celebrate the dead

celebrate the dead, originally uploaded by smoooch.

You know you live in the right neighborhood when in the middle of the night, they block of the street and 25 000 people come out and have a parade to celebrate the dead.

Otherwise known as the Parade of Lost Souls.

i see you

"I made a cup of coffee smoked a j and started perusing; feeling more than a little like a spy or as though someone might at any moment blow a whistle to announce I had crossed a barrier or committed some kind of foul. It’s a beautiful site, full of wondrous verses, fantastic photos, familiar commentary and pretty things of all nature, but I have to admit that doesn’t really surprise me.

It’s good to know the blood in your veins is still warm and your life is not the one I knew you to once have – by that I mean better than it was. It was a warm feeling but a short lived one as I knew with every achieved month I read that I did not belong here, and more than that, that this feeling is as it should be. Like seeing you from across a street for a moment before dashing into a store to avoid being seen in return. Things are as they should be now, but I'me very glad that includes you being healthy and happy.

I didn't really need you to hear that, I'm just glad. Maybe I only took the extra step of writing this down in a comment because I knew I would get the last word. ;-)"

This is really quite nice. A nice thing to find like a little note tucked away in the corner of a dusty drawer. It was darn nice of you to go looking for me and well, let's admit it, I'm quite easy to find. I'm not really hiding myself or keeping any secrets anymore. And you found my little presence on the web and took a moment in a breath of inspiration to say some nice things.

Or was it the marijuana??

I'm glad you like this place. It's really always been about having a nice place to go. A place of comfort and acceptance and you know, "more kisses please" is about being kinder and gentler and nicer to one another and sharing nice things. It's not about spying, or not belonging and least of all is it not about getting in the last word.

You wrote you don't belong here, but yet you come around and check it out. I'm amused by that. And glad by that. A lot. After all these years and I can still captivate your interest even though you duck into the stores and hope not to be seen. Somewhere underneath all the denials I suspect you probably do care and are interested.

I've dropped my defenses and my "I don't care about you" face. You can come around and say hi anytime you'd like. I'm happy to know you, have known you and a little less happy to assume the blood runs warm in your own veins. I'd rather know for sure.

Thus, things are, however, not as they should be. You should walk across the street and say hello. I'm not that scary.

Boo.

don't blink

don't blink, originally uploaded by smoooch.

up for a challenge?

I'll be participating in the annual NaBloPoMo challenge. Otherwise known as National Blog Posting Month. (Charlotte..this is perfect for you.) Here's a bit off the website:

"NaBloPoMo is an alternative to November's NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, the program wherein you crank out a novel in thirty days."

"Rules: Post every day for the month of November. That's it."

Sounds easy enough. Tricky part is when you have to go to Texas for a wedding or in some cases you are the wedding. Then again.. its topic info.. and if that fails, I'll be referencing Mighty Girl's "No one cares what you had for lunch- 100 Ideas for your blog".

Stay tuned, check in, and pass the word.

audrey echo

audrey echo, originally uploaded by smoooch.

inspiration for the knitters in my family

Grabbed this from Knitty. Another great knitting website.

Mom- I'll have one in brown please.

Free Hugs

knit one pull out 2

My mother is taking up handy crafts.

She emailed to say that she wanted to build a garden shed and explained that she didn't want to make coffee for the guys- she wanted to do the sawing and hammering. She was going ask my Uncle Ken but she realized that she'd end up with a Ski Chalet. This is true. Ken only thinks BIG.

She's also endeavored to sort out the scrapbooks of baby pictures and mementos she's been carting around in various shoe boxes for about 29 of my 36 years. She didn't start collecting for me until I was verbally able to ask her, "Are you saving this stuff?".

She also revealed that she is taking up knitting. Of course my first thought was that my mother would become a member of the renegade guerilla knitting group, Knitta- warming the world one car antenna at a time.

Maybe that's a bit too ambitious. So, I found this instead. A cute and easy flapper hat pattern.

I think it would look great on her!

