Bronze Marshmallow Orchids

*Saturday evening I braved the interstate highway destruction zone around the Chicago suburbs to sit in on my first FOM meeting. Wound up heading into a restaurant that was a stone's throw from both Brookfield Zoo and Loyola Medical Center. It was a place called Chef Shagri-La. Had never heard of it before, which is really no great surprise. Got there in an hour and change, despite IDOT's best attempts to route me directly into Lake Michigan. Anyway, this place is one of the best crossover places I have ever seen. It's like a Chinese restaurant and a tiki bar both teleported in from another dimension and were merged into one when they rematerialized. I knew that there was a lot of commonalities back in the day between Polynesian and Chinese restaurants, but this is that taken to the nth degree. But it actually worked. It wasn't overbearing or distractingly chaotic. It just worked. So, I had gotten the directions, Mapquested the route, and even tweaked it to fit my needs. Got there with no problem, and even a bit ahead of schedule. This is what led to my first problem. I had posted to the FOM message boards to get directions and see what time people showed up. The directions were good, but the '7:30 or so' time frame wasn't.When I got there, there wasn't an FOM member to be seen. This got the Boss keyed up. She then asked (and rightly so) if I either had any contact info for anyone I was supposed to be meeting, or knew what any of them looked like. I had to plead ignorance on both counts, regardless of how incredibly logical having just such information would have actually been. Then came the attempt to relate to the staff just who it was that I was looking for. That didn't go over so well. The owner knew of the group, but not much more. In the end, I wound up having them set a table for 8, just hoping that someone would show up soon. Half an hour or so later, I was into a mai tai and feeling pretty darn ignorant while being one of two people sitting at a table for eight. Thankfully, about that time the first few FOM people showed up. From that point on, things went really well. Got to talk about barges, goats, and pie for a couple of hours with some really fun people. Next time, I do intend to try the hot and sour soup, too. I am really looking forward to being able to get together with them again as my work schedule allows. Doesn't look like it's going to happen next month, but at least I'll keep posting on the message boards.

*Got up enough steam this past weekend to go after the yard a bit. Got the maples in back trimmed up so that I can walk under them without banging my head on any branches. Got the yard mowed. Decided that with the running pattern Gracie has established with the neighbor's dog, it would be pointless to try and plant anything along the fence line. Invested a few bucks in some seeds for the perennials I'd like to get going out front, but haven't got them in the ground yet. Funny as it may sound, Menard's was all sold out of the hoe I wanted. Guess I'll have to try my luck with hoes at Lowe's. Hoes at Lowe's. Hmmmm. If that doesn't sound like a low budget porn movie, I don't know what does.

*Yes, I still like gin. I still find it to be quite enjoyable mixed with ginger ale. I am thinking that it doesn't really agree with my meds, though. Took me quite a while to get to the point today that my head felt like it was completely attached to the rest of me today (and no, I was not hung over). If I was to read the warnings for that stuff, I'm pretty sure that it would say that alcohol is a no-no.

*Almost time to once again go get my teeth scraped by my hottie of a dental hygenist.

*Went out to Ikea the other day in order to make use of a gift card I had that had been hanging around since Giftmas. I had been thinking of getting one really big display case from one of the antique stores in Rockford, but thought it may be better to get a couple three smaller ones, just in case I decide to rearrange things downstairs. So, it was off to Bolingbrook on a drippy gray Monday afternoon. I had managed to do some online research before we went though, so I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking to buy before we got there. Getting to actually see the different cases in person was a good idea though. I walked out with two identical display cases and a light set for each one. The Boss got a wok and some tealights. And even though it has happened every single time I have purchased things from Ikea, I have yet to actually learn that very little of what they make actually fits in the Boss' Escape. Thus, after manhandling two 90 pound packages that were mostly glass all over the back of her car in an attempt to get the hatch closed, we settled on tying the door down with twine. There were also crossed fingers that we wouldn't hit a bump and send the whole mess spilling out of the back of the car and into the road. We did manage to make it home without any incidents and after an evening of assembly and rearrangement, I now have two lit glass display cabinets in place in the lounge. Should be a good home for some of my rarer and more delicate pieces.

