Author: Allegra

Born when atmospheric carbon was 316 PPM. Settled on MST country since 1997. Parent, grandparent.

It was successful

I scrubbed the church banner, I cleaned up stinky containers from the fridge that things had died in (although more work awaits, nice), I did laundry, I wrote out a tune, I practiced for hours before I went to Tom and Peggy’s.

Also

and this is big

Katie has a new place to live.  She’ll be living around Moscrop and Boundary, which is very close to where my work is moving to this summer and about halfway between Burnaby General and Joyce Station.  Moving day will be later this week.  So I don’t even have anything to complain about how she stayed past the automatic three month grace period of no rent!   No whining here, move along.

Not yet again more? No! Say not so!

Yes, two more tunes are burbling but not ready to be expelled into an uncaring world.

Debuted the two new songs yesterday; Peggy was industrious and photocopied the lyrics.  I’ll get them the updated 40 Million Light Years.  Tom cracked up when I got to the end of Doctor Who? as he recognized the closing vamp as something out of the Doctor Who theme song.  I mean what are the odds I’d write the song in the same key as the theme.  Waal pretty good ackshully.  But seriously, it was a great practice and Keith worked hard (when he wasn’t being distracted by a three THOUSAND piece puzzle) and the folks were in fine voice.  Patrick from Headwater was talking to Tom when I got there and I had a brief word with him complimenting him on his successful European tour.

Anyway, one of the choons I’m working on is an atheist hymn, which I hope will prompt my mother to go into genteel hysterics of amusement should I ever finish it (verse and chorus only so far), and the other is some kind of rock and roll “I’m a mandolin and did you know Jimmy Page plays mandolin” weirdness.  Also I had a phrase come into my mind as I was dehydrating my hair.  My happiness is temporary, my sadness is temporary, my fear is temporary, my anger is temporary, but the work goes on, the work goes on.  That’s the musical phrasing anyway.

The Christmas break is over; the New Year has begun; what transitory delights and terrors await us in this upcoming year?

Funny pic

Lovely caption…

Katie slept over at Dax’s last night.  They are looking for an apartment together. These next two sentences deleted on the insistence of counsel, who is currently shaking her perkily coiffed head and pointing to a sign indicating how long things you don’t want to be reminded of last on the internet.  Yeah, darlin’, I see it.  Oh well.  Katie can’t live here forever, and much though the prospect fails to entrance me, it’s her life, not mine.

Yesterday was not a complete writeoff; I got a couple of things I needed to do done, I went to church (how early do I have to get there to precede Dave T?  The man’s driving 15 times the distance I do and he still beats me!), did set up, watched everybody take my set up apart and make it better (weird and uncomfortable and full of fail on my part, but in my defense my instructions were unclear), took it all down except the basement, ’cause Sue did it for me so I could drive Carol home, (and may I just interject that when you’re asked to do a service on less than 12 hours’ notice – Rev Katie was ill – and you do it that well, you can expect me to be impressed, thank you Sue and an early happy birthday because I will likely forget) – next two sentences deleted involving pee and ice cream; I burned up a piece of paper with all the things I want to get rid of out of my life on it (personal failings) for the Fire Communion, realized that as much as I love the lyrics of Tennyson’s Ring Out Wild Bells, the choon as limned in the hymnal blows a dozer, and you know what? I ain’t writing a new one. We have the best of accompanists in David, but a song leader would be optimal.  I also cooked curried chicken, got in a walk in the blazing sunshine, and took the banner home to be Amazed. Ralph told me I might like a new book he’d heard about called Godless Religion or maybe it’s called Religion without God.  After all, the experience of awe and wonder belongs to all hoomins.

So, did that sentence about the banner irk you?  Amaze is powdered enzyme tucked in with a lot of surfactants.  I don’t actually know the ingredients but that’s my guess.  The old outdoor church banner (which we just started hanging out front again since we have the perfect railing to tie it to and it magically reappeared from wherever it had been in storage) is covered in an unlovely combination of urban grime, Vancouver exterior mold, & soap scum from the last attempt to clean it; suffice it to say that it’s so filthy that the scuff marks are impossible to tell from the dirt.  I hope to clean the banner today, and I so hope it comes out cleaner, and that I can winkle the dirt out of the creases.

(later…. I’ve been consulting experts, and recommendations have been made, incl. GooGone).

I went to Candace’s and collected my music stuff so I can take it to Conflikt.

Spent some quality time with Katie.

Visited with Keith and Paul for a while.

