Ah, I see what you mean...

Ho ho! You are such a clever mail-arter! We loved this so much and especially the wee cut-out lettering. Lovely. Of course, I had to see if I could use it as a window and so I tried framing a cherry tomato in one of the circles and then framed Jackson. I could do this throughout the day, actually. It's quite entertaining. Kind of a different postcard for all occasions and locations.

I really hated to blur out the address since the lettering/numbering were a huge part of the charm. I have photos of everything intact. What a cool card. I'm still trying to figure out ways to display this stuff in the family/computer room. Mobile, I think.

I haven't seen the new Woody Allen yet. Barney? Shower? Wow. I remember having a huge crush on Woody when I was 13. I thought he was the only man in the world who would ever "understand me." Ironically, he probably would have liked me quite a bit when I was 13, if you know what I mean. *WINK*. And sorry.

I also liked Rick Moranis and Martin Short back then. I definitely had a "type." I don't think I would have been a Justin Bieber girl if I was young now. Hmm, I think I know what you mean about the lack of shower/inspiration...? The mail art helps keep me focused, but in a fun way. It's not work if you're making and receiving surprises all the time. Perhaps childhood is when we have the most surprises, since we're discovering so much all the time. It's good to have that feeling again, however you get there.

It would be fun to meet up with you and N, yes. Jackson is not a hiker. His joints/feet get achy. He loves bike riding and going to the beach though. Do you think it's too ambitious to plan an outing to Angel Island with bikes? I've always wanted to take a ferry and ride around. It's supposed to be an easy ride and incredibly scenic. If that's too crazy, we could meet up at Crab Cove in Alameda, or one of the Marin beaches, which I haven't been to in a long time. Also the little beach by Ghirardelli Square is fun because there's lots of ships, swimmers, pelicans, and the revamped Museum Mechanique nearby. These are all ideas I have for summer outings that are not too hot or dry. The ridges around Walnut Creek are great for little hikes but are really tortuous in the summer, although it's been windy and cool lately.

I have something to send to you very soon that will require a few little tweaks and a visit to the p.o. Have you ever read that short story by Eudroa Welty, "Why I Live at the P.O."? A good example of narrative voice. I just re-read "Great Gatsby" for Norm Macdonald's twitter book club. There was an argument about who was safer to be around, the poor or the rich. It was ridiculous, but I'm beginning to think that Norm is the most ridiculous person on Earth. He actually gets paid to be, so in a way, he's very lucky. Anyway, I love that book but I really hate Tom and Daisy, as Fitzgerald intended. He was an ambitious, self-hating kind of person. I love how he makes the born-of-wealth so deluded and selfish and awful. Sounds about right.

OK, I'll write more. I'm thinking about your last Flintstone's post. Keep singing, somehow. It is hard sometimes. If you can get your hands on a hammock and lie in it occasionally, I think that would help. The rocking motion is very soothing...

Already Been Said

I know this has been said several times over, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to use it as a metaphor for today's frame of mind. Not in general, just for yours truly and just today (I hope).

In an earlier post, I mentioned having discovered after seeing a youtube video of Betty Boop and Louis Armstrong (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You"), that it appears this bizarre cartoon inspired a short film by Woody Allen (his segment of New York Stories). I emailed his publicist asking if this were the case, and predictably, to date, have not heard back.

Then, a few days ago, after reading a review of his most recent movie, "To Rome with Love", in the New Yorker, I realized he most certainly is and most likely has been very much influenced by cartoons. I was amazed he would take such a memorable scene from the Flintstones and use it so obviously in his new film. I mean, everyone remembers that episode, don't we? Aside from every scene involving Dino, isn't the Barney shower singing episode the only one you really remember from your childhood of lousy 1970s t.v.? Anyhow, the deed is done and it's been noted by every blog in the stratosphere. What's really interesting is there are no, and I mean not one, image to be found of Barney in the shower on the internet. The clip itself isn't even on youtube. But I digress.

