countdown.

I'm in coquitlam right now. It's always grey and i'm impressed with how much I've been eating. I'm always full. I feel bad though that while c-man kurosh was visiting me, I didn't nearly feed him a fraction of the meal, upon meal we're eating. I have to up the ante next time.

While here so far though, I've had Korean food, seen his old local landmarks, met two of his friends.. gotten to know his mom really well, went to Ikea and has meatballs and elderflower cupcakes aaaaand wishes I were rich to buy everything at Ikea. It's huge.

How's the days leading up the new year?

The True Price of a Banana

 

This is a woman (believe it or not), and her name is Haki. She is known as a "sworn virgin," a woman who has chosen to live her life as a man and is accorded all of the rights and responsibilities of her male counterparts. Apparently, if a male head of household died in a blood feud in Albania and there was no one to take his place, these woman would fill the void (although they had to take a vow of chastity). Only then would their families be welcomed back into acceptable society. It was also a way for women to 'escape' rigid social structures.

The world we live in can be odd and puzzling.

I'm eating Christmas cookies + drinking tea. My family had a huge argument over dinner about whether the world was fucked up beyond saving. It was oddly distressing. I am lethargic and listless.
Sarah, how was the visit from C?    

I love iranian (cuban) men!!!!!!

Does the guy who got the free property from the dean look like this? (This is what happens when you google iranian men)

It's early and I'm actually in town right now using internet from an establishment. I thought I should be walking more, and I had to walk into town to pick up a package. I'm excited to see who it's from.

I also just informed the troop I belong to that I can't go to level tonight to play marimba (We won't be getting there until 10..30). Seeing I have to be up stupidly early tomorrow morning. Like really early. I'm not too broken hearted. I don't like clubs. They make me feel uncomfortable. Tip of the trade : Don't ever make me a surprise party at a club. I'll hate you.

That's about it. Quick update of the day!

Never mind the sex, professor

The reason I like Christmas shopping so much probably has to do with the feeling of elation that bubbles up upon completion  of what was supposed to be the best paper I've ever written. Certainly was the most bitter.  16 pages about how the Group of Seven ruined everything for Canadian artists.
Anyway now that I'm a Free Bird, more or less, I literally have no motivation to do anything beside wander. Could be worse.

Other than that I'm supposed to be writing a nativity pageant that's going up in el living room this Sunday. Spoiler: Mary runs off with a biker hunk at the end. I need to figure out costumes etc. again as this is a shadow event. Laura, mind bringing a bunch of scarves again?
I'm slightly terrified that someone is going to be offended.

Also Laura.was the Marxist advice from your friend with the glasses? Can't remember his name at all right now, the one who came to Coast Modern with us? Every time someone says "Marxist" I think of him.

Playlist for December: from the Line of Best Fit a carol compilation from all Canadian chanteuse... see what I  did there? Ho!Ho!Ho! Canada 4

Be sure to eat your broccoli and study your Marxist theory

Hey there girlies. My staunchly Republic cousin has been posting bizarre shit on Facebook for months, most of it pro-Tea Party and some of it slightly offensive. I am being prudent in not replying to any of his jabs for fear of starting a family feud. Therefore, I thought it hilarious to present a photo of this now rather outdated timepiece, which makes me feel a lot better secure in the knowledge that the people who wasted their money on this were likely radical Republicans whose biggest fear is WEED! WEED AND GAY MARRIAGE EVERYWHERE!

Yesterday I was in the library coffee shop for a short while and a fellow from my Iranian history class stopped to chat. He is a nice enough guy, but very aware of his time spent in the working world and is accordingly critical about the student lifestyle. Overly much so, if you ask me, which no one has. Anyway, he was talking about his friendship with the former dean of UVic, who is apparently a world-leading microbiologist and gave him a house on Saltspring. Whaaaa! Anytime someone feels like throwing some prime real estate my way, I'm ready for it.

Woke up to an orange tabby cat peering through my window this morning. It gave me quite a start, but the glass is still intact.

It's the tenth of December already! Sarah, have fun with your maaaaannnnn when he arrives. 

be safe and take care!

I've been enjoying the goodlife lately. Kindof stressful, but all possible. C-man Kurosh is here! on the 20th! When's the sabo's Christmas party again? I hope it's not the 20th. Because I'm busy with another engagement on the 20th. Text me the deets. Or not. It's not like I'm waiting for your fingers to send me messages through a telephone.

I've been wishing alot it would snow too. It felt this morning like it could. My room has been decked out with Christmas lights, white flowery snowflakes, and rainbow snowflakes. I've also been researching Ukrainian Christmas eve meals ( it's a 12 course event, vegetarian, but with fish..) The art above showcases the meal in the happening.

The picture is pretty beautiful Mortimer. Good job!

Know what's funny? I won a photo contest last week and no one told me. That's whats funny.

This one.

Giving To You the Words Of The Old Man

last night, after a few too many reaches into the top-cupboard where the wine is safest from Tyson's No-Boundaries-Polish-Roommate, we all got on bikes and rode up Mt. Tolmie.

What says "End of Term Celebration" like a drunken bicycle ride up a mountain. Strangely not the first time this has happened.

The first time this happened there was a meteor shower on and it was both summer and sober-er. We all fell asleep lying in the parking lot at the top.

This time it was drizzling and all the lights below were a blur. And on the way down one of us fish-tailed and skidded on his face for a few feet, chipping a tooth. I can't remember if he was wearing a helmet. It wasn't anyone you know Sarah C.

I feel like this whole event happened in an after school special with ominous music with the introduction of each bad choice, starting with the glass of wine I drank in the shower, ending with waking up on Tyson's couch with my contacts searing holes through my eyeballs. Not to mention the size of these bruises.

Painted something nice today while rehydrating. I got one of those canvas pads after all. They are rad. Except that when you paint over the edges the pages all stick together.

Hey Emma/Laura, What's up?

I painted my room today. Not done yet! I'm painting the ceiling tomorrow.

I made a brownie in a mug today! well tonight.

I'm honestly dying right now and I'm grateful to have this bed I'm laying in right now.

