'A real hit for Canal Street.'

Last night — because I am the best sister on the PLANET, let me just tell you — I drove home to Lebanon so I could pick up a prop for my brother's play. Since I was in town, I had to stop by and see my parents. They would have had a conniption fit had they learned I was in town and didn't pop in. So I drove down Canal Street, parked in my usual spot, and had a quick visit.

I grew up on Canal Street. I ran up and down the little alleyways connecting the row homes, jumped rope and scrawled hopscotch boards in chalk on its sidewalks. The street has remained relatively unchanged since I was 4: A lick of paint here or a new porch railing there, sure. But mostly, everything is exactly how it was when I was growing up.

It's funny how comfortable and reassuring something like that can be. By the same hand, it's something that quickly becomes taken for granted and forgotten about. When I parked last night, I didn't even register or think about the neighborhood. I was so preoccupied with saying my hellos and getting back on the road, that I didn't take notice to what's been there all along.

In the middle of the night, my parents were woken up by the smell of smoke and then sirens. The three houses directly across the street from my house were on fire. One of those houses belonged to Mrs. W, who has been there since I was 8. She and her husband just remodeled their downstairs this past summer. A week and half ago, Mrs. W caught my dad getting out of his car after work and said to him, "Good neighbors are hard to find. Merry Christmas!" and pressed a box of opera fudge into his hands.

It breaks my heart to think of Mr. and Mrs. W and those 8 other people now being homeless, having lost everything so quickly. It terrifies me to think what could have happened if an ember had blown across the way to my parents' roof. Canal Street is not particularly wide; had fireman not arrived when they did, much more of the neighborhood could have been damaged. Just looking at this photo boggles my mind. I can't believe these houses that have been there my entire life, have been gutted beyond repair in a few short hours. These people lost so much last night: Their photographs. Their clothes. Their memories. Please think of them tonight — they need all the good, positive, healing energy the new year can bring.

ETA: I am trying to find out if there's a clothing/support drive for these neighbors. I'll keep you posted if I find anything.

Ireland - The photos

Finally. I got around to uploading my final batch of photos from the trip, from Dublin and the surrounding countryside.



Jim Larkin implores you to raise the roof.





One of my favorite captures of the entire trip. Street performer on Grafton Street.



At the Guinness storehouse, they had this section where they invited you to leave a postcard with a message. This was one of my favorites.



Mmmm. Best. Guinness. Ever.



Oscar Wilde thinks you're very droll.



Even more street performers!







Shamrocks in Ireland! I know, it's a cheesy picture. I COULDN'T HELP IT, IT TOOK IT ANYWAY AND I LOVE IT.



Irish sheep!



Performer at the art opening I attended at Gallery H.



River Liffey. Sigh. This photo makes me homesick for Dublin.

Coming to terms

Gary cornered me about it the other night.

"I think you're just fooling yourself," he told me.

"I'm not," I responded.

"But you are. I hear you all the time."

"You hear me? Oh, god." I was mortified.

"No, that's my point," he explained. "I hear you laughing. I hear you talking. I don't hear other things."

"So?"

"So, I'm saying that—"

"Look, I know what I'm doing. I'm not fooling myself. And when I'm ready to call it something else? I'll call it something else. Until then, I know that I feel good, I know that my life is full, busy, and happy."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"But you're fooling yourself."

101 in 1001 Redux

My list was officially up on December 1, but I sort of spaced on it. You guys, I didn't do so hot on this project. Then again, I also had a lot of random crap on this list. Let's take a look at my successes and failures:



1) Go to Ireland, damnit. (BOO-YA! Completed November 17, 2008)

Oh hell YES. Of all the things on this list, I am most happy that I completed this one. Pictures are still forthcoming.

2) Start taking Irish Step Dancing lessons again (Completed summer 2007, although it wasn't with a teacher I particularly like)

So, I did this last summer. It was listed as a ceili dancing class, but it wasn't at all - It was a regular old step dancing class. I really had issues with my teacher, who actually did have his TCRG, but then went rouge and formed the American Association of Irish Dancers & Teachers (as opposed to the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America) because of some bizarre falling out. It wouldn't have been so bad, except I got the distinct impression that he either made shit up or did the opposite of the IDTANA out of spite. The last class, he took issues with — I swear to God — the way I tied my shoes. Which, SERIOUSLY? Also, when I just looked the AAIDT up to link to it, the website is now defunct, so let that tell you everything you need to know.

I'd like to do this again, with a teacher in IDTANA with a TCRG, but my life needs to calm down a bit.

3) Get into grad school (Completed 4/13/06)

I WILL GRADUATE THIS MAY, PEOPLE, AND EVERYONE SHALL CALL ME "MASTER."

