Rutland's Art Scene

I've got some issues with Rutland. Not the least of which is that our best graff artists are neither artists nor good. I have some more pics ready to go, including some places in Rutland that I really enjoy. But for now, someone buy these kids a book about tagging.

My blog pictures are cleverer than your blog pictures.

It's so effing hot in my living room, I've taken to hanging out in my kitchen. Here are the current stats:

Living Room/Bedroom Because I Don't Want To Use My Entire Paycheck For Rent: 85°
Kitchen: 76°
Outside: 72°

Temp this Afternoon: 95°
Length of Time it takes for my living room to reach temperature equilibrium with the outside world: 6 or 7 hours
Clock Time: 12:43am
Estimated Equilibrium Time: 4:00am
Planned Bed Time: Negative 1.5 hours ago
Estimated Bed Time: Never

I'm just making this junk up now, but come on. My apt sucks during the summer.

But during the winter? Free heat! Oh the irony!

Snow storms and gun fights

Item one: I don't mean to come off as a snow-snob, bragging about how awesome I am because I learned how to drive in the winter-wonderland known as Hillsdale, Michigan, but you'd think Vermonters would be a little bit savvier about driving in the snow. Granted, it's Storm City outside right now, but everyone, and I mean everyone, completely freaks out when it snows around here. And we live in the freaking mountains. Seriously, people. The Mountains.

Now I've never had snow tires on any of my vehicles, so I've had to learn how to drive, you know, correctly, in the midst of snow and ice. And basically, there are three simple rules for staying out of the ditch:

1. Break sooner than usual / but not so hard as usual.
   
2. Accelerate slower than usual / with less gas than usual.
3. Don't overcompensate with the wheel when you start to slide.

And basically, that's it. I just solved all your problems, Vermont. You can thank me later.

Item one end.



Item two: There was a shooting three blocks away from my house! This is better than Chicago! And it was over the reefer, usually a "safe" drug. Seriously, the dealers around here are idiots. I could own this town in under a year.

Damn my ethics!

End item two.

A Juanuary Sanchez Post Full of Snow

There is snow out right now, but not much. January can't decide whether she wants it hot or cold. If she's not careful, God might spit her out his mouth. Or mouf. Sppppewit!

But here some December pictures of Rutland in lotsa blustery-snowiness. Also, downtown dies after 8 O'Clock. Bummer.


I work there! There is where I work!


My favorite fire hydrant! Fire hydrant #1!


Depot Park! The smallest, lamest park in Rutland; except in December when they light the trees.


During the summer, they close this road off sometimes and let lame bands play. In the upper right hand corner is the clock tower (blurry). It makes me want to scream, "The clock tower, Marty!" every time I see it at night.


Jonny discovers his flash! Use that flash in the snow, Jonny! Now you're cookin'!


Paramount Theatre! Home of just about everything in Rutland that needs a theater. (Except movies.)


Peaceful downtown Rutland, much as it looks from 7pm-5am every single day.


Just up the road. Also peaceful. With churches!


Same corner. Different night.


A side street in downtown. I guess it's not special enough for lights or decorations.


Another lame park, called Alley Park, I think. It's behind some main street buildings, and it's really just a smoking park. I like to call it Lantern Waste.


See what I mean? If I had geeky C.S. Lewis fans around here, they'd all call it Lantern Waste, too. I don't. So they don't either.


Some wicked graffiti by Lantern Waste.


Goodnight moon.

So that's more of my town. It looks much nicer under snow than it does during June. Cruel June! Why do you taunt us so!?

December First-ness And I-talians

So I was walking home one night after work, down Center Street where a number of bars and restaurants are located, when I passed by eight or nine people speaking Italian. They were quite loud and fairly drunk and nearly obnoxious and exactly what downtown Rutland needs at night (i.e., life). As I passed by however, without thinking, I murmured "Scusi" and kept walking. My question is:

Do I subconsciously know Italian, and if so, does it only present itself in situations where I am around the language and try not to think about knowing said language, and if so, how awesome is that?

