RIP

Charles Durning

My favorite moment from this working actor's long career was as the totally corrupt Texas governor in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," when he was dancing around the capitol rotunda:

He put his Stetson on sideways and whipped his head so the hat then sat properly on his head.

It wasn't spectacular or magical or inventive, but it was effective and clever and funny, especially with that squinchy venal face he could do so well.

Lots of people were astonished that such a short stout man could move so well. Turns out he used to teach ballroom and actually met his wife at a dance studio. When I taught ballroom, there were a lot of stout (not to say fat) men who were very good dancers -- it's all a matter of understanding how to manage weight.

I know Jack Klugman just died, too, but I don't care.

Lights etc

Back in late 2010 I got four fluorescent light fixtures for the rig. Cheap on ebay. Recently, two fixtures died (ballasts blew) so I went back to ebay and got two replacements, albeit a different size (wasn't paying attention). Yesterday, Tillman and I installed the two new ones and now I have light everywhere. Yah. These fixtures aren't top quality but at $20 each and lasting for two years, I figure that's a better deal than the regular ones at $60-70 each.

Two friends and I decided not to do gifts this year but to donate to charities for each other. So I've sent what I could afford to Meal on Wheels and to Manna Food Bank. And they'll be sending something to a women's shelter for me. Good deal.

Rain, glorious rain. We sure need it. I see Sprout the cat walking by outside, totally ignoring the rain.

Thursday was a busy day (for me) -- did a dump/flush for the rig, then off to get hair cut and do a little grocery shopping. I was at a Bi-Lo in Candler (next to the hair place) and wanted some chutney; they only had Major Grey's so that's what I got, but Ingle's has a better selection so I'll go there next time I want chutney. Then met Mary-Anne for dinner at Zen Sushi. She got a Donburi shrimp bowl. I got three appetizers: Spicy Shumai, Beef Negamaki, and Shrimp/Vegetable Tempura. We shared an order of Gyoza. Yum yum. Oh yeah, I had Green Tea Ice cream for dessert.

Amy's going out of town for a week, maybe by Tuesday, so I'll do the grocery and library tomorrow to stock up for not having the car available.

I hope everyone I know has a fine holiday.

RIP

Ravi Shankar

Misc. & RIPs

Nothing new on the job front, though I did find out I wasn't chosen by the City to become a secretary in parks & rec (had applied about 6 months ago). Had a little sickness descend -- sore throat, fever -- lasted about two days; am feeling better now, though stamina is still low. Got enough rain yesterday to test out the tarp -- seems to be working well. Got felt and doubled the curtains over the big side window. Also put a swath over the passage between the cab and the cabin. Snug, now. Second light fixture died (not just the bulb, the fixture), so have ordered two new ones. They have lasted two years and cost about 1/3 what fancier ones do, so on balance a good deal.

RIP Dave Brubeck, jazz musician
RIP Oscar Niemeier, architect

For the Eating

I hope all had a nicely stuffed turkey day; I certainly did. I'm home in comfortable clothes with my feet up. I haven't had anything to eat for five hours and still feel full.

Amy, Tillman, and I left the house about 1pm and headed for Sabrina & Lance's out in Swannanoa. I dropped them off and went on to Mary-Anne & Joe's, about 4 miles away off Riceville Road. The three sisters (Mary-Anne, Marie, Mayro), Mark, Joe, and Daniel, and me as leavening, sat down about 2:30 and chowed down on a fabulous turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potato/marshmallow casserole, two kinds of stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, pistachio delight, rolls , etc. A pleasant time was had by all.

About 4:30 I left there and headed back to Sabrina's. About 10 of us sat down to a veritable feast about 7:30. Six of us had played a game of Apples to Apples in the meantime. There was a huge buffet with turkey and about six or so dishes, including mashed potatoes (yum), and three kinds of pie. I didn't eat as much here because it was "seconds," but it was certainly enough to get the stuffed feeling.

Horseshoes were played earlier by Tillman and Sabrina (she won). After dinner, a big bonfire was laid and Tillman played guitar and sang. By that time, however, I was both semi-comatose and peopled out, so I found a comfy couch and a book. Sabrina's mother, Sally, and I enjoyed a special dessert wine she'd brought back from Michigan, cherry wine.

My contribution to each dinner was a bottle of Mouton Cadet white bordeaux. Not too many wine drinkers but we enjoyed it and it went very well with turkey et al.

I was quite happy to get home at 11pm and take off those progressively tighter jeans.

We did have a blowout on the way home, on I-40 before we'd even reached I-240. I was driving and managed to get us stopped neatly and gently on the shoulder. Amy had a doughnut spare that she and Tillman put on. She'd been saying she needed new tires so the time is now.

It's a Peeve

It is = it's [a peeve]

Professional journalists, editors, writers -- they all use "it's" incorrectly more and more often. Not only that, they swap "it's" and "its" around as though they're synonymous. It's (see?) become an epidemic, a plague, a tsumani.

Well, they're not.

Do you mean "it is"? Or possibly, "it has," depending on tense.

Then you can use "it's" (with the apostrophe indicating something left out)

and that's the ONLY time you get to use it.

"Its" is a pronoun, a neutral term (not masc. not fem.). Use it when you want to talk about an entity of some kind

The horse uses its teeth to eat apples.
Its facade makes the building ugly.
The car meets the pavement on its tires.

Why is this so hard to understand????

it's = it is

otherwise, use its

And let's not get me started on "him and I" or "me and her"!

Simple.

