Saturday, March 31, 2007
Framed! Well, Almost.
The unbelievable is happening!
Today, after several ultra-busy weeks, I finally took the time to look after my own matters.
Almost felt guilty doing that.
"Did you go to a SPA?".
No.
"Relaxed in the garden, listening to the chirping birds and gazing at plant-ruining squirrels?".
Nooooo.
"Ah - of course!! you painted!!!'.
Nope.
I started to frame my paintings!!!
The show, to which none of you bothered to come, is going to be taken down tomorrow, and we are putting a new one up on Sunday. And this time, I am having two paintings there.
Oh yes, of course I'm one of those who'll be taking down the show tomorrow.
And hanging the new one on Sunday.
My name is Nava, and I am addicted to volunteering, Eh.
Took me a while to pick paintings for this upcoming exhibit, as this one is spring-themed, and my colors are, well, usually more in the November to March zone. And yet, I managed to find two paintings that would fit this show.
And they need to be matted and framed.
"A matter of 20 minutes", you say.
Well, not quite.
I am not one of those who trot to the framing store and leave heaps of money just to come back a couple fays later and pick up the framed work.
I am doing it on my own. Cutting the mats (yep, I have a mat-cutter. Logan. Love it), the backing board, assembling the frame - with help from The JohnnyB, the guru of precision and the human level.
Started at 3:15pm.....
- - - - - - ....finished around 11pm, with lots more white hair and wrinkles than I started off with, and exhaustion beyond belief.
WHY?
Because it took forever to decide which size frame I want for one of the paintings, several Emails and phone calls to some wonderful artist friends who helped me with great advice and encouraged me to put a small painting in a huge frame, so it looks fancy rather than apologetic.
Then - because the first and last mat I ever cut was 6 months ago, for the first show I participated in - it took a long time to reincarnate the memory of how-to, while arguing passionately with the dude on the Logan DVD that came with the mat cutter (the DVD; that is; not the dude).
Then The JohnnyB and I had some educational debates about the most efficient way to do it. Me, I would simply cut it the stupidest and fastest way, just to get it done with; but The JohnnyB actually wants it to be efficient so it's easier next time. Well, who cares about next time? I'd rather do it now quickly, and get all stressed up again next time, as long as I don't need to spend more time now... Opposites attract, they say? Whoever "they" are, they are right.
Then I finally cut the outside dimensions of one of the mats - and soon realized the mat was not perfectly straight. That intriguing fact has thrown me into a catatonic state for a while, putting me on the verge of stopping to do art altogether and going back to hi-tech. (I was tired, OK?).
Then angelically-tolerant The JohnnyB figured out how to fix it, and became my hero forever and ever.
Things were starting to look bright, and I was starting to actually enjoy it - until, as I was cutting the second mat for the first painting, acting in sheer confidence and swift movements and a pinky raised in nonchalant craftswomanship, I, like, well... forgot to change the production-stop thingy to the right size. And, as I was cheerfully pulling the beveled-edge cutter towards me for the very last cut, it did not stop where I wanted it to.
ahhhHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A bloodcurdling scream was then sounded all over the Bay Area, with some echoes reported in Southern Oregon, and I went into a frenzy of wrath.
Have I ever mentioned I am an Aries? one of those who need immediate satisfactions, and if something goes wrong, no matter how small it is, we go crazy for 2 minutes, scare our surrounding to death (poor The JohnnyB), and then go back to business?
(Hey! I never said we are mature! Never!)
Of course, that was the last matboard of that color, and it was 7:45 pm. Friday.
A hysterical call to the neighboring Aaron Brothers revealed that they are out of this color.
Another emotionally-imbalanced call to their further store revealed that they have 2 sheets left, and The JohnnyB and I jumped into the car and drove there with screeching tires, snatching the two matboards from the astonished and slightly amused cashier, who was eyeing me with growing concern as I was hugging them as if they were the very last matboards of Frost color, #8466. Well, they were!
