You're Doing It Wrong

If it would stop raining long enough, maybe I could run out there and save the last few tomatoes.

Portland Oregon Water
When summer boogied, it didn’t waste any time. We went from pleasant sunshine to cold, hard rain. I thought about pulling up the tomatoes last weekend but then thought we’d have at least one more warm streak. Maybe we will. I’m going to put my hoses away to see if it that will help.

We had the furnace serviced yesterday and some liner or pan or whatever that we’ve been watching has finally gone bad and we need a new one. It’s hardly catastrophic but not what I want to spend my money on right now and definitely not what I want to spend yet one more Friday doing – sitting around the house while someone works on the furnace. I had some money set aside to do something fun with and so far, something fun seems to be having heat this winter.

Oh well, there are way worse problems a girl can have. The serviceman did not feel great about us using the furnace while this part is kaput and temperature-wise we’re on the threshold. We can make do with a sweater and a space heater to take the edge off but blasting some real heat would be a lot nicer.

We had writers group here today and I baked an applesauce cake. We have tons of apples on our little old tree and I’ve been making applesauce the past few weekends. The cake came out good but it wasn’t as sweet as I would expect. I guess that’s because of the icing that calls for another half pound of butter and two cups of powdered sugar. I didn’t make the icing. It was still yummy. The group hasn’t met in a couple of months so it was fun to see everyone and we had two new people join us and I thought it went well. And I got some great feedback on a story I’ve been working on for eons that I couldn’t quite get to work. I think it’s very close.

I’ve been looking forward to getting my shows back except for two of them don’t even start until 2008 so I’m not as overloaded as I expected. I liked Bones but I’m not sure it even made sense. It seemed like the bad guy sort of appeared randomly in one of the last acts and then, !, they figured out there may be another bad guy but they never looked for him and instead resolved some character awkwardness resulting from last year’s season finale. I added Bionic Woman and I’m on board for now. Every person I’ve mentioned this to has mentioned the original which really has nothing to do with this show except for the name and basic premise, being that some poor mangled woman was rebuilt using advanced technology and has super human powers. I watched the original and I loved it but then, I was about 13, it was like the show was invented for me. I think the new one has potential if they do interesting things with the characters and if nothing else, Starbuck is in it. I almost think her character is the most interesting.

Last week while the TV was on The Tube the Journey video for “Don’t Stop Believin'” came on and it was a live performance from the Escape Tour. I know because I was a Journey fanatic at that point in my life and I saw that show at least twice, maybe three times. I helpfully told Bob the names of all the members of the band and a little bit about them which I’m sure he appreciated since I’m sure Journey was on the short list for his most loathed bands during that time.

Tomorrow afternoon we’re going to a get together for some individuals who worked on a program for Bob’s school. I’ll keep the explanation short — there was a collaboration of various individuals to do an art/performance piece that uses digital media. Try here. I went to see it last night and they set up this grid in an open room and then use these “pucks” that activate certain lights, sounds and rhythms based on where the puck is on the grid. So the performers move around with the puck and one person activates rhythm tracks and the other person activates melodic tracks and at the same time certain light patterns flash. I’m sure I’m doing a terrible job of explaining it but it was really cool, both as an art piece but also made you think about the applications for this technology.

That’s the scoop for now.

The Difference Between Guilt and Shame
Last night before class I visited with my yoga teacher, Denise, and the teacher who taught the class before ours.

Denise was telling a story about a difficult yoga student who was having an anger problem at class. (Sounds funny but this isn’t the first time I’ve heard a story about a hostile student bumping heads with a yoga teacher.)

Then Theresa told about being a new student and having to do something in class that she didn’t like or holding a pose too long and how it made her mad at the instructor. “Why is she making us do this? Bitch.”

So then I told about being a new yoga student and not being able to do the poses or keep up with the class and how that made me feel mad at myself, because if I’d started yoga a long time ago, I could do this stuff already.

“And that,” Denise said, “is the difference between guilt and shame.” Then she left to help a new student get signed in.

Theresa and I looked at each and said, “But which is which?”

Health Care and XFiles In One Easy Post
Yesterday was my annual exam which is no big deal except I had to wait one hour for what was 5 minutes with the doctor. Kind of a burn, but why don’t I be grateful that I don’t have to go that often. At least I brought my own reading material. According to the nurse, I’m at exactly the height/weight that I have on my driver’s license. There should be an award for that. First I wrote plaque – but seriously, who wants a plaque? How about a $5 discount on your co-pay for your next visit?

