last night i think i heard the best quote ever from this little boy sitting near us in the chinese restaurant.
"if you ever go to china and see one of those guys walking around," he points to a poster on the wall "DON'T follow him!"
tasha has me hooked on that dumb song, "mil horas". she got hooked on it when she was down in uruguay, and so last night it's 3:30am and i'm dancing like crazy in front of the mirror figuring out the best moves for certain parts.
this is a pic i took a long time ago at golden gate fields, the horse track in east bay.

can't wait to start scanning these.

o'riggidys

at o'rourkes one night last month.

roses

remember me talking about the big bump in my finger where i got poked by a rose thorn? how it had gotten all big and swollen really quick and i thought it was bursitis(??) and i wanted pam to do surgery on it? well, it's getting better. one night i got a glass full of ice and a fresh scalpel blade out (real ones), and iced my finger and then put the blade in to see if anything would come out of the bump. i know, it's gross, but i had to do it. i went down into the lump, but nothing but blood came out. i put a band aid on it, and hoped it would go away or something. the next day at work i was messing with it, and ok, this may be gross, but i was messing with it and a bunch of blood came out, and then part of a rose thorn came out of the hole!! wow, that was pretty good. so now it's getting better. what i'm guessing is a fibrous mass is getting smaller, and it's not painful anymore. i would like to make this into an analogy for something in my life right now, but it's difficult without saying too much about the sitch, or turning the rose thorn story into something different.
tonight i saw "la vie en rose" with a friend, it was great. i recommend it.
how can i be such a lazy bastard about things like my website, and on the other hand an inpatient spazoid when it comes to more sublte and sensitive matters? lord. messing with that finger, slicing it up just to see what's inside. please stop me before i screw something up.

yay!!!

i just got about 20 rolls of 220 film back with prints, it's so exciting. now i have the delightful job of going through the negs, then scanning and working with the images. it just never stops. photos photos photos. i'll put up some photos of my old friends from sf, some landscapes from nebraska, and night photos that i've been working on. this is from menlo park, where my friend naomi is going to grad school.

ncdg at the races!!!

the no coast derby girls sponsored a race out at the track not long ago, it ruled. check out more pics here!

happy monday

ouch. this morning hurts.
but last weekend rocked!
it's a trade off.
air guitar contest!! at the chopper rally at the fairgrounds over the weekend. no coast derby girls did some promo there, so a bunch of girls went.
i got second place, and (drum roll) won guitar hero 2 and $28 from scratcher tickets.



and this was my competition: tough!!



this is me congratulating the first and third place winners, trying to be a good sport.

we were there to do a dunk booth, here's april being nice to people. i was not.


last night we had a derby-q for go go yesterday, so i started celebrating early. then we all went to 80's night where josh was djing, and he refused to play big butts because it was 90's. there, i got realllllly drunk and am lucky enough to have bits of the night preserved. gems like giving some dude the ultimatum "if you don't get on the dance floor, you can never hit on me again." (huh?) and talking to the miller girls from the chopper rally about the air guitar contest and hugging them, and doing a dance move OFF the stage that ended badly and now the left leg is paying for it. and i think i bought a pack of KOOLS on the ride home, i'm not sure though. ugh. why?

awww

shizzam, pam got drunk!
her mom and dad left a mudslide on the table, and little pammy got up on the table, put her nose in the glass, and drank until she was all wobbly. the three of us (adam, lizzy and i) were elsewheres when this occurred, and lizzy was feeling terrible in her new role as a bad mom. but i must say, it was pretty funny to watch the pam be stumblable, though she looked like shit. we tried to make her drink water, but baby will be hung over. i know how you feel pam.
last week at my grandma edna's, i was doing something in the garden for her, and jammed a rose thorn into my finger. it was all swollen and nar nar for a bit, but now it's just turned into a hard ball at the joint. what could it be? bursitis was my first very uncorrect guess, i better not get any more curious about it or else i'll let pam take my scalpel to it. just to see what's inside and say a dog did surgery on me. time to go to bed i guess.
ps-this is not a photo of us trying to sober pammy up, this is bath-time.

tonight's the night.

