Monday, August 27, 2007
2130 hours
Most of the time, my only access to the internet these days is through the ship's computer, which has one of those Verizon cards which works just about anywhere but only gives you a certain number of minutes per month (after which there's a per-minute charge, what is this, 1988?). This obviously limits my access quite a bit. Occasionally some generous land-dwelling soul will allow me to use a home or office computer. This is really really nice. However, it's generally just enough time to catch up on some correspondence, not enough to read anybody's blog. So I have no idea what most of you other bloggers are up to.
However, due to some fancy equipment brought by a generous volunteer, the Lady Washington is currently a wireless hotspot. Here in Tacoma, we are moored next to the Lady. This means that if you take your laptop out on the deck of the Hawaiian Chieftain while the wireless thingy is active, you can actually get a fairly decent connection. (Below decks, not so much; the Chieftain has a steel hull.) This has been really really really nice. Unfortunately, said volunteer will be taking his technology home with him at the end of the month. Also unfortunately, it's cold outside, so I'm writing this in my bunk and will run up on deck to post it when I'm done.
I've been lucky enough to have several friends come out to sail with me on the boats recently. Some even drove long distances to do so. It's fun to show people (meaning, people I know) what it is that I'm doing out here. I mean, not all the hours that I spend punching numbers into the computer and growling, but the other things. Things I don't think twice about anymore, but which would have amazed me a year and a half ago: things like belaying and coiling a line, or knowing which line to go to when the mate calls out commands, and what will happen if I haul on it or let it go. Or going aloft. I do still think twice about going aloft, but my second thought these days is usually "I am so cool right now."
A friend of mine back home, after finding out that I have to wear a costume for this job, said, "Oh, now I get the appeal." This struck me as odd, particularly the implied assumption that the clothes are the best part. For the record, I'm not actually all that jazzed about the 18th-century clothing. It gets in the way of sailing. I'm not an actor, and I'm not a re-enactor. I'm a sailor.
My job as purser is how I pay for the sailing. As purser, I'm in charge of accounting for all the money that is spent and received by the boat. This is a little ironic because I've managed to avoid math classes since midway through high school. In retrospect, that wasn't such a good idea. If I were half as comfortable with numbers as I am with letters (I can alphabetize in my sleep, and probably have), or if I'd ever taken a single accounting class in my life, I'd have been a lot less intimidated by all this paperwork. As it is, it's taken me quite some time to get used to it. One thing I learned the hard way was that I can really only deal effectively with spreadsheets when I'm not tired, hungry, dehydrated, or aching. This means not after sailing. With that and a few other lessons under my belt, I hesitantly claim that I'm actually getting kinda good at this now -- not as good as I'd like to be, but good enough that my hair is no longer in danger of being torn out every time I try to assemble an income report for the seaport office.
So there's sailing, and there's pursing, and there's various chores inbetween, and there's living in a steel box with a cast of genuinely interesting characters, and a dozen new things to learn every day, and taken as a whole this job is challenging and satisfying on every level: physical, mental, emotional, relational, and yes, spiritual too.
With all of that going for me, if my internet cravings are not satiated, well, I guess I can deal.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
How I Got Back On The Boat, etc.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
1100 hours
So I went home for my brother's wedding, and what a glorious shindig that was. The tricky part turned out to be getting back to the boat, which was in Coupeville the day after the wedding. The crowded Greyhound (sold out for the weekend, as Amtrak wasn't running) got me as far as Everett, but then what? Coupeville is at the north end of Whidbey Island. Everett is south of Whidbey Island. The closest ferry to the island leaves from Mukilteo, the next town over from Everett. There are buses between all the towns and ferries in the area -- but most of the buses don't run on Sundays. And of course it was a Sunday.
So... I walked four miles, with a pack that weighed 23 or so lbs. (darn that laptop), to the Mukilteo ferry. And then I called the Chieftain from the ferry, and they said they'd send somebody for me when they got back from the evening sail. Some very generous and hospitable Coupevillains drove the length of Whidbey (about 40 miles, if I recall correctly) to pick me up and, it being very late by the time we got back, took me in for the night. Which meant that I got a much-needed shower that I wouldn't have got otherwise, and slept on a much better mattress.
It was totally worth it, of course. But next time I try to travel by public transportation in northwest Washington, it will not be on a Sunday.
From Coupeville to Everett, to Seattle (Lake Union), to Brownsville, which is north of Bremerton, and which is where I am now, on my day off, watching the Chieftain from the window of the port office. And in between, by little and by little, I am getting better both at sailing and at pursing. I am less exhausted and more even-tempered. There are several people aboard who are newer and know less than I. When people ask how long I've been aboard, I have to guess because I've lost track. And I am not tired of it yet.
1100 hours
So I went home for my brother's wedding, and what a glorious shindig that was. The tricky part turned out to be getting back to the boat, which was in Coupeville the day after the wedding. The crowded Greyhound (sold out for the weekend, as Amtrak wasn't running) got me as far as Everett, but then what? Coupeville is at the north end of Whidbey Island. Everett is south of Whidbey Island. The closest ferry to the island leaves from Mukilteo, the next town over from Everett. There are buses between all the towns and ferries in the area -- but most of the buses don't run on Sundays. And of course it was a Sunday.
So... I walked four miles, with a pack that weighed 23 or so lbs. (darn that laptop), to the Mukilteo ferry. And then I called the Chieftain from the ferry, and they said they'd send somebody for me when they got back from the evening sail. Some very generous and hospitable Coupevillains drove the length of Whidbey (about 40 miles, if I recall correctly) to pick me up and, it being very late by the time we got back, took me in for the night. Which meant that I got a much-needed shower that I wouldn't have got otherwise, and slept on a much better mattress.
It was totally worth it, of course. But next time I try to travel by public transportation in northwest Washington, it will not be on a Sunday.
From Coupeville to Everett, to Seattle (Lake Union), to Brownsville, which is north of Bremerton, and which is where I am now, on my day off, watching the Chieftain from the window of the port office. And in between, by little and by little, I am getting better both at sailing and at pursing. I am less exhausted and more even-tempered. There are several people aboard who are newer and know less than I. When people ask how long I've been aboard, I have to guess because I've lost track. And I am not tired of it yet.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
On The Flip Side.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
2110 hours
I spent the second (and last) night of the camp at Cypress Island, on Pelican Beach. It went fine, actually. The rain kept the mosquitoes down, and we stayed dry under a pre-existing shelter. There were very nice mulching toilets, with an interesting diagram on the inner wall so you could see what would happen to your poo. And Annoying Passenger stayed on the boat. In addition, there were s'mores, and singing. It was great. The next morning we had pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs, cooked over a campfire by the Lady's crew, and then a few of us walked to Eagle Harbor. We were trying to get to Smuggler's Cove, but... you know, Eagle Harbor was pretty cool too. And it was a good walk. Very, very quiet. It was incredibly pleasant to have a break from human voices for a while.
Since then, we've been in Anacortes doing dockside tours and battle sails. And I'm feeling a lot better -- still tired, but no longer on the verge of coming down with the boat plague (colds get passed around and around the crew). At the moment, I'm sitting in the Chieftain's aft cabin, where most of the male members of the crew are playing that pirate card game (the one with the little boats you assemble) and drinking whisky and talking loudly, and several of the female members are watching "But I'm a Cheerleader" and eating peanut butter M&Ms and laughing loudly. It's the polar opposite of anchor watch. I really like how these two posts balance each other out, how I get to have both of these extremes in my life.
In other news, I organized my bunk and, in doing so, found the missing aloe vera. And there was much rejoicing.
Edit: I fixed the map so you can zoom in if you click on it.
2110 hours
I spent the second (and last) night of the camp at Cypress Island, on Pelican Beach. It went fine, actually. The rain kept the mosquitoes down, and we stayed dry under a pre-existing shelter. There were very nice mulching toilets, with an interesting diagram on the inner wall so you could see what would happen to your poo. And Annoying Passenger stayed on the boat. In addition, there were s'mores, and singing. It was great. The next morning we had pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs, cooked over a campfire by the Lady's crew, and then a few of us walked to Eagle Harbor. We were trying to get to Smuggler's Cove, but... you know, Eagle Harbor was pretty cool too. And it was a good walk. Very, very quiet. It was incredibly pleasant to have a break from human voices for a while.
