IVHQ Naploli Italy 7 Oct 2015 3:41 AM (9 years ago)

Nearest and dearest thing to my heart is volunteerism. I have always been drawn toward helping others. In college, I flew to Tanzania to volunteer with Cross Cultural Solutions in an Elementary School. Guatemala City swiftly followed and I worked in an orphanage for three months. This year I was able to volunteer for IVHQ in Cusco Peru, World Vets in Romania, and now I am volunteering for IVHQ in Naples Italy. 2016 is going to be an even better year for volunteerism. I am very excited.

Oh Italy - I am not sure what I expected. Napoli is an old, dusty, dirty city. The alleyways are grey from exhaust fumes from cars and garbage is tossed carelessly everywhere. The mob is still HUGE in Italy and for years they controlled the garbage collection in the city. Or they were *suppose* to control the garbage collection. Instead they just left it to pile up around the city.... eventually the army was called to remove all the waste.... In some ways, the city itself looks like it has not changed in centuries. In other ways...... the honking horns, the constant stream of humans on the sidewalk, the high-end fashion shops, the hustle and bustle reminds me of New York City.

Italians really do live off Pizza and Pasta. No lie. Carb-Capital of the World - I would say that Italy is going to add thirty pounds to my physique ..... But my volunteer-placement is on top of a very steep mountain. An ancient old farm that belonged to Certosa di San Martino, a Monastery that was built in 1368...... I cannot explain to you how lucky I am to be working on that patch of land. We are building a garden on the side of the mountain to teach children where their fruits and veggies come from. Basic agricultural education for children of Italy.

Walking around the acres and acres of land that surround the Monastery. Everything is overgrown but everything is edible..... Walnut trees. Fennel. Lettuce. Olive trees (the harvest is this weekend). Grapes. Hazelnuts. Apple trees. Oranges. Limes - They even have a mini-farm for the children to meet domesticated farm animals. Chickens, ducks, geese, donkeys, rabbits and sheep.... I am just in love with my placement. I am so excited to get dirty at work today. We are turning the soil to make way for the new garden.

Athens Greece 5 Oct 2015 10:48 AM (9 years ago)

In college, I remember reading about the Parthenon. I remember reading how Lord Elgin stole a ton of marble sculptures and sent them to the British Museum in early 1800s. I remember reading the controversy as to whether or not those sculptures should be returned to Greece. I never really imagined that it would matter to me one way or another (as long as the sculptures are safe in a museum, who would care). But I know now, those sculptures belong to Greece. Seeing that Lord Elgin hammered out the Centaurs, the Giants, the Amazons, the birth of Athena and took them back to Britain with him. Thievery. Lord Elgin took a Caryatid from the temple and replaced it with a cement column! Those pieces should be returned to Greek soil ......

The Parthenon. What a place!..... I never realized that it watched over the entire city of Athens. The Parthenon sits on a mountain and acts as the center to a very large clock. You can walk around the base of the mountain, around and around, always knowing where the center is. I found that to be quite amazing. I never once got lost. I spent hours in tiny allyways shopping or exploring but I always knew which way my apartment was.

Originally when I said that I was visiting Greece, people worried me "The economy is bad. Crime is an issue. The gypsies will get you." - I am SO happy that I did not listen. Greece has been the highlight of my trip. It was incredibly cheap, safe enough to walk alone at night with tourists.... I never felt threatened. Greeks are so warm and welcoming. I walked into a store front to look for a new purse, ended up ballroom dancing and drinking all night with the owner.

And the food. For real - I could live off Greek Salad for a year and I would never get sick of eating it. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, basil, feta cheese, olives, olive oil, salt, pepper. Mmm. Spent the week trying to track down the best Salad on the Plaka. Decided that God's Restaurant near the Metro Station. So good.

Brasov and Dracula's Castle 1 Oct 2015 1:01 PM (9 years ago)

Made a lot of great friends during the World Vet trip. But one volunteer really stuck out. Her name was Sue. A veterinarian from Boulder Colorado. She was the first person that I connected with at the airport. Late 50's, silver hair, clear blue eyes. Short with a genuine smile that really felt good to be in the presence of ..... Sue had also flown into Bucharest a few days early (just like I did)

Half way through the week, Sue asked me if I would be interested in traveling to Brasov with her ..... "You and I are both flying out on Tuesday morning and there are all these castles and churches in the Transylvanian mountains...." .... She said "Transylvania and Mountains" in the same sentence. I was IN...

