my compulsion

why, i ask you, do i feel compelled to walk out with a newly purchased book each and every time i walk into a bookstore? it's a compulsion. how many books do i think i can possibly read at one time? i already have five books sitting on my nightstand:

1. Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
2. 8 Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil
3. Early Bird by Rodney Rothman (i'm happy to say that i have actually started and finished this one. it is still on my nightstand though.)
4. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
5. Jim Jarmusch by Juan A. Suarez

and i just bought three more:

1. The Guerilla Art Kit by Keri Smith
2. The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain (my new crush)
3. Art Brut: The Origins of Outsider Art by Lucienne Peiry

what in the world am i thinking? not only have i just added three more books to my collection, but i have a ton of books i bought back in the 90's that i haven't read yet. get a grip!

i know it sounds silly, but i love books. i might as well be drawing pictures of unicorns and rainbows on my school notebook. but really, i do love books. absorbing the stories, ideas, and knowledge is really what is so appealing and fascinating about books. books rock!

i try to avoid the bookstore on campus, but my morning class was canceled and what else was i supposed to do for an hour? i tried to walk past it, but i could feel the bookstore's magnetic pull and the next thing i knew, i was inside with a book in my hand. not two minutes in the store and i grabbed a book! a compulsion i tell you.

on another note, here's my friday shuffle:

1. "Army Of Me" (live) - Bjork
2. "Angel" - Sarah McLachlan
3. "This Is Not A Love Song" - Nouvelle Vague
4. "Peach" - Prince
5. "Maggie's Farm" (live) - Bob Dylan
6. "Exile" - Enya
7. "Starman" - David Bowie
8. "Your Song" - Elton John
9. "Friend Of A Friend" - Foo Fighters
10. "La Bayamesa" - Buena Vista Social Club

and that's all i have to say about that...

my new favorite person

anthony bourdain rocks. i love, love, love the fact that he sports some skin art. so cool...

anthony's show, no reservations, is travel, food, culture, and adventure all rolled into one. i love the fact that he unashamedly drinks, smokes and swears on his show which is evidence that this is definitely not your ordinary "food network" show. don't get me wrong, i do love watching the food network, but i like to spice it up with a little bourdain action. if you've never seen his show, you must check it out on the travel channel! good stuff indeed.

peace out.

16 mm

i love the look of films shot on 16 mm, but boy does it take a lot of patience to operate said cameras. it's not just a matter of turning the camera on and "we're rolling." you've got to measure the distance between the subject and the camera, figure out the light exposure and adjust accordingly, make sure the speed of the film is set correctly, adjust the diopter to your eye, etc....it just takes a lot of work. but it is, no doubt, a labor of love.

i am forever thankful that i have an opportunity to continue my education and have hands-on training with such cool cameras. i have developed an even deeper respect for the filmmakers who made films before the advent of the digital age. it is just a whole new ballgame now.

wish me luck as i make my way through this semester and towards my final film project. yikes!

i'll have the friday shuffle and a meme on the side

let's get right down to business:

"You Do" - Aimee Mann
"Optimistic" (live) - Radiohead
"Danger Zone" - Gwen Stefani
"Don't Tell Me" - Madonna
"Changes" - David Bowie
"A Message" - Coldplay
"Sivad" - Miles Davis
"Stone Age" - De La Soul
"Pigs In Zen" - Jane's Addiction
"Open Arms" - Journey

my favorite time of year is approaching and i've been inspired to take part in a meme that i spied on hula seventy's blog.

growing up in san francisco i became acclimated to mild weather (not too hot and not too cold) and developed a love of jackets, coats, sweaters, and any kind of cover-up made from most any fabric. the idea being that the warm weather one day could turn into a blustery day in a matter of minutes. the key is to be prepared.

anyway, my point is that i have come to love the fall in san francisco because i can enjoy all of the fall colors and smells without having to be subjected to extreme bundling up in the form of parkas and such.

here is what i'm most looking forward to this fall (i'll include early winter/christmas too):

to add to my "collection," i'd like this in pebble.

i can't wait to see this film, this one, and this one, at this festival. speaking of festivals, this one looks pretty cool too. i've also been hearing good things about this film.

i want to buy some of these to aid in my hibernation.

i can't wait to check this out in october -- a san francisco institution for over thirty years.

i would love to receive these as a gift from someone. it's something that can give back...

speaking of gifts, if santa is paying attention i'd like this for christmas and i would add this and this to it. i've been good this year...

i can't wait to make one of these. and i'd like to make some of this this holiday season since we seem to have an overabundance of catalogs and magazines.

in pursuit of some "culture," the hubby and i are anxious to see this. if we can steal away for a weekend, i'd for sure like to stay here.

i'll have some time off from school for the winter break and i'd like to cook a lot of this and make some of these.

i also can't wait to decorate the outside of our house with these.

i could go on forever, but i need to stop before i get a little too carried away.

i'd like to add one more thing. i would like to do this with the hubby and the kids.

peace out.

shufflin' along

it's been non-stop action since school started for me and the kids. i desperately want to keep up with the blogging, so i'm trying my hardest to stay engaged. a lot going on right now, but i hope to get some uninterrupted time to reflect.

in the meantime, here's some friday shufflin' for ya'll to check out:

"Aqui No Sera" - Ozomatli
"18th Avenue" - Cat Stevens
"Open Your Eyes" - Snow Patrol
"Communication Breakdown" - Led Zeppelin
"Only You" - Portishead
"Travelling Riverside Blues" - Led Zeppelin (i guess we're on a zep kick)
"Stone Age" - De La Soul
"Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
"Remember" - Air
"History Song" - The Good, The Bad & The Queen

peace out.

kings of leon

let me just start off by saying i heart the kings of leon.

i saw them at the warfield in san francisco on tuesday night with my husband and a good friend of ours. we had a rockin' good time. partied like rock stars.


one more photo for your viewing pleasure:


while i had the most fun that night, i did walk away with a few battle scars. namely a few blisters on my poor footsies. it's the price i pay for wearing a brand new pair of shoes to a concert. fortunately the many beers i consumed that night saved me from actually feeling the pain until the next morning. i've been wearing flip flops the last couple of days so as to not further irritate the blisters (which are going away).

we ended the evening with breakfast at the pinecrest diner. the pinecrest is a san francisco landmark to locals and can always be counted on for excellent late night fare.

an all around excellent night out on the town.

johnny appleseed

my husband recounted a conversation he had with his 7 year old son (my stepson) the other day and i feel compelled to share it:

son: you know who my favorite person is?
husband: no, who?
son: jesus.
husband: oh really? why is that?
son: because he planted apple trees.
husband: he did? that was nice of him.
son: i know. he planted all the apple trees in the world. and i love apples.
husband: wow, that's really great. what made you think of the apple trees?
son: the song. you know (and he starts singing the johnny appleseed song, but singing "jesus" instead of johnny appleseed)
husband: um, i think that song is about johnny appleseed planting the trees, not jesus.
son: whatever.

according to my husband, his son said "whatever" not in a smart ass way but more like: "jesus, johnny appleseed, same thing." the song does mention "the lord" throughout the song, but it was hilarious that he was so completely sure that jesus was the one who walked around and planted all the apple trees.

he's just looking for some answers to life's many mysteries...like where did all the apple trees come from?