Outside looking in?

Just finished watching The Devil and Daniel Johnston a fascinating documentary about an outsider artist/musical genius (?) plagued with mental illness and unrequited love...which has me thinking again about outsider art and what makes a person an outsider or an insider in the art and music world...and also checking out Daniel on iTunes...the most interesting cover of his music was performed by the Eels...quite fitting. E gives it the best of his gravely, haunting voice. In fact, as I was watching the movie, I kept coming up with different artists I wanted to hear covering his music. Don't get me wrong, Daniel does a fine job...but his voice can get a bit...tiring...even it is part of his genius.

So, then, outsider art...had me thinking about late greats like Wesley Willis and Henry Darger (both Chicagoans) who were appreciated more after their deaths than before. I was browsing the Daniel Johnston website and was looking at the art, half serious about purchasing just based on how much his art may appreciate in the future. But then...do I like it enough to hang on my walls? Is it art?

It's just an interesting question - one that I know there are phds and curators and collectors will all "answer"...what is art, what makes it outsider, and how is talent really defined...or does talent have to even be there for it to be art? What gives it that edge that helps it leap from drawing on notebook paper to $1200 masterpiece. What makes someone like Willis, Darger, Johnston or Tiny Tim an acceptable commodity?

Anyway...after some time on iTunes listening while contemplating outsider musicians...I would recommend checking out the "Outsider Music" collection on iTunes...and introducing yourself to my new favorite - the Langley School Music Project. Super surreal to hear them singing Space Oddity...

And, speaking of outside...we had a building yard sale this weekend! We sat outside for 2 days selling all of our crap at crazy discount prices. John and I made enough to pay for a movie and 2 dinners this weekend. 25% of proceeds were donated to our building...we raised over $100...enough to pay our electric bill for a month. Thanks to the neighbors who participated for making it a success. We're looking to return again in a month to sell some of John's outsider art he keeps housed in Indiana...and by outsider art I mean t-shirts and old frying pans...and maybe this little hooligan....

Secret Obsession

My Sunday morning ritual is...get up, get dogs out, begin tea ceremony and then shuffle in to the office to check Postsecret which is updated every Sunday. John likes to make fun of me because of this obsession, but personally I find it to be a comforting ritual. I'm not the only person in the world with secrets and also that my secrets aren't that uncommon. (Don't ask what they are, then they wouldn't be secrets.)

So - I have also enjoyed this page LolKitties (or something like that). I love the phrasing...and how each of the kitties has some sort of odd accent...at least when I read it out loud to myself.

So- some genius put THIS together! Ta-Dah! http://lolsecretz.blogspot.com/ Brilliant!!

Enjoy.

Also - I just made the connection that the singing telegram girl in the movie Clue is also in the Go-Gos. Go figure.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

Hi. I realize that no one will really be reading this because I haven't updated since June. Embarrassing. So, I will write to my imaginary audience, much like I used to DJ for an imaginary audience when I was a college radio DJ at Drake. However, we were not radio DJs because our station was on the TV...and hence why no one listened to us...it's not like we were VJs playing videos...and no one wants to turn on the TV to listen to college...um...radio.

Anyway, there are a lot of changes going on in my life...and I thought I might as well record them somewhere...I hope you (imaginary audience) are sitting down. And that you have provisions...this is a long post.

Here goes...

a) "Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes" is how I entitled my farewell email when I left the big bad Big 5 consulting firm (Big A) and started working for the big bad MRO supplier company (Big G). I may steal it again as I'm leaving the big bad MRO supplier company for a small, hopefully good local consulting firm (Smallish S). I start October 1...but that doesn't mean I'm not spending time reading up on my new client- located in downtown Chicago!

b) John and I have decided to move. We've chosen the Boulder, CO area. John has an interview the first couple weeks in October...and knock on wood he will knock them dead...or better put knock socks off...or something. Regardless, next spring we'll be loading up our possessions and dogs...after having successfully sold the condo (hopeful thinking)...and we will go west. This will hopefully lead to much less stress and much more time at home...

3) Eventually, I will be going back to school...probably Law School. I went to the LSAC Forum this week - a college fair for Law Schools (on crack). It was crazy. People in suits, resumes flying, bullshit all over and a general feeling of pandemonium. I start my LSAT class on September 29th (2 days before I begin a new job...can I do it all?? Stay tuned and be patient..I'll probably post again in Septovember.

iv) John "went green" and bought a Prius. Wheee. The car is completely silent, doesn't need a key and shifts thru a joystick. It's crazy. I have also ordered a new car...I don't know quite what we're thinking...except both of our cars needed to be replaced. My therapist told me not to worry...just to think "it's ok...the money will be there."

e) Tycho has mange again. He also has an ear infection. We medicate twice a day which is lovely. He's also managed to eat half of a rotisserie chicken, a slab of french Boucheron goat cheese (with plastic wrap) and half of my lemon meringue tart (that happened tonight. i am still bitter).

f) Ella is a trooper. She is fine.

g) The fish are not so fine. Only Hari (the celestial) survives. I lost Steve Zizzou & Lil Elvis/Pricilla back in August (fittingly Lil Elvis died on the 30th anniversary of the King's passing). Yesterday, Pabst went to join her fellow goldies. Hari was lonely, so we brought home Mr Sprinkles...Sprink is a calico fantail. We're letting the big tank sit empty for a while...then we'll probably get some neons and other less emotionally involved fish. Don't laugh...goldfish are really...personable.