Since then, we've been in Anacortes doing dockside tours and battle sails. And I'm feeling a lot better -- still tired, but no longer on the verge of coming down with the boat plague (colds get passed around and around the crew). At the moment, I'm sitting in the Chieftain's aft cabin, where most of the male members of the crew are playing that pirate card game (the one with the little boats you assemble) and drinking whisky and talking loudly, and several of the female members are watching "But I'm a Cheerleader" and eating peanut butter M&Ms and laughing loudly. It's the polar opposite of anchor watch. I really like how these two posts balance each other out, how I get to have both of these extremes in my life.In other news, I organized my bunk and, in doing so, found the missing aloe vera. And there was much rejoicing.
Edit: I fixed the map so you can zoom in if you click on it.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Anchor Watch.
Wednesday, July 8, 20070010 hours
I'm on anchor watch off Sucia Island, in the San Juans. This is my first time on any sort of watch. It's a beautiful night for it, calm and still, with a generous amount of stars overhead. Earlier we could see the shore group's campfire and the bouncing flames of a firedancer. We're far enough offshore that the mosquitoes can't find us. My watch companion is congenial and a patient teacher, both of shanty lyrics and boat check procedure.
Still, I'd really like to be asleep right now.
I've been so busy telling everybody how much fun sailing is that I forgot how hard it is. I'm really exhausted, just a few days in. I know it will get better, and I know there are times it will be much worse. But right now, just for the record: I'm tired. And this is hard. It's still totally fun and awesome and worthwhile, but, yeah, really really challenging.
Some fun things we did today: a laid-back sail/motor transit from Port Townsend, pretending we were the first palefaces to ever set eyes on the San Juans, rowing the jollyboat in to the island, rowing the jollyboat back out and in again when it turned out we'd forgotten several items, eating food cooked over a campfire, hiking in the woods, climbing around in the shallow little China Caves.
Even though I have some apprehensions about the night I'll spend on shore tomorrow (nobody brought mosquito repellent; don't know what kind of toilet facilities will be available, if any; one of the campers is really incredibly annoying; etc.), I'm genuinely sorry to be missing the next camping session. But my brother's getting married the day after that five-day session, and the real problem with being in the middle of nowhere without a car is that it makes it very hard to get anywhere else. So this means I'll need to skip out before the next camp, resulting in more days off than intended for me. Admittedly, I'm not entirely sorry about this. I can take home stuff I didn't need (can't wear my own climbing harness, rats) and bring back stuff I do (where, oh where is my aloe vera gel?).
And sleep.
A lot.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Packing; Heat.
I did find one benefit to 101-degree weather: clothes dry on the line quicker than in the dryer.
Makes it hard to think in terms of packing for cool weather, though. I want to throw in a bunch of tank tops now, but when I'm out on the water, I'll want long-sleeved shirts almost exclusively.
That great big duffel bag I bought at Andy & Bax last week? Not nearly so big when I'm trying to stuff a blanket, pillow, thick wool sweater, pea coat, two pairs of boots, and a small mountain of warm clothes into it. Of course, it'll seem plenty big when I'm trying to lug it around.
Anyway, the end is in sight, but I'm taking a break from the packing to post my latest mix CD. This one speaks to the transition I'm in right now, with the quitting and the leaving and the traveling and the changing, and all the emotions that go with that.
1. The Be Good Tanyas - Ship Out On The Sea
2. Björk - Wanderlust
3. Rocky Votolato - Goldfield
4. The Blind Boys of Alabama - Demons
5. Yes - America
6. Rosie Thomas - Wedding Day
7. Martin Sexton - Glory Bound
8. The Deadly Deaths - See The World
9. Indigo Girls - Reunion
10. Nina Simone - Feeling Good
11. The American Analog Set - Fuck This... I'm Leaving
12. The Owls - Air
13. The Finches - The Road
14. Regina Spektor - Fidelity
15. Bishop Allen - Flight 180
16. Jason Webley - With
17. The Staple Singers - This May Be The Last Time
18. Polyphonic Spree - Move Away And Shine
If you want to reproduce the artifact exactly, here is the cover image, and here is the image I used for the CD label. Songs will be available for one week, and are posted with the intent to promote, not rip off, the artists. If you hear something you really like, do consider coughing up the cash for an album. Even if you buy it used.
Now to finish packing, and maybe sleep a little. Tomorrow I will take the train into Washington. The train does not go to Port Angeles, so (thanks to my friend Truck) I'll be arriving at the harbor on the back of a shiny black Valkyrie. Vroom.
Makes it hard to think in terms of packing for cool weather, though. I want to throw in a bunch of tank tops now, but when I'm out on the water, I'll want long-sleeved shirts almost exclusively.
That great big duffel bag I bought at Andy & Bax last week? Not nearly so big when I'm trying to stuff a blanket, pillow, thick wool sweater, pea coat, two pairs of boots, and a small mountain of warm clothes into it. Of course, it'll seem plenty big when I'm trying to lug it around.
Anyway, the end is in sight, but I'm taking a break from the packing to post my latest mix CD. This one speaks to the transition I'm in right now, with the quitting and the leaving and the traveling and the changing, and all the emotions that go with that.
1. The Be Good Tanyas - Ship Out On The Sea
2. Björk - Wanderlust
3. Rocky Votolato - Goldfield
4. The Blind Boys of Alabama - Demons
5. Yes - America
6. Rosie Thomas - Wedding Day
7. Martin Sexton - Glory Bound
8. The Deadly Deaths - See The World
9. Indigo Girls - Reunion
10. Nina Simone - Feeling Good
11. The American Analog Set - Fuck This... I'm Leaving
12. The Owls - Air
13. The Finches - The Road
14. Regina Spektor - Fidelity
15. Bishop Allen - Flight 180
16. Jason Webley - With
17. The Staple Singers - This May Be The Last Time
18. Polyphonic Spree - Move Away And Shine
If you want to reproduce the artifact exactly, here is the cover image, and here is the image I used for the CD label. Songs will be available for one week, and are posted with the intent to promote, not rip off, the artists. If you hear something you really like, do consider coughing up the cash for an album. Even if you buy it used.
Now to finish packing, and maybe sleep a little. Tomorrow I will take the train into Washington. The train does not go to Port Angeles, so (thanks to my friend Truck) I'll be arriving at the harbor on the back of a shiny black Valkyrie. Vroom.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Gunpowder, Treason, and Formic.
Nature is conspiring against my efforts to use my remaining time at home effectively:
- The ants found a new entry point into my kitchen, necessitating a lengthy session of sleuthing, caulking, and cleaning.
- A raccoon stole my Tevas off the back porch and hid them in the yard. I found them eventually, but they now bear the marks of needle-sharp teeth. (This makes them, I admit, just that much cooler.)
- And the forecast for Wednesday predicts a high of at least 100. Who can get anything done in such weather? Besides Badwater people, I mean.
I am vexed.
However, a number of other things have gone very well. Grandma's 90th birthday celebration, for one. Delightful. And my transportation plans to the boat are shaping up nicely. And then there was this, which would make anybody's night.
(Well. Maybe not everybody's. Definitely mine, though.)
- The ants found a new entry point into my kitchen, necessitating a lengthy session of sleuthing, caulking, and cleaning.
- A raccoon stole my Tevas off the back porch and hid them in the yard. I found them eventually, but they now bear the marks of needle-sharp teeth. (This makes them, I admit, just that much cooler.)
- And the forecast for Wednesday predicts a high of at least 100. Who can get anything done in such weather? Besides Badwater people, I mean.
I am vexed.
However, a number of other things have gone very well. Grandma's 90th birthday celebration, for one. Delightful. And my transportation plans to the boat are shaping up nicely. And then there was this, which would make anybody's night.
(Well. Maybe not everybody's. Definitely mine, though.)
Monday, July 02, 2007
Chance of Departure: One Hundred Percent.
The Quit Your Library Job Party, for those of you who couldn't make it, was a huge success. There was a lot of fresh fruit and a lot of talking, and a respectable amount of baby-holding and game-playing and dog-petting. A total of three library-job-quitters were present (and zero mimes). Rain showers occurred, but failed to dampen the fun. For those of you who did make it, thank you. I'm so glad you were there.
I would have written about that sooner, but I've been on the road for the past week-plus. Last Saturday, two of my favorite people married each other in Nixa, Missouri, and I used that as an excuse to visit friends in Nashville, Milwaukee, and Chicago as well. So it's been a steady round of quality time with quality folks, interspersed with thrilling episodes on planes, buses, and rental vehicles. I'm in Chicago right now, actually, in a small, quiet apartment, using a keyboard with a very loud spacebar. Pretty soon Mitchey will get off work and we'll go contradancing. And tomorrow I'll go home.
