Entitlement

Over the past year or so, I've become very aware of my "stuff" and how much of it I have. This ranges from tangible to intangible, but for now, I'm mostly talking about the concrete stuff. The more stuff I have, the more weighed down I feel. For example, whenever I'm getting ready to move, I try to consolidate what I absolutely need to keep and sell the rest or give it away. Having to move tons of furniture and whatnot from point A to point B feels like such a chore to me. Most of my large belongings were acquired through Craig's List or thrift stores; maybe this makes it easier to not be so attached or have so much stock placed in certain items. They have a purpose for a time and place and then they're passed on via sale or donation. I'm not sure if this is economically savvy money-wise, but I'd like to believe that it's better, in general, to get something used vs. buying it new for the sake of using the crap out of raw materials vs. disposing them.

I don't want to turn this into a post focused on how wasteful we are as consumers and how we all need to "go green", recycle, etc. More so, I find it curious how being able to waste is almost part of our standard of living. I can't speak for the world, but for the U.S., there is a mentality that it is our right to have anything we want in whatever quantity we desire, and we'll be damned if we go to the store and the item we need is out of stock or we don't have the 50+ color options in lipstick, furniture, paint, etc. I'm not saying we should all wear the same clothes or have the same stuff OR that everything should be rationed out (hello, communism. in a utopia, you would work). But I do think we have a responsibility to be aware of and act as necessary when it comes to "stuff": buying it, disposing of it, saving it, our attachments to it, passing it on... 

This mindset has changed my point-of-view on a few things including books/movies and food/health. I enjoy owning books (especially art books for reference), but over the past year or so, I've been more inclined to just borrow a book from the library (unless I really need to write all over it). Too often, my bookshelves became dust magnets, outlined by the book spines that moved maybe three times per year. With food, I think the simpler, the better. I feel lighter, healthier when my foods have as little preservatives or fillers as possible. However, I have a hard time resisting cupcakes.

I'm not sure I have a point other than how important I think it is to simplify. See Domestic Kate for another perspective on simplicity.

In short, to me, less stuff = simplifying = less attachment to inanimate objects = more brain space = a greater ability to live in the moment.

Jennah-Shoes

Jennah-shoes are the $3.50 rubber flip flops available @ Old Navy (or 2 for $5.00 if you feel thrifty & want more than one color). I call them this because my dear friend, Jennah, wears a pair of these religiously. She and I have never discussed this, but I admire her ability to wear her blue or pink pair of rubber flops with any outfit and make it work. I recently purchased a silver pair just to bum around in since I don't have the stylish capabilities of Jennah + her shoes :)

I met Jennah while teaching; she was one of the kindergarten teachers. After our first time hanging out off campus, we became friends pretty quickly. It also helped that we only lived a few blocks away from each other. I think our bond was sealed when I went through this ordeal... Jennah was the one to help me lug the couch out of the house after a lot of my screaming and freaking out. Our friendship especially progressed when she introduced me to yoga at M Body which led to our joint-participation in their 40 Day program. Besides that, our dogs are boyfriend and girlfriend since they haven known each other since their puppy days. No, really. If either of them hears the others name, they get incredibly excited and start whining or barking.

This weekend, Jennah will be in DC for her friend's bachelorette party. I'm thrilled that I'll be able to steal some of her time. Ever wish you could take people with you, wherever you go?

Cupcakes

     Saturday, Anthony and I went to one of his co-worker's houses for a BBQ. I made cupcakes to go along with the 4 bottles of soda we provided (very healthy, I know). For Easter, my mom sent me this cute, little cupcake recipe book that also includes other concoctions for pies, cakes, and cookies. I have a thing for making (and eating) cupcakes, so I tried the "Chocolate covered Strawberry Tart" cupcake recipe. They turned out delicious, but I have a couple of grievances:
 1. The base for the cake is cookie mix...so they are really cookies with icing on top in cupcake form. 
2. No where in the book does it state that these recipes are for mini-cupcakes. I should have figured this out when I read to only put one teaspoon of cookie batter into each cup, but I didn't read that far ahead before buying the supplies. Therefore, I had to go back & purchase more mix and was only able to make 24 "cupcakes" total.

