| I <3! |
[19 May 2009|11:43pm] |
I either want to jump in and play with them, or put on a sparkley tutu and spin around like a mechanized ballerina on a jewelry box!
I bought their CD while I was in Sweden and I love it!
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| Bullet-point bulletin |
[19 May 2009|09:48pm] |
The past few weeks, in bullet form:- Witnessed the kids I babysit (well, heard the girl proposition) discussing the stereotypical "you can touch mine if I can touch yours." Eek! I was changing the little one's diaper when she ran up and said it, making a grab for his little, well, you get the idea. I took her aside and did the whole "they call them privates because they are PRIVATE - only you can touch them...(etc.)" thing, to which she replies, "But he likes it!" Ha! I told the parents and they laughed and said they'd talk to them.
- Got bitten by the other kid I nanny, leaving a really dark ugly mark... Fun times.
- Bruised myself flying like superman and leaping off a play-structure to slide down a fireman's pole. It was worth it -- all the parents and nannies in the park looked like I'd just flashed them or something.
- Printed over 200 pages by hand (letterpress) for a friend's book that she was selling, and helped another friend glue and put together another series of books.
- Went out for drinks with my cousin who was visiting SF; we listened to live Celtic music and bitched about our moms. It was awesome! Then she complained about and pined over, alternately, her ex boyfriend. For over an hour. Not so awesome. At one point I spaced out and was just nodding but then she caught on and started nodding and smiling at me like I was in trouble. I was pretty tipsy at this point, but managed to make up some cliche about ex boyfriends and she bought it. Usually I am a *very* good listener, but she's only just turned 21 and she's talking like "she'll never love again" and if I didn't want to come across as an old lady I would have said what I was thinking: She really hasn't had that much experience yet and I'm sure she'll get over it in a few months.
- Edited Peter's incredibly long History paper...which involved staying up until 2am...I have another one to look at this Thursday...
- Played the piano a lot, including making up an odd song about a farm girl. Haven't come up with the last stanza/verse yet - her sister comes running and leads her out behind the big barn and down by the creek and I am not sure if they find a dead body or see the first flowers of spring and pick them. Peter said they should see a dead body and then shrug and pick the first flowers of spring, but that doesn't strike me as quite right...
- Went to a Street Fair with my mom, where she made me "help her" choose between five equally hideous vests. She chose the one that looked like embroidered cat vomit. I didn't tell her that.
- Enjoyed the shock on my cousin's face as we watched Bay to Breakers for a while. Wow, there were a lot of hairy old naked crotches. Sorry, it was just a striking fact. There was a cute little gopher that kept peeking up from his burrow briefly, and then popping back down. I like to think he was peeking up thinking, "Is it safe? No more crotches? AHH! It never ends!" We then went to the CA Academy of Sciences and had a lot of fun in the rainforest, etc. It's a beautiful building.
- Went for two weeks without light in our bathroom! The lightbulb burned out and we've both been to busy to go get one (I've been working SO much) so first we were using candles, then a flashlight that screws open to become a little lantern. Then I BOUGHT a lightbulb, but the ceiling is so high that we didn't put it in right away. My brother came up for dinner and we had him do it since he's 6'4" and that's your job if you're that tall. Honestly, I was kinda wondering how long we could go without lights. We could probably save a lot of money that way.
- Went to the Stanford PowWow and ate lots of frybread. Yum!! I also got some pretty beads that I'll do something with eventually.
Well I'm looking forward to this summer. Hopefully my schedule will settle down a bit in the next few weeks ~ the families that I nanny for are SO flaky and they cancel all the time or call the night-of and ask if I can babysit for this or that... I've been working days where I go to one family at 8am, home for lunch, and then the other family until 11pm. NOT ideal, but then I have then benefit of a string of days off in a row some other times... I'm still weighing whether or not this nannying this is working for me. It is for now, but I'm not sure if I will want to keep doing it for much more than a couple months. It's so draining just keeping track of where to be at what times! But in theory (not yet in practice...) it will allow me more time to work on art and music projects. And see friends!
