timewhine #4

I recently used a few vacation days. The original idea was to go on an extended weekend getaway. Plans fell through, but I should add that it was without any regret. Although I would have welcomed a change in scenery I also thought about all the things I could do free from the shackles of work. And I thought, and I thought some more. And I got very familiar with Evernote, and didn't just make regular notes, but fancy notes. The whole process only makes you feel slightly better about not actually getting anything done by the way. So that happened, and nothing happened. My accomplishments were in spending a little too much time giving myself mental lashings for having "doer's block" (it truly is like being stuck in mud -- you get angry and a little panicky), and feeding and dressing myself. Yay for a shining a dim light on achievements in lameness.

obsessions

While I haven't had time to get much done I've somehow carved out enough space in my brain to obsess over a few things. Part of me knows I've got to move on, while another part of me can't let go until I completely wear out my love for this stuff.

Broken Social Scene's "Sweetest Kill". The artwork (above) is pretty great too.

Trailer Park Boys on Netflix. I'm not sure how we stumbled upon this, but it's been a favorite since. We're even going to their live performance next month. What that will consist of I have no idea. I'm pretty sure I can count on thick Canadian accents, kitty talk, and cocktails in hand.

Search of the Day. My new job has me diving into the world wide web deeper than I've gone before. As my new mission carries on I discovered this site by a co-worker. It highlights some of the dumbest things that people search the internet for.

This guy's posters on Ebay. Don't buy them. When I win the lottery they will all be mine.

Making a wall like this in the bedroom.

This picture.

512 Cascabel Cream Stout

recovering stuffaholic

Since I am so marvelous at keeping up with this site I figured, hey why not start ANOTHER blog, especially considering how well that's worked out in the past (Little Pink Spoon, Reverse Engineer... and those are the ones that I sort of committed to briefly). I can't seem to stop myself; something seems like a good idea and the damn internet makes it so easy to act on these impulses.

Ok, so I have created a little sister site called Recovering Stuffaholic. Original I know. I don't know really what I want to do with it, where it will go, or if it will quickly wear out its purpose to unburden some part of my mind and then die. What I AM aiming to do is create an outlet for my other problem (aside from laziness in case anyone wasn't clear), which is collecting and keeping loads of crap. With my last move, and the ever watchful and worried eye of my boyfriend, the realization of just how much stuff I have became overwhelmingly clear. When you live on your own you can learn to ignore it; it feels like it belongs or becomes invisible.

I realized (rather could not avoid) that it was/is time to declutter or at least try to purge a great deal of the junk, if not for the sake of space, for the sake of the relationship. I also found myself wondering, as I'm sure most pack rats do, why... WHY? Why so much? Seriously, why do I still have a Lil Homie that I paid $.25 for? Why do I have a Liz Claiborne purse from 1987? Why do I have 100 misc stickers? I firmly believe that a lot of it is rooted in genetics; I come from a family of collectors. Then there's the fact that I'm a sentimental person. Also, I like being able to have something when I need it -- ready for any occasion (although using that rationale, I should consider getting groceries more often). Beyond that a psychiatrist would have to explain the deeper meaning.

Regardless of the reasons for my mess the fact remains that there is too much. Recovering Stuffaholic is/will be:

1) A place to chronicle all of the crap that I'm sifting through and what becomes of it
2) A reason to create another Flickr account (3 don't seem enough). I mainly use the Recovering Lazyholic one so at this point it's bursting at the seams with all kinds of random stuff... photos, illustrations, family photos, ephemera, nonsense. Having an account to compartmentalize these things will help my main account stay more focused. On this new account I will have mostly scans of books, magazines, photos... all the odds and ends that I have, shouldn't have, or just got rid of. Some of it I will probably post on here from time to time. You can find it here.
3) Updated when I have the time, so no promises on how often I will post (I will however be adding stuff to the Flickr account pretty often I'm guessing).

And this was my really long introduction to a project that may never take off but exists for now. Wish me luck as I try to curb my ratty ways.

recovery tokens

Well add this to the growing list of silly projects I've come up. I have made little recovery tokens. I wanted to be able to give folks something for their support, a reward and reminder for in essence opposing laziness.

