post-traumatic acl

I am officially rested, have I think finally blew out and pooped out all traces of dirt and dust that once resided in my body, and the sunburn has cooled to a mild irritated feeling rather than a burning leatherish sensation. Now faced with watching Jail, the poor man's Cops (yes, apparently such a lower level TV show exists), I can no longer put off returning to the land of blogging. The only real excuse I may have is a sore neck from sitting like an inquisitive puppy with head cocked for a 12 hour stretch as I spent way longer than necessary uploading ACL photos. But here I am finding the strength to go on. The truth is it's more appealing than doing to the dishes. And with this long whining prologue I bring you ACL photos pt. 1.



It was such a sweet vacation from the lazyholic life. I had the privilege of taking photos for My Old Kentucky Blog (more on that later), but in between high-tailing it, I managed to have some "me time", which really sounds pretty dumb, because the way I see it, it was all me time. In other words taking pictures is what I would I choose to do every second of the day if I could, so no matter what the situation it's always fulfilling.

Here is a brief rundown of what you missed if you did not go:

1) 24oz Bud Light and Lone Star at an economical $8 a can
2) 568 variations of sunglasses
3) An apparent tribe of young girls that wear thin headbands to show their solidarity and/or test outsiders' abilities to isolate individual person(s) by name, description, or personality
4) A guy in leather pants, no shirt, and a definite Prodigy vibe going on
5) The best roasted potatoes I have ever had in my life
6) A giant Jackalope
7) People getting their Facebook fix in the Dell Dome
8) $1 sidewalk water, which is sometimes "wet AND cold"
9) Hemp jewelry
10)Black lung
11)The Sweet Leaf Tea revolution
12)Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef fame and former wife of Salman Rushdie
13)Children rapping
14)Shops with hats, hats, and more hats
15)Memories and experiences that you will exchange with other ACLers, obliviously and at length, in front of friends that did not go, therefore alienating them
16)Unwelcome invasion of personal space
17)Welcome invasion of personal space
18)Lost cell phone signals
19)Development of strong thighs
20)Skin cancer

In conclusion, there were enough oddities, amusements, and enjoyments to make it worth it, even if it pained the pocket book. And once Claritin D was discovered it was a brand new wonderful world.

PT. 2: THE MUSIC.... COMING SOON

i am not the laziest person on the planet

(photo by recovering lazyholic)

I had a wee epiphany today as I wheeled my cart across the parking lot to its outdoor corral. I looked at a sea of wayward carts... in the grass, in a parking spot, by the garbage, collectively giving Target one big middle finger, and decided to give myself a little pat on the back for never fearing the cart walk, for consistently giving it a go and not taking the easy way. A small victory in an effort to not feel like one of the laziest gals roaming among you. I think this is what some people call "baby steps".

thank you

(AP Photo/Pillsbury, Diane Bondareff)

Thank you...

1) Todd Oldham for being a little ray of sunshine on Thursdays. Our time together is a day late (no cable delays our union, but thanks YouTube for making things possible) and all too brief (hi, 5 minutes of screen time on Top Design), but I can always count on you to bring a smile to my face. You're such a genuine positive guy.

2) My old property manager for giving me my deposit back, and then some. Wow. Completely unexpected. Now I can lavish myself with these things called gro-cer-ies. Pieces of me are grateful as well since I also have a little extra for a few small not really so necessary necessities (is that like a double negative?). Eyeballs = sunglasses; salt and pepper hair = dye. Here's to not looking older than I am and having intact retinas.

3) My recent real estate agent for personally delivering a surprise batch of home made cookies and checking in to see how I'm doing. Yes, I will of course recommend you. And geeze you're a nice person, even if your motives were not 100% selfless. I give it a solid 95%.

4) John G for making it possible to take pictures at ACL. Don't be so modest. You truly gave me a gift, even if indirectly. This is my dream come true.

I liked today. Here's to many more things to be thankful for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

P.S. There will probably be no posts in the next few days due to ACL. Hopefully I will have some good photos to share when all is said and done. Wish me luck.

why do i love this guy?

