midnight and the rainbow

this is midnight and the rainbow.
this is not.

sun flower eye

Well Done.

Comment below and tell me how you found this!

thing

So now what?

Image via WikipediaI'm jealous of people who seem to read books that just stay with them. The books become something to turn back to, rely on. It's hard for me to feel this way after reading a book. While I'm reading, I'm living inside someone else's world. I notice the details that only J.D. Salinger would point out, and the cold feels colder and the wet wetter in his eyes. Sure, I can think back at the books I've read and remember the worlds. They are always more sensational, full of senses, than my own. But once I've put the book down, I'm back in my world, with a bowl of cold pasta and a cat by my side.

Navy Pier Juggler

Enjoy! Please ignore the obnoxious laughter from someone who was laughing very loudly and close to the camera, for some reason.

Moose Treats

I haven't been able to post the juggler video because I keep getting an error message. I'll figure it out tomorrow... BUT

Today, I bring you muffins!

They're peanut butter banana muffins with walnuts on top. Enjoy!

RECIPE (for Alana) modified from Banana Peanut Butter Bread Recipe

-1/2 cup butter (softened at room temp)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
-3/4 cup peanut butter
-2 bananas (mashed)
-1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- crushed walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tray.
2. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in peanut butter and bananas. In a separate bowl mix together flour and baking soda. Slowly blend this with the wet ingredients. Pour batter into the muffin tray. Top with crushed walnuts.
3. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes at 325 degrees.

Still Not Daily Moosing

If you haven't talked to me about "Inception", you can now. I finally saw it today at the IMAX at Navy Pier.
Oh, and I also got to see this guy.
Oh, here he is again...


This is the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel. It's red, costs $6 dollars to ride, and, although iconic of Navy Pier, not what we were immediately attracted to.
This was. I love swing rides. You not only get great views, but as the 7 yr old boy behind us exclaimed, a "Woo-hoo! I'm flying! I'm Superman!" sort of feeling.

After the ride, we had something to eat and then... "Inception". This guy's facial expression after leaving the theater says it all.

A couple of hours later, I'm in bed, totally exhausted.
Pancho says it's naptime.


PS- While waiting for the movie showtime, we saw this amazing juggler perform... a video will be uploaded soon! I thought it deserved its own post...

Daily Moose Hiatus Continued

I met with the two Re's this afternoon for a lovely dinner at Earwax Cafe. This meant that I had to take an hour and twenty minute trip from the Southside of Chicago to the Wicker Park area. For those not in the know, the Wicker Park area is full of hipsters. Hipsters are interesting creatures; they tend to open shops with thrift store quality goods sold for ridiculously high prices. However, they also tend to work at delicious vegetarian restaurants.

My trip started with a bus and two
trains. This meant lots of standing, crowded areas (especially due to Lollapalooza), and plenty of photo opportunities.

















Once I arrived at Earwax Cafe, I was greeted by this (Re the gustatory scientist):

Eventually we were joined by the other Re, who is obviously not interesting enough to be as in focus as the lady behind her.































Our once exhilarating cups of water were now only slightly stimulating due to ice melting.




At an over-priced second hand items store, Re the gustatory scientist found her double!




This is a giant eyeball designed by artist Tony Tasset. It is supposed to be a replica of his own eyeball. I personally think Tony Tasset desires the omniscience of Santa, but that is not my only qualm with the piece, it now sits on what used to be a perfectly self-sustainable pigeon park. Though it was admittedly less aesthetically pleasant, it required less upkeep and now the pigeons are left to protest in the outskirts, homeless, unheard.


Just past the eyeball was the train stop where I would wait for the train ride back home.






























The waiting was made slightly more bearable by this view.






After the train arrived, I said goodbye to the view and headed back to the (mostly) hipster-less Southside of Chicago that I call home.


NOTE: that train is obviously not the one I got on, but you get the idea.

Meet Sue.

I'm currently on a Daily Moose Hiatus. Thanks for the suggestions, and I'll try to use all of your ideas at some point (I'm thinking Monday). I finished reading a graphic novel, "Fables". I've been in a comicky sort of mood.

Now that you've finished considering whether or not comicky is a word, meet sue.



PS - I realize it's difficult to read this, but click on that bad boy and it will get lots easier to do so!

Daily Moose: Purple Pizza Anxious

URGENT!!!! This is the last Daily Moose!!!!

jay-kay.

But, seriously, I need portrait suggestions!!!
I'm going to do a series of portraits next, but have no idea who to choose!

Today's Daily Moose was made with pencil and Photoshop.

Tomorrow will bring... ????

Daily Moose: White Dream Elegant

I took a Daily Moose break this weekend. Tomorrow's Daily Moose will bring: pizza, purple, anxiety.... Also: after tomorrow's Daily Moose, I will need more ideas... This time around, I'm thinking of doing a series of portraits. I need names!!! Who should I do a portrait of?

