roryborealis

2003-02-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

Word Festerings.
I'm employed again. Well, at least for the next 2 months, 2 days a week. My 6 week holiday has been productive to say the least -- full of painting and sewing and home decorating programs. Just in time too. I think Cacomixl was starting to fear for our home and his bank account.BUT with 5 other days left in the week, there's still plenty time to keep me busy with "my projects". Let's hope that Veer raise kicks in soon.

2003-02-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Delinquent.

All true statements:
E-mail reply delinquent, Voicemail return delinquent, letters... forget it.
Bills, loans, credit card, etc must all be on pre-approved debit.
Job of my dreams ? No where in sight.
Been on time lately ? Not likely.
Married, kids, savings, property ? No.
Turning 30 in the next few years ? Yes.
Off Jane's "Not My Blog" list. YES!

YES?! Ouch! The neglection of this blog certainly reflects that I do not have my shite together in any area of my life, even what I do for fun, but to get a wake-up call from someone who is a self-proclaimed "lazy friend" -- that hurts. AND just maybe, it'll work.

2002-07-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Membership has its Priviledges.

Beck currently has 3 previews online at http://www.beck.com/preview/. Check it out. His new (still untitled) record is coming out in September.

Beck has always been a favorite of mine, ever since Mellow Gold came out when I was 18. Odelay is and always will be on my list of top 10 "Desert Island" records. It's a classic. I think at one point in my life it is safe to say I was obsessed with him. I have all his records, the majority of his b-sides (some on vinyl), CDs of him being interviewed, I drove to Banff especially to see his Fluxusist exhibit with Al Hanson (His grandfather), I practically got trampled seeing him play live in Vancouver, I have stickers, patches, t-shirts and I even have a signed plague-mount that says "To Rory, Best Wishes - Love Beck Hanson" (He knows who I am too). All the true signs of a completist fan. His last effort was disheartening for fans to say the least, but still I didn't mind it. (He was exploring new avenues.) So I'm super pysched about this new album and its mellow updated alt-country stylings. Sounds more like the "Acoustic Beck" we all know and love with an electric twist to keep things experiemental. It'll be interesting to see how mainstream audiences will receive it.

All this Beck talk has me thinking about something I heard last week. I was listening to the radio last Monday and heard "Pay No MInd" on Radio Free Nowhere. The DJ, Sean Marchetto, another Beck fan, was asking people 22 years and under if Beck was the voice of their generation or if they didn't really care about him and his work at all. It seems like the latter would probably be most true. Sean's off by about 5 or 6 years, Beck speaks to those of us who enjoyed the grunge/indie record/Seattle-Geffen explosion in their late teens. For me, it was an exciting time. It solidified my search for compelling and interesting music, beyond what was most easily accessible. It's why I'm such a music freak today and why I LOVE that my boyfriend is too. I guess I could say Beck is a nostalgic reminder of my own "coming-of-age". Beck definitely taught me Where It's At.

2002-07-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

Me?

Yesterday the teller at my bank said to me, "Wow, you have great skin!" That's the best compliment I have ever received. EVER. Well... at least yesterday it felt that way. I was buzzin all day: being super productive at work, kicking ass on the tennis court during my lesson, making friends with the ever so sweet Kanika. All this despite my sore throat and hoarse voice. Today... I slept the majority of the day away sick in bed. Is this what is referred to as balance?

2002-06-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Christine Hall is my Biggest Fan!

Yes, Ms Hall from Traffic Magnet loves me. It's true, she e-mails me all the time. In fact, she's she's such a big fan that she has offered to increase my Blog profile among 3000 search engines. Isn't she great? Aren't I special? Who's she kidding?! Hey Christine... piss off. Quit filling my mailbox with bad design and crappy e-marketing. I don't want to be your friend. You're not fun.

2002-06-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Congrats All Around!

Congratulations to my Sweetie and the crew at Veer.com. The catalogue looks great! And the website... well I just hope I don't lose my eyesite navigating it. Veer has a sense of familarity that will bring lovers of eyewire over to its new and sophisticated brand. Yes, it looks like eyewire has grown up. Great work! And check out the "Ideas" page which just wreaks of my Sweetie and his undeniable coolness... if only we could just get his hair to follow suit. Now where's my damn bag so I can brag to anyone who will listen about this great new company they should buy from?!

Congratulations are also in order to Steve Bandola (aka the Beagle Ranch) who performed this morning on A-Channel's Big Breakfast. Looking good Steve! For all those who aren't in the know and would like a free sample, check out www.beagleranch.com to download an mp3 of Calgary's very own latest and greatest.

