the semester just wrapped up. oddly enough, when i consider that the semester is over, i'm feeling a little down. i realize that i'll probably never do any more wheel throwing or painting again - and that's pretty damn sad. i haven't gotten my grades back in either of those classes, but i think i did well in both. i had a leg up in wheel throwing because i had taken it before - but my work didn't actually get that much better. on the final project (some 30 pieces - 15 of which i turned in) the glazes came out wrong and it was really disappointing. regardless, ceramics had become a sort of therapy for me. i'd have a bad throwing day here and there but for the most part it was a really enjoyable experience. keep in mind that most of my pieces loose major points when you see how i glaze them. i never took to glazing. it's the worst.
painting was another story. while in throwing i was very concerned with technically sound pieces (light weight, even walls, comfortable handles...) but in painting i just let my instincts take over. i'm comfortable with most of the work that i made and actually really enjoy a couple of them - meaning that there are only a couple that i would really like to throw out and i have one hanging on the wall.
the other day somebody suggested that i put a piece where i thought it didn't belong and i really fell in love with that idea. in my final painting i made a sort of grid pattern and i used the idea of putting things where they don't belong. it makes me want to look at the painting more - this is coming from somebody that has never wanted to look at a painting more. i draw/paint lines almost to complete a compulsion. i like what lines and grids symbolize (an ongoing line or grid) but i also really like the way they divide and deconstruct an image.
so anyways, i guess it makes sense that i'm a little upset about being done with these classes. i learned something about myself and i enjoyed both of them greatly. i am grateful to be done with my art history classes. they were both highly beneficial to me - but for various reasons (pretty sure that was the last paper i'll ever have to write) i'm relieved to be done.
now i would like to go to sleep and not wake up until 1 or 2pm. god that would be amazing.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
hello there
here's a quick update:
yesterday i was really missing home. this happens just about every time that the family is having a party that i cannot attend. potato and i tried to make the best of it. we had a pretty epic date-day. it started by going to see the movie gravity in imax 3d. i don't remember the last time that i went to an imax movie and i don't think i've ever been to an imax 3d movie. it was the perfect movie to see in this format. it was beautifully shot and about space (!!!). imax 3d is pretty damn expensive, but it was well worth it for this movie. when we were leaving the theater i realized my mouth hurt because i had been clenching my jaw for the last hour and a half. ps - potato flinched when space junk flew at his face.
after the movie we went to the store and made dinner. after dinner we had a really fun competition. we played best of three ping pong. i killed him the first game but by the second and third game he remembered how to do a forehand return. we then had a card house challenge. i beat him with a 4th level. it wasn't pretty but it was pretty sturdy. we played a couple of video games and then had a round of bozo buckets. the looser had to by the winner a gift. needless to say, potato got an early christmas present. we caught up on parks and rec and called it a night.
we're going out a lot less than we used to which i think is nice. part of it is because we're poor but another part is because a lot of the time i just want to be home with my boys. now that just about all of our good friends have moved i don't feel motivated enough to go out. we still have friends here, but we're either not as close or not as comfortable with them so it always feels like an effort to hang out. a lot of times it's just easier to stay in. i sound old.
i think that's it for this update. otherwise i've just been waiting for the birdos visit and thanksgiving. both are rapidly approaching.
yesterday i was really missing home. this happens just about every time that the family is having a party that i cannot attend. potato and i tried to make the best of it. we had a pretty epic date-day. it started by going to see the movie gravity in imax 3d. i don't remember the last time that i went to an imax movie and i don't think i've ever been to an imax 3d movie. it was the perfect movie to see in this format. it was beautifully shot and about space (!!!). imax 3d is pretty damn expensive, but it was well worth it for this movie. when we were leaving the theater i realized my mouth hurt because i had been clenching my jaw for the last hour and a half. ps - potato flinched when space junk flew at his face.
after the movie we went to the store and made dinner. after dinner we had a really fun competition. we played best of three ping pong. i killed him the first game but by the second and third game he remembered how to do a forehand return. we then had a card house challenge. i beat him with a 4th level. it wasn't pretty but it was pretty sturdy. we played a couple of video games and then had a round of bozo buckets. the looser had to by the winner a gift. needless to say, potato got an early christmas present. we caught up on parks and rec and called it a night.
