27 posts tagged “beth”
I've spent a lot of time on my blog and other places online talking about Ed and Fru. I was thinking about it a while ago and I realized that I rarely ever come out and talk about just Isis, even though she's a huge part of my life. In the last year or so, she's played an even bigger role in my happiness.
When I first got Ed and Isis, I remember being disappointed about how unattached I felt with them. I wrote a blog post about it here and I got a lot of great feedback about how loving pets can take time sometimes; it's not always instantaneous. Everyone who said that was right and I'm really thankful for their help. Isis is one of those kitties that took a while to warm up to me-- much longer than Ed. And in all honesty, the wait was completely worth it.
Shawn, Beth, and I noticed that there was something a little "off" about Isis when she first came to live with us. She was terrified of everything. Even for a kitty, the horror in her eyes every time someone walked past her seemed excessive. We all watched her carefully and then came to the conclusion that she was most likely abused by one of her previous owners. As far as we knew, she had at least two previous owners, but there could have been more. The way she ran away from people and ducked her head whenever anyone would make any quick movements made me feel like she had once been struck by someone-- most likely a male since she's always had a greater fear with them. I know that not all kitties are warm and cuddly (I've been around a lot of cats in my life), but the feeling I got when I saw the fear in Isis' eyes told me something extremely bad happened to her in her past. Knowing this made me determined to help her feel comfortable in her new life.
I first started noticing a change in Isis when I took her (and Ed) to the vet for a checkup about two years ago. Ed was pretty calm, but as usual, Isis was terrified. I gently picked her up and held her the entire time she was there. It was the first memory I have of her clinging to me because she felt protected and safe in my arms. I remember how I couldn't stop smiling. Shawn even mentioned that Isis and I were having a "bonding experience." Ever since that day, I've felt a deep connection with Isis.
Since then, she's been slowly becoming more loving. I took advantage of that change and started to "work" with her more often. When she was really young, she wouldn't let anyone hold her and would claw her way out of a person's arms. (I have a scar to prove it.) I decided to take baby steps with Isis to help her understand that being held was a good thing. Every day, I would slowly pick her up and take her over to a window where we could watch the streets outside. I would talk to her in a very soft, soothing voice (very non-threatening) so she knew that I was still there with her. I figured that the movements on the steets would distract her enough so she wouldn't concentrate on the fact that I was holding her. Sure enough, Isis became used to being held by me. After a while, I was able to hold her for an infinite amount of time. In fact, I'd have to say that she now gets sad when I have to put her back on the floor after holding her.
These days, Isis is very relaxed. She's still afraid of almost all strangers (like a lot of kitties are), and most men. However, her attitude and mannerisms have changed to an enourmous extent with the people she's familiar and comfortable with. Isis no longer runs away when people are walking towards her. She doesn't duck her head quickly if people around her are moving their arms or moving objects around her. When Shawn and I walk in the door after being out for a few hours, she stays asleep in her kitty bed in the main room. If anything, she might look up at us to acknowledge our presence... but she doesn't run to a hiding place.
Whenever I'm asleep and Isis sees me curled up under my comforter and another very soft blanket I always use, she hops up on top of my stomach and falls asleep there. A few days ago, I woke up and was able to get off the couch without waking her up-- she stayed in the same spot, sleeping, for over ten hours! Most of the time, she's purring happily whever she's sleeping. And if I don't cuddle with her in the morning, which has become a routine for the two of us, she comes up to me later in the day and gives me sad mews to let me know she wants some cuddles.
Having two kitties who are so different from each other is amazing. Ed is friendly with everyone and is very sociable. Isis has grown into a kitty who chooses who to love, and if you're chosen, you feel like you are the most important person in the world. That's exactly how I feel whenever I'm with her. It was difficult for a long time for me to grasp the idea of Isis being calm and loving, but seeing her so happy every day has made her overall happiness a normality. I couldn't be more grateful for her and the fact that she's overcome whatever pain she experienced in the past. Her ability to move on and be happy has made me happy.
Last Sunday (Father's Day) was one of the scariest days of my life. Ed, my kitty of two years, went missing for a day. I hope I never have to go through that type of experience-- with a kitty or a child-- ever again. That type of fear is something no one should have to go through. It's deep, and it hurts. It sits in the pit of your stomach and refuses to go away until something good and/or miraculous happens. Ed, I learned that day, was a big walking furball of miracles.
