went to see the fantastic ditty bops on friday night at mad art gallery and all i can say is, "WOW." maid*rite opened for them and although i've seen them many times before, they were so ON friday night. could it have been the palpable energy in the room? (note to self, get one of those fun/funny (if not completely off-color) maid*rite t-shirts!)
art hung all around for the next evening's event and featured a great piece by girlfriend, mary beth (who was also there to see the ditty bops), i met robin (so cute!) from art st. louis, hugged chris from red lead and was glad to catch up with claire even though her sitting at the end of the row prevented us from being able to have a real conversation...instead we semi-yelled funny quips to one another between acts.
there were fire jugglers on the patio after the show and a slew of bicycles transformed into a myriad of creatures (a rubber ducky and a camel are the two that stick out in my memory). "where, oh where, was your camera?" you ask? at home in my bookbag...for it wouldn't fit into my stylish vintage red patent leather handbag, of course.
amanda and abby, the bops that put the zing in my step, sang their hearts out despite the fact that they had ridden their bikes 65 miles in the sweltering missouri july heat that very same day, not to mention amanda had been bitten by a dog and aunt flo came to visit. couldn't have been less aware so cool was their demeanor. their sweet voices rang out so clear and pure as though they were angels from heaven. do i gush? well, it is well-deserved praise. so fab were they, that i was tempted to drive to springfield, illinois for their concert last night, but i thought that bordered on stalker-ish, no? i have had to satisfy myself my humming my fave ditty bops ditty, wake up.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
power to the people...
the little house in st. john is no more without power. as of 10:30 a.m. today, and as a result of one little flick of a switch (literally--one. little. switch.) our electricity is back on. we had entered our 2nd week without power and the bloom was off the rose with the romanticsm about the days of yore and....yea, whatever. i've got air conditioning and i plan on using it.
Monday, July 24, 2006
still no power...
i feel like the title of my post is apropos in more ways than one.
yes, dear reader, the electric power is still lacking at the wallace household. but we are now the proud owners of two (yes, TWO) battery-operated fans (WHO KNEW?) and a battery-operated camp lantern. new york times crosswords by lantern light is a lovely way to pass a summer's evening. i've also invested in a french press coffee carafe (the queen has to have her a.m. coffee). the new fashioned coffee is quite delish and the queen may never go back.
we are quite lucky that our stove/oven is gas and of an era when there was no such animal as an electric start. our water heater, also, gas. so we can cook and take a warm shower, but to tell the truth there is not any cooking going on as the fridge is completely empty after the great black-out purge of '06. gosh, the trashcans ate well this week. goodbye, groceries!
i can't imagine wanting to eat out again for the remainder of this year as i have sampled all the culinary treasures this fine city has to offer. i long for the days of smooth, cool, plain yogurt, or maybe a homemade iced tea with ice i made in my very own freezer. ooo la la...how fancy i would feel.
honestly, this whole thing is laughable and just plain inconvenient, but not too terribly bad. i'm not elderly, or physically challenged, or in need of home medical treatment requiring power, or homebound in some way. i can drive my pretty car and purchase anything i desire (except for D-cell batteries on saturday night) to make me more comfortable so i have it just fine. i can catch up on my reading, knitting, crafting, letter-writing, snuggle by candlelight on the couch with my sweetie, listen to the radio shows i like (thank goodness for "this american life" on NPR last night) and i can sleep in relative comfort in my own home.
so, maybe once the power does finally go back on in my neighborhood, i will keep the lights turned off, windows raised, thermostat set at a balmy 85 and forget that the television works.
we'll see...check back with me in 3 days...see where i stand on this then.
yes, dear reader, the electric power is still lacking at the wallace household. but we are now the proud owners of two (yes, TWO) battery-operated fans (WHO KNEW?) and a battery-operated camp lantern. new york times crosswords by lantern light is a lovely way to pass a summer's evening. i've also invested in a french press coffee carafe (the queen has to have her a.m. coffee). the new fashioned coffee is quite delish and the queen may never go back.
we are quite lucky that our stove/oven is gas and of an era when there was no such animal as an electric start. our water heater, also, gas. so we can cook and take a warm shower, but to tell the truth there is not any cooking going on as the fridge is completely empty after the great black-out purge of '06. gosh, the trashcans ate well this week. goodbye, groceries!
i can't imagine wanting to eat out again for the remainder of this year as i have sampled all the culinary treasures this fine city has to offer. i long for the days of smooth, cool, plain yogurt, or maybe a homemade iced tea with ice i made in my very own freezer. ooo la la...how fancy i would feel.
honestly, this whole thing is laughable and just plain inconvenient, but not too terribly bad. i'm not elderly, or physically challenged, or in need of home medical treatment requiring power, or homebound in some way. i can drive my pretty car and purchase anything i desire (except for D-cell batteries on saturday night) to make me more comfortable so i have it just fine. i can catch up on my reading, knitting, crafting, letter-writing, snuggle by candlelight on the couch with my sweetie, listen to the radio shows i like (thank goodness for "this american life" on NPR last night) and i can sleep in relative comfort in my own home.