Off to bed now, yay!
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| lights OUT! |
[28 Mar 2009|07:53pm] |
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The candles are at the ready and I'm about to turn off all the lights for Earth Hour 2009! I'm curious to see if lots of people in my neighborhood, or in general, are doing the same. It's kinda fun, like getting ready for a voluntary power outage... I wish I had some oil for my little lamp. Or even better, one of those little candle-holder things with a handle like in the old days...what are those called? Alright, gotta go find some matches!
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| Writer's Block: Fearsome |
[08 Feb 2009|12:58pm] |
I tried to find a picture to illustrate this (which was, in itself, a scary process), but try to imagine it since I couldn't find one that did it justice:
When I was little, my mom had a vintage doll that stood on her dresser top, forever staring ~ she had slightly yellowish skin, tiny protruding teeth, chipped painted red nails, and human hair. She wore a faded dress and pinafore and stood, with the aid of a metal stand, with her head slightly tiled and her arms outstretched.
I was so terrified of the doll that every time I went into my parent's room, I had to maintain constant eye contact with it to make sure it didn't pounce on me when I looked away. I also tried to pretend I thought it was cute so that it wouldn't despise me and shred my face (with it's tiny, sharp, red nails) in my sleep. I once had a nightmare that the doll was living inside the wall and would scratch and scratch to escape...
Anyway, while Peter and I were in Paris (January 6-9th) we went to a Musee du Poupee, Doll Museum, out of some sick fascination. It was definitely creepy! When describing it to his cousin, I said, "some were surprisingly cute, but most of them looked like they want to eat your soul."
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| Update on the crapiest month ever |
[05 Feb 2009|09:43am] |
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(Stole this heading from![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) zimbra1006 because it's just so fitting)
Guess it's actually a new month, but this one isn't looking promising either.
- I am now technically unemployed, seeing as the studio where I have been teaching art classes for about 5 years was closed down on January 30th. My crap-tastic boss sent me an email to inform me of this fun fact while I was in Sweden. I know I'll find a new job eventually, but I feel like since I graduated last year I should be finding a *good* job, and from what it looks like at this point I seem under-qualified for just about everything.
- Still not feeling like doing much other than sitting on the couch and occasionally reading. Feeling really out-of-it and blue.
- I have gotten six parking tickets in the last three weeks because my mom refuses to register the car in my name so that I can get a placard permitting me to park in my neighborhood for more than 2 hours.
- The mom of the kids that I nanny for is getting increasingly condescending! She tried to pay me five dollars less than our agreed-upon hourly wage and got really bitchy when I tactfully corrected her. Here's the conversation, since I find it so amusing (in a disturbing way). Keep in mind that her son has special needs and cannot hold himself upright on his own.
Conversation with kids' mom: (I'll call her SC for SCary lady)
ME: Actually I think that we agreed on X per hour, if I'm not mistaken? I can forward you the email where we talked about it if you'd like.
SC: (Scowling) No, no, that's not necessary, it's just that childcare is really expensive. Our old babysitter (who was a teenager) is a lot cheaper. (Long pause) You know what, I need you to clean the house more if this is what I'm paying you.
ME: Oh, ok...sure. I can definitely do more to tidy up while the kids are napping or...
SC: Well I know you've been tidying up, but I mean cleaning. Like what I really liked about our old babysitter is that she would really clean and take on little odd-jobs around the house, like one time I came home and she had re-organized all my tupperware...stuff like that.
ME: (Momentary silent stare) I guess that depends on the level of engagement that you want me to have with your children.
SC: You know what I mean, like when they're watching a movie or playing alone with each other. I know there's probably down time, our old babysitter would sometimes read a magazine or something...
ME: Oh, no - when I'm babysitting I don't read or talk on the phone or any of that, I am talking and interacting with the kids and making sure that they are safe, happy, and mentally stimulated. I want it to be fun for them when I come over...
SC: No, they definitely love you - they get jealous when one of them gets to have you to himself and the other is at school or napping, but I just think you can still do more real cleaning.
