reneena davidson’s Neighborhood

You can tell because the lilacs are preparing to blossom and the Fearsome Fleet of Skinny Terror is back on the trail:

In sillier news, the Bike Center opened today and somebody had the seriously clever thought:  What if we set up the speech-givers on one side of the trail, and the audience on the other side?  Despite being separated by about six feet of pavement, this ensures that our cameras will be constantly interrupted by the bikers who actually, you know, have to get to work and stuff.  It's like setting up a press conference on opposite sides of a highway.  Talk about awkward.

In sadder news, I stuck a book in my pack of stuff and in my sleepy state thought that it would be secure there.  Lo, I got to work and no book.  It was brand new! I'd barely even cracked it!  At least it's a sunny day, so assuming that everybody just leaves it where it fell, I might find it on my way home.  Alas, I can't really go hunting for it till after work.  Poor book.  Poor me.  I hope some other writerly type finds it, if I don't get to keep it.

In inspiring news, here is a blog post from a brand-new bike commuter.  Hooray!! It's a success! 

Who was the last person you offended?
Submitted by May.

Those who have been following my blog will know who this is.  I had a major wobbly at work yesterday about this guy's poor quality input to the project I am coordinating.  I am probably not on his Christmas card list anymore but I DON'T CARE.  He has now been taken off the project and replaced with several competent people.  Yay! 

Actually the title a bit of a misnomer as I am posting this on Friday and it is not technically a self-portrait but a portrait of me by my son (who is in Kindergarten).  He is in the picture too:

 

I particularly liked the lopsided boobs he drew on me!

I didn't need my second cup of coffee this morning. 

Look what was having a nap in my shower cap!

 

I didn't realise until I put the shower cap on and felt something running down my body.  I did a spontaneous dance of horror.  The spider probably got a bigger fright than me!  Of course, the kids thought it was hilarious.  They already had a name for this particular spider - Harry Huntsman.  He had been in the kitchen a few days earlier and we had let him stay there to eat the other insects.  This was a bit close for comfort though!

I met Barack Obama. In a dream last night....

And he was really nice. This really ticks me off. Not only has my dreamland become much more exciting than reality as of late(which is unfortunately[fortunately?!] not usually the case) but now my subconscious is trying to warm up to Obama???? Agh! I want out of my head! Maybe I feel that I'm not being fair to him... except that I really feel like people aren't being fair to Hillary.

I wish politics didn't exist. I wish I had a life this summer. I wish I were in Spain right now.

I wish I had a genie.

I have a writer friend - with whom I play word games and our version of 20 questions. Sometimes I try to make my answers poems - this is one of those times.

*****

Deep pools of darkness
Black and empty souls
Over flowing starkness
Evil words flowing from rabid jowls

Tickles of dread
Raising the tiny hairs upon my neck
Malevolent images fill my head
Sugar coated berries available by the peck

On one hand sweetness, seemingly pure and true
The other rotten, worm ridden with deceit
Pure white clouds float in a sea of blue
Fate laughs, she knows the story complete

Like the malignancy which grows
The deeds of Lucifer abound
Only the righteous knows
Just how fast the darkness rebounds

It seems so long
Since we have been so very close
I am craving that connection the most

To walk quietly along
Hand in hand slowly down the streets
Smiles from strangers our happiness greets

My heart is light, like the doves song
To sit and be - alone in a sea
Of people, hurrying to & fro, as we are free to be

Love is affirming, to embrace it, not wrong
It warms us from the inside out
Basking in its radiance, letting it flow about

Building bonds to embrace us strong
Bound tight, wrapped in bliss
The beauty not to be missed, sealed with a kiss.

Of course, I’m talking about the new Death Cab For Cutie album, Narrow Stairs, which was released this week – because nothing says cheerful like Death Cab.

By my analysis, the album breaks down like this:
    Disillusionment: 3 songs
    Empty relationships, settling: 4 songs
    Stalking: 1 song (technically two, one radio-version, one long-version)
    Life post-break-up/hitting rock-bottom: 2 songs
    California wildfires: 1 song

Any yes, the wildfire song is the most uplifting of the bunch.

These songs in general seem more produced than on their last (fantastic) album “Plans”.  Overall, it’s a good collection – incorporating the interesting musical twists and carefully wrought lyrics that fans have come to expect. 

After my initial listenings, I think it falls a little short of “Plans” because this collection lacks enough examples of the wry-dark-humor so well captured in songs like “Someday (You Will Be Loved)” and “Crooked Teeth”.

My early favorites are the stalkerriffic song, “I Will Possess Your Heart” (which has been pre-releaesed for a little while) and a great song “Cath…” about a bride settling for an empty marriage.

Grab yourself a couple fingers of scotch and hope that you don’t recognize yourself in this album’s songs.

What are your top five break-up songs?
Submitted by gt.

 

Well it has been quite a long time since I have broken up with anyone so this is pretty much theoretical:

 

1.  Go Nancy!

 

 2. You tell him, Aretha!

3.  This one makes me think of those awful, long, drawn up break ups that some people seem to specialise in. 

 

 

4. And yes, I know this is corny but can't help feeling sad for Karen Carpenter. 

 

5.  And my fifth one (which i can't find a clip for) is Paul Kelly's "When I first met your ma".  I think the chorus is a bit of a give away that he is singing (to his child) about a relationship (with the child's mother) that didn't work out:

 

Love like a bird flies away
You'll find out the only way
Love like a bird flies away  

Ah ... how I love Paul Kelly ...

        I took a trip back to 2000 and watched all of the 10th Kingdom again. I'll admit that I love the mini-series or whatever it is. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's pretty lame starting out but before you know it, you're hooked. Anyway, this "mini" series is sooooo long! So long..... I mean there's three discs and they're like 4 1/2 hours each. But anyway, I watched them all in two days and this has unfortunately crossed over into the realm of my dreams. The 10th Kingdom has influenced my subconscious. How pathetic am I?
        So... I'm having a lovely dream where I finally bought a brand new shiny green car and was driving it around town. My very first car! Sometimes my dreams feel so real that I wake up heavily disappointed that so-and-so didn't happen. This was like one of those dreams, except that I didn't have to wake up to be disappointed. I see a friend of mine on the rode and get out to go talk to him. For some stupid reason I leave my car on and doors open as I walk about a BLOCK away from it to talk to him. We talk for a long time and I turn to walk home. Yes, WALK. In about three minutes I had forgotten about my car (because I've gotten used to walking everywhere my whole life?? I don't know...) and then realize what I did and turn to run to my car. Then the really weird crap starts to happen. Three trolls are stealing my car. They were the same trolls from the 10th Kingdom. It was so lame. I was willing to get run over to get my car back but they got away anyway. Next thing I know I was trapped in some strange troll castle where I scheme to get out. I remember trying to call 911 but not having a signal on my phone. I wasn't trying to call the cops to get out, just to get my car back!!! Like I said, LAME dream and I'm glad to say the 10th Kingdom has been shipped and mailed back to Netflix. I'm good for another decade.

How would you like it if this was haunting you??