Life, as in sailing, passes by at a frenetic pace, at the fickle mercy of the winds of change. Sometimes life is like the Caribbean, full of exotic adventure, the allure of sunken galleons and sandy beaches. Sometimes life is like the North Sea, ever storm-tossed with waves like mountain ridges, making you spend every moment hoping that you will see it through. Sometimes life is like the shimmering Pacific, spread out wide offering adventure to brave exploreres. And sometimes life is like the doldrums of South Atlantic, vast desolate water all around, with not a lick of wind to give you hope, where both the breese and the seabirds are months apart.
And my last month has been like those doldrums. It’s been so long since I’ve moved that I’ve forgotten I was going anywhere. It’s a calm three-four time, a good time for me to unfocus my mind and glimpse the details of life.
But it hasn’t been that slow, not at all. Evelyn and I have made two distance record-setting bicycle rides! The first was down south toward Mt. Vernon along the Four Mile Run and Mt. Vernon trails. The round trip, aided by mellow weather and cool overcast skies, covered 26 miles, nine miles longer than our previous record of 17 miles. Independance Day was the following Wednesday, and with a boost of confidence from the last ride, we resolved to have a picnic in the capital. It was warmer than we expected, but we covered a lot of ground and the fruit was tasty. The monument area roads were closed to traffic, turning the National Mall into a large pedestrian zone. The experience of riding on the empty four- and six-lane roads in broad daylight was quite surreal. The final mileage was 31 miles! Take that, record log!
As Pixar partisans we went to see Ratatouille, the studio’s latest offering. The animation was soft, supple, and succulent, while the plot and characters had sublime charm. If Pixar can be accused of making a movie for adults, this might be it. After the film, I had a rare occurance come over me… I was actually peckish for French cuisine. So compelled, we immediately dined at a fine eatery. Ratatouille is perfect for dinner-‘n-movie occaisions.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention today’s photo. The pyramid in the center is a 2-pip Icehouse pyramid made of milk chocolate. My wife cast it using a spare 3-pip as a mold. We figure the same casting process will work to make 1-pip pyramids inside 2-pips, but we’re still figuring out how to make 3-pips.
Check out this blog: Cool Tools. It might come in handy someday.
Nifty Wikipedia Thing: Fictional Currencies
Recent films:
"The Alamo" (1960)
"Night at the Museum" (2006)
Music Recommendation: if you’re inclined toward snarky powerpop, the newest album by Harvey Danger, Little By Little, is their most accessible one to date, and it’s free on their website.
What I’m Reading:
"The Difference Engine" by Doron Swade
The Ryanarium 