Each token is a mini-mattress made from real mattresses. Yes, maybe gross, but I was going for the symbolism in tearing up the ultimate lazy crutch... the bed. The fabric is washed and encased in resin, and completed with a tag. So each token is one of a kind. It is then put in a handmade "pillow case", again made from re-purposed lazy materials -- real pillow cases. My sewing skills are about 2nd grade level, if that exists, so you'll have to pardon any crooked seams. Last, all tokens come with a mini-12 Step Guide.

These will be given to anyone that sponsors me, donating to my "making things fund". I think I will give these to anyone that makes a purchase from my shop, but if that happens I need to continue scouting out garbage bins across Austin. Doesn't that sound fun.

Below are some photos that should give you and idea what these baby beds look like.

need to want less: convenience

Meh, I'm not exactly wild about this but it mainly exists to illustrate a point. Yet again I'm touching on food stuff, an accidental on-going theme. I don't think of myself as someone with eating issues, BUT I must be. Maybe not the conventional ones though (say, eating too much, not enough, not keeping it down... you know, all the After School Special stuff). I like to eat. I like really good food. But I will settle for the mediocre out of laziness. Beyond that, yeah I'm still not too keen on veggies. Add to that, I don't have a whole lot of money (that's probably my lamest excuse but my favorite go-to).

I eat crap. I have a long history of barely digesting crap, and one of these days I'm sure it will catch up to me. I don't think about my eating habits often, but clearly it's something that's on my mind. As someone that is about the furthest thing from a "foodie" I focus on the have-not, the shortcomings of my diet versus the what I do right or could do better. And as somebody that is not a cook, not a culinary risk taker, I sometimes find it funny that the majority of my work history has been at restaurants, that I love cooking shows, and the idea of baking makes me giddy. I feel this so-close-yet-so far relationship with food, like I was meant to embrace it but don't know how or haven't come to terms with it.

Could it be my infant allergies, or my restricted menu when I had no teeth as a pre-teen, or lack of exposure to "the finer things", or fear of the unknown. It's not normal, but I have over the years accepted the oddity as just being me instead of really making a go of changing. Point is, laziness is my biggest enemy right now and changing that is the real place to start. I've got such food-on-the-brain I've decided to dedicate this weeks' posts to edible-ish goodies. Not my typical theme so we'll see how it goes. Thankfully it's a short week.

book club

One night my friends and I somehow got on the topic of reading books and how fun it would be to start a book club. My own rationale was maybe it would inspire me to finally revisit the written word and test my imagination, two things that sorely needed a kick-start.

I chose the first novel, which was Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. I don't want to get into dissecting it here and now, because guess what... we have yet to have our meeting and I don't want to spoil anything. Someday... I have not given up hope. For some reason though I can not let an opportunity for a project pass me by and I managed to turn our club into a selfish venture, taking it upon myself to not only name our group but also make everyone bookmarks. Neither idea has really been acknowledged, which is ok; I often am more enthusiastic about my creative adventures than I should be.

I deemed us "Pulp Friction (Cool books for heated discussions)". And no, the book The Complete Book of Absolutely Perfect Housekeeping" (shown above) doesn't really qualify as a "cool book", I just like the cover.

Whatever ends up happening with our group I'm just proud that I remembered how to read and finished a whole book. I can't knock motivators for making things either. Now let's see if I have it in me to tackle another piece of pulp. Any recommendations?

never ending polaroid project

It keeps going, and going, and going, and going. This is a project that started in 2001 and follows a pretty straight forward yet excellent idea. Take a Polaroid portrait and pass it on. The next person poses with the photo of the person before them, and on and on. You can see the full collection on Flickr.

MORE THINGS TO SHAKE THAT YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO SHAKE:
Dry Erase Snap Frame [ Uma ]
Impossible Project T-shirts [ The Impossible Project ]
The Branding of Polaroid [ Giam Barba ]

the world according to godly signs

Steve and Pam Paulson's book Church Signs Across America has been around for a little while but it is new to me. The idea isn't altogether new either... taking pictures of funny/clever/meaningful and even mean church signs, but it doesn't gets old to me. It's one of those things that will probably never go away and will probably never cease to amaze; they always get my attention anyway, and I'm not really a church goer. I only wish there had been more Texas entries included here because I know there is no shortage every time I go for a drive.

sxsw: film

I don't have too many films to discuss but while I was at SXSW I did manage to see a few, some of which I was assigned to and some that I sat in on when I had free time. Here is a quick play by play, in no particular order. Disclaimer -- I am by no means a movie critic (which is evident).


