slap happy glenda sees the shorts...

dude, i'm so tired, but i drug myself out of bed to write this. it's going to be brief. *snarky snarl*

that's just a ruse. actually, i did drag myself out of bed to get this post done, but i'm not feeling at all snarky. i had a perfectly lovely evening.

i saw the dramatic shorts with a friend and they were fantastic. i think there was only one bum in the batch, so to speak. they've all left me thinking and that's what i was hoping for. last year, there were a couple that were disturbing, one especially. this year, there was only one that got under my skin in an uncomfortably close to home way. but, i digress.

i was surprised to see debrah harry show up as a shrink in a pretty spiffy thriller of sorts. the only other time i saw her on film was in videodrome--the only movie that i've ever walked out on. she was much better this time.

if you haven't gone to SLIFF, there is still time this weekend! and, if you can drag a friend who is fun to chat with, well that's just whip cream and a cherry on top!

and now... off to bed before i turn into slap happy glenda, the good witch.

bonus post...

i decided last weekend that i really want to do more volunteering. sometimes, things get a little too me-centric and i remember that i've forgotten others. i really do hate that about myself and have to try to combat that laziness. i mean, it's not like i'm scrooging my friends or anything, i've just been hiding in my little bunny hole too long.

i remembered that last year i'd exclaimed that i was crazy for not volunteering over thanksgiving and the holidays. now that i'm not married or attached in any way... my plans are pretty open. i'll see mom, but since we don't really do a big meal anymore... i sort of miss the bustle of having the holidays, but not the headaches!!!!

i began my search sunday night... and just an hour ago, four days later, i found a source. you have no idea how hard it has been to find a place to lend a hand on thanksgiving. geez. the event through work is full... online was a vast wasteland of non-information. i really thought that i'd find a ton online... but i was so wrong.

finally in desperation i went to the newspaper website. bambambam. looky there! a link to a plethora of opportunities!! when in doubt do it the old fashioned way.

tomorrow, i'm calling a center for women in transition... a halfway house for women who were incarcerated. i hope that they need me. :)

they say it's your birthday...

so the problem with facebook is that unless you are friends with someone, you can't write on their wall.

instead, i'll just do it bigger and badder and louder right here... AND there's no glitter.

today is my friend, Mike's birthday. he's forty! unbelievable. welcome to the party, dude.

i wish you many, many years of joy and success, and i hope that you are enjoying your day.

now save your energy cuz if it ever stops raining and we get a nice night, i'm buying you a beer and taking you to boschertown. i OWE you.

blog a little blog...

so, i've managed to get a blog up here every day during the month--even if the dates don't necessarily state it. as far as i'm concerned, it isn't the end of the day till i go to bed, and well, despite my best efforts, that is rarely before midnight.

i have to say that doing this little exercise has felt far more attainable than nanowrimo and the 50,000 words in a month. that was daunting and i managed to forget to write for days. i like the habit that this has created. i might just keep it up.

and since it feels naked to put up a post without a picture these days... this is my mom and me at my cousin's wedding in september. she was very happy that night, and i'm glad she had fun.

apparently, the photographers that my cousin hired took a lot of photos of me dancing. i think if my mom could track down the guy who took them, she'd try to fix me up--she's convinced he had his eye on me. i think it was the fact that my dress was bright green tie-dye. i sort of popped out of the sea of black cocktail dresses.

i've never been very good at blending in.

a rainy monday...

i follow an artist's blog; his name is Jesse and he lives in California. he posted this yesterday... i really like the video itself as much as the song. it reminds me of the time in my life when i wanted to create music videos... i might've made something like this... it isn't earth shattering or ground breaking, but i think it expresses the song well.

what i like:
the use of textures
that it's in black and white
the way it uses slow motion to contrast the techno
the use of reflection
the way each scene's focal point is created... the woman's wrinkled hands against black background, the woman in a black coat with a grayed background, the shift in focus from the building to the man's face...
the consistent patience of the pace to tell the story-that it never breaks the pace
isolating the individual from life's continuing pace
and the diversity of people used.

and i really love the lyrics.

editing day...

this feels like a day that never really started, but i've been deeply submerged in the editing JDed and Deanna's wedding. I've only gotten as far as getting ready, which is about 2pm. i still have 7 hours worth to edit.

i had told them that i'd hoped to have everything finished this weekend. not a chance. but, i have something for them and that's a start.

horsing around...

the auto timer and a thick tree branch to hold Big Daddy... we started goofing off. this is one of my closest and dearest friends, Missy. she's truly an awesome mom, wife, designer and friend... she sets the gold standard as a role model--even for me. :) in these photos, we were horsing around at the morten arboretum just before my cousin got married. i've a series of portraits of her... maybe i'll embarrass her with those tomorrow. hehehe!

the miniatures...

IMG_8251, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

when missy told me that i had to see the miniatures, that they were amazing, i was curious. then i saw them and i was indeed amazed. click the photo to go to my flickr and see the rest of the shots. i think i could have easily stayed there the whole day shooting just these incredible displays. and how lame am i? i was so busy shooting the dang things, i never read the plates. i've no idea what i shot. i did do a lot of ohhhing and ahhhing and bouncing off the walls like a pinball. that missy, she's got incredible amounts of patience. :)

my kosher tamale

i call him Herschel and he served me the best homemade tamales i've ever had.... with the exception of my own.

he and his wife, who looked over her glasses and nodded a lot, ran this tasty little mexican restaurant in chicago.

Missy and i stopped there for lunch on our way to the art institute. it was lunch hour and the place wasn't slammed, but the pace was "chop-chop". behind Herschel and his wife were a trio of gentleman who were whipping up platters.

we weren't sure what we wanted. i was insanely distracted by this man flitting around and barking out "what'll you have? you want the combo? you like tamales?"

i couldn't read the menu if you forced me. as long as this guy was doing his thing with that intensely thick accent, i was glued to him and would've bought anything he was selling-- i did, indeed, want the tamales.

i honestly don't know how i got this shot of him... he never stopped. i tried not to let him see me lift my camera. i didn't want his attention, only to watch him. if i'd had video, you'd be rolling. what a hoot!

i call him Herschel because he was kind. in five minutes, i knew that he would treat me like a daughter. that sort of kindness reminded me of another Herschel that i once knew.

i was working as director of catering at a hotel in clayton, and we signed a giant wedding--an orthodox wedding. working at that hotel, i learned nearly everything i know about keeping kosher and the traditions, rituals and perspective on life from orthodox judaism--thanks to Mr. Herschel Raskas.

i could never properly express my gratitude to him, no matter how many times i thanked him. he made an impression on me that is as fresh today as when i knew him in 1993. he was patient and explained the background on everything that his wife requested. he saw the blank look on my face and recognized my eagerness to learn and understand as he began to explain.

when Herschel of the Tamales, looked at me and asked me "you want the tamale combo, don't you" for the second time, he had that same sparkle in his eye.

if it hadn't been the lunch hour and we weren't in hurry to get to all the wonderful art, i'd have spent the afternoon learning how Mr. Herschel here had become the proprietor of a mexican restaurant.

on veteran's day...

i remember my family members who have served... my friends, my neighbors and co-workers. millions of faceless men and women...

i thank you, all.

i remain optimistic that one day, war will be a faded memory.

but today, in the shadow of your bravery, i am humbled.