Home Again, Home Again

Just got back from an amazing week in New York City. I forgot a number of things until my visit:

1. Man, that city is dirty. It's a tricky kind of dirty...the kind of dirty that is invisible on your skin, but reveals itself under your fingernails. I discovered this about every ten minutes, as I was scratching my 500 mosquito bites.

2. Walking in that city is no big thing. Even in heels. Even in the hot, hot summer heat. I walked miles everyday and didn't even notice. Until I found a hole in my favorite shoes.

3. Central Park is fancy.

4. Art! So much art everywhere! I woke up everyday and looked at art until the sunset. Then I hung around with buddies.

5. Buddies! So many of them in New York! Saw lots of old faces and some ancient ones. Faces I hadn't seen since 8th grade, faces I hadn't seen since last summer.

6. Men! Patting butts and being racist. Thanks for the welcome, New York!

It was a great trip. I got so much looking done, and made lots of great jokes. Note: Blade II makes for a great drinking game; take a sip each time there is a hole in the plot. There are lots of holes (that's what she said).

Some highlights: The Guggenheim. Thanks again, Frank. Sally Mann. Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. Deco fans! Charles Sheeler. The Brooklyn Flea Market! Reggie Watts (thanks, Cavin!) PS1. Projectile barfing! (Tobin made me eat a fancy dinner). Waking up everyday and seeing Will's face. Juda the ghost-cat. Seeing Lars Thorwald on the subway. Brooklyn Fireproof and their courtyard and internet access.

I have to say, though, I got a little homesick. I missed my man. I don't think I'll go away that long without him if I can avoid it.

Love,

E.

I decided to spend this summer doing some kind of structured pursuit. So far, I've been working on a secret project for my sister and her betrothed, and have started a book group. I'm very close to finishing The Brothers Karamazov and I could go on about it for days. I had no idea that reading a Russian classic was going to be so enjoyable. Next, I plan to read A Room With a View. I bought a lot of records last week and have begun my education in classical music. Up to this point, my musical study has been limited to learning Poupee de Son on my ukulele. I don't know what Gainsbourg would think of my version, but I'm pretty sure my cat loves it. The classical records have so far been good...I've been practicing ballet to, appropriately enough, The Nutcracker, but I was in for an unpleasant surprise when Sir Edward Elgar's military marches started blasting through the stereo. There is nothing graceful about Pomp and Circumstance, and a girl needs all the help she can get.

In the film front, I've been thinking a lot about Brakhage's Wonder Ring as I approach my trip to New York...and I've been working on learning the dance sequence from Bande a Parte. Why is Anna Karina so foxy all over the place? Also, I like that she uses hand signals on her bicycle. It makes me feel less nerdy despite the fact that she does not wear a helmet.

One Thing I Love

http://ubu.com/film/frampton_nostalgia.html

And then I don't even mind writing essays.

Jackson. Kuchar.

Michael Jackson Crossing Ahead

I've been spending a lot of time on Ubu...catching up on some of the films I missed in class, but mostly watching the Kuchar brothers over and over and over. I can't get enough of them.

Mostly I like their incessant babble. And the way that Mike talks with his eyes closed. I would add a video, but I don't know how. So here's a link: http://www.ubu.com/film/kuchar_actress.html

Also, Kevin saw a dog for the first time yesterday and it blew his mind. His tail is still as big as a raccoon's. Sally hates pests but she loves raccoons.

May Flowers?

Spring has sprung...kind of. It's been splotchy business, mostly, consisting of lots of wind (je le deteste) some patchy sun and a little rain. So far we have: 1. Played basketball (twice. And by "play" I mean shoot hoops. I managed to injure myself today working on my hook shoot. No big deal). 2. Broken our bikes. Rich's frame is all dismantled and my gears are messed up. Again. 3. Gone to the bookstore! Now that I'm not in school I've got all types of free time to read up on the summertime classics. 4. Worked on the yard. Around the dog poop. And avoiding spiders. 5. Gone to see baseball. Twice. Sports!

 It's a long weekend so I think we might go to the island and see the animals. Or check out the batting cages somewhere on the outskirts of town. Rich is really going for it this year.

The picture is me and Rich in Tofino last year. Adventure!

Love. Love.

USA! USA!

Rich and I went to Texas last week for SXSW and it was COMPLETELY MIND-BLOWING. The best things were:

1. The food. I ate four times a day. I'm talking Mexican. Real Mexican. And barbeque. Texan barbeque. Cupcakes. Mojitos. 

2. The music. This is an obvious one. The highlights of this were (subcategory, if you please...)

 a)Hacienda. From San Antonio. Makes me wanna move down there and live the rest of my life in overalls hunting rattlesnakes.

 b)The Homosexuals. The frontman was the only original band member left but he was amazing and his haircut was a classic. Check photo below. 

 c)Ra Ra Riot. We only caught the end of their show but it was impressive.

 d)The New York Dolls. Duh.

 e)Emily Wells. She and Rich have made some amazing music together but seeing her live really sealed the deal. Plus she gave me a shirt. And we have the same name.

 f)Jenn Grant. Double duh.

 g) Seeing Joey and Stacey. 

 h)Getting to wear dresses everyday! Without stockings!

 i)The bats at twilight! 1.5 million!

 j)The treasures! Oh, the treasures.

 k)The Japanese babes with trombones. Also see below.

We meet all types of characters and had an amazing time. Rich got spooked by a raccoon. I got a horrible blister on the back of my left foot. I am still recovering. From Austin in general, not the blister specifically. In addition, Rich and I decided to expand our empire and have opened a branch in Austin. There is an image of our new business venture at the bottom of this page. Did I say bottom? I meant wherever this program puts them. I am really good at technology.

In other news, I have been blowing my brains out over school and am writing lots of papers. My little fingers are almost typed out.

Also! There is a new family member! Rich's sis Amy gave birth to a little girl called Ella. It's all very exciting. I knitted a baby blanket for her and we got Gracie some bangles in Texas so that she has a present to open do. We like to handle new family members very diplomatically, with a touch of class.

If you need something to do, check out the link below. Or wherever it is. 

Lots of love to you and yours.

xo.

Yesssss. It is sooooo good.

Sara and I spent part of one summer in Europe together and successfully avoided any human contact other than each other for over six weeks. We eventually developed our own language and various alter-egos to keep us entertained. Witness the birth of Dot and Dorothy. In addition to our multi-tongued ramblings, Sara used a beach towel in France that was borrowed from the (French) family we were staying with. Manufactured in France but with the text written in English, splashed proudly across the front of the towel was the heartwarming sentiment: I love you so much! But those silly French...they underlined "much" instead of "so". So now we say: I love you so Much! Instead of: I love you sooooo much.

Advice: Listen to Slim Whitman. His sing-song cowboy tunes will warm your heart and rock you to sleep.

It snowed all day today. Tomorrow we go to Halifax for a show and some family fun time with the Terfrys.

In other news, Rich discovered this mind-blowing, life-changing video. Enjoy. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y