The day started off well. Shawn and I had moved in to our new apartment the day beforehand and we were pumped up with excited energy about finally getting out of Milwaukee. Since we didn't have our internet set up at the new place yet, Shawn had to stay the night at our old apartment because he was on call for work and needed instant access to the internet. Kathleen, who helped us with the move the previous day, stayed the night with me instead. We had brought over the kitties and Fru during the move and I didn't want to leave them alone in a new environment on their first night.
After unpacking more things that Sunday, Shawn showed up to make sure everything went well with the cable/internet guy. He brought along more of our stuff from the old place, and he and Kathleen started moving it in. What I didn't really take note of at the time was how they had left all the doors to the apartment (leading outside) wide open so it would be easier for them to move heavy objects into the building. After they finished, and Kathleen left, Shawn and I noticed that Ed was MIA. At first, I figured that she had just found a new hiding place between all the boxes, or in the cabinets. (I discovered Ed could open all the cabinets herself that morning.) After searching every corner of the apartment for a few minutes with absolutely no luck, I started to get that panicky feeling inside.
Ed. Was missing.
I then pointed out to Shawn, who was very calm, that all the doors in the apartment had been left open. I started to think. "What if she decided to explore and ran outside?" The idea seemed unlikely at the time since Ed is afraid of everything, but we were out of ideas. We started to search our apartment building and then the grounds around our building outside. After 25 minutes (during which the cable guy decided to show up), there was still no sign of Ed. I called Mom and asked her for ideas since she had been in this situation many times in the past. (She's taken in over 200 lost and stray cats during her life.) She helped me remain calm and made sure I followed her instructions to check all the bushes and small hiding spots, and then to talk to everyone I came across to ask them if they had seen a black and white kitty with a black dot on her nose. (-__-)
An hour passed. Still no Ed. By that time, Mom, Beth, Kathleen, AND Jeremy were on their way to help us out with the search. Shawn had to stay inside with the cable guy so I was mostly doing the searching at first. They arrived and we spread out, searching not only my whole apartment complex's neighborhood, but also the surrounding neighborhoods. We double and triple checked both the outside apartment grounds and my apartment, the whole time calling, "Eeeed! Come here, honey! Come on, come out, sweetie!" Something just wasn't sitting well with me; Ed is afraid of everything and doesn't even come out of hiding when there's a lot of commotion (like people moving stuff into the apartment) around her. There's no way she would go anywhere near our apartment door with Shawn and Kathleen moving stuff in. I kept checking my apartment periodically, because I kept thinking that she could still be inside, laughing it up while all of us looked for her. Everyone else did the same thing.
Four more hours went by. It was over 90 degrees outside with no trace of Ed, or even a cool breeze to keep us somewhat sane. By that time, Beth and I decided to take a break. We headed into my apartment and sat on the floor and talked about Ed. Something still didn't feel right about the whole situation. After about fifteen minutes, I heard a shuffle from the next room. I figured it might be Isis, or just my imagination. And then it happened.
Ed walked out of the kitchen, sat down right in front of Beth and me, and acknowledged us with a yawn.
I screamed, "ED!" and ran over to her, throwing my arms around her big (she's quite huge) neck. I picked her up and swung her around while Beth laughed and ran over to us. After everything all of us had been through-- the worry, the panic, the dehydration-- Ed had been inside, in a very secret hiding place, the entire time!
Beth and I followed her back to her hiding place a few minutes later. As it turns out, Ed had opened the cabinet door under the sink and crawled into a hole in the wall that was barely seeable to the human eye. How in the world did a cat of her size get into that hole in the wall? No idea. At that point, I didn't even care: Ed was back and she was safe. That "little" trickster got the best of ALL of us.
I'm currently waiting for a nice day (meaning, good weather) to come along so I can have a nice photoshoot with Shawn outside. I'm looking forward to having more official engagement photos! ^__^ Until then, I thought I'd just stop in and say... "Herro!"
I've been trying to enjoy my time off from all work forms lately, and I've also been sending my resume out like crazy. Sadly, I haven't had any luck on the job front yet. Most of my time is "down time" and I've been trying to keep myself busy with little projects-- like painting, reading, taking photos, spending time with my favorite people, etc. I've also had the privilege of attending some really great events (an artist gallery and my first Blythe doll meet), more of which I hope to talk about in future posts.
