35.000'

Flying in to Portland we past this majestic beauty. . .Mt. Hood!

A little piece of heaven in Oregon

I have been to probably one of the WORST smelling places in the country, Moss Point, MS at a facility across from a pogie processing plant (pogie are a fish used for fertilizers and such)!

But last week I was in one of the BEST smelling places, The International Rose Test Gardens in Portland, OR

One of my favorite and I think most beautiful roses was Broadway, not yet available to grow. The whole area approaching the garden smelled like heaven!

5 years!

Five years ago, while in New York for grad school, Craig's sister Amy gave me her OJ and asked that I take this for her. they were driving back to Lancaster, PA and it had been in her car. I said sure.

I brought it home with me and put it in my freezer. She asked that I take it for her, or something to that effect. She did not ask that I throw it out. It was, and still is my intent to return it to her.

We exchanged some emails recently and I mentioned I still had it. She did not believe me. Hence the above photo! Still in my freezer with kidnapper's evidence of a current newspaper.

It has turned dark, and has evaporated some. I even have the straw. Every time I think of throwing it away, I just can't.

Yeah, that is me. A whacked collector!

Back to NYC!

For the first time in over 30 years, a new production of EQUUS will be seen on Broadway after a sold-out run in London’s West End. My sister and I will be in Row T seats 103 and 104 of the Boadhurst Theatre on November 22!

Alan Strang (Daniel Radcliffe) seems a normal, obedient 17-year old with a passion for horses. Then one night he blinds six horses with a hoof pick. What drove him to it? His life seems routine, his family loving, his pursuits harmless and yet he has been placed under psychiatric surveillance - an unresponsive patient who is woken each night by terrible nightmares. Only psychiatrist Martin Dysart (Richard Griffiths) seems able to grasp the answer to this psychological puzzle.

Richard Griffiths, whose incredible stage and screen career spans two decades and who won a Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway production of The History Boys, stars alongside Daniel Radcliffe, best known for playing Harry Potter in all five of the feature films based on J.K. Rowling's best-selling books.

This production of Peter Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning play, directed by Thea Sharrock and designed by John Napier, demonstrates that this ground-breaking play is as relevant and shocking as it was when it was first performed over 30 years ago.

Hungry?

Well if you ever find yourself in Plano, IL, you may want to avoid this place!

Art Swap

While visiting and staying with my friends in Louisville, I brought them a thank you gift, a small platter I made in pottery, for their hospitality!



Cean's son Harrison, in turn, gave me this woodcut that he made. Through osmosis, Harrison has learned that artists often swap their art with one another.



I came home with a wonderful gift!

Go Fish!

I was just in Lake Geneva, WI for a faculty retreat.

Wisconsin is a bit of a strange place. Yes, they are America's Dairyland. But they also eat Cheese curds, deep fried, are the land of the Bratwurst, beer soaked and grilled, and have a past time of tipping cows. It is beautiful country and there is plenty of outdoor recreation including fishing.

Fishing so much that I came across a Live Bait vending machine outside a gas station!

I have no idea what is in the machine, but there it was!

Call me Your Honor!

Well, not really. I am, however, in Louisville, as an invited judge for this year's annual awards!

The judging is today through Saturday. Then I am hanging around with Bubba, Mark from grad school, and hopefully Jenn too!

Summer is winding down so a little getaway with friends will be nice.

I am looking forward to seeing lots of great work. Be back in a few days!

Chop! Chop!

I have a Chinese name, Zang Lee Tcha!

I just received my chop from Tao! IT IS BEAUTIFUL! It is hand carved from water buffalo horn!

It took Tao a while to get back to the states after the trip to China. It seems the Chinese government wanted to keep her!


It is Chinese culture that dictates one says the last/family name first, hence it being the largest character on the chop, Zang. It is pronounced with a flat tone and is simply a rare family name.




Lee, the next character on the chop is said in the third tone and means rationality, ideal, theory and methods (perhaps the designer in me).






Last is Tcha, pronounced in the second tone. It has the meaning of to observe, research, and understand.




Now all I need is some formal document to sign with it!

Thanks Huang Tao!

Small town charm

My last trip to Peru. . .IL I could not stop looking at the signage, the typography, the feel and mood.

