Small Dose of Happiness

Greatest Christmas Present Ever

2010-01-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't written about this yet! Look what my sweet fiance got me for Christmas!! Replacing my old school, fuddy-duddy, 30GB iPod Classic that couldn't even handle photos with this marvel of technology was a true thrill. I knew I was going to get it for Christmas - Chris asked me specifically what I wanted, and after some waffling between this and the Droid, I said this would be perfect (the sleek, fit in the palm of my hand design is what really swayed me. Well that, and the App Store). I was expecting the 8GB but he surprised me with the 32GB!! I looooooooooove it. The touch screen is great, I love how you can switch from portrait to landscape orientation (making, say, e-books much easier to read), and it is just sooo easy to use and sync with my iTunes library. It's my baby! Greatest thing ever!

The Cutest Kitten Ever

2010-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Art History Essay #3: Visit to The Rachofsky House

2009-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

On the second floor of the Rachofsky House is a painting by Anselm Kiefer entitled Untitled (To the Unknown Painter). The work was produced in 1983 and is composed of oil paint, emulsion, shellac, latex, and straw on canvas. It is a large work, approximately four feet by six feet. It depicts the interior courtyard of a building designed by an architect who notoriously worked for Hitler. In the center of the courtyard is a tall, thin, monument upon which is displayed an artist's palette. The lush application of paint combined with the straw added to the mix gives the painting a thick, gritty texture. The roughness of the painting's surface enhances the confrontational subject matter of the painting.

Kiefer is well known for producing work that references German history, in particular the period of World War II and the Holocaust. As a German born in the aftermath of that period, he has struggled in his art to come to terms with the impact of those events on the German nationality and how to reconcile himself to living with the shadow of that history over his country. His work in general, as in this painting, is dark and textural, and contrasts stark subject matter with fragile materials - i.e. straw. By raising a monument to the "unknown painter," Kiefer is indirectly memorializing the millions of unknown whose abilities to react to and record the atrocities of the Holocaust were lost. At the same time, he contrast this with the (at the time) socially accepted art and architecture espoused by the Third Reich. The shape of the building dwarfs the individual monument, and its walls seem to reach out to enclose it. The emphasis seems to be the loss of the individual in the face of an overwhelming and ominous force.

I was struck by this painting the moment I saw it. In the context of the smooth, airy, light planes of the Rachofsky House, the texture and darkness and size of the painting stood out dramatically. Compositionally I think it is quite successful in conveying the impression of the individual being nearly overwhelmed by seemingly immovable forces. I love texture in paintings and was very impressed by the mixture of different paints in combination with the straw. It altogether enhances the brutality of the painting's subject.

On Coziness

2009-12-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when coziness abounds. Chilly, rainy weather compels me to stay indoors with a fleece blanket, my cat, a cup of coffee (or wine), and a good book. Thanksgiving leftovers bring on sleepiness. Christmas trees and lights add a festive yet warm and cuddly feeling to everything. If a fireplace is available, even better! There is nothing like the flickering and crackling of a nice fire to add atmosphere. The mornings can be difficult when all I want to do is stay tucked in underneath my nice warm, floofy comforter and high thread count sheets, particularly when the cat is snoozing away on my legs. Getting to wear all my favorite sweaters and jackets, cozy pajamas, and my favorite sweater socks (complete with tassels) is one of life's greatest simple pleasures. Not to mention, bring on the hot chocolate and Starbucks Peppermint Mochas! Ah, winter isn't so bad!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for the fact that I am able to sneak additional helpings of all the side dishes while everyone else slips into tryptophan induced comas - being that I don't eat meat and all. Whee!!

In other news, I know I haven't posted in awhile. Frankly nothing has struck me as JUST SO WONDERFUL that I must write about it. Or it could be that I'm lazy. But here's something that makes me happy: I found shoes to wear to my wedding! Here's a picture:

Aren't they gorgeous??

Book Heaven!

2009-11-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

2009-10-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been a terrible R.I.P. participant, and it's all this damn book's fault! I wanted to read four books for the challenge, and this is only my second. It literally took me five weeks of determined effort and one renewal to get through this. Now don't get me wrong, I love Anne Rice - the Vampire Chronicle books are terrific - but this was a serious change of pace for me. My fiance recommended this as one of the best books he'd ever read; he said it gave him chills. Sounded good to me!