I've been trying to enjoy my time off from all work forms lately, and I've also been sending my resume out like crazy. Sadly, I haven't had any luck on the job front yet. Most of my time is "down time" and I've been trying to keep myself busy with little projects-- like painting, reading, taking photos, spending time with my favorite people, etc. I've also had the privilege of attending some really great events (an artist gallery and my first Blythe doll meet), more of which I hope to talk about in future posts.
Like I mentioned on Flickr and Facebook, this necklace has special sister meaning to me. Beth and I often pick out the same, or similar, pieces of jewelry or clothing to buy. (After all, we are the same person.) Other than my engagement ring, it's the only piece of jewelry I wear every day.
Ever since the semester ended, I've been adjusting to a lot of new changes. I really don't know how I want to sum up the past few months, but I think the best way to tackle the task is by creating a list and then expanding a little on each point. (This is what happens when I have to make lists for both work and school; it starts pouring into my personal life, too! Haha.)
Shawn and Kathleen graduated. I'm not a fan of going to big graduation ceremonies, but as it turns out, I had to go to two within the same month. Shawn had to deal with my bad mood that day (I feel like I kind of ruined part of the experience for him... Bah!), but it ended up going really well. He's completely finished with college and education for the rest of his life. I'm so proud of him, and I couldn't be more jealous. ^///^
Since Shawn graduated, he's been working full time for Kohl's Corporate. Whenever any of my family members, or one of our friends, asks how he likes his job, he always tells them that he doesn't really like what he does there. Even though he says that, I know he really likes it. He's been picking up a ton of responsibilities: going to meetings, being "on call" for days at a time, attending events held by his team, etc. Whether Shawn wants to admit it or not, he likes being needed for something. He really should feel that way, too, especially after all the work he's put into the past few years in school.
Kathleen graduated high school and has been getting ready for college. She's going to the same university that Beth and I are at, which I'm totally psyched about. <3 As happy as I am for her, I have to be honest about the whole situation-- it's been a tough few weeks for her and the rest of our family. We've all been going through some major adjustments and there have been a lot of hurt feelings. I'm not sure where I stand on all of the issues anymore, but I do know that I'm trying to focus on making Kathleen as comfortable as possible with her new living situation with Beth. It's interesting how so many changes in just Kathleen's life have impacted the entire family. Something like this has never really happened in this way before.
My internship is going well.
I'm moving in with Shawn in a few weeks. Even though Shawn and I have lived in our current apartment together, with Beth, we finally found a place for just the two of us. We looked around for a few weeks, did some research, and then found the perfect place for us to live for the next year. I started getting a little stressed out when we were looking, because I hated the fact that I felt "homeless" but everything worked out in the end. The biggest challenge for us now is buying all of our furniture and still having enough money for rent. Like Shawn keeps telling me, we "have to take it slow." I guess I'm just excited about the idea of having an entirely new place to live with all new furniture. It's like I'm putting together a new family or something! ^__^ Slow steps are good.
I had to tell Dad that Shawn and I were moving in together. I had to do it. I mean, after all the years that Dad and I haven't been able to communicate, I had to tell him that Shawn and I were taking this step in our lives. Honestly, I wasn't worried about talking to Dad, but everyone else started to freak out about it. Mom even told me, at one point, that she didn't want to be in the house when I was talking to him. *sigh* Every other person I talked to gasped and made me promise to tell him/her how it went.
The thing is, everyone knows how difficult my relationship with Dad has been throughout my life. His Filipino culture is extremely different from my own, and hearing that two people are moving in together before marriage can tear people apart. There are little secrets to situations like this though: you have to know people. You have to know how they function, how they feel about certain issues, how they react to specific situations, how their thought processes break down information. I did my research and I made a plan.
Last weekend, I went home to talk with Dad. I walked up to him and asked him if we could talk alone. Within the next two hours, we stood there in my parents' bedroom talking about everything. I told him about Shawn and me, and from there we started talking about family and beliefs. Huge breakthroughs were made, and I told him that I wanted to fix everything that had gone so wrong in the past. I know that Dad and I don't have what Mom and I share, but I'm only 23 years old. I can be an adult here and try to fix something like a relationship.
