I’m headed home today!

Just a quick last note on the east coast. I stayed at Nicole’s for my last night. She runs the fabulous Click Clack Zine Distro, has an adorable dog named Oliver that wears a bandana and doesn’t like it when I put my hair up. I have been sleeping in a real bed, this was my first stop that I haven’t even unpacked my sleeping bag! But, tonight I’ll be in my own bed and I’m excited about that.

What I’m not excited about is flying from here to NYC and then the SEVEN HOUR FLIGHT back to Portland. Ugh. I hope it is one of the planes that has the internets because I don’t have that many zines to read since I shipped so many off. I may see if Nicole will stop off at a book store for me to get one of the books recommended to me. I think drinking some beer might also make this trip a bit more palatable.

I also have an abundance of e-mail I need to get to and orders that Paul is dealing with that I need to check up on. Yesterday at brunch with Nicole at Impanema we sat at the bar and I made a list that took up one side of a napkin of things I need to do when I get home. On the rest of the napkin I attempted to create a metaphor that related Rumplestiltskin and spinning straw into gold to the overabundance of boxes of zines in my basement that needed to be cataloged which somehow had to do with a zine residency at our house. It sort of fell apart when I got the the first born child part if the person failed. Actually, it failed because it took so long to explain it even though I was giggling in my head.

Anyway, my stuff is packed and I’m about to don my trusting backpack and head west. In my head sometimes I think that once I have been some place then I have sort of stuck a pin it it, that I’ve been there and done that. But, it’s not like that at all. Most of the time it leave more questions and leaves me missing people and friendships that have only scratched the surface. So, that just means that people have to come visit me.

Which brings me make to musing about our basement room where we can put Marc’s old bed and stack up the epic zine collection to be spun into gold.

Last days in Richmond and the working zine description

Greetings from Richmond! Nicole has a spare room for me. With a bed! With sheets! I haven’t slept with sheets since I left! The Richmond zine fair was Friday night and all day yesterday. I’ll write more about it later. Last night we played and awesome game of Apples to Apples and had a lot of fun. nicole took me to a bottle shop and I geeked out over all the beers I had never tried.

I head home tomorrow. I was feeling really homesick at the zine fair yesterday and wondering if I could get a sooner ticket home since my plane ticket is for Monday. I decided to stick it out. Here’s the working description for brainscan 24 and 25. I’ll post more when I’m home and they are available.

Brainscan 24 & 25

This zine has been five start and stop years in the making. I finally finished it in October of 2009 at the Anchor Archive zine residency in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Brainscan 25 Chronicles my Saturn return as a love story, an ending, and a new beginning with someone from my past. The Saturn Return is the time between ages 27 and 30 when the planet Saturn is in the same place it was at your birth. It is usually seen as a harbinger of change and a test of character where individuals are forced to evaluate their life in relation to their values. Brainscan 25 documents my life between 2004 and 2006 which was full of upheaval and questioning my path and choices in life. The linear story is spliced with narrative flashbacks from 1996-1999 full of punk shows, travel stories and the difficulty of dealing with emotions and the insecurities of growing up. Text heavy with high contrast cut and paste layout and photocopier art.

Brainscan 25 is 80 pages, legal sized (8.5″x7″) transparency and cardstock covers, and an envelope containing a 16 page epilogue.

Brainscan 24 is a mini zine with answers to questions I’m frequently asked and random facts like how I was made in Canada, am left handed, and was the very first Aquacadet. 32 pages and 1/8th legal (3.5″ x 4.25″)

These two zines together will be $5 plus $2 shipping for a total of $7. I feel sort of bad for the price but the zine is 80 pages and the copies I have now cost over $3 each to make.

Message from paul

Paul send me this image from his work where he arrives at 6:30ish AM. The message was simply “Good Morning Beautiful” I think I’m about ready to get home.

The Willamette river with the boat dock and the Marquam bridge. If you look closely you can see the tip of Mt. Hood in the distance.

