Monday, June 19, 2006

June 19 - The Blog Gets a New Look

Thought I'd try a different template for the blog, a change from the old green background. Here's the new look - rounded rectagles in green, orange and grey. I also finally changed my profile paragraph in the column to the right. The pesky thing was out of date for ages but I had forgotten how to change it.

June 19 - The New Studio in Action!

I worked at full steam all last week.

I got the keys to my new studio a week ago on wednesday I think. Marco and I started moving, hauling tools and office stuff from home. Then the woman with a studio right next to me knocked on my door and told me that the building, full of artists, would hold an open house the upcoming saturday (two days ago) to try to attract art buyers from the saturday-morning farmers' market outside.

This was a great opportunity to see some potential customers, but so quick! I had just arrived! So Marco and I worked like mad building my work table until we finished it tuesday, then we set up everything else in the studio, then Marco left for a visit back to France wednesday. I worked the rest of the week from like 7am to midnight every day trying to finish at least one complete work so that I could have something to show to any people who came to visit my studio. Whew! By saturday I was completely exhausted but it was so much fun! I LOVE having a real studio!! Two people seemed keenly interested in getting custom stained glass in their home. I gave them flyers and now I'll just see if they actually call back. In any case it was very positive.

I've got to run and do some other stuff now, then I go back to the studio at 8am tomorrow morning. But for now I'll leave you with a "Sign of the Day". I've still got a ton on my computer.


Friday, June 09, 2006

June 9 -- Pee and Poo for Purchase

A while back I sort of laughingly put up a mention of a new set of dolls named "Pee and Poo".

Well, lo-and-behold I just saw today that you can now purchase Pee and Poo online. How many jokes can ya make outta that, huh?

Don't believe me? See for yourself here (and do it quick, because the page gets updated often): http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

Thursday, June 08, 2006

June 8 - Buildin' Tables

Whew, it's 11pm and Marco and I just got home from building my new work table. We have completed section one of four sections. It's a BIG table. Whew! I LOVE finally getting my hands on some tools again and taking some action after all these months of planning.

So anyway, I confirm that I now have a studio. A flurry of activity has taken place since I got the keys yesterday. Also I have a big pile of phone calls and overdue emails backing up so to those of you out there waiting to hear from me I can just tell you I haven't forgotten entirely.

Marco and I also have a ton of other practical things piling up, like cooking Lauren & Emily's rhubarb that's just sitting on the kitchen counter, finishing the laundry, trimming Marco's hair, putting more funny sign pictures in this blog because I have a whole ton still on my computer, unclogging the drain.

So to sum up, I'm busy, but it's a good busy.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

June 6 - I HAVE A STUDIO!

Yay! I just found out that I have a studio space!

I sign the lease tomorrow at noon, then I can start bringing in my tools and building my work table!!!! Whoo-hoo! I've been waiting for this SUCH a long time!

Monday, June 05, 2006

June 5 - Still Great Music

Yesterday I must have just been grumpy. Last night I thought the dance music I was listerning to sounded less good here and I was all depressed. But the good news is that I put all my newly acquired music on my headphones and headed out for a walk and MAN did it rock. I've had the same music to listen to for about 6 months so it was really refreshing and did it ever groove!

Also it was sunny out, and for the first time since about March I could walk the full loop around the beach and pond at Steamboat Park in Afton. It's been flooded ever since the snow melted. The last time I was there I was walking on the ice.

In other news I'm STILL waiting for the rental agency to call and tell me if I get the studio or not. They were supposed to call last week. What the hell are they doing?

Finally I never wrote about this weekend. On saturday a bunch of friends of Lauren and Emily invited us for a kayak trip down the Mississippi. We put the boats in the water just north of Minneapolis and went to Saint Paul. It was industrial at first but rather interesting. We watched a big electromagnetic crane lifting scrap metal off a barge. We went through two locks at St. Anthony Falls and a third further down. Then after downtown Minneapolis the banks became very tall and green, nothing but trees and sandy beaches. We had lunch sitting on pure white sand dunes. When we got done boy were my arms sore, but it was fun. Marco and I actually bought cheap kayaks at Fleet Farm in order to do this trip and I think we will use them a lot this summer. In the evening all the people who kayaked and more went to a party to say goodbye to a guy and his girlfriend who are leaving to travel around South America for 11 months. Marco grilled a tasty steak. Mmmm. Lauren and I talked in the kitchen to a guy who produces his own radio show. Got me thinkin'.... Sunday we went to Brit's Pub then a jazz concert with my Dad.

