Done the road
Finally the driving is done and we've arrived in Toronto. Our subletter isn't out until tomorrow, so tonight we're in this high-ceilinged room at the Days Inn, which once was the Orchard Park Tavern where we used to watch the Blue Jays and the Leafs in the playoffs.

On the drive up we took up a new pastime of playing DVD commentaries on a laptop leaning against the console. Rolling film school. At home we'd watched Antonioni's The Passenger. Thought I understood it, but there's so many little details to understanding the plot that go by in a split second. Only after watching (rather, hearing - we were barrelling down the interstate) both commentaries - one by Jack Nicholson and the other by the screenwrite Mark Peploe - and reviewing plot points with Sharon do I feel like I understand what happened. I'm not sure whether my not getting it is a flaw of the editing (doubt it) or lack of acuity in comprehension on my part (most likely), but now I appreciate the story. And that final shot is really quite wonderful.

Time to head over to the rooftop patio next door for a beverage. Happy to be here!

  posted by John : 5:31 PM

 
Today's discovery
link

Our rug cleaning company's plumber once owned the world's oldest cat. He lived to be thirty-four.

"When I took him over there," said Perry, "she said I could keep him as long as I signed an agreement saying I wouldn't show him as a pedigree because she did not like the pedigree judges. I said, 'Well, it don't matter. I done registered him as a household pet with T.I.C.A. association , and his name is Granpa Rexs Allen, and that's the way it'll be.' Then she gave me the pedigree papers."

Just a bit of web-searching turned up details that the owner was the Governor's cousin, and that some students made this excellent 10 minute documentary about him and his cats: Quicktime video (17.4 MB). An incredible fact brought up in the film is corroborated over at cat-urine.net. Must be the bacon and eggs.

Note on Quicktime links: if you click 'em, browser plug-in will stream the movie but at the original (tiny) size. Better if you right click and save it to your drive, then play in the Quicktime Player window which can be resized.

  posted by John : 3:43 PM

 
Marfa my dear
David Byrne was in from Marfa, Texas last week, and posted a couple of really good articles about the place. Much better than we're likely to read anywhere else (part one, part two). I've wanted to go there, and to the sister town of Alpine and of course Big Bend National Park for about as long as I've lived here but never have quite managed to make it. In January we were just about headed out with our popup camper, but the weather forecast for northern Mexico was much more alluring. I'd really like to go this year for at least a four day trip, as its about an eight hour drive from here. Anyone interested in joining us? Heck, its only 200 miles to the airport in Midland, or El Paso.

  posted by John : 11:13 PM

 
To Watch A Mockingbird
A little video (Quicktime 1.7MB) of our wonderful little state bird on a wire. Captured this morning on our street. Birders once told us you can tell the relative age of a mockingbird by the length of their repetoire, which made perfect sense. And they always do that little hop at some point in the song cycle. I had thought this marked the end of their set, and they would then start over from the top. But it seems like more of a random sampling.

Want more? You can see/hear one bird tweet for 12 mins in this rather larger video (Quicktime 19.3MB).

  posted by John : 10:34 PM

 
I did not know that...
Danny Elfman was the frontman for Oingo Boingo.

  posted by John : 3:45 PM

 
Bugs of summer #4
Starting to feel like I've brought something on myself with this series. Last night we had the guy who will be subletting our house over for dinner. So we did a little tour of the house. We all were standing on the balcony off the bedroom, looking up at the big insects hovering near the roof. We went to go inside, and one slowly buzzed down around Sharon's head, which she covered with her hands. Then he flew right at me - stabbing me right in the face, right on the upper left moustache. Initially quite painful, susibsided a bit. Then after awhile I felt alot of numbness in my face and an awful headache. Pretty much better by morning. It was a paper wasp. Here's a picture of them at another nest (photo by Sharon taken this morning):



From the What's That Bug site:

Paper Wasps are much more tolerant of people and minor disturbances than are hornets and yellow jackets.

That's what I thought.

  posted by John : 6:38 AM

 
Thoughts
I woke up very early yesterday. The result of having drank a Dr. Pepper the evening before at our annual neighborhood BBQ picnic. Except for not getting enough sleep, I like a bit of sleeplessness now and then for the quiet time to think about things. This time my thoughts were of the self-improvement kind and I came to some conclusions:

1. For a long time I've been thinking about what I can do about my tendency to overract to minor things all the time, and have been thinking of getting a doctor to prescribe me some Paxil. I've heard and read quite a bit about the benefits of altering your seratonin levels, but some personal stories that I read yesterday convinced me that "better living through chemistry" is not for me. I'm pretty sensitive to drugs (obviously caffeine has a powerful effect on me) and think its likely that I'd experience some of the side effects. But mainly I don't want to do anything that makes me less sharp mentally. I already feel like I'm losing my edges, and wouldn't want to trade having more dullness in the brain for being a more laid back pleasant person. Will just have to find some other ways to keep my cool.