In Memoriam

Harland J Harris
Master Sergeant, 82nd Airborne
Joined 1940 (regular Army)
North Africa; Anzio; D-Day (glider pilot)
Bronze Star. Purple Heart
Discharged 1945
b.1921 Galien MI - d.1946 Madison WI

My father.

Relief

Sigh of relief that the pod person wasn't elected. Also glad that the rape idiots lost, too. Sad, though, that the Congressional balance will be about the same so if everybody sticks to their hidebound, anachronistic, patriarchal positions, nothing will get done. I'm most worried about the Supreme Court -- there will probably be two openings soon and I'm afraid that the Congressional reactionaries on the R side will take revenge by refusing to confirm the President''s selections.

On a personal note, there's not much to say. I'm still looking for a job, still applying, still interviewing, still not getting any offers. I occasionally get frustrated but I'm arrogant enough to think it's their loss. Heh.

The tarp I put on the rig is working well, even with the windy conditions we've had lately. Next week will come the big test -- taking it off and putting it back on. Yep, it's going to be dump and flush time.

Looking forward to the next four days of warm and sunny weather.

RIP & Misc

Jacques Barzun has died, aged 104. I didn't know he was still alive. He was the best kind of generalist historian, who wrote in a clear manner that swept the reader along, and he included popular culture and art along with the wars to give a full picture. Great man.

MeatLoaf has endorsed Romney! I am aghast. Another idol (so to speak) has gone down in flames, showing his idiocy all the way to the hell that he's promoting. Gah.

Work, Spooks, Frankenstorm

Waiting for news from the homeopathic manufacturer re the proofreading job. Probably won't hear anything for a week.

Saturday, will go to a hallowe'en party at Traci & Ed's. Last year, I went as Scheherazade but this year I'm going as me because I'm going to go play cards first.

Sounds like a killer storm setup about to hit the east coast this coming week. We will get some rain and wind, and maybe a little snow even.

That's all that happening here, except I got the smaller tarp up on the rig. I've repositioned it a bit to better cover the danger areas. Hope the bungee cords hold when the winds come.

Later.

Comics, Tarps, & TVs

Forgot to post about my day at the ComicCon last Saturday. Amy and I went to help out Tillman at his booth. Amy dressed herself up in a long black gown (that was her bridesmaid dress at a friend's wedding; cool) with fancy accessories and a neon red wig with horns. Walking to the Civic Center, an couple asked if we were going to Oktoberfest (no; different debauch). The Con was on the exhibition level, accessed from Hiwassee St., and was full of nerds and geeks, some costumed and some not, game players, etc. There was a PoC (Jeremy Whitley) up from Raleigh who had some interesting non-white-person art and also was showing his Eisner-nominated book. I bought "Shakespeare Shaken," a graphic anthology of comic stories and he signed it for me (it'll be an xmas gift). I finally left about 4pm but Amy stayed till the end. After the con I went home and put my concrete-ly unhappy knees up for a rest and then went off to play cards at Hazel and John's.

On Tuesday took the rig out for its monthly dump & flush. Then drove to Mills River to get the rig washed at Professional Auto Detailing. They did a good job and it now looks white and gleaming again. Parking under a cherry tree means lots of nastiness. I had a tarp to put over it on Wednesday for the winter so now it looks like a  badly wrapped package.  I had bought a 10x16 tarp but decided it was too small, exchanged it for a 12x26, which is on it now and is way too big. Sooo, I'll take it off and go back to the smaller size. I should stop overthinking.

The new TV mount is up (thanks, Tillman) and it's working great. TV doesn't drag on my bed anymore and also doesn't bang on the window. I'm happy.

Have a job interview this coming Monday as a proofreader of labels at a homeopathic "medicine" manufacturer. Fulltime at decent pay so I may take it (if offered). They offer vacations, holidays, and a dental plan. Don't offer medical insurance because employees can take products for free and the chiropractor owner will do "adjustments" for employees. I just hope they don't ask me my opinion of the efficacy of this stuff.

Proudness

A friend of Amy's is a drag queen, so Tillman, Amy, and I went downtown today for the Gay Pride gathering and drag queen show. Miss Vanity was fabulous (as expected). On the way in, I was accosted by a lesbian who commanded me to "smile -- you can't go any farther until you smile!" She was pretty cute, so I smiled, and laughed, too. Then I ran into Jeff, who used to work at Downtown Books (he's a cross-dresser but wasn't dressed up today). Amy's boss showed up with a sash saying that he's NC Gay Pride something something At Large 2012. Well, he is large.

Dragged out the winter jackets, shirts, and shoes today. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 51 and almost freezing tomorrow night. Put away the really light clothing and was surprised at how  little space they took up.  Of course, I've been getting rid of stuff right along; guess I pared down more than I thought.

Off to play cards this evening over at Hazel & John's. Missed two Saturdays, and then they were gone for two Saturdays, so it's been a month since I've seen them.

Misc

Still no job.

Andy Williams died.

Dinner at Avenue M this evening. I had my usual Bombay Sapphire gin gimlet. Appetizer was Bacon-wrapped Mission figs stuffed with mascarpone and with a sauce. Then Shrimp & Broccoli with Farfalle. Side dish of Yellow Beets, Squash & Onions. Yum yum. Some to bring home, too.

Ordered a longer TV mount. The one I have now allows the TV one corner to sit on the bed and the other side is right against the window. The new one will put the TV farther from the wall so it can be positioned to watch it without it being against the window or hitting the bed. Yay.

