Nice Day

Bad Pictures of Sun-drenched Surfboards

     Frank's got a fish, finally! The pictures I took were bad, because I didn't adjust for the direct sunlight shining on it, but the board came out pretty good. Can't wait 'til Frank surfs it, maybe Sunday. And I can't wait 'til I surf it, either.

     Frank, of GraveYard Atlantic fame, did all the artwork for the board. It came out pretty nice, although not enough skulls, in my opinion.

     If I post too many pictures of Henry, too bad. He's the most handsome dog on the planet. Lucky for him he is, or else he'd probably be out of here by now.

Hail Moon!

     Great swell we just had. It felt good to get to the beach super early again, high with hopes of magnificent surf. Sometimes it happened, sometimes not, but it was mostly fun. It also felt good to ache from surfing actual waves again, at least "actual" compared to the swells we've had lately: these waves had some power, especially the first couple days. Now it looks like another coming maybe for next weekend, which is wonderful news. If only I could get ol' Frank's board done before. We'll see...

Ground Cherries and Past Glories

        One of the more interesting things I've grown in the garden this year are those colorful things up there: Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries. These little things fall to the ground when ripe, but they come in a little paper sack that keeps them ripe for up to two weeks. The taste is somewhere between a cherry, a grape, and a sweet cherry tomato. They are delicious and never really make it into any recipes. They look pretty awesome too.

    I have let the garden evolve into a semi-organized, semi-wild state, which I like the looks of. The fact that some things just meander through the garden also makes for some nice surprises, like discovering this volleyball-sized Oh So Sweet! watermelon I didn't realize was growing until two days ago. It's like finding out you have a 1 year old child at home of whom you were previously unaware.

     Kind of like that mini-Simmons hovering back there behind SF 010. Where did it come from? Will it see the light of day? Surprises lurk around every corner! BEWARE!


     Now for the "Past Glories" section referenced in the title of this blog. I hadn't forgotten about this video, but just haven't thought about it in a while until I came across it while transferring files to my new computer. I made it for a film theory class using a flip video camera, and then someone in another class was putting on a film festival-type thing and asked if I had anything I wanted to submit. I added some sound and made up the title and then it showed at the film thing, but, sadly, I wasn't there to take my bow. Starring my lovely wife in the final years of her acting career. Dig it!

It is September,
The month in which I was born;
And I have no thoughts.

-Richard Wright


      September swells are coming. Even though it's not officially Autumn yet, it's starting to feel like it is. The change from Summer to Fall always gets me full of life. SF 010 is on it's way to being done, SF 011 is almost finished being shaped, and there are two more potentially lined up. Prime surfing, cycling, hiking, and pretty much anything-you-can-think-of-to-do-outdoors season is coming up. Hot today, but cooler weather comes (to stay?) tomorrow. Excited.



Pat informed me about this band, which I have since really been enjoying. Some really nice jams here.

Back at it...

     Up until about two weeks ago, I was without a computer of my own for a while because my laptop, which had been with me for about 8 years, finally died (maybe "was killed" would be more correct: it fell off the couch). As a result, I wasn't using the computer much, and as a result of that, I didn't really update this blog at all. But now I've got a new computer (which is like Heaven on Earth compared to my old one), so I figured I better post something on here, before I lose my vast following to another extremely popular blog.
     Also, now I've got something surfboard-making-related to blog about. Above, you'll see Strange Flora 010. It's for Frank, and it's about time he gets himself on a fish and finds out what surfing's all about.

     It's a quad, as seen above, with the dimensions being 5'5 25/32" x 20 3/8" x 2 3/8". I would have preferred it if he wanted something about an inch wider, and with big glass-on keels, but that might be pushing it for ol' Frank. Anyhow, it looks like it will be a really fun board, and it feels really good to be shaping again.

     Also, I'm back at work (after about 3 1/2 months on the DL), which is where this bird visited us. He smashed into a glass slider and was stunned for about 10 minutes, but he eventually got better and flew away.
     Back at work means back to surfing as well, and it's been really, really good to surf again for the last half of the summer. Now, for the real waves of Fall!

The Invincible Eagle! (Fourth of July Made in USA Bonanza and Victory Garden Update)

     As Henry sullenly reflects on all the sacrifices that have been made to make this great nation of ours what it is today, I've decided to take a more lighthearted approach to commemorating this Fourth of July. I realize, on the morning of the Mighty Fourth, that I have not made quite as many "Made in the USA" posts as I intended to, so like any good American, I'm going to clump a bunch of them together to get it over with, so I don't have to do more work.
     Don and I went backpacking a couple weeks ago, and as a result I got to try out some of the made in the USA things I bought before I cut my finger, with the intention of doing a good amount of bike camping and regular camping this spring, but didn't get to until now (at least not in the Great Outdoors). So here:

Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad (Made in Seattle, WA) - This amazing little sleeping pad weighs just 13 oz., rolls up to the size of a 32 oz. (which are also made in the USA), and is a very comfortable (and warm) 2.5 inches thick when inflated. Sure, the self-inflating pads are a little more convenient when it comes to inflating, but the 1-2 minutes it takes to inflate this one is fine with me. Also, you can roll this up inside your sleeping bag stuff sack, inflate it, and it will make a great camp stool.