C-Man Kurosh is out in 15 days. Oh maaaaannn

Got to Fall Down, Its Friday

Did my final review for photo today. Which means I put some pictures up and people sat in a semi-circle and discussed them. People were surprisingly oozy about them. By which I mean the girl who is usually mean was only slightly critical. And plus my instructor kept unconsciously calling them "beautiful." I say unconsciously because she speaks in this stream of conscious way that basically outlines every minor thought that passes through her head, even if it doesn't make sense. Or maybe its that she speaks without really thinking. She's an artist see? She was saying that she tried to do a history class once in college but failed miserably because she cannot write a paper. Kind of person you want teaching a class.

 We've got all these Van Gogh themed paintings in our house at the moment. Art projects.

I was supposed to go to quiz nite tonight at the Fort,but its cancelled so I might end up helping Zoe dissuade her friend from seducing this terrible girl with emotional and intelligence issues. I hope this does not involve whoring myself out. Because I am not feeling particularly sexy right now, let me tell you.

Bought some deodorant. Patrons of the library, rejoice.

 

I don't know where to begin. It felt like I had a ton of stuff to write about, but it has now all flown out of the window. This is a photographer/artist/hard to define named Michael Mapes, who takes pictures and arranges them on pins, in test tubes, on shards of glass, etc. And they all seem to come out as they should be.
 

Life has moved from a frantic rush to a full stop. I spent yesterday and most of the night composing and citing a fairly complex essay paper, and now that I have two more to write my brain is not cooperating. It does not want me to get up early in the morning. It does not want me to research or write. It wants to sleep and listen to music and think about sex and food and good books and write blog posts.

I crashed on FM's couch last, and stole some of her hot chocolate this morning. Mr. BM also stayed over and started throwing up this morning for some unknown reason. My opinion is that it may have been a combination of stress, lack of sleep, and lack of nutrition. I'm fairly worried about him, for a number of reasons.

There is a grumpy baby in the library. On an unrelated note, I had a dream last night that I threw a kitten down a flight of stairs. Don't worry, would never happen. 

pre-playlisted

overanalyzing.

Sitting around drinking crap wine, waiting for the gesso to dry.
This is what the sky looked like when I was coming home from school today.

Pretty dramatic, right?
Lesson for today: If you can only spend 15 minutes outside in a day, make it the fifteen where the sun splits the sky open and the blue falls in.

Need more rain.

There's dampness in the air. Most likely to the massive amounts of water pouring from the sky. I woke up early to a cat coughing up a hair ball and have been up since. I've tried calling c-man kurosh early morning, but that didn't work. Tried calling him 15 minutes later again, and it didn't work again.

Maybe I should start calling you guys if I'm bored early early morning. You'd be waking up to my recognizable tones and I'd get the daily scoop. hoop, loop, droop.

Have you guys been keeping up with the gaza and israel extravaganza going on? Cyrus shared this live feed that was going on, where you could hear bombs going off in the distance. That was thursday night and it's still a super scary thing. I wonder how we would react to something like that. No one has that mindset on how to deal with it and I wonder how long it would keep up if it were on this side of the world. I'd like to say not long. But we're only humans. And unnecessary aggression is something that is from too common in many negative events.

That being said, I'm living the easy morning canadian life. I woke up early, ate yogurt and a bowl of cornflakes, attempted to make a christmas playlist and had no war like events at all.

Hope the same is going for you guys. - Shark

Wishinsky? Has to be a nom de plume.

Hey you guys. I'm procrastinating in the biggest way imaginable right now, term papers are coming out the ying-yang. Not in a literal sense, but close enough. I just carried a towering stack of books down from the third floor of the library, sat down at a computer beside a fellow examining complicated equations with the heading 'Bond Quotations'. He very obviously peered over at my subject matter.

Today I had the worst tutorial in awhile. It is not an exaggeration to say that everyone was stupid and said stupid things and had stupid thoughts; yours truly was not an exception. Fucked up big time on a few very basic facts. And then this guy in the corner asked what I thought 'the lowest point in Canadian history is' (the advent of residential schools was on the table). And I blurted out the Acadian expulsion, which is pretty odd, because it isn't a subject that I've really studied and it also happened pre-Confederation. The fellow who asked is in poli sci, has a huge mustache dark mustache although he is blond, and constantly refers to his girlfriend as 'the old lady'. Sexy (not).

Any thoughts on the subject?

Did some blog back reading as well. Glad to hear that things are going well, Chez. Laughed at the 'badass' comment about the token fighter who has entered our group, E. Hopefully we will be hanging out tomorrow before he heads out to Thailand. It is nice in a way; cool to spend time with an awesome fellow, but school+life is so busy that it's a good thing to be able to focus more exclusively on that for the next month or so.

I want a sandwich, but you and I are going out for dinner in a few hours, E. Hurry up, 6 o'clock.

cave crickets.

Back on the homefront. I will lay down the highlights of the road trip here for you to see and read. Sarah Chezick we missed you dearly.
Let me just check on the soup.

Ok.

So we stayed at Brett's parents' vacant house Friday night and Laura found this pin of Brett as a tyke in a box on the counter. It was promptly pinned to her sweater and remained there for the rest of the trip. Brett was significantly cuter and also blonde as a small child. At one point I was wearing it in the Dive Shop, talking to the mayor of Tahsis and she was like "Nice pin, is that your son?" Made me think if I ever have children I am going to have them immortalized on a lapel pin too. Because its hilarious.

Nothing all that eventful happened on the way up, except that they let me drive for the last hour of the trip. Which is highly irresponsible because a) I have not a shred of license to my name and b) it was one of the sketchiest roads I have ever been on. Funny that the only times I ever drive are on really terrible back-roads with hairpin turns out the yinyang. And we ate half-cooked pizza for dinner the night before so my stomach was creating little innard mutants and moaning about things.

Next day some of us went to the Remembrance Day Service and shivered in the slushy rain while some chubby cadet lisped out "Flanderds Fieldth." It was nice though, every one there clearly knew each other. The pastor of the Christian Church was wearing a fanny pack to hold up his sweat pants and kept wandering up to the MC to ask him questions and make comments.

That afternoon we all got head to toe covered in mud and snow up in the Upana caves. Laura's boy drove back down the mountain in the snow and we nearly crashed into the side of a cliff. Actually everyone in the car admitted afterwards that they had resigned themselves to it, that they were making plans for towing etc. Not that there is cell service up there. We survived though.

Made it home fine to play Egyptian Massacre and drink beers.  

