How many times have I uttered these words??

"Untitled (I told my therapist about you)"
by Mike Monteiro (available at 20x20 Art)

Twilight Examined

If you are of a certain age (over 15) this whole Twilight phenomenon may have passed you by. Short version: Love happens between high school girl and pretty boy vampire in small town Washington. While not a particularly new idea (Buffy, anyone?), Twilight is a totally different, uh, beast.

To be fair, I've never read the Twilight books but I did see the movie last night. Here are my thoughts:

1. These vampires and their oblivious human neighbors take themselves very seriously. No funny business, there's unironic brooding going on here.

2. Speaking of brooding, the scene where Edward and Bella meet in the science class was hilarious. I know we're supposed to believe that Edward is trying really hard not to suck her blood, (see photo above) but I couldn't help but hum the Andy Samberg classic, "Jizz in my pants."

3. And what about Ms. Kristen Stewart, graduate of the Mary Stuart Masterson school of breathless acting? "Oh, *gasp* Edward, I *sigh deeply* so totally *uh, suck in air* trust you!"

4. I love how Bella immediately deduces from Edward's pallor and show of superhuman strength that he must be a vampire. That is where I would go too.

5. I admit that it was impressive how they made running really fast through the woods not look retarded.

6. Why, if Edward is 200+ years old, would he fall for a gawky teen girl? One would think that he would want the company of a more mature woman (or say, one that is 36?).

7. Having been the new girl at school, I can attest to the fact that the entire student body DOES NOT know your name on the first day. Or any other subsequent day.

8. Is it me or is this a subtle abstinence film? Edward struggles to restrain himself from sucking the life out of our fair heroin (I mean heroine) , does that then automatically preclude sex? (Yet Bella's mom tells her to "Be safe," so are we to assume Bella's been around the block?)

Anyone else see this classic & wish to share?

Number Four With A Smile

Twice this past week, I dreamed I was in public without any underwear. In the first dream, I was in a bank wearing only a backless robe and when the security guard tried to stop me, I told him that I knew there was no law against being nude in a bank. In the second dream, I was in a ballet class with nothing beneath my tutu.

In my waking life, these would be nightmare scenarios. But as dreams, they signal my lack of shame about myself and willingness to be exposed. (Not like that!) I find myself at a moment in my life when all of the pieces fit together. I'm glad I'm aware of it now: Sometimes we don't know that everything is right until it's gone.

My best friend from middle school, Sharon, who I haven't seen since 1990 found me on Facebook the other day. She said, "You look happy." I thought, "Well I'll be goddamn! I am happy!" Not walking on sunshine happy, blissed out on Jesus happy, but content. Satisfied. Panties-free kinda happy.

In any event, perhaps this sense of exposure is also due to this very exciting announcement: annabelle magazine is now a blog! Instead of static issues, we're using the blog format to write timely pieces about our favorite topic: home! So head over to annabelle at home for your daily dose of design with some sass on the side.

Sweet dreams!

Past and Present

I finally saw the documentary "Clearcut" about my hometown, Philomath, on Sundance. In the 22 years since I left Philomath, it seems that nothing has changed politically even while the population quadrupled and fields that once grew nothing but grass are now housing subdivisions. The struggle between the conservative religious right and their insistence on controling the liberal elements of the community has not changed since I lived there. It was there in my house as my ultra-conservative dad and ultra-liberal mom tried to keep it together through the Reagan years.

For those of you who don't know, until a few years ago, Philomath High School grads were given a no-strings scholarship in the amount of OSU's tuition to use at any college. The Clemens Foundation, the legacy of a timber baron for the children of his logger employees, funded the scholarships as well as the swimming pool my sisters and I learned to swim in, the track we ran on, and the fields our schools sat on. But something so pure can't last. The Foundation board used their money to try to control the actions and behaviors of the student body--a policy so antithetical to the spirit of the scholarship. It was sad to watch the right and left elements finally explode apart.

I'll always be nostaligic for the bucollic setting of my childhood, but I'm glad to be free of the politics.

Travel Oregon

I'm a native Oregonian and while I fancy myself highly knowledgeable about the entire state, I'd never heard of the Owyee Canyonlands before today. Isn't it gorgeous?

Chris and I are pondering a trip to eastern Oregon to check out this wilderness area.

(photos by Greg Burke)