the plastic exploding inevitable

The only constant is change

I'm reading a book called The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton- basically it's a series of short essays about architecture and design , and how they affect us. Great stuff. I always enjoy when a writer challenges you to look at the world with fresh eyes. Think about he things that surround you everyday.

One of the themes in the book is that our concept of beauty is always changing- not evolving but changing. A prime example of his can be found in the family photo album- look at the way the living room was decorated 20 years ago- you loved that wallpaper then.

There is a photo of me somewhere taken in '73 or so, I'm on the altar at church doing a gospel reading (that alone is testament to how things change) I am wearing, a baby blue dress shirt, a navy blue crushed velvet bow tie, tartan plaid bell bottoms with a 2 inch cuff, saddle shoes and a sport coat made of denim. Oh yeah, hair down to my shoulders and aviator style glasses. I loved all those clothes and really loved them altogether. ( I will say I would love to have the saddle shoes today, some things never go out of style)

Change is happening constantly , some good ,some bad. There is change that annoys me (surprise)- change for the sake of change.

An example: The other day I was in Stop and Shop (newly remodeled you know) and was quite delighted with the new look , but a quibble , the Courtesy Desk, which of course was once the Customer Service Desk is now ..........the Solution Center.

please.

...and it was good

Oh it's a special day tomorrow! I hope I can sleep. I am giddy with anticipation.

The Stop and Shop around the corner from my house re opens tomorrow after six long weeks of remodeling.

I had to go to a different market for six looooong weeks. The aisles were crowded, the selection was poor and the seafood section reeked. Bad.

tommorow I put all that agony behind me.

Isn' it remarkable how the selection in supermarkets has exploded? Is wasn't all that long ago that "salad" was iceberg lettuce and a slice of cellophane wrapped tomato.

Cous cous, balsamic vinegar, orangina, sprouts, greek yogurt, sourdough bread and on and on and on- this stuff wasn't on the shelf years ago.

Now the selection is enough to make you swoon- which I plan on doing tomorrow.


they open at 6am, would I look too needy if I got there right at six? you're right, I'll wait until 6:30

mise eh ree

Way back in college I studied film theory and became enamored with the concept of mise en scene. French, you know. (those french are very particular in regards to language, they have a word or a phrase for just about everything. )

The exact meaning of this phrase is debated by movie types (cinephiles) , which just makes it better, but basically it is the visual element of a film or stage production. The decor, lighting, costumes, composition of the frame,...well you get the idea. How the visuals reinforce the overall story telling. A well composed scene often can tell you more than words- Citizen Kane- Joe Cotten asleep hunched over his typewriter (bottle nearby) in he foreground and Welles waaaaay in the background looming in the doorway.

Mise en scene is a part of the stage as well. I always think of the stage as a blank page and whatever is up there is there because "we" put it there. WE in this case being The creative staff- director, set design, light design, costumes etc. Since the world that is created on stage is totally artificial we can manipulate it so that everything an audience sees helps to tell the story. Hopefully.

This is maybe my favorite part of the rehearsal process creating the world that the audience is going to experience. Sometimes it works , sometimes not, but it always fun to try.

There is another mise that I have had less success with- mise en place. A cooking term, basically having everything ready to go, being in control of your workspace. Economy, precision, planning.

ah.

The other morning I discovered I had a half loaf of Challah bread in the old breadbox (holler!) Of course my mind turns to French Toast. Hmmm I have the bread, Do I have eggs? Check. Milk? Plenty. Vanilla? Yes. I even have some nice grapes to serve on the side and Hey! look at this- some real Maple syrup I bought at the Big E (state fair) a few weeks ago. Serendipity.

So I get to work and whip up some lovely French Toast, It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself. There is a lot to be said for a fancy breakfast in the middle of the week. I'm usually a toast and chocolate milk kinda guy.

Let me collect these plates and bring them into the kitchen and.......Dear God in heaven! What the hell has happened in here? Egg carton, egg shells, milk carton, spoons, knives, forks- every flat surface in the kitchen is covered in something. Lids are off containers, there is a small puddle of syrup near the stove. Don't ask me why, but the Bleu cheese dressing is on the counter.

