wrong side of the bed

*sigh*  it's just "one of those days".  you  know the kind where absofuckinglutely nothing goes right??  i can't decide if i should just go back to bed, or break something to make myself feel better.  it's only 10:30am.  i feel like diving face first through a 13th story plate glass window, and forgetting that today ever existed.  i feel like tearing my hair out strand by strand until there is nothing left.  i feel like crying.  i try so hard to stay positive, but it's really hard not to be affected by the persistent negative outside influences which surround me.  it's even harder not to feel like everybody is against you when you wake up to a shitstorm of negativity, and disappointing news.  i have a huge day tomorrow, and i've got to get out of this funk before i go to bed tonight.  i have 12 hours to turn sad into happy.  i think i'll go see fantastic mr. fox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2igjYFojUo 

 

where does the time go??

ok, so i know when i started this blog that i promised myself i would be more diligent about posting, but life has gotten a bit hectic for me as of late.  i knew that i would be busy when i started school, but i kind of forgot to take into account that i still have a business to run, a part-time job, as well as a household to manage.  i have to admit that my time management skills were seriously lacking purely based on the fact that i really didn't have much of a set schedule for the past 2 years, but over the past few weeks i have made leaps and bounds towards being able to finish everything i need to within a reasonable time period.  for the 2 years that i've lived in tucson i've kind of floated about and whatever happened sort of just happened at a somewhat leisurely pace.  however, having a new set schedule has been tremendously good for my self-discipline, and it has made a really positive impact upon my self-esteem and mood.  i definitely feel more focused and goal-oriented which i realize now is so very important to my general well-being.  now if only each day could stretch into 26 hours instead of 24 everything would be perfect!


and speaking of school, it is going great!  cutting hair is definitely the highlight of the program which is the reason why i think most of us are there in the first place.  all the other extraneous stuff i could probably do without, but it's pretty fun learning about skin and makeup as well.  in my younger days i was such a minimalist when it came to makeup that somehow i made it into my 30's without really even knowing how to apply eyeshadow.  it's actually fun to be über girly and get all dolled up once in awhile!  back to the hair though, i really wish i had done this years ago.  who knows where i'd be now if i had gone through this program when i was 25.  i have a few hairstylist friends who are incredibly successful, and even though they are at least a couple years older than me i can't help but think about how long the road to my success may or may not be.  i suppose only time will tell, and i think that i certainly have the ambition and passion it takes to become successful.  think big!


one of my all-time favorite artists, mark ryden, just release a new micro portfolio of "the snow yak show".  these micro portfolios are generally limited editions and sell out relatively quickly.  they are such  a steal at $12.95 that i recommend buying more than one and making some bucks on them down the road on ebay.  you may have to hold onto them for a couple years, but eventually they'll pay off.

http://www.porterhouseart.com/product_p/p077.htm

oh, and just an update on the C25K.  i made it to the end, and it sure felt good to be able to run for 30 minutes straight for the first time in my life.  the strength of my knees has actually improved through the program, but since they do get a bit sore on the longer running stints i have tweaked my workouts since officially completing the program.  i am still going to the gym three days a week, but i now do my stretching and 5-minute warm-up then i run for 10-minutes, walk briskly for 3-minutes, and then run again for 10-minutes.  at this point i will do all my weight lifting exercises and then it's back on the stationary bike for 10 or 15-minutes, as well as a 5-minute cool-down.  my knees never bother me anymore, and i feel great!  i highly recommend the C25K program just to get you in the habit of working out if you have ever had discipline issues in the past.  i'm telling you, it works.

well, off to the studio i go to fill a couple orders that i received this week.

maybe tomorrow...

i'll have enough time to compose a proper post.  since i started school i've been busier in the past 4 weeks than i have been for the past 2 years, and it might take me a minute to catch my breath and, as madonna would say, get into the groove.

