Going grey: bored, impatient

I just can't get the camera to see the grey that is there. It was Doris' idea to get highlights and let the grey blend in to that and it's working really well. Yes, you can see the grey but it just mixes in and doesn't look like I forgot to dye my hair. At least I think it's working. It's not like someone saying "Hey, you forgot to tie your shoe!" "Hey, you forgot to dye your hair!"





Now you can see it a little better. I can't wait until I can cut off the last of the dye and be down to the grey. Why do I want so much to be grey? Well, I want to change my life and I've found that I must be truthful, not only with others, but more importantly, with myself. And that includes the way I look. But that doesn't really explain the lovely feeling of anticipation, does it? OK. Well, I know this is true: people who make choices outside of the norms do get further emotionally and materially and spiritually. And I seem to need little rituals to move myself along that road.

I should say that one thing I noticed was that every woman I admired with grey hair was in good shape and had a good haircut and looked happy so I am working out with weights and trying to eat well which is harder, much harder, than letting my hair go grey. In these photos, it's probably pretty obvious, I'm not wearing any makeup. I just forget to put it on. It doesn't seem as necessary. As for happiness – I just read a great thing today. Finally finished "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert that I started about a year ago. In it, she talks about her Balinese medicine man. He tells her to sit in silence and smile. "To meditate, only you must smile. Smile with face, smile with mind and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy."

It's late and I'm just rambling, talking out of my ass as they say. I'm trying to write every day if I can. Sign up at the left if you want to get my blog in your mailbox instead of having to go online and check it. Or you can get RSS feed. And hey give me some comments!

Listen to this: "Stars, darkness, a lamp, a phantom, dew, a bubble. A dream, a flash of lightning and a cloud. Thus we should look upon all that was made." This is from the Vajracchedika, 32 also known as the Diamond Sutra, the world's earliest printed book, 868 AD but around for a thousand years before that. Sounds like The Big Bang to me.

Later.

Chicago: Cheezborger, Cheezborger

I had lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern, which John Belushi, Bill Murray, etc. made famous on Saturday Night Live: "Cheezborger, Cheezborger. Chips. No Coke. Pepsi." They used to be a part of Second City, a comedy troupe still in Chicago, and knew the Billy Goat Tavern well. It looks like it's nighttime in the photo — that's because it's under the Michigan Avenue bridge.

Fame has not improved it; it's still a definite dive with the same characters hanging around. It was a favorite hangout for newspaper reporters, Mike Royko for one, and stories and photos adorn the walls.

A true story (Wikipedia):
The Curse of the Billy Goat is a curse on the Chicago Cubs that was started in 1945. As the story goes, Billy Sianis, a Greek immigrant (from Paleopyrgos, Greece[1]), who owned a nearby tavern (the now-famous Billy Goat Tavern), had two $7.20 box seat tickets to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, and decided to bring along his pet goat, Murphy (or Sinovia according to some references), which Sianis had restored to health when the goat had fallen off a truck and subsequently limped into his tavern. The goat wore a blanket with a sign pinned to it which read "We got Detroit's goat".[2] Sianis and the goat were allowed into Wrigley Field and even paraded about on the playing field before the game before ushers intervened and led them off the field. After a heated argument, both Sianis and the goat were permitted to stay in the stadium occupying the box seat for which he had tickets. At this point, Andy Frain (head of Wrigley Field's hired security company at the time), waved the goat's box-seat ticket in the air and proclaimed, "If he eats the ticket that would solve everything."[3]. However, the goat did not. Before the game was over, Sianis and the goat were ejected from the stadium at the command of Cubs owner Philip Knight Wrigley due to the animal's objectionable odor. Sianis was outraged at the ejection and allegedly placed a curse upon the Cubs that they would never win another pennant or play in a World Series at Wrigley Field again because the Cubs organization had insulted his goat, and subsequently left the U.S. to vacation in his home in Greece.

The Cubs lost Game 4 and eventually the 1945 World Series, prompting Sianis to write to Wrigley from Greece, saying, "Who stinks now?" Following a third-place finish in the National League in 1946, the Cubs would finish in the league's second division for the next 20 consecutive years. This streak finally ended in 1967, the year after Leo Durocher became the club's manager. Since that time, the supposedly cursed Cubs have not won a National League pennant or played in a World Series – the longest pennant drought in Major League history. Sianis died in 1970.

I will write about the map exhibit tomorrow; this is just a slice of Chicago life.

Prague

I got a comment today asking me to actually make the map that Ruby is talking about in "Get Lost". It is a map of all the Madonnas in Prague. I would like nothing better than to go back to Prague. Look at these photos and you can see a little bit of why. It is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been in. And not just beautiful but mysterious. I've been there twice and on one visit I started noticing Madonnas; in windows, carved onto houses, in niches, on churches of course but also just in unexpected places. One of my dreams/goals is to have paintings in a gallery in Prague in the near future so a trip there is possible. But first I have to do the paintings . . .

