Words to live by

AMEN.

Yesterday was completely derailed by a low key Katie thang followed by me coming back home and folding up in a ball.  Yes, I can haz post Conflikt letdown, happens every year, now I am expecting it.  It is time to do things.  I have THIRTY FOUR airs, songs and melodies on my new phone that I haven’t transferred into my lifetime list, so at this point I am way past two hundred and fifty songs.  I still haven’t written words for the Beacon birthday song, and that is starting to be RATHER PRESSING given that I’m supposed to be rehearsing and performing it within the month.  Churchy stuff awaits in bucketloads, may the completely value neutral laws of physics help me.  My room awaits.  Excited talk with Jeff about a business idea awaits.  Putting stuff on eBay awaits.  Finding homes for the instruments I will never play awaits.  Or maybe just plain getting rid of the musical instruments I will never play awaits.  Finding a fricking job so I have some options awaits.

However I have made breakfast and consumed it, and I am going to make myself some tea and take on the day with a little more enthusiasm now that I have some protein on board.  Oh, and I guess I should get dressed?

Saw this and loved it GRRRREAT SOUNDTRACK.

Trying… to summon …. enthusiasm.   GLERK.

 

Margot was calling for me after I left

… Or I should say squawking, according to Jeff.

I bought and brought back two packs of specially blended tea from Friday Afternoon, the Serenity blend and the Inara blend.  The Serenity blend is extremely tasty (I’m consuming it right now) and the Inara blend we’ll have to wait to drink.  Jeff and I have both now quit coffee so I’m looking for less caffeinated beverages to enjoy.  It was Friday’s daughter who was the littlest filk wench.  TTTO Away in a Manger

 

The littlest filk wench no corset she has
She jumped into the wenching with verve and pizzazz
With hair all of gold and eyes of bright blue
Just try not to bid when she’s gazing at you.

Mom’s in the dealer room all unawares
how her girl’s superpowers she now freely shares
The littlest filk wench said “LET’S DO THIS THING!”
and Douglas and J. heard the coffers ka-ching.

Seanan McGuire took the stage for a bid
Showing how a fan’s name she had cleverly hid
She said “and he might die quite horribly”
And the littlest filk wench cried “NO SPOILERS!” with glee.

She said “SAY ONE HUNDRED!” and the adults all quailed
We all came with a budget and once more we failed
Twas all for a good cause and we all shared a laugh
But how I wish I’d gotten that girl’s autograph!

Conflikt VI is over

I’m home, I had a good time although I slept too much.  CD Woodbury, Blind Lemming Chiffon, the fabulous Tinneys in all incarnations, the Bohnhoffs who were as always entertaining and play to a very high standard indeed, Cindy (((hugs & your stuff got back home okay!))), Creede, Andrew (!?), Gary, Tamsen, Juliana, Douglas, Roberta, Beth, baby Miles, L’il Audrey the terror of the filk wenches (a seven year old girl VOLUNTEERED to be a filk wench and PWNED us as mewling noobs), Harold the soundgod, Jen, Jeri-Lynn & Jeff happy sigh, and Frank of Frank Hayes disease fame, Aislin the bard, many other babes and tots than Miles, Kitt the glorious (her style is classic from her cloche hat to her sensible but pleasing pumps), the row of crafters along the back of the main hall, including a man hooking a rug, Cheshire Moon (the best band of them all for the sound balance voice.violin.strings), and of course Shawna, and especially Autumn, whose signing enriched the stage performances with such joy and fluidity.  All these things come flying through my mind.

I got many compliments on “Grateful” which is no surprise as it is a good song, definitely in the same ballpark as “The Evening News”.  I will definitely perform it at GAFilk if I am spared.

And there was a bawdy filk.  I am always SO happy to wander into those.

So I’m here at the Seatac Hilton

… having gotten Ziva out of the krankenhaus.  She is running as well as she ever has, and with 196 kilometres of highway driving, it’s remarkable how she purrs.

I’m going to unpack to the extent I need to and get me a steak.  I am very very hungry, and I probably should get some coffee too as I didn’t drink any yet today and my head is pounding.

Glorious weather on the way down, the sun shone.  Traffic in Seattle was meh as always, but the drivers here are more polite on average than Vancouver so I had to mind my manners and not weave in and out.  That means picking a lane.  Border crossing was trivial; slower than I would have liked but uneventful.

 

 

Housefilk success achievement unlocked

Mike, Rozo, Tom, Peggy, Cindy, Paul all came.  Jeff’s friend Rob kept Jeff company downstairs and as haz been said, BASS MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER.  BETTER I SAY!!

I stood up to antivaxxers today.  I will undoubtely be sorry.

Today I have no idea what I am going to do.  But I imagine parts will be productive, and other parts fun.

 

MY GOD Margot makes an incredibly loud slurping noise when she’s cleaning herself.

Eddie knows guests don’t put the seat down, so he made a beeline for his favourite water fountain last night.  He was mad when I busted him.

 

puttering

Housefilk at my place tonight, festivities commence at 6 pm or maybe even earlier. Mike and Rozo and Tom and Peggy and Cindy and Paul will be coming… Jeff is considering fleeing to the Robzone to avoid the noise.

Still haz a happy about me being the Interfilk Guest of Honor at GAfilk in 2014.  I have a year to prepare a set list… almost long enough eh wot?