Came back home, finished cutting the mats for one painting, cut the two mats for the second one (which was totally uneventful), and then, with a huge sigh of relief and intense sense of achievement, cleared the kitchen. And the living room. And the corridor. And the den. (the alert reader will notice that all our house space was recruited for this task - except for my studio, which is messy beyond entry).
And then we finally had our early dinner, at 11pm. Bread, cheese and grapes, like true artists.
Mind you - we haven't even started framing!
All that chaos was just about mat-cutting... and merely four perfectly-cut mats were produced. Only one matboard was harmed during this blog.
But - I have to say, the two paintings look truly impressive in their mats.
Put a nice mat around any piece of crap - and it becomes magnificent art. Well, sometimes.
And no, theses two paintings of mine are not crap. I am actually very proud of them!
And, in all that saga, the JohnnyB had his favorite little joy, that he has each and every time I get near the mat cutter.
OK, so the mat cutter has this production-stop thingy, that you put on the ruler-thingy it stops the beveled cutter. This is a brilliant feature, as you don't need to recruit all your senses in order to come to a halt exactly on the line and screw up the corners (as usually happens).
However, the only fault is that this little genius thingy has a weird shape and a screw, and I always fail to decipher how to put it on.
And so, The JohnnyB buys first-row tickets, brings popcorn, sits back, relaxes, and watches with awe as his lovely wife, who has been a pretty damn good engineer for over 9 years, is struggling with this little nasty piece of metal, tongue out in extreme concentration, expression such as that of a caveman who's trying to figure out the Geiko commercials, and bascially acting like a slow-developed one-year-old who's consistently insisting on shoving the square piece of the puzzle into a round hole, hoping the hole will eventually surrender.
Add to that his lovely wife being tired and cranky and sleep-deprived and wanting to get done with it and being somewhat(!) short-tempered - - - - you can imagine the festivities.
And we are still together.
It's like all the patience that I lack, The JohnnyB has extras of.
Sometimes, I check his back for wings.
And tomorrow, we frame!
Labels: Art, Wonders of The JohnnyB
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Blogger Summit - Canceled.
I'll go ahead and admit it: I am quite disappointed.
CherkyB is in town, and The JohnnyB and I were supposed to go out drinking with him, maybe even have some of his blog characters join.
Actually, I know most of his blog characters who live here.
I have met the very nice Siqimo one day as I was visiting The JohnnyB at work.
And BrainkyP used to be The JohnnyB's boss (so I had to be nice to him, Eh?), and I have met StinkyJ about 14 years ago, when he came on a business trip to the land of milk and honey, and turned the heads of all the Israeli girls with his blond hair and his stories about his red Corvette.
BrainkyP was also quite a head turner amongst the lasses of Israel.
(countdown for a big-head joke: 3... 2.. 1...).
There's something about them American guys, apparently, that we Israeli women find alluring.
Until we marry them and they start breaking computers and asking for tea.
Anyway - would have been cool to meet the smartass behind the blog.
Also, I kept fantasizing about good face-to-face paybacks for some ultra-snarky comments, as well as the blogs that will follow.
But, with The JohnnyB being in the tea-demanding state(*), it was all canceled. I mean, maybe some drinking did take place, but I was not there, and this blog is about me.
Alas, the blogosphere shall not be enriched by this summit.
And, to CherkyB, I remain "NavieA-B . . . the only one on the list whom I have never met".
Well, at least he got away from being killed with my bare hands and being smacked by The JohnnyB.
Blessing in disguise, Eh?
Or is it?
(*) In fairness, I have to say that The JohnnyB has not asked for tea even once during this sickness session.
- - Apparently, he used all his frequent-teaer mileage and upgraded to asking for dinner.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Book, Soup & A Miserable Look
This Haiku pretty much captures it all. This time it's a sore throat, hopefully to pass soon.
But, like, he's at home, which does not make me thrilled with happiness, y'know.
I've got things to do, matters to settle, meeting minutes to write, newsletter to Email out and get complaints about downloading, paintings to frame - and am yearning for some time to just sit and relax, but, well, not today.
