You know how sometimes you get stuck in the weird world of the Internet and find yourself taking all sorts of quizzes (come on, work with me now, I'm not the only one who does this!) So I did the Color Quiz, whose results were somewhat dubious except for the desired objective: Seeks success, stimulation, and a life full of experience. Wants to develop freely and to shake off the shackles of self-doubt, to win, and to live intensely. Likes contacts with others and is enthusiastic by nature. Receptive to anything new, modern, or intriguing; has many interests and wants to expand her fields of activity. Optimistic about the future.
Or it wasn't that the results were wrong, but that the language was a bit odd, so it all didn't quite fit right. Still, I feel that I do want to live intensely (well not intensely but I want my life to matter, really matter to me. And yet I want to be able to let go and breath through it at the same time. I have intense contradictions)
I've had long email and chats with friends abroad today, and the world is okay, but could do with more love. Like every day, I guess...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Friday the 13th
This is the second Friday the 13th we've had this year. I know because the last one was the day I was flying back from Sydney to New York. I told my mother that my hope was that the flight would be emptier as the superstitious would stay home, but it turns out the sceptics were out in force, because the plane was full!
This Friday we flew no where, but stayed in the city. I was in a room that was so air conditioned that I was shivering, (What an waste of power!) listening to the very first performance of a show my husband is working on. I've never sat in on a reading so early in the piece that was interesting, and makes me want to see how it grows and where it goes. Although needing refinement, the bones were really good, and I was moved.
And then I had that oddly unsettling experience of going to an unfamiliar Wholefoods. I know the products they sell, but they were all in the wrong order, in the wrong place, so I could find nothing I wanted. I still manged to spend $58 on one meagre bag. I did buy one of their cloth bags which is designed to be reused. It has excellent long handles so you can carry the bag on your shoulder if you want and cost $1. They also said they'll give a 10 cent discount every time you bring it in. That's very generous and will encourage people to bring it back. I'll definitely be using it again.
This Friday we flew no where, but stayed in the city. I was in a room that was so air conditioned that I was shivering, (What an waste of power!) listening to the very first performance of a show my husband is working on. I've never sat in on a reading so early in the piece that was interesting, and makes me want to see how it grows and where it goes. Although needing refinement, the bones were really good, and I was moved.
And then I had that oddly unsettling experience of going to an unfamiliar Wholefoods. I know the products they sell, but they were all in the wrong order, in the wrong place, so I could find nothing I wanted. I still manged to spend $58 on one meagre bag. I did buy one of their cloth bags which is designed to be reused. It has excellent long handles so you can carry the bag on your shoulder if you want and cost $1. They also said they'll give a 10 cent discount every time you bring it in. That's very generous and will encourage people to bring it back. I'll definitely be using it again.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Works of Art
I've managed to avoid presenting youtube clips. It's just too easy in a way. Also, while many are quirky, it's such an invitation to waste hours of your life, I can't wholly condone it. But this, this is amazing. A guy recreates the Mona Lisa using Microsoft paint.
See, the potential for art is everywhere!
In our home, we are currently on a beading kick. When I first bought the bead sets, we threaded them and if you made a mistake you had to start again. Clearly not a sport for champions. But then, (and this shows you what a rank amateur I am) I discovered bead boards. Highly sophisticated - basically it's a board with grooves, where you lay your patterns out before threading them. And now, we going gang busters, churning out bracelets with ease. And I'm designing bead rings! I have large fingers and find it really hard to find jewellery that will fit, especially as my current obsession is to have rings for my thumb and pointing finger. But now I can measure them out for myself, and that makes me very happy. So we are hunting beads down and have just put in an order to make this. I'll tell you how it goes...
See, the potential for art is everywhere!
In our home, we are currently on a beading kick. When I first bought the bead sets, we threaded them and if you made a mistake you had to start again. Clearly not a sport for champions. But then, (and this shows you what a rank amateur I am) I discovered bead boards. Highly sophisticated - basically it's a board with grooves, where you lay your patterns out before threading them. And now, we going gang busters, churning out bracelets with ease. And I'm designing bead rings! I have large fingers and find it really hard to find jewellery that will fit, especially as my current obsession is to have rings for my thumb and pointing finger. But now I can measure them out for myself, and that makes me very happy. So we are hunting beads down and have just put in an order to make this. I'll tell you how it goes...
Friday, July 6, 2007
July already! Let's go swimming!
