Clockwork Angels

Rush was better this week than I have seen them in years. A show for the ages.

Rodriguez

Last night we saw Searching for Sugarman.

The incredible story of Sixto Rodriguez an American singer songwriter who went unknown in the US except to a select few fans who stumbled on his music in other countries. But that’s all changed thanks to this wonderful documentary.

Discovering his music, now in resurgence thanks to the movie is such a huge treat. The mono mix and production values of the albums make them something other worldly, besides the fact that writing like this only shows up in a few people every generation.

My main sadness is that the world has been deprived for forty plus years of Rodriguez’s art.

Go see the film. You owe it to yourself. To say more than that just dilutes the power of the story and an artist who speaks so well for himself.

Winter prep

Today we turned the gardens under in prep for the winter and cut the grass for the last time this year. The weather app says 37 as the sun disappears from a rare sunny November day.

Two full bowls of potatoes a bunch of carrots and some puny peppers that tried are our reward for a day outside.

The storm windows freshly painted go back up tomorrow with the help of some friends then we settle in for the long slog to May.

Winters in the PNW can be tough especially if you don’t learn to live out in it. This year there’ll be no downhill skiing for me because I’m recovering from back surgery from mid-August; so it’ll have to try snow shoeing and maybe the first time on cross country skis. Should be a fun way to get back in shape.

Wish us luck til Spring!

Wonderful Feb

We’ve just wrapped up a week of no rain, lots of sun, very little clouds and 50+ degree weather.

So what did I do?  Move 12 yards of dirt to start a garden.  A rather ambishious feat since we’ve never grown anything in our lives.  It’s in 3 seperate plots and totals about 360 square feet.

We must be nuts.  Or love veggies.

Guess our summer 09 will be spent weeding!

Oh my God

Funk # 2009

Wow, the year has started in earnest.  I looked up and it’s almost February.

Everywhere I look are closings, layoffs and sliding account values.  It looks dismal.  But this is no time to get mired in the funk.  We’ve got to keep our heads up and pushing forward.  If you listen to the prognosticators of doom your enegy will be sapped.  Leaving you no energy for what has to be done.

Instead I, for one, will focus on what’s good and positive.  Look for possibilty and progress not what I can’t do but what I can.

That’s how my year is going to go.

How about yours?

2008 Recap

F the AFA

What’s the American Family Ass. doing reading the Advocate anyway?  Screw them.  This ad is the most innocuous thing I’ve ever seen.  Portraying a happy family, what a crime.

http://adage.com/article?article_id=133457

First snow of the season.

Well, it’s officially here.  Winter.  A full 8 days early!  Ok, it was really only about an inch and a half.  But in places, we had two inch drifts!  I’m NOT kidding.

I love how things slow down when it snows.  The world goes quiet.  The fireplaces roar to life.  Coffee pots are cranked up to maximum capacity.  And, in our house, at least, cocooning!  Long days reading.  Scoot chairs closer to the fire, wrap up, and watch the world go by.

I’m exhausted.  Time for a nap.

Mary,full of grace.

Our neighbor, Mary Lea Burden, passed away last night–much to our shock. 

We are terribly sad today to look over at her kitchen window and know she is gone.  Together we had revived an old tradition she had had with her longtime neighbor, Sam, whose house we now occupy, of looking for each other through our windows and waving hello.  If we forgot to raise our bedroom shade, the next time she saw us she’d ask if we were OK.  She was just like that–thoughtful.  Sweet.  The Grandmother we had been without for too long.

She was grace.  And class.  And pride.

Mary was of that generation where you wore nice clothes to run errands.  She delighted in her daily walks.  And her geramiums.  And her tomatoes.  We introduced her to pesto.  She brought us slices of pie from the church bake sale.   We had a beer together at our favorite watering hole.  A sweet, symbiotic relationship–the way neighbors used to be.  And I miss her already. 

Even our cat, Charles, had a special relationship with Mary.  He wanted to live at her house.  So often he would go over and sit at her door and meow, wanting to be let in.  And he did sneak in one day.  But more often than not, Mary would see him and come sit on the porch steps to give him his required attention.  She thought he was a girl, but Charles didn’t seem to mind.

This summer, when we painted our picket fence, Mary insisted on helping.  I had been threatening to start for a week and she looked for me out the window several days in a row.  When she saw the supplies come out of the garage, she was out the door–paintbrush in hand.  She confided later that she was happy to see me rent the power sprayer to do the second coat.  Some of us just take longer to come to solutions–she knew it all along.