Or me.

a novel idea

scenario: storage hopscotch

characters: the boyfriend, loyal beautiful and helpful girlfriend, 3 unknown warehouse guys, Kennedy, and Todd, and a woman named Shirley

setting: warehouse number 1, warehouse number 2, bsmt of subletted apt

props: various boxes and unboxed belongings, 4 pallets, a pallet jack, a one ton truck and a bucket of dust.

plot outline:

-The boyfriend vamooses into the UK and the arrangements for his belongings does not remain reliable. Belongings include but aren't limited to 4 pallets piled chest high, 2 large heavy wooden desks, and a metal cabinet.
-Objects make an unexpected run out of a North Shore storage unit to a sound stage in South Vancouver. 2nd location is eerily close to the girlfriend's job and convenient rented warehouse storage facility.
-Calls are made by Shirley to the girlfriend and the suggestion is made that if items do not make a hasty retreat, doom may befall them.
- A gasp is heard.
-More calls are made. Vehicles are borrowed, keys obtained and items beat it out of one storage to another.
-Later, the aquistion of muscles, a truck, and a more permanent storage facilty are sought.
-Resolution looks hopeful for Sunday. However if the Boyfriend thinks its a good idea to return from langushing in the UK without making a stop at the girlfriend's favorite grotto of cosmetic lovliness otherwise known as B Never, there may be a sequel to the story.

what the?

Mother, pointing to a woman playing the musical saw: She is singing!
Son: No, She's playing the saw.
Mother: There is an orchestra playing!
Son: It is a tape.
Mother: And she is singing?
Son. No. She is sawing.
Mother: What did you say?
Son: Go, have a look.
Mother: .......
Son: And?
Mother: It's like singing.
Son: That's it, the saw.
Mother: What a nice voice she has!
Son: She is not singing. It's the saw that's singing.
Mother: No way... She is singing into the saw?
Son: No, no singing. Just sawing.
Mother: But she is opening her mouth.
Son: She is breathing.
Mother: Are you sure she is not singing?

Overheard in Union Square subway station

poignant

"When you're at the end, it's too late for oranges."

Thanks Vince, for having the humor your father passed on to you and for remembering it, sharing it, and finding the laughter inside of it.

love jill

rebuttal

Courtesy of Subversive Cross Stitch

Oh Charlotte, did I reall dress down the man of the house? Or did I merely advocate the esthetics of Joe's coffee albeit passionately??

The Dog Walk

Awesome and funny friends of mine: Vince and Mitch, and their kind of bizarre video.

the saddest feeling

"The only evidence I have is his socks."

To my deareast most loyal friend.. I am so saddened by your unexpected loss. It is an unbelievable passage in one's life when one of the people responsible for your creation passes on. My heart and my thoughts are with you.

magnolia1, originally uploaded by smoooch.

a reason to go to church

Joanna Newsom is coming to Vancouver on the 5th of December, playing at the St. Andrew-Wesley church. Tickets go on sale this Saturday.

Do you want to go with me?
Joanna Newsom - The Book of Right-On (Jools Holland 2004)


update: it was fantatsic!

uh oh

Oh my. I'm in a bit of trouble now that I have found The Curiosity Shoppe. File that kitty under "theraputic internet shopping" straight away. Curb your credit cards people.

I want this and especially this (how sweet) and this and this and this. Well thank god they have free shipping over $200 or I'd be hooped.

receptacle of time

Calling all archivists (hello Catherine, the only person I know that has been carting around a giant pvc rocket shell to "one day" bury as a time capsule). You all should check out this:
The Yahoo Time Capsule

"For 30 days, from October 10 until November 8, Yahoo! users worldwide can contribute photos, writings, videos, audio — even drawings — to this electronic anthropology project. A mosaic of revealing snapshots will be sealed and entrusted to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings based in Washington D.C., officially taking its place in history."

You can view my entry here. Forever recorded until some future intelligent being sifts through the thousands of entries and finds mine. By then we'll be making flour in a lab and the top soil will have long blown off the Alberta prairies, leaving behind the great "Canadian Shield Desert".

I thought I'd leave something for posterity too. Go! Leave your mark.

watch it buddy

watch it buddy, originally uploaded by smoooch.

My agent won't allow me to publish my homework until the movie deal is finalized.

Charlotte, the lovely novelist who kindly decided to move upstairs so I could rock out in the best.apartment.ever has found her way out of her blog's bermuda triangle and has blogged once again. It may take a while but when she does post, she really pulls it out.

This time it's about 91 ways to respond to literature or as she put it:

"designed to enliven the good old book report, and to disguise the fact that public school English text selections are porridgey and boring."

Suddenly grade 4 and the book report (one of many) I was forced to write about "Jacob Two- Two Meets the Hooded Fang" just came rushing back.



