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I am an artist & teacher with a ❤ for visual expression, educational methodology, homesteading, & Jesus. My geek-love is The Joshua and we have three peanut-butters: Caleb, Jack, & Louritta.

Before I Die, I’d Like To See

08/17/2004

Beastie Boy tickets went on sale the other day, and I let Josh know because I know he digs their rhythms. John Mayer went on sale awhile ago, but were sold out 24 hours after going on sale, but there were tixx still on sale for his Nevada concert and I considered taking the drive just for a lame excuse to see some Nevada landscape. Didn’t get tickets to either.
Then I started considering, what things are really significant for me to see before I die? I mean, if I could decide and be pro-active to make it happen within this short lifespan. I already got my Sedaris tickets.
I’d love to see a U2 concert, I’m not a hard core fan (but I know most of their music), but I’d love to just see them live. See how they put on a show, see Bono in leather, and whatnot. Maybe give a contribution to Bono’s AIDS crusade. That’d be neat.
I saw a crappy rendition of The Fantasticks over our anniversary and so loved the music and saw so much potential in the musical. I’d like to see it done well. I’d also like to see Avenue Q done by good actors.
My friend Mark told me about this cool play he saw off Broadway. The audience has to stand the whole time and actors leap out of the ceiling on bungee cords and grab audience members and pull them up into the ceiling. That’d be cool to see a play where you have to sign a release agreement before going in. I can’t remember the name of it, but I totally want to see it.
Other bands I’d like to see include: DAVE MATTHEWS, Beck, The Beta Band, The Darkness, Norah Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Spice Girls (reunited), Natallie Merchant, Linkin Park, Barenaked Ladies, Harry Connick Jr., Caedmon’s Call, Sixpence None the Richer (reunited), and Squirrel Nut Zippers. I know, it’s a strange mix, but I’d like to see them all for different reasons. Cool.

More Thoughts On W…

08/17/2004

I am constantly interested in why so many people hate Bush. I have grown to the point of being just plain tired of the conversation. When Josh and I were at Stinson for our Anniversary we ate at a local restaurant. While there, we ate a meal next to a very loud man wearing a “Veterans for Kerry” button on his coat pocket. He was going off about how much he hated Bush and how stupid he was. I listened because I didn’t have a choice (he was SO loud) and because I was fascinated at his absolute lack of fact. It was all mushy emotional arguments that aren’t backed up by anything. I mean, maybe you disagree with some things Bush has done…but all out hatred? I can’t even say that I hated Clinton…but man did I disagree with him A LOT!
One of my friends told me that he hated Bush because of the “Election Conspiracy,” claiming that Bush never should have won Florida because…blah…blah…blah. How many times did they count those ballots? Sheesh.
I just read an interesting article in the NRO that discusses some theories about why Bush is so deeply hated. Author Victor Davis Hanson summarizes his article, “In short, the Left hates George W. Bush for who he is rather than what he does. Southern conservatism, evangelical Christianity, a black-and-white worldview, and a wealthy man’s disdain for elite culture — none by itself earns hatred, of course, but each is a force multiplier of the other and so helps explain the evolution of disagreement into pathological venom…Not voting for George Bush is, of course understandable and millions in fact will do precisely that. But for those haters who demonize the man, their knee-jerk disgust tells us far more about their own shallow characters than it does anything about our wartime president.”
It’s an interesting read anyway.

Recommended Artist

08/10/2004

I have recently taken an interest in another living artist’s work. Her name is Kathleen Jardine and she does watercolors & oil paintings. Very often her subjects are portraits, although recently she’s been doing more meditative studies of place & light. She makes beautiful work with great detail. I look at her portraits and feel like I know the people in them, like I can see a bit of their spirit.
I especially love 10,000 Years of Sacred Love, Be Saved by Free Love, and Quiet Portal II. I also enjoyed this commissioned work.
Anyhoo, thought I’d share my find with y’all and see what you think!

Mmmm…Bread I Actually LIKE

08/10/2004

Those of you who know me know that I generally don’t like bread. When offered it, I usually will mumble something about it being “too heavy” or “tastes like air with yeast” or something along those lines. I view bread as being like rice or noodles…they all try to fill me up, keeping me from enjoying the ACTUAL MEAL (meat, veggies, dessert). I will almost always order the thin crust pizza because I’m not in it for the crust, I’m in it for the toppings. The thick crust only fills me up, therefore forcing me to consume less toppings (because I don’t believe in gorging myself).
Well, I found a bread food that I actually like. I invented it yesterday kind of on a whim. A friend ended up staying for dinner so I was thinking that the homemade chili should have some kind of bread with it. So, we went to Whole Foods and purchased some fresh rosemary bread. It’s similar to a sourdough, but with rosemary baked into it. I picked up some Nonna Lena’s Garlic Butter. At home, I spread the garlic butter on slices of the bread, then sprinkled on some sea salt, and baked it at 400° until it got all toasty and glisteny. Right after it was pulled out of the oven, I spread on some Ricotta Cheese (and not the lowfat crapola). Then I sprinkled on some fresh Basil (from my herb garden) and fresh grated parmesan cheese. YUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!!!! I was going to put some diced tomato on it, but I didn’t have any, but it was super good anyway!
I loved it so much I made more for brunch today! I’m pretty pumped that I found a bread thing that I actually like. Yay!