we're going out a lot less than we used to which i think is nice. part of it is because we're poor but another part is because a lot of the time i just want to be home with my boys. now that just about all of our good friends have moved i don't feel motivated enough to go out. we still have friends here, but we're either not as close or not as comfortable with them so it always feels like an effort to hang out. a lot of times it's just easier to stay in. i sound old.
i think that's it for this update. otherwise i've just been waiting for the birdos visit and thanksgiving. both are rapidly approaching.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
Classes started a couple of weeks ago and so far, I'm enjoying them. The only one that I don't find particularly interesting is my modern art class - but I'm hopeful that it'll get better.
My wheel throwing class is going very well. All I needed was a little refresher and all the muscle memory came back to me. I seem to have an unfair advantage in the class because I've taken wheel throwing before. Everybody else is a beginner. My goal is to make a wine carafe, a soap dish that is tilted so it drains, and a bowl made of rings or strips of clay.
Painting is also going surprisingly well. I think because I've never painted, and have never really been particularly interested in paintings, I'm approaching the medium in an interesting way. I have no understanding of how the paint will work on the canvass so I'm being very experimental. I'm fascinated by the way paint drips and the way it can look so chemical and decayed. My professor seems to be interested in my style and is encouraging me to exaggerate and enhance it.
Last weekend Potato, Moose and I went to Beer Fest in the UP. This was our first time being in the UP and the only Beer Fest we hadn't been to yet. I must say, it was lovely.
There's a speck in this photo which is actually a bald eagle that kept us company prior to the start of the festival. By the way, it was supposed to be in the high 70's and sunny that day and it ended up in the low 60's and misting all day.
My wheel throwing class is going very well. All I needed was a little refresher and all the muscle memory came back to me. I seem to have an unfair advantage in the class because I've taken wheel throwing before. Everybody else is a beginner. My goal is to make a wine carafe, a soap dish that is tilted so it drains, and a bowl made of rings or strips of clay.
Painting is also going surprisingly well. I think because I've never painted, and have never really been particularly interested in paintings, I'm approaching the medium in an interesting way. I have no understanding of how the paint will work on the canvass so I'm being very experimental. I'm fascinated by the way paint drips and the way it can look so chemical and decayed. My professor seems to be interested in my style and is encouraging me to exaggerate and enhance it.
Last weekend Potato, Moose and I went to Beer Fest in the UP. This was our first time being in the UP and the only Beer Fest we hadn't been to yet. I must say, it was lovely.
There's a speck in this photo which is actually a bald eagle that kept us company prior to the start of the festival. By the way, it was supposed to be in the high 70's and sunny that day and it ended up in the low 60's and misting all day.
The festival was located at a park overlooking the beautiful Lake Superior. It was so gorgeous; I want to live there.
I took a million pictures on the ride. It was the prettiest place I've ever been.
We pulled over on the 6hr drive to enjoy the beach for a minute. I've never seen such a spectacular beach. It was completely empty and goes on for miles and miles.
I guess it was a true "Pure Michigan" weekend.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
back to the grind tomorrow
This entry is going to be a little scatterbrained. I downloaded a bunch of pictures from my phone and I have a comment about each to give people an idea of what has been going on with me. Also because I'm sick... again.
First, I'm about 90% done with organizing and decorating the new house. About twice a day I'll tell Potato "I just want it to be done." Yesterday I cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and started organizing the bedrooms. I noticed while going through the rooms that Potato and I don't really have a set style. The things that we have a pretty eclectic because almost everything we own are hand-me-downs. Even the paint I used in the living and dining room was leftover from Potato's parents house. It'll be nice when someday we'll be able to establish our own style like the Birdos or JoMaura.
This photo is of the shelf above the TV. While I like the way it is organized the pieces don't really go together and I'm very aware of it.
This is Mom's drawing of Justin Bieber on the drawsomething app. She has gotten so good. I want her to take a drawing class. I think she'd really love it.
