Author: Allegra

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

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!

Food and Music

Tom and Peggy and Paul and Keith came over last night for supper.  Supper consisted of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, salad provided by Peggy, pie provided by Paul (nearly typed pee, hilariously enough).  Then, singing.  I love Columbus Stockyard Blues.  Then, Jeff and I and Keith watched a Homicide episode, and then it was midnight, because Jeff and I found a documentary about Pete Seeger on the tube.  It’s really good, highly recommended.  Jeff and I both exclaimed at the same time when footage we watched when we were kids, when our parents set up movies on 8 and 16 millimeter in the basement, came on the screen.  (Tzena Tzena Tzena).

When we were kids, the folks would have movie nights, and we watched:

Charlie Chaplin

Cartoons

Abbott and Costello Meet The Wolfman

Laurel and Hardy

Keystone Cops

Second World War footage

The sound of the film running through the projector and the hum of it as it ran is permanently etched in my brain.

Mike brings dinner and “something for the kids”

Mike brought marinaded chicken, with a side of rice, and I made salad and bought tiramisu cups from Langley Farm Market, and we watched the latest episode of True Blood and T2.  (After Keith and Mike had a Star Trek match).  My new fave movie scene is Linda Hamilton’s escape from the fool farm.

Mike said, “I brought something for the kids” which proved to be one of those motorized balls that wibbles and wobbles and scoots all over the floor.  The boys ignored it.  Margot LOVED IT, but doesn’t actually play with it, she just chases it around.  Will provide video once it’s available.

Mike recently had the astonishing experience of having an ex a) apologize for any harm caused and b) repay the money owing.  The universe did not fall off its axle, but I damn near did when I heard about it.  Wonders cannot cease while we live.

Today, return library books, add receipts to our monthly who-owes-what-to-whom reconciliation (grr, I lost my second biggest receipt this month), tweak various recordings for posting and adding to running-total list of songs, clean house from top to bottomus, prep for dinner with Tom and Peggy, try to get hold of Cindy to see if she can come tonight as well, laundry, and mow grass.  I will try to squeeze one song in there if I can, next up is “Beloved Coworker (I guess I never felt this way).  Which I wrote in Montreal.  I wrote “She” and “Evening News” in Montreal; my dwelling there was an interesting failed experiment in many ways, but at least I got some good songs out of it. Living in Montreal and Toronto have definitely brought me to a finer appreciation of Vancouver; with all its flaws it’s a very good place to live.

The weather has been overcast, occasionally rainy, and cool. Feels like fall already, but we had a deliciously hot summer and I had lots of beach days so no whining here.

Off to do the first load of laundry now….  Should think about what to bring up from the freezer while I’m down there.  It’s cool enough I could cook indoors, and I’m thinking meatloaf?  with spuds and veggies?