:: It's Day Three of a four day long weekend. July 1st is a national holiday in Canada, and the outgoing provost of the University of Alberta closed the campus today as a gesture of goodwill after eight years on the job. My folks are still here, until the morning of July 3rd, and my mother is cooking up some spaghetti carbonera at the moment. I am most definitely eating too much food, feeling stuffed all the time, and I haven't been exercising.
I know, none of the above is too interesting. Saw The Italian Job today, after suspending disbelief, it proves to be a rather fun, mindless summer movie. I'm looking forward to seeing Ahnold in Terminator 3, and will most likely indulge in Legally Blonde 2.
| TrackBack (0):: It is a few minute past midnight on June 28, 2003. I was born at 12:06 AM Mountain Time, on June 28, 1953, so the moment of turning 50 just passed by. No, I don't feel any different. Earlier today I received wonderful birthday wishes from my colleagues. Tonight, I was picked up by Geoff and Kim, and driven to Kathryn's for dinner. We arrived a bit late, and entered the house. Honestly, I thought we were meeting for dinner. Once in the house, I noticed bowls of chips and cheezies on the table rather than table settings and suspected something was up. I looked around the corner and saw two friends and colleagues, Pam (with her daughter, Rebecca), and Kathy, grinning at me. I turned around and saw more friends and colleagues descending the staircase, including Kenton, whom I learned afterwards had a hand in the organization of the evening (like e-mailing my Dad!). Kathryn then told me to check in the pantry for spices or something, so I opened the door, and saw my Mom and Dad, and my brother Chris and his girlfriend Debra, hiding inside.
I was sort of numb and stunned at that point, very happy to see everyone, and a bit shocked to see my family (although I did think they were "up to something" this week). Chris brought three Jeanne's cakes from Calgary (which are flown in from Winnipeg, where they are baked the same day); in all, there were five cakes! I received a number of nice presents, cards, and good wishes from everyone. And all of this happening before my actual birthday, which began a few minutes ago!
We had a great evening, and I thank everyone who was there, and who took the time to organize the party, and for Kathryn for providing the locale, and for cooking me a quick but delicious asparagus and scallops appetizer!
So now I'm fifty. Sheesh. And there are so many reasons to be grateful. I am blessed with amazing, caring friends and family. Later today I will spend time with my parents and brother and his girlfriend, and enjoy the day. For now, thanks to all of you, with my love and appreciation.
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Although my birthday isn't for a few more hours (12:06 am MDT, June 28), I have received some generous birthday wishes from my fellow staff members here at the library. This included chocolates, an Irish beanie baby bear named Erin, a beautiful cake, a few silly gifts like an over-the-hill emergency medical bracelet, a few cards, and an office filled with balloons, banners and a poster. Geoff, using his PDA, recorded a few moments for posterity and for the archives, viewable in QuickTime.
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:: Thanks for letting me self-indulge a bit in the previous entry. Already I've received some early birthday greetings from colleagues at work, who decorated a bit of my office with balloons, inflatable guitars, and a neat poster with pix and commentary. I think I'm feeling better about all of this. It is difficult to mope about a birthday when you blessed enough to be surrounded by so many people who care about you. For this I am always grateful.
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:: It's late, early in the morning on June 26. I'm sort of drifting through this week, I'm in a daze, basically. There are things about which I want to write, but I'm not feeling very coherent. Perhaps in a few days. But I turn 50 on June 28, actually at 12:06 am MDT (I was born in Winnipeg at 1:06 Central Time, way back then). I've been fighting this, a losing, pointless battle, yet it's nothing I feel like celebrating. I don't want to have to say the number. Turning 30 was nothing, 40 was more of an annoyance; 50? "Old man, look at my life..."
Leaving the Y tonight after a Pilates class, I passed a notice board with pictures of the "Fifty Plus" crowd, some of them easily in their 80s. Gee, I'll get to join on Saturday. I wonder what the parties are like? "Turn on...the bubble a'machine..."
Frankly, I wish I felt better about this, but I don't; not tonight, anyway. I know, I know all the reasons to feel good about it, but at the moment, those reasons have taken a sabbatical. I also accept that other factors make this birthday somewhat bittersweet. But on Saturday, and then Sunday, the sun will rise, regardless.
Despite the foregoing, it's been a pretty good ride. I'm surrounded by the best of friends, a loving, extended family, am in good health, have a great job, to name but a few reasons for celebrating the other side of life.
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:: Overheard (many times) in NYC: "You don't get HBO in Canada? Seriously?"