As I peruse the 91 ideas to enliven the literary response, I came across a few "wish I could have done that assignement instead" items. For example:

#22.MAKE LIFE-SIZED PAPER-STUFFED ANIMALS, PEOPLE, OR OBJECTS FOUND IN A BOOK. Yes I would have enjoyed a giant hooded fang in my bedroom.

#42.COOK A FOOD MENTIONED IN YOUR BOOK. The article kindly says "It is always fun to share something to eat. Please cook your recipe at home." Or what, I would have brought a giant pot with gruel to school?

This one is really great

57.RETURN TO THE FUTURE. As Jacob at 25 years years old haunted with nerosi from run ins with a make believe demon. I would ahve enjoyed that as well.

If only I was allowed this level of creativity as a child, the book diaramas I dreaded and the hand written book reports where I AGONIZED over making sure I had the required 300 words and 1 inch margins, would not be a part of my repitore of childhood memories that make me physically wince and shudder.

By the way Charlotte, if you read this, take a look this gem of a website when you might need a handy reason why not.

down but not out

More Kisses Please went out, got drunk, screwed around with its settings and got knocked down. Luckily for me, the sober one of us two, I was able to hoist her back up until she was standing on her own two feel again. Thanks to both Sonia and Catherine for thoughtfully alerting me to the near tragedy.

thinking of you

on green, originally uploaded by smoooch.

I miss your British accent and the way you say funny things like "steady on".
I miss sitting with you at Joe's over "short in a glass" coffee.
I miss the way you play and talk to Ruby.
And I miss the way you snore because I have the whole bed to myself.

xxx
me

beauty is in the eye of the owner of photoshop

get your crafty on

If you enjoy crafty people and the lovely things they make, AND you live in Vancouver, please support the next Craftynest-Vancouver's New Craft Bazaar.

When: Saturday October 21st 2006, 11 am to 5 pm
Where: Legion Auditorium @ The Legion Hall, 2205 Commerical Drive (at 7th Ave), Vancouver, BC, Canada

I hope to one day sell my crafty wares at one of these fine events. So, please support getting crafty!

Sonia? Waht are you doing that weekend?

If I was very small, I would live here and I would plant my whole back yard full of wildflowers and roses.

is it an old playhouse, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Then and Now

THEN

Then, originally uploaded by smoooch.

NOW

Now, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Wow. How things have changed in 54 years. If you'd like to see ALL 188 photos of my last visit to the farm, you can look at them here.

Incidentally, this is my 200th post on this blog. Number 100 is this one!!)

overheard on the way to work

"Letting small planes fly over Manhattan is like letting bicycles on the Interstate."

Listen to the Listen Bird

I am the Listen Bird, originally uploaded by smoooch.

If you live in Edmonton (hello Vince!) you may be aware of a little grafitti phenomenon known as the Listen Bird. Maybe you've noticed them and never put 2 and 2 together. Maybe you noticed them and didn't care. Maybe you'll take a look at ALL the photographs collected about the Listen Bird and think "shit, this is kind of neat." Whoever has started the Listen Bird has amassed quite the portfolio and I seriously want everyone to take a look

I hope you do too. Here are some links:

My favorite Listen Bird grafitti found on a grain tarin car in Kansas!
My Listen Bird Set.
Somebody else's.
All Flickr Photos tagged Listen Bird
A blog dedicated to the Listen Bird.
An entire Flickr Group dedicated to the Listen Bird.
The creater .

roast this

elephant garlic, originally uploaded by smoooch.

don't mess with texas

Don't Mess, originally uploaded by DarbCU.

I can't provide too many details but I am looking at a quick trip to Dallas to be a guest at a wedding reception of 2 people I have never met.

Update: Okay, here's the deelio. I work for a funny little company, who will remain nameless, lest I get dooced. During my regular scheduled activities, I helped a stranger in a special request to have a proposal message put inside one of the items we produce. The proposal went well, she said yes, and now the couple invited me to the wedding. I asked if I could go and the job said yes. Crazy. Now, I'm off to Dallas to stay in a nice hotel and have a rental car and go to a wedding reception of 2 people I have never met. Am I nuts?

As a friend says.. "only you jillyjillerson. only you."


By the way.. the lovely photo is not mine. The link to the photographer is here.

a toast

I'm back on the family farm in rural Alberta. It isn't really the family farm and it never really was. It's my grandmother's farm. It was my grandmother's. I've spent my entire life visiting these walls, these windows, this land. Back then, at the beginning, my beloved Grandfather was alive. There were kittens and baby cows. Baby birds and baby pigs. Everything was young and healthy and full and free.