Wickers Wool Blend T-Shirt and boxer briefs- Wool shirts are generally expensive, and wool shirts made in the USA doubly so, but these Wickers wool blend shirts, which are 50/50 wool/Viscose rayon, and available through Sierra Trading Post, are extremely affordable. STP has different sales all the time, and I think I got mine for about $16. When we were backpacking, we went from flat ground to fairly steep, long climbs in the 85 degree sunshine, and once those climbs began, we were soaked in sweat after about 2 minutes, and when I say soaked I mean soaked. But the wool/rayon blend wicked the sweat away from me, kept me cool, and after the climbs were over, dried very quickly. The shirt also stayed very comfortable for the duration. They also make boxers out of the same material. Wickers wool things are a great deal for doing outdoors things.

Wiggy's Sleeping Bags - Like most made in the USA things, Wiggy's sleeping bags are more expensive than their Chinese counterparts. But Wiggy's has been around forever, they are rugged and durable no-frills bags. They are filled with Lamilite, which supposedly retains its loft forever and will keep you warm even when soaking wet (there are videos of people outside, in the soaking rain, with temps in the mid-30s, who still claim they are warm). I have the Ultra-Light, which is good down to 20 degrees (probably lower), and weighs 3 1/4 pounds. I could never really justify the price of this, which is generally around $140, for the amount or type of camping I do, but I found it very lightly used on ebay for less than half that. The backpacking trip was the first time I used this outside, and I realized, after lugging it for miles, that it was completely unnecessary for the temperature, but it was comfortable to lie upon.

I think that's it for the backpacking and camping stuff, at least that's all I can think of for now.

 One pint in my stomach, 23 pints in the bags, and 26 miles back home to go. It's blueberry season again, and Sunday morning I decided to ride out to Hammonton to pick up two flats of blueberries, which, of course, are made in the USA, and once you get hooked on Jersey blueberries, it's hard, if not impossible, to go back to imported blueberries in the off-season. The price is $15 dollars a flat, which is a little more than last year, but still pretty good. I devoured a pint immediately. More made in USA tie-ins:

Lone Peak H-100 Handlebar bag - (not my bike above, but it's a better picture than I have. Also, the H-100 is the bag in the middle of the bottom) This bag is a great bag. It's got really heavy duty construction, a convenient quick release bracket, tons of room, and has a really classic design. This bag is really all you'd need for most commutes, but when I combine this with the basket on the back of my bike (Wald, also made in USA), I can carry tons of stuff. The one downside is the price has gone up about $10 since I bought mine, but you can find them pretty reasonably priced on ebay lightly used. I also have a H-75 that I may be selling, if any of the two people reading this want to buy it. It's slightly smaller, but not that much and a great bag in its own right. Lone Peak also makes some other great bike bags, all of similarly tough construction.

Jandd Mountaineering Mini Mountain Panniers - Like the penny-pinching, but still economically-domestic minded self that I am, I got these on ebay for the price you'd pay for Chinese panniers of a similar size. They were (and still are) in great shape. I like these because they are smaller than full-size, but still have plenty of room for a lot of applications, plus are expandable to hold even more but retain a smaller size when you don't need it. Plus, they perfectly hold about 10 pints of blueberries each, and more room for other things in the external pouches.

That's all I want to do for this Made in USA section, because I want to get to the beach, go in the made on Earth ocean, lounge in my Chinese beach chair, and catch some made in Outer Space rays.

Now, for the Victory Garden update (it's really just my normal garden, but isn't every garden a Victory Garden today?)

 The square foot gardening method I have adopted keeps things well organized, and allows you to grow a lot in a little space. The tomatoes are growing non-stop this year, some have outgrown the 7-foot-tall trellis already!

 I love growing squash and zucchinis because not only are they delicious, and usually produce a plentiful bounty, but the leaves often grow to near-mutant sizes!

Some cherry tomatoes, which are just about to start ripening, and once ripe, will probably never make it in the house.

Mr. Waltham Butternut in his infancy.

Although this is a Chinese variety of eggplant, I can rest easily knowing that by growing it in the USA in my Victory Garden I have helped to defeat the Red devils on the other side of the world. JUST KIDDING!

