new ATCs.

So, I've been making a few ATCs over the weekend . . . I'm going to fly over to Indianapolis in June to attend a little conference for mail artists, organized by the wonderful, creative people who own the website www.atcsforall.com. I need to get some stuff together, so I have some cards to trade when I get there. I'm excited to meet some artists I only know online . . .

I'm a little nervous. I'm not the least abrasive chica in the world . . . and I get along with some of these artists SOOO well online. What happens when they find out I'm a completely bitter, hateful ass IRL? It's true.

This card is based on an image in the Mutter Museum's collection . . . it's also the inspiration for one of my tattoos.

how excited am i? kinda excited.

can someone really grow up in the pittsburgh area and NOT be excited that the steelers are going to the super bowl? i'm tickled . . . i think my husband is going to jump out of his skin, too.

so i've been quiet.

school has me busy . . . it's the end of week two of winter term, and i'm getting to know my students a bit better. i really like my classes. a lot of interesting people, and a lot of interesting opinions are already being made clear. i do not know what i could love more than teaching college writing. honestly.

the night before school began, on the fourth of january, steve had a seizure. he's never before had one. he'd been taking a nap, getting ready to work a graveyard shift. i had closed the door on him, so i could watch a movie in the living room. i head this loud groan--and at first, i couldn't figure out what it was. i thought it was the tv, then that it was outside, and as i stood up, i realized it was coming from the bedroom. he was seizing in his sleep. i called 911 . . .

a nightmare. he was completely out of it for about 30 minutes after what i think was a pretty short seizure. he went to the ER, and all tests are normal. he saw a neurologist yesterday, and he'll have an EEG next week. once the dr. has the results of that, he'll decide what to do.

i was terrified . . . all i could think of was that he was going to die. so, i've been a bit of a neurotic wreck over that, too. had a few migraines, had a few bad days over having to put jack to sleep . . . not a great new year so far.

i'll post again once i know more, i'm sure.

a new haircut.

okay, so i broke down and had my hair cut in roseburg. i haven't had it cut since mid-july, before we moved here. finally, i couldn't take it, and i made an appointment at an aveda salon in downtown.

it's not razor cut . . . so it's not quite as scary in that patti smith way that i like to wear it. and she took off six inches, so it's this little layered, shaggy shoulder-length thing. i probably look like a mom.

hisssssssssss.

hell might be wal-mart.

i went to wal-mart today because apparently i'm insane. i don't know what made me think i needed to be there on january 1. now, the wal-mart of small-town oregon is nothing in comparison to any one of the wal-marts i tried to avoid in the greater pittsburgh area, but still it was a nightmare.

and, like every other yokel, i was there to buy discount christmas crap. we had to leave so much of that stuff behind when we moved, that i just wanted to be able to buy some gift bags & tags, and maybe some stringed lights & garland to use next year.
this year, trying to save money & not buy too much full price, we didn't have a lot.

but, i had to navigate through people stepping over each other to buy discounted christmas candy and dented gift tins filled with spritzers of Britney Spears Curious eau de toilette.

and i deserved it.

happy effin' new year.

i've gained way too much weight this past year, i've moved across the country, spent way too much money on airline tickets, apparently i've used bad language far too often at my new place of employment, and my beloved cat died.

maybe now is NOT the time to be making resolutions. BUT . . . i will.

1. try to maybe lose a few pounds. i don't mind being fat and sassy, but i'd like my jeans to fit a little better.

2. write more.

3. submit more poetry for publication . . . i've been pissing that away lately.

4. read more.

i have two of kazuo ishiguro's novels on my bed table. i'm hoping to have them both done by the end of january. i'd like to start reading two novels per month, just for pleasure. teaching forces me to read student work all the time, then i let myself forget what it's like to enjoy reading.