Fresh Torso Fields Forever

I woke up at five in the morning. There are sound reasons for that: Corb worked an overnight tonight, so he went in for bed at around eight for a nap. I decided to lay next to him, and ended up falling asleep.

I did wake up around midnight and made the further mistake of cutting myself a slice of slice of strawberry shortcake. I ended up drinking two glasses of milk. It made my stomach all upset.

So, as a result, I woke up from the middle of a dream. In the dream, I'm living back at the homestead, only I just bought it, and the field that I spent years cutting down and turning into a lawn is wild and unplowed again. There's grass growing shoulder high, like wheat.

It's summer, and I decide to take the lawnmower out, to cut down the wild field. It cuts easily, but about three quarters through, I discover that someone has buried a blond man in the ground, so that his torso springs up, from the waist, out of the ground. He's almost like a mannequin (and didn't look anything like Corb), but I can tell he's more than simply plastic. His dead eyes stare out lifelessly across the lawn. I run to tell Josie, and learn that our next door neighbor planted the body in the ground about a year ago.

I can still feel the dream. You know how, sometimes, dreams linger with you? I can feel the warm summer day, the sweat bunching up around the back of my neck, the smell of the freshly cut grass. I can see the grin on my next neighbor's face as he realizes that I've discovered what he's done. He's not upset, just amused.

And, even stranger, I have a feeling that I've had this dream before! *shiver*

(no subject)

Happy birthday to adrianaendless!

By the way, here's the story that I'm obsessing over today...fortunately, this man lives close to my work, and I brought my camera, so, photojournalist that I am...I may be taking the old car over to take some close-up photos later on today...I'll dedicate them to you, KT.


Paris Hilton in all her seductive splendor, striking a provocative pose for passing motorists and spreading hot Christmas cheer in a chilly Rhode Island winter.
Source: AP wire

Blown-up images of Hilton and strings of pink Christmas lights adorn the front lawn of a home in a middle-class neighborhood of this city, part of a head-turning holiday display that pays homage to the famed hotel heiress.

The over-the-top pictorial is the work of Joe Moretti, a 38-year-old designer who was arrested last year for trespassing on Martha Stewart's property in Maine.

Passersby get an eyeful of Hilton sporting a tiny pink top hiding little of her chest, or wearing knee-high boots and a sultry pout or holding a finger to her lips. Even Hilton's faithful Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, is celebrated in a colorful portrait.

"If it's offending anyone, I apologize," Moretti said in a telephone interview Thursday.

"That's not the intent. The intent is to be different and to be creative and let them see a little bit of Hollywood or New York — bring it to Cranston," Moretti explained.

A number of cars slowed or came to a complete stop on the busy road as they passed Moretti's house Thursday afternoon, the better to ogle a life-sized shot of Hilton with high boots, legs spread and eyes partly closed.

Moretti's display includes a list entitled "How to Be a Hilton," complete with tips such as: "An entrance is everything," "NEVER wake before 10 a.m." and "NEVER spend the summer in NYC."

Neighbors in Cranston, just south of Providence, had mixed reactions.

"It's nothing more than they could see on TV, on normal stations — or actually at school," said Stefanie D'Angelos, 28, who has four children.

Added Frank DelSanto, who said he was near 80: "People should not be ashamed of their sexuality — male or female."

But others were bothered.

"It has nothing to do with the holiday, and it doesn't suggest anything that's appropriate to this time of year," said Judy Gershman, 57, who said she had hadn't looked closely at the display.

Ron Raffonelli, 65, said he would be upset if his young grandchildren came to associate Christmas with naked woman. He'd prefer the kids to think of Santa Claus instead.

After all, Raffonelli said, "He's been around longer."

This is the latest in a series of artistic lawn displays decorating Moretti's lawn. Last year, he paid tribute to Martha Stewart even as he and another man faced charges for sneaking on to the domestic maven's property. The charges were later dismissed, and the men donated money to public libraries near the property. Moretti calls the incident a "big misunderstanding."

Moretti has made past tributes to Madonna, Princess Diana and Liberace.

He came upon his latest subject after meeting Hilton in a store in the Hamptons, and said he found himself fascinated.

"She was just very sweet," Moretti recalled. "So I said, 'Wow, this year I think I'm going to do a Paris Hilton Christmas.'"