Edgy Mama

There’s some intriguing breaking news at Ashvegas about Ashvegas. We all go alt in the end!

Yep, our hilarious little film won the Special Jury Prize Dramatic and the Spirit of Independence Award: “Chusy Haney-Jardine, for Anywhere USA, easily the funniest movie of the festival that skewers NASCAR and pistachio nuts with oddball aplomb.”

Great news, and I assume, news that increases the film’s chances of being picked up for distribution. Hurrah!

Here’s a list of the Sundance prize winners.

It crept up on us quickly, but this week is DILOA!

This time we’re letting fotogs pick their 24 hour period in which to shoot. As zen says, “Your day might not be my day.” But you only have until Sunday, October 7, to pick a day, shoot, and submit up to 24 photos to our Flickr site.

Any and all fotogs are welcome to submit. The only requirement is that you upload your shots (digital or film) to the Flickr site by Wednesday, October 10. You may pick your one best shot, your “Photographer’s Choice” shot, and it will be included in the final group regardless of outside judging.

We’re still working on the judging part. To check out the Inaugural DILOA photo finalists, go here (there are some meet-up shots mixed in–so you can see what some of us look like!).

We’re looking for quality shots that represent the life of our town. So clean your equipment, check your calendar to see which 24-hour period works best for you, and GO!

Oops, and I forgot to mention that prints of all photos submitted will be given to the Asheville Library for their North Carolina collection, so you must agree to share your shots.

I was about to go take a recovery nap before the fam gets back from church, but I had to vomit instead. No, not from Blogapoolozathon-induced party flu, but from the chipmunk guts strewn across my living room.

As I was reviewing other bloggers’ party roundups, I realized that something behind me was Not Right. I could hear the puppy chewing, so I turned, expecting him to be mouthing one of the kids’ toys, only to see splattered dead chipmunk hanging from the pooch’s canines. Houdini was lounging nearby, affectionately watching his protege rip his gift to shreds.

At least it wasn’t a prairie dog. When I lived in Colorado, we had a school cat where I worked who used to catch prairie dogs that were bigger than he was. He’d drag them into my office and dismantle them under my desk. That cat loved me.

So, back to the party. Ash and Jennifer have comprehensive reviews, and Gordon, despite being partially blinded by this gorgeous Fall day, posted the Blogger Award winners at BlogAsheville.

I was gifted with a plastic alligator, which my son immediately co-opted, and a leather-stamped letter opener, which I wore stuck in my bra for most of the evening (gotta emphasize the pushup bra-enhanced cleavage somehow). So thank you to whomever provided the thoughtful giftees that I received for being “Most Likely to Make Money from Blogging.” The big bucks should start pouring in soon. After the awards, I discovered that Don Mak is paying his mortgage with the proceeds from his songwriting bloggie, which makes my freelance paycheck, which basically pays for half my monthly gasoline, seem meager.

Kudos to Ash and Fliss who won big and well-deservedly. I love Hangover Journal but I am typically one of only about four people who leaves comments on the bloggie, so I was under the erroneous impression that not many folks read Fliss’ ironic and hilarious take on life. But then she doesn’t really ask for comments or seem to need them. At least not the way I do. My favorite part of blogging is the interactivity. Okay, and the big bucks.

Highlights from my night last night were discovering that my favorite new blogger, She Who Eats, is someone I already knew; flirting with the fabulous Diana; receiving metaphorical pats on the back from folks regarding my Mt. X column (including from Jon E, the big ed there); flirting; catching up with Mulder and zen and Helen; helping Uptown gift the award winners; meeting Genie and Jennifer and Petulant; flirting; and forcing people to taste the nasty peach malt beverage that Bruisin’ Ales gave us.

Your highlights in comments.

If you’ve ever wondered who some of my local blogger buddies are, and more importantly, have a burning need to answer the question “Who is Ashvegas?,” here’s your chance, in this fun article in local alternative newspaper Mountain Xpress.

Happy Monday. I think.

If you are in or near Western North Carolina, you must make a special trip to our downtown library, Pack Memorial Library. There, you must walk down the long hallway next to the library and admire the gorgeous 111 photographs taped to the windows, representing a Day in the Live of Asheville, April 14, 2007. There is also a nice display of fotogs shooting during the day plus an explanation of the project and press. It’s amazing. DILOA rocks!

These dudes were walking around downtown last Sunday, dressed like Jesus, I suppose, and carrying a copy of the Wall Street Journal and the Bible. They said their goal was to protest the mixing of money and religion.

Some other young dude got so fired up that he decided to join them by removing his shirt and borrowing one of their blankie wraps.

I had a chat with a videographer who was following the dudes around and learned that they’re Warren Wilson students (of course) and the Jesus-look alike was doing this for a performance art class.

Nice guys. They were having fun, particularly given the reactions of some of the young women walking by.

Calling all you flickrites - don’t forget the meet-up at 4 p.m. Saturday at Asheville Brewing on Coxe Avenue. Just a laidback time to get together, drink some beer and talk a little photography. As you’ll recall, we’re going to pick a day in April to shoot a Day in the Life of Ashvegas.

See you there.

…until I get ticketed.