Last weekend? The Alternative Press Expo. (APE) in SF. Two of our friends, Yosiell (Joe-see-ell) and Stefan, were exhibiting their Zines, pushing their merch., and networking with other frustrated artists at the Expo.
The venue was exceptionally hot and stuffy, a bad plan considering that personal hygiene isn't typically an area of focus for most artistic types, and add the entire emo vibe, it's a recipe for European strength BO.
Anytime attending these types of events, over stimulation is a definite drawback. One couldn't walk around without seeing a severed head, zombie killer, vampire, anime character, or some other sci-fi/horror graphic type novel. And what is it with art nerds and their fascination with breasts? Not just the male artists but the female artists as well.
Most of the exhibitors actually exhibited talented work with a high degree of technique...several exhibited work tantamount to pencil and stick drawings but one has to admire the commitment.
Walking around, most of the exhibitors we spoke with were very nice but could sense that we weren't emotionally damaged artists working out some issues and so we enjoyed a certain outsider status.
We spent some time at the Sickling table with Yosiell.
Yosiell, at the farthest table from the entrance. One hopes next year he will be deeper into the fray!
Yosiell's sculpted toy, Poison Sweet, available from his website:
http://yosielllorenzo.com/
One last Yosiell creation, a time lapse video of one of his paintings.
Our next favorite artist is Stefan Salinas, stuck in the gay ghetto section of APE. Stefan is a friend from the UU church and a member of the choir. I didn't manage to get a photo of Stefan but we did manage to pick up his graphic novel / poetic reflection. Check it out on his website: http://www.stefansalinas.com/
Dipping a toe into the shallow end of the Alternative Press pool was interesting although way over stimulating. So, so many talented artists with definite dark sides. I felt a little like Margaret Mead strolling through the subculture jungle. I applaud the the bravery it must take to place your work out for all to see and essentially to judge.
Surrounding myself with creative people stimulates my creativity, as Ani Defranco sang, "Art is the reason I get up in the morning, but my definition ends there." So a toast to my favorite artists...to the painters, and sculptors, and hoopers, and fire poi dancers, and photographers, and poets, and drag queens, and musicians and writers and so on...Thanks for taking the time to follow your passion and as an aside, for feeding my soul.
Here it is 9-11, and I'm asking myself where summer went. Each year passing seems to fly by in an instant but this summer in particular. We took no big trips anywhere, preferring to spend our days avoiding housework and yard-work with a vengeance. So, here we sit at the end of summer with no travel memories and a yard that still needs lots of work. Was it wasted? Heck to the no on that one. Despite the warnings of our favorite fables, sometimes the grasshopper needs to rest and hibernate instead of preparing for the long cold winter. Plus quite frankly, this is California, how long and cold can the winter be?
Despite the low stress days, we did manage to enjoy a few diversions. So gentle readers, enjoy a glass of red and peruse a few random photos and sardonic comment as I recap the summer's end...
Donna and Diane came for a visit to see the sights and catch up. What an enjoyable few days of conversation, roaming SF and a bit of Dore Alley Debauchery (our local leather community street fair).
We made a brief stop on one of the crystal clear days in San Francisco at Twin Peaks for a panoramic view of downtown SF. Could one ask for a more beautiful moment.
As a Birthday treat, Lance and Monique joined us at the Lake Chalet for appetizers and drinks. Truly, another Oakland magical day, warm weather, with a slight breeze and a beautiful view of the hills. Good conversation and happy hour prices. Good times.
By the by, just a shout out to Lance and Yosiell, two of my friends, both bass players and both similar in temperament and artistry, check out the Muppets honoring the under appreciated bass player:
Sondre Lerche also played this tune on the new Muppets cover tune album...perhaps a more appropriate version but no video available to embed.
While camping, this photo proves you can take the boy out of the trailer but...
Yes, this snack is perhaps the most toxic worst nutritional nightmare for skinny trainers and calorie counters but, gentle reader, you can't tell me it ain't just flat out delicious!
Campsite, sweet campsite in Guerneville! Nice weekend. Next time we will post signs warning, "Don't Feed the Bears", as they may follow you home.
One of my favorite kids, John, went to Circus Arts camp. The kids developed a circus performance and performed for the low low price of $5. The circus arts place is called Kinetic Arts in Oakland, and the gym hosts many different classes. For those so inclined, I recommend checking it out. The kids were actually amazingly fearless and performed incredible feats. Great performance John!
Dominic hosted a wonderful Hawaiian Luau for friends and family, complete with dancers and wonderfully delicious eats.
Our host and one of the guest's of honor.