There has been some confusion about when I depart Portland for the boat. Some of the confusion has been my own. The current plan is to jump the pier July 12th. That's really soon, huh?
I would have written about that sooner, but I've been on the road for the past week-plus. Last Saturday, two of my favorite people married each other in Nixa, Missouri, and I used that as an excuse to visit friends in Nashville, Milwaukee, and Chicago as well. So it's been a steady round of quality time with quality folks, interspersed with thrilling episodes on planes, buses, and rental vehicles. I'm in Chicago right now, actually, in a small, quiet apartment, using a keyboard with a very loud spacebar. Pretty soon Mitchey will get off work and we'll go contradancing. And tomorrow I'll go home.
There has been some confusion about when I depart Portland for the boat. Some of the confusion has been my own. The current plan is to jump the pier July 12th. That's really soon, huh?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
What Have You Done To Your...
Sorry. That other blog template was starting to feel claustrophobic. This one's equally ridiculous, but in a completely different way! Less literary kitsch and more... seaside kitsch, if you will.
The LibraryThing widgets are gone for now, too. The "Books I Don't Want" list would be extremely impractical to keep up from afar, and the "Currently Reading" one was becoming less "what I'm reading" and more "what's lying around unfinished." Meanwhile, the books I was actually reading went so quickly that they didn't even make it into the widget.
Also, I confess I have long been weary of that little conceit where I begin all post titles with "In Which." So out with that too, while we're at it. Let me tell you, I have gained a lot of respect for authors who manage to make all of their chapter subheadings witty.
I suppose now Blogger will republish the whole darn thing, which is inconvenient for a certain portion of my feed-reading audience. Mea culpa, friends. It'll all blow over soon.
The LibraryThing widgets are gone for now, too. The "Books I Don't Want" list would be extremely impractical to keep up from afar, and the "Currently Reading" one was becoming less "what I'm reading" and more "what's lying around unfinished." Meanwhile, the books I was actually reading went so quickly that they didn't even make it into the widget.
Also, I confess I have long been weary of that little conceit where I begin all post titles with "In Which." So out with that too, while we're at it. Let me tell you, I have gained a lot of respect for authors who manage to make all of their chapter subheadings witty.
I suppose now Blogger will republish the whole darn thing, which is inconvenient for a certain portion of my feed-reading audience. Mea culpa, friends. It'll all blow over soon.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
In Which There's Gonna Be A Shindig.
So here's the dirt on the aforementioned Library Job Quitting Party:
Whose party? Library Job Quitters hhw and myself.
Who's invited? You, if you read this.
When? This Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00-ish (come and go as you like).
Where? Laurelhurst Park, Picnic Area D, near 39th & Ankeny (street parking; see map below).
If for some reason we are not at Area D, there will be hastily scribbled signs hung on trees, directing you to where we actually are.
Laurelhurst Park has a playground and public restrooms. Though it also has an off-leash area, this party will not take place during off-leash hours.
Feel free to bring one or more of the following:
- Picnic blankets
- Refreshing beverages
- Tasty snacks
- Ice, if you're into that
- A jacket (it may be cool in the shade)
- Frisbee, hackeysack, or other object to toss around
- Musical instruments
- Other people (of any age)
- Dogs or other gregarious pets
Please do not bring:
- Paper cups/plates. We've pretty well got that covered.
- Alcohol. You have to pay for a permit if you want to drink alcohol in the park, so we didn't apply for one. Hello, we're unemployed.
- Mimes. Self-explanatory.
X marks the spot.
Whose party? Library Job Quitters hhw and myself.
Who's invited? You, if you read this.
When? This Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00-ish (come and go as you like).
Where? Laurelhurst Park, Picnic Area D, near 39th & Ankeny (street parking; see map below).
If for some reason we are not at Area D, there will be hastily scribbled signs hung on trees, directing you to where we actually are.
Laurelhurst Park has a playground and public restrooms. Though it also has an off-leash area, this party will not take place during off-leash hours.
Feel free to bring one or more of the following:
- Picnic blankets
- Refreshing beverages
- Tasty snacks
- Ice, if you're into that
- A jacket (it may be cool in the shade)
- Frisbee, hackeysack, or other object to toss around
- Musical instruments
- Other people (of any age)
- Dogs or other gregarious pets
Please do not bring:
- Paper cups/plates. We've pretty well got that covered.
- Alcohol. You have to pay for a permit if you want to drink alcohol in the park, so we didn't apply for one. Hello, we're unemployed.
- Mimes. Self-explanatory.
X marks the spot.Monday, June 11, 2007
Which Comprises a Weekend and Five Questions.
I'm finished with my job. I'm really finished.
When I reach for my keys now, sometimes the way they feel startles me, with two less on the ring. Then I remember: oh yeah. I won't be needing those anymore.
That's what it feels like. Not like the buoyant rush of summer vacation. Just, every once in a while I notice a weight missing, and it dawns on me again: oh yeah.
And every time, it feels a little better.
The weather was absolutely wretched on Saturday, but I had fun anyway, shivering on the deck talking to the brave souls who wandered down the waterfront in the rain. (Some of them I even knew!) In the evening we sailed around the river getting whomped by the Lady in a mock cannon battle. Good fun, as my grandpa (also a sailor) used to say. Good fun.
Sunday I went to church, but today was my own Sabbath. Today I turned off the phone and spent half the day in bed. Today I have done nothing I didn't feel like doing. After several weeks of going almost nonstop, it's been really, really nice.
And today I finally had time to answer the five questions Sanguinity asked me. This is one of those self-propagating deals where if you ask nicely in the comments, I'll give you your own personalized set of five questions to answer in your blog, and then you have to make a similar offer to your readers, etc. Anyway, here we go:
1. Where would you most like to be a fly on the wall?
I have always wanted to spy on my ancestors, first and foremost those who chose to immigrate to America. (This is the first thing I'd do if I could time-travel.) They're all several generations back, so I never met them, but I'm curious about these people who got on a small boat and crossed the Atlantic to start over in a land they'd never seen before. What kind of people do this? It doesn't seem to have been poverty that motivated them, in most cases; why, then? What were they hoping to find -- or leave behind? And did they succeed?
And yes, specifically my ancestors, because every time I get to know another of my relatives, it feels like I'm filling in pieces of an immense jigsaw puzzle for which there is no box top. Parts of the picture become clear, and I go: oh, that's not a sandwich after all, it's a whale! Or whatever.
2. Books and ships: what was the first nautical book that caught your imagination; what is the book that has most inflamed it since?
I'm thinking the first one was probably Swallows and Amazons. I read and enjoyed several piratey books before then -- Captain Kidd's Cat, The Ghost in the Noonday Sun -- but that wasn't so much for the seafaring stuff as it was for the characters. Swallows and Amazons explained some basic sailing terms and concepts and made them immediate and relevant to the story, without coming across as didactic or overwhelming me with data. And it had fun characters too.
(Incidentally, one of my favorite parts of real-life sailing is also the characters. Privacy considerations prevent my blog from reflecting this as much as I would like; there is no alias I could assign that would conceal the identity of these people from anyone else who had sailed with them.)
Swallows and Amazons is about four English siblings who spend their summer holiday sailing a small boat in a lake. Their adventures inspired me to declare myself a pirate captain, a backyard cherry tree my ship, and my three siblings officers of a crew that was no less ferocious for being fictional. We recruited from Neverland, Florin, and ships of balladry. We preyed only on other pirates, yet swore allegiance to no land -- which of course meant we were exponentially more fearsome than pirates.
I've loved other nautical books since -- The Dark Frigate, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle -- but the piece of writing that had the biggest impact on me was an article in my hometown newspaper, published in the early '90s, which interviewed several members of the crew of the Lady Washington. That's the one that made me say: I'm going to do that someday.
But that's not a book, is it? And neither is the movie, "Master and Commander," which is just incredibly cool from start to finish, and which I managed to watch at just the right time. I thoroughly enjoyed that book as well, but it didn't awe and delight me in the same way the same way the movie did. It is, however, probably the best nautical fiction I've read in the last 10 years, so if you didn't like my non-book answers to question #2b, Sang, that's it.
3. What's your favorite knot, bend, or hitch?
The bowline. If knots are a kind of magic (as believed by many primitives), this is a potent spell indeed.