so, maybe once the power does finally go back on in my neighborhood, i will keep the lights turned off, windows raised, thermostat set at a balmy 85 and forget that the television works.
we'll see...check back with me in 3 days...see where i stand on this then.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
when the weather suits you not...
try smiling...that's how my tag line reads above. well, the weather does not suit and it may be increasingly difficult to smile as temps soar above 100 degrees and we remain without power. not to mention, my coffee isn't hot as the coffee pot doesn't work without the electricity. thank goodness for starbucks!
i write today, dear blog-reader, from the comfort of my air conditioned office. however, i may not sleep at my office and hotel rooms are booked within a 100 mile radius. what's a delicate flower (like the queen here) to do?
lightning and a tree limbs knocked out the power right in my front yard last night. at the height of the storm, winds topped 90 miles per hour. by the time we realized that the problem was widespread (and not just our block alone) grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations with power were inundated with customers. it was quite an evening. and the electric company says it may be four or five days before power is restored. i repeat, what's a delicate flower to do?
temps are predicted to drop after this evening. however, please cross your fingers for the elderly, disabled and ill who need electricity and services right away. i hope that help is on the way for them, in one form or another.
until there's a brighter forecast for the st. louis peeps, here's a pretty picture to distract you from what troubles you...
i write today, dear blog-reader, from the comfort of my air conditioned office. however, i may not sleep at my office and hotel rooms are booked within a 100 mile radius. what's a delicate flower (like the queen here) to do?
lightning and a tree limbs knocked out the power right in my front yard last night. at the height of the storm, winds topped 90 miles per hour. by the time we realized that the problem was widespread (and not just our block alone) grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations with power were inundated with customers. it was quite an evening. and the electric company says it may be four or five days before power is restored. i repeat, what's a delicate flower to do?
temps are predicted to drop after this evening. however, please cross your fingers for the elderly, disabled and ill who need electricity and services right away. i hope that help is on the way for them, in one form or another.
until there's a brighter forecast for the st. louis peeps, here's a pretty picture to distract you from what troubles you...
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
blog-worthy...
finished object...blue flower purse. knit from a noni pattern (scroll down on the right to see the pattern this bag is knit from). the bag itself is knit in cascade 220 (the strand is doubled and i used two skeins). i cannot remember the exact color, but it is the color the noni pattern calls for. the flowers are knit in patons classic merino too teal. although the pattern says to also knit the flowers with a double strand of yarn on size 11 needles, i knit these on size 8's with one strand and am very happy with the way they turned out.
kelly likes it too...says it reminds him of something dr. seuss might have created!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
life list...
via becky , via nutmeg knitter...the ones i've done are bolded:
Life's To-Do List...
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said 'I love you' and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life
Life's To-Do List...
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said 'I love you' and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
one year...
there is a school of thought that says if you do anything for 21 days, it will become a habit. used for good or evil, i find it to be true. but more to the point, i believe, when we as humans put our minds to it, we can do anything for one year.
for example, i have kept this blog thing going (albeit spottily) for one year. for long-time readers, you know i've struggled with the philosophy of this medium...sometimes ad nauseum. there are probably more entries about what this means that actual content, but i digress...
i made a zine...for one year.
i was a stay-at-home mom...for one year.
i lived abroad...for one year.
i ran a handmade jewelry business with two partners...for one year.
i played co-ed soccer...for one year.
my point being, that if i try something, i want to try to stick with it for one year. maybe it will become a habit, maybe it won't. maybe i'll like it so much i'll want to continue, maybe i won't.
i loved producing a zine, being a stay at home mom, living abroad, making jewelry and playing soccer (sort of), but they never became an integral part of the way i saw myself or how i related to the world--so they didn't become a part of who i was or how i saw myself fundamentally.
neither has being a blogger...
BUT, i want to keep this up for a while--see if i change my mind or the way i feel about it. at this point in time, it doesn't feel comfortable, but i am prone to changes of mood that affect the way i view things and that could presently be the case.
'til the next time then...
for example, i have kept this blog thing going (albeit spottily) for one year. for long-time readers, you know i've struggled with the philosophy of this medium...sometimes ad nauseum. there are probably more entries about what this means that actual content, but i digress...
i made a zine...for one year.
i was a stay-at-home mom...for one year.
i lived abroad...for one year.
i ran a handmade jewelry business with two partners...for one year.
i played co-ed soccer...for one year.
my point being, that if i try something, i want to try to stick with it for one year. maybe it will become a habit, maybe it won't. maybe i'll like it so much i'll want to continue, maybe i won't.
i loved producing a zine, being a stay at home mom, living abroad, making jewelry and playing soccer (sort of), but they never became an integral part of the way i saw myself or how i related to the world--so they didn't become a part of who i was or how i saw myself fundamentally.
neither has being a blogger...
BUT, i want to keep this up for a while--see if i change my mind or the way i feel about it. at this point in time, it doesn't feel comfortable, but i am prone to changes of mood that affect the way i view things and that could presently be the case.
'til the next time then...
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