I love

Black and Indigenous scientists dragging their asses through an academia that hates them and then TURNING UP THE JOY on their work when they finally win through, and bringing as many of their people in as they can. They could be absolutely fixated on how horrifically they were treated but instead they mentor and teach and try to heal academia and damn do I love their joy. @ZoeSTodd has been very careful to talk about the NON JOYFUL bigoted crap she was put to, so it’s not like I’m unaware of how bad it gets when the academy thinks you don’t belong.

People who are professionally calm doing goofy funny things with animals.

People in boats who run into animals in distress and rescue them.

Wingsuit videos. I mean I hate them because I clench so, but what vim!!!

Jumping spiders. They are so cute and emotional I just love them to bits. I really love it when the redbacks hatch in April and we’re having little convos with them in the kitchen while they observe us.

Buster’s purr. He sighs and purrs at the same time and it’s just the most wonderful expansive sound of contentment. Makes me wish I could purr too.

Plug in heaters COLLIS TABERNOUSH it’s fucking cold here.

Deer Lake Park. So much happiness have I experienced there! Still putting together a list of songbirds with their songs to accompany us on our walk.

Writing letters to people. I think I’m going to stop handwriting them though – typing is easier, faster, more legible and I’ll get more words out to people.

My Brother printer. The ink is of course expensive but it just DOES ITS JOB.

Sudoku. It’s one way to stay sharp.

Sherlock. The game, and the character, but in this case I’m talking about the game, which I’ve been playing for a quarter of a century. A really good game keeps on being good, no matter how many times you play through.

Jeff. He cracks me up and eats what I cook and looks after the bills (I contribute, thanks to a wonderful roommate spreadsheet that takes all the sting out of calculating who owes what to whom) and takes out the trash, what more do you want in a brother who is also the roommate?

Corvids. The crow who comes alone came early today, it’s so cold, and cried for food out from the dogwood tree.

my children and parents obvs

my beautiful pals, far and near, seen recently or longed for: Tammy, Dave, Mike, Tom, Peggy, Shad and the rest of the filkers, Sue, Jim and Jan, Jan M and Soon, Catherine, and all the people I’ve sung and played with over the last twenty years, and Paul of course.

I posted some bih-bah but took it down.

 

 

 

Bela Lugosi is the King around here

Well my momma lived next door to Bela Lugosi
He kept trying to give her cigars
and I was too polite to say “I think you’re lyin'”
so I said, “Alan, I think you’ve been working too hard.”

NO she really did live next door to Bela!
Call her in Ft. Lauderdale and you will see
I thought, I gotta think of something to one-up this puppy
so I dug down deep in my memory
I said
I was seen
by our royal queen
In my crib when I was less than a year
And she leaned right in and she cooed so loud
my grandma and my auntie could hear
Then they misspelled my name
in a newspaper clipping
when I clap my hands, it appears!

and he said
that’s real nice
but it cuts no ice
cause BELA LUGOSI IS THE KING AROUND HERE

Bela Lugosi is the kind around here, Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi is the kind around here, Bela Lugosi

Well I split a cab with Sinead O’Connor
I could tell she’d kill for a smoke
I said, as soon as we get out and hit the sidewalk
we’ll go someplace quiet and crack some jokes
Wish ta hell I could remember what she said
it was a cutting remark and she cut me dead
I live in mortal fear that we’ll run out of beer
but BELA LUGOSI IS THE KING AROUND HERE

Bela Lugosi is the kind around here, Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi is the kind around here, Bela Lugosi

Well I want you all to know I had an alien’s baby
and everything came out fine, but the eyes
and when she smiles all her teeth are a little bit pointy
and she never seems to be the least bit surprised
I showed her Plan 9 From Outer Space
she said, that’s it, I give up on the whole human race
HAVE NO FEAR SOMEONE BROUGHT MORE BEER
and BELA LUGOSI IS THE KING AROUND HERE

Bela Lugosi is the kind around here, Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi is the kind around here, Bela Lugosi

Apparently this is Peter Alway’s favourite song of mine. Takes all kinds, my darlings.