I just realized that I haven't posted any recent work. Here's the recent work: They are all 2"x2" canvas oil paintings. Some I spend a lot of time on, some I didn't.

Finally! Something to do with all those spent tea leaves and coffee grounds clogging up my compost bucket! A digital printer which uses them for ink! And it's human powered!!!

http://wholelattelove.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/8/11/Turn-Those-Coffee-Grounds-into-Green-Ink

Herzog on the obscenity of the jungle

your daily zen. the last few seconds of the video are my favorite.

Journey to the Moon by William Kentridge

Yesterday I made a trip to the SFMoma's new rooftop garden. It's basically behind their top floor gallery. It has a sense of corporate park loneliness mixed with upper crust privilege.... Or at least that's what I felt as I waited behind a fussy older woman who ordered the "Wayne Theibaud Cake" not the "Piet Mondrian Cake" which she was served at the Blue Bottle Coffee kiosk(!). The cakes, I should mention, looked delicious, and took kitsch to a new level. Anyway back to the point of my visit.......

There are several notable sculptures on display, and the back wall of the indoor gallery is now a window looking out on the space. Inside are some really cool pieces, new acquisitions and permanent collection items. I recommend the top floor gallery and the William Kentridge survey currently on display (awesome).



I had only seen his drawings before, never his videos, which really grabbed my attention in this show. Drawing on theater, film history, classical music, and the artist in the studio doing art for art's sake, his has created fantastic yet simple films which are some of the best I've seen from a living artist. The thing I liked the most about them is that the materials used were often just paper, charcoal, eraser and ink. I'm going back soon to re-watch everything. It's very rare that I pay such close attention to a whole museum exhibition.

Justin Timberlake Death Metal

there's a soft spot in my heart for death metal versions of pop songs....

Went to Paris and Epernay. It was awesome. Drank some champagne and red champagne wine. Ate some sausage, croissants, ice cream, chocolate, bread, cheese, falafel, yogurt, pureed veggies, and macaroons. They were delicious. Went to museums saw some sights. Walked around and took the metro. Awesome, and awesome. More later. Sorry I didn't send a postcard.

I had my last cup of coffee from Ritual Roasters the other day. Not that I'm quitting, it was just the fact that it was sooooo bad, so burnt and acrid tasting, I almost returned it. Even with cream and sugar, I only managed to choke down half of it. I've had bad cups there before (french press) but I thought I'd give it one more shot, so to speak. I still might go there for espresso drinks, which have always been good. What's the deal?
The best cup of Joe in town has to be from Blue Bottle Coffee. I had their Gibraltar a couple weeks ago, and it was definately one of the best cups I've ever had. It comes in a large shot glass and is basically espresso with a little foam and milk. Like a cafe con leche. So fucking good that I didn't mind the 15 minutes I had to wait to get my drink. Their beans are always fresh and classy. It's best to go when they aren't busy. Pictured is a superb latte from 4 Barrel, Ritual's rival, they make a damn fine latte. The hipster quotient is high, but they don't have free wi-fi like Ritual does, so the minimal table space isn't taken by mac books.

I'm confused. Is this offering the services of a child molester?
seen at 17th and mission.

I will not get discouraged by the rain, the cretin who stole my back rim on Monday, the cancelled trip out of town, tmj, my palsy wages, that lost envelope of tips, jury duty, the failing economy, or my lack of production in the studio. There are many things to be excited about. I'm cramming for an upcoming trip to France. I'm going to eat a lot of things made with butter (beurre) while I'm there. I got a new rim with a keyed skewer. Things are popping up in the garden. I made some lentils. Colleen brought me candles. See? Lots.

Will Ferrell as Bush

saturday night at my house...

pasta making night. i finally got around to using semolina flour as opposed to regular. so much better! using semolina from now on. better texture and flavor. 

update on the kombucha: I'm bottling my third batch and I think I've finally made it drinkable. I mean, something I would WANT to drink versus something I have to remind myself to drink. In a couple weeks this batch will be delicious! The new batch will either be all black tea or a mix of green and black. The all green version I made was super strong and bitter. I used the wrong green, methinks. No more sencha. Meanwhile my 'cha mother has almost quadrupled in size. The green tea batch made it grow something fierce. 

