Nature Freakiness While Bog Trippin'

Today we visited a mountain bog. 

At 9am all of the class piled in the van (except me- i took my own car)... I could tell that nerves were starting to wear thin... when Y couldn't be found... and then V wandered off... K was telling me that older people are worse than kindergartners when it comes to listening... After spending the last week with this class, I'd have to agree. The older women in the class just do what they want when they want.. and never really pay attention. It's amusing... as long as I'm in my own car. (the pic below is the van)

RJ lives on a hippie/Quaker commune, Celo. It's really a neat area. He was trying to explain to me how the community operates... but everything was so hard for me to understand, because I've never even met someone who lives in a communal area before. It's an absolutely beautiful area by Mount Mitchell. 

His studio was great. He had a lot of his paintings... and nature journals. He had some paintings that he calls his "post-psychedelic-therapy paintings." His paintings are still a bit psychedelic, he says that's probably because of all the tripping he did when he was younger. 

Then we walked out to the bog. We spotted a turtle. I've NEVER seen RJ that excited (K... yes. But RJ is much more laid back), he said it's the first time in 3 years one has been spotted. 

We took off our shoes to walk in the bog (well, most of us did). I felt like a little kid with my feet and legs squishing in the muddy trench of the bog. There were a lot of rare plants... several insectivores... and also endangered orchids. We had to watched where we stepped because it was hard to see where the tiny endangered plants were... most of us were careful... the rowdy-more-uncontrollable-than-kindergartners-and-older women were out of control stepping on everything, unaware.

 

I had two different salamanders crawl over my feet... One was bright orange with black dots. The other was yellow. I wasn't scared of alligators (because there aren't any) or snakes (because I didn't want to ask if there were snakes), I was having too much fun with my toes sinking in the mud. 

We sketched a bit... and collected plants to sketch at the studio (none of the endangered ones - well, unless they had accidentally been totally stepped on and squished). I think I'm finally getting over the anxiety of drawing in front of other people... And I really see how this class will and already is helping me to grow as an artist and connect with my environment... it's amazing how much it has already.  

Also... now, I stop at every plant (flowering or not), to appreciate its beauty. Like K says, "it's better if it's not flowering, so you focus on the beautiful leaves." 

Yep. It's official.... I'm now officially a Nature Freak.

Jack or Jill

Last night's party was fun. Going to a "party" that is in the building right next to the studio where I spend all of my time, makes it a little less of a "party." But it was still a good time.

 

I met some more locals (and Kel's friends). One of them is a jewelry maker. She takes seeds and flowers and casts them to make them into jewelry. I told her about K and the plant sex demo... she was cracking up. Her favorite story was K being SO excited when he found a Jack-in-the-Pulpit plant he could show us. "WOW! Look! It's a Jack in the Pulpit!" and as he pulled the flower open, he said, "Oh! Wait! No... this one is a Jill." And then he (awkwardly) explained the female plant anatomy. 

So, of course, she HAD to meet him. Luckily, he was still in the studio. He was so excited to talk to her about plants and show her books to buy... and different plants he'd collected.

One of the plants had little white fluffy bugs on the leaves. He got so excited that he turned on the microscope to look at them. One of my classmates called them "gay bugs." I said I thought they were more, "Elton-John bugs" because of their white fluffy coats. 

The weekend here was pretty slow and laid back... I took full advantage of that. 

Here is a picture of K explaining another fluffy insect (or flower, or just a piece of nature... I forget, because I was trying to take the picture with my phone instead of listening...oops) -this one is black and fluffy...

short and sweet: a spider variety pack

Today I saw the grossest thing ever...

A dirt-dobber nest fell down... I didn't pick it up. But when M picked it up... it was FILLED with an assortment of spiders... a roll of a variety of spiders! There were a bunch in there... It was soooo gross.

I've never seen anything like that before. and i didn't realize that they ate spiders... I guess I learn something new everyday.

After that we watched a movie... i was too scared of bugs to go outside. I definitely needed a day of nothingness... that's what i got...

Being in a place that is so small as its advantages... but also its disadvantages... Everyone knows everyone... and they really have nothing better to do than to talk about other people... if any girl hangs out with any guy: rumors start. I've ALWAYS had guy friends. Great guy friends... So, I'm really hoping that when I hang out with some of my new guy friends, people don't start talking... but they have... and they will.  I guess I get offended because I'm still grieving. whatever. It's not gonna get me down. 

There's a party tonight at Penland... I need to get up there. It's a forest party... i don't know exactly what kind of costume that requires... so i have on a green t-shirt. i can't believe there have been two costume parties that I haven't had a costume for!

hopefully tonight's party will be more fun because i know more people... :)

Can I put my hands on your head?

  

Notice the last item on the "field trip" list... TISSUE PAPER. Proof of the potty paper story in my last blog!

I didn't go on the field trip today. I woke up today not feeling as great as yesterday... I guess my ups and downs are still getting better, but it still bummed me out that I didn't go. 

I stayed back and had the day to myself... I tried some watercolor painting and landscape sketching in the studio in the afternoon. I know I needed the extra sleep I got this morning, and probably alone time too. 

My camera was all charged up and ready to go, but after one picture, the zoom is stuck and won't go back in, and the screen says "lens error." Does anyone know what I should do to try to fix that?

In this class, it seems that a lot of people are going home for the weekend... there really isn't class this weekend, but we're supposed to work on our stuff in the studio. I'm a little intimidated by watercolor (i know: terrifying watercolors! ha!), because it's near impossible to fix mistakes... 

I did learn some helpful hints today. I've never attempted to paint landscapes and skies... I guess because I didn't know how. I've learned that the sky gets lighter toward the horizon, and mountains also get lighter toward the bottom. Also, when I paint a tree or bush, the leaves get lighter toward the top, and to paint in-between the leaves a darker green.

After that, I walked out side and actually looked at the landscape, and thought... duh. How did I not realize that.... I guess I never thought about it. 

Cicada projects are starting to pop up all over campus... I think I may be the only one who does not have a dead cicada on my table. The cicadas are actually not even half as bad as they were a month ago...  It barely sounds like a spaceship anymore... But I know I won't miss them... 

Only one classmate story today: there's a woman (a little eccentric...) I'll call her Y, because she's a laugh yoga instructor... but right before I started typing. She came up to me and stared at my computer over my shoulder... It's funny because all of the older women in this class will come up and try to read my email! It must be a generation thing... because I always try to look away from other people's laptop screens... 