June 4 -- To Each Place It's Music

It's late and I should go to bed so I won't write long. I'm just kinda depressed. I really love dance music, and by that I mean dance music in a very global sense -- anything from Tom Jones to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs to "I'm Blue Da-Ba-Dee-Da-Ba-Di" to the Limbo Rock to Axwell to Kylie Minogue, to name a few. I won't go into detail about this now. That's another story for another day.

The thing that depresses me now is that I think my music doesn't sound as good in Minnesota. I'm wondering if music has to have the right surroundings for it to sound it's best. I was just trying to search for new dance tunes tonight, for the first time since I've been back in the Minnesota (since we didn't have a high speed connection again until just recently). And suddenly the stuff that I really loved in Paris, around Europe and even in Singapore, all places where the genre of dance music is alive and vibrant, well this music doesn't sound so good here. Something kills it's energy. Is it the cool nordic temperament of Minnesota? Is it the lack of heady sensuality so easily found in Europe? Is there too much niceness here and not enough bad ass flirty, elegant sexiness to bring out the best in this music?

I don't know what it is but I feel like there's something here that drains the beauty, the kick, the wildness out of the music I really like. It's a disappointment. It's hard for me to feel the same energy that I had when I walked around town, listening to these songs on my little portable radio in Europe or Asia or probably even San Diego. I love Minnesota and there are many beautiful things here. But one kind of fiesty, clever beauty is lacking that I can't quite put my finger on right now. I miss it. It makes me want to go back to Paris, Europe, London... wherever.

Friday, June 02, 2006

June 2 - A week of Summer

It's already been almost a week since I wrote in my blog. So here's a recap. It was a pretty cool time.

Friday my two cousins Barb and Luann and their husbands invited Marco and I over for game night. Lots of fun! We were pretty bad though at Gestures, where you have to act out certain words in about 30 seconds and get your teammates to guess them. Only Barb, an actress, could do it in time.

Then Saturday my same cousin Barb and her husband Pete invited us down to their new land in Southern Minnesota near Lanesboro. It was BEAUTIFUL weather out. We ate lunch on the porch of the cabin on their land while a storm passed, then after the sun came out they showed us the bees in their new beehives and we looked around their land which is part prairie and part forest. Afterwards we fished on the Root River (caught nothin' but sticks though), and looked at Barbs mosaics, which are on display in an art gallery in Lanesboro. Great summer day out!

Sunday Marco and I tried to fish again in the stream next to my house. It was beautiful and I we swam in the nice cool water but no animals came to us except mosquitos.

Through the week I worked on creating a design for a massive, super-cool work table for my new studio. It's huge! I was supposed to get word today whether or not I had the studio for sure but I don't think the phone has rang yet. I'm impatient.

And the other cool thing this week was a dinner we had with Lauren (the guy), Emily, Lauren (the girl) and Mike. We grilled out on Lauren & Emily's patio. They have a newly-planted garden with tomatoes, a cherry tree and a GIGANTIC rhubarb plant. They grilled delicious vegetables and ahi tuna and cod with tomatoes and onions with good Italian wine. It was very amusing and relaxing and we left with a big pile of rhubarb which is still sitting on the kitchen counter. Must cook with it soon!

As for Indonesia, I haven't decided what to do. I don't think I'll decide anything right away. I'm not going to forget though. Just by coincidence I did find a group in town that teaches gamelan, an Indonesian orchestra that I actually learned to play for a year. It's a set of gongs, xylophones and other indescribable instruments and is very odd and exotic. I might join the advanced classes and that way I can probably get to know some Indonesians in town and finally make some use out of my Indo speaking skills. PS that reminds me....Shelley, I got your super nice email last week. I will respond soon!

Oh, one final note -- we also saw the following animals this week: a deer and her tiny baby deer next to our porch, a river otter in the pond, more fish spawning in the pond (northern pikes we think), more woodpeckers.

Whew, this was a long post.

June 2 - Pat Robertson's one-ton leg press

Have you heard the news? This is a real news story - no joke. Pat Robertson the 70-year-old Christian televangelist claims that he can leg press a full ton, yes 2000 pounds. And he did this despite the fact that the previous leg press record was only 655 pounds by a University of Florida athlete. He is able to do this thanks to his amazing self-concocted protein drink. The recipe is available on his website.

But hey, don't take my word for it....find out right here on the links below.

How Pat Robertson Leg Pressed 2,000 Pounds

Pat Robertson's Age-Defying Shake

Who needs fiction when the real world is so entertaining?? That's what I always ask. My gratitude goes out to my favorite radio show -- NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me for clueing me in to the news thats really worth knowing.