currently…

Trying to figure out why I’m so tired. Think weeks of fighting off a cold are catching up to me.

Looking forward to seeing The Lonely Forest in concert at the end of the week. Even more excited that I have friday off, so I won’t have to deal with next morning concert brain.

Just read Patton Oswalt’s newest Spin Magazine column: This Way to the Egress. Glad it’s going to be a monthly feature. My favourite line, “Do I choose the stoic resignation of a presentable sport coat and slacks or the desperate defiance of a faded Pixies T-shirt and painful-to-my-arches Doc Martens? How about a third option?”

Hoping inspiration comes to me this afternoon so I can start and finish my next newspaper article. Thoughts are floating, but nothing is sticking.

Disappointed with the new Magnetic Fields album. At least there was one good song. I hope they sing a lot of their back catalogue at the concert next month.

Loving these amazing pictures of the “frosty blue dunes on Mars” - if I was one to change my desktop background, it would be to one of those.

Currently…you are?

just a little tweak

E-mail I received from my dad this morning:

We went out to dinner, and sitting right across from us was Colin Firth. We got a picture when they were leaving. Hope you now how to photoshop; Mum wasn’t smiling and had her eyes closed. I was thinking we could switch heads?

I love a chuckle over tea in the morning.

this is not a podcast: episode 3

This week went both equal parts fast and slow. Worked more nights than I would have liked, but the weekend is finally here and what better way to kick things off than with another podcast?

Stream or Download

How are you planing to spend the weekend?

I’m headed here for dinner this eve. Shall report back if it lives up to the hype.

Hope you enjoy the music.

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karma

I truly believe in karma.

What you put out definitely comes back to you in some form.

Tonight, as I was leaving the gym I went into Shoppers to buy some milk. As I was standing in line to pay, I noticed things were moving a bit slow. I looked a few people ahead and there seemed to be a bit of a kerfuffle at the cash register. I tilted my head to get a better view, and could see the cashier taking a few contents from the woman at the counter and putting them to the side. Then the man behind her stepped up and handed over some money. The women in line didn’t have enough money to pay. What she was buying two jars of baby food and milk. What the cashier had put aside were two bags of rice crackers. The woman accepted the man’s money, and was so thankful. The man replied with, “You’re welcome. I know what it’s like to be in that position, so it was my pleasure.”

I too know what that’s like, and had I been the one behind her, I would have done the exact same thing.

Never underestimate the kindness of strangers.

you can’t help that, we’re all mad here.

If I ever get anything involving tea tattooed on me it would be to continue my Alice tattoo. I’d rather love to have the Mad Hatter tea party scene. I don’t think I will though.

Anyway, I saw this photograph today and it made me smile.

I’d share the new song that’s making me smile as well…but then I’d have nothing to pass along in my next podcast.

Something that’s made you smile this week?

the picture is up

Ascending, descending…staircase scenes in films are my favourite. Perhaps it’s the film student in me. Have you seen The Artist?

I’d heard such mixed reviews, despite all the awards it’s been receiving, but finally watched it today. It played out as exactly as I had suspected, and was an enjoyable film.

Wasn’t groundbreaking, or fantastic, but was certainly good and made me smile and want to dance. What more can we ask from a silent picture? I felt the secondary characters were great in the film; both John Goodman and James Cromwell fit their roles perfectly.  Now I’d like to watch Singin’ in the Rain and Modern Times.

this is not a podcast: episode 2

Amazing how putting together a playlist can be the most relaxing thing.

Episode 2 – stream or download

I’d go with the download route, as the stream sometimes crashes.

Song you’ve had on repeat lately?

is it over yet?

I’m partially in disbelief that I made it to Friday still intact.

What a crushing week it’s been work-wise. We got a lot of bad news this week, mostly in the span of one day. Not only was the wind taken from our sails, we were kicked while down. Repeatedly.  I really can’t get into details here but it involved funding and losing some of our storage facilities.

This coupled with other stresses (computer woes and migraines) made for a rather emotionally unstable week.

I found myself at my desk yesterday listening to the new Andrew Bird album, in tears. I was so disappointed that it didn’t sound as I hoped I just started to cry. My co-worker came into my office, asking me what was wrong. I tried to articulate – by gesturing wildly at my computer – how I was upset over this album. She took one look at me, raised her eyebrow and said, “I think you might be upset over everything else, not the music.”

She was right of course. It’s just hard watching something you’ve tried to change over the past 3 years regress overnight. And the best I could do in the moment was be upset over whistling that put me to sleep.

The mini breakdown put things in perspective though, and this morning things look a bit better, interim solutions found and that’s the best we can do at the moment. Plan to have a few libations with friends this eve, and upload a new podcast this weekend.

I re-watched Under the Great Northern Lights last night, which helped lift my mood. It’s one of my favourite concert films. I really wish they had done a documentary on their recording process before breaking up.

 

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