It's been on my mind of course, more this month than any of the others. The picture above was taken by Mary, my stepmom. It was my birthday the day this photo was taken, and we'd all dressed up and gone out to see those Chinese acrobats who spin plates on sticks and bend their bodies like pretzels while balanced on tiny platforms. It was a great night. My sister Momi, who is on the right, was making fancy purses at the time and we were trying out a few. My dad was a character, a friend to many, and he had a great sense of humor that came and went and came and went.
Today I found a note from 1999 I'd left myself where I wrote four words that descibed each of my family members. Seven years prior to my dad passing away from a sudden stroke - I'd listed these words: Surprising. Financially Dependable. Funny. True. I did not list him as: Strong, Maddening or Grouchy - all words which would have been accurate. Sadly, I did not list him either as: Inspiring, Emotionally Dependable, or a Hero - all which any kid would want to list in describing their father.
After he died, it took me a while to go through his belongings. Many things I still need to go through, but have left them in our house in Halawa because I don't want to categorize him away. I find a small comfort in knowing his things are there at the address where he lived for almost forty years. In going through the deluge of papers in his termite eaten roll top desk, there were things about my dad that I learned which surprised me. Like court records and letters to the judge showing to me his heartbreaking struggle (and his anger) at losing my sister and I to our mother after the divorce when we were 4 and 9. Also found were ALL of the cards, drawings and letters my sister and I had EVER sent him in the thirty odd years while Momi and I were shuttling back and forth between two parents.
There was always a mystery about him and I accused him of being an alien when I was a teenager. When he was left by his girlfriend of ten years, he just stopped talking about her and I was left to figure it out. He also remarried and didn't tell my sister or me, a big no-no for all you parents out there. My dad wasn't very good at remembering or celebrating birthdays either and once I got a birthday box filled with a used frying pan and some old mail. I took it as at least he was thinking of me and so I appreciated the effort. He really wanted me to become a detective or a lawyer or something other than whatever I was (a graphic designer) and even gave my number to an FBI recruiter who called me at work one day.
The year before he died, when I was established in my career and he had been positively affected by his outgoing second wife, he became a joy. He was still grouchy and forgetful at times, but he was slowly becoming those words I'd neglected to describe him as. Like in any Shakespearean tragedy, it was just before the death - the personal connection finally made which in turn makes the loss SO much harder. I can only guess now that he'd be proud and happy for my sister and I as we move into new territories of our lives. He could be the inspiring, emotionally dependable dad to us and our children (who don't yet exist) and maybe even a little bit of a hero too. I'd take anything at this point.
I miss him so.
Aloha!
I just finished putting together a working site for Ke Kukui Foundation, a Hawaiian Cultural non-profit group based in the Pacific Northwest. A super group, please consider donating or volunteering - they offer tons back to the community.
Brisk walk...RUN....
Go outside everyday, during the daytime.
Work on improving handwriting
Simplify or Organize
Keep work surfaces clean
Take proper steps to realize dreams
Support friend’s and family’s dreams
Smile when I talk to strangers
Try to be fast asleep by 1am
Clean bunny cage more often
Stay on schedule with new designs
Understand everyone is doing the best they can
Write things down immediately on the Calendar
Honor birthdays
Stand up straight – stop slouching
Eat more greens Email back sooner than later
Hello there.
In celebration of LOVE, I'm participating in this year's Reading Frenzy Valentine Auction with two framed Valentine prints. The prints are based on a trip I took to Miami where I was reminded about how freakin' cute manatees are. I was horrified to see them huddling together in the warm waters of the local powerplant over the cold spell the lower states had, but I think theyare for the most part, o.k. The event is a charity auction so come, buy, bid and celebrate the gushy, happy mush feeling that is love! In case you don't know, Reading Frenzy is a uniquely special place on the front line of the zine revolution, crafted items and amazing artwork and prints by local and national artists. It's located beneath to the Independent Publishing Resource Center, and CounterMedia, and if you can't get enough subculture, just down the street from Powell's Books.
This year's recipient of all funds is the Special Education PTA of Portland* (SEPTAP). SEPTAP is a network of parents, educators and community members working together to improve the education and well being of students with disabilities in their schools, homes and communities.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Bidding begins at 6PM
Reading Frenzy
921 SW Oak St. Portland, OR 97205
I've set up a page to easily donate to Mercy Corps. I hope you can find it in your heart to contribute to the care of the people of Haiti. Click here to support the cause.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a team of 3700 professionals helping turn crisis into opportunity for millions around the world. By trade, we are engineers, financial analysts, drivers, community organizers, project managers, public health experts, administrators, social entrepreneurs and logisticians. In spirit, we are activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people we serve.
Happy TwentyTen dear friends! Hope you had a great beginning.
To start of this new decade with a bang, consider taking part in kickstarting the re-releases of one of Portland's most irreverent and talented graphic artists/chicken bomber, Sean Tejaratchi and his Crap Hound series. Chloe Eudaly, proprietress of Reading Frenzy has put together an easy way to be a part of which I highly recommend you do.
Image from Crap Hound 7: Church & State
Pre-blog, zines (remember those?) were handmade, xerox copied, self published magazines and journals. The Crap Hound series was a part and pusher of this era of self reliance/publication. Back in the 90s, Sean Tejaratchi painstakingly put together the series of clip art with paper, xactos, and wax. He was an old-schooler, laying out his covers with crop marks, rubylith, and actual layers. An artist himself, they are compositional works of art and hilariously clever if you spend any time reading between the images.
Crap Hound made it across the United States into alternative reading stores and celebrated by graphic designers around the world. Sean was a huge advocate for free use of art and anti-copyright (boo! mean ol' Disney) and Crap Hound was a definite part of this barbaric yawp.
Sean is an old friend of Miranda July, director and star of the movie "Me and You and Everyone We Know". She asked him to work on the film doing the graphics and I just read on her blog, that he took every opportunity to work possums into the movie graphics. Which makes me glad. Sean owned a possum named "Chumpy". And I say "owned" not "owns", because I think Chloe mentioned Chumpy is no longer. Which makes me sad.
Years ago, I saw a mess of original Crap Hound boards he had kept. They were yellowing under vellum, in a pile - some things in flat files, some things not. They were just WAITING to be re-released so I'm so glad that they are. Sean was a huge influence on me, both professionally and as a friend. He even trusted me to take over his legacy of designing for Cinema 21. Forgive my sappiness, I know I'm talking about him likes he's dead. He's not. He lives in Los Angeles now and I feel great joy imagining him tan and with fake boobs. I'll always be grateful for the time I worked with him and the things he shared with me.
Image from Crap Hound 6: Death, Telephone and Scissors
They need a mere $12,500 to get this project going and in return you will get fun things, including Crap Hound 4: Clowns, Devils and Bait. Join Chloe's kickstart project HERE.