Best Night Ever: 9-23-08 @ Yahoo! Video

When a full length television episode is not enough to get a T.V. high, thankfully there are videos like "Best Night Ever" on Best Week Ever to relive the best parts. For some reason Max Silvestri is my favorite commentator. He recaps Tuesday shows, which aren't even my favorite... not by a long shot, so I think it must be his jolly yet acid tongue delivery, with a splash of eyerolling. Perhaps.

polaroid 365

(photo by Monica Clapcott)

Wow, that is commitment I just can't rival. A Polaroid a day, every day, for all of 2008. Only in my dreams. Thanks for living it for me!

cute overload

(link via YouTube)

I am way more apologetic than I should be about this but in case you didn't know I'm a complete sucker for animal/people buddy movies, unless they take a grizzly course (no pun intended) like Grizzly Man did. That was actually quite a great film, but in a different way of course. ANYWAY... this trailer makes my heart happy. If anything happens to that fox though, I'll be crying for a week. I'm not good at saying adieu all creatures great and small, even when its fictitious.

smarter than your average bear

Web, Web on the wall who's the smartest search engine of them all? Google. Or it at least likes to brag... likes to boast... likes hot better on its breakfast toast? Seek out What Google Knows and see if your wealth of knowledge compares.

music to my eyes

What a fantastic and never ending collection that illustrator Kavel Rafferty has put together! Record Envelope: the Little Library of Factory Sleeves offers a ton of artwork and design goodies.

lazy fashion

Little did I realize that designers Viktor & Rolf had created the perfect outfit for me in their Fall/Winter 05-06 line. I guess I need to start paying better attention. Hopefully they still have it in my size.

meltdown refuge

From artist Tom Price. What resembles the frequent heaps of clothing in my house, in this case is a cozy chair created for an art project that challenged participants to reuse waste. In this instance the material was plastic.

These chairs are part of a series commissioned by Arts Co for the exhibition, 'From Now to Eternity', and are made exclusively from discarded polyester fleece clothing.

The seat area is created by placing layers of polyester clothing onto a hot steel seat-shaped former. As it heats, the fabric begins to melt, exposing and integrating colours and patterns of the various layers. When cooled the surface is transformed into a rigid, shiny, colourful display of dissolved pattern and colour.

wet kisses

(link via youtube)

Um. Ooh. So. Yeah. I guess start your Christmas shopping early if you are:

a) A germaphobe and the real thing is simply no match for all the Purell in the world

b) A cruel (and deluded) parent that thinks this is the next best thing to give a child that wants a pet

c) Addicted to getting wet

d) Love raincoats

making a case for mondays

And now onto something I can definitively support. Some people, of the 9-5 weekday work variety, dread Mondays. Rightfully so. If, however you ever need a good way to ease your way back in... or even if you don't fit into that mold for whatever reason, Yay! Monday! is a fantastic site to make friends with. I'm always happy to find shelter in the colorful, creative arms of a website that offers design, photography, and illustrative hugs. It's kind of a like a lazy paradise, I'll admit it. Thanks Chris Kalani for doing all the leg work. Ok, that's probably enough body references for one post.

goop makes me feel like poop

Gywneth Paltrow just launched a website called Goop. You know, I have no issue with Miss Paltrow. In fact I quite like her in a few movies. And beyond that she's not offensive or unlikable, keeping in mind I have never met her in my life. By all accounts she seems balanced and worldly, again not knowing her, and having US Magazine and People as an oh so reliable reference. Anyway, either she reads the same magazines and is believing the hype or truly is perfect because her site is about her, how she has gotten to this state of wonderfulness and how you can to, or cry because you feel mocked and/or defeated in her shadow.

I really don't take that much offense at what she's pitching. In fact, her agenda, and believe me I am not, nor would I ever pretend to be selling the exact same potion for sucess... in fact I'm not sure how one begins to "nourish the inner aspect"... but I feel that we may at least have parallel purposes. I appreciate the simple objectives to "make", "go", "get", "do", "be", "see", and furthermore the statement:

Make your life good. Invest in what's real. Cook a meal for someone you love. Pause before reacting. Clean out your space. Read something beautiful. Treat yourself to something. Go to a city you've never been to. Learn something new. Don't be lazy. Workout and stick with it.

I almost feel like she took the words right out of my mouth, as much as I realize the likelihood of plagiarism is the funniest notion of 2008. I guess my point is, on the one hand, even though I experienced a twinge of completely unnecessary envy for a famous person "stealing" my non-existent thunder, I was excited that maybe a similar mantra, to overcome and be better, was birthed into the cyber world. More than that it would be more eloquent and focused than any personal ramblings I've offered up.

