Hairy Cake

My friend Emma had a birthday couple days ago. I made her this.

Do you believe that?

Ljósið

Occurrence In Yellow Sweater Woods

What I like about most trees is general and specific.

There is always more than I can handle,

more than I can render,

more than I can often even accept.

It is so easy to impress me it's embarrassing.

I can't remember the last time I saw a tree in a dream.

Gumnaam Intruders

Your daily does of strange

Bizarre Bazaar

It's truly criminal that we live so close to this world renowned flea market and after 15 months are still yet to go. So when Laura actually woke up before noon yesterday and I noticed that the weather was that of heavy condensation, I figured today might be a good one to go check it out and avoid the crowds. Plus I really needed to start looking for a new crossbow.



Where else can a man go when he's strapped for time and has to pick up Amish corn salsa, a hermit crab, an antique pistol, a tiny stuffed dog, an ermine skull, a mouse in a coal car, some fireworks and let's seee... oh yeah a dirty rubber boob?

And all for bargain prices!

My favorite has to be the random photos of strangers for sale.



Who wouldn't want this guy adorning the wall of their study. A great conversation piece.

What's this?



Me either.

Always on the hunt for some new glasses.

This Expos hat is always a conversation piece, but yesterday it led to meeting an actual Expo. Not that that's exciting or anything, but interesting.



My new friend Bill Barrett played centerfield on and off from '81-'84. Now he runs a video game booth at the Pocono Bazaar, where they claim to have every game console in human existence. I should get me an Atari. Do I get the Expo fan discount?



We came home with a few treasures. Laura found a soft & lovely yellow sweater.



Look how happy she is in it.

I found a couple books I may or may not flip thru in my lifetime.



And this Hull casserole dish.



We should do this more often.

RxHS CG BC '09: UaK

A few highlights, maybe lowlights to others.


I think these kept us on track


Midnight sword fight or dancing in the street


Forever canonized as a dragon amongst girls


You'd think their hand-eye coordination would be honed


This is my everyday


Actual impressive


The week's one moment of quiet


An old way for a new scene


The RxHSCG09, don't be late on Wednesday!

Napoleon > Busta > Estler

Courvoisier dates back to the early 19th century with a chance meeting between two connoisseurs of booze, Emmanuel Courvoisier and Louis Gallois. It wasn’t long before Courvoisier, based out of Jarnac in southwest France, received recognition from the Royal courts. When Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena after the battle of Waterloo, he liked Courvoisier so much that he insisted hundreds of bottles be sent with him into exile. That’s why all the bottles have the title “the cognac of Napoleon” and that little depiction of him. I just hope when the hammer finally falls upon me that I am given such a choice. Unlike brandy, which can be made anywhere, a decree made by French authorities in 1909 stipulated that for a spirit to take the name of “cognac,” it must be made in the cognac region. Courvoisier uses Ugni grapes that are stored at least two years after distillation. Unfortunately, during its maturation, 2.5% of the booze’s volume is lost through evaporation, which is referred to as "la part des anges" or in English, "the angel’s share". There’s something special about this cognac. Busta Rhymes even made a song called “Pass the Courvoisier.” With all this acclaim, I have no choice but to try it.

And yes those are oatmeal cookies I focused on instead.

Campleted

Camp's done. Show for the parentals. Went okay, 'cept for that incidental/accidental last minute 8 count hold that was never to be. We thought it was hilarious when the poles hit the ground in a flurry of confusion well after the last note. And it was. No worries.

"How was the rest of the week" you ask?



That about sums it up.

Wood Hoop Mama

Got home late last night, 10:30, dragged ourselves cross the front yard and onto the front porch at which point we normally try to round up the troops to come in for the night. Called Høgni mostly, concerned for her pregnant belly. Or at least she used to be pregnant.



Poor thing had a litter behind the wood hoop. We saw her there with three and found another one just a foot away in the garden. Guess she was spreading them around. Actually we're lucky we found that last little guy. Thank God for little lungs.



So... anybody want a kitten?

