Solitude

Since no one actually reads my blog, here's a taste of me that no one, and I mean no one, has ever had before:

This cold womb of solitude entombs me in silence so serene that I may sleep as Death. Such sweet slumber where life's ebb and flow is lost in the icy breaths of lingering time.

ps: I have to add: OK don't freak out if you read this. It is less about solitude and more about me freezing my ass off in the house, and the warmest place being the down duvet in bed.

Posting this is a monumentous step for me. Should I? Here goes nothing. (ps: I even created a new word, "monumentous", being a cross between monumental (what I intended to use) and momentous (which is probably subconscious wishful thinking). Of course, I'm probably not the first to "create" it, someone must have made that blunder before. )

You want a piece of me?

Rhodo in someone else's yard. Wow.

Note: I couldn't actually see properly when I was

taking this photo. I think it turned out ok.

Spirea in someone else's yard. Give me a break.

You want a piece of me? Feeling feisty? What have I got?

Just three roses cut from my garden today.
This is me in the kitchen holding the vase in my left hand
and taking the picture with my cell phone in my right hand.

Coco

I have been going off on tangents left and right in this blog. I have strayed far from musings, and most recently have posted an extremely brief book review (Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter) and music review (Deftones). What's next? Movie review - Coco Avant Chanel. There are three other movies out about this amazing woman, which I haven't seen, but I have a feeling that the one I watched will turn out to be the best of the lot, for these reasons: 1: Audrey Tautou est merveilleuse; 2: Les Costumes (hats, hats, hats - magnifiques); 3: C'est en francais. You must read ze subtitles.... oui. 4: set design - fantastique; 5: cinematography; 6: Alessandro Nivola - bravo, would not have known it was him at all - except of course, for his ever present charm; 7: the ending - classic, timeless, fitting.

Deftones

Music feeds us, nurtures us, and ultimately defines us.

In my blog profile, I did not include the Deftones in my list of favourite music, but I have chosen to write this post about them, because they have found a special place in my....er.... heart??? Notwithstanding that I had heard a few of their songs, and thought they were great, and bought a number of their CDs, but I did not find them as "easy listening" as say Metallica or Korn. By "easy listening", I don't mean like Fuel or Nickelback, I just mean for me, as comfort music. Inasmuch as there is comfort food, there is also comfort music. The Deftones were just not "comfort music". Theirs was a bit grittier, a bit gnarlier, rough around the edges, not as clean, not as refined as my "go to" music, Metallica and Korn. However, they got me, when I heard the cover they did of a song by a band that I absolutely adored (did I actually ever adore anything?) when I was a teenager. The band was Duran Duran and the song, "The Chauffeur". But, that is not the reason for this post. I just got their latest album..uh.... CD, and after listening to it a number of times over the past week.... what can I say. It is the best I've heard from any band in a while. There are no gimmicks, no feeble attempt at reinvention. They have gone back to basics, and in that, they have been reborn.

Hope

Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result, one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul.

Simone Weil

Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter

So I just finished reading "Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter", and have to say that it sounded like a ridiculously good story. So it was, and a quick read to boot. I would call it brilliantly absurd, or absurdly brilliant, but I can't quite figure out which one. It was a treat to see the names of historical figures that I recognized, and found myself wandering off on tangents, relating to some other historical figures from the Civil War that I had become familiar with, tied to those mentioned in the book. I acknowledge that throughout history, in literature and religious material, there can be found text and sub-text deemed to be regarding vampires, but this yarn weaves them seamlessly in, grabs you in your peripheral vision and makes you look sideways. My only issue with the story was the ending being a tad flippant in its treatment of Abe and Henry. It should have been saved for an alternate or teaser ending on the movie that will inevitably come out.

Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained.

Lao Tzu

Fortune cookie

Not posting anything about my personal life? Phooey.

I haven't had Chinese take-out in over five months. In that time, my career has been put on hold, and my life is in a stalling pattern. So today, in one fortune cookie I received two fortunes, in this order:

1. Opportunities to shine in your career will materialize soon.
2. All facets of your life are looking up.

Go figure. Now is it just me, or do other people receive such apropos fortunes? Hopefully they are fortuitous as well.

Trees

All photos taken within a three block radius.

Who is Sidney Crosby?

Who is this guy?

You must bear with me as I have not watched TV for the better part of 8 years now. I stopped watching hockey when the Canucks sold out Trevor Linden back in the 90's and traded for Messier (gak). I did, however, go online to watch the Olympic coverage this year, as any right-minded Canadian would. I never would have known who Sidney Crosby was if he hadn't scored the beautiful game winning goal in the Gold medal game vs the USA. Well, not quite - I did Google him at some point during the Olympics. But why am I posting this now? Because, I just happened to go online today to check out current events, and well, sports.... uh... hockey... and saw this.....published by Michael Traikos in the National Post - "It isn't easy getting a laugh out of Sidney Crosby, but you get so much else." The article starts off - "Pittsburgh - There is talk that Sidney Crosby lacks personality. That he is bland. That he is a machine that has been programmed to play hockey and speak in mild monotones." How can you tell that I am Canadian? Because I am going to start by saying "I'm sorry." From what I have gathered, this guy is only 22 years old, he works hard and he cares about what he does and the way he does it. He conducts himself in a professional demeanour on and off the ice. Sure he has talent, but he didn't accomplish all that he has thus far at such a young age on talent alone. Discipline, strength, determination. I don't know him, but I am proud of him and I hope that he can remain as grounded as he is. As far as lacking personality and being bland? That is how I appear as well, except I don't have 20 microphones jammed in my face after work, and heck, I'm not as cute, or talented, as he is. Hey, I'm sure that when he is with family and friends, his personality shines.

Through a car window

What can you capture with a cell phone camera through

a car windshield whilst travelling at 120 kmh?

(Uh... passenger seat of course.)

Leaving home

and

Going home

What can you capture whilst travelling at 0 kmh?

As a frame of reference, the two little points at the bottom of the photo are the tips of two tall evergreens.

I'm curious to know what you see when you look at this.