4) Figure out a budget for myself and start living within it so I don’t go from paycheck to paycheck

Hrrrm. Some months I'm better about this than others.

5) Make my own zine, and distribute it

OK, not done...yet. But underway. And seeing as this is a major component to my thesis, it will indeed get done.

6) Buy a digital camera (Completed 9/4/06)

Oh my god, I love Iris SO MUCH. Now I just need to buy new lenses for her.

7) Buy a new 35mm (Completed 6/4/06 -- Thanks, Uncle Mike for the gift!)

Have it, but I don't USE it as much as I would like — film is expensive. I also bought or acquired several other 35mm cameras.

8) Take a photography class (Completed 12/2/06 -- Photography Workshop with JJ Tiziou)

Best $50 bucks I ever spent.

9) Redesign the Inis Nua website (again), this time in a fashion that both my brother and I like

I'm calling this half-done. If you click on that link, you can see that the site's been redesigned. And while I like it BETTER than what it was, it still sucks and needs reworking. My brother seems happy with it, though.

10) Learn Dreamweaver or FrontPage so that I don’t have to code everything by hand or use Photoshop or Quark, which are not really web design programs

OY. Need to get on it.

11) Make cool-looking artwork for the apartment (Completed 8/1/2008 -- I am counting the art I did for the show. Hey, it's hanging in my apartment now)

So remember how I took a workshop taught by J.J.? Then I ended up in an art show with him! So that was kind of rad. And I've gotten a lot of complements on the piece.

12) Host a semi fancy dinner party (Completed 4/16/06 -- I'm counting Easter Dinner because it was a holiday and semi fancy and did I mention that I made LAMB?)

Yeah, I ruled this one. I had a table cloth, matching napkins, candles and everything. So what if it was my family?

13) Spend a night on my fire escape with wine, cheese, and a companion

Sort of regret this one didn't happen, but eh, not too hard to achieve.

14) Attend another Preston & Steve singles mixer, just to prove that my spirit wasn’t broken by Prince Fucking Charming.

Mmm, nope. And you know? Kind of don't have a desire to go to one anymore.

15) Plant a garden (Completed 4/21/07, I finally planted my window box)

Damn squirrels ate my plants.

16) Attend another Irish festival

I have no idea why this didn't happen. I went to lots of Irish events though.

17) See Seamus Kennedy Live

Didn't happen. Would still like to do this, when he's playing a pub or something.

18) See Flogging Molly live (again)

I was holding out for my friend Erin to come with me, and then I got sort of disenchanted with Flogging Molly's latest albums, which sound like all of their other albums. So there you go.

19) Spend a day in New York City with the Triplets

Oh, this one. We keep trying to set it up, and it keeps falling through.

20) Become pen pals with someone overseas

Maybe something will come out of the conference?

21) Buy sexy lingerie and wear it. Look good while doing so. (Completed 8/26/08 -- Nothing too fancy, but it got the job done)

Score.

22) Join and begin regular attendance at a gym (Gym was joined 7/21/06, but regular attendance can't begin just yet because gym doesn't open until 8/17/06)

So I had a really good thing going for me in the spring and part of the summer where I was going to the gym, like 4 times a week. And then, predictably, I fell off the wagon. I'm chasing after the wagon again, though, because the fat roll of sadness has returned with a vengeance.

23) Publish something – be it writing or photography (Completed July 2, article in Ticket)

Both writing and photography! Not exactly what I would have chosen, but I did it!

24) Submit something to Brevity.

Oops

25) Get an iPod (Completed 5/24/06 -- Mr. Nano, I love you)

Yay!

26) Do the "Faces that I Love" photography project

Hmm. I don't have as strong as a desire to do this project anymore.

27) Take Tammika to Bob and Barbara’s for Drag Night

Oh MAN. This still needs to happen. It didn't help that B&B was CLOSED for awhile, due to some jerk faces at L&I.

28) Win a game of RISK while playing against Gary

Why on earth was this ever on my list? I hate playing RISK with Gary.

29) Complete 2 crochet/knitting projects

BWAHAHAHA. You mean me? The Queen of Unfinished Craft Projects?

30) Attend 2 more First Fridays (Completed November, 2008)

WOO. I wish I lived closer to the city. I would go to so many more.

31) Go to the Smithsonian

By rights, this should have been accomplished.

32) Visit my cousin Michael in Pittsburgh (Taken off the list because I was all ready to go, bags packed and everything, and he canceled on me. It's his turn to come to me.)

Null.

33) Go to California (Completed October 2007 -- San Fran with Stephanie!)

This was so rad.

34) Visit Lisa Nicole

She visited me, though.