i know it, i just totally know it. after thinking about it my whole camping trip, it's gonna happen tonight. i'm going to put my computer to sleep, stop looking at dax flame videos, maybe turn on some soft music and lay in bed and do it. i'm going to finish that book if i have to stay up all night, the name of the rose. and monitor whatever i just put in the oven, garlic. good night.

back

to civilization, wireless, etc... last night i had a dream where i was talking to a bunch of people and i said, "and i haven't checked my myspace in NINE days!" i've been camping.
people were mad at my mom and i for not having our phones on, but there really wasn't any service where we were. so i didn't check my myspace, my email, or my voicmail for 11 days, and i'm not looking forward to it. but the trip was great, we took tons of photos that will keep me busy for a long time. now i have the post vacay blues. now i can worry about mail merge at work again.

adam and lizzy had a special visitor today, a vacuum cleaner salesman! guess how much that thing costs? almost three thousand dollars! and when they said they weren't going to get one, on ANY of payment plans he suggested, he had to call his boss. and he's talking with his boss on his cell phone going, "i know, i know, i guess i'll ask them! so you think $2650 is too much to pay for your HEALTH?" and "wouldn't you like to get rid of all the FILTH in your house?". dude would not leave. then adam's poker buddies started to come over, and adam and lizzy are like, "well thank you for the demonstration, but we have guests coming over now, so uh, sorry." and he goes, "no, no, that's fine, it's your house." and i almost expected him to say, "FULL OF FILTH." i can't imagine a more depressing job, maybe pulling silk out of a silk worm like all those orphaned children, or having to do that poop gland thing that dog groomers of little dogs have to do. ugh, those two jobs are nastily similar.
adam, after i took some glamour shots of him, now he's thinking about buying a $3000 vacuum. laughing.

taura taura, how does your garden grow?
my bean plants popping up.

my little pepper plants that i started from seed, with some unenthusiastic basil plants next to them. grow dangit.

protection for the plants from the animals. i miss yuri. bark yuri bark!

the purple plant i brought with me from sf, it had 3 little blossoms. it's doing great, just like me.

the peonies, which got hit by the frost and never bloomed.


my dad in the studio space that i'm getting downtown. it's the back corner one with the big windows facing north and east, a little out of the way, but it will do just fine. i can meet clients there, shoot, work on my stuff, chill, etc, it's gonna be AWESOME when things get rolling. can't wait.

my mom and dad had a garage sale last saturday, on friday night i sorted and priced things with my mom. by the end of the garage sale the next afternoon we were drinking beer, playing records, and pretending to know how to ballroom dance in the rain.

i'm going to be aunt taura!

in 2010. by some friends. they've marked it on their cell phone calendar to beep when may 31 2009 comes up. that's when they figure they'll have enough money to try to make a baby. i should be out of their basement by then, thank god they never read this blog. i should put something really embarrassing up about them to test out if they read it or not. i know my parents read it, and the fella that i like maybe reads it, and sometimes my grandma in scottsbluff reads it, but otherwise, it's all me.

long weekend

so last weekend was a big one, we had our championship bout on saturday, so i did my pre-bout meditation all day. that means i did nothing and thought of nothing. if i would start to think about the bout, i'd say things like, "you're going to get hit really hard tonight, it's going to really hurt." then i'd get nervous and worried and feel sick. so i took a nap in the back yard, stayed in my jammies all day, and ate like a pig. and it worked, i didn't get nervous, even 30 minutes up until the bout when we're warming up and tweedle dip and tweedle shit tried to raz me, i was like whatever and took it easy. and i didn't get hurt, besides the fat lip i got from taking one of the tweedles out hard, yesss. but alas, the mkm had to give their 06 championship trophy to the hood ratz, it was a good game, and i'm happy to say it was a close game. the next morning i had to get to columbia missouri to assist a friend from sf who flew out to photograph a wedding, for some reason i though it would take me 3 1/2 hours to get there. wrong, it's 6. but that's cool, i made some dough and got to hang out with traci for a bit. the bride and groom live in sf, but she went to school in columbia, so for one reason or another they got married in columbia. tons of young hip successful people flew in from all over, including ireland, and watching everyone dance made me feel the pain of leaving sf. i felt the separation widening, the choice to move to the midwest, and that intangible west coastness taunting me. as we stood outside getting ready to leave, a bunch of guys who wanted to talk to traci (she's irresistible) crowded around. they're all drunk and trying to impress us with their camera knowledge, saying things like "180 3.5, what do you think of that? yeah." "i'm old school & i use 44mm, you've probably never heard of it." and other such embarrassing statements which were oddly aggressive when you think about how they're trying to get their audience to like them. and you couldn't talk with them, or correct them, or argue with them, i could barely hold my vomit in. i got over any ideas of how cool the crowd was about then. we went to an after party where this girl told me about how her friend wanted a pair of baby goats to walk down the isle at her wedding. the girl bought two pygmy goats and tried to train them to walk in a straight path for two months before the wedding in her sf backyard. she said they cried all the time and the police came, and when the wedding happened for the friend, the goats just ate the floral decorations. now that i think of it, that's a pretty amazing story and could be a tall tale. but it passed the time. then yesterday there was this huge crazy parade in front of the hotel in columbia with the biggest flag i've ever seen, the only one bigger is taht one on west o at the gas station. so i watched that, and then drove the long drive home, and took some pictures.

