Mothra vs Fierce Kitty Duo

There is been a VERY large moth in the house. When I came home a couple of days ago, I turned on the kitchen light and Mothra started flying around - cats forgot they were waiting for dinner and started running - really fast - without actually looking at anything but Mothra. Result: combination of kitty bumper cars as they careened into each other, and Wiley Coyote as they ran off tables into thin air. Eventually Mothra settled high on the wall. The next day, he was nowhere.

Then came this morning. The thump of both cats leaping onto the bed. And then - nothing. Total stillness. I rolled over and in the dark I could make them out, both sitting stock still staring at the window. Then both getting on their hind legs and patting at the blinds. Then sitting. Quiet. I turned on the light for a second, and yes, Mothra was back. But, I figured, at least they aren't bouncing on the bed trying to wake me up for food....Mothra was actually helping the whole weekend sleep-in idea. So I rolled over and started to doze off, oblivious to the potential 'running without looking' aspect of Mothra/Cat battles. Foolish me. Suddenly I have 15+ pounds directed effectively into 50lb/psi through oh so small paws running across my temple.

Happy Sunday morning. I guess 6:30 is sleeping in?

And I might add Mothra is still nowhere to be seen. But Thomas, having ejected me from bed, has had a pretty good time lolling around and washing himself on it this morning. Which makes me suspect that Mothra may have made some sort of deal with the cats. He helps them get me out of bed, they won't eat him. We shall see.

BunkleLife Tops of 2007

The latest Under the Radar just arrived in the mail, and poking through it over my toast and coffee this morning I came across their "Best of 2007" artists survey, where they ask a pretty random group of musicians to weigh in on their top albums of the year and a bunch of other stuff. So, not able to come up with a more creative blog post, I've decided to copy that idea ... sort of.

Welcome to the BunkleLife Tops Lists of 2007 (fanfare please .... feel free to do a drumroll on your keyboard at this point...)

Top Albums (not in any order - that's too hard)


Radiohead - In Rainbows. And not just because Thom Yorke has a laugh to be reckoned with. One of my favorite Radiohead albums. Maybe my favorite Radiohead album. Hmmm.

Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends. I know that my enjoyment of this album is affected by my delight at their live show. There are a couple of tracks that aren't super strong, but otherwise a great album.

Great Lakes Swimmers - Ongiara - one word - BANJO.

The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain. Nice stuff to listen to on the bus to work. And that's all I need sometime. Another that fits into this

Akron/Family - Love is Simple. Ed IS a portal. Enough said.

Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday - if you think you're life is weird and slightly cursed, read up on Elvis sometime. Even if that wasn't the case, it's a lovely record.

The National - Boxer - At first this album didn't strike me much. At all. But then it became another frequent bus-ride play, and is now a favorite of the year. Ada is a fave track, and honestly it isn't just because Sufjan plays piano on it.

Grinderman - Grinderman - as my brother said, this is the album the Stooges should have put out. Great for bus rides where I really need to wake up. REALLY WAKE UP.

So that's that. There are a bunch of things I am sure would be on my list had I heard them (like the Grizzly Bear "Friends" ep that I am trying to track down), but that will do for now.

And now for the more important awards...

Best Concert of 2007 (Band):

#1 Les Savy Fav. For the belly, the ball, the crazed fun of it all.
Honourable mentions: Akron/Family; Polyphonic Spree; Flaming Lips. Apparently I like craziness. A lot.


Best Concert of 2007 (Audience):

#1 The Pointed Sticks. Oh! the! excitement! Nothing like a reunion gig to bring out the truly fanatical.
Honourable mentions: Dave Wakeling (didn't win because a couple of audience members irritated me too much. Not that they did anything to me, just watching them irritated me); Les Savy Fav; From the Jam. Oh - and the members of the Akron/Family audience that were interpretive dancing.
Dishonourable mentions: Rock Plaza Central - audience, where the hell were you? Were you sick, because that's the only excuse I'll take.

Have I missed anything?

I just can't help myself...

For the Bunkle fans...

Time for a shorter, lighter post.

Couple of snaps to prove things have been progressing - bunkle now has gutters (which cost about $650 more than expected as all the fascia had rotted out. Rot not a surprise, cost was...oh well) AND there is no more hole above the bedroom door. Small steps.
Only thing left is for the roofers to do something about the white caulking used on the black flashing on the small roof on the left of the photo - how dumb was that? - but it WILL be fixed.