A few times during our talk, Dad broke down. A while back, Mom told me that no one but her had ever seen him cry, and even then, it had happened only twice during their marriage. When he started crying, he told me he felt he was a bad father. And then he kept repeating the same story about how he had left to go on a vacation at a time when things in our family were finally good-- and then how guilty he felt about leaving for those few weeks. Even though I had little recollection about this happening (since I was so little), I felt everything he felt. I know how one guilty memory can tear me to shreds so I did the only thing I could do at the time. I listened.
Not everything between Dad and me is resolved now, but at least we have some of the issues out in the open. I told him that we need to talk more, instead of letting Mom be the messenger between us, and he agreed.
It's been an interesting few weeks. As always, I've been dealing with a lot of the stress by buying myself presents. *guilty look* I know I should be saving money for my new apartment, but having new dolls and accessories makes me feel so much better. They take my mind off of the stress. I'm trying not to repeat what happened last summer! So far, I've only had to take my stress medication for one week and I was able to stop after that. It's a good sign. ^__^
In a way, I feel like I've kind of graduated, too. Usually summer is a slow time for me, but so far, it's proven to be just as hectic as the school year!
One of my last semesters in college is almost over with, and I feel pretty happy with finally being able to, as Mom keeps saying, "see the light at the end of the tunnel." I think her optimism is in the family blood; I'm feeling more confident that, yes, graduation is possible. Senioritis hit me about two years ago, and it hit even harder last semester when I had to learn how to juggle my job with my classes. This semester seems a little less stressful, but I'll be just as happy to get it over with as I did in the winter.
As graduation draws nearer, my plans for life are falling into place. (It seems vague to say "life," but I'm learning to deal with how plans for the future are pretty vague most of the time anyway.)
My very last semester of college will consist of three English classes, all of which I have charted out at this point. My summer is going to be taken up by working more full-time hours again, and I'm hoping to turn part of my hours into an internship that's required for my English major. Turning a few hours into the internship will save me a lot of stress during the school year. In fact, I was worried I would have to somehow drop something in order to fit the internship in, but it looks like everything is working out for the best after all!
The best part about this whole working hard thing is planning for what I want to do after graduation. Shawn and I are currently working (and saving money for) an apartment for in a few months. Since Kathleen will be coming to live with Beth when she starts going to our university, Shawn and I decided it would be best if we started to branch off into our own little world. A few years ago, I would have thought moving in with a boyfriend was a big step, probably because of all the hype from silly TV shows and dramas. Honestly though, I've learned that a step like that can be simple if a couple is ready for it and really wants to progress in a relationship. This September will mark my six year anniversary with Shawn so planning for the future isn't just a plan; it's what I've been working towards for a good chunk of my life.
Shawn told me something that meant a lot to me the other day. Now, I'm not the one for mushy statements. We were standing in the kitchen making dinner together a few weeks ago, and we had been discussing something about his job. I think he was complaining about a few assignments he was given to do, so I turned to him and asked how he could put up with some of the tasks that his everyday job demanded of him. He turned to me and said, "Well, I do it for you. Actually, everything I do is for you." Hearing that made my mind wind back to a few years ago when he told me that if we hadn't started dating, he would have joined the army. He felt that he didn't have anything else to do in life so he thought he would try to look for meaning in some other form of work. Something like that didn't seem so profound to me until I casually told Mom about it during one of our conversations. She told me that a guy telling his girlfriend that says that he's living for that girl. And it's true. Shawn letting go of certain things in his life and choosing to work an office job would have never happened if we hadn't started dating. He's chosen to live his life with me, and everything he does-- from running to the store for soda because I have a caffeine headache to keeping a desk job and working long hours-- is for me.
I've thought about what Shawn has done for me a lot. So now, I feel like I have a reason for graduating and working towards finishing college. Even with all this busy work going on now, at least I know that something good is coming out of all of this. After we stay at our apartment for about six months (so until I graduate), we're going to be finding a really nice apartment and then save up for a house. Jokingly one day, we started to look at house ads online. After we browsed some beautiful homes, I realized that a beautiful home in a safe neighborhood is something that I do want to work for, even if it means working this hard. Who knew a future was possible? I didn't, until recently.