My grandfather died when I was 5. I barely remember, I was so young. Vague memories of clutching kittens tightly around their midsection and following my grandfather or sitting on his lap. Loving and protective and warm. He had big hands. That's what I remember. Big weathered hands that smelled funny. Smelled like gasoline, but I didn't know that.

After he died, the farm was never really quite the same but over time, what the farm was became the standard. Visits were made, bread was baked. A grandmother that made my childhood idyllic with hand sewn dolls and hand knit sweaters was visted. Camping trips nearby and just outside the back door. Weiner roasts and burnt marshmallow sticky fingers.

Over the years, I grew up and I grew sullen, less interested in the rural origins of the family. I stayed away. I came back for visits when it was neccessary due to some family gathering. I learned to drive out on the country roads. I was 16 then and I thought my time was better spent getting into trouble than getting close to my cousins.

Later yet when I moved to Calgary, I came back. I came and visited and loved to be here. A refuge from the big city bustle and hustle. The rural landscape captivated me and I took long drives looking for worn out barns and abandoned houses. Looking really for some forgotten treasure. A left behind book, a purse with a crumpled bill or even some piece of furniture small enough to take away and covet. I drove up and down the roads looking for treasure when it was always right there on the farm. The long ago written words of my grandfather on the walls of the barn and garage, the old cabinet with the lists of cows and heifers held; the left behind presence of the best present of all, my grandfather.

More years passed and as I moved further away. My connection to the farm and rural Alberta only grew stronger. Wheat and wild roses weave their way down my arm, etched forever in a tribute to this land. The items I surround myself are are reflections of the farm. The old fruit crates and butter boxes and now the salvaged glass door knobs that opened the doors to these rooms of warmth, love, my childhood and family.

Now, the farm has been sold. My grandmother is leaving when she can, when it is positive and good and the farm has been sold to someone who grew up in the area. Someone that may love it as much as we have all loved it. The scraps have been burned, the writings added to and photographed, the cabinet taken off the wall and washed. Remnents of a childhood stored in the basement moved. The family gathered for one last Thanksgiving and in usual fashion forgot to really thank one another for all the times spent, the experiences had, the love felt. Instead the toast was just simply.. to the farm.

IMGP3039, originally uploaded by smoooch.

To the farm..I will miss you.

keep it simple

milk and eggs, originally uploaded by smoooch.

I took a little trip down south to Seattle. I took 89 photos. You can view them all here...click this link

The neon ones are some of my favorites.

Let me know which ones you liked.

1000th photograph on Flickr

harumph, originally uploaded by smoooch.

bump bump bumpity bump bump bump

bump bump, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Congratulations to Ms. Charlotte Gill and her man on their supercallafragalisticexpialadocious news and the ever expanding heart filled with love that is growing between them that is completly unlike the science model pictured but something much more elaboratly beautiful. I'm quite happy for you both.

you're beautiful

two toes, originally uploaded by smoooch.

She has made this year all about her.
She has taken trips or booked trips that please her. This includes Australia and a trip down the Nile (or an African safari. I can't remember which but both are equally impressive.)
She has decided to hire, pay for and afford a personal trainer.
She gets up early and works out with the personal trainer 4 times a week, often before work.
(This is impressive because I think this scares her.)
She's learning how to cook great food.
She purchased a garlic press to help accomplish this goal.
(I think this also may have scared her but she did it anyway.)
She loves crafts and buys her crafty friends creations.
She's generous and caring towards others.
She thinks seeing a large body of water everyday improves her life.
(Unfortunatly, Trout Lake does not count.)
She's a creative force in the company I work for.
She's not just a creative force but also a organizer and an instigater but creative force sounds better.
She's a problem solver extrodainaire.
She picks out the best in people before anything else.
She supports people emotionally with awesome feedback and encouragement.
She lives in a fantastic apartment with a fantatsic view in a fantatsic neighborhood.
She has a great shoe collection.
She's a friend of mine.
She's an ongoing inspiration and...
She is beautiful.

When your insides are on the outsides and you have no arms to cover yourself, life just isn't quite right.

innards, originally uploaded by smoooch.

don't toy with me

don't toy with me, originally uploaded by smoooch.

all arms

all arms, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Sometimes I feel like despite all my efforts things are still in pieces.

gone in another direction

on the bow, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Hope you're having a great trip baby!!

xoxJill

Retail Therapy

I went off on a moment of madness and decided I had to have the never forgotten, always thrown away NYC take out paper coffee cup. At first I looked at Maggie Mason's shopping extrodanaire sight.. Mighty Goods (Holy Moly, that place is the cat's meow!)