I know it is the designer in me, but you can really get a sense of a place by the environment. Any of these signs in Chicago would be newly designed "retro-looking" in their intent. But here, in Peru and Spring Valley, they have most likely been hanging since the decade they represent!

8th Wonder of the World

The Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'An China are amazing. Discovered by a farmer digging a well in the 70's, accidently, they are an amazing site to see. there are four pits, but it is pit No. 1 that has been most excavated.

They say each one has a different face.

You can also see them come to life in this summer's Mummy movie!

Shampoo collection addition - Harbour Plaza North Point

The China trip had many memories and souveniers and of course hotel shampoos!

The swankiest and largest collection came from the Harbour Plaza North Point in Hong Kong!

the collection consisted of: Bottles (front to back): bath gel, conditioning shampoo and lotion; the many boxes contained: cottoon tips, sanitary bag, sewing kit, shower cap and toothbrush set (including toothpaste); and of course the disk of soap!

Denmark here I come!

I am heading to Denmark this weekend. I am leaving this afternoon and will be back Sunday evening. I know it sounds all "jet settery" but I have freinds there whom I have not seen in a while so it will be good to get away!

I am travelling through Belgium to get there too!

Oh yeah, Wisconsin! I am going to Denmark, WI!

More peas please!

China was full of all sorts of culinary oddities! Many would turn one's tummy, but some were just too damn good!

While strolling through the Summer Palace, my friend Dave stopped for an ice cream treat and came back with the ice cream bar shown above. . .a green pea ice cream bar. A bit odd I thought until I tasted it!

It kind of looked like frozen guacamole on a stick, but tasted like, well, frozen sweet green peas on a stick!

Mmm!

Big in Beijing!

They couldn't get enough of me! Kara found it a little too amusing I must say. There was a steady stream for a few minutes of the locals wanting their picture with me. I have no idea who they thought I was or just being big and American was enough!

But after Kara got her laughs, she got a few pictures taken too!

FOOD! Glorious Food?

Pictured above are just a few of the treats available in China.

First experience was the street food at the Night Market in Beijing where you could find nearly everything on a stick! Dog, snake, silkworm, millipede and centipede, scorpion, squid, octopus, aged tofu, testicles from an assortment of animals. Of course you can find chicken and pork too.

I have also never eaten so much food served on the bone. Even the stir fry/sweet and sours they just chop the chicken up boine and all! And lots of heads. I aint a fan of meeting what I am eating, but they often serve up the dishes with the dearly departed and soon to be eaten staring up at you. And dumplings! Delicious little pouches of tasty morsels that are formed in the shape of their fillings!

The live fish stores have everything from diving water beetles to soft shell snapping turtles. Aligator, shark, crab, sea cucumber, urchin, and anything with fins. It is amazing!

Bon Apetit!

China Photos!

Hong Kong Skyline from the Star Ferry

Alrighty! Flickr is much easier than I thought. I have a first batch of China pictures posted here.

Enjoy!

WOW!

I am back from China, well have been since Saturday afternoon!

Jet lag from the 14 hour flight pretty much sucks, but I am slowly getting back to a normal life and culling through hundreds of photos!

A sure highlight was walking the Great Wall of China. Not much of it as it is nearly 6,000 kilometers long across the country. But it is all you would imagine it being. Awe inspiring! Wondrous! Beautiful!

Had an amazing journey with coworkers, old freinds and lots of new ones. Will be sharing photos over the next couple weeks and as soon as I have more loaded up on Flickr, will share the link!

Until then. . .Ni Hau!

CHINA BABY!

Today I am heading to China, FINALLY! Although I actually cannot believe it is finally here!

So if you visit regularly, there will be a posting hiatus until I return on May 24 with a crap load of pictures I am sure!

Wish me safe travels and an amazing adventure!

Later. . .

:*(

My dear and immensely talentd friend Alison left for London yesterday. With a hugely heavy heart, I saw her off on her amazing journey to London to hit the London stage in the next chapter of her life and career!

She will only be gone for 6 months, that is what I tell myself! Hopefully they will see her for all the talents she has and she will have to stay longer and be their latest discovery in the theatre world. Even if you do not know her, wish her well if for no other reason because she is and has been one of my best freinds!

Love you!