So Glad I Got in Touch
Okay, now I'm officially totally jealous. My little sister got a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer yesterday. Every car I own is a total piece of shit, and the prospects for getting a new one soon are dim.
I'm currently driving an '86 Mazda 626 that my best belovéd got last year in exchange for helping a friend get her house (and, to some degree, her life) organized . . . my 2000 Olds Alero needs transmission work, so we don't trust it as my commuter car. The Saturn took a serious beat-down in a hailstorm, then slid under the back of a pick-up; the mini-van has been parked in the garage for almost two years in need of a fuel pump.
It did take some of the sting away when my sister reminded me she'd been driving the same mini-van for eight years until she got herself into this car payment. I'm only about nine months away from owning all of my vehicles free and clear--by which time I'd prefer to have exchanged the lot of them for a good truck for my best belovéd and a cool car for me.
Last Practice Before The BBQ Set
The build-out is nearly complete--thirteen new offices in the space that was large, open storage areas--and the band has been promised one of the new offices as a place to stow our gear. It's farther from the training room where we practice than the closet that we're currently using for equipment storage, but decidedly more spacious.
I've got Taxi Driver to watch tonight between work and practice. I tried to watch this a couple of years ago but fell asleep in the middle . . . which, I must remind you, doesn't mean this isn't a terrific film. I just have a bad habit of watching movies when I'm tired, and choosing the most comfortable position in which to do so. Lying down seems like a really good idea, and even the most compelling filmmaking can't hold off the inevitable for long.
I switched to the "BBQ Set" playlist for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon to solidify lyrics. I think I'm ready. If my memory serves me correctly, this is about the point in our pre-gig preparations when our lead guitarist becomes convinced that he doesn't actually remember how to play, so we can't possibly perform. In fact, the biggest obstacle is that our drummer won't take responsibility for knowing the set order, and will be asking "What's the next song?" after every song we play. That's not such a terrible problem to have, really.
Citizen Kane Apparently Still A Really Good Film
My darling lady recorded the updated "AFI's 100 Films in 100 Years" list of top films. In keeping with my tradition in these matters, I dozed off toward the end and had to look at a news site today to find out that The Godfather didn't manage to knock off Citizen Kane, which remained in the #1 spot.
I also did not get to see the beginning of the show because of hysterical weather coverage. Hey, guys, get a clue: If I'm indoors watching television, I'm not that concerned about a little rain. Who exactly are you helping with this noise?
But from about #90 (when the show actually started airing) until #25 (when I checked out for the night), we had fun playing the "seen-it/haven't-seen-it" game. This list has considerable overlap with the upper reaches of the IMDB Top 250, which I've been working through for at least a couple of months now, so my total was more impressive than it otherwise would have been.
Quote of the Day
Howard Hughes was able to afford the luxury of madness, like a man who not only thinks he is Napoleon but hires an army to prove it. -- Ted Morgan