the past two months...

Alright babies the blog is back.  Before I embark on the present, let's do some catching up.  Where have I been for the last couple of months?  Allow me to answer all of your questions and more.

In early November my parents and I spent a week in Rome.  We were your classic tourists pulling out maps and squinting at them on every street corner.  We had a magnificent tour guide who took us around to many of the classical sites and others you've never heard of, and talked our ears off in all manners of eloquence.  He knew everything about that city, and English was his first language.  Of all the ancient art and architecture we saw, my favorite were the baths built by the emperor Caracalla and the mausoleum for Constanza, daughter of the emperor Constantine.  If you're ever in Rome you should surely check those out.

Here's a silly picture of me wearing my dad's glasses at cocktail hour.  This is the only picture I have from Rome (lame, I know--by the time I got there I realized my camera was dead!).

After Rome we spent some time in NYC to cushion the blow of jet-lag, and to see some homies.  I have a soft spot in my heart for New York (particularly Central Park) but this trip left me feeling particularly disillusioned by the starkness and filthiness of the place.  Staying with my friends in Bushwick, I was shocked to see how much trash there is everywhere!  This had not phased me as much in the past, but it sure did this time around...

Early December was spent back in Portland working for the Reed Art Department, doing whatever was necessary.  It was nice to be back in my old digs with friendly and familiar folk, but after a couple weeks surrounded by the under-slept stressed out Reedies, I was reminded once again why I am so happy to be out of school!  No more finals, baby!

Then the adventure began.  Ten days before Christmas I got back on a plane and flew back to New York to drive cross-country with my friend Peter as he is moving up to Oregon with me.  The night of the 15th we had a wild good-bye party for him at his Brooklyn apartment, the theme of which was pie, here's mine:

The next morning, with not a whole lot of sleep under our belts we set off on our trip.  It is so fun to get in the car with everything you need, which is not that much stuff really, and hit the road!

I've gotta run now, going to the fabric store to hit up some corduroy and then off to SF to hang with the homie Sean, but I will continue with the next installment of our adventure when I return... here's a teaser.