Last Days of September

This was a lovely weekend- complete with almost no plans- other than of course the Amy Sedaris book signing on Friday and the Rilo Kiley show on Saturday. I’ll post words and picture about both of those very soon.

Thursday night I finally got a picture of this parking lot painting that I’ve wanted forever. It’s at Piedmont and Pine, across the street from the Task Force for the Homeless. I assume it was the Task Force that painted it. It reminds me of that Oscar Wilde quote.

I spent the weekend days hanging at my house, crafting, cleaning, writng, playing with pictures. I cleaned out my closet, resulting in:

• 3.5 bags of clothes, purses and shoes to give away on Freecycle
• ten hangers with suits and jackets also up for the taking
• 1 big box of t-shirts for altering into much cuter t-shirts (margarita and craft day at my house on Oct 14th ladies!!)
• 1 big "archive" box of sentimental clothes, meaning old handmade patchwork hippie dresses, rock n roll concert t-shirts, great thrift store finds, outfits I wore on days I remember well- all this stuff I haven’t worn in years but want to keep.
  

While I was sorting things into the archive box I kept thinking about how much I would have loved to have a box like this as a kid to play dress-up in. I do remember having a similar bag of my mother’s clothes that we wore for years for play, for Halloween, I think there may have even been a piece or two that made it into my goth-repertoire in high school. Like this black and gold scarf that was a part of every witch costume that came out of our home. God we loved that scarf.

Tonight I had Iftar dinner with Secret Agent Man and his cousin- both are fasting for Ramadan. Since the meal is to break the fast I wish they would just own up and call it “breakfast”.

And of course the cherry on top of the weekend was the finale of Rock of Love. The ending was the sort that I suppose would be satisfying to people who actually believe love can come from reality television. I was underwhelmed. Bored. My prediction is that on next week's reunion show Jes will anounce that she and Bret have "gone their separate ways but remain great friends." Bored!

However, this show did give us some great train-wrecks, trash, and reached new levels of slutacious-ness. I give Rock of Love two Reality TV awards for the show overall:

1. Best Ever Elimination Exit- Sammie Spades' hot as hell make-out session with Bret and leaves “with guns blazin’!”
2. Best Ever Final Line of a Series- After she gets eliminated, Heather leaving in the limo crying and slurring while cussing Bret out she’s all “And I have this asshole’s name tattooed on the back of my neck?!?” and the show ends…

AND LIGHTS!

If you ever wanted to throw a Senator out of a plane...

On Saturday, October 13th Georgia State Senator Preston Smith is planning to jump out of an airplane to help support the Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia, which provides services and support for survivors of sexual violence in the Rome, GA area.

In his email announcing the event, Senator Smith says, “The way I figure it, some will want to help support me in this charitable endeavor. Others would just want to pay to see me thrown out of an airplane." You can make a donation to support him and the SAC by visiting: http://www.firstgiving.com/prestonsmith

As a former volunteer of the SAC in Rome, I'm grateful to Senator Smith for throwing caution – and himself – to the wind! However, I'm not as grateful for the hard time he's giving the public defenders- thus I went ahead and made my donation to support his plane jump. It works on so many levels!

Georgia on My Mind

Georgia Blog Carnival #19 is up! Featuring all sorts of writing from across our peachy state, I'm happy to say that one of my posts was included:

"Having a picnic at Oakland Cemetary…It sounds like a blast….a blast from the past. Ok, bad teacher humor, I know. Ashes and Glass makes its carnival debut with Friends in Cemeteries. Check the picture out….the thrift reminds me of my grandmother."

Thanks EHT for the mention and the love! Thanks in particular for sharing that it made you think of your grandmother- memories of my grandmother are never far from my thoughts and all that she brought to my life remains always in my heart. In fact, my mother, my sister and I just got tickets - we're going across to Ireland in November. it won't be long before I'm standing once more on the soil of my grandmother's country.

Another New Blah Girl

This one is at the corner of Moreland and Glenwood, heading into East Atlanta Village.

Looks like this one might have been a bit rushed... still love it in contrast with the "Wage" and "Fatso."

Amy Sedaris in Decatur!

Thanks to my old pal Warren G for this great tip: Amy Sedaris wil be in Decatur next week!

She will be in town to accept her Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance award for best cookbook of 2007 for I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. This book is just wonderful; I've given it as a gift many times. There's a chapter on cooking for your pet rabbit, and one on pantyhose crafts and "good ideas." This includes illustrated instructions for putting them on, how to make an "eye burrito" compress for tired eyes or a pantyhose plant hanger.

Its pretty great, having both her and Bjork here in the same month, Atlanta is getting more than our fair share of the craziest of crazy people- crazy in the best way possible, of course. Amy is one of the most untethered, fearless women I have ever known. It is purely a joy to watch her let her brilliance and craziness just flow. And she's not afraid to get wasted while she's baking, to boot!

Her happiness is in the pursuit- whether its of laughter or of delicious confections. Or even not so delicious food like some of the items on her munchie list (page 95, I think?): bananas dipped in Jell-O powder and crushed pretzels with cream cheese on toast.

Wordsmiths Books presents
Actress, Comedian, Author, Icon: Amy Sedaris
At the Decatur Recreation Center
231 Sycamore St, Decatur GA
September 28th, 7:30 PM
FREE! FREE!

Coming Home

Heading home to Chicago this afternoon for the weekend. I miss the City, the people, the Lake. I've been obsessing about Deep Dish Pizza, mmmmm.

I love Falltime in Chicago, even though I think its still a bit warm there now. I love the breeze.

