yesterday's headache

I am a light weight. A cheap drunk. A total wussy girl. I spent all day yesterday with a alcohol headache, after recovering from my TWO drinks the night before. I wouldn't have even categorized myself as drunk. I mean, I spent most of the night complaining that the drinks were on the weak side. What is that?

It was a strange miserable monday. First off, I started the night by seeing V for Vendetta with Ayla, which I really enjoyed. With the feeling of dystopia washing over me, I saw the world a little different. Of course, it helped that it was such an odd night to start with. Our normal haunt was closed. Okay. Our second choice was closed. Weird. The town was freakin deserted. We gathered in a parking lot and decided to take the Misery to Due - a bar we are not all particularly fond of. We walked the block and a half from Baba Loui's to Due and it felt like we were on a pilgrimage. This random group of about seven people in an otherwise deserted town. It was a clear night, but there weren't many stars. Time passed quickly, and suddenly it was 1:00 AM. We had filled the miserbowl, Nik and I had done an impromptu photoshoot in the bathroom, and we all headed to our homes.





tomorrow I am going to see Night Watch. Futuristic, Russian Vampire films are pretty cool.

March 20th is the new Thanksgiving

Yesterday JD and I had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with Tanya and Paul. It wasn't a turkey dinner, it was Thanksgiving. Having missed out on this yearly eating fest, due to the renovation of their house, they decided it was only fair they should be able to enjoy it once the house became livable (which by the way, it really, really is. Beautiful). It looked like spring out, but the frigid wind felt reminiscent of November. The smells of the turkey cooking, the sage and thyme apple stuffing, the pureed rich and decadent sweet potatoes, and the classic buttery mashed potatoes were as intoxicating as ever. We sipped on a great pinot noir and got nice and hungry for what would (probably) be the last Thanksgiving dinner for at least 7 more months.




In true American Thanksgiving style, we followed it up with some television watching - the new HBO show "Big Love" - not sure what I think of this show, yet, and "Project Runway" reruns.

Ultimate Blogger is getting very exciting, with Real Girl making it to the top three and coming up with a really fun and innovative last entry. I can't wait to see the results from this latest challenge. Too much fun! Go Real Girl!

Also, today is a happy, happy day. It is my papa's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD), as well as my father in law's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARLOS) and it is also the "get together" anniversary of JD and I (I LOVE YOU, JD) which means we have been together for 9 YEARS (!). Happy March 21st to all!

I love Bon Jovi

Last night was the birthday party for Kim, Nik and JD. Because there are no swanky clubs in our little town where we could party 80's dance style, we had the party at none other than The Union, home of the Misery. Complete with a DJ, plastic cups and disco balls, it was a bonofide dance club. There was some serious drunkenness, and some even more serious girl-on-girl dancing.

We still had our designated Misery table, for those less happy moments in between "Like a Prayer" and "Love is a battlefield". JD was the guardian of the MiserBowl, as well as designated photographer, as I was far too consumed by the love of the 80's. I just couldn't stop the dancing. Right when I thought I could take a break - BAM! "Livin on a Prayer" or "bizarre Love Triangle".

Even though JD is working a 10 hr shift today, and then running this ridiculous errand for me afterwards, he was a real trooper and stuck it out as I ran around like a maniac (MANIAC! MANIAC! ON THE FLOOR). I felt like a real lucky girl to have such a patient and fun lovin fella.

The best part? Laura dressed as Indiana Jones, as a tribute to the 80's. The whip was a big hit.

An exciting weekend

The long awaited trip to Target... Just take one look at that glowing oasis and tell me you're not a little bit tickled.

I did, as promised, bust out the champagne. (okay, maybe it was only sparkling white grapefruit juice, because that's all I could get, but who's checking)

MMM....

I'M SO EXCITED!!

And now, as a special bonus, and a testament to my humility, here's the worst photo of me ever. What am I doing?

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't be bragging (and photo documenting) the fact that the highlight of my Sunday was the long awaited trip to target. But it was. I'd like to say that it rocked my world, but unfortunately, it was only mildly exciting. The bulk of the excitement was definitely in the buildup. Sometimes that's just how it goes. I bet a few weeks from now they'll have some new line of swanky little tank tops and I'll be as thrilled as ever.

Tonight is the long awaited Kim & Nik's birthday celebration/ 80's dance party... in combination with the weekly Miserable Monday. A strange combination, yes. But there's some beauty in that.

Yes, March is a slow month

I'm sitting indoors on this glorious day - happy that, even if I'm not out in it, it's genuinely warm outside. As I walked from the coffee shop to my work this morning, I took off my jacket and just let the warm air brush over me. I know it's still march - but spring is on it's way, dammit. To keep myself entertained when it's slow at work I take random photos like these.




I also work on silk screen designs - but, for now, those are top secret. As soon as I have something to show for it - I promise fancy photos.

I was reading a forum discussion on G-RAD about the definitions and implications of the word "hipster". It's a touchy subject, but one that I thought was well addressed by KMIKEYM of Urban Honking. I've always felt really uncomfortable by the word "hipster". Not because I did, or didn't, fit into the category, but more because it has always felt like a word that should, in it's essence, be very broad in it's definitions, but has, in fact, been used in a very narrow way these last few years. The idea that you should be able to spot a "hipster" seems ridiculous to me. It shouldn't refer to a specific style, or a choice of music, but right now, that's exactly what it refers to. Which is precisely why there has been this backlash to the word. But we can choose to ignore that, and instead focus on what the word should mean. To me, the word "hipster" should be about individuality - all the ways in which we distinguish ourselves, show our creativity, be bold, take chances. Yeah, that's a little idealistic, but not necessarily unrealistic. I think that Mike really nailed it when he said that "There is no hipster. The hipster is everywhere."


