Robert (gurdonark) wrote,
Robert
gurdonark

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Green Acres Haze

Last night we took a good run at Gosford Park, which we nearly finished and will finish tomorrow. A very nice film, like a much more complex Upstairs, Downstairs. When we wore out on the movie, I played around a bit on some clerical matters, but then both of us stayed up very late, insomniac, and talked and watched bad movies. This morning, we took a nice walk around the little park down the street from us. Killdeer birds flew everywhere, screeching that little screech sound they make.

I met a client at the office today for a brief meeting, and then did a few other needful things. I've finally mailed all my outstanding "need to be mailed" packages, and now just need to create a couple of mail art things to be caught up. I had a wonderful barbecue chicken at Spring Creek Barbecue, and then worked on the Mary Poppins book I am reading. I finished The Anniversary Party, which I'd been watching bit by bit on video. An amazing, sad, film--really one to be proud of having made. Throughout the day, I sent far too many e mails, including one that was particularly over-pontifical about which I am very sheepish, but then it was time to leave. We were going to dinner with our friends scottm and his wife Donna, and then to a concert. I was extremely pleasantly surprised that they gave me a late birthday present, a metal slide whistle. I had seen Scott's, much nicer than my own plastic ones, and broken one of the covetousness commandments. Now I have my own. Slide whistle is about my speed--basically, one octave, and lots of room to try to sound like a bird whistle or a theremin. We ate a wonderful meal at the restaurant whose name escapes me in Addison which serves down home food as if it were nouvelle cuisine. The waitress was so cool--anticipating every need, wearing this great "buttoned up to the neck" uniform-type outfit. We traded "favorite DC sight" stories--mine was about the National Collection of Evergreen Lawn Shrubbery at the National Arboretum. Our local sprawl suburb, Plano, could take deep inspiration from the miniature cedars, junipers and pines on display, not to mention the National Boxwood Collection.

We went on to Horizon U/U church in Carrollton. I was really glad we got to go there, because my church attendance has been down since we moved to TX because the Plano U/U church does not quite feel like "home" to me. I really prefer tiny U/U fellowships, where nobody gets lots in the shuffle, but lack the gumption to start one in my little suburb. The Carrollton one is still large, but it looks worth a try.

The featured performer was Josh Alan, whose electric blues quartet we saw some months ago. Tonight, though, was just the man and his acoustic box guitar--much, much, much preferable. He has a gift for acoustic instrumentals. He also did the lyrics of "Theme Song from Green Acres" to the tune of "Purple Haze", which not only immensely entertained me, but also got me thinking of the lyrics to "Suicide is Painless (Theme from MASH)" set to the tune of "All Along the Watch Tower". What a great evening--no smoke, nobody drunk, nice pies and cakes, great music. The opening act, Tracie Merchant, was a fine vocalist in the Phoebe Snow/Tracy Chapman tradition. We get pretty good folk here, because the Texas hill country is such a folk center. We had a great time. I only thought about things said which were better unsaid a time or two, and only rehearsed conference calls from last week in my mind once. I love that Josh Allan does a killer acoustic version of "Theme from Shaft", but if he is going to medley it with a song from "Superfly", he really ought to use the title song, and not "Pusherman". Scott and Josh know one another a bit, though, and it was fun that at the end, Josh was asking Scott and Donna what they wanted to hear. I felt reflected church coffee house glory. Call me Bebe Buell. I didn't ask if he knows 'Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape', though, because nobody remembers that one anymore but me.

I'm exhausted, and want to get some things done Sunday, but I am happy that I've had a fun and productive weekend thus far.
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