ME: Alright, I can understand that. I'll make more of an effort in the future. (Forced smile)
I do some housekeeping, for sure - I do the dishes after I make the kids dinner, and I clean up all the toys and tidy the living room when the kids go to bed. I think she was just bitching because she felt dumb for trying to pay me less, out of the blue.
If her little boy falls over, he can't get back up! He has a really soft little voice and if he's calling me and I'm in the other room, I might not hear him for a while. The very idea of it is sickening; she'd really rather her tupperware gets organized than her kids be engaged and learning and having fun? I really like the kids, and they do seem to really like me, but I think I need a new family to nanny for (temporarily) while I look for full-time employment.
Anyway, there are fun things going on too, and I'm trying to keep a positive outlook. I know it will get easier and I'll find a job that I like and look back on this time as "the dark days of way-back-when," but I just wish it would be in retrospect sooner rather than later. ;)
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| Bradley Nicholas Johnson ~ "Our Shining Star" |
[31 Jan 2009|02:16pm] |
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lights above los gatos, the variable stars |
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Many of you probably already read or heard this at Brad's service yesterday (thanks Agata for printing it & Blimpy for reading it!), but I wanted to post it for those who could not be there or did not get a chance to know what an amazing person Brad was. Thanks also to the super-band that we formed for the day to perform Lights Above Los Gatos in Brad's honor!
He will be dearly missed. <3
(Cover of the new special edition "Lights Above Los Gatos" single)
Bradley Nicholas Johnson
“Our Shining Star”
What does it mean to be bandmates? Being bandmates is a very special relationship. Of course, first and foremost, we come together to share our passion for music and to push each other to always be the best that we can be. We talk about upcoming shows and set-lists, other bands we like to play with, and new ideas for songs. But we talk about everything else too—our thoughts, our hopes, our jobs, gossip, and all the little details from our day that no one else wants to hear. We alternate between being serious and focused, as we isolate trouble areas in a song, to silly and joyful as we dance around the practice space, flailing around and bursting into laughing fits.
The Variable Stars members were almost all friends before the band, and if not then we soon became very close. Being a bandmate is much like being in a strange, sometimes dysfunctional, five-person relationship. When we bicker, it’s like an argument with five significant others, each with his or her distinct perspective. And each one of us thinking that we are obviously the one who is right. But these differences are part of what makes a band unique and beautiful. When we finally get a song right, there is an almost tangible ecstasy that we share as we look from face to face and know how much we all gave to get to that point. At that moment, Brad would invariably shout out an exclamation like, “Yes! I love you guys! This is what it’s all about!” We would all exchange cheesy high-fives or run out into the parking lot and chase each other around before getting back down to work.
Outside of practice, we go to movies and out to dinner or just stay up all night talking; it’s like a built-in social network and a phone-tree all in one. Brad has always been our fearless leader, our biggest advocate, and our most prolific songwriter. He tried to maintain his humility, but we all knew that he was our shining star. When we performed, all eyes were glued to him. He possessed that certain something that compelled you to watch and see what he would do next. I remember a show that Brad and I went to together in San Francisco a couple of years ago. During a particular song, a giant, six-foot tall projection of the lead singer’s head appeared above the band and continued to rotate over the stage as they played. I nudged Brad and teased him, “I know that’s secretly what you want, isn’t it?” We could barely stop laughing as we pictured it, and it continued to be a running joke between us that that was what we would do when we “made it.” Until then, though, over the past seven years or so, we have played countless little bars around the Bay Area, fun venues like the Chabot Space Center, and even a Laundromat one time. We once had a band garage sale to raise money for our cause. And Brad was constantly designing funny t-shirts online or sending us files to listen to of songs that he wanted to do in the future. In a way, for all of us, being in the band is a way of life. It constitutes so much of our time and our imaginations. Brad said we were like a family, and we couldn’t have put it in any better terms.