We're also having some peoples coming to visit in about 3 hours..
We were supposed to get together for dinner with - Ah, too complicated to explain the relation, and they are not quite relatives, and we really like them a lot.
But now that The JohnnyB is sick, they said they will just come by to say Hi from a distance, so they don't tire him and don't catch whatever he is carrying and is very willing to share with the world, being the generous soul that he is.
"just come by to say Hi"...
...now, that puts me in a hysterical frenzy of tidying up the messy premises that our house has become in the past 2 weeks when I had no time to breathe. Paintings all over, mat boards and frames, garnished with foam core, and a mat cutter that's patiently awaiting in the corner to start working full-time.
And I am starting to have a huge headache, and some weird sense in my front teeth (no, I am not from Kentucky - I have more than these two, but whenever the flu is about to arrive, that's its way to RSVP).
OK, I shall go turn myself to a Stepford wife, and straighten out the house while walking on my tiptoes in order to not wake the napping The JohnnyB, who - before falling asleep, said with an utterly offended expression on his impressively-pinkish-face-for-a-sick-person:
"I don't know if you love me for who I am, or for the blog material that I provide".
Well, Duh.
Labels: Wonders of The JohnnyB
iRack New Technology
Saw this on Blueberry's blog, and was at awe at what MAD TV can do sometimes.
(I need to go back to watching that show).
So, I just had to follow her steps and plagiarize it.
Enjoy.
- - - And brace yourselves.
- - - - - - and, well, look for the Exit sign.
Labels: Damn Technology, Making a Difference, Meta Bloggin'
Monday, March 26, 2007
Big, BIG Baby!
Among all those funny/witty/smart-alek videos out there, someone has found this down-to-earth (pun not quite intended) gem, and sent it to me.
Thank You, Cokhava!
This one cannot be embedded, so just click here to watch it.
Quite incredible!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
A Little Lunch For Thought (TM) #7
Went to lunch with Itchie, and 3 of her co-workers, at Shalimar.
A Pakistani-Indian restaurant.
Had Lamb Brain Masala.
For the first time.
Loved it.
And no, it does not taste like chicken.
Which yields some existential questions:
- Does the fact that I am an Aries puts a hint of cannibalism into this story?
- - - - Would you eat that?
- - - - - - - Will I now get the Mad Lamb Disease?
Only time will tell.
previous little lunch... ...next little lunch
Labels: Food, Little Lunch for Thought
Thursday, March 22, 2007
100% SPAM
Been getting a lot of SPAM lately.
I mean, A LOT.
Tons of Emails offering me Viagra (no, thank you) or ways to expand my penis (don't have one, sorry), incredible opportunities to invest my money, job offers, alerts from banks and PayPal, heartrending requests for money from Paulina who came to the US and her heart was broken and now she needs to go back and by the way she is a gorgeous Blond - you name it.
Not only do they come to my personal Email, but they also arrive from several Email addresses that I am on (organization-related committees) and are forwarded to my personal Email address.
I am used to it.
I even stopped complaining.
I am now at the catatonic stage of going through my mail, deleting 90% of the messages, stopping to get acquainted with the new ones, and moving on..
It's become part of modern life.
But right now, I got this Email with the subject "anti-spammers are lamers".
The body of the mail simply says
- - - - - subj
- - - - - regards, spammer.
Which got me thinking that I actually appreciate this kind of SPAM.
Pure SPAM. Organic, almost.
Straight to the point, very direct and refreshingly honest and sincere.
Not trying to sell me anything, not tempting or intimidating me, no promised profit - just purely sent to overload my mailbox.
How very nice.
Still, on a second thought: how very, very sad, that someone actually bothered to write this,spent the energy to think of having it rhyme (well, kinda), and Email it out.
So many people don't have a life, Eh?
Next Bi-Weekly e-SPAM
Labels: Damn Technology, SPAM, Venting
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
ArtPact #13
Finally surfacing to the blogosphere, after a super-intensive week of a workshop and then tending to some non-me matters, such as preparing a roster of our whole membership.