Normally when I travel, I make all my own plans. I research and I plot out the locations that I want to see. But since it was her idea and her trip, I wanted her to see all the things that her heart desired. So I just planned on keeping her company and planned on splitting the costs.

Rasnov Fortress. A citadel built on the route of the invading armis which were passing through Râșnov. The only chance of survival for the inhabitants of the area, was the refuge inside the citadel. Compelled to stay there for decades, the people of Râșnov and the nearby villages turned the fortification into a dwelling......

Also went to visit, Bran Castle. Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle" (although it is one among several locations linked to the Dracula legend). The first documented mentioning of Bran Castle is the act issued by Louis the I of Hungary in 1377, giving the Saxons the privilege to build the stone citadel on their own expense and labor force. In 1438–1442, the castle was used in defense against the Ottoman Empire. In 1920, the castle became a royal residence within the Kingdom of Romania. It became the favorite home and retreat of Queen Marie. The castle was inherited by her daughter who ran a hospital there in World War II: it was later seized by the communist regime with the expulsion of the royal family in 1948.

Last but not least, was Peles Castle ...... The foundation was laid for Peleș Castle in 1873. Several auxiliary buildings were built simultaneously with the castle: the guards' chambers, the royal stables, even a power plant. Peleș Castle became the world's first castle fully powered by locally produced electricity. The cost of the work on the castle undertaken between 1875 and 1914 was estimated to be 16,000,000 Romanian Lei in gold (approx. US$ 120 million today)

World Vets Romania 30 Sep 2015 2:00 PM (9 years ago)

Since I was a kid, I have always had an fascination with helping non-human creatures. My Grandmother used to love to tell this story about how I would spend hours hanging out with slugs in the garden (I can only imagine that I was a very imaginative child) - In highschool, I nursed baby bunnies and baby birds back to health. As an adult, I fostered dozens of kittens and numerous dogs. In the present, I AM that crazy-person that everyone calls when they find a random animal on the street. Last year, a friend called me and said, "A pigeon followed me home from work today. I don't know what to do with it. Can you take it?"

Makes a ton of sense that I would be drawn towards an organization that works with animals. World Vets travels the world offering free vet-care to animals in need. At first, I was not sure if they would consider me for a position. I am not a Vet-Tech and have little medical training. But it seems that my history with animals landed me an "Assistant" position.

Met the World Vet Team at the airport on Saturday morning. All the volunteers eagerly piled into the Transport van and drove three hours to the small town of Galati. Many of the volunteers slept during the drive. Many of them had flown over 24 hours to reach Romania. (these are just a few of my 'patients', do not worry, they are not dead just waking up from anesthesia)

Our team started work on Tuesday. I remember thinking, "Why aren't we volunteering every single day?" .... UNTIL we actually started working - 14 hour days are exhausting. Mentally and Physically. The space that we were working in had been abandoned for a few years and it needed to be cleaned top-to-bottom for surgery. My job was the Recovery Room. The first day, I shadowed a talented Vet-Tech. But later that evening, the Team Leader asked if I would mind taking over her job: Injections and catheters for the rest of the week. Needles, blood and feral cats do not work well together - Not to mention, giant dogs with muzzles. So much work. Exhausting work.

167 surgeries in three days. Many were the pets of locals. Others were homeless animals from the street. The small town of Galati was SO thankful to have free Veterinarian care. All day the locals stopped by the clinic with gifts. Homemade pottery, garden vegetables, bakery goods, fresh cut flowers. Even the Mayor stopped by to commend World Vets for volunteering in Galati...

Volunteering and Exploring Bucharest 30 Sep 2015 8:49 AM (9 years ago)

Volunteering has always been near and dear to my heart. I have volunteered all over the world with all different organizations: Cross Cultural Solutions, IVHQ, ect... This time I decided to branch out and try a new organization called World Vets. They are an organization centered around offering free spay and neuter surgeries to low income families and whatever-street animals they can nab off the streets. With over 500,000 stray dogs in Romania, it is a country that is in dire need of vet-care.

I flew into Bucharest a few days earlier than the Veterinarian Team so that I could play "Tourist" in City Centre - City Centre is the oldest part of the city, consisting of many churches and historic buildings. Sadly most of the city was ruined by World War II bombings and what wasn't ruined in the bombings, was later demolished by Communism ...... My taxi driver was my first introduction to Romania. He was so nice that he unplugged the Taxi Meter and offered to drive me from place to place for free. I figured that it was too good to be true, but it wasn't..... He drove me around for two hours playing tour-guide, I tipped him 20 USD, it was a great introduction to the city.