Sorry I haven't written in so long, I feel bad that it's July already.
I had my sister over to visit, and that was wonderful. I had the end of the school year and that was crazy. I hate having 3 separate events to go to in one day. I know that some people aren't happy unless they have to leave this party early to go and be windswept and interesting somewhere else, but I am not one of those folk. I like going to one place and knowing I have time and space to settle in and enjoy myself - or go home and watch tv. But I don't want to go to a drinks, then a pot luck, then a show. It frazzles me. So end of June is a frazzling time, where we go to recitals and funny, sweet but really bad end of school shows, and pot lucks, and parties, all the while doing our usual life stuff. So the quirk factor fell.
But now it's July, after July 4th, and life can return to normal. I am on the quest for the perfect outdoor pool in New York city. Or it can be indoor, but be accessible. Basically I want to sun bake (don't talk to me about cancer, I grew up in the 70's, I know that a tan makes you look better, you can't talk me out of it) and then take a plunge, swim a bit, and go back to sun baking. I want a resort pool, that's not too crowded but is kid friendly and is in Manhattan. So far, not much luck.
But I did look at all the outdoor pools on Google maps. What amazing site that is! If you haven't been, go look up more or less any busy street in New York and click on the 'at street level' option and you will see a 360 degree shot of the the street. I saw my street. And I saw all the roof top, outdoor pools. Frankly, they all look a bit grim, but I'm going to go out to all of them, because the quest is on, I want to swim, but don't want to spend an hour in the subway to get there (or home again) I want to swim local. (of course I also want to eat chocolate with no consequences. Neither may happen but I keep holding on to the dream.)
I had my sister over to visit, and that was wonderful. I had the end of the school year and that was crazy. I hate having 3 separate events to go to in one day. I know that some people aren't happy unless they have to leave this party early to go and be windswept and interesting somewhere else, but I am not one of those folk. I like going to one place and knowing I have time and space to settle in and enjoy myself - or go home and watch tv. But I don't want to go to a drinks, then a pot luck, then a show. It frazzles me. So end of June is a frazzling time, where we go to recitals and funny, sweet but really bad end of school shows, and pot lucks, and parties, all the while doing our usual life stuff. So the quirk factor fell.
But now it's July, after July 4th, and life can return to normal. I am on the quest for the perfect outdoor pool in New York city. Or it can be indoor, but be accessible. Basically I want to sun bake (don't talk to me about cancer, I grew up in the 70's, I know that a tan makes you look better, you can't talk me out of it) and then take a plunge, swim a bit, and go back to sun baking. I want a resort pool, that's not too crowded but is kid friendly and is in Manhattan. So far, not much luck.
But I did look at all the outdoor pools on Google maps. What amazing site that is! If you haven't been, go look up more or less any busy street in New York and click on the 'at street level' option and you will see a 360 degree shot of the the street. I saw my street. And I saw all the roof top, outdoor pools. Frankly, they all look a bit grim, but I'm going to go out to all of them, because the quest is on, I want to swim, but don't want to spend an hour in the subway to get there (or home again) I want to swim local. (of course I also want to eat chocolate with no consequences. Neither may happen but I keep holding on to the dream.)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
An Avid Readers Bill of Rights
I read all the time. Every time I leave the house I have a book on me, so delayed trains, waits in doctors offices, waits in any lines - none of this bothers me, because I have my book.
But I also have learnt that there are some books I don't want to read, even though everyone else is reading them (Da Vinci Code being one that springs to mind.) I had an interesting insight the other day when discussing theatre vs film, and how in film, the director can control where you look by where s/he points the camera, but in theatre you can look anywhere you like, and it makes for a different experience. I used to think books, like film, had more control, because you had to read what was there, but then I realized that people skim, they read the end first, they miss bits, they read out of order. The do all sorts of weird and mysterious things and the author can't control for it at all, so books are more like plays when it comes to the audiences focus, the audience can do pretty much as it wants.
And then I came across this - Danial Pennac's bill of readers rights which spoke to me:
1. The right to not read
2. The right to skip pages
3. The right to not finish
4. The right to reread
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to escapism
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to browse
9. The right to read out loud
10. The right to not defend your tastes
I'm with him!