"Not a very complicated task", you say with disdain.
True, but - do it on Windows Vista, where everything looks different, all the icons are suddenly graphic and undecipherable, and you need to figure out how to perform the tiniest task from scratch, as Vista got so much into having everything look cool that they forgot about backward compatibility and other tiny petty details.
A N Y W A Y - last week's workshop was incredible.
And very unique.
Refreshingly, it wasn't one of them paint-like-me workshops, in which you learn to imitate the instructor, use his/her technique and little gimmicky tricks, and you get out either totally frustrated for failing to become him/her, or you end up losing your own voice as you try to follow his/her footsteps.
No.
That one was all about us finding our personal visual language and doing anything but becoming a copy-cut of the instructor. CoolieDZ was amazingly inspiring, very funny and we all fell for her, big time. We worked during the days, partied most of the nights (well, US-style partying, y'know... dinner and such), The JohnnyB and I got hold of her for one evening and had a lot of fun (not sure about The JohnnyB - the poor guy found himself with two artists...), and I pretty much lived on adrenaline and Starbucks sandwiches for the whole week.
Did quite a few paintings during the workshop, concentrating on one photo of Lilush, my niece. She pretested vehemently about her first 2 paintings, so I am now showing the two that I did towards the end of the workshop.
As I informed you more than once, I hate painting in workshops, so I decided to give it a try at home, and spent 3 hours working on this one, in the convenience of my own (hideously messy) studio.
"April Moon", Watercolor on W/N CP Paper, 10"x7.5" (25x19cm)And this one, after painting for so many days and trying to cope with composition and value and color, I decided to have some fun.
CoolieDZ kept saying that line is a decorative element, and I kept arguing with her. She is the ultimate shape painter, and them painters do not understand us line painters. Being an Aries, and an Israeli, and me, I insisted that line can be used in many ways - and decided to show her what you can do with line.
So there.
"Lilush #5", Watercolor on Arches HP Paper, 10"x7.5" (25x19cm)
previous ArtPact... ...next ArtPact
Monday, March 19, 2007
Sentence of The Month: January ('cause I didn't have one then)
"The man who can give himself a hug everyday, truly has the arms of a gibbon!"
As heard on the Catherine Tate show.
Seen it last night, and The JohnnyB could not stop laughing.
previous Sentence of The Month... ...next Sentence of The Month
Labels: Profoundness, Sentence of The Month
Saturday, March 17, 2007
And he is back!!
The JohnnyB.5 years with me here. (*).
......5 weeks sans smoking.
............3 weeks newly addicted to "Civilization IV".
..................3 days on Vista.
Read all about it, while I am going to sleep for a month or so to recover from this insanely busy and condensed week of the workshop with CoolieDZ.
We painted and discussed art all day, got together for dinner 3 nights, and I am now beyond exhausted.
Still, it was so amazingly fun and inspiring!!
(*) Yesterday, March 16, it's been 5 years since the airplane landed in San Francisco, bringing a very excited and nervous me to the USA, to give it a try with The JohnnyB. 5 years!!! And one day.
Labels: Art, Damn Technology, Ode to other blogs, Wonders of The JohnnyB
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Do I Need Fixin'?
Found this Ad on my blog a couple of days , and since then, I am pondering: Why should nava.exe be fixed?
Is AdSense wallowing in paranoia these days?
Or did it recently get into the habit of encouraging blog readers to download shady questionable programs?
Or, maybe, it has finally decided that something about me is very, very wrong, and needs fixin'? and not just any regular kind of fixing, but it urges you to do it "Instantly".
How thought provoking. Almost A Little Lunch For Thought™, but not quite.
Perhaps some pre-lunch snack.
Going to crash to bed - it's just after midnight now, and I'm winding down after painting for 3 hours. A third version of Lilush, as today's workshop session was mostly talk and discussion, and hardly any painting.