35) Visit Brian Fry (Completed 7/27/06)

YAY!

36) Finish the 50 Books Project (Completed November 2007)

Huzzah for being a book worm!

37) Host an MST3K night

I sort of did this actually, just not to the degree I had intended, so I'm not counting it.

38) Get contacts and get over my issues with touching my own eyeball

You know what would really help with this? Vision benefits and not being a poor grad student.

39) Get a CD player for my car No longer applicable/needed now that I have my iPod.

Null.

40) Make and sent a postcard to PostSecret (Completed 7/19/04 Shhhh...secret)

I've actually sent 6 in, now. Love a girl with secrets.

41) Go to at least 5 yard sales this summer (easiest item on this list, by far) (Completed 8/19/06, and then some)

God. I have far too much crap.

42) Get a piercing in addition to my positively chaste one-hole-in-each-ear (Completed, 4/14/07)

My mom didn't react all that badly, considering.

43) Watch the Lord of the Rings Trilogy with my cousin Alex – this would be his first viewing

I think I was bogarted by my Uncle on this.

44) Introduce my cousin Nicky to Monty Python – He’s only six, but I can already tell he’s developing the perfect sense of humor for it.

Oh my god, Nicky was six when I started this list. Still want to do this.

45) Send something into Found

I'm so bad at finding things. Kelly is so much better and lucky at this.

46) Take the portraits of the Peace Mission members

Not for lack of trying. They're funny about having their photos taken. Plus, all of Mother's health concerns have kind of distracted them this past year.

47) Upload all my photos to Flickr (Calling this done because it may not be all but it's totally at, like, 95% of my photos)

Dude. The Flickr Pro account practically pays for itself.

48) Learn how to ride a bike (I KNOW, I KNOW. I AM SO CLOSE IT’S RIDICULOUS) (Completed July 4, 2008)

Oh man. I can ride a bike. I CAN RIDE A BIKE. I am so glad I got this done before I turned 30.

49) Go on retreat with Kate

Null, because Kate no longer goes on retreat, due to a falling out.

50) Cook the perfect fondue

I need more cheese in my life. Shut up, fat roll of saddness.

51) And the perfect chilli

Mmmm. I need a new crock-pot.

52) Make the first move on a boy I like.

Actually, this one is kind of arguable.

53) Have a fling (Completed 8/24/08–present Go me!)

Has it really been 4 months? Blush.

54) Visit the Sweet Candy Distro & Alternative Arts Center

I never did make it there, and now it's moved to Georgia.

55) Spend a weekend with Erin in Philly

We did a day, not a weekend.

56) Organize the 141 Reunion. Have people actually attend

Well. Hope springs eternal.

57) Throw one more party of MLK caliber

I'm sure my graduation party will rival this.

58) Go to 4 movies in the Philadelphia Film Festival

It is hard to do this whilst maintaining a full-time job.

59) Help Dave on one of his films

He hasn't made any in awhile.

60) Take an art class of some sort (Completed Fall 2007, Visual Literacy Class)

It was a good class, too.

61) Go camping (Completed 9/9/06)

Christopher deserves more of the credit for this.

62) Figure out my spirituality/religion/whatever

I'm getting closer. Catholic Pagan Quaker!

63) Protest for something I believe in

Does casting my vote for Obama count?

64) Volunteer to help a local liberal candidate running for office

I did do some canvassing for Obama, but he's not local.

65) Attend a Drinking Liberally meeting with Carol

Hmmm. This, by rights, should have been done.

66) Party with Amanda and Christina

We still need to do this.

67) Send care packages to Nick, Brian, and my John

Not even close.

68) Develop a writing schedule – writing that is outside this blog, that is.

Yeah, OK.

69) See The Daily Show live (Completed 4/16/08)

Again, most of the credit goes to Christopher for this.

70) Host another Lost viewing party

Doh!

71) Figure out a way to get out of this rut that I’ve been living in for the past 6 months --- i.e. start taking risks and not over thinking shit so much

Calling this done, as I've been going "balls to the wind" lately.

72) Learn Tarot better (I'm counting this as done. I've bought two books on the subject and now give myself semi-regular readings. I'm not quite ready to read other people yet, but I'm getting there)

Done and done. Would still like to learn more.

73) Get a pedicure (Completed 8/2008)

Now that's it's winter, I'm realizing how rough my feet can get and how much they need it.

74) Learn how to make an awesome round of the following drinks: mojito, mint julep, sangria (Mojito completed, even if Kelly didn't like them, I did)

Mmmm. Sangria.

75) Play blackjack at a casino

Why on earth was this on the list?

76) Get my own credit card and start using it responsibly (Completed October 2008)

Done.