I am extremely sad and upset about something that I can’t talk about here, but I won’t dodge that I’m upset.  I’m autism spectrum and I don’t actually get a lot of the social BS and I shouldn’t bother teasing people, especially when I already know the person I’m teasing is (this observation deleted) and in chronic physical pain.  I would have preferred an opportunity to fix it, but such is life.  It is a loss.  Another one.  I could write a long self justifying rant, but that is precisely what… oh, never mind.  So many other people have that covered these days….

Today, we sing.  Keith has decided to join me and Paul; we’ll be heading over to Tom and Peggy’s this afternoon.  That’s going to happen, period.  Not enough singing in my life and I have to debut two new songs.  I am so happy Paul’s job dragged him out to Vancouver.  I couldn’t invent Tom and Peggy and they are so spectacularly wonderful, I can’t imagine life without them now.

Since my chances of actually getting it all done are minimal, I propose NOT mentioning my list today.  But there are three items on it…. I will report back success.  If any.  Singing doesn’t count; that’s going to happen today without fail.

No resolutions of interest

I am, however, going to make MUCH MORE MUSIC this year.  That’s not a resolution.  I’m just going to schedule it.

I’ve got the Dr Who song down cold and IT KICKS ASS.  40 Million Light Years is coming along nicely (Katie sang the chorus with me…. and then we spent AN HOUR reviewing Sleep Talkin Man and peeing ourselves laughing.  When he’s asleep, that man is the ultimate hipster douchebag; when he’s awake he and his wife have this awesome relationship.  Yes I have friends of my own. )  I still do not have a fixed tune, although it’s coming, for the Dandelions Dreaming song.  Oh, the sad artist, with such a plethora of work!  Somebody bring out the fainting couch, dahlings.

I did not go to Jarmo’s.  I started drinking FAR too early; I woke up when the car horns went off and then went back to sleep.  Such an exciting life I have.

Bloody hell, not another song!?

Blow you winter winds
blow where you please
hang your icy bunting
on the barren trees
decorate the windows
with capricious lace
send your clouds scudding
across the moon’s pale face

Dandelions dreaming
underneath their banks of snow
Soon they will be blooming
and soon enough the seeds will blow

Blow you winter winds
gales and chills
howl around the hollows
echo through the hills
Bringing snow and fog
bringing ice and rain
A moment of the sun
then all is dark again.

Dandelions dreaming
underneath their banks of snow
Soon they will be blooming
and soon enough the seeds will blow

Blow you winter winds
blow where you will
Now my heart feels
oh so small and still
Soon we’ll close the door
on your bleak refrain
For we will rejoice
and we will sing again

Dandelions dreaming
underneath their banks of snow
Soon they will be blooming
and soon enough the seeds will blow

Blow you winter winds
mark my skin
Soon I will be warm
with my loves and kin
Two foot and four foot
All will be within
There’s a roaring fire
at the Dandelion Inn

Dandelions dreaming
underneath their banks of snow
Soon they will be blooming
and soon enough the seeds will blow

Let the flame wars begin Me Vs. Dr. Who

It’s a series
not a season
they are British
That’s the reason
For weird stuff that they do
Among which, Dr. Who

In and out of fandoms
like a rent boy and his drawers
Dodged some feuds but man was I
collateral in wars
Dr Who perplexes me and
then he flat out bores
I’m nikulturnyi it’s true
I just don’t know what to do
I do not get, I don’t get Dr. Who

Longest running
Eleven Time Lords
Behind the sofa
scaring child hordes
I know it’s a meme
But it just makes me scream

Production values equalling
Space 1999
Forty years just makes it old
it doesn’t make it fine
Although Tom Baker in his scarf
Upon him I could dine
I’m nikulturnyi it’s true
I just don’t know what to do
I do not get, I don’t get Dr. Who

Actors begging
For a guest spot
This police box
is not a rest spot
Nor a place to bill and coo
With the mighty Dr. Who

The Beeb says it’s a superbrand
And trademarked that blue box
It runs in fifty countries
Every minute on the clock
Well keep your sonic screwdriver
the whole thing is a crock
I’m nikulturnyi it’s true
I just don’t know what to do
I do not get, I don’t get Dr. Who

Merry Christmas

Einstein, 1949:

I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being.

Christmas Eve Service was not well attended, but we sang the old carols lustily, and I admired Erin’s little one, and said hey to Rob, who got two whole days off from driving bus. Peggy read so sincerely that I could feel tears welling up – and they spilled.  For unto us a son is given…. and I’ve had that magic, a little life I built (with help) myself and held in my arms for the first time a very long time ago.  And now he’s all big and opinionated, but not so opinionated that he doesn’t love it when I pick him up a milkshake on the way home from church.

No church this Sunday – off to Victoria.

I should go upstairs and wrassle the bird.  For some reason I don’t feel like cooking stuffing.  Must be something wrong with me.