Artsy Fartsy

It’s interesting being married to an artist and going to art shows. Matt and I have a history of getting in fights at museums. It was always this weird thing where he’d get all silent and brooding and I would wonder what he was thinking and he’d never know what he was thinking and I was bored and when were we going to eat. It’s gotten better over the years, partly because Matt is not immersed in the fine art world (illustration is a slightly different art world), but mostly because we’re married and it’s just a lot easier. This weekend we went to the Milwaukee Art Museum to see the Francis Bacon show. We did have an argument, but that had nothing to do with the show (I was mad because he couldn’t take a good picture of me for promotional purposes, and he was mad because I was being a bitch). I never know what I’m supposed to be doing at an art show. I see the paintings, but it’s rarely a profound experience for me. My favorite art experiences were in Italy, when I could see all of the myths represented in artwork and I knew the stories. I like stories. What I tend to notice most in galleries and museums are the frames. Who chose them? Why? How fancy! At the Francis Bacon show, I noticed that all of the frames were gold. Yet many of the paintings were owned by different people. Why did they all have gold frames? Did Bacon himself choose them? Did he force everyone who bought his paintings to frame them in gold? Did the museum change all of the frames for the show? Will I ever know the answer? I suppose I could ask someone at the museum. But then what would I think about the next time I visit a gallery?

I'm Bringing Fanny Packs Back

I just got back from a frantic visit with my parents in their Florida house and a quick two-day trip to Disneyworld. Matt and I slept in today until 11:00, which we haven’t done in years. Vacations are so exhausting. The Disney thing was a mega whirlwind. I am a huge Disney buff, for those who don’t know. Not necessarily the movies, which I do like, but more the places (Disneyworld, Disneyland, EPCOT, etc.). My family has gone many times, and I fall into the Disney fantasy trap every time. So Matt and I only had time for a tiny visit, and it was a bit much. We had to go on ALL of the rides at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and we had to do it in two days. The weather was perfect (mid-80s every day and sunny), and we managed to do almost every ride. My faves at Magic Kingdom are Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion. My fave at EPCOT is Test Track. I could talk about Disney all day, but the real reason I wanted to blog was to tell y’all: The fanny pack is back. My sister, Amy, recently decided that she wanted to find a cool fanny pack. I was mortified. I don’t know if I ever carried a fanny pack, but I know they don’t scream “cool.” Amy found a funky pack through LeSportsac. It was surprisingly cute, and I started to think about the practicality. I carry a purse reluctantly when I go places, mainly because I like to be prepared (Kleenex, lip balm, cell phone). I prefer mini-backpacks because then the weight of whatever I’m carrying is distributed evenly. But they aren’t all that popular these days, and the only company that really sells them is Vera Bradley. I have actually owned several mini-backpacks of the Vera Bradley variety, and they are cute, but the only other people I see carrying them are significantly older than me. So I feel a little uncool, which I wish doesn’t matter to me but does. My sister is super stylish, though, and I thought if she wanted a fanny pack then there must be something to it. So I bought one. As you can see, the fabric is way cute. Still, I was really nervous about wearing it. I thought everyone would be laughing at me (I don’t know why I cared so much about the opinions of families at Disneyworld), but I didn’t bring another purse so I had to wear it. And I loved it! It was so convenient and light, and my back didn’t hurt at the end of the day. I could swivel it around, depending on if I was standing, sitting, or eating. When I wore it in the back (which was my usual place for it) I felt a little like Lara Croft, with a tool pack around my waist. I was very pleased with my pack.

I don’t know when I’ll wear my dear fanny again, but I’m not going to give it directly to my mom as I initially planned. I think it will make a great accessory the next time I go to a county fair or swap meet. Any maybe someday I will feel secure enough to wear it someplace I may actually see someone I know.

No Mo

I don’t want to write about American Idol today. The show is boring me. It is wasting my time. So I will talk about…

The weather! Last night it was so rainy and crazy. The rain was falling hard, and I was driving, and I was wondering if there was going to be a tornado. I have never seen a tornado in person. I am thankful for that, but I am also curious. The traffic was horrible, and I knew it was because the rain was falling so fast and there would surely be flooding. Lo and behold, I came to a long line of traffic that lead to a viaduct. The road was filled with water, and people were slowly pushing through it. When it was my turn, I was terrified. I did not want to be one of those morons they show on the news, floating in water because they thought they could get through without a problem. Most of the people driving through the water were in SUVs and trucks, which made me worry even more: would my little Civic make it? The water was spread out much further than I thought, but I started pushing through. I didn’t know how much to accelerate because I still wanted control of the car, but I didn’t want to underaccelerate and get stuck. Twenty seconds later (um, I completely made up that estimate) I made it through! My car made a crazy noise, but it was OK. I heard on the news this morning that the very same viaduct now has eight to ten feet of water under it! How is that even possible?

The sun is out now, the birds are chirping, and I’m counting the seconds until Spring Break.