And my couch is ready!! woo hoo.

It's just one cat's opinion after all...

When I first started down the blog road, there were a couple of motivating factors: sharing what was going on with my life with friends afar, and keeping some sort of journal on the changes and challenges of life as I went through house renos with the bunkle. I can remember talking to my brother on the phone and telling him rather sheepishly about the blog, and noticing right at that moment that someone I didn't know had left a comment on one of my posts. It freaked me out a little quite honestly - which admittedly was completely ridiculous - it's not like it's private. I just couldn't believe that someone I didn't know could find it, or would be bothered to read it.

I've grown up a bit since then (blog wise at least), and as anyone who reads this knows (and don't worry, you don't freak me out anymore - ok that's a lie, you still do sometimes), it has expanded to include an appropriately heavy dose of cat content, and some reviews of the many concerts I am lucky enough to go see. And since I got my beloved camera, I've been videoing what I can get away with. Have videos? Well, then you've gotta do YouTube. So away I went. And it gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling that what I was doing had some purpose when I discovered that the Dodos clip I posted was the only video on the band's website - how cool was it that the band had actually watched the clip? And thought it was good enough to post? Ok, that sounds a bit lame, but you know what I mean. This YouTube thing was just great.

Then came last weekend's show. The videos I posted got way more attention than I expected - a couple of them were in the YouTube top 100 for the day. Comments were flying in. And truth be told, I loved the fact that others cared enough to comment and were getting something out of the videos. I know how much I appreciate concert footage that other people post, so it was kind of cool to know I was giving back a bit. It still amazes me when I stop and think that some guy (or a few hundred...) in the UK is watching this stuff. Being Queen of the Top 100 YouTubers for the day gave me a small thrill. My blog had a crazy (for me) number of hits. But I quickly learned it ain't all chocolate and lollipops.

So this brings me to me, particularly me at concerts - and more importantly, a warning to readers re. Bunklelife concert reviews:

The reviews are a pretty good view into my brain. Not everyone gets my brain (thankfully) and my impression of things, trust me, is pretty skewed, and will usually include as much crap that is really completely unrelated to what is going on stage as it will comments on the band. My videos may not show exactly what you'd like to see. But that's what you get, because that's what I like. And I'm the boss of my blog. So, feel free to read, look, listen and enjoy - or not - your 60 second glance into what your life would be like if you had my brain. And remember, that's all it is. And all it was ever meant to be.

And if anyone runs into Hugh Cornwell, feel free to tell him I noticed his nut scratching. I'll bet my life he'd love it - and probably scratch them again.

This is the Modern World..again

Went to another "I remember when" gig last night - 'From the Jam', which is the Jam minus key component, lead singer Paul Weller. I was a huge Jam fan in my teens and was lucky enough to see them live at the big metal barn of the Kerrisdale Arena (if you go to the link, read the story on the left...I saw a lot of the stuff they reference and was too young to care about sound quality). The idea of going to see a reunion tour without Weller was a little ... embarrassing. But I read a few reviews of their shows elsewhere, and conned my musical glutton brother into coming along.

My biggest fear for this kind of 'reunion' thing is that no one will show up and I will just end up feeling bad for the band. Not quite sure why that crosses my mind as the turn out for reunion shows has a better chance of being high than for new acts, at least from what I've seen. I guess I'm projecting my own slight embarrassment at 'living in the past' onto the band. Anyhoo, no worries last night, which was a sell out.

The night started out with Hugh Cornwell, who has traded the Stranglers in for a young female bass player and drummer. It was a great set - lots of Stranglers and some of his newer stuff, all of which stood up well. What a character Cornwell is though - he's a bit like a slightly seedy, slightly dirty (and not in the muddy sense of the word) uncle, chatting sardonically with the initially shy Vancouver audience. The man scratched his nuts so many times that you wondered if a serious dose of Quellada was in order, but weirdly that was part of his charm. I shot a video of Stranglers classic Peaches - watch it here. I was disappointed they didn't play Golden Brown, but then I clued in they didn't have keyboards, so that wasn't really an option.

so...what about what remains of the Jam??


