Summer Nights

Summer is a time to enjoy living in the amazing city that is Madison. I went running with my friend Paige around to the other side of Lake Monona which has some of the best views (and beaches!) in Madi. It's been definite summer weather lately, so maybe next time we'll go running a little bit later in the afternoon! I'm still working a couple days a week at the IMC and this week's duty was cleaning all the studio lights. The Film Department has two giant studios in which we have UW classes and groups can shoot their short films in a stable environment. Each has racks of giant lights attached to the ceiling and I got to run the machine to lower them then inspect, clean, and grease each light I could. It was actually pretty great since the studios are in the basement (i.e. colder than the IMC) and I just borrowed a laptop from upstairs and listened to non-stop Youtube playlists of Cake, Gogol Bordello, and The Minutemen :]

I am super loving my radio shows this summer as well. My main dig is Lemon Sole, Friday nights at 11. The first week's theme was Split Personalities featuring songs that somehow change in style throughout the track. Here's the listing:

1. Nonpareil of Favor - Of Montreal

2. Development - Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip

3. Like Herod - Mogwai

4. I Never Learnt To Share - James Blake

5. Paranoid Android - Radiohead

6. You Do Mutilate? - Of Montreal

7. Niggas in Paris - The Throne

8. Wake Up - Arcade Fire

9. Milk and Sugar - The Hard Lessons

10. Oh, La Brea - Man Man

While in the studio last Friday, Kanye West's Yeezus leaked and I immediately listened to it once I got home.. and proceeded to listen to it 7 times in two days. I really dig it, despite any controversies surround him. He seems like an asshole with misogynistic lyrics, but the music is great, and I'm entertained by him. Plus, come on, the CD art is sick.

Of course I bought it on Tuesday! They're something about having the physical copy of a record.

Blank. White album listing. Orange tape.

Essential for 8 am work after 1 am radio shows.  

Friday was fantastic all day long. Started the morning reading the play Equus and listening to this Laurie Anderson live performance I borrowed on vinyl last time I was at my parent's house. I finally returned my waste of money education text book at the post office, then heading to Haya's place for a leisurely rest of the morning. While walking outside, I ran into my homegirl from work Lauren who let me know that our boss/co-worker friend was performing as part of Make Music Madison outside of the Orpheum that night at 6. I caught Trevis' guitar set with some other IMC-ers and music loving passerby and it was so nice! The weather was great and it was perfect summer afternoon music. Talented stuff. I headed to Lauren's for a couple beers before starting the main fun-ness of the night- Adult Swim at the Children's Museum! In case you've been living under a rock/aren't 21/not in Madison, each summer the Madison Children's Museum holds a fundraiser party where adults get free range of the whole museum! I painted on the walls and made this terribly put together flower wreath. 

Arts 'n' crafts ruuuuuule

On the rooftop, you get an amazing view of the capitol and can stroll the gardens up there. I ran into Emilio and spent the rest of my time there with his friends, before heading down state street to my first Rooftop Cinema screening at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Tom Yoshikami, the WUD Film advisor, curates this weekly event that is shown on the rooftop of the art museum. That is one of the chillest, classiest crowd of art people ever and I loved it. Last night's show was a collection of animated short films from the National Film Board of Canada spanning from the 1950s to 2000s. I love the program so much! Especially since I spent a week learning about how fantastic the NFB is in my Documentary Film class last semester.

I know I have a shitty cell phone camera, but here was my view of the screen, Overture roof, and capitol peaking out behind <3 Bliss.

After this I headed over to WSUM for Lemon Sole. Yesterday's theme was religion and I had a blast putting together the playlist, of course. Someone even called in liking my show! :D I played:
1. Yo! I Killed Your God - Marc Ribot
2. Jesus At McDonalds - Mojo Nixon
3. Jesus and Tequila - The Minutemen
4. Jesus Wrote A Blank Check - Cake
5. A Letter From God to Man - Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
6. Even Judas Gave Jesus A Kiss - !!!
7. God's Magic Finger - The Residents
8. Of the Word God - The Books
9. In Bed With God - Eddie Izzard
10. God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You - N*SYNC
11. Jesus Gonna Be Here - Tom Waits
12. God Moving Over the Face of the Waters - Moby
13. There Is No God - George Carlin

BSI

Sights of the station

This morning, Haya and I went to the Farmer's Market at 8:30 am to get there early and beat the rush, which is almost always preferable. Plus, who doesn't want breakfast at the Market? 

I did this much crossword by myself! Awwwright! And normally I'm such a sudoku only kind of gal..

Craft Day: DIY glitter shoes

I saw this idea on a fashion blog the other day and realized my old black booties would be perfect to try it on! I went to the Artisan Supply store in the morning for paintbrushes and silver glitter. I also switched out my Four Star rentals. Right now I'm enjoying The Beatles' Help.  

In the morning- black shoes and Jesus Christ Superstar 2000

The tutorial I saw said it took her about 7 layers. Here's Layer #2 

Layer #5

Finished! 