burn baby burn

about a month or so ago i started this "couch to 5K" running program.  it's supposed to get you running for 3 miles, or 30 minutes consecutively in just "9 short weeks" (it's all relative, right?).  i was religiously going to the gym for about 4 months prior to starting the program so i think that i may have been in better shape, physically at least, than some folks who  attempt the C25K.  i say "physically" because mentally i have never really been much of a runner.  oh sure, i have tried many times throughout my life to go jogging on a regular basis, but it never lasted long.  i would start out with a vengeance, and quickly my drive would fizzle out after a week or two and i would return to my idle ways.  basically this program slowly builds your endurance with interval-type training in which you alternate between running and walking.  each week your running time increases, and quickly surpasses your walking time.  i just finished week 4 which was roughly 5-minutes running alternating with 3-minutes walking for 20 minutes (starting with a 5-minute warm-up, and a ending with a 5-minute cool down to give you a full 30-minutes of exercise), and i actually screwed up and did 2-minute walk periods and made it through just fine. it actually felt easier than week 3 which was 3-minutes running alternating with 1-minute walking (i think?).  i feel stronger.  i have pretty much completely quit smoking.  i don't necessarily think that my clothes fit much different, but i realize that i am probably just building muscle while i burn fat and this is making me stay around the same size.  then again, this kind of intense exercise makes you pretty hungry, and i think i'm probably not watching what i eat as closely because i assume i'll just "work it off."  being able to justify eating ice cream is the biggest downfall for me when it comes to regular exercise.  i think that i have more aerobic endurance than i ever have, even more so than when i rode my bike up and down the hills of seattle on a regular basis.  it feels great, but i wish that my knees agreed.  oh, and so many people ask me where the heck i'm running to in tucson.  are you fucking crazy??  i do not RUN in the hot sun factory that is tucson!  i run on a treadmill at the gym in a nice cold, air-conditioned environment WITH a fan blowing on me.  well, i am off to the gym to start week 5...wish me luck!


http://www.c25k.com/

lo-mo-graph-y

"Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the "Lomographic Technique."  Users are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography, and use these techniques to document everyday life..."


This is the concept of lomography, but the word is really just a commercial trademark of Lomographische AG (Austria) for products and services related to photography.


Anyhow, there are a couple cameras that I have been enamored by for years, especially the Seagull TLR, that are the key to taking great "lomographic" photos.  I own a Holga, but have only recently discovered the Diana.  The price range for the latter two is fairly inexpensive, but when you start looking at something like the Seagull you can expect to spend at least a couple hundred bucks.

Seagull TLR

Diana

Holga

Here are a couple photos that give you an idea of what is so special about lomography:

I think that I will start documenting at least some of my memories with a uniqueness that can only be found by exploring the world of lomography.  This will be one of my goals for the next year, and hopefully this post will serve as a permanent reminder to follow through.

heavy heart

these little guys are so dang cute, and, dammit, i want one!  they are casted by daniel elson, and available for purchase at rivet art:  http://rivetart.com/get_product?i_item=1199

being siamese

a couple weeks ago i went to a circus themed party.  i "shared" a costume with my friend aja, and we went as siamese, or, to be more politically correct, conjoined twins.  it was the first time i have ever spent a substantial period of time actually zipped onto another person.  it was a strange feeling when we finally separated, kind of like losing an appendage.  if i had ever been actually physically attached to somebody, aja would have been my first choice.  of course, we would have been sold to, or run away with the circus at a very young age.  obviously, my life would be very different today had i been a real siamese twin.

aja & myself

33...

tomorrow i will be.  it feels like yesterday i started making the choices that have drastically altered the rest of my life, and i wish i could change a few of my past decisions sometimes, but, well, i can't.  however, it's never too late for a second chance, right?  tomorrow i will start over, once again, with the rest of my life.  cheers...