2002-05-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

They cut me off... What a surprise.

Just like all organizations, companies, etc that I'm no longer priviledged to use their services because I've neglected my obligations to them, Blogger has cut me off. (those who know me well, know how true this is) However, instead of paying over ridiculous sums of overdue fines, all I must do to make good with Blooger is... blog. So here it goes.

Since my last entry I have finished my school term, shown my art in a group exhibition in a real gallery for the first time, gotten a fulltime job that's actually in my field, jetsetted off to NYC for 5 fabulous days, dismantled my exhibition, planted real flowers in our planters, painted our bathroom and now I'm currently planning a party for my Joxoxoxon. Four lines of news. Yes, my life is that exciting.

Regardless, I'm back. I will try to do better in the future.

2002-04-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

By Request...

Ginger Squash Carrot Soup
(serves 6 or 2 with leftovers)

Ingredients:

1 Squash of your choice

5 - 7 Carrots

2 pieces of Celery

4 Potatoes

1/2 Sweet Potato (optional)

1 Onion

3 - 4 cloves of Garlic

2 Apples (peeled and chopped)

3 - 4 cups of Vegetable stock

2 Tbs minced raw ginger

1/2 can of Coconut Milk

Cumin, tumeric, curry powder, some cayenne pepper, and salt to taste.

Instructions:
Cook onions and garlic until soft (in a pot), then add veg stock, carrots (sliced), celery (chopped), potatoes, squash and let simmer until veggies are soft (ie:cooked).Once ready, then add spices. Give 'er a stir and pour all ingredients into a blender of food processor. Puree the soup. Return ingredients to pot and add the coconut milk. Then take peeled and chopped apples, puree them in a blender or food processor and add to soup. Congratulations, you're done. Give the soup 5 mins for flavors to marry and serve.

2002-04-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

Ex Nihilo 2002: The catalogue has officially gone to print and I survived.

It was a long process, I learned many things and I'm so, so glad it's finally over.

Here's what the final product will look like:

This is a layout of the box that will hold the artist cards

This is what the artist cards will look like. Recognize the fonts? Century Gothic and Skia. Nice, heh? Pulled right from Windows 98.

These were the designs I submitted that instigated much controversy among the Grad Class of 2002.

Design A: Comments included generic, boring and the font was too trendy.

Box . (the gray was to be printed in charcoal metallic ink)

Artist Card - vertical option

Design B: Comment: Brit-Pop, 1960's Retro Kitsch. No one liked the pink.

Box (the gray was to be printed in bright silver metallic ink)

Artist Card - horizontal option

Now I ask you were my submissions awful? Was a 1992 David Carson rip-off justified to replace them? Regardless... all's said and done now. If you're interested in seeing my vision, please come to the opening reception of my graduating exhibition.

Ex Nihilo

April 19, 2002.

4:30pm - 6:30pm

Nickle Museum (U of C)

I'd love if you would come.

2002-04-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

You Weren't Supposed To See It Yet.

Yes, I've been nagged by some people and others have inquired on my well being, but I just haven't been ready to blog (I guess for fear of what I'm about to write). But from what I hear it's been announced and people are checking, so I'd best be blogging.

It's true. I haven't been very well lately. I think I've been on the verge of a breakdown for a while now, those who know me best know the hectic lifestyle I push myself through Ð with very little sleep. I've been doing it for years but... a few things occured over the holidays that made me realize I couldn't keep up with how I had been operating. Both physically and mentally, my body has been shutting down and I just can't ignore it any longer. For the past year or so I have had major anxiety, we're talking heart palpitations and panic attacks, over very basic everyday things like: going to school/ work/ parties/ whatever. This coupled with depression, an irritable bowel (plus other lovely side effects) and some fairly serious paranoia made for a pretty paralyzing existence. Now I've never been one to play the victim, so when I almost flunked out last semester and didn't want to get out of bed or leave the house, it was time to get some help. My doctor says that it is quite common for women in their late(r) twenties, who have suffered a traumatic event in their youth, to experience a breakdown Ð often triggered by stress. My prescription: take a break, eliminate any obligations or disctractions that caused me anxiety and go easy on myself Ð that and some medication. So I'm trying to relax, I've been reading a lot, I'm not doing radio, I do my work from home and go to school when I feel up to it. Some days are great and others not so much, but overall I think the medication is helping. I'm slowly starting to deal with some long neglected issues, I'm less paranoid, less emotional and I'm even going out a little. I guess I didn't want to blog because I was afraid of embarassing myself by writing down some crazy ass melodramatic shit. No one needs to be subjected to that. I know what I'm going through isn't unique and it doesn't make me special but... it hasn't been very much fun and the last thing I've wanted to do is blog. So for those of you who asked, thanks for your concern and those of you who want me to blog... be patient, I will. I promise.

