Saturday, December 19, 2009

a couple of days after my bday.............




ok on my bday pic and this pic, i admit i was a bit heavy handed with the blur tool in photoshop.  i was trying to disguise my age spots, wrinkles, lines, messy hair, etc.  in short, i was hoping to create a vision of myself in the way a blind drunk would see me.  how do you think i did?
but what happened was ---i see the problem now --- i ended up flattening the look of my nose and it turned into the shape of the back end of a clown's horn.  you see, i have a pert little nose in reality.
OH shut up those of you who see me everyday.  this is my cyber reality, my cyber self and my cyber party.

so you won't believe how i spent my bday........OK, so we decided to do away with our cable, tv and telephone bundle with cox digital and instead go with at&t.  it is a smart move and cheaper.  its faster and clearer.  except for some reason we decided to install it on my birthday.  well it ended up taking 2 1/2 days.  i don't blame at&t, i blame bad luck.  its true it takes about 3 hours to change things out - there are boxes to install and boxes to remove and then there is the part where the man has to squeeze into a crawl space behind our wall- sided tv downstairs and who knows what he did in our upstairs tv room (er, our bedroom).  then the computers and telephone had to be re-(i don't know)  re- recognized i guess.  something didn't work right straight off -maybe it was some loose wires.  it was frustrating for everyone and, ya know,  i still haven't celebrated my bday.
maybe after the holidays.  yeah, i shouldn't have had a birthday in december anyway.  not fair to me or my party peeps.
so we missed some tv watching this week.  it was a bit touchy with my husband.  he mourned the lose of  our tv signal.  he sat in front of the black tv last night refusing to move.  i suggested he go upstairs and watch it - that tv worked.  no, it was a vigil.   i'm surprised he didn't burn a few candles in his solitude.  i have to admit i was a bit impressed with his ability to stay hopeful in his belief that the tv could "pop" on any second.  it didn't - finally it was time to go to bed.  it was a solemn night.

so today i had to make sure the at&t man understood that it was VERY important that the TV and remote, both, worked tonight.  he tightened a few wires and it worked.  OK good enough.  i let him go after i made him swear that it would work tonight and also after i made him give me his home phone number in case it didn't.  but it did work.  whew.  (this at&t man looked a little uneasy about giving me his home phone - i bet it was a fake number).

course with all the new channels from at&t - there's STILL nothing good on.  can't help that.  that's why i paint for entertainment.
so, in short,  our marriage survived yet another trying time.
good-good.

other news - on my birthday, grumbacher has hired me to be a local workshop instructor in acrylics - i will be teaching 2 hour workshops in 4 of the local michaels starting march 2010.  its sounds like a really easy gig - and it sounds fun -plus i will be getting free paints and brushes.  definitely a great perk.

in, yet,  other news, my daughter changed swim teams - i know to you people who do not know us think that's nothing to write about - but OH it is.  she swam for a small team and the coach is  personal friend - his has been her coach of half her life - since she was 6.  i'm talking 5 days a week, 2 hours a day all year long.  he has completely imprinted her.  we stayed very loyal over the years - during thick and thin - and he did a good job developing her.   but she is 15, a senior swimmer now - the team is mostly age group.  the practices were beginning to get hit and miss because the pool wasn't always available (not his fault)- so i looked for more pool time somewhere.  on the internet i saw there was a new team at the local amusement park - belmont park.  there is a big indoor pool there -it has a wave machine (not important for this story, but...coool anyway) i inquired about it and the front desk said there was a team but it was run by young men who also taught swimming there.   i had never heard of the team - but didn't matter - i only wanted to take her there for extra pool time.
when i got there - to my big surprise -  there was a coach (the front desk was wrong) - a good and seasoned coach and another old friend of mine - in fact he was MY coach when i was 17.
rosie tried out and really liked it.  so we went back 3 times - then we changed.  it hurts to make a change like that. it was a shock to her old team - the swimmers, their parents and her coach....but how do you change?  is not like you can say - hey we are thinking of leaving the team.  in fact we weren't really thinking of it.  it was just happened and it is a better fit for her.  so there it is.