The mixture is just half glitter, half Elmer's glue. Totally easy to make!

My mom hooked me up to the max with a care package last weekend. Barry's Bagels, cream cheese, lox, and berries. 

I love Summer.

Meine Familie

I'd like to introduce my family. Most of my mom's side of the family live in Chicago. We're the only group that moved away! (to Ohio). My dad's an only child, and his family's a bit more spread out (like California spread out). 

First of all, the greatest parents I ever could have lucked out with. These two inspire and encourage me every single day!

It's so hard to get photos of my mom, but here's my dad derping in front of our Christmas tree

and Sam, my younger brother. 

a.k.a. Abe Lincoln

My grandma in her Chicago apartment. <3 <3 <3

My Opa turns 95 this Friday! The two of them are flying out to Las Vegas and staying at the Bellagio this weekend. How nice is that?

My Uncle Mark and Aunt Kay stopping by for a visit the last time we were all in Chicago. 

Blast from the Past // Foto Dump

My family can sometimes be late to the game when it comes to technology. Slow to get a DVD player, a TV with DVR, we use flip phones >> smart phones, and only recently upgraded from point and shoots to digital cameras. Now, the only time photos actually leave the camera is once a year when I'm home and decide to finally plug it in and see what mysteries it's holding. Here's the latest upload:

Christmas dinner (which is Thanksgiving dinner) at the McMillan's house in Michigan! My family away from home. 

Hey Haya! Post-move to Buttercup

I have so many gratuitous Lulu pictures

My mom's friend painted a tree blue. For art!

Here are my high school friends at Dre's grad party! <3 y'all (I am not as tall as this photo tries to depict)

Putting together spinach and pesto lasagna

Aw, I just hugged Sam bye. He's off to work at his internship turned employer for the summer. He really likes it and it's only Monday through Thursday. What a nice deal!

These last three are from last summer.

Architectural boat cruise in Chicago after my family picked me up after flying back from Germany

Concert on the Square

Pool Part At The Double Treeeeee w/ Bromansh 2 roommies 

SV's Graduation

This whole weekend has been a blast! Thursday I left Madison on a bus at 7 am and arrived in Ann Arbor on a train 12 hours later. My mom and grandpa picked me up and we had a super delicious dinner at the Prickly Pear (something like a salad with guac, cherries, salsa, feta, and cukes, oh man). The Cregos came over for dinner on Friday (spinach and pesta lasagna) and we were all going through old year books. My brother won the senior superlative for Biggest Flirt ("I can't help my masculine tendencies."). On my 5th grade cover, I wrote "Central Elementary SUCKS" hahahaa. The Cregos and I went to school together starting in junior high and my dad went to h.s. with Madonna and two of her siblings, so all those pictures are fun to look at.

On Saturday night, Dre, JK, the Cregos, and I went to Toledo Sportway, which is basically Mecca in my hometown. They've got a go kart track, putt putt, and batting cages. So much fun! Afterwards, we hit up Jed's, a bar with beach volley ball and baby fish bowls. After that, Andrea had the brilliant idea to open up the time capsule we had put together four years prior, when we graduated high school. We found a letter I wrote to myself in 2004, a garden gnome, a Motorola Razr, my name badge from volunteering at the polls for election day 2008, and tons more silliness. We previously packed the time capsule (an old, painted locking trunk I got from way back when) after 8th grade, and we opened in when we graduated high school. Now, I have to bring new stuff back with me so the next time we see each other, we can pack it back up with brand new stuff, four years later again.

I went to Sam's high school graduation on Sunday and had the most enjoyable time. My grandma and uncle drove in from Chicago around noon and we made Haya's perfect salad recipe and had Barry's Bagels and lox. At the ceremony, some girls sang For Good from Wicked and it was so beautiful. I am so proud of my brother- he's on the National Honors Society, graduated with a diploma with honors, made the Presidential Fitness Award, and was ranked in the top 25 in his class for GPA. WOW!! He'll be starting at the Ohio State University this Fall. So ready to see where his next adventure in education takes him!

The fam, at the Stranahan Theatre

hiiiiiiiii mom

The graduating class of 2013! I totally WOO HOOOOOOO!!!-ed at both Sam and his best friend. I figure, you gotta yell for anyone you've gone on vacation with ;]

Damn my family is attractive

Uncle Mark, Sam, and my grandma (mom's bro + mom)

Fathers and sons, some of Sam's best friends

Both Brandon and Dougie joined my family on our last Outer Banks vacation (along with Andrea), so this was a little reunion!

Couldn't be happier for this kid right here

popping cigars

Siblings <3

Ran into my friend from school, Justin! He's out in NY finishing his last year at Pratt. So many of my peers have younger siblings Sam's age. I heard many familiar last names today

Whatta group. I've known the kid in the blue and the guy right of Sam for 15 years :3

I had so much fun this weekend, and I'm going to try my hardest to make it back for Sam's grad party in three weeks.