Juicebox Hero

Irregular, but Heartfelt.

2009-02-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

1. Taking care of a sick baby - feeling competent and appreciated

2. Signing up for a Woman's Workshop

3. Vodka on the rocks

4. Budget-thingy working out fine so far.

5. Krishna Das

It's all in the Attitude.

2009-01-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled! I've been grateful almost every day, even if I don't write about it here.

1. Beatles radio on ITunes

2. Craig reading and cracking up in the other room

3. Getting the spare room (optimistically called 'the office' around here) back into shape

4. Walking in the crisp, cold winter air

5. Trusty old Honda, handling great in the ice and snow

More Gratitude.

2009-01-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

1. My husband.

2. My husband.

3. My husband.

4. My husband.

5. Doing yoga breaths together at 5 am when nerves are all jangled.

Yes We Did.

2009-01-19T15:09:00.001-08:00

A Maybe-Daily Excercise in Being Happy with What Is.

2009-01-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

1. Soft down comforters

2. A job filled with sloppy baby kisses

3. The library

4. Yoga and unexpected moments of self-love

5. Asparagus-stuffed ravioli and olives

In Which I Post An Old Online Conversation Between Craig and Myself. And You Wonder Why We Fell In Love and Got Married!

2009-01-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

Tanya:

Everybody always picks on Tonya Harding! Oh, well, I suppose it's rough when you reach a certain level of elegance and class - people are aaaalways jealous of you then!

Mucky:

Yeah, RIGHT!

'Scuse me. I'm going out to the barn to milk the chickens.

Tanya:

Okay, but wash them first!

Mucky:

Oh, of course. Warm wash, little bleach. Tumble dry. I always throw a little fabric softener in, too, to keep the chickens cuddly and smelling fresh.

Tanya:

Do you use those little fabric sheets for the dryer - you know, to keep them chickens from clinging to your sweater?

Mucky:

Yes, I use Smuggle(TM) fabric softening sheets.

Tanya:

Soooo...they make your other clothes look like you're smuggling chickens under them? Or do you just take on an air of pure superiority and smugness? Tiring minds want to know.

Mucky:

Well, if you must know, my chickens are all illegal aliens from Mexico. No green cards, so I pay them under the table. Like this: (Paying chickens the under table) See?

Tanya:

Fascinating concept. Can you pay them behind the sofa, too? Or does that get too crampy? Trying minds continue in their quest for knowledge (or the next best thing: speculation based on other people's opinions)

Mucky:

I can't pay them behind the sofa, because there are federal agents back there. They're behind the fridge, too. Been there. I also tried paying the poor dears under a pile of clothes in my room. Wasn't long before I could see the binoculars and badges under there. (sigh)

Tanya:

Oh no! The empty coffee cups and donut boxes in my bathroom...you don't THINK...?

Mucky:

Yes. Yes, I DO think. Get your chickens out of the bathroom right away and spray some Lysol in there.

It's the scent. Federales have that smell of beans and chiles and paperwork and more beans. Plus, the Lysol makes them tear up when it gets in their eyes, so you can move your chickens out while the agents are crying. Spray behind the shower curtain, under the toilet lid, in the hamper. Anywhere agents can hide.

Yay!

2009-01-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

I have a grand total of three people stalking, I mean...following my blog now! Pretty soon I can give up my day job, because you know it's only a matter of time until someone discovers my witty ramblings and offers me a rocking book deal. Yayyyyy! Trouble's over.

She Is Beautiful.

2009-01-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Me and Billie do some healing.

2009-01-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Last week, I reached down to pet my cat Billie and discovered a big-ish lump on her shoulder. Being the responsible-bordering-on-obsessed kitty parents that we are, we called the vet on the same day. Dr. Duffus (pronounced like Homer Simpson's favorite beer: Duff-us, NOT like this: Doof-us) told us to bring her on in. About 3 minutes later, we were contemplating $600 surgery and what can you do? The lump was likely to keep on growing.