I don’t know enough about the health care business to have a strong opinion on what’s going to fix it. I think everybody involved could use improvement, starting with the doctors and moving on to the insurers, the drug companies and then to the patients, themselves. I think you need to get all those parties in a room talking before making any big billion dollar health care reform.

One thing I don’t understand about the insurance I have now, is the blizzard of paper that follows every appointment. A couple of years ago I had a series of health issues which weren’t serious but involved about 6 trips to the doctor in 6 months – highly unusual for me. Every trip and every lab test involved a separate statement from the clinic, sometimes 3 or 4 pages long. Then a statement from the insurance. Then a statement from the clinic. Then a statement from the insurance. Then I’d get a bill from the clinic for $11. How much did the time, energy and resources cost for them to get $11 out of me?

My most recent Netflix was the first disc of the first season of The XFiles. I was a huge XFiles fan. I thought I started with the first season but looking at the episode guide, I started with the second season. The wiki says the series debuted in September 93 and it holds up really well. Mulder’s hair is funny and Scully’s wardrobe with the fancy suits with giant shoulders look ridiculous but the stories are still good.

I remember looking forward to that show on Friday nights. End of the work week. Crack open a cold beer. I was living in my Aunt Aileen’s basement and I had already met Bob but usually I didn’t see him until Saturday so it was my show. Also that was when I first got on the Internet and alt.tv.x-files was my first usenet group and XFiles fandom led to my one and only time in a chatroom, I joined an XFiles chat on AOL. They were teenaged boys and on the east coast, so they’d already seen a show that hadn’t aired where I was. Yeah, it seems obvious now but at the time it was all new and weird.

I’ve been wanting to watch the first three seasons again for awhile. That’s one of my winter projects.

The Faun in This Movie is Not Mr. Tumnus
Yesterday I watched Pan’s Labyrinth which won some Oscars but apparently not best foreign film. I thought it did.

It was very well reviewed and it’s a great movie but I think marketing it as a fantasy is a huge mistake. The setting is post-civil war Spain and there are some grim and brutal things going on in this film. It pushed the limit of my violence threshold. I needed a hug after it was over. The Wikipedia article is really good with interesting notes about casting but there are spoilers so don’t look at it until after you’ve seen the movie. I do recommend, if that’s not clear.

Yesterday I spent a huge part of the day on the couch with the vampires. That’s three consecutive Saturdays, if you’re keeping track. My reviews are here. I loved the books but I’m glad I’m done. Well, at least until Fall of 08. I have some reservations about these books but I loved the characters and was willing to follow them through all 1600 pages. I was just going to confess what a nerd I’ve been about these books but changed my mind. If you’d like to be a nerd, too, you can read a chapter of the first book written from the vampire’s point of view. I read all 20 pages as slowly as possible, thinking, “only 9 pages left,” “now, only 4 pages left. Must make this last.” Well, now I’ve told you what a nerd I am. Like you’re surprised.

I think it’s time to do some updates on the main books page. I need to update my recommendations and write some descriptions. The list that’s there hasn’t been updated in eons.

I have 2,000 other things on my list for today but I’ll add this to the bottom and maybe in 2010 I’ll get to it.

My arms are sore today and at first I couldn’t figure out what was going on because I skipped yoga yesterday and hung out with Bob, instead. I did his big hill walk which is a nice workout. Yesterday I did some hedge clipping and the hedge hog (electric clipper) isn’t heavy but I was holding it over my head and between that and the raking, I got my upper body workout in. Meanwhile, every corner of the yard I worked on yesterday had a giant spider sitting in the middle of a giant web. Where do all these spiders come from? Have they been growing all summer? Did they come out because the weather got cooler? I felt bad destroying all their work.

Dangerous Metal
A long time ago I was really into metal bands, including gnarly stuff like Anthrax and other stuff I can’t even remember any longer. I liked Megadeth. I’m trying to remember if I ever saw them live and I don’t think so.

I think the craziest show I went to was Helloween and I can still listen to that. I’m pretty sure Armored Saint was the headliner and the crowd was insane and I was bumped around and my watch torn from my wrist. My friend Yvette dragged us out of the pit which took over everything including the nice place we were standing. I also saw Racer X a couple of times and those shows were pretty crazy. Crazy means rowdy mosh pit and ratio of men to women about 10,293 to 1.

Even as I write this, it’s hard to believe that I’m the person I’m writing about. It seems like a long ago dream. A few years ago I pulled out my Megadeth tape and I lasted about 1.5 songs. I used to like the noise to fill up my head. These days I like the sound of my thoughts a lot better.