77) Learn how to drive stick

Nope, not even close.

78) Learn ASL

Nope.

79) Host a brunch

Who the hell am I? Martha Stewart? BRUNCH, really? (I think this was just an excuse for mimosas)

80) Do Habitat for Humanity again

Kelly made an inquiry about this, but there wasn't a whole lot of response from the Habitat people.

81) Go to Gay Bingo

Still need to do this.

82) Have another Office Bowling Night

Sigh

83) Buy a new bed, one suitable for a grown up girl who may, or may not as my life is pointing out lately, have male visitors

OK, so I didn't get this done. But. About 2 weeks ago when Renee moved to Chicago, I inherited her bed. So now I do indeed have a big girl bed.

84) Attend another one of Maria-Rita's gigs

Man, I suck.

85) Learn how to tango

I begged Mike to teach me, and he never did.

86) Visit Longwood Gardens

Nope.

87) Sing "Shoop" at Kareoke

I haven't been to Kareoke in a long time.

88) Learn how to French braid my own hair

Still can't do this. I always miss a big chunk.

89) Go to the Ballet

Nope.

90) Learn how to sew proficiently, well enough to make my own clothes

See number 29.

91) Spend a night clubbing in Philadelphia

Hmmm.

92) Attend a costume/Halloween party in a costume that I really like (Counting this as completed on 10/21/06 -- I've always wanted to be Dorothy!)

I was also Twister and Tippi Hedren from The Birds, both of which ruled.

93) Redecorate the living room

Kind of hard when you're poor. Does hanging Gary's art count?

94) Figure out a way to keep Dill from peeing in that one corner (Solution: Move his litter box there. Although, technically, it was Kelly that did it. But we talked about it before hand. Whatever.)

Dill finds new places to pee though.

95) Spend a week with my hair dyed a funky color – pink, blue, green whatever – corporate dress codes be damned

Pfft.

96) Attend shows other than my brother’s at the next Fringe/Live Arts show (Completed 2007 Fringe Fest)

Yep.

97) Figure out a plan for my laundry and stick with it, so it doesn’t pile up again

Right. I'll be good about this for a week or two and then it's right down the tubes.

98) Clean my car (Completed in October, at some point. Of course, it's dirty again now, but what can you do?)

And so it goes.

99) Fix the bumper on my car

Frankly, spending $1000 on a dent seems silly.

100) Get new fish for the aquarium at work (Completed, 1/3/08)

Sadly, Martha died while I was in the UK.

101) See Stella, or whatever project those boys think of next when it comes to town. (Completed 5/13/06, sort of. I saw 1/3 of the Stella Trio when Michael Showalter came to town with Eugene Merman. I am totally counting this, although if Stella should tour again I will see that again, no doubt)

Stella didn't tour again within the timeline, so Michael Showalter had to suffice (which he totally did! Call me, Michael!)

Why I hate winter: Reason #3078

It is effing cold here. I know I shouldn't complain, because it's only 23° here with the wind chill making it feel like 8°, and meanwhile in Chicago it's 0° with the wind chill making it feel like -20°. NEGATIVE TWENTY. I call bullshit. Humans were not made to live in conditions like that.

But yes. It's still cold here and when I walked out to my car this morning, I discovered that the locks on my car were frozen. Fine. So I broke out my handy dandy lock de-icer, which I have just for this purpose. The directions on my de-icer clearly sate: "Insert tip of red nozzle into key hole and press against lock." People, that is exactly what I did. And this is what happened:

The tip of the de-icer broke in my lock.

Yes.

The only good thing about this, is that I decided to start on the passenger-side door, since my driver's side door gets seriously wonky in cold weather. So I called a tow truck and the tow truck man was incredibly nice to me. He muscled open my frozen driver's side door and told me that I shouldn't lock my doors in the cold. "You have a Ford. They suck. Just let someone steal it instead. If they're out stealing cars in this weather, in Malvern of all places, they deserve to get your car."

Meanwhile, I still have the tip of the de-icer jammed in my passenger side lock. The tow truck man told me that I should wait until it gets "warmer" and then fish it out with some needle-nose pliers. "I could do it for you now, but then I'd have to charge you, like, a ridiculous amount. Just do it tomorrow, when you have more time." I would like to thank Mr. Tow Truck Man and DiAntonio's Towing for not charging me for winter suck and my car doors being retarded.

Seriously, fuck off, winter.

Conversation I imagine the cats having yesterday

Galahad: Where's the human female?

Dill: Oh, she does this sometimes.

Galahad: Does what?