I learned to tie the bowline several times, from a cousin, from a book, and from my dad, but the lesson that finally stuck was given on the dock in Westport by a blue-eyed sailor ten years my junior. He walked me through the steps over and over, told me a popular mnemonic narrative, and showed me a wrist-flip he used to tie it more quickly. There's a catch to learning knots from sailors, though; they always want to show off all the other knots they know. This guy was no exception. "Now," he said, "do you want to learn how to tie a dragon bowline?" I protested that I was still getting the hang of this one, but he said, "No, watch." Whipping a bowline into a large piece of line, he dropped the knotted end on the dock and walked a few paces, "dragon" it along behind him. I har-harred appreciatively, as did another sailor lad who had stopped to watch. "Okay, how about a Bangkok bowline?" my tutor asked us mischievously, swinging the heavy line. The other sailor backed abruptly away.
4. Of all the historic ships and voyages, what ship would you most like to see rebuilt (or wish had been preserved) and which voyage would you most like to go on? Would you rather go on the original voyage, or a re-enactment of the voyage?
I haven't actually read much about historical sea voyages, more's the pity. It would obviously be an exploratory voyage, not a boat full of Pilgrims or the like, but beyond that I'm not sure. The Beagle would certainly be a fun one. Johnny Keats and I are fairly enchanted with Balboa's discovery of another ocean on the far side of Central America, although he persists in crediting it to Cortez (look it up, John). Anyway, I really don't know. This question bears further investigation.
As a woman, I'd rather go on a re-enactment of any historical sea voyage than the real thing. If I could (temporarily!) change my gender, however, I'd go with the original.
5. If, as your sail date approaches, you had an option to crew with the space-merchants instead, would you?
My first thought was "In a heartbeat!" But I'm not really that impulsive; I'd have to investigate the offer pretty thoroughly before deciding. How long is the contract for? Do I get to come back afterward? Am I likely to get along with space-merchants as well as I do with tall ship sailors? What's the work like? What kind of risks are involved? Can I keep my house? Can I communicate with family and friends from space? If I say no, will I ever get another chance?
That last question has a whole lot to do with whether or not I'd accept. I really like the plans I've got right now, and if the space offer could wait, I'd go ahead with the sailing. If it couldn't... well, I might just have to go for it (after collecting all the information and considering it carefully, which is how I tend to do these things). Provided I get to come back. I am really very fond of Earth.
I should say that I don't think I'd love Space like I love the Sea, nor a high-tech starship as much as a low-tech tallship. But a chance to visit other worlds, you don't pass that up lightly. Because, of course, the existence of space-merchants does imply there are other worlds to visit. And that makes me all shivery.
When I reach for my keys now, sometimes the way they feel startles me, with two less on the ring. Then I remember: oh yeah. I won't be needing those anymore.
That's what it feels like. Not like the buoyant rush of summer vacation. Just, every once in a while I notice a weight missing, and it dawns on me again: oh yeah.
And every time, it feels a little better.
The weather was absolutely wretched on Saturday, but I had fun anyway, shivering on the deck talking to the brave souls who wandered down the waterfront in the rain. (Some of them I even knew!) In the evening we sailed around the river getting whomped by the Lady in a mock cannon battle. Good fun, as my grandpa (also a sailor) used to say. Good fun.
Sunday I went to church, but today was my own Sabbath. Today I turned off the phone and spent half the day in bed. Today I have done nothing I didn't feel like doing. After several weeks of going almost nonstop, it's been really, really nice.
And today I finally had time to answer the five questions Sanguinity asked me. This is one of those self-propagating deals where if you ask nicely in the comments, I'll give you your own personalized set of five questions to answer in your blog, and then you have to make a similar offer to your readers, etc. Anyway, here we go:
1. Where would you most like to be a fly on the wall?
I have always wanted to spy on my ancestors, first and foremost those who chose to immigrate to America. (This is the first thing I'd do if I could time-travel.) They're all several generations back, so I never met them, but I'm curious about these people who got on a small boat and crossed the Atlantic to start over in a land they'd never seen before. What kind of people do this? It doesn't seem to have been poverty that motivated them, in most cases; why, then? What were they hoping to find -- or leave behind? And did they succeed?
And yes, specifically my ancestors, because every time I get to know another of my relatives, it feels like I'm filling in pieces of an immense jigsaw puzzle for which there is no box top. Parts of the picture become clear, and I go: oh, that's not a sandwich after all, it's a whale! Or whatever.
2. Books and ships: what was the first nautical book that caught your imagination; what is the book that has most inflamed it since?
I'm thinking the first one was probably Swallows and Amazons. I read and enjoyed several piratey books before then -- Captain Kidd's Cat, The Ghost in the Noonday Sun -- but that wasn't so much for the seafaring stuff as it was for the characters. Swallows and Amazons explained some basic sailing terms and concepts and made them immediate and relevant to the story, without coming across as didactic or overwhelming me with data. And it had fun characters too.
(Incidentally, one of my favorite parts of real-life sailing is also the characters. Privacy considerations prevent my blog from reflecting this as much as I would like; there is no alias I could assign that would conceal the identity of these people from anyone else who had sailed with them.)
Swallows and Amazons is about four English siblings who spend their summer holiday sailing a small boat in a lake. Their adventures inspired me to declare myself a pirate captain, a backyard cherry tree my ship, and my three siblings officers of a crew that was no less ferocious for being fictional. We recruited from Neverland, Florin, and ships of balladry. We preyed only on other pirates, yet swore allegiance to no land -- which of course meant we were exponentially more fearsome than pirates.
I've loved other nautical books since -- The Dark Frigate, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle -- but the piece of writing that had the biggest impact on me was an article in my hometown newspaper, published in the early '90s, which interviewed several members of the crew of the Lady Washington. That's the one that made me say: I'm going to do that someday.
But that's not a book, is it? And neither is the movie, "Master and Commander," which is just incredibly cool from start to finish, and which I managed to watch at just the right time. I thoroughly enjoyed that book as well, but it didn't awe and delight me in the same way the same way the movie did. It is, however, probably the best nautical fiction I've read in the last 10 years, so if you didn't like my non-book answers to question #2b, Sang, that's it.
3. What's your favorite knot, bend, or hitch?
The bowline. If knots are a kind of magic (as believed by many primitives), this is a potent spell indeed.
I learned to tie the bowline several times, from a cousin, from a book, and from my dad, but the lesson that finally stuck was given on the dock in Westport by a blue-eyed sailor ten years my junior. He walked me through the steps over and over, told me a popular mnemonic narrative, and showed me a wrist-flip he used to tie it more quickly. There's a catch to learning knots from sailors, though; they always want to show off all the other knots they know. This guy was no exception. "Now," he said, "do you want to learn how to tie a dragon bowline?" I protested that I was still getting the hang of this one, but he said, "No, watch." Whipping a bowline into a large piece of line, he dropped the knotted end on the dock and walked a few paces, "dragon" it along behind him. I har-harred appreciatively, as did another sailor lad who had stopped to watch. "Okay, how about a Bangkok bowline?" my tutor asked us mischievously, swinging the heavy line. The other sailor backed abruptly away.
4. Of all the historic ships and voyages, what ship would you most like to see rebuilt (or wish had been preserved) and which voyage would you most like to go on? Would you rather go on the original voyage, or a re-enactment of the voyage?
I haven't actually read much about historical sea voyages, more's the pity. It would obviously be an exploratory voyage, not a boat full of Pilgrims or the like, but beyond that I'm not sure. The Beagle would certainly be a fun one. Johnny Keats and I are fairly enchanted with Balboa's discovery of another ocean on the far side of Central America, although he persists in crediting it to Cortez (look it up, John). Anyway, I really don't know. This question bears further investigation.
As a woman, I'd rather go on a re-enactment of any historical sea voyage than the real thing. If I could (temporarily!) change my gender, however, I'd go with the original.
5. If, as your sail date approaches, you had an option to crew with the space-merchants instead, would you?
My first thought was "In a heartbeat!" But I'm not really that impulsive; I'd have to investigate the offer pretty thoroughly before deciding. How long is the contract for? Do I get to come back afterward? Am I likely to get along with space-merchants as well as I do with tall ship sailors? What's the work like? What kind of risks are involved? Can I keep my house? Can I communicate with family and friends from space? If I say no, will I ever get another chance?
That last question has a whole lot to do with whether or not I'd accept. I really like the plans I've got right now, and if the space offer could wait, I'd go ahead with the sailing. If it couldn't... well, I might just have to go for it (after collecting all the information and considering it carefully, which is how I tend to do these things). Provided I get to come back. I am really very fond of Earth.