But I didn't find the fabled cup of papier.

With a little goo-diligence, I found the site for "impeccable gifts and unique wonders", where they sell the NYC take out cup in a ceramic version, the original paper version, and the 'lucky panhandler's coin purse' version.

But a little brousing and what did I find but the ultimate in impeccable and unique gifts (maybe). For a skant $5900 US you can become the "Become the Subject of a Documentary, Produced by a Personal Historian." The site goes on to say:


"Executive Producer and Interviewer Jurgen Kalwa will document your own life's journey with a biographical film in the style of a polished A&E Biography, artfully capturing your unique presence and character, and preserving memories for generations to come."

Talk about a home movie. People, Christmas is coming.

post script: The ceramic version should be in the post in a few days but I wouldn't turn away in shame for the "Lucky Pandhandler's Coin Purse".

some do

While some people don't let people comment on their blogs, some do. Like me. Fill up those comments people. I'm looking for content for my next entry.

Leave a comment, be a MKP star.

big greens

big greens, originally uploaded by jbates2255.

A cat that reaffirms my belief that they all came from outer space.

10 choice quotes suitable for tshirt display anytime soon

1. So they took out my spleen and rummaged through my internal organs...
2. It's not selling your soul to the devil if it pays the rent.
3. Well, it's not like you can't say you've never had your bosom in somebody's elbow before.
4. What if they test it and find that it's from his ear?!
5. Mark my words--by sunrise you will be smothered in lesbians.
6. Man, it's hotter that 50 butt cracks in here!
7. The rest of me I want made into steaks and fed to an endangered species. It's not enough anymore to just give them money. You have to give them part of yourself.
8. I don't think he's working now. All he ever talks about is monkeys and robots.
9. Facts are such a distraction from the essence of what's really happening.
10. I find the suburbs to be extremely frightening. I know they all have air conditioning, but still...

Thanks to my favorite need a break website. Hurrah.

No One Cares What You Had For Lunch- 100 ideas for your blog, Chapter 57

Thanks Maggie for putting out a GREAT BOOK. The fun arrived in my mailbox today. I loved the tshirt and I'll love the book even more. I am jived by your suggestions and find you ever so talented. Thank you thank you and thank you. I might just try each and every effervesent bubble of suggestions. Actaully by doing this I've knocked off chapter 57, possibly 37 , and 39 gets a tic . I feel number 26 is coming down the pipe. Was that chapter 14- Watch your language? I'm definitly going to 'take sides' or pull a 55 by saying well done!!

dismantling saturday mornings

dismantling saturday mornings, originally uploaded by smoooch.

You must listen to this mash up of Dubya singing John Lennon's Imagine put to Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side. Crazy.

Mad Mash Up

sailing on sunday

coming up closer.., originally uploaded by smoooch.

This past Sunday, Michael and I jumped into a cab (because we are often running behind)and headed downtown. We went to meet up with my sister and her boyfriend, Gordon. Initially we were going to continue on our way to Horseshoe Bay with public transit but I had a great idea. Let's take the cab all the way there.

The reason to go to Horseshoe Bay.. was to go sailing with my Uncle Ken and his wife Jane. But first we had breakfast, which was amusing for so many reasons that I won't go into them now.

Ken and the boat with my aunt and other family arrived and the 4 of us boarded ship for a three hour tour. The weather was great, the sea calm and it was really a lot of fun. Especially the part where I overheard my sister explaining the dynamics of metaphysical aquatics to my mother and her feigning interest behind her hat and sunglasses.

You can see the whole set of photos here. It was all alot of fun!! Thanks Ken for the wild ride in the dingy. My mother tells me you were purposefully trying to throw me in the water but I obviously foiled that plan.

11627

11627, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Awhile back.. I went to Edmonton and visited the house I grew up in. I knocked on the door to ask if it would be OK if I took photographs. No one was home so I went ahead and took a couple of shots from a distance and over a fence. I stood and looked at the house for a long time thinking about the years I spent there, the things that happened, and the friends I had. I quietly made peace with the time I spent there and moved on. Later I posted the photographs here, here, here, here, here, and here

and then I received this:

:: Please delete the photographs of my house


I appreciate that you are sentimental about your former
home, however I find it unacceptable that you entered my
yard to take pictures. If you had asked, I may very well
have allowed you to come into the yard, but you obviously
did so without requesting permission.