The Band: The place was packed by the time they came on. Russell Hastings is pinch hitting the Paul Weller slot in the band, and I've got to say he did an impressive job of sounding the part, and looking pretty snappy too. There is only one Paul Weller - no doubting that - but I actually didn't miss him as much as I had feared. They rolled through a lot of the Jam's catalogue and it sounded great. The original members (Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) have aged well (maybe neither here nor there, but it does reduce the potential visual shock that age can bring), and they sounded great. They have also added another band member - guitar/keyboard/vocalist Dave Moore. They covered a lot of stuff - not everything I'd like to have heard, but I suspect that they may have been tailoring the set a bit to what works best for Russell Hasting's voice. Fair enough. Enough stuff was covered to make me happy. I have uploaded a whole slew (well, seven) videos here if you want to pretend you were there too.


The Audience: As expected, the demographic was skewed towards those old enough to have seen the band the first time around. It was also skewed towards the male of the species. That being said, there were a healthy number of 20-somethings there, which gives me hope for the human race somehow. When I've mentioned the Jam the 20-somethings I know have looked at me with a blankness I have previously only seen in ruminants , so it was a relief to realize they are not all pod-people (sorry, switched from cows to body-snatchers...and my apologies to the cows for any negative comparisons I've made). And it was an energetic bunch - I have not seen so much bouncing an pogo-ing for a long time. And on that front, I would like to introduce a new feature to my concert reviews: Audience Member of the Month (I know "the month" doesn't make sense but it's the best i can think of at the moment). And here is a very short video of last night's audience member - the grey haired guy in the middle. This video doesn't show it, but buddy pogoed himself into full floor collapse twice, and had to be pulled up to his feet by his posse. Bus driver by day, pogo champion by night. Who knew? (my apologies to bus drivers for any negative comparisons I've made)

Me: It's always a bit weird to go to these reunion gigs. As I've mentioned before, it takes you back to who you were, what you were wearing, what you thought life would be... but I've got to say this actually happened less last night that for the Pointed Sticks and Dave Wakeling/The English Beat. I was thinking about why and I think it is because the music still feels pretty much contemporary - it wasn't really a period piece, as much as that was what I was expecting. Bands in the 90s/00's have picked up a lot from Weller and the boys. Bands like the Libertines or the Arctic Monkeys wouldn't really be around without the Jam. It made me feel really lucky to have seen them the first time around, and it was a treat to see them again and be reminded how important their influence continues to be.

So It's Just My Opinion....

As I mentioned in my previous post, I got Hawksley Workman's new CD "Between the Beautifuls" in the mail a few days back. Today, I got a *signed* (I'm such a groupie) copy of Joe Jackson's new CD, "Rain". I'm listening to Rain as I type this, so maybe by the end of the post I will have something to say on it. (What I will say is that strictly speaking it is probably my brother's copy, as it came in the same box as the vinyl "Rain" I ordered on his behalf. BUT - I believe it is my right to test the merchandise, as I have to pay the interest charges on my credit card... but enough of that. Back to Hawksley.)

I have been a huge Hawksley fan for ages. The first time I went to see him, it was with my friend A. in Toronto, at the Phoenix, probably the same year as this video post (2000), or maybe a year earlier. He was the darling of Toronto at the time, and had been voted "best live act" in the local culture rag. And that is why I got tickets. I didn't know his music well - I had heard one track - and neither did A. I think this was our first Phoenix concert and we quickly established our near the front floor position - something that we would have many elbow-battles with space hogging strangers with during concerts to come - but back to the gig... it was amazing. Hawksley in his red fur was a true rock star. He kicked, hollered, pouted, sang with cabaret camp at times, and was completely entrancing.

Over the next few years I saw him a number of times. It was never the same show, and he was always at minimum good (Commodore show last year), at best astounding (Van East, The Music Hall). I have all the albums, and with the possible exception of Lover/Fighter, which was an obvious attempt at commercial success, I've found them all unique, interesting, cool stuff. Even Lover/Fighter has some really nice moments.

SO - that brings us to this new album. I gave it a full listen. First impression was that it was...pleasant. Nothing really struck me. I've now listened a few more times, and I just have the sense that this really isn't the album it could be. What makes Hawksley engaging is the cool combination of his very powerful, flexible voice and his slightly quirky (and lyrically very strong) songwriting. There are certainly a number tracks I like, that that inner quirk and soaring voice still shine, but there are a couple that are SO conventional in form and production that it really doesn't feel right. And I have to admit, even the more characteristically Hawksley moment feel like I've heard them before (not that I really mind that - I liked them the first time around...but...) I know through a friend that over the last year Hawksley has had some issues with recording and the record company, and ended up tossing a lot of material out as well. I just wonder if the record company didn't get too big a finger in the production pie on this one. I have heard Hawksley say that he has always thought his records were mainstream, and this, like Lover/Fighter, seems to be another attempt in that direction. But the truth is what makes Hawksley compelling is exactly what separates him from the mainstream. Hopefully whoever is having issues with that fact will come to terms with it.