I should say that I don't think I'd love Space like I love the Sea, nor a high-tech starship as much as a low-tech tallship. But a chance to visit other worlds, you don't pass that up lightly. Because, of course, the existence of space-merchants does imply there are other worlds to visit. And that makes me all shivery.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Which I Really Don't Have Time to Write.
I've been meaning to inform my local readers that the boats are in town for the Rose Festival. They've been in town all week, actually; I've just been too busy to blog. It's my last week of work, you see, and many things which have been put off can be put off no longer. And there's this other work-related conferencey thing I'm doing on top of that. And the boats are in town. Note that the timing on all this is just really wretched.
Anyway, I did get to visit them briefly last Sunday. I also got to crew for a sail last night, with my uncle and cousin as guests, and a good time was had by all. I'm always aghast at how much I forget about how to sail the Chieftain, and then in the next moment I'm astonished by the things I remember that I didn't even know I knew. Anyway, I'll be there all day Saturday too, helping with dockside tours 9 to 5, so feel free to wander down and say hi. If you're up for facing the Rose Festival crowds, that is, and I certainly don't blame you if you aren't.
I'm so tired. There's no good reason for me to steal time from other activities and go work on boats this week. It's not like I won't get my fill of that later this year, even to the point where I'll yearn to be off the boat. The best explanation I have to offer for this compulsion is something an old sailor told me in Long Beach last winter.
I was returning to the boat with a couple of my fellow sailors after an evening on the town, and this scruffy old salt struck up a conversation with us. (We didn't know him from any other sketchy guy wandering the docks, but later discovered he's something of a legend among tall ship sailors.) As we made our way back up the ramp to the boat, winding up the conversation, he asked us, suddenly assuming an Irish accent for reasons known only to himself, "So, ye been bit in the arse yet?"
The question confused us. Finally I got it: "Oh, you mean bit by the boat bug? The sailing bug?"
"Yeah. Ye been bit in the arse yet?"
We replied in the affirmative.
"Ah, well then ye're fooked," he said, shaking his head with grim satisfaction. "Ye're fooked."
Anyway, I did get to visit them briefly last Sunday. I also got to crew for a sail last night, with my uncle and cousin as guests, and a good time was had by all. I'm always aghast at how much I forget about how to sail the Chieftain, and then in the next moment I'm astonished by the things I remember that I didn't even know I knew. Anyway, I'll be there all day Saturday too, helping with dockside tours 9 to 5, so feel free to wander down and say hi. If you're up for facing the Rose Festival crowds, that is, and I certainly don't blame you if you aren't.
I'm so tired. There's no good reason for me to steal time from other activities and go work on boats this week. It's not like I won't get my fill of that later this year, even to the point where I'll yearn to be off the boat. The best explanation I have to offer for this compulsion is something an old sailor told me in Long Beach last winter.
I was returning to the boat with a couple of my fellow sailors after an evening on the town, and this scruffy old salt struck up a conversation with us. (We didn't know him from any other sketchy guy wandering the docks, but later discovered he's something of a legend among tall ship sailors.) As we made our way back up the ramp to the boat, winding up the conversation, he asked us, suddenly assuming an Irish accent for reasons known only to himself, "So, ye been bit in the arse yet?"
The question confused us. Finally I got it: "Oh, you mean bit by the boat bug? The sailing bug?"
"Yeah. Ye been bit in the arse yet?"
We replied in the affirmative.
"Ah, well then ye're fooked," he said, shaking his head with grim satisfaction. "Ye're fooked."
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Which Was Long Delayed.
I don't know, Kristi. I think after I don't blog for a while I stop thinking like a blogger, stop tagging daily experiences as bloggable and constructing blogworthy phrases in my head. Though not everyone agrees, I find "blogger brain" to be a desirable state: if the unexamined life is not worth living, the un-narrated life is doomed to be forgotten. And if an audience keeps you writing where a blank page wouldn't, well, you're still writing.
So I had some pretty good reasons for stopping blogging, and I've forgotten them (time, health, that sort of thing). And the above is my reason for not re-starting blogging as soon as I otherwise should have. And now I'm just really, really busy. In fact I'm at a conference in Texas right now, so I really should be going to sleep, but I just finished typing up the notes for a 4 1/2 hour meeting and I deserve some internet time, dangit.
Also, an invitation: fellow librarian hhw and I are coincidentally quitting within a week of each other. No, we don't work at the same library, but we're still throwing a Quit Your Library Job Party on Saturday, June 16th. It'll be a come-and-go thingy at Laurelhurst Park from 1:00 to about 5 p.m. I'll have more details for you as soon as I locate the very best picnic spot, but until then, as they say: save the date.
So I had some pretty good reasons for stopping blogging, and I've forgotten them (time, health, that sort of thing). And the above is my reason for not re-starting blogging as soon as I otherwise should have. And now I'm just really, really busy. In fact I'm at a conference in Texas right now, so I really should be going to sleep, but I just finished typing up the notes for a 4 1/2 hour meeting and I deserve some internet time, dangit.
Also, an invitation: fellow librarian hhw and I are coincidentally quitting within a week of each other. No, we don't work at the same library, but we're still throwing a Quit Your Library Job Party on Saturday, June 16th. It'll be a come-and-go thingy at Laurelhurst Park from 1:00 to about 5 p.m. I'll have more details for you as soon as I locate the very best picnic spot, but until then, as they say: save the date.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
In Which I Feel Strongly About Everything!
Boo for Blogger. Boo for updating my site without my permission. Boo for regurgitating my last 25 posts into your RSS feed.
Yay for inexplicably affordable shows by underrated Canadian bands. Yay for their crazy fans. Yay for venues where I don't have to crane my neck or stand on tiptoe to see the stage, even in a sold-out crowd. Yay for microphone-lickers. Yay for giant glass mooseheads. Yay for unexpected friend-sightings.
Boo for accumulated sleep debt. Boo for persistent eyelid twitching, like a hiccup on my face. Boo for low energy and a short fuse.
Yay for sunny weekends. Yay for cheap used bikes. Yay for the 205 trail.
Yay for commencement ceremonies. Yay for no more commencement ceremonies.
Yay for church. Yay for changing churches.
Boo for another Monday. Yay for another day.
Yay for inexplicably affordable shows by underrated Canadian bands. Yay for their crazy fans. Yay for venues where I don't have to crane my neck or stand on tiptoe to see the stage, even in a sold-out crowd. Yay for microphone-lickers. Yay for giant glass mooseheads. Yay for unexpected friend-sightings.
Boo for accumulated sleep debt. Boo for persistent eyelid twitching, like a hiccup on my face. Boo for low energy and a short fuse.
Yay for sunny weekends. Yay for cheap used bikes. Yay for the 205 trail.
Yay for commencement ceremonies. Yay for no more commencement ceremonies.
Yay for church. Yay for changing churches.
Boo for another Monday. Yay for another day.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
In Which I'm So Glad to Live in Portland.
Today marked the return of the Portland Farmer's Market. I love farmer's markets, but especially the first one of the year. It's a big green block party: live music, tasty food, everybody excited because the sunny season is coming back. I sat on a wet curb to eat a bowl of carrot ginger soup with cilantro pesto (oh my) and listen to a gentle, accordion-accompanied rendition of "In the Jailhouse Now." Pigeons came and went; a tiny girl paused with her daddy to say, "Hi birdies... hi birdies." A passing beagle leaned in to get a better sniff of my lunch. "Nope," I told him. "Not sharing." The stalls were full of goodness: fresh flowers, young plants, pastry and honey and smoked salmon.
I can wander around a place like that for hours, just comparison shopping and absorbing happiness, but today I didn't get there until near closing time. So I was a model of decisiveness and efficiency. Goat cheese: check. Giant cookies: check. Interesting meat: check (farmed elk? why not?). It had started raining by the time I was ready to leave, but I still paused by the bug booth to watch the ladybugs swarm around the terrarium... and walked away with a two-for-one deal on lacewing eggs. I got soaked on my way back to the car and I didn't even care. The sunny season is coming back!
I can wander around a place like that for hours, just comparison shopping and absorbing happiness, but today I didn't get there until near closing time. So I was a model of decisiveness and efficiency. Goat cheese: check. Giant cookies: check. Interesting meat: check (farmed elk? why not?). It had started raining by the time I was ready to leave, but I still paused by the bug booth to watch the ladybugs swarm around the terrarium... and walked away with a two-for-one deal on lacewing eggs. I got soaked on my way back to the car and I didn't even care. The sunny season is coming back!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Which Blatantly Abuses Ranganathan's Third Law.