This is the first book in Rice's Mayfair Witch series. It weaves a complicated story ranging in location from New Orleans to San Francisco to France, and in time from the 16th century to the present day. It begins with the drowning of Michael Curry, who miraculously is rescued and resuscitated by Dr. Rowan Mayfair, a brilliant neurosurgeon. This experience results in Michael inexplicably gaining psychic power in his hands - when he touches people or things he gets "flashes" of information about them. As he struggles to cope with this experience, his and Rowan's life begin to intertwine. Meanwhile, a mysterious Englishman, Arthur, arrives from a paranormal research organization called the Talamasca. Eager to learn both about Michael's power and (for reasons that are explained later) to meet Rowan, Arthur sets in motion a series of events that results in Michael and Rowan falling in love and embarking on a journey to learn about the vast, complex history of Rowan's family, the Mayfairs, and to determine the purpose of Michael's powers.

That's probably a really cruddy summary but I find it hard to describe an immensely dense, complicated story that really could have been two books instead of one: one dealing with Michael and Rowan's story (what I considered "the action") and one covering the Mayfair family history. The family history, covering over three hundred years in extraordinary detail, takes up a whole third of the book. While I enjoyed it quite a bit, it made for slow reading when all I really wanted was to get back to the "real" story in the present day. It's quite the worthwhile read, but I recommend having a LOT of time to do so.

Art History Essay #2: Museum Visit to the Dallas Museum of Art

2009-10-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

The African collection at the Dallas Museum of Art includes a Janus reliquary guardian figure, or Mbulu Ngulu, from the late 19th or early 20th century. This figure is from Gabon, in west central Africa, and is attributed to Semangoy of Zokolumga. Carved from wood, it also incorporates brass, copper, iron, and fiber, and is approximately two feet in height. The figure has two faces, on front and in the back, hence the use of the term “Janus” in reference to the Roman god who is typically displayed featuring two faces. One face is concave, and the other is concave but features an overhanging forehead. The features are strikingly abstract. Over the head a moon-shaped headdress is displayed, featuring an intricate pattern in the center that appears to have been beat into the metal. The face of the figure is an oval shape, and behind the strangely stylized eyes, nose, and mouth, which are placed centrally in the oval shape, a cross pattern is formed by two bands of metal. This image is identical on each side of the figure. Placed behind and to either side of the face is a large half moon metal shape which may serve to indicate ears - this is particularly suggested by the small vertical metal pieces protruding below, which are possibly earrings. The neck and shoulders are signified by a thick pointed diamond shape upon which the head rests.

The Kota people of this region of Africa used reliquary guardian figures such as this one to preserve relics of their dead. They believed that the powers of deceased ancestors survived after death and could be accessed in this way to ensure well being, fertility, and prosperity in this life. Although the particular artist’s intentions cannot be understood, particularly as his identity can only be guessed at, this figure was most likely used to stand guard over a family member’s relics. Kota reliquary guardian figures are known for being some of the most abstract depictions of the human form in African art. They notably influenced Picasso in his 1907 cubist masterpiece, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

My first reaction to this figure was astonishment at the abstract style and stylized form. It could be a contemporary sculpture. I thought the two-faced composition was particularly striking. In terms of whether or not I consider the work to be successful in the context of its originally intended use, I think it fulfills that purpose admirably. What better image to have guarding one’s ancestors than one with two faces, to watch for danger from any direction.

Art History Essay #1: Museum Visit to the Crow Collection of Asian Art

2009-10-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

This past spring I enrolled in a couple of classes at North Lake College. One of these was an art history class which involved field trips to a variety of museums in the DFW metroplex. After each trip we were required to write a short essay about a piece of art at the museum. I thought I would share these with you. There will be four total. Enjoy!

The exhibition Stitching the Seasons: Contemporary Japanese Quilts features a quilt by Yoko Ueda, entitled Autumn Grass for the Harvest Moon. Created in 2006, this piece is a silk triptych quilt consisting of three equivalent panels approximately two feet wide by five feet tall. The background is composed of a charm block pattern of simple squares, and sparkles with metallic gold and blue thread embroidered on it. The colors of the blocks range from subdued, autumnal colors of rich browns, greens and purples in the lower section of the quilt, to pastel shades of blue, gold, purple and green in the upper portion. The middle panel is dramatically emphasized by a bold red vertical column inserted into the predominately pastel and autumn-toned color palette of the quilt’s background pattern. The squares of the red column are smaller than the rest of the blocks. On the far right panel, an elaborately embroidered elongated oval shape composed of bronze, silver, green, and deep blue material floats behind a gentle swirl of sheer lilac fabric. Overlaying this surface is an appliquéd scene of autumn grass and fall foliage. A cluster of plants is located on the far left panel and the tall grass and leaves drift as if caught in a fall breeze across the right-hand panels. Some of the grass, which is made of a deep green silk, is tipped with delicate pink flowers.