My metaphor is kind of sloppy but I'll muddle through regardless. Today is one of those days when I need not *a* shower but *the* hypothetical shower to do any sort of hypothetical singing. At least Barney knows he's got singing and everyone agrees he sounds good when he's singing in the shower. Today feels like singing could occur but we've got a problem with the plumbing, i.e., there's no water. I think if I knew what my personal shower was, today might be different. Do you ever feel this way? Is this listlessness? I suppose I'm filling the well, as they say. Yes, yes, another manifestation of this terrible metaphor.

How are you, by the way? I meant to write an email back to you because some of the stuff we write about is so personal, too personal for this blog. Without going into too many specifics, every time you write about J, I realize N is so much like that. They really have so much in common. If you want to correspond, or even talk more about this, we can try to get together, maybe for a hike? I can take a ride out there.

In other metaphorical news: I managed to send out an installment on Monday, before the shower went on the blink. I have other ideas lined up...these mail arts kind of force me to do something, which is good. I hope it made it through the mail here...it was kind of hard to see if you weren't paying attention, which was kind of my idea. Very transparent of me. :)

Doopy doopy doo

Couldn't think of a better title for this post. I got your chocolate landscape. Thank you! I love chocolate and landscapes so much. I never thought to combine the two—brilliant. Plus a note written on cardboard chocolate is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. If I had an alley, that is.

I didn't take photos today (updated: yes I did, a few days later) because I've been distracted by Jackson. He had tummy aches all weekend (thus beginning summer vacation on a down note). Doing better today, but we scheduled his medication early this week, rather than later, as had been planned. Hopefully his immune system will calm down and he'll be feeling good after tomorrow. The near-impossibility of feeding Jackson became insurmountable the last 48 hours. He's terrified to food at the moment. I've compensated by teeny tiny snack-meals throughout the day. Anyway, it's been a rough few days.

Kaiser, bless them, has been very responsive, so I think things will be better very soon.

So I had two postcards, ready to mail to you that Jackson made last week specifically for our project. But when I double-checked with him, he decided he wanted to hang on to them. I should have just mailed them--he never would have missed them, I'm sure. Duh. I had a question for you that was supposed to go in the mail:

[You have answered my question. Thank you.]

Also, I will miss the project for a month, but taking a break is always a good plan when lots of stuff is going on and I completely understand. I hope wherever you're going, inspiration awaits you for inchies or footies. I'm thinking you should have a show this year--yes? A cafe show, a library show, a business-lobby show. These are all good alternatives to galleries, because galleries, while nice, are kind of a pain. Just throwing this out there. Into the stratosphere.

Oh, this was a treat. Guess who was with me yesterday when I got your mail? That's right--John Hughes. We were on our way to see a stage production of "Xanadu," the Broadway show, based on the Olivia Newton-John movie. It was being put on by Walnut Creek Center Rep Company. They do a really good job. I've seen three of their plays this season and they were all really good. I missed a bunch last year and I vowed that wouldn't happen again. They're so impressively professional. The leads are all union actors and they use live bands for their musicals and I haven't seen a dud yet.  Anyway, John was the only person on Earth that I knew I could interest in seeing this show. We loved it. The lead wore roller skates the entire time on stage and she was really good. A very funny, ridiculous show.

Anyway, the mail came and Keith brought it to me as we were on our way to drop John off at BART so he got to see mail art in action! He loved it. He says hello. He was wearing a delightful hot-pink shirt and Bermuda shorts. I love when things happen with good timing. 

Mail Art Block

I'm having a little bit of mab (see above). I started one today but it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do so I'm gonna have to start it again. I kind of have an idea percolating but it's going to have to back burner for a few days. I'm working this week and won't be able to get to it again until Thursday... :P <~ meant to convey a kind of summer inspired exasperation brought on by heat inspired torpor.

Hulk. Incredible.

