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07/24/2006: "You're not the boss of me!"
I started a new painting over the weekend, just for fun (OK, you dragged it outta me, it’s an extreme close-up of a vampire). There are all kinds of paintings I’d *like* to do but don’t because they wouldn’t really “fit” with my style or normal themes. Still, I don’t have to exhibit or sell them they can be just for me. right? I just want to paint and paint and not worry about having to impress anyone.
Rob and Pagan visited a bunch of museums this summer and Rob said he saw some really bad work that never would have made it into a museum except for the fact it was done by a famous artist, stuff that wasn’t revolutionary or even well-executed etc. Everyone produces some real stinkers from time to time but it’s important to be OK with that.
In other news, my mailbox was in a state of slow and steady decline for months. Everyday I’d come home and find the opening either pointing optimistically into the sky or hanging limply towards the ground - the burden of supporting my credit-card bills and dental exam reminders obviously too much to bear. The little cross-brace thingy had fallen off and I kept expecting the mail carrier to leave me a note that he'd stop delivering until I got it fixed but the message never came, and so I waited.
Finally, when I could see that the tiny bit of salvageable metal was about to snap from being bent up and down so many times (like twisting a paperclip until it breaks) I fixed the brace. That lasted another week or so until finally it snapped anyway and the box hung loose from the securely fastened cross-brace. Something like this (a reenactment):
I thought, surely the mail carrier would quit delivering my mail now! But he didn’t. The box was getting 1/2 full of water and everyday I’d come home to soaking wet mail. It seemed the carrier and I were playing some kind of mailbox chicken so this weekend I decided to swerve first. I bought a new post and box on Sat. and spent over an hour installing the damn thing. Still, it looks great and I think the mail carrier will be very pleased. Hopefully we can put this whole ordeal behind us at last; now if only I'd get some *real* mail! (hint hint)
309 D Street
Douglas, AK 99824
In case you're wondering!