Random Wednesday

more thoughts on the fly

I'm very excited to say that my Ballerina rose is forming little tiny hips so I'll have some to harvest this winter. Like so many people I find miniature things irresistible. Full size rose hips are beautiful and when harvested usually need to be cut in half, stripped of the hairy interior, and then dried. Tiny rose hips can be dried whole. I saw some rose hedges last year, in my old neighborhood, that had formed the tiniest bright red rose hips ever and I almost died from the cute factor. I only picked one (because the hedge clearly belonged to someone) to see how the hip would dry. It dried very well and remained just as cute as ever.

Is it weird that I really miss BBQ Sue? She's been living at the book store downtown and I keep meaning to plot her return. Mannequins are heavy and very awkward so I can't bring her home on a bicycle or scooter. I keep wanting to dress her up in silly scenes around the house.

That totally reminds me to mention that I have been seeing so many more scooters around town. It's awesome! What's even better is that I see a lot of older people driving them. Did any of you know that there is a secret hand wave that scooter riders and motorcycle riders give to each other? I'm sure Vespabelle knows about this. You hold your hand out near your side. It is very low key. Acknowledge your fellow two wheelers, but in a cool and quiet manner befitting the smooth crowd.

Me, I am much too spazzy to handle this mature and smooth move. I have to wave high and smile wide like a raving idiot. Which I admit I kind of am.

When I first started driving my scooter I would forget that you can't remove your right hand from the handle while driving. I would see a neighbor and my right hand would shoot up enthusiastically and my engine would idle. A little embarrassing. I learned not to do that after about fifty embarrassing incidents.

It's cold out. Brrr. I LOVE IT!!!!!

I've been saving a huge pile of socks that are too small for Max now with the plan to reinvent them into a new patchwork sweater for myself. I figure I'll save all the cuffs and toss the worn out curved foot pieces and then serge them all together in a patchwork of knitted blue and black squares and then cut out a sweater when I have enough of them. It could take a while.

I really don't like that Megan character in the Miami CSIs. First of all, I'm constantly aware of the actor trying to project a classicly tightly wound officer type character. The hard bitten female officer archetype. Just like a man, but with breasts and super skinny thighs that appear to bow out in the middle. Partly it's also the costumer who really embraces clothes that make skinny women look hideous. The women's clothes in that show are way worse than the women's clothes in either of the other two CSI series. Megan wore a pair of striped trousers in one episode that kept drawing my attention to her lady-bits. It showed her semi-flat ass in an unflattering light, and just made her look stupid.

The thing I love about women is that often they have the power to mature without attaining a stunted hard bitten personality. A woman can be brilliant, strong, and experienced without having to become brittle and posture like a fool. Men have a much harder time growing in this flexible manner.

This is why I like the Emily Proctor character who is a ballistics expert with a soft southern accent, who isn't afraid to wear braids, but never loses sight of the blood and gore and doesn't flinch when shooting rifles. Dude- she kicks ass!!! No "I'm so stained by the evil in the world I must show you how tough it has made me" type of crap. No need for the cynical exterior.

Have I mentioned how much I dislike cynicism? Oh yes, I think I did recently address this. I have been through quite a lot in my life. I had already been through a lot by the time I was 18 years old. Death, abuse, drugs, cults, racism, bullying, mugging, I had seen all these things up close and personal. I know there was a point where I heard myself trying cynicism on because it's what all my street savvy friends were doing. I realized that it just made people sound stupid. Having experience does not need to rob us of our humanity, or our ability to hope even when there is no reason left to hope, and while sarcasm is always welcome as a stress reliever, cynicism is dull and devoid of laughter.

It was possibly my promise to myself to never allow myself to become cynical that has continually sent the opposite message: one of naivete and newness. Does anyone look at me and guess that I have been attacked in San Francisco at 2am south of Mission? Does anyone look at my body and guess that it has been beat the shit up? Does anyone look at me and see that I know all about erotic asphyxiation? That I have been friends with criminals and prostitutes? Do I look like a person who has sat in rooms with people all falling into the jaws of speed addiction where they fade like shells of bruised skin and bones and their spirits have ceased to be lit?

So when I see characters, real or imagined, who are really tough and need to make sure you know it with every word they say, I think "YOU SUCK!"

And when they are dressed in awful trousers that don't do any favors for their skin and bones bodies? I just want to dress them myself. Being thin doesn't have to look so bad. Being thin isn't in itself isn't so attractive that you can wear anything. That is an enormous fashion myth.

Well, it's time to go cut and grind metal. Have a great Wednesday!


I don't have time for links today. I will add them when I return home.

Most random thought of the day: Rufus Sewell is....there are no adequate words.