Everyday Photos by Jodi Anderson

no parking, except on mondays

I have to admit that I've had a very difficult time settling back into LIFE since the weekend.

In fact, X and I skipped Monday completely. 

She went to guitar lessons, and then we returned home and pretended it was NOT a weekday.  I didn't pick up after myself, answer the door or phone, read and/or comment on blogs, take photos, shower, eat much, or take out the garbage.  Needless to say, my house, as of this morning, could have been declared a hazardous waste area.

I am slowly coming out of my haze, remembering who I am and what my goals are for the day, the week, the month.  

geek.kon 2008: quick review

On Saturday and Sunday, X and I attended Geek.Kon in Madison, which is a short jaunt from where we live. 

A few things that stuck out ...

• Per usual, we had trouble finding the registration area.  So, we followed a couple of ninjas.  Do you see the irony in that?!  WE. FOLLOWED. NINJAS.  Obviously, they weren't very good ninjas.
  
• The event was AGAIN held in the Escher-like UW-Madison Humanities building, a maze of halls and stairways that are seemingly non-sensical and often lead to ... nowhere. 
• As always, the (locally filmed and produced) Chad Vader videos were hilarious.   X recommends Chad Vader Employee Training #5. 
• If you like geek humor, you might appreciate John Madden: Dungeon Master as well.

There are more Geek.Kon photos and videos at X's new blog, Geek Girl Guide. 

And, the boy below?  Most beautiful creature EVER!

Lastly, I leave you with some graffiti from the girls' bathroom:

• Relish your anonymity.
• Yay!  Nerds!
• Be kind to someone and don't tell anyone.
• Tell someone that they are beautiful and mean it.
• EAT BABIES.

getting our geek kon

To all who are ending up at my site by searching for Geek.Kon ... PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. 

EDITED TO ADD:  All video updates will now be at X's blog, Geek Girl Guide, which you can get to by clicking HERE.  I have photos and video from inside and outside, some of the Rock Band tournament, and most of the masquerade.  I'll be processing it all in the next few days. 

In the meantime, here is a little random hallway footage ...

random geek kon hallway footage from Jodi Anderson on Vimeo.

geek-kon

 

This is one of several weekends each year where I stand out (go unnoticed?) as the out-of-place mom of a socially-awkward teenager at a convention full of socially-awkward geeks. 

X calls it HEAVEN ON EARTH. 

(The video above is from a similar convention, NoBrandCon, held in Eau Claire, WI each April.) 

H-to-the-O-to-the-M-E school

It seems like most of the other homeschooling moms did back-to-school or NOT-back-to-school posts, but I let the beginning of the school year go by unnoticed. 

That's because there is no beginning or end for us.  We're unschoolers.  (Like many of you, I know.) 

There is some loose planning, like I insist that X must work on a website and/or blog for the next two years.  (I'll let you know when that is up and running!)  She also needs to find a new volunteer job, start a D&D group, and get her driving permit.  I have a few more vague requirements involving things like math, but fortunately, like me, X loves all-things math. 

Other than that, who knows?!

autumn cleaning: week one schmone.

I attempted to start my seasonal cleaning two weeks ago, but I didn't get beyond filling a few more boxes with charity items and taking out a couple bags of trash.  (The trash was hauled away by the garbage men, but the boxes for charity are stacked in my dining room.) 

I have decided to set weekly goals and, at least this week, post them here. 

• vacuum cobwebs off walls/ceilings

• deadhead perennials and pull remaining weeds

• collect hollyhock seeds

• wash windows and window sills

• copy remaining CDs to iTunes

• clean snake terrarium

• transplant houseplants

• finish dining room (walls, trim, furniture, floor, etc)

• DUST inside of media console

• organize pantry

It might not seem like much, but in addition to all of my regular stuff, it'll keep me plenty busy this week AND since the list isn't too long, maybe I'll accomplish everything.  

Hopefully, this will be a success and I'll be brave enough to post a new list next week.  

Are you doing any seasonal cleaning? 

now we're getting somewhere

This day, no matter what else is going on, always makes me very happy.  Its polar opposite, the vernal equinox, makes me sad. 

Those of you who have known me longer than, say, a week ... are aware that I loathe all-things summer, but adore and crave all-things winter. 

For now, autumn will do.  Cooler nights, quieting cicadidae, long sleeves, ever-more-bare trees, and hiking without the danger of drowning in my own sweat.

Happy Autumnal Equinox!!

at the driftless festival

Today, X and I attended the Driftless Festival in Soldiers Grove, which is about a 1-1/2 hour drive from our village. 

We bought a few yunomi mugs.  The one on the left is mine.  X also picked out a bracelet from our long-time online friend, Kirsten Skiles' booth.  She makes forged art and jewelry.  I was amazed by how light her pieces are.  For some reason, I expected them to be heavy.  

Also?  IT WAS SO NICE TO MEET HER IN PERSON!!

Overall, we had a great time and it was a beautiful drive.  

I urge you to check out more of Kirsten's work at the links below:  

• Website and Blog
• Flickr Photos
• Kirsten's Etsy Shop

Below, Kirsten and X. 

when X is always a variable.

I really wish that I would/could write down almost EVERYTHING that X says.  I can't.  Here are a few recent snippets, some of which I snagged from her Twitter page. 

j:  Just fold it. But, don't crumple it.
X:  Folding is crumpling.

X:  I'm going to ignore this recession, and wear short skirts and drink mocktinis. I'll be like a flapper girl.

X:  It's not Grindhouse horrible or cheesy zombie movie horrible, but it's horrible. Good horrible.

X:  I'm trying to remember how to kill a doppelganger without also killing myself at the same time.

X:  You know you like zombies when you have a favorites folder called "BRAAAINSSS".

X:  I'm now going to take part in my ritual of Freudian displacement.

X:  This would be perfect if it weren't so fricken hideous.

X:  Last night I painted an interesting picture of Yog-Sothoth. It looks cool, but I've probably sealed my fate as a doomed Lovecraft protaganist.

---

OH, AND THIS IS TOTALLY AN ONGOING CONVERSATION ...

X:  We can skip the movie and instead go to Best Buy to check out the geeks.
X:  A mix-tape is great, BUT... a re-mix tape is better. If a guy will re-mix songs for you, he must REALLY like you.
X:  As much as I like the geek boys, I'll probably take in a depressed artist.
X:  Though I'll probably take in a depressed geek-boy artist who makes remix CDs.
X:  Shopping is hot work.  ESPECIALLY IN BEST BUY.

the themes of our lives

Remember when I wrote about monthly themes a little bit ago?  If not, basically, it's that I have unintentionally had themes the last few months ...

July -- Quantum Wellness cleanse.  (I did it!)
August -- Home comforts.  (I did it!)
September -- Deep housecleaning.  (I ... well, see below.) 

I was supposed to start last week and sort of did.  I did about two days of work ... OVER THE COURSE OF 10 DAYS.  By my approximations, I have [30 days hath September, April ...] 11 days left in which to clean all drawers, cupboards, dressers, windows, carpets, walls, laundry, closets, cobwebs, dust bunnies, bunny-size furballs, and the living furballs. 

My point is, and I don't really have one, that I have a new theme!  It's not waiting until October!  It's that exciting!  And urgent!  I need to start now!

Or, soon. 

You see the other day I was watching a show that I will not name and my new favorite trainer, Tracy Anderson, was on there with an actress that I will not name who was talking about her two-hour workouts six days a week and that kind of shiznit.  I did something similar years ago and the results were amazing. 

So, that's my new theme.  Two-hour workouts. 

I'm going to cut back just a bit though ... and set my goal at five days a week.  You know, instead of six. 

I haven't started yet, and I didn't start yesterday, nor the day before when I first came up with this idea.  Maybe tomorrow.  Maybe next week.  Maybe it will be October. 

I'll keep you posted.