I don't have a girlfriend!

Connor Too Close by Finijo

When I picked up Connor today, he was not as exuberant as he was yesterday. I had him point out Katherine to me and when he did the two of them barely looked at each other. I knew something was up, so I waited until we were out the door then asked, "Did you two break up today?" He answered that they had and said, "We just weren't ready." He didn't seem too broken up over it, but when I questioned him some, he shocked me with his complete absence of any kind of understanding of little girls. He said, "I told her that there was someone else, so it wouldn't be so bad for her." Of course I explained to him how he needed to rectify that fib with the truth, because it is the best policy, and because Katherine will appreciate knowing that he didn't break up with her because of someone else. He said he'd tell her tomorrow, and that they are still friends - at least that's something.

Ripe Van Winkle by Finijo

After I picked Connor up, we went to Starbucks to meet Mom. It was the weirdest trip to Starbucks - EVER. The family sitting at one table over was so loud that when they left, we could not only hear our own conversation, but we could hear a pin drop. The replacement customer for that table (I'll call him Ripe Van Winkle for reasons that will become obvious) was a real treat. Before Ripe sat down, he made his presence known. I was tired and sitting with my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand, when suddenly I could not figure out why my hand was so stinky. I was literally sniffing my fingers trying to figure out why they smelt of armpit and wondering what I could have possibly touched that someone would have wiped their armpit on. Marilyn alerted me to the fact that we had a new table neighbor and that the fragrance I was smelling was him and not my own hand. As I was sitting there looking at him (as unobtrusively as possible), I noticed him picking up his bottle of frappuccino, unscrewing the lid, and then he did something that struck me as hilarious. He sniffed it - twice! It was like he was checking to see if it was spoiled. All I could think was that there was no way he would be able to smell spoilage over his own stench. Ripe Van Winkle is like Fabreeze in reverse. He managed to cancel out the smell of coffee in a Starbucks (completely) and replace eau du cafe with BO - I did not even think that was possible.

***No homeless people were made fun of in this blog. In spite of the hirsute appearance of Ripe, his hair was clean and his clothes were clean. It is a reasonable assumption that his armpits were riddled with bacteria, though.

I have a girlfriend!

What's not to love? by MEG

Today when I picked Connor up from the Y, he bounded towards me, and as soon as we got out the door he blurted, "I have some news. I have a girlfriend! A REAL one." It turns out that the girl (Katherine) who has been following him around since camp started, finally wore him down and now he has a girlfriend. I asked him if it was the same girl that told him she liked him three weeks ago (when he was "not EVEN interested"), and he told me, "Yeah, she freaked me out at first, but I've gotten to know her and I like her." I asked him what he liked about her and he said, "She's nice and funny and she laughs at my jokes. She even gives me pity laughs when my jokes aren't that funny." Connor doesn't know her last name, but she asked him to be her boyfriend, so it's a done deal.

I am alternately thrilled for him to be merrily entering into his adolescence and dumbfounded at how we got to this point so quickly. I know it may seem like this was 12 years in the making - but it went by a lot quicker than that, believe me.

Lasko

We got a new fan and I LOVE it. I know that doesn't make for much of a blog entry, but I like to spread the news when I like something. The fan is a Lasko 2530 Elite Wind Tower, with oscillation and a remote control. It's a space saver, it's quiet (really quiet), and it has three speeds and a timer. I looked for the website to find out what other products Lasko sells, but it is nowhere to be found. Instead, I found this article on line at http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/02/08/
lasko_products_inc_recalling_56m_fans/:

Lasko Products Inc. recalling 5.6M fans

February 8, 2006 WASHINGTON --Lasko Products Inc. is recalling 5.6 million Lasko, General Electric, Galaxy and Air King fans because an electrical failure in the motor can cause them to ignite. The West Chester, Pa., company has received 42 reports of fires possibly associated with motor failures, with seven reports of injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday.

At least eight of the reported fires resulted in extensive property damage. The company has recalled: --Lasko box fan models 3700, 3723, 3733 and 3750; cyclone fan models 3510, 3550, 3800 and 35105; Wind Machine models 3300 and 3521; Air Companion model 3515; Air Director model 2135; and Wind Tunnel models 3400 and 3410. --General Electric box fan model 106620 and cyclone fan models 106600 and 106630. --Galaxy box fan model 3733. --Air King cyclone fan model 9500 (20-inch deluxe pivot fan) and Air Companion model 9515 (15-inch deluxe pivot fan). The fans were sold for $10 to $25 at discount department stores nationwide from September 2000 through February 2004.