Dill: Well, she'll go off and disappear, surfacing only for food, sleep and the occasional British comedy. It happens every couple of months. You always know when it's happening because she starts muttering about "finals" and "projects" and keeps forgetting to cuddle you. Don't worry. It will pass.

Kayla: Really? Because she's been gone, like, 18 hours.

Dill: No, don't worry. She always comes home, eventually.

Galahad: She just seems so...tense these past couple of days.

Dill: Yeah, it happens. But then, when it's over, she's suddenly home like ALL the time, and constantly wants to play with you and pet you. It's awesome.

Kayla: Oh, good. You know what?

Galahad: What?

Kayla: I was thinking we should do something for her.

Dill: Really? Like what?

Kayla: Well, I don't know. It's just that human female is so good about filling our food dish and constantly refilling the water bowl after Galahad spills it everywhere.

Galahad: I like water, OK?

Dill: She is really good for those things.

Galahad: It's wet! And it feels squishy and cool in your fur. And when you tip the bowl over, and makes a big clanging sound and a SPLASH! How do you not love that?

Kayla: She's also really good about leaving around little pieces of plastic for me to play with.

Dill: She's so good at the chin rub too, did you ever notice? Like, she knows exactly when to rub underneath your chin and along your jaw. Gets me everytime, that does.

Galahad: And once the water has splashed on the floor, you can ROLL in it, all orgasmic-like.

Kayla: ANYWAY. I was thinking that we should do something nice for her, is all.

Dill: But what can we do?

Galahad: Maybe we should give her a present.

Kayla: Oh a present! Perfect! It's Christmas and the season of giving, after all.

Dill: But what would human female like?

Kayla: Oh! You know what? Recently she's been all about that new piece of furniture in her room.

Galahad: Do you mean the bed? That's not new. It smells distinctly like Conshohocken.

Kayla: How in the world do you even know what Conshohocken smells like?

Galahad: Oh, I know things.

Dill: Whatever. It's new to her. She loves it too, she keeps, like, rolling across it. And yelling, "Starfish!" and then spreading her limbs out and rejoicing when none of her appendages fall off the edge.

Kayla: Humans are so cute sometimes.

Dill: She bought all those new blankets and down comforters and things for it, too.

Galahad: Oh, I know. They're all so soft and cozy for napping.

Dill: So the present should involve the bed, yes? We're agreed?

Galahad and Kayla: Agreed.

Galahad: OH I KNOW.

Kayla: What?

Galahad: Let's give her the gift of food.

Dill: Brilliant!

Kayla: Really? I was thinking of something more shiny...

Galahad: No listen, this is perfect — we all love food, right? So let's give her some of our food.

Dill: But how will we get it up the stairs?

Galahad: We'll have to carry it up in our bodies. We'll eat the food first. And then upchuck once we get upstairs.

Kayla: Sounds...tricky. And a little yucky.

Dill: But she'll know it means we really care.

Kayla: I guess you're right. Hey! Let's make it extra special. Let's make it so she can't figure out which one of us gave her the present. Secret Santa!

Galahad: Oh, she loves a mystery!

Dill: It will be a crazy caper!

Kayla: Crazy Cat Caper! Ok, so immediately she'll suspect Galahad, because he's the resident horker.

Galahad: Hey, when you're good at something, do it early and often.

Kayla: BUT, if we leave too much, she'll start to suspect Dill.

Dill: Ooh, good idea.

Kalya: And just to throw a total wrench into it, as well as throwing up on the bed, we'll also throw up on the floor and...hmmm...I've got it! We'll throw up on the floor and on the sweater that she haphazardly threw towards the hamper, but landed on the floor and I like to nap on. So she'll have evidence towards all three of us!

Dill: This is the best plan ever! Let's go!

Galahad: I can't wait to see her face when she comes in at 3 a.m. after a long night of design and writing and sees that she has to wash all of her brand new sheets and blankets and has to sleep on the couch!

FIN

Renee - Start to finish

Listen: These are the things I need you to know about Renee.

Renee spells her name with an accent over the second to last e. I almost never put this accent in when I type it, but she never holds this against me nor corrects me.

Renee has the brightest smile.

Renee will be boldly venture across campus with you to scary upperclassmen dorms in the name of watching Mystery Science Theater 3000.

When you begin dating one of these scary upperclassmen and lose yourself for awhile, unable to figure out how to bridge yourself between two groups of friends, Renee will be so understanding, and welcome you back with open arms.

Renee is from Pittsburgh. She calls soda "pop," even though that is obviously wrong. She will very cutely try to argue this, saying things like "It doesn't go 'soda' when you open it, it goes 'POP!'" Then you'll then argue back "It doesn't go 'pop' either, it goes Ffsshhhhht. We don't call it Ffsshhhhht, do we? No, we call it 'soda' because it's from the old soda water, from soda fountains prior to WWII. Also because club soda contains sodium bicarbonate. So there." And then she'll shake her head and insist again it's called "pop."

