Monday, August 31, 2009

Double Rainbow and Tomato Blight.

Double Rainbow!
Kayla and Kevin came to visit for the Flaming Lips concert that I had been thinking about going to, but I opted not to since tickets were damn close to $100. They spent the weekend and the concert got rained out after 7 songs, but I liked seeing them, and Hans missed Kayla I am sure.
He has been so cute lately, I think perhaps because its not as hot anymore. He's been cuddling (at least part of the night) and has just been super affectionate and adorable.
He instigates Hide-and-Seek.
And he also drinks from the toilet but I haven't got a good photo of that one yet.
My plants are doing okay. However, there is this tomato blight happening, and it got to my guys, even the indoor guys.
The tiny dark spots are bugs and the white stuff is the absence of life in the leaf because the bugs are vampires.
And as if that weren't enough, the squirrel took (and wasted the better part) a tomato! Just left it right there on the roof.
The cucumber is still lookin good though.

I have a big bag of kale and some beets from the farmers market that I suppose I should do something with.

I have been eating this mexican-vegan casserole Amelia made me and I think it is past its prime, but its not half bad, and I hate wasting things, so ...I eat it.

I have off today and tomorrow, but have a meeting at work tomorrow evening just before I head off to my interview with Project Basho! Its about time, but I am so excited and gosh golly I will be making art again!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Mouse and the Tomato

I never mentioned that a few days ago Hans caught a mouse! ("WHAT?!", you might say, "A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE?!", but I'd say "Oh, nevermind that, I have a wonderful cat!") It was actually pretty funny because I was watching him play with it, thinking it was a toy mouse, and I noticed the rather realistic tale on this particular toy and had to stop to think "Oh God, that's not a toy". He was having a jolly good time playing with it and was very upset when I took it away, was only slightly appeased when I gave him a dried seaweed treat. I took that mouse right to the compost and lay him down to rest beneath some flowers that had died, I'd been meaning to bring them there too.

So thats the story about the mouse. Onwards and upwards:

It is sort of a running joke back in the Old House in Baltimore, that whenever anyone came into direct contact with an avocado, I would promptly stick it in some water and demand that it grow. Several weeks later, with some watery-gook still left at the bottom of whatever cup I had borrowed, someone would simply toss out the rotten pit. Apparently, the last one I had setup in Baltimore actually started to grow after I left. Who knew?! But I have seen nothing of it, and I haven't heard much since Claire has been MIA.

Anyway, I have been continuing the joke in the apartment, and its much less funny now because I have to toss them out in the end anyway. But hey, this new guy looks promising! (yes, they all do, at first...)

As for the rest of the garden, I actually got to eat a tomato the other day. I plucked him and said thank you and cut him up into little pieces and put him into an oniony cheese sauce tortellini dish I made.
Another was turning a lovely shade of orange, but early this morning I looked out the window and it was gone, and there was a squirrel across the roof, and nearly 4 feet away, was the remnants of that orange tomato. Guess we have found the culprit!

Cucumber looks nice, I guess I should do some research as to when to harvest him, since I know I'll end up waiting too long.
Hans looks so good in natural light, and with all that crazy shower-curtain color!
Haha yesterday was laundry day, and I took a walk to the dollar store and bought Hans a new toy. It is lovely in that it has a suction cup and will to stick to about 3 surfaces in the apt. The oven was our first choice. Such a happy kitty, blinded by the camera flash.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

A week of not posting, and the summer winds down.

I really have been terrible about posting. Appy polly logies. Okay, let's get down to business.

The day after I saw the Bacon show in NYC, Brittani proposed a play-date for our cats. I brought Hans there, and after a while he warmed up to Brittani's 4 year old cat Peter: I would even say they were friends by the end of the night. Success!

Work has been going well at the Penitentiary, however I have still not given any tours. I was told last week that I would shadow another tour last week, and give a tour very soon. I am still waiting to shadow, but really, it's fine. I finished re-reading Jack Kerouac's The Subterraneans and I really do simply love him.
I gave my first and second ghost groups at the Pen (Paranormal Investigators, who need tour guides to act as babysitters while they look for ghosties from 8 or 9 until 1 or 2 in the morning). They're really not so bad, but I get so tired lately!

