Been getting my activism on lately. I went to a New Orleans Indymdia meeting the other night. Though we didn't get much accomplished because of the lack of people, I did enjoy talking shit about some of the power hungry activist assholes in New Orleans. Afterwards, I hung out with some friends at Zots Cafe. It's a nice little bohemian coffee shop in the middle of the Marigny. It was also a 40 minute bike ride (one way) that felt really good on the way back. I paid for it with a flat tire in the morning.
The next day I went to Food Not Bombs for the second week in a row. I hadn't done that in almost a year. It felt good to be a part of it again without carrying it all on my shoulders. It is always so rewarding to set up the food in Jackson Square and get lots of appreciative smiles from everyone. This is one of the few activist things I have done that really makes a noticeable difference in peoples' lives. Also, it really mixes my activism with something I really love to do, cook.
I have met some really nice peole lately through Food Not Bombs. A bunch of us went to free movie night at Club 735 (basically the new Shim Sham Club) afterwards. Purple Rain and $5 pitchers. How can you beat that? They also played Can't Stop the Music, a disco movie with the Village People and Steve Gutenburg in it. I honestly haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a long time. I rode home again that night, but a little more on the tipsy side than I would have liked. Again, I paid for that beautiful ride with a flat tire in the morning. Two days, two flats. But, I actually like fixing flats.
Tonight, I hung out with my friend Laine and made some vegan cookies. They were so good! I don't think that people really know how exciting it is for a vegan to eat cookies. Afterwards, I went to this show at the Dixie Tavern. However, the band I wanted to see, the Faeries, was not playing. So, I hung out with some friends outside and headed back home.
[ posted by andy at 08/28/2003 12:54:22 AM ] [ link ] [ 12 responses ]
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Blow Off the Dust
I was looking through this old Chinese vegetarian cookbook, trying to find some recipe ideas for the next Asian Cajun Cook Zine, when I realized that this book came from the store that my mom owned when we lived in Lafayette, LA. This would have been around 1978, when I was about 3 years old. My mom dug this out of the attic not too long ago and gave it to me. I never thought anything of it until I saw the print on the inside of the cover.
[ posted by andy at 08/26/2003 01:09:47 AM ] [ link ] [ 4 responses ]
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It never pays to get up early.
I had a pretty full day yesterday. After work I headed to band practice in Baton Rouge. It took me about 2 hours to get there between the first-day-of-school traffic, the flipped truck on the Bonne Carre Spillway and the downpour on I-10 coming into BR.
But, I still got there in time to visit with Michael and Deanna and see their new apartment. Michael seems really happy now that Deanna is back from Japan. And their apartment is really great. Both of them already seem inspired to make all kinds of "stuff."
Practice was sloppy but good. We hadn't played in the almost 3 weeks since we have been back from tour. Some new material possibly on the way.
When I got back home last night, I was burned out and fell asleep a lot earlier than usual. This, of course, totally threw my sleep schedule off and I was up at 5:30 this morning. So, I decided to make some coffee and watch the sunrise. As light started to creep out of the shadows, I realized that it was overcast and that the sun's show was going to be a hidden one. Just my luck. It just goes to show that I need to get up for sunrises more often. I should also be checking out some sunsets. Those are a lot easier.
I think that I am going to make the best of this morning by filling up my coffee mug, grabbing my sketch book and heading over to Audubon Park. Gonna kick it "urban naturalist" style. Aldo Leopold would roll over in his grave.
[ posted by andy at 08/22/2003 08:55:21 AM ] [ link ] [ 0 responses ]
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Back on Track
I have been a little more active in the last week. It hasn't been so much a creative output, but more an extension of some of the things I had already started.
I made some more copies of the Asian Cajun Vegan Cook Zine, this time with two colors and hand-sewn instead of stapled. I actually sent a couple out by mail. It was exciting to send out mail again. I have become more of a regular again at Food Not Bombs and actually gave out a few zines the other night. Everyone seemed excited about them.
Tonight, I hit the thrift store and got a whole bunch of t-shirts to stencil. I did the "if I can't dance...", "always be active", and the banjo stencils. All the shirts turned out well due to the sponge roller method. I'm trying to make another stencil, but haven't come up with anything as of yet. I don't want to force the making of one. I would rather have a great idea just sort of come out of nowhere. Those are always the best.
An article I wrote back in early spring got published in the Institute for Earth Education's newsletter. It is based on a class of kids from the 9th Ward that came out to our 4th grade Earthkeepers program and how they transformed from city kids who were scared of the woods to kids who didn't want to leave the woods. To add to the expanding theme, I sent this article to the National Association of Interpretation's newsletter for publication. They seemed receptive and I think it will be published there too.
