Thursday, December 27, 2007

Art in The Age

look! i'm a model! buy this T-shirt made by my friend Annette Monnier
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check out Art in The Age

Saturday, December 22, 2007

winter

man. it's funny how quickly time can pass when you let it. I feel like the last few months have gone by so fast that I can't even tell you what I've been up to! But, to start where I left off, I've finished working at Vox as their beloved intern, to move on to working at the ICA as a public programs assistant. So, in addition to bartending three nights a week, I go in to the museum three days too. For having not worked much or at all for three months at the end of this summer, it feels both good and exhausting to have my weekdays packed full. So, i have some great pictures from my trip back home with Steven from thanksgiving and of our new kitten, i'll put them up on my flickr page soon. Yes, we adopted a kitten, named Button. She's a tortoise shell medium haired little girl. And she's good! we gave her a bath today and it was so funny. She had a cold the last few weeks and baby kitten sneezes are the best.
so me and Steven aren't going to make it home for Christmas this year. I have to work on Christmas Eve, so instead of sitting here all lonely we decided to book a room at the Trump Plaza hotel in Atlantic City. I think it's hilarious.
So other than all that, my life has been pretty normal.
I've been researching and reading about the Truth and Reconciliation Committe of South Africa for the Gallery. Not just that specifically, but mainly about that and the 3 plays that spun off of it, the ones involving puppets. Thats right, puppets. That's what the next exhibit is going to be about, and I was asked to do a few gallery walkthroughs on some Sundays when there is free admission. So, I have to know all I can about puppets. It's actually pretty interesting. I'll report back after I feel like I am an expert.
So! I hope everyone takes good pictures this week and has a blast. I know I will!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

website

oh yeah! i started a website. you should all look at it... www.trudyleenelson.com
i used this web application called indexhibit (you can read about it from the link on my main page). i haven't gone in and personalized it much, but it's nice and simple so far. i still need to add my resume and bio.

pores and peppermint

ok. does peppermint make you cold? does it open your pores? a debate with steven got me wondering. it involved the peppermint scented Dr. Bronners magic soap (which i don't care for because it is so minty it makes my whole body feel like an icecube and continues to long after i've dried off and dressed). steven likes it because it claims to "open your pores", yet i was sure that pores didn't just open and close, and he was sure that peppermint didn't make you cold, like i said it did. after a little dective work i discover that we are both right and both wrong.
ok. first things first. after some intense googling, i found that our pores do open and close, this is the way in which our bodies keep our temperature consistant. they only open when our body temperature begins to rise, ie, when we are increasing our heart rate, or when it is 95 degrees out. so they open up to let the moisture out. then, they close both when we have returned to regular temperature, AND/OR when our body temperature begins to drop. in this case, when the outside temperature dropps below 53 degrees. so yes, they do open and close. steven is right.
BUT, the simple hot water and cold water tricks to enlarging and shrinking of the pores, particurlarly on the face, aren't effective. i guess, the reasoning here is that hot water does not trigger our body to sweat, at least not in a shower lasting all of ten minutes. extended time, like in a sauna, would however. but, many health and beauty companies adapted this idea in order to seel products, by claiming that the peppermint or menthyol will open the pores, for example. (what i still don't get though, is that if the peppermint simulates cold, wouldn't it- if it were true- then shrink them, and not open them up??)
and so i am also right.

and now let's examine the minty=cold argument.
ok. so i am sure it is not just me that feels cold with mint. i mean even the fact that i brushed my teeth today before i left to ride my bike in the cold air made my teeth hurt and my face cold. i really don't understand how steven doesn't feel these sensations. but, it is true, that the sensors that are stimulated by menthyol are linked to the same receptors that trigger cold sensations. likewise, it is the same principle when we eat those spicy foods, like peppers. and i quote, It's been known for years that menthol and related cooling agents evoke the psychophysical sensation of cold -- somehow by interacting with the aspect of the sensory nervous system that's related to cold detection" according to Diana M. Bautista, PhD, and Jan Siemens, PhD, of the Julius lab and Joshua M. Glazer, PhD, of the lab of co-senior author Cheryl Stucky, PhD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin.
so, after thouroughly investigating the matter minty does NOT make you cold, meaning that it does not change your body's temperature in the slightest. BUT, it makes us FEEL cold, because is the the same receptors and nerve endings that trigger cold signals to the brain.