Idol Uglies

I should have blogged last night, because I was whipping out the one-liners during Tuesday Night Idol. Oh well. I normally don’t vote (the last time I did was for Kelly Clarkson, I think. Maybe I voted for Elliott last season), but I thought I’d try last night. I don’t care enough to try and get through, since the line is always busy. But last night I decided to vote for Lakisha. What I did was start calling right when they showed her number- NOT after the show ended. And guess what? Some guy said, “Thank you for voting for contestant number eight.” So you CAN vote before the show ends! I tried to vote again, and couldn’t get through. Shifty.

Click here for a list of contestants with pictures. My least favorite contestant is Phil Stacey. He repulses me. I don’t know why the repulsion is so strong, but I can’t stand to look at him. His voice is “easy-listening” (according to Matt), but it’s his lack of hair that kills me. It’s one thing to be bald naturally, but he chooses to look like that. It’s hideous! He’s hideous! And it’s just as bad when he wears a hat, cocked to the side. I wish I could vote against someone so I could get his fake shiny head off the show.

Funniest observation from last night: Matt said that Chris Sligh looks like a grown-up version of that kid in The Wedding Singer who Drew Barrymore dances with at the bar mitzvah. (I couldn't find a picture to link.) You know what I’m talking about.

Weathering

It’s snowing. Again. It’s always snowing. Today’s snow is very pretty- all fat and falling in slow-motion, but it made my commute to work incredibly slow. I do love the snow, but I’m sick of it. It’s making things feel so hopeless. I think it would be different if I didn’t have to go to work, and I could just frolic in the snow, but driving adds a new poopy spin. At least the roads weren’t treacherous. I get myself so worked up when the snow is bad and driving is scary. I can’t sleep at all if I know I have to drive in the snow. Weather always has a very strong impact on me. Tornados and thunderstorms used to scare the crap out of me. I always went into the basement when I was little when there was just a tornado watch (not the actual warning). My dad, on the other hand, would sit with our front door open, videotaping. Today, in fact, is a school tornado drill. I am always freaked when we have drills. The worst is the “Intruder Drill,” because I always envision some horrible incident and me trying to save a bunch of children from a crazed maniac. The most annoying drills we have are fire drills. The kids don’t take the drills seriously, and neither do most of the adults. Everyone talks, and if it’s crappy out we have to stand outside in the crap. Kids are whining and throwing snowballs and jumping in mud. When I was little I really hated drills. I used to cry during fire drills because the buzz was so loud, and I hated the anticipation. I was so scared during tornado drills that I always put myself into the perfect tuck.

One of the members of my YALSA Audiobooks committee just moved to Alabama, and while she was out of town the terrible tornados came through. Her home was OK, but her dogs were in a kennel that got demolished. A day later, they found the dogs, who were a little hurt but doing fine. Thank goodness.

In non-weather news, it is Tuesday. Let the three-day Idol torture begin! Does anyone have any favorites yet?

TV Glug

What is the deal with TV boring the crap out of me? American Idol must STOP. Why does it have to be on three nights a week? Why must my husband watch at least two of those nights? It’s so boring to me now. I need more of a distraction these days. Monday nights are the best night on TV, followed by Thursday. Mondays have Antiques Roadshow (which I watch at 7:00 on Milwaukee Public Television) and then Girlfriends at 8:00. I freakin’ love Girlfriends. I have been watching it for years. I love the characters, think it’s mega funny, and like how realistically they deal with certain things. I don’t miss Tony Childs at all. She was nasty and mean. Gorgeous, though. I hope there’s a new episode on tonight.

Thursday nights on NBC are half and half for me. I do not care for My Name is Earl. It may be the Jason Lee/Scientology connection, but I am also disgusted by Earl’s brother, Randy. And not at all in a funny way. He’s just stupid and gross. I love The Office, but then Scrubs annoys me. JD is also icky, but in a whinier, wussier way than Randy. I love Turk and Carla, so sometimes I watch. My new fave show is 30 Rock. I have always loved Tracy Morgan (the Halpern women think he’s HILARIOUS), and the show is just really funny. Last week’s episode had me howling. Tracy Morgan as Oprah? Now that’s comedy!

Office Lowdown

So what does everyone think of last night’s Office? It’s weird, but I don’t think most of my friends watch the same TV shows that I do. I think it’s because they have mega cable, and I do not. I am not liking Jim lately. I used to like him a lot, and even had dreams with him, but he’s just a wishy-washy, camera-looking, sports-loving dude. We knew Pam’s guy (whose name escapes me) was a butt, and I liked his violent streak that made Pam leave him. It made sense. I hope he does kick Jim’s ass. He needs a little shaking up.

It’s supposed to snow again this weekend. I am happy it’s the weekend because that means I don’t have to drive to work and spend two hours each way in the car, but I still don’t want to deal. I’m ready for spring.

I’m excited to get Sunday’s newspaper (although they didn’t deliver it last Sunday. I didn’t call, though. I probably should have). It will have ads for sales on the new Sims 2 Seasons- out Tuesday!!! I’m very excited. I wish I didn’t have to work so I could play all day long. Next weekend, I suppose.

PS I wrote this before the weekend, but forgot to post it until Sunday night.