glx » Notes

Stinkin’ Books!

glenl — Thu, 27 May 2010 06:54:19 +0000

Tonight I returned a book to the library because of an allergic reaction. Apparently, my respiratory system took issue with the previous reader’s favorite perfume. I will most likely buy the book instead of endangering my existence but … what a silly experience.

The good news is that I discovered a Connie Willis book I hadn’t read yet. Sorry, Ms Vine, I’ll be back soon.

EoE Favorite Quotes

glenl — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:28:31 +0000

At the beginning of Part 2, Steinbeck’s narrator goes on about how horrible the 19th century was, glad it is over, time to wash our hands of it and start fresh. But he repeats this lovely bit before moving on to the thirteenth chapter:

Oh, but strawberries will never taste so good again and the thighs of women have lost their clutch!

I can’t wait to use that.

Ramblin’

glenl — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:57:18 +0000

Under new management but with previous bad experiences behind me, I decided to give the new barber in town a chance. This town is small enough that no matter where you go you are in the company of somebody you know or a relative of somebody you know, so I sat down and chatted with the son-in-law of the realtor who managed the purchase of our home on the island. But this story is not about that; it is about the gentleman who came in while I was under the scissors.

Coy (the barber, not the fish) was chatting about my previous place of residence — Mendocino County — and this old fellow asked if I had ever been to Boonville. I had, as a matter of fact, been routed through Boonville from Cloverdale on my way to Willits. I don’t know Boonville other than the way you remember picturesque places when you don’t intend to be there and all you want to do is get home. His very next question struck me.

“Have you ever heard of Ramblin’ Jack Elliot?”

“Well, sure. But…” and it turns out this guy was an old friend of Ramblin’ Jack’s whom he met when he crewed on Pete Seeger’s sloop, Clearwater. (Everything around here eventually relates in some way to boating.) They ended up for a time in Boonville, CA, and the old man had once given Ramblin’ Jack a ride to Marin to record an album. The studio owner wasn’t there when they arrived (apparently this was a common occurrence) so they went to Sausalito, drank beer and watched the boats. Jack was from New York, wanted to be a cowboy, but could just as well have ended up a sailor.

And now the awful truth: I had never owned a Ramblin’ Jack Elliot album until after sitting through several hours in a muddy football field in Fort Collins trying to hear the Rolling Thunder Review and finding out later that “he might have been there.” I was there for Dylan and probably missed Ramblin’ Jack. For the first time that I can remember I wish my haircut would have taken more time.

Hanging for the Homeless

glenl — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:30:19 +0000

It was a collision of sorts. My favorite digital information-not-necessarily-news feed, Coudal Partners, posted a link about 450 stolen kegs of beer in Dublin followed by my brother sending me the linked story. (Really, did you think I wouldn’t notice the ripple effect in the Force?) To the thieves it probably seemed like a good idea at the time and, maybe, the first night or two, but it is the season for giving not taking so my sympathy is with those sad Dubliner’s deprived of their brew.

On the positive side of earth-shattering world events is Mercury Advertising‘s holiday project of hanging for the homeless. For three days and nights they are going to hang off the side of their building on a portaledge to raise awareness for the homeless in the community. The goal is to raise a dollar for every foot of their building’s elevation and at the time of this post they are only $1000 short of the $4816 they need. Montana has got to be one of the worst places to be homeless so the awareness thing is working on me. Hang tough, Mercury.