:: I was in the Strand, the best bookstore on the planet, inquiring about a book, can't remember the title. Strand employee (young woman): "We have three copies, but they are on hold for other people. If you want, I can put a hold on the title for you." Me: "That's ok, I'm just visiting from Canada for a few days." Strand Girl: "No problem, we ship overseas."
:: At a bar on Avenue A: "I'll have a Corona, please". Bartender: "That'll be four dollars". I give her a five, and braindead, I keep the change. A number of us wait to go into the lounge to watch a comedian, where there is a two-drink minimum. Bartender to waitress: "Make sure that guy buys two drinks." Me (incredulous, looking at her): "You mean me?" She ignores me. To the waitress: "The guy with the glasses, he doesn't tip." Realizing my faux pas, and feeling like scum from beneath the earth, I return and offer the bill to her, and she says, "Thank you." Further words are exchanged as we enter the lounge, including mention that I'm from Canada.
After the show: I approach her and offer a fiver, saying, "My apologies again, and please don't think less of Canadians." She accepts the bill, and announces: "I LOVE Canadians." Half an hour later we are still in the bar, milling about. She calls me over, and offers me a shot of something, maybe tequila, and she has one as well. We toast and laugh and make friends, and I thank her. On the way out she tells me her name is Nikki. I bid her farewell, and my friends and I head out into the night.
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I arrived back from NYC on Thursday night, somewhat bagged. Have been sleeping most of the weekend. Saw The Moody Blues last night, a good show with questionable sound; more on the show later. Saw The Hulk on Friday afternoon. Work begins tomorrow. The weather in Edmonton sucks bobos. I'm off to dim sum, and will probably return and go back to sleep. I'm also reading fiction for the first time in years, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, and it's a great read. It's fun to get lost in another world for a change.
| TrackBack (0):: Last night I saw The Fab Faux at a free concert at the World Financial Center near Battery Park City. I was with friends who invited me to attend. As a lifelong Beatles fan, I was looking forward to seeing them perform, given the preconcert info I'd received from said friends: the Faux reproduce the Beatles' tunes as you hear them on their records, as close to a note-for-note reproduction as possible, and delivered by some of the best musicians around, including Will Lee (The Late Show with David Letterman) and Jimmy Vivino (Late Night With Conan O'Brien).
To put it bluntly, if you've seen any Beatles' tribute bands, no matter HOW good you thought they were, put them to bed, now. None of them can hold a candle to The Fab Faux. For one thing, all Beatles tribute bands always feature four musicians only only - they cannot play any of the Beatles' tunes which feature horns, strings, keyboards, special effects, etc. To wit: according to my friends, who have seen TFF a number of times, TFF shows are all different, and at some shows, they devote a performance to playing every song on a particular Beatles album, including - wait for it - The White Album. Uh huh. Yes, that means Revolution No 9, too. They've performed, in their entirety, Rubber Soul, Abbey Road, Revolver, Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour, to name a few. They are often joined by a four-piece horn section (which includes Lew Soloff from Blood, Sweat and Tears), and a cello/violin group called Cream Tangerine.
Last night was a mixed-bag special (Note: H - Horns, S - Strings):
1. Any Time at All.Those of you familiar with these tunes can only imagine how some of these tunes sounded. Tomorrow Never Knows pretty much knocked me down - I was stunned at the accuracy of the sound, and Rich Pagano's drumming was brilliant. Like I said, forget all you know about Beatles tribute bands...
2. Revolution
3. Martha, My Dear (HS)
4. I Am The Walrus (HS)
5. Nowhere Man
6. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (note-for-note guitar solo by Vivino resulting is a standing ovation)
7. Tomorrow Never Knows
8. Penny Lane (H)
9. Got To Get You Into My Life (H)
10. Good Morning, Good Morning (H)
11. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise (HS)
12. A Day in the Life (HS)
ENCORE
13. Paperback Writer
14. Everybody's Got Something To Hide (Except For Me and My Monkey)
15. Helter Skelter
:: One thing of note that I keep forgetting to report is how wonderful it is to go into any bar, club or restaurant in NYC and not worry about smoking. It was a treat to watch Darrell Hammond on Saturday night in a club with 200+ people, and not have to breathe second hand smoke. I can't wait for Edmonton to reach this status. And to those who doubt that people will attend restaurants or shows or go to clubs - forget it. Nearly every place I've been has been packed, and not suffering for customers.
