long time no post

when was i last here? i have been a busy little bee this summer. surprisingly (to me, anyway). i didn't feel that busy most of the time and in fact spent what felt like a good bit of time in one manic trough or another (which, if you are not familiar, consists of fun activities like being unable to get out of bed). but looking back, i'm kind of impressed. (i find it's good to impress oneself from time to time. refreshing.) sooooo...

what i did on my summer "vacation" (in chronological order):

• for the second year in a row, had a photograph make it into the carrboro arts center community photography competition and exhibit. yay!
  
• went to nyc with my dad. took lots of pictures. saw several completely awesome contemporary art and photography exhibits at the metropolitan museum. visited the mecca of low-fi pop photography, the lomography store. caressed the cameras.
  
• shot showcase performances during wxpn's non-comm convention at the world cafe live in philadelphia. was introduced to the astounding awesomeness of black joe lewis and the honeybears. hung out with my sister.
  
• went to see the english beat play. yay! photographed 'em. forgot to post the pictures. doh.
  
• assembled a photographic series and self-published it. (will post the link soon)
  
• was in one of two groups raleigh had participating in world photo walk day. shot film. still haven't scanned it in.
  
• shot two nights of bands at the sold-out merge records 20th anniversary festival in chapel hill.
  
• helped a friend organize and hang his first solo photography show in a highly desirable local venue.
  
• visited my third cousin twice removed and his family in pennsylvania coal country. got the skinny on some family history. laughed a lot. scouted future photo locations.
  
• helped my sister celebrate her birthday. saw tori amos at world cafe live. photographed her. lived a jonathan richman song by being a straight person dancing in a lesbian bar. made cookies and watched the rest of "dexter" season 2.
  
• learned about giclee printing for photographs.
  
• designed earrings and a necklace for my step-father to give my mom for their anniversary.
  

i also donated platelets twice (i get to watch a movie, people on chemo or with immuno-issues get some of my blood's clotting agent. win-win.). and read like a fiend:

"nightwatch" - sergei lukyanenko
"jonathan strange and mr. norrell" - susanna clarke
"monster" - a. lee martinez
"caught in the light" - robert goddard
"the dante club" - matthew pearl (re-read)
"the alienist" - caleb carr (re-read)
"the historian" - elizabeth kostova (re-read)
"spook country" - william gibson

reading is awesome.