happy memorial day

the mooney suzuki

here's some photos of the mooney suzuki when they came to town, finally getting them up.
this weekend was crazy, so many birthdays and derby promo things. rode a bull, washed a car, drank waaaaay too much lately; this will be followed by a somber and sober period of reflection. but since i found my planner/journal after losing it for a few weeks, i won't be lonely. i can write bad poetry about sorrowful hearts and all that. god, i think i've been crying alot too, even untanked. lame.
i've been getting alot of emails from dudes i don't want to talk to lately, and they keep on writing even when i don't respond. dang it!you know, i just want to email and say "i don't have time for you" "i don't know you" "i wish i didn't know you" "i don't care" or something nicer, but even nicer will sound bad and bitchy. but you can't write a nice email, then they think you two have a thing going. and that's not what we want.
oh, and i DID NOT have a hot date this weekend, so much for all my bragging.
it's 3 in the morning, and i'm just kind of sad. i wish i was a more responsible friend to my people, i wish i was more responsible, i want this week to go well.

happy b-day me!!

now watch this one for the wrap up.

and i quote

"he better thank his lucky stars for the day he got that girl pregnant."

sioux falls!

wooo hooo!
i think i may have got some good photos at least, memories. memories of champ pain shaking her money maker, check back for it and be amazed.
i wish i could just say all sorts of stuff taht's on my mind, but because of the 3 people who ever check this blog, i can't won't shouldn't couldn't will never say who i'm mad at, or what joint is currently injured, or what boy i like, or what interesting thing i did the night before.
chris mcv just sent me a mix tape, i think i mentioned it already, and i can't express how much it rules. when we got into the van to drive to sioux falls, i wanted to kick myself cuz the van had a tape player and i didn't bring my only tape i have anymore!
ok, i'll say something i hate and not say names, but i hate people who you can't say one thing without them saying some smart ass remark back. like, maybe you're trying to joke around or be funny or not even that interesting, and they have to make a comment that is not funny or joking or whatevs, but is maybe meant to show how clever they are, or how much more smart they are than you or try to shut you down or something. i don't get it. why? i like to attribute this special quality to them being insecure or wanting to impress me, but i don't know. maybe some people are just jerks naturally and don't even think about it.
i would also like to say that every guy i've had a crush on since i moved back in january (only 2 fellas) has failed to meet my expectations. not that i think they're bad, just not who i thought they were, as i'm over whatever i thought was so cool about them in the first place.
today was mother's day, or i guess technically yesterday. tasha and i got our mom a flask with "mom" and two clinking martini glasses engraved on it, it looks great. she's not a lush though. swear.

pam got a bath

remember, come to pershing tomorrow night and see mary kay mafia vs the hood ratz!!

