Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
things looking up, going up
Jury duty was a bust - my long anticipated day as a potential juror turned out only to be a test of patience and a reminder that I cannot concentrate enough to read in bustling places; people-watching always gets the better of me. Though called to possibly sit on a trial, the excitement stopped just short of voir dire; the witness was a no-show so we were released. There were perks, however:
- Steve and I were able to carpool
- we had our a.m. coffee together
- and then we had lunch together
- and then, I was released from jury duty shortly after lunch
- and then, we shared a p.m. coffee break together
It´s hard out here for a citizen.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
letterpressing it out
What a time I had in San Francisco - I still think about my trip constantly.
My older sister and I took a beginning letterpress class here:
Inside:
We learned about the finer points of picas, furniture, ems, lead slugs, typefaces, etc. It is just as much science as it is art:
Our small class worked collectively on a broadside; we were encouraged to write a few sentences on a theme (what we do when it starts to get cold outside). We selected a typeface and set the type:
After that, we went to the press:
And then, like magic:
A close-up of my lines (ahem, the one about windows):
We split for lunch, and then we had the afternoon to make note cards in a typeface and theme of our desire. I made birthday cards using this typeface:
Ta-da:
My older sister and I took a beginning letterpress class here:
Inside:
We learned about the finer points of picas, furniture, ems, lead slugs, typefaces, etc. It is just as much science as it is art:
Our small class worked collectively on a broadside; we were encouraged to write a few sentences on a theme (what we do when it starts to get cold outside). We selected a typeface and set the type:
After that, we went to the press:
And then, like magic:
A close-up of my lines (ahem, the one about windows):
We split for lunch, and then we had the afternoon to make note cards in a typeface and theme of our desire. I made birthday cards using this typeface:
Ta-da:
dreaming of a white christmas
Steve took this photo last week - we´re spending Christmas at this very place. Oh, my:
Sunday, November 16, 2008
turkey lurking
The week ahead promises again the pins and needles business of jury duty. Luckily this time around I have a lot of reading to bring with me and am looking forward to snack-shopping for juror sustenance. It feels a little like I'm going on vacay.
Thanksgiving. Let's talk about it. I am going home to celebrate for the first time in six! years. And it is going to be awesome. I am much looking forward to the family, the food and the fireplace. The trip will be brief but the times will be good.
My first Thanksgiving in Florida went something like this. I was a poor & starving AmeriCorps member and all my roommates left to go home for the holidays out-of-state. I couldn't complain one bit; my older sister flew to Florida on Thanksgiving to spend it with me and we had turkey sandwiches, stuffing, and cranberry sauce in the depressing kitchenette. Atmosphere aside, it was endearing. But there was this other issue happening simultaneously: I came down with a mysterious allergic reaction that was painfully crippling to my joints and an on-again, off-again rash that traveled all over me in seriously unattractive patches. The allergy's most bizarre manifestation came when my lips swelled to a size I'm just going to call the Angelina Jolie +++. It looked like someone punched me square in the mouth for being too nice. One application of lip relief took a whole tube of Chapstick. A swig of champagne probably would have closed my throat up for good, so I think I capped off the holiday with some water and Benadryl.
My, I've come a long way since then. I'm getting all itchy just thinking about it.
What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Your most memorable?
Thanksgiving. Let's talk about it. I am going home to celebrate for the first time in six! years. And it is going to be awesome. I am much looking forward to the family, the food and the fireplace. The trip will be brief but the times will be good.
My first Thanksgiving in Florida went something like this. I was a poor & starving AmeriCorps member and all my roommates left to go home for the holidays out-of-state. I couldn't complain one bit; my older sister flew to Florida on Thanksgiving to spend it with me and we had turkey sandwiches, stuffing, and cranberry sauce in the depressing kitchenette. Atmosphere aside, it was endearing. But there was this other issue happening simultaneously: I came down with a mysterious allergic reaction that was painfully crippling to my joints and an on-again, off-again rash that traveled all over me in seriously unattractive patches. The allergy's most bizarre manifestation came when my lips swelled to a size I'm just going to call the Angelina Jolie +++. It looked like someone punched me square in the mouth for being too nice. One application of lip relief took a whole tube of Chapstick. A swig of champagne probably would have closed my throat up for good, so I think I capped off the holiday with some water and Benadryl.
