…Dusty would like all birthday gifts redirected to me. I have no idea why he has decided this, but he said it was his one true birthday wish and who am I to deny him? Perhaps this is why it was so difficult for him to come up with a list? Because he knew he would somehow have to give it all away without being awkward about it?!? Well, I’ll bear the burden for you, friend. No worries.
Lindsie took some really great photos at the 2007 “Mutt Strutt” here in Chestertown this weekend. (Go ahead, Linds, admit it. You are a great photog afterall!) There are like a zillion pictures, including one of my partner in crime, Nancy with our new HD camera. I’ve posted to Flickr and you can get there from here.
All told, this was a great weekend. I’m so glad Lindsie is only an hour and a half from me now…we’ll have many more of these visits in the future, I’m sure. It was really great to introduce a long-time friend to so many of the people I talk about, especially Kate. (And Ms. Bella, by association.) We didn’t do much of anything, but the company and conversation – and champagne – made for an excellent time.
…probably because I stay in bed for 9+ hours when they roll around. Splendid, delcious sleep. 🙂
What’s been happening here, you ask? Well, I’m currently procrastinating when I should be calling Kate so she can come over and turn a few cups of my flour into her grandmother’s pancakes. You have no idea how thrilled I am for this since I worked up a major appetite while being a topless ho(er) at Nancy’s vineyard. I guess I was only really in the field for like an hour and a half today, but when coupled with my chores earlier, I was completely wiped out when it was time to head back to Chestertown proper.
Yesterday was the Chestertown Tea Party (Flickr photos) which was fun, I suppose. It was a lot of people in a very hot space. Kate and I made the best of walking around, realized we were melting and then tried again after a brief stop at my apartment for liquids and shade. On our second go round we ended up at “Tessa’s” porch (really, Mike’s, though he wasn’t there.) I am proud to say that I successfully opened the red wine with a Swiss army knife (after Heather offered up some assistance) and then set to work drinking it like a professional. Things get hazier here…
Other things of interest: hiking in Tuckahoe park (Flickr, again) on Thursday with Shane and Shannon. It was oh-so-much fun, but also a great opportunity to become tick-encrusted. My house seems to be free of them now, but I’m still freaked out everytime I “find” a forgotten mole. Stupid pests. Friday night was the most delightful of barbecues at Shannon’s…in her landlord’s war memorial, no less. Delectable vegan/vegitarian dishes and – you guessed it – more wine. And champagne! I’m glad Shannon shared that particular graduation gift with us.
I’m ready for more sleeping in tomorrow and then a day full of nothing. Perhaps it will actually rain here?
I’m really beginning to love Pedro Almodóvar. I was a bit shakey after watching A Bad Education but he’s completely redeemed himself with Volver. I think it’s that he captured – again – the complicated female world of All About My Mother which won him my affections to begin with. But on to the review…
Volver is nuts. “Loco,” if you will. The story twists and turns and falls into and out of itself in so many breathtaking ways. It’s one of those films where you know from the very beginning that there is no way you are going to be able to call the punchline anytime before the 3/4 mark. (I did, by the way, which was enough of an accomplishment to be brag-worthy.)
Basically, the entire premise of Volver is the notion that a departed loved one can come back to us. In this case, it’s Raimunda’s (Penélope Cruz) mother. What would you make right about your past if you had the chance to approach the task with the wisdom of time and loss? It wasn’t this simple, of course. There was the incestual relationship that produced Raimunda’s daughter, Paula. And the murder of Paula’s stepfather, Paco. Let’s not forget the seemingly crazy dying wish of Raimunda’s childhood friend, Augustina, to learn more about a family tragedy that only the dead could remember. And the list goes on.
The whole film takes place in between Madrid and Raimunda’s childhood village. It glitters with ornate Spanish tiles. It shocks the eyes with vibrant dresses and stark white stucco. And it positively glows with the radiant personalities of Almodóvar’s characters. As flawed as they all are, you want to be embraced into their world…and into their families. I mean, who hasn’t buried the husband their daughter has killed in a freezer stolen from the restaurant they’ve illegally taken over? It’s a universal story.