Everything in Romania is quite cheap (it is about 1/4th of what our dollar is worth), I had many choices when it came to finding a place to stay. I decided on a private room at the Little Bucharest Hostel right in the middle of the City Centre. My room was on the fifth floor. I had to carry all my luggage up never-ending flights of concrete stairs. But the VIEW was WOW! So worth it - Copper rooftops and dozens of historic buildings that went up in the 1700s.

There is so much history in this city - But like I mentioned earlier, so much of it has been lost. During the 1980's, Romania became increasingly anti-religious with the Community movement. This movement meant that any monument that reminded the people of their traditions and past had to be razed to the ground or, at least, hidden from public sight. This was the case for churches, which carried a lot of symbolism for Romanian people, and which started to be demolished one by one, along with entire neighborhoods. Seeing the architectural massacre, a group of people tried to convince the Communists that it was better to simply “hide” the churches from public view. A major contribution to winning this argument was a technique developed by construction engineer Eugen Iordachescu. He enabled entire buildings to be literally moved from one location to another, sometimes hundreds of meters away from their original location. Eugen saved dozens of churches this way.

Iceland 25 Sep 2015 3:12 AM (9 years ago)

Blog 25 Sep 2015 3:07 AM (9 years ago)

I think that I am going to start blogging again.

Kerouac 16 Nov 2011 10:24 AM (13 years ago)

“There’s nothing to life but the living of it…hold still man, regain your love of life and go down from this mountain and simply be-be-be the infinite fertilities of the one mind of infinity. make no comments, complaints, criticisms, appraisials, avowals, sayings, shooting stars of thought, just flow, flow, be you all, be your what it is, it is only what it always is…so shut up, live, travel, adventure, bless and don’t be sorry.” - Jack Kerouac

October 28 Oct 2011 9:45 PM (13 years ago)

For all the ups and downs in the past few months, things seem to slowly be turning around - Time still moves slowly here in Rochester. One week here, feels a lot like a month or two (or three or four). Looking at myself, I am not really doing much with my life (But really, who is? What are you doing?). I am barely modeling (by choice), working locally, traveling once a month for modeling work ... Maybe a few more trips to LA and AZ, places that are warm and inviting this winter, but I feel detached from the modeling world..... I love photography... I love many of you who have photographed me in the past....but I haven't "felt" love for modeling in a very long time....

Rochester life is full of friends - Matthew, Kate, John, Molly, Aaron, Sarah, a mess of wonderful acquaintances. Campfires with Apple Cider. Dinner parties till midnight. Hiking in pretty places. Coffee houses. Live music. Dancing. Movie nights. Lux. Art galleries. First Friday. Matt and I paint now and then - Lots of great companionship, lots of wonderful memories being made every day. Haven't .... had a community of friends like this... ever.... it is really new and very welcome.

New Apartment! Yay! 19 Aug 2011 1:03 PM (13 years ago)

IN LOVE with this new apartment - I have a difficult time imagining a better place to live.. Open spaces, gleaming hardwoods, high ceilings, unbelievable ambient light, brand new windows, a front porch, a backyard, the most amazing living room to hang out in... I have been looking for this apartment for years.... it *found* us.

Matt and I were actually on our fifth apartment walk through of the day - A guy with a bunch of boxes, called out across the street, "Hey! Are you looking for an apartment? This one is going up on craigslist next week...!" - Although the place was under a ton of construction and dust, I absolutely knew it was our apartment... It literally Shouted at us - Two days later we signed the paperwork... the place was ours....

Currently we are interviewing for a third roommate - Basically, we are just looking for someone who could be an amazing friend. I have a HUGE issue living with people that I cannot connect with on a personal level... Surface conversations make me uncomfortable and I tend to hide in my bedroom to avoid it (my job is surface conversation.. bleh)... I just want someone who wants to participate in living together........ Dinners once a week, market on the weekend, craft night at Lux...

Rochester is NOT Austin (not even close), but The Wedge does have a few Austin-like qualities! There is a funky coffee shop just like Mozarts (without the lake) two blocks down. A fancy bar called Tap and Mallet which is JUST like Ginger Man (but cheaper), three houses down. I have an organic supermarket at the end of my road. BurningMan-like bar, Lux is only a few doors down. Equal Grounds Coffee Shop (the gay coffee shop!). The German House. The Wedgestock Festival is this weekend, on my street ...