I thought for a minute that that picture was of this building

A-1 Architect, Sam Maclure

Why not right.

I don't think moving to Detroit would be a good thing. Whenever I talk about the dream of moving to Detroit  everyone shuts me down and tells me that it's a stupid thing. There is no jobs there, there is a lot of frustrated  angry young people and a lot of poverty. The police department actually advised not to visit the city. On the plus side, there is amazing art deco and Victorian buildings/houses. Cyrus actually said he either saw a fight going on or there was a stabbing in the outlet mall he was at. But honestly, there is a certain appeal it.  And in my stomach and the vibes from my gut, still a plausible choice of living. Why not right.

EDIT* Cyrus said it was definitely a stabbing.

Detroit: It's Gonna Happen.

I may or may not be sitting at home drinking beer and crying with relief. I wish this was an exaggeration.

For some reason (and we can blame this on Society or some other deity) I care more about American politics than about Canadian. Maybe I should just saddle up and move to Detroit. I have spent the past 6 + months ignoring the news in fear, people. The extent of election coverage I paid attention to before tonight was the Borowitz report.

This parody sums up why there is a Little Red Book squished into my bookshelf. What the fuck is wrong with sharing, Mittens?

Was Alright

Just cleaned out my desk. It took all day. I was a little perturbed to uncover that 80% of the productivity crippling clutter was blank pieces of looseleaf.
Want to know something weird? I didn't know what "looseleaf" was until high school. The term I mean. I was aware that there were lined pieces of paper in the world but French Immersion had denied me the proper terminology.

Anyhow.

Going to sneak into Cloud Atlas with Marketa in a bit. Real mature, right? Even more illegal activities with my boss.  Afterwards we will eat marinated raw fish and she will continue to pity me for being man-less (like Gunless, but different). Then we will talk about art and invariably become depressed. After a few bottles of sake I will walk home in the dark, lock myself in my room and break into the pre-stashed left over Halloween candy. Funny how the most inspiring conversations also usually make me want to hide under my bed. Robert Hughes would have known what I mean.

Remember Dave Brubeck?

Happy Birthday Keats.

Glad to hear ideas are bouncing. Chez-whiz. 

I had some things but they got absorbed back into my throbbing body. 

The government wants to take all my money. 

Edward Hopper, Girl at Sewing Machine

I like the warmth of this picture. Makes me think of early morning, early loving, jobs to do, stay in pjs all day.  My hair is frizzy? Who cares,I'm just going to sew all day and look out the window.

You made this page look slightly classy/emo/grunge.

My feet are still damp from my daily run outside to let the rabbit out and pick various herbs for da morning breakfast. It's funny. The yard is slowly becoming winterized and for the week, spooky. Within the hour, I'll be outside with my grandmother hanging up faux spider webs and later buying pumpkins. I love buying pumpkins and carving them.

Two updates! I'll tell you a bit about what maddy was saying.  Honestly, i knew nothing about the hostel thing. But during a dog walk with her yesterday, she did explain the ideal about it. It sounds cool. But I really don't know how it will happen. I think she is going to try and go back to the land we were talking about for that potential community garden that we initially started the discussion with.  I brought up that I had similar thoughts about the potential. Because we do live in such a tourist heavy region in the summer months (young people could just stop on the way up island) and the place could be a big side of relief in the winter, where we could really provide super affordable single bedding for.. the homeless/bedless.  We could be blessing a the nights where it actually snow! or the rains are too hard. So we joked that maybe I could start a sister hostel here in parksville. I don't know how I'd do it, but I really like the ideal of providing I guess a telephone that people could use, hot showers, some hot coffee/tea/toast along with their bed with clean linens to that. Just a place of relief. I really don't know if Parksville already provides something similar to that. I know the salvation army provides emergency beds in case of horrible weather. But I also know it's hard to find people who manage that system. Finding people who can stay all night and "look after" who is staying there.

That being said, I've been thinking about another plot that has been vacant for years and could easily be turned into a green space. I just need to figure out who owns it and then... I don't know from there. Figure out grants, figure out people who could help me build it from the ground up. I know my family would be really into it. I keep meaning going to the city, or knocking on doors to figure it out, but I feel really out of place doing so.  But I want to do it, and I think I will. Maybe even this week. Who knows. Then I could go from there.

I've also volunteered to help Maddy with looking up grants and filling out grants for this green program starting up at KSS. It's grass roots right now, and they're looking for anyone/everyone to help. I don't really know what I could offer, but I really want to know the grant process and actually know how to use it as an advantage.

That's it though.
Oh and Rachel Anthony might be throwing a "frenchie" dinner at christmas. I saw her friday night while Forrest/Carm/Jasmine/ and I were enjoying hot chocolate to waste time. Rachel is now working as a waitress at lefties and she's just as beautiful and loving as ever. I got three hugs from the girl. I get hugs everytime I see her.  Awwww yeahh.

Can't wait to see you guys and happy halloween!

this morning the snail shell on my window sill had moved 5mm.

Laura, you were over here about an hour ago picking up your widely dispensed clothing and bottles of such and shit. Anyway. I feel like your new man has this secret silent lingo that you just absorb through wherever you may be placing your hands. It kind of weirds me out.
Just because. I thought he would be the usual wiry if enthusiastic boy. Turns out you weren't kidding when you said he hits people for a living. And flies around in helicopters and drinks Jaeger straight from the bottle.

So last night while playing Pictionary with some new friends and old ones too, my brother's friend Michael kept telling me how different I am from my boy-half. And Tyson pipe's up that it's because I'm "badass." Which more or less led to a few minutes today of time wasted searching the definition of "badass" on urban dictionary (too much?)- to make the circle full here Laura, I think this man you keep bringing around fits the definition that the time-wasters of the world came up with more than I ever really could.
Not really sure what the point of this ramble is. Maybe its just that I'm bad at saying what I mean, even when the time is right. Maybe it's that I don't really know any boy who's ass I couldn't kick if it came to it.

Sabo ran into another mutual boy-friend on her way home a few minutes ago. Equally scrawny, same values of passion over success as every other person I know these days. Just got dumped by his significantly younger girlfriend. Sarah gave him some chips. Lucky for the rest of the world, he will probably write a great song about this.

stab in the dark.

 so tired i am so shaking. 

so tired that riding the bus home with Z we cackled at top volume about how she should just write her research paper about the identity of Batman. Since everyone's so concerned with identity. How she would spend the first 3098 words leading up to the final two: BRUCE WAYNE.
At this point in my sanity I cannot even consider something worthwhile if it is not tongue in cheek. Luckily I already think everything is hilarious.