These next pictures are from the D.C. trip. It was honestly one of the best vacations I've ever been on. It was really nice to have so many members of my family all together in a new city (at least a new city to me). Everybody kinda did their own thing and hung out when they felt like it. Potato and I had Moose as a travel companion for the most part. We did sneak away for a few hours to check out the National Mall. We stopped to appreciate Lincoln, WWII, Korean War, and the Vietnam War Memorials. The Vietnam Memorial was one of the most sobering things I've ever seen. It's something that everybody should see and take their time with. Seeing the names, your own reflection in the wall, and seeing other people point out their loved ones was very moving.
Cocktail hour at the hotel - the boys in red, white, and blue.
The last stop on an epic an long day. MB and I sat on barrels of hay and yelled at people (which I hope we continue to do into our senior years).
The next morning we headed to the "Erin's Face Museum." Joeby turned 1 billion minutes old. It was a great moment and I was happy to share it with him.
Look closely at who the letter from Edward Weston is addressed to.
Bearzors
More Bearzors
Uncle Jerry's illuminated centerpieces. They looked awesome.
Potato and I got to the airport with the Birdos and had an hour or two to kill. So, we played draw together. I drew this one knowing that if anybody were to get it would be Potatohead. He got it within seconds. It reaffirmed my love for him.
On the flight home I got the window seat. I have trouble expressing how much I enjoy having the window seat. Flying is amazing. There is something so special about being able to be transported by flight that I hope I never take for granted. The views are breathtaking and are constantly changing. I get upset by people that sit in the window seat and pull their window down. How do they not appreciate what is going on beyond the glass? I don't care if you fly everyday. As long as the sun isn't blinding you, you should have the window up and you should be staring into space with an open jaw.
For whatever reason, this flight had me in a reflective mood. Now that I've finally realized that I'm going to be here for a while I've started to set goals for myself. I decided that I wanted to appreciate and celebrate my surroundings and strive to better myself.
Even Gary, IN (I've been known to call it Mordor) looks beautiful from this high up.
Every time Potato and I have made the drive from EL to Chicago this Summer we've seen these "wings" on the highway. The first time I saw one I said that it was a once in a lifetime type of thing mostly because Potato missed it. However, we saw 3 more on the trip alone and have seen at least one every other drive we've taken. I think that they are the sails on a windmill... but I'm not 100% sure. Either way they're massive and quite the sight to see.
One last thing, Sparky and Matty Boy are engaged! I couldn't be more happy for them!!!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
updates
Fall is rapidly approaching E.L. Potato and I are all moved in to the new house down the block, we signed up for some fall softball, and are gearing up for a new school year (vomit).
The new house is great. It has more than enough space for 2.5 inhabitants. The basement has a ping pong table and the second bedroom is being used as Potato's closet/shared office space/exercise room. My level of general stress and anxiety has deflated greatly probably due to the fact that we're no longer living with roommates. My roommates weren't bad but they didn't like helping with chores or doing their dishes. Naturally, this lack of help got old and left me in a constant state of moodiness. Another thing that has been good about the move is that Potato and I can have nice things. I don't know if other people feel this way, but I've always felt that if something broke while I was using it I would be upset but would get over it. But if something that I liked broke while somebody else used it I'd be furious and resentful. I'd end up thinking about all the times I had used the item and it hadn't broken and then wonder what the hell was wrong with this person that it broke on them. This isn't really a fair way to look at things but I don't think that I'm alone in this line of thought. So anyway, I got some nice things that I am excited about.
Potato and I subbed for a softball team a couple weeks ago. I didn't actually want to play but I was told the team would forfeit if I didn't help out. So we played and won. After the game we were told that since we won, it was going to be a double-header... WTF. We played the second game and won that too. We both played pretty well. I was at 1st base for both games and only let one ball pass me on a horrible throw. I hit pretty well to the gap between the infield and outfield and got on base almost every time. So anyways, since we did so well playing, we were invited back the next week for the championship game... which they would forfeit if we didn't play. By the second inning in the championship game Potato and I had a combined 3 muscles pulled and a busted knee. I sat out after a replacement came in the 2nd inning. As I sat on the bench, whimpering, I contemplated how much I hate getting old and how exercise is overrated. Regardless, we'll be playing in another league soon that will only be double-headers. Believe it or not I'm not excited about it.
