Work in Progress

This is the final entry related to a month long stay in northern Minnesota at the antFarm.
I am writing from Saint Paulthis morning; preparing to board a Greyhound bus today and travel to North Conway, New Hampshire.

Day 27: Thursday, May 11

Hmm, Lars and Linda are coming in tonight. Gotta get this drawing done. Was actually hoping to do another as well. A composition change will allow me to place the drawing in the "done pile" this afternoon.

My tendonitis problem is receding nicely with ice, ibuprofen and rest.

The big issue today and the past few days is developing flexibility to allow for changes in a relationship of the past six months.

Day 28: Friday, May 12

Down to the river I go, with Lars and Glenn. Today we use Glenn's pick-up truck to speed the processs. It turns out that Lars' critique of my raft building project is very similar to Glenn's previous critique. On the one hand the work could be considered powerful since a similar response was elicited from two individuals.On the other hand though, the raft building project can be considered a loss and my "don't let common sense get in the way" philosophy could be considered an obstacle since both observers saw the work as overly nihilistic and otherwise without value.

Not a problem. Life is still life and time is still time. I am excited to feel myself wanting to get at that last sheet with some ballpoint pens and another long division.

Day 29: Saturday, May 13

Saturday morning I woke up after having dreamt about a ball point pen running out of ink. On the one hand maybe my numebr drawings are fruitless. On the other hand it is possible that the inkles pen is speaking of a different part of my life entirely. It always gives me increased confidence to remember images of my artwork appearing in my dreams.

Toight is big-fire night. Lars and Glenn have been doing some yard work while I sit working at a next long division: 1/179.

Tonight is scratch-your-eye-with-a-stick night. Appears I got a bit overexuberant picking up kindling and now I'm considering the posibility of a parrot to compliment the one-eye look.

Tonight is hold-steak-in-your-two-hands-and-bite-at-it night. Gosh but I'm hungry by the time wwe pull the meat off the fire. There are roast pepers and potatoes comong soon.

Day 30: Sunday, May 14

Today is wonder-how-badly- you-injured-your-eyeballday. We put gause over it and let it just rest. A bit of rinsing, a bit of visine, and a small to medium size pile of worry: our chosen method of care.

It is burn-the-rest-of-the-bee-boxes day. Glenn and Linda mave set up bee hives. Theye are getting into bee keepiing. There were old half rotten hive parts which Glenn decided would be best burnt so that the new bees aren't put at any sort of risk of old bee box sickness. Lars and I were happy to sit mostly quiet on a mild Sunday afternoon and sort the fire. The coals were still going strong from last night.

And finally today is get-your-head-together-because-you're-leaving-tomorrow day...

Day 31: Monday, May 15

Linda went back to Saint Paul yesterday evening. This morning Glenn and Lars and I drive from Red Lake Falls to the Minneapolis/St.Paul airport for Lars' flight.

I keep my eyes shut most fo the drive down to keep healing that scratch.

We get back early and so go to the Mall of America, the biggest mall in the country. I am hoping to complete an Apple computer purchase which I'd attempted online a week ago. Low and behold- my bank card will not give the required amount of cash- I'd have to purchase the computer over the course of a few days. I did purchase a cell phone and calling plan of my very own-- and get to the eye doctor-- and buy a little eye dropper thing full of medicine that cost as much as the phone-- which would have been free if I were willing to go a two year plan instead of one.
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So finally, this is all a pile of fractures at the moment--- Lars got to the airport and Glenn got back home, though with Sean in tow.

Another good dinner. Excellent company and conversation. Some time spent trying to speak seriously about the antFarm's future and how Sean might fit.
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Day 32: Tuesday, May 16

I am sat revising the entry I posted last night. I've had coffee. My belly is almost ready for a banana. I need to repack and prepare to sit on a bus for two day. On Thursday I will be back in North Conway. About a year ago I started pushing my wheelchair up steps and up steep hills in preparation for an initial go at the Mount washington Autoroad. Thursday I meet up with another wheeelchair user- Vijay Viswanathan- and preparee to try the road again.

This whole blog thing started as I was readying last July to train for a second go at the Autoroad. The blog is active. I am definitely not as fit as I was at the end of August. A month from now I should have new computer and camera and printer/scanner equipment. That will enhance the style of expression which I have been developing. It will be part of what I do as an antFarmer.

So the entire antFarm thing is a Work in Progress.
We will do more.