Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Note to self: post tomorrow's pic before going out to celebrate All Hallow's Eve.Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Go me.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Produce Pic of the Day.
Oh to drink without consequence....but this is Jameson, without consequence...really.
WHISKEY :D HMMMM
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
For those who follow, this is DAY 40!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Meaning to 'I'll be Home for Christmas'
It's official. After several conversations with my parents and many long hours contemplating my options. I have decided to move back to South Dakota by Christmas.
It is the most fiscally responsible thing for me to do right now.
I've been job-hunting for a couple months now with no luck and can't stomach the idea of working full-time again for my current boss. I like living in Chicago, I do. But things are getting worse every year. In the almost six years I've lived here, the city has gone from being an exciting adventureous place to live and work to a place with increasingly high crime, high stress, high unemployment, and even higher taxes.
I don't have the same support structure of friends that I did while at school. Even though I'm a severely independent person and I tend to not keep a lot of close friends, I still need support sometimes. Of my three closest friends, one lives about three and a half hours away in Indiana, one is considering making her eventual move back to her hometown of Manhattan, and the closest is considering moving back to Los Angeles again soon.
Now I have high aspirations. Within 2 years of moving back to South Dakota, I hope to be on my feet again and ready to relocate to another city. I'm thinking Portland, or maybe Seattle. Whereever I end up going, I need to live cheaply for awhile in order to save money for the move. Going home affords me this option.
There's some serious drawing aspects to this decision as well. When I came back from home to Chicago on New Year's Eve last year it was the most disappointing and crushing feeling, knowing that I was leaving the support and love of my family and going back to a major financial struggle (that would last almost all year). My brother Jon came to see me in February, and then again in March with my folks for my BFA Show at SAIC. Then the whole family came out for my graduation in May (except my sister-in-law Terri). A week after graduation, I made a major roadtrip to move Holly back from LA and we made a very, very brief appearance in Sioux Falls. We were there for one night only; I didn't even get to see my sister Jessica or my brother Jon. That one night was the only time I've been home this year and it's been wearing me thinner and thinner. My family is changing and growing and I want to be a part of it again. I miss the joy I feel being around them. I want to be a more integral part of my niece's life. I want to be around when my sister and my sister-in-law each have their first children. I want to break some bad habits I've formed living away from them and share the good habits I've learned. I want to spend more time with my extended family members.
I want to live alone. I know that at first I'll be back under my parents roof, but free room and board plus meals for a couple months should be enough to help me afford an apartment all my own. I've been wishing I could live alone for the past year and a half; I've just been too stubborn to leave the comfort of my space in this apartment. At this point, I'm even looking forward to living at my folks's place because of the clean and cozy upkeep that they maintain (and I will help maintain). Oh to live in a clean place with people who think like I do.
When I talked with my mom yesterday, she said she wants to make sure that I don't feel like a failure for making this decision. Well, I don't. Things would be completely different if the economy wasn't in the crapper just now and a lot of people are making far more desperate decisions than I. I am actually lucky to have such an accommodating family to help me in my time of trouble. And I feel just a little more grown up by being able to finally admit that I can't do what I've been trying to do by myself anymore. I think that means I'm evolving as a person...
Now it's time to get some things done. But first, here's a snapshot of our family Christmas tree from the first year I lived in Chicago. This year, I'll be home for Christmas, but not only in my dreams...
It is the most fiscally responsible thing for me to do right now.
I've been job-hunting for a couple months now with no luck and can't stomach the idea of working full-time again for my current boss. I like living in Chicago, I do. But things are getting worse every year. In the almost six years I've lived here, the city has gone from being an exciting adventureous place to live and work to a place with increasingly high crime, high stress, high unemployment, and even higher taxes.
I don't have the same support structure of friends that I did while at school. Even though I'm a severely independent person and I tend to not keep a lot of close friends, I still need support sometimes. Of my three closest friends, one lives about three and a half hours away in Indiana, one is considering making her eventual move back to her hometown of Manhattan, and the closest is considering moving back to Los Angeles again soon.
Now I have high aspirations. Within 2 years of moving back to South Dakota, I hope to be on my feet again and ready to relocate to another city. I'm thinking Portland, or maybe Seattle. Whereever I end up going, I need to live cheaply for awhile in order to save money for the move. Going home affords me this option.
There's some serious drawing aspects to this decision as well. When I came back from home to Chicago on New Year's Eve last year it was the most disappointing and crushing feeling, knowing that I was leaving the support and love of my family and going back to a major financial struggle (that would last almost all year). My brother Jon came to see me in February, and then again in March with my folks for my BFA Show at SAIC. Then the whole family came out for my graduation in May (except my sister-in-law Terri). A week after graduation, I made a major roadtrip to move Holly back from LA and we made a very, very brief appearance in Sioux Falls. We were there for one night only; I didn't even get to see my sister Jessica or my brother Jon. That one night was the only time I've been home this year and it's been wearing me thinner and thinner. My family is changing and growing and I want to be a part of it again. I miss the joy I feel being around them. I want to be a more integral part of my niece's life. I want to be around when my sister and my sister-in-law each have their first children. I want to break some bad habits I've formed living away from them and share the good habits I've learned. I want to spend more time with my extended family members.