:: Celebrity spotting update: Previously I mentioned seeing Molly Shannon walk across 23rd Street a few days ago. Ditto a 23rd Street siting of BD Wong (requires download). Two days ago, I saw the movie Blue Car, and quite enjoyed it. The movie stars Agnes Bruckner in a breakout performance, and David Strathairn, one of my favorite actors. So it was weird that a day later, I saw Strathairn on a subway platform, and we entered the same subway car. I was so tempted to speak to him, but kept thinking that celebrities on the streets of NYC most likely want to keep to themselves.
:: Speaking of movies, I've seen four while in NYC: Blue Car, The Heart of Me, Irreversible, and Sweet Sixteen. Irreversible has two of the most difficult scenes to watch in any movie I've ever seen, and is most likely the most disturbing film I have ever seen. James Berardinelli notes in his review:
"Since one of the duties of a film critic is to provide readers with enough ammunition for them to make an informed decision about whether a movie is likely to match their tastes, I must begin with a stern warning. Irreversible is the kind of film that will offend, outrage, and possibly even sicken about 90% of the mainstream viewing audience. Its brutal, unflinching depiction of violence and sexual violation is of a kind that I have never previously encountered in a movie. Those who feel they cannot stand up to the worst director Gaspar Noé has to offer will be wasting time and money on Irreversible. Walk-outs are the most common byproduct of shock and outrage"As mentioned, people have walked out either near the beginning of the movie (a bloody, mind-numbing, violent murder) or in the middle (a 9-minute rape scene in which the camera never moves). Please read the remainder of Berardinelli's review, a review in which he gives 3.5 stars out of 4. I may write more about this later.
:: This is my last day in NYC. I'm out of money, and somewhat exhausted. I'll be happy to get home tomorrow. Later this afternoon I'm meeting with my friend Sekeena for coffee. The evening will most likely be quiet. See you soon.
| TrackBack (0):: The last three days have been better for walking about - the temperature has dropped, and the humidity is way down. Last night, I took the subway to a place called Smoke, to watch Carolyn Leonhart perform. I arrived around 6:20 to find a tiny jazz club and cocktail lounge that serves no food, very intimate and relaxing. With maybe 3 or 4 people at the bar, I took a seat at a table near the "stage", and when Carolyn and her band began, I was the only one sitting at a table. It felt like I was listening to and watching a private concert! Carolyn sang a few jazz standards, some of which appeared on her album, Steal The Moon. Her voice is sultry and smooth, and I felt drawn in to her music and delivery. She was backed by an amazing trio of musicians on piano, standup bass and percussion, to whom I cannot do honour as I cannot recall their names.
While in NYC, and thanks to Carolyn, I was able to obtain a copy of the album Glass Lounge, by the Swiss percussion group Lyn Leon, of which she is a member. I've not heard the album yet, but at their website you can hear sound clips and video of the group in action, and order a copy here.
After the first set, I approached her to say hello, and to ask if she would sign the CD insert for Glass Lounge (which, btw, comes in a package with a round piece of embossed glass!). For the next 20 minutes, we spoke about her career and its direction, how she came to sing with Steely Dan (since 1996), her albums and forthcoming recording project, and other things. She was gracious with her time and company, and I thank her for that. She gave me the ok to take a few pictures during the second set, and I hope they turn out well. I will post the best ones when I return home.
I have Steal the Moon, and if you are looking for a relaxing and engaging album of jazz standards and originals (by Rob Bargad), this album is worth your effort. Order it here.
Thanks, Carolyn, for a memorable evening of music and conversation.
:: This afternoon I saw the film, Blue Car, featuring David Strathairn, one of my favorite actors, and a brilliant young newcomer, Agnes Bruckner. More on that later. What happened when I bought my ticket was a rite of passage: I approached the ticket window (which is outside the theatre showing the movie, on 2nd Avenue near 12th Street), wearing a bball cap, sunglasses and a t-shirt. I gave the attendant $10 and said, "Blue Car"; he looked at me and asked, "Senior?", as in, "you look old enough to qualify for senior admission prices", to which I responded, "I'm not EVEN FIFTY YET, thank you." And I always thought I looked younger than my age. Ha ha!
:: I also spent an hour with one of my favorite people, Jessica Owen. We had coffee and swapped stories, and I walked her to a studio where she was going to record 8 demo tracks of new tunes she's written. I shamelessly promote her latest album on my site - please buy it, you won't be disappointed. Love you, Jess.