Which is better, in my humble, as I can always paint at home (as a matter of fact, I prefer that). Whereas if Donna Zagotta herself is in the room, it's much better to listen to what she has to say. And you get a sit-down stand-up comedy for the same price, as she is truly hilarious.
So now "Lilush #3" is drying on the easel. The painting, that is, not the actual Lilush.
The subject of the painting, by the way, sent me her thoughts about the first two paintings, and it took me some good minutes this morning to stop laughing, as I was reading her vehement protest. She wrote it in Hebrew, so I'll try to deliver the spirit of her perceptive Email to English.
Not now, though - I am too tired to even breath!
Oh, and the new toy has arrived this evening!!! Velocity computer, veeeeeeeeeeeery cool looking, with one clear side (covered in plexiglas) that enables you to see how the computer is messing with your mind, blue-lit fans that show through some screen in the front, blue glow-in-the-dark-and-also-not-in-the-dark thingy that lives near the keyboard and does nothing except for glowing, and - - - - a blue T-shirt! I kid you not!!
The JohnnyB, overcome with joy, hooked it to the monitor, sat lengthily in front of it, got cranky beyond belief (well, some of you might believe by now), and went to sleep cussing, leaving the two computers to figure out the data transfer between them. My theory is that our old computer is resentful and will not cooperate with the newcomer. But, somwhow, The JohnnyB is not interested in theories right now. Can't imagine why. Computer-psychology is such a fascinating subject to discuss, don't you think?
My gut feeling: stay tuned for some sighful blogposts...
...And my gut feelings are usually correct.
Labels: Damn Technology, WTF?
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
ArtPact #12
busy, Busy, BUSY week - but at least I am getting to paint!!!
I am taking a 5-day workshop with one of the greatest names in watermedia art in the US:
I've been hearing her name being praised ever since I started painting, with some people saying that hers is the best workshop they ever took (actually, hers and the amazing class that Paintermon is giving, Y'know, the one where you slave to make 20 full-sheet paintings of the very same subject in 10 weeks, and come back from the other side a new person and artist).
And now - I am taking her workshop, which is soooooooooo very cool, only I am tired to tears, as the 2 preceding weeks were so hectic.
So, I knew she is the empress of values and shapes, and is one of the best instructors to learn about composition and design.
What I didn't know is that she is also hysterically funny, and cool beyond description, so there's a huge added bonus.
The workshop is great fun, packed with information and new revelations - on the verge of epiphanies, and I decided to take the opportunity and use what I did for my lagging ArtPact.
I am working on a portrait of someone who kept asking me to paint her. My very beloved niece, Lilush, the mother of Nitzku (the cool baby of whom I did 2 paintings and am planning on many, many more).
I love this photo of hers, as it really shows her free spirit and pretty much captures her essence.
It's a challenge, as she is someone I know and love, it's very tempting to just go for the copy-exact approach and make sure the painting looks like her. But, i am starting to detach from this oh-she-is-too-precious feeling, and to abstractive her.
I'm gonna work from that photo all week long, so one of these paintings is bound to be good, Eh?
Donna makes us do a lot of study before we get to start painting, mostly value studies (value in the sense of dark against light), and personalizing our shapes and elements of design in general.Most artists hate doing that, but once you get used to it, it's quite fun, and incredibly helpful in pulling the painting together.
I chose this value study to work from.
And, based on it, did these two paintings in class today.
They are both smaller and quicker than I usually work - some might call them bozzettos, some might refer to them as crappy little design studies. But you really don't want to do that.
"Lilush #1", Watercolor on W/N CP Paper, 10"x7.5" (25x19 cm)
"Lilush #2", Watercolor on W/N CP Paper, 10"x7.5" (25x19 cm)
More to come.
previous ArtPact... ...next ArtPact
Sunday, March 11, 2007
...And You Didn't Come
Had the reception for our exhibit at Redwood City today. Y'know, the one I was raving about.
It's my second time to participate in a show, and I still get very excited by the mere fact that my work is represented next to the others. My main art is painting, but since this show allowed us to put anything we want, I took the opportunity and entered a sculpture (carved limestone) and a photographic assemblage, of photos I took in Grenada.
