A New American Flag

I am back from the opening and the after party and it was quite a success! I made about $27 from the sale of stickers and a few people were interested in buying shirts. But more importantly, I think people really enjoyed my project and had lots of people take fliers and plan on visiting the web page. I found people reactions to the project very much reflected what they brought to it. Some people found it wildly optimistic, while others saw only pessimism. Some as humorous, some as serious, some probably as insulting. This was all good in my mind, because the idea of working with a symbol this large is that it has to encompass all those things. It began as a satyrical jab but evolved quickly to encompass an ernest hope and honest affection as well.

For any one not at the opening, one thing I love about this piece is that to me, visiting www.aNewAmericanFlag.org is honestly just as much of an experience as seeing it in a gallery. Different of course, but as long as you pass it along and talk about it, thats all I want. You don't get to see the flag it self, that is the only big draw back. I was very happy with its reaction, particularly the people who thought that I paid some one else to make it for me! ('I thought you had a flag maker make it for you')

So, good deal. I just bought "Stars and Stripes" by Kit Hinrichs in celebration. Described as "Ninety-six of the countries leading designers see it their way" and its 96 re-designs of the flag. I hope no one has had my idea before!

Ok time for bed. More work at Olaf tomorrow. I have decided to not renew my contract as VRC curator after it expires on August 31st. The commute being by far the #1 reason. I will post more after I tell them about it.

'Pearls' on dominos

Photos

Alright, we have internet again! Megan was posing from school before. I had 107 emails, yikes!

But now I have to run down to Northfield to work and get ready for the opening that is going on tonight from 7-9. It should be fun, and wrap up my apprentice year.

Here are some photos I snapped of our new place. It is still all pieced together, not quite sure where everything is going to end up right now. A bookshelf is important, and I think I want to build one so we can get our books out of boxes sooner than later.

Gata run, more later!

Moved in!

Smidgen

Also, an update on Smidgen- she got looked at by two doctors here yesterday and both came to the same conclusion that I had. She has unilateral facial nerve paralysis with no apparent cause. The neurologist said it looks like peripheral damage, not central, so there are no worries about brainstem tumors or anything. There aren't any other cranial nerve deficiencies, so her balance/hearing/etc are all normal. They said she should be fine as long as it doesn't progress to anything worse, and as long as her third eyelid keeps working to keep her eye moist.

I had always read that vet student's pets manage to come down with the most bizarre diseases, behavior issues, and injuries.... I didn't used to believe it, but I am reconsidering!

loft!

Well, after a long and tiring day yesterday, we are all moved into our loft! The only things left to come over are my fish and my laptop desk. Winnie came over last night, and spent the first hour or so pacing and unhappy. As soon as we brought her crate in and set it up she relaxed, ate a big dinner, and attacked her tug toy. She slept okay last night, but woke me up at around 5 to go outside. I think it'll take her a while to get used to the constant city noises, but I'm sure she'll adjust.

The best part of this so far? I left the loft at 7:48 this morning and still made it to my 8:00 class on time. :-)

Murphey's Law, or karma?

In the midst of wetlabs and packing and tests and presentations, I noticed yesterday that Smidgen the kitty looked a little lopsided. Sure enough, when I looked closer, one of her eyes was open wider than the other. I invoked the only diagnostic that I remembered from neruology, which was a thing called the menace response. To assess an animal's sight, you can swipe your hand at their face. A normal animal will blink. Smidge blinked when I swiped at her right side, but not her left. Hmm. That meant either she wasn't seeing out of her left eye, or for some reason she couldn't blink it.

Sooooo, we went to the vet today and he told me basically what I already knew (that she couldn't blink that eye), but also that she can apparently see out of it, because it dialates and constricts normally. The main reason that an animal loses the ability to close their eye is due to damage to their facial nerve, but that generally also means most of their face muscles are paralyzed. Smidge seems to have lost only the ability to close her eye. So what does that mean......? Her vet's response was, "Well, I guess she wants to go to school with you tomorrow!" Smidge will be heading in to the U of MN for a neurology/opthomology consult to figure out what on earth is going on. Of course she had to pick about the least convenient day possible to damage a nerve, but whatever.... :-/ She is acting pretty much normal, but it's getting to be apparent that she's uncomfortable. I would be too if I couldn't close my eye! I'm pretty sure that Smidge damaging a cranial nerve is some sort of karma for my extreme dislike of Neurology earlier this semester.

Will post updates as we learn what's going on with this little kitty, amidst all the excitement of tomorrow.

T minus . . .

In less than three hours I will turn in my work for the second and last apprentice show at the Northfield Arts Guild.

Less than 1 minute ago aNewAmericanFlag.org went live.

In 24 hours Megan will be almost done with class, and I should be starting the drive up to 2341 University Ave behind a U-Haul truck.

The clock is spinning down, everything is converging, no time to think about it now just gata get everything done!

corgi in the springtime