Little sisters - who knew theyd be cool

So, my friend Natalia had her little sister visiting this past month.  Now, this could be a combination of many things...but for the first time in EVER I enjoyed being around a teenager.  To the point of actually wanting to hang out with her.  She was fun, super fun to embarrass, creative, and intuitive.  Now, it could just be that Nebai in her own right is just a great human - or it could be that I am growing up more - or not caring as much.  I got a kick out of embarrassing her when I took her to the Lentil Festival.  This is apparently the 3rd largest festival for lentils in the US...or something silly like that.  It could have all fit on a high school football field.  None the less, Free Lentil Chili and free lemonaid is a perfect way to feed a 14 yr old when you (the adult) have no cash.  I felt kinda bad when she purchased shaved ice for us to share...but then I felt kinda cool.  Mooching off a 14yr old!  Im 2x her age and she was buying me things...ha ha ha haha

The best part was getting her a big rubber diaphragm from the Planned Parenthood booth.  Of course, I had to have a talk with her about these things and how this was meant to be a beer coozie and not use for sexual activities.  Then I realized she was 14 and she shouldn't be using it as a beer coozie either...so we talked about that too.  Gosh!  Id make a great big sister!!  Oh yes, my shame gets worse because not only did she buy shaved ice, but she also purchased Indian Flat bread because shed never had it before.  Again, I was without cash....so I got her a balloon and some stickers to make up for it.  Fare trade no??  Sex education, Alcohol education, stickers, balloons, and a beer coozie diaphragm!  I can't wait to meet my nephew!

Rite of passage

So, Ive been told that it is every woman's responsibility - no rite of passage that she must make her own fruit pie one day.  Also I just watched Julia & Julie or whatever the name of that movie is...and I was inspired....inspired to create.

 So, I thought Id try my hand at Cherry Pie.  Fresh cherries purchased from the local farmers market!  Alas, I did not make everything because I used a box mix for the pie crust - and I hated the pie crust in the end.  It didn't taste good at all.  Though Jiffy is convenient, it just doesn't have the flake that good pie needs!  However, I still used my trusty thermos instead of a rolling pin to roll out the dough.  Ive had that thing for 9 years now and about all I use it for is rolling out dough.  Maybe took it camping once and used it for hot coco...

 

Progression of a Pie....

Things I learned:
1. You do not need a pie pan to make a pie.  I used a cake pan cuz I didn't have a pie pan anymore
2. Fruit pie is Fruit, SUGAR, and thickening agent (tapioca is what i used)
3. The best oil/butter for pie crusts EVER is bear fat - YUP you heard me.  Bear lard makes the best pie crust in the world
4. Pies don't have to look pretty - mine didn't and it still tasted good
5. Make sure you pit ALL the cherries.  I didn't like the 2 I found still with the seed
6. Cherry pitters are SOooooo worth the $$ if you eat a lot of cherry pie
7. There are 2 "types" of cherries...sweet and sour.  Most people cook with the sour, though the sweet cherries do just as good in a pie!

Wizard of Oz

So for a movie that was made in 1939 the wizard of oz still kicks ass---and is even better as I pay attention to the lyrics.  Man, that cowardly lion is pretty darn funny.  I used to really like the scare crow because of his song, "whilin away the hours consulting with the flowers...." and really who can tell me "why the ocean is near the shore..."  Id be thinkin things Id never thunk before!!  But after this showing - the lions song is way way better.

"What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?"



What the heck is a hottentot you ask???  I did, to google that is...and came up with this:

Saarjite Baartman, a young Khosian woman from Southern Africa whose body was the main attraction at public spectacles in both England and France for over five years, is perhaps the most infamous case of a Khosian body on display.  Baartman, who became known as the Hottentot Venus, was brought to Europe from Cape Town in 1810 by an English ship's surgeon who wished to publicly exhibit the woman's steatopygia, her enlarged buttocks.  Her physique, particularly her steatopygic appendage, became the object of popular fascination when Baartman was exhibited naked in a cage at Piccadilly, England.

But I digress....

The local TV/Internet company here hosted a free showing of the Wizard of Oz at a little local theater.  It was gonna be awesome!  So, I decided 2 things
1. I was going to start reading the Wicked books.  You know...the books about how the wicked wich of the East came to be and all that.  Very political that land of Oz - and whats up with Glenda being so stuck up and frivolous????
2. to invite a bunch of people and make them dress up as characters from the movie.  Lots of people asked why was it like a Rocky Horror Picture Show thing or did we get a discount to get in...which is a dumb question cuz it was free....so heres my answer - because I wanted to dress up and I didn't want to be the only one.  So I told everyone else they would be the only one and what do you know peer pressure worked!