So Dr. Duffus cut her open, took out the lump and stitched her back together. I was shocked at the size of the cut - about two inches long. To keep her from scratching the wound with her hind legs, they told us to either put a tube sock or a baby t-shirt on her. The fucking tube sock was a disaster. We got it on her, but it seemed so tight and looked terribly uncomfortable. Billie howled, growled and shrieked as she lurched around the apartment, still drunk from the anesthesia. Our other cat Sheldon howled and shrieked along with her. I cried a little. The sock kept rolling back over her shoulder, exposing the stitches and rendering the whole exercise useless, so we cut the damn thing off of her again. The baby t-shirt works much better, but Billie hates it. From Craig's recent online forum entry: "She hates this shirt, though we haven't established yet if she hates it because she can't scratch or because of the lavendar and the pleated sleeves, or because of the stupid baby saying on the front. " The stupid baby saying? 'My Daddy knows a lot, but my Mommy knows EVERYTHING!' Heh heh heh.

For this, I will poop in your shoes and drink out of your water glass when you're not looking. Oh wait, I do that already.

She slinks around the apartment like she's subjected to regular whippings, but the wound is healing nicely, so she's going to have to live with it. I was home sick for a couple of days and we convalesced on the couch together for many, many hours:

Billie and I glom on to each other, basking in each other's love and germs.

I remember to just go out and play.

2008-12-14T11:36:00.001-08:00

When you try to sell your art, you sometimes lose sight of what attracted you to it in the first place. I find I've lost sight of the fun - I only pick up my camera if I'm either paid and/or requested to do so. It's for a specific purpose, and to please someone else. I mean, I enjoy the results of those endeavors, but when's the last time I made something just for myself? I decided to dust off my Lensbaby and head out to Blacklick Metro Park with Craig. While he did the rounds on his recumbent bike, I just played, my trusty Magic 8-ball providing additional muse and entertainment.

Amidst all the Ugly, I'm reminded.

2008-10-09T08:05:00.001-07:00

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

A few of my favorite things.

2008-09-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Craig making music with friends.

Flowers and a cozy spot to read.

Children.

Wedding photos that spontaneously show a beautiful moment.

My family.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

2008-09-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

A partial transcript of Sarah Palin's September 25 interview with Katie Couric:

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

And, if you can stand it, the interview in it's entirety:

And this...this... ignorant and mean-spirited creature may be but a heartbeat away from the presidency come January? Gawd help us all.

Babies, Shows and Weddings, Oh My!

2008-09-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

My life in a nutshell. I'm entering a couple of shows sponsored by the Ohio Art League, which I had the foresight to join a few months ago. It's really opening up opportunities to get my work out there, to gain exposure. I'm just not a networker bee and I know I have to get better at it if I want my photography to be noticed. Apparently it's not enough if my fan base consists of my husband and my mother. (Hi Mom!)

The baby work continues to roll in. I'm a regular sitter for two wonderful families alongside the nanny work I do for my German Village babies. The other day, I had both one-month old babies for a couple of hours. While baby Leila mostly slept, baby Ellen had horrible gas pain and cried off and on for the duration. I held her, pacing the house while trying to do Healing Touch on her belly. I swear it worked because soon enough, she was snoring softly in my arms and her abdomen had deflated from brick back to soft baby belly status. My sister-in-law Susie introduced us to Healing Touch and I'm thinking about taking a class next month, because that is some powerful stuff.

And then there's one more wedding on the horizon! I haven't had much time to get nervous about it, but I know that's coming...So far, I've gotten some killer images from the weddings I've shot and I learn something new every time. (Batteries. Always always ALWAYS have spare batteries!)

Michelle had lots of great ideas for poses!

I've died and gone to heaven...

2008-09-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

...Tina Fey impersonates Sarah Palin on last night's season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Smart, funny and oh-so-satisfying! Since I can't figure out how to upload the video, and the only person in this house who knows how is fast asleep, here's a link instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBFk9XC3YLs

Update: NBC keeps killing the videos as fast as people can upload them on YouTube. I can't be bothered to try and keep up, but you can go to YouTube.com and search for the newest copyright-infringing upload!