I had Vegetarian dim sum last night and stuffed myself then went to d.b.a. and rattled my brain trying ti figure out what beers to drink with Jeska and Jenna. Tonight I’m meeting Jeska and Justine (what’s with the J names ladies?) at Blue Stockings and then headed to Kate’s Joint for dinner. Tomorrow morning I catch a train down to Richmond for the last leg of my journey. I head home on Monday.

Hallowzine! and Canzine photo fun

Before the zine reading Amy, Chris, and I went to three cent copy for.... three cent copies.

On the wall was sagely advice

After making copies Chirs shot a photo of me and Amy's new hard core band: Three Cent Cop. We rule!

The Toronto Zine Library

More from the Toronto Zine Library

In another photo from Chris I read a zine in front of people... and have no face.

another photo by Chris: Zine Girls on the march to Canzine!

We got to the Gladstone an hour early as Amber points out the time on her imaginary watch.

More waiting!

The view to the right

Toronto! Canzine! Train Ride! NYC!

Greetings from New York City!

Saturday was Hallowzine! at the Toronto Zine Library: 6 zine kids reading stuff. There were a few that I knew and some that I had only conversed with through the postal system and the internets. The readings were fun and entertaining. Then we went out for food and beer and headed back to Amy’s house amid costumed folks. I had no costume this year. I wish I had one of my cloaks. Instead I was wearing a skirt with my bat leggings that I wear all year round and my big fuzzy hood hat. i kicked up piles of leaves down Dundas as we walked to the beer store down the street. My favorite costume I saw? Tow people dressed as the Yip Yip alien monsters from Seasame Street! Yip Yip Yip Yip Uh hu uh hu! Tel-e-phone!

Kate showed up who I hadn’t seen since 2005 and the per-zine girl party plus Chris was in full effect! Maranda, Amy Leigh, Kate, Amber, Chirs and I sat in Amy’s room and some how we started talking about Lisa Frank and obsessing about the sticker company that we remember as kids. For some reason we wanted to see picture of THE Lisa Frank but could produce none. Instead we waxed poetic about stickers of dancing bears in top hats and unicorns that run down rainbows. I also found some real English cider that sated my desire for more real cider. It was good stuff!

The time changed over night and I got up early to find about 5 tabs in my browser filled with Lisa Frank images! I made coffee for folks scattered around the living room. Talking about Lisa Frank and having a giant zine girl slumber party was pretty rad.

We walked to the Gladstone and go there before 10 but they wouldn’t let us in until 11 so we sat around outside but we were the first people in line and got the seats we wanted when we got in. We had a zine girl bloc and it was great to have good people around me  for great conversations and who could watch each others’ stuff. I sold and traded a lot of zines and met some awesome people but I was super tired by the end of it. It was nice to have a bar right there and I had a beer at one point but then I got a head ache so no more beer for me. The layout was weird to have a bunch of weird rooms in a hotel on different levels. There were the problems that seem to plague all zine fests  these days with overpriced zines and too many things that weren’t zines at all. Too many crafts that had nothing to do with paper. I have other critiques but I’ll keep them to myself.

I got back to Amy’s, packed and crashed out after watching Mad Men. It was weird to watch it on a TV with commercials and not on a computer with no commercials.

I got up early in the morning and made it to the train station for an epic train ride to NYC. It seems like we spent way longer than we should have at the border but we eventually got going. I read a lot of zines including the new Cometbus, Culture Slut, Nothing Rhymes, Riot Wife and a few others and I wrote many letters. One being and epic 16 page tome! Postage to Canadia is going to kill me!

Anyway, I made it to NYC and Jeska met me. We came back to her house and talked until 2am sitting on her stoops and having a good time catching up. I don’t think we have talked too much since I was hear 2 years ago.

Today I’m headed to the post office to mail stiff back to me that is weighing me down. Books and zines are heavy! I have a couple of copies of my zines that I’m going to drop by Bluestockings and see if they want some. I can’t remember what I gave them last. I’m going to leave a few copies of the new Brainscan too. #25 but not #24 because I don’t have any more .Maybe I’ll bring flats to make more zines? Then I’m going to get some food at Kate’s place which I have never been to in my 3 trips to NYC. After that I might just meet up with Jenna Freedman for a beer and reminisce about our trip to France and drinking at an Irish Pub… in France.

