MOVED!

I have moved. This is a dead blog, but I am now posting on my brand new photography blog here:

http://thecreativeside.blogspot.com/

Please come see me there. Thanks!

haven't posted here in ages

I just used my old blog to transfer images to my myspace blog, and had a sudden homesickness for this place. How odd is that? This is where it ALL started.

which to read?

which to read?, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

I've gotten to where the only time of day I indulge in a good book anymore is just before sleeping at night. And when I pick up a new read it had just better grab me from the very beginning, or I will not hesitate to put it down in favor of something new. The way I see it, there are just too many good books out there to waste my time on any one that I don't love instantly!

So last week I finished my most recent favorite book, The Secret Life Of Bees. Still a little infatuated with the characters of that story, I waited a couple of days before I thought of moving on. And then, over lunch and then dinner in the same day, I asked two very different people for their recommendations. The books above are the result of those conversations. I checked them both out of library the following day.

I couldn't decide which one to try, so I read the first chapter of each and then stewed it over for a few days. The first is about a man who basically falls for a kitten next door and steals the little guy from his neighbor. The second is about a high school teacher / mask collector with a borderline-obsessive passion for one author's books. From what my friend told me of the first book, I will really relate to this story and the way the main character discovers love for an animal he never thought he could even tolerate. And the jacket of the second book promises a bizarre ride into the illustrated idea of what would happen if I somehow entered into the world of one of those books I know and love. Hmmm.

I'm not sure which book I'll end up diving into first. It really depends on my mood when it's time to read, I think. But this experience of mulling over the possibilities is interesting to me in itself. The stories are blending together in my head as if they are both part of the same plot, and I am not sure which characters belong where. It's a little unsettling.

The moral of this story is: I am only capable of reading ONE book at a time. This trait comes from the same place as does my preference for one-on-one as opposed to group conversation, to relationships as opposed to the dating of many. Leave it to me to find a connection between books and my love life!

Actually, I have no love life at the moment. I'm taking a break from dating altogether. But that is a story for another day.

self-portrait 4/18/05

Self-Portrait 4/18/05, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

Lazing on a Monday afternoon.

Amy Courts at the French Quarter Cafe

Amy Courts at the French Quarter Cafe, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

I had the pleasure of seeing Amy Courts perform tonight, as part of a writer's round at the French Quarter. She wasn't the one I was there to see. But she WAS the one who really made an impression on me. Her songs are folky and soulful, her voice big and wonderfully expressive. I'm very glad to have found her.

the decor

many masks, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

Strange lighting in the French Quarter Cafe. And eerie decor, with glowing faces aplenty.

Gracie herself

Gracie, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

adventures in driving

how I knew I was going the wrong way, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

This past Monday, I set out to visit my friend Rachel and her newborn daughter, Gracie. What occurred was a classic example of me and my sense of direction. Terrible! It's not like this was my first time going out to Rachel's house. But somehow, I managed to get myself lost.

Not lost really...I was just taking the scenic route and learning more about the layout of the city, right?

Right. My excuse is that when I have to take the interstate ANYWHERE I automatically lose all sense of place. There are no landmarks that stand out to me, only endless road and billboards. If I am able to drive city roads, however, I can usually find my way just fine.

In any case, I was driving along wondering if maybe I'd taken the wrong road when I saw this sign. It made me laugh, so I had to stop and take a photo.

And that's my story.

music publishing office

music publishing office, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

This is hanging in the office where I now work mornings MWF. A funny group of mostly Texans, these guys have had songs recorded by Ronnie Milsap, Diamond Rio, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts, Lorrie Morgan...and others. It's a very entertaining place to spend my time.

big feet

big feet, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

I saw these feet when I walked into the ballet studio for class tonight. They were left there from a rehearsal that took place earlier in the day.

self-portrait 3/29/05

self-portrait #2, originally uploaded by carmencita158.

Amy brought this shirt when she came to visit, with the intention of trading it at Planet Xchange. But I got to it first...

:-)