I do plan to illustrate "Get Lost" just not sure how or how much. Not like a comic book but not just a few illustrations either. Still thinking about this.

Going to Chicago

where there is a Festival of Maps going on. The biggest exhibit is at the Field Museum. Maps: Finding Our Place in the World. I love maps and everything to do with them and also, my heroine ("Get Lost") is a cartographer so this is basically research (and fun).

Ruby, the cartographer, does a combination of satellite and feet-on-the-ground mapping focusing on hiking trails in parks. But she has done obscure things like a map of all the Madonnas in Prague and trails of bluebird houses. People buy her maps and frame them. I'm looking forward to seeing the latest in mapmaking techniques as well as ancient maps.

Here is another excerpt from GET LOST:

As I looked out the window at Max's mysterious bar "X", the lights suddenly came on. The lamps were made of rose colored glass and situated to accent the flowing lines of the building. I saw that there was a window about four feet wide and three feet high on the left side of the door. It was pitch black. As I watched, tiny lights — hundreds of them — appeared in the window. They glowed and flickered like real stars, like a miniature planetarium. Suddenly, a comet streaked from the top of the right-hand corner of the window to the bottom left, leaving a faint vapor trail. Before it had faded, another comet shot out from the top of the opposite corner and down to the right. Another one, then another, faster and faster, crossing each other, until I realized, with a sudden thrill, that I was watching the "X" — the comets were forming the name of the bar. The light changed from white to magenta to hot blue and back to white again and then stopped as suddenly as it had begun. I let out a soft "Ohhh" of appreciation as the window filled again with stars.

©NVM

Sweeney Todd

I have a cousin who is a Movie Star, Audrie J. Neenan. She was in Sudden Impact with Clint Eastwood and in a new movie, Doubt, with Meryl Streep, among many others.

In 1980, we were in Harrisburg, PA waiting to leave on a trip to Berlin with her parents and mine. Audrie is a few years older than me, her sister Doris is my age. We grew up together, more like sisters than cousins. She said to Doris and me: "I'll show you New York City for 24 hours if you guys drive." We said yes immediately and left at 5 am the next morning. I drove in across the George Washington Bridge and the sight of those skyscrapers is one I will never forget. ("Skyscraper National Park" - Kurt Vonnegut)

From that moment, it was a whirlwind tour. We ditched the car and walked and took subways and never slept. The tour was unusual and creative as Audrie is herself and I fell in love with New York City then and there.

One of the things we did was stand in line for "two-fers", two Broadway play tickets for the price of one. We saw "Sweeney Todd" with Angela Lansbury. I loved it: the music, the wit, the darkness.

So I went to see Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp and I must tell you - it was AWESOME! The music and lyrics are exquisite and perfect and Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter fill them with character and passion and tragedy. Because for all the blood and darkness and disturbing ideas, it is a great tragedy. I would/will see it again.

There was an interesting article in the New York Times today taking children to movies called "Take the Kids and Don't Feel Guilty". Read it and tell me what you think. Click below to comment.

An American Tune

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hours
and sing an American tune
Oh, and it's alright, it's all right, it's all right
You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest

I've had this song, An American Tune, in my head for awhile now. I always loved it. The lyrics were written by Paul Simon in the early 70s but it fits into my thoughts now. The tune was written centuries ago and used creatively by J.S. Bach as well.

I watched the debates tonight from New Hampshire, the first ones I've watched although I've been reading as much as I can. It's different to watch and listen. I disagree with John McCain on a lot of things but I think he has integrity and courage and great ability, especially to get things done across party lines which is a rare thing these days. Barack Obama has that ability as well, at least from his state legislature days and Hilary has that awesome and precise intelligence and courage as well. (I'm one of those Independent/Undecideds)

I was inspired to watch the debate because of the surprising results from Iowa (my home state!). What a cool way to start the primary season, with something unexpected.

Happy New Year!

A little late but we're still in the twelve days of Christmas, trees and lights are still up, the Wise Men haven't gotten there yet . . . yada yada. I was in Akumal, Mexico for the third holiday season in a row. It's very pleasant to get away from commercial blaring and more pleasant still to be next to the ocean. I didn't feel totally relaxed until I was floating in that salty sea.

I was only there for four days plus two days of traveling. Got in a little bit of everything. Yoga on the beach, swimming in the sea, huevos rancheros, sea kayaking, snorkeling in the Yal Ku lagoon and this year something new - snorkeling in a cenote or limestone cave. Cenotes (photo above) are basically sinkholes containing groundwater. Rain infiltrates slowly through the ground so the water inside is amazingly clear. This one connects to underground caves and the rock formations including stalagtites and stalagmites (don't ask me which are which) were eerily beautiful. These caves were used for ancient Mayan religious rites.

Speaking of Mayans, Apocolypto is an amazing, incredible movie. Yes, it is extremely violent and induces screaming and clinging to whoever is closest to you but it's so well done. The cinematography is gorgeous, not a word of English is spoken and the story never stops moving. And it's a good story with twists and turns and meaning.