Then Y asked if she could put her hands on my head. What exactly would have been the appropriate response? I don't know... I was a little confused and said, "okay." Then she held her hands on my head and told me to relax. I was thinking, "What the?" But then I thought she might be trying to read my mind... so I just sat there and tried to think nice thoughts... not, "this is crazy! what is she doing?" thoughts.  After a couple of minutes she stopped, and said "It feels better doesn't it?" and then she left. 

I think she thought I missed the field trip today because I was sick... or maybe she really was trying to read my mind. I really have no idea.

Gonna get back to work! :)

To burn T.P. or to bury T.P? That is the question...

Today was spent learning watercolor techniques... I never realized how different painting techniques are... I guess that's because I've never taken a class before now.

I think I like working with acrylics because of the instant gratification from the drying time, and the ability to paint over a wrong color or mistake. Watercolor is much more like layering, and we are basically making drawings and tinting them using really light layers of watery paint.

I finally found my camera battery charger! WOO HOO! now I can take photos tomorrow on our field trip. (I totally forgot where we are going).

When we were discussing the essential items to take on a hike, the really sweet and really LOUD (also a constant question-asker) older woman (I'll call her V from now on), piped up with, "Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting to mention taking toilet tissue, incase we need to use the restroom?" (that got my attention) and RJ answers, "Yes, when I go poop in the woods I use toilet paper and then burn the it with my lighter." 

me: *trying not to smile too big*

V: "How do you burn it?"

RJ: "I take the soiled tissue, unroll it and burn it from the bottom up."

me: *trying not to laugh*

V: "I thought you were supposed to bury it"

This to-burn-or-to-bury-t.p conversation went on for 15 mins... incredible!

I take my own car on our field trips, everyone else piles in a big van. It looks like a huge white van full of bird watchers... the socks and tevos, visors, fanny packs, sunglasses with the strap, binoculars and hand-lenses adorned...   I need to have my own car so that I can leave if I need to, and also, it lets me feel more like an observer... I feel like I'm in one of those "waiting for guffman" or "best in show" movies... (faux documentary). I'll take pics tomorrow. Everyone in my class is really nice.

There is a 4th of July parade (on the 2nd) and our class wanted to carry HUGE puppets... watching everyone decide which to be was also entertaining... V screamed: "I want to be the chicken!" and pointed to a plump paper-mache chicken that you put over your head and walk around with.... and then she put it on... I swear: that was the cutest thing I've ever seen. One of the other ladies agreed, "wow.. and your shoes go perfect!" (this is a chicken costume....) 

I'm really learning a lot. I was thinking to day how I feel so much more peaceful... even much more than 2 weeks ago. Even with my ups and downs, I really feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be now. 

Plant Porn on the Grassy Balds

It's getting harder for me to keep this blog constant. Now I have to go to the coffee house to blog, and people keep coming up to me and talking to me... All is good conversation, and really nice people, but at the same time... It's harder for me to keep ya'll posted. And I can't find my camera charger!!! 

I SWEAR today I saw 3 ... THREE people picking up dead cicadas... AND there was an installation on the wall of one of the buildings.... made up of DEAD CICADAS! Proof that my gross idea was really not that original ... really!

                               

We went hiking on Roan Mountain today... 

The class of anxious nature freaks piled in the van... they are all really nice.... they crack me up constantly (unintentionally), but still they make me smile. 

K is a botanist... and REALLY excited about nature and plants. He has a hat with dragonfly pins on it, and wears necklaces with dragonflies and turtles... his glasses are colorfully rimmed. He is extremely nice. It took FOREVER to walk from the car, through the forest to the Grass Balds on Roan, because we stopped he told us about EVERY plant and tree and bug. It took two hours to walk a mile.

But it definitely provided me with a lot of funny material. When he would talk about the male and female parts of plants... it was awkward... like he was talking about plant porn. Me and some of the other students were cracking up like middle schoolers (just like the first day of glass blowing) at the clean-yet-dirty terms.

We looked at the spittle beetle for a long time. Then they wanted to pass it around. And of course I was the first one they tried to hand it to... I jumped and said, "no, that's okay," and RJ and crew started laughing.

The woman who was passed the beetle (and accepted), was told to spit on it - to keep it safe and comfy while it crawled on her hand... She's probably in her mid 70's and talks loudly and exclaimed, "Oh, LOOK! I think he's making a deposit!" 

When we got out on the Grassy Balds (that's what the rocky tops of the mountains are called) we learned more about plant sex... and plants... The view was INCREDIBLE! We sketched the view... which sounds much more glamourous than it really is. We had bees flying all around us... and all sorts of bugs... I was getting buzzed by sweat bees and was jumping around a little too much to sit still... then we headed back. It was a beautiful day... the sun was out and I actually got a little sunburned (and now have a nice farmer's tan).

Man, I have SO much more to say... but I'll have to write later when I have more time and I'm not distracted.

mmmm.... cicadas... 

Nature Freak or Freak of Nature?

Where to start...? I never did write the other night, after class... For some reason I'm not able to get online from my room like I was before. Bummer! That means, I have to haul my computer around with me to blog... But I'll get used to it.

I also have friends *gasp*... so, I'm no longer just going straight back to my room and typing... 

Let's see... So, Sunday night I met my fellow "Nature Freak" classmates. There are about 7 people in the class and then the instructor (RJ) and T.A. (K)... I'm one of two "youngsters" ... the other guy is a college student. These peeps are serious nature freaks... one woman brought her own walking stick to the first day of class... 

I think I get more freaked out by nature than a true nature freak. There was a bee buzzing above my head by the florescent light, and a huge moth that almost landed on me... no one else seemed phased, but I was trying everything in my power not to scream... I think these are the type of people who catch and release spiders... and let bugs crawl on them... and I was about to jump out of my chair. 

We had a 45 minute class safety lecture, that included such information as "Don't eat paint." I'm NOT kidding. What is funny is that the safety lecture for the hot glass class was 5 min, and consisted of "the glass is hot, there's the burn kit... and if you're on fire, pull this lever."

Well, I guess this class is gonna be more organized.

Yesterday was Carter's birthday... I guess I kinda underestimated how I would feel... I couldn't go to class, I just knew I would cry... So I started to drive, just to be alone and off campus... and then I remembered, "hey Asheville isn't far." So I called Cas...

I went and hung out with her yesterday after noon and last night. Talking to her made me feel a lot better... I got back to Penland after lunch today... 