While these were quite tasty, I think my favorite part was the colors; I think this is usually my favorite part about cooking in general. To me, he more colorful, the more appetizing. Of course it should taste good, but I personally enjoy the presentation aspect of baking or cooking. Maybe that's the visual artist coming out. Anyways, they looked cute: pink cups, chocolate cake, pink frosting, and mini-chocolate chips on top.  

Last summer, I bought a cupcake recipe book. I think I only tried one recipe from that book. While they turned out well, I always seem to have trouble when it comes to making frosting. It's always the wrong consistency, i.e. too runny. Maybe an electric mixer would solve that problem :) Any suggestions are welcome.

Now, go eat a cupcake!

A word on Lady Gaga-Dada-Dali-Warhol

I like Lady Gaga. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, as is my love for Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. But with Gaga, it's not jut about her music being catchy. I have my reasons :) From what I've read, she is a legitimate musician having been somewhat of a child prodigy with the piano and later attended NYU in order to study music. Mostly though, I think her whole performer-persona is intriguing.

The first thing I am reminded of when I see her videos is performance art and/or what is called an art happening. She also seems like a female, musical-artist version of Andy Warhol; she defines, re-defines, embraces, and utilizes pop as her genre of choice without trying to glorify it into something more pristine. Pop is very disposable. It (a product, a song, a fashion fad, etc.) is desirable one moment and taboo the next, continuously evolving into the next temporary craze. An evolution based on temporaryism which doesn't necessarily improve or depreciate it (pop) in value...hmmm, interesting. Anyways, I appreciate that Gaga understands this and uses it to her benefit through her music, fashion, and video productions. It's difficult to take something like pop and twist it around so that you control it instead of the other way around. If it controls you, you're coined as cheesy, fake, a media puppet (see Brittney Spears). Gaga's style is also very Dada and Dali-esque, incorporating elements of nonsense (the Dada part) and surrealism (the Dali part). Just watch her "Bad Romance" video if you don't know what I mean. Non-functional clothing? Impossible shoes? Headgear that doesn't allow you to actually see? Laying next to a decomposing skeleton? What more do you need...

I also appreciate the status she maintains as a female performer. She's a sex-symbol but in a much more powerful way than Madonna, Brittney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and so on. Again, the biggest difference is Gaga's ability to maintain control (or the illusion of it) over pop, almost creating it as she goes. Performers like Madonna, however, who had great potential to do this, really f-ed it all up when she opted to be sex symbol and well...be a sex symbol. There's this line of trashiness that Madonna always crosses just for the sake of selling her music or rather, her show(s). Don't get me wrong: I enjoy some of her music, but I have virtually no respect for her as a person.

I can do without Gaga's choreography, or lack thereof, as well as her leotards, unitards, whatever-tards. Aside from that I find her and the craze she's created pretty interesting. Is she an asshole for manipulating the pop genre in order to become famous? Maybe. But I find it humorous that she's able to consciously do this and get away with it. Thank you, Andy Warhol, for paving the way.

Slobber & Stuff

You know you're a dog person when the neighborhood dogs' names are retained in your memory instead of the owners' (or if you're blogging about your dog).  I still contest that people are more likely to talk, period, when you're walking a dog. And then there are those awkward times when the stranger gives a little too much attention to your pet and ignores your existence completely. Hmmm.

I'm very thankful for the small dog park area within the apartment complex. I don't take Sam there every day, but it's nice maybe once or twice a week if we didn't get a long walk in that day. Today, Sam met Marty (a 4mo. old Goldendoodle) and Kara and their respective owners, John Doe (with the shaved head) and John Doe (with the Sperry's). Now, most owners are pretty easy-going, especially @ a dog park. It's just understood that your dog is going to run around, bark & growl, sniff and chew stuff that's questionable, slobber, drool, and, well, be a dog. Sam slobbers quite a bit for her size (well, it's more like foam). When gravity starts to take over, it turns into this long, stringy strand of goop just waiting for touchdown.