Renee has particular affection for the Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you, like me, were raised in an household that never watched Rocky Horror, she won't judge you. Instead she'll slap your ass and call you a virgin.

Renee will write you long, angsty, emotional letters when you cut the brownies too soon.

Your first weekend of college, when most students go home, Renee will organize a field trip to the Philly airport via the trains, and you will all walk around the airport and then eat at a TGI Fridays.

Renee very well might have Mountain Dew running through her veins.

Renee is so fucking smart.

Renee is a brilliant writer. When she is published, I will hold up her book and say with pride, "My friend wrote this."

Renee has held up my drunk, crying ass more times than I'd like to admit. When I'm drunk and emotional, feeling down on myself for being alone or single, Renee has often been the one to pick me up, remind me that I'm not alone at all, and point out all of my good qualities. She's given me a good deal of "Sack up, ho" talks as well, shaking me out of my self-loathing by reminding me that if I'm not going to love myself, no one else will either.

Renee has laughed at my drunk, silly ass many times. And I've laughed at hers. When you're drunk and playing card games, or singing, or snuggling, or dancing, Renee is one of the best people to be with.

Renee will lust after British men with you.

If, on a random Tuesday evening at 1 am you accidentally discover porn on your cable, Renee will gleefully run to eat Girl Scout cookies and watch with you.

Renee is the best person to watch Gone with the Wind with. She will find symbolism and metaphors in there and provide literary analysis that will boggle your mind. She will also drool over Clark Gable with you, having no qualms that you've got heart palpitations for a dead guy.

Renee knows the best campfire songs.

Renee has a secret pact with some otherworldly being that she can watch a movie or hear a song one time and then instantly remember all the lyrics or the lines.

Renee is a pop culture wunderkind.

Renee is god-damned photogenic:







Renee will help you max out your credit card at Torrid.

Renee has the most amazing music collection.

Renee can not read hardcover books. You don't understand it, but you're not going to go there.

Renee will brave Philadelphia with you, figure out the trains, and walk to South Street to a Squirrel Nut Zippers concert with you in your first month of college.

Renee will bust into the college radio station, not caring if you're on the air, when she hears you have the new David Byrne album.

Renee gives awesome hugs.

Renee will squee with you when you meet famous people.

Renee will do poses with french fries in the middle of the night at scary Turnpike Burger Kings.

Renee will wear a t-shirt with the words, "Hey baby, how about a little civil disobedience" emblazoned across her boobs at your Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.

Renee knows how to properly drink to "Exquisite Dead Guy."

Renee can pull off any hair color - brunette, blond, fiery red, black. I think in a previous life she was the master of disguise.

When you say things like "I'm outta heeeeeeeerre," or "He was. He was raised in a barn," Renee totally gets it.

Renee encourages you to be your best. When you're feeling insecure about your writing, or photography, or your educational abilities, Renee will be the first person to nudge you in the proper direction. She won't blow sunshine up your ass, but she'll politely critique you, giving you pointers on where to improve and how to move forward.

Renee can stomach looking at photos of ugly social diseases all day long.

Renee can do shots like no one's business.

Renee is the Queen of Hearts.

During the Grown Backwards Tour, when David Byrne launches into "U.B. Jesus," Renee will look at you, gasp excitedly, and then grab your hand and start dancing with abandon.

Renee was nicknamed "Miss Trippy" in college because of the number of times she fell down. One time, after swiffering the floor of your dorm room, Renee walked into your room in her stocking feet and slid, gliding briefly like an ice skater before pinwheeling her arms and falling to the floor. You all laughed so hard, you thought you would wet your pants.

Renee can play the bassoon. She will bond with you over being a band geek and is not afraid to show off her roll-step.

Renee once had gangrene. This officially make her pretty badass.

Renee will dork out with you about science fiction, obscure comedy shows, and musicals.

Renee loves to celebrate things. She'll be the first to break out Christmas decorations and put on the Rankin & Bass. She'll plan her Halloween costumes months in advance. When it's time for your birthday, she'll be the one who asks, "What are we doing?"

Renee tries to hide it, but she's a girly girl. She's got a big heart. She's affectionate, romantic, and caring, not to mention filled to the brim with passion. No wonder Joe! is so happy.

Even though Renee has found the love of her life, she will sit with your single self on Valentine's Day, eat chocolate, drink boxed wine, thumb through trashy magazines and watch bad movies starring Hugh Laurie.

Renee is really good at arguing and making a point. You want her on your side.

