Grape Did It

Experimenting with borders

Got a few, nearly lost my life, well or license at least

I broke many laws today, trying to get these pictures. If I wasn't in a full-out illegal spot, I was parked in a parallel, perpendicularly. All the one way streets I tried turning down, and the yellowish-red lights I drove through. The entire morning felt something like, "Geronimo!" I walked down an alley to get to a wall I wanted to shoot and realized halfway through I left the truck doors unlocked. With my purse on the front seat, an open box of candy. Which, ok, was stupid but the best part is that I decided today was the day to wear my NEW SEXY BOOTS. With really high heels. I hobble-ran back to the truck after taking a couple of pictures just picturing a vagrant rifling through my Nine West purse.

One of my favorite shots isn't even a painted sign, just an old one that I had to cut across three lanes of traffic to get.      

This one is also a favorite because if you look really closely you will see the word, all faded and old, "Butter". I love butter. The word and the physical food. When I eat a biscuit people tend to pull out the old, annoying, "WANT SOME BISCUIT WITH THAT BUTTER?" Can I stab you with my fork while I fake laugh?

This one actually says, "Dixie Store Fixtures" but I think Dixie St. sounds cooler. Like Birmingham's very own Bourbon St.

This sign is different than the rest in that it really isn't very pretty, or old. It's just a utilitarian sign letting you know where you can get your carburetor fixed. I didn't stick out AT ALL in that neighborhood.

And here's where my purse was nearly plucked from the truck. But wasn't. Because my friends, Bud never would have let me live THAT one down.

Painted brick pictures

This is going to come out all pretentious and I think-I-know-what-I'm-doing-esque but. But. Birmingham's downtown is really cool. It has this old flavor of a city that has not always been bustling and not always been taken care of. Which sounds crappy except for the fact that it means it has preserved aspects of itself that would have otherwise been updated.

And my favorite of those aspects is brick painted advertisements. Or stores that, instead of a big plastic sign outside, just paint on the building broadside. Richmond, Virginia has some of that feel to it, and I think a lot of cities have it but for the sake of art. Most of the ones here look like remnants of really just needing a place to broadcast a store. Or maybe I'm just making all this up.

So for months I've been promising myself that I would putter around downtown taking these pictures but for months I've been scared of ending up in the wrong part of town and dead, so have held off. However, I have today off from the restaurant and since I've been popping downtown pretty frequently to take care of wedding details and feel a little more comfortable getting around - I'm off! Wish me luck and if I get any good ones I will start posting this afternoon.

When the cat is gone

When Bud is out of town, the dogs get a little stir-crazy for two reasons. I don't get down on the floor and toss them around the room like the bean bag chairs we were all obsessed with fifteen years ago and, probably more importantly, I rush them inside RIGHT after they use the bathroom because I am scared that they will run away. Or just get distracted by a squirrel, chase it and then be all, "Huh? Where am I? Where's mama and my food and water at beck and call? Waaah!" Or that is how I play it in my head and so I stand outside watching them like a hawk until that last drop dribbles down and then go, "Ok, let's go! Inside!"

Which has to be frustrating when there is so much to do out there! Grass - do you SEE how many blades there are woman? I could be sniffing all day and still not be sure I got each one! Then there's their dear little friend Heamus who has got to be the world's cutest Westie, living next door. His family keeps the blinds open about a foot and a half so he can watch the world go by. Whenever we lug groceries in I exclaim, each time to Bud, "Aw look at Heamus! Just watching everything going on from his little window!" I'm not sure he even answers anymore. But Copper just loves him. Or...maybe not but he does charge up to the window, ears back, tail wagging nearly off. I think he's kind of confused by the glass. I can see you Heamus, I just can't sniff your butt.

So although it can get a little raucous, I let Sadie and Copper act like wild beasts in the apartment when Bud is gone because I know their muscles need it. For some reason in the past 24 hours that Bud has been gone Sadie has gone completely off her rocker. Growling and biting Copper's legs because she is just that short. And making these odd noises in the back of her throat, all rowlyipgrr, so that I'm not even sure what kind of animal I own anymore.

The beginning of the end: excited about china

Lots of important, dramatic meaning in this one

I don't know if it's the fact that I don't have to work today and so am totally devoid of human contact. Or the fact that I am getting married in two and a half weeks and all that that implies. Or simply put, I am a drama queen, but I can't get the song Landslide, by Fleetwood Mac, out of my head this morning and so keep moping around the apartment, wailing softly, "I'm getting older toooo,"

The picture of documentation

Priorities

Ring! Ring!

"Huh-lo?"

"Hey, you up yet?!"

"It's only 6:50."

"I know! I want to be at the courthouse by 8 AM!"

"Ok, I'm getting up. You've already been to work and back?"

"Yes, get ready!"
...........

"What're you doing in there? Are you almost done?"

"Yes, ok, but where's my camera? I want to document us the morning we leave to get our marriage license."

"I want to be there by 8 AM."

"All right, all right! Where's the camera?"

"Here, get up, pose with me. This is important. Don't you want this picture?"

"I want to be there by 8."

Actually going through with it

The below video

Acts a little funny on my computer i.e. I only see a blank screen for a while and then hey! there it is! Also, it looks like the video might only work in Internet Explorer. Also you might wonder why I even bothered if it's going to have so many problems? The answer to this is I can't stop trying new things ON MY NEW TIED IN A BOW BLOG!

I posted it for no big reason other than Ella looks so darn cute in it and her little rabbit smile at the camera like, yes, haha, I see you video taping my sleepy walk onto the porch and I'll give you that I'm cute, but even I have my limits, get a life.