Blank Walls

I just got into the apartment. The miscellaneous things I have accumulated over the years are laying in the living room. My things look like they're scared. Huddled in the corner, unsure of their new surroundings. They look out of place. I don't think my toilet paper, guitar, shoes, or clock have been in such close proximity before. I want to tell them I'm just as scared as they are but that it will soon all be okay.

The walls that now encompass me are waiting for their new life to begin just as much as I am. As barren as the space around me is it will soon be filled with beautiful, bright things... just like this new part of my life. We both know, my apartment and me, that these things take time. Worthwhile things take time. We are both willing to wait.

RVA

Yesterday, Amanda, Adele and I spent the day together in our state capital. Richmond. What can I say? I'm in love.

Adele and I drove up to Richmond in the morning to meet up with some folks for brunch. Amanda and Atlanta were already in RVA because the night before they had gone to see The Glitch Mob at The Hat Factory with CVT (jealous!).

We ate at Kuba Kuba. I thought this totally appropriate since just the day before I had given a 30 minute presentation on the country. If you're ever in Richmond and craving something delicious I would suggest going there. Eclectic, cozy, a decent selection of veggie options (I got the California Huevos with avacado) and tasty cornbread. Oops, almost forgot- mugs and t-shirts too!

Post-brunch I was super sluggish and desperately craving a siesta but Richmond doesn't wait. Had to soldier on. Shopped for a bit. Hit up some cute vintage and consignment shops- Exile, Rumors, Bang-On, and Plan 9 just to name a few....

Worn out. So much walking. Hit up Kuba Kuba again for three single shot espressos, tres leches and nutilla. The tres leches was a let down, pretty much just a vanilla cake, but the nutilla was good- imagine a Cuban creme brulee.

With our sweet teeth satisfied we made the ten minute drive out to see Aaron and Gillian at their house where I learned about the new fifth sense of taste, umami and was introduced to this youTube treasure:



Drove back to Norfolk just in time to watch The Messenger at the Naro. Listened to the Blakroc CD I picked up at Plan 9 earlier in the day and a Tupperware mix on the way back. Splendid way to decompress from a delightful day.

I want more of this.

Beauty

A few years back in Tempe, Arizona artists were commissioned by local officials to create temporary works of art at different bus stops in the city. One artist in particular, Joel Sherman, took excerpts from Thomas Meyer's translation of the Tao Te Ching and stenciled them in mud onto a couple city transit shelters. The results were wonderful. The text deals with many principles, including temporality, force, flexibility and resistance- issues that are relevant to the nation at large and specifically to the people of Tempe. See it here.

In saying this I wonder why more cities don't try to create beauty in the mundane. We are vibrant, eclectic individuals- why shouldn't our surroundings reflect this?

"Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody."
-Jane Jacobs

Another One Bites The Dust

Since I was three years old it has been our family tradition to chop down a tree the day after Thanksgiving. Whether or not we actually put up the Christmas tree that year is a different story. Yes, there have been years when that sad little tree just stayed in the back yard waiting to be bedazzled with lights and ornaments. I think the fact that we typically leave the Christmas tree up till mid March makes up for it, if only slightly.

So for the past fifteen years we've been making the trek out to Suffolk to a family tree farm called Ehrenzeller's, a cabin straight out of Little House on the Prairie sitting on a couple acres of land filled with trees. Despite the long sighs, moans, and groans from the girls in the family we always seem to have a good time with each other and there are countless memories I have stored away from this particular family tradition of ours.

We roll up to Ehrenzeller's but there was no trailer where the tree boys dole out handsaws, no sign out front advertising the trees, it was empty. After calling 411 we found out that they had gone out of business. Sadly, we made the drive back to Norfolk treeless. Sad that it was an end of an era for our tree chopping expeditions. But equally, if not more so, sad that there was another independent business that had to close. Come on people, support local businesses! It really makes a lot of difference when you do and, honestly, you feel a lot better about your consumerism when you support local.

I guess the new family tradition is a midnight run to Ehrenzeller's (where there are still trees, just no business) with our own personal handsaw and tweed to tie it to the car. Leaving the traditional fee of $27.50 check in their mailbox of course.

Studio Center

Seriously guys, my Dad is the cutest.

N & G

"He would have liked to say no, to run back and go to bed. He felt tired and weak; his head had ached all afternoon. But he felt slightly embarrassed in front of Adolf. And who could tell: perhaps there would be something new, something beautiful outside the cloister, something that might make one forget headaches and listlessness and all kinds of pain. It was an excursion into the world- although secret and forbidden, nothing to feel proud of. Still, perhaps it would bring release, be an experience. He stood undecided while Adolf continued to talk; suddenly he laughed and said yes."

..as if I need more reasons to get out of Norfolk.

Eye of a Needle

Yesterday the family went out for a lunch that was supposed to be more awkward than stepping out of some dude's car with your stockings off just to have the abstinence talk with your folks.

In all honesty, it wasn't that bad.

My dad invited Some Dude to lunch. Amanda and I met Some Dude during last week's coffee hour at church. Last week Some Dude had thought it totally appropriate to hit on Amanda upon meeting and then ask her out after five minutes of bland conversation.

Anyways, so Cogans with the family and Some Dude. Undoubtedly he probably assumed we were the atypical gun-slinging, marry your daughters off, Bush bumper sticker, Bible thumping Baptists. Which is probably why he is seemed so shocked when I said that I personally thought Obamacare (as he called it) was a good idea. In fact, if we could be more like the Frenchies I think the good ol' US of A would be a better functioning country as a whole.

To which he rebutted,

"You'll see! When you get a job you're not gonna want half your paycheck going to the man!"

I don't know why it's this one issue that irks me so much. Maybe it's because everyone is so greedy with their money. Maybe it's because they can't seem to see outside their little cardboard box of a life that maybe (just maybe) this plan would work. I mean why should I expect someone who goes to church to believe that worldly possessions aren't important. I mean the whole rich man, camel, eye of a needle thing? Yea right! Who reads that anyways?? Let's focus on living our lives as we would and then get a "holier than thou" attitude just because we can sit still in nice clothes for one hour a week.

I say all that because some guy came into work last night with a tumor the size of a baseball on his neck. Homeless and hungry. Weak because his body is slowly killing itself. This guy didn't come in to ask for money or free popcorn but just because he needed someone to vent to. I offered up Ghent United Ministries and the Union Mission but apparently if you don't get your shit together within a certain time then you're out on the street again. Awesome system.

This guy, who calls himself Ol Big Pops, can't get adequate health care. Why? It's expensive and he can't pay for it. He can't pay for it because he doesn't have a job. He can't get a job because he's too weak from the cancer. Vicious cycle. Of course it doesn't have to be like that. We could follow the example of other revolutionary countries and offer free healthcare. Or we could just hold onto our money and watch as the sick get sicker, all the while saying "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"