Mom is a munchkin from the lollypop guild
Dad is the Tinman
Aunt Ren is Auntie Em
Emily is the scare crow
Natalia is a flying evil monkey who hasn't gotten her wings yet so isn't quite evil enough
Carissa is another munchkin

They played it on the big screen and all I can think - maybe that wasn't such a good idea???  Like - you can see the fake settings - its more like a theatrical performance than a movie.  Yes I know it was made in 1939 - but on the TV its still magical and you don't get quite the same feeling.  Here it was like we were almost watching a live performance....which could be a good thing....

The Munchkin that hangs himself in the forest is NOT true and I know that it was demythed long time ago - as in its old news to you all, but...I can confirm this urban legend is false!  Ive seen it now with my own eyes.  One of the birds on set is in the background and fluttered its wing at the wrong moment.  If you notice when they walk up to the woodcutters cabin you will see the African Gray Crowned Crain....when you watch the movie on the big screen and they are just about to dance off to the wizard - YOU SEE THE FREAKIN BIRD....on the tiny tv its the munchkin who killed himself for love....*sigh*...

annnnnd....maybe its because it was HUGE screen and all but you could tell the blue evil flying monkeys were just "little people" - and they weren't as scary as I recall.  Oh and the Tinman was wearing gloves....rubber gloves.  His pants were also just that-pants - you see the wrinkles in the material when he walks away.... 

Spontaneous scarfication

So, I got it.  It was all so fast and I am so happy with it.  I know some people may have comments and thoughts of what could be done better, but this is for me and I like it... so keep your thoughts to yourself now unless its all in praise and adoration, then its ok.  Its a lot like people giving comments to new parents about baby names - as a parent to be, you don't want to have finally decided on a name and tell your friends and get the response of "oh I knew a (insert name here) once, they were a horrible person (insert examples of horrification here)"...and now your name that you struggled with for ever to finally decide on to brand this new life for the rest of its life...it is ruined....  So, I drew it and am very happy with all the meanings for everything in it.  There are a couple of things that I might have him touch up, but otherwise it is something I am glad to have on my body for the rest of my life. 

So you may or may not know the story behind my tattoos, but it started in Antarctica when I knew a
lady named Wendy Feather.  (no she wasn't lucky enough nor native American to be born with the name Feather, she renamed herself when she was 18).   She was a 63 year old cook that worked the night shift when I was working in the kitchens at the south pole.  Wendy and I bonded pretty well and were discussing getting a tattoo together when we got back to New Zealand.  I knew right then what I wanted to get and how I wanted it to look (inspired by a necklace frog thing a friend gave me).  It was discussing with her about my life travels and such that inspired the theme of an animal from every continent - which would limit me to 7 tattoos...not too bad a limit.   Wendy ended up getting off the ice before me (I was on one of the last planes out for the season; she was on the first).  I never did hook up with her afterwords.  But the seed was planted.  Its taken me a while as it is a work in progress and there are struggles with getting exactly what I am happy with for the rest of my life (i.e., no regrets). 
Since I had to go through New Zealand to get to Antarctica and spent a significant amount of time on NZ & because there is no "native" culture on Antarctica - this is inspired by the Maori art. 

In the latest installment I got the penguin.  

 The bat/bird for the head represents sociality (not a big deal for me, I just liked the form it took to create the head)

The fish hook in the neck represent strength, prosperity,abundance, fertility and a great respect for the sea.  It also is said to provide good luck and safety when traveling over water so is often worn by travelers. This is a very common symbol many people have from New Zealand art.

The fern in the back represents maturity
The figure above and below (the tail) the fern are made by the hammerhead shark motif, representing determination and tenacity. 
The spiral are Koru (found in the neck region, tail and belly), and represent the fern frond as it opens bringing new life and purity to the world. It also represents peace, tranquility and spirituality along with a strong sense of regrowth or new beginnings.

The bird on the chest represents freedom and safe return and, like any bird, watching the world from a different perspective.

In the wing is the twist with its crisscross form it represents the many paths of life and love and as such is regarded as the original eternity symbol. A single twist, in particular, would show the joining together of two people for eternity. Even though they sometimes move away from each other on their own journeys, they will always come together again sharing their lives and blending to become one. It tells how the strength of bond of friendship, loyalty and love will last forever.  The double and triple twists have a similar meaning but refer more to the joining of two peoples or cultures rather than individuals.  They also refer the the three baskets of knowledge.

slender loris

I am not finished, I have only 3 continents done - I need to decide what to do for Europe and North America (if I do one for NA at all) and I am now trying to settle on a design for Asia which has been narrowed down to a slender Loris or stripped hyena.

