Went on an adventure tonight for dinner. For months friends have been raving about Terry's Turf Club, known for their burgers. I was feeling like a burger, and nothing else was pressing, so I did a quick Google search, got directions and headed down. After missing the initial exit (why must I always get lost on Linwood Avenue?), I made my way. Nice eclectic outside - good match for what was inside. I sat at the bar since I was alone and the bartender was friendly and helpful. I looked at the (very) simple menu and decided to keep it simple with my order - a burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and grilled onions, a half order of fries and a Sprite. The verdict: definitely has potential, but I think I might have to change my order next time. I forgot to tell them (they forgot to ask) how I wanted it cooked and so I got what appeared to be a medium rare to really rare burger. Much of it looked barely cooked. Also, I'll forgo the onions next time. The taste was great, but the burger wouldn't stay on the bun. First bite sent it flying out the back. Not good. Plus the onions made it a messy, messy, messy meal. Killed at least one tree's worth of napkins. And $11.50 seemed a bit steep for what I got (especially the $2 for a can of Sprite). I'm not willing to declare it a total loss - will try at least once more. Kind of like Five Guys - I think I was overdone by the hype.
Been pondering Saturday's ArtWalk some more. We talked at lunch how our image of the 70s is "ugly." Hard to get away from that image looking at the photos. Some of it is the color processing of the time - the colors seem a little off. But definitely of the period. But even the subject matter chosen painted a picture of a time that seemed to have little beauty. Maybe that's my own biases coming in to play. I mean, how could an entire decade be ugly. But honestly, even looking at what these artist chose as beautiful, I couldn't help but thinking how...well, ugly everything was. I really can't make sense of it. Is it the fashion of the time? The design? What is it about that decade that will always look a little dull and yellowed?
And again I'm lost on the surface of things, judging based on the superficial, not on what lies underneath. But isn't that what makes good photography so compelling - it's ability to capture something beyond just its subject matter? That's what draws me to a good photo - that what is found within the frame is much more than the sum of its composition and subject matter. Sometimes I feel guilty for liking photography so much. I mean, photos are everywhere in our world. Heck, I take them myself. But it's the ones I know I could never do myself that I find most impressive. I think that's the crux of my art appreciation - it needs to look like something I couldn't do. Which is probably why I'm not drawn so much to modern art - I feel like I could do what they've done. But with some photographers, I realize that though we use similar tools, there is an art to what they do that I will never be able to match. So maybe I should embrace my love of photography and finally put my pieces up on my wall.
Whoa Thurm. Don't want to get too crazy.
Crap, just remembered I was in the middle of doing laundry. Completely zoned. For some reason, my whites always get the short end of the stick. I usually do them last and by the time they're ready to come out of the dryer, I've already used up all my laundry energy, so they sit there. Then they end up wrinkled, so I have to take a wet towel and throw it into the dryer and redry them. Hopefully they're done and the clothes I washed aren't all wrinkled, or I'll have to start all over. I know. Stupid. It's amazing I've survived on my own this long.
Still haven't hit my Lenten groove yet. The silence in the morning and afternoon are good, but I find it difficult to focus. I'm hoping once next week begins and I have 1st bell plan, then it might be a bit of a richer experience. Hope springs eternal.
Currently listening to The Stone Roses. Their self-titled first album is one of my "perfect" records. Picked up their album of B-sides off eMusic this month. Great stuff. So sad they crashed and burned so brightly with their second album. Not sure how the wheels could come off so quickly, but it's not an unusual story. So much potential unrealized. And crappy bands put out album after album. Sad.
Funny: last night I went out to The Comet with my friend Colin to catch the Comet Bluegrass Allstars. Great, great show. I tweeted "If my high school self knew I spent my Sunday night listening to bluegrass, he'd probably fling himself off something tall." I realized last night that bluegrass is the opposite of American Idol. The focus is on the music and the talent, not the show. They play their own instruments. They sing without the help of studio tricks. It's everything music should be and in this day and age so rarely is. My tastes have broadened quite a bit since those heady high school days, but one thing has remained true - I've always been drawn to artists with passion, who cared more about the music than about the scene or making a ton of money. Not that some of them haven't been popular or made money (U2 anyone?), but it's not what keeps them going.
OK, enough for tonight. Must go get the laundry before I have to dry my whites a 3rd time.
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