And now, further slightly racist photos.

Random Summer-ness Miscellany

Some random photos from over the summer. Clearing them out before winter arrives. (Which is basically last week.)


The inside of the Club on the weekend. Very dark. Very quiet.


Basically why I stopped going to church. Well, this and Harry Potter. It's kind of a long story.


Outside my apartment. Third floor. The luggage carrier is mine. Or more accurately, mine parent's.


Another view of the third floor foyer, from the luggage carrier's POV. Note the stairs that ascend into nothingness.


My kitchen on a clean summer's day. See you next June, I guess.

Nacht of the Living Dead

O Halloween! O Night of Nights! O saints be praised! O dead be walking! O crazies be crazed!

This week was Halloween week at the Club, which meant I got to be in the parade again! On Tuesday we had our Halloween party, then on Wednesday we marched in the Rutland Halloween Parade. (Complete with its own Wikipedia entry!) Unlike last year, however, we had an actual float this time. Unfortunately, the camera ran out of batteries before the parade began. Here are some sweet pics.


Our lovely kitchen.


Our lovely lion.


Our lovely werewolf.


A lovely game of Pass the Pumpkin.


Our lovely photographer.


Actual Halloween night, right before the parade, right before the camera ran out of batteries. In all, we had a Ninja Turtle, a Spider-Man, a witch, a vampire geisha, a vampire ninja, a fairy goth, a half-angel/half-devil, a full angel, some kind of skeleton being, Michael Myers, a medieval goth, a werewolf, and myself -- yet another vampire hybrid -- the vampire cowboy. We basically rock your face off.

(The paper took some parade pictures, though I don't think we're in them. Feel free to peruse, regardless.)

Further Celebratory Arm Gestures

Yes, that means high fives for everyone. This week's newsy-news for me and myself is good stuff. I'm taking a new position at the Club, moving from our Tech Center to a new Boys & Girls Club across town, where I'll be the Unit Director. That's right folks, I'm the boss of the world a brand new satellite Club! We'll share a Board and Executive Director with the main Club (where I've been since Oct 06), but the new digs are mine to administer. It's all very exciting and soon-to-be overwhelming. I even get an assistant! And, if we can swing it, hopefully an AmeriCorps volunteer, too.

Anyone want to check out Vermont?

Friday Morning Leaf Erikson

Taken on my way to work this morning. Our warm September has delayed leaf-peeping season by a week or two. "Too much green!" the old folks cry, their tour buses zooming through our sleepy town, leaving diesel fumes and Fixident in their wake.


A church! The Presbyterian one I think.


A red tree! Surrounded by others who refuse to cooperate.


That's from my back porch, by the way. I am sooo suave.


Side street by my house. Yes, you read it right. Nickwackett.


The tree above my car. I shouldn't park there, knowing how often trees tumble down around my house. But it's a nice space.


Go yellowy, go!


Too much green. The old folks were right.

Where's the Beef?

It's still very green around here. And warm. I figured we'd be a couple of weeks ahead of the Midwest as far as fall goes, but unseasonably warm temps have put my deductive skills to shame. Shame!


Getting there. But still a ways to go.


Some red. Some sun.


A sea of green. (Or more accurately, a small pond.)

The ground is falling onto the ground. And onto houses, too.

Last week I drove to Tennessee to see my parent's new home on Paint Rock Road. I was going to take a million pictures. I took seven. So instead, here are some pics of what I discovered outside my house when I got home yesterday. A(nother) tree had fallen onto my building, this time on the opposite side of the house. It broke two of my neighbors windows.


So that's the tree. Safe as houses.


More of the tree. The leafy parts.


My front door. Eagle Eye Charlie's can spy my bike on the right of the frame, hidden by the fence on the porch.


My building from across the street. Two months ago.


My building from across the street. Yesterday. (One of these things is not like the other.)


And then this morning, only one day later. Look what's disappeared!


Spirited away overnight, I guess.