...As
you can plainly see, I am still unable to take a proper sunset photo.
If some sunset photos are breathtaking, I would say in all honesty that
my sunset photos are yawnworthy. They make the viewer feel that it was
ok to have missed last night's sunset because it obviously wasn't all
that special.
...The
other day I happened to read about the impending reappearance of the
Perseid Meteor Shower. I had seen this magnificent celestial display one
other time on a clear cool night in New Hampshire. Ada and I set the
alarm for two am, sat out on the deck of our Eastman condo and marveled
at dozens of shooting stars. I'd show you a photo of it all but, well,
you know. Anyway, I thought it would be fun for Nancy and me to
experience this natural wonder, but an interesting change has happened
to me since that last experience. I LOVE TO SLEEP! When I went to set
the alarm, I couldn't get my fingers to agree. I rationalized that it
might be a cloudy night. The Earth might suddenly turn on its axis. I
might go momentarily blind. In the end, I decided to watch the meteor
shower on my big ass HD tv. To make up for not getting up in the middle
of the night, I turned off the lights and pulled the shades. I'm not
proud of any of this.
...If
you can make your way over to Marie's Bistro on charming Rt. 30A in
Blue Mountain Beach on a Friday or Saturday night, you'll get to hear
the music of Ike Bartley and Tim Jackson. You won't be disappointed. Ike
plays tenor and alto sax and sings. Tim sings and plays guitar.
Assisted by some computer generated background music, these two pros
fill the room with familiar tunes like "Drift Away", "Georgia on my
Mind", or "Lean on Me." It's impossible not to thoroughly enjoy them.
When you combine their music with some wine and maybe a pasta dish or
salad, you feel very lucky to be alive. Next to my golf club and the
Gulf of Mexico, I think this group is the best thing the Panhandle has
to offer.
...The
new voting restrictions enacted by the ever-vigilant Republican
Governor and Legislature of North Carolina should go a long way toward
curbing the epidemic of voter fraud which has recently plagued that
proud state. While it may be true that there have only been about three
cases of voter fraud in North Carolina in the past 275 years, you can't
be too careful. Next on North Carolina's Republican legislative docket:
lengthier prison terms for pirates and the removal of the phrases
"global warming," "Darwin's theory," and "gravity" from public school
textbooks. Rush must be proud.
...Nancy
and I will be in England and Mallorca during the last two weeks of
October. I mention this because there is a better than average chance
that during this same time period, my beloved Boston Red Stockings will
be vying for the World Series title against the Atlanta Braves, or Los
Angeles Dodgers or, hopefully, Pittsburgh Pirates. Of course before they
can get to that point, the Stockings will have to make the playoffs and
defeat the other American League opponents, including the mighty Tigers
from Detroit. Not an easy task but certainly possible. What will I do
if I am unable to watch the Crimson Hose in one of their World Series
appearances? Luckily, I'll be in the company of Steve, Carol, and Jamie
Davidson, three of England's most rabid and devoted fans of the Rouge
Buskins. Jamie is a bit of a computer whiz, so I'm hoping he can steal a
signal or commit whatever minor electronic felony would apply.
...It
has been a very rainy summer down here on the Panhandle. As I'm typing
this, it's coming down in buckets, sheets and sheets of rain. The
delightful forecast for the upcoming week includes six to eight more
inches of the stuff. When it rains this much around here, people have a
hard time figuring out what they want to do. The elimination of golf,
beach, fishing, and swimming pools from the list of available options
creates a dearth of possibilities. Basically it's shopping, movies, or
an afternoon of "Love It or List It." Speaking of movies, Nancy and I
saw "The Way Way Back" the other day and we were both blown away by the
performance of Sam Rockwell. I have enjoyed Rockwell's acting since I
first saw him in "Galaxy Quest" and "The Green Mile." He's one of those
actors you remember, even if you weren't crazy about the film. Anyway, I
can now tell you everything you ever needed to know about either
listing or redecorating your property. The key is to get on one of these
redecorating reality shows! Everything gets taken care of in a half
hour and you'll always like the results.
...Years
ago I saw the play "Angels in America" in Boston. It was a challenging
work. At some point I noticed that author and critic John Updike was
sitting next to me. When the play was over, I was sorely tempted to ask
this brilliant man of letters, "Mr. Updike, excuse me but did I like
that?" I mention this imaginary anecdote because I can't make up my mind
about the Showtime series "Ray Donovan." On the one hand I have been
mesmerized by Jon Voigt's brilliant portrayal of Mickey Donovan, a
repugnant Boston hood; however, the plot twists have left me dizzier
than one of those Michigan people who roll down the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
I record the episodes and actually have to wait to watch them until I
know I have sufficient energy. During a typical episode Liev Schreiber's
character will have to deal with 12 crises. Even Kiefer Sutherland
never had to put out that many fires. And he had 24 hours. I wish John
Updike were still around.
...I've
decided that I was meant to be a low-tech reader and have abandoned the
use of my Nook in favor of actual books with pages. I'm not sure why I
prefer actual books to the electronic version. Maybe it has something to
do with wanting onlookers to know what I'm reading. Maybe I enjoy the
act of manually turning a page. Maybe it's the beautiful leather Sam 'n
Sara bookmarks I can use.
...Or maybe it's because I don't know how this damn thing works.
Ain't life grand?
J
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