When this is posted I'll be flying somewhere over the mid-Atlantic, on my way to another photo shoot.
I'm tired but smiling after a weekend spent in part with Nate and his beloved Uncle Ryan.
It began when I took Ryan to the Test Kitchens briefly on Friday. He nodded when one of my colleagues told him about metal v. glass pans ;) Because he does **a lot* of cooking ...
We did yoga, where I stretched all the aches and pains that have been keeping me sore. Then ended up changing in a gas station, wearing yoga pants and gold heels. Ryan was in town.
At Saw's BBQ Ryan made his picks for his favorite SEC teams. I'd write about them, but they are so right on it's scary. We had dinner with the whole family at Bonefish Grill. Have I mentioned we like to eat?
There was some work done at DoDiYo's, where Ryan wore his "Captain EO" shirt and the bartender got a chuckle because he and his sister used to watch the 3-D epic at EPCOT, as he told us. (Her name? Of course it was Erin.)
We squashed in some more fun in a former Pizza Hut turned karaoke bar, and capped off the weekend watching the Emmys. Uncle Ryan is a hit.
The first time I visited New Orleans I hated it. So much that I didn't go back for nearly a decade, returning last year for a story on Jazz Fest, tagging along with my colleague Amy. My dear friend showed me New Orleans as only a Louisiana native can, and I fell in love with the grittiness, the sounds, the foods, and the people.
I can't wax poetic about the Crescent City like many of my friends who have lived there, and are deeply connected to the city. Not gonna even try. I can say that today, five years after Katrina hit, I watched the final episode of the first season of "Treme," the brilliant HBO series that takes place in post-Katrina New Orleans. (Spoiler alert...)
The show is one of the best written on television. It captures such a sense of place, particularly raw, gorgeous music like only New Orleans has. The first season was a perfect circle -- beginning, and ending, with an iconic "second line" marching band. The first episode marks a rebirth. The last episode ("I'll Fly Away") marks a death. Rebirth.
[This NPR story is about The Treme Brass Band, one of many featured in the show (including the last episode of the first season). Five years later they are still struggling, and still marching.]
The last episode of "Treme's" first season revolves around a character named Creighton Bernette, a Tulane English professor heartbroken and indignant about the aftermath of the storm and the government's response. He's teaching a class on one of my favorite books, Kate Chopin's "The Awakening," written and set in late 19th century Louisiana.
Quite controversial when it was published, "the plot centers around Edna Pontellier and her struggle to reconcile
her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the
prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century South" (Wikipedia).
But since you've read it (right?) you know what happens at the end of "The Awakening," as the main character walks into the water never to return, as does Creighton. But first, in his last lecture he says this to his class:
"Unlike plot-driven entertainments, there is no closure in real life. Not really." —Creighton Bernette
His lecture made me want to cry. It touched me in a way that the book did when I read it at 16 and in a way I can only begin to understand all these years later. I also happen to be bracing for a certain loss, one in a series over the past few years. Words will come in due time.
But tonight, I'm wanting to return to New Orleans. Waiting for season two of "Treme." And marching in a quiet second line.
If you've seen me the past few days, you may have noticed that I've been a tad bit hobbled over. That's because I've had a major flare-up of lower back pain, which all the Aleve in the world is not helping.The heating pad and my yoga practice are about the only thing that bring me a little relief.
So I am particularly interested in this upcoming workshop by my teacher Suzanne. It focuses on low back and hips, an area that bugs lots of us. Here are the details from Suzanne. See you on the mat:
This photo available under a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Use, non-commercial license
Photo by Chossne
Yoga for Low Back and Hips
@ The Yoga Circle SouthPoint Bldg, 1425 R. Arrington Jr. Blvd Sept 11th 2-5pm $35 Call (205)223-7281 to reserve a space
"Summer is winding down and perhaps your body is feeling the effects of being more physically active. Heal and preserve your body for all the activities you love and greater general well-being with yoga.