Daily Moose: Blue Bed Lonely

Today's Daily Moose was made using pencil, colored pencil, crayon, sharpie, and Photoshop. Tomorrow will bring white, dream, elegant...

Daily Moose: Yellow Streetlight Cozy

Thanks for the Daily Moose suggestions, everyone. I'll be using each suggestion one day at a time. So stay tuned, tomorrow will bring: blue, bed, lonely....

Daily Moose: Moose Hatter

Meh. I'm running out of ideas so I need your help!!! Just post a color, a noun, and an adjective and I will use these to create the next daily meese.

Daily Moose of Some Number

I just wanted to make something pretty.

Moose Monday

It's still Monday somewhere. I hope I'm not abusing the word daily by calling this a daily moose.
Anyway, today's drawing was inspired by the Nine Inch Nails song "Hand That Feeds".

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
Will you stay down on your knees?

PS - I almost forgot to mention, scroll down to the bottom of the page! Magical things await you...

Moosing in Action

Sorry I was M.I.A yesterday in terms of the Daily Moose.
Today I was in a sharpie sort of mood after visiting Google.com. Apparently, it's, Scandinavian architect, Josef Frank's birthday. Happy Birthday Josef Frank!!! His work is really pretty and inspirational in an old lady sweater/fairy tale sort of way. Anyway, today's daily moose is below...

Daily Moose: 2

My brother asked me this morning if I could somehow draw him something that connected the electric with the organic. I'll probably keep trying at this. This is my first attempt.

Daily Moose

So, I almost forgot about my daily drawing deal... I didn't really like the way the drawing looked after I scanned it so I pretty much Photoshopped it until I realized there was nothing more that could be done.

Mooseum of Art

I'm afraid I've gotten a bit lazy in posting on this thing, as well as in general. As a way of rescuing two birds with one net, I've decided to give myself a goal. From now on, I will post either a drawing or piece of writing on the daily. This will ensure that I do not forget how to hold a pencil- it's an important skill.

So I will start today with the following piece. I'm not sure that it's very finished, but it's an idea that I had. I sketched it quickly then added color with Photoshop.

Juju + Moose = Juice

Day 1.
Julien arrives at O'Hare at around 9 am. At home, I find out my financial aid counselor made a mistake in calculating my EFC. I can breathe again. I take a bus to the Museum of Science and Industry. Julien is sitting at the top of the steps. Breathless.

We get tickets to see "Hubble" at the Omnimax theater. Everything is put into perspective. Leonardo DiCaprio repeatedly assures me that we live on a utopia, and have yet to find our equal. I am tiny. This is the best there is. We are sheltered on Earth and my biggest concern is student loans. I look at Julien as DiCaprio guides us to the Andromeda Galaxy. This is the best there is.

Day 2.
We watch "A-Team". Hilarity ensues.

Day 3.
Julien accompanies me to the post office to ship a box. As the post office lady tapes the box up, Julien says, "If it fits, it ships". The post office lady pauses, stares at him and then looks away. Julien and I discuss proper post office etiquette while we wait for the bus to the movie theater. We watch "Toy Story 3" in 3D. I cry and feel very old. We walk outside and it is drizzling. I get home and realize a tornado has just taken place.

Day 4.
Julien and I go swimming at his hotel pool. Joining us are an older couple, a lady and her hot pink noodle and a 10 yr old boy. Julien practices floating and I practice sinking. After, we inhale a small deep dish spinach pizza and run to catch the bus back to my house.

Day 5.
A carefully orchestrated plan to smuggle veggie dogs into a movie theater takes place. We find America's Dog by Randolph and Wabash and order two veggies dogs with mustard, tomatoes, relish, sports peppers and a pickle and fries. We stuff the goods into my bag and we rush to the subway. We are an hour earlier than planned, when we arrive at the movie theater. Julien starts singing about smuggled goods, clearly misunderstanding the word inconspicuous. Luckily there is an earlier showing of "The Karate Kid" and we are still 20 mins early. We buy a drink and chocolate dipped cookie dough (our decoy snack). As soon as the lights go off and the previews begin, I sneak out the veggie dogs. The movie starts off slow, but two hours later, I have a stomach full of veggie dog and a renewed admiration for Jackie Chan.

After the movie we head to the Taste of Chicago. The sun seems to hover above Grant Park. I am breathing in more people particles than air particles. We walk around a couple of times, spend our tickets quickly and then trudge out of there.