The reception was fun.
There is something very thrilling about seeing someone approach your work and examine it thoroughly, not just give it one look and move on. And I was very happy to see that several people spent quite a while in front of my sculpture, and studied my photo-thingy, which had 10 not-too-bad (as they say in Minnesota) photographs of Grenadian people, with those wonderful intensive colors of Grenada.
The show overall looks incredible, and very impressive.
And yet, most of those who came and enjoyed the art and the food were artists.
Hardly any guests!
I sent my invitation to about 20 people.
Two of them informed me they cannot attend, another one is insanely busy with buying a new house, and will try to find the time to go see the show sometime, and only one bothered to show up.
Even The JohnnyB did not come - but he has a very good reason: he's been sick for the past few days, religiously chanting "Don't you see I'm sick?" and looking miserable. Over time, he has polished and fine-tuned this miserable I-am-so-sick look to a state of the art perfection. Truly impressive.
(For those of you who have not yet had the joy of getting to know the facet of The JohnnyB as a sick person, you are welcome to refer to this educating documentation.
FYI, Furious: not quite the perfect man on such occasions).
So, The JohnnyB was exempt.
Now, let me give you a tip right here: if any of you readers have a friend who is an artist, and they invite you to the reception of a show they are part of - don't ever just ignore their invitation.
All the more so if it's a solo show.
You have no idea how disappointing it is.
For an artist, showing something s/he created pretty much equals to putting their soul out there. If they invite you, it means they want to share it with you, to have you participate in this important part of their life. Not even bothering to respond, well, is pretty much saying "I don't give a fuck about what's important to you", which, like, y'know, doesn't quite contribute to the friendship.
Can't or don't want to come to the reception? Let them know that you are not going to be there. Save them the anticipation, and the scanning of the door whenever someone is entering the gallery.
Just so you know.
Interesting, I didn't realized I was so pissed until I actually got to the middle of this blog.
Here's to Blog-therapy.
Cheaper than a counselor, Eh?
Friday, March 09, 2007
A Little Lunch For Thought (TM) #6
I sooooooooooo wanted to title this one "Sentence of The Month", but this title is already taken for March.
Got this intriguing question on a comment to one of my recent blogposts:
". . . How does JohnnyB handles the cherybs(*) of the world who look good enough to eat?"
(*) I assume the commenter is referring to the - apparently edible - CherkyB.
Mind you, upon seeing the word "cherybs", the spell-checker kept insisting on changing it to "cherub".
Goes with the character of that angelic blogger, Eh?
I am hereby opening this for a fascinating debate.
Let the field day commence.
previous little lunch... ...next little lunch
Labels: Food, Little Lunch for Thought, People, Sentence of The Month
The Wife Beating Guide - Abridged
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Some Me time
For the first time this week, in between membership phase-out, website ramp-up and art summit, I am about to dedicate some time for myself!
The shock!!!
Wait - let me recover from the immense guilt and get my conscience stop panging - - -
- - - OK, done.
I am going to get some frames and mats and foam-core and Plexiglas and such materials that make artists cringe as they mean a dreary upcoming era of logical thinking and accurate measuring and precise cutting and scrutinizing looks from The JohnnyB, the man with a level in his eyes and a ruler up his - - - uhm, sleeve.
But eventually, I will have several framed paintings, that can go into shows, or on the walls of our house.
And some day, who knows, perhaps even on someone else's wall.
Going with RabkieM to a framing store that's famous for its nasty attitude towards those who do not buy a $5000 worth of stuff, but they do have a huge selection of everything.
I'll be back.
Labels: Art, Major Achievements
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Busy!!! So busy!
Pfffffffffffffffffffrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
I sometimes wonder, when exactly did I turn from a complacent layabout into this hyperactive woman, who is all over the place doing many things - and not having time to do for myself?