Also got a piece of software called TuneUp which works with my iTunes program to fill in info and figure out what a track is. It also deletes duplicates and looks up album artwork. Am still fiddling with it but it's pretty intuitive.

Got a tarp big enough to cover most of the rig. Now all I have to do  is wash the damn thing clean of all the cherry tree ickiness. Got enough bungee cords (I think) to tie the tarp down. It'll help keep the rig clean and provide a small measure of insulation and leak proofing during the winter. The rig is 8 ft wide and 19 ft long; the tarp I got is 10x16, so I think it'll cover the roof and the cabover, which are the main things. Once I get the tarp positioned, I'll mark the corners so I put it back up without having to twitch it around too much. I'm hoping it won't be too hard to handle -- getting it down won't be a problem but getting it back up may be a two-person job (hope not). We'll see.

I also have to get up on the roof and remove the signal extender I put on the my old antenna so I can crank it flat. I got my new antenna, which is indoors, and am very happy with it.

Read the new J.D. Robb, "Delusion in Death." I'm still enjoying the series but it's beginning to show signs of age, e.g. formulaic plotting, but it is #35. I think she should have quit with "From Dallas to New York," which was a couple of books ago. But that's me. And I'm still reading them, so what do I know?

Gallivanting etc

Saturday night I was hauled along to the Town Pump in Black Mountain for the 30th anniversary party. A popular band, Second String, was reformed for the occasion. The reason this is important is that the lead singer/guitarist is Lance, husband of Sabrina, who is a close friend of Amy, whose backyard I  live in.

I don't think I've ever been in the Town Pump before, but there's nothing special about it. It's basically a beer bar though it does have mixed drinks, too (I got my standard dive bar drink, a tall 7&7, which came in a short glass and was really strong). There's a backyard with some seating, down a set of steps which I managed to negotiate at least twice when the heat and the crowds got to me.

The band was terrific. Bluegrass with guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass. Mostly hard-drivin' stuff with the bassist boppin' in the background, throwing the bass around. I understand that when he has room, he can toss the bass up in the air and play it that way. Sadly, it was too constricted at this bar.

They played a long set and then we all left about 10 and went to Lance & Sabrina's house in Swannanoa to hang out around a bonfire. Sunday was Amy's long work day, starting at 8am, so we headed home around 11:30. A fun time was had by all.

On a sad note, I didn't get the museum job. They decided to hire someone with more nonprofit organization experience. Very disappointing. So --- still looking.

And the weather change means I have unearthed my down booties.

Movies

There's a new Chinese martial arts film with Jet Li, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, directed by Tsui Hark. It's one of those period movies (like Crouching Tiger) that gorgeous, violent, and fantastical. It's just out yesterday but only on Imax, so it' not here yet.

Also, I just remembered one of my favorite movies but couldn't remember the name so I went off to imdb and finally chanced on it. It's Bagdad Cafe, a charming tale of a German tourist who is stranded at a cafe/motel in the middle of nowhere out west. It's a rundown place struggling to survive, owned by CCH Pounder. The tourist is played by M. Sagebrecht, a fabulous German actress, who sets in to transform everyone's lives. Jack Palance is in it, too.  It's charming and just draws you in, subtly and quietly.

No news yet about the museum job.

Barracan

I've been following the news from Tripoli Libya since the overthrow of Gaddafi. I found a news site called The Tripoli Post, very dry and no pictures. Today, someone put up a link to the Libya Herald, which looks like every other news site out there (I swear there's a template somewhere) but it does have lots of pictures.

One of the articles was discussing the buying of new clothes for Eid, the end of Ramadan, and what that meant years ago and what it means now. There was some discussion of traditional dress but no mention of the barracan.

When I lived in Tripoli (1955-57), there were two types of dress for women: the indoor barracan and the outside barracan. The outdoor one was a large shapeless piece of wool that women could shroud themselves with and only have one eye showing. But here's a picture of my mother wearing an indoor barracan at a costume party (she borrowed it from our maid). The piece hanging down comes up over the head and face if the woman needs to, say, answer the door.

Dog Napped

Yesterday, about 12.50pm, Mamie bulled her way out the back screen door and disappeared into the neighborhood. She's a 13-yo black Lab mix, maybe 50-60 pounds. Normally, she doesn't get to go out because she has a whole fenced front yard to wander in. She's occasionally done this escape thing before but usually comes back with an hour or two.

Not this time. Amy went on to work at 2pm and was back at 10.30pm. During that time, I called and looked; Bruce called -- nothing. We posted on the West Asheville page on Facebook so people could be on the lookout for her.

Then Amy was told last night she had to be at a mandatory class at 9am, and I had a job interview at 10am. So we got up at the crack of dawn and I dropped her at her class and went to my interview, then back to pick her up. Then off to the Pound.

And there she was, looking pitiful. Turns out she had pranced up to the animal control folks' truck at 1pm at 91 Virginia Ave. (we live at #72). So her wild rampage lasted about 10 minutes and she'd been in jail ever since. She had no collar or microchip and is very friendly, so the dog catchers had no trouble with her.

She got a lot of shots and a microchip. Amy brought along her collar and leash and spoke sternly to her. But at least she was safe.

I think the interview went very well, but I've thought so before and been wrong. We'll just wait and see.

RIP

Phyllis Diller (comedian)
Ron Palillo (Horshach, in Welcome Back, Kotter)

Also, it turns out that I'd already said much of the stuff I posted yesterday. That's a good measure of how little is happening these days. I am going for a job interview on Thursday so maybe there'll be some good news soon.