The subject and color of this quilt represent the changing of the seasons from summer to fall, in a manner that pays homage to the tradition of Zen simplicity. The image of autumn grass has been a long-used motif in Japanese art and symbolizes the transitional period of the harvest. In her artist’s statement, Yoko Ueda said, “Autumn grasses...appeal to the Japanese idea of beauty, especially simplicity. I am deeply impressed with those...artists who had eyes to raise the simple autumn grass blade into a beautiful art form like Zen philosophy.” She sees herself as working very much within that tradition. By using the triptych format, Ms. Ueda transforms her quilt from a household item that is meant to be used to a purely aesthetic object, intended to be viewed and contemplated as something beautiful and healing in and of itself.

This quilt caught my attention primarily due to the triptych format, which I had never seen before in a quilt and thought was decidedly different. The red column on the middle panel also is extremely eye-catching and serves as a visual focal point that centers the quilt. I believe the composition is successful, particularly in the way the leaves scatter across the three panels, effectively binding them together as one piece of art. The intricacy and sparkling quality of the background embroidery, which is characteristic of Ms. Ueda’s work, added an interesting level of detail that appealed to me. It is a strikingly beautiful piece of work that I believe fulfills the artist’s intentions of working within the Japanese aesthetic of Zen philosophy and simple beauty.

The first decent piece of art I've made in a looooong time!

2009-09-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

This is a little collage I just made; I call it Three Leaves (obviously). It's acrylic paint on canvas board with gold paper leaves added with Modge Podge (which is potent stuff, let me tell ya - for the purposes of collage making, I think it is my new best friend. So long, matte medium!). There's actually two bands of ribbon along the top and bottom, but the matte of the frame covered it up. No big loss. Anyway, I really like the way it turned out. I think I've decided to stop worrying about making "great art" - too much pressure!! I will just enjoy making pretty things for my home. Good plan!

Great Wine Labels

2009-09-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Aren't these great? I've drunk the Root 1 and the Pure Evil and enjoyed both thoroughly. Haven't tried Bitch, as it's a red wine and I don't do that sort of thing. Sometimes judging something by its cover is the best way to go!

It's the little things in life, really

2009-09-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

I was working on making some labels for a three-ring binder at the office this morning. They were the kind where you print out the tabs on perforated cardstock and then insert the tab into clear plastic tab dividers. Not a hard job at all, and it got me to thinking about the little office-related rituals and specific supplies I actually really enjoy. Perforated things being one example. I love that! My Facebook status for the morning was, "Perforated things fill my heart with joy. Whee!" I don't know why, I can never resist tearing off perforated anything - ads, postcards, etc.

Some of my other favorite office things:

Post-Its, obviously - how did people ever get by without them?? Apparently this guy invented them. God bless him!
Inter-office envelopes. I just like scratching out the line above, filling in four boxes, wrapping the string around the closure thingy, and knowing it will get to any office in the country.
Changing the staples in my stapler.

Corn on the Cat

2009-09-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Cute Overload, of course! I love these! Bwahahaha!! Note the dainty placement of the paws and the scrunching of the nose.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

2009-09-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is the first book I read for the R.I.P. challenge, and it was an excellent time! I'd summarize the plot for you, but I'm terrible at that sort of thing, so here's the blurb from the book jacket:

The narrator of The Gargoyle is a very contemporary cynic, physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body. as he recovers in a burn ward, undergoing the tortures of the damned, he awaits the day when he can leave the hospital and commit carefully planned suicide - for he is now a monster in appearance as well as in soul.