8) I think that is all the news that is fit to type. Except maybe I could talk about all the time I'm spending on celebrity gossip sites...or conspiracy theory sites...but I don't need your pity.

8.5b) I won a gift basket this weekend when I was at Ravinia with my darling hubby and my dear friends Chandra & Venus to celebrate Chandra's birthday and see the beautiful and talented Emmy Lou Harris. There was a raffle sponsored by a new Westin that just opened in the area...I signed up...and won a Heavenly Robe, 2 Heavenly towels and some Heavenly bath product. Heavenly! The Starwood gods shone upon me. I am most excited for the robe. (again, I need no pity).

Thanks for listening. Until Octobuary...

Post

My friend Jackie told me this past week that I was a bad blogger. She said she didn't want to be rude or anything, but she was checking in on me thru the blog...and I haven't updated my blog in way too long. So...she's right. Here is an update...

Something I really enjoy is a good postcard. I should be better about sending them...and I'm not- but getting a postcard in the mail is about the best thing ever. It means, to me, someone cared enough to stop looking at the beautiful surroundings on their vacation, or saw a postcard stand at Borders...or whatever- and just wanted to drop a "hello" note that is generally free of any negative connotations. Postcards usually have no anger, no guilt trips, no "hey, i've got incurable TB," no "You're awful- wish you were here." It's just a nice unabashed way to say "hi." My friend Jen Hopper has sent some awesome postcards, Venus is a queen of postcard sending, John has started sending me postcards from his fires (sometimes the location of the fire and the postcard don't match...but that adds to the mystique). I think my love of the postcard started with my Grandma. I remember having a photo album with some photos and postcards in it...and me being so proud of it her telling me that she liked postcards a lot, too. I remember wanting to send her one...but, sadly, I don't remember actually doing it.

So- speaking of postcards, one of my Sunday morning habits is to check PostSecret.com as it is updated weekly with new postcards that have secrets on them. There isn't an archive of the new postcards- so you have to catch them while they're available. The secrets vary from the extremely happy to the extremely tragic...and they're always an interesting read. Today one of the postcards really hit home. It was a woman in a yoga position...the card said "I purposely do poses incorrectly in my yoga class so my teacher will reposition me. Otherwise I would never have any human contact. I miss being touched." Ok - so I do get touched on a regular basis - John, hugs from friends, my dogs (not human, close enough). However...having felt and now missing those helpful nudges in Yoga class...making the pose better, connecting with another human being. I miss that, too. I've been doing a good bit of yoga at home...by myself. It is a great class led by instructors at YogaToday.com where they post a NEW yoga class EVERY DAY for FREE. I love the setting (Jackson Hole, WY), I love the classes and I love the challenge. What I'm missing is that human contact/instruction... *sigh* So- this postcard...hopefully will inspire me back into actual classes with actual people. It's hard though...I hate being self conscious in front of other yoginis.

And, speaking of postcards...my dear cousin Meliors has started an art happening/project that I plan to take part in today. I am not supposed to post about it BEFORE I complete the project - so this is a teaser. Courtney has already beaten me to the punch...so I have some catching up to do. However, as Jackie pointed out, I'm a terrible blogger...so it may be July before you get the update. Keep your fingers crossed...and I'll try to update on this project before too long.

Why I hate fire

So, Global Warming is causing our planet to die a very untimely death. You can watch Al Gore's Oscar-winner, you can read about it in the Economist...or hell the Wall Street Journal...you can feel it when it hits 85 degrees in early May. However, the way that I experience the pain of global warming is as the wife of a Wildland Firefighter.

I never really knew I'd be so well versed in fire. As a former Coloradan, I was at least aware of wildfire because we're a semi-arid climate and fire is always a threat. Forest Fires and the fire danger that Smokey talks about- always top of mind, especially in the Summer when you go camping or hiking or you're just driving in the mountains.

Well, now as an Illinoiseian...I wouldn't really care as much about wildland fire, except I married into it. And...it seems to be closing in on us. This past week, John went to the UP to fight a Fire called the Baraga Bump fire. It wasn't that big of a deal...they got it contained quickly...and I foolishly hoped he'd get sent home. No deal. Now he is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and he's fighting the "Ham Lake Fire." Check this out for more news and info about wildland firefighting: http://www.inciweb.org/.

Both of the fires John has been on this year are far from here. So, we all have a false sense of security. However, I'd like to remind everyone of a very baaaad night in Chicago and Wisconsin history. No, not the night Chicago died...but when we burned. October 8, 1871 was a bad night for Chicago when a cow (or a drunk) started a fire and everything burned down. That is why we have so many frickin fire hydrants taking up valuable parking real estate. However, just north of here in Peshtigo, Wisconsin an even deadlier fire started the same night. Conditions were windy and dry (similar to the weather here...and in the upper US). I could retell the story, but that is not my point. My point is...I think we may start to see Wildland fire creep closer and closer to our metropolitan areas if we continue to have the experience ever-worsening drought conditions. And why is it so dry? Because of global warming. We're all screwed. Thankfully I live close to a lake.

But that isn't why I hate fire. Fire can be really great for our forests and prairies. I hate fire because it takes my husband away for weeks at a time and plops him in the middle of the wilderness with no cellphone coverage. So, as I sit here and type and try to ignore the whining of my boy dog...I curse global warming for making this fire season start so early and with such a bang.

P.S. Please keep the safety of John and all the firefighters in your thoughts...it's a risky business.