Took my nephew to the park yesterday. It’s quite possible that children have evolved into a new species of human. I don’t remember running in gangs of three, throwing and chasing balls, twisting up the swings till I fell over dizzy. I don’t remember the easy laughter, the games of one-upmanship. Did I forget these things as an adult? Did they ever happen for me? Reading a couple of psychology books about bullying among girls. Perhaps I’m trying to understand my growing years. Odd Girl Out claims that the biggest fear girls have is one of isolation, and that this …
Started reading The Perks Of Being A Wallflower the other day at lunch. Finished it before bedtime, and no, I wasn’t reading non-stop and ignoring everything else. Sort of what one would expect for a book published by MTV. The story was surprisingly good. Very evocative and honest. Charlie is awkward, introverted, bookish, and friends with a group of outsiders: punks, gays, and potheads – people who are portrayed as being honest with themselves about who they are and where they want to be. The part I didn’t like was the revelation that Charlie did indeed have “something wrong with …
Finished Terry Pratchett‘s The Wee Free Men yesterday. Fun adventure story for kids, with some complicated what is a dream versus what is reality discussions thrown in for spice. I completely understood the heroines’ tendency to correct the pronunciation of and provide definitions for people around her. It seems to be a habit among introverted bookworms. Now I’m wondering where some of the books I had as a kid have gotten off to. Hopefully, they’re all in Mom’s attic. The Wee Free Men will be fun to read aloud some day, but so will The Light Princess. I’m going to …
Saw Step Into Liquid at the NuArt the other evening. Gorgeous pictures of amazing waves, shot from incredible angles. Confirms my opinion of surfers as the most insane and simultaneously the most courageous people on the planet. And not just the big wave surfers and the wet-suited mammals in Santa Cruz, but the guys who surf the Great Lakes, the wakes of oil tankers in Texas, and the coast of Ireland. Who knew you could surf in Ireland? The evening also included an authentic celebrity sighting. Helen Hunt saw the same screening we did. I think she may be our …
Realized Thursday that neither Ian nor myself had left the house in about three or four days. I’m not sure which is more disturbing: that we have been so reclusive or that the thing we found to get us out of the house was to take the recycling to the recycling center. I think it is L.A.’s fault. The heat here is oppressive this time of year, and even simply sitting still and trying to think is sweat-inducing. It’s impossible to tell whether or not the small breeze is a natural phenomenon or just the results of all the cars …
I moved the avocado that was rooting in a jar of water in the kitchen window to a pot the other day, making first time introductions between roots and soil. I’ve trimmed the top of the tree to encourage branching, but I need to pay attention to all forms of growth to keep it a manageable size. Can you banzai avocado trees? If you do, what size avocados do you get? Also had to severely prune the philodendron. I like the trailing leaves effect, but all attempts to root in the carpet must be curbed immediately. Finally finished Shogun. I …