I also find it completely unacceptable that you have posted
photographs bearing my address on the internet, something
which I would never do for any reason.

Please delete these photographs.

To which I replied:

While I appreciate your letter..you can not force me to remove the images. I did not enter your yard. I shot from a distance with a zoom lens and from over the back fence. I do not believe I am breaking any laws and therefore will not be removing the images. I have changed the title of one to not include the full address.

As I find the tone of your letter confrontational and agressive I am formally requesting that you do not contact me again and have gone through Flickr to ensure that you do not.

Geez.. Well, I might have to sign them up for junk mail now.

family bloopers

50's and 60's type music playing over the cafe sound system, I'm singing along when I know the words thanks to listening them on AM radio in my 69 valiant at the time.

her: How do you know the words to all of these songs?
me: My car's radio plays them all the time.
her: But from now right?
me: No, don't tell anyone but I drive a time machine. The car's from the 60's and it receives a radio signal from then too.
her: looks quizically for a second as if this had a possibility of being true.

5 years later....

him: What part of England are you from?
him 2: Birmingham.(mentions a few facts)
him 2: It also where land rovers come from.
her: That's some kind of animal right?
me: Yes. Like the Mercedes. It's a kind of bird.

new digs

free, originally uploaded by smoooch.

If only I had the new digs when this little number for free turned up. Now if the couch gods will turn up and point me in the right direction and land me something groovy for the new apartment...

post script: no change of address has occured..just an addition of a room or 2 and some walls

Thanks Charlotte for making a step or 7 up!.

bid on it

Ever wanted to have a Future Farmer's of America Jacket from Hillsboro Texas?? I figure somebody might so I have put mine up for sale.I have posted my very 1st item for sale on ebay. Go get it.

cream

The Little Girl Giant

Thanks Sparkle for another great link.

even zombies need slurpees

., originally uploaded by Mandroid.

I know these two zombies. Great girls. They really come to life all dolled up.

all the photos other people thought were fantastic

Your favorites, originally uploaded by smoooch.

perspective

Another funny ha ha from Overheard in New York.

The Upper East Side: Ninety Blocks From Nowhere


Girl #1: Oh my God! You live in the middle of nowhere!
Girl #2: Honey, on no one's map is Greenwich Village considered the middle of nowhere.
Girl #1: Whatever, it's really far from the Upper East Side.

--Thompson & Houston

cocorosie _ noah's ark

I love this band.

A rose is by any other name would smell just a sweet.

Photograph from the The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens webpage.

The world's largest and apparently "fragrant" flower is blooming at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. This spectacle of blossom glory is known as the Titan Arum and according to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden webpage it "produces a monstrous four- to seven-foot-tall flower head, which releases a monstrous stench of putrefaction at peak bloom." It's also affectionatly known as the corpse flower.

This rare and unusual event of the bloom revealing its vulgar odor to the world is sometimes confused with warming garbage from the stinking heat in near by New York and confused with the unfortunate victims of god knows what floating down the East River. Is it death or the corpse flower, pondering residents inquire. Wonder not, but fromn the ofactatory safety of your home, you can check out the webcam to see its progress.

I wonder if these would grow in Vancouver?? It would be perfect for the yard.

Girl takes pic of herself every day for three years

like them apples

Fresh picked apples from Casa Millerarri or Casa Gaspiller, whichever you prefer.

Mona Lisa decending

Take a look at this 2-dimensional clay animation "melding and merging the work of 35 famous artists". It's visually a mind bogling trip down Art History 101. Thanks to Sparkle for the link

please don't restore the factory settings on life

I've had a minor meltdown with my Ipod and have had to "restore factory settings". This upsets me to no end. Not only did I have to go backwards to the beginning of my Ipod and literally wipe it clean of any scandalous memories and make it feel like we'd never travelled down the road of music download, but I also had to make it believe that we had never ventured down the dark seedy alley of iTune libary sharing or what I like to lovingly call the "can I rape your Itunes?" conversation.

That's what has happened.

