Roommate...Housemate...whichever!

So my roommate...or housmate...however you want to refer to her is here. Its been a week so far and I have not yet let go of the breath that I have been holding. I don't know yet if I like her. I know that sounds horrible, but from what I can tell I like her, but as we all know, a person's true colors can take some time to show. I keep a reasonably clean house. I like to wash my dishes after I've used them (either by hand or by putting them in the dishwasher). So far she's done well on that part. She seems to be quiet like me. Both of us have successfully avoided getting in each other's way because of the job times. She is usually gone by the time I finish getting ready in my room. And when I come home she's already done cooking and eating. Before she came I usually sat in the living room, but if she's in there, I go to my room where I also have a television and my internet. LOL. No proplem.

On a different note, Sandoval has taken an interest in her...sort of. He likes to go and sit a few feet away from her and...well...just sit. He watches her as though he is deciding whether he likes her too or not. Gizmo avoids her. He's afraid of the wind, though, so I'm not surprised.

Summer's Here

There really hasn't been too much going on with me. I'm glad summer is here. Now I can focus on my artsy fartsy crap. I plan on finishing my meditative buddha box (it was originially a x-mas gift for gramps, but I only got half-way before the spring semester popped up. Now I'm done painting it, but I still have to mold/carve my little buddha out of clay. I'm scared but excited about how he might turn out. After that, I have a few vintage leather purses to paint and bead. Finally, my goal is to use all my needlework, painting, drawing skills to make a medium mixed media painted/embroidered/beaded piece of art. LOL. I bought this additive that I can put in my acrylic paints to allow it to permantly become one with my fabrics after ironing it. So there. I have a full plate of crafing/art to do. I'm turning into Manda. LOL.

Sidewalk Chalk Guy

Check out this sidewalk chalk guy.
http://gprime.net/images/sidewalkchalkguy/

Beat-Boxing Swiss Dude

Check this due out. He's really good at beat-boxing. In fact...its kind of sexy. LOL

roxorloops beat box le meilleur! best freestyle rap techno..
Uploaded by Skill-78

New Roomie!

So I got me a roomie ya'll. I've given her an alias: "Tina." No, that's obviously not her real name. (hence, the word "alias") She seems pretty cool. She's nerdy like me. Very worthy of the sharing the nickname Grandma Turkey with me. LOL. She likes to knit too. She's an engineering major who is finishing up on her Masters.

We met at a place to get a soda or coffee, or whatever, and she and I had a whole butt load in common. Hopefully all goes well and she doesn't turn out to be a more nerotic than some of my relatives. You see, that's the problem with crazies, you usually can't tell they're crazies. LOL. But, I don't sense crazy from her, so if she is a crazy, she better keep it locked up. ROFL.

Bright Colors & The Italian Renaissance

Now, before I admit this, I am warning you. Please, do not hurt me. Okay.

I have a confession to make. I have a love hate relationship with Italian Renaissance Art. I think it is highly overrated for its imagery, but the concepts that were born from it are wonderful. It was a time when we as humans began to associate ourselves with God, and yet there was the Papacy and the Reformation to remind us of what dirty little humans were were. Besides that. What is is about the damn Renaissance that I don't like? Well one thing. (Really? Only one? Yes, I tell you...only the one)

All those damn bright colors.


(What? But Casandra, we thought you liked bright colors?)

Well yes, technically I do. But I too have my limits. I would desire to keep my retinas in working order for as long as I can, and if I had to work in a museum and see an image like dear Perugino's above everyday...ouch.

One day, in all my studies, if I only took one thing away from the art of the Renaissance, I would want it to be the answer to why. Why did they insist of visually overstimulating their viewers with such bright colors that could cause vomiting, seizures, and random fits of violence?

(What did you like from the Renaissance? You could not possibly think the great da Vinci was *gasp* "overrated?")

Actually, yes I could...and yes, I do. The man could barely finish what he started. At best, he was a great artist. Wonderful talent, but he was definitely not the only weeping whining persecuted gay male artist during his time. So there.

Personally, I liked the Netherlandish art that coinsided with the Italian Renaissance. I also liked Northern Italian Renaissance art except for my bright-color obsessed friend, Perugino. Of the two locations, my favorites would have to be Albrecht Durer and Angrea Mantegna.


Albrecht Durer, "Beast of Revelation"


Andrea Mantegna, "Parnassus"

So there you have it. My art history rant for the day. If you ever have to ask me what I think of grossly bright colors, I'd say: 'Thank God the Mannerist movement did not last long," and I'd also shout with glee: 'Bring on the Baroque Baby!!'

(You don't like bright colors, but you do like disgusting amounts of gold and over exaggeration of emotions?)

You bet I do.

Change is in the air...

So many things are going on, and my head is spinning. Where do I start?

My grandfather tried to rent out the house, but not enough people took the bite because either they wanted a home "right away" and our furniture that was in it in an attempt to make the house look homey made them unhappy (As though they were not already living in a place that required them to give 30 days notice any how. What did they expect to do? Just up and leave in the middle of their current leases? Idiots.) So I suggested again that he let me try to rent out the bedrooms. I think he doubted my sales abilities, but I have prevailed. *muahaha!

I posted an ad upon Craigslist.com every two days, and I got hits right away (Including a Nigerian scammer or two -- who I had much fun with as always), and several legit people that I myself wouldn't trust even at the end a 5 mile long stick. I did get about 4 pieces of gold. Two of which were greedy bastards who thought that because I agreed to give them a discount if they rented more than one room, I somehow "secretly" meant that I would only charge them a two-for-one special. HA! I was so irritated by one potential tenant in particular that I was more than happy to ignore her desire for me to take off more than $100 dollars off her rent for two bedrooms. I suggested that she try to find a two bedroom apartment -- that was not in the ghetto -- for $625 and then add all of her utilities (Which were included in the rent I would have charged her), and she could do the math to figure out how great a deal she was getting in my lovely home.

I am proud to say that I am meeting with a potential tenant today (first outside of my house in a well-lit crowded area) to see if I like her. If she is agreeable to me, I will take her back to my house so that she can look around. She's supposedly a civil engineering major, and so I am guessing she's a pretty bright lady. I am also in the process of making a deal with a Mexican teaching student who plans to attend my campus in the fall.

I feel so proud of myself. I managed to do what the old man thought I wouldn't be able to do. So there!

Tomorrow I go to the museum again for some volunteering. There is going to be some big arts & crafts festival out there focusing on family and child health and wellness. I think it's a ploy to get all the poor folks out there and signed up on Medicaid, but what the hey? I chose to work the morning shift because it will be nice and cool, and not that many crazy visitors with heat-induced brain damage (You know how people get after being in the hot sun all day). Then I will be free at 01:00PM to do as I wish.

"Stand By Me"

Check out this video. I absolutely love it. It gave me such a warm fuzzy feeling inside (not that kind you pervs) that I just had to share it with ya'll.


Stand By Me from aubreysanchez DOT com on Vimeo.

This is a video from (RED)WIRE digital music magazine. What an amazing video.