Now, in the spirit of Ultimate Blogger I have decided to satisfy my boredom with a few self portraits. Self indulgent? You bet.



As a side note - I've officially made an appointment for my toe. Just in case any of you loyal readers (Hi, mom) were concerned. By Monday afternoon this should be all figured out. I know, what a relief.

Unappealing topics

Every Thursday we do floral arrangements for a chinese restaurant in town. They bring in their vases, we clean them out and add some fresh little ditty that will be both long lasting and hip, but also very inexpesive. It's the thorn in my side every week. It does keep me busy when it's slow, and hey, business is business. But the thing that I really dread is that every week they bring me something to eat for lunch. I know, what a nice gesture, right? The thing is, it's always some sugary noodle dish, with those fried "chips" and sweet and sour sauce, and even though I tell myself I don't have to eat it - that I could just eat the nice, healthy lunch that I brought in, I always end up eating it. Then I feel gross and greasy, and end up scolding my lack of willpower when it comes to food. Especially free food. I just can't turn it down. I mean, it's free.

Aside from having a belly ache, I also have another ailment. One of my toes is all swollen and sore. It's been this way for about a week. I feel silly going to the doctor for it, but it seems strange. Maybe it's some weird wart or fungus (I do go to the gym, and although I try not to be barefoot, there have been occasions). Anyone have experience with weird toe problems? I know this isn't the most appealing topic, but I'm at a loss here. I tried the "ignore it, and it will go away" method, and that just didn't seem to work.

Weekend Update

I had a great weekend.

It started off with a gathering of friends at a beautiful house in Sandisfield, Ma. We ate creamy, delicious vegan macaroni & cheese and drank beer. We started to watch The Wedding Crashers, but the general disappointment in the movie made us sleepy so we went off to our little bedrooms and listened to the wind howl all night long. In the morning we made griddle bagels and struggled a little with the coffee machine. On Sunday, I met my good friends Joey and Alana, and their two little girls, Sadie and Rose, for lunch at the new Indian restaurant in town. They had a really nice buffet put out that was fresh and delicious. The highlight was looking at the big fish tank with Sadie. This is a snippet of our conversation.

Me: Maybe someday you'll have your own fishtank
Sadie: Yeah... when I'm a big boy, I'm gonna have a tank and I'm gonna take care of the fish

I love that girl.







On Monday (which is still my weekend) Jd and I had a little coffee and a breakfast sandwich together and he read to me from "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin.




Then I watched a bad romantic comedy called "Prime" and headed over to the Union for Miserable Monday. All in all - very solid. I had two strong Vodka Tonics, and at some point in the night when I thought I had lost the lens cap to my camera (which was actually tucked away safely in the camera case) I crawled under the table to try to find it. Needless to say this was found to be very amusing to those around me. I think they were laughing with me, but I can't be sure.

Today, I received an order of silkscreening supplies, and spent a good portion of the day working on designs... very exciting. Now I actually have to make stuff...a little scary.

Tonight, I hope to rent something cheesy and be lazy and warm. Good times.

I love James T.

The misery site is up and running. Assuming that the world doesn't become all chocalate, sunshine and love over the next week, you can expect a fancy new post next wednesday.

In other news, there is a lovely white fluffy snow storm happening outside my window. The world feels quiet and still.

Song of the hour: Common People (not the Pulp version, which also rocks my world, but the amazing cover by William Shatner and Joe Jackson)

These are things that scare me

Sometimes I forget how to make my own fun.

Sometimes I'm so terrified of mediocrity that I hide from everything.

Sometimes I think I've completely lost touch with everything that once defined me.

Sometimes I have no idea who my friends are.

Sometimes I'm afraid that I'm wasting my life. Or at least my youth.

Sometimes I forget how to be creative.

Sometimes I think being an artist is a joke.

Sometimes I'm not sure where my home is.

Projects and Doubt

So I'm working on a new project called "Welcome to our Misery". It's based on a ritual gathering of friends every monday night at a local bar. We call the night Miserable Mondays. You can check out an earlier post called "Hate and Misery" for a few more details. The premise is that it's a forum for us to air our petty problems without judgment. Where we can bitch about the little things and call them Miseries. I guess it's a way to remind ourselves that there are bigger problems and that our lives are good - that we have good friends, that there's beauty and laughter in our lives. I love this about Miserable Mondays. I love writing down stupid things like "I am miserable because my car is leaking oil". From the beginning I've wanted to make this into a larger project. After the first winter, I made a book with all the miseries sewn and pasted into it. It looked great, but it was limiting. It can only be in the possession of one person at a time. So my friend Nik and I have decided to create a blog where we post the miseries every week, and also allow other people to send us their miseries. This has all sounded so great to me, until last night when I tried to actually go through the old miseries and create a post. I think the problem is that I had just watched a few episodes of Six Feet Under - particularly depressing episodes - and I couldn't help but wonder if this concept will work out of context. Will the blog just end up coming off as trivial - even insulting. Will people be offended by the bunch of us bitching about paying rent, or having a shitty job? In the moment, I see brilliance in it. But after the fact, will it just be trite?

I hate when you are so sure of something, and then suddenly it comes crashing down on you. And then you question everything.