Sun., July 28, 2002

Moving Day/Week/Month:

You never truly realize how much crap you have until you try to cram it all into boxes.

For me this is an understatement. I collect everything from Bettie Page photos and comics to creepy big-eyed dolls of the '70s. I have 1 1/2 mannequins, a zillion books and CDs, rubberstamps, craft supplies galore, Last Supper Jesus dinner plates, furry pillows, computer stuff, two electric guitars, a lifesize Scooby/Shaggy cardboard standup, Tiki mugs, TV, stereo, a vinyl record collection of the best '80s music around (don't mock me for my Culture Club interview picture disc) and a million other things I can't think of right now.

The saddest part of my moving is having to take down all the construction paper art installations around my apartments. I still haven't taken down the Trix rabbit portrait yet. I don't have the heart to do it myself.

But in a way this is a great opportunity to purge myself of stuff I've been dragging around since high school. I only kept 1/3 of my clothes and gave the rest to Goodwill. Some lucky lass will be wearing my faux snake skin pants in San Fran soon, I'm sure. I kept about 7 pair of my favorite platforms and snazzy shoes, and gave the rest (15 pairs) to Goodwill.

Let me stress the importance of giving everything you don't need to Goodwill. I made a lame attempt to sell back some of my more impressive clothing items to Crossroads (a hipster used clothing store in SF) and was severely dissed. Seriously, they got all snooty on me like they were the founding members of Sonic Youth or something.

HER: "We're not interested in those kinds of clothes."

ME: "But this is where I bought them in the first place!"

I don't get it. Where does this attitude from retail sales people come from? There's no high horse to be on in used clothing. It's not like this girl was Betsy Johnson, so why did she treat me like some clueless fashion victim? Sheesh. Whatever. I get better karma vibes from the folks at Goodwill anyway. So there.

Any books, music or toys I plan to part with will probably end up for sale on Half.com or eBay. Anyone want a dusty nun doll?

Discuss

Thurs, July 25, 2002

Funniest Photo of the Week:

Megan Harris of Dallas, TX loves Grrl.com so much that she made this hilarious altered Photoshop photo of what she thinks I do when I go to the grocery store.

Bonnie Goes to the Store picture

By the way, that's not my body. I'd kill for fake boobs like those. And I'd never have the guts to go out in public with curlers in my hair.

Discuss

Wed, July 24, 2002

Dumb Move of the Day:

I got up early to drive from Santa Cruz to San Francisco (2 hour drive) so I could start packing up all my crap -- and I do have a ton of crap -- to take a car load to my digs in Santa Cruz and guess what?

I forgot my apartment key. So I had to drive home empty-handed, angrily muttering to myself. Ugh.

Tues, July 23, 2002

Mail Art Meets Exercise:

Thanks to ModernGypsy in Seattle, I'm quickly learning all about an interesting new hobby that mixes scavenger hunts, hiking and rubberstamping. It's called Letterboxing and if this doesn't get me to climb big hills, I don't know what will.

To get started, make your own logbook or journal and a personal rubberstamp that signifies who you are. Then check the Letterboxing site or the Letterboxing USA Yahoo Group for boxes in your neck of the woods. When you find one you want to contribute to, simply pack a backpack filled with your logbook, your personal rubberstamp, some pens and ink pads.

Hike to the site by following the clues given and find the letterbox. Inside you'll probably find a guestbook to sign, date and rubberstamp. There will also be another rubberstamp in the box for you to stamp and date your own logbook. Then you put the guestbook and stamp back. Replace the box in its hiding spot, and trek back home.

I can't wait to try it!

More fun info:

Letterboxing in America FAQ

They Live and Breathe Letterboxing article
from the Smithsonian magazine

Discuss

Fri, July 19, 2002

Big Changes:

After spending the last 10 years writing for Web-driven journalism for dotcoms, I've decided to halt the quest a computer day job, and start my education as a horticulture student. No joke. I'm headed back to college.

