white noise

The idea of Goth turned into the idea of gargoyles which then turned into the idea of sacrifice. But then, at some point during the assembly, my husband (I just thrill to call him that!) said something and suddenly this project wasn’t about sacrificial offerings so much as it was the escaping of said sacrifice. I loved the alien hand from the moment I saw the action figure in the YMCA thrift store and knew I had to do something with it. I am delighted, too, at how realistic my stone slabs turned out. The lesson from this project was most undoubtedly: LET IT DRY (and yes, polystyrene really does melt under intense, direct heat).

Really.

Note: The spiffy-cool cuff used here is Jon’s handiwork (and he stayed up well past midnight to help me). :)

The weather here today, despite a prediction of rain, has been phenomenal. The hubby and I went to the car show in downtown Christiansburg and checked out all the tricked out hot rods, street rods, and all the nifty gas guzzlers in between. We listened to our friend, Casey, pickin’ some bluegrass tunes with a group of his friends. Jon indulged in a BBQ sandwich (he almost never eats pork) and I snagged me a few bites, too. Mmm. It actually made me nostalgic for “Olancha Daze” (hometown party; lots of beer, some dancing, greased pig contest, etc.) and the deep pit turkeys we used to do.

It would have been a fantastic day for riding and I’m sooo glad we spent the time outside.

I spent the morning working on journals. Most of my materials for this last batch have been recycled bits. I recently found an assortment of stationary at the thrift shop and wanted to use it up. I have a lot of fun working with wall paper, too, and I need to figure out more creative ways to utilize all the cereal boxes I keep, because — yanno — Jon is like the champion cereal eater of all time. We could build a house out of his empties. Hmmm, this idea has possibilities.

I can’t figure out what to do about my upcoming 40th birthday, except possibly pine for that super coolie-wazoo new TV to go with that super coolie-wazoo Playstation 3 which my super huggable, snuggable hubby is going to magically procure for me because HEY, we’ve got nothing better to do with that $2500 hanging around, right? Right. Why? Because the developers of Shadow of the Colossus are currently working on a new game for the PS3 and I just know there will [MUST] be ponies involved. Naturally, if there are ponies, we must have them. (My husband is somewhere in the background thinking, yanno, by now, a REAL horse might be a heck of a lot cheaper.)

If only. But … well, 40 seems significant. I’m hoping it means I’m middle-aged, because at the moment, 80 seems like a fine time to check out. Another 40 years? Sure, why not? Maybe with enough Omega 3 fatty acids I’ll even remember most of it. I look forward to the challenge of embracing what is to come while not dwelling too much on what used to be. If there is a heaven, though, I think I will be seventeen — barefoot, horseback, and carefree.

3:45 p.m. >> I’m loggin’ out to switch out a sickly video card which also requires an upgrade to a beefier power supply (which may be the source of many of my game-time problems — we’ll see!). I’ve never changed a power supply before and it seems a bit spooky to me. eep.

1:15 a.m. >> Heh. I’m going to have to rename my computer to “Zoomie” now. I think we may have actually fixed my computer for real this time.

Well, I’m up for air (and a little catching up). I didn’t complete NaPoWriMo (write a poem a day for the month of April, which is National Poetry Month). However, I did end up with 23 and 1/2 poems, and considering I started on the 11th of April, that’s pretty darn good. I also have a smattering of poems that just refused to take an ending and once I figure those out, I’ll have even more fodder to model and re-mold. Plus, I’m quite pleased at the results of blind, unthinking writing. I should do it more often and worry about the perfect placement of every word later, much later — you know, like AFTER I’ve had some fun.

On Tuesday, I got to spend the day in Roanoke with Susan. Wow, I had so much fun and — for it being her birthday lunch from me — I made out like a bandit, making off with several treasures: one of Susan’s pillow babies (she’s PURPLE!), the second volume of Inu-yasha (manga? graphic novel?) from her hubby, 3 painted wooden fish, a handmade bracelet of Tech colored beads, a little etched/painted gourd, and an armload of mint-condition journals.

Susan and her hubby are lush, colorful characters full of stories just begging to be chronicled, but there are boundaries that I feel shouldn’t be crossed because they’re private individuals. I think I can get away with an observation or two, though, and say never have I met two beautifully matched people, both with a youthful effervescence and that boundless energy one associates with those pre-teen years just before the onslaught of teenage angst. They are both yin and yang, both kids-at-heart, and I was blown away by the suffusion of creativity throughout the whole of their home. And the collections those two have? HOO-EE! They’re just to die for. :)

The visit gave me the opportunity to discover even more layers to Susan, which I enjoyed immensely, so much so, that more than once I lost track of the time. In her, I found something kindred. Not only can I share an enthusiasm for art, but also someone here — on the east coast — can relate when I speak of struggle or what it’s like for my life to have suddenly turned “normal” (I mean, really, what is normal?).

OK, OK, I could easily go on for another hour, but I’m losing my ability to complete thoughts and use the right words. It’s definitely bedtime!

A great big happy birthday to Susan, who is, ummm, I believe … 29 and 1/2 today. :P Many warm blessings, dearness!

Tags: Friends