2. I can't remember what #2 was (see #1). Oh yeah, ... I've really been craving more social interaction, being as we're pretty isolated out here in the country. I'd like to host, or join a game night when we get to Toronto in a few weeks. I think I have Battling Tops out in the garage.

3. Join Weight-Watchers. Also something to take up while we're in Toronto, as its just a walk around the corner to the weekly meetings. Sharon, my mom and I will join for 12 weeks starting in August, to see if we can shed some lbs. Then I'd just need an effective nailbiters anonymous group, and some improvement with the over-reacting problem, and I'd be a all fixed up.

  posted by John : 9:59 AM

 
Big Fish
Sharon had seen the movie before, but I missed it the first time around. At first I was a bit put off, with the swells of Danny Elfman's score, and the pacing, some how it all felt too formulaic. But after awhile the story begins to take hold and I really enjoyed it. Probably because I've been thinking alot lately about truth, and what that means. Observing how the facts of a situation clearly indicate some truth to me, though quite often others see something different that is equally real to them. I would have liked to see the father (Albert Finney) actually telling some of the stories himself - rather than only seeing the played out versions. But I guess that's like saying I wish it wasn't quite so much of a Tim Burton movie.

  posted by John : 7:35 AM

 
Bugs of summer #3
Sharon and I spent much of this weekend cutting down some cedar trees on our property. Actually they are junipers, but they look something like a cedar. They are water hogs, and we're trying to help keep the elms and oaks healthy. Using a chainsaw it takes no time to cut one down. Hauling the debris away is the real work. We made a huge pile next to our fire pit, where we were burning a massive stack from last winter's gathering.

I always forget to put on bug repellent, since we don't have a bad mosquito problem. But what we do have are chiggers. I've never seen one, they're so tiny, but I have lots of welts this morning to show for it.



What's also interesting is the myth many people believe about this bug, that they burrow into your skin and its their wriggling around that causes the itching. Those who think this say that putting nail polish remover on suffocates them. No doubt the nail polish remove relieves the itching, in the same way that vinegar (our home remedy) does.

At the start of June I made my first successful attempt at irradicating the chiggers from are yard using a powerful insecticide. I considered it a severe problem, as Sharon was covered in bites on a regular basis since she spends a lot of time out in the yard, and we really couldn't invite anyone over without their full knowledge of the potential for itching in the morning. The treatment worked, but lasted only 4 or 5 weeks, and our little sprayer died in the application process. So I'm going to buy a sprayer that has backpack-like straps and has pretty high pressure so I can do this on a regular basis, as needed. Then we can experiment with various organic remedies without it taking too long to apply.

These recent posts on bugs are a result of my having had contact with these creatures. I don't expect there will be any more entries, unless I should fall into a mound of fire ants, or happen to see that most awesome of creatures, the walking stick.

epliogue: the sprayer is on its way -- sorry bugs:



  posted by John : 6:42 AM

 
Bugs of summer #2


Found this little guy in the sink when we got home the other day. He's only about 1-1/2" long. Sightings have become more frequent as it gets hotter. Two nights ago, Sharon and I were lying in bed minding our own business when one fell from the ceiling onto the bed and stung BOTH of us. That was a first -- and it hurt a bit. Something like a mild bee sting, and pretty much gone by morning.

  posted by John : 7:23 AM

 
First swim of summer
Pics from Casa Rio de Colores:







  posted by John : 7:20 AM

 
Jaws


Stanley went home on Sunday. Since then I've been substituting for him as Victor's play partner. Its just not the same.

Photo by Sharon.

  posted by John : 5:21 PM

 
History for sale
For Fredheads only. Though the interiors are stripped down, you still get an idea of the conditions on those long tours. No wonder Fred and the band usually look a bit worn out. I'd defintely pick the '58 Wayne. We've been thinking about building a guesthouse - if this could make one last trip to Texas it could be perfect...



  posted by John : 11:55 AM

 
Bugs of summer


Photo by Sharon.

  posted by John : 11:26 AM