What does it mean to be a bandmate? It is to be a loyal friend, a partner in artistic vision, a cheerleader for the team, a drill sergeant, a student, a teacher, and a dedicated musician. Brad was all these things and more, and he inspired us to always set our sights high. So now, as we come together again with Brad in our hearts, we try to keep in mind his vision for us, both as individual musicians and as a group. We try to think of things in a positive light, as Brad would always have us do, and keep close the sentiments that he conveyed with his lyrical and musical gift. In the beautiful words of Brad Johnson’s song, “Twilight Land”:
It was his favorite time of day
When the sun had gone away
And everything white turns purple at dusk
And there is a land across the sea
Where Loki plays and one day he will be
Beneath the clouds at the horizon it lies
Where nothing good ever dies
And it's twilight all the time
-opheliafloats , for the band The Variable Stars, January 30th, 2009
http://www.myspace.com/variablestars
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[20 Jan 2009|02:22pm] |
Honestly there is nothing that I can say that would adequately express what I am feeling right now. Reality was wrenched away long ago.
I know that I tend to be vague and secretive, so for those who don't know; one of my best friends and bandmates, Brad, passed away four days before I got home from Sweden. I'm glad that I found out before I got home, but that didn't make it easier to come home to.
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[19 Jan 2009|09:39pm] |
The chorus means, "I'm begging you, stretch out your little love-filled hand."
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| Gott Nytt År! Happy New Year! |
[31 Dec 2008|04:32pm] |
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The other day I helped Peter's sister with her catering business.
I made:
* 2 HUGE rhubarb pies (about 24 slices each)
* 5 small carrot cakes
* 2 HUGE carrot cakes
* 12 chocolate truffle pies
* 2 HUGE princess torta things, or something like that
It was fun! But tiring. I nibbled on everything and made myself feel really ill by the end. But I'm happy that I know how to do those now! In bulk... But I got to wear a super cute little apron!
I'm really looking forward to going out to see the New Years fireworks from the old town tower tonight. I'm smuggling some beers and champagne in my big purse (not that there is a tower guard/booze inspecter) and hopefully some friends will meet us up there. The fireworks show here is akin to the 4th of July in the US - they go all out. Plus everyone buys there own fireworks so they can be seen all over town.
We're going to dinner at Peter's sister's before hand, so hopefully I survive the kid maddness... I baked cupcakes, so hopefully those will keep them quiet.
Alright, gotta go start layering on the clothes. It's SOOOO freezing outside! Everything is covered in frost that is so huge it looks like tiny icicles. There is a liiiiitle bit of snow, but not much. Just like a cloud sneezed a little bit.
More later! I'll check in next year. ;)
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| Jul i Sverige! |
[24 Dec 2008|12:45pm] |
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Jul i Sverige! = Christmas in Sweden!
You'll all have picked up a little Swedish by the time I get back! I arrived in Sweden on the 21st (lost a day in the air) and now I'm in the country, about an hour and a half north of Göteborg, in Enekulla. Somehow the novelty of spending Christmas in a foreign country has made me as giddy as I was on Xmas eve as a kid! I'll post some pictures later, but the country house is completely filled with unbelievably cute decorations - mostly Tomten (little gnomes) in Xmas clothes. The other day we went to Jul på Liseberg, where the local amusement park is turned into a winter wonderland filled with tons of Xmas craft venders and winter-themed rides for little ones. There was a cheesy ice-show with skate-dancers swishing and swooping all over the place waving red and green light-saber looking things. I bought a little Tomten with a reeeeally long beard. Yesterday Peter's mom taught us to make two kinds of Xmas candy - Knäck and Kola. Both were pretty easy to make, although you have to pour the hot liquid really fast before it solidifies and it was very messy. I've been speaking lots of Swedish, mainly with Peter's eight year old neice. When I was babysitting her (while everyone else was doing last-minute shopping) we were playing games and having a great time. Whenever I didn't know what she's trying to say, I would say "jag forstår inte" (I don't understand) and she would proceed to mime it! Yay! Peter's parents have a super cute little doggie that sits up like a little prarie dog every time it hears something interesting. They spoil the dog silly, it's so cute I can see why. We went on a walk to see some Scottish Highland cows and the dog walked about 12 feet on it's back legs while furiously sniffing the air! Ha! Well I should see if I can help with something - people will be arriving soon. Hope everyone is having a *wonderful* Holiday!
