Giving Thanks!

I can't wait to have time to dedicate to art again...
I bought my first brussels sprouts from the farmers market. They are pretty good, but I always end up with too much of things.

I made dinner with Brittani last week: salmon pasta.

I also made dinner with Celia last week: shrimp pasta, also we watched True Blood.

With pasta, there are less leftovers because we bring them to lunch: I am sorry to admit, those leftover brussels sprouts are stillllllll in my fridge.
I went to the fundraising party at Project Basho on Sunday, and walked the 20 minutes. It has been so lovely outside! Aside from driving being totally lame, I always forget how many more things I see/notice, and photographs I miss by not taking the time to look around.

I was supposed to meet up with my friend Amanda, who I had known in USY, (she had randomly facebook messaged me that we both live in Philly and should get together. I immediately concurred and we made an appointment) but she became too busy with grad school work, so I walked back from Basho, with a full pizza pie in my arms. The Basho newsletter didn't go out, so unfortunately we didn't get a huge turn out, but oh well. We do what we can.

For this month of fundraising, there are a few things we are doing, mainly InsiderPages, and a Prints Auction. I am donating this print, agreed upon by me and Grisha in charge of fundraising:
Driving home from Project Basho tonight, I saw old friend Erika from Eastern State, with her dog outside her house: I pulled over to say hi, and was swiftly invited in for wine. We had a great couple of hours catching up, and I met her boyfriend. She works for the Kensington CDC and happens to know a ton of awesome people. We have tentative plans for 2nd Thursday (like 1st Friday?) to see art and meet artists and be a part of the community I have so sorely missed out on, working hard and proving myself these last 6 months.

Mom is coming to Thanksgiving at Celia's on Thursday! Potluck in the form of wine and dessert, and Celia's dad doing almost everything. I need to go grocery shopping and make noodle kugel! I was distracted by Erika tonight!

Watching Who Killed the Electric Car? which is all sorts of interesting, but not so much that I can't update my blog and surf the internet at the same time!

MICA: 6 Months Later

It seems as though I have survived 6 months today, as a college graduate. Also, I forgot to call my grandparents for their anniversary: all 3 of us are celebrating today!

Of course I didn't take any photographs at Takashi's opening. But Andrew and Celia came and we had a lovely time.

I think I've just been really busy and slightly overwhelmed with everything I am doing: its not as though I am exhausted, but that I am just busy enough to not be worrying about taking photographs of my daily life.

Amelia came to visit for her birthday on Saturday! I documented part of that! Okay, I had a little help:
We went to the Seaport Musuem for the tattoo exhibit: I think it was fun and entertainingly educational (I think we'd both admit we had the most fun playing with the kids educational lifesize toys...). And then we headed down to Center City for shopping! We headed toward American Apparel since Amelia had never been to one, but on the way she spotted Lush, another store she had been meaning to go to. Lush was actually surprisingly fun, and all of their soaps/bath bombs smelled really good, and felt good too! I even bought an "avobath bomb"!

We eventually made our way to South Street, which I forget other people don't get to hang out at often. We enjoyed wandering into shops, and even had some bubble tea. Dinner was at Horizons: maybe it was the good food (or maybe the wine), but we were there for two hours! Lovely acclaimed vegan cuisine, and it was good indeed. After Horizons, Andrew met us for drinks, and more good times were had!

I've been at Project Basho 3 days a week, tomorrow will be the 4th this week, and then I am going to the bakery for my last farmers market of the season (I wonder if I'll go back next year?). I took a walk today, and felt the need to take some photos: last night I watched the most recent episode of Dexter, and he referenced Henri Cartier-Bresson's "decisive moment theory", and I guess it was good timing, since I am now 6 months out of school, and I need to make every moment decisive.

Things are looking well for the Barnes&Noble Cafe job, as well as the internship with Chris Crisman (although that won't be until January). New leafs, new pages.

Not Swine Flu: Time Flu.

Again, I have simply been too busy. So busy, in fact, that I fooled myself into believing that last week was my last week at the farmer's market: this is simply not true. I have one more day at the farmer's market. Great. But I had said my goodbyes, and Nishon actually offered that at an inconvenience of my winter unemployment, that they could "make me useful". Good to know.