Anyway about last night. Made another friend named Sarah. She was dressed as the Guggenheim museum and yelling about Marx outside the front doors. Somebody said her costume was too obscure and I punched him in the face, verbally. Art parties continue to be ridiculous, in case you were wondering. Saw the Virgin Mary with a glowing heart, saw a man in a suit wearing a zebra head, saw Jesus Christ, saw a Lichtenstein, I think I glimpsed Frida in the beer queue. Saw three people in identical platinum wigs singing out of tune and limply clapping their hands. I knew them, they walked me home at three in the morning. Somehow the walk took a lifetime and we spent half of that life talking about Malevich. Why is it that the only times people really want to talk about art is when they are outrageously intoxicated? Except for you Laura. You know how to push my white-on-white buttons.

Success: Remembering the name of the architect who built the World Trade Center
Failure: forgetting that Islam came after Rome. DUH

cold cold cold

Having cravings for brussel sprouts and beef, previously my two least favourites. I think it has something to do with Maddy coming around with her gung-ho family farm ethics. That woman may just change the world. I've been feeling extra-introverted lately. Or something. Anyway I've been hiding in the furthest corners of the  library, where they have forgotten to put seats.
Still obsessively taking pictures. Still waiting for inspiration to knock be down with regards to this research paper thing. Still wondering where these bruises came from. (subtle)

Broke Trust in Two- Now No-Ones Looking Out For You

Somewhere I got addicted to mashups.  Probably angry enough for how I feel about this material I'm supposed to be writing. I mean, how does he think anyone will care about how the sensibilities of the architectural firm changed after 1965?

I think I'm going to be the Log Lady for Halloni. Nice news, there could potentially be like five separate Halloween celebrations this year if people were to play the cards right (is that an ancient reference to tarot?)
Halloni is the pretentious art-side of Halloween, in which all the visual arts kids show off how much more creative they are than everyone else, the art historian snicker amongst themselves in the corner, the theatre kids get wildly drunk and pontificate and the music kids show up for ten minutes then go home to rest their voices/ bow fingers.
Last night I held the door to the humanities building for a man with multiple boxes and a bag with arrow tails sticking out. Today there were reports of poaching in the neighbourhood, by crossbow. Seems almost too ironic, but the arrows described were not the same as the ones sticking out of this boyos bag.

I think I am obsessed with developing photos. Going to take several day break from the darkroom to collect myself. Since I don't own a camera anyway. This is temporary Ritchie.

bah bah black sheep

I'm here now. After my 4 marimba gig weekend. Started friday with a gig at the Marine Biological Station. Remember going there back in the day for a field trip? Went back friday. Potluck was good and the view from the place at evening and night was down right beautiful. It's nice to see nanaimo from a different point of view. Kind of like seeing a new place in a area you thought you knew. Plus, as it is, I want to take Cyrus there too. There this miniature list of places I want to take him.

Now comes saturday and we played the market in qually. Got there just before 8 and played until 12:30. I had a... overpriced, but tasty none the less celery/ginger/apple something.... juice. Oh, and lime. It was weird tasting, but good tasting. Have you guys been buying things that have been too expensive but you buy them anyways?!?! The two people who were selling the stuff were nice smiling, young looking people. I thought I would support them.

Couple hours later, left for Quadra. Ever been to Quadra? The place is surprisingly breathtaking. Heriot Bay Rebecca spit :

We drove out far as we could and half the band went swimming. The water was cold, and as I am not so much a random, throw-it-to-the-wind swimmer, my entire body did not touch the clear water. Who cares though. The sunset was sooooo crazy nice and everything seemed perfect for the night it was. We billeted that night, and the family I stayed with (along with carm, nat and elizabeth) was Nathan and Amber and their three kids. They had a young baby and another along the way. The man of the house (nathan) was a pastor at the local church (but a young one) and we stayed up until 11 just talking. Talking about how they chose to move to quadra (they came from saskatchwan), how they met ( bible college in saskatchewan), they fed us nachos and ice tea  and we felt like a very special bunch of girls. I had a cold night sleep though and the morning came slower then I wanted it to. We woke up to fresh bread/coffee and a baby mimicking whatever we did.  That being said, all things come to an end, we packed up, and said our goodbyes. We made our way to our 930 show. 

This is the funny part. We played on this stage that author Ken Kesey built (one flies over the cuckoo's nest) and that the Grateful dead played on. The guys on Quadra, brought over the stage from Oregon or something. It was mighty windy though. So windy that you saw the clouds of dirt fly over everything else.

We left the island with hitchhiker from israel named Noah. She was hilarious and 25. She also forgot her water bottle full of tea in the van we later discovered. I'm maybe going to mail it down to her if I ever know where she is. She's was on her way to Victoria.

We played one more show in parksville, by the resorts. I had a weird tasting green tea latte and by the end of the day I'm feeling just out of it. Just closing my eyes from how heavy my eyelids were while playing and surprising myself with playing without mistakes. I'm going to be teaching senior and after school classes at the art center in parksville and I'm trying to nudge one of the other members to help me out. I don't want to do it alooooone. 

That's it. I'm here now at home, eating a bowl of cereal and wanting to record my weekend, so I thought I'd do it here.

Someones in the forest and the other is someplace else.

It's night time here in my little corner. I was just experimenting with this thing I heard that a chocolate cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree make some alright muffins. The test subjects are in the oven as I speak, the batter doesn't taste anything different though and I've been craving chocolate all night.

This last weekend we had an intense band day, so intense that my hands ended with blisters that pained me in the aftermath- shower (soap burns). Market in the morning and then straight to nanaimo to play on Newcastle Island for a wedding. We had to put all the instruments on a boat with this guy who seemed a bit broken hearted that he wasn't invited to the wedding, but boasted that he was neighbors with the family of the bride. He's one of those characters that you respect, because of his stance of an all around good guy. Retired firefighter, good smile and that will to just help out. I hope his life is a a good one. I really do. I meet people and I can just see that how they live their lives, that they just deserve a good one. Mind you, we're all blessed to be living in the life we all have, but I guess that's all by chance.

