Troubled authors...

The Last Unicorn remains one of my best-loved books, since a favorite English teacher in high school gave me a copy. By turns, touching, tragic and humorous (how could it not be, with a clumsy wizard named Schmendrick), I loved the language and all the little cultural references for the time it was written the author tossed in - which I wonder if younger readers today even catch. I don't think I've seen the movie since it was in the theaters; it stuck to the book's plot pretty well. However, I had a different picture in my head for the characters, it took itself far more seriously than the book, and the animation of the unicorn's movement seemed awkward (I remember thinking, hadn't the animators gone and watched some horses, deer, or goats, even?), so I wasn't quite satisfied with it. I wasn't quite as forgiving of differences between movie and book then as I am now.

I'm on a mailing list for Brobdingnagian Bards, a Celtic music group that plays primarily in Texas. Never actually seen/heard them in person, but they give out free bumper stickers that say Real Men Wear Kilts and mp3s of their work with their newsletters, so I'm on their list. I swear I will actually by some of their CDs at some point, I promise. However, I was kind of surprised to see something about one of my favorite authors in their newsletter.

( About Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn... )

Troubled authors...

The Last Unicorn remains one of my best-loved books, since a favorite English teacher in high school gave me a copy. By turns, touching, tragic and humorous (how could it not be, with a clumsy wizard named Schmendrick), I loved the language and all the little cultural references for the time it was written the author tossed in - which I wonder if younger readers today even catch. I don't think I've seen the movie since it was in the theaters; it stuck to the book's plot pretty well. However, I had a different picture in my head for the characters, it took itself far more seriously than the book, and the animation of the unicorn's movement seemed awkward (I remember thinking, hadn't the animators gone and watched some horses, deer, or goats, even?), so I wasn't quite satisfied with it. I wasn't quite as forgiving of differences between movie and book then as I am now.

I'm on a mailing list for Brobdingnagian Bards, a Celtic music group that plays primarily in Texas. Never actually seen/heard them in person, but they give out free bumper stickers that say Real Men Wear Kilts and mp3s of their work with their newsletters, so I'm on their list. I swear I will actually by some of their CDs at some point, I promise. However, I was kind of surprised to see something about one of my favorite authors in their newsletter.

( About Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn... )

Wind and fog...

Extremely heavy fog this morning, so thick I could barely make out the streetlights on Main St, the next street over. It had rolled in last night before John had run to the store, and he told me he was glad I was taking the bus this morning. When I reached my transfer point, it was sunny, but I could look to the south and see a fog bank running parallel to the 22 freeway to the south.

Oddly enough, by the time I reached the office, I noticed a streak of red haze in the sky streaming from the east towards the ocean. Coworkers told me a wildfire is burning in the Anaheim Hills. As of now the sky looks really awful, and there are ashes dropping from it. Santa Anas are definitely blowing again, and I phoned home and told John today would be a good day to stay home and keep the windows closed. He's been fighting a chest cold all weekend, and definitely doesn't need smoke setting his asthma off on top of it.

It just seems weird - from so foggy the ground is wet and water dripping from the trees to smoke and desert winds within a few hours.

Edit: VT is getting a little concerned because the fire is fairly close to her house and still out of control.

Wind and fog...

Extremely heavy fog this morning, so thick I could barely make out the streetlights on Main St, the next street over. It had rolled in last night before John had run to the store, and he told me he was glad I was taking the bus this morning. When I reached my transfer point, it was sunny, but I could look to the south and see a fog bank running parallel to the 22 freeway to the south.

Oddly enough, by the time I reached the office, I noticed a streak of red haze in the sky streaming from the east towards the ocean. Coworkers told me a wildfire is burning in the Anaheim Hills. As of now the sky looks really awful, and there are ashes dropping from it. Santa Anas are definitely blowing again, and I phoned home and told John today would be a good day to stay home and keep the windows closed. He's been fighting a chest cold all weekend, and definitely doesn't need smoke setting his asthma off on top of it.

It just seems weird - from so foggy the ground is wet and water dripping from the trees to smoke and desert winds within a few hours.

Edit: VT is getting a little concerned because the fire is fairly close to her house and still out of control.

Surveyish thingie

( Cut for the sensitive... )

Surveyish thingie

( Cut for the sensitive... )