Spontaneous Musings

1. Olympics

Watching Break Dancing on the Olympics via Peacock replay, because I missed it this afternoon, thinking it was just basketball. Note, this is the first time ever that Breaking is an Olympic Event - it was added this year. (I'm not watching anything with a ball in it. I see that all the time. I'm watching the stuff I don't see.) France is going to the finals, with the US in the bronze round. But dear god, Japan and Canada are excellent. They are both Asian. Their moves are blowing me away. (Apparently Canada, France and US won? Can't remember, will find out soon. ETA: yup, USA got bronze in first ever Breaking competition. ) In the Women's? It was Japan and the Lithusania and China - less exciting. They have nothing on the men, sorry.

So far? I've seen:
( the Olympics )

2. I went on a long walk today to Greenwood Cemetery to bring down my blood sugar - which had skyrocketed to 300 and was going above it, after I had mini Waffles with blueberries, maple syrup and sausages. I was annoyed. So took a 2-3 mile walk, or about 6,560 steps.

At the cemetery, discovered some new improvements. They'd planted trees along the grass and sidewalk leading up to the Cemetery. And at the small chapel at the entrance was an installation from this year's in resident artist, Adam Tendler, entitled Exit Strategy.

( blurb on Adam Tendler )

Pictures:

(  pictures= )

It's a conceptual art installation requiring the viewer to interact with it. In it is a piano that was left to the artist from his father, who had passed away. He stuffs it with the things those he has lost and others have, rendering it incapable of being played. And on the walls are writings from the artist and anyone who has entered the exhibit and chosen to participate - regarding people, things, etc that they are grieving the loss of. It can be anything that you are grieving. On a recording are musical compositions and the artist talking about grief. And in big letters on the walls - the words in harsh black letters, "How, When, Where".

The walls themselves are white. The only color on the writings, or in the stained glass windows of the chapel.

I sat down at one of the small tables and chairs (like those you might find in a class room or library) and took one of the pens and wrote on the small white lined tablet with shaking fingers. Trying not to cry. About my Dad.
I don't know why I chose my father out of all of the things and people I've lost and grieved. But I did.

It was oddly soothing. Cemeteries are comforting and quiet. Soothing. Or Greenwood is. It is my favorite place in NYC, a haven amidst all the hustle and bustle.

Flowers outside of the Cemetry:

( flowers )

And a little library...

( little library or one of many that populate my neighborhood )

There's little libraries on almost every street in my neighborhood, sometimes two on a street, and little pantries on almost every other street - where folks leave non-perishable items, like tea, coffee etc for their neighbors. We also have a Buy Nothing sites in our neighborhood.

3. During the walk - I finished another audio book. I'm racing through Illona Andrews' Innkeeper Series - which is a kind of sci-urban fantasy hybrid. I find it to be different than anything I've read previously. They are all "Graphic Audio Dramatizations" - which are also rather innovative in the world of audiobooks. Grapic Audio Dramatizations are adaptations of the novel with a full cast in a kind of dramatized radio play complete with music and sound effects. It's an audio book on steroids.

I love them. Particularly Illona Andrews novels - because the author is good at creating distinctive voices in her dialogue, and does great dialogue. And Andrews is good at innovative world-building, and tiny details such as food, plants, animals, creatures, etc. And her novels have a heavy anti-War, anti-violence motif by showing what it does to people.
They are a married writing team - Gordon and Illona write the books together. He provides the military and action background, she provides the rest. And they met in a creative writing course.

The Innkeeper Series is about a magical Innkeeper who runs an Inn for Universal clients, or visitors from other worlds and planets, since the Inn is a magical technological gateway to these worlds. She has a symbiotic relationship with the Inn, and her parents were Innkeepers. ( vague spoilers )

I like to find books that are different and not like anything I've previously read? And if I can't find a book or story that I'm craving? I write it myself.

4. It's getting late and I need to go to bed. Good night moon, stars, and all the people out there who may or may not stumble upon this tonight or in the wee hours of the morning.

I leave you with the daisies planted outside my apartment complex - which I pass by daily. Outside my living room window are lovely trees, rooftops and sky. The ugly courtyard outside my kitchen and bedroom windows - I rarely see or not at all. With the shades drawn in the bedroom blocking out the light. And the kitchen has pictures of sunflowers taped to the windows, with the light shining through them whenever the sun is out.