In the meantime, I will play the tracks on the album that I do like (and there are quite a few), and look forward to his next live show in March. Live Hawksley never disappoints, particularly in a quiet, seated venue like St Andrews.

And as for Joe - I'll write more on Rain another time.

***SNOW DAY***

There are probably 7 inches of snow outside the bunkle right now. The photo was from first thing thing this morning, and it just kept coming. Luckily I have the ability to work from home if necessary, so that's what I did. And *bonus* some slightly down & out guy offered to shovel my walk for me - double win of meaning I didn't have to pooch my back any further by doing it, and a chance to give a few bucks to someone who obviously needs it. The other bonus was having a chance to watch the terrible twosome's snowday - I was working in the den so they took up space on the couch, pointedly NOT facing each other so the inevitable battle for couch-territory could be avoided in a dignified way. After a few hours on the couch, they moved to the red chair for a Sesame Street demo of some sort (...ON....UNDER....ON....)

Anyway, got a good amount of work done (phew), and had the added bonus of this arriving in the mail. Look forward to giving it a listen.

D'ya want a piece of me?

Taking a break from a busy weekend for a cup of tea. I'm posting more out of duty than inspiration, so if it is a bit tired sounding, it's because I'm a bit tired sounding.

Week started out with me getting some moles removed from my back, on the advise of a dermatologist. I went to Dr. #2, a cosmetic surgeon and he could only figure out 3 of the 4 that were supposed to be removed (as could I), which makes me wonder exactly what was wrong with mole #4 - heck, it makes me wonder if anything was really wrong with any of them. As Dr. #2 said, all my moles are odd, so he'd just be guessing. Comforting. Anyway, I went through a weird mourning period for one mole in particular - a very dark, penny-sized one in the centre of my back that I've always kind of liked. An old boyfriend called my back the night sky in negative, and I fear I've lost Saturn. Sounds really stupid to be bothered by any of this, but I have been. And not only because the stitches are pretty uncomfortable. I'll get over it, but after my recent biopsy and this I'm not volunteering any other pieces of my body for removal any time soon.

Also went to see The Black Rider this week - a musical developed by Tom Waits, William S Burroughs and Robert Wilson. Anyone who knows me well will know I am NOT a musical lover, but the combination of those three brains drew me to this. It took me a few minutes to relax into it all (I see white face paint, think MIME and I immediately look for the exit...) but it was worth the risk. Robert Wilson is a fascinating guy - there is a great documentary on his work called Absolute Wilson - watch the trailer here.

And as you'll see it is marmalade season at the bunkle. This is the first batch of Seville I've made in years because I have such a passion for my fave Lime - it's actually Seville Lemon, or "Chunky Breakfast Marmalade" according to the cookbook. I do love the colour of it.

And more Radiohead...

Well, Thom Yorke.
And you wonder why you never hear him laughing...

This by the way is from The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2007 - which you can watch in 10 minute chunks on YouTube...handy if you have insomnia or just want to watch Russell Brand's hair.

House Of Cards (Scotch Mist Version)

So, finally bought "In Rainbows", Radiohead's latest. Love it. Love it. They are supposed to come to Vancouver this year. Hope so.

Discovered that they released a 52 minute film of all the songs from the album. You can view it in its entirety (Scotch Mist) on YouTube, but there are also individual songs posted - like this one.

Enjoy.

There Will Be Shingles...

So, here are the first photos of the new roof. NOTE that the new gutters are still on their way - the photo of the little roof above the back porch has an old gutter that is falling off on the right hand side. Next photo I take should show a marked gutter improvement.

What the photos DO show is how hard it is to actually see my roof. The little grey house that is right beside mine is RIGHT BESIDE MINE - so "right beside" that her roof actually drains into my gutter. The other side of the roof is more visible as the other neighbour is farther away, but alas it is the 'uglier' side of the roof as all the venting pokes through there. Anyway, it is much better than the old mushroom roof, which I am now realizing I didn't really have any good photos of. Oh well, some things are best forgotten.

What these shots also show is the weird some paint, some not situation - the body of my house is painted a rather hideous beige, but there are large areas of lovely new shingles too. Ohhh, would that my house were ALL new shingles! As it is, I have plans to paint sometime soon (soon meaning in the next couple of years ;-). I'm thinking a heritage red, but we will see.