so, to sum up, peppermint will not open up your pores, and it will make you feel cold.
lothing like a good argument to get you to do some research!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

yikes!! i've been slackin...

so as per the demand of the public urging me to update my blog (no really, this is like, sooooo popular), i'd like to talk about my life this past month.
well, to sum it up, after two and a half months of desperately searching out a "real" job, i found myself frusterated and without many options, since i ran out of my savings. it was really weird, because i was just about to go in to my first day at yet another bartending gig when this recruiter stopped me on the street and was like, " holy shit, i've been trying to get in contact with you forever, my company has been hearing all about you, your successful blog, the incredible slew of paintings you've made recently, and how talented you are in general. i'd like to offer you a full time position doing this great and amazing job and the salary is out of this world." strange, right? i was like, no... you got the wrong person. ha! yeah......so i got a job bartending again.. at least the place is decent, Buddakan . i'm trying to make the best of it and pursue other things in the mean time.
i'm going to a wine tasting this saturday. it's going to be nice, i think. i designed the program:
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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
it's for the gallery i work for Vox Populi , which got robbed last weekend of a flat screen tv and dvd player. boo.
i also made a dress today. there is this website that has patterns on it for free that you can download and print out- www.burdastyle.com. i recommend it! thanks, Colin for telling me about it.
anyhow thats enough for now. i'll throw up some photos from this last month. and more to come!
one more thing! me and steven went to see this movie Gone Baby Gone earlier tonight, directed by ben affleck, and it's surpsisingly really really good!! i also recommend it.

so to take it way back to end of august, me and steven and sean and wes all went to this quarry to go jumpling of the rocky cliffs. it was a freaking blast and a hell of a day...we met these hicks from alabama and kentucky who were fishing on a floating dock....it's random, since this quarry is in the middle of a corprate park, meaning there wasn't any way to tell that there was even water or a place to walk down into the quarry from. the jump was a good 30 feet, and yes i did jump even after about ten minutes of standing there and staring down. the water was crystal clear and warmer than bath water. so fun. here are the hick dudes with sean and steven and wes:
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and after, we had amazing indian food and then drove way deep into southwest philly in search of the point breeze projects, rumored to be the most dangerous (and often rapped about) place in philly and while i admit it wasn't the smartest thing to do, it WAS funny, because sean kept pretending like he was searching for empty fields to hold a fest, even though most of them were so scary i wouldn't have been surprised to see the boogy man selling crack with a limp and a shiny tooth (wait, is that scary or just funny?) you know what i mean. we found secret nicer neighborhoods tucked into the super italian neighborhoods and eventually back home. here are more pics from that day:
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and this one is the best, when the boys all were riding the boat on the way back to shore:
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then, a few days after, me and megan went to the shore. this crazy rain storm moved in but it was still sunny and it felt strange. we had an awesome day topped off with fish sticks at smitty's, the best seafood joint in all of the east coast. (as if i have any authority over that):
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and steven and i went horseback riding the following weekend which was really fun too. i know, my life is so fun. but when you sum it up and just talk about all the exciting things you do then it seems as though there are never any boring parts. our horses weren't as stubborn as the last time i went last summer, but i DID lose my sunglasses in the saddle and steven matched his horse, wich i found amusing. see:
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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
AND i turned into a mannequin at Abby's birthday bash,
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and i saw Animal Collective,
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and of course, i went to Arizona, and these are some of my favorite photos.
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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
AND one of two or more garbage bags filled with small plastic shopping bags that Emily has been hoarding under her kitchen sink. we discovered them when Dave tried to fix the garbage disposal and needed to clear out room.
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for more photos check out my flickr page