I didn't miss much in class... We are making color charts with watercolor paints... Some people have been working on them for two days, and still aren't done. I did mine in less than 3 hours. It's interesting to go from being in a class where I had NO CLUE what was going on, or how to make sculpture and think in 3-D, to go to this class where I just "get it"... 

We also did quick landscape sketches, wrote down the color combos from the charts, and went back to the studio and filled them in with watercolor. 

Tomorrow we are going hiking on Roan Mountain. 

So far, this class seems like it's perfect for me (well, it'd be perfect in a world with no creepy crawlies)... I would post some pictures, but I took so many silly pics with Cas and M that my battery is dead.

I need to shower and do laundry... I'm starting to smell like a mountain hobo.

Second Class

Last night I stayed at Beech... I had a great visit with my aunt and uncle.

today I left for Penland... It was raining HARD... and a little hail too... These mountains are actually considered a temperate rain forest because of the amount of rain they get. At least it's nice weather and not too hot. 

The drive from Beech Mtn to Penland is fun... windy roads, and little towns, like Minneapolis, NC (even though I've never been, I'd bet it's NOTHING like Minneapolis). The street signs and names are cute, like "Granny Edith's Road" ... And that probably was Granny Edith, herself, sitting on her front porch in the rocking chair.

I was not as nervous this time when I drove up to Penland... I guess I feel like I know the ropes and the place better now... I'll be staying at Bill's Place again, in the same room... I'm so so so glad. It was nice before. Plus, I had internet access and could blog nightly.

Back to the land of cicadas again... it still sounds like the school is actually a spaceship.

I have to meet for my class at 5pm... and I'll write more later tonight.

Back to the Beech

I'm blogging from the Buckeye Rec Center in Beech Mountain...

Yesterday and last night were L-A-Z-Y times in Asheville, which was perfect... I needed the rest. 

Cas has the most comfortable bed on the planet... it was hard to drag myself out of it! I'm going to miss her! I had so much fun, and it was a really great time... at least Asheville is only an hour from Penland.

I packed up my stuff, and headed back out on the road. 

Ronda (my Honda) and I listened to Bluegrass music on NPR stations... The public radio stations here mainly play really cool bluegrass music, which is perfect to drive in the mountains to.

 

Cas burned me a cd (Griffin House) which is awesome... some of the songs made me cry and sing-along... I'm sure cars around me thought I was a freak. 

I drove into Boone, and went back to Cheap Joe's Art Stuff... Their "sale" was still expensive... but at least I was able to buy the majority of my art supplies that I need for my next two classes.  Next I drove past Grandfather Mountain... See photo below:

 

I'm on my way to the Beech Mtn house... my aunt and uncle from Dallas are also here. I'll spend the night with them tonight and then tomorrow I start my second class...

I really feel better than I have in a long time... I'm picking up my pieces and moving forward. My road is full of ups and downs and twists and turns... but I'm still moving forward... most of the time, destination unknown... and I'm okay with that. As long as I have the love of my family and friends, a ton of fun, and take a lot of great photos along the way.

 

Picture Perfect

      

Both nights in Charleston, I tried to take pictures of the beautiful full moon... Every time I would take a picture of the moon, it looked like a heart! These are two of the hearts, one is from Tuesday night, the other is from Wednesday...

I started this yesterday... but didn't have a chance to finish this blog or post it until now. Oh, A: here's a shout-out! XO

Woke up this morning in our room and in my sandy sheets of the Best Western just across the bridge from Charleston. Cas was already awake, and asked me, "Do you like Indian food?"  Uh... YES! Indian food is probably my favorite food of all time.. I will drive an hour away just for amazing Chicken Tikka Marsala. YUM.

Then she asked, "Do you want to go to Asheville? My friend owns an Indian restaurant..." I was sold.... Let's go!  Then we got all "rock n' roll"... We ate all of the mixed nuts in our room, accidentally threw the tv out of the window, which I had to sneak out of, and jumped in the getaway car where Cas was waiting.....

Not really... I accidentally pushed the screen off of the window... and it made for a really funny picture and a good story.

When we talked to the front desk, it turns out we weren't booked to stay at the hotel for another night anyway... and they had a party coming in. Also, it was raining, so we really couldn't walk around or go to the beach... So, we packed up and drove to back to the mountains and back to Cas's place in Asheville.

Charleston was so amazing. I really love that city. I would really love to go back and see more art, and history and shop King Street. I plan to go back to Charleston some day... I would love to buy one of those 7.5 million dollar homes! 

Now I'm back in the mountains of North Carolina. The weather is gorgeous... not humid, not too hot. I have a lot of pictures I'd like to post. I'm also going to post another blog just about Asheville. 

So, I've been writing for over a month now... and I just realized today that I've been overlooking my trusty traveling companion, Ronda... (Cas named my car)... Ronda doesn't like hills so much... she makes a lot of noise going up-hill... but she's totally loyal... and has been nothing but good to me. M, at Penland, first noticed Ronda and said he thought either someone really ghetto or someone really old drove her.... nope. Just me. With her gold grill, we decided on the full name Ronda Laquisha Jackson (Jackson being a family name). I love Ronda, even though her 0-60mph is 5.2 minutes.

We had a great time last night (thurs)... Yummy Indian food, fun people, and it was great hanging out with Cas and her sister. We took sooo many pictures... some good and some really crazy and not-so pretty... These two made us laugh so hard... I can't look at either picture with out laughing until I cry...

 Whose head is that?

Look at my arms!!! It takes a second to figure out which arm belongs to us...

It's Friday and we've kinda just been chilling out all day. Tonight is gonna be a low-key movie night. That sounds fantastic.... I really haven't been able to just hang out since I've been in NC. Tomorrow, I'm going to Boone... To the art supply store....(they're having a huge one day sale) and then to Beech Mountain. My second class at Penland starts Sunday!

Just Beach-y

Oops! I skipped a day (sorry!).  I'm now on the road in Charleston, SC. 

This city reminds me so much of a NOLA by-the-sea... There are old, beautiful, Southern buildings, surrounded by old Live Oaks... which are peacefully coexisting with the seemingly out-of-place palm trees. Strange... NOLA meets Fla. and throw in a bit of Galveston... and Revolutionary War (and Civil War) and you've got Charleston.

I drove here yesterday (in my own car)... I was still feeling a bit nervous about the trip, even though I knew I would get my own room, and was driving my own car... G was running late... so I went to Starbucks. I got a pastry and Chai... and the cash register rang up $6.66. I thought: Uh-OH.

I walked around the shopping center, bought some Liz Claiborne nice brown sandals for Charleston... then Cassie sent me a text saying she'd be able to come meet me after all. I was so glad.