Everybody Makes Mistakes

Learning How To Fall

Four down, two to go. Yesterday was one of the best days this team has had since I first walked in the doors two years ago. A turning point, if you will, and an illumination for some. Aww, they're growing up, how cute. I did however have a blowout in my pump.



Right now the opener is 23 pages old and mostly swordtastic.



It's almost all we've worked on this camp but at least they've got something to show for it. And morale seems high, but we are dealing with the uncontrollable teenage girl here.



Today we will attempt to conjure up a battle cry and hopefully add pages to our book. That would be a welcome change, but I wouldn't mind another lock-in and shaking out some check points either. Good golly.

This Is Great

Up On Aching

Day two went better. Quality cleaning blocks and drill sessions in which the guard relearned 11 pages on the fly in two 5 minute water breaks. The highlight had to be the calzones we had for dinner tho. I have high hopes for today, first full 9-9 day so we should get a lot done. Plus the swords came in yesterday. Now we just have to make them battle ready. And Geoffrey is coming to help teach. He's in town performing with the Cabs for a couple weeks. Hey, all the help I can get, ya know.

Gonna Be A Quiet/Loud Fall

I woke up early today and read up on some albums coming out in the next few months and, honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed. I dunno that there'll be enough time to hear them all. The flood starts on September 1st. Albums from Califone, Built To Spill, The Flaming Lips, Alec Ounsworth, Lightning Bolt, Dodos, Blk Jks, Do Make Say Think, Grand Archives, Kings Of Convenience, Sondre Lerche, Atlas Sound, Yo La Tengo, Tyondai Braxton, Muse, The Twilight Sad, Castanets, Volcano Choir, Islands, Pearl Jam, Hidden Cameras, Owen, Rain Machine, The Shaky Hands, Sufjan Stevens, The Clientele, The Mountain Goats, Wolfmother, Spiral Stairs, and to top it off, Weezer. And that's only thru October, because by then it'll be snowing. And like I said, I hope I have time to listen, but I'm thinking I'll be riding the bus every weekend with screaming adolescents so that may present itself as opportune as any and it may be a good idea to invest in some of those noise-canceling headphones.

Dylan's Househunting In NJ

Bob Dylan was detained by police in Long Branch, N.J. last month, when a young officer failed to recognize him. The officer proceeded to go to earnest lengths to ensure the hooded, disheveled, rain-soaked music legend was, in fact, who he said he was. Dylan was in the area on July 23 as part of a national concert tour -- a fact lost on 24-year-old Long Branch police officer Kristie Buble. When Dylan wandered into the yard of a home that had a "For Sale" sign on it, the home's occupants became spooked by his appearance (black sweatpants tucked into black rain boots and two raincoats with the hood pulled down over his head) and called police with a report of an "eccentric-looking old man" in their yard, Long Branch Police said. One of the occupants even went so far as to follow this creeper as he continued on down the street.

From the horses mouth:

"We got a call for a suspicious person. It was pouring rain outside, and I was right around the corner so I responded. By that time he was walking down the street. I asked him what he was doing in the neighborhood and he said he was looking at a house for sale."

He's only being honest...

"I asked him what his name was and he said Bob Dylan."

Awesome.

"So I said, 'OK Bob, what are you doing in Long Branch?' He said he was touring the country with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp."

Classic. I can see why she didn't believe him. John Mellencamp? C'mon now.

"I put him in the back of the car. To be honest with you, I didn't really believe this was Bob Dylan. It never crossed my mind that this could really be him. He was really nice, though, and he said he understood why I had to verify his identity and why I couldn't let him go. He asked me if I could drive him back to the neighborhood when I verified who he was, which made me even more suspicious."

Well, he told you he was looking at that house for sale.

"I pulled into the parking lot and sure enough there were these enormous tour buses, and I thought, 'Whoa'. So we go over to the tour bus and knock on the door and some guy answers and I say, 'Are you missing someone?'"

I like this story.

I'm gonna go listen to Blonde On Blonde.

So Here's One To The Pigeons

Pretty awesome short for my favorite album of last year.

Dusk At Skydive Runway