We've got a busy weekend planned. We're ripping up the floors in our kitchen. Currently there are three layers of old linoleum and we're trying to get down to the original fir floors. Next weekend we'll sand and refinish the floors in the livingroom, diningroom, kitchen and first floor bedroom. We're deperately trying to finish these rooms because ( Read more... )

It's funny because the nature of my paper journal is about private musings and being an anger/frustration/depression outlet, but when I post my thoughts online they seem forced because I'm too aware that someone else might read it and pass judgement. All my life I've struggled with being too concerned with other people's opinions. I've tried to be ( Read more... )

I'm past the sympathy stage with our uninvited guest (see previous post) and into the anger phase. I'm angry that he's running our lives. We confronted him yesterday about not taking his medication and he lied and said he was taking it. I think we're going to have to ask him to leave. It's just too creepy to have him lurking and skulking all the ( Read more... )

E's old highschool friend "Bill" showed up on our doorstep yesterday. He's been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia for many years. He's been in and out of jail and hospitals and now he's drifting around the U.S. visiting any people he's had a strong connection with in the past. It's just so sad. He seems like such a sweet guy and E says he was ( Read more... )

...getting your wisdom teeth pulled out like my friend A. Here's her evocative description ( Read more... )

OK so my latest project is writing a historical romance novel. I already have six chapters finished. It's set in Shanghai in 1890. I've done a lot of research about the romance novel industry and it can be very lucrative if you are one of the lucky few who a) finish your book b) find an agent c) get published d) develop a following. I think step A ( Read more... )

The video slam went really well. There were nine films and we got second place and a check for $200! The first place winner kept telling us that we should have won which was very sweet. It was nice because there were only two films with women director/animators and we got first and second place. I was excited because Jim Blashfield was one of the ( Read more... )

We made it to the finals! Our 4 minute long film is going to compete with ten other finalists at the Grand Slam event at the Laurelhurst Theater on August 19th. First prize is $500, second is $200 and third $100 but even if we don't win, we're already being included on a DVD that Orlo puts out of the finalists. Not bad for our first attempt at ( Read more... )

I'm excited because we are going to be entering a claymation video into the Orlo Video Slam this Saturday. It's like a poetry slam only it's 4 minute videos on specific themes instead. The theme is Plastic Culture. It took us so long to make it - I was modeling and moving the clay figures and J did all the filming and a friend of ours edited it. I ( Read more... )

outdoor hottubs surrounded by sweet smelling wildflowers, homemade rosehip tea, fields of tiny little luscious raspberries and thimbleberries, hikes up mountains with icy lakes to plunge into at the top, walks on rocky beaches where pebbles worn smooth as silk call to your pockets, identifying shockingly orange fungi growing from ancient trees, ( Read more... )