When we first drove into Charleston,  we went to the gallery/store that G & T own. I was exhausted though... I hadn't been able to get more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep for the last couple of nights... Not because I had so much going on... just because my body/mind wouldn't let me sleep. I really just wanted to get in my room and nap. I walked around Charleston a bit with T as my tour guide then went to the hotel, and tried to nap while Cas drove in from Asheville.

I didn't think I'd sleep... but I did! A little after I woke up she got here. We had a lot of catching up to do... she moved to Asheville a year ago and the last time I saw her, was for a split second at C's memorial. 

We went to Sullivan's Island to hangout (and talk more) at Poe's (a favorite hangout of G's family)... After, we went the beach at night. We had to walk across this long footbridge to get to the beach.. It was SO creepy. I kept remembering G telling me how the fish and game state employees of Louisiana count alligators. They first mark-off a square mile, then go out on a boat at night and shine flashlights around the swamp... and then they count the glowing eyes...Take that number, divide it by two... and that is the alligator population for that square mile!   So, while walking on the footbridge, instead of using a flashlight (which I left at the hotel) I kept taking pictures of the marsh around us and looked for eyes. 

When we got out to the beach, it was low-tide, and the moon was full, gorgeous and became our muse of photography. We talked and were silly and took really amazing and creative pics!

I am so glad that Cas was able to come here. It's so nice to have someone who knows me, and has the same interests as me, here. I think I'd have freaked out without her. 

today we woke up late (but still too early). We met G & T at their store, where we bought matching "friendship bracelets" (which we thought of at the same time)... I know... we're not in middle-school, but we were both cracking up at our cheesiness... and we both really dig the bracelets!

G&T led us on a walking tour of Charleston... we had our hopes up for getting to the beach... but this city is so incredibly GORGEOUS!  I still am in awe of the trees... the sea, the marshland (but, honestly... I would be fine -if not glad- if I never see another beautiful oil painting of marshland again)... The strawberry-flavored Italian Ice indulgence in the park, by the sea, was the perfect punctuation to the city tour. We went back to the hotel... then went to another Island... the Island of Palms.

We went to the Windjammer (a place Cas knew about), but first... we did get to the beach... We took more pics (of ourselves... shocker! :) and then had crab legs, shrimp and a mediocre burger. We talked even more... I really don't think we've stopped talking since she got here... it's been a welcome change to have a friend here, who knows my story, my friends and enjoy an atmosphere other than Dallas with me.

Tomorrow, we have big plans... but who knows what we'll do... we'll just keep playing it by ear... that always works out better anyway...

Bye Bye Lake

Babka- A loaf-shaped coffee cake made with sweet yeast dough to which raisins, chocolate or nuts can be added.  Very delicious!

That was from the dictionary on my computer. except for the obvious... :)

Monday, Monday, Monday...

The day really has no meaning now that I don't have a work week. But, I was really productive today...

I swam in the lake... at first I was still slightly freaked out at the thought of little "friends" in the water... But I overcame that (well, kinda). I decided to try and float without the noodles. It's strange how our bodies naturally float when you totally relax. I think I must have been a synchronized swimmer in my last life, because I tried to swim horizontally, in circles... and I've gotta say, I kind of impressed myself! 

I found a really cool fishing lure in the lake. The other day I found a $5 bill in a parking lot, and today a fishing lure. After I found that, I was on a treasure hunt in the lake... but the only thing I found was some aluminum foil. 

Then, I did some outside yoga. It was a beautiful day. The lake was warm, the sun was out and there was a really cool breeze. I'm glad I don't burn easily (I don't burn or tan easily), because I was in the water and sun for a while. 

I had to go back to Lowe's again... This time I bought spray lacquer. The brush-on kind smears sharpie and makes everything run and stink... and it takes forever to dry. I touched up girl with antlers... and I had a hard time with one of her eyes... She was looking google-y eyed. I'm glad i didn't give up on that piece before... I'm starting to really like it... I think I'll REALLY like it when it's done.

Her face is not supposed to be a self-portrait, but when I was painting her eyes and mouth, I had to look at my eyes and mouth so I could get the physical characteristics correct.

We had dinner outside. G and I talked about the tobacco industry and the tobacco settlements for an hour. NC is tobacco country... And having worked for the two biggest companies, I know a bunch of useless information. Then a boat came by, and the guys fishing off of the boat caught a BIG fish right by the house... We clapped when they finally got the fish in the boat. And then G yelled out that he charges... i thought that was funny.

Goodbye Lake... it's been fun... I'll be thinking about you when I'm dirty and hot at Penland.

I CLEANED my car!!! YAY! I vacuumed it out and tried the best I could, with the amount of stuff and limited space I have, to organize it.  

We leave for Charleston in the morning. I'm gonna get a hotel for one or two nights, and then either drive to Asheville or Beech Mtn. 

I really like going wherever and not worrying about plans. 

Sun(set)day

I didn't write last night, because I was working on this piece still... I'd like to finish it. She's looking better... but not done yet. I've decided on a title already; "Fitting In"

I don't know how or why that title came to me... but it did. And I like it. So, it's staying.

I'm not freaking out anymore about Charleston. I'm gonna take my own car, and stay in a hotel, and probably leave on Weds or Thurs. There are lots of alligators in Charleston, I've been told. 

Yesterday, was Father's Day. This year, two fathers were on my mind: Dad and Ken.

I went to church with G and T. It was a young-come-as-you-are-rock'n-roll church. People dressed really casual (which was good for my wardrobe) and even the pastor was wearing jeans. He also used props like hammers and shovels (I still don't really know the purpose of the props) and was very theatrical. I think he would have been a great TV actor. It was cool, but I did cringe a bit when he would fake cry while talking about and to Jesus.

After that, I went and had lunch with my cousin and her husband who live in Charlotte. I haven't seen her since her wedding, two years ago. And I didn't even get to see her very much then, because the night before her wedding, my eye had a run-in with my friend's head... and I had a horrible black eye that was completely swollen shut (see photo)

 Anyways.. It was definitely nice to see her and her husband, and visit.

After a full tummy and good conversation, I went the the Charlotte Museum of Craft and Design... As SOON as I walked in the door, I noticed a poster for a current show, Possibilities. One of the pictures caught my eye and I thought, "hey, that looks like Cristina's work." Kel used to work for Cristina (who is a ceramics artist) when she lived at Penland. Cristina and her husband are still living and working by Penland... I need to call her...

