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Weekend update sans Chevy Chase
Aug. 3rd, 2008 02:17 pmWent out yesterday morning with the intention of picking up some fine paint brushes. I made a detour to Hell Best Buy, because I figured it was early enough that the Deaf Generation might not be shopping for sound systems at full volume yet and I wanted to have a look at the newest Fuji Finepix cameras. I love my 3800, but it's not perfect. I'd love something with a faster shutter, better performance in lower light levels and frankly, the 3800 is a little bulky. I might be more likely to carry a camera more places if it was less so. The J-10's got distinct possibilities, forget the Z's. I couldn't find the damn power switches on either Z cameras and I've been using Fuji cameras since 1983. Didn't buy - it's not a Must Have, just one of those, let's see what they're like, maybe pick one up when the budget allows.
Acquired the necessary paint brushes, then thought, "Hm, I wonder if that bookstore on Piedmont is still there." Spectator Books was open. I found yet another of the Heibonsha volumes, Major Themes In Japanese Art for only $10. Also picked up a used copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's because I recently saw and liked Infamous, have never actually read any Capote and nobody seems to have In Cold Blood used anywhere, possibly because other people have seen Infamous and snapped up those used copies before I got around to it.
I also braved The Scary Looking Antique Shop (I can never remember its real name) which reeked of mildewed basement, fresh paint and incense at the same time. It was worth it. Sitting in a corner under a pile of kitchen crap I spied a wooden bucket with a lid bound with brass straps. The shape set off mental bells. I carefully got it out from under the random aluminum pots and scary looking metal strainers and the weight confirmed those ringing bells. Definitely Japanese and definitely made of pawlonia wood, because pawlonia is really light. A couple gaps between some of the slats, but otherwise in excellent shape, it was mine for $20. I think it should be easy enough to find a plastic container that will fit inside it so that I can actually use it as House of Cheerful Monkeys' paraphenalia.
Laundry is done, it appears to be Interesting Australian Film day on IFC - caught Proof with a very young Hugo Weaving and an even younger Russell Crowe and Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock - and now I'm waiting for my father to turn up. Last I heard, he'd found someone to give him a ride to SFO and he was going to pick up a rental car there..
EDIT - Dad turned up a good hour later than expected because his ride met him an hour later than expected. He showed up in time for us to catch the BBC News, then we went down to the Berkeley Marina to His Lordship's for dinner, which turned out to be the sort of meal I would never splurge on for myself. We split the crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, and I let him throw himself on the bread and fresh pesto while I had a crock of French onion soup that was perfect (i.e., not too salty). I had the salmon, he had the mahi mahi. Both were excellent, we had a window seat on the bay with a spectacular view of the Bay Bridge and watched some poor schlub falling off his windsurfing board quite a lot.
Then back to the house in time to catch the latest episode of "Generation Kill," which I will have to watch again after he leaves because he didn't see last week's episode, can't keep any of the characters straight and kept asking me questions. At least he let me control the volume this time.
EDIT The Second: And then he stayed up to watch The Contender. I know he stayed up to watch The Contender because he asked how to use the mute button on the remote, used the mute button for about 10 minutes and then turned the sound back on. There is no door between downstairs and the garret - which meant I got to lie awake and listen to The Contender. I staggered downstairs for my shower a few minutes ago to discover that he'd managed to switch off the cable without powering down the TV set either.
I won't know until I get home tonight whether he'll remember to lock the door....
Acquired the necessary paint brushes, then thought, "Hm, I wonder if that bookstore on Piedmont is still there." Spectator Books was open. I found yet another of the Heibonsha volumes, Major Themes In Japanese Art for only $10. Also picked up a used copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's because I recently saw and liked Infamous, have never actually read any Capote and nobody seems to have In Cold Blood used anywhere, possibly because other people have seen Infamous and snapped up those used copies before I got around to it.
I also braved The Scary Looking Antique Shop (I can never remember its real name) which reeked of mildewed basement, fresh paint and incense at the same time. It was worth it. Sitting in a corner under a pile of kitchen crap I spied a wooden bucket with a lid bound with brass straps. The shape set off mental bells. I carefully got it out from under the random aluminum pots and scary looking metal strainers and the weight confirmed those ringing bells. Definitely Japanese and definitely made of pawlonia wood, because pawlonia is really light. A couple gaps between some of the slats, but otherwise in excellent shape, it was mine for $20. I think it should be easy enough to find a plastic container that will fit inside it so that I can actually use it as House of Cheerful Monkeys' paraphenalia.
Laundry is done, it appears to be Interesting Australian Film day on IFC - caught Proof with a very young Hugo Weaving and an even younger Russell Crowe and Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock - and now I'm waiting for my father to turn up. Last I heard, he'd found someone to give him a ride to SFO and he was going to pick up a rental car there..
EDIT - Dad turned up a good hour later than expected because his ride met him an hour later than expected. He showed up in time for us to catch the BBC News, then we went down to the Berkeley Marina to His Lordship's for dinner, which turned out to be the sort of meal I would never splurge on for myself. We split the crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, and I let him throw himself on the bread and fresh pesto while I had a crock of French onion soup that was perfect (i.e., not too salty). I had the salmon, he had the mahi mahi. Both were excellent, we had a window seat on the bay with a spectacular view of the Bay Bridge and watched some poor schlub falling off his windsurfing board quite a lot.
Then back to the house in time to catch the latest episode of "Generation Kill," which I will have to watch again after he leaves because he didn't see last week's episode, can't keep any of the characters straight and kept asking me questions. At least he let me control the volume this time.
EDIT The Second: And then he stayed up to watch The Contender. I know he stayed up to watch The Contender because he asked how to use the mute button on the remote, used the mute button for about 10 minutes and then turned the sound back on. There is no door between downstairs and the garret - which meant I got to lie awake and listen to The Contender. I staggered downstairs for my shower a few minutes ago to discover that he'd managed to switch off the cable without powering down the TV set either.
I won't know until I get home tonight whether he'll remember to lock the door....
