All good things must end, as they say, and the ATypI conference came to a halt yesterday afternoon. It was almost sad to see our new friends leave and return to their homes, mostly overseas. If I find any time I will post some photos from the event. I am on the very edge of the freak out stage at school, a stage I should not reach until at least another month, however with the conference and all, I fell way behind in my work and I am afraid that meeting all the deadines for this week and next is simply impossible.
I have one last "play day" tomorrow, then back to serious work. Underware is in the morning (I am sooo excited, they are my new idols) and then off to Seattle in the afternoon to catch the Pole show at Chop Suey, where I will also be meeting the man himself (again, sooo excited).

Oh boy, all that free bar action really did me in last night. By 9pm I was so completely annihilated that sleeping was even difficult to do. Waking up this morning, knowing that I had to be presentable for the conference was like a nightmare. After a large, greasy breakfast I was able to get myself together and I ended up taking a freakin cab to school. I was supposed to save the drinking for tonight's free bar, but I just couldn't help myself. Let's see if I can keep the wine intake to a minimum tonight at the gala dinner.

ATypI started off with a bang last night at the opening reception (free bar) and then Robert Bringhurst brought the house down with an amazing talk. This morning we were awoken by the wisdom of Roger Black, followed up by type gods, Underware, from the Netherlands. That was an amazing presentation, very funny and they really showed that a new generation of type designers is upon us. I had to start of my volunteering duties by taking the lunch tickets, allowing me to schmooz with all the attendees. I joked with Jean-Francois Porchez and Erik Speikermann, yes I think I am special now. So there are lectures all day long for the next three days and tonight is the big auction, which I am also working (another free bar). Tomorrow night is the Gala Dinner, supposed to be the shit from what I hear(yes, free bar). Truly a great event,getting to talk with all these internationally known figures in the design world is quite a priveledge.
I am finding much difficulty in getting a clear connection here on the wireless network, upstairs, where the bulk of the action is happening, is littered with laptops as the typophiles of the world are taking advantage of the wireless feature. There are probably 20 people currently posting and creating newsletters, articles, photographs, websites, etc..keeping the world up-to-date with the latest on the conference. If you are interested in seeing things as they happen, go here for the latest. I just noticed that someone else's iTunes music library is listed here within my iTunes.

The first lecture for AtypI starts in the next half hour, Gerard Unger will speak (he is known for such typefaces as Gulliver, which is used as the primary face in USA Today), the conference doesn't officially start until Thursday night when the keynote speaker, Robert Bringhurst kicks off the event downtown at the Bayshore hotel. However, because most of the students (and that fortunately does NOT include moi) cannot attend the event, they have set up a few lectures especially for the students. It is quite exciting, some seem to think I am retarded for being so into the whole thing, but this is a serious event and a chance I won't soon have again. People from all over the world, those who are some of the most important figures in the typographic world, are here, walking around, playing on the computers and talking about type. coooool.

OK-if you want to laugh your ass off, go check out Homestar Runner, I recommend watching as many of these cartoons as you can. There are some hardly visable links at the bottom of the "characters" screen, follow the web mail link.....funny ass shit. brilliant shit. seriously.

The tension at school is mounting with all the excitement surrounding AtypI. I was the lucky student chosen to help pick out the volunteer shirts that we will be wearing (and altering accordingly), and also I was the unlucky gal chosen to decide on the typeface used to spell out the word "staff" (we would rather be called that than volunteer, it sounds more official). This is not typically a problem for this type of shirt, even this type of event. However, because everyone attending the conference are those whose profession is based soley on typeface design, then it becomes an important issue, or so it seems. I cracked under this pressure of "just the right typeface." It is blue on orange (ugh) and must be ledgible from a distance, these people will analyze the type treatment right down to the kerning between the "t" and "a!" So I cracked, and I chose Verdana. A typeface that was designed for use on SCREEN! What the hell was I thinking?? I should have played it safe and used Univers or even Helvetica. I really should be payed for this kind of pressure.

Holy Jeebus! my blog column is actually in the right spot!! I am shocked. It must be the outdated browser I am currently using. One day, I promise, this site will work on all, or most browsers, the way it was intended to work. I just write really messy code, & old style sheets. But, my excuse is that I am a newbie at this whole web buildin' schtuff.
SO I have this project I am working on, I won't go into the details, but it covers a musician that I am really interested in. So in the midst of all my research I end up chatting with the guy a couple of times, AND the best part is that I get to go meet him in Seattle next week! Isn't it just mad? There is going to be so much excitement in the next week, with ATypI plus this short Seattle trip; parties galore and mingling with very high profile people, for like 6 days in a row!

I am currently sitting in class, trying to fix my new blog format as I (barely) listen to the lecture being given. My brain is so full of topics already, it is hard to fit something else in. I am not sure if this post will show up at the moment, for some reason the only post that will appear is from last month. Hopefully I will get this thing working shortly.

I have been browsing the programme list for the upcoming ATYPI conference and there is going to be some really cool events. Thomas Phinney will be presenting the very first public viewing of a future version of Adobe Illustrator, which will support more advanced typographic controls. Underware will be holding a week-long workshop in which a team of graphic designers will create a typeface, overseen by real type designers, and it will all be documented live via the internet! It is like a typographic reality special! Also at the event, an American team of type designers is hoping to become the next champions of the Font Sprint Relay. These designers will brush-letter an original typeface, on the spot, and have it ready for manufacture (this process includes scanning, digitizing, spacing, & kerning). I am so excited and lucky that I have the opportunity to be a part of this event.