On my list today:  reconcile October, enter November, reconcile November, enter December, reconcile December… and then the simple part of the bookkeeping for the year is done!!! w0ot!

Also, I am on tap to pick up Izzy’s luncheon.  I am sorry, widdle mousie, but your role in the great chain of being is already cast.

Have to make a deposit for the soup luncheon. Sigh.  It missed getting to the collection counters last week and it’s almost a hundred bucks so I can’t leave it lying around here.

Carrie has less than two weeks before she gets off Haida Gwaii for good. It’s too bad her ex is phoning her all the time and breaching his conditions, but that’s life I guess.

There are other little bits of news but that’s enough for me right now.  There’s a hungry snake waiting for me.

 

 

Duck Duck

 

A Christmas Duck not for eating.

Went to the job hut yesterday and I’ll see a career counselor today at 9.  I know how to write a resume and get interviews but since I’m not finding employment I’m obviously doing something wrong.  And when you’re doing something wrong, you have to stop doing it and get on the right track… you know, that stop digging advice.

O gosh the bean with bacon soup is amazing!  There is lots of yummy food in the fridge right now.

It is snowing very steadily and the wind has picked up.  V. glad I don’t have to cross a bridge today.

What would Jack Do and My Needle have gone off to the songbook compiler (Cindy!) for inclusion in the Conflikt 6 song book.  Hard to believe that John was still alive for the first Conflikt.  He sure brought the fun with him.  And I think he would have enjoyed SG1, and every time I write a new song I can see him rocking with laughter or listening intently (or going meh) as the song required.  I think also he would have approved of me finally practicing enough… speaking of which, another item on the to do list!

Paul gave me some coffee that he bought in Maui.  I made it really strong, but I haven’t had any yet so I think I will follow Jeff’s example (he said I made it like espresso).

Paul’s mum dislocated her hip.  Lois is with her now and Paul will be going later.  I hope she can stand the idea of assisted living; I know she’s still sharp and fiercely independent but sometimes the flesh does not cooperate with the spirit.

Watched the documentary about Boubakar Traore called I’ll sing for you.  Mali does not come across as a place I’d like to visit, although Dogon architecture kicks ass, and the guitar work (a Takamine!) is cherce. And too infrequent.  At one point, with no commentary, there are a group of pictures shown about the ‘grin’ (shebeen) movement and there’s a line of people, including a woman with a huge shiner, and I’m thinking, oh great.  I know, I can get downcast too easily.

The Dalai Lama’s book on interfaith dialogue is very interesting (Toward a True Kinship of Faiths).  He says that a global religion is both impossible and undesirable because of cultural and linguistic divisions, but interfaith dialogue is crucial because of the underlying human drive towards religion (or the numinous, or the feeling that we are all part of one big family).  Interfaith action enobles all religion.  (Yeah, as long as we’re not hating on queers…. and women…. don’t think I’m not seeing the lacunae, but I’m trying to elevate the tone here.) He talks about his relationships with other faith leaders, and what a naive little monk he was in 1956, when he first got exposed to other religious practices. He spends a lot of time on India as the model of interfaith dialogue, which is interesting, because they really have been doing it longer than everyone else.    He also talks about his understanding of the other major faith traditions and their similarities and differences… He also talks about how he wishes his English was better – he uses a translator for everything he writes in English.  Anyway, recommended.

an unusual discovery

Jeff was looking at the drives pOp gave him and there are slide shows.  Oh, yeah.  Here’s the best out of the lot.

Bean with bacon soup is simmering on the stove; I don’t have to cook any more today, yay, as there is lots in the fridge to eat and the soup will be ready by noon.

Snow has fallen – it was hailing earlier.

Jeff’s watching feetsball on the PVR and I’m trying to get my exciting song about bears recorded in some fashion.  I hear people scraping off cars.  I am amused.  I will salt the walkway now, it’s the fiendly thing to do.

 

AllegraJeffBalcony

More life

  • Wonderful meeting with Bareld; I am now feeling MUCH better about being a treasurer. He said “I’ve seen it all” and he shared.  We often end services with “You are not alone” as the benediction, and he provided coffee chocolate and sage advice so I really felt the benediction!  Also got to see Marylke briefly as she came in from erranding about.
  • Paid UPS so we won’t lose our church mailbox.  Given it’s the address on the cheques…. you see the problem.
  • Tomorrow, cleaning and cooking for the board meeting at my house.  It will be a potluck.  I’m actually kinda looking forward to it.
  • Keith has framed and will be hanging up his ‘shingle’ – his diploma and professional designations – at the place he is now working.  I AM THRILLED.
  • Katie phoned me yesterday to ‘hear the sound of my voice’ (and can there BE words a mother more wants to hear, at least a partway functioning mom) and to tell me she’s trying to rearrange her sched so she’s got Sunday Monday off.  This is partly because she wants to actually SEE Kyle, and also because as she said, “If I get it you’ll see more of me in church.”  THRILLED ALSO.  Two very very happy making convos in one day, it was rather delightfully dizzying.
  • Saw Premium Rush AND LOVED IT.  I had heard it was a guilty pleasure of a movie, but all I can say is that it was very well constructed and didn’t have airs or pretensions – it was made to entertain, at which it succeeded marvellously.  I now have Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s evol chuckle percolating through my brain.
  • Margot barfed on my copy of Red Roses and Dead Things.  This does not accord with my opinion of this fine work of music.
  • Jeff continues to be the World’s Most Awesome Broâ„¢.