Truth In Advertising

My dish soap is "Waterfall" flavor.

After several uses, I am not convinced that it's based on a real waterfall.




Thinking of trying to get my money back and buying "Summer Meadow", instead, except that that occasional whiff of manure may turn out to be a poor choice. It's hard to know stuff like that in advance, you know?

This Stinks

There's something in my apartment that doesn't smell right. And I can't find it.

That's kind of disconcerting.

I hope it's not me.




I better keep looking.

My Eyes!

Sorry about the lack of updates lately - I've been busy with a friend staying at my place, and I also seem to have acquired an eye infection from somewhere. It feels kind of stupid - 5 year-olds are supposed to get these things, not adults. But yesterday, it was certainly there - red and swollen to the point that I couldn't really focus with my right eye.

Just so you're not alarmed, I went to the doctor, got some medicine, and am well on my way to being recovered.

But I wasn't able to work... looking at the computer (which is mostly what I do while I'm working) was really messing me up. I couldn't focus with both eyes, but it turns out that using my PC while sitting with one eye closed is not that practical, either. I left midway through the afternoon, soon realized that my eyes tend to play a pretty central role in my away-from work activities.

Maybe I'll write on my blog. Maybe I'll edit some pictures. Maybe catch up on facebook. Maybe work on mixing some music. Maybe try to find out what Scott Baio has been up to lately. You know, just the usual stuff. But those all use the computer and all (except maybe the last one) work best with two eyes. I couldn't read. I couldn't watch TV. So I limited myself to checking my work email at most every 15 minutes, strapped on my bass and spent the rest of the afternoon singing.

And something I've been thinking about lately... what really moves me? What are the compelling forces in my life? More to come on that...

It Figures

So I've left the house without my camera, oh.... let's say twice in the last four months or so.

Seems a little obsessive, you say? I never know when I'm going to see something that should be captured. So I take it with me. And a lot of times I'm right.

I didn't take it tonight. I was going to see a country/blues concert in the park, and it was about 10 before I was leaving, and too dark to be getting many pictures unless there was really good stage lighting. So, I decided to travel light and leave the camera at home.

Well, I got three blocks from home and saw that there were firetrucks that had just arrived, and a guy getting ready to go up in the cherry-picker. No sign of smoke, but there were a lot of firemen and EMT's around. That put me in a tough spot - do I go home and get the camera, or stay and watch? I like to take pictures, but the experience is worth more than the shot, so I decided to stay.

They inflated a huge airbag, and the guy went up.

And then....

Nothing.

Eventually, I guess the nothing got a little more intense, because the municipal security guys asked me to move to the end of the block. So I moved, and things started to heat up. Regular cops started to show up, then more emergency workers. They had some people out of the building and were interviewing them, which would have been pretty interesting, I bet, if I had had any idea what they were saying. The SWAT team arrived, and started carrying battering rams and compressed air canisters into the apartment.

Before I get to the (inevitably exciting) conclusion, I thought it was really interesting how differently people reacted to the single block or so being shut down. The municipal security guys (more or less meter-maids, as far as I can figure... they don't get to carry guns) were asking people to go around the back of the block. Some people stopped to chat and ask what was happening. Some people thanked them and then wandered away as directed (Canadians?). But there were a few people who really argued. They were really upset at having to go around to the other side of the block, which, I must say, I really didn't understand. I mean, I get lost easily, but even I can muster that one up. Curious.

To their credit, the security guys handled the grumpy pedestrians better than they did people taking pictures with their cell phones... they were actually threatening to confiscate the phones. The principle-guy in me was wishing I would have had my camera with me at that point... I'm pretty sure that they can't legally do that, and it would have been interesting to see what they said, but no one called them on it. Where's the ACLU when you really do need them?

One poor guy had his car parked there... in between the giant air mattress ("jump! jump! jump! it'll be fun!") and the fire truck. He wanted to go get it - which is not really a surprise - and the cop just said, "there's no way". So the guy just shrugged his shoulders, watched with me for a while, then wandered off. I was there for almost an hour and a half, and didn't see him come back.

So after a little longer, the fireman in the crane came down. The other firemen started to pack stuff up. I didn't see the swat guys come out, but things were definitely moving down from code red. Then a real cop came over to where I was and gave the famous line, which is even recognizable in French:

"Move along, there's nothing to see here."

Now, I can deal okay with the "move along" part. If they figure it's important, I'll move along. But nothing to see? Does he think I'm an idiot? Swat team? Battering rams? Bullet-proof vests? That sounds like the very opposite of "nothing to see" to me. But then, I wasn't the one carrying a gun.

So, no concert, and no pictures. I had a nice cigar while I watched, though, and hopefully no one got hurt in the end.

Happy weekend, everybody.

Serisously Domesticated

I went to pick up some groceries this morning. I did a little dance when they had my favorite ham (it's not usually in stock). I actually caught myself saying "excellent" out loud when I saw that diapers were on for half price. These two, plus the fact that I got kiwi-scented dish soap had me singing all the way home.

Oh, and I got some absolutely gorgeous pictures this afternoon. I haven't edited them yet, but trust me - you're going to like them... the sun was just perfect. Coming soon...