More and more projects are piling up, and there seems to be less and less time to work on them. Part of the problem is that I am still stuck in "summer" mode, therefore my motivation is at extremely low levels. However I think that I am on the verge of turning around. This morning I woke up from this terribly creepy dream about this old biker guy (he has been on monster garage a time or two) who was trying to get me to do sexual favors for him, and as I slowly regained my waking-mind, I put together an entire project in my head, a project that I have been struggling over the last few days, so I reached over to my pile o' sketch books that I have lying next to my bed (it is a good idea to do this, for your best ideas come to you in sleep) and got it all down on paper. I am now so excited about getting this project off the ground. Finally, I might be able to label myself as a "responsible adult." Note that I used the word "might."

Check this out, these are hilarious cartoons. They are like, after school special-type cartoons, that have been dubbed over. They don't make much sense, but that makes them even more fabulous.

Just witnessed a fantastic display of hydraulics in the form of a lawnmower. Tonight was the opening for a show centered around the lowrider culture, specifically southern california. Salvador "chava" Munoz is the mastermind (and four-time world lowrider/radical bed dancing champion) behind the tranforming lawnmower, it was pretty cool I must say. Because of my obsession with Monster Garage, I was interested in this exhibit right from the start. I will post photos soon, so check back.

ok, this has to be one of the poorest designed sites around, but it is a must-see. Cups that pimps drink from, you can have your very own initials customized onto these "gold" plated cups, in DIAMONDS!

Well I have done it, you shall not see it for another couple of days for I need to de-bug, but I redesigned my website, made it a bit more user-friendly. It wasn't a complete overhaul, but I addressed what needed to be addressed, and hopefully it will be more efficient. I really can't spend much more time on it though, my projects here at school are really beginning to pile up. I had Art Direction this morning, we were not givin an assignment yet, but a brief list of some of the things we will be doing for this term. It is a photo-based course, so I feel that it will consume a large amount of time. These new little eMacs sure are nifty.

Ok that is it....although no one will read this for another day or two, perhaps a few, I am fed up with this whole site. Yes, I have projects to work on for school; yes, I should be at the gym; yes, I should be reading and absorbing knowledge but I am going to sit my ass down in front of my computer and begin to rebuild this site. I think it needs to be broken down into more managable, simple parts, simplicity is the key here. Because I have so many other things to do I am going to work all night and have it finished by morning. That is my goal. However, there is a big possibility that I will fail, or give up (is there a difference?) and just watch Monster Garage.

There are some issues surrounding my blog posts here...every once in a while there will be some sort of connection failure to my server, and recently it has been happening way too often. So, much of what I write doesn't actually post for a couple of days. I am not sure what the issue is, I have a feeling it is on my end (the ECIAD server), it seems to work during late nights, but never during the day. Hhhmmmm.
I have once again proven that I am the queen of soup-making. Today, during a splendid display of lightening and ground-shaking, roaring thunder that about made me and half the other people in the neighborhood shit their pants, I threw together a beautifully delicious roasted red pepper soup; all natural, fresh ingrediants and I made up the recipe. Well, how hard can it really be to make up a soup recipe. I really start naming my soups. The "Zara Fantastic Super Mega Happy Soup Collection," that would work as a book title in Japan.
I have also decided that I am going to start a second weblog that is strictly for my dreams, a journal perhaps of my nightly adventures. I dream very vividly and always remember them, so it would be neat to have them out there for interrpretation. Last night I dreamt that I was at a Def Leppard show (the upcoming one), and hardly anyone was there, plus I was the only person singing along, right up at the stage, so they basically just sang to me. It was fekking awesome. Joe Elliot looked directly into my eyes when he sang Hysteria and I almost melted. Ha haa....I am so dorky, but i LOVE IT!

Today was exciting, getting bits of information on new projects and such. I met with others from class about our tentative trip to London in february and it sounds really exciting. We will be visiting such design studios as Pentagram and we have plenty of free time to explore London, or even go elsewhere in Europe. I am going to plan on taking 2 or three days to hit France or the Netherlands, it depends on the money situation. The ATYPI group will be holding their annual conference here in a couple of weeks and because I am going to be volunteering, will be granted a pass that allows me to be a part of the entire conference, free! I am really very happy about that and am looking forward to it. Getting to rub shoulders with the likes of Robert Bringhurst, Jean François Pourchez and digital type gods, Underware from the Netherlands. Very exciting, at least in my geeky world.

I think this school year is going to be really exciting. Maybe it is just the anticipation of starting a new year and getting back to the grind. There are a number of interesting things happening in and around ECIAD this year, such as the annual International Typographic, something or another, I cannot remember the full name right now. It is a whopping 300 dollars to attend this conference, however I think it will be worth it. I am allowed to miss class for it, and since I lost my opportunity to attend the AIGA conference (also being held in Vancouver this year, dammit), I figure should take this opportunity now. This tuesday the 9th, there is an exhibition opening for a couple of guys from California who are a part of the oh-so-cool-i-must-admit Lowrider Culture, customizing cars and things...( did I mention that Monster Garage is my new favorite show? ) but they will have a customized lawn tractor, hopefully bouncing its way up and down the concourse with its bling blings and 20" gold plated dubs baby. I am really upset that I cannot attend the opening, because i have CLASS! RARRRR, damn these night classes. But yes, this will be a good year.

First day of school, went nice and smooth, however, I do still have one class left. 7pm to 10pm??? what is up with that? I sure do love listening to Norwegian people talk. I found out that I will be going to London in February, that is exciting. I don't know the details yet, I will find out Thursday, but it will be a trip that focuses on various type foundries and design schools. Very exciting. Ok, time to go to class.