Wednesday, April 19, 2006

spring is finally commin' on

Thought 22: Yes, yes. It is spring at last. My landlady, Sharron, had both patios re-finished (thank you, Sharron). We can play in the side yard. It's actually pleasant to be outside, and often I dont' even need a jacket. Chris has mentioned that it seems like something of an injustice we do ourselves to live in a place where we feel so oppressed half the year, and, with all the other spring cleaning rituals I've undertaken, I'm begining to suspect that I would benefit greatly by applying those rituals to my life in general. It's time to shake off the dust.

Thought 23: Malcolm was taking shelter from the thunder in the back of our bedroom closet last night, but as soon as he heard the jingle of leash meeting collar he discovered some hidden reserve of bravery. We usually go out the side door, but, as the finish was still drying, we went out the front for his pre-bedtime outing. The ground was wet, but it didn't appear to be raining anymore, so we trotted off into the backyard. Lightning flashed across the sky, and we both decided that it was time to go back inside. This morning I discovered his little one-eyed Aflack duck in the laundry. It's a dog's life.

Thought 24: So, I guess I'm an uncle. Apparently my eldest sister, Elise, had a baby girl last night. They have decided to name her Eleanor ("a"? no "a"?). It's a little disappointing that I didn't receive this news from either Chad or Elise, but I suppose they have lots of people to tell, and some mental and physical recovery to do. In any case, I wish them all well.

Thought 25: I've been reading a bit about smart hydrogels. It appears that even in 1998 folks at MIT were playing around with them, and had some success in creating gel stacks that could expand and contract a little like human muscle. I find this re-assuring. When I first read about them- in '95 or so- I had hopes of developing (or, at least, of there being developed) artificial limbs that employed smart electro-hydrogels in some fashion. So, right on MIT dudes.

Thought 26: Caralyn got me the new Flaming Lips CD, "At War With The Mystics". It's good. I don't think it quite compares to "The Soft Bulletin", but it definitely has some cool moments. I'll keep you posted as I dig deeper.

Thought 27: Station 4 show kicked! HUGE thanks to all of you who showed up. I really look forward to seeing you at our next show; we may well be playing even more new material. Hope you're enjoying it as much as we are.