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

time for a major recap

so i've done alot since my last post, flew to Columbus, was in a wedding in Akron, met at least 12 relatives, got turned down on a job, went to a river to jump of a tunnel, ate at Ruby Tuesdays...etc. Ohio is always nice, and this time perfect. I got to have lunch with my sister Libby in Columbus and almost crashed her car into a dumpster while re-training myself how to drive stick. That night was the wedding rehearsal and dinner at Danielle and Mike's AMAZING backyard, newly finished and fully equipped with a fire pit, hot tub, two picnic tables, tiki lights, a huge grill, and two really cute and very energetic dogs. Friday, i spent time with my Mom, her two sisters Debbie, and Jenny, and my Grandma. We had our ritual "hang time" consisting of a trip to Gabriel's (where i miraculously didn't spend a penny) and then lunch at Swenson's (which for those of you who don't know has the BEST burgers and fried mushrooms). Later that night, Addie and bff Tiffany and I all went out for a crappy dinner at this fake mexican restaurant on "the strip" in Medina. If if weren't for the "hot" server, the meal would have been totally worthless. it seriously took less than three minutes for our entrees- i know thats not a good thing- and there was so much red #40 (or rojo #40) that it stained my tortilla hot pink. gross.
And Saturday the wedding was really, really nice. Danielle was beautiful, and everything went as planned. (i have more photos on my flickr page). Sunday was really funny because alot of my mom's cousins flew in from California and Chicago to reunite for the first time in a long time. And i picked a bouquet of wildflowers from my backyard and i think that was my favorite part of the whole trip. let's not talk about the rest of the day. oh and i left all these pictures really big because i think they look better that way.
the dollar dance:
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the wildflowers:
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some 16 year old kid in his underwear riding a toddlers bicycle off the jump:
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steven's wake:
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me afraid to jump (for the record i eventually did, and the battery ran out before steven took a picture):
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thank you and have a great week.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

ok what??!!

Abby showed me this a little while ago. They are philipino prisoners dancing to THRILLER. this is no joke. man, why can't amerian prisoners be so creative? it seems like the ULTIMATE reality show!

another week, and the end is in sight.

dang. suddenly i realize that september means summer is gone. but wait! i don't have a job!! i'm not in school!! my summer will live on!! i wish. i actually had a dream that "officials" announced the first ever month extender, meaning that the month of August would continue for another 30 days. (this is the same dream where i got a kitten then forgot to unload him from my car and left him there for 2 days. this tells me i shouldn't get a kitten) this weekend, Steven and I spent Friday and Saturday nights at the house of gallerist Jonathan Ollman and wife. It is a really nice brownstone in the queens village, four stories, and with walls that are dripping with folk and outsider artist paintings, prints, and drawings. Millions of dollars of artwork in there. Our good friend Chris is housesitting for em for the next week or so. both nights didn't stop till 4:30 and i've got pictures to prove it. Chris got creative and like clockwork concocted shots made from anything open on the counter, and him and Steven would try to one up each other with music facts, and finding the most perfect summer vibe song. I had some nice conversations about the kind of month August is, what it meant when you were a kid, and felt like you really had to live it up becuase you knew that once labor day was here, your freedom was over. we talked about books like "Bridge to Terebithia" (one of my all time favorites) and that made me think of the summer that me and Emily went to visit our cousins in Florida, and we built an enormous fort in their backyard/forest out of pine needes and branches. that was the trip where i tried to race Josh in the parking lot and i fell and scraped off the skin of my right hand and skinned my knees. i remember Heather telling me that it was ok to cry, that she would too if she got hurt, but i was trying to be really tough. the part that really made me want to cry was that they had baby bunnies and i couldn't hold them because i had neosporin all over my hand and the fur would stick to it. i was stuck petting the stupid turtle that never did anything cute.
anyhow, back to my weekend, me and tricia went to the beach on saturday, and it was sooooo perfect. the hottest most humidist day on the planet- really, going over the Ben Franklin bridge you couldn't even see the city, there was just a sheet of white- we were so prepared, had sammies and grapes and a six pack and magazines and even an umbrella. pretty awesome.
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why does everyone have their eyes closed?
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the most beautiful wax sculpture collaboration, a gift to jon for letting us have the key to his liquor cabinet.
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the awesome NUCLEAR POWER PLANT a few miles from the beach. hmmmm....smart? and theres even a small beach/dock area less than a hundred yards from the plant. COOL!!!
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our perfect little area at the beach.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