The journey down that steamy little alley one night in Edmonton when I pilfered all the great Tunes and boosted my song amount from 123 to 256 all from Vince and Mitch's incredible collection are now gone. Gone are the Madonna dance tracks that made my forays into physical activity more enjoyable. Gone are the obscure Allan Ginsberg poetry readings that would come on between Wolfmother and Ani DeFranco like a little pebble tossed in front of my path by a homeless bum that startled me into remembering life is also on shuffle. Gone, last but not least, are the trebles and clefts of my visit with my dear friends Vince and Mitch.

If you're reading this.. take pitty on me and my soundwaves and burn me a CD!

b never too busy too be beautiful

b never too busy too be beautiful, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Individual lipstick and eyeshadow pots from B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful.

driving on french fry grease

driving on french fry grease, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Racing around the world for a better home, the Earthrace boat came to Vancouver and made a spash across the local papers. The boat which is running on biodeisel is the brainchild of an ex-oil man, Pete Bethune. Not only is he captain but also CEO. I didn't know a boat could have a CEO, but OK. I guess this just isn't any other boat.

Clearly not. When I heard that this thing had docked down at Granville Island, I suggested to Michael that we go down and take a look. There we are getting coffee, me with camera in hand, casually wondering where it could be when out of no where this monlithic creature of the sea smoothly glides into view. I think 'hideaous monstrocity' was the phrase Michael used.

While it's a lovely idea to race around the world trying to raise awareness for alternative fuel sources, it's even more interesting to do it in a boat that looks like something out of a comic book replete with tribal designs.

I can't imagine what I like more that Cat Power's ability to take a song and turn it into something completely different. I wish I had her version of the Stone's 'I Can't Get No (satisfaction)'.

Cat Power, aka Chan Marshall (thanks Sparkle!). More info and some interesting tidbits can be found on her Wikipedia page. A list of interesting trivia notes that in 1999 she was spoked at "numerous Bob Dylan concerts".

Odd.

lined up

lined up, originally uploaded by smoooch.

lantern labor rewards

lantern labor rewards, originally uploaded by smoooch.

light my fire

Cancel your plans, say no to that dinner date and make your way to Trout Lake for the annual Illuminaires Festival AKA. the lantern fest, tomorrow night at dusk.

And if you want a one of a kind, hand crafted, gauranteed original lantern you'll head to the North end of the park and look for the string of masterpieces for sale. Each one is strung with vintage ribbon and ready for you and your trip through the festival. Remember..be a participant, not a spectator.

finished, originally uploaded by smoooch.

this spud is for you

I never knew grocery shopping could be so easy. Thanks to a certain Jane I know, I have discovered another aspect to the wonderfully entertaining concept of online shopping. This shit's addictive!

Now, instead of Elsewares- "where they shop the hard way so you won't have to", and books called No one cares what you had for lunch-100 IDEAS FOR YOUR BLOG I have found the ultimate in interactive internetting and by telling you I may break the cardinal rule of the book that very well may be in the post to me right now..I'll tell you what I had for lunch, or plan to have for lunch.

Or rather the fascinating aspect of ordering groceries on line. I log onto Spud, pick out my fruits, veggies, and every other kind of grocery item I can think of and a few days later its waiting for me when I get home. The prices are the same if I walked all the way to the local organic grocer but this way I don't have to walk, carry and transport groceries 2km in searing heat.

If you live in the Vancouver, Calgary, Victoria or Seattle area and want to try it out, I can give you a code which will entitle you to $25 off over your first 4 deliveries. Internet with me and I'll hook you up.

the epitome of my childhood

Or most of it. This kind of sums it up. This and the actual farm in my life rounds out the whole picture and makes me the prairie girl that I am. Thank god for the Friendly Giant, the little chairs, and the Rusty the giraffe.

reminder

reminder, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Curious, the sin has now been washed away. The city maybe?

many hours of fun

What would you do if someone gave you 100 dildos for Christmas? It seems it has happened to someone and they are asking the internet.. what would you do. All answers must be non destructive and involve all 100. This is what I suggested..

1.Donate them to a women's shelter.

2.Plant them in your vegetable garden to mark the rows.

3.Leave them on bus seats, coffee shop chairs and other random places with a note attached that reads "take me home and give love". Kind of like those public random art projects.

4.Make an art installation about sex. Plant them all in a park, build a fence around it and call it the Get Off Garden.

What would you do?

TITLER

Not for the meek but funny.

I could have been a rock and roll photographer

Him: "Would I like to shot the cover for the Ramones first album?"