The BreakUp 15 Jun 2011 12:47 PM (13 years ago)

Pat and I broke up Monday night - Isn't that crazy news? - The two of us have been together for seven years.... We keep trying to change each other, to mold one another into something that we are not - Neither of us want to change... As we hug each other in bed, even now, I know we both still love eachother - I care about him more than anyone I have ever met and I know he feels the same way... But it is 'comfortable love' - While comfortable love tends to be full of security and easy living, it can also be dangerous - Over time, that comfort can build into contempt and hatred... Pat and I want to end on good terms.

Met Patrick while he was attending Syracuse University, he fixed something inside of me that I could not fix myself - I was searching for all these pieces of myself that I could not find (I am still a bit like that).... Have you ever read that book The Missing Piece? That is my biography, the sum of my parts - Just rolling around, feeling empty, looking for anything that makes me feel whole - Pat put so much love into our relationship - he treated me with so much respect (that I could not give myself) - He forgave me when I made mistakes (and I made mistakes often) - He gave me confidence in the security of our relationship (with the freedom I needed to thrive). He gave me confidence about my body, in a way I never had before meeting him (it led to modeling).

He has been the one solid thing in my life.... My family has been very absent from my life in the last 10 years. My friends are awesome but in other states - I shouldn't have put so much pressure on him, but I did anyways - I made Patrick my Rock.. I gave him all my problems, he dealt with them - If I needed something, he was there for me - He was strong, he could conquer anything I could not - And yet, I've never been anything of the sort in return.... When he needed me the most two weeks ago, when a family member died, I was off hiking Sequoia with Matthew and I honestly, did not want to fly home. I am not a very good rock, unfortunately.

We've had problems for years. He says that I am too anti-social. I spend too much time with foster kittens than humans. His friends call me his "Unicorn Girlfriend" (elusive and rarely seen). I am drinking heavily again. Sometimes, I barely get out of bed. I am so depressed. I am not sure what is wrong with me. His solution is to yell at me about it. My solution is to drink more.

His best friend just moved into our apartment from NYC. All they do is watch TV cartoons all day, get high and pass out on the couch. He never wants to walk the dog. We have not been hiking in months together. We barely have anything in common anymore.

As for me - I lose just about everything in this breakup: I lose Austin (I cannot live here, knowing Pat is somewhere, I'd get lonely, call him, we'd make up and be miserable together again) - I lose Perry-cat (I am taking Momdog because he says that he is not responsible enough to care for a dog). I lose my foster kittens and all the connections that I have made volunteering for AustinPetsAlive - I lose SoupPeddler, Alamo Drafthouse, Hippie Hollow, ACL, SXSW, Tubing in San Marcos.... I lose my best friend of seven years (because he is my best friend, even now). I lose my stability and my sense of belonging somewhere.

What I get is: Anything I can fit in the trunk of my Mustang (probably clothes and camping gear) - Momdog. She makes traveling difficult (especially in the summer like this) but I cannot give her back to the Humane Society - She is an amazing dog and a good friend - Because of her, I will not be modeling as I travel back home. She has never traveled before, I am unsure how she would be being stuck in a crate in a Motel or inside a studio.

Mom-dog and I leave Thursday - Headed home to Syracuse NY - It is a temporary thing. My mom told me that I can come home for a few months until I figure out what's next.. I want to look into becoming a dog groomer (wouldn't that be a great job for me....!) - Eventually, if I got really good at it, I could even start my own business!... Rough draft right now.... Lets see how things go.

Lightning in a Bottle 2011 7 Jun 2011 11:11 PM (13 years ago)

Burning Man will always be my favorite festival .... I say this, because I love how incredibly complex it is - I love how the festival surrounds you - You are alive, you are human, you are loved, you are lonely, you are one, you are breathing, you are dancing - You are in the desert, eating cupcakes, with a man dressed as a monkey....

With that said - I must tell you that I absolutely fell in love with the LIB Festival - The majority of people were Burners, many of the art installations at LIB were created for Black Rock, the whole place had an environmentally conscious-feel to it - LIB only sold Vegetarian options on the festival grounds....Also, everything was 100% biodegradable and they had onsite composting options...

Our adventure began Thursday - I drove to Wamuhu's around 4pm to grab Matthew (who does not drive) - My goal was to pick him up at 4pm, drive into the festival before 8pm, set up camp while the sun set, and spend the evening hanging out - The best laid plans never seem to work when you have Matthew involved, though....... nope. Ended up sitting around for three hours, while he ran around applying aloe to his naked body, packing his bags, finishing his laundry.... Instead of sunset... Matt and I ended up struggling at 1am, in the dark, on the hilltop, in the cold... It was crazy. Luckily, a really nice neighbor let us borrow his sunlamp for awhile - and we managed to get our camp set up....

