I like the name Gustav

Jips and I like going to the gulf coast during labor day weekend because there are fewer people on the beach, and this labor day the combined forces of Gustav and the shitty economy made for even fewer people on the beach.

Yes, you read that correctly, with the approaching hurricane Gustav, I traveled south to go to the beach. It was wonderful. The beach is the most healing place for me: mentally, physically, emotionally. Coming home I feel refreshed and peaceful. If I was doing it again, I would not stay during the 24 hours before the hurricane hit land. 2 days before the hurricane was ideal beach weather:

And then on Sunday, August 31st, the winds picked up and the surf reminded me of the Atlantic rather than the gulf.
We drove back Sunday night after seeing Bobby Jindal on CNN talk about how once the tropical storm winds started it wouldn't be safe to drive. We drove north with lots of other evacuees and since we were just leaving vacation early rather than leaving our homes, the exodus felt fun like going to a football game.

Back from Tour

Hey guys. I'm finally back from tour and starting to readjust to everyday life. Playing in Europe was amazing. My favorite spots were definitely Berlin, Prague, Paris, and Birmingham. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to sight see much, but I was able to explore Berlin and see the Eiffel Tower in gay Paris. Above is a pic of Malkmus playing Siren Fest this past Saturday at Coney Island. We flew from Frankfurt to NYC on Friday and arrived at 9pm at JFK airport. We had to be at Coney Island by 10am the next morning to load in our gear for Siren! It was jetlag-heatstroke-crazyshit-city! It was so much fun though. It was the largest crowd we've ever played for and the setting was so killer. The Cyclone was to the right of the stage, and the Wonder Wheel to the left. I actually rode the Cyclone with my band mate later in the day and it wrecked me. At least I rode it before it's gone.

Here's a selection of photos from my flickr:

Clint Eastwood is as much a part of our family as my out-law aunt

"Family" as a topic was not always peaking my interest. For young Fermi, life was family with a side of school. And at that time I was interested in relationships. I was afraid of divorce. I needed to know how to have a good relationship and not get divorced. Looking back now, I'm not sure where my divorce obsession came from other than the fact that I found it hard to trust people in general add my interest in relationships and you get divorce, betrayal, and cheating spouses.

Some time later, I am married to an incredible man who is my one, and when I think of the future it is of us with toddlers and then as old grandparents, and I think: He will most probably die first. Fuck.

Now my interest lies in family, specifically of the sort that you do not choose: Mothers, Fathers, Aunts, Uncles, Sisters, Brothers, Cousins, and Grandparents. Families and extended families interest me now because they are so different. Generally I see individual human beings as mostly being the same, but (biological) Families are a situation where there is a small pool of DNA that the individuals share. With this come tendencies, and tendencies can be influenced by environment so that you as an individual are "different" with your family (than with a group of randomly selected people) because their predispositions to certain behaviors tend to highlight and enhance those same inclinations in yourself.

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I mention this because tomorrow is the memorial service for my dead grandmother. I am going to see Aunts and Uncles and Cousins that I haven't seen in 8 years. I don't think I saw my (now dead) grandmother in the past eight years either. This side of my family is an anti-social bunch. I type that with a smile because even though I am looking forward to seeing these people, it seems perfectly normal for me to not see them very often.

This is the first time that my husband will be meeting most of them. Surprises are not my favorite things, so I tried to warn him about what it will be like. In this family we call the people who are married to the siblings, "the out-laws." And this is a perfectly accepted and embraced term. Looking back now, I believe the term origin came from the mix of "in-laws" with our usual activity of watching old Clint Eastwood films together. Do you feel lucky, punk?

One of the out-laws doesn't shave her legs, smokes, is a bit overweight, and is somewhat loud and abrasive. I like her alot, but I still cannot get over the fact that she doesn't shave her legs.

new horizons

I just booked a plane ticket to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
I guess I'm freaking out a little. I have not done something like book a plane ticket somewhere since I went to Germany and that was a good five years ago (eegad, time flies).
The major reason I booked the flight in the first place is because I signed up to attend a visitor's weekend at the grad school I've been eyeing (and kind of salivating over). They offer travel scholarships, so I figure if all I end up paying to go to Iowa for four days is forty-five dollars, that's money well spent. Hell, if I were going expressly to take in the sprawling horizons of rolling wheat fields, forty-five dollars would be hard to beat. But considering that visiting this University will ultimately decide which direction I will lead my life in the next year and a half, forty-five dollars is coo-coo wacky craziness.
Granted, I suspect the trip will end up costing more than that, but the point I'm trying to make is, no matter what, it's worth it.
I'm not sure why the sudden urge to get things done came over me (though, I should note that the urge to apply to the University for the Fall of 2009 came upon me in a similar fashion). But I suspect it's because I was feeling like quite the downtrodden soul earlier today and this is my way of bouncing back with a vengeance, all Beatrix Kiddo like.