I have started watching LOST. After my intense relationship with Six Feet Under, I took some time away from watching tv shows, aside from the weekly Weeds episode. But I realize that it is time to move on, and LOST has gotten such good reviews and is always credited with having great references and being a generally good piece of cinematic literature. And of course, all the seasons so far are on Netflix Instant.

Mom and Nanny came to visit last Tuesday and we had a lovely time. I finally finished decorating my desk area just for the occasion:We had lunch at Fork, Etc., and it was quite tasty. We walked around a bit and I realized that the art store across the street was in fact the Artist's and Craftsman's Supply Store and so we went in and Nanny bought me some new gesso (that I really do hope to break open soon) and I'm glad I know where it is since I think its time to buy a small palette for standing and painting. (Yes, yes, I do think so.) And then I drove us around and we wandered over to the Franklin Mills mall where I got a lovely pair of boots for work in the fall, one thing less on my mind! We had a lovely day and everyone loves Hans, the end.

I also watched both The Reader and Inglorious Basterds last week. Slightly too much Nazi for my taste, however they were both great movies, probably my favorite Nazi films, if one were to pick such things. I saw Basterds with Laura and Jordan, who I haven't seen to much of this summer: they're busy individually and together, I am busy with all sorts of things. But I was informed that they will be moving back to Baltimore (Laura's mom's house) later this week. So, goodbye Laura and Jordan! Three months went by so fast, but I don't really know what a heads-up would have done....

Saturday I actually did not work at the bakery because it was expected to rain and our sales were down last week anyway. So I had the day off and I helped Celia move into her new house about 30 mins away: she will be house-sitting for one year for a friend's family. Later we went to the King of Prussia mall because it is so close to her, and I purchased some lovely and useful shirts which may very well be needed to be worn to whatever job I find this fall.

I have decided that I should apply at a Barnes and Noble as a Barista again, since I liked it a lot, and it's indoors, and I love coffee...
I also finally heard back from Project Basho and it seems as though that will begin for me shortly.

The past few days have been sort of chaotic. Toby got back from vacation yesterday, and it is really nice to ride to work with someone. Amelia came to visit last night, and we did a lot! We tried to find the Random TeaRoom that Celia and I went to, but it was closed. So we went to Silk City for a drink, and then walked to Johnny Brenda's for another drink (technically bar-hopping, eh?) and then went back to my apt for a early night to bed, which is good since we were up at about 8 for no good reason. We went to Rocket Cat for lunch, and then to the Circle Thrift where Amelia got a few nice things. We hopped over to the Pen for a quick look-around and improptu tour, before heading over to the PMA which was lovely as usual, and then we stopped at the bookstore by ESP that Toby has told me is great: and it is! Such a wonderful bookstore, all the best authors, none of the crap. Superb! I bought a book on Joan of Arc that a professor had recommended to me, a book on Baroque art (since I had been signed up to take a class on Baroque but had immediately disliked the professor and switched out), and a tiny book of Kerouac's poems, called "Pomes All Sizes". Then we went to the Spaghetti Warehouse which was pretty cool and fairly delicious, and finished off fooding with some Bubble Tea at a place I have been eyeing for a few weeks. We stopped in at the Spring Garden Market (fairly large Asian foodstore) but it was so cold that we were shivering so we had to leave. After playing with Hans for a little bit, we took a walk to what I have been simply calling "The Compost" when really, it is a beautiful Community Garden. You see, when I first showed up asking about compost, the nice man showed me the corner, smiled, and said see ya later. So I have been pretty much avoiding the rest of the garden except to walk through it. Today, Amelia was so impressed, that of course we wandered a bit. A girl, Rachel, was there, introduced herself and more fully explained the site: they have been there for almost 5 years, it is a community effort, and I am more than welcome to come and spend an hour weeding and whatnot, and am more than welcome to take home some fruit/herbs/flowers. This is their blog. So nice! They have a lot of awesome things, even some things that I am familiar with growing to a certain extent as well! Let's see... strawberries, tomatoes, scallions, tomatoes, basil, carrots, cucumber, beans, and some pear trees, rasberries, corn, sunflowers, squash, thyme, ...oh boy just tons. And flowers on top of that! We actually had to go home to get the camera, although it was getting dark, but Amelia found this beauty

and had to photograph him to further investigate who he is.


