**** or get off the pot

I had thought I'd only post on this blog while I'm in Santa Fe, so it's been months, during which time I've lived my New York life, teaching up in the 'burbs and navigating the subways. Life here has a choppiness that you just don't get out West. Sometimes it's pleasant, and you get into the rhythm of it, like when you're stopped in your tracks by something crazy or wonderful. Usually there are other people, many other people, watching the same thing. So as a short person, I often have to climb on something to see what the fuss is about. Like the other day, I was walking through Union Square and there was a huge crowd watching a Korean guy do interesting juggling tricks with a soccer ball. You have to give yourself a little extra time here for everything, not only because you never know when the subway will stop and you'll be sitting there for 20 minutes with no way to inform whomever you're meeting that you'll be late, but also because there are always distractions to slow you down. But at the same time, you can't arrive early for things, because that's just not cool and people will be slightly annoyed because they may not be ready.

Anyway, getting to the point, I'll be going back to Santa Fe on May 29th and will be living in my very own little HOUSE! A long boring story on how I found the house and the machinations I went through to get it and to finance it. The owner's name is remarkably and comically close to the two names of Rocky and Bullwinkle. I won't post his name because I don't want it to come up on google searches- you have to be careful about these things. And he seems like a nice guy, if a bit high strung. But the house is really sweet and he landscaped it beautifully, and I'll be enjoying all the nice things he did to it. Here is a photo of the backyard a few weeks ago, taken by my friend Rob:

So, after all these years of saying I was going to move to New Mexico, I'm actually doing it. It's a little scary for a lot of reasons. People say to me, aren't you excited? And I am, but I'm also nervous. I have an option, though, of coming back to teach next spring. It will be interesting to see how things go.

Unfortunately, the last time I went there, on spring break, I stayed in the house with very little furniture except for a bed, and I got very sick and spent the whole week in the bed, in my guest room. I had a TV that could mostly only pick up NBC and Fox. You can probably figure out which channel I watched the whole week. But I couldn't find my favorite daytime shows, the shows I watch when I'm sick- Ellen, or Oprah, or even Dr. Oz. It wasn't a fun week at all. I need to get the bad juju out of the house when I get back, and I think it may be gone anyway because Rob's construction guys worked on the place to do some renovation and get the garage converted for studio use with skylights and stuff, and also painted the inside white so it will be much brighter and cleaner looking. My neighbors on either side are a midwife and a massage therapist. Can't ask for more nurturing types! Dogs are abundant- too much so in the middle of the night I think. No noise regulations there- I don't mind the roosters but I hate the sound of dogs barking endlessly. It's always something.

I haven't made any art for four months and it's amazing how much free time you have when you're not an artist, when you're a normal person who takes time off to do whatever. Yet I was very unproductive, spending far too much time on Facebook and other internet time sucks. I'm feeling antsy to make some stuff and I'll be really happy to have a work space again. As well as being able to bike five minutes to the food co-op or go to the Chavez center.