A beautiful and compelling, but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bed and insists that they were once lovers in medieval Germany. In her telling, he was a badly injured mercenary and she was a nun and scribe in the famed monastery of Engelthal who nursed him back to health. As she spins their tale in Scheherazade fashion and relates equally mesmerizing stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy, and England, he finds himself drawn back to life - and, finally, in love. He is released into Marianne's care and takes up residence in her huge stone house. But all is not well. For one thing, the pull o fhis past sins becomes ever more powerful as the morphine he is prescribed becomes ever more addictive. For another, Marianne receives word from God that she has only twenty-seven sculptures left to complete - and her time on earth will be finished.

Sounds good, eh? And it was! From the dramatic opening in which I watched the nameless narrator become encased in flames, to his bitter struggle for survival, to his dismissive yet enraptured encounters with Marianne, the story had me hooked immediately. The writing is exceptional and made two unlikely characters (a schizophrenic and a pornographer) somehow sympathetic and believable. Although Marianne's stories seem completely fantastic, I found myself believing - or wanting to believe - every word. As did the narrator. Despite his undying devotion to logic and proof, and his constant insistence on her insanity and the "fact" that none of her stories could possibly be true, I think in the end his heart acknowledged what his mind refused.

My one problem with the book was that it didn't seem to fit the challenge. It's not exactly horror, or suspense, or gothic, or any other related genre. It wasn't spooky, darn it. Towards the end it did veer into the realm of the supernatural, with Dante's Inferno playing a significant role in the storyline, but that was about it. However, that is my only gripe with the book. I highly recommend it.

Bike Trip through Texas Hill Country

2009-09-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

For awhile now Chris has been talking about taking me for a ride on his Harley through parts of Texas that are more appealing than Dallas. Let’s face it, this money-obsessed, vast concrete wasteland is not representative of the best that Texas has to offer (or so I’ve heard). So he suggested we take a drive down through the Hill Country, which is supposed to be a very scenic region of the state somewhat to the south of us. I’ve heard nice things about the area, so I said that sounded good to me. Nothing like seeing some actual hills and empty space for a change. He had a particular route in mind, leaving from his grandmother’s house in Arlington, which is where he keeps his bike, continuing south (the scenic route, through random small towns and whatnot), maybe stopping by the Enchanted Rock, all the way to Fredericksburg. Specifically, we took 67 West to FM 16, and followed that south down to Fredericksburg. On our way down and back, we passed through bustling urban areas like Glen Rose, Llano, Comanche, Marble Falls, Burnett, Lampases, and Haico. We planned for it to be just a day trip, and as it was going to be a lot of riding, we had to get an early start. We hit the road around 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

It was a long ride. Our average speed was probably 80, although for a few exhilarating/scary seconds we hit a top speed of 110, at which point I just held on for dear life and hoped we didn’t hit anything! We sped through quite a few random small towns, which was always my favorite part, because it meant we got to slow down for a bit and let my cheeks recover from flapping in the wind. Also, I am fascinated by small towns like Glen Rose (where I’m an official member of the Green Pickle Beer Garden Club, but that’s another story), which is famous for having preserved dinosaur footprints in the area, and I always like riding through their downtown squares and checking them out. The smallest population I saw posted on a sign was, I believe, 111. Ah, I *heart* small town America.

My impression of the Hill Country was that it wasn’t spectacular, but quite pretty, and it did have its impressive moments, like the Enchanted Rock, a huge, rounded granite boulder a little north of Fredericksburg. People were actually climbing the thing. Since the temperature of the day ranged from hot early in the morning to inferno-esque by the time we drove past, I really hoped Chris was not planning on us taking a hike. Luckily we kind of paused to gawk for a minute and then headed out again. Along the way I saw a deer (exciting, that), abundant horses and cattle on the sprawling area ranches, a golden eagle, vultures having their way with a recently deceased deer, and lots of goats. Apparently goats do well in that area and it’s a big thing. Along with hunting. But as a confirmed vegetarian, I won’t discuss that aspect out of moral principals. (I kid. Mostly.)

