Room Off of Living Room

Room Off of Living Room, originally uploaded by RumAli.

I'm slowly gathering together all the materials so that my mortgage banker can make the case to the bank to actually lend me all the money.

Students At Work

Students At Work, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Toynbee Idea (Chicago)

Toynbee Idea (Chicago), originally uploaded by RumAli.

The current - as in March 2006 - state of the Toynbee tile in Chicago, right near that Art Institute, right off Michigan Ave.

Post-Breakfast Lollipop

Post-Breakfast Lollipop, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Cary registered his first DIWITTY (Day In Which I Talked To You) last Sunday when a bunch of us went to Le Sabre for breakfast.

He apparently shaves only once a week, at the beginning of the work week.

Friendly Game vs. SB (Guthries)

Friendly Game vs. SB (Guthries), originally uploaded by RumAli.

I was quoted in the Scrabble 'zine, The Center Star, about wanting to beat Sarah Burgundy, my favorite ex-girlfriend. When we dated, I was an absolute terrible player ... and now, ranked 870 in the nation!

Anyway, the game, played over beers at Guthries in Chicago, was quite pedestrian, and the only bingo I could muster was the utterly common MANSIOn - me not knowing that SQUARER (her play) took an S.

SB @ Guthrie's

SB @ Guthrie's, originally uploaded by RumAli.

I had a reunion with my ex-girlfriend Sarah Burgundy yesterday. We went out for one incredible summer in 1998, before she moved to San Francisco and I moved to Milwaukee. We tried to do the "long distance thing" but that didn't work out.

The reunion was utterly lovely, and now I'm listening to all the songs that I wrote about her (basically at least half of the Team Mucilani ouevre) and feeling teary and nostalgic. After the sourness of a break-up, albeit one mandated by our distance apart, all the good parts of our relatioship remain. Too many to list, but it's a fun thing to do, to sit here and remember certain specific things and relishing in my memory of it.

The relationship, brief as it was, really holds up. With apologies to the people that I've dated in Milwaukee, and with understanding my pointed state of mind, it's not too far-fetched to say that "nothing compares." (Which is ridiculous, I know.) We were able to like each other in the ways that we liked to like other people, which made things very easy.

She's going to her third year in law school in the West Coast, and I'm about to buy a house in Milwaukee.

Mood vs. Beer (6 years)

Mood vs. Beer (6 years), originally uploaded by RumAli.

My friend Steve is mostly limiting him self to a very good, expensive, English beer: St. Peter's Cream Stout or St. Peter's Golden Ale. Good stuff.

Yet, I prefer the cheap beers. Huber Premium, Grain Belt Superior.

Back Side of House

Back Side of House, originally uploaded by RumAli.

I just went through an on-line homeownership education course. Considering my monthly income, it's amazing that my mortgage banker thinks I have a good shot at getting a mortgage!

Mac and Cheese Pizza

Mac and Cheese Pizza, originally uploaded by RumAli.

I went to Madison to for a couple of appointments. The first was for an expensive haircut with my favorite professional hair-stylist, Rachel, who works for Sojo and Blau. What sucked was that she had an eye doctor's appointment that morning. In that appointment, her eyes were dilated. They still were when I arrived. She couldn't do the cut since she hard problems seeing close up.

Oh, well.

My next appointment wasn't until 5 PM when I would meet up with my cousin from Virginia. He's in town for a conference.

Living Room

Living Room, originally uploaded by RumAli.

This is the living room of the house that I plan to buy. The paint is called "spicy peanut" ... or "spicy" something. I can't remember what, but I'm thinking of spicy peanut as I write this.

I just came back from my first official meeting with my "mortgage guy." The only hitch I really see with getting the house is verifying my unverifiable income. Kind of a big hitch.

Front of the House

Front, originally uploaded by RumAli.

This is the house I want to buy.

Backyard

Backyard, originally uploaded by RumAli.

When the owner/seller of the house showed me the upstairs and this window facing east, he mentioned that "from here, you can look at the land."

And I'm like, "Oh, doggie!"

Tropical Storm

Tropical Storm, originally uploaded by RumAli.

This is a painter I knew in Richmond, VA. In this photo, taken in 2004, we were attempting to leave Richmond in the midst of a tropical storm. I had never been in this kind of weather before and was amazed at the ferocity of the wind and the torrential rain. Big I-95 was closed.

We were in the midst of the Tingle Showcase/Fash Attack! tour and the next stop was in Providence, RI.

We didn't make it out of Richmond, but luckily, the show wasn't until the next evening. We returned back to Chris' house and lit candles because the electricity was out. Also because of that, we ate a lot of the perishable food, and drank the beer while it was still cold.

Art Gallery Scene

Art Gallery Scene, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Anyway, I might be buying a house.

The Art of Japanese Gardening

The Art of Japanese Gardening, originally uploaded by RumAli.

This was submitted by one of my students in my Digital Arts Workshop class. The assignment was to make a 1-page comic - fumetti, if you will - using images from Bruce Baillie's film "Mr. Hayashi."

The Esquire (Cincinnati, Ohio)

The Esquire (Cincinnati, Ohio), originally uploaded by RumAli.

During the Tingle Showcase/Fash Attack! tour, in an effort to be thrifty, me, Kim and her daughter opted out of dining at this Indian restaurant with everybody else. We walked up the street and found a grocery store where I purchased bagels and peanut butter, a reliable staple for all tourers.

On the way to the grocery store, we saw this theater.

Be-Bim-Bop

Be-Bim-Bop, originally uploaded by RumAli.

At the Organ Piper Pizza

At the Organ Piper Pizza, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Gardening

Gardening, originally uploaded by RumAli.

This is the backyard of my parents' old place in Jersey City, NJ. It was a lovely place.

Performance

Performance, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Lights For a Softball Field

Lights For a Softball Field, originally uploaded by RumAli.

A Caique Named Mila

A Caique Named Mila, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Fruits at Veselka

Fruits at Veselka, originally uploaded by RumAli.

The Horn Band at Planet 9

The Horn Band at Planet 9, originally uploaded by RumAli.

Horn Band at King's Barcade (Raleigh, NC)

Horn Band at King's Barcade (Raleigh, NC), originally uploaded by RumAli.

Set-Up

Set-Up, originally uploaded by RumAli.