The view from my office window is mostly of other tall buildings. Including my local bank’s 70s-style monstrosity. On top of which is a large time/weather display that has seen better days. On Friday it was flashing 6:11 all day long. Since yesterday it’s been displaying nothing but gibberish. The lights are randomly lit. Random, that is, unless it’s conveying some sort of coded message. But it’s likely not that interesting.
It was an act of desperation. And laziness. Let’s not forget that. This morning I found myself too exhausted to get to the coffee shop. The walk would have likely done me some good, but I was too far gone. And driving there would have been pathetic. I would have liked to have *made* some real coffee, in my own kitchen. I’ve got plenty of french roast just waiting to be brewed. But nothing to brew it in (a certain someone broke my french press carafe a while ago, ahem). So I resorted to (hangs head in shame) instant coffee. This happens every few months or so. I hit that low, low, point. Rock bottom, really. And I try it. Again. Remembering full well, then re-experiencing, just how foul the stuff is. This time I loaded it up with a disgusting amount of sugar, but it was still vile. Tomorrow morning, come hell or high water, I will be making the trek to see my local baristas. I have learned my lesson. Again.
Recently Mick enquired about my robot “obsession”. I’ve never consciously acknowledged it as a full-fledged obsession…but I guess it could be seen that way. I’d prefer to describe it as a “fascination” with robots. Makes me sound a little less freaky. Heh. But just the other night I watched Metropolis, again. And I recently re-read Andi Watson’s “Geisha” comics (also about a robot girl - well, technically an android). I adore the robots in Hayao Miyazaki’s anime “Laputa: Castle in the Sky“. I have no idea why I hadn’t come across it before, but Mick kindly pointed out Popbot by Ashley Wood. Will have to pick that up. And I list several links to sites of others who are, to a greater or lesser degree, also fascinated with robots. I can’t quite explain it…I guess I’ll have to ponder it a while longer. But I do have some idea where it started. At a young age my pleasantly-geeky Dad exposed me to a lot of science fiction. A great source was his subscription to Omni Magazine, in its early days. Now my interest in science fiction is far greater than my Dad’s…and I’m hoping to pass this along to my son in some form. Maybe when he’s a little older. Though he’s already obsessed with Buzz Lightyear (of Toy Story 1 & 2, not Star Command thankfully). Guess it’s genetic.
My sorely overused digital camera, my partner in crime over these last four years, died this past weekend. I nearly feel like I’ve lost a member of the family. Or an appendage at least. Sure, it was beaten and battered and in generally poor condition. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise…but it had somehow been holding it together. And performing admirably. The last straw was a visit to my Dad’s. While we were standing in the split-level entryway the little man bumped into me. I didn’t have my messenger bag closed securely. My aspiring pro-wrestler is quite the brute, despite his tender age. He knocked into me with great force, causing the camera to fly right out of the bag. And bounce its way down the stairs. They were carpeted stairs, but still. Not a lovely sight. Felt as though it were happening in slo-mo and I could do nothing to stop it. A suitable replacement is urgently needed. I am hoping to snag this bad boy soon. I’ve been wanting a digital SLR camera for a while, with optical zoom. This one also captures video (short quicktime movies). It must be obtained before the little man’s birthday next month. But I am seriously jonesing. I am the queen of instant gratification. I want it now. Out on my lunch break yesterday I noticed several things I would have liked to photograph. And then there is my cutie-pie. I usually snap a piccie of the little man at least once a day. Sigh. Soon. Very soon. I hope.
The little man and I had a spectacular weekend. The weather was far better than anticipated…so we wound up outdoors for most of it (I now have a tan line…weird). The little man played at no less than five different playgrounds. But now we’re paying the price. In the form of a neglected disaster of a household. I shirked all chores, save for a bit of laundry. When my house is clean it’s a place I look forward to spending time in. When it’s in its current condition, I only wish to flee from it. Which probably accounts for a good deal of the weekend’s activities. Speaking of which…I did also have some much-needed mommy time. I was able to both bowl and catch Jay’s show at the Bryant Lake Bowl. I hadn’t bowled in years, but I still suck as much as I used to. And I can’t wait to have at it again. Maybe I’ll even break 100 next time. Or at least 75.
Found something particularly amusing in today’s Need to Know. Oh, the wacky world of Japanese ice cream. Aside from not being readily available in the states, none of it is vegan…so I don’t have to worry about ever eating it. But if I had to I’d certainly take the sweet potato flavor over ox tongue any day. Blech.
Now I’ve got even more to look forward to. That’s always a good thing. First of all, Sleater-Kinney is coming to town on October 8th. Prior to that their new album will be released August 20th. Woo-hoo! KRS is also streaming the entire thing on their site. I started to listen to it. And liked what I heard. Unfortunately I had to cease and desist. Quicktime caused my cursor to blink in such a manner I feared it would cause me to seizure. I’ll stick with the mp3 they have available for the song Oh. It’s damned catchy. And non-seizure inducing (I hope).
Last night I supped on a handful of grapes and a couple of animal crackers. After eating only one piece of toast during the day. I was hungry, yes. But sure didn’t feel like cooking. Heated up a little something for the little man. But nothing sounded appetizing to me. Well, nothing nearby anyhow. Too frequently, and most frustratingly, my cravings are for foods I enjoyed while travelling. Several years ago I was making regular trips to Chicago. On those sojourns I would invariably dine at the savory Soul Vegetarian, sometimes multiple times per trip. Sometimes that was the main focus of those trips, as I then (and still) frequently found myself craving Soul V’s tofu tidbits and garvey burgers upon returning home. Then I discovered Milwaukee’s East Side Ovens. When I last visited it was an all-vegan bakery and deli, with vegan delights not to be found elsewhere (well, certainly not in the Twin Cities). Steaming hot calzones and pot pies (it was winter, all right) and muffins, bear claws, eclairs, turnovers, and other pastries. Not long after that I stayed in NYC for a week. At the offices of Love and Rage, a now defunct anarchist newspaper. I have many fond memories of that Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Unfortunately I can’t recall the name of my favorite little restaurant. It was a delightful deli, all-vegetarian, nearly all-vegan. It was tasty, cheap, and in walking distance. It may not be there any longer, which would be very sad. I did a search of veg-friendly eats in that area and nothing sounded right. So even though it will remain nameless, for now, I still crave their burritos, sandwiches, homemade pies and apple cobbler. And lastly…the strongest cravings of all, perhaps because I most recently dined there, are for the Bay Area’s amazing Ambrosia Garden. The name rings true. This place is a little piece of heaven. Dangit, now I can’t remember the name of the dish I so dearly desire (help?) but if you’re in the neighborhood, drop by and order just about anything. I know we did. Between the two of us my companion and I ordered like eight different things. And they were all divine. I was eating those leftovers for days and loving it. Sigh.
There’s got to be an equation to describe this situation, but I’m too fried to figure out what it would be. My headphone usage increases proportionally to my ever-growing workload, and approaching deadlines. I’m trying to combat the rise in my stress levels by listening to happier music. Like Chisel’s “It’s Alright, You’re O.K.” (from “Set You Free“). I wish I could believe it. If I could just heed the HHGG’s classic call (Don’t Panic). But that only leads to another distraction. At least it’s a worthy one. No, no…need…to…focus.