Friday morning - Matt and I headed straight to a workshop called Wake Up Singing! 50 people, dancing and laughing and yoga-ing together... Nothing more liberating than singing loudly and dancing next to a bunch of crazy strangers who feel like family..... As for the night... all my nights just blur together.... Ummm, Friday night, we danced until 1am, headed back to the tent - Met this guy from Torrence who owns a jungle... He bought 10,000 crickets, dumped them on his land, so he can sleep to the sound of crickets at night - The guy was intense, high on something, offered Matt pot-brownies, kept lighting sage in our tent... I remember passing out - I remember Matthew dancing...

Saturday morning, the weather was perfect - It was the kind of day you spend hanging out with your neighbors - Which is exactly what we did...! Eventually we wandered down the hill, and rode Ferris wheel together - Hit up the amazing gallery show they had going - Beats Antique played - I went to dance around the ArtCar until 3am, Sharonda went to dance around Red Lightning Camp until 3am, Matt and Wamuhu went dancing at the Art Gallery... Matt stumbled in around 8am, looking exhausted but happy...

Sunday morning - I could not even *think* about dancing... My body hurt from days of movement, sleeping on the ground, lack of protein. Decided to check out some of the workshops instead... Conscious Breathing class was neat. Never realized how calming it is to simply breathe within a group of people. The website is neat, because you can see where people are logged in, to breathe, all over the world. Also attended a Chinese Healing Herb class that was jam packed with amazing information... Later that evening, I saw Lynx perform and yet again, I was dancing like a maniac. Ended up watching this band at the Lumi Cafe ... Not sure what their name was..... But they were ridiculous live. Meditated in the Temple of Consciousness that night.... fell in and out of sleep surrounded by beautifully peaceful hippies.....

The festival was amazing - It balanced Burning Man, with yoga, with dancing and music, and an atmosphere that just blew me away... I am already making plans to attend next year.... The sunsets on that lake are unbelievable...

Phx has been fun! 25 May 2011 10:23 PM (13 years ago)

Hit up craigslist for camping equipment today.... Found a nice Kelty 10x10 tent, two sleeping bags for $60 total.... The guy had a TON of gear - He informed me that he organizes camping trips for recovering drug addicts/alcoholics "..And when those motha-fuckers relapse, (they always do).... I sell their shit!"... He looked like a bad alcholic himself, bad skin, saggy cheeks.... Regardless of the situation, I am grateful to have some quality camping stuff this week - We need it for the festival and our trip to Sequoia next week...

Talked to Matt for a bit..... He has been tanning on Venice beach all week.... burnt himself red like a lobster...Eccentric with the Aloe Vera - He has been drinking it, soaking in it, drenching himself with it... Hoping it works in the next 24 hours, because LIB is all outdoors in the sun....

Check Engine Light came on in the Mustang two days ago.... Haven't had any trouble so far - hoping it can hang in there for a week or so.... I don't have any time to get it looked at until Monday.

Roadtrip to Cali (with Matthew!) 20 May 2011 11:25 AM (13 years ago)

Matthew - "Bad news: My waiter job in Syracuse stressed me out so much.... I got demoted to Bus-Boy - I quit! I saved up $2000! Lets go on a trip! Where should we go?"

First thought was my aunt's cheese farm in Vermont (I REALLY want to go work up there this summer and make some badass Brie with my family.... working on a farm sounds really rewarding).... But Matt decided on Joshua Tree Music Festival, "Rubblebucket is playing. I want to be there." - But, "It is only six days away! There is no way I can make Joshua Tree work - Stay a week after the festival, I will meet you in LA..... there is this other festival I have been dying to check out... Type Lightning in a Bottle into your browser and call me back."

Lightning in a Bottle! Ahhhh! I've been trying to go for the past two years! Ever since I saw Lucient Dossier perform at Coachella, I have been hooked - This festival is everything I love about life... Great people, inspiring art, yoga, educational workshops, camping, amazing music, performances - It is run by a small Burner community... It feels like Burning Man. You bring your garbage in, you trek it out.

So Matt calls me and is like, "OH MY GOD! Lets get tickets!" - So we did. Four day festival tickets, in fact.... Gonna be a great weekend!