I want to live alone. I know that at first I'll be back under my parents roof, but free room and board plus meals for a couple months should be enough to help me afford an apartment all my own. I've been wishing I could live alone for the past year and a half; I've just been too stubborn to leave the comfort of my space in this apartment. At this point, I'm even looking forward to living at my folks's place because of the clean and cozy upkeep that they maintain (and I will help maintain). Oh to live in a clean place with people who think like I do.
When I talked with my mom yesterday, she said she wants to make sure that I don't feel like a failure for making this decision. Well, I don't. Things would be completely different if the economy wasn't in the crapper just now and a lot of people are making far more desperate decisions than I. I am actually lucky to have such an accommodating family to help me in my time of trouble. And I feel just a little more grown up by being able to finally admit that I can't do what I've been trying to do by myself anymore. I think that means I'm evolving as a person...
Now it's time to get some things done. But first, here's a snapshot of our family Christmas tree from the first year I lived in Chicago. This year, I'll be home for Christmas, but not only in my dreams...
Produce Pic of the Day
This cucumber flower lightens the mood a little just before sleep.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Modern Marvels...meet Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
I just finished watching Modern Marvels: Failed Inventions.
My thoughts...
After seeing all the failed attempts to marry the concept of a motor vehicle with an airplane or a boat, I am proud to say that I have always loved the impracticality of a flying (or floating) car. My very favorite movie from childhood was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Partly because of the music, partly the story, partly the costumes, but mostly the main character...the car that could float on water and fly through the air. I'm actually pretty glad that inventors have long since given up marketing car/plane and car/boat ideas to the general public because it allows my pristine childhood fantasy stay in the realm of fantasy (or at least completely unattainable by my own means). The idea is just not practical. Normally this would upset me, but with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, therein lies the draw.
A totally awesome set of failed inventions I fell in love with in the show was the Dymaxion car and the Dymaxion home designed by Buckminster Fuller. He's my hero...
This may seem like a bit of a stretch to shift into "fish-mode", as I call it. But I happen to have a lovely pair of goldfish whom I've named after the lead actors in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Truly Scrumptious and Caracticus Potts. I've had the two since January of this year just chilling in my 10 gallon start-up tank. They live a quiet simple life compared to my other fish and I love to watch them. I had this idea I want to put some music to some video I shot of them palling around and post it on youtube. I'm going to do that right now. Except here's a few stills from around the time I first got them when they were wee little babies...
I enjoy this shot because they look so far off behind the foreshortened driftwood...and they're obsessed with their reflections.
And here's Truly up close and personal:
::::UPDATE::::
Truly Scrumptious and Caracticus Potts (the fish) make their debut on YouTube
My thoughts...
After seeing all the failed attempts to marry the concept of a motor vehicle with an airplane or a boat, I am proud to say that I have always loved the impracticality of a flying (or floating) car. My very favorite movie from childhood was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Partly because of the music, partly the story, partly the costumes, but mostly the main character...the car that could float on water and fly through the air. I'm actually pretty glad that inventors have long since given up marketing car/plane and car/boat ideas to the general public because it allows my pristine childhood fantasy stay in the realm of fantasy (or at least completely unattainable by my own means). The idea is just not practical. Normally this would upset me, but with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, therein lies the draw.
A totally awesome set of failed inventions I fell in love with in the show was the Dymaxion car and the Dymaxion home designed by Buckminster Fuller. He's my hero...
This may seem like a bit of a stretch to shift into "fish-mode", as I call it. But I happen to have a lovely pair of goldfish whom I've named after the lead actors in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Truly Scrumptious and Caracticus Potts. I've had the two since January of this year just chilling in my 10 gallon start-up tank. They live a quiet simple life compared to my other fish and I love to watch them. I had this idea I want to put some music to some video I shot of them palling around and post it on youtube. I'm going to do that right now. Except here's a few stills from around the time I first got them when they were wee little babies...
Characticus Potts is the Black Moor Goldfish.
Truly Scrumptious is the Red Cap Oranda Goldfish.
I enjoy this shot because they look so far off behind the foreshortened driftwood...and they're obsessed with their reflections.
And here's Truly up close and personal:
::::UPDATE::::
Truly Scrumptious and Caracticus Potts (the fish) make their debut on YouTube
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Produce Pic of the Day
Monday, October 5, 2009
Oddly syncronized commercials during Heroes...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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