BUT, and here is that other hand, I am a little put off for some reason. I've typed and erased, and typed and erased my attempt at an elaboration and I can't find the right words as I try to self-diagnose my beef. Maybe this is just dumb sour grapes. Maybe this is some celebrity prejudice I need to come to grips with. Or maybe this is jealousy and bitterness of someone that, even though once flawed, is SO darn together now that they're attempting to teach the world how to be as good as they are. I guess I just prefer a teacher that continues to struggle, because even the best people I've ever met have set backs or face new challenges/problems. And MAYBE that is truly what's the truth in the vice of my other hand. We're all in recovery; no-one has it down pat.

Once the site is truly up and running I may have a change of heart and G.P. will be my biggest hero. If anything I hope to learn what GOOP means, in the literal sense.

the weekend

(photo by recovering lazyholic)

Pizza, bbq, birthday parties, beer, dog town, sunlight, Johns, movies, friends, and sleep. Doesn't get much better.

one of a kind

Polaroid proclaims the upcoming marriage of J and Sara. What a great idea for a wedding announcement!

SAVE THE DATE:
Vintage Cards [ Inspiration Resource ]
Tie the Knot Origins [ Phrases.org ]
8 Different Weddings to Remember [ Mental Floss ]
MP3 Billy Idol [ White Wedding ]

the days of his life

I think he could have also called this "resurrections of a shaved head" or maybe "hair dance". This is Dan Hanna tracking himself over 17 years with a photo a day. Suddenly I feel compelled to hang out with Cab Calloway or watch vintage MGM cartoons.

dark water hymnal

(photo by recovering lazyholic)

Tonight my friend Ryan rescued me from Hermitville, sister city to Lazytown. We went to the Green Muse and watched a friend's band play, called Dark Water Hymnal. I never know what to expect when seeing a band for the first time; thankfully it was a real treat. The obligatory and sometimes awkward "that was great" lie was in fact the God's honest truth this time around. Come to think of it I haven't seen anything in a while that resulted in a forced compliment. I digress... DWH's sound is folksy and I would not do them justice if I tried to compare or review their style. I just know I liked them. To put things into context, there was a cool breeze, a sweet dog nearby, I had a yummy panini and a tall glass of iced tea, which were all fitting companions to the tunes kissing my ears. Comfortably sweet and calming is the best way I know how to put it.

Dark Water Hymnal [ myspace ]
Green Muse [ myspace ]

flickr color: tate foley

(photos by Tate Foley)

I really like this series, "Evolution is Convenient". Bizarre but beautiful.

copying their work

I continue to be wowed by sites that keep it simple. It's a nice vacation for my eyes and brain. My mind is too cluttered to ever conceive and implement such a single purpose web destination. This is copypastecharacter and you do just that... copy a character. Done.

COPIES:
Making Copies [ Urban Dictionary ]
MP3 Cut Copy [ So Haunted ]
History of Xerox [ Xerox ]
The Life and Death of Dolly the Sheep [ New Scientist ]

the end of the day

Fifty People, One Question: Restored from Benjamin Reece on Vimeo.

I seem to have a nice little theme running here and that is, people, tell me what's on your mind. This time the revelation is an answer to "what would you wish for by the end of the day?" I'm currently wishing my house would magically be put together once and for all. That's admittedly a very, very lame wish but I have been working on it forever now so I think it's the monotony talking. I need to try again when I have less of a one track mind. What would you wish for?

andy is so wise

Andy Rooney has always and will always be such a ray of sunshine. Here are is friendly, happy thoughts on public art. Please, let's be friends. I'm sure we would be besties.

Speaking of Mr. Rooney I thought this video of him and Ali G was pretty funny. He's so patient and likable. And yes, I'm talking about Puppet "I have 50 books on the English language" Brows.

vote for bob

I have DVDs for three reasons. 1) It's a favorite movie, 2) It was a gift, 3) It was an impulsive buy based on either proximity to Target or one good review. The latter applies to Bob Roberts, a 1992 mockumentary made by and starring Tim Robbins. The film follows a senatorial campaign between Democrat Brickley Paiste and the conservative folk singing Roberts, who loves to fence in the morning and then hop on his motorcycle and is described as a "cryptofacist clown". I thought I had seen this movie before, but within the first 10 minutes I realized that was not the case.


