While I'm on the subject of things that interest me, I'll take a moment to mention souvenirs. I am/have been very interested in souvenirs as a class of objects for a while now. I like them because they are objects of significance, and nothing else. They are not useful, nor were they ever intended to be. They are only meant to recall a past experience, a lost experience that cannot be repeated. Souvenirs are generally some of the least authentically made objects that are meant to authenticate life's experiences: they provide physical proof that something happened, or you did something, and amassing a collection of souvenirs means you've done a lot of things. I like the contradiction that something more or less materially worthless, like a cheap souvenir spoon, can be very emotionally valuable.
But I did not buy the spoons pictured here to mark an anniversary, or my trips to Texas. I bought these spoons as part of a collection of 28 other souvenir spoons on Ebay. I don't know if they were accumulated by one person, or thrown together by their seller, and other than for reference material (which is why I bought them), I can't think of why anyone would buy someone else's collection of crappy spoons. But presumably they do. And I have kept them long after I needed the reference.
Periodically I look at these spoons as they hang on a wall in my studio and wonder what, if anything, they mean now.
lights on the trees along the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
Sunday morning we had brunch at Frank in downtown Austin. Their specialty is all-things pork, especially bacon, and hot dogs.
They had a great selection of drinks featuring, you guessed it, bacon infused liquors.
As this was brunch, a bloody Mary seemed in order and Frank did not disappoint. Their bloody Mary is made with bacon-infused vodka, a full strip of bacon IN the drink, and a beer chaser. Delish!
This weekend, N and I went to Austin to visit N's brother who just moved into a new house. Saturday night we went to the Austin Texas Roller Derby championship bout. It was our first roller derby and we both really enjoyed it.
On November 2, N and I will be celebrating 3 years of marriage. We wanted to celebrate by staying at the ultra-cool San Jose Hotel in Austin, but they were booked on our actual date, so we stayed there last weekend.
N and I just returned from spending the 4th of July in Texas with his family. They have a tradition of giving white elephant gifts for a Christmas in July exchange. I picked up these two beauties at the Little Shop Around the Corner. They were a pretty big hit. 
that I married a Texas alum? This means that even though he was an art major, and displays no real interest in any sporting events, we have to watch Texas beat Missouri (my home state, though not my alma mater) and Oklahoma whenever possible. Which they did last night, and a couple weeks ago--respectively. 
We headed to Texas today to be with N's mom as she faces what the doctor's have said is her final stage of battling cancer. She will be very much missed.
While I'm on the subject of things that interest me, I'll take a moment to mention souvenirs. I am/have been very interested in souvenirs as a class of objects for a while now. I like them because they are objects of significance, and nothing else. They are not useful, nor were they ever intended to be. They are only meant to recall a past experience, a lost experience that cannot be repeated. Souvenirs are generally some of the least authentically made objects that are meant to authenticate life's experiences: they provide physical proof that something happened, or you did something, and amassing a collection of souvenirs means you've done a lot of things. I like the contradiction that something more or less materially worthless, like a cheap souvenir spoon, can be very emotionally valuable.