And sometime after we graduate, and some more time after we live together, we'll decide to take the next step. Marriage is an idea that many, many people have asked us about over the years. In fact, I think everyone else is eager to hear about a wedding announcement from us, but we've just decided to take things easy-- one step at a time. We're planning though, and we've found that confidence in our relationship is our marriage to each other. An official engagement will come in time. For now, all I need is this pretty amazing reality we're facing together. It's a pretty damn good reason to keep working and living.
And that's pretty much where I'm at right now...
Featuring Shawn and Lauren (me),
courtesy of Beth's beautiful photography skills.
And, as always, there's more to come.
I never thought I'd get into Twitter, but alas... I couldn't resist. The main reason I decided to try Twitter out is because I wanted to experiment with my Vox sidebar widget. The entire application turned into a small phenomenon with me overnight. I had remembered Twitter being mentioned all over Vox, so I thought I'd give the cute site a shot. Who knew how fun updating my status could be? I knew everything was meant to be when I saw that the user name "milks" was up for grabs.
My milks Twitter is now up and running, and my sidebar looks all nice and pretty with the widget. I am one happy Voxer.
For anyone that isn't familiar with what Twitter is, check out the main Twitter page to browse the current happenings or to sign up. Either way, I think you'll find yourself having a good time with all the kawaii icons displayed all over the place. I didn't know that Twitter was so popular in Asia, but from the looks of it, more people are signed up for the application there than in the states. o_O
Before I put up my Twitter widget in my sidebar, I wanted to make sure every single detail on my Twitter profile page looked just right. I had been home the day I set up my account, and none of my parents' computers have Photoshop on them. (I didn't feel like downloading a trial version.) Instead, Shawn was nice enough to follow the layout I drew up. The sketch involved Twitter's basic layout, Roonies and Meep, and lots of pretty bubbles. Whenever I have a profile or a descriptive area on website, I have to make sure it's absolutely perfect as far as design goes.
Unfortunately, how my background image appears on Twitter depends on the screen resolution on the computer it's being viewed from. So, depending on your computer screen, my profile could either look kickass or only "eh."
Edit: I forgot to mention that adding a Twitter widget in my sidebar required me to edit the dimensions in order to make sure the entire application fit without getting cut off on the edges. If you're interested in adding a Twitter widget (or any other widget that's slightly oversized), all you have to do is change the length or width to smaller numbers. There were two places in my widget's embed code that needed to be changed, and I believe I used the width of 160px to make mine fit nicely into my sidebar. Message me for more information on how to change the dimensions if you're having difficulties. ^_^
In other news, the Lovedrug video that Beth went to Chicago for a few months ago was finally released! (You can hear more about her experience in this post.) I was shocked when I first saw the video, because there's a clip in the very beginning of the song that is focused directly on Beth's face. She winks at the camera and smiles-- it couldn't be more perfect. My little sister is a true Lovedrug star. At least, she is in my eyes. So, without further delay, here's Lovedrug's newest music video, "Pushing the Shine," featuring my totally awesome sister, Beth.
The Cookie Bottom: The semester is finally over with! I completed all of my exams last week, and I was able to finish my ten page paper at the same time. I knew it could be done, because I've had worse semesters in the past, but knowing that all the stress over schoolwork is gone for a few months really gives me comfort. I feel like the freedom is sinking in.
I started and finished my ten page paper in a matter of about five hours. I know that I should be happy that I could finish a paper that I was proud of by the end in only a few hours, but I still felt that I struggled at first. I never take more than a few minutes writing the introductory paragraph. Something didn't click as quickly as it usually does this time around. Whatever the problem was, I felt a huge rush of relief as soon as the paper was out of the way. After that, I focused on my three exams: Irish Literature, Oceanography and Intro to Linguistics. All of them went fairly well. This was one of my rougher semesters, so I'm just happy to get my last science class (ever!) over with. From here on out, I'll only be taking level 300 and higher English classes that specifically focus on Technical and Professional Writing. The cookie is looking mighty yummy. ^___^
Other than the rude behavior, our little vacation pretty much rocked. We were able to sleep in and do a little browsing through cute stores. I think my favorite part of our vacation was when went down to a dock near our hotel. As usual, Beth and Shawn expressed great amounts of glee because of absolutely nothing. I think that's why I love them, haha. Here's a little sneak-peak of our adventure on the dock:
When Beth screams out, "Wait, you guys! Let's pretend I'm a bird!" I pretty much know what setting I should put my camera on: action (to avoid blurs). Beth's always all over the place, but I think that's what makes her such a good photography subject-- she's not afraid of doing anything.