It took us six hours to get to Fredericksburg, a charming, touristy little town. We drove through the downtown for a couple minutes, and I have resolved that I really need to get myself back there for some serious shopping. It was founded by German immigrants and there were biergartens everywhere. I wouldn’t have minded stopping for a beer in a nice big stein, but we were off to the birthplace of Lyndon B. Johnson, Johnson City (natch). Note that at this point I was insanely grubby, windblown, sore, sunburned, and my right ear was stuffed up and ringing so badly I couldn’t hear out of it due to the wind. Chris was tired too so we decided it might be better to grab a hotel room in the area and crash for the night. Another four to six hours ride, only to get home at 9:00 p.m., didn’t sound fun at all, and a soft bed and a shower sounded heavenly. Two choices of lodging immediately presented themselves: the Johnson City Best Western and a run-down local inn by the name of the Hill County Inn. That one looked cheaper so that’s where we got a room. Now, I’ve stayed in some crummy hotels before, but this one was the worst. It was tiny, with a stained ceiling and a mildew-infested four foot cube of a shower (with no light), not to mention no alarm clock. The air conditioner was lackluster at best and the sheets were stale. Amenities included two wrapped plastic cups, one cheap hotel variety bar of soap, and one tiny bottle of conditioning shampoo. Yeah. Not even a one star hotel by any stretch of the imagination. But, it was a place to stretch out and rest...and get up to some other shenanigans, which I’ll leave up to your imagination.

Later we were hungry but didn’t feel like going out anywhere, so we flipped through the phonebooks to see if there were pizza places or any other sorts of places that would deliver. No luck, in Johnson City on a Saturday. So grudgingly we hopped back on the bike and went in search of sustenance. About a block down the road was a place called the Hill Country Cupboard that was open, and looked like the best option available. The restaurant’s sign featured an actual kitchen cabinet and counter attached to it, along with the motto: “Home of the World Famous Chicken-Fried Steak: Nearly Three Dozen Served!” It was quite the dining experience, let me tell you. There were maybe a dozen other people there, clearly the ultimate Saturday night out for locals. Luckily they had vegetarian options - the catfish basket - and Chris had the chicken fajitas. I seriously needed a beer, and was pleasantly surprised that they served adult beverages there, so I checked out their offerings, and noted to my vast amusement that their imported beer list included Shiner Bock - which is, of course, made in Shiner, Texas. Methinks someone was a bit confused...I took one nonetheless! Dinner was edible, I’d say...I could tell my French fries had been freshly unfrozen, but the tartar sauce was good. The beer was excellent. Afterwards, we crashed back at the hotel and watched “Tombstone” on the History Channel.

The next day was another early one. We were back out on the road heading back to Dallas by around 8 a.m. We decidedly needed breakfast so Chris was going to take me to a locally famous little café in Marble Falls called the Bluebonnet Café. The place was crowded and I was looking forward to coffee and a nice hot breakfast - an omelet would be nice, thank you. Unfortunately just as we were seated we noticed the menu stated that no credit or debit cards were accepted, but added there was an ATM outside for our convenience. All Chris had on him was a credit card, and I had nothing. We got up and left, rather disgruntled. We considered stopping at a gas station and picking up some snacks there, but scratched that in favor of hopefully tracking down a real, actual restaurant that was open on Sunday mornings. Breakfast is, after all, the most important meal of the day. Luckily a few miles down the road we happened upon a promising looking bakery that served tasty coffee and rather delicious apple fritters. We got our orders to go and ate breakfast in a lovely little nearby park. Not too shabby at all, and more peaceful than the crowded restaurant, that’s for sure (except for the constant ringing in my ear).

After that we were on our way again. With only a couple of stops in Hamilton and, oh, some other little burg I can’t remember the name of for gas and water breaks, we made good time and were back to our place in Carrollton by a little before 1:00 p.m. Luckily my cheeks seemed to have gotten adjusted to flapping in the wind, so I was able to relax and look from side to side, enjoying the views as we went. It’s amazing how fast time goes by sitting on the back of a bike. I never get bored, and only once was I hit in the forehead by a bug large enough to really smart. All in all it was quite a fun trip, tiring but worthwhile. However, for the sake of my cheeks and ears I’m definitely getting a full face helmet for my next lengthy road trip on the Harley.

Spooky Book Reading Pool

2009-09-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

After much scouring of the Internet and consulting with other peoples' lists, here is my list of books to choose from for the R.I.P. challenge:

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Quietus by Vivian Schilling
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Her Fearful Symmetry byAudrey Niffenegger
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Seance by John Harwood
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Evernight series by Claudia Gray

Good gravy. Please note I only am trying to read four of the above by October 31. Which should be quite a job, considering The Witching Hour alone is 1,100 pages. But hopefully they are all so good I get totally sucked in and fly through them. Feel sorry for my poor fiance; I'll be stuck in books for two months and not much for conversation, I imagine! If I have time, I may throw in a few re-reads of favorites like Season of the Witch, The Thirteenth Tale, or The Historian (light little read, that one!). Wish me luck...