In other news, just saw There Will Be Blood, P.T. Anderson's new film. As you've read before on this site, Anderson's Magnolia tops my fave film list - an imperfect film perhaps, but one that I can watch over and over and over. There Will Be Blood is unusual for a PTA film - the narrative is quite simple and linear for one thing - but there are other things that are clearly PTA - the trademark use of soundtrack as major character for one, and epic length as another. Daniel Day Lewis is fantastic as the dark and deeply driven "oil man." After the film, my pals and I joked about his character being a fair match for Javier Bardem's serial killer in No Country for Old Men. Could just be. But Daniel Day Lewis' Daniel Plainview is a much more developed, more human character. Certainly he manipulates those around him to his own end, but the levels of his anger and revenge point to the fact that he is a character that actually does feel - and arguably has genuine emotional connection and fondness his young son, as turned around and twisted as their relationship becomes later on. Bardem's ice cold, impassive Anton Chigurth is waaaay more frightening. Both are films you should see. And if you are looking for something less nasty in tone, see the really delightful Juno. Bonus: it's filmed in Vancouver ;-)

Things that go through my head when I look at my cats #1

She may be big...

It's only fair.
60 really boring seconds of Maggie, acting silly in the mess of the basement room.
OK, 75.
There is a rare Maggie belly sighting towards the end. Well, actually it isn't rare, it is something she exposes with some regularity as a ploy to get an unsuspecting human to try and touch it ("ooooh ... fluffy...OW!!). Kind of like an angler fish, but in cat form.
And I promise an update on the Bunkle's new lid soon! Just have to wait for the rain to stop so I can take some photos...

New Year, New Roof...

AUGH! It is finally happening - the bunkle is getting it's roof. I got the call that they would be starting next week - and really, who wouldn't start a reroofing project in the middle of January... (??!). The roofers assure me that they will only expose what they can reroof each day. Then again, rumour has it that most roofers are freshly out of The Big House, so whether or not I should believe it is another question.

As part one of the process, the little roof above the back door had to come down, and I didn't want to leave it to the roofers to do. My pals A & J once again swooped in and helped out (not sure what the bunkle would look like without their help). As it turns out, the roof was really more of an oreo cookie with wasp larvae as the soft chewy filling and rotting wood as the tasty outer coating, so I am glad it's gone. No idea really what will replace it, but will figure that out after the roof goes up. As you can sort of see from the photo, the wall above the door had to have some shingles quickly slapped on to keep the rain out (the roof had jutted slightly into the structure of the wall) - it will get properly reshingled after the roofers leave. And in a true masterwork of gubbins technology the top of a pop bottle and some caulking was used to plug a hole in the old gutters (which will be replaced along with the roof). As you can see by the drip, it ain't perfect but at least it stops a huge torrent of water spewing down.

In other news, the bunkle was de-Christmased today. Bit sad to get rid of the tree, and felt kind of ...mean...as I sawed it into three so the recycling guys will pick it up. Mags immediately sat where the tree was and looked a bit despondent. Thom is still asleep, so the trauma of losing the reindeer ornament he removed daily hasn't hit yet.

Speaking of Thomas, as you can see from the photo his vote on the couch fabric front is a darkish brown slightly velvety thing. I don't think he's backing the ultimate winner, but you never know.

In with the new, out with the plaid

Happy 2008.
Yikes.

So, the first new project for this year is picking out fabric for this - or actually, not exactly that but another couch made by the same company that is very very similar (think the only difference is the legs really). Which means the plaid livingroom couch, which has featured so prominently in the photos on this blog, is soon to find itself out of the bunkle and hopefully in the arms (or under the butt of) someone else.

The plaid couch was my first major furniture purchase. I was 18, and still at home, but they had a sale on couches at Ikea and I picked this one up for $250. $250.
Jeans cost that these days. And it has lasted me over 20 years.

When I got the couch it was gray, and fit in neatly with my slick grey/red/black/white bedroom. Life got less slick, the gray got dirty, so I recovered the couch, with the help of my long-suffering boyfriend at the time. We went to so many fabric stores. So, so, very many (did I mention long-suffering?). And finally found the green plaid, which somehow felt right. So, I made patterns. I sewed. And re-sewed when the cushion covers were too big. I covered all the cushions, front and back. I covered the sides of the couch. Then I lost energy. So the "skirt" area at the front remained gray. As did the back, hidden behind the cushions. Then the long-suffering boyfriend and I split up (which I don't think had anything to do with the couch), my Mum came to visit me, and we finished the last bit.