IF YOU ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER – STOP IT NOW!!!

08/07/2004

Okay…I just looked at my blog and several other websites using Internet Explorer. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Holy crapola of crap. If you are still using IE, STOP IT!!! This is your official slap in the face! *Slap, Slap* If I could muster a French accent to mock you, I would, but I’m not feeling particularly French today. Try something else that doesn’t suck such as Safari or Firefox!!! Please!!! Do it for the good of INTERNET!!!

Hurly Burly Twirly

08/07/2004

Well, I had some unfortunate events last night. I was chillin with Josh watching Futurama, eating popcorn. Life was good. I was so pumped to go to the flea market early this morning, so I went to bed early. Well, I woke up at about two a.m. totally feeling nauseaus. I went into the bathroom and hurled for awhile. Man, I hate that feeling. Ick.
Anyway, this morning I walked into the kitchen…acutally it was after noon when I finally got up. There was this bowl of leftover popcorn sitting on the counter and it totally made my stomach turn.
Then, I remembered back during my Psychology class from college where my professor was talking about how if a food makes someone really sick, that they can’t eat it again for seven years (on average). It apparently triggers a defense mechinism so the body protects itself from that which makes it sick.
So, I’m standing in the kitchen looking at the popcorn, feeling sick, thinking of what I learned in Psych class and I was like, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I LOVE POPCORN!!!”
Well, it’s evening now and the thought of popcorn still makes me ill. *sigh* Maybe it’s better this way. Grrr…

Eyes on Art

08/06/2004

I’m taking a class on integrating the Internet into your curriculum. So, I’ve been finding lots of pages that 5ux0r and pages that are pretty, but a pain to navigate and pages that are OK and so on. Anyhoo, I love playing all the dumb little games here and there. For awhile I thought I had forgotten a lot of my Art History, but a bunch of the games I’ve been playing reveal that I’m pretty good! Which is a good thing to know, you know, since I’m an Art teacher.
I really enjoyed this one, Eyes on Art, and also kicked some boo-tay and got them all correct! (Yes…without cheating and without looking up the artists on the Internet…gosh). YAY ME!!! I’m interested to see how the “non-arty” folk out there do. Can you identify the artist, simply by looking at the eyes of their famous paintings? CAN YOU??? Bwa ha ha ha ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!! Oh, wait, I didn’t mean to do an evil laugh. Sorry.

Mmm…That’s Good Sedaris

08/02/2004

I just finished reading my second David Sedaris book. First, I read Naked, and just finished Me Talk Pretty One Day a few minutes ago. I can’t think of anything that makes me laugh more than David Sedaris.
It’s dangerous to read Sedaris in public because you start to giggle to yourself, then kind of squirm around in your seat. Eventually you have a couple of outloud gasping laughs with a knee slap or clapping. This causes others to look at you strangely…unless they are the “reading types” who steal glances over your shoulder and finally ask you what you are reading and WHERE CAN I GET A COPY!?!
The thing I love most about Sedaris is that he is very open & honest, & loves sarcasm and satire (the highest forms of humor next to the pun, in my opinion). He pushes boundaries regarding prejudice of all forms and gets you to take a second look at the things around you. He’s not afraid to tell you that he’s stupid (“Think donkey…then take it down a few notches.”) or that his father eats rotten foods (“‘It’s fine,’ he’d say watching as a swarm of flies deposited their hatchlings into the decaying flesh of a pineapple. ‘There’s nothing wrong with that. I’d eat it!’ And he would, if the price was right. And the price was always right.”) or that he had an “S” speech impediment as a child (My speech therapist’s name is Miss Chrissy Samson.”) or that he dreams of someday becoming Mr. Scientist (“Alone in my basement laboratory, I invent a serum that causes trees to grow at ten times their normal rate, meaning that a person can plant a sapling and enjoy its fruit or shade one year later…The lumberjacks and environmentalists love me equally, but a problem arises when a group of lesser scientists spread the rumor that the leaves of my trees cause cancer in laboratory animals. I then discover a cure for cancer just so I can say, ‘What is it that you were carrying on about?’) He is poignant and hilarious at the same time and has been a delight to read.
Just a warning for all my Christian friends out there…Sedaris isn’t exactly a Christian and some of you may be surprised that I’m reading him. So, if you aren’t into hearing the occasional homosexual story or what-not, this isn’t your book. But, I totally dig his stuff and it brings me to laughing tears regularly. Enjoy!

Spousal Selections from X-Men

08/01/2004

For all you X-Men fans out there…we got into a bit of a debate at dinner today over the question, “If you could marry anyone from X-Men, who would it be and why?” You can really see people’s true colors with that one. Anyway…I will reveal my selection after I feel there’s been an adequate amount of commenting. 🙂 Okay…anyone from the first two X-Men movies…tell us why you’d choose them to be your spouse. It could range from Cyclop’s fast cooking capabilities to Magnito’s sassiness. Or could be Storm’s glowey eye thing or Mystique’s freakish ability to “become anyone”. Whoa. And don’t be dumb like, “I pick Wolverine because he’s hot.” You need to be a little more thoughtful that that. Well, I guess you don’t…but it makes the conversation more interesting if you’re…well…a little more interesting with your answer. I digress….

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