Matt is currently in LA, staying with some friends he made at Joshua Tree last year. Called me the day he flew into LA, 4am in the morning... He was lost. Stuck on a bus somewhere, he had no idea where he was - Haven't talked to him since. Hoping things have gotten better. Sunday afternoon, I leave for Las Cruces, Monday I drive into Phx to shoot for a few days, Thursday I pick Matthew up and we head into LIB. Following Monday, we leave for a four day camping trip in Sequoia National Park/Kings Canyon - Then Matt is planning on flying out of LA and then I have a Crap-ton of modeling work for LA. I will be working my ass off that week! I have two 8 hour shoot dates set and a bunch of 2-3 hour jobs scattered around town.

End of an Era: Ode to the Mustang 30 Mar 2011 11:55 AM (14 years ago)

My first car was a cute 1996 Firebird. Drove it everywhere! Bucket seats, big windows - But by the time I turned 20, the Firebird was costing me far more in repairs, than it was actually worth - That is when Mom talked me into buying a used 2000 Oldsmobile SUV - "Unlike your last car, this one will be safe, reliable. SUV's are great for NY state winters" - Not entirely sure why I agreed to buy it... never liked it. Behind the wheel, I felt like a 50 year old mechanic, with bad breath, dirty fingernails and soggy shoes....

A year passed - By 2005, I was regularly traveling to NYC for modeling work - After a particularly profitable trip to NYC, I was driving my OldManCar and I passed a Used Car Lot - There, glittering in the sun, inviting as a warm black stone, was a beautiful black mustang convertible.... The car looked like happiness. It looked like freedom. It looked like an Adventure. I pulled over, asked the owner if I could take it for a test drive, he said, "Go ahead"... So I did. When I got back, I called my mom at work and told her, "I am trading my SUV for a Mustang Convertible."..... I cannot explain to you, how upset she was - I cannot explain to you, how badly I needed to own that car....

The mustang was the #1 reason that I decided to model around the US - Without that mustang, I would not have been inspired to drive 100,000 miles in three years - I yearned to put the top down, blasting my favorite album, traveling up Highway 1..... We went to 47 states together - Camped in over 40 National Parks - She survived a mudslide in Utah - Drove the mountains of Colorado - Slept in both high/low deserts - Provided entertainment for both me and my best friend. Managed Highway 1 (twice) - Survived a Mormon Parade - Had a homeless man with terminal cancer help change her tire - Saw most of southern Canada, including Banff and Jasper - She took a virgin trip to Burning Man (how she didn't die there, blows my mind) ....... Last year, she helped me move all the way from Cleveland Ohio to Austin TX.....

That car was my dream car - With the top down, I felt like I could go anywhere and everything would be OK - Losing her, is the end of an era for me..... Tomorrow she will be sent to a junk yard to be parted-out and..... well... it... feels like my childish dreams are also being parted-out with her... it sucks

But I need to face it - Her body has rusted out completely - Break lines have busted for the third time now. She has two temporary plugs in her oil well, both which have been leaking. Both of the seatbelts do not work. There are no airbags. The car keeps overheating. Airconditioning is gone. The trunk doesn't open. Windshield is cracked. The transmission is months from being blown.... The guy who fixed it last referred to my mustang as a "death trap".... And while the Mustang lasted two years after his prophecy, these last few months, his words began to ring true....

My Ode to the Mustang: I love you much.... thanks for holding out so long...

Corwin in Austin.... 19 Mar 2011 4:27 PM (14 years ago)

Corwin Prescott and his lady, VauntD, crashed on my futon last week. Love it when they come to visit Pat and I - They always feel like family to me. Here are the top three reasons I like them at my place: #1, They know how to play a mean game of Apples to Apples with Alcholic Whipped Cream. #2, They know where all the amazing food is located (although, I still think that Beef Intestine Soup sounds like a poor choice over Veggie Tacos). #3, They travel with the *cutest* Pug-dog in the entire world - His name is Franco (aka Bacon) ..... Franco and Mom-dog became good buds....
(what you cannot see in this picture... is the real mystery....)

Corwin, VauntD, and I... visited one of my favorite places in Austin, a gorgeous remote pool twenty miles from my place - Even with ten people tanning on the beach, we managed to snap off a few naked photos, without anyone noticing us....

Last night they were in Austin, we visited the Jackalope and went out with a whole slew of people from ModelMayhem - Including Louise Black from Project Runway, ElleV, and a bunch of local photographers... it was a really good time.....

If you like Corwin's photos - Remember he is on a roadtrip around the US! He is always mentoring photographers or taking photos of models in return for some Roadtrip cash.... Look him up. His rates are fantastic and you will really enjoy working with him...