My contribution! Yes, friends, wig heads are back and modern materials are providing much more durable appetizer displays. Oscar and Dominic created the Spam Kabobs, so truly a community effort to create this amazing sculpture. Unfortunately, she fell over fairly early in the party...I'll consult my engineer minded partner for the next one!
Spaniard's in the house!
Truly an international smorgasborg. Geraldine is certainly the creamy filling in that Castillian Cookie sandwich.
Nick back from the national tour. A little road weary but none the less for wear! Welcome home!
The dancers providing a show stopping performance. Very nice evening of which i mostly remember. Sangria is a deliciously evil elixir that will sneak up on a mild mannered educator and knock him on his ass! My apologies to Geraldine, who tried to keep up, and for my purported indiscriminate actions...
This next photo may incriminate me in a trespassing and littering crime, if not for my solid alibi, provided by request only and then to the proper authorities.
Others that may choose to provide information regarding this crime, may find a random gnoming at their own house. Just sayin'.
And that brings us up to date, except for "The Best Buck in the Bay" gay rodeo and festival. Wha...what? Yesterday (9/10) was spent in the sweltering sun watching the excitement of the rodeo. Our friend, Johnny, is in for the rodeo so we trudged 60 miles south of San Fran to La Honda for the San Fran gay rodeo and to cheer Johnny on in his events (although by the time we got there we missed both events, sorry Johnny). The gay rodeo circuit seems to be winding down for the year so it was great to see this one in such a beautiful spot.
And with the ubiquitous rainbow flag, we are off to the rodeo.
Yosiell and me at the rodeo...talk about fishes out of the tank, but enjoying the festivities regardless.
One of the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" lending support and their financial contributions. Is there anyplace in the Bay Area that their generous clutches don't reach? Excellent humanitarians!
Johnny, "branded" with his competitors number.
White straw hats seem to be the fashion du jour!
Junior bull riding. Serious injuries during the junior bull riding and the full bull riding. Lots of men clutching their valuables after this event (most searching for jewels that have actually been kicked into the bleachers...the women fended no less with the injuries, by the by).
I don't care who you are...now, that's exciting!
Wooly Bull showing his stuff.
This event is only part of the gay rodeo circuit and involves a drag queen, a lesbian and a cowboy. (Although Rusty was highly disappointed in the drag, definitely not up to the Mordecai standards).
Cowboy Up!
Quite a fitting tribute to this 9-11 weekend. Just a reminder that patriotism in its many forms is not reserved for straight white people exclusively.
So gentle reader, here is a toast to the official end of summer. The lazy days are being replaced by work filled hours, projects around the house, and writing University papers. I'm sure we will find some time to fit in a martini or two, especially with a December visit from our Aussie prodigal daughter. Keep posted!
This year, the adage that things can be as cold as a San Francisco summer holds little weight as temperatures remain pleasantly mild. The sun continues to shine and the fog continues to arrive late and leave just after dawn (if it comes at all). Bay area residents aren't sure how to prepare for decent summer weather and with a few degrees rise in temperature, the mood can change from friendly to New Yorker in no time flat.
The weather during Med and Bill's visit earlier this month was absolutely beautiful. Perfect for sight seeing and gallery hopping. We had a magnificent time showing off our favorite spots and discovering some new places with our North Carolina loved ones.
We spent the Fourth of July weekend in Guernville at a house on the river. Thanks to Matt and Ryan for putting us up for the night and letting us sit on a few inner tubes for hours on end soaking up beers and sun. On the Fourth of July we lounged on the beach near Jenner, CA (a small coastal town) in a secluded paradise! Very few others to share the beach. A perfect day with a cool ocean breeze forcing even the most intense German to relax.
In other news, Rusty has spent much of July playing with his new grill. This ceramic smoker takes some getting used to and we've tried all sorts of foods from tri-tip to pizzas, but I have yet to enjoy a hot dog off of the thing yet. Of course using a smoker for a few of Oscar Meyers' finest would be complete over kill, but the German in me has gotta have some sort of sausage or it ain't truly a Barbecue.
Last weekend, Dominic and Oscar hosted an afternoon Barbecue. The company was excellent and the wine was flowing. This could only mean one thing: a walk over to Kato's for Karaoke. We, again, had a great time at Kato's. I am waiting for the day that Amy, bartender extraordinaire, gets fed-up and has us all thrown out onto the streets but as of yet, it hasn't happened.