20-years-old and so carefree

1996

has anybody seen fall?

ugh.  i know i've completely exhausted most of my friends, and addam, with my incessant whining about how much i hate the heat in tucson, but how can anybody truly enjoy life without seeing the seasons?  in my opinion, fall and spring are the two best seasons and they absolutely do not exist here.  not.  what.  so.  ever.  ok, maybe there is a "spring"-like season, but that is what people typically call winter in other parts of the country that are blessed with four definitive seasons.  i have to say that "spring" here is just not the same when it's not preceded by an actual cold season, aka WINTER.  our 6-month "spring" is, however, followed by 6-months of hell, and consistently alternates between the two year after year.  so i suppose that it's winter, along with fall, that doesn't really exist here in the season stagnant southwest.  get it?  either way, it's just not right.


i want to wear sweaters, and hats, and scarves, and gloves.  through crisp, fall air, i want to smell the lingering smoke from the wood burning in people's fireplaces.  i want to see the fantastical hues of the changing leaves, and then to hear the reluctant crunching under my feet as i walk upon them after they fall.  i want to see the winsome stains that the leaves imprint on the sidewalk after they have been exposed to the elements.  i want to ride my bike through the city and see people chatting over warm beverages, their breath visible in the early evening air.  dammit, i just want to ride my bike, but it's been too miserably hot for months!  i want all of these things that symbolize the changing of a season, but this will be my 2nd anti-fall here in this seemingly unchanging desert.  someday, fall, our paths will cross again.  *sigh*

a photo that i took during the last fall i had the pleasure of experiencing

regret and pizza

I was remembering today how I could just walk out my front door in Seattle and run into good friends, eat good food, and just enjoy my lush, green surroundings.  I'm afraid that I may have taken this luxury for granted the last couple years I lived there, and I just wanted to take a moment to admit the perpetual regret that I feel.

I miss being able to walk 2 blocks and have the best ethiopian food in town. Okay, so the sanitary nature of these places may have been questionable, but damn those vegetarian platters were good!  They were also big enough that they were often shared with a good pal while we drank ethiopian beer, listened to ethiopian music, and talked about random nonsense.  What I wouldn't give to walk out my front door right now and stroll into Mesob for some tasty grub, and a frosty mug.

A few more blocks down the street was Piecora's New York Pizza.  I worked at Piecora's several years ago while I was in school, and I had the pleasure of working with some of the most kick-ass, hilarious people.  Jae, Mayson, Aron, Lafter, Doug, Jon, Jen...you know who you are.  Ritchie Piecora, our boss, was obsessed with windex. Remember the dad from the movie My Greek Wedding who thought that windex could actually heal wounds?  'Nuff said.  Anyhow, I only worked there about a year, but I lived down the street in the same 4-plex apartment building for 11 years.  I would often walk down the street with my dogs to nab a free slice through the window by the kitchen, and maybe even a nugget of sausage for the dogs if they were lucky.  I can't even fathom how many free slices of pie were passed through that window to sustain my broke ass, but I'm still thankful to this day.

Kitty corner to Piecora's, across the Bank of America parking lot, is the Elysian brewery.  I worked there too.  In fact, I ran over there for my interview DURING a shift at Piecora's.  I used to love sitting at the bar eating a fieldroast philly cheesesteak sandwich, sipping on a strong ale, and chatting with the regulars and friends that were so frequently seated around the long familiar bar.  The Elysian was so different back then compared to now.  This must have been somewhere around 1997, 98...?  Everybody was a regular, even the employees.  Everybody was friendly.  Henry, Eric, Hazel, and even you Dick (one of the owners), I miss your faces, and I miss your conversation.

The Teapot, Than Brothers Pho, Jamjuree, Chutneys, The Ballet, the mexican place upstairs in the Broadway alley building, Glos, The Tamarind Tree, The Green Leaf, Cafe Presse, and Saigon Deli. These were some of the other restaurants within short walking distance from my house which I frequented throughout my 13 years in Seattle.  Sure, there are a lot more, but these are the ones that stand out the most because I went to them regularly.  I could list some of the more extravagant, less-frequented venues, but my mouth would start watering and my mind would take a stroll down depression lane due to the deprivation of such ammenities in my current culinary-anorexic city.  It really kills me that I can honestly only name one restaurant within walking distance to where I live now that I even want to eat at, let alone walk to in this scorching inferno that is my temporary home.  Depressing.  I have placed such great emphasis on the food, but what I miss even more are the people.  Malari, Rick, Lyn, Jim, Flora, Mel, Mac, Melanie, Debbie, Kate, Joe W., Joe A., Emily, Raine, Becca, Rob, Jon, Ang, Julie, Steph, Isaac, Carmen, Will, Mike, Chris, Jeff and so many more.