Renee can house your ass at trivia.

Renee likes to laugh. She likes to giggle and will find any excuse to do so. Often times Renee will make you laugh, because her laughter is contagious. Also, Renee is just naturally funny.

When Renee makes a mistake or something goes wrong, she will good-naturedly pump her fist and say, "Balls!"

Renee gets so insanely tan in the summer, your pasty Irish ass wants to slap her and steal all of her melanin.

Renee is brave. She is moving 737 miles away from everything and almost everyone she knows and starting a new chapter of her life. Some people never do that. They fill their lives with work, food and sleep, but never take any real risks. Renee is moving to a new city to be with the man she loves and to get another master's degree because she has a goal. And that goal is to be Dr. Tomcanin and to be happy. And if I know Renee (and I DO) she's going to reach that goal.

Renee is my friend. Renee is so many people's friends. Renee is a really good friend. Renee just might be the glue that holds this group of friends together.

I am going to miss Renee, so much.

Renee will have three homes: Pittsburgh, Chicago, and always Philadelphia. Always and forever.

Shut up, EightK

Let's go ahead and delete that last and pointlessly bitchy post, shall we?

I'm still in a grouchy mood, but now that I'm home and I have a Jameson's on the rocks safely by my side (HELLO), I'm able to gain some perspective. And namely, that my piddly grievances are small potatoes and I should just shut the hell up already.

So, deep breath. Tomorrow will be a nicer day.

Yay or Nay?

I'm taking a poll here, you guys. Should I go to AWP in Chicago in February?

PROS

• It's in Chicago! Visiting with Renee, Joe!, and Wildman.
  
• I've never been to Chicago, and it would be nice.
  
• Gives me a chance to shmooze with fellow academics and such.
  
• Maggie will probably be there.
  
• Chance to bond with Rosemont folk.
  
• There's most likely going to be some good networking for the publishing industry there too. Which I need.
  
• There seems to be some good-looking panels and what-not.

CONS

• It's Chicago. In February. Brrr.
  
• I have to take time off work, after just taking 3 weeks off to go to UK.
  
• Technically, I'm not in a writing program. Or even a writer per se.
  
• I sort of can't afford it. Well, maybe I could. I don't know.
  
• I'll probably be heading to Chicago again a month later for St. Patrick's Day debauchery

RESPONSES TO THE CONS

• Suck it up, woman
  
• Yeah, well. It's not like I don't have the vacation time
  
• So what?
  
• I could probably arrange to stay with Renee and Joe! or Wildman, saving some moneys, so all I'd really have to pay for is my conference fees, flight, and food.
  
• Again, so what?

What do you guys think?

Some conference stuff

I haven't really talked about the conference very much, as I've been trying to wrap my head around the whole experience.

I go back and forth — some days I'm like, "I'm awesome! I held my own and did really well." Other days I'm like, "I should have done it differently." Whatever. I'll talk about my presentation, and my feelings about it, later. The bottom line is that it was something I had never done before, and not only did I go out there and do it, I did it all by myself* in a foreign country. So I'm proud of that, regardless of however my presentation went over.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed by this conference. Mostly, I was thrilled to meet a whole group of passionate, intelligent, fun people. I was totally impressed my fellow academics/presenters. Listening to the exchange of ideas, the debates, the fanwanking...it was all so stimulating. There were times I felt like I was in over my head, of course (I know nothing about Foucault, other than he has a pendulum — oh wait. Wrong Foucault), but overall, it was fun to be in the mix.

Of course, there were times I was really intimidated by all the other smarties. The first presentation of the conference was done by a student from Toronto, Jessica Frey, on the Doctor's Canadian identity. She did such a bang-up job, right out of the gate. Her paper was well-crafted and thoughtful, and she presented so well, even in light of some technical glitches. Immediately I thought, "I'm fucked." It wasn't until more people presented that I felt comfortable enough to be like, "Well, they won't throw rotten vegetables at me, so I'll be OK." Not to sound too girl-crushy here, but I was just impressed by Jessica full stop, because not only was she whip-smart, she was also vocal, opinionated without being brash, organized, well-spoken, and confident. In a word, she is the nerd I strive to be.

At the first tea break (we had many tea breaks) I went up to Jess and told her how impressed I was with her paper and how high she had set the bar for the conference. She was very nice and we chatted for a bit. She gave me her business card and it turns out that she's an academic correspondent for a site called HardCoreNerdity.com. What a sweet-ass job!

Jess is a part of the GeekU podcast, and the latest episode is about her experience at the conference. Again, she speaks very well about the highlights of the conference and what an academic conference is all about. Imagine how chuffed I was when Jess briefly references my paper! So if nothing else, I was memorable. You can listen to the podcast here. (Spoilers for the entire New Who series, natch.)

