Culcha

Phillip and I spent the afternoon at the SFMOMA, checking out all the visiting exhibits and saving the perm collection for another time. The Olafur Eliasson exhibit "Take Your Time" was certainly the most engaging exhibit (see photos), closely followed by the massive light-boxed photographs of Jeff Wall's gallery. My favorite was the charming and beautiful Joseph Cornell exhibit, "Navigating the Imagination." I often referenced Cornell during the days of AP Studio Art (blegh!) and have many memories of visiting his few pieces in the perm collection at the MOMA.

Cornell is among my favorite artists, as are Barbara Kruger, Barton Lidice Benes, and Anthony Giocolea, whom I 411-ed and left a voice mail for the second I the massive print of his "Morning After" at the 2003 Whitney Biennial. In the game of Fantasy Higher Ed I would have liked to include coursework devoted to modern art (and perhaps some Spanish grammar!). Back in reality I can just drool over "Spiritual America" from the screen of my computer. And get myself to the SFMOMA more often.

no place like home: a recap

Here I still in the hospital cafeteria of Sutter Santa Rosa awaiting a delegate. The good news is that there is a free, all-you-can-eat popcorn cart. If I am going to be a professional doctor stalker with prolonged periods of wait time I might as well enjoy the sodium bloat.

New York was fantastic: I forgot what it was like to have a zillion friends and eat delicious food. my flight arrived late on Friday evening (grr sf fog!! you little spoiler!!). I quick quick took the train to BK - if quick quick is at all possible taking the 1 to the A to the C - and met Sarah and Yasmin for a quasiAfrican dinner at Dakaar in Clinton Hill. We headed over to Heather's holiday party on Gates which ended up being a reunion for people we didn't know BUT Ms. Talia Reyes was there! Sasha and Lauren came so we took advantage of the free booze which may or may not have belonged to Heather's room mate. Sarah got a cab and Tal, Yaz, Tran, Lauren and I went to Sputnik - just a short few blocks away from my old cozy home - in bed stuy. I would usually stereotype this joint as a Pratt bar (imagine!) but for better it was Christmas break! so the crowd was more local. Everyone there def. came out for biggie's funeral rip. We caught the black moon show. A big thank you to Sasha who took one for the team and scored an l from the yo boy in the wu-wear skull cap. We all peaced around two when I returned to heather's for a late night chow-down which included the obligatory brooding over Local 6. I also forgot what it is like to stumble home late and feel unsafe!! I slept-in bigtime (west coast time zone!) and met Heather the next day at her movie shoot in Ft. Green. The classy Vassar broads of Indecent Exposure that brought you the heart-warming film "Chords" are back on the set again making their new piece entitled "An Awkward Porn." I am Catholic so I can't describe the details of the shoot but I will add that my presence on the set did not add to its cinematic merits - if anything, I detracted. I basically stood there and ate the "Chinese food" that Heather later told me was actually a tray of leftovers from the public school in Poughkeepsie where one of the crew members works. Yum! After viewing a couple of takes from the indeed awkward porn, I left to meet Masha and Leah for brunch at Barn in Park Slope/PPH. We have a delicious feast and boy (girl!) was it great to see them. I hauled ass back into Manhattan, changed, and met Lauren and Julia for some vino y queso at Regional. I then went with my sister to see Wicked, where I can proudly report that I only fell asleep for 20 min. I caught Lauren and Sasha and we sampled a smattering of the East Village/les/Chinatown circuit, ordering drinks made only of vodka (well!) and pineapple juice. Going out in the city near Christmas - esp. on a Saturday - is truly a pleasurable and unique experience: all the creeps that usually pack the bars yearlong are finally back home with their evil little families, leaving the rest of us with ample room to booze and boogie! My boss tells me a similar phenomenon happens in SF each year during Burning Man season. All in all a good night. The highs: the cracked out dudes in holiday costumes at Maxfish (see photo), tricking people into thinking Sasha's boa was real (see photo). The lows: multiple ATM withdrawals (see WaMu accounts), throwing a Blue Hawaiian on a wreck less taxi (see pint glass in trash can).

the freaks come out at night @ Maxfish; getting a taste of my own medicine @ Walkers

