.carolinecblaker.

Oil Paintings, Latex Paintings, Data Art.

Rants and Raves - Anecdotes

A casual blog reporting on the life and times of Caroline C. Blaker

  • Bigger than Pink - actually being aware of Breast Cancer

    Bigger than Pink - actually being aware of Breast Cancer image As you and I have both been bombarded with pink fabrics, billboards, store items, and apparel as far as the NFL, we both know that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a month that is either officially dedicated, or unofficially dedicated, (not quite sure here) to some particular cancer that women get in the breast, and that by buying said pink stuff or by being reminded of some cancer you’ll probably never get (or whatever, you might, but who cares?) you are being told by some charities and some other authorities that by just seeing or spreading pink in any way possible, you are making the world a better place. At the inception of my adult life around 2003, all of this became the rage every October. I mostly ignored it. I did pick up a credit card that promised donations to Komen, without having any idea what Breast Cancer was. So what? Its a charity. They gave me a high limit. That was okay with me. And what was Breast Cancer anyway? I quietly put up with all of this crying a...

  • Rick’s “Roll” in our wedding

    For our wedding song, Travis picked out In this life by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (get) and one night played it for me before I even knew what it was. It was so romantic and sappy, yet totally accurate, that we both burst into tears. It took listening to it a couple of times before we would ultimately be able to make it through the song without waterworks, but there would be no way to give our guests this advantage. Even if we could, many of them hearing the song for the first time would actually listen to its words and knew what it meant to us. The only way to avoid a sappy, heavy feeling would be to follow the song with something funny, upbeat, or otherwise bizarre. The father-daughter dance was not going to cut it. Then along came this idea that we would Rickroll everyone. Ha! Perfect. Rick Astley’s Never gonna give you up (get) would not only be in tune with the theme of our gathering, but after such a sap-filled song, this eighties megahit turned rock paradigm would enliven our gu...

  • Caroline v. the Cockroach

    Round 1: Its a familiar scene, well, to me at least. I’m walking through the door to our little master bathroom and *ahem.. settling down to rest. Not unlike many homes in Albuquerque, the commode isn’t far from most other things in our bathroom - and the sink, as a non-exception to this rule, is right next to my head. In any case, I’m minding my own business when i look over towards the sink and in the right-hand-side spill hole appear two very long, very orange-brown insect-like projectiles- like feelers. They’re moving gently around and when I move or turn on the faucent (one thing happened--) they vanished. I promptly flooded the sink in an attempt to wash it back down from wherever it came, whatever it was. Didn’t see it again. Round 2: Same scenario - I’m settling down, and look to my right to notice two very insect-like feelers appearing in the right-hand-side spill hole appear the same lively feelers. This time, I approach them with my hand, before making any noise, and...

  • A Pleasure to meet You!

    Its been just a few days short of one calendar year since I have moved to Albuquerque, and time has really flown, especially if you consider exactly how long I have gone without making real connections or friends. How the heck did I do it? Well one thing is for sure - counterintuitively, its much easier to make connections being single - or at least, much more of a necessity. For the first time ever in my days, moving to a new place has not seen “make friends” to be high on the priority list. I can thank Travis for this (gotta love him) because he’s kept me so happy that I haven’t needed anyone to keep me company. But now the deficit of professional connections and an ever-growing perception that I might be missing out are leaning me towards a more impulsive exploration of the city. Get out and enjoy your own kind! It says. Now wtf? My own kind? Do I have a kind? You bastard.. but no seriously. I do have a kind. Its the all-around creative with a lot of skills here and a few skill...

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