Party at Paige's

Look who showed up in the Paige Powell photo/video exhibit at the Portland Art Museum:

 Look closer!

Our very own Quentin Crisp is in attendance!  Sorry the photo is blurry.  It was in a high-up spot on one of the walls where hundreds of photos are collaged.  I'm lucky I spotted this one.

I went to work after my last post and cleaned up my silly couch.  This photo is a bit of a fraud, because I tidied up for  a minute before I took it:

Dishes are mostly washed, laundry mostly done, season 2 of Hannibal mostly watched.  This is a TV show where every third person is a serial killer who turns each victim into a leisurely art project.  None of them seem to be concerned about making a swift getaway. 

Chunger Games

The following image may be disturbing to some viewers:

This will often happen when I'm making things.  Me in the middle, papers and tools piling up on either side.  I've been too tired and busy to put things away properly.  The good news is I'm nearly done with my project.  I was folding laundry which is why my laptop is facing the camera.  I'm nearly done watching all of Parks & Recreation!

I just finished reading Girl in a Band, Kim Gordon's memoir.  I've admired her for most of my life and I liked the book, but I think her writing is better when she's fully outraged, rather than when she's being philosophical or poetic.  The best parts of the book were the ones about growing up with her schizophrenic brother, or where her marriage is falling apart. Now I'm reading High-Rise by J.G. Ballard. 

Today is Thanksgiving, and I'll be celebrating with my friends at one of their houses.  I'm wrapping up this post and going to pick up some fancy ice cream for this party, and head home to do some housework until it's time to leave.  I hope I'll have a prettier sight for you to see on my next update.

The Whack-a-Mole Diaries

November has brought Portland some intense rain and its insidious chill, which means something else for me: an off-and-on visit from the old S.A.D.  This last weekend has been lovely, at least in Olympia it was, but I've had some personal matters that are hedging my enjoyment.  Yesterday was basically fired.  Well, today is a new day.

I had early Thanksgiving with my family so I have a long weekend to look forward to where I'm going to clean the house and work on art.  The house is a fright.  Prepare for more before-and-afters.  I think I'm not expecting any guests for the foreseeable future (except perhaps a movie night group this weekend) so I can take my time.

Oh yeah, and the holidays are upon us.  I have three fake trees this year, four if you count the wooden one I made at my old job.  That tree is one of those ambiguous symbols of the past, because it was a job I despised, but the tree itself was made from a CAD program that I customized for a laser cutter.  It's not really cute but I made it. 

OK, enough of this, time to listen to some shoegaze bands and watch reruns of Sifl & Olly. 

In Conclusion...

Saw my doctor on Friday, and I got diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea.  This means I stop breathing a few times every night while sleeping, and I'm not getting enough oxygen, so I feel sleepy during the day.  I'm supposed to get another call from the sleep specialist this week to sort out the treatment part.  I feel better finally knowing that there's a real reason for all of this.  I used to think it was just stress causing it, but the last year and a half have been the least stressful time of my entire life.
 
I got introduced to this series over the weekend:

I'm also working on The Good Wife, season 6.  Matthew Goode joined the cast late in season 5, and that is an excellent thing, but I'm still mourning Will Gardner.  Sorry to ruin it for you if you're not caught up to me yet.

The Science of Sleep

I may finally have an answer to what sleep disorder I've been having these last few years.  My insurance recently approved a night of sleep study, so I had to sleep with tubes on my face and hand that were attached to a couple little things strapped to my chest.  I had to do this for two nights really, as the first night of testing didn't gather enough data.  I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to get confirmation and see what my treatment options are.  After eight or nine months of waiting I'm hoping that I'll start getting real sleep at last!

I'm getting caught up on a lot of little messy tasks from work that have fallen behind over a period of months.  I filed a large stack of legal paperwork and direct debit payment forms.  I also cleared out a file cabinet that I rarely use and found two pairs of shoes that I forgot about!  I don't think I've needed them since early spring anyway.  My sorting project has extended to the workplace at last and I don't have stuff hiding in drawers here anymore.

Live From the Tropic of Cardboard

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