*Four days off and the paperwork is now in a neater, but only minimally smaller, pile than it was before.

*Almost $300 later, the basement is secure from rain water. Hopefully. Turns out that the sump pump that we had was on it's way to the great sump pump heaven in the sky. Now, there's a nice new green one in there. And it works all the time, instead of just occasionally. Yay.

*It is turning into a really nice day outside. Makes perfect sense that I have to be into work at 2 today. Guess I should go take a bike ride while I can.

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Lorenzo Lamas' Llama's Lava Lamps

*In the theater: "Iron Man 2"

As much as I hate having to agree with a critic, especially when I can't remember what critic it was, I have to agree with the critic who said this sequel just wasn't as much fun as the original. It was also interesting to see that a scene nationally broadcast in the commercial for the movie wasn't in the final cut. The post credits extra scene was also a bit of a letdown, especially when it's already widely known that a Thor movie is in production. Anyway, The star of this movie ended up being the suits. And there are a lot of them. Makes sense. Just like in real life, once the plans get out, everyone starts making them. But the number of suits in this movie drowns out the interactions between the characters that made the first movie so entertaining. Am I sorry I went to see this movie? Not really. I am sorry I ate some of that nasty movie theater popcorn though. Next time, the Boss can get her own sack of that nasty crap. Do I think the movie would have been just as good if I had waited to see it until it got to DVD? Yes.

*One of the greatest things about mai tais? A full days supply of vitamin C in every glass.

*On DVD: "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"

Terry Gilliam makes weird movies. Always has. They are usually visually amazing and rife with hidden meanings, metaphors, and all other sorts of bizzare stuff. This movie continues in that tradition. The Boss had told me more than once that this was the movie Heath Ledger was working on when he died, and that she wanted to see it. I don't remember her saying this, but she has convinced me that it was indeed so. To get around the lack of a lead actor, Jude Law and Johnny Depp step in to play the same character at different points in time. As odd as this sounds, it actually makes the story ring more true. I won't even make an attempt to describe the story, as I don't think I could do it any justice. I liked this move. I'm sure there's a lot of it that I didn't get, but I liked it anyway. If you prefer movies where every last iota of the storyline is spelled out for you in minutia, don't rent this movie.

*On the turntable:

"The Best of Andy Griffith"-Andy Griffith

"Why Is There Air?"-Bill Cosby

"Down to Earth"-Jonathan Winters

"Inside Shelly Berman"-Shelly Berman

"Ilikai"-Arthur Lyman

"The Steve Martin Brothers"-Steve Martin

"Tour de Farce-American History and Other Unrelated Subjects"-The Smothers Brothers

*OK, since everyone out there already thought that I hated mowing the yard (which isn't really the case. I hate having to mow the yard so that it meets the expectations of others. Left to my own expectations, I have no problem mowing), I went ahead and did something about it. I hired out the mowing duties. One of my neighbors has a son who, as most teenagers are, is looking for ways to make some money this summer. So, I get to help him out with a few bucks here and there, and I don't have to worry about the yard.

*Going to head into the wilds of suburbia Saturday evening to attend an event with some fellow tikiheads. As this will be my first time meeting these folks, I'm hoping all goes well, but I'm not sure if I'll be going bowling afterwards or not. I'm thinking that is an activity that will no longer agree with either my wrists or my knees. Should they need someone top sit on the sidelines and freely distribute mockery, that I can do.

*The massive upgrade to the computer software at work seems to have gone quite a bit smoother than I thought it would. Not that I'm complaining.

*We seem to have gotten a rather massive amount of rain over the past couple of days. I don't really tend to care about things like that unless the sump pump decides to have issues. Well, it's decided to have issues. And, since I don't care to have a soggy basement, a plumber will be out in the morning to figure out what needs to be done to remedy the situation. I imagine that somewhere along the line it will involve writing a out a rather large check.

