holaolah

The test is NOW!

A test of Janell's inflatable installation for an upcoming show. Couldn't resist adding some Flaming Lips to the beginning to set the tone...

The Show of Shows

We Finished a Room

Friends and regular readers - rejoice with us now! After almost three months as homeowners we've finally completed renovations on Janell's studio. We finished all the work on Friday evening and moved in on Saturday. Having one room finished gives us hope for what the rest of the place will look like. If you want to see more pictures, click on the ones above to jump to flickr.

Don't Ask

This is the only way we could move our Marisa Lesher sculpture from Newark to Philadelphia. While we were at the gas station we got a few stares and a little girl told her daddy to look at the doll. He had a better view of its bloody hands than you do and was rightfully suspicious.

TUNA TIME

An Hola family classic!

"I love my wife, but she sure is weird"

or "Of Babies Baked into cakes and PVC legbones"

Today I heard two stories on NPR (WHYY for the WIMPR nerds out there) that made me think of Janell. I've deliberately refrained from turning around in my chair and telling her about the stories because I wanted her to get them here.

The story I heard on my drive to work was about the Mardi Gras tradition of King Cake. When I heard this part, I thought of calling Janell and telling her to tune in:

Traditionally, a bean was hidden in the cake to represent the Christ child. But over the past century, people have used porcelain babies and now plastic infant figures. Whoever finds the figure in their slice has to provide the next king cake.

The story that I heard on my drive home involved four dudes who were literally ripping off the dead by selling their tissue and body parts. The photo accompanying this post is "X-rays of a body exhumed in New York shows how leg bones were replaced by PVC tubing."

If you know Janell and her current body of work, you'll know why these types of stories are right up her alley.

I'll Only Turn 30 Once Pt. 9

  Trump Marina from Borgata 
  Originally uploaded by holaolah.

"So where exactly am I supposed to go?"
"Dude, you're going to the Borgata. Get on the Atlantic City Expressway and it will take you right up to it. Call her from the lobby when you get there."

I'll Only Turn 30 Once Pt. 8

He didn't let me pay on the count of me being born and all on this day. I wasn't up for arguing or wrestling or any of that. I know that my brother can easily best me when it comes to that kinda stuff. Growing up, we had one bathroom. Often when I'd have to go an use it, my brother would be in there, doing whatever it is that teenagers do in the bathrooom for extended periods of time. Combing his permed mullet, I think. I would bang on the door, hard, trying to get him to let me in because I had to go so bad and it was about to come out in my pants. He'd say something like, "Oh yeah, how bad do you have to go?" I'd tell him soooooo bad. He'd then open the door, sweep my legs out from under me so I was on my back and seeing stars from hitting my head on the floor and then he proceed to either step on my stomach or tickle me until he made the pee pee dribble out of me. If he could divine that I had to go number two he would grab my legs and kick me in the butt, thus giving me a reason to wait until later to use the facilities. All this to say, I thought it wise to allow him to pay for the meal.

I thanked him for the grub and gave him a hug. As I turned to get in my car he handed me an envelope with my name on it. He said it was my instructions for where I was going next and that I should call Janell when I get there.

I'll Only Turn 30 Once Pt. 7

We took to a booth in the smoking section near the bar. I asked Brent if he was drinking and he declined. I took that as a cue to get a Pepsi myself. He said it was a good idea because I've still got lots of driving ahead of me tonight. I instantly recalled a recent conversation I had with Janell about the proximity of Brent's house to Philly and how long I thought it would take to get between the two. This would explain the missing Philly NFT from our coffee table. So I'm going to Philly via South Jersey via Newark. Pretty convoluted way to go but who was I to complain about a birthday goose chase that Nellie was cooking up for me. But if that was the case, why were we almost at the Jersey shore? Maybe I was headed to our friend Julie's beach trailer in Sea Isle? 

The fog of paranoia was starting to lift. I was still very disoriented, but I ceased to believe that my friends and family were killers, hiding around the corner and tailing me on the highway, waiting to end my life on the day it began 30 years ago. I just remembered Janell and how she really was as sweet as I've always thought her to be. Yes, reality was returning. I needed some time off the road and to be in the presence of my brother.

We ordered big-ass plates of appetizer samplers because we couldn't decide what we wanted to eat. I downed a couple Pepsis before our food arrived. We discussed the state of a house he inherited from our granny and his horror stories from his brief stint as a landlord. The conversation turned to work and the story of how he went from being a mechanic with many responsibilities at one glass house to another glass house with better money and less responsibilities. He seemed pleased at the change. Brent and I rarely sit down alone together and talk. I think I can count the number of times that it's happened in our lives together on both my paws. I was starting to see that Janell had directed me to spend time with Andrew and Brent--my brothers in different ways--on this special day.

Our food arrived and we dined on wings, catfish parts, ribs, chicken fingers and probably some other fried items I can't recall. With each bite, I gained a bit more clarity. Grease always helps me in that respect.

We continued our discussion on work and gnawed our grub until we decided our eyes were too big for our stomachs. I gave Brent my leftovers because I had the sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't be needing them where I was going.

I'll Only Turn 30 Once Pt. 4

The figure exhaled and spoke with my brother's voice, "You're an hour late, let's go."

I gave him a quick hug and greeting him as my brother and said, "Oh, OK. We're not staying here?"

"Nope, we're going to dinner" he said as he was walking toward his truck.

"Well what about Lauren and Susan, are they coming?" I asked, trying to figure out what was afoot.

"Dude," he said, "they're asleep in bed. It's late."

"Sorry" I said, feeling like I should be more aware of my family's sleep patterns. I then asked him if he'd like to ride along with me and he said that we just have to go and that it would be best to drive separately and that I should do my best to keep up.

We got into our vehicles and I allowed him to pull out of his driveway. He pulled up beside me and told me that we needed to make a stop so he could get some gas.

Brent tore off like we really had somewhere to be a long time ago. I got the feeling that we were well past late. I felt a deep regret when I imagined all of my fiends hanging out somewhere in NJ, on a weeknight, and the guest of honor was nowhere in sight.