Stripped hyena from Kutch India

Id take suggestions for inspiration for the design for Asia - but this is what I am thinking thus far...It has to be inspired by images from India...and while there I really enjoyed the Buddhist colony near by which has some incredible art.  Much more influenced by Tibet, but I loved it.

 

Also, of course is the mendi work done on the streets (see my other blog June 24th about why I was in love with my own hand).  This may be more difficult, but should work.

 

"Nice" guys are annoying

Will someone please tell me why nice guys are so annoying??  I mean really - why do they have to be SOOOOOOOoooo nice that they are totally and completely oblivious to the fact that you aren't interested.  Now, before my rant gets any further - let me state I am aware that there may be someone out there who probably felt the exact same way about me...sooo let me not speak in abstracts....

So, I have started kayaking again and this time its for white water.  They have practice sessions in the pool every Wed.  Good times; all equipment supplied etc.  The practice sessions in the pool get you familiar with flipping your boat because you may be underwater and how to get back up without getting out of your boat.  So last week I went for the first time and having virtually no clue - I am watching other people and taking advice from where I can get it. Most of the people in the pool seem to be with someone else working in pairs or what have you.  Well this guy - call him Aaron (cuz thats his name) starts offering advice.  So, I listen.  I take his advice and ask him questions.  I think nothing of it because I am so focused on learning what I can from whom ever.  I am not only talking to him though, I have sort of befriended this lady who I am copying and chatting with but she has her husband as a partner... Eventually I realize Ive been "adopted" by Aaron who is now offering me his nose plug, his paddle, and even his boat.  He tells me in a bragging sort of way about his job (cuz you make that kind of chit chat "what do you do?" bull) how he was a back country ranger and could hike 50miles a day with a 70lb pack blah blah and how he was in the military and is now a fire fighter.  How he loves teaching children and especially high schoolers - to show the guys what its like to have a "real" job.  I even meet his sister - she comes to the pool to visit.  Somewhere in there I find out that he was supposed to be on a date but his date canceled.  It really wasn't that bad and I left with a feeling of "hes a good chum, a bit awkward though and too eager".  I honestly do not think I did anything to "bring it"...but this week.  UGH!

This week, I show up and there he is, only this time he has brought an extra spray skirt just for me to try.  He brought goggles and is still insisting I share his nose plug.  The problem is that when he offers, I can't say no - because everyone around me is saying "OH yes, that's a good idea, you should take that".  This week there was an actual instructor - well call him Paul.  Paul overheard the offer of the spray skirt and just took it from Aaron and handed it to me and told me to get in boat.  So, now I am wearing this guys skirt (and all I can think is this has touched his nipples) and on and off throughout the evening his goggles and his nose plug.  I had brought my own nose plug, but it was crappy and kept slipping off.  This guy stuck to me all night, it was like he was tethered to my boat.  I was trying to learn from Paul and when he would send us out on our own I would try to practice with other students - but up would come Paul and everyone would eventually float away.  Or he would be the first to "rescue" me.  (when you flip over, you can signal that you have had enough and need to be flipped back over so another boat comes up and bumps you in the side and you hoist yourself up from their boat).  He would speed across the pool to be the first to get there.  It was awkward.  This guy Jeremy and I were practicing and he was my "spotter" and zoom! in come Aaron, he did that so many times that Jeremy just left...Eventually throughout the night I began to feel like Aaron deemed himself my protector, or I was Aarons property.  I would paddle to the other side of the pool, start talking and practicing with other people and up he would come and just start talking about what he was just doing without a thought to the fact that I was so not paying attention.  The bad part is, the more insistent he became on getting my attention, the more I slipped into this passive aggressive thing of avoiding him, giving him short curt answers, and just trying to ignore him all together.  Seriously!  Why?  Why can you just make a friend?  "OH you ask - maybe I was misinterpreting his advances??" - OK, what do you think when he is constantly changing the subject to himself - his exploits of strength and endurance, his experiences on rivers....AND then he starts talking about his dates.  The last date bailed because she decided to date someone else.  He is willing to travel 5 hours to meet someone from a dating web site, he has another date lined up and is having fun dating.  It really was very cartoonish and all I could picture was him standing off to the side posing in those muscle men poses with a big cheesy grin saying - look at me.  OH! and it gets worse!  Because I finally get my roll on!  It took 2.75 hours but I got it!  so the last 15 minutes I was rolling to my hearts content.  Only there's Aaron - I could see it in his eyes, he wanted to hug me.....so instead he hugged my boat!! literally.  saying congratulations and how me rolling really made his day!  It was the best thing that had happened to HIM all day - was watching me get the roll.  He had never had this much fun as he has had on his dates!!!  eeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk! screeching halt!  excuse me?!?! I am so not on a date with you!  THEN, (if you cant hear my voice I am working myself into a feverish pitch) didn't know this but there are 2 locker rooms in the pool area.  the locker room that had my stuff closes at 9:30 and it was 10 by the time we got out of the pool...so my stuff was locked in a room that none of the lifeguards or instructors had keys to.  They didn't know how to get into the locker room at all, some were suggesting I walk home (in my bare feet, swimming suit, wet head and its 33Fdegrees outside) or go and stay at a friends house for the night.  And then Aaron gets involved.  Trying to break down the door.  Trying to offer me a ride home.  The chaos of the next 30 minutes of me trying to get Aaron to go home, to leave me while I wait for maintenance with the lifeguards in a safe place "OH noooo!" he's got "nothing else to do"....seriously by this time I was walking away from him as he approaches to sit on the other side of the pool.