Spent all of last week co-organizing the exhibit I so enthusiastically told you about. It was a highly educating, learning and fun experience, especially receiving all the wonderful artworks and hanging them to create what ended up looking a very professional show, but it was immensely time-consuming.
OK now, the show is very well hung (Oh c'mon, grow up! wipe that filthy smile off your face!!!), all I need to do is prepare name tags for the artists for the reception on Sunday, and - I am done.
Well, until we taker the show done, but that's in 3.5 weeks.
"So, now I can do stuff for yourself, right?"
Wrong!
I also got into some web design.
Joined our website committee, and today I got educated by our highly knowledgeable (and highly patient!) webmaster, so I can start doing my share on the website. She enlightened us about DreamWeaver and how to work with it, about our new hosting service and the website in general.
And tonight, the moral dilemma we had regarding multi-installations of my legally-purchased DreamWeaver was finally resolved, after The JohnnyB has graciously taken some time off conquering the world.
Oh, that's his new addiction.
No, he is not turning into Bush.
It's much worse than that.
He got himself the "Civilization 4" computer game, and has disappeared from my life forever, reappearing from time to time to report his last victory over the Orange People after sending Moses to Chicago.
Yes, THE Moses.
Yes, to Chicago.
Why are you giving me this strange look?? Go inquire The JohnnyB.
He won't answer, though.
Too busy with the Yellow People.
They are about to take France away from him.
I guess this habit is better than smoking, but it's less social.
I miss him.
Anyway - The JohnnyB has carefully reviewed the DreamWeaver license agreement, and after I signed with my blood that I shall never ever use the software on the desktop and the laptop in parallel (god forbid!), he installed it on the laptop.
"Why do you need two copies?"
Aha - because of the upcoming no-working-desktop era that I am harbingering.
Not only are we getting a new desktop, it also has Windows Vista, so I foresee a long adjustment period of the computer to us, and vice-versa.
Call me pessimistic.
I won't answer.
So, another big chunk of time is going to be spent on web design.
Again - very fun, very educating, perhaps even very beneficial in the long run - but right now, highly time consuming.
"Yeah, but then you'll have time, right?", you reassure me, dear readers.
Nope.
As this month is also the dreadful month of preparing the roster of all the members of our art society, (over 400 people). It takes forever to prepare, takes forever to make the master copy, as I only did it once, a year ago, and I thoroughly forgot how it needs to be done.
Which means - more time going down the drain in the next couple of weeks.
Oh, and Friday, the one and only free day of this week, there is an art summit, that I should go to as our organization representative.
"And why are I doing all these many things, crazy woman?", you wonder.
'cause I am the upcoming leader of our organization, and thus need to start being on top of things and ramp up and become very knowledgeable very quickly.
Well, like, y'know, if I was daft enough to agree to step into the leader's position (as someone so gracefully told me), I'd better do it the best way I can (as I keep telling myself).
And I, alas, am a perfectionist.
So I am struggling to find a way to juggle everything and keep things working, and still not forget that I have a life.
And that I need some time to breathe.
And have coffee with DaskieM.
And lunch with GaLitttle.
And that I need to paint.
And I want to paint!!!
So much!!!!
Next week I am taking a 5-day workshop with yet another incredible artist, so at least I will have something to post as my shamefully-delayed ArtPact.
"So - - - wouldn't you rather just go back to being the do-nothing layabout?", you wonder.
No.
No way!
For the first time since coming here, I feel that I finally belong, finally useful, finally have a life here.
It's all volunteering, no salary involved (which reminds me: have you clicked today?).
And yet - I finally have my own little world in which I am not The JohnnyB's wife, but rather, he is Nava's husband.
And I guess that's what it's all about.
Labels: Venting
Monday, March 05, 2007
March of the Emperor
Ever tried to tell the plot of a movie to someone?...
Sent to me by The Very Dina - THANK YOU!!!
Labels: Joke, Meta Bloggin'
Sunday, March 04, 2007
A potential Sentence of The Month: March
"How long would it take to get the new desktop to work, John"?
"Ah, an hour or so".
Yes, we are finally buying a new computer.