This, apparently, bothered Mr. shaved head and Mr. Sperry's as they commented on Sam's slobber several times. It got to the point where any time she went near their dogs, they acted as a body guard so that some of her slobber wouldn't touch their fur. I thought about apologizing but decided that was unnecessary and idiotic. Their failed body guard attempts were followed by comments like, "...and I JUST gave Marty a bath!" and "Jeez, Kara. Now you're soaking wet." Really, people? I'd have to say the best part was when Sam, in one of her frantic sprints around the perimeter, bumped into Mr. Sperry's leg and wiped all of her foam onto his shin. I know that sounds mean, but
1. so is passively aggressively implying that my dog is unfit for playing with other dogs due to her drool
2. don't come to a dark park, period, if you aren't planning on you or your dog getting a little dirty...that's like  doing a workout and getting pissed off that you sweat.

Ok. Enough childishness

My interview today went well; I am to expect a call on Sunday or Monday with their decision as they have other people to interview between now and then. Thanks for your good vibes.

A Call-back

Tomorrow morning, I have an interview @ Borders. Hey, it's a start. I haven't heard back from The Phillips Collection Museum which actually has disclaimer on the bottom of their application page that says,  
Due to the volume of applications received, we regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding application status. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Really? No time frame for contacting potential candidates? No time frame for when the job-posting expires? Oh well.

The last job interview I had involved my future superior telling me that it would be unwise for him to place me in a high school teaching position because I looked like I'd date the students. There were many other inappropriate comments made, but I'd have to say that was one of the most difficult interviews to sit through. Here's hoping that tomorrow's is much more pleasant, especially because the manager who called me today said, "Just be sure to bring your witty sense of humor". Hmmm.

Memory of the day: As a kid, I fell off my bike more often than not. My knees are covered in oddly-shaped scars to prove it. 

Explore

Recently, I've been thinking about doing a series of memory-inspired paintings. This thought has crossed my mind several times in the past, but I'm really feeling the want to get some of this stuff out with paint. I have no idea how it will come to fruition, but I suppose that's part of what makes it exciting (and potentially frustrating). I have 8, primed pieces of masonite staring at me, begging for some experimenting to begin. I think I'd like to work from childhood photographs of family/friends/houses etc. There's something very dream-like about memories, especially childhood ones, and my dreams have been exceptionally vivid over the past 3 months. Maybe there's a connection between the two that is worth exploring. 

Speaking of exploring, I've been spending the past 3 weeks feeling out Alexandra, VA, and Washington DC. Being in a new city can be daunting, but overall I think it's healthy for me. I'm somewhat forced to emerge from my comfort zone and embrace naivety, curiosity, and my tendency to get lost while driving. Aside from being a mecca for the visual arts, downtown DC is pretty awesome...and somewhat perplexing. I'm used to New York City which is loud, teeming, paved from head to toe with the trees in little gates. DC is busy, of course, but it feels so much more open than a place like NYC. There aren't really any skyscrapers, and thanks to the museums and historic landmarks/monuments, there are plenty of wide-open parks, fields, and trees. There are so many tourist groups (high schools, bands, middle schools, etc) walking around with their chaperons that it's hard to feel like an outsider. It's actually kind of comforting to know that most of the people you walk past have no idea where they are headed either.

Memory for the day: I learned what the word "explore" meant from my Dad. There was rarely a vacation, day-trip, or weekend drive that didn't involve him pulling over to the side of the road in some desolate area so that we could walk around a piece of property. As a child, I remember asking, "What are we doing?" to which Dad would respond, "We're exploring!" Ok. Cool. We get to walk around in some unknown area (normally through the woods), surrounded by trees, unprepared for any chance encounter with a wild animal. It became one of my favorite things (even though I'm sure I whined about it at the time), and I think this was the birth of my love for nature and tree canopies.