auto pilot

Nothing takes the pleasure I get out of snow like driving.


shift © Laura Kicey

Prior to last weekend's wildfire of a show by the one and only Night Train, I was transporting the guitarist goods to destination: Lewisburg.



in tune © Laura Kicey

Somewhere in the wilds of Pocono, PA, snow starting belting us. Then stopped and all seemed well and good. until I made an unfortunate move on a solid sheet of ice and got hooked on the ass end of a tractor trailer. My first accident! My cherry (-colored car) penetrated! The sobs of ecstasy!


burst © Laura Kicey

Groan.

I was fortunate enough to be able to avoid getting behind the wheel for the remainder of the weekend which was spent, in part, photo-frollicking in the depressed towns of Berwick and Danville, PA.


the masses © Laura Kicey

While Danville maintained a certain quaintness, Berwick was just all out odd. Evidence of the difficulty of keeping businesses afloat in this town were apparent everywhere. The seeming complete lack of zoning put shops, industry and residences back to back with each other and mostly in completely inappropriate buildings. Business owners seemed to take every advantage of what they saw as holes in the marketplace and left themselves open to basically selling any and every thing. Their signage reflected this sentiment, with many shops ending their names with Etc., And Stuff, And Things and other vagueries. Others built onto their signs without foreseeable end. This worked for some but not all.


et cetera © Laura Kicey

Meanwhile back in South Eastern PA, things are shaking loose. Plans for the upcoming JOINTS joint are on a roll. Frames have arrived, postcards are coming. And financing to cover it all came in the form of two sales of pieces I have hanging in the Funky Lil Kitchen in Pottstown. From a complete stranger. VERY very excited.

LAB is taking off. Most pleasing. And the vernacular design itch has been transferred from Joseph to me. I love this things Tibor Kalman and Kerrie Jacobs wrote that Mr. Robertson posted on LABlog. Look for more on vernacular design in the next issue. Also for the next issue, a call for entries:

Posters & flyers— we want to see ‘em. A pack of design ninjas will pick the best of the batch and we’ll include them in an upcoming issue of LAB.

Here’s the only rule:
The poster/flyer must be designed by you. No found objects, please.

How to submit? Send a PDF (or .jpg) of your design via our contact form. Please be sure to include contact info. Bonus points: post a picture of your creation in its natural habitat to this flickr group.

Curious about usage rights? Check out read the fine print

Be sure to add the following tag to the photo (for flickr):
LABproject03



Next weekend, the D and myself are to be Most Esteemed guests at the Parental House of K in the Northeast of Nowhere, PA. We will dine on Special Hot Pot and wrassle cats, possibly thumb wrestle cat with opposable thumbs.
And then, adventures in Coal Country. Followed by next Sunday, our show goes all the way up! Stay tuned.