I think that this is where all kinds of stuff goes.

Update #33 [The Silence Sounds Grand.]

The train can be a rough – rough place – sometimes. By rough – I am looking straight at you Mister “Carry-on-business-after-hours-on-the-train”, or the pack of giggling/chortling/screaming “We-just-stopped-to-have-a-couple-of-drinks-after-work-seriously-just-a-couple”, or possibly all of the “Our-team-won-let’s-yell-because-our-team-won-and-because-our-team-is
-the-best-at- winning-because-they-won”, teenage mob – okay – well you just frighten me – and I beg that you never direct your teenage-mob-power in my direction and most importantly – and most infuriating – the people with the walkie-talkie (gleeck-gleeck) phones who insist on having the following conversation – over and over:

** gleeck-gleeck **
YO!
** gleeck-gleeck **
Where (garble garble) at?
** gleeck-gleeck **
The train . . . On the train . . .
** gleeck-gleeck **
(garble garble) doing?
** gleeck-gleeck **
Just on the train . . .
** gleeck-gleeck **
(garble garble garble)
** gleeck-gleeck **
What? Hello . . . Hello . . . Hello??? This thing (is) busted . . .

And then they put the phone away – only to relive the exciting conversation – sometimes multiple times during their ride. It is a thrilling thing to be part of – seemingly every time that I hop on a train . . .

Oh – and screaming baby . . . I just plain out feel bad for you – screaming baby – I would scream too – if I was on the train (as a baby) this late in the night . . .

Anyway – those are just some of the fun people that dig under my skin – and hop onto my last nerve during my long sojourns into and out of the city . . . and it was all starting to drive me batty . . . and then I saw the answer. People were wearing earplugs.

The next day – I went to the store – and the world is a totally different place. The sounds are still there (I am guessing) – but to me – they are just whispers in the night . . . gleeck-gleeck’s that will never touch my tender little ears.

So – now – thoroughly ensconced in my auditory cocoon . . . I ride the train – reading my books and drawing my pictures with a smile . . . becoming more and more cut off and isolated from the world around me as each day passes me by.

A good thing? Probably not – but at least it’ll hold me over – until I can get an iPhone – and completely cut the rest of the world out . . . let’s have a party then – okay?!

Go To Art Show . . . See Art.

Howdy gang –

Are you going to be in (or around) Baltimore, Maryland, at any point between September 26 and October 13?! Well – if you happen to be – then go and see some spiffy paintings by my pal nicole. Here is her website (www.ninemousestew.com).
The show is at a place by the name of the Amalie Rothschild Gallery at the Creative Alliance – and the gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday.

Oh – and sorry about the spotty image up there – my scanner needs a good shower.

Zoom – zoom – zoom.

Ant 92

Update #32 [The Game Is On.]

I had waited 2 (two) years to make the particularly big purchase of an xbox 360 – but this weekend – after squirreled away birthday money, price drops and the anticipation of a game that I inexplicably seem to enjoy playing . . . I broke down and bought the heaviest little box that I had ever beheld.

Even though I had bought a Nintendo Wii 10 (ten) months ago – I had totally forgotten how exciting and ridiculously fun that the ceremony behind opening the box, pulling out all of the pieces from their own separate baggies, plugging everything into the proper port and then the biggest rush of them all (for me) turning the television on and having your new toy go through it’s little intro animation.

I didn’t even have any games to play (that would come about 34 (thirty four) hours later) and it eventually took about an hour and a half and a call to Microsoft to get everything up and running . . . but for the most part it was smooth sailing. One nice surprise – when I turned it on – was that there were (something like) 14 (fourteen) little demo games for me to futz around with . . . it was like my new toy was already giving back to the community – and the community was pleased.

The saddest part has been looking over my shoulder – every so often – and seeing my old original xbox slumped into the corner – a game still in it’s tray- wondering when (if) it will ever get called back into action.

So – now – even though I haven’t seemed to uncover any additional hours in the day – I am the proud parent of a new game system – purchased (some would say) largely in the hope (a hope that Nintendo seems to be mostly ignoring) that I will get to play with people (friend or random) who will blow me up and yell horrible things at me until I can’t take anymore – and I wait a second to start a new game while unplugging the headset and placing it gingerly on the floor.

Hooray for new toys.

Friday Photo [#29]