I've realized that I've been fed up with the market for Web editors (what market?) and I need to make a change. I want a career that gets me outside and my hands dirty. I want to design gardens and to inspire people to get out and plant tasty herbs and breathtaking flowers. Yup, that's the plan.

In the past year since I was laid off from Winamp.com, I've been experimenting, researching and learning all about gardening. I have a thriving container garden and more houseplants than my boyfriend knows what to do with. (Poor guy.)

I'm excited to get up every morning and see what's growing in the backyard. I painstakingly go through each of my gardening books looking up plant names, lore, uses, growing tips and harvesting techniques. I know when to use bloodmeal, bonemeal, bat guano, green sand, charcoal, lime, fish emulsion, earthworm castings and other soil amendments. And I'm the gal to talk to about mulch! So I figure if I get so excited making a compost bin from scratch or propogating wild lavender, I must be cut out to be a gardener. Right?

My pal Sharon and I are signing up for horticulture classes at the local community college here in Santa Cruz where I plan to seriously hit the books and turn my brain into a big sponge. For the first time, I think I'm actually excited about the topic I'll be studying. Who cares if I'm 30 and diving into a brand new career? I'm happy and thrilled to see what can happen if I follow this path. Farming runs in my family, and if I'm half the gardener my mom is then I know I'll be a success.

Discuss

Mon, July 15, 2002

Whew:

The 30th birthday shindig was a huge success!
Thanks to all of you who sent me greeting cards and emailed best wishes.

A few party highlights:

• Ate strawberry pie.
• Played with Destiny's baby all day and probably made my boyfriend nervous.
• Watched my dog try to lick everyone.
• Hot tub, hot tub, hot tub.
• Showed off my deck garden to ooohing and ahhhing party goers.
• Talked plants with Jascha.
• Received many bouquets of beautiful flowers from my Dad & stepmom, Gabriel and Tracy. Thanks!
• Chatted with Fanny about her contestant status on "The Price is Right"
  (apparently Bob Barker is orange in person)
• Forced everyone to listen to my '80s music collection when they weren't DJing trance tunes.

• Thanks to Grrl.com fan Joe Wahrhaftig for the How to Write a Book Proposal book. This will help a lot!
• I love The Career Guide for Creative and Uncoventional People book and the Long Time Relationship graphic novel by Julie Doucet. Thanks Simon and Destiny!
• Thanks to Grrl Radio fan Dom Herrera for the Planted Junk book. I love it!
• Thanks to longtime gal pal Kim McCleskey for the Roadside America book. I feel like taking a roadtrip now!
• Thanks to Phreaky Phriday Phun Linx fan/subscriber Darron Broad in the UK for the Advanced Sex Tips for Girls book by Cynthia Heimel. You rock!
• Isabelle and Brennan got me some hipster paper dolls. ;-)
• Got a cool pulp paperback history book from Dave and Erin.
• Neat-o plants from Adriene: a cactus, a hanging succulent and a plant that eats my whiteflies! Yipee!
• Fun terra cotta pot decorating kit from Sharon. She knows me too well. ;-)

Fri, July 12, 2002

Happy Birthday to Me:

Now that I'm 30, I figured it would be a good time to assess my past accomplishments
(both impressive and embarrassing), as well as people/events I truly appreciate:

• Pierced and tattooed before it was trendy by the time I was 19.
• Graduated from college with a B.S. in Journalism and a B.A. in English.
• Published a zine.
• Wrote a book.
• Can make everything in the Elvis cookbook.
• Had sex.
• Created Grrl.com.
• Woke up one morning from a drunken stupor with my Les Paul guitar plugged into an amp on full volume in one hand and my phone off the hook in the other.
• Celebrities I've met (or accidently tripped over): the original Marcia from "The Brady Bunch," Anne Rice, John Waters.
• Colors my hair has been dyed: blue, purple, red, pink, orange, platinum blonde, auburn, blue-black, magenta
• After one too many heartbreaks, I stopped dating musicians cold turkey. (Amen!)
• Articles published in: Wired, Yahoo Internet Life, Skin Two, You Grow Girl, Miss Click, The Net and too many zines to mention.
• Number of times onstage: 7
• Number of dotcoms I've worked at that are now dead: 5
• Bands I've interviewed in print, radio or TV: Shonen Knife, Skinny Puppy, Swervedriver, Slowdive, Die Warzau, Butt Trumpet, Primus, Blur, Front 242, Social Distortion, Therapy, Hammerbox, Sun 60, Stabbing Westward, Catherine Wheel, Exene Cervenka, Idaho, The Cramps, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
• Number of times I stripped while singing onstage at a San Francisco karaoke bar after drinking too many cocktails to remember the incident: 2
• Number of times my friends tell that story to strangers: 25 and counting
• Got a green thumb.
• Studied Zen Buddhism and Zazen meditation.
• Can converse like a six-year-old in Spanish, French and Russian.
• Broke my foot from wearing extremely fashionable platform shoes then falling down the stairs at work.
• Became friends with various zinesters, designers, writers, artists, illustrators, geeks and comic book authors such as:
  Wiley Wiggins, Roman Dirge, Alex Sargent, Luke Knowland, Brian Biggs, Mark Frauenfelder, Carla Sinclair, Roger Black, Bill Thompson, Patty Paton, Dan Pacheco, Gayla Sanders, Josh On, Darren Kani, Heidi Swanson, Jonas Hartley, Mike Drake, Cori and Cathy, John Borland, Bob Sassone, Jack Saturn, Mari from Uzi, Richard Gingras, Jonathan Rosenberg, John Burton, Gil, Kim McCleskey, Elizabeth Badurina, Laura Barletta, Paul Lukas, Eric Nakamura, Claire Robertson, Ringman, Ben and Buffy, Lisa in Denver, Amy Shriber, Johnny Brewton, Mika in Japan, Perre Dicarlo, John Polizzi, Eric Elia, Tsila, Neil McManus, Halle Winkler, Rebecca Paoletti, Bob, Jen Sands, Sam Reep, John Goecke, Brent Hatcher, Dennis, Scott Lee, Sharon Schmid, Stephanie Bruzzese, Susan Becker, Teresa Futter, Rob Lord, Ian Rogers, Jamie Zawinski, Tom Pepper, Anne Pepper, Mary Pepper, Steve Gedikian, Deb Fellner, Leslie and Shel from Chicago, Francis and the rest of those Winamp blokes, Drew and Melissa, Simon and Destiny, the Ciao Bella girls, Stephanie in Ames, Neil Forrester, Will Moore and Zack Matheson from KUCB, Elvie Henson, Brandi Valenza, the FabGirls and my childhood pals: Jen Mills, Tara and Megan; and oh so many more.
• Number of times I've tried to start a band of my own: 7
• Became close pals with an ex's ex-girlfriend -- you rock Erin!
• Fell in love with the coolest, cutest geek guy in the galaxy. (Awwww.)
• Wake up every morning with a puppy licking my face.
• I finally appreciate my parents.

Discuss

Thurs, July 11, 2002

Almost 30:

It's the day before my 30th birthday and I'm pretty jazzed about surviving another decade intact. No, I'm serious. My 20s sucked. I had lousy relationships with moody musicians who were more interested in their "fans" than their girlfriend. My quest to be a worthwhile writer took a detour into dotcom land where I was a millionaire (on paper) one year and back to Ramen the next (now).

I did manage to make some lifelong pals, and have some great tales to tell about drinking with B-grade stars in seedy NYC & SF bars. So I guess it's not all bad. In my 20s, I seemed to have practically every job imaginable: party DJ, corset model, bagel server, waitress, dishwasher, factory worker, radio music director, rave dancer, record store clerk, Webmaster, editor, reporter, secretary, music VJ, relationship columnist and horoscope writer.