I took these when Celia and I made sushi several weeks ago. Remember? ...I barely do.
Basho has been going well, and I was barely scolded at all today! Thursday will be mostly building the pages for the classes, and harassing teachers for more pieces of information.

Tomorrow: Off.

Saturday was my last day off, and I was of course sick. Overcoming Swine Flu is pretty easy, but not as easy as being a hypochondriac. Not me, of course, but everyone. These days, you say "I'm sick" and immediately, "IS IT SWINE FLU?" but, thankfully, its just a nosy old cold. But, the Health Care Bill has finally moved to the house, so, maybe by this time next year, I might not actually die if I did catch Swine Flu. (What will it be next year? Avian... Swine... Fish Flu??).

I'm being silly. (stalling because of my lack of images?)

In any case, I am realizing that time is running out. For the past 6 months, I have been pushing aside all feelings of disembodiment, and estrangement: I have obtained several jobs, made several friends, and updated some photos to a blog. But, friends, my jobs are, actually, ending. Decorating cakes (hopefully) will certainly not be selling baked goods at farmer's markets. And whatever they keep me on at Basho, will certainly not make this month any less credible, but I doubt it will be the same. And of course, Eastern State. I have 8 days left of Eastern State. I have had my issues with them, but truth be told? I love it. This amazing group of individuals has become more of a family to me than I could have imagined possible in a period of 6 months, 6 months of mourning the loss of a much bigger family. Kudos, Eastern State.

So, aside from a severe case of time-loss, I have one pertinent thing to report!

Takashi Arai's opening! Flawless Lakes: Contemporary Daguerreotypes is opening at Project Basho this Thursday, November 12 from 7-9. I'll be there, and would love to see you.

Also, Amelia is visiting this weekend for her birthday! First graduated birthday! I've thought up some things to entertain her during her stay, and now that Septa is running again, the pressure is off Hans.
I know there has been a movement against using my only model, but what can I say?
He's a lot bigger now!

Tune in next time, for photos from Takashi's opening, and Amelia's birthday visit!

Boo-ritos, Takashi Arai, the Ethicist

Halloween was nice with Celia: we made pumpkin pie, waited in line at Chipotle for half an hour for delicious free BOO-ritos, and then watched back-to-back, Silent Hill, and The Skeleton Key. These are both pretty awful "horror" films that each of us secretly likes a lot. I won't tell you which one is mine.

Basho is still going well. Last night after everything was cleaned up, Tsuyoshi asked Tyler and me to get a beer with him, and to watch the Phillies game. I was awfully close to declining, but it was rather enjoyable. Takashi Arai also joined us. He is a relatively famous photographer, teaching this weekend's Daguerreotypes workshop. He is all sorts of awesome, and is here for two weeks.

In other news, I have been really into reading The Ethicist's column in the NYTimes, online of course.

All Hallows Eve Scrooge.

Things have been a little crazy around here. Working at Project Basho has been good: simultaneously wracking my nerves, and building my confidence. I've forgotten to do a few things, or complete them, and have suffered the consequences, but for the most part things are going smoothly. I was also asked to chauffeur around Tsuyoshi and two Japanese professionals from a paper making company. That was Wednesday. At one point driving them to dinner in center city during rush hour, I realized how utterly absurd it was that I was doing this. As though I had been teleported from a year ago, right into the drivers seat of my own car, full of 3 30-something year old Japanese professionals. Quite a turn of events.

Overall things have been good. But being alone for the holidays I suppose is always rough. Especially when the holiday is Halloween. Although I didn't end up going to major parties for Halloween at MICA, I always dressed up and went to the MICA costume party. Seeing hundreds of art students in their best (and worst) may very well have been the highlight of my year. Shortly after Halloween last year I decided that I would be Princess Peach, driving her MarioKart. I have been looking forward to it, but the past few weeks have been too busy for me to make a costume. Aside from that, I would only have worn it tonight, and... to what? I was invited to Baltimore for the weekend, but having work today until 5:30, and work again Sunday at 9:30 seemed to make for a 4 hour drive, and a 24 hour excursion. It was a toss-up, but I declined.

I fear that I am slowly becoming a Scrooge. I'll be the first to admit that weddings are not my thing, and there were many reasons that I did not attend my friend's wedding two weeks ago. But Halloween in Baltimore? Working rather than making a costume? Of course, each time weighing my options and respecting each decision, but I am certainly noticing a trend.

