The water's fine

...New tank, old sunflowers.  Now, today, if only the fog were to burn off.

 

 

Galvanized trough

Now we have a pool or a planter: a "seconds" galvanized trough from Santa Rosa.     

Graffito of they day

On the back of a small sign on the freeway exit ramp: PLEASE STOP POURING SALT ON ME. It’s a friendly enough request, don't you think?

The Fourth

Be safe, out there. . . .

Curiosa

 Quite the collector:   Curiosa. I found a copy at a favorite bookstore, Copperfield's. Along with the new books they always have an odd collection of remainders that I find irrestible, every time I go to Calistoga. T&R and I went in search of wine and galvanized tanks, but not a soak. SCORE.  

 

Houses for Weight Loss

Perhaps the back 40 could use this—I certainly could.

 

 

MX-80 in Pandora's Box

So I visit pandora.com to see what kind of "MX-80" like music they would like to decode for me as attributes, genomically speaking. Here's what I get: electric rock instrumentation . punk influences . a subtle use of vocal harmony . extensive vamping . minor key tonality . a vocal-centric aesthetic . electric rhythm guitars. Heatmiser, Cop and Speeder, Disappearing Ink: http://www.pandora.com/music/song/heatmiser/disappearing+ink

I also get the Norwegian sextet, Kaizers Orchestra http://www.pandora.com/music/album/kaizers+orchestra/evig+pint

who resides "in the gray area between Scandinavian death metal, traditional folk, and Tom Waits-inspired Tin Pan Alley pop. Their second full-length, Evig Pint, is the soundtrack to a nightmarish carousel that refuses to let off its 12 terrified children. Those 12 tracks are fueled by a sinister pump organ, alley-can drums, and a brutal horn section that sound like a klezmer group on the banks of the river Styx."

All I can say, is, Yikes.

We're goin' to a weddin' soon

We're going to a wedding soon in Monterey, staying by the bay (so deep!). But what to get them youngins"? I don't know the happy couple, personally, but I will soon. Their registry has so many choices. SPOILER ALERT: I'm going for the $150 toothbrush, I think. They'll appreciate it when they hit the 40-year mark and still have sparkling teeth. Or a set of grapefruit spoons. Citrus is always in fashion. Hope politics in Thailand clear up right away.

Buying Books
About the only venues I buy books these days are garage sales and airports--I'm not quite to the e-reader stage. Last week's scores, en route to Indiana: Predictably Irrational, the Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions and The 4 Day Diet (Be thinner by Friday!!!). Let's face it, I like to read about brains. But what did I read on the plane? Some tabloid, from the seatmate, that spilled the guts on the next-to-final episode of Celebrity Apprentice I missed. Silly TV, but I've tried the winning Snapple drink. Not as good as homemade root beer, but drinkable.

Mother and I visit the Indiana Medical History Museum in Naptown

At one time, 1800 folks lived at Central State, including "difficult women" brought by their husbands. Seeing a doctor what: once an hour once a month? The therapy was "moral"--gardening and insulin shock, not lobotomy. Today, the grounds include the pathology lab , retirement home for police horses, city storage buildings, medicinal plant garden, and wide open empty space. A lot has changed in 100 years. After our visit, we went to Mug 'n Bun for homemade root beer and onion rings. "Eat however you want!" #3 of 1200+ restaurants in Indianapolis, say some. Fabulous brew, rings not so much.