....really cold - the thermometer said -6C but with all of the chill factors it felt like -18c here - quite a change from the 21C weather of last week and yet more proof that as Bob Dylan and Al Gore seem to agree 'a change is gonna come'
Still Jude and I braved the weather in order to go and see sticky romantic confection 'The Holiday'. The cinema was packed with single New York women speaking in ever higher pitch and with greater and greater volume. Why is it that young American women mistake volume for wit? As their stories grew to deafening in terms of decibels my interest in them (and my will to live) fell to new lows. And it was every story, the noise suggested that the audience was collectively being sucked through a jet engine - having inhaled two lungs full of helium. The trailers were drowned out, the ads went unnoticed and it wasn't until the lights went down that things subsided. But only just.
There were sighs of recognition at Kate Winslett's unrequited affection. Knicker moistening at Jude Law's every move (he IS very good in this), self recognition in Cameron Diaz's every American on foreign soil fumble and a softening toward Jack Black (if not inderplaying then not wildly mugging here)
Yes it was corny. Yes it was predictable. Yes it was manipulative. But we all let happy. Turn off your cynicism and go see.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Wow
I found myself dancing on the way home today. Despite the cold. And the people. And the fact that I've not been doing much this week, there was a real sense of release and elation.
I can't remember the last time that I felt as heel clickingly Gene Kelly as this... granted it might be the wine and free pizza I had with Neena but I think it's more than that. I'm working at a place that's only 25 people strong - but it is strong. They're bright and fun and accessible and they're interested... plus they have stories that have bridges to them like "so there I was in Barcelona, crumping the tranny when..."
Zippety doo da day
I can't remember the last time that I felt as heel clickingly Gene Kelly as this... granted it might be the wine and free pizza I had with Neena but I think it's more than that. I'm working at a place that's only 25 people strong - but it is strong. They're bright and fun and accessible and they're interested... plus they have stories that have bridges to them like "so there I was in Barcelona, crumping the tranny when..."
Zippety doo da day
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
So...
... right now I'm on a huge Cyndi Lauper kick, which I think makes me a lesbian. Hopefully a Jennifer Beals, L-Word lesbian rather than a placard carrying dykes for open toed shoes lesbian, but a lesbian non-the-less.
I did have a Cyndi Lauper song planned for my funeral 'I'll be your river' from The Body Acoustic. Doubtless it would have sounded tinny on the antiquated speakers of whatever crematorium we found ourselves in but it would have made a welcome change from Robbie Williams' 'Angels' - wouldn't it?
I did have a Cyndi Lauper song planned for my funeral 'I'll be your river' from The Body Acoustic. Doubtless it would have sounded tinny on the antiquated speakers of whatever crematorium we found ourselves in but it would have made a welcome change from Robbie Williams' 'Angels' - wouldn't it?
all clear - again
My doctor called early yesterday morning... not usually a good sign so when I saw his name pop ip on my caller ID my heart entered zero gravity and floated towards my throat, spinning slowly asw it made its ascent.
My initial thought (after 'shit') was that I couldn't be sick so early after joining a new company. That it wasn't fair on them. I guess that this is either decency, transference or my fear of once again being labelled damaged or fragile. The new guys see me as a new employee. Not as the guy who's sick, or might me sick again, or who was sick or any of that... it's a blank slate that I didn't want smeared with the effulent that is bad news.
And it wasn't bad news, all was clear with my blood, across every test and marker. The hairloss it seems is stress (both current and delayed physical stress from treatment) and should reverse itself. They hope.
In a word "Phew".
I don't like how every illness gets inflated in my mind at the moment - and look forward to the day when a stuffy nose and sore throat equates to Cherry Tunes rather than imminent death.
My initial thought (after 'shit') was that I couldn't be sick so early after joining a new company. That it wasn't fair on them. I guess that this is either decency, transference or my fear of once again being labelled damaged or fragile. The new guys see me as a new employee. Not as the guy who's sick, or might me sick again, or who was sick or any of that... it's a blank slate that I didn't want smeared with the effulent that is bad news.
And it wasn't bad news, all was clear with my blood, across every test and marker. The hairloss it seems is stress (both current and delayed physical stress from treatment) and should reverse itself. They hope.
In a word "Phew".
I don't like how every illness gets inflated in my mind at the moment - and look forward to the day when a stuffy nose and sore throat equates to Cherry Tunes rather than imminent death.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Missed a day
Weird day yesterday. Went in to my new office to sign paperwork and then had to dash to the doctor for blood work and a thyroid panel. The way he casually said - that will be one of things I'll check for, amongst some more serious - sent chills through me. The last time he was this casual I was 24 hrs away from a cancer diagnosis. Let's hope it's 'just' the thyroid huh?
Evening was spent watching women lying about their eating habits. Only real insights were that Americans like to chew their soup and that nutrition has become divorced from food in the US - if you want nutrition you buy the appropriate vitamin or 'fortified superfood' - they'll give it to you in higher concentration than something like a vegetable.
Really fascinating to what the lack of energy too - this really is a 'whatever' culture... shame.
Evening was spent watching women lying about their eating habits. Only real insights were that Americans like to chew their soup and that nutrition has become divorced from food in the US - if you want nutrition you buy the appropriate vitamin or 'fortified superfood' - they'll give it to you in higher concentration than something like a vegetable.
Really fascinating to what the lack of energy too - this really is a 'whatever' culture... shame.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Bun-gee
I once had to stay in Vanuatu.
We were working on an international gambling thing and the client stayed close to his computer servers - which meant the virtually tax free nation of Vanuatu. On the first day of operation an earthquake wiped out the server, on my first day there another almost knocked a scented marker pen out of my hand - though I plowed on through.
I have no idea why Vanuatu comes to mind today but this picture - of a Vanuatu tradition - think bungee using vines rather than elastic and sudden, hip dislocating stops as the 'rope' runs out felt rather apt to my mood.
Just watched Cyndi Lauper live in HD on a Sunday morning and realise that middle age is absolutely upon me - was 'Time After Time' really a quarter of a decade ago?
We were working on an international gambling thing and the client stayed close to his computer servers - which meant the virtually tax free nation of Vanuatu. On the first day of operation an earthquake wiped out the server, on my first day there another almost knocked a scented marker pen out of my hand - though I plowed on through.
I have no idea why Vanuatu comes to mind today but this picture - of a Vanuatu tradition - think bungee using vines rather than elastic and sudden, hip dislocating stops as the 'rope' runs out felt rather apt to my mood.
Just watched Cyndi Lauper live in HD on a Sunday morning and realise that middle age is absolutely upon me - was 'Time After Time' really a quarter of a decade ago?
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