Oh well, Celia and I have a day planned tomorrow: scary movies and Chipotle free "boo-ritos" (dress up as a burrito, get a free burrito). Last week we made sushi and saw Where the Wild Things Are. Personally I thought it was really weird. I thought I liked it, but the more I think about it, I am less certain of that. I thought there were distinctly confusing familial/sexual dynamics between the characters, and I thought that several scenes were much too violent. In addition, I thought the whole theme was much more depressing and upsetting than the care-free, bildungsroman that I loved as a child. Or maybe thats just how I viewed it.

Caramel Bees and Books

Well I hadn't posted because of a shortages of photographs taken, and of course now I have too many images.
Repotted Old Leafy in a lovely yellow pot my grandmother may have accidentally given me. (Thanks!)
Peppers from my roof!

I have been building Hans a scratching post, but he seems to like the boxes I am cutting for it much more, especially when I shoved them together to conserve space:




Crazy cat.
John&Kira's chocolates are sort of a big deal around here. They happen to be at both markets I work at (only since about a month ago) and I help them with their tent sometimes. I offered the girl some bread, and she gave me some "Caramel Bees", I was wondering what the hell that meant, until I cracked open the box!

Adorable!

Well, I guess in other news I finished a really awesome book, Marina Warner's The Image of Female Heroism: Joan of Arc. That link is actually awesome: you can read the first chapter. Its probably the only nonfiction book I have read front to back, and was just loved 97% of it. This book was recommended to me by a professor, and I didn't piece together that actually another book was recommended to me by her, From the Beast to the Blonde, and I realized this connection on Monday, after I finished the book. Joan was much earlier in her career. So of course I love her, and ordered the second one, about Fairy Tales and Their Tellers. I just really love good writing. I started Kierkegaard's The Seducer's Diary today. I miss reading all those crazy Germans. Love.

Steady as She Goes

Well things have been going pretty well. I've been learning everything Anne has to teach. Today was my last day with her, as our schedules conflict until she leaves on Monday, but we both feel confident in my taking over at this point. I even learned enough HTML to update the website and newsletter! Lunch was got at Quince, which is delicious and delightful. (Notice the photograph for their website was taken by Tsuyoshi: we're all tight.)

Afterwards we went out for a drink and ran into Al, another Basho guy. Then we walked through the Piazza and ran into some of Anne's Tyler friends who were there to hang out and watch The Game. We ended up hanging out for quite a bit, playing hand-ball against the building and avoiding playing casually-avoid-cops-while-holding-beer along with the hundreds of other people doing the same thing. Her friends also live in Fishtown. Its strange to think that had I gone to Tyler (it was never really an option for me, but I had checked it out) that these are three people I most likely would have met there.

Tonight makes the second fun-coworker etc night in a week, since last Friday some ESP guys and I went to Toby's show. He emceed a variety show, that was really only worthwhile with some booze in our bellies. But it was pretty good fun, especially in that I did not have the bakery the next day: it was officially my first full-length Friday night with booze, and it was nice to spend it with newly made friends. Add that times two and different friends, pretty cool.

I also went to Abbaye (a Belgian Gastropub, still without a website) with Celia last week, which proved to be pretty delicious, even though there was a definite misprint online about when their restaurant week ended.

I am realizing that I have been to quite a few bars since I moved here:
Johnny Brendas
The Lost Bar: Atlantis
Silk
The Belgian
Jacks Firehouse
The Urban Saloon
North Star
Standard Tap

and probably a few more.

Another thing on my resume, is of course Terror Behind The Walls. I finally went last night with Celia, Ian, and Alli. Ian has some kind of plague, and Alli has pink eye, but the tickets were bought and everyone had a pretty good time. The fast passes made a world of difference and we ended up splitting the cost of the extra tickets, $5 each, MUCH better than $35 a piece on a Saturday, without fast passes... But again considering our appreciation for such complimentary things, we really enjoyed it. I wasn't so much scared, especially knowing how hard the guys worked on it all summer, I was more marveling at how much they had done, and the fact that none of it is permanently installed. It was pretty impressive!

Well I finally have the bakery again tomorrow: I am in sore need of carbs, because the loaves of bread I have in my fridge and freezer aren't doing a good enough job.