feet

you remember how when you turn that age where you stop dressing punk, but don't really know what else to be, so you make all these bad fashion decisions? and you shop at the mall or sears and try to reinvent what's cool for you, and then finally, years YEARS years later, you figure out what you like again besides butt flaps and combat boots. i was digging my clothes for the most part in sf, and they've translated more or less here in nebraska, until recently. the problem? sandals. what do you do about sandals? the only times i've worn sandals in the last bazillion years is when i've been traveling, and they've been awful piles of 3rd world rubber that i cringe to think about. san fran isn't warm enough to wear sandals or shorts, so i've been able to avoid the subject all together, but now nebraska's getting hot and i'm going to have to take the plunge. i got some today, and when i showed them to lizzy, she was didn't say anything except, "i wouldn't have picked out those sandals for you." and i'm like, i know! i don't know what kind of sandals i'd pick out for me! they're not my style! they do not go with my idea of myself at all! but they're quite comfortable, i can wear them out in the garden, or on a walk, and maybe if i do it right, can wear them out in public. sandals. is the world ready for taura's troll toes? i don't know...
on another note, i still think i fractured a rib.

vote

"It's the support of the corporate community that helps spread the value of art throughout our great city."
- svoboda, one of lincoln's mayorial canditates which we are voting on today. when i say "we", i mean the people of lincoln as i'm not registered yet.

today it was hot hot hot. where did spring go? winter was kicking my ass, and then it rained and now it's smoking hot? naw, can't be. all my plants are sort of dying, lame. someone said it was 95 out. now they're certainly dead.
i'm cranky today, maybe had something to do with having food poisening all night long and not getting good sleep. i did not want to go to practice AT ALL today, but i did anyways, and those fish sticks at the rink didn't turn on the ac, so i was sweating before we even started stretching. the whole time i wanted to throw up, my helmet was just soaked with sweat, and my chest just hurt. my dad thinks i may have fractured a rib, and there's nothing you can do about that. lame lame.
these two pics are from my last visit with my parents at carmel ca. they look so nice and cool now. dang i miss sf.

went to nolan's art show tonight at the beemis underground, it was awesome! he did collaborations with a bunch of people, a quilt, an installation, his puppet show movie(?) "milk", a computer thing, and all sorts of other fun things besides his numerous wonderful paintings. not only that, tunz of people were there, and i got to chat with the best of the midwest in an hour span of time. word.
i hurt soooo bad, all over. it even hurts to breathe. thank you derby!
it's gonna get busy soon, next weekend is the hood ratz vs mary kay mafia (my second bout!!) then the weekend after that gang green goes up to sioux falls to bout the team up there. i turn 30 a few days later, and the weekend after my birthday i'm going with my parents & their potluck club up to calamus and camp along with some of people's cool kids my age. then in june my mom and i are going on our 10 day long photo camping nebraska trip, that will rule. and of course there are things to do with derby, like fac things, and other events. last weekend we went to the stars game and i got to go out on the ice and throw t-shirts to the crowd.
oh yeah, i forgot, i said some funny things recently! the other day at practice a girl stumbled and fell, landing right on a wheel. we didn't know what was wrong cuz she's all laying on the ground in pain, and we're like, "did you land on your tailbone? did you land on your ankle?" and she finally says, "i landed on my poon." and everyone is saying, "awww! oh geez, do you want some ice? someone go get her some ice!" and i open my mouth and say, "do you want a popsicle?" and no one knew i said it but girls repeated it and were laughing and asking who said it. i felt proud. and yesterday (thursday) i went with a few girls playing in the next bout to kzum and talked on the radio and gave away tickets. 2 of the girls were good at being responsible and explaining things, and then there was me talking trash to one of the other girls the whole time. it was fun. and of course i forgot to tell anyone i was going to be on the radio, so no one i knew listened. dang.

fantastic

i have this fantastic habit of falling for guys with girlfriends. maybe it's because they've lost the desperation that clings to single guys thicker than ball sweat, and are able to just chill and be themselves instead of trying to get their, um, foot in the door. and of course they never leave their girlfriends cuz they're honorable (i don't fall for the other kind, don't you know). so i'm resigned to be their best buddy and feel sorry for myself. very sorry.
today i made a to do list that spans things from 3 months ago to june. i think it's 47 items long. it has everything from emailing people back and cleaning my room to buying presents and make some money.

more photos than you ever want to really look at...
rocknrollerderby!
mudfest!!
jan 07 awards!!!
dec 05 practice!!!!