We went to The Ridges in Athens over the weekend and I liked seeing that there were two buildings that have not really been repaired. I like disrepair. One building had an asbestos and lead warning posted on the outside, and I didn't see what warnings the other building had other than a "No Trespassing" sort of thing. I also noticed one of the numbered-stone cemeteries starting from back in the Athens Lunatic Asylum days (Opened in 1874, I think), but I didn't walk through it on this visit.
I like the Ridges because it's peaceful and beautiful, but it has such a past that I can't help but imagine everything that happened there over the years. The numbered stones have always bothered me. Maybe I have odd feelings about people who were forgotten and left anonymous in death. It's sad and unnerving because I place more stock in what happens in the here and now, rather than waiting for some prospect of an afterlife.
This web page has images and information about The Ridges.
I think I was around the age of 12 when my Dad first took me and my younger brother to wander around The Ridges, and I think that was in 1995. It was kind of run-down the first time I went out there, and of course just about everything was securely locked and boarded up. I remember that we parked up on the hill by the TB Ward, and the fence around the back of that building and the architecture itself was intimidating just due to the scale of the whole compound.
About six months ago I attended an art, poetry and prose event that was held in the upper levels of one building in The Ridges where the Art department's grad students have their studio space. The lower levels are cleaned up and look like any generic office-like building, but the basic structure of the upper level was left pretty much untouched with the addition of what projects were being worked on. I don't have any pictures of that event developed yet because James had one of his old film cameras with him that night, and I don't think he has processed any of the film from spring or summer. Lame.
Also lame on my part for not having any really good pictures of the buildings from this past weekend. Double disappointment.
An updated to-do list
For "The Ash Girl":
Pridefly's Coat--cut out accent pieces and ripped out half of the seams that I need to work with, might do an accent piece on the collar. Need to dirty it up with either paint, dye or belt sander...
Ruth's Dress for the Ball--working on design for a shirt or jacket to go over the dress (I didn't make the dress, but need to work with it)
Slothworm's Sleep Cap--I think someone else is doing that one
Judith's skirt--move the fastener so that it fits better
Other Things:
Edit and finish "Tribute"--Done and e-mailed out
Finish my C.V.
Review poetry portfolio--found the poems I had written on paper, need to type them out
Locate and print forms for the people writing my letters of recommendation
Prepare something to submit to Omnium Gatherum's Detritus anthology if possible
Deal with library fines so I can have the hold released from my account or else I can't get my transcripts...ugh
Interesting things I've come across while researching for some writing projects:
Voararephilia-- a sexual fetish for being eaten alive, eating someone else or observing the process...
Sitophilia- a sexual fetish including different forms of food play
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