500 Days of Summer (D. Marc Webb; Starring Zooey Deschanel & Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Let me start by saying that Zooey Deschanel's eyes are bluer in person than on screen, if that is possible. And I covet her healthy hair. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has grown up since his 3rd Rock From the Sun Days and continues to be a treat (I liked him Brick as well).

500 Days of Summer is a surprising spin on the romantic comedy. Maybe it's the "indie" in it that helps it avoid the saccharine hollow characterizations you often find in many "blockbuster" attempts. Or maybe it's the surprising turn the plot takes and you're not sure what or who you're rooting for. Either way the idea of pop culture molding people's ideas of destiny resonates and the chemistry of the main characters, along with the timeless yet slightly retro costume design (I may want to start wearing hair ribbons), catchy soundtrack, and twirling storytelling structure make it a home run, even if a slightly uncomfortable one.

Trailer [ Fox Searchlight ]


Trimpin: the Sound of Invention (D.Peter Esmonde)

Trimpin is a documentary following a portion of German transplant musical artist/junk lover Trimpin's artwork and efforts to share his work. He's an odd but lovable guy that clearly sees things in a way that most people can't (and never will) and manages to create some interesting and beautiful music using ugly stuff, namely the discarded and ignored scraps not often considered to be of much use any more, much less an instrument. One scene in particular that blows my mind is when he writes sheet music that looks more like a complex color coded nonsense graph than an actual playable song. Again, a 100% unique visionary.

Trailer [ Trailer Addict ]



Objectified (D. Gary Hustwit)

From the director of Helvitica comes another equally compelling documentary about a very niche area of design. In this case Hustwit explores the process of creating many of our every day items, from a chair to a handy utensil to a car. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the attention he gave to society's need to have something atheistically fresh while ignoring the ecological consequences and sometimes lack of functionality. Many designers on the other hand pled their desire to express an equal balance of form and function, not just sell a beautiful item or add to the landfill.

I also enjoyed the segment regarding toothbrushes. I have a weird nagging fascination with the evolution of the toothbrush... why there are so many incessant incarnations. Seriously my heart cooed a bit when this part came up, and sighed a secret YES.

Bonus points for a cool poster.

Trailer [ Objectified Film ]



Alexander the Last (D. Joe Swanberg; Starring Jess Weixler, Barlow Jacobs, Justin Rice, Amy Seimetz, Josh Hamilton and Jane Adams)

One of the things that makes this film so compelling is the way that it quietly dances around intimacy and the fragility of relationships when communication is lacking. It's actually the main thing that makes it compelling. I just wasn't sure from the onset what I was getting into so the real reveal was in the entire message which I didn't see until the movie was over with... if that makes sense. The performances were also great, largely ad-libbed I should mention. The main message I take, to quote the film, is "you were supposed to meet me half way." And maybe that's why I like this movie... because it says something true.

Bonus, the music of Jo Schornikow from The Shivers, who in real life seems like a very modest sweet gal.

Trailer [ Alexander the Last ]




We Live in Public (D. Ondi Timoner)

Sometimes I like a movie because it makes me forget, sometimes I like a movie because it makes me remember, sometimes it's as simple as the actors or the score. In other words I'm not necessarily an objective aficionado. I also like movies for how they can make me question all that I know and my fears about the direction that society is heading in. We Live in Public, by acclaimed documentary film maker Ondi Timoner (of Dig! fame), makes me want to unplug the computer, get rid of the cell phone, and connect to the real world. Ironically I say this on my blog.

I left the movie feeling a bit hopeless about the future and never wanting 15 minutes of fame. This is not even touching upon the film's main subject which is the story of internet pioneer Josh Harris, a man that conceivably could be labeled as nuts but seems to know what's really going on, even if his message is lost in eccentricity and in-your-face antics. Sometimes the bitter pill is hard to swallow.

Trailer [ YouTube]

bleck

Let me preface this by saying this is going to be a whole lot of whining, and not even good whining... just whining about dumb stuff. I'm mildly irritated by a few things and need to vent.