Last night, an almost perfect evening with the Avett Brothers at the Fox Theatre. You gotta love these high energy "Folk" musicians from North Carolina. Their blend of folk/rock/mountain music/punk is a combination hard to imitate. Certainly infectious. By the way, the Fox Theatre? Beautiful! We were on the floor with the hoy ploy, a really friendly and fun crowd. Lots of flannel and bearded college students with pretty young girlfriends, everyone throwing lots of love to the boys on the stage. A great way to spend an evening.
As great as July has been on our stay-cation, we do have some sad news to report. Tasha has left the building...she will be missed.
Eulogy For Tasha (Our Cat)
“That cat must be yours!” I said after Rusty had just been swiped by a black and white kitten, drawing blood from the side of his nose. “This pretty one is mine.” With that we adopted two cats, litter mates only similar in their eyes, from the Durham pound almost eleven years ago.
Tasha has recently disappeared. Last week the vet told us a tumor has been growing inside of Tascha and she has been losing weight, down to a scant 3 lbs. 15 oz. We chose to take her home and provide some spoiling before the inevitable. A few nights ago, Tasha disappeared out the back door and has not been seen since. We believe she left to die alone.
I’m choosing to believe Tasha has curled up under a flower covered bush and passed away peaceful. Rusty, of course, believes she is on some wacky Disney style cross country adventure with an otter, squid and a spunky hamster and may be coming up the drive any minute.
In general, I have very little love for cats, but Tascha was different. She spent most of her formative years sitting on my chest waiting for me to fall asleep. She then went to the foot of my bed for most of the night. This was a nightly occurrence and heaven fore fend I should not go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Later years, here in California, Tascha had come out of her shell and was known to wait on the sidewalk to be petted by every neighbor. When the street was slow, Tascha would wander the neighborhood looking for people.
It turns out she wasn’t mine after all, she was the neighborhood’s cat. She will be missed by three year old August who insists on visiting her often, and the women working from home who feed her too, and the men across the street who pet her as they sit on the steps drinking beers calling her "The Model" because of her lithe graceful moves and constant poses anytime anyone is watching. But most of all she will be missed by Rusty and myself. She was a good cat and for someone who has no affinity for cats, that’s saying a mouthful.
"The three of us are going to fit in there?", I asked the Transit Officer as Rusty, he and I climbed into a postage stamp sized elevator in the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Crammed in so close I felt like we were sharing deodorant, we rose 500 ft. above the roadway in a caged elevator for four minutes. The anticipation was absolutely unbearable but we finally made it to the two metal rung ladders, necessary last steps before popping our heads out of the portal and experiencing the exhilaration of conquering ones fears for this experience and of breathtaking beauty Buddhists entering Nirvana must feel.
We stood on the Tower Span holding on to the railing for fear of tumbling to the traffic below. 45 Minutes of pure adrenaline, crescendoing into exhilaration. The wind whipped around us only adding to the overall experience. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would be experiencing this incredibly specific view of the Bay and surrounding area.
Eternal thanks to our friend Tony for arranging this once in a lifetime opportunity. Rarely do I wax enthusiastically and rarely am I prone to sweeping statements, but I am forever changed from the experience. Sorry friends, but I will be boring you with pictures until I have exhausted all 100+ of them ( expect to see them on holidaycards, on my wall and anywhere else I can plaster them - funny note, in order to do this one must not only swear that you won't sue Golden Gate Transit Authority but also that you won't sell the pictures).
Other exciting news, last weekend Rusty and I went to the Greek (Berkeley) to see Florence and the Machine. I am now an incredibly big fan! Rusty described Florence as diaphanous and he isn't far off the mark. If one has only heard her two most popular songs (Cosmic Love and Dog Days are Over), then attend one of her concerts and you'll be using archaic language to try and describe her performance, presence, and musicality!
Before going to see Florence, we had gone to see Donna Sachet at Harry Denton's Starlight Lounge (Top of the MArk) for Sunday is a Drag brunch. The brunch was way over priced but the show was flawless, and Donna was witty, sarcastic and a pretty decent singer. After attending, a friend reminded us had we gone to half price tickets in Union Square the Saturday before, we would not have shelled out our entire paycheck for this excellent show (just a little tip for those considering a trip our way and looking for a "classy" drag experience - as contrasted with the Aunt Charlie's Drag Experience).
After an exhausting end of the school year, summer plans are in full swing. Keep posted for a visit to the DeYoung for the newest Picasso exhibit, a visit from rusty's evil stepsister, Med Byrd, and our trip to North Carolina in mid July. By the way, I spoke with that Aussie hottie, Ms. Drew, via Skype. She's doing well, but wouldn't mind other Skype friends if ever you get a chance.
