I’m Back Again

Here I am, almost 11 months since my last post on this blog!

Last week Arthur went off to Boy Scout Camp for an entire week, this time without me. Stephanie and Fiona and I went to camp on Wednesday evening of that week for the Parent’s Night Dinner back at his troop’s campsite; the tenderest roast beef I’ve ever eaten, plus potatoes, corn on the cob and Dutch oven cake baked on hot coals! He was pretty stinky when he got back on Saturday, but despite rain and heat and mosquitos, he had a great time. He learned a bunch of neat stuff, plus he got an Archery Merit Badge and the Polar Bear Swim patch!

I’ve started a new job at Lifespan of Greater Rochester in the beginning of June, after 4 1/2 years of being home with the kids. I love the job and the people I work with. The kids are in Day Care more often (especially for the summer) but they seem to enjoy it. And I’m only working Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with one Thursday afternoon a month. It’s a perfect schedule, and it’s quite nice spending more time in the world of adults!

Wow, and Fiona started going to school last September and totally loves it! She’s doing very well and was sad when vacation started. And Stephanie just bought an almost new (2012) Chevy Cruze last week that is beautiful and has a six-speed stick shift. We are all sad to say good-bye to her trusty 1999 Toyota Solaris. It needed the rear suspension replaced, but after 237,000 miles it’s still a hell-of-a-nice car!

Besides that, I have nothing more to say at this late hour of the night. But I hope to be back soon when I really have something monumental to express! Or just the latest movie review, or whatever flight of thought strikes my fancy.

Happy Summer!

Summer Fun

Wow, I see it’s been a long hiatus since my last post!

My BIG ADVENTURE for the summer was the four day Cub Scout camp-out at Camp Sam Wood with Arthur at the end of July. My son was in Boy Bliss! The first night it rained and thundered, and I was not happy; but we remained relatively dry. After that the weather was gorgeous and we got lots of exercise hiking and swimming. The scout camp was well-organized and the boys had lots to keep them busy! The best part for Arthur was he got to learn how to shoot a BB-Gun. I enjoyed the archery practice, too. I also had a nice time with the other scout leaders and parents who attended. And after being around ten 8 to 10 year-old boys for four days in the woods, I realized once again that my son is not as loud and loony as I sometimes think! While we were at camp, Stephanie and my daughter Fiona had some friends over for an overnight of Girl Bliss.

Arthur had his 10th birthday August 11th. Wow, that decade sure flew by! And a couple of weeks ago both the kids spent a week at our local community center’s Day Camp, where they both had tons of fun (and I got to have some fun by myself bike riding and such).

This summer I got to make two more concrete garden sculptures. Gosh, that was fun! And I’ve been helping out with weeding and harvesting at a nearby organic farm where we’d bought a share, which has been very enjoyable and provides us with loads of wonderful, healthy vegetables! And Arthur loves playing with their boys. The kids also got to go to Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester last week. All in all, it’s been a pretty nice summer!

Fiona is now all prepared to start public school for the first time (Hello Kitty backpack; Hello Kitty notebooks; Hello Kitty lunch bag; Hello Kitty sneakers…) She really craves more social interaction with girls, but I also think the structure of school might be good for her. She loves reading and says she’d like to be a teacher when she grows up (as well as a singer and dancer, of course!) She’s excited and eager to begin this new adventure. Arthur prefers homeschooling and still has no desire for the traditional educational experience. Not having the distraction of his sister around might be a good thing for us.

Hopefully I will be posting more often as summer comes to an end. September will be an interesting time for us all!

Some thoughts on the movie ‘Prometheus’

Has anyone seen Ridley Scott’s new film ‘Prometheus’? I saw it last week with my nephew. There has been a hell of a lot of hype about this film, and probably for good reason. A prequel/re-imagining of ‘Alien’; after 33 years?! It sure sounded interesting.

Here are my initial impressions: Visually stunning; chuck full of religious/mythological allegory; Michael Fassbinder does an amazing job portraying David the Android!; a story that was all over the place and glaringly inconsistent; thought-provoking; confusing; supposedly intelligent characters who do really stupid things; and did I mention it was quite beautiful?

Yes, I was really hoping this would be a great film, and maybe someday it will be considered such; but for me there were just too many glaring things about it that were ridiculous or incomprehensible. One thing is certain: ‘Prometheus’ has generated an almost unprecedented amount of discussion across the Internet. I mean, it’s incredible how much this one film has stirred people up! Which is kind of cool in itself.

Everywhere I look on Science Fiction and Movie websites, people are delighted, outraged, flabbergasted by this film! They’re coming up with amazing theories on what the movie is about, and obsessing about every little detail of the convoluted storyline and its allegorical implications. I’m not going to attempt to delve into any of that (Osiris/Space Jesus) stuff, or how this movie might or might not tie into the original ‘Alien’ universe. But I will direct you to a few interesting web pages where other people do! If you have seen the film and it drove you a little nuts, too, check out the links below. (Warning: many spoilers ahead!)

PS: Since we’re talking Science Fiction, the second season of the TNT show ‘Falling Skies‘ premiered last Sunday, and it was pretty cool. I mostly like this show. It’s fun! And it looks like season 2 will be better/grittier/more interesting than the first season. And damn it; I just enjoy Noah Wyle! Check it out.

There’s not enough good Science Fiction on TV right now, besides my beloved ‘Fringe‘ (looking forward to the final season in September). There’s also a new Canadian show called ‘Continuum‘ that I enjoy.

Bye for now!

Prometheus Unbound: What The Movie Was Actually About

What is Going on in ‘Prometheus’?

Why Films Like ‘Prometheus’ Are Driving Me to Alcoholism

October Project

Today I stumbled across a music video from a new EP by the band October Project. I have loved this band for many years now, especially THIS SONG , from when Mary Fahl was the lead singer, which is one of my all-time favorites! Here is the new song, a demo version called ‘Angels in the Garden‘. Marina Belica and Julie Flanders do a marvelous job on vocals for this piece (as usual).

But you can’t just listen to a couple songs by this group! Here are a few more:

See with Different Eyes – Return to Me – Always a Place

You know, it’s difficult to have a “favorite” song by this diverse band. Their music is so powerful and beautiful and profound. Just check out all the videos!!

3 Haiku

Blue sky fades into blinding white
high above
unseen sun brings new life.

Shining canvas of sun and shadow
trees glow
in an ocean of light.

Bird calls and luminous green
flower-scented breeze
blows my mind away.