Thursday night follies

1. To do for Woodland:
Pie is cooling.
Laundry is cycling.
Truck is packed. Mostly. I just have to press my linen petticoat and pack clothing. Cooler gets loaded tomorrow.

2. I appear to be a published author. However, had I known my evil editor/impressario was going to stick me in a brown-and-brass steam punk issue, I would have worked harder to miss the deadline. Well, maybe.
Sue me. Steam punk leaves me cold. I don't like most 19th century clothing. That said, the Best Steam Punk Costume EVER appears in this issue. Steam - check. Punk - check. Mette wins. Mette is brilliant. (See p. 16 of the PDF of Issue 2.4,)

And for those of my Gentle Readers who are not familiar, scroll to p. 42 of the same PDF and check out kproche 's Titanic seaman rig. K can't wear wool, so he researched what Royal Navy/merchant seaman's kit c. 1912 or so was like and made himself a set in fabrics he can wear. I've seen this up close and inside out. The details are dead on, to the way the collar and silk tie attach, the hidden breast pocket, the perfect bow on the cap ribbon. This is really, REALLY well done, which doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

3. HBO's The Pacific is a long, hard slog. I know it's supposed to be, being a Marine fighting the jungles and the Japanese was no picnic, but it suffers from a dearth of bright spots. My father complained about not being able to tell who was who in last year's Generation Kill. That I could follow because there were distinct personalities showing under the Kevlar and mopp suits, but now I'm having the "Which one is this again?" problem because it seems like every actor in the Pacific is earnest and big eyed and oh so serious in between brain glazing, repetetive scenes of flying body parts and carnage. It's the Normandy beaches in Saving Private Ryan all over again every single week. Maybe it's time to pop Letters from Iwo Jima into the DVD player again.

Now, Treme (only two episodes broadcast so far), about New Orleans after Katrina, shows a lot of promise with a strong ensemble cast and terrific music.

....4th Recon (down the street) is playing "Retreat." Time to go switch the laundry.

Tanka challenge 4/22/10

Gnarled vines are laden
With purple and white cascades
Of bursting flowers.
So briefly the fuji* blooms   
Before falling to tatters.

(The little Craftsman bungalow across the street has practically vanished beneath a curtain of pale purple in just a couple of days.)

*Wisteria