Undoubtedly funny (HILARIOUS) it is also unsettling, with comedic jabs pointed straight towards very real situations. More frightening still, even after 15 years the political landscape has not changed much since when this film was released; Bob Roberts is relevant as ever. We're still dealing with failed S & L closures and scandals, sending troops to war, battling drugs, and riding the thin line between church and state.

Timeliness aside it's a great film with obvious nods to Rob Reiner's Spinal Tap and features a ton of familiar faces, including Susan Sarandon, David Strathairn, Alan Rickman, Gore Vidal, Fred Ward, and John Cusack to name a few. But I think two of my favorites are James Spader as "Chuck Marlin" and Jack Black as a crazed young republican that seems to be part of a right wing trench coat army.



I could truly go on and on about the many aspects of this film that make it worth viewing but I would probably ruin if for you. So watch it.

call to the wild

Yesterday I mentioned putting on my corduroy pants, which later in the night made me think of this commercial. All that swish-swishing through the house I guess.

Corduroy Appreciation Club [ Corduroy Club ]
Levis Corduroy Kind of Night [ YouTube ]
MP3 Dead Milkmen [ The Badger Song ]
Badger Milk [ feugo.de/badgermilk ]
Badger Hunter's Little Smokie [ Dogster ]

before you die

I do love my Polaroids so naturally I was pretty happy when I uncovered this little morsel of goodness. The project is called "Before I Die I Want To...". In their own words:

The Before I die I want to... project was inspired by a combination of factors: (1) the “death” of the Polaroid, (2) a psychologist’s tool called safety contracts, and (3) a passion to get people to think about (and act upon) what is really important in their lives through this simple, very straight-forward question.

You can read more about it here.

david keith david

Do you often have a hard time keeping David Keith and Keith David straight? Do you even know who they are? Well you probably do and you don't. And no it's not these guys.


As IMDB puts it on either's bio, "not to be confused with Keith David/David Keith" (depending of course on which they're talking about). I would like to edit that and say "YES, to be confused with (_____________). I hate you". Clearly they are different people, but come on, they have the same double first name situation going on, with the same two names. I of course know one from the other visually (they thank God don't also have the same face), but if you were ever to ask me "hey, what was the name of the guy that was in The Thing?" you'd get something like "beats me, that's what iPhones are for I guess". In case you're like me and don't have a super mobile device to clear things up at the drop of a hat, here's a little list that will hopefully sort out some differences, and at the minimum introduce you the wonderful world of two hard to remember guys.

the matter with their size

This video makes me:

1) ashamed to be female

2) wonder if the actors are cast-offs from the Subway $5 foot long campaign

3) marvel at the subtle use of sausage as set decoration and assume it's no accident

4) want to get a giant picture of myself vaguely gesturing something of large proportions

5) question the claim that I can get a "big, big kid", and hope he doesn't mean of the living, breathing variety. I will however accept a "big, big celebration".

age maps

(photos by Bobby Neel Adams)

This probably sets the wrong tone but for some reason when I first look at images from Bobby Neel Adams' series "Age Maps" two things quickly pop into my head... the "they're creepy and their kooky" line from the theme song to the Adams Family and the phrase "wicked awesome". I should probably be ashamed of myself. What I have just admitted is a sin against the poor fellas work. I can't help it though, and really all I'm trying to say, fighting my subconscious or not, is that I dig this.

If you haven't figured it out these images take an old photograph of a person and combine it with a more recent picture of the same person. The results are pretty odd, especially the black and white examples, which almost resemble shattered porcelain dolls glued back together. I think I am most impressed with the seamless juxtaposition of the faces side by side. His "Family Tree" series succeeds equally, while "Couples" takes the observation often used to describe the overly tightly knit "they're like the same person" to another level. Almost makes you want to be single (or be glad that you are)-- it feels that claustrophobic.

double crossed cross eyes

(marcoa84 via dtybywl)

All that I can really say is if I saw pictures like this on a daily basis life would be just about perfect.

nail on head

The folks with Beef & Sage have aptly captured what is probably the finest day to grace us Austinites, dare I say all year. I'm giddy and nothing goes better with that emotion than my corduroy pants. I hope this weather stays for a while.

Get into the spirit and purchase their t-shirt here.

on the rocks

(Mocha via Better Living Through Design)

Now when you order a drink on the rocks you can literally serve up the real deal to your taste buds.