It is more than apparent that my mise en place is non existent. In my own defense I will say, I decided to make the french toast on the spur of the moment ,no time to prepare. Lame. It took me three times as long to clean up the mess as it did to cook and eat the meal.

I need to embrace mise place as tightly as I do mise scene.

I'm sure the French have a phrase for he type of cook I am.

....a dream deferred

The future sure didn't turn out like they promised.

We should all be flying around with jet packs or driving one of these babies.

Damnation!

behold

The Sunday New York Times.

The pinnacle of a civilized world? perhaps

Happy Birthday , John Prine

a rakes progress

Ah Fall, my favorite season, a chill in the air, a sweater, rustling of the leaves- you get the idea

A memory- The unforgettable smell of burning leaves. Way back when ,the folks in the neighborhood would pile up the leaves in the yard and set that pile on fire. Standing around watching those leaves burn obviously plugs right into some hidden caveman pleasure center in the brain " uuuuuuuuuuugggggg fire" Of course the thought of burning leaves today would cause Al Gore and the Polar Bears to have many sleepless nights. (I still think I have their first album, Al Gore and the......)

Another memory- Back in college at Fredonia, most weekend nights we would take the walk Downtown to see what mischief we could cause. The good people of the town would rake all their leaves to the curb and the town would rake them or vacuum them or something them right onto trucks. Voila! No Bags!
Some of these curbside piles were nearly three feet high. During our walks downtown my pal Pete would launch himself into these mounds. 6 feet, 200plus running at top speed and diving headfirst into the leaves. Hilarious (well to 18 year old boys anyway) One day I got an image in my head of Pete flying into the leaves and meeting a fire hydrant- from that day on I walked Downtown with a less exuberant group of pals,

If you find your self heading north to take in the changing of the leaves (upstate NY) head over to Poughkeepsie (of "Did you pick your toes in Poughkeepsie?"fame) And visit the Walkway over the Hudson. This is an old railroad bridge that has been turned into a park. I's a very literal park in that you walk over the Hudson. A great walk, incredible views and an absolute thrill that someone(s) though of this and made it happen.

I was there in June around sundown and there were lots and lots of people taking the stroll. A total thrill and at the same time very relaxing.

a sidebar- as you get about a third of the way across the bridge there is a clearly marked "mental health emergency phone" that is manned at all times when the park is open. When you get out over the water you are waaaaaaaaaaaay high up in the air and the river is a loooooong way down and while the walk is totally safe if someone wanted to go over the side they very easily could.

I don't think I'll ever Visit the Walkway with my pal Pete.


ps "pick your toes...." is a line from The French Connection

...and master of none

For the past few years I have kept a sketch pad and some pencils in the car . When I found myself with 20 minutes or so between gigs I would park the car, pick out a subject and draw.

Because of this, the majority of the subjects in the book are "things you find in a parking lot" Lots of lamp posts and over turned shopping carts. There are nice parking lots though, leading to sailboats and seagulls and ....lamp posts.

Am I good? no. Do I enjoy it? yes.

I am amazed that in the few years that I have been sketching that my "line" has not matured. I'm sure there is a technical term for this but, most of my drawings appear to be drawn by a kid. A kid who is trying his best, but a kid nonetheless.

There are a few exceptions: I did a drawing of a shoe that still amazes me. I can't believe that I did it. It's really....dare I say....good. Really looks like that particular shoe.

I have a picture I drew of a ....lamppost , that is really impressive (to me) with a bold dark line. Much like the shoe drawing I enjoy it because it is specific, it's that lamppost.

oh another favorite, I was at a bookstore and there was a girl across the cafe leaning over a table looking at a newspaper. I grabbed my pencil and with just a few lines really captured the curve of that view.

These are three I like, there are hundreds, but I like these three. Pretty good odds.

I haven't sketched in a while (I haven't done anything in a while, but that's another story) but, I think I'll get back to it. There is a series in the New York Times now about drawing that has nudged me in the direction of putting pencil to paper again.

If you ever need inspiration (for any creative endeavor) check out the drawings of George Seurat. I have been going to Museums and galleries for over 30 years and I'll tell you that without a doubt these drawings are my favorite pieces of art. I saw them first about 20 years ago a the Met and a few years back at MOMA. so simple but, astonishing.

Okay go get a pencil, a piece of paper and a shoe.