On Sunday I ran some errands with my mom and then attended the TENTH ANNUAL WALKER'S CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON in Tribeca with Lauren, Allegra, and Claire. Overall delicious 4-hour feast of chicken and gifts. Much attention devoted to the uncovery of Lina Marin's whereabouts. ALSO, after ten years of telling the waiter that it is someone's birthday (a rotation of Allegra, Lauren, Claire) the masses revolted and punked ME with a happy birthday cake in the face. Daaaaaang. After a little bub at the bar we headed for the obligatory photo pose with the MJsanta, only this year santy clause was replaced by a short man in a soldier hat and an unenthusiastic princess. Fun. Feeling tuckered out Allergra, Lauren and I headed for a minute to Sasha's for the Umpteenth Annual Dizard Xmas Tree Blaze (certainly not as memorable or monumental as Walker's, but worth a mention). Lauren made art-school crescent buns and then we had cheesy pizza. I went to bed with indigestion and woke-up the next day: ta-day! Christmas Eve! This day was spent mostly watching HBO documentaries and helping my mom cook aka watching my mom cook. We went to a family friends house for a SIX HOUR long cocktail party/cena de pesce, culminating in a feast of lobster. The best material part of the event was that I scored a $50 gift card to itunes yes!! Christmas day with the family and a delicious prime rib feast. We went to a cocktail party with family friends in Chelsea and then I met Lauren for a sentimental pint at Tappy. Wednesday was mostly hanging out with my mom and packing and then, tut-tut, off to the airport. And that is where we last left off.

jfk to sfo

awaiting flight back to sf. pros: no traffic in queens, no patdowns @ security, preboarding on account of dog, blogging on runway(?). cons: tears leaving nyc, no semi-colon on treo qwerty keyboard. xx

New York, NY: en why see

funny think about new york - no time to blog back home (unless you're entering college and work nights as a waitress). xx

oh clemmy -

Last night our buddy Dave brought over an unexpected holiday surprise: a massive box of northern California-grown organic satsumas - in the tradition of Christmas oranges, an unintended consequence, I am certain. They make for a delicious, fragrant snack and also match the color scheme of the living room!

My teacher

Tonight is the last class in my intro burlesque lessons. Here is a youtube video of my teacher, Bombshell Betty, performing to Beethoven's 5th.

pit stop in petaluma, animal style

Lu and I are new to the west coast and are totally clueless about west coast culture. After weeks of living off of diet pizzas and kale juice I have been really drooling for something disgusting/delicious. How fortunate that today Alex told me about the "secret menu" and In-N-Out Burger. One thing is true: I love secret things! Elite! On the DL! Hush hush! Though the unadvertised menu items are probably totally DUH to everyone else out here, I certainly had no idea about them the last and only time I went to I-N-O back in June.

I ordered a hamburger protein style, a patty wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, and french fries animal style, fries with grilled onion and some freaky sauce resembling Russian dressing. Barf/yum! I was mainly attracted to the concept of ordering something animal style - fantastic. I think I will try to blog animal style from now on. Ogga chaka ogga chacka ogga ogga oggaa chacka!

Santa Rosa, CA: Day 4

I am finally leaving this place! I feel like I've been rotting in this town for ages! In local news, the Best Western put up their holiday decorations.

In other news, my really talented industrial design student friend, Katie "Roomie" Lerin Murphy just made this fantastic eco-friendly chair (tentatively called The Oragami Chair.) I can't wait to stick my tush in that thing. Here are photos so you too can drool over it.

mas fotos!!

From a Bombshell Betty Pinup Workshop

OK so here are my uncropped favorites that are G-rated (or my boyfriends gunna keeeeell me!).

Santa Rosa, CA: Day 3

Nope. Nothing new to report. Boring.

a photo -

From a Bombshell Betty Pinup Workshop

Santa Rosa, CA: Day 2

Today: all work and no play. But! I did get to see some more of downtown Santa Rosa and I do apologize for making this town seem like a wall-to-wall strip mall in a previous post. Au contraire, there really are some charming elements here, including several vintage retailers. On my way home from a meeting with a UHW organizer I found this little gem (!):

"Disguise the Limit" har har


Elvis with a pompadour; Medusa hat; fantastic awning

They have everything here! Wigs, props, costumes! The inventory is massive - its almost as good as Abracadabra at home!


In other news, the photos from Sunday's shoot are back - stay tuned!

Santa Rosa, CA: Day 1

I thought I had seen my last of the low-end motorist hospitality industry the day I said peace out! to Local 6. Wrong. I write this post to you from the majestic polyester ground-level standard room at the Best Western Garden Inn in Santa Rosa, California. The moment I checked in I was overcome with flashbacks of chasing down awol HEAT Captains in poorly-it hallways of the pay-per-hour Kew Motor Inn. I could almost feel the amphetamines/aspartame pulsing through my veins. I am so thankful that I don't get to crawl around looking for the perverted engineers lurking in the sub sub basement of this joint. Truth be told, I was going to stay at the charming Flamingo Resort and Spa of Santa Rosa but in the interest of our "members money" and their no pets policy, I took my pooch and went with the cheepeazz choice.