2001-12-21T02:44:00.000-08:00

Sweet Sixteen Yesterday, my cousin turned 16 years old. That's the same age my aunt Tracey (her mother) was when I first met her. My uncle Terry brought her home to Grandma and Grandpa's and I thought she was the greatest - still do. They eventually married and spawned two amazing girls. Britt is their eldest. Happy Birthday Brittany Noel. You've turned into a really great young lady. I can't believe you're sixteen! When I was your age the future was so exciting to me, heck just growing older was exciting to me. I couldn't wait to grow up. I thought the whole world was at my reach and I hope you do too. Be open to what lies ahead, the world is about to reveal itself to you. And get your damn ass into driver's ed, you'll never know true independence and self-reliance until you do. Plus... then maybe your parents will buy you a car. (hint hint.)

2001-12-20T02:45:00.000-08:00

Nature's Perfect Food Yeah, perfect for keeping you up all night with an upset tummy. Ouch-ie, hurt-ie. This weekend I was at a friend's for dinner. After the meal, we ran out of wine and I was graciously served a few gigantic Paralyzers, made mostly of milk (which I happily accepted). I haven't had milk for years but I've always refused to be a slave to my diet. When in Rome, I do as the Romans. I think being vegetarian is stressful enough for a meat-eating host without adding even more restrictions to their menu planning. But halfway through my second glass, I realized the mistake I had made. Yikes. The pain went on through the night and left my tummy feeling very sensitive the next day. Lesson learned. It's official, I have special "dietary requirements". And that means this Christmas I'm not holding back for the sake of politeness. I'm going prepared and my family will just have to deal with the soymilk, the veggie Wifesaver, the miso gravy, and the quintessential tofurkey. It helps that I'm bringing my partner in crime along to back me up against all the heckling. For whatever reason, my dietary "insanity" is legitimized when people find out we both participate and then it's referred to as our "lifestyle".

2001-12-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Comes Early I received exciting news this week... Me and my Sweetie are going to Las Vegas for New Year's. I keep checking the weather there in hopes of some sort of heatwave, so I can sit by the pool and take in the sun. How I miss it. All this chinooking weather has resulted in a lot of cloudy days, and I would know, I 've been zone testing since October.

Gingerbread Masterpieces Tonight we're having some special guests over to build and decorate gingerbread houses. To be truthful, they're more like cottages due to their modest size. I'm trying to scale down and not impose my ambitiousness on young children. Next year we'll make a village and a castle and...

Last night we baked the first batch of the architecture and used the scrapes to make animals and people.

These are the people. Nice generic sort.

This is Jon's dog. I'm told it's a Shar-pei.
Only purebreeds for the Parkers.

File Under: Why Didn't I Think of This First? Brillant, with the exception of Madonna's involvement. I hate that she's associated with a credible art scene, even before her days with Basquiat in '83. Last summer she purchased and donated all of Cindy Sherman's B/W Film Stills to MOMA for their archives. Grrr... that just rubs me the wrong way.

2001-12-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

I'm Munch's The Scream.
Totally out of control, crazy and paranoid.
How bad does that make me feel?

2001-12-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

Correction
The Open House is actually at 3pm on Thursday not Noon.

2001-12-05T02:51:00.000-08:00

Open House

The U of C Art Dept. is having an open house on Thursday, Dec 6/01. If anyone is interested in seeing some of my work, along with others who actually have talent, please come. My studio will be open for viewing starting at noon and I should actually have something on the walls for viewing. I'm in the crappy Photography Studio (read: no windows), my cubicle is the one in the back with the lime green desk beside the sink. Photography has a reputation for having great food, so maybe that will entice you.

2001-12-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

2 more days. 6 images down, 46 to go. It's never going to happen.

2001-12-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

On Hiatus If you can't already tell, I'm in the middle of pre-portfolio madness. That means: no blogging, no sleeping. I do this every fucking year but I can honestly say, this year is the worst ever. 52 images due in three days, plus a final and 2 papers. Why, why, why do I do this to myself? It's not about the challenge of the deadline, it's just plain stupidity. So... I'll be back at the end of the week. I have so much to tell.

Wish me luck. I'm trying to graduate.

2001-11-30T01:30:00.000-08:00

God bless you and thank you. You've left a legacy few can attest to.

George Harrison died today at the age of 58 (of course it was cancer).
Whatever I was going to write about today seems trite in comparison, I can wait until tomorrow.
So until then...