I haven't even mentioned the multiple bars, and show venues that were also within walking distance of my humble abode on first hill, but that reminiscing is for another day.

Oh, Seattle.  You are like an ex-lover whom I got in a huge fight with over something I can't even remember now.  I'm sorry we broke up.  I'm sorry I'm too proud to get back together with you.  Maybe I'll get over it someday, especially since you clearly have . 

Taken on the steps of my old apartment building where I lived for 11 of my 13 years in Seattle. Apparently, I was taking the photo since I am not in it. 

circa ~1999

DIY drinking glasses

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/how-to/how-to-make-your-own-glasses-from-bottles-094915

a friend of mine tried this once with little success, but i'm sure it just takes the proper tools to accomplish the task at hand.  i'm definitely gonna try it out one of these days...

more cheap art

another great site to score cheap art from:
derekerdman.com 


a lot of his paintings are on thick wood block which makes them ready to hang right when you get 'em.

paco collars rule

if you want a pet collar that will last your furry loved one for a lifetime...

go PACO.  they really are the best!  plus, the woman that started the company, ana, is pretty amazing herself.  you can check out her blog at http://anapoeland.blogspot.com/

pacocollars.com 

    

     lola looking like a badass in her PACO collar.

     face it, you need all the help you can get when you weigh 5.5#

 

    olive can't wait for hers...

  

art=happy

I started buying art in my early 20's when I had even less money than I have now.  I was always on the search for that sweet something within my limited budget (who am I kidding, I will forever pounce on a good deal).  If it was something that I couldn't make a knock-off of, then I would happily shell out my hard earned cash so I could support an artist and acquire an original piece of awesomeness.  I was fortunate enough to have jumped on the low brow train early enough that I actually purchased a couple really amazing things that are now worth some bucks including some limited edition Mark Ryden goodies.  So kids, the lesson today is that it's okay to indulge yourself once in awhile, especially if you obtain something timeless like a piece of art that you are likely to cherish for years to come, or even sell later in life for a pretty penny when you have so much of the stuff you just don't know what else to do with it...or not.  Wish I could say the same for some of the clothes I spent too much money on throughout the years...ugh.

Below is a giclée print by Glenn Barr called  Three Angels & Jesus Too.  I purchased this signed and numbered print about 8 years ago for around $50.  It now sells for around $125.  Not a huge hike, but still a good investment if I ever get tired of it and decide to sell it.

This is a great example of some fun "cheap" art which is sold framed for $30 at thebazaarium.com 

here i am...

well, i've been telling myself that i was going to start a blog for so long now that i finally realized that i am starting to feel incredibly lazy for just not doing so.  it really wasn't all that difficult for me to sit down and get the thing set up, but there were other aspects that posed to be complicated.  i notice that a lot of people blog about one thing in particular that they seem to have an intense affinity towards.  there are also those who incessantly ramble about their own personal lives, keeping a record of their daily events no matter how monotonous they may seem to the outside world.  i have respect for most of these various types of "bloggers" purely based on the fact that, well, dammit they are doing it, and i want to be doing it too.  i am so inspired, and often touched by many of the creative and personal blogs that i follow regularly.  however, this is where i ran into a wall.  what the hell am i gonna blog about?  the thought of exposing myself to strangers who i really am, and what i like and dislike is actually a bit intimidating for some reason.  my interests and activities vary such that i did not want to limit myself to just one subject i love such as art, or fashion, or crafting, or metal smithing, or design, or food.  nor did i want it to be just a personal chronicle of my typically boring life.  i want to share things that fascinate me, that make me think, that i find unique or beautiful, that make me laugh, and occasionally i suppose i will also talk about my life.  it all started with a craving for an outlet, and this is how the grey gospel has emerged.


yes, that's me on the left sitting on my beloved old motorcycle that i miss terribly.  no, it is not my real hair, but it was the first day that ridiculous blond wig made it's debut in a long string of memorable photographs...more to come.