Wow, what an overwhelming response to that last post! Incredible.*
Okay, okay. Many of the books are Fairly Lame by both my standards and yours. It's true. But according to S. R. Ranganathan, there should not only be a book for every reader, but a reader for every book. Are you going to argue with the father of modern library science? I didn't think so.
I don't actually believe I'm going to get a lot of takers on the books I've posted, but I love the idea, and I think it has a lot of potential as a means of redistribution for those of us who have too much stuff (which describes most Americans). Can you imagine if everyone's blog/LJ/myspace had a list of things they don't want anymore, and are willing to give away? How fun would that be?
My experiences with swapping possessions through various venues has been really fascinating. Attending local clothing exchanges has not only improved the quality of my wardrobe, it has changed my attitude toward clothing entirely. Shopping for clothes can be hard for the frugal female; there's so much pressure to choose the right garments. If you spend money on something, you'd darn well better wear it enough to get your money's worth out of it, and if it gets stained or torn, well, you lose, loser. But if the clothing is free, all of that pressure is gone. These jeans don't fit quite like you want them to? Ahh, no biggie. Take 'em home for a trial spin, see how it pans out. If you don't want to keep them, bring 'em back to the next exchange. And if nobody wants them, they'll go to a women's shelter, not to a store that charges too much for your castoffs. On the other hand, they could end up being your new favorite pair.
Swapping books and CDs hasn't been quite as life-changing an experience, partly I think because of the more formal (one to one) trading structure, and partly because I get a little tired of shipping so much stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love those swaps too; they're just not as much fun as sharing.
So that's the idea behind the giveaway book widget.
*And while I was writing this post, or rather while my roommate was distracting me from writing this post, Tabitha commented on the previous one, so my snarky remark was invalidated. Thanks, TJ! You give me hope for the future of mankind.
Last night I saw Mew play at the Aladdin. The link is to one of those sites with audio that doesn't ask permission before playing, but it's a fairly accurate glimpse of how weird and cool their performance was... complete with surreal visuals projected on a screen behind the band. They are musically pretty interesting, and when they have a hook it's a powerful hook (see "The Zookeeper's Boy," which I posted a while ago), though many of their songs could be described as "completely hookless" or even "lacking a compelling melody." But considering the relentless multi-pronged hookiness of some of their compatriot musicians, I can see how they might want to avoid that from time to time.
One thing I never realized about Mew until I saw them live was that they have no female members. Wow. That's a lot of falsetto.
Anyway, good band, good show, but the one disappointment of the evening was the venue. Don't get me wrong, I love the Aladdin. But all day I was so sad that they didn't play at the now-defunct Meow Meow... because then I could have told everybody, "I'm going to see Mew at the Meow Meow," and they'd be all, "Are you even speaking English right now?"
Okay, okay. Many of the books are Fairly Lame by both my standards and yours. It's true. But according to S. R. Ranganathan, there should not only be a book for every reader, but a reader for every book. Are you going to argue with the father of modern library science? I didn't think so.
I don't actually believe I'm going to get a lot of takers on the books I've posted, but I love the idea, and I think it has a lot of potential as a means of redistribution for those of us who have too much stuff (which describes most Americans). Can you imagine if everyone's blog/LJ/myspace had a list of things they don't want anymore, and are willing to give away? How fun would that be?
My experiences with swapping possessions through various venues has been really fascinating. Attending local clothing exchanges has not only improved the quality of my wardrobe, it has changed my attitude toward clothing entirely. Shopping for clothes can be hard for the frugal female; there's so much pressure to choose the right garments. If you spend money on something, you'd darn well better wear it enough to get your money's worth out of it, and if it gets stained or torn, well, you lose, loser. But if the clothing is free, all of that pressure is gone. These jeans don't fit quite like you want them to? Ahh, no biggie. Take 'em home for a trial spin, see how it pans out. If you don't want to keep them, bring 'em back to the next exchange. And if nobody wants them, they'll go to a women's shelter, not to a store that charges too much for your castoffs. On the other hand, they could end up being your new favorite pair.
Swapping books and CDs hasn't been quite as life-changing an experience, partly I think because of the more formal (one to one) trading structure, and partly because I get a little tired of shipping so much stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love those swaps too; they're just not as much fun as sharing.
So that's the idea behind the giveaway book widget.
*And while I was writing this post, or rather while my roommate was distracting me from writing this post, Tabitha commented on the previous one, so my snarky remark was invalidated. Thanks, TJ! You give me hope for the future of mankind.
* * *
Last night I saw Mew play at the Aladdin. The link is to one of those sites with audio that doesn't ask permission before playing, but it's a fairly accurate glimpse of how weird and cool their performance was... complete with surreal visuals projected on a screen behind the band. They are musically pretty interesting, and when they have a hook it's a powerful hook (see "The Zookeeper's Boy," which I posted a while ago), though many of their songs could be described as "completely hookless" or even "lacking a compelling melody." But considering the relentless multi-pronged hookiness of some of their compatriot musicians, I can see how they might want to avoid that from time to time.
One thing I never realized about Mew until I saw them live was that they have no female members. Wow. That's a lot of falsetto.
Anyway, good band, good show, but the one disappointment of the evening was the venue. Don't get me wrong, I love the Aladdin. But all day I was so sad that they didn't play at the now-defunct Meow Meow... because then I could have told everybody, "I'm going to see Mew at the Meow Meow," and they'd be all, "Are you even speaking English right now?"
Monday, April 02, 2007
In Which Books Want To Be Free.
I just added a new LibraryThing widget to my page. The older one (below the archive links) is for books I'm reading; the new one (just under the moon) is for books I'd like to give away. (Please don't confuse the two.)
I have a small number of books I'm done with and ready to pass on, and a somewhat larger number that I acquired cheaply or free in order to build up a stash of credits on PaperBackSwap.com. This strategy worked well, but now that I have plenty of credits, there are quite a few leftovers I'm eager to dispose of. Disclaimer: None of these were acquired through the library that employs me. I maintain a strict distinction between my books and my employer's.
So these are the books that appear randomly in the new widget. All are in decent condition, but most aren't worth more than a buck or two. I could easily haul them off to a charity or donate them to my employer, and at some point I may. But here's the thing: I'm addicted to that glow of satisfaction I feel when I connect a book with someone who wants it. PBS has been a great way to get that fix. Maybe this will be another.
So here's how it works: if you see a book you want (or if you know someone or some organization that would benefit from it), just let me know via e-mail or comment, and I will give it to you next time I see you. If you live far away, I will mail it to you free of charge. If I don't know you, but we have mutual friends, I'll gladly pass it to you via our human link. If I don't know you and we have no mutual friends... hmm... well, leave me a comment with some kind of contact info, and we'll talk.
Of course, I'll be happy to provide more info on any titles that catch your eye. Later on I may even create a separate page where you can view all available books (there are currently 27), but for now, you'll just have to hit refresh if you want to see more.
I have a small number of books I'm done with and ready to pass on, and a somewhat larger number that I acquired cheaply or free in order to build up a stash of credits on PaperBackSwap.com. This strategy worked well, but now that I have plenty of credits, there are quite a few leftovers I'm eager to dispose of. Disclaimer: None of these were acquired through the library that employs me. I maintain a strict distinction between my books and my employer's.
So these are the books that appear randomly in the new widget. All are in decent condition, but most aren't worth more than a buck or two. I could easily haul them off to a charity or donate them to my employer, and at some point I may. But here's the thing: I'm addicted to that glow of satisfaction I feel when I connect a book with someone who wants it. PBS has been a great way to get that fix. Maybe this will be another.
So here's how it works: if you see a book you want (or if you know someone or some organization that would benefit from it), just let me know via e-mail or comment, and I will give it to you next time I see you. If you live far away, I will mail it to you free of charge. If I don't know you, but we have mutual friends, I'll gladly pass it to you via our human link. If I don't know you and we have no mutual friends... hmm... well, leave me a comment with some kind of contact info, and we'll talk.
Of course, I'll be happy to provide more info on any titles that catch your eye. Later on I may even create a separate page where you can view all available books (there are currently 27), but for now, you'll just have to hit refresh if you want to see more.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
In Which I Would Have Liked a Little More Notice.
Too bad I had to get online to find out that today is World Shutdown Day. Oops!
However, since I've already logged on and stuff, I figure I might as well resume my usual surfing habits.
However, since I've already logged on and stuff, I figure I might as well resume my usual surfing habits.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Which Is Possibly My Best Idea Yet!
