House Plant Babies

In other news, I just discovered this fantastic website, of Obama Looking at Awesome Things. He is SO COOL.

Eat Your Matzo.

I passed the Census exam with a beautiful 95%! The first (real?) test I have taken since the SATs. Or maybe it just felt more real because it was final, and in-debatable: at school, you can always retake, or argue, but with filled-in dots on answer sheets, that shit's for real. They'll call me within the week.

And I need to get my shit together with the ghost tour, practice/training keeps getting postponed due to the weather, and that Eileen has a cold. And of course without the pressure, its hard for me to actually rehearse!

For those of you excited for Passover, I'd like to share in my excitement, but it all rests in this little minute of traditional stimulant:



Eat your Matzo.

Stop-Animation Inspiration

I've been really into stop animation lately. I started one last summer that died as soon as I tried to put it to paper, but maybe I should try it again.

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie


Lost Things by Angela Kholer


Western Spaghetti by PES: one of the most sensually gratifying videos of all time


and because I could just post these when I have nothing else to post, here's the last one:

NYC looking very small by Sam O'Hare

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

I took my practice Census test last night and did very well! Tomorrow morning is the real thing, and I don't quite know what the next step from there is. Tomorrow night is my first presentation of my tour guide skills with the Ghost Tours of Philadelphia.

Today I walked to Basho for my monitor shift and then walked back. Way to walk an hour and love it! I can't believe how everything is blooming and lovely! It seems as though the months are all ahead of themselves: the 40 inches of snow we should have gotten in March, was got in February, which definitely went "in like a lion, and out like a lamb", while March is bringing April's showers, so April can flower and May has nothing to do but be beautiful! Sigh, as long as we get two months of May and not two months of July or August!

Spring has Sprung!

What a difference a few weeks can make!

Unfortunately, I have been busy and more unfortunately, I haven't been documenting this busy-ness. In an attempt to post more often with less effort, I have decided to post more artists and videos that I enjoy. Starting today, when it is not necessary:



Some of my recent activities include getting a new job (Philadelphia Ghost Tours!), for which I am still in training/ongoing audition, Taryn Simon's lecture at the College of Physicians (aka the Mutter Museum), Puppet Uprisings production of Julius Caesar (and it turns out I know a few of the cast of the best act!, Puppetyrrany, from MICA), the Mutter Ball (which I hear there are tons of photos and videos of online, but I can't seem to find any!) and most recently, a production of The Pillowman, starring my friend Nick from Eastern State (one more weekend, purchase tickets here!). Whew! That's a lot! But, last week was most hectic, as I had company for 4 straight days!

My friend Ekaterina came to visit, to see the Picasso and the Avant Garde show at the PMA, which was good, but I am going to see it again and listen to the audio guide and really pay attention. It's curious though, that we can't sketch, probably because of how many people they are expecting, since it is the only American location for this show. Maybe I'll email the museum and ask for special permission...
It has been just the most beautiful week ever. I am so excited for summer time and warmth! These were the first blossoms I saw this year!

I drove Ekaterina back to Jackson so she didn't have to take the train all the way back to her house, and after I abandoned my car at my moms house, we had sushi and she dropped me off at Amelia's. Amelia, Desiree, and Megan spent the next day and a half here, and we had a lot of fun!
We went to the Mutter, which they loved, and Trader Joes, and lots of shopping, and South Street including the Magic Gardens:







$4 for admission, you're damn right I took a lot of pictures!
I finally tied a string to this guy and hung it from the ceiling: he is doing so well!
I planted an onion that started to grow. Too bad I am totally lost when it comes to bulbs.
I finally attacked "the houseplant" (I never knew his name!) and felt badly, so put the clippings in water, and they are rooting! If anyone in the area wants a lovely sturdy Houseplant, let me know... I wonder if they'll make it to soil stage!
And of course, Mr Hansome.



Lastly! Ian, Celia, and Elizabeth are all splitting the CSA with me! We made it in, and I might have run over there so fast that we were the first ones! $8 for each person, per week, for 24 weeks! SO AWESOME! And because I loved having a roof garden, but the Great Squirrel Battle of '09 was no fun, I have decided to grow 15 herbs this summer. Tune in next time for the complete list!

Be Excited.

Celia knows about a restaurant in DC that is famous for its Grilled Cheese-Burgers. And so, we made some:

They are every bit as good as they look, and simple as, well, grilled cheese-burgers!

Busy is as busy does, and I have been very much so. I spent most of last week in Atlantic City house and dog sitting for Sarah's parents. It was relaxing, but I didn't do anything productive at all.

I finally painted the dresser.
I decided to finally tackle the things I have been bothered by. So today I went to the Mutter Museum for a tour with Evi, which was informative as well as re-informative. Then I took a walk on my way home, and dis
And then I realized how big this plant got.
And because I do this one every so often:
And then Andrew came over and we discovered the Kensington Library, which is incredibly small and not so much the nicest neighborhood. And then we made grilled cheese that didn't even come close to the grilled cheeseburgers I have come to know and love.

In other news, I am very excited for a few things in the (hopefully) immediate future:

I am in touch with the woman who owns the artist studios above the Rocket Cat Cafe, and I am on the waiting list for a space. I am convinced that this will make more difference in my art making than anything else has, since May.

I am signing up with Ian for the Greens Grow Farms CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

There is another community garden closer to my house than the other one I've been trekking to, and I've been trekking there to dispose of my compost. It sort of amazes me that in our thriving Green/Sustainability obsessed nation, especially Philadelphia, that there are so few community composters! It is terribly frustrating. But this new one is getting theirs set up soon, although it might only run during the summer? Because people don't have organic material to dispose of during the cold winter months?

I am returning my car to my mom, and I will finally become a permanent user of Philadelphia's Public Transit System: as inconvenient as SEPTA can be at times, it will feel great to know that I can get anywhere I want without a car (it might simply take a lot longer, or cost a lot more for that particular trip- in the long run, it will be cheaper by far). I have been saying this for a few months now, and I have come to a realization. I spent four years at MICA with the sure knowledge that my time was much much much more valuable than my money. I didn't have tons of money to blow, but it was no question whether or not to walk home to make and eat lunch, or to buy something overpriced from the school Cafe: spending money meant saving time. Now, although my time is still valuable, the tables have turned. I am sure that when I want to visit friends in the middle of nowhere New Jersey, that I will be cursing this day during that 4 hour bus ride. But until then, especially with the help of Philly CarShare, I think I'll be doing ok, even if it means planning ahead, and having less time on my days off to sit around watching episodes of this or that on the computer.

And last but not least, I may be selling a painting on Friday. Details on the Other Blog.