I want to live somewhere lonely.
(Inspired by comments on this Flickr photo.)
A Drivel Runs Through It
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
My photographs are in an interactive Yahoo! News feature about the annual celebration of Chinese New Year in Butte.The slideshow, currently highlighted on the main Yahoo! News page, actually uses photos from last year's celebration. (This year's parade was held Saturday and I couldn't make it.) My pictures are accompanied by photos and a voiceover from the Mai Wah Society, as well as background noise from video I shot during the parade.
The Yahoo producer contacted me after seeing my Chinese New Year photos on Flickr.
Gung hay fat choi!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Just got back from a road trip to Boise, Idaho, for our annual CASE conference. Let me tell you, between Missoula and Boise there is a whole lot of not much. It's 369 miles of mountains, rivers -- the Snake, Salmon and Lochsa -- high valleys and a few small towns. The scenery is gorgeous, but all those winding mountain roads add up to a solid eight hours of driving time.
I had a nice time in Boise -- it was my first visit -- and was surprised to learn the area has a strong Basque culture. I went to some interesting conference sessions (my favorite was about how to handle being interviewed for television news), picked up my Gold award and got to dress up for a gala banquet.
I love traveling and consider myself blessed to have been to Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Boise, Butte (twice) and Chinook/Havre (twice) in the last year. In fact, since I've been doing so much traveling lately, I finally allowed myself to purchase my first set of nice, matching luggage last week. I felt like such a grown-up.
However, at the moment I also feel like a barn-sour mule. More than anything in the world, I want to stay home, love on my kitties and focus on my last semester of grad school. I flat refuse to leave the Missoula Valley until at least June. And if anyone tries to make me, I'm going to dig in my heels and bray.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Via "Bananas," a post by Meg.
So. What gets you all in a frenzy?
1. Five foods you can't stop eating.
Butter. Macaroni and cheese. Cheese. Bacon. Refined flour, dammit.
2. Five things you have to do every day or you will GO NUTS.
Shower. Put on lip balm. Check email. Check blog comments. Check Flickr comments.
3. Five things you must have in your home (no points for bed, TV, fridge, toilet...don't EVEN!)
Kitties. Books. Magazines. White Christmas lights. Candles.
4. Five smells that make you happy.
Lavender. Sweetgrass. Vanilla. Rose. Grapefruit.
5. Five things that get you through the day.
Hope. Dreams. Friends. Laughter. Prozac.
You?
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Neon sculpture by Bruce Nauman at MoMA. I took several shots of it. I like how this one forms a heart.
Transition times in our lives provide great opportunities to disconnect from those things that no longer serve us. And we need the psychic and physical space they are holding hostage. Creativity is not something we have to work hard at to achieve. What does take effort, risk, and intention is getting rid of those things that are in the way of our creativity being fully experienced and expressed. The number of things we can get attached to and engaged with seems to be limited - and most people's attention cup runneth over! Our capacity to make commitments seems to expand to fill whatever psychic space we have, and then some.Between PMS, Valentine's Hell day, a major story deadline, make-up quizzes and homework, catch-up work at the office, and various obligations and demands pulling me every which way, this past week sucked. (Update: My CHOCOLATE HELL story, in comments.) I came really, really close to making all my Flickr photos hidden and hanging a do-not-disturb sign on this blog.
~ A particularly timely quote from this week's David Allen's Productivity Principles newsletter.
My name was on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. I should be thrilled, right? But after approximately a dozen phone calls and emails from the reporter, including an interview, a request for a high-res photo, and permission to excerpt my blog, I got two measly sentences. My 15 seconds of fame just ended up feeling like a big time-suck.
I've also had quite a few photo requests from lately from people who've found my pictures on Flickr or the UM website. This is very flattering, and they're all nice opportunities, but of course, nobody wants to pay me for my time and creative effort.
I'm in my last semester of grad school. I've got a thesis to write. I'm also working almost full-time. I don't need the clips; I need enough income to pay the massive student loans that are about to come due.
People, unless you're writing to offer either kind words or money, please leave me alone until I'm done with school in May. Thank you.
~
I'm feeling better today. The sun is shining, it's a three-day weekend and I cleaned my bathroom. Hallelujah.
Oh, and I did get two Valentines! My sweet co-worker Bri gave me a card, and Tango brought me a dead mouse through the cat door. It's so nice to know I'm loved.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Can someone please explain this one to me?
I brake for hovering mallards.
Seen on the rear window of a pickup in Missoula.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
With a red theme ...
These are but a few of many I just uploaded to Flickr.
Someone just asked me if I was still seeing The Cowboy -- she must've missed that post -- and it brought to mind a favorite joke of mine.
Q. What's a blonde's mating call?
A. "Omigod, I'm so drunk!"
Q. What's a brunette's mating call?
A. "Are all the blondes gone yet?"
Q. What's a redhead's mating call?
A. "NEXT!"
This was funnier before I went back to my natural hair color, but I think I can still consider myself an honorary redhead.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Missoula is a place where:
- Cultures collide.
- Tolerance happens.
- Cars stop for pedestrians.
- Subarus rule.
- You can dress up or down (and fit in either way).
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
This is a comment I made to a blog post by Meg, "bodies, rest and motion."
Here's the first paragraph from a recent column in our college newspaper:
Oh, dear Christ Almighty, I made a bad choice the other night. No, it wasn't hooking up with a fat girl. I was too sober for that.
Now, in a previous column, this guy confessed to having been formerly fat, but losing weight so he could get laid.
The only thing worse than people's loathing of fat people is fat people's loathing for themselves.
You are beautiful, Meg. Fat or thin, in pictures or in real life, inside and out. Beautiful.
Here's another gem from Pat Duganz's column:
But the worst part of being sober at Hammerjacks wasn't any of these tiny complaints -- it was noticing the endless line of ugly girls, the pretty they put on earlier that night already sweated off, giving me "the look."
Pat, you may think women like me and Meg and those girls at Hammerjacks are too fat or ugly for you, but you know what?
You're WAY too shallow for us.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Arrived home late last night. So good to be home, and to snuggle with my kitties. Stay tuned while I unpack, read two chapters in my art appreciation textbook and go for a long walk. (It's 20 degrees warmer here than NYC!)
Remind me to tell you about Rent, my taxi accident, fresh fruit, the best mac and cheese EVER, Jersey impressions and flying while fat.
Friday, February 02, 2007
I'm exhausted. My feet feel like fiery stumps. I spent 5.25 hours at MOMA. Didn't even make it to Photography. Or the Museum of Design across the street. Or the Museum of Folk Art next door. Oh well, another visit.
Just a little something to entertain you in my absence. This was shot at my friend Gay's ranch on the Montana Hi-Line. I believe the fence was built to keep wind and blowing snow from drifting over beehives. (Gay, correct me if I'm wrong.)
Yesterday I visited the largest television newsroom in the country, WNBC, at NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center, and had lunch at the famed Carnegie Deli. Today I'm headed to MOMA. I'm so excited!