1) The Bachelor. I have no-one to blame but myself but I actually wasted my time today watching this. I'm generally not super critical of T.V. shows, as I'll watch most anything, but this is probably the worst show on the entire planet. Even worse than crap like the reality show nightmare Sunset Tan (gives me the willy's) because it tries to pretend it's something better. P.S. Anyone that goes on T.V. to find true love AND thinks they find it... so delusional, words fail me.

2) Tumblr. I signed up as I mentioned the other day. I like it... and I don't. I am following a few sites that I truly like and the rest occasionally post something awesome but I have to sift through 500 photos of some "heartthrob" to get there. How do you find other Tumblr sites that are in line with your tastes, and consistently so? Why do I feel like I'm too old to tumble in this playground? Surely there are a ton of folks out there that post what I crave and are not into creating a virtual Tiger Beat.

3) Creating a website makes me tired. I have been trying to put together a website for a while now. The actual act of it has not taken that long so far. The delay has been in coming up with a suitable way to organize everything and figuring out what to include. I have a self-editing problem and am also sometimes indecisive. I think FINALLY I know what I want to do and any seasoned web designer could probably do what I want in a second but I'm stubborn, want to learn something new, and am dedicated to the idea of seeing this through. I don't know what I'm doing though, so I'm entering phase 2 of taking an eternity to make this. I want it over with so I can not think about it anymore.

And really that's it. Life is so tough right. I know, I know.

the road to recovery?

For the past several days I have been taking to the road, cruising the lonely pockets of rural highways (why does that sound so creepy?) for whatever photo worthy scenery I can find. These daily endeavors are due partly to trying to make better use of my ample time off (i.e. unemployment) and also an amped up sense of urgency in padding up my portfolio. It's all actually part of a master plan, as "a" = "b" = "c" and so on. To be more specific (and sound less vague/nuts) the idea is to FINALLY get a job and also take another step forward in trying to be a real-live photographer.

So I need a body of work to point to. If you have looked at my Flickr you surely know that in order to navigate it you would need a map; there is simply TOO MUCH on there. I have only just now discovered the art of self editing. There is a little domain and empty website that I created almost two years ago to be a web portfolio, among other things. This has been collecting cyberdust. I'm doing my best to translate ideas into something that will simply yet professionally display some of my work. It's slow going. Anyway... I feel like in order to better promote myself I need a better portfolio. And to have a better portfolio I feel like I need better photos. In other words this all means that I wish there was more time in each day and I could whip this all out and get it over with so my list obsessed/need-for-total-completion brain can move forward.

In other news, I took a mini-timeout today from photo tunnel vision and enjoyed some time with my boyfriend. Here's to coffee, Mexican food (which I think I should eat more often), and the movies. Go see Milk if you haven't already.

sick days: things i learned

When the medicine kicked in I was coherent (and desperate) enough to watch some T.V, occupying my time with some syndicated friends. The cases are real, the people are real, and the judges make all the difference. If ever slapped with a law suit or in need of settling a dispute I thankfully now have a pretty good idea who to turn to.

home sweet home

(photo by recovering lazyholic)

Here I am. It's been a long time. I have finally moved into my new place. Moving is probably one of the most painful processes on the planet. It felt much like much like I would imagine Groundhog Day to be, except with the added pleasure of heavy lifting and miscellaneous injuries. I carved out a nice path from the old place to the new one and I think my car will forever smell like cardboard boxes. In the end it was well worth it and really like Austin Home 13.2.

In this case the idea of things may be very real. The dogs have been enjoying their backyard, even though they have to jump circus-lion-style through a dog door made for a Great Dane, and are making friends with the neighbor dog. Speaking of neighbors, this is probably the first time I have had such friendly ones. It's refreshing. I also have more space than I could ever dream of, yet have still found plenty of reasons to put off organizing everything. Central air is a gift and I can't get enough of it; no more planting myself directly in front of a window unit only to be dripping sweat. I'm truly in love and can't wait until I'm 100% settled in.