I think I’ve written this before but when I was in college I had a friend that was quite a bit older than me and she told me that some day I would be more comfortable with my thoughts and wouldn’t need all that loud noise. I thought she was crazy. Turns out she was right.

If anyone knows Whitney of Santa Barbara: tell her she was right.

A couple of years ago I wrote a story about my love of metal which you can find here. Back in the day I read about this thrash metal band called Savage Thrust and bought their record and the guy at the record store asked me if I knew them. I did not. But apparently I wrote them a fan letter which I have zero memory of.

I was never a huge fan letter writer but every once in awhile I’d jet off a little love note to a band. These days I’m big on writing complaint letters to websites where I think the usability is crap. Recent recipients are the Columbian (local news) and the federal government bookstore with a terrible, terrible search function.

Savage Thrust (Ed) sent me a postcard which I have scanned for your reading pleasure. My poor scrapbook is falling apart because I keep cutting stuff out to scan.

Ed found my post and told me there’s a tribute site. Savage Thrust. You should go check out what you missed.

A Good Duct Cleaning
Today we had our ducts cleaned. I remember we had it done when we first moved into this house and we were on track to get it done on the 3-5 year cycle they recommend. Then somewhere along the way we (obviously, I suppose, 3-5 years after we had the first cleaning) started putting it off until next year.

One of the people who serviced the furnace said since we didn’t have pets or kids, we probably could stretch it a bit. I wanted to take care of it this year and when I phoned the new furnace company I got a referral and got them to come out today. Turns out it’s been 9 years which is too many. The guy peeked in one of the vents and exclaimed “yahoo!” as if he’d just discovered the mother lode. “It’s definitely time,” he said. He also came up from the basement with a scrunched up filthy thing which apparently is a filter that we’re supposed to replace regularly.

In my defense: I can’t be in charge of everything.

The vacuum process was louder and there was more activity and it took longer than I remember. But then, I can’t remember anything about 9 years ago. I thought I could get a few things done while they worked but I kept crossing paths with them and eventually gave up and went outside to read.

Now they’ve gone and I’ve started too many cooking projects. I have more applesauce on the stove. I made the Roasted Tomato Soup which is warming. I have cookies half started. I guess I’ll leave the granola for tomorrow. I also want to bake an apple pie this weekend.

In other news I started watching a movie called The Break-Up which was completely dreadful. Was it a romantic comedy? A dramady? It was too silly to be serious and the humor wasn’t funny. Hot babe falls in love with schlumpy guy and works her ass off to create a nice home while all he wants to do is play pool in the living room. I’m supposed to find this entertaining? I quit after 1/2 hour and went back to reading my vampires in high school book which, I’m ashamed to admit, I did find entertaining.

In the midst of the big vacuum, Bob came home. He’s working but had a doctor appointment and thought he’d sneak home for a quick nap before he headed back to school because he’s going to see Sonny Rollins tonight. He left after 15 minutes. He said it wasn’t relaxing.

I have a half a post sitting here that I’m going to try to finish and post for Saturday and then tomorrow will be no computer day.

I Want Candy

I know, weather talk is boring. In one place I read that this was supposed to be a mild winter. You know, global warming and all that. The prediction for this part of the world is a terrible winter. Lucky us. Because we’ve had a bad summer and the bad appears to be continuing with unseasonally cool weather all week. Historically, September and October are kickass months here. I should have at least 6 more weeks of open-toed shoes.

When it’s hot, I don’t have much of an appetite but as soon as the weather cools off, watch out. I’ve been meaning to take a photo of my chocolate collection. I have, I think, 3 boxes of Mozart Kugeln. One opened red box at the office, one opened red box at home, one unopened red box in the freezer plus an unopened box of the round ones in the freezer. This is my favorite candy but I can’t eat them that fast and Bob doesn’t eat them so they are all mine, mine, mine! I also have a box of macadamia nut chocolates from colleague.

Me, modeling my favorite candy, in 2000

He went to Hawaii twice this year and the first box I brought home to share with Bob because he does eat those. Two days after I brought it home, he came to me, head hanging, and said he had a confession to make. There was only one chocolate left in the box. I told him he could have it and when Billy brought me a box (technically, I demanded it) from his second trip, I left it at the office so I could enjoy at my leisure. I just ate one 5 minutes ago. I also still have a gift certificate from Hannah for a pound of See’s Candy.

My point being, I am well stocked on chocolate for now. Mom, Dad – I know they’re a pain to transport but a big tube of Prinzen Rolle would be my first choice. Or a brick of Hanuta. I mean, if you’re hanging around the candy area of Karstadt and thinking of your oldest daughter, that might be an idea of something to bring me from your trip.

