mofo's photostream  

I started a new thing this past Monday--"Mondays with Mo!" My intention is to spend time with people I like, people I otherwise never make the time to see. The days, weeks, months, and years are rolllllling along, and I need some face time with "my peeps" to make it all worthwhile. Plus, how nice is it to have something to actually look forward to on Mondays? (You are welcome to borrow my strategy.)

Donna is a relatively new friend of mine. We met some time last year, performed in a "flash mob" together (!), and have seen each other from time to time on interpreting assignments. Fortunately, we had a weeks-long assignment together this winter, and got to know each other really well. We LOVED the assignment we were on, and were so happy to see each other every day (there are not many interpreters who give their co-worker a huge hug in the morning and another one at the end of the work day!)

Donna and I have some very interesting things in common: obviously, we are both sign language interpreters (which is how we met), we're single, child-free women, both born in the Year of the Tiger, and BOTH of us are set to turn 50 this year! And neither of us is particularly thrilled to be living in DC, as we've both lived in some ass-kickingly cool places in the US. There's a lot of other stuff too, which is the glue that will keep us friends, I hope, for years to come.

It's on the issue of donuts that we don't see completely eye-to-eye. She is a big fan of Krispy Kreme (yeah, whatever), while *I* prefer Dunkin' Donuts. It's a regional thing, I think. But I can tolerate her idiosyncrasies. :-)

We had an awesome evening of happy hour dim sum and cocktails, followed by a trip to Krispy Kreme for, yes, some donuts. And, of course, a big HUG at the end of the night. Thanks for spending time with me, Donna!

xoxo,
Ms. MoFo

Artomatic 2012 is under way! (Take a look at my Artomatic profile, if you like.)

Just hours before opening night this past Friday, I (along with a dozen or more other artists) received an email alerting me that "some" of my art had fallen off the walls and needed my attention. My super-slick self-adhesive velcro trick from the last Artomatic simply wasn't working. I was advised that adhesives were not working for many other artists. But what was I going to do with just a few hours to fix things?! It had taken me a good long while to hang the pictures where I wanted them the first time around.

I sent a reply-all to the other artists involved, asking for solutions. How lucky am I that someone came to my rescue with the simple, inexpensive fix of a lifetime: simply use a staple gun to attach the velcro to the wall, then re-attach the pictures! (The adhesive was failing on the walls, but working on the back of the photos--hooray!) So in fairly short order, the problem was resolved and I was ready for opening night!

I saw a few of my friends, met some new admirers, and enjoyed absorbing the work of my fellow 11th floor artists. The next highly-anticipated event is Meet the Artist night, June 2, 7-9PM. Will you be there?! Oh, please come.

Washington, DC

I booked my mom for a stay here in June. What a lovely place! The Venetian Room Bar and Lounge is perfect for a cup of coffee, or perhaps a late-afternoon glass of wine, sipped slowly while reading a book (I opted for a little of both.) Sit yourself down in a soft velvety chair and allow yourself to be carried away by the graceful classical music playing in the background. If you get hungry, may I suggest a plate of fried green tomatoes, served with three different sauces? You will thank me later.

On the day I wandered in to this well-kept secrect nook, I encountered a couple of other DC residents oohing and aahing over the quiet-as-a-mouse ambience, the exotic lamps, the sinfully comfortable furniture that almost compels you to take a nap. I suggested they try the fried green tomatoes. They polished off one plate and quickly ordered another. They were amazed to have overlooked this gem of a place for so many years. I sympathize completely.

If you're in DC, I can highly recommend an afternoon escape to this spot. I could give you the address, sure. But then you'd miss out on the magical feeling of having discovered this place yourself, which is a big part of the fun.

***View this set on Flickrivr.***

Putting together my Artomatic 2012 exhibit. There are 43 images in this set, not all of which will be in the show. If you'd like to chime in with your thoughts about which images you like most (or least), that would be cool! I'd also love any thoughts you might have about a good background color for the show. Last time, I painted the wall black, and that worked really well. Now I'm contemplating a deep velvety red, possibly with a sprinkle of glitter?!

Would love to hear your thoughts about image selection and wall color and other such things, if you're so inclined. Thanks in advance! And if you're planning to be in DC any time between May 18 and June 23, please stop by!

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Original title: New York Egg Creams
(first posted July 4, 2010)

In Philadelphia, PA.

Franklin Fountain
Market Street

I let a hair colorist go a little crazy today! I wonder if the security guards in DC's federal buildings will let me in the door...