My, I've come a long way since then. I'm getting all itchy just thinking about it.
What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Your most memorable?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
books & arts
Last night, I dozed off quickly after finishing The Liars Club. I could have wrapped it up on my lunch break, but sadness was coming together in my throat and I knew I would be a wreck if I didn´t put that book away (crying in front of VIP administration has never been on my to-do list). So I came home and knew I had tender reading ahead of me. Book done. Now I´m on to Mary Karr´s next memoir, Cherry (again, thank you Foolish Girl Lauren). There´s nothing like reading. I swear. And my audiobook, Monsters of Templeton, is so damn good. If there weren´t other things to do today, I would so be booking it here. Next year. I will absolutely have to go.
A friend of mine is in a local theater performance and I´m going to see her do her thing tonight. Yippee!
A friend of mine is in a local theater performance and I´m going to see her do her thing tonight. Yippee!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
ahhhh, november
There is something to be said for blogging in your backyard, outside, at 11:00 pm on November 10th. Folks, you cannot do this everywhere. Every humid, slimy day and annoying mosquito bite endured between May and September makes this moment totally worth all that bullshit.
Did I mention that Steve is away right now, and will be gone for another week? I am so lonely for him!
Ok, I have been killing an hour doing other things...but the weather is worth posting about, not banishing to drafts.
G'night.
Did I mention that Steve is away right now, and will be gone for another week? I am so lonely for him!
Ok, I have been killing an hour doing other things...but the weather is worth posting about, not banishing to drafts.
G'night.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
i'm on it
On the bedside table: Mary Karr's The Liar's Club, Joan Wickersham's The Suicide Index, and Newsweek, Vol. CLII, No. 20.
On audio: Lauren Groff's The Monsters of Templeton (also, I've taken to reading her read-a-holic blog which I love to bits).
On my great dining room table: 2 dozen friendship roses, a bowl of lemons, and enough Food & Wines to start a magazine stand in my house.
On the kitchen counter: seltzer, syrah, onions, Pyrex, one dirty dish rag and two empty glasses.
On the couch: Dean.
On the floor: Cole, D. Sergei (Jane most likely falls in this category too, though I can't find her at present).
On my mind: Obama.
On Flickr: o cool, grey city of love!
On the horizon: a Thanksgiving in Portland. De-light!
And on the even further horizon: Christmas in Montana.
On audio: Lauren Groff's The Monsters of Templeton (also, I've taken to reading her read-a-holic blog which I love to bits).
On my great dining room table: 2 dozen friendship roses, a bowl of lemons, and enough Food & Wines to start a magazine stand in my house.
On the kitchen counter: seltzer, syrah, onions, Pyrex, one dirty dish rag and two empty glasses.
On the couch: Dean.
On the floor: Cole, D. Sergei (Jane most likely falls in this category too, though I can't find her at present).
On my mind: Obama.
On Flickr: o cool, grey city of love!
On the horizon: a Thanksgiving in Portland. De-light!
And on the even further horizon: Christmas in Montana.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
hello, books
My second visit to the San Francisco Public Library's Main Branch. Stunning, as always. Would love to work there...oh, sigh!
my kitty, moon unit commander X7800, starship green blanket; co-captain snoozing in the background
D. Sergei is doing wonderfully (this photo was taken last week, post-surgery, when Cole was keeping a close watch on him). You know your cat is awesome when he truthfully doesn't mind the Elizabethan collar. This is not to say that he wasn't frustrated at first, but he quickly adopted what Steve termed the "motorboating" technique: when in doubt, reverse, correct, and carry-on through the waters. His bladder stone was not unlike a French burnt peanut in size, texture, and color. You might never be able to enjoy one of those again, but who likes them anyway, aren't they right up there with those circus peanuts? Snarf.
So many things have happened - I took a huge break from the blog but now am back with a vengeance. I have TONS of photos to post from my San Francisco trip, and eleven or so rolls of Holga film I need to have developed. All in due time.
Soon!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)