it--mindless puff, but I felt the urge to cut up a picture, and once done, felt the urge to put it somewhere, so here are words to go with those urges. Never a cleaner urge...except when I decide to clean the toilet. By the way, other than cropping the image, it isn't manipulated in any way, shape, or filter. I thought it kind of cool, and I hope it isn't too pretentious.

Weekend Wind-down

While Romanians voted to keep Basescu in office over the weekend, there was also another major election--that of Miss Travesty Romania. In addition to the lovely contestant pictured, more can be found here. Hopefully they won't be too upset with me using their picture, as I gave them proper due. Actually, I don't think ten years ago a contest such as this would have been dreamed of, so the EU has brought some changes, though obviously not everyone is happy on the political front. Luckily, with the political situation the way it is, the ladies can continue to perfect their travesty, and we can hope the government doesn't become one as well.

For me, the weekend hasn't been terribly productive, but that happens now and again. I am looking forward to things building up this week, and a friend from Peace Corps Romania will be visiting next weekend for the NW Folklife Festival. Really, that is about it, and hopefully next weekend won't be quite as dismal as this one.

What is Art?

Are animation cells art in and of themselves, or is it because of their relationship to a film (short or feature) that has been declared a "classic"?

Later that week...

Thursday now, not Next, and still trying to decide whether to continue this blog. Blogs are now, current, and happening, but if you generally try to keep upbeat, and you are having a bad week, all that bile spilling into the blog is a bad thing. Spreading that lousy aura about doesn't actually make it go away, it just exposes more people to it. How long can a I continue on this note before I either tire of it or it just brings me down? I don't know really, and I don't know the answer, and all I can say is that some days a certain bleakness invades my rose tinted glasses, and until I effectively clean them, it just messes things up.

I Don't Like Mondays...

but I don't have quite the same dislike for them as the girl in The Boomtown Rats tune. Here is the result of my painting session yesterday. With luck, some difference can be made in the picture, rather than just the surroundings, since my kitchen is significantly smaller than the space at Pratt.

The Delirium Nocturnum bottle on the counter was enjoyed Saturday, and I still haven't managed to get the bottle to the recycling bin. Glass is always a trip by itself, since it goes in a different bin than the balance of the recycling.

At least I understand why no one reads this blob--I publish when I have nothing to say, and even when I do have something to say, it is a bit dull. Welcome to the everyday world of everyone.

A gray sort of day.

It has been overcast all day. I did call Mom and left a message, since she didn't answer her cell phone. Other parts of the day have been adding gray to the picture on my previous post. If I weren't really tired, I would upload the image, but it is still on my camera. Such is what happens on lazy Sundays. It is always surprising how much focused creation, such as painting or drawing, and I would guess writing as well, can tire a person--mentally and physically. I am sure some things get easier with practice, and the tired feeling takes longer to reach, but that isn't me right now.

Some work on a Saturday

As poor a reproduction it might be, it isn't bad for only 8 weeks of painting instruction. I now have many more weeks of working on it left, using only a photo of the setting. I don't know how much easier that will make it, but I have a lot more to do with the painting, so I hope to manage it without messing up my good start. Today I worked on this (only added another layer of dark to the left side on this painting) and two others that are partially done in the house. The obvious work left on this one includes her face and blouse, with me choosing not to mess too much on the background, though I will do some work on it. Today is one of those typical spring sorts of days with a reasonable temperature and an overcast sky, so I haven't missed too much by being indoors. I still have some errands to take care of, going to the grocery and stuff like that, so I don't know if I will go back into my kitchen studio later today and mess around any more. Other projects are fermenting, but I haven't taken action on them yet, and I am trying to decide if I can actually do three art classes in a single week for a couple of weeks, as there are three that interest me. I am wondering if I am pushing too hard for something with no obvious reward. If so, I have a tendency to wash my hands of it for a bit, though I don't really want to take another 15 year break from trying to interpret the world around me visually, but I also don't want to set my hopes up high, only to have them meet someones concept of reality. Again, I hit the question of why am I pursuing art.

One down, many more to go.

I finished Rene Daumal's "You've Always Been Wrong" today. Overall, it was an interesting book, though I don't know if he actually says much new. Time has a way of repeating itself, and as I finished this book, Thoreau's well-worn quote, "the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation" or something very similar came to mind. Daumal didn't live long enough to see how wrong communism as implemented in Russia went, nor how disastrous it was in the lives of the proletariat everywhere it was implemented. While he did mention that the powers that lead a revolution also put in place safeguards to keep them in power, why he doesn't foresee this with Marxism escapes me. What I can agree with him about is that it is the duty of every man, whether artist, thinker, writer, or farmer to constantly be awake, and try to awaken his fellow man. If everyone shrugs the responsibilities of society, then problems will arise, and stifling new government which can maintain order will rise, hence the Taliban in Afghanistan and any number of other repressive regimes through the ages. Balancing this wakefulness with some sort of social order, where the masses feel secure, is the trick, and what may be the most effective way to do this is by keeping those in power in power for a limited duration, but even that isn't working very well if you look at the government in the United States (and the abuses of power in the current elected administration). A wake-up call of sorts happened in the last elections, but in a two party state, it will only last 4-6 years, and then reverse itself--such is our cycle of waking and sleeping. People wonder about voter apathy, and I think I just explained why it exists, as it seems that regardless of which party is in power, most things don't change. That is what there is to work with here, and from that basis, there may still be room to work within the system, as Jefferson probably wouldn't agree with replacing it just yet.