God Jul och God Nytt År!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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| help requested from grammar nerds |
[14 Dec 2008|10:56pm] |
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hail on tin |
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If you are a self-proclaimed grammar nerd and want to offer insight, ( take a look at my question here. )
I've spent most of the past couple weeks scrambling around finishing last-minute stuff for the Holidays and getting ready to leave for Sweden! (I want to thankholypug for passing on some Holiday cheer, by the way! I felt much more enthusiastic and excited after our visit!)
This coming week I am going to try to cram in all my errands, including getting my glasses prescription changed so that I can SEE Gothenburg when I'm there! Over the weekend I convinced my mom that dying my hair for me would be a good "bonding" experience, and she actually did a really good job. It's hard to do my own since it's so long, and she is very exacting so there were no missed-spots or drips on my face, etc. Nice!
Well it's time to crawl into bed, even though the hail might keep me up for a while. I like it, though. It sounds so creepy...
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| pirate patches and diapers in one entry? wow! |
[06 Dec 2008|09:03pm] |
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It is SO freezing in my apartment that I'm wearing a beanie, gloves, two sweaters, slippers, my hood, and I have a blanket over me. I wish I had a nose-warmer - if I did, it would be knitted and look like a pirate patch that just covers the schnozz instead. The heating duct here sounds like the combination of a boiling kettle and an enraged raccoon when it IS running, which it isn't right now. I wonder what parameters are set up for it to start up, because it certainly isn't a temperature gauge; on hot days it's blasting and cold days it's oddly silent. Unlike my new downstairs neighbors, who seem to love hammering at midnight. And that is not an oddly phrased innuendo, they are really either putting up art or building shelves in the middle of the night. In my imagination, every bit of wall in their apartment is covered by poorly constructed shelving and garage-sale art.
On Tuesday I got a hair-cut! Now I know that most of you are probably wondering why there is an exclamation mark following that statement, since usually it would be followed by hysteria and shouts of "it's so SHORT!" Truthfully, being in a state of post-graduation "now what?" has made me a lot bolder, and I've found myself wanting to make some changes.
I had complimented a mom who comes to the playgroup I run on her cute hair, and she gave me the name of her hairdresser. She told me she was, "a bit pricy but WONDERFUL!" The salon was very relaxing, and she really knew what she was doing - she started out by cutting it dry since my hair is so curly, and then took me back for the wash. Apparently they do a scalp and neck massage at this place, and by the end of it I was practically drooling and told her she could do whatever she wanted. She cut off a few more inches and did some, well, different levels in the front. I would have said layering, except that she said "layers won't work on your hair." Ok...seems like layers, though... But then again I once called a Parking Enforcement Officer a Meter Maid and nearly got punched...so she can call it whatever she wants. It's apparently not very drastic, despite the inches she removed, because only one person at work noticed! Granted, at the playgroup they just briefly sign in and then run off, and at the art studio I caved and put it in a pony-tail.
So that same day at work (the will-they-notice-my-haircut day), I was involved in a ten to fifteen minute conversation about the consistency of baby poo. I am often privy to the mom's conversations about various infant or toddler behaviors or bodily functions, but that was really more than I ever wanted to know! I get a first-hand lesson every time I nanny, anyway. One of the moms, the one that everyone else is jealous of for her stereotypically good looks, followed up the conversation by telling us about how the other day she thought she might have passed gas on the treadmill at the gym, but wasn't sure because she was listening to her ipod. Then she spent the next ten minutes trying to interpret other runner's facial expressions to tell if they had heard it. Just picturing her, perfectly made-up with her blond pony-tail bopping along, furtively glancing from face to sweaty face...I was thinking of Arrested Development or Desperate Housewives or something as I pictured the scene.
Being able to vividly picture other people's stories never ceases to be a source of amusement, insight, and discovery. It's my favorite thing about LiveJournal too, of course!
