Oh Yeah! Art Jump!

My friend Dave and I made it onto the Art Jump site! Hooray!

http://jumpinginartmuseums.blogspot.com/

how have you been?

Someone asked me: how have you been?

I am good....toooo many things going on and yet nothing all at the same time!

Job hunting and applying in multiple fields (that could keep you busy forever),

Working in retail,

Reconnect with old friends,

Making new friends in Melb,

Planning a weekend away,

Staying literate at the library

Organizing my photos,

Enquiring about artistic collaboration,

Awaiting and participating in the making of my website.

Understand my back through a new class, method, therapy, bath,

Working on the odd occasion for my Mum's chocolate shop,

Volunteering with kids,

Volunteering with Public health,

Searching for experience in public health,

Staying in touch with the USA, grandma is being neglected

Getting new glasses,

Seeing exhibitions in Melbourne,

New dentist, new problems AND

Old dentist, old problems

(yes, both simultaneously)

....and trying to see some comedy shows...

Note: I took out all the sentences above stating with Trying....wasn't good for morale! Action words are the way to go!

So how have I been?

busy, occupied, bored, stressed, happy, depressed, grateful, ungrateful, lonely, overwhelmed....I could go on...

CouchSurfers + Chocolate = good time

What time is it? Chocolate time!

followed by dinner time =)

After meeting acouple of CouchSurfers recently and seeing the looks awe and desire when I mentioned my that Mum owns a chocolate store, I made an event on CouchSurfing for people to come and visit Hahndorf's Fine Chocolates in Black Rock. As it neared closer to Sunday, I checked the even page. It listed 7 people as coming. I thought a few might not show and so it would leave us with approximately 5 people. Oh, how wrong I was. 10 CSers arrived at Sandringham station, another 2 were already there drinking their first beverage. 2 more showed up after...there were about 16 of us in total! My Mother was just overjoyed to be working a Sunday afternoon in place of one of her staff and have a table of 16 orders. I had to ask her 'Do you still love me?'. 'No', she replied, in a rather unconvincely but 'how could you do this to me' kind of way. After wonderful chocolates we walked down to the beach for a swim. With summer sinking away into the depth of time, the water is getting cooler, but in I went all the same. People slowly had to leave until it was pizza (or Australian bruschetta we decided for the 2 Italian ladies begged to differ) for 8 in Parkdale! A great day!

everyone loves sporks...

TastyKake

TastyKake by Bronwyn (pictured left) from Philly, Craig (center) from Kansas(?) and Cara who is a Cal-bournian(?). Bronwyn's permission for use of this photo series is given with as long as we give Philly some love! Go Philly Go!

Rats and Julia

My Mother the cooking extraordnaire! No folks, she has NO time, but she does it all anyway! Above is one of her first dishes, some fancy potato thing and dieters beware this is not for the faint of heart!

Oh Squishie Baby Kitty...

....who just peed in my bathroom

Good things are happening all around...

I went to see this art exhibition, with friends on Thursday:

Wild Man (made out of silicone and other materials, incredibly realistic)

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ronmueck/

My friend Jarrod is about to volunteer with this project:

http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm

My Mother is fast becoming a cooking extraordinaire. She is making boston baked beans today in a crock pot, made Duchess potatoes yesterday and last week Julia Child's quintessential Beef Bourguignon.  

Another friend, Ben, heard Mary Roach speak in SF:

I am still in love with TED! Mary Roach on TED: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jx0dTYUO5E

The world is full of amazing people and amazing things.

Good things are all around:

-Next week is my good sumaritan week; I am going to give blood and do my re-Induction for volunteering with disabled kids. I am also bringing a friend to volunteer too! 

-Progress is being made on my dream for a website thanks to a friend!

-I am actually applying for jobs!

-I now only have one job!

-Two friends have just started new jobs teaching, another is doing her dream job of becoming a midwife.

-My good friend just got a promotion and a house in the city.

-A friend of mine who works hard is going on holiday to Perth soon.

-Friends of mine are at the winter Olympics right now watching their daughter/sister compete!

...think of all the good things happening =)

Astronomy picture of the day

Mike Stimpson's Lego

who knew!

"I hate flowers. I paint them because they're cheaper then models and they don't move"

-Georgia O'Keeffe

I saw an Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition over the summer at the SFMOMA in San Fran. O'Keeffe is so famous for her flowers....who knew she hated them.

achooo!

Cara is sick! Too sick to work! Haven't had a cold like this in a while! 

Animated films! Romantic Comedies here I come! Hooray!

Mama Mia!

When Harry Met Sally

While you were Sleeping

The Incredibles

Dr Who

next up...A Room with a View, Practical Magic, The Lake House?...maybe its time for something less fuzzy!

On the net at my old work

http://villaandhutblog.com/2010/01/beautiful/

The shadow of the Eiffel Tower! Wow!

Beauty- love this one

Do you know a Rube Goldberg machine when you see one?

As defined by Merriam-Webster (Who is M-W? A word conscious husband and wife team perhaps? How nerdy and intellectual of them.): "Rube Goldberg"- accomplishing something simple through complex means.

"Professor Butts and the Self-Operating Napkin"

The "Self-Operating Napkin" is activated when the soup spoon (A) is raised to mouth, pulling string (B) and thereby jerking ladle (C) which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights automatic cigar lighter (J), setting off skyrocket (K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow pendulum with attached napkin to swing back and forth, thereby wiping chin.

A metaphor for life perhaps?

Happy Birthday to Jan!

An Amazing Morning of Elegance

A day in the life of 1937

Merry Christmas =)

The setting! 

Jan's new umbrella!

...and to all a good night

Christmas Party! Oh My!

Nice to see old friends again at 

The Red Balloon - candy artisans

!