Of course I am just a little grossed out to be working in this garden with GIANT spiders all over the place, but who knows. Basho soon anyway, I might not even have the time.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Rancid Bacon and Stolen Eggplant

I have been really busy lately, but somehow, I can't really remember what. My weekend was long as usual, with my 20 hour Saturday (ending with Celia's return from New York, and an impromptu drive to the King of Prussia Mall for the shoe sale at Nordstrom Rack), and Sundays are always a little bit torturous because we can't read on the weekends after 1:00 pm at Eastern State (on account of how busy it is, of course).
However, the big story from last week was my trip to NYC.
I met up with Ekaterina (same girl who flew here to see the Cezanne show at the PMA, but now she is living back at home in Jersey with her parents), and we had a lovely day of museums and walking, and chatting. It was lovely.
We saw some Russian art.
I found an Alfred-Emile Stevens painting (I LOVE this man, but his work is supremely hard to find).
And my card from Eastern State (American Association of Museums membership as a tourguide at an American Museum) got us into the Guggenheim (my first time), although we were a little disappointed that the whole museum was chock full of Frank Lloyd Wright drawings and models (like, no offense, but if you are INSIDE a Frank Lloyd Wright, do you really NEED to see thousands of other examples of a Frank Lloyd Wright?) However, we didn't pay for entrance so it was fine anyway. We even got to a (The?) Museum of American Figure Painting, for the last 5 minutes they were open.

The whole reason we went was, of course, to see the Francis Bacon show at the MET. Neither of us really care for Bacon, although we both know enough to appreciate his influence on art and etc etc etc, however, it was nice to see the show with someone who felt exactly the same as I did. We even saw a few things we liked. And I was impressed by their Popes Room. I sent a text to Peter who loves Francis Bacon, as I was enjoying a beer at a small bar in Chinatown awaiting my bus (or rather, I was enjoying reading Herman Hesse's "Demian" at the BAR part of the bar). The text read "Beer at bar in china town. Bacon was rancid. Ahhaha" And I think that pretty much sums up that day.

Getting back proved to be a little bit of a hassle since I managed to miss the last connecting metro, but eventually found a bus and got home in time to pass out with 8 hours of sleep before work at the bakery next day.

Hans has been a very good boy, and oh how he has grown! I finally bought him a chew toy (with the thought that small and rubber would somehow fool him into believing he was gnawing on my flesh, but he is never fooled for long).
A different set of Lancaster farmers brought me some flowers yesterday, and they look lovely with the ones from last week, which are still doing remarkably well for well over a week of slow and painful deaths.

My two growing tomato plants are doing well.
And I have two cucumbers growing.
And even the pepper.

However, the eggplant (my pride and joy) has disappeared. It was doing so well, too! Well, it is almost the end of August, and I have not yet actually eaten anything from the garden aside from scallions. I have to admit though, that I only water them once a day, and that was pretty negligent of me. And I guess all this nonsense with uninvited visitors helps us with scapegoats, but I still like watching things grow, even if I don't get to eat the produce.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Tacheles in Danger