Rocking along

Well, I got my new windshield and it's gorgeous. Of course, I'm still having that intermittent starting problem. I can usually get it started by going under the hood and banging on the starter motor, but I shouldn't have to do that. So I'm looking for a mechanic to do some diagnosis and repair.

Amy's car has been in the shop for a whole new engine (oil seals were allowed to dry out and then crack so it trashed the engine). Anyhow, two night she couldn't find anybody to give her a ride home so I got to go after her in the rig. Haven't had it out at night much at all. Fortunately, all the running lights work great. Also, she gets off at 11pm so there's not much traffic. She has it back now and it's running fine.

I took apart the cushions I'd made and have used the batting to cover the wheelwell. Then I put rubber matting over it to keep storage bins from sliding off it. I'll be using more batting to cover the nozzle housing so it's more comfortable to put my feet on. Next thing is to rework the fabric to make curtains.

Other than that, still no job. And I have serious road envy looking at the bogs of my RVing friends. Ah well, some day I may get back out there.

Vehicles & Ebay

So I got my new windshield put in Wednesday and it's gorgeous -- had a green tint because they couldn't find a clear one. Fine by me. Wholesale Glass Co. in West Asheville did it and there were no surprises and no overages and everything went well. The installer recommended that I get new wipers, too, which I knew I needed anyhow,  so I got some best quality ones directly after leaving the glass yard.

Of course, there had been the drama of the motor not starting when I was getting ready to go. Just a little click click and then nothing. So I pop the hood, check the battery, and bang on the starter motor. And then it starts right up.

Last night at 11pm I went in Amy's car to pick her up from work and there began a loud clatter from the passenger side of the car, connected to the throttle. I got off at New Stock Rd and eased on down the road at low rpm. The oil light had been coming on intermittently for days and I had picked up a quart of oil to put in, thinking it might be the cylinders chattering. So I put the oil in and it still clattered. She got a guy at work to come listen and he says it might be a rod knock (maybe) or rings (I don't think so). So she drove it home on surface roads at low rpm, easing along. We left it at Organic Mechanic with a note and walked home from there (me in my caftan and flipflops). They've said it'll be next week before they can even look at it unless somebody cancels their appointment.

I once had a loud clattering like that in the Toyota and everybody said, oh it's a rod knock. Well, it wasn't. It was a bolt working loose so that a housing was banging. Fixed in 2 minutes.

Last week or so I listed a bunch of 78s on ebay (for MaryJo). About half sold, so I spent today cutting down cardboard, bubble-wrapping, and sealing up packages for shipping. A friend's going to take me to the post office tomorrow morning.

Oh yeah, the TV antenna has decided not to pick up more than one channel at a time. Very annoying.

RIP Harry Crews

 I'm not sure how I missed his death in March 2012. This man is (was) a fierce (and sometimes funny) social commentator on the American way of life, especially in such novel s as Car, Body, and The Mulching of America. The first book of his I read was A Feast of Snakes, loosely based on his childhood in Cracker country (south Georgia and north Florida). It's a book that scared me and exhilarated me and disgusted me, sometimes all on the same page, but the talent for place shone through and the sharp characters stared you down. I suppose his masterpiece was his autobiography, graphically illuminating his hard raising in the piney woods and swamps and fields, among the hard men and women who were cockfighters and dog fighters and boozers and dopers and gamblers.


Not for the faint-hearted. He pulls no punches but swoops you up and takes you on a hell of a ride, if you can just hang on.

 

Novels

• The Gospel Singer, 1968
• Naked in Garden Hills, 1969
• This Thing Don't Lead to Heaven, 1970
• Karate is a Thing of the Spirit, 1971
• Car, 1972
• The Hawk is Dying, 1973
• The Gypsy's Curse, 1974
• A Feast of Snakes, 1976
• The Enthusiast, 1981
• All We Need of Hell, 1987
• The Knockout Artist, 1988
• Body, 1990
• Scar Lover, 1992
• The Mulching of America, 1995
• Celebration, 1998
• An American Family: The Baby with the Curious Markings, 2006

Collections

• Classic Crews: A Harry Crews Reader, 1993
• The Gospel Singer & Where Does One Go When There's No Place Left to Go?, 1995

Autobiography

• A Childhood: The Biography of a Place, 1978

RIP

Sally Ride

An inspiration to us all.

More Waiting

I did eventually get an email about the concierge job -- "thanks but we chose someone else."

Now I'm waiting to hear about another job. I interviewed with Gray Line Tours (the sightseeing trolleys) for a part-time admin/bookkeeper. It's housing at the Chamber of Commerce so is not far away. I think I'd like it a lot as it would be a job-share with the current admin person, so could probably pack it in to 2-3 days and then be off (as opposed to half-days every day). Also, there'd be some retail ticket selling, etc. which I wouldn't mind either. They seemed to like me and said it would be a few days before they decided. That was last Monday.

And --- I have to replace my windshield. It's got a foot-long crack in it, too long to repair. As soon as my money gets here next week, I'll get that done. It's always something, and it's always a chunk of change. Sigh.

Have certainly been enjoying the rain and thunder boomers, though Mamie the dog gets very nervous and will climb in your lap if  you let her. As she's a Labrador, this means you are covered in dog.

Special RIP

Amy's dog, Dorsey, was put down yesterday. He was 13 and in failing heath. I never got to know him when he was healthy. When Amy and three of her friends shared a house years ago, they all got dogs from the pound. Dorsey was the last of the four to go. Everybody rallied around so we had a houseful of mourners. A nice grave was dug in the backyard with a blackberry bush planted on top.