Consumers should stop using the fans immediately and contact Lasko to receive a free fan protection cord adapter. For more information call the company at 800-984-3311 or visit http://www.laskoproducts.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

The recall notice is disappointing . The model we bought is not listed, but it is possible that the company is either gone or took down their website. The fan we got has a special safety cord that looks different from any cord I've seen before, so I'm not worried about it burning the house down, but I would like to get a couple more of these fans in the future.

Weekly World News

Every now and then I see a headline in the Weekly World News that makes me laugh out loud. When that happens I know I just can't pass up the opportunity to buy it for Connor. He loves this paper and it's twisted stories. The first time he picked up the paper in the checkout aisle at the grocery store was in April of 2003 when the headline read "Saddam and Osama Share a Gay Love Nest." He was mortified and hooked the instant he read the headline - I guess I was, too.

Saffie Hugs Bodhi

I looked over at the couch tonight and noticed Bodhi was wearing a Saffie collar. What a couple of weirdos - at least they keep me laughing.

The Saga Continues...

As I walked out my door this morning to go to work, I noticed La Loca standing in the walkway outside the gate with a large police officer. I input the code to get out, but before I could get past them, the HPD officer stopped me and asked if I could talk to him for a minute. He walked me back inside the gate outside of earshot (hopefully) of La Loca, and asked me what I knew about the incident that happened yesterday. He asked me if I witnessed an assault. I had a feeling that she would take it all the way to the cops and I decided that as stupid as the situation was, I had only one choice - to be completely honest. It was pretty obvious that the cop already figured out that La Loca was not all there. I told him that I did not witness an assault, but that a guy with a cane did restrain her briefly and that I told him to let her go. I also told him that La Loca obviously had mental problems and that she is often inebriated. I was on a roll, so I finished off by telling him that I would be moving out of these apartments as soon as possible. This is not how I wanted to start my morning. It's not how I want to start any morning - ever.

Houston - Flooded with Insanity

Peephole by Finijo

Today we had severe storms and flooding throughout Houston. I probably could have made in to the office at some point, but the forecast called for heavy showers throughout the day and I had the opportunity to work from home, so I did. At first, I thought this was a good thing, but a couple of hours into my telecommuting, I heard La Loca arguing with a man. Then she started screaming, "Help me! Help me!" I opened up the door to see La Loca (sans wig) squaring off with a man, the caregiver for another neighbor (Mary Catherine). The caregiver (who uses a cane) is pointing his cane at La Loca and yelling, "You need to apologize to Mary Catherine." La Loca yelled back at him, "Fuck you!" Caregiver yelled back at her, "You are not going to insult Mary Catherine (a neighbor with MS). You go and apologize." La Loca countered by screaming back over his shoulder and into Mary Catherine's open door, "Mary Catherine, he's a cheater! He's fucking my girlfriend upstairs in number 10." The neighbor/girlfriend La Loca is referring to is Mommy Dearest, who is reported to be off the wagon in a big way - so much for 7 months sobriety and healing the relationship with her son, Nelson (Ha-ha!). The next thing I knew, Caregiver wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and he lamely (think bad leg) tried to force her to go apologize to Mary Catherine. La Loca screamed at me to call 9-1-1. I told Caregiver, "C'mon now, just let her go." Caregiver immediately released his less than vice-like grip and she got away from him, but still kept screaming at me to call 9-1-1.

La Loca Through Peephole by Finijo

The scariest thing about this circus of a situation was seeing La Loca without her wig. OMG! I now know way more than I ever wanted to about her mental condition, specifically that La Loca suffers from trichotillomania. From the look of it, she spends all of her spare time plucking herself bald. The dance macabre between the lame Caregiver and the patchy La Loca is truly one of the saddest things I have ever witnessed. The yelling continued for a while. La Loca called him a "son of a bitch" and a "cheater," and Caregiver called her a "drunk" and a "bitch." In the many, many years I have lived here, we have had people from all walks of life as neighbors, but I don't think we have ever had as much drama, insanity, and stupidity as we currently do.

Mommy Dearest Across the Pool by Finijo

La Loca returned to her apartment to retrieve said wig, then began to pace back and forth from the gate to her door - taking a path directly in front of my door. I could hear the clopping of her heels as she went back and forth, again and again. That's when I got the idea to try shooting a picture through the peephole. There is more artistic expression and rising to the challenge of trying to get the shot, than there is stalker my taking the pictures. They came out pretty good, if you expand them. Shooting through a peephole with a digital camera is a little hit or miss with no peripheral forwarning and only the sound of footsteps to go by, but I managed to get a shot of La Loca and of Mommy Dearest. Before finally retiring to her apartment to presumably pass out, La Loca banged on my door and screamed, "Thanks for nothing, bitch." In spite of her vitriol, I think I would still open the door if she screamed for help - I may leave the chain on, though.