my weekend

digital cameras are really great. i mean, when i think back on my weekend, i think, eh...it was ok, i went to a bar friday, then saturday i went to a few parties. it was ok... And then i look at my pictures and they change my whole outlook on everything. maybe it's just me and my mediocre memory, or the nature of people to suddenly wile out and act like its crazy time whenever a camera gets pulled out. all i know is, pictures help me remember how cool my life is.
so the night started out like this:
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then this:
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then...karaoke!!!
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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
and at the end of saturday night, when i was ready to leave and i had to pee but didn't want to wait in line, i saw this, painted on the wall at this dude's warehouse space....and it made my night.
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Thursday, August 16, 2007

i came to dance




no words need be spoken.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

new york experience






yesss!! i finally did it and took my bike up on the chinatown bus. so fun. i went up yesterday to meet Abby, and we went all over Manhattan, basically. we met at the Empire State building...(totally awesome to say i rode my bike there) then to Greenwich village, then uptown on Park Ave, then to Harlem (whoa scary at night on a bike). Then as we left the party in Harlem, we somehow mistakenly rode north of Central Park, waiting to get off our bikes to check the map until we felt the neighborhood was safe enough! ambitious as we were, and not realizing it was already 3 in the morning, the late night trip to the Lower East side to meet some other friends did not happen. whew!! it would have taken us FOREVER!! this morning, we were tired from biking and went to the Whitney to check out the "Summer of Love, psychadellic art from the '60's and '70's" exhibition which was cool...i think Abby will agree that the best part was this big room made of velor where you could go inside and climb in. then there was an exhibit on the 4th floor of Rudolf Stingel's(last photo of Abby is standing in front of one painting) work which i found really beautiful.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Tornadoes!!!!!

so i get this text from my mom yesterday while i was making pizza. (home made, mind you, even the dough! first time i was successful at it). the text was we ape ok tornado went through front yard Dammit!!! I was the one who always wanted to see a tornado!! ha. i did freak out a lil bit. so i call mom back, thinking well, maybe they are alright, but she must have hurt her hand so she can't text all that good... no, but there was a real tornado!! luckily, just a few trees blew down. biggest news to hit Lodi since Mr. Wurstle got caught wearing lingerie! here are some photos i found from the storm. OH! i guess the roof of Black River High School got blown off. just in time for school to start!
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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

new haircuts

ok here is a decent photo but....look out!!! i'm in the process of dying it at the moment. soooo, in about twenty minutes it will officially be out of date.
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so i went to Tricias new place the other night, (thats where these photo's were taken). It so suits her. Even though it still needs work, i can tell its a good place for her:) funny, how some things become so obvious when they are singled out. i mean, when you are totally by yourself, your habits and oddities sort of jump out at you, while if you are always around other people, you kind of meld with their vibes. i thought of this instantly because, when i walked into Tricia's room, i immediately saw "color scheme Tricia" all the pale yellows and muted baby blues and muted greens, all tiny patterned prints amongst a lot of white. and her piles.
it kinda makes me jealous, her living by herself. but if anyone deserves it, it's her. i DON'T envy all she's dealt with the past few years with roomies. (myself excluded of course). and bok choy is cute as a button and loves all the space. of course booger/monkey still ruffles her feathers as he goes through puberty. ha. he looks like a weird long mini show horse.Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
aw. i always have a good time with you Tricia.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

new haircuts

isn't it amazing how something as simple as a great haircut can make your entire day/week/month?
seriously. Nick Cerruti of Matthew Izzo just made my world. Y'all should check him out. I'll post some pics soon.

internet brainstorm!!!

this is my first effort to utilize the internet for the process of gathering creative ideas. ok, so maybe it's not the first....but who am I kidding? i'm no REAL inernet junkie. but i can pretend. and who knows? maybe i'll become the next Cory Kennedy!.