Doing a favor for Mary, was like pulling teeth.  We’d head to the grocery store and call to see if she needed anything and she’d say no.  Then the next day we’d spy her coming in the door with a shopping bag.  Gradually, we wore her down and she’d let us pick up the occasional item.  That insistence on doing for herself kept her going.  Gave her something to look forward to.  And kept us in awe.

We will miss her greatly.

Happy, No Lucky.

The new Mike Leigh film Happy Go Lucky was at my local independent film center this weekend.  I was eager to see it after seeing the headlines advertising it as a the feel good movie of the season and that you’d leave up and energized.  The promise was a cheap thrill considering the $6 it cost.

But I have to say I did not leave happy, up, or smiling; or any other emotion other than confused.  Wondering why I had spent the money.

This film, for me, falls into that category of movies that have a way of purposely insulting you by making you feel left out if you re not crazy for their genius or you don’t get the nebulous vignettes they’re stringing together.  I would have to mention films such as “Eagle Vs. Shark” in the same sentence.

Perhaps I don’t want to get it if it means sitting through 2 hours of non-sequiters waiting and wondering if something is going to happen.  I still want to be entertained.  Sure, I want to be challenged and caused to question and not force-fed everything.  But if I wanted to watch a group of people get drunk and sit around laughing at seemingly inside jokes that the audience isn’t allowed in on, I’d hang out at the local college dorm on Friday nights.

I loved Vera Drake.  At least it took me somewhere.  I empathized with her.  Felt her pain.  Saw her good.  Poppy (Happy Go Lucky) just eventually annoyed me.  Her life and times were apathetically, superficially and pointlessly giddy often reaching for nowhere.  A feeling I found unsettling.

I don’t consider myself an unsophisitcated dud or movie moron.  Hard to grasp character studies fascinate me.  You can call me a lover of sap, but I’ll take any mainstream canned film that Hollywood puts out over Happy Go Lucky.  At least I know I’m being pandered to–and I’m ok with that.

Today I am thankful

Today again, a sunny day in the PNW.  But this one was different.  The sunlight streaming through clouds as we made our way around our favorite park with the dog in tow felt positively balmy.  Springlike, even.   Not that cold, brisk sunlight that graces rare winter days but warmth like an unexpected early spring day.

It was positively wonderful to breathe in the fresh pine air.  Walking with my wife and our “doghter” I couldn’t have been happier.  We liked it so much we made 2 loops! 

Today I am thankful for sunny days in the middle of a Pacific northwest winter, a long happy marriage, the health and energy to take the walk and time to enjoy it.

Keith Olbermann: What’s it to you?

Required viewing for America and the world.

obama in norfolk virginia

I WAS THERE!

Trip report 1

Day 6 of our East coast trip.  Into Philly for an overnight with Aunt Lynn.  Blast.  Always great to catch up.  Wish she and Steve lived closer.

Up to Upstate NY.  Weather has been beautiful until today.  Chilly, windy and rain…all freaking day. Picked apples 2 different days.  Leaf peeping and generally just hanging with T’s fam.  They are great.

Thursday we head below the Mason Dixon line to NC to see Bro, Kev.  From there to Wilmington, NC (YAY beach time!  Although the weather is going to be f#@king awful.  Then to Nags Head to stay at the world famous Cavalier Motel.  Give a shout out to the memory of Nana and Granddaddy.
Up to VA early Tuesday to see my family.

More later….

75% and getting better

Thanks to all my regular readers.  And sorry for the lack of stuff on my blog as of late.

After 2 pretty major surgeries in a month, I have been laid pretty low.

For starters:  Emergency appendectomy while traveling in Montana-  2 days in the hospital post-op.   But a big shout out to our friends Chris, Patty, Jack and Molly-dog for allowing us to turn what was to be a 1 day stop over into a 6 day extended recovery.

After getting home, 2 weeks later I proceeded to a scheduled double hernia surgery.  WOW.  That’s a lot of freaking pain.

Now 2 weeks post-op from THAT surgery–I’m on the mend but not able to walk more than about a 1/2 mile. 

We leave next week for a 3 week swing on the East coast visiting family and friends from New York to North Cakalaky.

So I hope to have some great stories to regale you with when I return.  Until then, be well!

Joe Six Pack

Haven’t we had enough dumb asses in the highest office in the land.  I mean, 8 years is enough of idiotic people who can’t even say NUCLEAR.  NO, Sarah, we DON’T want “Joe 6-Pack” in office.  This is not (as Bill Maher would say) the United Stupid of America.  Or, maybe it is.  This woman is not intellectually curious. 