You know what I think would be cool? If somebody programmed some really advanced voice synthesizer software that took into account all the physical factors influencing the sound of the human voice. And I mean all the factors: number/placement of teeth, dimensions of mouth/lips/tongue, diameter of throat, quality of vocal cords, lung capacity, abdominal force, size of nose, standard posture, sinus cavities, everything.
So once all the numbers were sufficiently crunched, then you could speak into this synthesizer, and it would process your voice and regurgitate it as that of a person whose physiology is different from yours in whatever ways you choose. Maybe not a specific person, exactly, but somebody with a smaller nose, and bigger tonsils, and some teeth missing, or whatever suits your fancy.
(Somebody could totally do this. I mean, it would take an awful lot of measuring, but computers these days are definitely up to processing the data.)
Okay, but then -- and here's the cool part -- you could also take the stats and adjust them to the anatomy of any animal you want.
You gotta know that, if your dog spoke to you, his voice wouldn't sound remotely human. Even if he were fluent in English, he would sound weirdly distorted, what with the long snout, all that extra tongue, and not much in the way of incisors. Or your cat: good at sibilants, yes, vowels no problem, but how would he manage those labial consonants? Aren't you curious about what that would sound like? Aren't you tired of waiting for him to learn?
And that's just the beginning. How would an elephant speak? A hamster? A crocodile? I really, really want to hear what it would sound like if a giraffe cracked a joke. Could a snake's whisper be intelligible? Would all birds have a similar inflection? Oh, it would take me a very long time to get tired of playing with a toy like this.
But aside from the quasi-scientific research, the "what if" factor (which, admittedly, is my favorite part), think of what this could do to the movie industry. The movies are full of talking animals, but do they sound like animals? No! I'm telling you, a real lion would not sound anything like Liam Neeson. Or Matthew Broderick. A giant wolf would not sound like Gillian Anderson, even after digital manipulation to make her growlier. And I bet a real piglet would sound waaa(eeeeee)y more annoying than Christine Cavanaugh's charming rendition. In this age of cinematic wonders, why are we still doing animal voices with Mr. Ed technology?
...We'll leave the teapots alone, though. Teapots can just go ahead and sound like Angela Lansbury.
So once all the numbers were sufficiently crunched, then you could speak into this synthesizer, and it would process your voice and regurgitate it as that of a person whose physiology is different from yours in whatever ways you choose. Maybe not a specific person, exactly, but somebody with a smaller nose, and bigger tonsils, and some teeth missing, or whatever suits your fancy.
(Somebody could totally do this. I mean, it would take an awful lot of measuring, but computers these days are definitely up to processing the data.)
Okay, but then -- and here's the cool part -- you could also take the stats and adjust them to the anatomy of any animal you want.
You gotta know that, if your dog spoke to you, his voice wouldn't sound remotely human. Even if he were fluent in English, he would sound weirdly distorted, what with the long snout, all that extra tongue, and not much in the way of incisors. Or your cat: good at sibilants, yes, vowels no problem, but how would he manage those labial consonants? Aren't you curious about what that would sound like? Aren't you tired of waiting for him to learn?
And that's just the beginning. How would an elephant speak? A hamster? A crocodile? I really, really want to hear what it would sound like if a giraffe cracked a joke. Could a snake's whisper be intelligible? Would all birds have a similar inflection? Oh, it would take me a very long time to get tired of playing with a toy like this.
But aside from the quasi-scientific research, the "what if" factor (which, admittedly, is my favorite part), think of what this could do to the movie industry. The movies are full of talking animals, but do they sound like animals? No! I'm telling you, a real lion would not sound anything like Liam Neeson. Or Matthew Broderick. A giant wolf would not sound like Gillian Anderson, even after digital manipulation to make her growlier. And I bet a real piglet would sound waaa(eeeeee)y more annoying than Christine Cavanaugh's charming rendition. In this age of cinematic wonders, why are we still doing animal voices with Mr. Ed technology?
...We'll leave the teapots alone, though. Teapots can just go ahead and sound like Angela Lansbury.
Monday, March 12, 2007
In Which I Wander in Darkness, and Don't Get Ice Cream.
Last night I went to a nearby Fred Meyer, which has been under major reconstruction for a few weeks now. Large segments of the store are walled off with sheets of plywood, other walls have been knocked out, floor tiles are torn up all over the place, aisles keep moving around. It's a little confusing, but not really a big deal.
This time, though, things were different. I mean, really different. Walking in, I got such a strong sense of the surreal that I had to do a mental check to make sure I was really awake.
A blown transformer down the block was the culprit: the store was running on generator power, which meant no climate control, no music, minimal lighting. Registers were up, but the freezer aisle was cordoned off. The store was dim and quiet, despite the many customers wandering around. Someone had replaced my mass-produced shopping experience with Plato's cave while I wasn't looking. The place even smelled different, faintly musty in an out-of-doors way, reminiscent of rain meeting dirt.
"Grocery shopping has never seemed so post-apocalyptic," I told the cashier. He laughed, then said, "It's a nice change of pace; makes you realize how much we rely on electricity.... The really fun part will be when the generator runs out in a couple of hours." I asked what would happen then, but he had to admit he didn't know.
I'm actually kind of sad that it won't be that way next time I visit.
This time, though, things were different. I mean, really different. Walking in, I got such a strong sense of the surreal that I had to do a mental check to make sure I was really awake.
A blown transformer down the block was the culprit: the store was running on generator power, which meant no climate control, no music, minimal lighting. Registers were up, but the freezer aisle was cordoned off. The store was dim and quiet, despite the many customers wandering around. Someone had replaced my mass-produced shopping experience with Plato's cave while I wasn't looking. The place even smelled different, faintly musty in an out-of-doors way, reminiscent of rain meeting dirt.
"Grocery shopping has never seemed so post-apocalyptic," I told the cashier. He laughed, then said, "It's a nice change of pace; makes you realize how much we rely on electricity.... The really fun part will be when the generator runs out in a couple of hours." I asked what would happen then, but he had to admit he didn't know.
I'm actually kind of sad that it won't be that way next time I visit.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
In Which I Consult the Oracle.
I know I haven't blogged in a while, but my roommate and I had an appointment with a safe in Minnesota, and what with the cops and the angry villagers and the zombie smilodon, the whole thing just took a little more time than we'd planned for. Anyway, don't worry about that, everything's fine now.
The following Q&A isn't new, but it looked like fun, and it was. I found it here (no, I don't know her, but I feel like I should).
The game is iPodomancy, and the way it is played is thusly:
1. Put your MP3 player on shuffle.
[I don't actually own one, but iTunes or other audio software will suffice.]
2. Press forward for each question.
[Or just listen to the track and ponder its significance while multitasking in other windows.]
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.
I've included some of the best tracks for your listening pleasure.
How am I feeling today?
"If I Could Split" - Kite Flying Society
Okay, that's definitely how I was feeling at work today.
Will I get far in life?
"Call Me What You Like" - Puffy AmiYumi
Huh. I'm thinking this is the equivalent to the Magic 8-Ball's "Reply hazy, try again."
How do my friends see me?
"No Wow" - The Kills
Tough crowd, you guys.
When will I get married?
"Your Light is Spent" - Final Fantasy
I don't know what that means, but I'll hold off on picking the dress.
What is my best friend's theme song?
"Sunset" - The Appleseed Cast
I have multiple best friends, so I guess they can fight over this one. It's instrumental, laid-back, feel-good music that sounds more like a random cut from a soundtrack than a theme song, but all my best friends are pretty weird, so whatever.
What is the story of my life?
"Fantasia for Clarinet" - Modern Quartet vs Kocani Orkestar
That's... really abstract, man.
What was high school like?
"A100" - Billy Corgan
Why yes, my high school GPA was indeed over 4.0. And your assumptions (based on this information) about my social life at that time are likely to be accurate.
How am I going to get ahead in life?
"Blessing in Disguise" - Tom Vek
Oh. Whew. That's a relief.
What is the best thing about me?
"Lie Still, Little Bottle" - They Might Be Giants
So which is it, iTunes? My tendency to inertia or my (lack of) chemical dependency?
How is today going to be?
"Wish Me Luck" - Ofra Haza
I can't really argue with that.
What is in store for this weekend?
"Gene Clark" - Heroes and Villains
Who is Gene Clark? Maybe I should do some research.
What song describes my parents?
"Disappear" - My Brightest Diamond
I'm having trouble thinking of a context in which this answer would be accurate... except for a really terrible pun context: Dis a pair.
What song describes your grandparents?
"Eugene at Caroline's" - Eugene Mirman
Wait, this is not a song track. I'm not counting it.