* Well, Tammi was there to see me do it, but you know what I mean

Doctor Who - The Photos

All right. Settle in for an extremely geeky fan girl posting.

While in Cardiff for a Doctor Who Academic Conference, I just had to stop by the Doctor Who exhibition. For academic reasons, of course. For the learning. You know, research and stuff.

I'm quite committed to the learning.

Mainly it's a collection of the props and costumes from the past 4 seasons, and an excuse for me to goofily grin like a dork at all the memorabilia.



It's blurry, but that's Nine's jacket and jumper! Oh Nine, you're MY Doctor. I miss you a bit.



Again, blurry (there were all kinds of lights flashing in this corridor, making my auto focus freak), but there's one of Ten's suits.

TARDIS!





Oh, shut up. Like you wouldn't want to be whisked away in one.







AHHHH, DALEKS!!!!





The exhibit was quite cute, having an alternate route for kids to go through in case they were scared of the Daleks. Aww.



The Ood. How...odd.



Donna, there's something on your back!



One of my absolute favorite episodes of Who is the Human Nature/Family of Blood story. I love John Smith's journal. I was desperate to thumb through it, but of course it's under glass. It's opened to the description of the events in "Parting of the Ways." At one point it says, "I am a coward, and this time that's good." HEART BREAKING.



K9! "Good dog!" "Affirmative!"

And just to end on a classy note...



Heh. With pleasure.

Cardiff - The Photos

I didn't take too many photos in Cardiff. Mainly because I was sort of busy being a fancy academic person most of the time I was in Cardiff and not running around with my camera.



Cardiff University was quite picturesque.







The Welsh language is kind of crazy.



Since Doctor Who and Torchwood are filmed in Cardiff, there was much stopping at perfectly mundane places -- shopping malls, street corners, etc. -- and getting excited because something had been shot there. There was a point where Charlotte (the fellow academic I was sight-seeing with) and I stood and marveled at a roundabout because it's THE roundabout that the Torchwood team constantly goes around.



Here is the "Brooding Building" where Capt. Jack randomly stands and looks pensively all over Cardiff.

And of course:



THE RIFT! THE RIFT IS OPEN!

Just like Big Ben was my photo obsession in London, the Water Tower was my obsession in Cardiff:







Of course there was the obligatory standing at the base of the Water Tower and dorkily imagining for a second that you were headed into Torchwood via the secret entrance.

SHUT UP. I KNOW.

Still, it was fun.

Oh, speaking of entrances into Torchwood:



The visitor's entrance, or "tourism information." As a fabulous touch, the windows are boarded up and covered with newspapers from the "Boomtown" episode of Doctor Who.



Hee!



In these stones, horizons sing.





Charlotte, my fellow dork nerd academic and fan girl.





More photos of Cardiff are here.

London - The Photos

I'm going to be up front: I'm in a bit of a photography funk. I don't know if it's burn-out, or what, but I was quite disappointed in my photos from this trip. Even while I was there, I could feel my frustration rising as I tried to take pictures. For one thing, I was very conscious of looking like a tourist — which, I am a tourist, so who the fuck cares? — and could feel myself hesitating before I shot things and struggling to find unique shots and what not. And generally, I've been feeling limited with photographic abilities and techniques. I realize that I'm probably being hard on myself, but seriously. My goal is to push myself and get better, so I'm being critical for a reason. However, this is a topic for another entry.

ANYWAY. London.



I was there! Meet Big Ben. Big Ben is totally my clock boyfriend. I could not stop taking photos of it. Anytime Big Ben came into my sight line I had to raise my camera and take a picture, almost to prove to myself that I was actually in London.







See what I mean?







It was Remembrance Day when I arrived. Poppies were everywhere.





St. Paul's Cathedral



There was an art installation going on at the time, and these seemingly random words — TIME, THINK, MOTHER, PHONE, YOUR, OWN, PEACE, etc. — were being projected on the Dome. Mya and I stood trying to puzzle out messages from the words. I was a bit like magnetic poetry.

Buckingham Palace...







The Queen was home! Sadly, she did not invite me in for tea.





Walking through St. James Park, I came across a professional photoshoot. I can't wait to see this ad somewhere. Those models looked cold.





Here's the weird beeping creature I told you about.





My first night in London, Mya, her cousin and I walked around London's South Bank. The tide was so low that sandy beaches lined the Thames. We came across this man taking advantage of the sand. The next morning when I came to the same spot, the tide had risen so high, all of his work had vanished and you'd never be able to tell there would have been a beach underneath at all.

More photos from London here.