Nordic Rock is mined from ancient Swedish pollution-free base rock. It is the purest way of cooling your drink - literally 'on the rocks'. Stone does not melt, which means no unclean water in your glass. They are also reusable making them very eco-friendly. To use, simply place the stone ice cubes in the freezer for approximately one hour before use. For a normal glass, two or three Nordic Rocks will be fine. They give off their cold gradually and equally. For maintenance, rinse your stones under clean water and store them in the leather pouch provided. They are then ready to serve you again any time to your fullest satisfaction.

MORE TREATS:
Quarry breakfast cereal made from rocks; "Better tastin', 'cause it's mined." [ SNL transcripts ]
Colon Blow breakfast cereal; "Also available in Super Colon Blow" [ nbc.com ]
Oops I Crapped My Pants; "Let mother nature call... You're prepared!" [ Hulu.com ]

secrets worth telling

Sometimes there are secrets you dare not even confess to the closet person(s) in your life. A few years ago I was given the book Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives, which is a compilation of homemade post cards sent anonymously from people all over the country (world?) to project creator Frank Warren, declaring their innermost secret. The book from what I remember became a semi-sensation and a few more books subsequently followed.


The site postscret.blogspot.com is an on-going extension of the just mentioned publications. Each week "Sunday Secrets" debuts another set of honest admissions and it's a can't miss update I look forward to.


I think this is an incredibly powerful idea, and not because it's different or artistic or cutting edge, but because it has created an outlet for so many people, people that clearly have no other way to purge the experiences or thoughts that shouldn't ever be said or felt. It's got to be very liberating and even if it does not erase or change something "bad" within you it's possibly not as binding as it once was. And it's so relatable, maybe not in the particulars, but no matter who you are or where you are from there is something that may eat away at you, that makes you imperfect or damaged in a way that is not as unique as it might sometimes seem. There is comfort in knowing you are not alone even if the bond that soothes is a faceless ugly truth.

storm worth

I'm sitting here watching live streaming video of Hurricane Ike coverage. I'm not sure why I'm so interested. Maybe it's the lack of T.V., without its channel changing options that cater to my ADD tendencies. So instead I'm glued to a different boob tube of sorts and am fascinated by what I'm seeing, sure that one of the featured newscasters is about to find an untimely death. I can only wonder what's in it for them, in order to willingly suffer through the ridiculousness of standing in the middle of a level 2 (or 3) storm. These guys are all in Galveston, time is at about midnight.

Bio: New guy, zero star power, and zero income. He's the one trying to prove himself so he can move up the ranks.
Thinking: I should have gone to med school.


Bio: Has been around a while, going no-where. Recognizable to avid Fox News viewers (not me). Married or dating a high ranking member of Fox Corp.
Thinking: This is sweet. These guys are funny. What am I reporting again?


Bio: Geraldo. Golden moustache, sensational journalism; this is star power. Cha-ching.
Thinking: I'm going to buy a moustache comb made of diamonds and gold when this is over. I love me. America loves me. I'm tired of things crashing into my head though; I never get used to that.

Geraldo is the one that truly amazes me. Again I'm watching this silent footage which seems to serve no purpose other than to show how much Fox is willing to spend on one guy and how crazy said guy is for being repeatedly pummeled by wind, water, and whatever is flying through the air. I expect him to float away any second.

More insanity:

procrastination

(work by mickeyandjohnny via Design for Mankind)

This video perfectly sums up my world right about now. Although, I have to say I take issue with a few of the examples of procrastination... they sound more like doing, than putting off. Either way it is a pretty clever take on one of the pitfalls of being a human being.

to umbrella or not to umbrella

Living in Austin makes this site almost completely unnecessary, but I can't help but be transfixed by this simple website nonetheless. It serves one purpose and that is to inform you whether or not you will need to use an umbrella today. I thought with 'ole Ike on the way rain may be in store.


Guess not. I'm not sure I even own an umbrella. So whew, problem averted. An aside-- I wonder if the site predicts if you need an umbrella when it is raining men, or if just covers rain of the H2O variety.

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.

working my way to the new neighborhood

Slowly but surely I'm transitioning my belongings to the new house. I'm ready to have only one place to live and be done with this nonsense. It's hot. It could be worse but it's warm enough to hate loading/unloading box after box. Tomorrow morning the movers come and get the big stuff. Hoorah to one trip; boo to $$$. Will all be over within a few more days. I may not post anything until the end of the week. Wish me good luck (please get some deposit back, please get some deposit back!). Back to laundry and cleaning...