"That Hampton Inn is Famous?" 19 Mar 2011 3:22 PM (14 years ago)

"Oh really? ... Why is it famous?"

"Didn't you hear about it? A bunch of girls flew from the UK last week - And they had Illegal butt surgery there? It was all over the news..."

"No," *dumbfounded* "... what do you mean 'Illegal butt surgery?'"

"Well... I hesitate to call him... A 'surgeon' ... But this guy was working out of a Hampton Inn Hotel room - And he performed illegal butt enhancements on a bunch of girls from the UK.... using.... you won't believe this.... Housing Caulk... No joke. The same kind of House Caulking you buy at Home Depot! This GUY, injected CAULK into their BUTT CHEEKS! And one of the girls had chest pains and died shortly afterwards.... That is why that Hampton Inn is famous...."

"Oh." *dumbfounded...*

God vs the Carnivore 13 Feb 2011 9:02 PM (14 years ago)

Sitting in Atlanta Airport, I ran into a man, about my age, from Memphis. He opened up the conversation by commenting on how icecream tastes so much better in an overcrowded airport (to which, I agreed, Indeed!...). He, then, began talking about the Ministry and "God"..... Ugh. Organized religion makes me nervous.

For those of you who go to church...! - Please - Understand, I AM happy for you. Anything that effects your life positively is a great and wonderful thing. But personally, I think God lives in the woods, in nature, in wide open spaces and that is where I will always feel closer to universal energy.

Usually, at an airport, when someone asks, "What do you do?" - I avoid the "Nude Modeling" conversation - I have been in hundreds of airports and explaining my job to strangers and it just does not bring me joy. SO! I usually steer the conversationaway from my job and we talk about traveling. I love talking about the three months that I spent volunteering in Africa or Guatemala. Or captivating them with that crazy mudslide story from Utah, or that time that Matthew and I lived off crackers in the Florida Keys.

For some reason, though, when the Religious guy asked me, "What do you Do?" ... I answered honestly... "I am nude model. I get naked and I take photos all over the United States." He cleared his throat, "Oh, well how does that make you feel?" And I said, "When I work with honest, kind, creative people, it makes me very happy." And he said, "...But how does it feel knowing that you Help to objectify women?"..... Defensively.... I wanted to lash back at him. Personally, I feel that I am trying to empower women. I feel like I am teaching women to take their bodies back. I am not letting men or society or anyone dictate what I can or cannot do with my own body. My body is my own. Does that mean that sometimes my photos get taken out of context and people objectify me? Absolutely 💯 - But is my goal as a model to objectify women? No. I feel like a lot of objectification happens when someone views a photo and chooses not to pay attention to the context or the person behind the image.

But, in the 20 seconds the conversation happened, I could not help but relate this conversation to the Vegetarian/ Carnivore dilemma I run into all the time.

I am a Vegetarian and when I tell a Carnivore that I am a Vegetarian, they almost always get defensive. It can be expected. They want to say ridiculous and hurtful things... like, "Cows are food, not friends." or "My food poops on your food!" Or "I love vegetables, as long as they come with a big juicy steak" - It drives me nuts! You want to eat meat!? Whatever. But being hurtful, for no reason, does not get us anywhere.

So I chose listen because arguments do not make anyone's soul feel good. So I sat there. Watching his eyes light up about Jesus. He downloaded sermons onto my Macbook. I don't know what it is but as soon as I see someone that is passionate about just anything, I am so easily drawn in by thrm. I could feel his love and his passion. It ended up being a very uplifting airport conversation that will sit with me for a long time.

My Strap-On Box 18 Jan 2011 10:06 AM (14 years ago)

While shopping for lingerie today - I found MY strap-on Box! Hehehe.... always makes me giggle...

I arrived at that shoot - to find eight dudes, sitting on the couch, drinking whiskey, watching hardcore porn. Sex-toys everywhere! Sex toys tossed carelessly on sofas, the tables, the floor. I came to the obvious conclusion - Someone set me up for a bukkake scene?!..... I freaked out! Grabbed my stuff and high-tailed it to my car. Half way there, I ran into the photographer in the parking lot. He seemed genuinely happy to see me. He seemed honest and likeable. I did not feel like he would try to put me in a bukkake scene....

Me: "Ummm... What is going on with porno escapade inside?"

Him: "Oh you mean all the guys on the couch?.... They are actually reviewing product today. I think there are about eight of them, right? Production managers, toy creators, box cover managers, ect...."

Me: "You mean, those guys in there - get paid to watch porn?"

Him: "Yup, they get paid for that."