And I've really liked the couch. And the fabric, despite its ... plaidiness. It is so loud that it is somehow neutral, at least to me. But the time has come to say goodbye. And in my maturity I am stuck with deciding which fabric will work best. Be neutral enough without being boring, or showing the various nastiness that appears on the couch due to my two furry roommates. Which is hard for me because I am not by nature a neutral lover. Give me red. Or patterns. But as you can see from the swatches above, I'm trying to make a more flexible choice.

Even though the cats look so great on patterns.

How to age gracefully...or not.

It makes me cringe, but I had to post this. If you can hang in there til about 1:20 you'll be rewarded.

Ahhh, Bill. Those dance(?) moves.

And Joe, you're amazing.

One minute of Thomas

Be warned, nothing happens - this is one minute of your life you will never get back.

Christmas Belly

Christmas is over, many presents have been opened, and much food has been eaten. Though my brother tells me that eating turkey burns more calories than it contains. Which in theory would mean you could starve to death eating turkey. Then again, my brother once told me (ok not once, repeatedly) "Wild Horses" by the Stones was my favorite song, so it might be wise to take the turkey thing with a grain of salt or five.

Christmas always brings out the...something.... This year, we were unusually well behaved at the dinner table (no body parts were compared and measured, this year for once I couldn't tell you who has the biggest head or the longest nose. OK, that's a lie, I could, but the data is not that current). I missed an impromptu family dance party - to Bjork, instigated by my Dad - the weirdness of which can only be fully appreciated by people who know my family (and our general inability to dance).

Anyway, it was good. And just weird enough to be ours.

I am not willing to share my Christmas belly on the blog, so Thomas offered up his. He then tried to sniff the lens, which resulted in the closest cat shot I expect I will ever take. I like the way the flash made one nostril glow a bit.

Happy Boxing Day.

Sufjan Stevens - That Was The Worst Xmas Ever!

Sing along.
You know you want to.

Merry Christmas from someone else's cats....

I promise I will post something else soon, but quite honestly this is the best Christmas greeting I could possibly post, even if it doesn't involve my cats. If this doesn't bring a smile to your face or make you snort whatever you might be drinking through your nose, I'm not sure what would.

Happy Holidays.

And for more Winston and Rudy, check this out.

kitty teeth

So, Thom had to go for dental work - AGAIN. This year, it was sounding likely that he would need a couple of molars removed. Luckily, that wasn't the case. He has bad gums (OK, why is it that cats in the 1970s never had 'bad gums'??), but hopefully we can keep that in check.

He was pretty funny when I picked him up from the vet - slack jawed is the correct term I think, with tongue poking out and all. Funny thing is that he was very sprightly along with the slack jaw - truth be told I think he was having a fairly pleasant drug reaction and spent a fair bit of time and focus trying to catch shadows and lights, slack-jaw and all.

He's back to his inactive, tight-lipped self now.

All tree all the time

I decided to put aside my general not-all-that-celebratory attitude towards Christmas this year and (gasp) DECORATE. For years, I haven't really decorated at Christmas. There are a few different reasons - for years, I lived out of town and was always travelling back for the holidays - so why bother? And the one year that I stayed out of town and DID decorate was one of the worst Christmases in known history, so that scared me off a bit too. But this year, all year, I have been quietly sewing little things with plans for getting a tree to put them on.

My very first tree.

And I didn't want a big, bushy cultured mammoth tree - the bunkle is too small, and too modest for such...treeish grandiosity. So, when driving with my mum we found a tree lot that had "Charlie Brown Trees" (that's how they were labelled) - uncultured firs of some sort - which is just what I was looking for.

So here it is.

I admit, I have tree pride.











Cat reactions have been interesting. Maggie has a tendency to sit behind the tree and hide - if you can say that a 15 lb cat can hide behind a 2" trunk. Thomas has stolen a wooden reindeer from one of the branches, but seems more interested in the shadows the lights cast on the wall.

As for me, I will keep sewing little things, and will spend too much time looking for just the right branch on the just-right tree to hang them from.

If only all of Christmas was that simple.

I should also mention that I have been playing this to death, thanks to my pal A. - the perfect mix of traditional carols and soon-to-be Christmas standards like "Did I make you cry on Christmas Day? (Well you deserved it)".