RIP Andy

Andy Griffith has left us.

My earliest encounters with him were him as a comedian back in the 1950s, a very Southern comedian. I could recite "What It Was, Was Football" line for line, and I had a cat named Big Orange, after the line "I believe I will have another big orange" (said in response to the drunk saying "buddy, have a drink"). And the best explanation of what football is about is his "run from one of that cow pasture to the other without either getting knocked down or stepping in something."

I love his hick persona explaining the ballet Swan Lake, using the all-purpose explanation "And the curtain fell and time passed."

And then I saw him in the movie "Face in the Crowd," where he played  a scheming preacher who becomes massively popular and moves on into megalomania. He was amazing. Highly recommended.

I thought "The Andy Griffith Show" was good and full of well-done characters (Don Knotts was fabulous), but it was a little too rural and sweet for me. And his later shows as a lawyer didn't much interest me, though they were filmed in Wilmington, my hometown, so I enjoyed the setting.

I'll miss him.

Better "Before" Pic

I had to go to Picasa to retrieve this photo, which is a much better shot of how the "before" was before the reno. Yep, pretty jammed in. "After" is much nicer.

So now take at look at the previous post.

Renovation Done

Just finished up the reno inside the rig. Here's a pic of how it was when I bought it four years ago.

Notice how narrow the aisle is. And here's how it look now.

The dinette table  has been gone for a long time and I had book bins piled up there. The edge of the carpet shows where the couch used to be. Now I have a counter and chair and it's six inches narrower than the couch used to be, and it doesn't stick out past the fridge (lower right). That white blob is my computer. The scanner is up there, too, and the radio and a sundries box, etc.

The next picture shows the book bins neatly stacked under the counter, still accessible but visually out of the way. I put the printer down there, too, as it took up more real estate on the counter than I wanted it to and I don't need it every day.

The wood box at the bottom is over the wheelwell. You can see the tension rods, one between the bins and one next to the chair; the L-brackets are good but the counter is two feet wide and I needed some more support towards the aisle. They work great.

Anyhow, I'm thrilled at my extra space and ease of moving around and lack of visual clutter. At the moment, the couch seat is in the old dinette area (the new seating area) because the cushions I made weren't comfortable enough. Eventually I'll do something "official" about that, but it'll do for now.

I hate heat. Hooray for A/C and for my new arrangement, now that I'm holed up in the rig more often to stay comfortable.

Shrug

Well, I'm assuming that I didn't get the admin/concierge job. Here's the timeline: Two weeks ago on Thursday, I interviewed. The CEO Peter Krull told me he'd chosen six people to interview, which he would be done doing last Thursday as week ago. Then he would take a few days and then choose two people for a second interview, including lunch with his wife. As it's been over a week since he finished interviewing and I haven't heard anything, I guess I wasn't one of the two.

It seems rude not to have gotten a phone call or an email to update me. After all, he was only dealing with six people in total.

Shrug.

Dads et al

From left:

Harland J Harris, my father
David Stonewall Orrell, my great-grandfather
Amelia Lindig Orrell, my great-grandmother
Sylvia Hall Harris my mother
unknown man, probably grandfather's brother
William Anson MacDonald, my grandfather

pic is probably taken by Evelyn Orrell Hall MacDonald, my grandmother.

Taken about 1941-42 in eastern N.C., maybe Wilmington, Carolina Beach, or St. Pauls, or somewhere in between. Note Harland's rank as sergeant -- he wound up the war as a Master Sergeant, 82nd Airborne, having come through North Africa, Anzio, and D-Day as a glider pilot. He received both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. I met him when I was two (Mom was pregnant when he went overseas), and he died when I was three (1946) of bulbar polio. My brother was born about a month after his death.

Papa Orrell didn't serve because his birthdate was just after the Civil War and he was too old for WW I. Born in Deltaville VA circa 1870; died in Carolina Beach in the 1960s (I think). Locomotive engineer.

Bill MacDonald served in WW I but I have no info on where. Born in Rex NC circa 1890; died in the VA Hospital in Fayetteville NC in the 1960s. Master mechanic.

And here's my brother, father of three. His S.O. is big in the dahlia world in SF CA, hence the flowers. Born in Madison WI 1946. Electronics quality assurance.

So these are the men of influence in my life that I'm thinking about today.

Next hope

Last Thursday, I interviewed for a job that I think would really be challenging and exhausting and fun. It's for a "socially responsible investment" company in an admin asst/concierge position. The company's really small (about six people) and scattered all over; only the head guy lives here. The position is also virtual, which means I'd get to work at home on my computer on my schedule. Of course, there'd be  some time constraints as part of the job is dealing with the clients and making and keeping them happy. And do database stuff. And help set up social events. And all and sundry.

I was one of six he chose to interview. Today is the last day he'll be interviewing and then he'll mull it over and choose two for further assessment, which will include an extensive personality assessment test and a lunch with him and his wife (who's a PhD in biology) to check for further compatibility. And then there'll be a six-month trial. Phew. But it's part-time (he says) and it pays really well. I should hear by Monday whether yea or nay on advancing.

I looked online and found the test he mentioned (he's very impressed with it): DISC Drive Influence Steadiness Compliance. It's very expensive so I couldn't take the original, but I found some ripoffs and tried a couple out. One result was in this order: Influence Steadiness Drive Compliance, so I like to have influence, am steady and reliable, moderately driven for dominance, and not very compliant (heh). Another ripoff comes up with a single result: Master of Mazes, with a long paragraph about the meaning. All very interesting.