*I have used the word 'massive' in the first sentence of the previous 2 paragraphs. Oops. Make that the first sentence of the last 3 paragraphs.

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Five White Spiral Button Staplers

*'Avatar': The highest grossing movie ever in the history of ever. I really had no great urge to see this movie. But, the Boss kinda wanted to see it, so we rented it over the weekend. It was very pretty. Cameron has mastered some incredible new SFX techniques. And that's about all I can say about the movie. I found myself checking the clock more than once, wondering when it was going to be over. I almost want my $5 back. The whole thing reminded me of a final project in art class where you had to include certain techniques into your work in order to get all the available points. In this case, those things would be glowing things, flying things, and blue people things. And boy were those things substituted in mass quantities in place of plot and character development. I was also disappointed when the death of the head military guy reminded me of a very similar scene in 'Apocalypse Now'. But that scene was better.

*Quote of the week: "I will trade grace for pleasure."

*Tried out the recumbent bike, and I'm not sure that I like it. It's got a small front wheel, so it steers like a chopper. Real floppy and short. The handlebars kinda remind me of the old ape hangers we used to have as kids, too. Plus the thing has a huge wheelbase and thus a huge turning radius. I don't think I had the seat the right distance from the pedals, either. The geometry of the position in which you sit is great for my neck, but the bike itself doesn't seem to be well suited for city sidewalks, curbs, and the like. Maybe if I was doing distance roadwork, but right now, it doesn't seem to fit my riding style. Not that I'm jumping out of helicopters onto mountains with my bike, but I'm not exactly delicate with it, and I do have occasional outbursts of stupidity when faced with hills, fields, holes, and puddles. What I may have to do is head over to DeKalb Cycle and see if they have something that's a middle ground between a cruiser and a mountain bike. Or see if I can get a riser for the handlebars on the bike I have. And maybe some riding gloves. Tired of having my fingers go numb all the time. But, if I get the handlebars moved up, that might take care of that problem.

*I always thought groups like the Elks and the Shriners were odd little remnants from another era. I mean really, when the Masons are holding open membership drives, how strong can the market for fraternal organizations be? But, the retro side of me kinda likes the notion of fezzes, secret handshakes, and bowling shirts. To that end, I have begun looking into becoming a member of a fraternal organization.

*This seemed to be the month that Kane Co Flea Market woke up for the season. There were a lot more dealers than at the last show, but even then it wasn't completely full. Was still a lot of stuff to see, but the only tiki score came from my usual dealer. Didn't even pick up any LPs this time around.

*'Defendor': This was a film I had been interested in a while ago, and then forgot about. When I saw it at the video store, it made my short list. From the previews, I was expecting something along the lines of maybe 'Mystery Men', but hopefully not 'Blankman'. But, once again, Woody Harrelson yanked the rug out from under my ideas of what the movie would be. At the end of the movie, I found myself left with a lingering sadness. It was much the same feeling I had after watching 'Being There' with Peter Sellers. Still, it was a good movie.

*'Pirate Radio': This was a movie the Boss was more interested in than I was. It wasn't bad. It just didn't feel like it was all that bound together. Felt more like an hour and a half of little comedy bits all stitched together. If I want that, I can watch reruns of WKRP. Then on one had you had Kenneth Brannagh doing what seemed to be an impersonation of John Cleese, and on the other was Phillip Seymour Hoffman channeling John Goodman. Just plain weird. All in all, it was OK, but 'Pump Up the Volume' was a much better movie about pirate radio.

*I am really on the fence about whether or not I really want to do any gardening this year. My first inclination is to say no. I'd rather spend the time in the studio. But, I had never quite gotten the beds that I had made into any real self sustaining state. So, right now, large sections of the front look like crap. Gracie has demolished the ground along the fence line, so I don't even know if I could successfully put in my morning glories this year. I'm thinking that I should just be looking to get perennials established in all the blank spots in the front just so I don't have to worry about it anymore. Guess I'll be planting those daises the Boss wanted after all.

*I need to rake the back yard. Don't really want to, but you can only reduce sticks so much by using the lawn mower to chew them up.

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