R.I.P. Challenge

2009-09-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'd completely forgotten it was the time of year for this! Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings (a snazzy bookish blog I've long neglected - sorry Carl!) is hosting the fourth annual Readers Imbibing Peril challenge. It's fall and 'tis the season for spooky stories. This challenge runs from September 1 to October 31, and the thing is to read books from the any of thefollowing genres: Mystery; Thriller; Dark Fantasy; Gothic; Horror; Supernatural. Woohoo, right up my alley! There are four different versions of the challenge, or Perils, to choose from, and I think I'll go with:

Read four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that I choose. I will then review each book and link it to the R.I.P. review website. As of now I have no idea what I'll read, but I'll work on coming up with a good reading pool pronto!

Zine Things

2009-09-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

What is a zine? According to Zine Wiki, a zine (pronounced "zeen" or like "magazine" without the maga) is "an independently- or self-published booklet, often created by a single person. Zines are customarily created by physically cutting and gluing text and images together onto a master flat for photocopying, but it is also common to produce the master by typing and formatting pages on a computer. The end product is usually folded and stapled." They are often sold through indie bookstores or online through distributors, or "distros," for pretty low prices, depending on size, content, materials, etc. Trading with other "zinesters" (people who make zines) is very popular - and frankly is my preference. I'd rather have a piece of someone else's creativity and life in my hands than $1. Zines can be about anything - your personal life (called "perzines"), art, creative writing, politics, food, etc. The sky's the limit and you're in charge! The vast majority of them come from a punk/DIY perspective and generally speaking tend to be pretty left wing politically. I can't count the number of anarchist zines I've read, but can't think of a single conservative one.

My first experience with zines was when I was living in Montana. I found copies of a few in some bookstore in Missoula, I think, and was intrigued by the idea, but I really didn't indulge in the idea of making one myself until I found a copy of Stolen Sharpie Revolution, an introduction to getting started with zines along with a zillion other handy tips, resources, and suggestions, by Alex Wrekk. I recommend reading this if you have any interest in the scene! This inspired me to start making my first zine, lovingly entitled I'm Bitter. My idea was for it to be a goth-themed (which usually meant shameless stealing of images from Gothic Beauty magazine) perzine, and my first issue was probably pretty terrible. But it was so satisfying to watch it come together! I don't remember much of the second issue, but by the third issue, which dealt with my breakup with my ex-fiance and brief stay in a hospital's psychiatric ward, I felt confident enough to send it off to Zine World, a major zine review publication that is distributed all over the world. And I got a good review!! Based on that I ended up trading/corresponding with people all over the country and the world, from Australia, Canada, California, you name it. It really was the coolest feeling.

I continued working on I'm Bitter through issue 9, but it's been over a year probably since I've done anything with it. I really should start up again, it's a real art form and tons of fun. Frankly I'm thinking about just letting this blog's entries pile up for a while, printing them out, and making a zine out of that, since I'm not sure if the moniker I'm Bitter really applies to me any more, even in an ironic sort of way. If you want to look into obtaining zines or learning more about them, check out Microcosm Publishing (based in Portland, Oregon and Bloomington, Indiana, they're a major indie media distributor and publishing house that also does books, posters, and any other number of snazzy thingies) or perhaps look up Zine World, buy an issue, and go from there!

Things that are making me happy right now

2009-09-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

My fiance and I have been together for nine months officially. Yay!
I am drinking a glass of Nobilo 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. It's a wine from New Zealand that I haven't tried before. I am terrible at describing wines like a pro so I will just say that it's fruity and tasty.
Only three more days till the weekend! Sheesh, how sad is it when you start looking forward to Friday on Tuesday?

My Cat

2009-08-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I would introduce my cat, Cricket. She's the first cat who's ever owned me and I love her to pieces, the little furball. She's got personality, darn it, and is very vocal (hence the name). As you will see in some of the pictures, she also is prone to completely losing her dignity for the sake of comfort. Hee!

What I'm Reading!