The new project: KOMBUCHA!!!  

I've been given a kombucha baby and have already bottled my first batch. It was a lot of fun. The new baby was DISGUSTING but kind of cool to touch when I was bottling. Here's some pics:

ok, sorry to the one or two people who read this blog for not posting anything for a while. I've been concentrating on my flickr page with new photos of my recent trip to España. It's all the computer time I could handle. I've got over 250 photos of the trip up, and yes, I know that's a lot, but I swear I edited severely. There was just so much to see and the scenery was so beautiful, so I took tons of pictures. It was a wonderful trip and I wish I could have stayed much, much longer. On the trip back to the states I was already craving pimientos de padron, jamon Iberico, morcilla, and cafe con leche. All of which I tried to eat nearly every chance I got. I lamented the fact that I missed my chance for churros and hot chocolate in Madrid, and that I probably could have gotten away with smuggling chorizo in my checked luggage. That said, Joe and I drank as much wine as we possibly could while there (beer too, with breakfast sometimes). I ate so much jamon that i got sick of it for a couple days, but soon i was back on the wagon. fried potatoes, manchego, chorizo........... it was about the food, for me.

 It was supposed to be a half wine- half art trip. The art I enjoyed most was taken in in a big one day slurp of Madrid at Museo del Prado and Museo Centro Arte de Reina Sofia, no small feat. Of course, we practically ran through the Prado, because you have to, there is way too much in it. Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights made the visit worthwhile. There were also a few wonderful Goyas, but I've never been one for the old masters- style. I tried to see everything in the Reina Sofia, a modern and contemporary collection, however I really just went there to see Picasso's La Guernica. I stood and stared at it for 10- 15 minutes. It was amazing, as is their whole surrealist section. 

more later.

The next petition I intend to sign is going to be this one . I sincerely hope it gets on the November ballot. Demorcacy in action! Honor G.W. Bush by naming SF's sewage treatment plant after him. Yay! I love SF! 
update: it's on the ballot!!!

Ever been to *@#$% heaven? Last night I revisited the freaks of '86 at the Castro Theater. A double feature of probably my favorite David Lynch film, Blue Velvet, and Jonathan Demme's Something Wild. I remember the freakishness of Lynch's masterpiece, but it's so much freakier on the big screen with a room full of people. Dennis Hopper as an Oedipal gangster huffing nitrus, Isabella Rossellini as a tortured night club singer, and fresh faced Kyle MacLachlan, pre-Twin Peaks, looking for trouble with a teenage (role) Laura Dern. How could you go wrong? This is the most entertaining freak fest from Lynch ever. Oh, and I can't forget Dean Stockwell in his queenliest role ever, complete with lip syncing to Elvis and sucker punching. 

Followed by the most bizarre Demme film I've ever seen. 8o's cheese to the max. Jeff Daniels in his most entertaining role (not saying much, I admit) as a VP needing a vacation and Melanie Griffith as a con girl ready to give it to him. John Waters cameos. Ray Liotta is his usual freaky self. Good for how bad it is. Linen blue suits with white shoes. White girl obsessed with black  culture and reggae. Car chases. Stick ups. Fights. Sex.  

Yay! Guns are fun! Last night Animal Gabe and I went shooting at an indoor range. It was the first time I had fired a gun. At first the sounds were really unnerving, the guys next to us were firing a 12 gauge shotgun, so it was really loud. I just stood and watched them cut the target in half. Freaky! We shot the whimpy gun first, a .22 Ruger. It was fun and really accurate (I like to feel like I can aim) and made little pop sounds. The second gun was a Sig 9mm. It seemed light for it's size and less accurate (harder to aim). Gabe said it was similar to ones cops use, and he was obsessed with it because he saw it on a tv show. 

So much fun! Thursdays are Ladies Night, apparently, but I was the only lady in sight! What the hell is wrong with people? Don't they know this is where the fun is? Best non-alcoholic night I've had in ages. 

Malkmus ist RAD! Last night I saw Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks perform at Amoeba Records. Awesome show. While he's not the most enthusiastic of entertainers, somehow all eyes are glued on him. Janet Weiss rocked drums. The new album is good, too. 

 

My cellphone takes shitty pictures.