I wish I could do backflips off of shit

I hate guys who wear white pants, but love people who make french fries with seasoning salt.

Girls. It's been exciting in a weird way. The other night I got home from 6 nights of travelling around with the band. We busked in Richmond.. Kelowna and did three days at this festival in Penticton. We played in the VIP beer garden (because I don't think the organizers realized who we were and what we did) and it was satisfying knowing that there was people coming up to telling us that we should have been on the main stage. The same stage Sam Roberts, Jesse Cook and WAR played on. Felt good.

Both cars had problems during the trip. I ate the most baby tomatos I've ever had in my life. We met this young guy (young guy being our age) who played Flamenco Style guitar and I wanted to ask if he knew of Gareth. I'm convince that all young men who play guitar like that should know each other. Maybe they can become best friends.

 Didn't though. I might one day though. There's a chance that we're going back to Penticton next weekend to play another show( to play after/before 54/40?)  and work the market. Man, the farmers market there is huge. Do you know how rich I'll be after that?

 ALSO.Theses guys that sound pretty impressive and consider themselves "island rock" wants to collaborate with us.  That's the first the band ever encountered that question. We feel pretty fancy too, because they're putting Kumbana on the guestlist for their show in nanaimo? or victoria. Who knows.

What else... We played Kulth the weekend before last. The boom booms were good. I don't know if I'm in love with the voice of the lead singer man, but the stage presence is great. I wish I had that spirit.

"So we took apart a rat and rebuilt it as a jellyfish"

That is literally how the radio interview I was listening to just began. A bioengineering prof at Harvard has created a jellyfish that is, by all genetic accounts and purposes, a rat. It's called 'reverse engineering', and they have plans to try to attempt the same thing on stingrays, octopii, ect. Can you imagine how confused this  animal-thing would be, and how odd and surreal you would feel creating it in a lab setting? You would feel like Dr. Frankenstein, albeit with access to shinier, more sterile operating tools.

I'm at home right now, waiting for the shoulder to mend. I walked up a mountain two days ago and shared my lunch with a curious Grey Jay and my dog. Today I went to the local graveyard and walked around the tombstones and recognized all the local names and felt appropriately discombobulated for the setting. A week ago, I went to the National Energy Board hearing on Enbridge and listened to several moving speeches. Many Aboriginal elders, on shaky legs and wearing headdresses beaded in bright colours for them by their daughters and granddaughters, unfurled large genealogical charts and watershed maps. The room smelled like moosehide, and more than one person was in tears.

The photo above is of realgar, an arsenic compound. I didn't take the picture myself; it's available online. Realgar is jet-pink, with orange streaks; when exposed to light and air, it dissolves slowly into a dust called orpiment. This will streak your hands and boots and clothing with crayon-bright colour; it becomes an easy thing, to forget the more poisonous properties of realgar.

Hopefully, my shoulder assessment will be positive on Thursday, and I can do various horrible, destructive things to my shoulder brace and return to work.

I don't want to head back to school, man, and return to grey skies. It's been preying on my mind.

A man in Utah was spotted gamboling around on a cliff, dressed in a goat costume, surrounded by a herd of the real thing. It was assumed that he was eccentric and crazy, but he turned out to just be a hunter making sure that his outfit didn't scare off the animals during hunting season.
    



 

wanna get married?

June 18th was yesterday!

I wanted to draw a picture like this. Mostly because it reminded me of the printing room in the hospital I worked at in Montreal. I was given the job to run down there regularly to tell the lovely men we needed so many of the special posters printed by the head of the day. They recognized my broken french, and it always gave them the hit it was a perfect time to practice their English.

 This is the hospital. This really looks like this is an early morning picture, and what I don't understand is why there isn't the usual hoard of people, buses and whatnot. Because honestly, coming to work at 8/8:30 in the morning, was complete hell. I usually just took the long way, got off 15 minutes before the hospital and walked at the metro. It was good.  There was the prettiest buildings (or homes I guess) and a good park across the street.

How have things been for you? Friday night was spent at this block party in Qualicum which wasn't half bad.I invited Brett and  There was dancing, this cover band playing all the favorites and a bunch of rowdy middleage couples getting drunk off lucky. It was ridiculous. Then we headed out to natalies to paint this wall she wanted, and I painted a small city and slept squished against the wall, not able to stretch out my legs with fear of hitting someone in the head. Woke up, did a show in nanaimo dedicated to all the fathers out there, and then had some glorious coconut gelato while i watched our friends "slack line" across docks on the waterfront (where they crab fish you know?). Weird day, and for the majority of it, I felt gross.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyYrcLyJppE

Down The Burning Rope

I was supposed to be at this get together for this girl that is moving away an hour and a half ago. Instead I am stuck at home reading my textbook. Shit. Anyway I'm really on here so that I can record my dream, y'all. So last night I was in a shit mood when I went to bed because... just tired I guess. But I dreamed that I was still in this weird shit mood except it was the Super Moon again. Except in this case Super Moon meant that this was the night that the moon was going to crash into Earth, that this was the day finally, and every night the moon had been drawing nearer to the Earth, and everyone was going down to the beach to watch the insane waves and also see if they would survive. And so I was in a shopping mall with... someone. Can't remember. Anyway we were wandering around and then we were separated and the mall closed for the end of the world. And so I went to this crowded beach and that guy with the white shoes who was hitting on Frances at my party was there wearing these huge shiny studed sunglasses and everyone was gathered around him admiring him, and he was giving a speech or something. Either way, all of a sudden the attention was on me and people were yelling at me because I hadn't packed, and didn't I know it was the end of the world??? And I was all pissed off, because what is the point of worldly possessions in a time like that? I tried to tell Marketa about the dream but she was all pissed because I was cutting the cake and it gets dry when we cut it and when it's dry no one eats it so we have to throw it out. I think she was just tired from the buccaneer dance. Apparently it was surreal.

my leg hurtsd

just imagine jumping on trampolines, one after another to this song. Make the mental evening happening at just that hour in the evening in the summer where it's starting to get cold. And you're still wearing shorts.