Me: "Yes, yes, yes"

Him: "They need to do it this afternoon"

This guy takes a bunch of photos at a Patti Smith gig at CBCB's and ends up with an offer to shoot a Ramones album. Unfortunatly for him (but a lucky turn of event for the coat check girl with a left behind camera), the photo gig interferes with the instruction of Hebrew and his presence as the teacher.

I can imagine his gripping dilemma back in the 70's. Etching out a career for himself. Maybe trying to denounce his adolescent ways. Saying, NO! I must be an adult and uphold my responsibilities, and he says um, I can't I have plans.

See, this is what life is. A series of options and choices. They may pull you into darkness or they may pull you into light. they may also pull you in to dark, seedy bars and raw bizarre punk shoots which threaten to destroy your credibility as an upstanding citizen or they shoot you through the muck and into infamy, stardom and a lifetime of more unusual choices and options.

Makes me wonder if I should've moved to NY when what's his face asked me to and I said to myself, "No, I can't. What about my Christmas bonus?"

Incidentally, CBGB's is getting ready to finally close its doors as the quintessential and historic punk rock slash rock and roll mecca.

downtime

Click here

ahhh...that..feels...good...

hot pants

More wittisims from my favorite website.

Queer: And, futhermore, we all know that the Devil does not wear Prada. He wears flame-retardant knock-offs from Target.


--Chelsea

Hi Mom

I know you're reading this as you seem to be electronically disconnected from life in North America while you galavant around the UK. It seems that the only connection you have been able to find is one to More Kisses Please, and thank god for that. If it weren't for the mysterious comments signed with M, and my intelligent level of speculation to confim that it isn't Madonna commenting, I would almost start to think that the UK had swallowed you up. If nothing else, I hope your shopping and drinking shite coffee while you navigate fried foods and bad manners. xoxox Jill

matriarchy, originally uploaded by smoooch.

victim vs.prey

I have tried to halt the carnage with a bell. Well that has helped curb her insatiable appetite by halting her affectiveness, it has not stopped the carnage of the very young and innocent. The newly birthed, unaware of the horrors stalking the yard, fall easy to prey when Ruby is out in the yard. It's sad really. The one on the left was rendered paralysed yet still conscious of her desire to 'play'. A little heart ponding away as I observed the trauma and documented it. I paused, pondered what I should do to end the little life. Do I just cut off the oxygen? Do I look for some sort of noxious substance to snuff out the little life? Or do I do what my Grandmother does on the farm and leave them in an open field as hawk food?

I can't believe I let that cat sleep on my bed sometimes.

Really.

big city apathy

You pretty much have to take your bike with you everywhere you go these days. Or lock it up with kryptonite. This video may be from NYC but it could pretty much happen anywhere.

Bike Thief

we have lived here 25 years

we have lived here 25 years, originally uploaded by smoooch.

"July 8 1970
This day we have lived here 25 years. From the day we moved into that leaky grainary with 2 small children. It was rough."

These are the writings of my grandfather, Edwin, made when he was still alive and building a life and a family on the farm. Small poignant jots of memories penciled into the planks of wood that made up the walls of the old garage.

You can see more of them here.

PHOOTS BOOB

Well however someone gets to More Kisses Please is fine with me. It's OK that if you google PHOOTS BOOB from Saudi Arabia and find my webpage, then all the power to you. It'd be nice if you stuck around longer than 3 seconds, but thanks for visiting anyway.

Othere non exciting ways you've found me..

Silk Hat Restaurant
Glue Making Tissue Paper Lanterns
Flickr Dyke March
Janis Joplin House Larkspur
How to Sew a Zipper

And that make Phoots Boob from Saudi Arabia my current favorite.

the funniest shit ever

Overheard in New York is the funnies website I know of.

And Added Some Strychnine To Her Birth Control Pills


Pharmacist: You should probably re-sign your card.
Woman: Why?
Pharmacist: Well, you signed over the magnetic strip. You're supposed to sign over the white part down here.
Woman: Then how would the machine read my signature? That doesn't make any sense.
Pharmacist: No, it's a magnetic strip. It reads the information, not the signature.
Woman: I don't think you know what you're talking about. That's not how the machines work. You're a pharmacist, not an electrician.

Then the pharmacist gave up.

--Zitomer, 76th & Madison

Overheard by: Helena

youth

me at 19 years

big clouds over the wheat field

big clouds over the wheat field, originally uploaded by Castanet.

I could only hope to catch something this beautiful. Wow. Click on it to go to Castanet's other photos!