Happy Holidays.

Kitty Interlude

It's about time I think.

Bathroom shot is Thomas trying to stare down a fly that was on the mirror. I eventually had to kill it for him.

He's a lover not a fighter.

And I'm not sure where the disembodied cat leg he is lying on came from. Haven't seen it since.

It's all in the 'stache...

As I was doing the post on Les Savy Fav, I kept on trying to figure out how to gracefully fit in a picture of the drummer from The Dodos. It didn't really fit in, the post was long enough already, so I didn't put it up.

As I thought about it more and more, I realized that I have a bit of a fascination with the drummer from The Dodos. I wasn't really sure why - heck, I don't think I could pick the guy out in a crowd really - but the more I thought, the more I realized...it's his moustache.

And the same could be said for Miles from Akron/Family. That boy is sporting a wicked chevron, and I've had a fascination with him as well. Go figure.


I don't know. It's not that I find it attractive per se, it is that I find it...compelling, if one can find facial hair compelling. I guess it is the very self conscious choice to sport something that is somehow so ... NOT cool ... that is making it cool. Or maybe that is just my misguided view of it.

I'm old enough to remember when the 'stache WAS cool, and when that love turned on it's head and made it the absolute worst choice one could make in facial hair. The choice to harken back to such icons of facial hair as Burt.

Or Derrek Smalls from Spinal Tap.

I'm not sure if the young guys sporting these things are doing it for the self consciously referential reasons I hope they are. I suspect not. But I don't really want to know for sure.

Naughtiness face-off

Went to see Guy Davis last night. Good voice, good playing, good song choices, good backup musicians. Very good sound. Questionable lighting (it's a bit stark in there - they really could work on warming their lighting up some, you feel a bit like you are watching a lecture not a concert). And an audience of middle aged North-Shore types, the same people you'd run into wearing their Tiva sandles at the Folk Fest. And they were in for a nice, enjoyable, fairly gentle night of music. A pretty big contrast from Les Savy Fav the night before - or was it? Take a listen to this one, and tell me what pushes your buttons the most - the lyrics to The Chocolate Man, or Tim Harrington putting a shaker ball down the front of his pants and retrieving it out the back? Ya, ok. Pretty weak comparison maybe. But give me another time and place and it might not be so clear. Ya, ok. Still pretty weak. But give me some points for trying to find the thread.

And as for performance - it was also an interesting contrast. Both of these guys know how to play an audience. With Guy Davis, he's got to find another way of engaging them and making them comfortable, as I'm guessing the middle aged North Shore folks aren't going to love watching him put a shaker ball down his pants (well, except me. I'd be up for that). Little stories, little jokes. A little smooth perhaps, but it works for what it is and for the audience he has. I prefer something a little less...contrived I guess...but that is splitting hairs. Maybe the shaker ball was contrived too, but somehow I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, I suspect many things have ended up in Tim Harrington's pants at concerts, but I imagine they aren't always shaker balls.

But back to Guy Davis. This is the only video I managed to take before the Cap College Concert Police (a mousy middle aged woman in this case) shut me down. I had hoped to record one of his banjo moments, which were highlights for me. I do love banjo. Next time, next time.

Rub my belly

Les Savy Fav at Richards last night. We showed up at our usual half hour before doors so we could score the old people seats - and no one was waiting at the door. We discussed the possibility that we might just be the only people going to the show on Vancouver's first seriously snowy night - and if you have seen Les Savy Fav, or watched them on youtube, you know that this is a band that relies on crowd craziness. Or rather, enough crowd to reflect Tim Harrington's craziness back at him. Thankfully, by show time the place was full. Not packed to the rafters, but pretty close.

The Dodos opened (as did another band which - sorry - I've forgotten the name of). I really like these guys. And they opened for Akron/Family last time, so this confirms the fact that they are being chosen by some pretty good acts. Great energy, great musicians.

And then Les Savy Fav. Tim Harrington came out in kind of a ... gnome outfit?.... well, at least a gray cape, plastic nose, furry mitt on his hand and who knows what else. Over the course of the show the nose - well, everything but the pants - came off. The man brings a new level of grace to being bald and bellied. Who says you have to look like Brad Pitt to get the ladies? or the men for that fact? The audience was all over him - rubbing what ever bit of sweaty flesh they could as he offered himself up to their adoring hands. Men kissed him (ok, he kissed one, then another hopped on stage to kiss him - but that's splitting hairs). People opened their mouths like baby birds to catch the water he was streaming from his mouth. The man is a force. There is no doubt about that.