Here comes the sun (du du du du)
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright

Well... since we're talking music, I have a comment. The future is not streaming, the elite are. They say only 51% of the US population have computer access with internet in their homes, so you can imagine how low that percentage is world wide. Radio is alive and well my friend. It is the only free public information access medium in the world and it doesn't require a password or a $40.00/month cable modem. Feel free to rebut.

2001-11-21T00:33:00.000-08:00

Just a friendly reminder: 12pm - 2pm (90.9 FM or www.cjsw.com)

Come join me for lunch.

2001-11-21T00:08:00.000-08:00

This weeks's event: Waking Life. I've heard mixed reviews about this one but I want to see it before everyone does and talks it to death in front of me, sorta like Memento. If anything, I'm fascinated with the aesthetics and that alone is worth the $6.00. Truly beautiful, I dream of dreaming like this.

oh... and I know this isn't an art exhibit or live performance, so we're not exactly supporting the local scene but we are supporting a local rep theater, so it kinda counts.

2001-11-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

And speaking of shopping. All this x-mas talk got me surfing for ideas and I came across this gift set. Am I crazy or is a man in a creme turtleneck sweater not the sexiest thing ever? Guess what somebody's getting this year?

2001-11-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like.... this time of year is very complicated. I got an e-mail from my Dad telling me he's starting his christmas shopping and was writing to ask me where he should send the gifts. That's right folks, he doesn't even know where I live. We're real close. Horrific images of christmas presents past come flooding back. My father has no idea what I like (not that he would ask) and he's certain I'm a size 16 (or alternately Size L), so he buys me whatever he's into at the given time - in gigantic proportions. Last year I got a really nice running vest that came down to my knees. Of course, when I told him I liked it but asked if I could exchange it for a Size S/P, he told me I couldn't because he bought it on sale. Who buys gifts on sale, especially clothes? So for the ??th year in a row, I gave my present away (this year it raised $200.00 with a CD accompaniment for CJSW). Heh Dad, I have an idea... how about instead of gifts, you make some time for me when you come through town in two weeks? Maybe I could join you for a drink or two after a day on the slopes? It won't cost you a thing and I promise it'll fit.

2001-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

Eric Cameron

Danish Pastry, 1979
5040 half coats of gesso
21.5 x 33.0 cm

Sorry, what was your question? I attended a book launch "English Roots" by Eric Cameron on Saturday at the Triangle Gallery. I was one of 10-15 people there. Sad really. One of Canada's foremost artist living and working here in Calgary and no one cares. He had the first solo exhibit of the National Gallery of Canada among countless others around the world over the past 25 years but he can't generate enough clout in his own town for a decent showing. Your loss, he is steeped in so much theoretical, philosophical and historical knowledge of art, which he shared with us on Saturday - over and above talking about his own work. I feel fortunate to be able to take in these kind of experiences now, his Parkinson's appears to becoming increasingly worse. He's now a two hand holder of hot beverages.

2001-11-17T01:37:00.000-08:00

Successful Dinner Party Woo Hoo! I always feel as if I've accomplished a major feat after hosting a successful dinner party. Successful, meaning everyone thought the food was edible and they even actually liked it. It only takes one poor dinner party to spoil any novice chef's confidance. Just one attempt at making the Blueberry, Banana, Kiwi Fettucine a la Barbary Coast, (an entree they have since replaced) from memory. That's it. One single incident can damage a host's sense of adventure forever. You see I thought, "How hard can it be?" "It's fettucine alfredo with fruit and it's wonderful." No, my friends it is not. Alfredo sauce has garlic in it and that does not marry well with fruit, especially when you don't have blueberries or a kiwi and think bananas, apples and pine nuts would probably work just as well. But then you discover that it's awful. It really is. So how can you fix it? Cinnamon is an apple's natural companion and maybe that will save the dish, but it doesn't so you add brown sugar and well... you sprinkle and mix and add until you can't really decipher what's good and what isn't anymore, so... you serve the dish feeling very haute cuisine and experimental, only to have the entire table take one bite and declare with tremendous enthusiasm how absolutely revolting your entree is. So, you have to order chinese in lieu and vow never to cook another meal without a recipe in hand. Following a recipe may be like sight-reading but when you compose as poorly as I do, it takes many live performances before you can start improvising free-form cooking. God Bless Moosewood. What would we do without you? And thank-you to Catherine and Jonas for being such a great audience. And thank-you to Jon for knocking over the plant in front of our guests and then blowing up the vaccuum while trying to clean it up; you were thoroughly entertaining Sweetie. Anyone want to come over and watch us plug up our toilets? I promise I won't make fettucine.