I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

August 01, 2016 - 10:42 a.m.

No Fuss and Feathers But There Is Camping Gear

I'm finishing up listening to Hamilton as I start writing this. Will that inspire me? These pages will tell.

Falcon Ridge starts Thursday. Brianne and I have done The Budgiedome prep but I had not started gathering my Falcon Ridge supplies together. Yesterday I went over to oh damn, what did I call them here? The Three-Eyed-Raven? The wonderful people that put me up when I lost my apartment. Most of my stuff is still at their home including my camping gear. Yesterday Jane drove me over there. My friends weren't home but their nanny and their kids were. I love their kids. Joe played with them while I went into the deepest darkest crawl space to get my things. The problem with a crawl space is that you have to crawl. The floor is concrete and I was wearing shorts so that was hard on my knees. I ended up crouching instead of crawling much of the time. I had put my things in boxes and labeled them. The biggest box was for the camping gear. I thought I knew where it was, the back. I got back there, found what I thought was the right box and it said, "Winter is Coming." That's winter gear! Pretty much the opposite of what I wanted. I double checked every other box then went back to it. It was the only box that was large enough and there I saw it also said, "Camping." I hate being an idiot. I got that out, my camping gear, my "Sumer is Icumen" box, and my camp chair. Damn I hope my headlight is in there. I also don't know where my flashlight is. Damn. I should have checked what was in my bin. I'm an idiot. Oh well. Today I'll take everything out and assess the situation. I hate being an idiot.

Last night I went to see No Fuss and Feathers at Rockwood Music Hall. Hamilton is over and I'm listening to their appearance on John Platt's Sunday Supper from last week. I was out and missed that and had trouble hearing the archives till now.

The show was at 7:30 and doors at 7:00. I decided to get there at 6:30 and take advantage that they will usually let me in before doors at Rockwood to grab the table Fred and I usually sit at. Because the subway is so screwed up on the weekends It took me to 6:45. I knew that might happen. I was a bit surprised to find the band upstairs. My plan was to go down before doors open and hang with them. But I hung with them upstairs. Then at 6:55 I went down to grab a table for me and Fred who I was surprised wasn't upstairs waiting to go down yet. I got downstairs and found the room full and Fred had saved me a seat at not our usual table. I had the time wrong by half an hour. Why? I'm an idiot. Fortunately, I'm an idiot that likes to get places early so I was there right on time.

This was another gathering of the tribe, just as at Honor's show Coco and Bruce were at the next table. The Bobtown girls, Jen, Katherine, and Karen were right behind us. I didn’t notice that till after the show as I rushed to my seat when I realized it was almost show time. I did hear Katherine's laugh so I knew she was in the room and not far behind me. Allison and Joe were there. So it was so many of the same people I had just seen on Thursday. I like having a tribe.

No Fuss and Feathers is the supergroup of Karyn Oliver, Carolann Solebello, and the YaYas. They joined forces during the Chicks with Dip Blue Project and found that they loved playing together. First it was in the round shows but it evolved into a band. It's a harmony trio with Jay providing guitar, percussion, and comic relief. Oh right, I need one more level of unpacking. The YaYas are Catherine Miles and Jay Mafale (ma-fahl-ee). There are four people in it yet people will refer to them as a trio. It must be the new math.

So what do you get from NFF? You get songwriting from three songwriters with different styles. You get intense harmonies, and you get the feeling that you are watching the gang hanging out in Seinfeld's living room. Except they are a lot nicer than the Seinfeld characters. There is a lot of silliness. Most of the songs are not silly, they are beautiful. It's not a word I usually use to describe the overall feel of music but with them it's true. I could get fancy and say euphonic but it's not just the sound, it's the meaning of the songs. Sone hare haunting, some are funny, some are melancholic, but they are all beautiful.

I was a bit surprised there was not more hanging out after the show. I bid my adieus to everyone than Katherine and I walked over to the though this time we went in opposite directions.

Notice that I didn’t' mention eating. I hadn't eaten just in case we decided to grab something after the show. I ate a later and simple dinner when I got home, peanut butter on a bagel. There is really not much that I enjoy more than that. I'm reliving the experience now. I'm glad I can do that.

I had a scare on the bus the other day. I was looking at my phone which means I have to take my glasses off. I put the on top of my baseball cap. As the bus approached the subway station I put my bag on and knocked my glasses off. I can't see without my glasses. I felt around on the floor and couldn't find them. I broke down and asked the young couple across from me, "I'm literally blind without my glasses can you help me? They came up with the useful "They are over there." I said where? They said, "there" Ugh. I really wanted one of them to get up and pick them up since I really couldn't see a thing. Finally, someone sitting a few rows back got them from me. It was more than me being blind. They had fallen on the other side of a divider. They were not in my field of view. I got them just in time to get off the bus at my stop.

Today I'm going to buy more bagels and go through Falcon Ridge things to see what I have. That's hard for me. It gives me anxiety and lethargy. I'm going to have to force myself to do it. I had hoped the meds would eliminate this but they haven't. Thinking about that just gave me anxiety. I need to focus on Falcon Ridge, that's my reward.


I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile August 01, 2016
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