Then and Now

Bodhi of the Dumpster by Finijo

Lena as Pillow by Finijo
Last June we found Bodhi in the dumpster - so he is a little over a year old now. He was so tiny and frightened. We did not expect him to turn out to be the king of all he surveys, but he is now the biggest cat we have. I should probably say the biggest cat who has us. He hangs off the couch when he sleeps and he could probably swallow Lena whole, if he were so inclined. It's good for Lena that he likes her.

Bodhi on Pillow with Lena by Finijo

Bodhi Too Big by Finijo

Florida Dot Com

On my way into work this morning, I noticed a Florida license plate that listed the state's website. Florida may be the first state to post their website on their license plate - at least it's the first one I've seen. I'm not sure why it seems so odd to me, but it does. I appreciate that they are able to get free advertising for their website, but I think I prefer a nice old fashioned, educational state motto.

Noodles in the Pool

Floating Fennel Flower by Finijo

I went swimming today and had the opportunity to meet the new neighbors. A single mom moved in with her 10-year-old son, Nelson. Marilyn and I have trouble saying his name without wanting to let out a high pitched "Ha-Haa!" Our new neighbor, whom I will refer to as Mommy Dearest, is about as nutty as La Loca. She has no boundaries to speak of, and in one fifteen minute period she told me that her bathing suit is a Pucci and cost $500.00, she just got out of the Star of Hope shelter three weeks ago because she has a drinking problem (although she has 7 months sober, she is not happy) she'd love to give Connor a ride to camp each morning (I declined politely), she loves her son (but doesn't think they can live together), and she's been married three times.

Floats by Finijo

Before I could escape the pool and get back in my apartment, La Loca came out of her apartment and began a drunken conversation with Mommy Dearest.

During this conversation, Mommy Dearest gave kudos to La Loca for having the guts to stand out in a busy intersection with her "Impeach Bush" sign. She followed up by saying, "I kept thinking you'd be arrested." La Loca countered with, "I was arrested and spent the night in jail." While they discussed the ins and outs of our political system, La Loca invited Mommy Dearest into her apartment and Mommy Dearest asked me to watch Nelson (Ha-haa!).

Lime Green Noodle by Finijo

Mommy Dearest soon exited La Loca's apartment and made a beeline for the stairs leading to her apartment. She informed me in a hushed tones that La Loca just told her that she is bisexual AND she kissed Mommy Dearest. Mommy Dearest told me she needed to go up to her apartment and "throw up." Nelson (Ha-haa!) and Connor (who were both swimming at that time), realized something was up and began to beg to know the big secret. Mommy Dearest swore me to secrecy, then dramatically ran upstairs with Nelson (Ha-haa!) hot on her trail. She came back down in a couple of minutes and informed me that she spilled her guts to her ten-year-old. She also informed me that her mother is rich and he will probably go to live with her, since he "packs his bags and walks to her house every time I tell him no." "I love him, but he just walks all over me, and I really don't need that right now." Poor Nelson (Ha-haa!)

NO MORE DRAMA Queens!!! We need to find a new home, soon - but what happens if we buy a place next door to someone as nutty as Mommy Dearest and La Loca?

The DaVinci Code

I decided that I would read The DaVinci Code during my trip to Phoenix. It turned out to be a pretty good mystery, but not worth all fuss the Catholic Church is making over it. Dan Brown has to be laughing all the way to the bank since his book has been banned by so many well-meaning entities.

I enjoyed The DaVinci Code and found that I didn't really want to stop reading it until I got to the end. It had a good story, good level of suspense, and interesting characters. Who could resist a bloody albino monk? It felt at times like the characters in the book cracked the codes too easily, and there were two code words I guessed before they cracked it. I was able to guess them because they were logical, not because I'm great at code breaking. I would recommend this book because it is good escapist fare, and also because reading it can put to rest any nagging questions brought up by all of the hype.