I guess what it is, that I don't like having to be rude or mean to someone just so they get the idea that I am not interested.   I know that next week - next week I am just going to say it aint gonna happen.  But I don't' know how to do that without being blunt...like really blunt.   He seems like he would be a very cool person - except that he hates wolves....but still a cool person. 

Music through my life - my life through music?

So, I recently made a long drive with no cell phone and hardly any radio stations...or more radio stations than I cared to listen to because it was more commercials than songs.  My CD collection had been packed and I was left with 5 CDs to make the 1,500 mile trip from Lubbock to Moscow (Idaho not Russia).  Anyway, this left me with a lot of time to either talk to the gecko - my faithful passenger as long as she stayed in her tank, or think to myself.  Course, sometimes "thinking" really meant talking out loud - to myself.  I like to rehearse speeches...or conversations and go over them or pretend I am going to have the perfect opportunity to say these exact words.  So, I say whatever it is I am thinking out loud and its almost as if I am really telling the person what I feel.  Alas, those perfect moments will never arrive and if there is even the slightest hint that the conversation could actually take pace - I would forget what I had hoped to say or I just mess it all up entirely.  So, I say it out loud, get it off my chest and then expect you to know exactly how I feel :)

Anyway, this is really more about the one conversation I did have with myself (clover - the gecko didn't really respond - she was a lame duck at this point in the trip).  My conversation was about music and how affected I can become - easily by music.  Like if you play the doors while I am trying to read I can without realizing it become so incredibly angry its like out of the blue - woah! where'd that come from?!?!  Or certain songs by Alison Krauss can bring me to tears within 2 lines - so beautiful.  So then, thinking about music I realized I recognize some of my friends through music.  Or more like remember my friends while listening to music.  How to say it...I can guarantee if a certain song is played I will think of a particular person at least once while listening song/composer/artist/band type thing.  So, then (while driving) I started to write down these people and the songs that will draw up their memories.  These would be my songs for you

These are in no particular order
Adam Johnsen: practically anything by Anita O'day, but usually - Dorris Days: Perhaps
Joe Hardenbrook - Dave Matthews: Crash
Matt Rockett - Dead Milk Men: Stuart or Black Happy: chicken in a biscuit
Rachel Halstead-Jefferies - The Beatles and Mustard Plug
David Horton - Mephaskaphalies: Bumble Bee Tuna (also think of Rach H)
Divya Ramesh - Parineeta: Kaisi Peheli Zindagani
Whitney - Nine Inch Nails: Head like a hole
Liz Hamilton - Lynyrd Skinner: OOh that smell
Darah Hulse - 1. REM its the end of the world or 2. Presidents of the United States of America: Body
Holly Costa - Any and all children songs - Flea and the fly in the flu
Bibek Yeman - Eiffel 65: Blue
Tom Rekasis - Weezer: Sweater song
Brad Comstock - Melissa Ethridge
Carrie Brown - Cindy lauper
Tanya Handa - Musicals like My Fair Lady
Martin Scheurich - Ramones: Beat on the brat
Ireen Deneen - No Doubt: Im just a girl
Dan Wiesblat, Dave & Jenny Fox, Darren - Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
This guy I can't remember his name but he was super cute at UAF - Primus: Stg. Pepper
Shanon McGee - Bare Naked Ladies: One week
Gage Choat - They Might Be Giants: Triangle man
Brad Webber - Divo: Whip-it
Dan Benton - Salmonella Dub: Love your way
Matt McIntyre - REM
Angshuman Raha - Amake Amar Moto Thakte Dao
Nadia - Zoobi Zoobi Zoo
Aaron Suring - Ragtime: The Entertainer