February 2005

February 24, 2005

how embarrrassing


I joined the quilters-fiber art webring and WAS TURNED DOWN. Of course I can understand it since for a year I havent mentioned quilting but it was a real wake-up call that I am not who I always was.

So I took the month off to think about it,

Am I a fiber artist? Am I a collage artist? Am I a knittier? Am I ANY artist or just a big lazy fake...




February 24, 2005

Bijection Cock Fracture



(hey, it was a randon name choice from the spam words- I did NOT pick it!)

Remember last week I told you to all see 'Being Julia' as soon as you can? Well this week I have the opposite review: saw "The Aviator' last night. Ugh.

First off it was three hours long, second Leonardo is a cute kid, operative word KID who really wasn't believable as Howard for 2 1/2 hours of squeaky voice rants. He was trying to replicate that fast banter dialogue from movies in the '30s, and but the talk was obscurred by the camera zooming here and there in every scene. The other thing that really annoyed me was that every time a new character entered the scene, introductions were made all around as well as a text at the bottom of the screen saying the full name and title. Not at all subtle. Kate Blanchet was cast as Katherine Hepburn and it played like she was doing it on SNL- WAY over the top, again with the fast witty repartee. It really seemed to me like an amature effort in spite of Scorsese being the director.

It sure didn't portray mental illness in any sort of educated light- one scene
showed him mad as a hatter-naked and peeing into milk bottles, the next Ava Gardner came in and helped him shave and he was 'cured'... dumb, no insights, no sensitivity. Apparenty all it takes to cure OCD and whatever other complex list of disorders he was enjoying, is a knock on the door to appear at a Senate hearing- oops, time to clean up!

Howard Hughes is a fascinating character but this was puppy crap, And there, ladies, you have my opinion.

But I DID like the sets- a wonderful dark blue celestial wallpaper on the Pan Am office, and great green mohair chairs in Ava's apartment. Art Direction is the only award I would give 'em.

Speaking of Art Directors, I haven't heard form mine lately, guess I will go give him a call and see if he answers when he sees caller ID 'mommy'!

On the other end, I did talk to the Old Coot- he was finally able to actually answer his own phone today. I am going to Buffalo on Tuesday, barring another storm, to check up on his well-being.

(!!!) AND I GOT iPHOTO reinstalled today- some of my pictures came with it too, but I lost about half that had been transferred from the Palm. Some of them I had saved to a CD too so the damage wasn'ty extensive. i DO have to remember to do backup a bit more frequently. In the process I somehow lost the Palm and it froze so had to do an forced quit- I cannot get all the cvategories onto the Mac for some reason, have even uninstalled and r4edone it but to no avail. I am feeling a bit better because I found OS 9 which enabled me to install Potoshop Elements finally! Yippeee! As soon as I get my registration number from home I will also install Photoshop and I will again be in bizniz.

Going to get back to my knitting- have to get it to a place that it travels easily and with all the yarn hganging from the fronts now, I am not there! I am making a 3/4 sleeve cardigan in baby cashmerino turquoisey-blue with a huge ruffle down the front. i am thinking to modify the ruffle because that ain't where I need extra bulk, if you get my drift.

Good news, down 2#. Today I went to lunch though, so tomorrow won't be any more loss. I now have 16# to lose- every little bit helps, but frankly I am ready to go eat straight flour out of the bin. Gimme White Food, and go ahead and call me Aryan! And while you're at it I will take some chocolate too, just not milk chocolate..




February 20, 2005
Oy. Guns.


Today I finally got in touch with my dad after trying for three days. got a nurse to go into his room to check the phone and sho'nuff it wasn't plugged in. He is in week 2 recovering from a broken hip he got in a fall, then when he was admitted to rehab, he fell again. I have to get to Buffalo but no sense getting there too soon since I don't have shoes with toes here in FL...

Oh yeah, I added a new category that will overtake all the others in no time: whining.

TY left today at 4 AM for a yogic happening in LA, which confused the hell out of The Adorable Molly. I walked her in my bathrobe at 4, then went back to bed where she gnawed on me for 3 more hours. Sun up, out we go again.

Just got in from another walk and found orange paint on the garage door- a big splat of flourescence up high- looks for all the world like a paint gun. There are lots of pesky grandchildren lurking about the bushes this week, and I know that two houses down there are some youngish teenage boys- I have been hearing loud popping noises since last night and now I know they MUST have a paint gun so I ratted them out to security, our 'thin blue line'.

Finished the skirt for my bed in my massive redecoration scheme- that was good for three 'This American Life"s on the ole iPod! I am scooting through them so fast that I will be NPR-less soon and have to actually listen to a book- there are about 40 of them on there at this point. See my links. I am halfay through a big pillow but the dingle balls aren't knocking me out so the enthusiasm has waned for tht project- hell, I even installed a zipper! Couture Pillows!

Last night's mail brought me the book I ordered from Powell's months ago- 'Shadow Knitting'. This is spectacular- I am gonna do me a shawl asap before they are completely passe! I really wanted a poncho but read they are 'so 2004'. There were 2 versions and I want the long one. I have to order the yarn on line because wool never crosses the FL border. My baby cashmerino has a back now- but I am damn sick of knitting on #3s and need something faster that I don't have to count.

Today I finally reinstalled iPhoto and discovered how many pictures I lost. Thankfully I saved some good ones to a CD right before I messed where I shouldn't have messed and caused myself such agony. The little Epson printer I have down here is fine, especially since it is a scanner and a fax which cost me $29 with the Mac, but the color doesn't come close to my big deal printer at home so I am not doing much along those lines until I am back. I have a camera full now and need to download but am somewhat gun shy at this point. Get it? Guess I will ***bite the bullet*** now and import the pictures.

Then go get my jammies on and knit for the night till Desperate Housewives comes on.










February 19, 2005

Movie Reviews


A GLITCH with Mac- I was trying to tab between 2 boxes somehow an e-mail got sent. Sorry. ANYway, I have seen 2 movies I am going to highly recommend- the other night we saw 'Being Julia' with Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons, and it was wonderful, a Somerset Maughm novella taking place in the 'theatah' world of 1938. Very funny and miracle of miracles, both of us liked it a lot- the funny for me, the literary part for TY.

Then, last night we opened up the days Netflix arrivals and he had ordered 'On America', the story of an Irish immigrant family coming to NYC after the accidental death of their toddler son. The 2 girls playing the daughters were amazing to watch, and I cried several times (something else that doesn't happen often). Unbelievably it is such an uplifting story, and the little daughter singing the Eagles 'Desperado' is worth the price of admission (in this case $3 for the DVD)

'Being Julia' is still around at a few theaters, but it's on it's way out so hurry to catch it this weekend. The other you can rent any old time but get it on your lists.

You're welcome.

Wasn't that exciting? I am so bummed out that I can't see Christo's 'Gates' this weekend like everyone else.

My art life is at an all time low, have been spending my time making dust ruffles and walking dogs. Maybe I need this break? We'll see. Today's sewing was adding velcro to the Walking Nazi's shoulder pads. How creative. She DID get a withering look but didn't get it. Hell, I don't even sew buttons on my own stuff!

The GOOD thing is that I got my Fuller show catalog and it's quite nice- full color, nicely printed and alphabetized. My piece is pretty insignificant but Hey, I'm IN it!