Super Sad True Love Story

***Warning: This post contains words you might find offensive. Stop reading if you can't take the heat.***



Cliffs Notes Version: I really enjoyed it!

Norton Critical Edition:

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart almost escaped my notice. When I heard someone describe it as dystopian, I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. The book tells the story of a sensationalized, desperate country as seen through the diary entries of Lenny Abramov, an almost-40 year old drone working at a life extension company, and GlobalTeen (think Facebook) posts of Eunice Park, a recent college grad seemingly caught between meeting only the expectations of the world around her and striving for a life with greater meaning. Am I revealing my bias a bit early?

Despite my immediate interest, the book turned me off pretty quickly once I started reading it. The United States has devolved into more of an authoritarian nation under the guise of the bipartisan party (not the part that bothered me). Really, it was the highly sexualized nature of this world that I found myself having to get used to. I don't consider myself a prude, but being plunged into a world where the girls* wear transparent jeans known as onion skins and favor underwear that pop off at the push of a button set my teeth on edge. The place to shop is known as Juicy Pussy and fuckability is rated and posted on everyone's äppäräti.

Because I'm stubborn I hung in there and was rewarded (see Cliffs Notes version above) for my efforts. Shteyngart essentially took many of the realities of today, added a little acid, and baked for 45 minutes at 450 degrees. The country is a downtrodden shell of its former self run by corporations and on the brink of selling its soul to China. Youth, consumerism, and media are what everyone values. In case you doubt this, just whip out your äppäräti and check your friends' credit rating, personality and hottness as compared to everyone else.

For me, Eunice's struggle was one of the more redeeming parts of the book. She's caught between honoring her Korean culture and family, living the life of a sex-crazed shopping genius, and searching for something more (both in love and her desire to help the downtrodden), and it's this complexity that grabs you.

This book left me with so much to say and struggling with how to do so. It's tempting to devote pages to analyzing the book and characters, but let's be real. I'm not hosting a lit class up in here, so I'll get to the point. The book, while clearly a satire, was not funny. Not once did I laugh or crack a smile. The world that Shteyngart creates could very easily be a thinly veiled look into our future, and frankly, I found it all too disturbing. Disturbing but thoughtful.

Coincidentally, I was reading this book around the time Facebook rolled out many of its newest features. Rumors of Facebook being able to post things I'm reading, watching, or listening to without me proactively clicking "like" is frighteningly similar to the world of Lenny and Eunice, and that, my friends, is a world that has gone a bit too far. 

*Yes, girls. Youth run the world and are the hot commodity.

Tim Conlon @ Art Whino

I was excited to make it back out to Art Whino this weekend. I haven't been since the opening of Richard Salcido show and, when I happened to walk by earlier last week, knew it was time to go back. The current show being featured is Derailed 2 by Tim Conlon. I was immediately pleased with what I saw from Conlon, but I think it's pretty obvious to guess why. {His roots are in graffiti and aerosol is his medium.}



Honestly, I tried to form an opinion about these pieces beyond the fact that I generally found them pleasing to the eye, but they weren't powerful enough to spark that much emotion in me. Instead, it was akin to walking through a documentary of interesting graffiti art observed. You can check out a bit more from Art Whino by clicking the photo below for a few more shots of what I saw on Flickr.

Crafty Bastards Redux

We made the trek to Crafty Bastards today. Despite the rain and battle for a parking space, it's always time well spent. It is one of those rare places where I can handle massive numbers of people moving through a confined space and huddling under tents to view and purchase goods. This has to have something to do with the fact that folks attending the craft fair tend to be pretty chill and happy. The photo above is the loot I took home. Why, yes, that is a lunch bag with the anatomy of a unicorn. I also snagged another print from Berkley Illustration for my wall.




I should probably also mention that a couple of us grabbed Hill Country Barbecue Market for lunch. This was the first time I've had a chance to sample it, but you guys have to go. The brisket and sweet potato mash were really good, and I'm even willing to go out on a limb and say the barbecue was definitely reminiscent of Rudy's*.