Today was Saturday bakery day, so I am exhausted. I am not going to update or post photos, I just needed to post that I just came across this on NPR: that the squatters/artists house in Berlin, Tacheles, is in danger of being destroyed because of gentrification. I am generally for gentrification, but certainly not when it removes aspects of the area that caused it to be gentrified in the first place. Going to Tacheles was one of my favorite parts of Berlin, and I really think that it changed my idea of "artists' commune" into a more favorable "artists' community studio", knowing that I cannot LIVE in a place like that, but that making art in such a way is absolutely incredible. I miss the studios at MICA, I miss my roommates, but Tacheles really proved to me how such lifestyles are possible to a really high degree. To read the article, or listen: NPR.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

rude awakening

I was, in fact, rudely awoken by some commotion in the kitchen. I sat up to yell at Hans, but realized that there were not one, but TWO distraught furry things in the kitchen. One of course, was Hans, the other, a squirrel. It seems as though the kitchen window, with the gap of 2 1/2 inches was enough to allow a curious squirrel to trap itself whole-heartedly in my humble abode. Luckily though, he was gracious enough to accept the exit I prepared for him, through the (only) fully functioning window in the bathroom, and luckily I was able to close the door for a few moments for him to regain composure and take his leave.

I should have been prepared for this when a rather large beetle made his way into my apartment last night, of course exciting Hans who wanted nothing better than to fly up the lamp and knock everything over in his path. I saw the fire ablaze in his eyes and held him hostage while I shooed the little guy into a cup and again, out the bathroom window.

THEREFORE: I have made a list of things that are *NOT* allowed in the apartment. I understand that posting such a list, with visual aids, on the internet may help with such issues in the future.

1: NO SQUIRRELS
2: NO BEETLES (sorry, but for Hans' health's sake)
3: NO MOSQUITOES
4: NO FLIES
5: NO WASTING FOOD
Okay well the last one is sort of all my fault, but it's certainly harder than it should be.

Anyhoo, if I ever update this list, you'll be the first to know. And if I ever have a need to add mice and cockroaches, there will be some serious repercussions.

I started watching LOST last night, thanks to my realization that Netflix has like, the whole thing on Instant View. Oh no, here goes the next 6 months...

Monday, August 10, 2009

Traffic Court

Took the day off to go to Traffic Court for that wee little incident just a few weeks after I moved here. Maybe I didn't mention it: big intersection, bad signs, and a small ramp made invisible by overgrown shrubbery and the like, all combined to convince me to turn down the one way street (also a helpful clue was the two cars on the appropriate side of the road for a two-lane street) however, this was all terribly wrong, according to the kindly police officer who awarded me a hefty fine for my troubles and after some arguing, finally backed up to let me take the ramp I had been seeking all along. So two months later I went to court, and now there are once again no points on my license, which in my book means I won. Cheers?

However I did get to stop by the Edgar Allen Poe house on the walk back to the El.
Although it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
But I did manage to get some El tokens (not sold at the nearest three stops from my house, meaning I usually have to pay more for passage), by going a stop further which ended up being a lovely Ipod enjoyable journey, thanks to the Animal Collective, who are really weaseling their way into my heart (yes, I know I am a little late, thanks for the tip).

The new Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts is making a ton of progress. It is at the Berks stop and will be open in September 2010; I wonder if they have any job availabilities.

Maybe I should post less of the garden, but that's half the blog by now, isn't it?
Baby pepper.
Eggplant is my pride and joy, and nobody had better eat it. I wonder if it is poisonous uncooked to anyone else besides humans?
cucumberz
materz
And those little tomatoes I planted from seeds a while ago, most of them died but two survived and are sort of thriving!

On a side note, Wildflour made the paper! Best sourdough bread! Nishon told me that someone actually is keeping a blog about our sourdough, but I've looked, and haven't found it.

I think today is a reading day. Celia is gone for the week visiting family, and there are still a ton of people I have bad about seeing. But, art history! Hyped for Bacon on Wednesday! Lastly, I have to mention how wonderful baked basmati rice with spinach and cheese is! Heavenly!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Flowers at the Market

