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.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
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
RIP Dave Brubeck, jazz musician
RIP Oscar Niemeier, architect
Friday, November 23, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
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.
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.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
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.
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.
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