People who I want to give applesauce to:

Kristine Woods Anna Fine Foer Rebecca Nagle Sima Krtalic Jillian Coratti Travis Christine Jody John Pat Afton Dave Heather The Folks Emily Brian The St. Paul Fundakowski's The Miners Aunt Bonny The Steins Nancy Tudorov Christine Ricks & Timothy Mason Angie Ivanova So, I'm going to have to get about two cases of jars when the time comes. Gotta figure out what size jars I'm going to can in, wide-mouth half-pints, I'm thinking? I'm designing my labels right now. Expect these around New Year's, folks!

D'Oh!

I must have hit a curb or something and got a bubble in the sidewall of my tire! Going to get it fixed tomorrow before I head back to B-Town. And so the cost of auto ownership is upon me. Ouch, $150. L'shana tova to all my fellow Israelites who are celebrating the New Jew Year tonight.

Reminder to friends who are graduating--

Don't forget to save reciepts for art supplies and certain tools and furniture (starting January 1st) since you'll likely be filing as an independent on tax returns next year! Hooray! I had DA re-training today but we got out super-early, so I'll be unpacking and getting together a couple bags for goodwill of clothes that I'm no longer wearing. Cleaning, etc. I got a new iron for Christmas so I'm kind of excited about that. It's very dry in my apartment building because of the type of furnace, and as soon as I left my parents' place I started getting this respiratory thing so hopefully I can get some hot water up in my shower and unclog. Also planning on heading out to the studio today, and maybe getting my tire fixed down in Fell's Point.

A lovely evening.

I love being able to run errands and help out at home. Taking morning walks with my dad and the dogs, going on shopping trips and to the surgeon's office with my mom, putting dinner on the table for my mom and dad when they get home. This week, one of the first things I did was to look up the local rock climbing gym and check it out. My dad went with me last night and I showed him bouldering, taught him how to put on a harness and do the figure 8 with follow-through and back-up knot, and he did two climbs, I was SO impressed! It's very different belaying something that much heavier. He didn't think he could do it and he did! And I got to be cheerleader to my father instead of 8 year old girls. I wonder if I can get him to take the belay class and we can be climbing buddies when I'm home? I had a great time with the old man, and I'll remember last night for a long time coming, if only for the fact that Dad put his life in my hands and never questioned me once.

Topping off my podcasts at the airport.

I have a New York Times from today, and I'm downloading some more podcasts, organizing my RSS feeds (75+), and trying not to think about myself and the boy, we had our talk finally and it was pretty illuminating, but not necessarily encouraging of the future of our relationship. But it was more we've talked since...I don't even know when, beginning of the semester? Some time apart physically will allow us the space to think, and I think both of us need that right now. Not to mention recovering from finals. I can't wait. I am aware that it's pretty silly to pay to go on the interwebs, but I just turned in 12 time sheets which will result in over $700 being directly deposited in my account before the end of the year. Yes, it is sad that of me and mine I'm the only one working a campus job (other than my friend Aric, a graphic designer and book-maker), everyone else is in the field and making far more than $7.50 an hour. Perhaps I should work on that next semester?

In absentia

Apologies for the lack of postings and updates, it's the last week of finals here and I'm just huddling in my emergency space blanket working until it s al over. Many thanks to Marc for his care package, there aren't words enough to express my gratitude. Sunday I'll be on my way back to California. There are finals to finish up, dishes to wash and a fridge to clean out, but more pressing is talking with Justin about "us." Last year I came back to Baltimore only to be broken up with, and not only was that not what I would have liked, but my parents were upset at his choice of timing. I mean, so was I. It's so easy for him and I to go through our days, recap, and relax with one another, but at a certain point those crucial questions need to be addressed. So far, there just hasn't been any time, and I'm not really forseeing any until later this week, if then. Maybe Saturday? Today I'm going to Robert E. Lee park to take photos of my hi-tech/touch Mudpie garments, being worn by trees (hopefully), so we will see how that goes. After that I'm going to my friends' place to make matzo ball soup. Note to self: borrow fifteen spoons for Way of Tea final. Then it's working on thesis/fashion/multi-media event homework, then a couple papers for Tea and History of Women in Art, then just more presenting of my own work till Friday at 3 pm. And, lo, how glorious that will be! Friday, on the up-side, in the wintery-mix of crummy weather we've been having, I went for the first time to H&H surplus, up on Eutaw Street here in Baltimore city, and I am deeply regretful it took me almost four years to go. If I needed to survive the zombie invasion, this is where I would barricade myself and my fellow survivors to outfit our party for the brain-eating apocalypse. And, finally, I must give a little shout-out to my new favorite litte faux bois blog, It's (K)not Wood. Part of me knows I have so much stuff I may as well start getting well-designed things I love, and part of me wants to put it all in storage and live out of a backpack. Finished chrismukkah shopping!

Zomg.

So, today I worked, then dressed up like a zombie and protested at the inner harbor with my friend Kate. I just gorged myself on tofurkey with extra dijon mustard, and I am about to slip into a tofurkey coma. My friend Sima and I cleaned and fell asleep to The Wizard of Oz last night. All-in-all, a lovely time had by all.

Lotsa Matzo

Hush, gentle readers, and ignore the lack of posts in the pre-seder rush... Let me pacify you with woven and knit fabrics printed with the image of the bread of affliction... Elle

Mysteries of my adult life.

The following is a list of information and knowledge that continues to evade me, despite my grown-up body and highly-educated mind. Why do men smell simultaneously gross and fascinating, and why do they seem utterly unaware of this fact? My father, expecially. As an adolescent, I constantly purloined my fathers' short-sleeved work shirts, but ultimately returned them due to the comforting, but all-pervasive, musky odor. Why do I hoard things like papers, books, fabric? Why do I still try on boys' last-names like a middle-school girl? What makes the kitchen so comforting? When I have a house of my own, I will make the kitchen open to the living room, like in the second house I lived in. For me, the kitchen is where it all happens. At all the best parties I've been to, there were constant replenishings, new things being brought out, etc. Why not make them the same place? Lots of wonderings the past few days, lots of work being done, lots of printing. Right now, I'm working on pot-holders that look like matzo, and am going to make an apron that says "My Knish Is Delish" and big ol' matzo-looking quilted pockets. It's my personal armor for next monday's crit, and I'll probably cook something K for P for my classmates, since a huge part of my personal armor ("Oh please don't hate me") is feeding people. Hag sameach! Happy passover!

Good morning, Baltimore.

Rag-rugged this morning, looked at design web sites (oh wait still doing that), and am watching Goldmember, which I've never seen. My ex introduced me to the Connery-era Bond films, and Austin Powers only thrils me more than it ever did. So, very exciting here. Tomorrow is MICA's Open House for potential incoming students, so I've been asked to be working in the fibers' department studios tomorrow, which will probably be some printing, and then some more printing (I'm thinking of making commemorative matzo bags for the afikomen for Oy!'s Paschal Seder next friday.) Big task of this weekend will also be a grocery shopping trip to get supplies for the Paschal Seder. Basically, MICA doesn't have a huge active Jewish population, but Koinonia is the Christian fellowship here, and last year we had a seder during passover and invited them. We ate on the floor, there was barely enough food, but it was REALLY successful, and we're doing it again. As part of preperation for this, we had an egg-dyeing social with Koinonia and let people decorate eggs, invited people to the seder, talked about the menu and requirements of cooking kosher for passover. There, of course, will be lots of grape juice and kosher Coca-Cola. And matzo ball soup. Also, ridiculously jewish prizes, a large-scale hunt for the Golden Afikomen, and a nomination for Program of the Year. I'm thrilled.