These pictures are from a year ago, my September 2006 trip. This trip was also the one where I blinged out Reem's cast after she fell at Little River Canyon and we had to airlift her out. What a day! The bonus was that she got to have the most glam cast ever.

City Love

I love Atlanta. Every bar I go to is playing metal. Everyone smiles and pours a strong drink and talks shit. Tonight Carwash was on the sidewalk polishing a table-full of what looked like bells. Friends are everywhere and those who aren't friends yet overhear your conversations and chime in their support.

I'm so glad that the weather is starting to cool and I get to wear sweaters with buttons.

"Car parts, bottles, and cutlery... or whatever I find lying around."

Bjork! Tonight at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

She is part panda, part butterfly. She dances like a child listening to her favorite song. Waves her hands palms out, skips and marches at the same time, her arms pierce the air replicating the exact sounds of the percussion. Every note from her lips, throat is perfect, true, whole. She wrestles with space then breaks free from invisible chains in an explosion. She is supported by an Icelandic brass orchestra made up of young women in tribal wear while the men in her band weave complicated tapestries of electronic sound. She charges controls masters the stage, the space. In the audience boyz dance widely with abandon and girlz clasp their hands near their lips in anticipation. Green beams of light and silver confetti fill the air above our heads. She utters "thank you, thank you." quickly quietly adorably.

Thank you, thank you William for taking me! Here's some shaky video of Bjork performing Hyperballad. The boyz kept dancing in front of me and my camera- not that I'm complaining. They were beautiful and the sound is what's important. Keep watching, at about 2:30 she dances like a beautiful crazy person and the lights start sweeping.

Possibly Maybe

Tonight in Atlanta! Bjork! I can't wait! More later after the show.

Friday Night on Mead Street

There's a homeless man who has lived on my street for many more years than I have. He goes by the name Carwash. He rides his bicycle up and down the street and gets by doing odd jobs for my neighbors and I plus the help of the church down the street. Sometimes in the very early morning he whistles eerie but beautiful symphonies as he cycles. His song has come to feel like the soundtrack of Mead Street in my head.

On Friday night, as my friend and I were pulling out of my street to go to dinner, I saw Carwash sitting in his usual plastic chair on the sidewalk in front of my neighbor's house. To my surprise, he had a barbeque going in front of him. He was hanging out and cooking sausages! He was alone and clearly enjoying himself. My friend and I laughed heartily; this sort of scene is exactly why I love Atlanta so.

When I got home later that night I chatted with him for a minute. He commented on the beautiful night sky and the stars we rarely get to see through our thick city smog. I couldn't help but think of Oscar Wilde writing:

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

When I asked Carwash how he was doing and how his night was, he simply replied, "Blessed."

New Blah Girl in Town

Thank you Blah Girl Creator...

...for bringing joy, surprise, and beauty to our city.

xoxo

La Shana Tovah: for a good year

I've been told many times that I make a good Jew- I swear it's true! Having grown up on the north side of Chicago I know the holiday songs better than some my Jewish friends. Not to mention that after going to 20+ bar and bat mitzvahs, I can baruch-atah-adonai with the best of 'em.

In true good Jew fashion, tonight I made Rosh Hashanah dinner for my favorite Jew, Ms. Twinkle. We dined on matzo ball soup and dipped apples in honey to bring in sweetness with the New Year. We hung in the craft room, drank red wine bearing a black cat and burned mixes for the monthly CD Club. Twink crafted a cute altered t-shirt from the Generation T book

The best part of the New Year festivities though was my first-ever attempt at kugel. Farfel kugel, not noodle. I'd never used farfel before- its pretty much crumbled nuggets of matzah. I substituted cranberries for the more traditional raisins and the results were delicious- and it wasn't hard at all to make. The only problem is that I don't know that it will last till tomorrow night's continuation of the New Year celebration- I have to keep talking myself out of ducking into the kitchen and cutting another "sliver".

Cranberry Farfel Kugel

• 2 cups farfel
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 9x9 inch baking dish.
2. Soak farfel in water 10 minutes. Drain.
3. Add beaten eggs into the bowl of farfel, and let stand 10 minutes.
4. Stir in cranberries, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and butter.
5. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Oh you were a vampire...

I'm so excited for this Thursday night's brilliance from the 10 High: A tribute night to one of my all-time favorite bands: Concrete Blonde!

A handful of bands/artists will play a few songs each by the Blonde for our reminiscing pleasure. And I want to see you lovelies there too! If you ever:

• wore fake vampire teeth to high school- and it wasn't Halloween;


• watched and re-watched Concrete Blonde videos to determine and replicate the exact way Johnette applied her eyeliner, bleached streaks in her hair and/or cut her bangs


• created art projects of newspaper roses growing out of shattered mirrors to visually display the lyrics to "Roses Grow";


• sat in your dark basement burning candles and maybe your arms as you contemplated the depth of "Tomorrow Wendy" and the global AIDS epidemic;
  
• wrapped your naked self in Christmas lights to do your own version of the Walking In London cover shoot...

then YOU should be at the 10 High on Thursday night! Have a drink, walk around, and meet me at 816 N. Highland Ave., 9pm $5 cover. This is the latest in a series of tributes being brought to us by the 10 High- next week is Cash/Hendrix which I will also harass you about.

Post script: Check out Holy Shit We're Gettin' Hitched's LOVELY post about this beautiful night. Yay fishnets!

Dip, Dive, Socialize

I'm SO excited to see Ozomatli tonight at the Tabernacle!



In far less important news, reading of yet another arrest of 80s pop "star" El Debarge -- yes feel-the-beat-of-the-rhythm-of-the-night El Debarge-- is most disturbing due to learning that his birthname is ELDRA.