As Americans, we need intelligence in the White House.  It’s time for brilliance.  We need leadership to get us out of this mess.  Not bullshit.  Or should I say moose shit.

Time to go back to Alaska, Gov. Palin.  Bow out.  Give up.  America will love you for it.

If, by some strange coincidence, McCain and Palin win, I am for sure immigrating to Canada.

Heartbreaking

Everytime I see the look on Tyson Gay’s face it practically makes me want to burst into tears!  I feel so sorry for this guy!  He should have won 3 gold.  He is such a great runner.  Last night in the 400 relay, OMG!?  I wanted to fly to Beijing and give him a hug! 

Don’t give up, Tyson!  You’re the man. You’re talented.  And all of America (and the world) know you’re still a champ!  2012.  It’s you.

I love that when interviewed, Tyson made “no excuses” and took full responsibilty in the 100 and 400.  The guy is a top notch competitor.  Classy.  No bullshit and smokscreens.  He just said:  I didn’t get it done.  Say what you will about doping scandals, etc.  Innocent until proven guilty, I say.

USA Gymnast robbed!

Let me get this straight, Olympic judges:  The Gold medal for women’s vault is for people who fall down during their vault and the Silver medal is for people who go out of bounds?  Nearly perfect vaults in which the landing is stuck with a slight hop are relegated to 4th place.  Not even Bronze!

Shame on you, judges.  Alicia Sacramone deserves at least the Silver.  Too bad there’s not a way to dispute this ruling.

Alicia was robbed!  This was perhaps the most blatant case of country favoritism I have ever seen.  This was by FAR the worst judging I have seen.  The worst score–for a nearly perfect routine.

The first poem I ever memorized:

 

Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright

Said Orville Wright to Wilbur Wright,

“These birds are very trying.

I’m sick of hearing them cheep-cheep

About the fun of flying.

A bird has feathers, it is true.

That much I freely grant.

But must that stop us, W?”

Said Wilbur Wright, “It shan’t.”

And so they built a glider, first,

And then they built another.

—There never were two brothers more

Devoted to each other.

They ran a dusty little shop

For bicycle-repairing,

And bought each other soda-pop

And praised each other’s daring.

They glided here, they glided there,

They sometimes skinned their noses.

—For learning how to rule the air

Was not a bed of roses—

But each would murmur, afterward,

While patching up his bro.

“Are we discouraged, W?”

“Of course we are not, O!”

And finally, at Kitty Hawk

In Nineteen-Three (let’s cheer it!),

The first real airplane really flew

With Orville there to steer it!

—And kingdoms may forget their kings

And dogs forget their bites,

But not till Man forgets his wings

Will men forget the Wrights.

Stephen Vincent Benet

 

Love this town

This is the type town I’d like to live in:50% of their retail is devoted to beer.  These people have it figured out.  Notice they also have the cafe and a place to buy drugs for your hangover.

What a town!

Bernie and Isaac!

A lot of laughter and soul just got sucked out of the world.  Bernie Mac one day, Isaac Hayes the next?  Gone too soon, Gents.

Semi-retirement is hard work!

The “things to do around the house this summer” list as long as my arm is now getting shorter, but boy am I exhausted! 

Operation Paint the Fence is underway.  I am in love love love with the freaking Pressure Washer.  I don’t know what it is!  But there’s something in us that does not love grime and green algae that proliferates in shady spots in the Pacific NW.  And the “Algaebuster 2000” (not it’s official name) sees the algae and dirt and grime from 8 months of rain go flying away at 1500 p.s.i.  Thanks Kath for the loaner and my new obsession.  I want to blast everything with a stream of high pressure water.  But alas, I have to begin phase 2 of Operation Paint:  replace wood. 

I need another beer.  Pass the muscle relaxers.

Possible AIDS cure

It was reported yesterday that 2 researchers in Texas have found a way to disable the AIDS virus.  What I can’t figure out is why this has not made bigger news?  Granted, they’ve got a lot more work to do and it’s not a cure.  But what a breakthrough!

Vacation

Seems, if you are a regular reader of this blog that I go on vacation a lot!  In truth, Hawaii was the first real vaca in years.  But now that we’ve sold our business and are on to other things we are on summer vacation!  I.e. NO WORK.  But boy have we stayed busy!

Roadtripping sometime soon and will report on that craziness.  Til then, I gots grass that needs cuttin, bank run, house work, cat to the vet stuff to do!  Gotta be outside.  Gots to go, people.

Peace out.