I'm bound for California!

Wow, Bill and I are finally going to California. Unfortunately, it won't be a pleasure trip. We are going to clean up the rental property and sell it. Finally. Please pray for our safety, good people for hire, and a speedy sale at a fair price.

I will keep you updated and post pics of the things we see.

Five Years Together!

Today was the fifth anniversary of Bill's and my first date. We went blueberry picking for our first date, so today we went blueberry picking again. It was a lovely evening outside after a refreshing afternoon rain.
  

I guess my brother and sister don't love me.

I didn't get a birthday present from my dear Katie and Scott. I got a phone call, but no card or present or excuse. Not even a stick of gum in a hand made card. Hmmm.

Ghosts

We had lots of fun chasing these little guys late at night with flashlights. It was crazy the way the ran sideways on their little legs across the beach. We caought tons of them and then let them go again.
 

Happy Birthday

Well, I had a great day. It is good to be alive. I am finally thirty-@#$%. I got lots of phone calls, emails, flowers, and some really neat presents. Kristin gave me this gorgeous tourquoise outfit with matching jewelry from India and Bill gave me pink roses and a gift certificate for a professional massage. We ate dinner at Red Lobster and I wore my new cream and gold tiered skirt with beads, a fuschia tank and my gorgeous colorful shawl that I bought at Christmas in Chicago. My outfit was completed with vintage earrings and orange and rhinestone flip-flops. After dinner, we had Marbleslab icecream (swiss chocolate with strawberries) and margaritas in the pool. I am exhausted and headed for bed.

Shrimp and Whale

I decided what the hell and wore a bikini to the beach. I think even the seagulls were frightened.

Floating House?

  

INdie Girl

 

Which One?

  

Our Beach House

 
aka Tequila Sunrise 

Beach Fun?

After a fun morning playing in the surf, Bill and I decided to take a break and sit in the beach chairs with Mom Peg and watch Dad and Kate play in the water.

As we were sitting on the sand relaxing, a huge black fin emerged from the water just a few feet from Katie and my dad. I believe I said, "OMG what the hell is that?!" Then the fin emerged again a few feet further away. I jumped up and yelled, "Shark! Shark!" Katie and Dad ignored me. Bill offered to go out there and tell them. I said, "Please be careful."

My heroic Bill heads into the ocean to warn them and Peg spots the giant fin a little farther away. Bill returns to shore without them. They thought I was hallucinating! There were three of us that saw it. My dad and Kate finally come in a few minutes later and tease me about seeing seaweed. Hah!

They didn't know I got a picture! Here is the proof!

Look out!

  

Back in Time

I had the most wonderful, enlightening experience whilst staying in Chicago this summer. Katie and Scott took me to see Tilly and the Wall at the Pabst Theater in Chicago. It was great! Tilly and the Wall sing about young love and life with wonderful vocals and a good variety of sound. The percussion is provided by a tap dancer. I got a kick out of that since I took lots of tap lessons as a kid. Tap was so much more fun than ballet, I didn't pursue tap because I didn't know that I could have done percussion for a band as a career.

Tilly and the Wall Concert

 
 
 
  

The Condition of a Man

After enjoying a good romance novel at Hastings, Bill and I set out for our car. As we were walking across the parking lot, I noticed a car full of stuff with just a little area in the windshield left clear for the driver to peer out of. I thought with some humor that another college student was transporting his entire dorm room in one trip. As we got closer to the car, I started thinking "this is odd". Then I realized the car was full of Wal-mart sacks and trashbags. Finally I was close enough to peer through the glass of the window and confirm that the car was filled from floor to ceiling with trash and that the trash was infested with roaches. Every square inch of the car was stuffed with rotting garbage. Live roaches crawled along the windows like ants in an ant farm.

"Oh my God, what is that!?"
"Who would drive this car?"
"He must be mentally ill!"
"Look at all the ROACHES!!"
"Oh God, think how it smells!"

Bill and I could barely grasp the horror of the situation. We got in our car and watched as other people came out of the store, noticed the crammed vehicle and looked again only to be horrified by the filth. I convinced Bill to drive to a parking space where we could get a better view. Finally, the owner came to his vehicle. He had shaggy gray hair and a faded red, stretched, hole-filled shirt. He closed his car door and drove off.

I was so appalled I wanted to cry and throw up at the same time.

Home Again

I am finally home and it is hot here. I think I am going to have to find something to do this summer somewhere else. Nothing like being greeted with 100 degree days and high humidity. Personally, I might just skip the Blueberry Festival this year.
The withdrawal symptoms have decreased considerably, now I just have the occasional dizzy spell, but that might just be due to the heat and humidity.

Breaking up is hard to do

I have stopped the Cymbalta (per doctors orders) and am now suffering from withdrawal. I am dizzy, nauseaus, fatigued and useless. I love how there is no information at the drug website about side effects. I had to go to some untrustworthy, obscure website to find out that this normal, Paxil has been sued because of it and that I will probably fell crappy for about 2 weeks. The dizziness is awful, I move my focus to another point in the room and it starts spinning. I have been hungry and craving something I can't identify, but nothing I eat fixes this feeling. I guess this gives me a chance to relax and read, but not enjoy it. I just feel sorry for my family. I am supposed to be visiting and having fun and instead I am either asleep, nauseaus or dizzy. I am so glad that I am not currently working or taking a class and can afford this lousy feeling.

Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin' Alive

I made it to the end of the semester finishing the measly, but exhausting 6 hours of art classes. I enjoyed a few days off and flew to Chicago for the SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) Conference.

The first day I attended a workshop on self-publishing a picture book. A great idea actually. If I am ever teaching a workshop, I will make it part of the class fees and hand out a nicely photographed how-to book. A picture is worth a lot of words, especially when you are trying to figure out HOW to do something new.
At the pendant swap, my lovely thorny hearts went like crazy. It was gratifying since I was terrified to show my pendants to anyone in the first place. I had to make a simple pendant that represented my work, was a somewhat quality endeavor, and would act like a calling card to the people I was networking with. That was a tremendous amount of pressure for me. I spent weeks trying to get the damn mold to work with pewter and it just wasn't happening. Finally, at my parents house in chicago, I managed to make a functioning mold. Alas, I forgot to bring my pewter with me so I cast the pendants in resin instead. I spray painted them silver and they sucked. I painted them with acrylics in "cute" pastels and they were great. What stress!

Later that night, the Russian General, Natalya marched us all over Chicago and from train to train through the bowels of the city to several seedy bars. She drank lots of vodka and did her homeland proud. Stalin was proud when she speed marched us up and down Michigan Ave. and over miles and miles of sidewalk in her knee high black boots. I was the only one without a hangover the next day since I alternated water and booze at each bar. Our general was a little under the weather.

I really don't remember much of the conference (to my critics, I wasn't drunk the whole time) but the slides and artist presentations were great. My favorite part was the auction. At least four people bid on the earrings I donated (Some of the stuff didn't get any bids or went for just $5) so I wasn't humiliated. I was actually thrilled because there were bids on the first day.

My beanstalk ring was juried into the student slide show and SFA gave me an extra $100 traveling money. I now have a CHicago line on my artist resume.

I have been relaxing at my parents house and suffering withdrawal from Cymbalta. I am officially anti-depressant free. I am so tired and I feel nauseaus. Hopefully the withdrawal symptoms will pass or I have a virus that will go away anyway.

Love to all.