Phoenix ... a city I plan to never visit again

I landed in Phoenix last Sunday and the temperature was over 110 degrees. I don't care if it is a dry heat - my oven is a dry heat and I wouldn't want to be inside my oven. This was the view from my window at the Hyatt Regency Downtown - hazy, but I could see all the way to the mountains.
Tuesday, I took a nap after attending lectures and when I woke up, I turned on the news and found that Phoenix was in the middle of a dust storm. Because the temperature was so high, I had my curtains closed, just to try to make the room bearable. When I opened the curtain at 6:00 PM, this is what I saw. It is the same shot as the first with visibility at only a few blocks.
As the storm passed through, things became a little clearer and a lot brighter. Later in the evening, we had thunderstorms, with lots of wind, but almost no rain.
I met Mirabel Underwood on the plane. When I looked over at her, I freaked, because she really looks like Grandma Kate. Especially when she was looking out the window. Her profile and her hands are an uncanny match for Grandma. She was very nice and we talked about the immigration issue, genealogy, and family. She was the high point of the trip back. I did not care for this trip to Phoenix very much.

Here are the things I liked about the trip:

1. Giving our presentation on Supported Employment
2. Having dinner in the spinning restaurant at the top of the Hyatt Regency
3. Meeting lots of interesting people who do the same type of work I do
4. Talking with Mirabel on the way back from Phoenix

Things I did not like about the trip:

1. It is too damn hot
2. People in Phoenix are not as friendly as the people in Texas (or Arkansas, or Chicago)
3. The tap water tastes like dirty ass (or what I would imagine dirty ass to taste like)
4. Bottled water cost a minimum of $3.00 a liter - and it is too hot to walk to the nearest store to get cheaper water (assuming that there is cheaper water to be found)
5. Waiters in Phoenix HATE to wait on you, and apparently hate to smile or be friendly to customers
6. The mountains look like big dirt piles - disappointing to say the least
7. Riding to the 20th floor to my room in the oven they called an elevator was exhausting
8. The hotel chose to keep the air conditioning off in the hallways
9. I was frisked in the airport because my barrette set of the metal detector
10. My rolling suitcase that fit in the overhead compartment on the trip to Phoenix, did not fit on the trip back to Houston, and I had to have the flight attendant check it

David Lee Roth Sings Bluegrass

Tonight (in Phoenix) I knew the world had turned upside down and I was in Bizarro Land, because I turned on the Tonight Show only to find David Lee Roth singing the 1980's Van Halen hit, Jump - backed by a bluegrass band. Yes, a BLUEGRASS band. Even though it was 1:30 AM in Houston, I had to call Marilyn and tell her about the most surreal experience I could NEVER have imagined in the days when Van Halen ruled MTV. I still believe David Lee Roth has a great bluesy voice, but I don't think he should switch genres (at least not to bluegrass) just yet. It's just too much of a paradox. Click here to view the performance.

Ryan

I just watched Ryan, an great documentary short on iCONTROL Free from the Sundance Channel. The documentary was made by Chris Landreth, who does amazing computer animation that brings to my mind the surreal imagery of MirrorMask. Ryan is roughly 15 minutes and shows Landreth talking with Larkin about his art, early success, the death of his brother, drug and alcohol use, and his current life as a pan handler.

Ryan, directed by Chris Landreth, is an animated tribute to Canadian animator Ryan Larkin. Thirty years ago, at the National Film Board of Canada, Ryan produced some of the most influential animated films of his time. Today, Ryan lives on welfare and panhandles for spare change in downtown Montreal. How could such an artistic genius follow this path?

In Ryan we hear the voice of Ryan Larkin and people who have known him, but these voices speak through strange, twisted, broken and disembodied 3D generated characters... people whose appearances are bizarre, humorous or disturbing. Although incredibly realistic and detailed, Ryan was created and animated without the use of live action footage, rotoscoping or motion capture...but instead from an original, personal, hand animated three-dimensional world which Chris calls 'psychological realism'.

http://www.nfb.ca/trouverunfilm/fichefilm.php?lg=en&id=51259&v=h#

Rather than using the traditional format of filming the subject, Landreth uses computer generated imagery of the subject and the director with the real voice track for the interviews. The result is grotesque and gorgeous symbolism. Ryan Larkin's work is shown in the documentary, which recounts his early success as a groundbreaking animator in the late 60's an early 70's. Looking at his animation it is easy to see the influence he had on a generation of animators. Larkin wasn't drawing Disney characters, his images were a kind of morphing art and music. There is a documentary of the the documentary short called Alter Egos, in which Larkin watches the short film, Ryan, and then discusses it with Landreth. These scenes are excruciating and you can see Larkin melting down just below the surface. Landreth addresses that people may feel he is exploiting the clearly fragile Larkin, but it is abundantly clear that he has great respect and admiration of Larkin and his art. I recommend both films to anyone who loves art, animated or not. All of pictures I've posted are stills from animation done by Chris Landreth for his animated short Ryan.