Anyways, I thought it looked like her work, and it was! And another artist in the show is a glass resident at Penland. So, I got to see their work. Pretty nifty.

When I walked in the museum's permanent collection, the first thing I saw was my old crazy instructor T.'s piece! Yep. One of the throw-together-glass-with-silicone-glue-and-then-slap-acrylic-paint-on pieces. I have to say, this one actually looked like it took a while. It was a glass chair... and actually did look really cool. I wanted to point at it and yell to everyone in the museum, "I KNOW HIM!" but didn't. 

The current show was about things not being what they seem. There was jewelry made from human hair (but you couldn't tell) and there even was a ring, where the jewelry artist took a single hair and cut it and laid it in resin to look like a sketch of a woman lounging... it was incredible... there's NO way I would have known it was a hair if the info card didn't say so.

After being inspired, and then driving around Charlotte... I got some chocolate Babka and headed back to the lake. I was just in time for the most incredible sunset.

Later last night, I stayed up WAY too late painting, and ate WAY too much chocolate babka... Bluh... I don't think I'll be able to even look at chocolate babka anytime in the near future...

Mountain Clothes v. City Living

Why is it that when you try to take pictures of a lake or ocean, they never turn out well? They always make the lake and everything on it look so much further away...  I've tried to take some pictures... but none of them look even remotely nice or interesting.  Lakes just aren't photogenic.

Today I went to Starbucks *gasp* (i know... shocker). I think I've substituted my Snickers habit for a Starbucks habit and vice-versa. Then I lounged in the lake for a while on those floating noodles. I think I've also substituted my fear of bears for a fear of alligators. I kept thinking there were alligators in the lake... I saw a big head sticking out of the water not far from my noodles... My instinct was to scramble back on land as quick as possible... but G & T were outside, and I didn't want to look like a total nut... Turns out it was a HUGE turtle. Okay... not huge, but big... really big. I still wanted to get out... but didn't.  After I chilled out, the lake was really nice.

Later on, they drove me into Charlotte and all around the city. It really is a beautiful city. I love the tall oak trees and tree canopies that line the streets. We went to eat... it was delicious. I ate twice as much as I should have... I'm so full, that it hurts.  No time for art today...   I'm going to meet up with my cousin and her husband tomorrow. After G, T and I go to church. I don't have any nice clothes... I really packed like I was going to be a "mountain woman"  and that's what I look like... yup. pretty much...  

After two weeks at penland, the nicer jeans I brought are no longer nice.. I'm pretty grubby, even if my clothes are clean....   I told G earlier this week that I didn't bring any nice clothes... Then tonight he asked, "So you REALLY didn't bring any nice clothes?" I think, that after seeing my mountain wardrobe, he realized I wasn't kidding, or exaggerating... at all. We are going to Charleston on Tues, and he said I might want to dress kinda nice there... Soooo I guess I'm gonna have to do a little tiny bit of shopping. Maybe a dress or two. And a pair of nice sandals.

My poor Birkenstocks have had it. They were bad in May. And now, well, they need to be retired. Not long ago, I did an online search for "how to clean birkenstocks" or something similar... I found one message board where someone posted, "BUY NEW SHOES, YOU CHEAP HIPPIE!"   

Point taken. ... I'll be going shopping soon...

My late night freak-out=

I'm really starting to freak out about this trip to Charleston... The whole thing is making me feel trapped and claustrophobic... I really don't want to even go anymore... I'm not going to have my car there (I'm going to ride with them)... and it seems like I'm going to have to be "on" the whole time, and dress nice and be nice and social... and no way out or escape, or be alone...  I just don't think I can do it... I wanna go somewhere else like to the mountains... or just stay here and be alone... or even to Charleston by myself... or on my own.... But I don't want to tell them... I don't think they'd understand... i don't know what to do... i would like to go to Charleston, but not when I'm not feeling a hundred percent, and as someone's guest/tourist and my emotions are not stable..... I don't think they have any idea how much alone time I need...  crap.

Can it crush cars?

    SQUIRRELS! 

This little guy was just hangin' out at the wildlife rescue place (that I went to earlier this week)... Man, Dylan would freak out... I miss my puppy.  I miss saying "Dylan! Squirrels!" and seeing his ears perk and head tilt...I wish I could bring him up here. I could use some of those sloppy kisses.

Today was a lazy day at the lake... The bass boats weren't as loud this morning... And today was the last day of the fishing tournament. Those guys get up WAY too early.... and for fish?!

I went to Starbucks again today... I'm loving having my Chai again. I also went back to Lowes to get some more samples of wallpaper... I felt kinda bad... I hope they don't bust me... (well, it's free, but still). I think I'm gonna stay away for a few days. :)

Then I got to work, cutting and pasting the wallpaper (on the girl with antlers)... I REALLY wish I would have done it differently... but I can for the next one... I'm learning. Oh, lacquer helps to make the sandblasted glass not so frosted.  Also, lacquer STINKS really bad! for a long time... I mean, really, really, really bad!

I would post a picture... but it's not done yet and doesn't look exactly like I'd like it to. I can't find my Mod Podge :(  I think it's somewhere in my trashed car.

We were going to go into Charlotte tonight, but didn't. Maybe tomorrow.... and then Charleston on Tues.

Since I don't have any pictures of today... here's one I took earlier in the week. When we were at the art supply store, there was a watercolor painting class going on, it was full of the stereotypical grandmas (so cute)... and outside in the ashtray... well I've never seen so many skinny-old-lady cigs ever... so (of course) i took a picture...

ps. the title of the blog "can it crush cars" is because I just heard it on a commercial on tv... thought it was funny... 

shorts changing

Above is the photo of the ruby I found yesterday... woo hoo! I'll never work again!!! (ha ha... choke choke)

So, I'm at G and T's beautiful home on Lake Norman. The house is built right on the lake, on a peninsula... When you walk in the house, all you see is water out of every window... It feels like I'm on a boat. 

I tried to take a picture from the room I'm staying in... Here's the first picture I took with the flash, and the second without it.

              

It seems to work much better if I DON'T use the flash when I take a pic out of a window...

Yesterday... I drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit (on my way here), it's an incredible drive... at times a little scary, and it feels like I'm in a video game on the windy roads.  I had a lot of time to think... and reflect. I really feel like I'm doing what I need to be doing... and I'm proud of myself for how far I've come... anyways... blah blah blah, I'm not going to get deep...

EARLY this morning, there was a bass fishing competition on the lake, right by the house... Those boats are LOUD and they start fishing ridiculously early... that lasted for a few hours... then I went back to sleep. 