An apartment filled with stuff,

though not the normal kind of stuff, as I have at least 3 unfinished painting, a handful of drawings (mostly bad), and some charcoal sketches to boot. All my classes have wrapped up, and now I have to decide what to pursue next. I have 2-3 weeks to decide on which classes to take this summer, as I haven't made a solid decision yet. From what I can tell, I need to draw and paint weekly if I want to maintain and possibly improve my skills. That sucks a bunch of time right there, and since I am considering a printmaking class, there is another evening or two busy. At least if I choose representational images for printmaking, I can stay in the drawing vein there, though it will be with a different collection of tools, since you don't extensively use graphite, oil paints, or charcoal in many of the processes past the under-drawing. Oh well...lots to think about, in addition, I could take a class in using the letter press, which sounds interesting, but hinges as much on the technical as the artistic.

Of course, I could always buy a couch & television and forget about working on art, as I would have mindless distraction all the time. (This option would be the one that would make people think me more normal.)

Lovely Monday

Thanks to Dave, I have a new distraction, which is Library Thing (on the sidebar, if you are curious). Now, instead of the numerous things I might feel that I need to do, I can procrastinate very effectively, at least until I exhaust my library, then I just need to find a new exercise in procrastination. I shouldn't blame it all on him, but it is one of those things that I don't need, being just compulsive and anal enough to want to upload all the information I can. Of course, voluntarily surrendering the information on a public database makes it that much easier for our own version of the Securitate to search out dissenters, and flag us appropriately for airline travel bans. [Actually, you don't even have to give a name or email address, so it isn't that easy to track who is actually possessing, and hopefully reading, what.]

Today was gorgeous, which is only natural on a Monday. The drawing today was from a drawing class where the model walked out as she had previously had a disagreement with our substitute drawing teacher and hadn't the desire to work with him again, so we tried portraits rather than figures, since one of his other students, who had come to sit in during the figure drawing, graciously volunteered to model. Not really very good, but it was the first attempt. Sometime in the next week or so, I will try and take some pictures of some of my more successful, and un-erased, gesture drawings from my weekend workshop.

A long Saturday...

I wish I could feel as joyous as the metal dancers seem, even when fenced in, but today I am a bit tired. Still recovering from the "icks," I had an all day drawing workshop that will continue into tomorrow. Today we spent doing gesture drawings, but not exactly of a ridiculous sort, such as 5 seconds, barely long enough to do a line, though some were as short as 30. Working as we are in charcoal, today was spent with the vine variety, even the most promising beginnings, and there were several which I would have been pleased to continue working on, were wiped away with the chamois to make another on its dusty remains. Though I doubt a goal of the course is to make one remember how fleeting a "thing" can be, it is one side effect. From 9:30 to 4:30 is a long time to be working on drawing, but I can't say it has been a wasted effort, as I am enjoying it, and seeing progress in how things progress. With luck, this won't totally mess me up for class on Tuesday, but I think in the end it will be a nice complement. Luckily, we are working a bit with some of the same techniques, such as enveloping, used in my other class. About it for now, time to finish my Red Menace and have something for dinner.

Where to next?

The week is almost through, and I still feel icky--which is the best word I can come up with right now to describe how I feel.

Also in today's post, you can see a full, non-angular, non-kitchenette view of the painting I was working on a few posts ago. I am unsure if I will fiddle with it any more, but I probably won't since I am putting other projects on my plate. Today I picked up some small canvasses at the art store, so I will see if I have any luck working in smaller size (currently, my canvas size has been limited to 16"x20").

Next really is one of those things I am worrying about, though I don't know how many times I get told not to plan the future. It isn't the distant future I am planning, just the next few years. I promise not to go soviet and do it in five year increments, but I really do think, if I intend to survive the drudgery of corporate America, then I need a plan. My back-up plan, or one which frequently pops into my head as one, is to go abroad again and teach English, but even that will require preparations.

On another note, I finally managed to get McSweeney's #22, and have read the first few stories based on Fitzgerald's ideas. Doing things in an inappropriately linear fashion, I have been reading in sequence, meaning I will probably never get to the poetry or Oulipoean pieces.

Time to go make more tea--I don't know if it is helping, but it is nice to sip, since there is a bit of chill in the air.