I have uploaded a video (The Sweat Descends), and have posted a few more on YouTube for those brave enough (watch The Year before the Year 2000 and play "watch the ball"...). Hopefully I will also be able to post some more later, so if you like this kind of thing, check back.

And next time this band comes to town, GO. You might get wet, or sweaty, but you won't be disappointed.

This one is not about cats...

...but I'm afraid it is still about my camera. A little bit at least.

Went to Jose Gonzalez last night at Richards. It was packed - it's the first show I've been to in a long time that WAS packed...not sure if that says something about my musical choices or Vancouver's general laziness about getting off their collective duffs and going to watch a band. OK, yes, yes, I do know, but I'm too nice to say it yet again.

The big audience tried to stay quiet. I think they really did. Of course, there are always a few idiots who will continue to talk, and this is just not the sort of concert you can talk through. People (like me) will notice. And get annoyed. I question whether Richards is the right venue for this sort of gig - I know it is a bit stodgy, but I would love to have seen this at the Cap College theatre in all it's pin-dropping silence and good acoustic quality. But that's the way life is. Guess you couldn't get all those young 'uns to go somewhere they couldn't drink....

Gonzalez was as good as you could hope - he sounded great, and his guitar playing is fantastic. I liked that they propped everyone up on risers - it gave their presence a little more authority (he's too quiet a guy to demand it). Mutt & Jeff the Sound Guys who I have commented on more than once were having a tough time of it - the backing vocals were inaudible at points, I am guessing due to a bad cable and that is what they kept switching. And it's hard not to notice a guy that looks like Geddy Lee romping around that stark stage with cables in his hand. It happens, and there isn't a lot you can do I guess. But all in all, a very good gig.

So - this was the first night out with the new camera. I have posted a short video and a couple of snaps - in general I am happy with how the camera handled the conditions - really really low lighting, and pretty heavy zoom as I was up on the balcony in the old people seats. I do have a couple of other videos that are darker than this, but they sound good. I may post them later.

Next weekend? Les Savy Fav and Guy Davis. Not on the same bill...though that would be entertaining.
And I still have to master posting videos obviously - the black box below IS a video if you hit the play button beneath. Sigh.

Saturday

I can't stop.
Sorry.
Actually, no I'm not.

It's that time...

Yes, let the crafts begin. This will be my first year with my own tree. At least that is the plan. So, many wee mittens need to be made.

I am actually trying to distract myself writing this as I have a bit of unpleasantness on the horizon this morning...it ends with "...opsy" and it means that something is going to have to go through my skin, and I'm a big chicken about that kind of thing. Skin is there to keep things OUT. And mine would really like to do just that right about now.

I'm living with a ... little person.

Is it just me, or is she looking a little too much like a therapist in this photo? And I don't think it is just the leather chair.

ok, I am losing my mind.

But check out the photo of her sitting with my Mum. What's with that arm..I mean leg? She's a dwarf in a cat suit. I'm sure of it.

In other news, my back is so bad that I am finally going to see a (gasp!!) chiropractor. So bad that I had to call in the handyman (aka my mother) to put the shower curtain rod back up this morning after it fell down during my shower, which makes me feel even more like a gimp. As for the chiropractor, bit scared, but it's either that or cut my back off (or out) at this point, and that would make it REALLY hard to walk. And I'd be even shorter than I am, which really isn't ideal.

*sigh*

And sorry, I will stop the cat posts. Soon. Really.

Obsession...

OK, I have become slightly obsessed by seeing how close a photo I can take of Thomas' head. Not really sure why...I mean, it is a pretty cool looking head, but honestly I think it has something more to do with the macro function of the new camera. Here are a selection of this week's Giganto-Head shots. I love the first one in particular. And for those of you hoping for something on this blog of greater cultural significance...sorry. Soon, I promise. And I should add that I the fact my cat photos focus largely on Thomas not Maggie is strictly a result of him being the easy one to photograph - firstly, because he is a nice, light, even colour so it is EASY - unlike the rolled-in-soot, mottled colour of his sister - and because he actually hangs out with me during the day while Miss Mags sleeps.

Once I master the new camera, you may be forces to look at a whole slew of giant Maggie heads. We shall see.

And yes, I know that my already tiny readership is perilously close to leaving me entirely. I will try to find something else to blog about, really.