This extended practice will address low back strength and flexibility and proper alignment of the hips. The hips and lower back are central to our daily functions and our leisure activities.
The low back is frequently injured and even subtle misalignments in the hip can cause major problems up and down the body chain.
Join us for an in-depth yoga exploration of these key areas and leave feeling strong, supple and well aligned; ready for the other pursuits you love. Practice handouts will be provided to help you continue these yoga sequences on your own.
Instruction by Becca Impello, PT, RYT and Suzanne Graham, RYT
Becca is a physical therapist who has worked in orthopedic settings for ten years. She teaches yoga to groups and individuals and is well regarded for her therapeutic application of yoga practices. Suzanne is a registered yoga teacher trained at Kripalu. She teaches in many settings throughout the community and is known for her accepting nature and adaptive style of teaching.
This practice is appropriate for all experience levels. Those with acute injuries or chronic conditions should contact their physician and call Becca at (205)568-6040 with questions."
Nate's homework over the weekend was actually a "family homework" project that involved creating a poster. Which meant ... I did it. (Nate did approve of the images, making him the photo or art director. take your pick.)
The assignment was to create a poster entitled "All About Me." The result is this mixed medium piece.
Sort of looks like a vision board.
I tried not to infuse too many of my interests on the board (there's no Lady Gaga, for instance). But Nate generally loves the things that are on there. So he likes Elvis and iPads too. The apple doesn't fall far.
Shane and I were joking about how funny it would be if the poster included things like, "his interests include ...
Eating Local (ahem, as in Chick-Fil-A)
Slow Foods (as in how he'd rather play with his trains and leave plate at table)
Independent Films (no one has heard of Disney, right?)
It came with a vinyl decal and these instructions:
"No one will have these other than our very special VIP first in the door guest. Every time
you see one on the road you will know it is a fellow DD VIP guest."
I'm not sure what to do next once I see another *VIP*, but am hoping the next letter contains instructions about a secret handshake or sign. TBD. In any event, after mentioning the two new locations opening in Birmingham (one off 459 at McCalla-Bessemer exit and one near UAB) it goes on to include this gem. It's copied verbatim. (Side note: Dunkin, I love ya, but you need a copy editor. I know tons if you need a reference.)
"The 1st Annual Dunkin Donut Bowl will launch on September 1st!!! pitting our favorite teams against one another. The orange and blue donuts versus the crimson and white donuts. The competition will continue through the football season with the weekly team stats and updates from our friends at Jox radio (Al, Tony, and Jay) during the morning drive show. We will be tracking the sales of each team donut and award the DD Bowl trophy during Iron Bowl week. Get your game face on and be ready to come in a eat one for your team."
Donut Bowl? I'm not familiar with these Jox guys (I'm more of a 90.3 kinda girl), but I would sure like to be considered for officiating such an event. After of all, I am a VIP ...
To remember the 33rd anniversary of the day Elvis rose to the heavens, I bring you this gem: a video of Elvis Week 2010 in Memphis.
Yet another year has gone by that I haven't been at Elvis Week.
Have actually only done it once, in 2001 (which was a significant year because of its tie to Elvis intro song/2001 medly).
This is the story that resulted.
Needless to say, a tad bit envious of these fans who made the journey. Check out the footage around the 40th second ... some gems of tribute artists.
Recently a friend asked me, "When did your Elvis thing begin?" I told her the truth: it started at a seafood restaurant on Clearwater Beach, where my friends and I watched a tribute artist, laughing at the kitsch value. But like so many others, I started wondering what was it about him that captivated -- and still captivates us?
The Relevance of Beverly Hills 90210 in a Postmodern Landscape (Donna Martin Graduates)
But I can't quite figure out what to say.
It's because it's a subject that I've given much thought to, as in years. If you add up the time spent on my couch watching the show, discussing it with Stephanie and friends, and generally waxing poetic to anyone who will listen.