It took us a while to fully recover from the utter shock of getting a free almost-new laptop from Dell as a compensation for the one that got roasted.
Then we had to revive our faith in technology to believe that the third replacement monitor we got from Samsung (after the two times they sent us other screwed-up monitors) is really working fine.
And then we realized that, like, since we did not need to buy a new laptop nor had extra expenses on the monitor, we can purchase a new computer and replace our old one, that's recently been showing concerning signs of old age and forgetfulness, while reincarnating into a snail, speed-wise, stopping to ponder lengthily every now and then about the task it was requested to perform.
And so, last weekend, The JohnnyB has retreated into a serious one-on-one with the laptop, and came back from the other end, exclaiming, "OK, I chose our new computer".
He showing me the impressive Excel sheet (he made a fuckin' Excel sheet!) with the pros and cons of all the options, and in conclusion, informed his lovely wife that he's decided on an HP, although the Velocity computer has some real neat advantages, but costs $200 more.
Having been recently classified as "the long-suffering wife of JohnnyB", I did not argue.
Y'see, although I am merely a woman, I am learning my lessons and doing my homework. So, I mentioned - in my sweetest voice - that since the computer will be with is for years, I think it really is OK to go ahead pay the difference, especially when it's an amount that equals a couple of dinners. I then went to my studio, to leave The JohnnyB to make the decision on his own. (or at least think that is what's happening).
5 minutes later, he hollered that he got the Velocity one. See - it really is a win-win thing: if the computer is great,
I can also take part of the credit, as I pushed him towards it; whereas if it sucks - well, it was his decision, right?
What do I know about computers, being an artist and the owner of a pair of X chromosome in most of my cells?(Hmm... would have been more of a win-win if The JohnnyB wasn't reading my blog).
Now, the new toy should arrive in a week or two, and - as I am getting more and more involved with computer-related stuff that I do for our watercolor organization - it's kind important.
Hence the short dialogue above.
"And why is it a potential Sentence of The Month?", you ask?
Oh, C'mon... that is, like, the ultimate "Keilu, Duh!?", Eh? (*)
(*) This is a combined Hebrew-English phrase, which is used massively in the land of milk and honey, and means, "Like, Duh!?".
So, no copyrights for you, CherkyB, on this one!
Stay tuned for the arrival and installation of the new computer!
I foresee a wealth of blogposts, and a very frustrated me.
previous Sentence of The Month... ...next Sentence of The Month
Labels: Damn Technology, Sentence of The Month
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Still Alive...
In case you were wondering.
Been insanely busy all week, helping organize an exhibit.
No, not a solo exhibit.
It's a showcase of the members of our watercolor organization. Well, of those who chose to participate.
Only - for the very first time - this exhibit is not just watercolors.
We decided to enable everyone to show what our members do when they do not dip sable brushes into those juicy colors.
And so, we called the show "No Limits! Whatever...", and announced there are no rules.
Still, mostof the entries were watercolor painitings, but we also got quite a few acrylic paintings, as well as collages, wall hangings, sculptures and photography.
It was a huge amount of work to organize and prepare for the show (took most of th epast week), and we spent all of today hanging it.
And it's not even a big show - only 50 artworks, but it took forever!!
And yet - when we were done hanging and cleaning up, and went out to look at it through the window - I was truly speechless.
It looks stunning, and soooooooooooo very professional.
Just like an art show :-)
So, endlessly tired and with a huge headache, I can proudly say I took a major part in organizing an exhibit - and I definitely want to do it again.
Oh, what do I have in the show?
A collage-thingy of photos I took in Grenada, mostly portraits (well, Duh!), and a sculpture of 3 faces. (Hmm... do we see a pattern here?).
The sculpture is carved limestone.
It's my first one, done 6 years ago in Israel, and I brought it with me when I moved here.
Anyway - if you go by the Redwood City Art Center (Redwood City, CA), do stop by.
Actually, it's worth going there even if you are not in the neighborhood.
The show is there until March 31st.
Labels: Art