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:: The last two days have been active. Yesterday Geoff and I walked around the South Street Seaport area, where we bought tickets at the TKTS booth to see La Boheme, which was amazing! Following that, we crossed Broadway, and saw Darrell Hammond at Caroline's. He was a hoot! Earlier in the day, we rode the Staten Island Ferry, which is now free of charge.
This morning was a trip up the Empire State Building. It took 90 minutes from entering the building until we made it to the 86th floor observation deck. After my bag was x-rayed, I was asked to pull out my Swiss army knife. It was given to a guy in a suit who started to bag and ticket it for pickup when I came down, but then he stopped, looked at me and asked, "Where are you from?". I said, "Edmonton", and he gave the knife back to me and said it was ok.
Tonight Geoff and I plan to see Carolyn Leonhart perform at Smoke. No cover charge! Geoff leaves tomorrow, I'll be back on Thursday. Also, today the humidity is way down, and it hasn't rained (like it's been doing every other day this week).
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:: It's cooler here today, and my neck is hurting again (left side). Geoff and I had a nice visit with Leo and Diane Dillon last night, as well as their son Lee and his partner Greg. Diane made a wonderful chicken dinner with two salads. Much wine was consumed as we visited for almost 4 hours!
In addition to cooler weather, it's misty in NYC today. This is a lazy day for me, I'm exhausted from the conference. Geoff is off visiting the Met, and we're hoping to catch a play on Sunday. Tomorrow night we'll be at Caroline's to see Darrell Hammond. I'm hoping to see two or three movies next week before returning to Edmonton on Thursday, June 19.
:: My favorite headline of the year so far: Adam Ant arrested after removing his pants
:: BTW, this is my 200th posting.
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:: After many SLA conventions, whenever possible I'll attend a major league baseball game. Historically, most of the games I've seen have been boring, and the home team always loses. This trend remained intact on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, except that as the game neared its end, things got really, really interesting.
The Yankees were playing the Astros, and the Astros' pitcher pulled a groin in the second inning and was replaced. As the game wore on, more Astros pitchers took the mound, and no Yankee hit the ball. Into the 9th inning, it was still a No-hitter by Committee. In the 9th inning, the Astros' closer blew 101 mph pitches by two Yankees for strikeouts, and enduced a ground out from Hideki Matsui. It was a no-hitter by six combined pitchers, a new MLB record, and humbling for the Yankees. It was also the first time the Yankees had been no-hit since 1958 - 45 years, also a new major league record. Imagine the chances of seeing my first and only Yankees Stadium-based baseball game, and this would happen. The Yankees were embarrassed in front of their fans, so much so that the announcer didn't announce the box score at the end of the game.
:: The SLA convention is over, and Geoff and I are hanging out. It is hot and muggy, making it tiresome to walk about. Thank God for air conditioning.
| TrackBack (0):: It's Tuesday, sunny and warm in NYC. The SLA conference is in full swing, with two days left. Yesterday we partied in the evening at an event sponsored by Dialog, which featured Tommy James and the Shondells (we don't know of any of the band were members of the original Shondells, mind you). Then we went to a dessert party featuring a 40s-type jazz band, at the Park Plaza. Yes, one of the hotels on Central Park South, where the daily brunch costs a mere $79US.
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:: Day Three began this morning with a meeting at the Marriott Hotel that was kind of a bust. For $28US I attended a mentoring breakfast, and arrived to discover the meal consisted of bagels and coffee. To boot, no students or new librarians attended. *sigh* I'm learning that the costs in the hotels here for conventions are sky-high (duh), and that the unions tightly control all labour.
Last night, Geoff and I were among the guests of IOP at a cabaret and dinner featuring the legendary Blossom Dearie. In her late 70's, she played a superb show, with a nice mix of songs, and was supported by a great drummer and bass player. Afterwards we had dinner, met new people, then repaired to a couple of division suites where we shared drinks and laughs with friends and colleagues, including Stephen Abram and David Stern.
The keynote speaker is underway, but I'm passing in order to prepare for my short presentation as part of a panel at 11:30, and to make a couple of quick stops in the exhibit area. The weather has been cloudy and muggy, but thankfully not all that warm. Thank Ghu we have air conditioning in our little room at The Leo House.
| TrackBack (0):: Geoff and I are in NYC. Our flight yesterday via Minneapolis was smooth and uneventful. On the flight from Mpls to NYC, a group of students from a middle school in Reno came aboard, and another passenger and I played cards with two of them for a while. It is warm here, and the humidity is high. The TONY Awards are happening tonight, a few blocks from the conference hotel. We are attending a cabaret tonight, seeing Blossom Dearie perform, then having dinner with representatives from the Institute of Physics.
