If anyone’s in Tucson and is looking for something to do, they might stop by The Cottage Bakery and Café (on Kolb south of Speedway), where they might get a glimpse of the gorgeous Karen Candelario (and her art that they have on display is really pretty, too). Her art is generally of an abstract nature, but not so abstract that there isn’t meaning to be found with a little looking. Though Karen’s a great kickboxing instructor, she’s also a hardcore cycling gal, so any proceeds go straight towards a new carbon frame bike, so it’s for a good cause…

Also, though the next isn’t till the following November, of course, the All Soul’s Procession is quite the happening. The procession itself – down 4th Ave and a little ways around on Toole - seemed to draw a huge number of people, and grew along the way as people watching from the side inevitably joined in. The costumes, or whatever one wants to call them, were outstanding and far outstripped the few I saw on Halloween, with gigantic headdresses and totems, and face and body paint and all sorts of imaginative dress involving everything from bone to glowsticks to fire. I wish I’d known to dress up ahead of time, but tried to do my best by just taking off my shirt (tattoo better than a UA shirt?), though I’m sure the people who just saw me from the front thought I was just some idiot with his shirt off. Along the way were huge projections of photos of lost loved ones, and even little scenes, such as a posing gal on a car made into an intricate shrine, and a little silent play with Egyptian dress and god-costumes a la Stargate headdresses, bellydancers, and fire-eating and dancing.
At the end of the procession there were huge sculptures made out of metal and fire, and everyone gathered at a stage to watch a wonderful show set to a pulsing beat by an energetic drum group, with modern dance set on platforms, trapeze artists hanging by a crane, the oddest mosquito-demon costumes I’ve ever seen (oddly graceful on four stilt legs), even more fire, and a giant memorial urn that is hoisted high above the stage and set on fire. And, I got to see a big sparker of a shooting star.

Also, I keep forgetting to say anything about it, but I got a new car. Well, it’s a 2003, anyway. I know people keep asking me about it with the expectation that I’ll be excited or happy about it, but regardless of my present mood, if you know me you know it’s the rare occasion where I become outwardly excited about an object, much less a car (that being contrary to my reactions to people and emotions, which really get me going). That being said, it’s a nice car, as I’ve sure I’ve said an upgrade of my last car basically that we luckily got from a private seller on the cheaper side while looking for more economical cars (dealerships: worthless). And we got a much cheaper loan from a credit union than we would have from our usual bank, if that helps anybody. One of my favorite things about this car, really, is that 91.3 FM comes in consistently, which I marvel at. Hello odd grooves in the morning, and the most random assortment of folk, blues, tango and who the hell knows what else, without the more common layers of static (any song where a guy can sing “lay it on me…yeah, you know what I’m talkin’ about…” before a bass solo is automatically awesome).