Friday, November 09, 2007

just wondering...

If I were at the Laundromat late one night and someone bonked me on the head as I was leaning deep into the bottom dryer to retrieve that lost sock that probably didn’t have a match anyway, and they shoved my unconscious body into the dryer and set it on “permanent press”, would you laugh?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Headache

Letters like this:



Make me want to tear my hair out. I took the other picture down because I suddenly worried that it would appear mean and I most certainly do not want to appear mean.

Yes. This post is a cop out. Yes. Angela is just doing her job. Yes. I like to whine.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

At the Top of My Game


Subburdenite chooses to call it "the Pinnacles". My marine mammal obsessed friend dubbed it "the Pinnipedicles". I am going to opt for the simpler Pinnacles. It all makes sense to me and it could hardly be important.

Damn this place is crowded! Groups of teens, groups of kids, parents with toddlers, and an elderly woman with one knee in a brace, one knee wrapped in elastic, and a cane that was masquerading as a hiking stick who we happened upon, all of us flushed with exertion, at the top of a ridge. It was surprising considering that most of the hikes are graded moderate to the is of strenuous and the heat is intense. *pant pant* Some reputable weather site claims the high was a mere 62 F the day we exerted and I cannot prove them wrong, but I would stake several valuable things on the falsity of this claim.

I have been here before. Maybe 6 years ago? It feels like a lifetime ago and if the criteria chosen to measure this were hiking style, then I think few would choose to accuse me of hyperbole. My previous journey was a hike along the Old Pinnacles Trail (at the time I went there was water in the creek) to the Balconies Caves and back. I remember being rather tired and pleased with myself for having exerted the effort. This trip we walked the park almost in its entirety. We missed some of the second halves of the small loops (to backtrack would be silly), but saw everything but Chalone Peak and the 7.0 mile North Wilderness Trail, on which it is suggested that one use topographic maps and be otherwise slightly better prepared than our crew.


When I was in Peru, I was driven to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu at the end of a 4 day hike through the jungle by knowledge of the likelihood of my not returning, and an obsession with Herzog, Kinski and the movie "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (I really wanted to see the stairs from the opening shots of the movie, but was unable to locate them with certainty. Should have researched it before I went, but I thought it would be obvious.). Here I am at the top. It's a little hard to tell, but Macchu Picchu is many many feet below me.



When I went to Pinnacles, my decision to take a left and add 4 miles to the hike back to camp at 6:00pm was driven purely by ego. A decision that was placed upon me by my friend Tom. It drove all of us to take the extended journey back to camp and there is no doubt that it was worth it. Pride pushes me to try a harder with a positive result. On the other hand, the casual statement that I walk quickly and am, perhaps, a natural born hiker is a very proper example of pride gone, um, slightly off course. I sped through the park like there was a fire on my ass. Afraid to lose the lead and eager to not disprove my friends' friendly observations. I took some photos, but I could have lingered a little longer. This is a shot taken in the Bear Gulch Caves, looking up. Initially I thought it looked like a Georgia O'Keefe painting, but now that I have it full size I have lost confidence in this assessment.


And I am pretty sure I saw a Condor, but it is possible that it was just another turkey vulture. We debated the sightings until we saw the final bird. If you go be sure to watch the Violet Green Swallow's flight pattern and to stand on the large rock at the Outlook and make a loud, shrill noise - the echo is awing.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Hit In the Head


I was having one of those days. Maybe it was one of those weeks. Maybe it was a month. Maybe it was one of those phases. Those times when you make plans and then wake up in the morning and want to cancel them. Those times when you make plans to do things that sound interesting and can't muster the enthusiasm to see it through or you get there and realize it's just okay. Stuck, bored, uninspired. I'm not going. Out. And your friend talks to you on the phone and says, "stop, we're going". And you know that exactly what you need is to let someone you trust take control of your decision making for one moment instead of playing the "I Will Listen to Myself" game. And it works. I made it to the Berkeley Art Museum on a gray sunday for the one of the last few days of the Yoko Ono exhibit.

I have little knowledge of her art. I know the story of how she and John met (look it up if you don't know it). I have seen bits and pieces and always found her intriguing. The retrospective consisted predominantly of the instruction paintings from her 1964 book "Grapefruit". There were some glass cases which I do not recall distinctly and the telephone, which I believe is commonplace at yoko exhibits. If the phone should ring, you should answer, for it will be she.

The walls were painted a lovely baby blue with white text. Apparently my photos are a copyright violation (got in a wee bit of trouble). In order to make the images legible I had to unforgivably uglify them, so I will not post any of them. Instead I will quote.

Cloud Piece

Imagine the clouds dripping,
Dig a hole in your garden
to put them in.


Mirror Piece

Instead of obtaining a mirror,
obtain a person
Look into him
Use different people.
Old, young, fat, small, etc,

The Yoko Ono exhibit was nicely complemented by the Bruce Nauman exhibit of some of his early works that we saw afterward. He has a good sense of humor. "Self Portrait as a Fountain" made me giggle and all who know me know I enjoy giggling. I also hear that he is important and influential, but my story will end here. The photo was taken at BAM/PFA and is not related to any of the aforementioned artists. Also, when we went to look at the asian art, M fell over in a paroxysm of hunger, so we had to race off to eat chili cheese fries served in a giant bucket.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Exodus

The jumping Teddy Bear Cactus is a fierce beast with spines that poke out in every which way meaning it doesn't just stick into the skin, but lodges in with ferocity. I had to walk, trembling, toward help and operation dislodge. No blood, but it did indeed hurt. The vision of butchered skin lurking underneath the sleeve of my shirt was vivid throughout the 3 minute long experience. They loom large on the horizon.



But in the end...



They were no match for me, recently aligned with my inner giantess.


The famed Joshua Trees have a lot of personality. They were blooming (this one isn't). This one is a little bit lonely.

I went to the desert about a month ago. I love it there. It heightens the senses and places the mind into a hallucinatory dreamlike state. It's also very photogenic. Traveling with two avid photographers was great inspiration for me to play with my little point and shoot more than usual. Patience (mine), photographer's eyes, and kind words of support are wonderful things. By the way, if you drop something, rest assured, my friend Doug will find it.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Why me why me?

All I did was stop at the Chinese Restaurant for the really average $4.50 huge pile of food lunchtime meal deal which I'm not even sure was what I ordered because I opted to order something new and vaguely named (5 spice chicken) and when I got back to the office wasn't even sure that I had gotten what I ordered. It tasted fine, but was suspiciously sweet and sour pork like. All I did was open the fortune cookie (break in half, take two bites, remember I do not like, then throw away) and got this little gem. Neurotic miser doomed to never quiet the inner critic. Darn. what happened to "you will be recognized as a community leader". I guess both things are possible.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Self Affirmation

I am a wonderful dinner date.




I eat




with enthusiasm




(and shine)

Thursday, January 11, 2007

holiday post post

well, it seems that everyone but me blogged for the new year. Me? I was busily surveying the bounty of the christmas season, thereby realizing the disproportionate amount of lavendar scented home and beauty products. a candle, potpourri, soup, and a microwaveable eye pillow. i feel a little told without the telling.