fleas and more, so much more

we went the the renninger "extravaganza" on saturday
it was sunny and breezy
not to warm not to cool
and there was really nice assortment of goodies
at mostly reasonable prices
i didn't get much
just a few little amusements
but jak cleaned up, more stuff than he could carry

the best thing i got was type geek book
"a dictionary of modern type faces and lettering" by william longyear
who was apparently an instructor at the pratt institute
it appears to be a first edition
and the copyright in 1935
it's very cool

fixin' to percolate, i'll tell you what

so many possibilities
a life without all this (particular brand of) stress and anxiety
any kind of life we want really
the possibilities are only as endless as our imagination
very exciting
it's hard to even taste how exciting
it's still not really real
yet
but it's percolating

the best part of the day

sometimes it difficult to give up the best part of the day for going to yoga, i want to go, i know it will make me feel better, but there is something about getiing out of bed and being all cozy in pajamas and sipping on a steamy bowl of coffee and enjoying that buzz....

letting it buzz you off into whatever it is you need to get done that day. if i go to yoga that cozy buzzy experience is delayed for about 3-4 hours, and it just isn't as cozy as the first thing in the morning pajama coffee buzz

and i can always go to the evening class

counting

i don't know what to countdown....

should it be 10 days till my degree review?
or maybe 13 days till my final crit?
or perhaps 21 days till the senior show?
or even better 22 days until graduation

screw all that i should be counting down
30 days until we leave for spain!

i am just a bundle of nerves and anxiety
i can't wait until this is over
i'm ready for some different flavor of stress and anxiety now
this flavor is making me want to throw things

margarita emergency

last class last class last class
and i couldn't even stand to be there for the whole 6 hours
b gave me some good insightful comments to help me finish up
then there was a brief senior meeting
(which just annoyed the hell out of me)
and then since jak was downtown for a meeting
i skated out of class early
and hitched a ride home with him
and we made a pit stop on the way home for bad mexican
and margaritas

my last real for real class
it's all just printing and binding and stressing from here on out
(the next 2 weeks)
it is a mixed response i am having
i don't really have anything to replace all the busy and anxiety with
nothing that is except for dust bunnies and dirty laundry

well there are my portfolios
which i have been avoiding like moldy bread....

there's still plenty to do
and it all involves me spending lots of quality time with
epson 740
epson 1280
hammermill
french
schaedler
double stick tape
and last but not least
olfa

and lets not forget the most important of all:

rough around the edges

i still need to make a few refinements
but you can view my problem solving project here
exchange tv (the diy channel)

tomorrow is our last class (i think)
we are scheduled to have one more class
but i think that much like our pizza party class
it won't be a real class
we'll see...
it feels like it should be the last class

the end is near

it's all over but the pizza party
we were informed that yesterday was our last official class
it's time to go into production
and next week we'll be having a pizza party
(i feel just like i'm in middle school again)

it's such a relief to be done
i still have to face the gang of 10 the following week
but, the reworking and pushing and questioning part is over
now i just have to put the parts together

this weekend will be my final push for problem solving too
get it all done done done

maybe i will have time to clean the house next week
wouldn't that be exciting?!?!

chartreuse

it was extra green out today
and so warm i actually had a little sweat
things have been budding up and blooming for weeks
but so far the trees have been a little tentative
well.....
they're really going for it now

i was driving to the co-op to buy some fish for dinner*
bumpin' along to my spring 2006 graduation soundtrack**
and by golly it's spring!
it was nice to roll all the windows down
and cruise through the neighborhood
soaking in all the many and various shades of green
the leafy is starting make everything all dappled and shady
it sure is pretty 'round here when it wants to be


*dinner
pan fried talapia with a grapefruit-lime juice, shallot, mint sauce
broiled zucchini with fresh tomatoes and basil
basmati rice