Now all I need is to be one of the two and then blow the other out of the water.

Other than that, not much is going on. I've acquired the stuff to make my cushions and will be doing that soon. Then get Josh over here with his skillsaw, remove the couch, put up the counter, and I have a new interior.

Went out about 1 am last night to go grocery shopping. Not going out to dinner tonight so no need to have the car. Beautiful night, little traffic, few people -- lovely.

Nice evening

Served as chauffeur for Amy and Tillman to go to a beer tasting at the Wedge today. Dropped them off and retrieved them a few hours later.

Took Amy, Bruce, and Tillman to Tracy's for her birthday party. Then I went on to Hazel & John's to play cards (I won for the night--yay!) and then back to Tracy's. She has a great big backyard, so there was a fire in one area, dancing in another, and a water slide in another. Laced muffins were offered. Well-behaved dogs puttered around. Food in the house, beer outside. People milling around.

Very pleasant.

My RV friends Linda & Linda both had Lasik surgery yesterday in Denver. Both seemed to have come through it well and are not glass-less. Hooray for them.

I've been loaned the dvd of the "Romeo & Juliet" with DiCaprio, Danes, etc. Will probably give it a watch tomorrow. I've been told the framing is rival gangs in present day, and John Leguizamo is a hoot.

Ant wars are being waged here at the RV homestead. Granules have been sprinkled; next up is the liquid spray. I'd really like not having ants run in and out of my computer, and would like to put a glass of tea down for five minutes without it being overrun.

RIP 2

Okay, I remembered some more who'll be missed:

Maurice Sendak
Carroll Shelby (vrooom)
George "Goober" Lindsey

and of course, word just in that Robin Gibb has died.

SLOOH

Will be watching the annular eclipse start in about an hour from the SLOOH Space Camera. Looking forward to it.

Speaking of nits, why do so many people use "forward" when they mean the "foreword" to a book. You know, "fore" meaning coming before, and "word," to therefore mean the thing that comes before the words, i.e. the text. Do they just not know of the word "foreword"? Aaargh.

I got all exercised on FB the other day when a friend posted somebody else's schmaltzy poster about widows/orphans/etc. Never mind the sentiment; the OP used "that" half the time when speaking of a person; said all people whose partner had died were "widows"; and kids who lost one parent were "orphans." None of these things is correct. Double aargh.

RIP Donna Summers, Carlos Fuentes, and somebody else whose name I've forgotten (heh).

Two negs

First: didn't get the Wells Fargo teller job. Probably for the best. The more I thought about it, the less I thought I'd like it.

Second: Google has "redesigned" the blog page and now, of course, it's difficult to find anything. Instead of having the button that says "New Post" I had to hunt around and find a pencil icon that is the new post button. Oh yes, much more elegant. /sarcasm.

RIP

Who else but Dick Clark

When I came back from overseas, American Bandstand was the way to see new dances and hear new music and also get to see the artists. It was important to all teenagers in this country. I didn't care about his other hosting gigs but his music hosting made him "the man" (aka The Eternal Teenagers). The show started in 1952(!) and he started hosting it in 1956, until it left the air. And Soul Train didn't start until 1971. So there wasn't anything else, and nothing has ever matched its format of live music and live dancers all the time. I still miss it. And now I'll miss him.

Sigh

Didn't get the job with the Curate people. Disappointed, but not surprised.

Tomorrow I go to Wells Fargo and see if I can dazzle the corporate "folk" (euphemism). Must remember to show lots of teeth and make all my sentences go up at the end.

Job Hunting Again

So the remote bookkeeping didn't work out, for various reasons. So I'm looking again. Last Monday, I interviewed for the admin/bookkeeper job for the company that owns Curate restaurant, the Spanish tapas bar in downtown with the celebrity chef. Yes, it's fulltime but I'd really like to be a part of that family. The owners said they'd gotten lots of response to their ad (surprise surprise), so the odds are against me. Let's hope that I dazzled them.

I also have applied to be a part-time teller for Wells Fargo bank. This coming Thur. I go to a gang interview at the downtown bank, a sort of pre-interview sorting out. The money's not as good as the other job though it's not terrible but it's only part-time (Saturdays required).

I've also talked to a woman who needs a dogsitter regularly and a housesitter occasionally. She lives about a mile from my address. We're waiting to hear whether I get the fulltime job, which wouldn't leave me time to go to her house 2-3 times a day.

So, we'll see.

In other news, there ain't hardly any:
---I feel bad for MAM having to put down Dusty, the dog she rescued many years ago. That's always a wrench.
---I'm also hoping to get going on my little renovation project real soon now.
---I'm battling pissants.

Renovation time

I'm going today to choose fabric for my new seating area in the rig (where the dinette used to be and which has been full of book bins, printer, scanner, etc. ). I'd love to get something spectacular -- you know, embroidered dragons or the like -- but I must be somewhat practical. So we'll see.

I'm rethinking the cushion design again. I had planned to do two pieces -- one big one spanning the foot well and a smaller one to fill the rest of the space. But now I'm thinking I'll revert to my original plan and have two pieces that fit the seats and a third piece across the footwell. I'll have to put braces in to support it but it'll be easier to remove and sit with feet on the floor if desired. Then I can have a TV tray for a little folding table to put there to play cards on, say.

In an RV, flexibility is a good thing.

Oh yeah, I'm not being the bookkeeper for that company anymore -- did I mention that already?