That's it for now. I need my morning coffee!
:: In the meantime, 7,000 people got naked in the name of art.
| TrackBack (0):: One conference down, one still to come. Geoff and I fly to NYC tomorrow to attend SLA. It's my 12th SLA, and 12th trip to NYC. Coincidence? The EBL conference was a blast - I learned a bit more about evidence based librarianship, and met dozens of fascinating and interesting people from Canada, USA, Norway, the UK, France, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Australia. More of the same awaits us in NYC. I'll try to post during the next few days, but no guarantees. Will write again soon.
:: Oh, and have you heard about the war of word between Roger Ebert and Vincent Gallo? Gallo's new movie, The Brown Bunny, was screened at Cannes last month, and is now pretty much considered one of the worst film ever shown at the festival.
:: And this is too cool: three 12-year old boys began shooting a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1982. They finished when they were 18, in 1988. Fifteen years later, in 2003, word is out that the film exists, and the RoTLA director Stephen Spielberg has given the trio a big thumbs up. Watch the trailer here: http://www.drafthouse.com/trailers/raiders.mov. An article about the film appears in the Austin Chronicle. (From Slashdot via William Gibson.)
I must see these two movies.
| TrackBack (0):: I've finished Day 1 of the EBL Conference. I'm exhausted. The day went well, met some very cool people from Australia, the UK, Norway, USA, other parts of Canada. I MC'd the door prizes at the banquet, and only made one major gaff. Now I'm home, packing for SLA on Saturday.
:: I borrow music from the public library, and listen to the CDs in my car while driving. I borrowed an album called The Last Broadcast by the band, Doves. I must've read a review of it somewhere, having never heard of the band. I popped it into the CD player with no expectations, and can report that it's quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. The biographical info on the site is a bit cryptic, and I can't confirm if there are three or four members in the band. The record sounds like there are many more. This band must be something to see in concert, if they are able to replicate the wall of sound in some of the songs on The Last Broadcast. I might describe them as Coldplay meets Radiohead (circa OK Computer) meets the Manchester Sound. It's a great record. More short reviews here.
The weirdest thing, like, really weird? I was listening to the album yesterday, and stopped at Zeller's to pick up some socks. I walked in, and the music in the store was "Pounding", my favorite song on The Last Broadcast. Hello? Who's programming music for Zeller's?
:: Finally, many people are relishing the indictment of Martha Stewart, but some are pointing to the hypocrisy of the non-indictment (to date) of Ken Lay, who headed Enron while it stole billions, wiped out savings of 12,000 workers, cost 5,000 workers their jobs, misled and lied to their stockholders, and nailed California by rigging electricity prices during its energy crisis. Lay and his wife, btw, have annuities which, when they reach maturity in 2007, will provide guaranteed monthly payments for life of $43,023 to Lay, and $32,643 to his wife.
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:: It's late on Tuesday, the continuing calm before the storm. Thanks to everyone who contributed comments on purchasing a digital camera. I'll either wait until I return from NYC, or buy one there if the opportunity presents itself.
:: My review of Nowhere in Africa, for Blogcritics.
:: Sometimes it's cool to just sit and listen. A friend called today, concerned about something. I invited her over, and she sat and talked for an hour, and felt better afterwards. I offered the occasional comment or observation, but beyond that, just a sounding board.
:: My suitcase is open in the spare bedroom, as I slowly prepare for NYC. Tomorrow I help move supplies and registration for the EBL conference, and I attend the conference on Thursday and Friday. Thursday night is the banquet. Not a lot of time in between to organize and pack.
:: The new Steely Dan album, Everything Must Go, can be heard in its entirety on the Reprise site. But please, if you can, watch the five-segment video, Steely Dan Confessions, on the same site, in which Don and Walt ride around Las Vegas in Rita's cab. You MUST watch the second one, "Lizzie on lyrics", in which Lizzie tells Walt and Don that her boyfriend grooved her on to "you guy'ses music" in college. The piece de resistance is when she asks them about the lyrics to "Reelin' In The Sheaves", and Donald sez, "Reelin' In The Sheaves, that was one of our best numbers." I'm still laughing.
:: I watched the final episode of the third season of Six Feet Under tonight. A brilliant show, I found the third season a bit tiresome and weary - the focus was on the relationships of each of the main players, and after a few episodes of each of their relationships deteriorating, people screaming at each other, an art teacher who defined pretention, the show began to feel like an unwelcome visitor. I hope it improves next year.
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