Craig!

I need a vacuum. We tried to go cheap, so we bought one of those low-end vacuums at Target. It seemed logical, we only have one rug. But, as we have previously discovered, you get what you pay for. It doesn't have any power. No suck. It's time to make an investment. "Why don't you try Craig's list?" suggested C. And so today, after being sucked into the vortex that is the internet (against my will, of course), I wandered over to see what Craig had to offer. After some time looking for a heavy duty vacuum (which isn't any fun at all because a vacuum is not the kind of thing anyone really wants to spend money on), I decided to browse other categories. "Beauty" seemed a good place to check out - you never know when you might stumble on a discounted pedicure. This is what I found....

I'm a normal guy, I like to dress as a woman & would love to go out on the town. I've no idea on how to style my wig, and I'm so so on my makeup skills. I'm not a stalker or crazy person, but would love the help.

Education in the hallways

His name was Mr. Daumaurier. He was my junior high school English teacher who wore a jerry curl and a navy blue lab coat. He would use words like "malarkey" and "outlandish." The popular guys in school always made fun of him and most days he would humor back, but some days he would respond in complete and blatant anger. I wondered how he made his way to some small DOD junior high, teaching disrespectful 13 year olds. During passing times, he would stand at the top of the stairs and direct the traffic. I remember being directed, "to the right, to the right, girl, don't you know how to walk?" He would guide us all, confused preteens, meandering the stairs in chaos, "stay to the right!" It made sense once I got it. If everyone always stays to the right, then we can be going in opposite directions and pass without the awkward collision.
I think about it often. I think about it a lot here at work. Time after time, while escorting a probationer down the hallway there is complete chaos if they encounter someone else coming toward us in the hallway. They don't know what to do. It is such a long hallway and can be quite an obstacle course if I'm following someone who doesn't know they can just stay to the right and plow right through.
Perhaps Mr. Daumaurier taught me more than how to maneuver through a crowded stairwell, I think he taught me about social norms, expectations and order.

Flamenco

Last Friday night, a friend and I went to Denver's art district for the First Friday Art Walk. http://www.artdistrictonsantafe.com/calendar.php
It was perfectly cultural! Santa Fe is lined with fun, strange, creative and unique galleries. We started at one end and never did make it to the other end before the night was over. I was definitely in a big city - I heard foreign languages, saw alternative lifestyles and chic style (whether cool frames for glasses, funky hair, or wild dress). We all milled about, walking into a gallery seeing what there was to see, helping ourselves to a glass of wine, and then on to the next. Obviously, some art was more captivating than others. One of the first galleries had photography that was most bizarre - maybe it was supposed to impact me morally - pictures of dirt with model homes made out of cardboard.... I didn't get it. The next had beautiful oil paintings - lots of color with wild brush strokes....unfortunately, it reminded me of hotel art. I was completely delighted to walk into a studio where a young female does caricatures and creates little figurines. For instance, she had the coolest little Nacho Libre dude and she also does wedding cake toppers. She showed me original photographs of a cute couple that she had just finished a cake topper for. So fun!

We entered a building - not much to look at on the outside, but there were hallways that lead to lots of little galleries... I could hear fun music coming from one of the shops and we found our way inside. The room was dark and full of spectators. There was a guitar player, a percussion man and a hand-clapper. They were jamming out, and to their music, flamingo dancers showed their stuff. I drank some sangria as they danced. I could have stayed there all night and watched their feet moving quickly on the wooden floor. The two women and one man danced with stiff upper bodies and wild feet. It reminded me of a scene from "Strictly Ballroom," one of C's most favorite movies. The scene has the main characters dancing in the back of an old house, on an old wooden patio, as they dance a train rolls by on the tracks next to the house. It was their tempo and rhythm I was most impressed with. So much fun to watch. If it was all I had seen that evening I would've been content.

We went into a photography studio and saw beautiful places in Colorado I haven't even seen yet. It inspired me, not only to bring out my camera more often, but to travel around and see more of this breathtaking state.

We walked around actual studios, some felt like living rooms with music and couches, some felt sterile with paintbrushes and canvas. There was one that was popular with the younger viewers; The artist integrated wildlife with fun splashes of color and stenciled designs, very now, you know.

I left feeling worldly, in the cultural sense, appreciative of creativity and how differently it is expressed by people.

Singing in the rain

Today is perfect! It is gloomy and rainy, but in a romantic kind of way. Not too cold and the air wet enough to drink in. There are just not enough of these days here in Colorado. If I had my way, it would be a day like today, that I would call in sick, stand outside in my raincoat and take it all in - maybe go for a jog or walk and appreciate the way the grass looks extra green when it's wet, or the shimmer on the wet pavement.
I started today with a stop at Starbucks - every rainy day a bit better with a cup of warm coffee. On my way back to my wet car (why did I think it was a good idea to take off the windows so early in the warm season?!) I saw an earth worm on the sidewalk. Shewp - I was instantly sucked back into my childhood. When we lived in Nebraska, there was a whole creepy crawly world in our back yard. I remember playing with earthworms -they were so much fun! Slick and squirmy, with no fear of stingers, teeth or pinchers. The only thing better than earthworms were rollie pollies. Well, those and fireflies, but there was that whole desire to capture fireflies and unintentionally killing them in the mason jar during the night, only to discover the creatures lying on the bottom looking sadly life and light less in the morning. While delighted to see the earthworm, I had no desire to pick him up and play with him today.
The rain also reminds me of living in a huge house on Nevada Avenue with my dear friend R. There was a crazy rainstorm that lasted for days. Water filled up the drain hole outside our basement apartment door and water seeped into her bedroom. To avoid water pouring in through the bottom of our front door, we suited up and headed out. We took buckets, filled them up and moved the water from our stairwell. We used our chalkboard to keep track of the number of buckets we lugged up our stairs and above ground. Despite the drama of the situation, we had a blast, jumped in puddles and laughed! Not something I have to be concerned with now, on the third floor.
The only thing I did not like about today was my walk into work...with my green umbrella.