Me and Lu at the Best West

In other news, the first of my meetings up here went pretty well. I was kinda nervous because its been a while since I've addressed an intense membership group alone, and I've never done so under such high stakes before. Zoiks, union life!

Tetonia

These days I don't get anything in the mail except for credit card bills, grocery store coupons, and updates on my 401k. Recently, however, I've found myself among the recipients of my friend Ted's mini-comics sent all the way from P.O. Box 2, Tetonia, ID. THEY ARE SO GREAT!

sal en la herida - and i, without a remera

This is not a fashion blog.

I have been feeling really hogarsick for Argentina lately and every time I visit A. Y. Not Dead the knife twists in a little deeper. I absolutely DROOL over everything that comes out of that little Argie sweatshop. I want it all!! I have been stalking them to see if they can break some quasi-ISI trade barrier to send me that haute tela. Success so far: negative. Worse, they are having a big fat sale this week (the sale I went to last Feb. was something akin to the David's Bridal $99 sale) In the meantime, you too can drool over this stuff.

¡ diga whisky !

Today we had a photo shoot! The pictures won't be ready for a few days but here a few shots of my sweet yee old hair style and make up. I'm bummed that I forgot to wear my hoop earrings during the Carmen shoot - otherwise it was a fantastic experience.

Hair and make up by Rosa Sifuentez from Sublime Salon.

Cindy Sheehan

Yesterday I went to the Bike Kitchen in an alleyway somewhere on Mission and 8th to assist (er, watch) Pete change his busted inner tube. The place's teach-a-man-to-fish philosophy is pretty sweet and there are about a dozen Wes Hannahs running around working on different bikes.

The headquarters for Cindy Sheehan for Congress is on the corner of the Kitchen alleyway. We were standing outside there were a bunch of people hanging out in front of her building when I spotted Cindy. I ran over for an obligitory photo-op but I couldn't shake her hand because it was covered in bike grease (!)




One of the mechanic dudes said that before Sheehan for Congress opened up shop that location used to be a strip club. We had a little chuckle about politicians.

Cover This: One hit wonders? Nay, nay!

After spending a romantic Friday night trekking up to Berkeley to see, uh, Salò, Phillip and I wanted a little something different for our Saturday: The Church of the SubGenius presents Mongoloid-A-Palooza. What is this, you might ask? Two Devo cover bands and an only-Devo spinning DJ. We got to the venue just after the headliner, Mongoloid, started its set. I am not much of a Devo fan, but Phillip, who came clad in yellow dish washing gloves a la Jacko Homo, said they were really good at running a show for a crowd of Devo-tees. The looniest part was the hard-core, completely un-ironic cast of Devo-tees of the "clown car variety" who came out in full costume - most were men and women in their early 40s wearing Spice Girl shoes and light fetish wear.


Not half bad.

As far as the cover band experience goes, I preferred the event we caught at the Knockout in July entitled "The Dark Side of the Uke." It was a night of Pink Floyd songs from the aforementioned album played on the ukulele to wide-screen projection of the Wizard of Oz.


Man, San Francisco really loves this stuff - Pete just went to a Phishfry on Phriday!

Minnie the Moocher

No one said this assent into stardom would be easy! I am learning the choreography to my first dance in burlesque class. It's a group number to the Cab Calloway classic Minnie the Moocher. Some of the steps are really tricky!! Lo bueno is that there is a lot of room for improvisation. Lo malo is that no amount of improv can hide two left feet.

The version we are doing is a little different from the video here but you get the idea.

Brujería

Déjà vu. The land lady doesn't want a dog in the house. You may recall this same scenario staring Pam Johnston and Chang Chen. In hard times I cling to my faith! I went to our neighborhood "Botanica Yoruba" - a santería outpost - on Valencia Street for counsel. Mamma steered me towards a candle used for gaining control and instructed me to write the full name of the land lady in a cross on it. She took the candle to the back of the store and "dressed" it with oils and incense.

You can come to Seven Duncan and pay your respects to Chango and Yemaya.

Viva Carmen Miranda!!

Very exciting. My package from Talia has finally arrived: a Deluxe Carmen Miranda Fruit and Flower Hat! I really love fantastic hats. I was waiting for a more formal version to come though from the Boston store The Garment District that I saw when I was up visiting Lauren last summer. But alas, I could not wait so I am settling with this Taiwanese gem.