Right now I have my own room courtesy of Jeska’s housemate that is away. it’s nice to have a place to put my stuff. I took everything out of my bag to deside what to ship back home today. I fly home a week from today. I’ll have stacks of mail to read and that is exciting. Speaking of mail I’m going to head out to the post office after some coffee.

The rain in Toronto reminds me of Portland

I got into to Toronto on Tuesday and my penpal Chris from Kiss Off zine met me at the airport. He also got us lost on the way to Amy Leigh’s house but hey, I understand that bike people can have a difficulty with public transit. I can figure transit out, I just get caught up when I actually drive and get confused about where cars can go and where bikes can go.

Anyway, we got to Amy’s house and settled in and I did some computing. Wednesday Amy and I hung out and did some shopping for groceries and whatnot. I made dinner for  Chris and Amy: biscuits and gravy, baked tofu and brussell spouts. I was feeling like some comfort food so I dragged them into it. I also sent Chris on a beer mission while listening to mix tapes by Caleb and dirtying up Amy’s kitchen. After that was food coma but we took a walk to the place that Canzine is going to be at for a queer cabaret sort of thing and a beer. We left after one beer and walked home talking about zine geekiness.

Yesterday we went and made some copies. I realized that I left all the Brainscan 25 epilogues in envelopes in Halifax so I made some more of those. Then Amy had to work and Chirs gave me a small tour of Toronto as we put of flyers for the zine reading tomorrow at the Toronto Zine Library. Then we came back to Amy’s house and zine geeked out with collation, staples and paper cutters while watching a movie called Vinyl about geeks who collect vinyl.

Today it is rainy and I have been working on button layouts and watching Amy clean. She also made a yummy tofu scramble for breakfast. Tomorrow is Halloween and I still don’t have a costume. I’m thinking of heading out for the first time today and checking out some of the shops down the street for inspiration. Who knows?

I’ve hit the three week mark of my travels. That’s about at the point where I start to feel things ending and I start thinking about my own bed and my garden that needs to be winterized. Paul has also been sending me texts to let me know that our bed is lonely so I know he is missing me. We have been video chatting with out computers. Last night he picked up our housemate’s cat, OJ, and shoved him in the camera. It was pretty cute. I actually miss those cats. i’m not quite homesick but I’m getting there. I have about a week and a half left and lots of adventure still ahead.

The reading tomorrow is going to be rad and if you are in Toronto you should come!

Hallowzine!

Zine Reading with some of my favorite Canadian zine kids on Halloween in Toronoto!

Halifax Photo extravaganza

Sarah and I went on a bike ride on a nice day. This is the view from the edge of Point Pleasant Park. The ocean is off in the distance.

Halifax Zine Fair

More from the Halifax zine fair. There were people serving this super yummy squash and black bean stew. I had two bowls and went out for pizza with Lucas and Caleb afterwards. So much food!

Cap got a car and we went to the ocean with Sky and Caleb on a super beautiful day. Sorry, no dramatic pictures of me at the sea with my hair blowing.

I think it was called Raindown haven. It was a bit of a cove.

I like the ocean

I drew a labyrinth in the sand. I'm kind of obsessed with drawing them on everything.

Cap and Caleb. I joked that Caleb looks like he is about to take a bite out of a sandwich.

 

walking up to the citadel. You can see part of the commons.

more walking up to the citadel and you can see the harbor.

In the citadel a lot of it had sod roofs and you can see chimneys coming ouit... you can also see this silly sign.

The citadel is an 8 pointed star and really big. this is inside.

I should have taken more pictures up top. It was nice and there was a nice view. oh well. I had a good time and have memories.

Sonia came by for coffee the last day I was there. There was a how to use an aeropress demonstration and I took a photos of of Sonia and my aeropress.

the shed I called home for 2 weeks.

peering inside. I drew a labyrinth on the wall.

The bed was 4 feet off the ground and came with bedding.

I should have taken a photo when it was more lived in. It was cozy and I had everything I needed at arm’s length. I slept in my own sleeping bag and put the provided sleeping bag over the window.