Final Update: The NBC-sanctioned clip from the official SNL site! Huzzah! And now there are rumors that Sarah Palin herself is considering an appearance on the show. THAT should be interesting!

Blogging: Ur doing it wrong

2008-09-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

So much for being a good blogger, eh? Short overview of the past few months:

1. Quit my job at CMEC!

2. Went to BC and Alberta for 10 days! I swear to God, it is this beautiful up there:

I mean, they've got this stuff laying all over the place.

3. Shot three weddings! Here are the wonderful Marcus and Meredith - such a warm and loving couple. It was an honor to be a part of their day:

4. Became nanny to darling baby girls, Ellen and Leila. More about them in future posts, I'm sure!

5. Am now addicted to home makeover porn on cable, even though I have neither a house, nor handy hands, nor any kind of budget to speak of. Unless you count the change jar we keep in the kitchen cupboard. Which I'm sure you don't, being fiscally responsible and all.

The Church of Bluebells, or 'Where I go when I need to get it together'

2008-05-07T17:03:00.001-07:00

My First Gallery Hop!

2008-05-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was my first time exhibiting at the Short North Gallery Hop. My friend MaryEllen, who owns a downtown business called Counter Culture, invited me to show my photography for the May Hop. I had no idea what to expect. Would people show up? Would I make any sales? What about networking opportunities? What should I display? Is it going to rain like this all day? I decided on about 10 framed images, a couple of bins with some older matted works and a small display about my event photography.

Photo courtesy of Scott Alan Greif

Well, the rain stopped, the people came out and I didn't sell much, but what a rush nonetheless! Some friends showed up, I talked to visitors about my art, talked shop with some fellow camera fiends and had the best damn hot chocolate ever. What's more, MaryEllen and her business partner Rob enjoyed the whole evening so much, they've decided to stay open for Gallery Hop throughout the summer - with me as their artist-in-residence-type person! Yeah!

Spring!

2008-04-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

The plastic bags are in full bloom here in Ohio.

Give it away, give it away, give it away NOW!

2008-03-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was standing in my kitchen on Thursday morning, waiting for my coffee to drip drip drip and my toast to pop. I opened up SARK's 'Inspiration Sandwich' and read: 'Give away money. Do it NOW. The money will follow.' I immediately shut the book and started rifling through the recycling. Isn't there a letter from the NRDC in here, asking for a donation? Ah, here it is! Open my checkbook, write a check for $20, find a stamp and seal the envelope tight before I have a chance to think about it. Done. I'm not a spontaneous person, but I'm learning that spontaneous means: 'Don't overthink.' I mailed it on the way to work and forgot about it.

The next day, I arrived at work to find that one of our families had decided to give me a $25 gift card 'for being such a good caregiver to their little girl'. I thought about that check and realized: I gave it away and it came back - with interest!

On Percolating and Micromoving

2008-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

So, this is my first blog entry. Hmmm. Now I feel pressure to make it especially darling and clever, but I'll resist and just stick to the facts, ma'am.

I'm creating this blog to document my creative journey, to remind myself of things I need to do, like breathing and making that phone call and writing about the way the rain smells when it falls on the pavement in the summertime.

I like SARK's theory of Micromovements: little teeny-weeny babysteps one takes in order to realize a creative dream. I've been micromoving ever since I decided I wanted to be a photographer, but I kept thinking I wasn't going fast enough, wasn't getting enough results. I've been so frustrated at times, forgetting about the plateau thing. You know, you're progressing and it's an exhilarating upward journey and suddenly, nothing seems to be happening at all. You've reached a plateau. It's important to recognize it and to understand it's importance. My friend Saira calls it 'percolating' - how the hell do you know what you're supposed to be doing if you don't stop to let it sink in a little, right?

Anyways, here I was instinctively micromoving and percolating from the get-go. As it turns out, taking a walk is working towards the dream, and so is going to the conservatory to photograph orchids, or staring at the wall thinking about business cards, or whining to my journal about how unfair it all is. Your mom and dad don't think this is going to help sell your art, but we have to trust the process.