RIP

Rupert, the cat, beloved of Gabrielle and Greg and Milo. He stayed with me at my bookstore for two weeks once and was a great bookstore cat. I'll miss him.

Earl Scruggs

Adrienne Rich

and aren't those two an odd combination?

New Job

Will soon be an old job. It's just not working for me. I've spent the last 5-6 weeks trying to make sense of their setup without much help from any of them. I've discovered that I don't like working totally remotely, especially when I'm trying to learn something. I much prefer being at the workplace so I can have someone available to answer questions. All the formal training I've had on this job has totaled about 10 hours. When you're talking about a company with two locations, two bank accounts, 4-5 credit cards, etc., there's lots of bit and pieces that aren't obvious.

I know at least two people who want me to help set up the bookkeeping for their small businesses, which will be a whole lot more fun. So I'm going to get in touch with Ben tomorrow and tell him sorry, I'm not doing a good job for them, and I quit.

What I have learned is that there are some things I can do remotely (like proofreading) and some I can't (like bookkeeping). Good to know.

Movie: Dirty Dozen

Naturally, we'd all seen this movie, but Bruce hadn't seen it since he was "a kid" (maybe 15 years ago). I had taped this off TNT many years ago so here and there were fuzzies and wobblies but overall not too bad.

You forget how much comedy is mixed in with the overall serious purpose. The film starts off dark, with a hanging at a military prison with the prisoners upset. Also the title/credits don't start until 10 minutes into the film, an innovation in 1967, but then, Robert Aldrich was known for being unconventional. The script was written by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller and is outstanding for its succinct way of giving each character's development in a line or two.

It's basically a three-act play: act 1 is the military brass (Ernest Borgnine, Robert Webber) giving Maj. Reisman (Lee Marvin) a last chance to save his Army career. He'll take a dozen "dregs" from a military prison, shape them up, and lead them on a perilous mission the day before D-Day. He meets the twelve prisoners, all convicted killers or psychopaths or both, quickly asserts his dominance over them, and transports them into the countryside to set up a secret training camp. We meet Donald Sutherland (very early in his career), Clint Walker, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, Trini Lopez, Charles Bronson, and some others to round out the dozen.

Act 2 is the welding of the prisoners into a cohesive unit. The Army psychiatrist (Ralph Meeker) warns against keeping Maggott (Savalas) because of the religion-inspired hatred of women (sluts! whores!) and the voices in his head telling him to kill them for god. But Reisman is determined to keep them all and make the mission succeed. Colonel Breed (Robert Ryan) is an enemy of Reisman's and there are several scenes of the DD turning the tables on Breed's elite paratroopers. Eventually, the brass hears about the feud and the DD is put up against the Army and Breed in some war games. Highly amusing hi-jinks ensue with George Kennedy doing excellent work as an Observer who can't interfere.

Act 3 is the mission: infiltrate a chateau in France filled with high-ranking German officers and their ladies and kill as many as possible (to keep them from D-Day). The first scene is when Reisman and the DD are sitting at a long table, with Reisman in the Jesus spot and Maggott in the Judas spot, and memorizing a crude poem detailing the steps of the op while looking at a model of the chateau. When they parachute in that night, it looks just like the model but things don't go exactly as the poem says. They improvise and Jim Brown gets to do his famous broken-field run with the grenades. All of the DD are killed except one. Reisman survives, as does Sgt. Bowren (Richard Jaeckel), who's been with the mission from the prison. END

Based on a book by E.M. Nathanson. I've read that there was a group called The Devil's Brigade that actually did something like this sort of mission.

Anyhow, we all enjoyed the movie very much and it was fun to see these actors again.

Working

So I'm doing a few hours a week for a company that does "rainwater management," which includes gutters, drainage, roofs, etc. Starting out small, about 5 hrs/week, working in Quickbooks and also doing some data updating on the client database. Most of my work will be done remotely, though I'll walk over and get all the papers, bring them back and do the bookkeeping here at home. The office is only two blocks away so that makes it very convenient.

They are talking about buying some land about 10 miles away and moving operations there, but that's down the road a little. By that time, all systems should be working smoothly so I can drop by once a week or so. And they can scan stuff, send it to me for massaging.

I think it's going to work out fine. And I'll have a little extra money to do some things with. Yay!

Job

A company I interviewed with last Fall has called to see if I want to be their bookkeeper for 5-10 hrs/week, depending on their workload etc. So I'm going on Monday to talk to their current person (and why is she leaving?) and get up-to-date on what they need, how often, etc. At this point, anything is better than nothing, and I'll have a little extra to spread around, which will be nice.

Snowy and cold today, with gusty wind. Sunday sunny but still very cold. First real taste of winter here, and it's been a long time coming.

I have a new, critically acclaimed book to read (from a friend): The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. I picked it up about a month ago and read the first 12 pages, thought "oh, it's like The Circus of Dr. Lao," and then it started not to be but still seemed interesting, put it down to go to sleep, and haven't picked it up since. Why? No idea. It's been so long now I'll have to start over. I have some sort of ingrained bias against "critically acclaimed" books, which may be an inverse snobbery sort of thing. If I ever do finish it, I'll let you know.

The February Birthday Bash at John and Hazel's has been canceled for tonight as it may be treacherous driving (supposed to be 18 tonight), so it'll be a good night to drink hot tea, read, watch TV, listen to music, do crosswords, putter online at various blogs, and the like.

