SSI Meeting Notes

SSI Meeting Notes, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Sonia's gonna continue with that lunch. She winds up sending the letter with the client. If we just train them a little bit. The little tiny things. That's always going to be a problem. Would be helpful in another form. Sarah proposes a note about doctors. Send it to HAPSSI for the time being at least. Um. Like blue dolphin. That is kind of getting junky too, people. Everybody knows what they are, right? Go to 35. That's the next one. That one's going to be stabilization. HOT Team stabilization bed. Nice. Yeah, and that'll be....The whole office would collapse. Okie dokie.

A Rainbow in Curved Air--Terry Riley

I'm in Pieces, Bits and Pieces

Frog Man

Frog Man, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

camp swastika reverse

camp swastika reverse, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

camp swastika 2

camp swastika 2, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Geometry

geometry 1, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The Small Black Cat Likes Fig Newtons

Considering his recent litter box problems, this is probably not a bad thing.

WFT Caper on 9th Street

Click to Play

Laura & I do some unsanctioned planting in the bombed-out vacant lot on 9th between Mission & market in SF. Seedballs concocted by JLW.

Black Hooded Night Heron, I Think

Black Hooded Night Heron, I Think, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Where's my iPod, and why is the dryer making that clunking sound?

I'd had my silver iPod nano in an untoward pocket due to travel. When I got home & did laundry from the trip, I guess my iPod got thrown in with the clothes. Out of the dryer, it was dead. Clean as a whistle, but no brainstem function. Blank screen, no activity from the control pad. USB'd to the computer, nothin. What a drag, right? Oh well, won't kill me to take three unmediated steps now and then, I guess.

Mary kindly lent me her 'Pod, which hooks up to her laptop. I was able to current-up on some of my podcasts during the week.

A few nights after I'd laundered my expensive electronic device into afunctionality, I dreamed that I tried turning it on, and the screen flickered haltingly to life. When I woke up, I plugged the 'pod into the computer, and the Apple logo swam up on the screen. Faintly, but there it was. Nothing else was working, but there was a definite sign of life, there. I brought it to work to see if I could access it thru iTunes, but no dice.

Brought it back home. Now when I hooked it up, it launched the weird Linux music manager thing on my laptop, but it didn't see the 'pod or any of its files. The next morning, poking around at the buttons, it started playing Tom Waits, but only thru the tiny built-in speaker. The headphones weren't getting signal. The screen was just showing the Apple logo. Controls weren't there. I couldn't get it to change the tune or the volume, it wouldn't pause or stop, nothing. Just kept muttering tinnily about waitresses, dwarves and car trouble.

When I got home from work, it had run down. The screen now showed the "Please Connect to Power" graphic. I plugged it back in, and this morning, the screen showed the "Connected to Computer" graphic. I disconnected it, plugged in the earbuds, and turned it on. 

Good as new, people! I'm listening to it right now. Yup, Ira, this sure is one heckuva American Life. At least I think I'm listening to a fully revived Lazarus Machine. This could be another dream, though. We sleep with the radio on, so it could be that I'm asleep and hearing that and incorporating it into a hopeful narrative. Wouldn't that be just like me? Yeah, I could totally see me doing that.

Vuillard Detail

Vuillard Detail, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Closest approximation I've ever seen of the texture that Al Green gets in his paintings

Wisconsin Vision Quest

Yesterday, I rented a red VW bug in Chicago and drove up to Wisconsin. I called Ann Pereles on my way up, but she wasn't to phone. LM.

The weather was intense--cool, intermittent drizzles & untethered winds.

I drove up to Schwai's in Fredonia first. The people at Einstein Bros in Mequon helped me with a toasted sesame with a salmon shmear & directions; keep north on 43 & take the Saulkville fork. A bartender in Saulkville sold me a bag of chips & refined my navigation.

Schwais was as remembered. Nice lady behind the counter was very patient with me. A fresh bratwurst, two summer sausages (regular & Hungarian), a package of curds, a package of meat-sticks very spicy, and a sixpack of frozen brats.

I drove from there out to Springhill. Slight side trip onto North Avenue, looking for a florist shop, but couldn't find one. Skirted a recently downed tree on N Fond du Lac, back onto the freeway and off to the Hawley road exit.

No florists on Hawley, either. I just don't know what's happening to this world.

At Springhill. Mort's stone was fine. I laid the solo bratwurst on it.

The plinth on Babs' stone had separated from the base and was displaced to the upper right corner of the headstone.

I checked it out. It had obviously come loose at some point and somebody had tried to repair is with what looked like florist clay. I scraped that off with a paintscraper, cleaned the headstone & got down with the silicone.

The headstone has developed a languorous backward tilt from 14 winters and thaws. That plinth wasn't going to stay where I put it without some help. I found a largish twig that had come down in the wind, and propped it against the stone to keep it in place until the silicone sets.

Driving home, I stopped at a Culvers just above the state line for late lunch. Returned the car a little after four. Good to be back.  More photos from the trip here.

Ghery viewed from Contemporary Wing

Ghery viewed from Contemporary Wing, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Beckman

Beckman, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Hi, Al.