100% recommended. You should add it to your Netflix Queue (if you are so inclined) or pick up a copy from the local video store. I’d even venture to say it’s good enough to own. 4 stars, dear readers, 4 stars.
…for giving the world such a spectacular fountain! Something seemed so alien about this photo from Flickr so I just went all out. Bioluminescent insects: check. Ancient map of Europe: check. Crazy colour scheme: check and check. I call it “The Frog Prince.” Enjoy at 1440 x 900 by visiting my portfolio.
She’s the face on the radio
She’s the body on the morning show
She’s there shaking it out on the scene
She’s the colour of a magazine
And she’s in fashion
She’s in fashion
She’s employed where the sun don’t set
And she’s the shape of a cigarette
And she’s the shake of a tambourine
And she’s the colour of a magazine
And she’s in fashion
And she’s in fashion
Oh and if she tells you 2 is 1
then 2 is 1 my love,
Oh and if she tells you, you should know,
then you should know my love,
She is strung out on a TV dream
And she’s the taste of gasoline
And she’s as similar as you can get
To the shape of a cigarette
And she’s in fashion
And she’s in fashion
“She’s In Fashion” – (The London) Suede
Last night was unmitigated fun, I must say. Shannon randomly emailed me while Kate and I were taking in a talk about Antartic adventure over lunch. The reason: she had decided that she wanted to make a spontaneous dinner and I was invited. “Hooray!” I thought at the promise of delicious organic food. So, joined by Kate, I made my way ALL THE WAY over to Shannon’s apartment (half a block, across the street.) There, I was greeted by Shane playing door man and the largest step up into a kitchen I’ve ever witnessed. And, also, the delicious smells of vegetarian masala and falafel. Adding a few bottles of wine (read: three) and lively discussion centering around The Game served to make for a dimly-lit, enjoyable evening. The fierce heat of an attic after thought flat wasn’t even enough to slow the laughs.
Work kicked my ass today, but I suppose that will happen when you go in early and have a three hour meeting. I left feeling productive but drained half an hour after “quittin’ time.” Now I’m fully ready for a weekend of in sleeping and vineyard planting.
Today I was supposed to stay at work until 6:00 pm to help a student work on a podcasting project. And, now I’m not. However, I didn’t know that the change had been made until (luckily) Brian filled me in. Crap-a-doodle. Oh well…at least it means I can go home right about…oh…now. Ciao, blogopod.
My computer has suffered in its very short life. Warping and scuffing and scratching…poor, poor Desmond has seen a rough existence. But that doesn’t stop him from being glamourous. Oh, no. He’s now festooned in an array of lovely stickers and his collection is always growing and changing in new ways. Here he is in a recent incarnation:
He’s like a pop star. A pop star that is a computer. So, basically, Beck.
My mom and sister are visiting me this weekend which is all kinds of exciting. It’s been wonderful having people in my house for a change, even if their stuff has completely overtaken nearly every room. Today we drove into Baltimore where the American Visionary Art Museum was putting on its Kinetic Sculpture Race. The event is completely crazy and the “winner” is the vehicle that comes in dead middle after the amphibious run through the city. We were totally late arriving but – as with everything artsy – the race started 30 minutes behind schedule. Parking on Federal Hill (illegally) we made our way right to the best vantage point quite by accident. I snapped a goodly amount of photos, hosted on Flickr, of course. I even made a video:
Afterwards, we toured the Museum and enjoyed an awesome seafood lunch at the Inner Harbor followed by an impromptu tour of the city (read: I got lost.) Then there was shopping in Annapolis and pizza dinner back at mine. My mom – fully caffeinated – decided that we had to drive to Dover for a Target run and DQ binge. Fun, but exhausting. We are regrouping with Divine Design and computers at present. Tomorrow: breakfast with Kate and a bit more kicking back before they hit the road. Hooray for weekends!