(Oh, and on the way back from the resort, I made sure to have Shawn pull over when we passed the Plum Bottom Road sign again. There aren't many days when I can say that I've seen Plum's name sprawled on a road sign. I think it was the best way possible to wrap up my mini-vacation.)
The Cookie Top: Starting tomorrow, I will be officially working at my new job. Six Apart was nice enough to allow me to finish all of my exams before I began the job, thank goodness. For the next few months, I'll be working five days a week, helping to improve Vox and keep it running. When I left for my vacation, I realized something: I'm not nervous about starting the new job at all. This is the first job I've ever had that I'm genuinely thrilled about. It's the perfect way to end the school year and begin my Summer. In fact, I think this cookie is the real icing.
(More pictures of my weekend can be seen in my photo section.)
A lot of people aren't familiar with the band Lovedrug, but believe it or not, you Voxers may have heard of them before. Quite a big ad for Lovedrug's newest album was posted here at Vox for a few months. I caught it out of the corner of my eye several times. I didn't find out until recently how big of a fan Beth was of them.
Beth came up to me last week and told me that she had been accepted as an extra in Lovedrug's new music video. The video would be shooting in Chicago, which is only about a two hour drive from our apartment. She was pretty excited but still a little hesitant. So many scams take place online; who knew if this offer was any different? Well, it wasn't a scam, and Beth had the time of her life. Shawn and I had the privilege of driving down to Chicago with her, and we were able to watch part of the video shooting.
Beth rocked her heart out and I thought it would be fun (and interesting) to share some of her experience with Voxers. For a change of pace, I decided to do a mock interview with Beth about her experience on the Lovedrug set. So, for your viewing (er, reading) pleasure, here are Beth's answers to my questions about her job as an music video extra!
So give me a little info on what you went to Chicago for. What kind of music does Lovedrug play, and which song did you "perform" for?
I would closely describe Lovedrug as "radiohead-light." Their music tends to be a little more upbeat, but it retains the same sense of poetry and haunting melodies. I have issues listening to Radiohead, because I find their music profound, yet way too depressing. Lovedrug is a little more rock 'n roll, in my opinion. The song I was there for was "Pushing the Shine." It was off of their album Everything Starts Where It Ends.
I bet it was fun being surrounded by such hardcore talent. Were you able to actually talk with the band while you were there, or were they more closed off and busy with other things?
Actually, I ended up harassing the band a great deal of time I was there. I found them to be extremely approachable, and they didn't separate themselves from the fans. They meandered throughout the room where all the fans were hanging out. They talked to everyone. At first, everyone seemed a little reserved, but as the day went on, all the people started realizing how every person was human. It was only natural to act normal around them. I did notice that some of the girls were a bit shy, but I had no problem teasing them about things like beer kegs and free "merch" (merchandise).
Haha, good for you! I'd totally want to do that, too. What did you end up getting out of the free merch deal, and how did you go about asking for the stuff?
So I went there quite keen on the fact that I'd walk away with at least something tangible that I could take home with me. At first I thought I would settle for merely autographs, but I soon realized that I wanted something I could actually hold in my hands. After I got the autographs, I asked Dave, the guitarist, for a pick. I ended up confiscating the bassist's (Korey) tie from the shoot, as well as Michael's guitar neck. Essentially, it was a smash and grab job. *chuckle*
You really went in there with a mission, didn't you? You seem to have formed pretty good relationships with the band members. I heard that there may have been an interesting story behind your first meeting. What's that about?
The boys were doing a set change, and I had seen them going into the back room where all the refreshments were located. Dave, the guitarist, had led me back there when I first came to the shoot and told me I could have anything I wanted. So, I grabbed my CD and my Sharpie and went off in search of some autographs. Little did I know that the guys were actually in the middle of a wardrobe change. I basically walked in on half-zipped zippers and half-buttoned buttons. I said, "Oh, sorry," but I didn't leave. They were really chill about it and told me it was oh kay. I ended up leaving with four autographs. I happen to have unusual timing.
