Pre-Hallow's Eve

I'd like to update you kids a little on my social life. A couple weekends ago I went to an amazing pre-Halloween tri-fecta birthday shindig. Oh yes. That kind of party. It made me happy, because I got to dress up in my costume early, which was smart because now I know what I need to complete it. Two years ago, I was Tank Girl, a character based off of the London punk comic strip from the late 80s/early 90s. Don't think Lori Petty. Anyhow, it's my favorite idea i've followed through with for Halloween, and i'm not about to do a sappy couple's costume again (last year, Mike and I were monotone clowns in matching whiteface). ANYWAY. It was Cole's 22nd birthday earlier that weekend, and he was going to be Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws, but we all said he just looked homeless, so I made him a little sign to spruce his costume up.
I would like to point out the cat in these pictures. Kitty is quite possibly the only cat i've met that i'm not allergic to. It's pretty wild.

Usually if i'm going to nuzzle with a feline I need to have a couple Allegra and a prayer beforehand.

There's a story behind this face- it's the face Cole makes every time he gets awkward, or cracks a bad joke, or ponders anything. I'm trying to make it with him here, but I just look like a weird-o. The funny thing is, he can't help it. It drives him nuts. Thus, "the face".

My hips are showing signs of wear from the pre-picture party snacking. Next time- nix the crop top.

This is Cole's roommate, Judd. This is a picture in which you can see the full extent of my costume, though I think my toy handguns were m.i.a. at this point. Judd does make a really cute Marty McFly. I kept asking him if his name was Calvin. Not a lot of people got it, surprisingly enough.

I can't wait until Halloween.

Currently listening to: "Space ghost jam", by Pavement

It's not spring yet, but the grass is thick and fresh, and there's two squirrels twenty feet from my crossed legs flirting with one another

It's 1 in the afternoon, and SMU is being lovely right now. No screaming hoards of kids visiting the campus, no giggling gaggles of well-tailored, strappy-heeled gals. I haven't even seen one grammatical fascist indulging his or her teacher with their latest out-of-class intellectually superior experience. It's just me out here, in between classes, with a stomach full of bran muffin and hot coffee. I really love the campus when it's like this. SMU really is a gorgeous place, even if part of my tution is going towards putting waxy, unnaturally pink tulips outside the library every two weeks, after the begonias from early October had gone off-white and limp looking. Is it even the time of year for tulips? I'll have to wikipedia that. It's 60 outside, with a cool wind blowing, and it's about time. It takes a little while for me to get used to the chilly weather- Mike and I had coffee this morning before I went to class and I swear my teeth hurt everytime I inhaled after a hot sip.

Right now, it's the lull before the storm- finals, GRE exams, grad school applications. The latter of which i'm really worried about. Right now i've got it narrowed down to Boston U, Chicago U, Temple, Cornell, Northwestern, and Vassar. All up in the Northeast. I mean, that's where most of the good anthropology programs are- that and California, but I don't think i'm ready for the Pacific coast yet. I need old buildings, good museums, cold winters, and public transportation galore. I get excited everytime I think about graduate school, and finally working on something serious towards my career, but it also scares me half to death. Not the moving to another city. The working my ass off and people taking me seriously part. I'm sure i'll deal with it, i'll have to. But for the time being i'm enjoying my lazy fifteen hour schedule, spending evenings in the darkroom and coming home to reading a good book and smoking some hookah. Maybe i'll watch a Woody Allen movie this weekend when i'm at home. Manhattan was like taking a warm bath in honeyed milk. Complete poetry from start to end- something a girl could really get used to, you know? Maybe i'll turn out some more prints tomorrow morning before I leave for the airport. I've already got a couple that i'm pretty proud of, and Charlie, my teacher liked them quite a bit, which always makes me smile when i've got his blessings. I uploaded some of them online, -on Flickr, that is- although the scanner kind of ate up the quality of the images. They're silver gelatin prints from 120 negatives shot with my Holga. I do love that thing. I've gotten better at knowing what it's capabilities are, and how to develop the film just perfectly.

This was a shot from some abandoned slaughterhouses Cole took me to. Turns out there was a federal prison on the property? Creepster, I know. The whole place was pretty cool thought, seeing as how I love run-down, overgrown buildings.

This one's from the first monday fair in Canton, TX that I went to a couple weeks ago. I don't know how I get around to finding these things, but perhaps that's just part of the artist's experience. I will consider myself an artist, and I don't think that's boastful or an understatement. I think it's just how I choose to recognize myself apart from other people.Not everyone is an artist, and I imagine there are people, quite a bit of them, somewhere in the world that see something extraordinary then shrug their shoulders and continue eating or whatever it is that they’re doing.

On that note, i'd better head into class soon.

Currently listening to: "Hotcha Girls", by Ugly Casanova

Why I’m looking forward to the fall

1. Snuggling.
2. Making my favorite spicy thai chicken noodle soup
3. Leaves changing color (please Dallas, get your act together!)
4. Tights
5. Tea every night
6. Wearing my new pashmina scarves
7. Stomping on acorns
8. Getting my blow dryer out of the darkroom and back into my bathroom
9. Flannel
10. Thinking up something ridiculous for Halloween (Tank Girl again?)
11. Day-roadtrips

Should I go on?

Well, even so- I went to Canton again this weekend. I always love it there. It's so enchanting to walk through that place, shoot a roll of film and marvel at all the junk there.

I know how to look annoyed.

Cole and I found a cool old accordion, too. Unfortunately, neither of us can play one. And what a shame, with all the bad accordion jokes out there.

Besides a $2 1960s plaid minidress I found (the hangers were hanging from tree branches- hilarious), my only other purchase was an old Brownie Bullet camera, and I talked the owner down cheap. I'm way excited to use it.

Isn't it cute and bitty?

The next night, I went to a badass show in Denton (it's been forever since I went up there), a folk / gypsy punk / marching band called Mount Righteous. Imagine eleven happy, jumping, yelling, talented people. All crowded in with audience in the basement of a pizza parlor- it was a veritable hipster sauna down there! If you want to check them out -and you should- their webpage is:

http://www.myspace.com/mountrighteous

I do hope the rest of the year will be as nice as the last three weeks.

Currently listening to: Surf Session, by Moondog