Hello Again

Well, this is how it happens, right? You're bopping along, thinking to yourself, "Hey, maybe I should fire up the ol' blog." You dismiss the idea for the time-being, thinking, "The whole reason I let it hibernate was that I didn't have enough time to devote to it, maybe I should not get too overzealous about getting it going again."

Then, I think that statement through and think it sounds stupid and kind of self-important, like, "Hey, my blog is so amazing that it takes a lot, I mean a lot, of time and effort to update." That's not really true, especially for this lil blog o' mine; I see something that I think is neat/funny/pretty/interesting, and I write about it. I mean, really, you make time for what you think is important.

Anyway, I put it off because May 4 was a long time ago and SO MUCH (again with the self-importance) has happened since then that I can't possibly update you on everything.  

THEN, I read the much-maligned New York Times op-ed about the busy trap* and think to myself, "Hey, I am busy. We are busy. Ain't nothing wrong with that." (Except, really, I'd never say ain't. If you think I'd ever say ain't, then you don't really know me at all.)

THEN, within a seven day time period, three different people (fine, one of them was my mother) mentioned my blog to me and how they think I should fire it up again, and again I think, "Hey, maybe I should fire up the ol' blog." So, half-asleep on a Monday trying not to think about shit I need to do and instead thinking about shit I want to do, I think, "Might as well start now."

*I didn't necessarily agree nor disagree with the opinion presented in the busy trap. Mainly what I thought was that the guy was short on story ideas, wrote about how his friend ditched him (see paragraph 3), and turned it into an entire piece. Also, I fully confess here and now that I have definitely used the busy excuse to get out of an undesirable task/event/appointment/what-have-you. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

A Wedding and Chicago

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and next week.  This Saturday, I'll be just outside of Baltimore celebrating the marriage of a friend before heading off to Chicago all next week for work.  I've never been to Chicago, so I'm adding a couple of days at the end of my work trip to explore the city.  I'm planning several touristy excursions, like a trip to the Art Institute and Millennium Park, a boat cruise, and if I'm feeling a brave, a step out onto the Willis Tower Skydeck. I hope to squeeze as much in as I can AND to remember to take some pictures along the way!

Cloud Gate in Millennium Park

The Scream: Follow Up

Yesterday, I shared that one version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" would be up for auction at Sotheby's, and that the final bid was estimated to be around $80 million.  

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Well, the winning bidder, who has chosen to remain anonymous, ended up shelling out almost $120 million for the infamous work of art ($119,922,500.00, to be exact).  Bidding started at $40 million, and the sale broke the record for the final bid on any work of art, ever.  The second highest bid was a mere $106.5 million for Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust" sold in 2010 at a Christie's auction.  

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The other three versions of "The Scream" are in Norwegian museums.  This particular version is the most colorful of the four, and it is the only one that includes Munch's poem detailing the inspiration behind the artwork.  From an article detailing the auction:

Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of the artist, said he sold the piece through Sotheby's because he felt "the moment has come to offer the rest of the world the chance to own and appreciate this remarkable work." 

"I have lived with this work all my life, and its power and energy have only increased with time," Olsen said.  

Proceeds from the sale will go toward the establishment of a new museum, art center and hotel in Hvitsten, Norway, where Olsen's father and Munch were neighbors.  

The director of the National Museum in Oslo, Audun Eckhoff, says Norwegian authorities approved the Munch sale since the other versions of the composition are in Norwegian museums. One version is owned by the National Museum and two others by the Munch Museum, also in Oslo.

The Scream

Today, Sotheby's will be auctioning one version of Edvard Munch's notorious series, The Scream, with some experts estimating a final bid of more than $80 million, the highest presale amount Sotheby's has ever set.  Many people are familiar with "The Scream," but what many people don't know is that the artist actually created four versions of the "face that launched 1,000 therapists."

"The Scream" has an intriguing history that includes mental illness, theft, and too-many-to-count pop culture references. Munch suffered from severe anxiety, and himself described his inspiration for the painting:

"I was walking along a path with two friends — the sun was setting — suddenly the sky turned blood red — I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence — there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city — my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature "

It will be interesting to see who places the winning bid.

Jonathan Adler Coming to Georgetown

I've long been a fan of Jonathan Adler; his cheeky and whimsical housewares and fabric designs are, well, cheeky and whimsical.  I was happy to read that he will be opening a retail location in Georgetown this May.  It will be right in the heart of the shopping district, taking the place of the former GAP Kids, so this should be good news for retailers and consumers alike.  Washingtonian recently spoke with Adler about the new store, and Adler had this to say about DC: 

Washington is groovy. I've always loved Georgetown--the architecture, the vibe, all the glamorous politicos, students, and creative types. I've been looking for the perfect spot in Georgetown for years, and I finally found it.

Looking forward to welcoming you to 'hood, Jonathan.

Photos via Jonathan Adler.

Voluntarism

For our March volunteer event, The Tenfold Forty volunteered at the Girard Children's Community Garden in Northwest DC.  I'll be honest, I'm not what you would call "outdoorsy."  It's not so much that I mind being out-of-doors, it's more that I mind getting my hands dirty, literally and figuratively.  However, I had a really great time planting radishes, weeding, pruning, and generally cleaning up the garden.  

Girard Children's Community Garden

Girard Children's Community Garden

Girard Children's Community Garden

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I was inspired to clean up our front yard at home.  What I neglected to consider is that since I don't do much gardening, I had no idea that yard work uses muscles that I didn't even know that I had.  My back and legs were sore for days afterward, but I really enjoyed playing in the dirt.  I'm not saying that my black thumb has turned green, but I'm making progress.

front walkway before

front walkway three hours, four trashbags, and one rat sighting later

Alabama On My Mind

Today is the one-year anniversary of the day that tornadoes ripped through the city of Tuscaloosa, home of my alma mater, the University of Alabama.  I posted about this tragedy the day after, and there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said.  At work today, I read this poignant and sad article from the Crimson White, UA's student newspaper.  Natural disasters can often occur without warning, and it's a good to remember not only to have an emergency plan, but also to tell your loved ones that you love them.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and his wife Dianne walk past some 253 state flags, one for each victim, placed on the grounds of the Capitol during a memorial service for tornado victims on the steps of the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery Friday. Sixty two tornadoes left 253 people dead in Alabama a year ago.