TTFN

RIP

Ben Gazzara

I've been a fan of his for 50 years. Wait, is that right? Yep, at least. He was in Anatomy of a Murder in 1959. But the one I really remember is The Strange One, (1957), set in a boy's school. He was a badass early on. He was also in Saint Jack, based on a Ross Thomas (as Oliver Bleeck) novel (and I collect Ross Thomas). And there's my guilty pleasure, Roadhouse, with another fave Sam Elliott.

I'll miss him.

Movie Night

Circle of Iron
1978
David Carradine, Jeff Cooper, Christopher Lee, Eli Wallach, Roddy McDowell

An idea conceived by Bruce Lee, James Coburn (student of Lee), and Stirling Silliphant, about a martial artist on a journey to find the book of all wisdom held by Zetan. On the way, he is "guided" by an aphorism-spouting, flute-playing martial artist, who shows up in many guises and fights in many styles.

Lee would have played the guide, and I suppose that Coburn would have played the seeker. Of course, Lee died before the movie could be made. Carradine bought the rights and played the guide. Cooper played the seeker. Christopher Lee played Zetan (one long scene), McDowell had one long scene, and Wallach had a long scene that is the highlight of the film, as a man in a large pot filled with oil that he is slowly dissolving in because he can't control his lust and wants to be rid of his love tool.

Carradine, who fancied himself as a great martial artist, has a grand time chewing the scenery. Cooper is not a bad actor, he's a bad fighter. Everybody else is phoning it in but they're professionals and do their best. Filmed in Israel.

Bruce, our young friend, loved it, and it is a lot of fun if you just sit back and disengage all critical faculties and knowledge of martial arts and just enjoy the silliness.

Movie Night

Red Sun

Stars: Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, Capucine

Wild West meets Samurai Bushido. Bronson's gang stops and robs a train, which just happens to be carrying the Japanese ambassador to Washington to present a fabulous sword to the U.S. president (U.S. Grant). During the robbery, the gang's second-in-command betrays Bronson, leaving him for dead and taking the sword. The ambassador gives Mifune the sacred mission of retrieving the sword in one week and sends him off with Bronson. A fair amount of hilarity ensues as Bronson attempts to overpower or thwart the "man in a skirt" but, of course, Mifune outwits him easily.

During a fight, after Bronson challenges Mifune to put down his "hardware," TM throws CB all over the landscape. Eventually, the exhausted CB rolls over, looks at TM, and says, "You look like you're getting tired. Why don't we call it a draw?"

Anyhow, CB eventually forces TM to give his word he won't kill Delon ("Gauche") asap because CB needs to know the location of the stolen gold from the train. They kidnap Andress (Delon's girlfriend) and force her to take them to Delon's hideout but wind up in an ruined church instead, where they are surprised by Delon's gang. Unfortunately, some Comanches are also pissed at all these foreigners wandering around in their territory. So there's a battle in the church, and then the remaining four (CB, TM, AD, UA) get out into the canebrake and pick off the Indians from cover.

When it's over, CB, TM, and AD face off. AD shoots TM and CB decides that the samurai's honor is worth not knowing where the gold is. Beside, AD is just too bad to live. In the last scene, the ambassador's train returns to the depot and the sword is hanging from the telegraph wires, waiting to finish its journey.

One of my favorite westerns. Mifune as a samurai? Of course. Bronson at his stalwart best, and funny to boot? Yes. Alain Delon (in his U.S. debut) for pretty? What's not to like. And of course, the horses. Filming was in different parts of Spain and the horses all have that Spanish action; UA's horses was very obviously Andalucian. Gorgeous.

Neither Bruce nor Amy had seen this one, so it was a big hit.

Next week: Circle of Iron, a martial artist's journey, original story by Bruce Lee.

RIP Etta James

I'd Rather Be Blind, with Dr. John

Movie Night

So, continuing Bruce's education in the classics of cinema, we watched "The Raven," directed by Roger Corman, screenplay by Richard Matheson, starring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, a very young Jack Nicholson, two unknown women, and three very small parts by unknowns.

True to Corman's efficient methods, the entire cast is nine people and there are no costume changes at all. The whole thing was probably done in a month. And like many others of his films, it's a classic (B genre).

And it's quite funny, too. Amy thought the plume on Jack's hat was distracting and we were both amazed that it stayed on through all the derring-do.

Next week: a double bill with a dance documentary and a HK kung-fu movie with Bruce Lee.

Reading while Coughing

Am sort of under the weather with sore throat and cough and mild headache. Not sure if it's trying to work up to being something more concrete, like a cold, or if it's some kind of allergy, or if it's just being a "thing." Meanwhile, I've been on a small Star Trek (original series) binge. I have about 10 of the books and re-read them occasionally. So far, I've read

Uhura's Song
The Vulcan Academy Murders
The IDIC Epidemic (sequel to VAM)
and just started
Doctor's Orders

Not sure whether I'll go on and read the others or maybe switch over to Dick Francis favorites. I do have some new stuff to read but I'm in the mood for "comfort food for the mind."

Grammar Nazi

is me. Aaarrrgh. I read a lot of "academic" type blogs by professional linguists, physicists, biologists, etc etc yada yada. And I am astonished and appalled at the quality of their grammar (and spelling, too). Most of them don't seem to know the difference between/among;

its / it's
your / you're
there / they're / their
important / importantly (a particular peeve of mine)

and on and on. Not only that, someone will make a snide remark about an OP's grammar/spelling and make his/her/its own mistake in their snideness. Of course, it's getting really bad in books, too -- proofreading seems to be a totally omitted stage of production.

Gnash.