I only brought two pair of shorts on my trip... but I brought a gazillion sweaters and long-sleeved shirts... so, heads up mom and dad: I may be sending a box of sweaters and sweatshirts to you... because my car is getting pretty crowded. 

It's so crowded that I'm starting to look like one of those pack rat people... who never throw anything away... it's driving me crazy.

Okay... that was a weird tangent... G, T and I went to their Yacht Club on the wave runner... I was wearing jeans and G was like, "don't you have any shorts?" Yes, but I needed to do laundry... So I wore jeans. 

I'm not sure if he was intentionally trying to throw me off of the wave runner.... probably not, but either way, I was NOT going to fall off. I had my cell phone in the pocket of my jeans, and was NOT going to lose another cell phone to water damage... So, I held on with everything... (one time I almost took T off with me...)... I never fell off, but my legs are sore, from holding on with everything I had.

The club was yummy. G just wrote a book, so I was asking him about it... It turned into a 3 hr conversation... but I thought it was really interesting. I'd like to write a book someday... so, I'm even more interested. His book is on eschatology (or the theory of end times- biblically based)... it was an interesting almost surreal conversation. I was curious how it was published... if they self published or whatever... It turns out they did self publish, T said something that struck me as funny, "well, there's not a huge demand for books on eschatology these days."  If I'd had written just that as the "quote of the day" with no back story, it would be random and funny. I'm still in screenplay-material mode.

G gave me a copy to read... Dad, wanna race? jk (my dad is reading it too).

Then after we got back I went to my favorite two places Target and Starbucks... Target for shorts and Starbucks for my very missed Soy Chai Latte.

And I went to Lowes... Lowes has an awesome selection of wallpaper! Home Depot has none. You can also get samples of the wallpaper... I took a whole bunch of samples! REALLY good for collage! i may finally be able to finish the girl with antlers... and then I'll have something finished! yay!

    

C.U. part deux

I'm no longer at Beech Mountain... I'm on Lake Norman, near Charlotte as of this afternoon. 

It is GORGEOUS! and I'm so glad to be here!

I haven't really figured out the purpose of this blog... is it to update everyone on where I am? or update on art stuff? or my journal (that I just let everyone read)? or to entertain? 

I don't really know... I guess it's a bit of all of those things. 

Some days I'm more entertaining than others...

The love/hate relationship I have with technology is becoming increasingly amusing... I cringe when my cell phone rings, or I check my email, and I have a lot of emails to return... but I freak out when I have no cell service or internet access... and I get sad ("poor me... no one loves me") if no one has called.... hmmm... I'm the first to admit that it makes no sense.

So now I finally have internet and cellphone service, and can communicate at will.

The heat wave here is FINALLY starting to break... It was HOT! not TX hot... but hot enough... so hot, that I really didn't want to go outside.

So... the last two days were spent at Beech.... doing collage! Yes! Collage is so fun, I really wish I would have thought of collage as an alternative to sketch books before now!  I really don't like to sketch stuff out (if I do, it's not a sketch.. it's a time consuming drawing that defeats the purpose of sketching). 

A.B., P, M and I went to an art supply store where we got... lots of art supplies (duh).  I love peeling dried glue off of my fingers... and that's something that goes hand-in-hand with collage...

Today we went gem mining. Gem mining is fun... but really there is no "mining".... it seems like they give you a bucket with big ol' gems (and hardly anything else except gems), and then you shake the tray under water, basically wetting them, to see their color, and guess what they might be. 

It's not getting dirty or getting into a cave... (even though there IS a cave: see picture on lft), but it's still really fun. The best part is when they tell you what kinda gems you've got. 

My best gem today was a big ruby I found... It doesn't look like a ruby... it looks like a rock. But if I were to polish it...

I got out of the habit of writing.. I need to be consistent again... but I'm going to ease into it ... Tomorrow I plan to sleep late and enjoy this insanely gorgeous lake. 

Catching up

Sooo, 

I'm on the road again... and it's not the easiest for me to have internet access. 

I don't like to talk on the phone in front of people... I also don't like to blog in front of people. It's not just because I'm an obnoxiously loud typer either... I think I just don't get into it as much.

But, I'm gonna try my best:

Saturday, I woke up early... Had a huge fantastic Penland breakfast, then packed up. I went and did laundry, and tried to stay out of the heat. There's been a heat wave here lately... and that's no fun!

I got invited to play poker on Saturday night with some of the Penland "locals"... I've never played Texas Hold'em before... I don't like it. I like 5 card draw. It seems like Texas Hold'em is too easy, because everyone knows 3 to five of the cards you're playing with... in 5 card draw, you don't know any. I really don't see what the huge fascination with Texas Hold'em is... okay... I'll stop. I obviously didn't win.

Sunday, I drove to Beech... and when I got here, I SLEPT! I was sooo exhausted from the last two weeks... I took a 5 hr nap, then went back to sleep, and slept til noon.... and I'm STILL tired!

Today we went to a wildlife refuge... people take sick and hurt wild animals there and they nurse them to health until they can be released. The people there were very nice, and they went into the bird cages to pick up some feathers... so, now I have all kinds of feathers from Hawk to Owl... They're beautiful. 

Then it started to hail... HARD! ouch!

I plan to stay here, and then leave for Lake Normand  (sp?) on Weds.... I'm excited about going there! G & T said I can stay there, and paint, and then go to their house in Blowing Rock, and back to the lake... and maybe even make a trip to Charleston. YA! 

I'm still waiting to hear about the encaustic painting class... I left the office a message today. I REALLY wanna take that class! 

My glass saint statue looks hilarious! I forgot to take a picture of it... it turned out PERFECT... well, everything except her head is just a blob of clear glass (OF COURSE, I did that on purpose... not really... but it looks like I did).

I looked at the letter for my next class of what I need to buy (this is the nature journaling: art for nature freaks class - yes, I cringe when I say "art for nature freaks"), based on the supply list... what do you think the average age of student will be? binoculars, folding stool, personal fan, and (my favorite) hand lens. What is a hand lens?? Even though I know I'll be the youngest person by far in this class, I'm so excited to take it! I really am looking forward to it. Just two weeks away...

Tales from a former glass student

Today was the last day... I feel kinda bad for giving T. such a hard time the last few days.

He actually talked to me quite a bit today, and really apologized for the "not hot glass class" being a hot glass class, and the unstructured everything... and offered to help me out in the future in any way possible... (like a recommendation letter, that I didn't hesitate to ask him about). 

