Eugh

"Productive cough." Now there's a phrase.....

Pretties amid the phlegm

As I dosed myself with the last Orange Shooter of Generic Blech, I knew I was going to have to go out and get some more: it does dry my head out enough to breathe comfortably and suppress the coughing. It also dries everything else out so I am drinking water, tea and grapefruit juice like there's no tomorrow.

My run to Walgreens took the scenic route. To Berkeley. I've been coming home and falling into a heap every night this week and feeling like crap for most of it. The sound of the wind rattling the windows this morning (which has mercifully stopped) was getting on my nerves. I at least wanted a chai and a little time out of the house. So I went to Moe's and shopping karma favored me with: 

(1) a nifty 1966 edition of Earless Hoichi by Lafcadio Hearn, illustrated with modern yet evocatively Yamato-esque prints by Masakazu Kuwata. As some of you know, I first encountered this story through the film Kwaidan and was so struck by it I occasionally retell it beside a campfire. It smells faintly of basement, but is otherwise in good condition.

EDIT: the scan is crappy, but this illustration of the sea battle at Dan no Ura should give you an idea of Kuwata's illustrations:
 

(2) a copy of the out of print exhibition publication Four Centuries of Fashion: Classical Kimono From the Kyoto National Museum. Said exhibition occurred in 1997 at the Asian Art Museum, not only pre-dating my residence in California, but my interest in things Japanese. The lucky find is ironic in view of the post of the other day. Despite the title of the book and the exhibition it accompanies, the first several pages describe what a kosode is, and every garment in the exhibition is identified as a specific type (e.g.,  kosode, furisode, uchikake) and not as the generic "kimono." While most of the garments in the book post-date SCA period, they're all stunners. A number of them are accompanied by closeup shots of weave, stitching and so forth, including the Toyotomi Hideyoshi dofuku. .As a bonus, there's a section of "Imperial Robes" from the Edo period derived from Heian styles, including a number of men's garments and a princess' hosonaga in green, with false "layers" beneath done as blue and purple along the edges sleeves, collar and hem. 

However, I'm feeling slightly wiped out from my jaunt. I'm going to finish my chai (which I can still barely taste at this point) and perhaps have a nap.

EDIT:  Conked out in front of Buckaroo Banzai on cable, then watched Never Cry Wolf: nice nature movie based on a true story, but just made me cold watching it. Dinner was a slice of frozen pizza. I did at least cut out the pieces for JAF's hitatare and hakama sets, but the light is starting to go upstairs, so hopefully I'll have enough motivation to fire up the sewing machine tomorrow and do something with said pieces.

Per comment posted by helblonde below, I have been informed that the pastiche that is the House of Cheerful Monkeys was awarded the Order of the Period Encampment at Investiture. Am fruitlessly trying to suppress an evil idea involving a hanging scroll with blue "Genji clouds" surrounding a green tea house on a white field.....the color scheme is painfully un-aesthetic....

Writer's Block: Goodness gracious

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Every time I've had a flat tire but once, a stranger has stopped to render assistance.

Twice someone in the lane ahead of me has paid my toll just for kicks.

A great many people have indicated that they value my friendship - and I theirs.

That said, without darkness, there is no light. The opposite side of the coin exists. I've been nearly run off the road, socially snubbed, physically assaulted, talked about behind my back, had my property stolen, been sexually harrassed.

Let's just say I have faith in the fundamental human-ness of humankind.