Sorry Everybody. I know you've been waiting with bated breath for my next post, and it's been far too long. Over a month, wow, I guess I've been a combination of: busy, lazy, uncreative, without Internet, etc etc.

First off, congrats to Jaime on the soon to be born addition to the Ausman family. December 18th...hopefully they'll get a separate Birthday/Christmas ratio of gifts...I always feel bad for December babies for that reason.

Congrats also to the couples that have gotten engaged recently. Traci and John, Michelle and her man, Christy and Scott, Emily and Dan (a while ago, but I'm slow with blog congrats), Katie and Matt and Steve and Victoria. Whew...what this translates into is hope for lots of happiness for the couples - and potential travel and fun for Erik and me.

In an unrelated note...selling the Jackson Pollock Mural from the University of Iowa Museum of Art collection: uhm, DUH! not likely to happen, especially since the intended use of the funds from the sale would be to purchase "other smaller works to diversify the collection" - um, do you remember the museum's mission statement and collection development policy? Much like that of a library, you've got to stick to it. Also the AAM would frown quite a bit on selling that work for the sake of buying others, unless Peggy G. said that was okay when she gave it to the U of Iowa. She did that before the museum was even built, so technically, does it even realy belong to the museum or the U of iowa in general? How does that work? If you want $$ for more art, ask the community to help you out...btw, did you really think it nec. to buy a giant Big Boy statue that you can't even display adequately and where it is now looks like a giant eyesore? And moving the museum downtown? if so, make sure Moen doesn't make you pay an arm and a leg for rent...make sure you get ALOT more actual gallery space to make it worth while, AND don't ahve it on the ground floor. Too easy without full time all night security for drunks and idiots to break windows and destroy works of art afterhours...remember Sweden's issues a few weeks ago? Plus, that building was JUST rennovated, AND it's the surrounding grounds that provide the best atmosphere with the outdoor works nearby that the museum cares for that make a walking tour very easy from teh doors of the current museum around the Iowa River and grounds, rather than downtown. Sure downtown has public art works too and local art galleries, etc...but do we really want a 3 story museum? I'm not sure...plus, consider the parking situtation...Right now, museum employees and patrons can park in the theater lot on the weekends to vist, or after 4:30pm without paying...downtown they'd have to park in a ramp no matter what and fight for parking during festivals and events.
Just my 2 cents...