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| RIP René |
[15 Nov 2008|04:33pm] |
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As some of you already know, a few months ago my older brother Cameron's beautiful, amazing girlfriend René passed away. They had been together for fifteen years and were living and working in Portland. Some people might know them from the vending booth that they had at Death Guild for a long time (for their Strange Monster merchandise).
I've been very vague about these trips to Portland because they have involved a whirlwind of emotion and reflection. I feel as though René was a huge influence on me, especially in my pursuit of art, and I hope that she knew how much she meant to me in general. I felt honored to be part of the Memorial Gallery Show that Cameron arranged in her honor, even though it meant my thumbs nearly falling off while tacking up hundreds of her sketches! The range of her ideas was vast and versatile.
Please take a moment to visit René's Fine Art website and take a look at some of her work. Perhaps you may already know it from the movie Tank Girl? If you know someone who might like it, pass on the link. Her life has touched so many, and I hope that her influence will continue to live on in others.
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| Coffeeeeeeee!! |
[06 Oct 2008|05:39pm] |
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hedningarna-bjornlaten |
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This picture is from my first trip, but it applies for today - my brother took me on a coffee tour of Portland!
We went to three different Stumptown Cafe's, a place called Crema, and place called The Press (or something like that) and drove by quite a few others, lattes in hand. Despite the eventual jitters, it was entertaining and delicious!
I'm house-sitting right now (in Portland), and using the time to get stuff done that I never have time to do at home. I brought my violin with me and some books I've been reading (career stuff), and I'm trying to get going on some projects as well.
I've been doing a fair share of procrastinating and hanging out as well, including watching my cousins' bike race the other day. It was really neat, the bikers were whizzing by at great speeds all along a muddy track at a local dairy farm. I'd say there were about 1,000 of them? One of my cousins may have placed third! The actual results will be posted in a few days.
Well I think my main goal is to try to make some progress on the violin pieces that I need to learn for a wedding that I'll be playing at in a couple weeks. If I can get that done, I will feel no guilt when doing anything but work the rest of the week.
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| the princess and the pea, plus a meme time-waster |
[02 Aug 2008|12:32pm] |
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I'm still trying to work out the last details of my trip to Portland in two weeks, but apparently felt like wasting some time doing a dumb meme (see below).
I'm planning on camping on the way up and back to cut the drive time in half; once in Valley of the Rogue state park and once near Crater Lake. Then staying in a hostel in downtown Portland. I'm super excited to be visiting my brother and cousins and seeing the city I've been told "I would love" over and over again. Alrighty, better get crackin' if I'm going to finish booking everything. Feel free to share Portland advice and/or stories!
Oh, I have to upload a picture - this morning Peter found a pea with a face! It's the creepiest thing *ever*! I'll post it after my camera battery is charged.
Here's my meme time-waster:( Read more... )
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| quick advice |
[02 Jul 2008|05:43pm] |
I'll post more about what's been going on these past few weeks later, but for now I'm in desperate need of advice:
This morning, while I was at the play group that I run (not the art classes), one of the nannies came running in excitedly and sat me down to talk. Apparently her daughter works in a doctors office and gets to know some of the patients really well. A very wealthy family that she knows is looking for a nanny for their two babies and will pay $25/hour, plus bridge toll and all expenses related to the child care. They want someone full time.
My thinking is that this is twice what I make doing the kids play group... I only do the play group Wednesdays and could maybe see if I can work the nannying job Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I already talked to someone who might be interested in doing the other days. I would still be able to teach art classes Mondays and Fridays. I just wonder if this would be a good opportunity or a bad one - bad in the sense that nannying isn't exactly what I want my "profession" to be, and I'm afraid I would get stuck (which I tend to do) and then I wouldn't look for another job that might be better, experience wise. I just graduated and I feel like I really want to do something related to my fields of study, not just anything to pay the bills. I was planning on using the next six months to find a job that would be really beneficial in terms of learning skills that I want to work with in the future. Then again it seems like a great opportunity, and I love working with kids... I'm so torn!