View from the bed looking outside. There were nice hooks and shelves on the walls.

Robert's street Social Center as I was leaving. The sky was clear and beautiful. I sort of miss the place arleady.

So, that’s it for my Halifax photos. I had a good time. I hope some of the awesome people I met will come and visit me in Portland.  I’m also trying to figure out the logistics of having a zine residency of some sort at my house. Stayed tuned for more info.

I’m not in Toronto for my next adventure!

 

Last hours in Halifax.

I’ve got about 45 minutes before Lucas shows up to take me to the airport and then I’m off on my next adventure, Toronto.

I’m really glad I got my zine done in the first week and a half I was here. That left me time to play for the last few days. I think I spent the first four days getting myself situated and my project started and hiding out in the shed. Plus, the weather was crappy and wet and cold but the past few days it has been beautiful and in the 60’s (17C)

Caleb is my new favorite person. So now I have 3 new favorite people this year. It’s enough to make me not want to travel because I don’t want to meet awesome people that live so far away. Cap, Caleb, Sky and I got a car and went to the ocean on Sunday. It was bright and sunny but the water was cold. I drew a labyrinth in the sand and collected a few rocks. It was great to see the atlantic again.

Caleb and I had about a 14 hour conversation yesterday. He showed up around 1pm at the Anchor Archive and we went walking around town and up to the citadel that had a great view. I’ll post some photos later. The we went to his friends house and watch this ridiculous horror movie called Suspiria. I’m not a big horror fan but the film was sort of eye candy with interesting sets and things to look at. Then we can back to the Archive and sat in the kitchen finishing up my last 4 beers and talking until 3 am. It has been a long time since I just talked for that long with someone. Good times!

I’m seriously trying to sort how to have some sort of residency at our house. We have a spare room and Marc needs some help with zine cataloging and I’m sure we could  use zine symposium help or the IPRC could use some help. I’ll have to think about it some more because I really want my friends to come and visit and work on projects. This whole trip has sort of set a new spark in me for community projects like that

So, ya, the trip has been awesome and just what I needed to get what I needed to get done. I even finished the mini Brainscan 24 that I was working on so now I have two new zines! I sold more than I expected at the Halifax zine fair. More people bought things that traded things which was unexpected. Ithink only 2 people traded. I have a ton more copies of SSR and brainscan for Canzine. I made 50 copies of the massive Brainscan 25 and I think I got rid of and gave away 20 copies but still, my pack is bulging with books and zines, I hope to not have to cross the boarder with them.

I guess that’s about it for Halifax. I don’t know if I’ll ever be coming back here but I enjoyed the time I have spent.

Just to tease you…unless you will be at the Haifax Zine Fair tomorrow

Images of brainscan 25: Pre-existing conditions. I am not taking preorders. I will be at the Halifax Zine Fair tomorrow and at Canzine next weekend with copies. This is the first print run of 50. I’ll be making a few tweaks before I print more. I will also be leaving some at Blue Stockings in NYC when I’m there and I will also have then at the Richmond Zine Fest on November 6th and 7th. I will be home on November 9th and then I will start selling them. I have to come up a clever description first. I’m a bit drained after finishing this.

Basically, it’s the story of my Saturn Return. It is also a love story that spans over a decade with flashbacks from 96-98 spliced between the story of getting out of a very unhealthy relationship and back together with an old love. I have been stalling at putting this zine out for about 5 years but here it is: 80 pages half legal (7″x8.5″) with transparency and cardstock covers and a 16 page 1/8th  legal epilogue zine tucked into an envelope in the back:

intro page

inside page

a flashback page

the mirror image buttons is almost as cool as the pos/neg button.

outro and the epilogue min zine.

And that’s it.

I’ m currently bummed that my favorite Portland talk show has been booted off the air yet again. I have been listening to Rick Emerson since he was Rick Taylor and I was a 17 year old girl in Utah. I hope they land on their feet soon because its a staple of my day.

Also, tomorrow is the Halifax Zine Fair and I’m teaching a workshop on zine distribution. Wish me luck!