Month: September 2009

long post

I bagged on the puddle yesterday, but in good news, I have lost ten pounds since I quit working and the trend continues.  Who the hell knew that eating less and exercising more would work?  I am looking forward to v..e..r..y slowly losing the rest of it.  Keith is dragging me out to exercise today. Paul and Keith and Katie went jogging on Saturday, can you credit it?  I thought it was happening at one, so I was shopping on Main St. I bought…. a pick guard.  Two instrument wall hangers.  A gig bag to replace the trashed one which Eddie whizzed on.  It was trashed before Eddie whizzed on it; I hated the damned thing and the zippers were junk.  I came this close to getting a guitar stand, but no. Margot continues to enjoy her cat toy, to the extent that she came and slept with it while it was charging on my bed last night.  Although her appearance in my room was probably triggered by Eddie permacrabbing at her in the hallway last night. Yes, I permanently mounted a power bar a railing on my bunk bed.  There are four items plugged into it currently, three of them chargers for various gadgetty things. Nascar yesterday.  I am starting to like it, because when I watch it I go into this really creative zone.  Whatever works.  I solved a story problem while watching the race yesterday and went upstairs to write it down.  At one point a car spun out, exploding grass divots into the air at 150 miles an hour, and then ‘wearing’ said grass divots as it went into Pit Road.  Keith and I looked at each other, and Keith said, “Camouflage; you’re doing it wrong!” which cracked me up.  It even went back onto the track with grass stuck in the bumper, reminding me irresistibly of a muscleman with spinach in his teeth. I can’t leave a message for Katie because Daxus filled her mailbox.  Katie just shrugs.  Since the phone’s in my name, I’m going to block it his number for her; she’s looking for work right now and it’s essential that she have access to her voicemail. Thursday Brian C. and Chari are coming over for dinner and la musica.    Mike will be free that evening and bring that sweet electric twelve string he recently rescued from his parent’s basement.  It makes everything sound like a Byrds song. Today…. all the things I haven’t been doing, like getting my taxes mailed off and booking a truck to empty the storage locker, and maybe, just maybe, knocking off another song.

lily from Cousin Gerald

I love it when men send me flowers 😉

lily

I finished Beloved Coworker – I am Very Happy with the way it turned out.

Keith is here and we’re going to go to the puddle later.

Jeff finished my taxes (I only gave him the last of the missing paperwork this past week) and according to the numbers they owe me money.  This also means, that Katie can get HER taxes in and thus get about 800 dollars back.  w00t, as they say.

Okay, back to the homily.  I will kick ass, in a respectful way, if the universe hangs that way.

Yet more Homicide

What a frikkin amazing show that was.  The approach to racial issues – the ongoing heffalump in the parlor in North America – and sexism, and the whole personal life coming to work issue – all of these things are handled in a manner which marries the visceral and the cerebral in a perfect cassoulet.  I looked up Yaphet Kotto on wikipedia.  Do likewise, if you want to read one of the strangest bios in the history of entertainment.  Did you know that it is possible that he is the illegitimate descendent of Queen Victoria? and he’s Jewish??? He doesn’t LOOK Jewish.  Homicide has also had me looking up Baltimore.  Baltimore is the same size as the GVRD.  And what can you say about a show that has John Waters poking his head in as a guest star every couple of seasons?  Le sigh.

And I don’t get tired of looking at Andre Braugher, who is like a force of nature.  Keith says he’s the adorable bastard of the show, like Lymond.  (Me so happy Keith read Lymond.)

Paul and Keith were here for dinner last night.  My invention – and my energy level – failed me, so we picked up a chicken and salad.

Absolutely nothing done on the songs, but I wrote some more on Graceful Chaos, a new sf short.  Keith likes what he sees so far.

ScaryClown wuz here

Jeff and I introduced him to Harlan Ellison (he had never heard of him before) via the documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth, and ScaryClown howled with laughter in all the right places, along with saying, repeatedly, “This guy is a f*cking lunatic” which of course is a true statement.

We had pork chomps and one lonely chicken breast, stir fried veg (mushrooms, bean sprouts, onyums, red pepper and carrips), little cookies I picked up from a deli, and a lavish amount of beer.  We had an awesome time, and we didn’t even break out the Star Trek game!

Bareld just phoned to ask me to do the homily (The Meaning of Home) on October 25th.  The morning after the congregational dinner, so I’ll be saggy and baggy in the eye department, but oh well.

Stay on good terms with engineers

Or they will f*cking KILL YOU. Or themselves, in this case.

I realized, reviewing my social calendar for the last few weeks, that it’s been pretty heavy on my rellies, and not heavy enough on cool boys who like to talk tech.  For this reason I called ScaryClown and invited him over for dinner.  Jeff was pleased.

He’ll be here late, as he’s got to go to BCIT first, but that is only one bus ride from here.  Now I contemplate what to cook, hoping for inspiration…. nah, I want chicken! That was easy.

Went to Shiloh 6th Avenue Church this morning to look at the space for the satellite service.  It’s a rather austere and functional room, but it’s still nicer looking and with a higher ceiling than Place Maillardville.  Peggy signed the contract for four months (one Sunday per month) of function space today.  Shiloh’s the church Suzanne goes to, so it’s all part of my insanely small world.  It was nice biking down there, but I was annoyed to discover that Neil Douglas’ shop doesn’t even open until noon these days.  I also checked out the menu at Olé Olé which made me instantly hungry.  I was thinking of biking all the way down to the new location of Renaissance Books but decided that was too much hill on the way back. I also thought of going to the Royal City Farmer’s Market.  But I won’t – I don’t like leaving the house when the dishwasher and laundry are running.

Margot is still in love with her toy.  Anything to get some exercise into that kitty.  I was telling Peggy last night that I’m looking forward to her first interaction with snow.  I bet she loves it.

Unca Dave’s “I’m not dead yet” partay will be the last weekend in September.

Carrie’s coming through town the third week in September on her way to see kids in Ontario.

Further news as events warrant!