So I haven't written in a while, at first due to moving and not having internet, but then due to feeling completely uninspired. I am most likely in full-blown lazy mode. T.V. is often my bad medicine in such a crisis but I don't have cable. So what's a girl to do. Well this is it:

1) Watch crappy TV on YouTube
2) Watch crappy movies on Hulu
3) Have strange dreams about vehicle registration and stolen kidneys
4) Wonder who is the father of Kelly's baby on the new 90210
5) Renew addictive and nerdy love affair with video games
6) Rent scratched DVDs from I Love Video
7) Participate in games that require no athleticism-- darts, pool, and bingo
8) Buy groceries for the first time in at least 6 months
9) Spend hours organizing one closet
10)Eat mozzarella balls in the middle of the night
11)Become obsessed with Pride and Prejudice

And that my friends is the sad state of the events of last week. I did not include, watch grass grow and go to the bathroom but those could probably be added. What I need to do now is make a list of all the things I should do, which undoubtedly will be 5 times as long and if completed about 100 times more interesting.

the idea of things

(photos by recovering lazyholic)

A certain theme makes its rounds in my head from time to time. It's the "idea of things", meaning I feel that I'm one of those suckers that gets lost in the fantasy of what could be, painting a picture in my mind with all the right components, almost like building a set. Maybe that's why I like photography so much, because it's freezing a moment... a moment that seems so right in my eyes, reducing everything to the perfect configuration of color and shapes. Captured satisfaction.

I'm moving out of my house soon. I've lived here for almost a year (much less time than my last place). While I'm happy to be moving on (goodbye cracking walls, sloping foundation, challenged plumbing) I can't help but reminisce, not of the things that happened here, but of the idea of what originally drew me to it-- hardwood floors, cute porch, proximity to restaurants, old home charm.

That's when I'm faced head on once again with the illusion versus reality. I feel disappointed by what I build up and isolate. How often did I sit on that porch? How many times did I venture down the street for that bite to eat? Part of me thinks I failed myself in not seizing my opportunities. Part of me wonders, could it ever be as satisfying as the mental snapshots I've held hostage? Can a moment looking at a floor be that great? It seems so silly but I can't shake my habits.

The idea of things creates initial appeal, is the attraction. The photograph should be the extension, preservation of grandeur that can't fail because it will now last forever.And all the moving parts in between aren't casualties in experience, but really the part that's worth living.

Blah, blah, blah, etc.

speaking of...

(link to Mustache March)

moustaches... Lomography is running a contest for best moustache photo to coincide with Mustache (yes, I spell it the other way) March . The deadline is March 31st.

So what is Mustache March all about?

"Lets get things straight from the get go shall we. Mustache March is not a contest. As we point out in our manifesto, it's a cultural movement. For a month. Short-lived by cultural standards, Mustache March will burn brightly while it does. Like most cultural movements, there are "rules" governing who is part of the movement and who is not. The following are the rules and regulations that will govern Mustache March's short, but brilliant life span.

What better way to start a cultural movement than to embrace an unpopular social practice in attempt to raise money for charity? The Follicle Freedom Foundation was born of this idea.

Our goal is threefold. Revive a once-glorious grooming practice, humiliate ourselves in the process, and raise some cash for a worthy cause.

Next, we bring back the cape."

How can you beat that? In my world moustaches seem to be the new beard and my door is wide open welcoming them in. Often adorned by pervs, TV icons of days passed, and currently the follicly bored, it's nice to see some folks turn a patch of sleaze into a fund raising movement. A bit of dashing, humility, and philanthropy all rolled into one. And if those guys are serious about that cape business I really need to buy these guys a beer and make them my friends.

please, no pictures, no pictures

Breaking the rules sometimes works out quite nicely, especially when you're not the one taking the risk and can benefit in someone else's thrill seeking ways. "Thrill seeking" might be a bit of a stretch where this website is concerned, but come on, doesn't the thought of some disgruntled security guard chasing you out of a no-photo zone insight just a small amount of fear. At the minimum the idea of taking an unwanted stroll down reprimand avenue may give one pause.

Strictly No Photography is a photo sharing site that allows folks an opportunity to upload their forbidden snapshots. The majority are taken in museums and galleries, but there are other categories such as "Government", "Music (Live)", and "Theatre" in which you will find various offerings. It's an unauthorized scrapbook for the things you've never seen and the things that you have, and can't quite recall.