I checked my voicemail today... I had quite a few. 

One of them was the Penland office, telling me that a spot in the encaustic painting class (the one I had originally wanted to take) is open... I can't take that one unless I get a work-study or scholarship... So I asked T. if he'd write a recommendation letter... he said of course... and down the road, if I ever need him to vouch for me, he will. I do really like him... the class was scattered (being generous)... but his heart was in the right place.  Our other instructor has not proved herself to me yet.

Tomorrow will be an early day. Today... (although I tried to wake up early) was not. I woke up, and I must've sleep walked and taken my alarm clock/cell phone back to bed with me... oops.

Actually the time I woke up was fine. I still woke up before 8:45. 

Today was "show and Tell"... where all of the studios show off the work they've made the last two weeks... funny how there was no hot glass! When i talked to the metals TA he said, "yeah, I heard your class was a lot of experimentation, but not much accomplishment"  ... True...

Also, today a Cicada flew and landed on me... it was not half as scary as I thought it would be... (it didn't explode in my eye like it did the last time)... I'm glad I was on the phone with a friend from home (A: you know... :)) 

I've had good dreams about C three nights in a row now. That has made me feel good about what I'm doing.

I packed up all of my glass stuff and I'm off on adventure as of now... I'll blog as much as I can... promise!

Here are some of the best/worst quotes/moments of the screen play at Penland:

T. making us all feel like we were in the twilight zone- talking about schedules (boring!)  and then all of a sudden saying, "you know what I'd really like to do? Take all of the glass and dump it on the sidewalk... like a lava flow"... ??? huh? not boring anymore! we all thought we had missed something... but we hadn't!

(this happened today when i was gluing the sheets of glass in the orange statue I had dismantled) A classmate saying, "I know what that Saint is... Catholics that have abortions pray to that saint." ?!? what?!  about my orange "saint" that is actually chinese, and is there really a saint like that?? i doubt it... but I could, very possibly be wrong... and why would I want to know that. I didn't have the heart to tell her it's some Chinese saint... and I doubt Catholics know about her.

"sometimes you just have to get in touch with that inner rebellious middle-schooler who writes, "get laid in the shade" in everyone's yearbook." - from a very funny classmate. HA!

Tales of theft from a former Christian bookstore employee (doesn't that sound like a book title???)... and the people who "were stealing amongst the Bibles," and the manager running out after them, cussing them and threatening to hit them with a baseball bat. He said the manager looked like the dad from the cartoon "The Incredibles" ... 

"Instead of getting annoyed, I just think, I'm glad I'm getting so much screen play material."

I'm sure I'll remember more later.

I'll post more pics later too. 

Love to all!

r

Cold Shower

I'm melting! My cellphone self-portrait, while I was about to nap and was really, really, really, overheated.

Aha! Finally, I am able to get online! I've been trying for a while. 

Today was the last day. Tomorrow is just clean up and goodbyes. 

Unfortunately, today was also the hottest day. I'm not sure what the temperature was, but it was H-O-T! 

I woke up kinda late and went to the studio... the heat made me heavy and tired. I felt like I was dragging myself around campus. I had my daily Snickers bar (yes, for breakfast). 

I've become very attached to Snickers. Everyone else here says that they've gained weight since they've been here (we have fantastic food three times a day), but I feel like I've lost weight. I must usually eat worse than I think I do. I was craving sugar so much that I went to the store and bought a Symphony Bar (not the king-sized... but the bigger one, I think it's the family sized) and a Snickers, and I ate them both in 30 mins! After that, I bought the value pack of Snickers... and I buy them in the Supply Store. I'm averaging 2 Snickers/day. I realized there is 24-hr cereal (and they have Coco Puffs!), so I've been late-night snacking on cereal. All of this food, and I still think I've lost weight. 

Back to the heat: In Texas, when it's 100 degrees, everyone's miserable, and no one feels sorry for you when you're overheated. Here, it's a little over 90, and everyone is very concerned and making sure that you're hydrated, rested and not overheating. 

I went back to my room, stripped and took a long nap. Then I woke up and took a freezing cold shower (intentionally), and I was still sweating. 

Today we had a "meeting" (if I was talking, I would have used finger quotes when I said "meeting"). I was listening to our instructors talk for 2 hrs, but I still don't know what the "meeting" was about. The only thing I learned, was that T. has an (insert finger quotations) "artist" friend, who was paid $90,000 for a custom piece of art, so he went to the guy's house and peed in it, circled his pee, cleaned it up and gold-leafed the area where he peed. That, and he has another "artist" friend who was paid $40,000 to make a cat house (like a dog house), and took a card board box and wrote "CAT" on it. I'm sorry... really?! I REALLY don't think that's art... and if someone's gonna pay that much... well, I guess they deserve to have their floor peed on. 

Is that art? or is that faux art? and can I abbreviate faux art as f.art?  sorry, I couldn't resist, or come up with anything more clever...

What made the "meeting" great and worth it, was the surprise ice cream that we got.... YUM! 

Then I went back to my room and took another nap, and prayed for rain, or that the sun would go down a couple hours early. 

It didn't. 

Tonight also was the auction. At the end of every session, there is an auction where students and instructors can donate art work to raise money for the school. It was a 4 hr ordeal. They had a real auctioneer. I couldn't understand a word he said. 

T. made a glass house (a signature piece of his), glued a glass ball in it and slapped some acrylic paint on it... all of that took 20 min max... it went for $1,500. The crazy thing is that people usually pay $6,000 for one of those.  

I didn't donate a piece... because I really don't have one completed piece. I think I figured out what I'm going to do with the droplets... nope... not gonna tell. :)

I was going to just walk back over here (my room), get my car, and then go back to the studio to load up my car, but I think I'm going to go to bed early and try to wake up early (HA! - but I need to)

Screen Playin'

Some of my favorite things from today:

When talking to a studio assistant about "the finer things in life" my classmate said, "What? Wine, Woman and REAL deodorant."    Ha!

What I didn't realize, is (like me), she considers this experience at Penland to be great material for a screen play. I agree. While I've been quoting her (and others) she's been quoting me. For example, today she said, "Well, maybe we should have been more proactive." And I answered, "Proactive? We're too confused to be proactive." And after we both cracked up... she wrote that down... 

I have to say that I really thought I was the only one trying to remember the funny quotes of the day.

The other quote of the day is: "Oh, you're Jewish? I've always wanted to have a Jewish friend!"