Speaking of cartoon characters, this guy appeared in the mail yesterday and then I saw him again this afternoon on the big screen in The Avengers. You really got not only his likeness but his persona. He's so fierce looking but there's also a cuteness about his ferocity. And believe it or not, my insomnia was kept at bay last night. I have the Hulk to thank for that!

Cartoon characters

Wednesday night, and yes, this involves insomnia but only tangentially, we were watching a YouTube video of this old Betty Boop cartoon. Adam had heard that Coco the Clown, one of Betty's friends, had a little hidden in-joke attached to him, literally, that involved Hebrew letters that spelled out something I can't even remember. The short was an enactment of a song called, "I'll be glad when you're dead you rascal you" sung by Louis Armstrong. We spotted the thing we were looking for, but while watching, I realized there was something oddly familiar about this very trippy cartoon.  Around the middle of it, when Louis Armstrong's head floats up into the sky and sings to Betty, Coco and their little dog from up above, I remembered I'd seen something very much like this before in a movie.

Ok, it's been a while since I saw New York Stories. I hardly remember it, except for Oedipus Wrecks and the part where Woody Allen's character is mortified by his mother who has suddenly become larger than life and is floating above the city telling everyone on the streets below stories about her son's most embarrassing moments. Woody Allen plays Sheldon, the tortured son, and in my addled memory, Debbie Reynolds  played the mother.  Anyway, to make things more complicated, I had to look the movie up on imdb but found out it wasn't Debbie Reynolds at all.  It was an actress named Mae Questel who played his mother.  Of course, being the amateur sleuth I am, I looked her up and coincidence (?) of coincidences, Mae Questel was the main voice for Bettty Boop in the 1930s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Questel).

Of course I had to see if Woody Allen had been inspired by the above mentioned Fleischer Studios cartoon but could find no mention of it on the internets.  Just for kicks, I emailed his publicist to find out if there was a connection between the cartoon and Mr. Allen's short.  I doubt I hear back but you never know.  I suppose I've got my insomnia to thank for another mystery partially solved.

Celebrity Matches!

So clever. What a delightful piece of mail—thank you! As I mentioned, Jackson was fascinated. He wanted to know if he could really burn them, of course. It's kind of enticing—that idea. Not in any reality-based way, of course. Just as a ritualistic purging concept of our overwhelming culture of CELEBRITY. And Justin Bieber is just so excited! Good God.

We were making self-portrait collages in Jackson's class a couple months ago. The kids were supposed to bring in a photo of themselves and put items or people or concepts in their collage that were really important or personal to them. One little girl needed help making a large "J" and a "B" out of yarn and glue because, as she earnestly explained to me, "Justin Bieber is VERY important to me." I did my best to form the initials which had such meaning to her. I think in order to appreciate the guy, you have to hang around a nine-year-old girl or two. I mean, it was love. I saw it in her eyes.

Anyway, the care you put into your mail is very inspiring and yes, uplifting. I was telling my parents about our project and they wanted to see all the art, so I brought out my growing pile and they were delighted. Completely delighted. They were really impressed with your ideas and fabulous execution of them.

I sent you a piece today, hoping it slips through the mail regulations. It was truly the only thing I accomplished during my week of illness (besides buying sponges today at the store—a triumph). My Mom wants me to see a doctor and I might, but I think it's just a really nasty flu that's lingering, like they do. Jackson's doing better, but he's still coughing in the morning and gets tired easily, so it's just a bad, bad virus.

I wrote a song about having the flu for one of my bands. It's called "Flu Vacation." That's what I've been on. The chorus goes "Everybody black out / pass out on the floor now." I've seen a lot of episodes of "Justified," starring Timothy Oliphant (speaking of celebrity crushes). He looks good in a cowboy hat. Or any hat, for that matter. Set in Kentucky among U.S. Marshalls, based on an Elmore Leonard short story. Not sure I would like this show as much if I didn't have the flu. It's the perfect escapist show, I guess. Like when I watched a ton of Sopranos while pregnant. I have to watch the opposite of what I'm going through. I think Tim Oliphant would make a great celebrity match!