"So Begins Our Alabee" - Of Montreal
Alabee is the infant daughter of the guy who wrote the song (I looked it up). I guess this is appropriate insofar as my grandparents all had children... though none of them were named Alabee.
How is my life going?
"Kaddish" - Ofra Haza
According to Wikipedia, Kaddish is (or comes from the) Aramaic for "holy." It refers to a central blessing of the Jewish prayer service in which God's name is glorified, but also to rituals of mourning. So... yeah, pretty much.
What song will they play at my funeral?
"So Passes Away the Glory of the World" - Typhoon
Oh definitely. The only lyrics to this overblown, unremittingly somber dirge are "Sic transit gloria mundi." Of course, you'd better follow it up with some outrageously cheery non sequitur, like "The Swimming Song" by Loudon Wainwright III.
How does the world see me?
"Onions" - Heartless Bastards
Um... same to you. You heartless bastards.
Will I have a happy life?
"The Cry of Man" - Mary Margaret O'Hara
That doesn't sound promising, does it?
What do my friends really think of me?
"Kaefusafi" - Stafrænn Hákon
Hey! Are you guys secretly Icelandic?
Do people secretly lust after me?
"Remedy" - The Black Crowes
I'll take that as an affirmative.
How can I make myself happy?
"Jaan Pehechaan Ho" - Mohammed Rafi
Listen to more Bollywood soundtracks. Ah. Good advice, iTunes Oracle.
What should I do with my life?
"Greenland Whale Fisheries" - Van Dyke Parks
You don't say! Stay tuned for the whale poaching revival of '09, kids.
Will I ever have children?
"Your Eyes Have It" - Bullette
Possibly maybe. Got it.
What is some good advice for me?
"Moonlighter Prizefighter" - Yellow Jacket Avenger
Yeah, I'll... have to think about that. Thanks.
What is my signature dancing song?
"Into Tomorrow" - The Waxwings
I can do slow waltzes, but signature? Come on, iTunes. Give me some credit here.
What do I think my current theme song is?
"Tango Till They're Sore" - Tom Waits
Yeah, why not? "Send me off to bed forevermore." As long as I get a new theme song tomorrow, because by "forevermore" I really mean "a good eight hours."
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Já Sei Namorar" - Tribalistas
Man, you win, everyone else. That song rocks. I don't speak Portuguese, but according to Google Translate, the title means "Already I know to namorar." So true. So true.
What type of men/women do you like?
"Graffiti" - Maximo Park
Men with Scottish accents, obviously.
What kind of kisser are you?
"Samson" - Regina Spektor
Mighty good.
What's your style?
"A Parade" - Kuryakin
Oh iTunes, you enigmatic tease, you.
What kind of lover are you?
"Use It" - The New Pornographers
Not that kind.
What would be playing on a first date?
"Today" - Jennifer O'Connor
"Today I stop guessing and give you my heart..." Whew, that'd have to be one good first date.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
"Middle of Nowhere" - Hot Hot Heat
Now we're talking, iTunes. But with that many questions, you're bound to get some right. I deem your prognostications unsatisfactory overall, and your position as soothsayer is hereby REVOKED.
The following Q&A isn't new, but it looked like fun, and it was. I found it here (no, I don't know her, but I feel like I should).
The game is iPodomancy, and the way it is played is thusly:
1. Put your MP3 player on shuffle.
[I don't actually own one, but iTunes or other audio software will suffice.]
2. Press forward for each question.
[Or just listen to the track and ponder its significance while multitasking in other windows.]
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.
I've included some of the best tracks for your listening pleasure.
How am I feeling today?
"If I Could Split" - Kite Flying Society
Okay, that's definitely how I was feeling at work today.
Will I get far in life?
"Call Me What You Like" - Puffy AmiYumi
Huh. I'm thinking this is the equivalent to the Magic 8-Ball's "Reply hazy, try again."
How do my friends see me?
"No Wow" - The Kills
Tough crowd, you guys.
When will I get married?
"Your Light is Spent" - Final Fantasy
I don't know what that means, but I'll hold off on picking the dress.
What is my best friend's theme song?
"Sunset" - The Appleseed Cast
I have multiple best friends, so I guess they can fight over this one. It's instrumental, laid-back, feel-good music that sounds more like a random cut from a soundtrack than a theme song, but all my best friends are pretty weird, so whatever.
What is the story of my life?
"Fantasia for Clarinet" - Modern Quartet vs Kocani Orkestar
That's... really abstract, man.
What was high school like?
"A100" - Billy Corgan
Why yes, my high school GPA was indeed over 4.0. And your assumptions (based on this information) about my social life at that time are likely to be accurate.
How am I going to get ahead in life?
"Blessing in Disguise" - Tom Vek
Oh. Whew. That's a relief.
What is the best thing about me?
"Lie Still, Little Bottle" - They Might Be Giants
So which is it, iTunes? My tendency to inertia or my (lack of) chemical dependency?
How is today going to be?
"Wish Me Luck" - Ofra Haza
I can't really argue with that.
What is in store for this weekend?
"Gene Clark" - Heroes and Villains
Who is Gene Clark? Maybe I should do some research.
What song describes my parents?
"Disappear" - My Brightest Diamond
I'm having trouble thinking of a context in which this answer would be accurate... except for a really terrible pun context: Dis a pair.
What song describes your grandparents?
"Eugene at Caroline's" - Eugene Mirman
Wait, this is not a song track. I'm not counting it.
"So Begins Our Alabee" - Of Montreal
Alabee is the infant daughter of the guy who wrote the song (I looked it up). I guess this is appropriate insofar as my grandparents all had children... though none of them were named Alabee.
How is my life going?
"Kaddish" - Ofra Haza
According to Wikipedia, Kaddish is (or comes from the) Aramaic for "holy." It refers to a central blessing of the Jewish prayer service in which God's name is glorified, but also to rituals of mourning. So... yeah, pretty much.
What song will they play at my funeral?
"So Passes Away the Glory of the World" - Typhoon
Oh definitely. The only lyrics to this overblown, unremittingly somber dirge are "Sic transit gloria mundi." Of course, you'd better follow it up with some outrageously cheery non sequitur, like "The Swimming Song" by Loudon Wainwright III.
How does the world see me?
"Onions" - Heartless Bastards
Um... same to you. You heartless bastards.
Will I have a happy life?
"The Cry of Man" - Mary Margaret O'Hara
That doesn't sound promising, does it?
What do my friends really think of me?
"Kaefusafi" - Stafrænn Hákon
Hey! Are you guys secretly Icelandic?
Do people secretly lust after me?
"Remedy" - The Black Crowes
I'll take that as an affirmative.
How can I make myself happy?
"Jaan Pehechaan Ho" - Mohammed Rafi
Listen to more Bollywood soundtracks. Ah. Good advice, iTunes Oracle.
What should I do with my life?
"Greenland Whale Fisheries" - Van Dyke Parks
You don't say! Stay tuned for the whale poaching revival of '09, kids.
Will I ever have children?
"Your Eyes Have It" - Bullette
Possibly maybe. Got it.
What is some good advice for me?
"Moonlighter Prizefighter" - Yellow Jacket Avenger
Yeah, I'll... have to think about that. Thanks.
What is my signature dancing song?
"Into Tomorrow" - The Waxwings
I can do slow waltzes, but signature? Come on, iTunes. Give me some credit here.
What do I think my current theme song is?
"Tango Till They're Sore" - Tom Waits
Yeah, why not? "Send me off to bed forevermore." As long as I get a new theme song tomorrow, because by "forevermore" I really mean "a good eight hours."
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Já Sei Namorar" - Tribalistas
Man, you win, everyone else. That song rocks. I don't speak Portuguese, but according to Google Translate, the title means "Already I know to namorar." So true. So true.
What type of men/women do you like?
"Graffiti" - Maximo Park
Men with Scottish accents, obviously.
What kind of kisser are you?
"Samson" - Regina Spektor
Mighty good.
What's your style?
"A Parade" - Kuryakin
Oh iTunes, you enigmatic tease, you.
What kind of lover are you?
"Use It" - The New Pornographers
Not that kind.
What would be playing on a first date?
"Today" - Jennifer O'Connor
"Today I stop guessing and give you my heart..." Whew, that'd have to be one good first date.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
"Middle of Nowhere" - Hot Hot Heat
Now we're talking, iTunes. But with that many questions, you're bound to get some right. I deem your prognostications unsatisfactory overall, and your position as soothsayer is hereby REVOKED.
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