The one I overhead after that was: "Oh you're a lesbian. I know some lesbians."

Too much screen play material to remember!!!

Really, this class is almost over... strange. I'm really glad I'm coming back. 

Our instructors were a bit scattered (that's being overly generous- they were mainly here on family vacations and to work on their own work), so I know what to look for in a class (or what to look for to not take a class) the next time I come.

I worked on various things tonight... tomorrow is the last studio day. I'll be pouring glass in the molds, painting, and finishing up things... 

Today, I needed to drill holes in the glass droplets... but the instructors were no where to be found, so I tried to figure it out on my own... Yeah.... that didn't work. I didn't realize it was a drill that needed water on. So I cracked the first droplet, and then burned my finger. Then I asked a classmate, and she showed me. 

Later I took the orange statue of a saint and chopped her head off with the saw, and then I made 3 more parallel cuts... hmmm? angst? repression? who knows? I'm planning to take glass squares and glue them in the cuts. nice. 

I met the current tenant in K's old house, We went over there tonight. It was fun, and nice, and DEFINITELY the "little cabin in the woods."

I just got back to the room. I should write more and might look over this tomorrow (if I get a chance) and add and edit... or not. 

night!

Aesthetically Disturbing Conceptualized and Juxtaposed Barbie-Art

I strongly dislike certain big art words... like juxtaposition, rendering, aesthetic and other fancy-schmancy words... (I've probably already mentioned my love-hate relationship with "aesthetic".)

I was completely joking with a studio assistant and I told him how for an anti-beauty painting, I wanted to pick up dead cicadas and glue them to a piece of glass.... He said "Don't do that... EVERYONE is going to do that." I thought he was also kidding... not so much. I said "seriously?" and he said "Yep" ... he was so serious, that he might as well have said, "DUH!" So, that wasn't as "cool" of a gross idea as I thought.... am I really that unoriginal? 

The cicadas are still everywhere, and really loud. One flew and hit me in the eye the other day... it was gross and messy. They are the stupidest bugs ever. I actually got into a debate with someone tonight about which bugs are dumber: cicadas or june bugs? I'd go with cicadas.

Today my emotions were unstable. I almost got a bit teary... but didn't. I hope I'm not getting sick. I continued with the wax mold excavation... and almost threw it. I'll never make it as an archeologist... I'm all about instant gratification when it comes to art. 

I then made plaster molds around the wax molds. That also took a long time... and was really messy. They will be one-part molds. First, the wax needs to be steamed out and then I'll just pour hot glass into them. 

T. gave me a vase and told me to paint on it... he didn't say what, he actually said anything. So, tonight I painted two fish (one is swimming upside down) and music notes (actually from an old song that I can't remember the name of). Someone said it reminded them of Billy Big-Mouthed Bass (the singing fish)... I agree. I wonder if it's going in T's show (quite possibly), and if it is, it will probably sell for a lot... that's kinda funny. 

Painting on a glass vase is not easy... the paint doesn't go on very easily (just acrylic on sandblasted glass)... and the light hits it all funky. And when I paint a cylinder, I only can see a little part of it at a time. 

One of the guys in my class had a head-less Barbie. He did strange things to it and left it on my table (see photo)... he also did a sand casting where it looks like a crucified head-less Barbie. What was funny is that one didn't bother my instructors, but the one he in the photo did... but all they said to him was, "wow, that's great that you made something that bothered both of us." and then T. said, "why couldn't you have done that with a Ken doll? Why did it have to be a Barbie?" Because he had a Barbie and no Ken doll. 

Until today, I never realized how disturbing Barbie really is, even when she has a head, and clothes on and is driving a fancy 

Barbie car. She's completely disproportionate, and can't even stand up or keep shoes on.

I sound sarcastic... but I'm just thinking back on my day... and the funny things that I remember. I really love Penland... I'm starting to meet more people... and Kel's old friends have gotten her email and come up and said hello. I was going to go back to Beech on Friday... but I think I'll stay here until Sat. If I have a place to stay here, I'd rather stay here, and then have my 3 days at Beech... rather than staying there 3 days and having to find a place to stay. 

I'm really glad I'm coming back for another session. I'm going to start to try and look into a fall concentration. 

Thrifty Waxing

I wasn't able to post anything last night... I tried to get online with no luck. 

Yesterday, T. was sick of seeing me drawing patterns... So, I went in to Spruce Pine, for a little thrift store shopping. I found this saint (pic left- orange), a little statue of Mary, some old jars, and a big ceramic fork and spoon.... oh, and a little plate with a tea kettle on it.

I came back and said, "I want to make this into glass." I don't know why, but to me the process seems like it should be much easier than it really is. 

We had to mix algenate (sp?)- the same stuff a dentist uses to get impressions of teeth- and then I poured hot wax into the algenate molds.... then I had to excavate the wax.... and clean it up. The cleaning the wax up to look like the original is what takes the most time. The black duplicates in the photos are the wax sculptures. 

I made wax sculptures of the Saint, the little Mary statue and an antler. I'm not sure how I'm going to make them into glass yet. I could make a plaster mold and pour glass in, or I could make  mold to blow a glass bubble into (a blow mold).... or.... I don't know. 

Yesterday, a classmate and I discovered that the supply store only has white chocolate Reese's Penut Butter Cups... We decided that is a crime to only have white chocolate! They actually have a bunch of white chocolate... who likes white chocolate THAT much?! Really?

I was in the studio WAY too long yesterday... I could hear the rap music in the hot shop, and it sounded like the rappers were saying "blowin' glass" and other glass related things... I was the only one who thought that... I needed to go home.

Yesterday's quote of the day: 

"I've been using all natural deoderant for two years now, and I've never smelled worse."  

-yes... from a classmate, I laughed so hard that my lungs hurt.

Last night (about 1am) I was leaving the studio and the metals studio assistant was walking home with groceries (I know... at 1am?), and he dropped them breaking glass in the road. He didn't have a flashlight so I helped him. And since his bags were broken (and with items like a cutting board and ice cube trays, I assumed he lived close), I offered to help him carry them to his house. He said it was really close. It wasn't. But it was a cute little cabin in the woods, and I made a new friend.

After I helped him, I had to walk back. We had been talking about bears and stuff (and the night before I had watched the trailer for J's new movie... which is SCARY), so I got a little spooked. Me running fast and breathing hard while my flashlight bounces everywhere: through an open field,then uphill, on a deserted dirt road at 1:30 am... it looked like a scene out of the "Blair Witch Project" or a horror movie... It wasn't funny until today...