The strap-on was so cheaply made, they used duct tape on my butt, to keep it attached..... My makeup artist kept coming over and adding more tape.... Man, duct tape is great for anything!

Sara Liz told Carlotta that I had a giant poster at the AVN's last year - Not sure whether that is flattering or.... well, yea... It's flattering..... Anyways - if you see my big black dong in a sex-shop - feel free to tell people you know me... haha.... that should spark some good conversation...

Perry and Meeyah 9 Jan 2011 3:51 PM (14 years ago)

Patrick and I adopted the three year old Catahoula dog!

Had a terrible mishap on the day we brought her home - Perry, our resident kitty, was hanging out around the house, not really interacting with the dog (we have had dogs over before without incident)... And then, without any kind warning, Perry attacked the dog all teeth and nails (Perry grew up in a Motel parking lot, where dogs chased her all the time - I guess I should have known Perry should have expected this).... Anyways, Perry gouged Meeyah's eye badly - I felt horrible about it. Within four hours of bringing Meeyah home, we were headed to the Emergency ER....The only positive thing I can take away from visiting the ER that night, is that Pat and I really had the chance to see Meeyah's amazing temperament..... She was in SO much pain (cat scratches are really dirty things) and she never growled or got upset with any of the vet tech poking her eyeball. She just quietly sat there, looking sad, hoping it would be over.

Meeyah is still recovering... luckily, her eye looks great. Thankful that everything worked out OK.... I cannot tell you how worried and upset I was about this. Perry still hates the dog. And our dog is now terribly terrified of all cats....

Positive things about the new addition to the family: Meeyah cuddles A LOT! She will snuggle up right next to you in bed, and cuddle her head right under your chin and anytime you stop hugging her, she will snuggle closer. It is adorable. She loves new people. She has not barked once since we have gotten her (I keep wondering if she even knows how to bark) She has already learned Sit/Stay/Down.

Negatives: She smells terrible! And I cannot wash her until her stitches come out.... She isn't housebroken (it was impossible to crate train her with that Elizabethan Collar, so we have just been watching her and taking her outside on a schedule.... works about 70 percent of the time) - She is hungry and wants to eat ALL food.... she doesn't discriminate between my salad bowl, my favorite book, or a dog bone - She won't play fetch with me.... but it's cool. I like playing fetch with myself, Meeyah. No worries.

Neon glasses and a bowler hat 9 Jan 2011 3:41 PM (14 years ago)

Matt moved back to Syracuse. You should have seen him in the airport, carrying around four months of belongings - He had BurningMan clothes, dressy clothes for LA, workout stuff, regular clothing - It wouldn't all fit in his bag...... So he just wore it. He looked like he was headed to a themed party in Antarctica, where they wear neon sunglasses with bowler hats..... We were flying on Christmas Day (first for me) - We gave up our seats on the plane to a very desperate couple trying to get home to visit their family for Christmas. In return, the airline gave Matt and I $600 in vouchers and we still got home before midnight! It was a happy holiday to everyone.

Corwin: November in the GreenBelt 28 Dec 2010 4:22 PM (14 years ago)

Another kind of Family... 15 Dec 2010 12:00 PM (14 years ago)

Matt, Patrick and I attended a Twitter-up this week - Which is a celebratory party for people who spend far too much time on the Internet - I am one of these people! We Tweet, we Tumble, we Flick, we Social Network! About fifty percent of those Twitter-up folk work from home, running their businesses, living in front of a monitor.

A lot of people who attended the Twitter-up, also read this blog - Surprisingly, I was even nominated for an Austin Blogger Award! Nominated! Me?.. How cool is it that I have lived in this city for only one year, and people actually voted for me here in TX!

Got into this conversation with one of my twitter buds - The conversation was really eye opening, and it made me think about something that I have never really put my mind to before. He was talking about how upsetting it is that I cannot share my life and my success with my family - And he then said something like, "Isn't it cool to have such a huge family online, that is so open and accepts all that you do?" - And you know what? He is completely correct. Even though I cannot share my life with my immediate family - You guys *are* my family.... You are my soundboard. You are my inspiration. You listen to what I have to say and you give me grand advice on all things. You have helped me in times of need. You have supported my modeling career, my writing, my decisions (even the bad ones), my adventures, need to travel - You send me letters about your family, your lives. I know many of you personally. You have been there for all things - I just wanted to say Thank You. Thank you for all that you have done this year. It is great having a family that I can be open with, a family that I do not need to hide from.

London Andrews - On The Road - The Blog View RSS