BETTERLATETHANNEVERJUSTSAYIN

just drafted a letter to the UN Secretary General of operations to Haiti. Look how big my head is!
Apparently we are meeting him for lunch at some point to plan his visit to UVic. Man, its funny because I have no plans of going into foreign aid, really. Maybe these schmoozing skills will come in handy for my artist wooing days.
Anyway my hands are perfectly clean, thanks. I skipped out on morning class to lull and eat and eat and lull, because I recently realized that it has been several weeks since I have had the morning to myself.

Gotta go watch a postmodern film about a man who's wife is killed in a freak accident involving a white swan and a woman with no legs. Or so says IMDB. Wish me luck on keeping a straight face.

My desk is being eaten alive by mugs.

The Divine Comedy

I just want big, clean windows.

Here's a quick catch-up too. I'm glad summer school isn't driving you too crazy, is sabo doing summer school too? Amber would be a cool summer roommate. Who knows, maybe you guys could be included on the scuba thing. Up island here, the sun has been shining and I had the cd release party, plus some family from the great province of Manitoba come up. Of course she came up when my family were having not the easiest time with the money, and of course, like my grandfather, flashed the paper, and bought everything in sight. Making my parents feel like they should repay her. It was weird. But of course her stay was bittersweet,because I haven't seen this woman in at least 12 years, and she was (other then the money aspect) alright to be around.

The cd release party happened with a couple bangs. The day started out with me waking up at 4:30 in the morning, to finish painting this backdrop to be used that the event later that night. I remember how I had this... over-exaggerated force to push myself out of bed, and then, the panic rush of finding a sweater and getting outside as soon as possible to get as much done. It was freezing, and to add to it, that morning I promised c-man that I would call him and talk some things out. So here I was, frozen, hands barely able to move, rushing to get this painting done (or at least something) and yelling at my boyfriend at 5 in the morning. Of course, we worked it out, and I had enough time to have a shower... Which felt good. I then rushed to load the marimbas with jasmine and rob at 830 and we headed off for our first gig of the day in nanaimo at the waterfront. We made money and then more rushing home to gather up the bounty of decorating props to be used at the evening event.

I wish I had photos to show you guys, the decorations turned out great. Twinkle lights, lanterns, a long table down the room with flowers in glass vases. It felt romantic. Like a warm hug that I wanted to stay around forever. But of course, I was tired and more exhausted then anything.  The feelings of romance and warm hugs, soon turned to this slowly over-filling bucked of cold loneliness and just " I really don't want to be here anymore" feeling, filled my body .  It  put a weird damper on the evening, and I can safely say the show we preformed that night, wasn't out best. The night before we played at knox, alongside this choir, and got a standing ovation in the middle of the set. That felt good.

Here now, it's saturday and I woke up early and been slowly puttering. I need a shower though, so that's what I'm going to go do. Keep clean girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!

doing alright, doing just fine.

Had to go home from school sick today. Left class after 2 hours of "simple learning" explained... spent to rest of the afternoon bent around a hot water bottle thanking the gods that I was missing yet another lecture on Russian Constructivism. What is it about Capitalists that find Communists and the will to be equal so fascinating yet also so disgusting? Anyway instead I listened to This American Life's interpretation of middle school and how it was the most disgruntling yet formative years in a human American's existence. The Terrible Twelves, slightly less endearing than the Twos.
This one girl at her middle school dance had been asked out by 5 separate lads and had not given any of them a definitive answer. Something that is cute when it is narrated by a twelve year old, prepubescent, voice but just plain promiscuous for everyone else. She was all like "I just wanted to hang out with the girls, you know?" Must  be a looker.

And in my textbook a psychologist described his first love, whose breath always smelled like onions, to the point that he became sexually stimulated every time he smelled onion breath (there was even a diagram...) And how every once in a while he will catch a whiff and be transported back to that place in his teen years...

old films and it smells like dogs still

It's been over a month ladies, what's doing?
I'm writing a paper, of course. Some module in my brain thought it would be brilliant for me to take Summer School, and I guess all the other modules in my brain were to distracted by sex or fried chicken to protest too hard. Ever see Fritz Lang's M? It's got me on this film noir binge. This skinny kid in my class (cinema and modern art movements, obvs.) has seen every movie that the prof mentions in passing, ever. So he'll be like "Anyone ever see Night of the Hunter?" and the kid with his neon lime green shoes does and awkward hand twist as the timid nerds may do.
You know what made my day today? I bought almond milk in Cook Street Village for $1.44!! Do you know how much that shit costs normally? At least a dollar more.
My room has taken on the stinge of that strategically placed green back-pack in the corner. You know, dog smell. Old rope and dirty paws and ALL ThAT JAZZ.
I will leave you with a trailer. I think you can watch this whole movie of youtube if you so desire.
The music is a little crazy and not at all like in the real deal- just so's y'all know.



House Update: Sabo was trying to convince Amber Mac to come live in Kat's room for the summer but she refused on the grounds that she had promised herself she would snorkel everyday. And she can't really do that here...

"ooo you have bigger boobies then me"

My hands are dry. Really dry. No matter how much lotion I find and apply, it just gets soaked up and that's that.  How are you guys? Up Island here, things have been nice. I've been taking advantage of my privileges of being "admin" of two facebook groups and I'm having fun with it. The beach is glorious, the band is blossoming and I'm getting things organized. It feels good.
Mortimer, I like your idea for the first book of the newly formed bookclub. I just need to figure out if the local library carries the book. You should also make the bookclub into a group. Would be easier to get messages and discuss whatever we want to discuss with the books. A bit more organized and all put together. And put everyone as admins. Just so everyone has everypower to what they want to do and how they want to develop the group. good plan, no?