It's nice to see you all took that in stride. I'm sure that helped break the ice for everyone, too. So later on in the video, what did you have to do? Basically, what was your job?
I was an extra.
Don't get snarky.
We did a lot of things, but my favorite thing would have to be the end sequence. It involved spray paint, tearing clothes, throwing food, and smashing guitars. It was after this last sequence that all the girls basically had to fight over all the broken guitar pieces. This is the part where I snagged my guitar piece.
Very cool. So all in all, do you think you'll be in the final cut of the video? Does it even matter at this point?
It honestly doesn't even matter to me. I'd rather just do things like this for the experience and getting to know the band. Getting involved in a creative endeavor like this was just... awesome. It's nice because I didn't go there as a model. I went there as a fan. It was a completely different experience.
When should we be expecting the video to be released?
I would say early June, but you really never know.
Awesome!
---
And that was Beth's experience with her first music video. To be honest, I don't think it will be her last one. She's extremely familiar with rock music, and she's not afraid to make herself known to bands. I like the fact that Beth is so willing to put herself out there in the world. I have a sister I can live up to (even though she's younger than me, haha), thanks to her and her willingness to, well, have fun.
Beth wasn't the only one to have fun in Chicago that day. Shawn and I explored the streets of Chinatown, and he was nice enough to drive me all the way to Rotofugi, the vinyl/plush store I've been waiting to visit for years. I have photos of my experience, but I'd like to keep this entry dedicated to Beth. I'll write about my adventure another time.
Kenn is hosting a contest (that happens to be ending tomorrow). He sent the people who entered his last Angry Bunny contest a little prize in the mail and then asked them to particpate in another contest. The stickers we all received were to be used in any way we wanted, and we were to take photos of our creativity. This was exactly what I needed to kickstart more outdoor photography.
For those of you who don't know, Angry Bunny is a comic created by Kenn. He's an amazing artist, a person who I really admire and am grateful to be friends with. Angry Bunny rocks my world.
I've been so wrapped up with other parts of my life lately that I haven't had time to take many photos. I wanted to make Kenn's deadline, so as soon as I came home after class today, I asked Beth if she wouldn't mind posing for me. I told her my idea and she agreed to help me out. After she came back from her last class, we went outside to find not only sunny skies... but warm weather as well. I was ecstatic to get started!
The idea I had in mind involved an anti-smoking theme. I wasn't planning on putting photos together in a collage, but as it turned out, there were too many photos that I wanted to use. I opted for the more complicated version of an entry: a kind of comic strip/collage of a smoker becoming an anti-smoker, thanks to the Angry Bunny nicotine patch. ^__~ (The final product will be posted on the bottom of this entry.)
Now, I will admit that I don't agree with Beth smoking. I don't like the idea of her doing something I despise and that I'm honestly disgusted by. She helped me out though. She isn't a regular smoker, and I think she buys a pack once every few weeks to few months because she considers herself a "social smoker." I'm glad she isn't addicted like a lot of people I know are (such as my neighbors, the cough hackers, downstairs). I guess my ad is kind of a contradiction now that I think about it. Anyway, she knows I don't really approve of the idea. I still love her though. <3
I made sure to get the "nicotine patch" in most of the shots. I wanted to focus on it as much as possible. As the photoshoot went on, I grew more interested in taking other kinds of photos of Beth. Eventually, we ended up without the stickers (after I knew I had some good shots) and we started using our apartment building as a fun backdrop. As decrepid as our building is, it can really be beautiful with the right sunlight. The light coming through the fence cracks hit Beth just right. Not only that, but I was finally given the chance to use the fire escape for a photoshoot. I've been wanting to do that ever since Beth and I moved in almost two years ago.
Beth and I went back to our place and I immediately sat down to work on the bunch of photos. I haven't been this happy with a shoot in a long time. I think that's because I usually focus on inanimate subjects, like dolls and vinyl toys. It was nice finally being able to stray from the norm for once. I think I'll be able to do that more once warmer weather hits Wisconsin for good. She gave me a lot of her input as I edited the photos. I'm happy with the entry I sent to Kenn. I think it's kind of funky.
And now, for the main event of this entry. Here's a little showcase of today's work, along with the final submission to the Angry Bunny photo contest. Thankies for giving me the opportunity to do this, Kenn. I had so much fun. ^____^
And here's my submission:
