when was the last time you touched a monkey?

Our lit class was a small one. I thought my notes didn't amount to much but I did have a lot to say. I talked about removing a generation from the cycle, the painting, the roles of stuff, and arguing FOR breaking the fourth wall after that long take. Trevor passed around a bag of candy (mostly smarties) and I double fisted my portions of it. We watched a snippet of Wall-e and compared the two. It was short but I had a good time.

Very few people are in costume and of those that are, almost nobody constructed anything intense. Robin was Rosie, Madeline was Palin, Daniel was Morgan, there was a Lincoln, and several zombies and witches. What's going on, art school people??

I didn't win or place in the costume contest. Daniel won the first prize (a 25$ certificate for Yo's), a werewolf won second, and Lincoln won third.

Madeline, Robin, and I sat in the library during lunch. Daniel joined us as well and he had a nice little round of talking about whatever. School, classes, liberal arts teachers, etc. I played a little Toejam and Earl: Panic on Funkotron with Jason for his Science Friction project.

In Illustration we wrote a little describing a horror creature and then we switched with someone else and drew that for most of the rest of class. I wrote about these things that lurked in shadows and Madeline drew it. I originally got hers but then I switched with April and so I got this sort of werewolf that was also just a big nerd or...something. It was a great paragraph and then I went off the deep end and did some weird almost abstract painting of it that didn't quite...fit. I dug it and it was something new but also not...right. It was this orange and blue twisting sad mass of a man. Definitely different. Everyone now is putting out consistently awesome pieces. Critiques are a joy. We get to joke and really enjoy the work. Marilyn's mom was in class and also did a piece for our project based upon something Chad wrote for her. I love the class, I just wish I wasn't so dead by the time it rolled around. Having an end of the week studio is a bad idea.

I rode home thinking about how Mid Terms are over and how little Halloween spirit there is in the air. I put on my Waldo digs and went to the Pioneer Place Gap to use up the rest of my discount. Amazing how 50% can make pants really cheap. I'll try not to say this every time I buy something from the Gap but HOLY COW!! I tried on a pair of corduroys but I didn't even have to button them to know they didn't work. Some of the poor "working on Halloween" people had a good laugh when I came in. After those were reasonably paid for, it was time to go and attend the thing I have been waiting years for:

DAVID SEDARIS!

He was signed books before the show. Sadly I didn't have anything with me. Thankfully they had a table of his books including a reissue of Holiday's on Ice with a couple new stories added. I bought it to be signed later. He looks exactly the same in person. And sounds the same as well. My seat was pretty far in the back but for a reading, is that really important? He actually read from mostly unpublished and in progress work. One was only half done. He read about how he gives goodies to people at signings and the experience of buying said goodies at Costco. One time he was doing a signing at Costco but it wasn't advertised well and no one payed attention to him and that was made even more sad by his ever present "No Photos" sign. It was a wonderful blend between reading and discussion. One story was about the pretentious people who pronounce random words in their native language. I should have taken notes. He has a story in one of the newer New Yorkers about how people who go on TV and saying they are undecided voters are actually just attention seekers and how can anyone really be undecided at this point. My dream came true and it was everything I wanted it to be. Due to my seat being far back I managed to get out quick and into the signing line before it got too intense. He was very inconspicuous as he made his way to the table after the majority of the throng had left. The line for his signing was incredibly long but ha! I had a good location! When it was my turn he asked my name age and where I went to school and I said I was an Illustration Major at a conceptual art school (PNCA is heavy in concept and light on like...technical ability) and talked a little about how 12 Moments in the Life of the Artist is in the back of my mind as I see people drag themselves through paint for their thesis. I was jittery but I still got a smile a little response out of him. I met him! Sedaris! EGADS! He gave me a candy and a little leaf from somewhere. He signed the book with a drawing of Lincoln as a turtle. Don't know what that means but he said that it is all art school got him. Haha. For all the drugs and smoking, he has aged pretty well.

I changed back into Tintin and then it was time for Munchkin! First we played with dry ice. If you add dish soap it foams into bubbles and as the bubbles pop the gas/smoke releases. It looks super cool. We tossed it around at each other and had a good time. Food was consumed and we played a good round. Andy snuck in a victory. I had a powerful character but not enough monsters to fight to level up.

And now my long week is over. I have no real commitments for tomorrow so I can sleep in past noon.