Moments.

Just because I've been completely MIA doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about posting here for quite some time. 

The fact is, I'm as lost and neurotic as ever. It's just that, as I get older, I get more isolated about it.

But enough about that. Here's a selection of photos from the past few months.

 

This photo was taken during SXSW in Austin, Texas, this year. Some people who have not been to SXSW will say, "Wow, you went to SXSW? Cool, how was it?" These people do not understand a few things: a) I was there for the interactive conference, which is WAY less cool than the music conference; b) it rained the entire time, relentlessly; c) it was so overcrowded that people were waiting in line for half a day (no exaggeration) to pick up their badges so that they could go listen to people hype themselves in onstage events with names like "Gamify and Socialize: Beyond the Buzzwords"; d) it was so overcrowded that many of us had to stay in amazing airbnb situations (mine involved colored lightbulbs, black towels and unfortunate carpeting). Many people (such as myself) cope with this situation by consuming unhealthy amounts of barbecued meats, TexMex and alcohol. So much so that a street sign offering "health food" attracts my interest and confusion, until I see that "health food" in Austin means "chile rellenos, chalupas and chilaquiles." 

Chilaquiles was my last dish upon leaving Austin. Boarding the plane, I gripped a shopping bag full of almonds, apples and other wholesome snacks from Whole Foods. The bag was given to me by a vegetarian acquaintance who felt she needed to intervene.

This picture is of an Angry Little Girls tote at a Japanese store in DC. I like that it is angry and cute and expresses an emotional reality.

If you ever go to San Francisco, it is imperative that you go to Japantown. The above image, from one location of the Maido stationery store (visit both, located in the mall) is one reason why.  There, you will find amazing karaoke, superlative stickers and notebooks (see lower image), and BANAO, the elite banana. We know how you feel.

This is a porno carrot. It is all natural. No enhancements.

In 2011, a mama duck took up residence at National Geographic with her ducklings. It was a dismal spring overall, and the duck family brightened my spirits immensely. As winter transitioned to spring this year, I waited for the mama duck to return. She did, but just hours after this shot she escaped to the White House lawn. I was so sad when the family left. The staff at Nat Geo had even made a ramp to the water for the ducklings, as you can see.

This is a terrible piece of "art" in a window in Austin. It grabs your attention first my startling you with its ugliness, then intriguing you with the real-life photo next to it. Keep Austin Weird? Hm.

I live in an apartment and it feels a little futile to engage in the jack-o-lantern thing at Halloween, but this year I refused to be deterred and got a wonderful heirloom pumpkin at the Round Barn Market in Gettysburg for a mere $2.50. I realized later that perhaps the reason it was only $2.50 is that it is VERY DIFFICULT to carve a textured, hardy pumpkin like this one. But I can't blame it entirely on the pumpkin: I am no great shakes when it comes to hand-eye coordination. And so the result of my carving experiment looked a bit like one from kindergarten class, but I had a pink wig for her to wear, and this is Dupont Circle, so it was definitely an adult endeavor. I anointed her Sheila.

Tragically, Sheila was near the window during Hurricane Sandy and developed frightening growths of mold, so she had to be retired the day before Halloween. Sheila, you brightened our lives for the short time that you were here.

I pushed this boy around the Dominican Republic in a stroller when he was 6 months old. Now he is 12. I remember when I learned that he was coming. It was a very tumultuous time. And I was not at all psyched or ready to be an aunt. Funny how all that changed after I met Austin.

Music: "Bloodstream"