So I'm sitting here on a rain Saturday morning, watching clips of 90210 (the original of course), showing Nate my 90210 collection (which includes the 90210 version of "Twister" called "Entangle" -- left hand Kelly, right knee Dylan!)
And wondering ... how can I speak to this in five minutes? I have my theories but need help from fellow 90210 fans. Why does it still matter? Why are you getting up on weekend mornings to watch "SoapNet" (you are, right?) Why do you still love Dylan? Loathe Brenda? Get a little teary when you see Joe E. Tata on the new 90210.
I need your help -- is there a specific scene that sums up why 90210 still matters? Come on, you know you clap when the theme song comes on. Talk to me! (And for inspiration, here's the original title sequence.)
Here's a little secret: my closet has always been a bit of a disaster. As in:
As much as I'm organized in many areas of my life, my closet isn't one of them. I've always been like this, with a closet full of books, and letters, and vintage dresses stuck in between albums and bits of ... stuff. My sister on the other hand has always been one with color coded clothing and shoes lined up in perfect rows. (Even in high school she had this dry erase board where she wrote each and every thing on her "to-do" list, including things like "take shower" and "do sit ups.")
Fast forward: now she has a house where everything has its place. And I have a house with a gold dining room stacked to the brim with Elvis paintings and mismatched cups. And that closet, oh, that closet. There's a method to my madness until ... there's not.
So when Megan offered to organize my closet for a Mother's Day/birthday gift, I was thrilled. I've tried to clean out and organize my closet (and just about every other room in the house) many times, hauling out bags of clothing but always inevitably sitting on the floor trying to figure out what to do with the bits of mismatched jewelery and concert ticket stubs.To keep or toss the four-inch red and black platform shoes, the ridiculously expensive ones scored for $30 at a consignment shop and worn once? I could never decide.
Then came in my sister, barricading herself in the closet of chaos on a Friday while I was working. She removed everything from the closet, sans sentimentality. It looked liked this:
I mean, seriously? But I did what she asked, pulling out the clothes that I actually wear, parting with dozens of pair of pajamas (I am a pajama fiend), giving up the scarves I wore in college that will never be fashionable again (except maybe at my 90210 talk at Ignite 2 in a few weeks).
She worked much of today too, resulting in this:
I can actually walk in the closet, and even turn around. The clothes are color coded, which is not easy when you have tons of leopard print.
And my beloved "Kill Bill" poster? She kept it and framed it, and it's now the background to my **accessories nook.** I have an accessories nook:
Here she is with some of her handiwork. (Note that she worked in my suggestion of including some of my favorite albums right above the shoes.)
And she even found a way to include Lee Greenwood next to my jeans:
Here she is celebrating her success. Not many people actually want to organize a closet, let alone their sister's, so major thanks to her. Now I can actually see what I own, and don't feel as overwhelmed when I walk in there. No more mornings of feeling helpless to figure out what to wear because I can't see it.
Instead I walk in, see what I have, surrounded by patterns and colors that I love (not to mention my George Michael album -- always good to see GM in the morning).
Now the question is: can I keep it this organized?
For a full tour of the closet, complete with Megan's inside tips for organizing, here's the video tour:
I'm genuinely happy for my friends who are at BlogHer '10 in NYC. I thought for a while that I might go (and
would like to one of these years).
But while I think the networking sounds great, I don't need a conference for an excuse to wear gold shoes and go to parties -- that's just any other day in Erin world. No, seriously.
The opportunity to travel and meet cool new people? Yeah, I sort of do that year-round (granted, it's my job and I am thankful). The chance to chill out in Birmingham without being exhausted getting on and off planes? The opportunity to take my kiddo to yoga and lounge by the pool with pals? Ahhh...
#HomeHer10 here I come!
Here are the sessions I've attended so far:
Keynote address by Megan Shaw James (my sister -- see photo above); sponsor of "Closet Re-Organization 2010."
