TAKING PHOTOS AND RUBBISH

First stop: Ireland

Then: more Ireland, and Scotland

And, let's not forget: Holland

LEIGH, CURTIS AND ME

Leaving Gagosian the other evening, a strange, tall, deranged man walking the streets said "Hey, you look like that actress in that cop movie...." when he saw me. I was on my cell phone heading to the parking structure and didn't give him the attention he was hoping for, but I could tell he was still thinking about it, trying to come up with the name. Just as the elevator door was closing, I hear him yell from the around the corner on the street, "Jamie Lee Curtis!" I laughed at the vigor he displayed in his voice. I suspect that I'll never be mistaken for that actress again.

Earlier at the opening, the biggest name I saw was Jennifer Jason Leigh who is very tiny and was dressed unassuming, which was refreshing.

Later at the after party at the infamous Chateau Marmont, spotted Blithe Danner (Paltrow's mom too) who's son, I hear, is dating the artist. Not a big fan of the work.

Now, I'm off on my three-week excursion!

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOUR UNEMPLOYED

1. Do some marketing for sister-in-law's new store: The Mint Fashion Exchange. Got her all hooked up online and with an ad.
2. Take professional photos of artist's installation at LACMA. Diaz rocks.
3. Plan for trip to Ireland/Scotland/Holland. Yo Yeah!
4. Make lots of delicious and sinful desserts, like coffee ice cream (I added a hint of cinnamon).
5. Go swimming a lot.
6. Help husband with an art handling job at Tishman Speyer.
7. Apply for unemployment and send resume out. So much fun.
8. Try to figure out what are the most important things in life.
9. Spend too much time on Facebook.
10. Watch Bill Moyers. He rules!
11. Read Murakami's Wind-up Bird Chronicles and love it.
12. Celebrate my mom and Bettie's blue ribbons in the Iowa State Frickin' Fair!!
13. Freak out over the Olympic opening ceremony performances and watch the fish Michael Phelps win 8.
14. This list could go on and on and on....

HIGH SURFLINER

On my first day of freedom (Aug 2) after the gallery closed Jonathan and I went up to Santa Barbara to a good-bye party for funny guy Allen Hurlbert. He left for a faculty position at UNC, which is so far away. Jamie and Sus convinced me to stay over with them and help make interior design decisions for their new faculty house at Cate. It was fun. We made a huge train track around their family room with Willy's toys... and made lots of progress on their furniture and artwork arrangements. It's paradise up there.

ANYWAY, I took Amtrak's Surfliner from paradise to LA. I sat on the top level facing the ocean and it was the best trip. Sus was going to give me reading material for the trip, but so glad that didn't happen. Started with a random girl near a campsite snoozing in a sleeping bag in the middle of a field of brush near the tracks. The light. The colors were at an all-time high. Then, there was the kite surfers and the big banana at the Ventura County Fair. Next, rows of perfectly planted beans and subdivisions before the collections of wood palates, storage units, mobile homes and oleanders lining the tracks. Enter smog. Approaching our 'hood, I see project houses I didn't know about, a crazy metal materials yard/business and finally the men's jail. In the train gate hallways there's a man with an ankle tracking devise and a woman and child running with absolute glee. While waiting for Jonathan, follow the music I heard and run across the street to historic Olvera Street, where there was a beautiful 'traditional' Aztec drumming performance with dancers in full regalia, and around the corner more music by a Mexican band. I had sensory overload by the time I got home. I feel I travelled more than the 82 miles that day.

MORNING'S IFFY FISHY WRIST

This damn RA is a pain in the... wrist. Woke this morning to some major pain. Can't bend my wrist forward or back too far. Daily tasks blow up to almost unmanageable proportions and it takes focus and determination to pour the coffee, spread the jam, pluck the eyebrow. I've been away from my swimming routine for a week and wonder if that's the difference. Hopefully enbrel's effect is not waining. Or, maybe it's sympathy pains for Mom's broken wrist. Hmmm.

Pat lightens the day by sending the photos of their fishing trip to Michigan. My two brothers (Pat left & Sean right) and Sean's boys. So excellent.

HAS WILL SMITH EATEN MY COOKIES?!

When I have a lot on my mind, I like to eat. It's such a good distraction and I've been lucky to come across some fantastic recipes. Last night, Lauren brought the best potato salad to a BBQ we attended. She said she got it off of the Well Fed blog. I have to say, her's looked more beautiful because she used small purple potatoes in the mix. We should have taken a photo.

Then there's the bourbon, ginger ale, lime cocktails I learned about on KCRW's Good Food. Martha Foose publishes enticing recipes in her new cookbook Screen Doors and Sweet Tea.

