halloween at Vons

This morning, as I do on most Monday mornings, I had to run those last minute errands. I usually hate grocery shopping. Once upon a time it was fun, a trip off campus to the Big Y to get lots of delicous things to make. Now, in the frugality of living alone, shopping trips are tedious. I go to Henry's for produce because they have fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, but they don't have things like a pasta selection or a meat department that can cut things for you. So, in order to get what I want, I have to make trips to several different stores. Vons, like Big Y or Stop n' Shop, is a huge chain where one can get things like giant cans of broth or packets of oatmeal. North Park produce has the ethinc specialites that I want, including reasonably priced teas, olives and cheeses.
So here I am picking up the canned/dry goods this morning at Vons. I had signed up for a Vons card to save a few dollars, realizing only afterwards that I had at the same time signed away my access to my food intake habits. I imagine that in this case an insurance company says to me at some point in the future, 'you never eat fruits or vegetables, you have a diet high in dairy products.'
Ahead of me in line was a mother and three elementary school girls. The cashier, taking the training of perky and eye contact too seriously for my taste, asked the grils what they would be for Halloween. The oldest gril answered him solemnly that they didn't celebrate Halloween. He leaned in and told her that he didn't either. Then looking up at her mother said that he used to celebrate Halloween then he realized what is was all about, and nodded passing something between them that I didn't quite understand. He ended by thanking her, reading her name aloud from her receipt, and making eye contact again.

Two things about this witnessed exchange:

It always bothers me to have cashiers say my name. Just as when I worked for the Christmas season at Crate and Barrel, I winced at the thought of customers who didn't know me using my name. In that case, I used a fake nametag, and was Rose for two months. Why do we have to pretend that we know each other when we buy things? I don't want anyone using my name, reading it from a receipt, to make me feel that I am in a welcoming friendly environment. He thanked me, Mrs. Taranto(eye contact made), and I went on my way. At least the bag boy, who was wearing a costume, looked up at me when I asked him about his face piant and the eye contact made was genuine and not rehearsed or dictated by management.

And what was he talking about? What historical origins would make someone, aside from religious conversion, stop celebrating Halloween? Was this something to say to 'relate' to the customer? Or is he in possession of some terrifying knowledge that all parents with children should be made aware of?

princesses

My parent's had a musty old book 'kids say the darnest things' on the library bookcase. As a teacher, I find this true enough, and its the inflection that slays me most of all.
This week I asked the students what their Halloween plans were going to be. Pumpkin patches and night-time ghosts have been popping up in paintings for a few weeks now. Johanna told me in a superior matter of fact voice, I'm going to be a princess vampire. I'm not quite sure what a princess vampire is, is it a princess who turned into a vampire, or a princess of the vampires.
Also this week, I finally got myself a ratehr lux mattrerss pad, and have been sleeping quite nicely apon it. There's a new subtle comfort to laying down to sleep, and listening to the alarmclock in the morning before I get up. I fancy myself as sensitive as the princess in the pea, because a few milimeters of combed cotton has proven a world of difference.

we are gathered together today . . .

The princess Bride keeps popping up in my head lately, and quotes like the one above, as well as astounding fellow trivial pursuit players with my knowledge of R.O.U.Ses are keeping me well entertained.

This weekend we went to Palm Springs, yet another vacation locale that I can check off in 2005, for a friend's wedding. I knew the bride in highschool, and have been friends of the family for over ten years now. The wedding was classy, elegant, and incredibly fun. The bartender was friendly, and heavyhanded with the gin. Many good people, who loved eachother were there celebrating. There was a swimming pool and flagstone hot tub, which by the end of the night held many bridesmaids and their fuschia dresses. It was great to see friends from home, and witness the changes that we've all been through in the recent years.

Later in the evening, as we left for the hotel piled in the back of the car, Trent told me that watching Sasha's and Mike's parents talk about the joy and amazement at their union, he realized in a profound way the point of having children. To help them grow and experience life, and the joy of seeing them meet the person they choose to spend their life with and begin the process again.

should I investigate a MFA

Kelly Sears invited me to come to see two of her films as part of Fresh, a showcase of work from the MFA program at UCSD. It was at a very interesting exhibition space, part of the Museum of Contemporary Art downtown. We got there just as she and fellow hampshire alum, Tara Knight, were speaking about their work. It was great to see them, and I realized how much had changed with all of us since we began college. Kelly and Tara both looked elegant and beautiful, and in the best of ways, older than in Prescott days.
Kelly was giving out her drink tickets, as she heading back to LA later that night. We were brosing the crowd, the drink line, talking about work, when Kelly said, "excuse me I have to do something political." Later, after an engrossing conversation with a woman our mother's age, she resurfaced and said casually, "That was Barbara Kruger." I was pretty floored.

investment

So I bought a surfboard this week. that's right. i am now a proud owner of a stewart longboard. I had many a mishap this morning while trying it out for the first time, but as Trent pointed out, I have to practice to get better. I was so excited to go out this morning, I woke up at 5, and waited for the sun to catch up with me. I dreamed about surfing, and then my morning's practice, falling short of my subconcious expectations, got the better of me for a half hour or so.

If anyone out there is interested in seeing this sight, I can post a picture.

chita, a vintage dress, and further adventures

Last night the Kroc Center had a gala fundraiser featuring an intimate performance by Chita Rivera. Trent had to go for work, to make sure things were flowing smoothly, and so I put on my fanciest vintage dress(with velvet piping!) and, a-la-Diane McCormack, skated right in.

Chita had a terrific trio brought from nyc playing with her. It was great. She sung a repertoire of songs from her own career, and had little introductions for numbers which were peppered with anecdotes of her friends, all of whom as Trent pointed out, were movers and shapers of mid-twentieth century pop culture. One of my favorites was Here's to Us, a song I thought would be smugly appropriate for a wedding, over the usual choices.

Later, still at our dapper best, we went out to Bourbon Street for a drink. We passed the very Hampshire coffee house which was featuring "Battle of the Romantically Challenges Songwriters." Didn't stop in for that one.
My dress was a fabulous hit at the gay bar, and we met quite a number of folks who were interested in asking me about it, and then turning the conversation around to ask if Trent was my partner or if he was gay. He did look very sharp in his blue suit, after all.

This morning, I'm off to visit Mary in Seal Beach, and watch the Pats/Chargers game. A football game is no broadway legend performing, but she's making her chile verde, and I get to spend the day with my wonderful aunt.

seeing is believing

The Museum had a grand opening Friday night for their new photography show Only Skin Deep. It's being shown in conjunction with the Museum of Photographic Arts(MoPA), where I taught this summer. It is traveling around the country, curated by the ICP. It's a huge retrospective on various ways race has been photographed/imaged in America.

Lots of delicious food, Beaujolais, and a young(!!!) art loving crowd. The most exciting moment of the night, and I am including seeing a newly released Cindy Sherman series in blackface, migrant mother, Danny Lyons, Bruce Davidson in this, was walking intoa gallery and seeing a huge installation by Delilah Montoya! It was a piece that has evolved from work that she did while I studied with her at Hampshire.

Seeing the work of someone I know, someone I watched work, in this venue was amazing. It's the right spark to kick me off into finding places(on a smaller scale of course) to exhibit. So, here's to inpiration.