Other then that... nothing. I made brownies and did some gardening this evening. Looking good. Plus, it's the first time I've planted grass.

if you can call them friends then you can call them on the telephone

Hi all. Long time no writing. Just thought I'd spell some things out.
Yesterday Jocelyn Cook and I wandered in circles downtown looking for a bowtie for a going away present for our friend George, who is moving to Bangladesh for work soon. Well first Laura came storming over and told me I could get a hard labour job ($$$) if I called some woman and bullshitted a few things. Which I can't do worth shit, even if I am "good peasant stock." Anyway we were unsuccessful with the bowties and ended up back on my front porch with toast and ginger beers. Jo's friend headed over from four blocks up, got lost on the way, we talked for a bit.
Had to go downtown and have my semi-monthly sushi date with Marketa. She asked my advice about this woman that she hired. I told her my honest opinion. Apparently I have a reputation for that. Then I told her about this treeplanting deal and she gave me this long convoluted story about the summer after she graduated art school. And how she didn't buy the right equipment (tent with a zipper) so she ended up with a kidney infection and had to charter a helicopter out. But before that she was nervous because all the men in her camp were ex-cons except this big British footballer, who she started sleeping with for protection (her words). Anyway in the long run he turned out to be psycho too and extremely jealous and beat the crap out of her regularly and kicked her entire door plus door frame in because he thought she was fooling around with this girl she had over (later ended up in a mental institution, they were giving her elctro-shocks just last week). And he followed her out of the country when she went back to Prague. So that was her experience. She made some good friends though, one of whom was David Suzuki's son.
And I went to Bluegrass night out at Cornerstone after this conversation, a little worse off for the saki, a little better off for the fish. And Joey was there and he starts talking about his endeavor to pursue his research into pirate radio as a means for broadcasting graffiti. And he offered me a job at his camp, teaching kids to do stop-animation, even though I have no experience with either children or anything remotely more technical than this keyboard. And he invited me to his birthday party, which he is firmly calling PartyFest. Apparently the menu is comprised of Brass Monkeys or "shotgunned beverages." I didn't have the heart to tell him that I have no idea what Brass Monkeys is. There will be a band (no pony rides or dancing bears though, possibly snacks)
So that was my day. Cutting out the bookstore rummage of a morning, starring Laura V. and Kat's brother, however briefly.
 

Road trip to Japan

I think this might be a potential dream house. Imagine me standing in front of the wall, contrasted wearing the brightest clothes imaginable, holding a baby with smile from ear to ear. It's in Japan by the way. Would you come visit me in Japan? I think it would be a bit of an adventure if you did. Mostly because I could imagine you Mortimer, with the most grossed out face and me trying to force a live octopus down your throat to eat, and here is Laura, doing it like shes a boss. That's just one of the many adventures we would have. If you want to check out more of the house, go here http://www.homedsgn.com/2012/03/29/inside-house-outside-house-by-takeshi-hosaka-architects/

Other then that.. nothing new has been going on. How was seeing brett back on the island? Did you guys do something super exciting for Tyson's birthday? I should make him a card. This past weekend, I wrote out like 3 letters (one to the editor of Parksville/ Qualicum Beach News) mostly to share my discontent about Katimavik, and how the federal has just cut funding to it. I'm also working on an email to send to like... 10 art councils to invite them to share in the services we offer when we head up to Penticton in July. Aw Man.. And! The band right now is planning for a cd release party for the end of the month. Pretty excited. The theme is going to be starry night/summer night. Though now the I think more about it, the more difficult I think It will be. Sure there is lanterns and faerie lights, but what else? Any opinions would be great.

Hope you guys are happy and healthy.

loving it

Had to make this big, just look at that water. If it wasn't 5 degrees outside, i would have been out there enjoying the good life.

True though, I would have been, just laying in the sun soaking it up, and not feeling as pale as I always do. But it wasn't the case, so as you can see I'm feeling pale. My legs, arms and face, all pale.

Other then that, nothing is up. Thinking of heading outside soon and cleaning up. I have secret plans of waking up at the brink of sunlight and sitting on the wood...connector of the stairs and create some art tomorrow morning too. Also! it's official, my skills are on a cd and for sale! 15 dollars. Actually, it was the band, but you knew what I meant.

Hope you are guys happy enjoying the parksville sun.

Didn't Know How Long I Swam But I Figure It Was Miles!

Had lunch with my parents today, since it was the older bro's birthday on Thursday and they felt like doing the Family Sunday dig.
Anyway somehow the topic of conversation turned to how useful my skill set would be in a post-apocalyptical situation in which a great flood or some shit blew away all the world's modern technology. And I said "Yeah, I could flip your records for you."
I always forget how much my dad's way of speaking cracks me up. I wonder if I sound like him. It's like he goes out of his way to use words and terminology that no one else would ever use and then gets all offended and confused when we laugh at him. He was talking about how he had dairy the other week and it really messed with his "gut culture"- and all I could picture was Homer Simpson style beer bellies and bursting slacks and such the lot- but when he says "gut" he means stomach/ digestive organs. And then he started talking about that diet where you eat things according to your blood type, because apparently all the different blood types originated with a very specific way of life (which I find difficult to believe) Anyway, we 0- types are supposed to eat almost all meat and not a lot else. Isn't that convenient for him. Gives him a legitimate complaint when my mum serves up rice and beans for the 3rd night in a row. Besides "this isn't goddamn Mexico, where's the protein?!"

My brother has started dating a phys ed major. Enough said.
Remember when I was in NY last year? Took this picture in Times Square, straight up.
Someone seems to have agreed to let Bambi live upstairs. In my past experience, real people do not have that kind of cartoon voice, right?

Green Rain Every Couple Years

Every couple years I'll promise myself, from this moment on to post a shugo tokumaru video.
Last one being on febuary 1st /09, http://taaosam.blogspot.com/2009/02/zoola-is-18-now.html

Yesterday was fun, I had the chance to make a cake for a friend and then eat that cake. Mexican food and we all resulted back on the floor of a nearly moved out apartment talking about girl things. Very girl things, it lead from.. i don't know what, from babysitting to breastfeeding. It felt funny. It was also great because we bought some flame-colored candles for the cake and it was really worth the gigantic dollar we spent on it.

common lets build an old style house

had a pow wow with a few other appreciators of art. We talked about forgery and thievery- did you know that their is a Masters program at some Italian school for art crime? Talk about badass.
Anyway this guy I know, 30 something and oh so positive was talking about commissioning art works from his friends. To begin his collection with pieces made specifically for him- that is the gold mine. He told us about this movie called the Herb and Dorothy- this wee ancient American couple, retired school teachers and post men or something, with the largest collection of minimalist art in the world- worth millions no doubt. Just because they started small, bought from their friends, kept their eyes open.


I found a staple tangled in the back of my hair in the shower the other day. I felt something hard and reached around to pick out what I thought was going to be an earring. Looks like I've been hitting the books a little too hard (with my face)
Midterm Monday tomorrow. Gotta put on my game face, speaking of.

