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Nick

Book quote no. 1…

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I’m reading the most remarkable book right now. Its title: Shampoo Planet. Its author: Douglas Coupland. I’m only 35 scant pages in and already I’ve come across more fantastic words in excellent sequence than I would ever have expected. A fine example from the thirty-fifth page:

“Imagine you are sitting down in a chair and on a screen before you you are shown a bloody, ripping film of yourself undergoing surgery. The surgery saved your life. It was pivotal in making you you. But you don’t remember it. Or do you? Do we understand the events that make us who we are? Do we ever understand the factors that made us do the things we do?”

And I continue on, deeper into the novel. I’ll report back when I find more profundity.

In the tradition of Amélie…

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Since I just watched Amélie for like the thousandth time over the weekend, I’ve decided to make a list of little, odd things that I really enjoy (much like cracking crème brûlée with a spoon):

  • the sound a cup makes on a saucer when walking to/from the kitchen
  • cracking my ankles after a long day of trudging around campus
  • emptying the vacuum collection chamber
  • the smell of a green house on a very hot day

And yours are?

Tigger Photo: 003

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She’s only been here for twelve hours and already she’s disaffected.

Tigger Photo: 002

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A casual turn from the camera is really a chance to show off her jewelry.

7491: Code for New Image?

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7491

And there you have it: a brand new image created by me. I’ve mixed a ton of different elements from my own photo collections, dabblings in Illustrator and bits borrowed from Deviant Art, specifically user Scully_7491. If you like it, you can download it from My Portfolio or directly by clicking here. [edit: pulled second link]

Oh yeah…

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…I went to Pittsburgh over my ‘weekend’ with Sonya and Britanni. We were mainly there to go to Warped Tour (here, let me save you the trouble: WARPED TOUR IS GAY! THOSE BANDS SUCK!) but we also spent some time scrubbing down and delousing the pair’s new apartment. It was a whirlwind of activity from Wednesday night until I arrived back at my home yesterday evening, but a lot of fun. The concert itself was actually enjoyable. I didn’t know who most of the bands were, there were thousands of annoying little teenagers and disgusting ‘punk kids’ and it was about the same weather as a fetid armpit…but the overall atmosphere was very nice. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, even security. AFI put on a really good performance (again, to help you out: AFI SUX!) and I discovered that I really like a few new bands, most notably HelloGoodbye. I think I had more fun just talking to my fellow travelers, though…both at the show and during our adventure.

I’d definitely go again.

Philosophical anecdote…

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I remember last summer that it was fiercely hot in August, right about the time that Bellefonte has a craft and arts fair. Like a low-rent response to Arts Fest in State College…mostly consisting of street vendors with wickedly unhealthy foodstuffs. My mother came down for this event and decided that, more than art, she needed a cinnamon roll the size of a small child. So, we walked about for like an hour or two, sweating profusely in the 90º weather, wanting to die before she felt that she had earned her icing smothered treat. Roll in hand, we made our way back up to my apartment. Somewhere along our journey, though, we acquired a passenger – a very small bee/hornet thing. You know, one of those irritating little hovering bastards that spend their time annoying people and flocking around trash cans at carnivals and the like? Yeah…that’s what followed us into my apartment. He swarmed around the table, trying desperately to get to the sugary pastry while we picked and prodded at it. When we finished, my mom decided that we should let him land on the remnants and then close him in the clear plastic container. Entombed as he was, he made no effort at all to flee because of the ridiculous amounts of sweetness in which he now found himself. We tossed the sticky storage bin into the trash and left, no doubt on our way to Wegman’s and Target, but the whole time I kept thinking about this insect. He was both happy as could be in a veritable promised land and careening towards a painful end as the air in his chamber changed to poison. Would he live out his short life span happily consuming what was given to him and never have to know the reality of his situation? Or would he asphyxiate on his own waste and pay the price for being so single-minded?

I’m sure this is a perfect metaphor for something, but I really don’t know to what it would be best applied. I guess the story fits a lot of the situations in my world these days so I suppose that’s what’s brought it back to the forefront of my mind. In any case…

A decent weekend…

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My aunt and uncle are back in town from Arizona with my cousins, Lauren and Ryan. I’ve not seen them in seven years, so it was a pretty interesting opportunity to see how people have changed over the years…and see how much I’ve changed to them. The consensus: very much in some respects and not very much at all in others. By the end of our reunion dinner at my grandma’s house, it really didn’t seem like they had been away at all. Just like they had come in for one of their old weekend visits from Ohio. I guess that is a good thing to feel.

I’m not going to be cliché and talk about how amazed I am that summer has gone by so very quickly this year. It’s the end of July and I’m really glad for it. This summer has been hot and humid which makes getting to work and traversing the blocks and blocks (and blocks and blocks…) between my offices totally unbearable. I definitely had some very enjoyable times this summer so far – Blondie, visiting Philly, the NMC conference – but I am not at all fighting the onset of fall. Bring it on, colored leaves! I’m ready. Besides, does anyone really remember a summer that has been the ‘right’ speed?