The other evening, while at a friend's dinner party, I had fun meeting Lulu who is a chef for some movie stars and I happened to get her ginger cookie recipe, which I baked for yesterday's BBQ. They were a huge hit. Allison kept yelling "Siobhan made these!!" Here are the details:

Lulu's Lucious Ginger Cookies

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 c. finely chopped crystallized ginger

topping: 1/4 c. sugar, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, mix flour and baking soda and set aside. In large bowl cream butter and sugars. Add egg, molasses, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix in the flour/baking soda mixture. Lastly, add the crystallized ginger. Roll into balls, then roll in the topping mixture. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

PS - Another food blog favorite of mine is Smitten Kitchen.

PSS - I made this pizza recipe a while ago and loved it. Alterations: I used pre-made pizza dough and baked (vs grilled) the pizza as indicated on the dough instructions and then added a bunch of arugula on top. Delicious.

PSSS - This series is pretty interesting: Gourmet's Four Farmers Project

GETTING IT ALL OUT

A very abbreviated catch up session on my latest busy-ness:
Boys of Summer - nephews visit so cal!
Firestone Wedding - Jonathan sings in the ceremony, including (upon the couple's request) a finale of Living On A Prayer; lots of fun the whole weekend; and even saw gals in the restroom feeling up each other... comparing their "jobs" I guess.
Took the neon down at Mary Goldman Gallery on Monday... and working like crazy to close the place.
House sat for friends in the 'hood.
Thursday's open of Roni Horn at Gagosian... dinner after was delicious and entertaining. Went to back to the gallery to retrieve our cars only to find a 30 ft flat-bed truck blocking us. It was 11 or so by then and no one around, though I discovered the keys were in it so Jonathan jumped into move it... funny, strange and lucky.
Interviewed with Santa Fe's LewAllen Contemporary on Friday at the Sunset Tower Hotel... not sure if I could dig it enough.
Last night's discovery of bourbon, ginger ale and lime was delightful. Later, at the art-movie screenings down on Chung King Road was satisfying... a good turnout and good flicks.
Celebs: Besides Andrew & Ivana... let's see there was Ron Livingston at Mike (aka Dennis) Koch's art opening, then we got to know Anne Anka/de Zogheb at the Gagosian dinner party... she was lovely and very interesting. Hmm... is that it?!

THE BIRDS AND THE CROAKING

mocking bird destroyed in the dead of night
look, she sees, a bird in the palm
a hawk drops its pestering passerine
the water ripples

the bullfrogs call
gravel moves underfoot
as sunset closes my eyes
and I breathe in
this could be home,
upended

DODGING THE DOG

A few of us went to see the Dodgers play the Indians last night. After a couple beers in the air conditioned gallery, we walked up the "urinal swirl" (a curved graffiti-ed walkway that leads over the freeway to Dodgers Stadium) to catch the game. Even though we didn't win, I'm glad we stuck it out because the 9th inning was exciting. Not only did the Dodgers tie up the game, a gnarly brawl broke out in our section, which spiced things up even more. I can't believe I didn't get a Dodger Dog!

This morning after a short and bad sleep in our very hot house, I had the pleasure of using our backyard hose as my shower (please, let the plumbing be fixed tonight). good times. I rewarded myself by stopping in Little Tokyo before work. Walls of strange (really strange) Hello Kitty items have a surprisingly medicinal effect.

THE PROBLEM WITH PLUMBING

Oh, what fun. We have a problem with our plumbing and our landlord is a trip, I tell you. We can't use our bathroom at all (no showers, no toilet) and he says he'd get around to fixing it within the month. With our pressing he found two "little guys" to do the work. He liked that they were little because they could fit under this house(!). Needless to say they are not certified plumbers and it could take two weeks to fix. "No way!," I say, "I have job hunting to do and family visiting and we need to USE OUR HOUSE." He is a funny old man with an eccentric history so you must pick your battles. I don't judge the way he lives, though when it's imposed upon us, it's too much. He has three lots; we live on one and he lives on the third in three different houses. His partner Uncle Bill passed away a couple years ago and would be so upset to see the way he is living over there... even by their standards it's bad. Anyway, he offered for us to use the bathroom in the "Bijou" property. It is fascinating on one hand, and on the other, it is crazy for him to expect us to be okay with this arrangement. Luckily, it should be fixed by Saturday evening. In the meantime, I'm showering at the public pool. Did I mention this is all taking place just a few miles from downtown LA? I don't know why that seems odd. ...more photos

FATTY'S FOOD

Jonathan took me on a surprise outing to Fatty's... seriously one of my favorite eateries in Los Angeles. Owner Kim Dingle has been known to rub people the wrong way, but she can do no wrong in my book. I've been a fan since we first met when I worked for her and Odi when they opened Fatty's. So, Jonathan and I sat out in the patio and sipped wine, ate fondue and had Kim's latest dessert concoction the Belgian Float made with ice cream and a very dry raspberry beer!