See, this is how I imagine you in the snow - all flustered from a hard days work, standing at the door of our first house, dressed in your puffy winter jacket and the rescue hero boots.

Joël Tettamanti took this picture and this is Greenland.

If we ever have a baby, and you get in trouble and the only way you think you can save us is if you leave us in the middle of the night - Don't.

I figured something out today. I think I might be scared of the stage. I realized that while I was there, on stage today. Wearing the customary marimba dress. I really can't work under pressure and i really don't belong up there on a stage under lights. You know, the colored lights that apparently bring out the best of people?

I freeze up. Well, I've worked past that. I've taught my arms to move and act like as any marimba player should. Because I'm good like that. But even teaching my feet to tap with the beat is causing me problems. It's getting ridiculous where I can only focus on one thing, and that thing being the wooden keys. The most simplest of parts and here I am, staring down. Not being able to become this ultimate stage presence. Like the rest of the girls on stage who are just doing it naturally.

I'm just comparing myself to the rest of the gang. And it just feels like that rough year away (rough being used in the sense of the year wasn't completely whole/ and a bit ripped apart) I am seriously the runt of the group. Runt runt runt. I don't know if that adds to my ultimate cuteness or just a obvious lack of skills, but it annoyed me tonight. Well, earlier tonight. Pre 7pm.

Anyways, take care and be safe.

Totally did.

interior of Santo Spirito. Betcha didn't see this one coming

Oh Valentines. The day that you boss suggests you come to work at 11 just to keep her company.

Commonly Known As the Santo Spirito, it is one of the first examples o' renaissance architecture.

Hey. How's it going?

I didn't actually drink the vodka that night with him on the cold beach. Mostly because I don't want to be drinking anything lately. But my butt did soon turn into a cold piece of a steel and my toes, only protected by my thin rubber boots and an pair of socks that were paper thin. They froze with the casual rain, low temperatures and the fog that descended upon us at 2 in the morning.

My favorite memory of the night was finally trying to warm up at around 3. Laying in bed, cold as an ice cube. I stayed there for almost an hour, not even close to warming up. So I ran myself a bath near 4 in the morning and sat there, half asleep, feeling my body burn. Mostly Good, Some bad.

The day after, I made some peanut butter cookies. Man oh Man, i love peanut butter cookies. I pressed some in some roasted sesame, some in pistachio nuts by c-man sent, and some filled with raspberry jelly.

I brought them to this party shingdig thing at the marimba household, where I think the most hilarious part of it was watching the girls team won against the guys and watching some very white butts run down the road. Foosball is always good. It sucked kindof though, because eeeeeeeeeveryone was paired up with a significant other and what was left was two lonely people. Me and this other guy, Tyler. And to be honest it was awkward at times. But we pushed through it and here we are. I'm back home with my head still in the right place.

Now It's monday, I hope my valentines gift gets to c-man on time and I'm just casually looking at recipes that include unsweetened chestnut puree. I also tried to make plantain pancakes. Without a recipe. Didn't work.

Paper Flowers, Happened when the back was to shit.

Like A Hot Turd Down A Hill

HI Laur. I saw this woman with the same back pack as you yesterday (complete with fake daffodil) crossing the parking lot at Camosun with a small child in tow. Also its weird not seeing you every day. Last night a gang of neighbourhood hippies showed up and made themselves comfortable. They were drinking wine out of a bag and it looked like blood. I talked to a guy with dreadlocks and really soft eyes about linguistic theory. Two people were wearing real fur stoles, one was also wearing a horse tooth on a chain around her neck. They were going to the best party of their lives, one that you will regret forever if you don't go to it, and remember fondly forever if you do. They had a blow up dolphin, beach style. After that I went across the park to Seth's house and we listened to David Bowie's Changes and I named a song that has yet to be written. Seth got me to write something random at the bottom of his set list for Thursday's performance. Unfortunately I have no recall of what I wrote, due to the extra large wine bottle that was circulating the lips of the room. Two men were wearing bowties.

Hi Chez. I hear that you sat on a beach and drank vodka full of sand fleas last night. I kind of wish I had been there. Not for the vodka so much as for the company. I'm going to watch the Darjeeling Limited at Jocleyn Cook's house in a few. Gotta make a badass salad first.

Happy Birthday Rant, Not About You

I pocket dialed Fran like 4 times today while walking from the bus stop to school, the back way. She probably hates my guts.
this incident set the stage for my class, which started with my prof scrambling to give a lecture about Emily Carr and the First Nations, which I could have done better, frankly.

And then she did a lecture about Land Art, which only served to make me mad. She prefaced it with a picture of Oldenburg kneeling by a hole in the ground he had dug in Central Park (called Hole, this is art). She went on to talk about Robert Smithson, which is when my eyes really got to rolling. So this is the 1960s in the states and Vancouver, when there was a hippy camp full of draft dodgers down along Dallas Road, when environmentalism was just beginning to emerge, when sex drugs and rock and roll were the most important things for everyone all the time. So Vancouver is a hub for American artists because of all the dodgers settling up there, wanting some kind of scene of home. So Robert Smithson gets this bright idea for a "Glue Pour." The idea being that he would dump a truckload of literal glue down the side of a cliff on the UBC campus and that would make everyone think about their own relationship with the land.

Except he couldn't afford a truck load so he ended with a barrel. That's it above, what the photo doesn't show is the glue is bright orange. Toxic. Other ideas of Smithson's include a "Glass Island" in which he covered an entire small "barren" island off the coast of Vancouver Island in shard of glass so that it would reflect prettily in the sun. Because we all know coastal islands are ugly without the beautification of human debris.
Anyway there were a few other things that were actually kind of cool so I cheered up a bit and then she showed this: The Vivarium at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle.
This is literally a nurse tree that has been moved from a few miles away to sit in this glass shrine to humanity in the middle of Seattle, art. This girl in my class was like "Yeah well it's good because a lot of the time when you go hiking nurse trees are blocked off so that you can't get too close." And I was just wondering where the fuckity does she go hiking? Beacon Hill Park?

Ok that's my rant of the day. It all improved after I had a free meal at a church filled with students. And got two compliments in a row on my jacket and a full body hug/slam from the captain of the quidditch team.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH C.
HOPE YOU ARE SO FULL YOU ARE HYSTERICAL, LIKE I WAS ON MY BIRTHDAY