Anyway, I have to call tonight, either way. Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!! :)
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| almost forgot |
[07 May 2008|10:33pm] |
My Grandmother recently turned 90 and we were all at her Bday celebration. She was telling some stories, including this one:
She was at a dance and a "handsome" man asked her to join him on the dance floor. They were dancing and she thought that he was, "well, pretty nice looking" so she reached for his arm to bring him closer. The guy apologized and said, "oh, I said goodbye to lefty a long time ago!"
!!
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| ah, lecture halls |
[07 May 2008|10:17pm] |
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the girl with the prefabricated heart |
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We watched this Svankmajer film in Dada and Surrealism today (I hadn't seen it before):
The last thing I saw of his was called "The Apartment," it was on the extras for the DVD "Little Otik." Check them all out, if you like this at all.
We also watched sections of "Blue Velvet" and Hitchcock's "Spellbound."
Honestly, though, it was a bit much for my head just before taking the final exam...we should have taken the test and *then* watched the movies. I got really absorbed and then we had to take our hour long exam. I still had the images and music in my head and it made it hard to focus.
That and the fact that the guy sitting next to me kept scratching his balls. Come on, man, it's a lecture hall - I was only a couple inches to his left. After the first time I made sure that I never again glanced his direction but the sound of his fingernails on khaki was enough to conjure up an unfortunate after-image in my head.
At least I am secure in the knowledge that this will be my last lecture hall experience for quite some time!
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[25 Feb 2008|05:54pm] |
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I had a fun Birthday weekend, even though I'm denying turning a year older... ;)
One of the highlights was the Goya and Picasso Prints exhibition at the San Jose Museum of Art. The exhibition was wonderful - I loved being able to see the prints so close up. I have to admit, I am even more fond of Goya's prints than I am of his paintings. He used bizarre iconography to represent the hypocrisies of his time, sometimes dark and disturbing imagery. Using deep aquatint layering and various other etching techniques, he got both a dark and atmospheric quality and the detail of a pen-and-ink drawing. I found it interesting that, while there was a giant disclaimer about the graphic nudity and violence at the Gilbert and George exhibit at the deYoung, there was no such warning for this showing. Is it because they are more antiquated? Smaller? Black and white? Anyway, the children didn't seem to mind the witches eating babies and demons ripping off people's heads - they were busy scribbling down answers to the little question-tags that were provided by the museum: Name a superstition that you can think of. (etc.) The tags were all tied onto a wall-hanging, and offered an interesting peek into the youngster's interpretation of the work. Actually the ones that were there didn't seem to have anything to do with the work, they were just doodles. And mostly by adults. Oh well. Have a peek at this really neat series of youtube segments about the work, and go see the exhibit!
I'd have to say that the other highlight of the festivities was dinner at the Mango Cafe in Palo Alto. I'd never been there, despite seeing it there a billion times. My brother picked it, and the food was delicious, as were the drinks! There was a man playing the steel drums to various hits, many 80's tunes. My mom was complaining loudly about everything, but I had a few drinks in me and found it amusing. I had some drink involving melon, and the bday "shot" which was something that I think the bartender made up. It was very peachy and, despite supposedly being a shot, was almost a pint. Yikes! I highly recommend giving that restaurant a try, my food was wonderful and everything on the menu looked equally delicious. The atmosphere was fun and tropical and the staff was super friendly.
So this Monday I went back to work feeling as though a long long time had passed. I'm not sure why, maybe it was my birthday, but things just feel different this week. I think I've told a few people this story already, but basically things at that job (Job #2- the tot-playgroup thing) have gotten pretty ridiculous. I am living "Office Space". ( Tales of torment... )
Ok, enough work complaining. How about a hilarious work typo? (not mine) I told the receptionist that she should let parents know that they should have their children wear smocks so that they don't get paint all over themselves and then get mad at us. Here's what it said on the description that is plastered all over the city:
"Our paints and materials are washable, but please bring a smoke if you would like your child to have one!"
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