And, we saw Andy Dick as we left. Which reminds me... I believe I never posted some celebrity sightings from an opening at Gagosian in February. It was Julian Schnabel's opening during Oscar season (he directed The Diving Bell & The Butterfly). I crossed paths with Diane Keaton on the way in. I'm forgetting most, but Schnabel was there of course, and fashion designer and Project Runway judge Roberto Cavalli. Oh! And, Jonathan showed about-to-receive-an-oscar Tilda Swinton around the exhibition. I just looked at an online slide show from the evening and see that Werner Herzog was there. In a small gathering in the back offices, Seymour Cassel paid me a nice compliment and made sure my champagne glass was full. At the after party at Mr. Chow's I saw Lauren Hutton and Niki Hilton (Paris came to pick her up after I left), but unfortunately didn't see attendee Matt Dillon.

MERRY OLD NEW ENGLAND

We just returned from a fantastic trip to Massachusetts, where we helped celebrate the marriage of Caroline deLima and Eric Rubbe. We flew into Boston the week prior, so we had time to celebrate Sarah deLima's birthday at their home in Cohasett, then visit friends in Boston, and take a trip to upstate New York to see old friends Daisy, Van & their Starla before swinging by MassMoCA in North Adams on our return to the coast. The wedding was in Cape Cod and we had several days to enjoy the area while prepping for the big day. It was so gorgeous, making it quite difficult to come home.

Here's a good pic of us on the beach (a block from the house). Jonathan has a tough time not making a goofy face in photos, but he did a good job in this. His song to his sister and her groom was brilliant. More photos on my Facebook! Here are the links: album 1, album 2, album 3

ART IN MY MIND

My dream last night involved rearranging art that was in my mind. No, not art I was thinking about, but actually art that belonged in my head. The works were mainly black with a few streaks of strategically placed colors like red or blue. I was moving them around and waiting for them to download into their new positions. As if I were a computer, working hard, I felt exhausted during this time and remember waking up half way to note this fact. I love how dreams feel so real that they don't seem strange at the time.

Then, I dreamt about having an interview where I was (still) so tired that I tried so hard to keep my eyes open while the interview was talking, but it just didn't work. As I was leaving (needless to say it didn't go well) I realized I left my purse. It was a dark color and the office areas were full of really dark shadows so I couldn't find it anywhere. I was looking forever. There was a time when I would dream that I was the one showing people where their stuff was. They couldn't see what was in front of them. Hmm...

Today at work, I found a Polaroid camera and wondered how long it was sitting there and if there was film left in it. There was one picture left, and here's my self portrait.

3 2 1 ROLL CAMERA

It's movie week. 

Tuesday: Iron Man at the Highland Park 3 theater with the neighbors. Three dollars for bad sound, stinky air and a rowdy crowd (it's improved over the years). I wouldn't have paid any more for that movie. Downey was good and that's all I can say.

Wednesday: Midnight at Weimer's house. We've been having movie night at my landlord's house. I have the same description for the place as the Highland 3 (it's gotten worse over the years). I wouldn't change it for the world. He knew most of Midnight's cast and he acquired the iron gate on Ave 46 from writer Charles Brackett's house after he passed away.

Thursday: A free screening of Manifesto at AUTOMAT (vending machine store next door based -loosely- on the NY version). Dina and I ate spelt/apple snacks while drinking Tecate and watching this artsy film about the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski's brother was played by one of the artists we've represented at the gallery. 

SUNDAY'S FLOATING CHURCH

With nine feet of water under me, I swam through a religious experience. The sky blue; the air breezy; the water cool; the mood peaceful; the body (fairly) strong; the mind clear. I could hardly believe the perfection. At one point there was only one other person in the pool with me and she was doing some rather interesting exercises. It was so quiet and the stresses of life lifted for that 40 minutes. Hallelujah, right?

I'm starting my mother's version of the grape fast today. Have I ever fasted?! I think I'm going to need a little luck.

PS - I am slacking on the celebrity postings, but I saw Jack Black, Zachary Quinto and some others in the last 24 hours.