1. Yet another social media guy who superimposes his own view of a cult series onto the rest of us via social media. I prefer reading this stuff, because I can skip over stuff I don't like. (Yes, I've done it too, but at least I do it via writing so you can jump away from it.) There's some good stuff that works and I agree with. But we don't perceive the series the same or the characters, possibly because we are very different people etc.

Top 10 Buffy or Angel Episodes that Remind Us Everything is Going to Be Alright

Not recommended for Connor fans. However if you adored Dawn and Cordy, go for it.
Also, if you like Season 6 -- he really likes it and has some rather poetic comments on it. I wish it was in writing, because then I could skip over all the Cordy/Dawn and Connor stuff and go to S6 directly.

He starts out bashing the Connor character and stating that Buffy fans are notorious for not agreeing on anything on the series -- but "come on, there's one point we can all agree on, Connor sucked as a character..." And I thought, uh, no, sorry dude. I don't agree. I found Connor interesting. We're really not getting off to a great start here, are we? I'm already considering clicking elsewhere...

My top ten off the top of my head and in particular order that I'd readily rewatch, skipping others:

*1. Fool For Love
*2. Destiny
*3. Soul Purpose
*4. Home
*5. Darla
*6. Once More with Feeling
*7. Smashed
*8. The Body
* 9. Beneath You
* 10. Becoming I & II

Honorable Mentions? HUSH, Passion, Tabula Rasa, What is Your Line 1 and 2, Selfless,

I preferred Anya to Cordelia for multiple reasons, I found the character easier to relate to, also unlike Cordy, Anya was a character who had been bullied and was not the bully. It was a nice role reversal. I was one of those odd fans who preferred Connor to Dawn and Anya to Cordelia.

I think we tend to like the episodes that relate to whatever issues that fascinate us personally. And skip away from the ones that just hurt or irritate, which for me were many of the episodes this guy I liked and I just can't rewatch. These include Damage, I Will Remember You, and Seeing Red. And well, his number one choice Epiphany, which never quite worked for me and I've forgotten as result. I tend to over time forget things that don't work for me. I forgot Damage. Did remember I Will Remember You -- mainly because it ended my Buffy/Angel ship. I was a Buffy/Angel shipper until I saw I Will Remember You - and decided after that episode that Angel was an ass and she was better off without him and rooted for her and Riley. I basically went where the writers wanted me to in that series.
Well for the most part and more so for Buffy than Angel. The Angel ships never worked for me.
And I remember Seeing Red, because it surprised me -- not the Attempted Rape scene or Bathroom scene (was spoiled on that) or Tara's death (ditto), not what surprised me was Spike's reaction to the AR scene and his conversation with Clem afterwards. That I found rather surprising. But unfortunately, you have to watch the rest of it for that scene.

2. There's a lot information about the crazy gun debate on Face Book. Currently Uncle is telling Cousin that he's not certain that the National Constitution Center is legitmately bipartisan and doesn't understand why he never heard of it. I had to restrain myself from saying, because your a gun nerd and not a Constitution nerd, you nitwit.

Sigh. The problem with FB is all the frigging family members and their crazy friends commenting on their threads on it. Otherwise it would be quite pleasant.

I like it better over here, no family members. Because they can't find me. Hee hee.

3. The most disturbing thing I saw in the NY Times Daily Update was:


CDC (Center of Disease Control) Employee is missing after a few weeks sick on Personal Leave, they are offering $10,000 for any information on his whereabouts and recovery

Okay...that's not in the least bit disturbing (sarcastic voice). It sounds a bit too much like a plot point from a horror novel, such as Stephen King novel or the Walking Dead. The guy was a specialist in the Zikka and Ebloa viruses.

Can't decide what is the most disturbing the fact he is missing or that they are offering $10,000 for his recovery? Or that he was in the CDC?

4. Watching the Olympics Closing Ceremonies...and I can't remember who gets it next. Is it France?

Lovely day, which I almost ruined by posting a snarky post.

Quickly [or rather not so quickly...]


1. ( Terry Prachett )

2. ( the which fanfic would I finish if I had a chance meme )

3. ( satirical romance novel )

4. ( Writing and Editing )

5. ( ACK! Potential Computer problems! ACK! )

6. ( Why I think boycotting the Olympics is stupid and am watching it )