for my local friends who know me - i bet you are thinking what the hell are you doing driving to mission beach everyday.
well, it turns out to be only a 20 minute drive and a straight shot down the freeway.  it took 20 minutes to go to the old pool even though, as the bird flies, it shoulda taken us 5 minutes.  lights and cross town traffic at that hour are killer.
it will be harder in the summer when all the tourists come to town - driving to the beach and back - but others do it.  and besides,  in a year she will be driving herself.
it is a big commitment - so for all my art fans:  that is why i can't teach workshops out of town -i can't take the time off - well,  except for an occasional european one...(next winter 2010, we're going to have another paris workshop - and in september is italy again) and in july i will be teaching a weekend in the LA area (see sidebar).

oh and i watched the season finale of dexter - OMG....that was good.
i finished reading my Lisa See book "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" - excellent book - although abit sad.
and i must say i am a bit (whats-the-word) shocked - unraveled to find that jenny doh is leaving stampington & company - she was my first editor and i am very grateful to her - i know she will come up with an excellent new product - whatever she plans to do will be magic.  but for now, i admit,  i feel a little lost.  its been 4  wonderful years of publishing for me -over 60 articles..... i will continue (in fact i have some new articles coming up in the next months) contributing to the various somerset studio magazines - but its an adjustment, its a change.  if you are interested in knowing what jenny doh is up to check out her blog.  www.jennydoh.typepad.com

so that's the all my/our news.  this week my daughter Brooke comes back from her vacation in cuba and my son comes to visit from buffalo, new york.  i am excited -AND i want a family photo of christmas.  i hope they read my blog so they know what to get me.



11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your pic looks great...re: dexter....do you think Rita is really Dead..??My hub says yes ..I dont think so..?I didnt really like the ending..!!

icandy... said...

you are so silly, that pic is really cute! :)
happy belated birthday to you...
ox
christina

Pam Mattick Art and Stuff said...

I do the same thing with my pics now...and I am FLOORED about Jenny. I thought she owned Stampington. Wow!
Hugs,
Pam

Lisa Bebi said...

yeah, pam - totally floored by jenny doh's move - i am wondering what is next for stampington - if any changes will come.
as for jenny - i am sure she knows what she is doing.

Damon-Eugene Rich said...

What are you gonna do in terms of a workshop in Paris? Where? How long?


Birthday craziness. Actually sounds fun!

Cuba!? Dual citizen because of Gaston?

Loosing ones editor is a big deal. Maybe it will lead to other opportunities! Shoot, you ~owned~ stampington for four years!!!!!

Lisa Bebi said...

damon-eugene - i hope nothing bad happens to you this coming year - you are too precious. that's backwards fro saying, i wish only the best for you my sweet friend-
as for cuba and my oldest daughter - no, she is not there for any reason other than she just wanted to do a vacation there -she is very adventuresome.
my husband is from italy - his parents still live there.
and no, i don't come near being special at stampington - but i'm glad you think so.
as for pris - the workshop will be 3 things so far - one is 3d metal works with renee richetts, my painting workshop and one plein aire workshop with watercolor artist hazel ross. - there will probably be art journaling - then the rest will just be fine eating and drinking.
gay men welcome -

Nina and/or Ruthie66 said...

Hi Lisa, SO happy you got the job and I can't wait to take your classes at Micheal's. Glad I could help! Jenny Doh's new venture sounds exciting. I'm sure you'll be part of that, as well as continue showing up in the Stampington mags as well. Can't wait to see your family photo! Glad your kids are all coming home for Christmas! Sounds fun. I look forward to seeing your new work in 2010. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Nina and/or Ruthie66 said...

Oh and Dexter season finale was stunning wasn't it?! I never saw that coming and have to wonder how next season will go with no Rita. Something great on TV to look forward to.

Celeste Bergin said...

you had me at blur tool. subscribed.

Celeste Bergin said...

p.s. oops..forgot. Happy Birthday. Mine is the day after Christmas. You got a better deal. believe it!

Lisa Bebi said...

welcome celeste - i looked at your blog. i love how you describe yourself.

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