Now I'm just working on a book and trying to make ends meet with my various freelance writing gigs. But I look forward to what my 30s will bring. Maybe that clarity and sense of purpose will kick in finally. Just don't suggest motherhood, or I'll ban you from the message board.

Anyway, I guess I'm just glad I got through it all in one piece. Thanks goes out to those of you who put up with all my 20-something emotional freakouts, my apathetic philosophies (or idealistic depending on the battle) and of course my neverending worrying about the small stuff. You know who you are.

Side Note:
Special thanks goes out to Jenny Reader from MissMinx for the The Bad Girl's Guide to the Party Life book. It's the first birthday prezzie I've gotten so far. You rock.

So long 20s, here comes another decade. This outta be good.

Discuss

Wed, July 10, 2002

Shhhhhhhh....already!:

I'm so easily irritated today. I think it's a combo of the heat and a nasty case of procrastination. I had a crappy lunch and sat on my butt wishing I could get rid of my writer's block. I think I was mostly annoyed by all the noise in the house.

Why can't it be National "Shut the Hell Up" Month EVERY month?

Discuss

Tues, July 9, 2002

Drink Up!:

Nothing tastes better on a hot day then some Thai Iced Tea.
If you'd like to make one for yourself here's the recipe:

Thai Tea Recipe

1 gallon water
8 Chinese star anise, ground
1 tablespoon orange flowers
1 tablespoon powdered vanilla
1 pinch of clove powder
1 pinch chopped cinnamon
3/4 quart long cut China black tea leaves
1 to 2 cups sugar
1 quart half & half
red food coloring
crushed ice

Boil water. Add star anise, orange flowers, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, and tea leaves to boiling water. Continue boiling for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cover and allow to steep until luke warm. Strain, and add sugar to taste. Serve in a clear glass over plenty of crushed ice. Top with half & half.

You can find this recipe with variations here.

Discuss

Fri, July 5, 2002

My Future in a Nutshell:

Remember the game MASH? Basically, I bet every girl growing up during the '70s and '80s does. You list your favorite 4 cars, homes, honeymoon spots, possible spouses, number of kids, etc. Then by a series of crossing stuff out, someone can determine your destiny. By the way, MASH stands for the first series of where you want to live: Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House.

Now you can play this game online without seeking a fourth-grade girl.
Click here to play MASH.

Here are my results:

You live in a Apartment.
You're married to Jesus.
You drive a VW Van.
Your car is the color blue.
You live in the state CA.
Your honeymoon is Graceland.
Your occupation is a creepy writer.
You have this many kids: 2
(1 male; 1 female).

Discuss

Mon, July 1, 2002

Airplanes make me cranky:

Don't get me wrong. I love vacations away as much as the next gal, but let make make one thing clear -- please restrain your children from kicking the back of my chair for the duration of the flight, or I will take immediate, and violent, action.

Here's the scene. I was travelling from Nebraska to Phoenix, and then on to San Jose. No problemo. I had some magazines in hand and a good book ( Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, actually. Yeah I know - I'm such a girl.). So I was ready for anything.

After I loaded up on coffee, and we boarded the last plane to San Jose, I had figured this traveling thing was a snap. More like snapping my last nerve.

Just as we landed in San Jose, our friendly Ken-doll like pilot informed us that due to a "breach in security" our terminal was emptied and everyone in the airport had to be rechecked through the security gate. This meant no planes could dock at the gate. And of course this meant we weren't getting off th plane anytime soon. Fifteen other planes were ahead of us to be emptied out.

Everyone got on their cell phones and whined. Let me tell you -- a few folks complaining about the same thing on their cell phones is one thing, but the entire plane doing it is quite the maddening experience. If I didn't have ear plugs in and a book to distract me, I would have stomped on a few phones. I hate whomever invented the cell phone - I honestly do.

We were on the ground, stuck inside a plane with crying babies and cranky passengers for over two hours.

I am so glad to be home.

Discuss