spring training

Have been trying get up to Sheboygan to see a friend’s work at the Kohler Art Centre for weeks. Normally this isn’t a problem it is only 100 miles north and the main problem is the boring ride along I-43, but all of a sudden winter happened. For the past month of days off it has either been snowing or the machine was deciding to be finicky. So when winter had seemed to be broken, I made a multitasking outing, head over to the post office in Bristol, buy coffee at Alterra in Milwaukee – double stamp day –needed to find some Cranes stationery paper - as the Paper Source has decided not to carry it - in order to continue my schizophrenic photographic existence. I also needed more USB drives in an effort not to carry a computer everywhere while saving the environment from cd’s and dvd’s. I was using them for class and to take prints to the service bureau with the files for the murals for the show this summer.

Winter had been broken, it was 4C, windows were down. I was gaining confidence in the machine as I had to brave Chicago to buy supplies for my class – demanding of me wanting supplies when it is only the fourth week of the semester – it had started, it wasn’t making strange noises.

The idea here was to do all of this without feeling rushed. It seemed to be working, wandered the third ward making snaps while watching the students of MIAD, called MID because there is no art there, fumbling while trying make snaps.

Didn’t panic when Broadway Paper was also out of Cranes Stationery, more snaps returning to the car.

Two pounds of Sulawesi Toraja in beans, and then out to the Interstate. It was then that I realised that I still in somewhat a hurry up mode as I forgot to bring something to read or my notebook for something to do while having a café au lait later.

Still haven’t overcome the numbness of mind when I get on an Interstate. On it I was making time, would annotate potential places for further investigation but not this time. The effort I have to make is to get on the frontage roads.

The art centre has a good series of exhibitions, better than Milwaukee. Was first drawn to it when I heard about the autodidactic artists that they would collect and champion. It seems now that the space is bigger that they take themselves way too seriously now, guards following one around making sure that one doesn’t touch the works. at the beginning they would knock on the toilet doors so that one could go in and see the rooms that were made by invited artists and they seemed to like it now they are dour, officious, and like most additions to museums the space was more eating and gift shops than gallery space.

Thought that I would only have a coffee before heading back but passing the Weather Centre some pavlovian instinct was set off and I had to have my usual –a bowl of soup and black bean quesadilla. Although it wasn’t needed to slow me down, did miss something to read now so as not to stare blankly.

Warm still, windows still down, car starting as if there were never a problem, rattling gone, I headed back to I-43 changing my route, noticing and wanting to photograph the taverns here one day. Now in the mood to skip the Interstate but too dark to make snaps and the only thing more frustrating speeding by places with potential is taking one’s time when it is impossible to make one.