*In case you're not in the know about Rudy's, it's pretty damn good and situated at classy places in Texas like gas stations.

September Photo Challenge Day 30: in motion

The end! I wish I could say I was able to snap a new picture today, but it was just one of those days. I actually managed to convince a bartender at a local watering hole to juggle bottles for me. However, he was backlit, and it just didn't turn out. Nothing else struck my fancy, so I pulled a fall favorite from November 2009. I love this photo of Ravena and Steven playing in the leaves though.

September Photo Challenge Day 29: purchased

Check out my ukulele. Isn't she lovely? One day I'll make happy music and foist it on you all. For now, I practice Mary Had a Little Lamb and a few cords on my couch. I'm determined that I'm going to disprove that whole "can't teach an old dog new tricks" cliche.

September Photo Challenge Day 28: daily routine

Commuting. I do it every day. After more than 13 years in the DC area and none of those living anywhere near where I work, I suppose I've gotten used to it. Reaching for my umbrella today reminded me of one of my morning commutes that gave me hope for humanity. I had run out of the house quickly, running late to catch the bus and not taking the time to check out the weather (sadly, this isn't an uncommon occurrence). I made it about halfway to the bus stop when it started pouring rain. My hasty departure meant I had no umbrella, and as it turns out, the bus was running late. The bus stop isn't close enough to my apartment to just pop back in, and I needed to catch that bus. I stood in the rain, getting thoroughly soaked, when a car rolls up. A woman leans across the driver's side to hand me her umbrella. I attempted to decline, but she insisted, informing me I looked pathetic. Despite the fact that I likely couldn't get any wetter, I was grateful to this kind stranger. Sometimes people are so brusque and, well, rude up here that I forget how much compassionate gestures mean.

September Photo Challenge Day 27: after dark

When the sun goes down and the witching hour hits, the things that hold us back sometimes slip away. We dance. We dance with the abandon and the freedom our mother's dreamed for us.

November 2008.

September Photo Challenge Day 26: something old

This weekend I turned an old pinto beans sack into an overstuffed pillow. I picked up this old sack at one of my favorite antique malls recently and knew it was either going to become a pillow or a tote. I've eyed too many of this style of pillow on Etsy but knew I could easily make this with the right materials. Did I set out looking specifically for pinto beans? I'll let you decide.

September Photo Challenge Day 25: sunflare

Taken in April 2009 on a day trip to Philadelphia. Terra, a great believe in all things GPS, swore her gadget was going to take us there on the scenic backroads. Well, we were definitely off the beaten path (can you say 6 hour drive to Philly), but it wasn't necessarily scenic. I'm still a sucker for roadtrips, even if it means I end up spending several hours winding through industrial America.

September Photo Challenge Day 24: a smile

Taken in June 2008 when this girl came to visit me while I was camping out in Texas for a couple of weeks. The goal was the ultimate Texas roadtrip.

- Buying a baby pool and using it to cool down in the front yard (Hello, Texas...in June).
- Temporarily "adopting" a stray kitten that decided to make the yard its home.
- Taking said kitten on short car trips and nicknaming him Kitty in the Car.
- Feeding said kitten McDonalds and having it bring us dead birds.
- Taking said kitten to the nursing home to visit my grandmother and having it subsequently get loose.
- Discovering a place with $1 margaritas and managing to only have one.
- Trying to trick Allie into thinking Marfa was only 3 hours away (it's more like 5).
- Austin.
- Some of the best margaritas and Mexican food I've ever had on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.

September Photo Challenge Day 23: sunset

Given how overcast it was today, I didn't think I'd see the sun.

September Photo Challenge Day 22: trees

Snapped roughly four years ago. Though I was surrounded by a forest on the verge of turning, it was only a scene as I shot through on my way to meetings today. I was torn between posting this shot or one of the many photos I have of my favorite trees. Yes, I have a favorite set of trees. They're symmetrical, and each seasonal transition is markedly different than the one that came before it.