Aww baby eggplant!! He is HUGE!
Wee little cuke!
Bakery today, Saturdays are so long, and yet I did not take a nap today. The day even goes faster than my other days because there is so much going on, especially once we are actually out of the bakery. And the Saturday market is always especially nice because the Lancaster boys across from us always bring us treats, and of course we treat them right back. But today, they were extra sweet and brought me the last bouquet, since they usually run out but did not today. How lovely!
The only thing about the Saturday market that gets to me is that it really does limit my weekend activities. Not that I really do that much, but I did sort of want to go to First Friday this month, and only too soon will it be too cold for that, of course also meaning the end of the market and that I could go... (side note to that link: Fishtown sort of does its own First Friday, as we are a stunningly hip place). At least I got to listen to the hooplah outside my window, from The Caterpillar (stolen image link) as I fell asleep.
I always have such a terrible time with thinking ahead, both with excitement and fear for the unknown. I wonder if I'll be a regular at First Fridays next summer, or if I'll still be with the bakery, which of course has different perks. Also, I have to mention, now that I am slowly attaining most of my humble short-term life goals, I have turned to pining away for... real estate. I spend minutes on end staring at online postings for available buildings in the area, buildings I could potentially own, renovate, and love, while renting half out to trendy yet respectful youngsters trying to make their way as I am doing now. Oh real estate.... and with that, it's time for bed!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Jovan's Place etc.

First things first, if anyone knows what this bird is, please let me know. I think it's a baby, but look at this huge wing feathers!
Found him on my roof one day, I wonder if he's the tomato thief!



I was really sad to leave Hans alone for the night, but Monday night I drove to Ventor to spend some time with Sarah. She dragged me to see The Ugly Truth with some friends of hers, and I can honestly say it has been an awfully long time since I have seen a movie that bad. Oh wait, there was Twilight. That reminds me, I need to share this link with anyone familar with Buffy and/or Twilight (meaning Nanny, you can try it, but you very well may not understand it): Buffy Twilight Mashup.
Sarah and I went to see Lucy the Elephant since I have always wanted to see it.
However it was not nearly as grand as I had anticipated, and we couldn't find parking and we didn't want to pay to go up. Also my camera battery was dying.
But this was the last worthwhile shot I got.

Then we went to the beach with Amelia and Megan who came to visit as well. As much as I really do hate the sun and the sand, I love the water. It really made me miss the beach in Hertzelia with Noah that last day in Israel a few years ago.

In the meantime, update on the roof garden: lookin' good!




Of course I leaned one of the cucumbers up to the window so at least one of them would be reachable, while the rest clamber down the roof. And Hans wants them so bad! The don't help, taunting him up against the screen like that...

Lastly, I think I forgot to mention last post that last Friday, Celia told me about a small local restaurant by me called Jovan's Place that she had discovered and was super excited about. She was on her way when I ran into neighbor Noel and invited him too. Since he is leaving next month for grad school in England, he has been making an effort to do the things he has neglected to do with his time here (sort of my own tactic when leaving Baltimore) and so he also said he had heard wonderful things about it. The three of us enjoyed the deliciously fresh food (all prepared for you, none of it ahead of time, hence their catch phrase "it's worth the wait") including the bread and pesto appetizer, and complementary "liquid dessert" some kind of sweet liquor. We shared two meals, stuffed cabbage and Yugo-burger, which does not have a bun. All the meat is prepared by Jovan's father, a butcher. The burger came with brine cheese, and among all our mini-veggie dishes, came spinach mashed potatoes, something I had never thought of, but it was so simply delicious! Of course the kicker was when he showed us the video on his phone of his 2 1/2 year old riding a moped 15 mph in their backyard! Just kidding, the kicker was when he brought the kid out to do some flips in the air, complete with balancing on Jovan's hands mid-air. Oh, just kidding, the kicker was when he brought out his dog to do some tricks too, including, using only words, asking the dog to go to the bar, sit on the stool, bring him the cup, put the cup in his hands, replace it when he dropped it, etc.! What an entertaining night.
Last night Celia came over again and we hung out with the neighbors outside, and when reconvened, we realized that the three of us had been raving about Jovan's place since Friday! The kicker last night was when Gert took the dogs in, I brought Hans out in his harness and leash for the first time, and how well he did! He even started purring in Ian's lap! The seaweed treats helped, of course...
Needless to say when we came back up to the apartment, he was exhausted!

In other news, I need to book a bus to NYC on Wednesday for the Francis Bacon show before it closes! (Why do I always insist on waiting til the last minute?!)