What I intended to write about when I started this post was how we might have to turn on our furnace in September if this crapo weather doesn’t take a break. We didn’t like our old furnace company and wanted to switch and this was something that we left on the backburner forever. I finally dealt with it the past week and we now have an appointment set up to get the house power-vac’d and another appointment to get the furnace tuned-up and we’re on the schedule to get our oil tank topped off.

At least we’re prepared.

Johnette Napolitano: Scarred

I have three artists that I have loved consistently since the 80’s: Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould and Johnette Napolitano.

I started loving them in different incarnations. Paul in The Replacements, Bob in Hüsker Dü and Sugar and Johnette in Concrete Blonde. In 2002, I got to see all three of them play in Portland (not at the same time) which was like triple threat Christmas for me.

One of my top ten favorite concert memories is going to this show in Hollywood, all by myself. Back then when there was a show I wanted to see, I made sure I saw it and having someone to go with wasn’t a necessity. I still like to do things by myself. A Friday matinee is one of my favorite treats like last Friday I went and saw Harry Potter #5 which was my least favorite of the movies so far, but still, fun. Is it just me or has every one of those kids had a giant growth spurt except Harry?

The Concrete Blonde show was super fabulous. I got right up to the front and the band sounded great and Johnette has so much energy and such a powerful voice, it was one of those shows that sticks in your head.

I’m not sure how to put this but I often don’t like female singing voices. When that whole Lilith Fair thing was going on and for a brief moment in history you could hear two or three women artists in a row on the radio, it was great for gender equality but I think some women sound like babies when they sing and this makes me want to stick forks in my ears. Johnette does not have one of these voices.

In August, Johnette played a solo/acoustic lunchtime show in Portland which I wrote about here. And I was contacted and asked if I’d like a copy of the big solo album to write about here. What are the rules when this happens? Are you supposed mention it or pretend like you ran out and bought it on your own? It seemed sketchy not to mention it and I *LOVE* the cd and would have raved about it anyway so not like I’m just pimping by rote.

The photo is a crop from the cd cover and I don’t know who to credit so we’ll say Hybrid Recordings. I think this is fair use but you never know these days.

You can go to myspace and hear some songs right now. Listen to Amazing (“Amazing you’re amazing / And I am only OK”) and The Scientist (“Nobody said it was easy / /Nobody said it would be this hard”) my two favorite songs on the disc. Actually, I like the song Scarred, too, which isn’t on myspace but for good reason because it’s a song you want to listen to in private. It’s a scary honest song about pain and healing.

I am finally getting the myspace thing. Johnette’s page is one of the first I’ve seen that didn’t look like a big ugly mess. I love that you can listen to songs. I remember the days long ago when I had to buy records before I heard them. I think that was shortly after the invention of the wheel. Johnette loves Almodovar, too! And John Trudell is one of her friends. I’m not doing myspace because I can barely keep up with blogging and Flickr. I don’t need any more excuses to hangout online nor do I regularly need to be reminded that I have only 3 friends.

Not long ago I was joking around with friend about seeing some 80’s rock band, I can’t remember which one. She had gone to see them at the county fair and they played some new songs and she was like: “Who cares about new songs? Play the old hits.” Which made me think how many artists can you think of that put out consistently good music for over 20 years?

I was afraid I wasn’t going to like this and turns out I’ve been carrying it around with me so I can listen to it in the car and at the office. My first heavy rotation disk in a long time. Thanks, Nadine.

I’m working on a post but I *still* haven’t finished it so we’re going for another half-asser until tomorrow.

Last week we went to the dry cleaners. Colleague had 3 pair of pants and I had 1. As we walked in he noticed the sign that said: “Clean 3 pair, get 1 free.”

He said: “Damn, I should have waited until I had one more pair.”

I put my pants on his pile. Score, he got the deal.

As we were walking away, I said, “You realize this didn’t benefit you whatsoever.”

He said, “Yeah, I got the deal.” (And he picked up my pants from the dry cleaners. Score!)

In other news, my dear husband has a giant crush on Drew Barrymore. I have pledged not to stand in their way, should she fall madly in love with him.

There have been rumors lately that she’s been hanging out with the Mac guy — and I figured this would break his heart. But when I said, “The Mac guy” – he said, “You mean Hodgeman?”

Poor Bob was hopeful because Hodgman is a well-fed, nerdy glasses wearing guy and I guess he thought he might have a shot.

The Mac guy, I said.