THE POOL THAT RULES

This city keeps revealing hidden treasures, even after seven years of being here. And, so many within a few miles of our house. Just within the last few months I've hit the jackpot on several occasions. While looking for a bright-colored dress for my sister-in-laws Cape Cod wedding, I found Shareen Vintage where I bought a lovely silk green dress that is rockin'. Then, when I was dog sitting for my sister, I actually walked through LA Historic State Park (which was formerly used for the cornfield project) and it was such a great experience. I've driven by this park almost everyday since I moved here and have seen it go through all it's transformations. Glad that pup made the introduction. Then, I happened across Elysian Park's trails, which were so satifying. I think the kicker, though, has been finding Glassell Park Pool. It's open year-round and free with a library card. Does that rock or what?

TIME'S A TICKIN'

ACE OF BASE IN A BETTER PLACE

My good buddy Ace the stray cat was put down on Monday. He lost a lot of weight and I planned to take him to the vet on Monday, but his other friend down the street had the same instincts and took him in Monday morning. They indicated cancer was getting the best of him and advised that he be put down. Before I got word of this yesterday, I had a dream in which he visited me looking all healthy and happy. It was nice of him to let me know that he was in a better place. Ahhh... I miss that scruffy guy!

MRS. MEYERS CLEANED UP

We (my mom and sister-in-law) went down to Aneheim to support my sister Sarah do product research at the huge natural products expo (expowest). It was interesting and lots of fun... with even a celebrity sighting or two. The big splash was Daryl Hannah running by me to greet her friend and then another actress that I recognized from the soaps, but I can't remember her name. The best part, though, was hearing Michael Pollan's talk and meeting Mrs. Meyers. She's fantastic: from the midwest, her cleaning products smell wonderful, her marketing is lighthearted and her booth was the best. They served snacks, gave a way totes and poured a mean lime-aid/vodka/basil cocktail.

INTERSECTING MY VIEW

The tree between here and the convenient store that supplies my hot coco fix had a huge swarm of bees hanging of one of its branches. It was dripping bees. Deciding to keep my head up, I noticed the next tree had a small stuffed lion toy stuck in the crux of its branches. A few steps later there was a photo shoot happening in the alley behind the gallery. The subject being some non-Chinese strong dude in a torn T-shirt. Next, the little family of girls who live upstairs playing out front with their three-wheelers and kick ball. A sweet scene that we are able to witness regularly. This morning I stopped by Homegirl Cafe (motto being Jobs Not Jail, gives job training to at risk youth and former gang members) and the conversational man at the next table happen to share a very similar upbringing as my own: growing up on a farm in Iowa. It's all about the intersections.

GOODBYE PIGGY

Did I mention I love working in Chinatown? Here's another reason. Some may wince horribly at this sight, but I am so affected by the fact that you can turn the corner and see the unexpected at any given time. This actually goes for all of LA and what keeps me diggin' our digs... and pigs. Goodbye Year Of The Pig!

DEALING TO DILLON

Matt Dillon stopped by our booth at the ArtLA fair in Santa Monica. He was interested in artist David Rathman. Rock on.

YES WE CAN COME BACK

Hello again. I'm back. Will continue with a new theme of thoughts, memories... and an occassional celebrity. Here's my Super Tuesday post!!!!!! It's a little too cute for my taste (what is up with Johansson?!), but it's an appropriate goodie for today.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.
YES, WE CAN.

CELEB #13: TURTLE CIRCLES MCGRAW

I have started to get distracted on this blog. I do that. I get bored and get scattered until the next thing peeks my interest. So, it is actually fitting that as I am intending to draw this to a close, or morph it into a different sort of journal, I see it as a close to a cirle. An earlier turning point in my life involved a turtle. Yes, a turtle. On my wedding day, we were decorating the hall in rural Iowa and my mom excitededly pulls me away and says, "You have to come see what is blessing your wedding. I was waiting to see what it would be, and it has arrived." And, outside the front door of the hall was a huge snapping turtle in the grass. Hanging out, it was. We were married on mother's day and, in some Native American traditions, turtle's "medicine" is mother earth, among other things. My mom was so pleased, and incorporated its blessing into her reading during the ceremony.

Now, my latest celebrity sighting (and last celeb post?) happened at San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico during the annual winter solstice Turtle Dance ceremony on December 26. Ally McGraw was visitor, like me, to the ceremony. She is best known for her role Love Story with Ryan O'Neall, but here she is on YouTube. The Turtle Dance is very cool, but I won't say much about it because I love the fact that you can't find a ton of information about these traditional ceremonies and I won't pretend to be an authority on the subject. Simply though, the ceremony defines the end of one year and the beginning of another. I highly recommend the experience. I appreciated that there was nothing commercial about it: nothing was sold, no vendors in sight, no billboards, no plastic banners. Ahhhhh.

had to delete that

that list of jobs of mine just got me all wigged out