If you don't know this about me, I get really pissed (and a bit melodramatic) when trees are bulldozed for sprawl.

September Photo Challenge Day 21: pretty pattern

I am obsessed with stripes. Seeing them automatically triggers my endorphins, making me even happier. I know I've mentioned this before, but I practically stalk two local companies who have the most pleasant stripes running alongside their work vans. One day I'll manage to photograph them in the wild. The photo above was snapped earlier this summer at a school in Waynesboro, Virginia that has been converted to government office buildings.

I really am an easy girl to please.

September Photo Challenge Day 20: what I'm reading

Two books I've started but haven't finished. What I'm reading at the moment is on my phone and a bit hard to capture on film. If you were able to step into my phone, you'd find I'm currently reading The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

September Photo Challenge Day 19: where I slept

Taken as I rolled out of bed this morning. Fall is definitely on its way. I no longer wake to the sun streaming through my blinds. I might miss the morning sun just a tad, but I'll gladly trade it for the crisp air.

Search for Stars Hollow: Catonsville, Maryland

Sometimes you think you know an area, driving the same routes and seeing the same buildings every time you return. Suddenly, one day a colleague mentions stopping for coffee at a new (to you) coffee shop rather than the cookie cutter Starbucks in what could be any random strip mall.



As we rounded a corner on Frederick Road, I caught a glimpse of what might be in store. If you blinked, you'd miss it, but there, off to the right, is a sign noting that you've just crossed into Catonsville, music city Maryland. Seriously? Yes. Evidently this small downtown area is home to four music shops, a summer concert series, and a monthly Appalachian bluegrass jam session. In honor of this tradition, I popped into Bill's Music and later went back to pick up a new ukulele (more on this later).


But let's get back to this coffee shop. I fell in love with Atwater's immediately upon crossing the threshold. I may have actually fallen for it when I saw the sign.

I realize I'm easy to please, but using dry pasta to stir drinks seems borderline brilliant. We may want to bring these folks into the next set of peace talks.


A quick check of the community calendar indicates a slew of community events, though nothing to rival Stars Hollow's 24-hour dance-a-thon. I've got a couple of community meetings I'm speaking at coming up in the local library. Cross your fingers for me that I don't run into a real life Taylor Doose.

September Photo Challenge Day 18: in my bag

1. hand-me-down bag (which I adore) from Reishia
2. reading material (Garden & Gun, Saving Land, and Pastoralia)
3. wallets
4. Tums, a recent purchase that made me feel incredibly old
5. random stickers and a box I picked up at Quirk
6. Burt's Bees lip gloss and the new tuner for my ukulele
7. sunglasses, hair doodads, bug wipes, and hand santizer
8. small notebook, random work papers, business cards, and a ziploc bag

September Photo Challenge Day 17: on the shelf

Spied at an antique mall called Objects Found today. I love this vintage German poster but have finally come around to the fact that I live in a studio apartment and just can't take home every thing that I love.

September Photo Challenge Day 16: what I ate

I find I'm having a hard time getting outside of my head and am taking this challenge too literally. That said, I skipped the gym tonight in favor of grabbing some dinner at Whole Foods. It has been a long time since I've been able to motivate myself to actually go out or do anything besides the gym (or the simple act of grabbing food) on a Friday. It's always the point in the week where the full weight of what has come before settles on my shoulders and my mind kind of melts.

September Photo Challenge Day 15: my shoes

I considered throwing on a different pair of shoes just for the purposes of this picture, but why front? One of the "benefits" of the job I suppose. I can't even claim that a photo of all my shoes would be more impressive. I appreciate beautiful shoes, but I was just born to a family of women with bad feet.

However, here's a photo from a couple of weeks ago. You know...just to prove I do wear real shoes, too ;-)