Day 6.
Last day with Julien.
I meet him at the bus stop. He starts crying. I had left my swimsuit and tupperware with him a couple of days ago and he was bringing them back to me. He had them in a plastic bag and he had forgotten the bag on the bus. He had lost my swimsuit. I am mildly annoyed but mostly I am moved. I can't believe that it would upset him this much to disappoint me. We wait for the bus we will be taking to the train station. It arrives and we are listening to Gorillaz. I have completely forgotten about my swimsuit when Julien says he thinks he sees the swimsuit on the bus. He walks over to a girl sitting on the bus and reaches under her seat to pick up a plastic bag as she stares at him, confused. He comes back and sits next to me. "This was the bus I was just on," he says. Inside the bag there is my tupperware and swimsuit. "How do you feel?" I say and he says, "Better".
We are in Chinatown. We end going to a restaurant we used to go to regularly. We get seaweed salad and eggplant with mushrooms and egg fried tofu with peppers. I struggle with the chopsticks and the waiter feels sorry for me and brings us two forks. We leave the restaurant and go to a small grocery store. We buy ramune and dried seaweed. We get back on the train and get off at Jackson. I will transfer to the Orange Line back home and Julien will transfer to the Blue Line to O'Hare. At around 5 pm, Julien arrives at O'Hare. Meanwhile, I am home, munching on some seaweed and putting my swimsuit away.

Of Moose and Men

1. My Neighborhood
Yesterday, I walked through my neighborhood. I walked first to the library and then post office with my mother. I then walked to the bus stop on my way to a sleepover. Not having walked that much through my neighborhood in a little less than year, I realized everything that I had taken for granted.
a)Summerness- It seemed like everyone was grilling and the smell of burning was everywhere, part of the concrete and tree bark. There were popsicle sticks on the ground, and incriminating popsicle stains on toddler tshirts. Paleteros and Eloteros jingling and honking, moving, and enticing. There was an old man, standing with a bucket of white paint in front of his staircase, ready to repair the winter damage. He was a stout man, round and sturdy but he held the paintbrush so delicately, seemingly enjoying the feel of the bristles sliding against the wooden steps. It had been raining the day before, but today there was only sunshine and easy.
b) The Spanish Language- Mexican families, sitting on their front porch, complaining, story-telling, lying, cursing, exclaiming, shouting, muttering, whispering, the sounds are comforting, and refreshing. The melodies sound so natural, unrestrained and honest. So much is said with intonation, pitch and volume. These are sounds I had heard so rarely all school year long in Rochester, now coming at me, full force, amplified. It was a melody of questions, gossip, evening conversations.

2. The Bus
The bus was mostly empty when I got on, but started filling up quickly. It would have been a regular bus ride, frankly one where I might have regretted not bringing my iPod, but for the running commentary coming from the woman sitting behind me. She was talking on the phone to someone, but she was quiet for the most part and would only speak when something happened on the bus that she disapproved of. To be honest, I'm not even sure if she was talking to anyone on the phone. She was probably just holding that phone to her ear so as not to seem crazy. She was definitely speaking loud enough so that most of the bus could hear her.
Some Things She Said:
"Shi- get that baby a pacifier or somethin'!"
-after a baby started crying
"What is he doing with a dolly and suitcase? Where he gotta go? Holding the bus up and shit? Why? A dolly and a suitcase!"
-after a man with a dolly and suitcase got on the bus (to be fair, it was weird)
"Shut up! Oh mah gah! This girl's on the bus talking on her cellphone all loud! Shut up with your bird looking ass! Peacock!"
-after another woman got on the phone and started speaking at a volume that still did not surpass this woman

3. Bec's House
After arriving at Bec's house we started off the visit with smoothie making (I had banana duty). We then proceeded to discuss Bec's deteriorating health, and the untrustworthiness of doctors. Once Bobber arrived, we were able to head to the park. At the park, we discovered that Bobber and I, unlike Bec, were perhaps not suited for ultimate frisbee. I discovered that Michael Jordan coming at my head at 30 mph was very scary. We then proceeded to the swingset, where we noticed a two dimensional labyrinth (not be confused with a maze of any number of dimensions) just adjacent to us. Bec bravely walked us through the labyrinth and I lead our journey back out. After that we realized we were alone in the dark, and Bobber kept warning me about curly haired creepers that appear in parks late at night. Of course, I am not so gullible. There are no such thing as curly haired creepers. We headed back to Bec's house and began to film a video on a small island country named Nauru. In Nauru, we met many lonely, friendly indigenous people. They were quite hospitable, and eager to meet us, as this country gets so few visitors. Shout-out to Fred, Fredericka and Winifred! Perhaps the only downside were the pesky dragons and dragon slayers. I sure will miss Nauru.

For more information on Nauru visit:
http://www.discovernauru.com/

PS- If you look through the many Nauruan activities listed on the website, you will notice that "walking" is listed as one of them.