But I also have learnt that there are some books I don't want to read, even though everyone else is reading them (Da Vinci Code being one that springs to mind.) I had an interesting insight the other day when discussing theatre vs film, and how in film, the director can control where you look by where s/he points the camera, but in theatre you can look anywhere you like, and it makes for a different experience. I used to think books, like film, had more control, because you had to read what was there, but then I realized that people skim, they read the end first, they miss bits, they read out of order. The do all sorts of weird and mysterious things and the author can't control for it at all, so books are more like plays when it comes to the audiences focus, the audience can do pretty much as it wants.
And then I came across this - Danial Pennac's bill of readers rights which spoke to me:
1. The right to not read
2. The right to skip pages
3. The right to not finish
4. The right to reread
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to escapism
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to browse
9. The right to read out loud
10. The right to not defend your tastes
I'm with him!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
plastic culture
What do I consider the opposite of good people doing quirky things?
Celebutants.
I never really got Paris Hilton, I mean she didn't do it for me, what ever glamour she was spreading I couldn't see it. So I always felt out of the loop with her - when the press reported on her, I just turned the page. No rage there, if people want to know, let them. And we all have the cause celebre's we like - I used to follow stories on Diana, Princess of Wales. I loved to see pictures of her, and frankly, in the beginning, she was just a debutant who married well, so really, what's the difference.
But this getting out of jail free card. Because she cried. Because she had to be alone with her thoughts for 2 whole days before she broke. Because she can't read? What's with that?!
I was never part of her posse but now I actively despise her. And I want my revenge - just like in the wonderful film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, I want the same ending, where her fellow elite punished her by hissing as she came to the Opera and forcing her to leave. I want her to be rejected and ignored. Because I feel that people who put themselves so far up above the masses, that laws don't apply to her, that drink driving, which kills people, doesn't apply to her, that putting her lights doesn't apply to her - and why don't any of these women have drivers? What is their problem. I want the world at large to become bored with them and their problems and give them no more attention. Only then will I be satisfied. Let's ignore the bitches, because nothing else is going to stop them!
Celebutants.
I never really got Paris Hilton, I mean she didn't do it for me, what ever glamour she was spreading I couldn't see it. So I always felt out of the loop with her - when the press reported on her, I just turned the page. No rage there, if people want to know, let them. And we all have the cause celebre's we like - I used to follow stories on Diana, Princess of Wales. I loved to see pictures of her, and frankly, in the beginning, she was just a debutant who married well, so really, what's the difference.
But this getting out of jail free card. Because she cried. Because she had to be alone with her thoughts for 2 whole days before she broke. Because she can't read? What's with that?!
I was never part of her posse but now I actively despise her. And I want my revenge - just like in the wonderful film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, I want the same ending, where her fellow elite punished her by hissing as she came to the Opera and forcing her to leave. I want her to be rejected and ignored. Because I feel that people who put themselves so far up above the masses, that laws don't apply to her, that drink driving, which kills people, doesn't apply to her, that putting her lights doesn't apply to her - and why don't any of these women have drivers? What is their problem. I want the world at large to become bored with them and their problems and give them no more attention. Only then will I be satisfied. Let's ignore the bitches, because nothing else is going to stop them!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Other Blogs
So, MUG - Manhattan User's Guide - which sends me emails every day, and has a pretty good hit rate in terms of me reading them- sent me one with this blog. Without even reading it I know I'll love it because it's called I hate duane reade. And the sad truth is, I'm just disappointed that I didn't label a topic with that charming title myself. Because I am one of the converted. I had no intention of joining the cult, had no history of animosity, only came to these shores 5 years ago, but DR has done it's utmost and now I too belong - I hate Duane Reade with a passion that is personal. I don't know what they do to their staff but they are the most miserable, surly, unhelpful people you are likely to meet. That company really needs to do something fast. I will even go to my extortionate local pharmacy rather than go to DR. Not that DR is any cheaper...
Another blog that was funny and interesting was ranting about grammer and clarity, which is one of the quirky, almost old fashioned one might say, things that I care about. I mean I swear like a sailor, or probably worse than a sailor - there is no word I will not use, no phrase that has not passed my lips. But I like sentences that flow, words that follow each other in the appropriate order and I love puns. So I'll visit this is not a sentence again.
Another blog that was funny and interesting was ranting about grammer and clarity, which is one of the quirky, almost old fashioned one might say, things that I care about. I mean I swear like a sailor, or probably worse than a sailor - there is no word I will not use, no phrase that has not passed my lips. But I like sentences that flow, words that follow each other in the appropriate order and I love puns. So I'll visit this is not a sentence again.
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