It feels nice to just roll with some of the things I have accomplished instead of always trying to do new things. I end up burning myself out if I am always trying to create. Of course, I don't want to get stagnant either. Expanding on what I have already done will hopefully help me bridge the gap to the next project. Yeehaw!
[ posted by andy at 08/20/2003 11:49:59 PM ] [ link ] [ 4 responses ]
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Getting Away
I spent what I thought was some needed time away from home last weekend. But, actually it felt like home all over again. I visited my parents which ended up being a shining reminder of how their marriage is slowly disentegrating. I also got to receive an unhealthy dose of codependency from my mom. When she isn't trying to buy useless things for me, she is telling me how I should live my life. The two go hand in hand. I also should be finding a job that pays more. My sister is having her first baby soon and so, of course, everyone wants to know when I am going to have kids, not to mention get married. "We just want you to be happy." How many times do I have to say that happiness with me does not equate to money and the American Dream.
[ posted by andy at 08/19/2003 12:12:09 AM ] [ link ] [ 8 responses ]
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A Love Affair
Oh Journal, how I love thee so. Who else would listen to me when I am stinking drunk at 3AM? You are so supportive. How could I make it without you and a whole bottle of aspirns? No one understands me but you. No one. asdfasdl;fkasdjfalkdsf;asdn asdfaklsdjfasdfasdfcadsfasdd
[ posted by andy at 08/15/2003 04:04:11 AM ] [ link ] [ 1 responses ]
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Being a Grownup Sucks
I hate when I have to dress up and be an adult. I just don't clean up very well.
My job is wonderful. I get to run around with kids in the woods and brainwash them to be treehuggers. However, I also have to be responsible sometimes. I really enjoy writing and decided to start writing grants for our non-profit. Next thing you know, I am the Grants Manager of our organization. I now lead a very strange dual life. While I am out with the kids, I am expected to get dirty and smile. When I am trying to raise funds, I have to look clean. I have been doing pretty poorly at the latter.
Today there was a workshop on researching funding prospects at some fancy schmancy restaurant on St. Charles Ave. My boss has been encouraging me to go to functions like these. So, I dressed up more than I usually do, a set of kaki pants and a button-down shirt tucked in, and headed over. This was a big strech for me.
The function was a sea of dresses and suits. I didn't feel like I should have dressed this way, but more like, "Why the hell are all you people so fucking dressed up?" I guess this is the way that all of them dress at work. Who knows? But, they should have been a bunch of non-profit hippies, right?
I constantly have to put my beliefs on a scale. I don't want to be some stuffy suit. But, is it worth dressing up every now and then so that we can have money to run all the great programs we run? I think so. I just don't want to grow up.
[ posted by andy at 08/14/2003 06:21:40 PM ] [ link ] [ 52 responses ]
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Blurry-Eyed
In the last few days, my face has been glued to the computer screen. I have become a regular again on Killoggs. I am IMing people like a madman. I am now addicted to Friendster. Someone even warned me not to join that site. I even bought a DVD rom for my computer because I don't have a TV. Now I can do everything from my computer. Watch movies. Make new friends. Make small conversation. Activism. Everything.
What happened to all this productive stuff I was going to do? My motivation has been sucked into the circuitry. I need to be making stuff and doing things. Playing music and dancing to it. Making new recipes. I had about 5 different bands and 20 different projects I was going to start when I got back from tour. Ahhh!
But, it hasn't been all that bad. I have been meeting some new people and staying in touch with some other good friends. I think the biggest reason I have been online so much is so I don't become lonely. That is definitely a product of my recent departure from a long-term relationship.
[ posted by andy at 08/12/2003 06:16:21 PM ] [ link ] [ 9 responses ]
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Old Friends
I went to Baton Rouge last night for a going away party for Andrea. There were lots of old friends there. I made a vegan "triple chocolate cake" that everyone seemed to enjoy. I also made some vegan pig-n-da-blankets. I'm gonna miss Andrea a lot. I have been missing a lot of my Baton Rouge friends since I moved to New Orleans. But, she is going to be a lot further away now.
[ posted by andy at 08/11/2003 05:19:40 PM ] [ link ] [ 0 responses ]
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Back Home
I just got back from tour and am inspired to do everything. I think the first thing I will do is to sew myself a new wallet. I have had this same wallet for a long time and it is falling apart. I have also had this need and want to sew something. So, there you go. I think I am also going to make a whole bunch of stencils for t-shirts. I also want to make a water collecting system that goes from my gutter to a storage tank and then to my garden. Oh yeah and I think that I am going to build a loft for my bed. I have always wanted one. It will also give me some more space in my house. I might put an art/work table underneath it. Then I can make my stencils there. I hope this inspiration doesn't go away quick.
[ posted by andy at 07/31/2003 04:31:42 PM ] [ link ] [ 4 responses ]