Breakout session of:
"How Did You Cram So Much Junk In Your Closet?" This is just *part* of what she pulled out of my closet as part of her **birthday gift**, er, #HomeHer swag bag perk -- she is organizing my closet. While I Tweet.
The crowd (including the always impeccably dressed Lolita pug) admired
her organizational skills, and everyone laughed when she revealed a Lee
Greenwood Christmas album hidden in the closet.
The next session was entitled, "Gotcha: Not So Much of a Hipster Now!"
Taking a break in the VIP lounge, where I'm flipping through a PowerPoint on "Leverage your SEO while Your 4-year-old Plays Golf in the House."
Next up:
"Treating Your Chronic Backache With These Proven Methods (Results From Clinical Studies)."
Looking forward to checking out other people's observations on #HomeHer10. It's gonna be a wild one. Now, let's do some laundry up in this piece! And let me know where the after party is, k?
My son has more of a green thumb than I do. Here he is harvesting his first crop with his grandmother in my parents' backyard overlooking the golf course.
Like his mom, Nate doesn't eat tomatoes. Revoke our Southern card (we make up for it in our love of bacon and biscuits.) Glad he is learning to get his hands dirty and grow something fromthe soil.
Some good things have come out of this long, hot summer.
Garage Sale America The companion website to Bruce Littlefield's brilliant book about the magic of garage sales.
Bureau of Communication Wacky pre-worded communcations for every occasion, including "Happy Divorce" and "Grievance Letter" with Ad-Lib type room for your own special personalizations.
Jancee Dunn Blog Pop culture/rock critic wrote a great memoir about being a writer for "Rolling Stone" and VJ for MTV. Most importantly, she hits the 70s and 80s right on the head, particularly with her descriptions of JcPenny's, where her father spent his career. Her blog has great photos from 70s Penny's catalogs, as well as links to her essays, etc.
Disco Museum Brilliant. Check out the entry on Paul Jabara, a fairly unknown singer songwriter who wrote for Donna Summer and more. He was also the person who created the red ribbon to bring awareness to HIV.
Roadside Architecture The author spends much of her time traveling across the U.S. taking photos of giant faux food displays, neon signs, fairytale villages ala "Rock City," old diners and malls and pet cemetaries. Nothing short of genius and addictive.
Bad Fads After buying a squishy porcupine type toy for Shane and I -- I mean Nate and I -- to play with, I remembered the wonderful Koosh Ball of the late 80s. Shane didn't remember this, so I Googled the term and came up with this great page -- the Museum of Bad Fads. Excited to see that there is a reference to Sea Monkeys, my personal favorite. Though they are not a "fad" -- they are a lifestyle!
Dead Malls The guys that run this website travel the country documenting malls of bygone times. I love it!
Florida's psychic to the stars Gary Spivey has an amazing silver afro and a gift for seeing the future. Of course he's from my homeland of the greater Tampa Bay Area, Florida.
Graham Nelson Minnesota baby extraordinaire and son of Alisa!
Nat Reads Natalie writes about books, movies, and life in Birmingham.
Nikko's Blog Nikko is an American ex-pat living in Madrid. I met her through Cliff.
Hugh's News Blog of an exceptionally talented Dad, grandpa and Yankees fan. In-depth commentary on said Yankees, grandson and state of the world in general.
Pugs
http://www.nalldaniels.com/ This is the homepage for our vet. Lola's picture has been known to make an appearance here.
Lolita Pearl Lola enjoys prancing about, provoking her brother and being a vixen pug.
F. Scott Fitzpug F. Scott enjoys napping, pooping and being the cutest male pug in West Central Alabama.
Alabama Pug Rescue Wonderful organization that cares for AL pugs in need.
Moms Rising This site advocates for moms to decide how they want to raise their kids -- whether it be to work outside the home or to be a SAHM. Most of all, it's about fair, equitable conditions in which one becomes a mom and the chance to raise healthy kids.
Mojo Mom A site that helps moms reflect on the fact that they are actually people, not just baby-making beings.