2009-08-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot of new (to me) books recently. First was the intimidatingly huge (1,100 pages) The Stand by Stephen King. I know, I'm probably waaaaay behind the times. It was fantastic and incredibly gripping. A good vs. evil tale with strong religious themes, it's about a government experiment with a "superflu" (that somehow gets to be called Captain Tripps; I still haven't figured that one out) as a biological weapon that goes awry and is released into the world accidentally. The survivors must deal with the aftermath and are slowly separated into two morally opposite camps. One is drawn to the mysterious and evil Dark Man, a.k.a. Randall Flagg or the Walkin' Dude. The others migrate to an old woman called Mother Abagail who somehow represents God or the forces of good. Over the course of the book the two sides prepare for confrontation.

The story is incredible and the characters unforgettable (Trashcan Man, anyone?). Never once did the story drag or did I feel like skimming over sections. I really need to buy myself a copy. Oh - one word of advice: I read a recently published "expanded" version that included much material that wasn't included in the original book in the 80's due to editorial constraints. Be sure to read the new version (which I think uses the cover shown here, at least on the paperback version; I read the hardcover so it was different)! I'd hate for you to miss the additional story and character development. Woo!

Anyway, The Stand was one of those books I just didn't want to end, and when it did, I didn't know what to do with myself. I was bereft. No other books appealed to me. One day I randomly picked up a book I'd had for years but never gotten around to reading: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It's nonfiction about his decision to walk the Appalachian Trail with his buddy Stephen Katz. I got into it rather reluctantly, but soon realized it was a terrific book. Bill Bryson's writing is excellent, with a sharp eye for details and a sardonic wit that made reading about his misadventures and the oddball characters and places he encounters a hilarious read. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. Highly recommended! Also, it made me want to read everything else Mr. Bryson has ever written. I checked it out at Barnes & Noble and found his stuff in the travel section. He's written about Australia, England (where he lived for 20 years) and, one that particularly caught my eye, one called The Lost Continent, about his road trip through America in search of the perfect small town. Well, I like small towns, and I like his writing, so of course I had to check it out.

I enjoyed it thoroughly! Again, very funny, including witty commentary such as this example: "Des Moines is the most powerful hypnotic known to man. OUtside town there is a big sign that says, 'Welcome to Des Moines. This is What Death is Like.' There isn't really. I just made that up." Ha! He does that repeatedly throughout the book. He also forever endeared himself to me by going through Montana and visiting Custer's Last Stand. So, yet another Bill Bryson book to recommend. I think it's safe to say you can pick up anything this guy has written and have a darn good time.

Tee Hee!

2009-08-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Are Books Becoming Obsolete?

2009-08-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since the advent of the Kindle and other comparable e-book reading devices there has been debate over whether this latest greatest technological wonder is sounding the death knell for physical, hard copy books. It’s been argued passionately on both sides, and I know I’m a little late jumping into the fray, but I’d like to get my opinion out there anyway.
I don’t believe electronic reading gadgets will ever render books completely obsolete. Books have a more personal quality that can’t be translated to a screen and buttons. A certain copy of a book can travel with you throughout your life and end up with all sorts of things in it – notes, phone numbers, underlined passages (you can’t underline a Kindle), dog-eared pages (I’m a bit of an agnostic on the whole “to-dog-ear-or-not-to-dog-ear” debate), etc. You can put bookplates in them! You can write inscriptions in books given as gifts!
Sentimental value aside, there are several technological advantages in favor of physical books that I can think of when it comes to book vs. book reading gadget.

Books don’t require batteries. You have no worries about charging or replacing anything. A book is ready to go whenever you are.
If you drop a book, it’s not going to automatically set you back substantial amounts of money.
Once you buy a book, it’s yours. Period. You don’t have to worry about the bookstore suddenly realizing it sold you an unauthorized copy of the book and taking it back with no heads up or explanation *cough*Amazon 1984/Animal Farm debacle*cough*
Visually inclined books (art, photography, other miscellaneous coffee table books) just don’t translate very well to a six inch screen.

Despite the advantages I can see the Kindle having (portability, convenience, indefinable “cool” factor, instant access to hundreds of books), in my professional opinion it’s no inherent threat to the long term viability of the physical book. After all, who wants to curl up with a cup of coffee and a screen on a rainy day?

Greetings!

2009-08-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my happy little place on teh Interwebs. I’m going to use this space to write about whatever is making me happy at the moment. Hopefully this will brighten up your day as well. Cheers!