**spring 2006 graduation soundtrack
the blower's daughter - damien rice
you are - lionel richie
missing - beck
lady (you bring me up) - the commodores
you make my dreams - daryl hall & john oates
i'm your man - leonard cohen
it looks like love - josh rouse
dance epidemic - electric six
struggle - ringside
love come down - evelyn "champagne" king
u don't have to call - usher
family affair - mary j. blige
lydia - slaid cleaves
im the bomb - electric six
breathe me - sia
his majesty rides - josh rouse
catch my disease ben lee
people gonna talk - james hunter
I'M COMING OUT - diana ross

keep clam

i am feeling suspiciously calm
i had a pretty good monday class
i got some positive feedback
and was reassured that simple can be more difficult than complicated
which was really what i needed to hear

when all the pieces were laid out it didn't look all that bad
i dare say it almost looked good
and R gave me a good idea
for a nice little bonus item that is something fresh to think about
and will give me the juice i need to ride this to the end

my degree project feels pretty damn done
i have binding issues to deal with
but, i'm feeling pretty good about it
i ordered some pretty brick red paper to make the cover out of
and "he" said that i could use his spiral punch and spirals to bind it
i have to see what size "he" has to see if they will work out

now i need to do the portfolio things
feh
no enthusiasm for that

(12 days to go)

itinerario

i think we have finally settled on something resembling an itinerary
we land in madrid and set off immediately for granada
where we will enjoy the alhambra
then we have 5 days to fill with:
cordoba, sevilla, a beach on the coast or something mountainy/hilly
we can probably manage 3 of the 5
depending on how ambitious we are feeling
and then we will spend 3 days in barcelona
before making our way back to madrid

we got a room at hotel jardi in barcelona
i am hoping that it will be as lovely as the reviews i have read
it is right on the plaza del pi, where the gothic cathedral is
and there is supposed to be a nice cafe right downstairs
where we can lounge over our coffee and people watch
can't wait
can't wait
can't wait

are we there yet?

weary

i'm tired
we did the seder thing today
snarky speed seder

i didn't eat too much
sometimes it's hard not to over indulge
what with all the piles and piles of food laden platters
that come out of the kitchen in an endless wave
i decided that i was not obligated to eat some of everything
and since passover food is just not that exciting
it was not difficult to pass over

it was a long week
and i just feel completely and utterly drained
there are 2 weeks left (more or less)
there is the ridiculous matter of there being one final monday class
but i won't bore you with the details
let's just say there are 2 more weeks (and 1 day)
and i have nothing left to give
my things are done
i guess
except for finishing the flash interface
and finalizing my logo design
and printing out all the pieces
and making something that resembles a
"press release" folio for presentation purposes
and doing a final proofreading of my degree project
and fixing all the rags
and test printing
and printing
and binding
and screwing everything up
and having to re print
and re bind
and then there are all my various portfolios (print and web)

and i am just so very weary

i accomplished zero work-wise today
which means that tomorrow will be a busy one
no easter egg hunting for me

(15 days to go)

twentyone

21 more days

my last day of class is the 21st day

and then there is a week of crazy

and then there is my final final final final crit

and then there is a week of cleaning the entire house

and then there are house guests and graduation

and then there is SPAIN

lets start the countdown...

chasing my tail

around and around and around she go
where she'll stop NOBODY KNOWS!

on the musical tip
i love discovering/rediscovering/dusting off new/old music
few things are as much fun
it's such a fishing expedition
complete with dry spells, where nothing is biting
i am a new fan of josh rouse

he played here in philly last night
but i am a graphic design slave
and am not allowed to leave the house
without written permission from the warden

also james hunter is really quite good

current dusty old guilty pleasures include:
hall & oates "you make my dreams come true"
diana ross "i'm coming out"

tgif?

friday never seems to really feel like friday
there is the relief that i survived another design studio
but then there is the realization
that i have so much to do before monday

in lighter news:
the final season of six feet under was finally released
and the first 3 of 5 discs were on my doorstep
when i got home today
i can not tell you how much i love this show
i never want it to end
funny, considering the existential undertone
or is it an overtone? of the show
anyway i never want it to end

so you think i would savor every episode
but, no
i usually pop them right into the dvd player
and watch them back to back
for as long as i possibly can or there are no more
whichever comes first
usually the latter
and then i am sad

it will be interesting to see if i get any work done this weekend