My second class this season is wrapping up next week. I got a fair amount of work that has to be done before that 8am deadline but I've been having trouble sleeping so it shouldn't be hard to find time to get it done. Next semester I'm taking some good classes including photography, wheel throwing, and painting. At the moment I'm most nervous about painting. It's something that I've never really gotten into. I think I've done less than 5 paintings in my life. Considering how many art classes I've taken, that's kinnda shocking. As far as photography goes, I'm excited to learn how to use my camera. I feel weird having this fancy thing that I have no idea how to use. I'm hoping that wheel throwing will just come back to me - like riding a bike. But we'll have to wait and see.
The new house is great. It has more than enough space for 2.5 inhabitants. The basement has a ping pong table and the second bedroom is being used as Potato's closet/shared office space/exercise room. My level of general stress and anxiety has deflated greatly probably due to the fact that we're no longer living with roommates. My roommates weren't bad but they didn't like helping with chores or doing their dishes. Naturally, this lack of help got old and left me in a constant state of moodiness. Another thing that has been good about the move is that Potato and I can have nice things. I don't know if other people feel this way, but I've always felt that if something broke while I was using it I would be upset but would get over it. But if something that I liked broke while somebody else used it I'd be furious and resentful. I'd end up thinking about all the times I had used the item and it hadn't broken and then wonder what the hell was wrong with this person that it broke on them. This isn't really a fair way to look at things but I don't think that I'm alone in this line of thought. So anyway, I got some nice things that I am excited about.
Potato and I subbed for a softball team a couple weeks ago. I didn't actually want to play but I was told the team would forfeit if I didn't help out. So we played and won. After the game we were told that since we won, it was going to be a double-header... WTF. We played the second game and won that too. We both played pretty well. I was at 1st base for both games and only let one ball pass me on a horrible throw. I hit pretty well to the gap between the infield and outfield and got on base almost every time. So anyways, since we did so well playing, we were invited back the next week for the championship game... which they would forfeit if we didn't play. By the second inning in the championship game Potato and I had a combined 3 muscles pulled and a busted knee. I sat out after a replacement came in the 2nd inning. As I sat on the bench, whimpering, I contemplated how much I hate getting old and how exercise is overrated. Regardless, we'll be playing in another league soon that will only be double-headers. Believe it or not I'm not excited about it.
My second class this season is wrapping up next week. I got a fair amount of work that has to be done before that 8am deadline but I've been having trouble sleeping so it shouldn't be hard to find time to get it done. Next semester I'm taking some good classes including photography, wheel throwing, and painting. At the moment I'm most nervous about painting. It's something that I've never really gotten into. I think I've done less than 5 paintings in my life. Considering how many art classes I've taken, that's kinnda shocking. As far as photography goes, I'm excited to learn how to use my camera. I feel weird having this fancy thing that I have no idea how to use. I'm hoping that wheel throwing will just come back to me - like riding a bike. But we'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
home for a week
This is a picture of Moose after helping Potato and I move MB's bed into our car. We didn't quite plan out the drive home once the bed was in the car... so we had to improvise.
There are worse things that you could have to lay on.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Cape Cod
Sunrise just outside of Boston (because Potato is crazy and wanted to drive through the night)
Wall of fog we're about to hit
The beautiful bridge that leads to Cape Cod. If I had to commute across that bridge everyday I'd get to work early just so I could see that sunrise. The picture doesn't do it justice.
Potato and I got to the Cape at about 5am - so we slept on his aunt's porch until people noticed us. This is the view from the porch
This is the totally over the top house that we stayed at. Potato and I essentially had our own suite with a marble bathroom. It was ridiculous.
Potato will be mad at me for posting this - but he never checks my blog so whatever!
This is at Martha's Vineyard. I don't think I'd go there again because it is so damn touristy but it did have amazingly good food (I had a lobster and crab salad with mangoes) and it's beautiful.
My favorite part were all the roses and peonies. They were everywhere.
This is on our way back to Cape Cod
This is the view from the back of the boat on the way back to the Cape.