Potential distractions abound lately, and with my newfound freedom I would like to partake of them. Alas, I’m going to need to rein in my spending. So I skipped the New Pornographers show Saturday night, as well as Jay’s latest performance. But I still needed to get out of the house. Opted for a movie at the plush Riverview Theater instead. Yeah, I’d already seen X2. But it was worth the $2 for another viewing (especially of the opening scene with Nightcrawler), and the a/c. That sets the tone for this summer…it’s all about cheap or free activities. Including, but not limited to, the various ‘music and movies in the park’ series around town. I’m especially looking forward to the one-two combo of Deerhoof and “Rocky“. On the fiction front, I’ve taken a little break from space opera. Borrowed a copy of “Girl With a Pearl Earring“, an absorbing novel inspired by the Vermeer painting. Then it was back to fantasy with the Canadian/UK edition of “Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix“. Closely followed by the myth and magic of “Dry Water“. Not sure what’s next. I’ve been contemplating the sad stack of half-read books residing on my nightstand for some time, but I may move on to something more intriguing. I was given a copy of “The Bondwoman’s Narrative” for my birthday. It is “believed to be the oldest novel written by an African-American fugitive slave woman yet found - and the only such work to be uncovered in it’s original, unedited condition”. But it’s not all luxurious inactivity for this gal. The little man can be a force to be reckoned with…a tornado of energy to be funneled. In an effort to keep him from tormenting the cats (too much), I’ll try to keep him occupied. For him it’s going to be a summer of playdates, picnic lunches, fingerpainting and playground fun…interspersed with library and children’s museum visits. As well as the odd festival or two. We missed the Art Car Parade (doh!) but Mu Daiko will be performing at a few upcoming events that should be fun for the whole family. Except for the cats, perhaps.