 Fifth delicious zucchini almost ready for picking.

I planted two varieties of carrots, one called Danver's, which are traditionally shaped, and one called Paris Market, which are round. Unfortunately, I think these were the former. They still tasted good though.

Chioggia beets. None of my beets got too big, but the nice thing about beets is that even if they completely fail, the greens are still usually plentiful and very delicious when sauteed or steamed, so you still get something out of it.

That's it! Happy Fourth of July! Hooray for American! Down with the Hun! Long live Freedom and Victory forever! May England forever wallow in the filth of defeat and a faded empire! Hoorah!

If these don't make you love our country, then get out (I don't know why someone chose in the first three to have an awesome space photo, other than to imply that the USA is the King of the Universe, and Sousa is its soundtrack!)

Go to the Beach!

  
     If you haven't been in the ocean in a while, get there, because last weekend I was at the beach and the water was perhaps the most beautiful it's ever been, and with this NE wind blowing like it has been, I'll bet it's warmed up another 5 degrees. I'll find out tomorrow. What the ocean have to do with the picture above? Nothing at all, unless you count both the beauty of the ocean and the fully-defined tiny features on that nickel-sized dead bird both as marvels of the natural world. And I do, so here they are together.
     Jeannine and I saw The Avengers on Monday, and it was really fun. I love summer movie season, when all these big, fun movies unleash an onslaught of sensory overload. I really can't wait for Batman. Also, if you are lucky enough to have seen Moonrise Kingdom already, let me know how it was. I bet it's really good.
     
     Speaking of big and fun, the new Japandroids album, "Celebration Rock," is just that. I've listened to it a couple times, and it is some great summertime rock and roll. Really like the song above, "Continuous Thunder," which is the last song on the album. Check it out.

MADE IN THE U.S.A.

    
     In this interview with author Elizabeth Cline on NPR, a fact is mentioned that Americans each spend a smaller percentage of their income on clothing than ever (3%), but are still buying at least one item of clothing a week,  because it's all cheap garbage that falls apart so easily. The general emphasis of the interview, and her book, is that we should buy less, but buy better quality. She says that anyone born after 1980 doesn't know what quality is regarding clothing, and that if you go into a vintage store, you will quickly see the difference in quality in the older clothes. She says that we are basically wearing rags today.
    So buy some American-made clothes, spend a little more money, and get something that will last a lot longer.
     Today, another sock! That's right, Smartwool! While Smartwool doesn't make their clothes and other things in this country, it does make the socks here, which is something. And what socks they are! I got a thin pair of Smartwool socks this past Christmas, and wore them all through the winter, and even though they were thin, my feet were kept warm. And the nice thing about Smartwool socks (or any wool socks for that matter) is that they wick moisture away from your skin, which keeps your feet drier. This is also a benefit for summertime socks, of which I own a couple pair of thin no-show Smartwool socks, because the moisture-wicking keeps your feet from getting clammy and smelly in the heat.
    Now I know that these socks are more money than "normal" socks, but it's worth it. And if you look around for closeouts and stuff like that, you can usually find a pair of Smartwool socks for about $6 or $7 a pair. Even if you have to pay a little more, it's worth it.
    That's all I have to say about this installment of "Made in the U.S.A."
  
     
  

America...the Beautiful!

    Sorry Sorry Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. For someone with an excess of free time, I sure manage to not find enough of it.
    The finger is doing well. Well, it's OK anyway. They may have to cut it again to get full motion, but it doesn't sound like that big a deal. I'm at least able to ride my bike and stuff like that. Just don't know about surfing yet, since the finger is still stiff and seems like a bend the wrong way could cause trouble, and after two months, I figure I can wait a little bit longer. Still, I was in the ocean for a little bit yesterday and today, and there were some decent waves, and it made me a thing like homesick, but sick for the sea instead of home. Seasick, I guess. It'll be nice to surf again when I do. And I probably won't have to wear a wetsuit again until fall.
     Jeannine and Erin had the grand opening of their store School of Vintage yesterday, and it went very well. Thanks to all who came out, and if you didn't, come out now! The store is on the Boulevard in Surf City between 15th and 16th, across from Callahan's (aside: a recent dining experience at that restaurant may be the catalyst to spark the rejuvenation of my esteemed blog I'll Never Go There Again. Stay tuned.) Get there.

    So, it's Memorial Day. The beginning of the Summer season, and of all the wonderful things that come along with it. But the day is also a lot more (see above photo). For the past few months, for one reason or another, it has become increasingly important to me, when looking for a product, to seek out a U.S. manufacturer of that product. This is not just a jingoist pursuit, because if something is made better in Switzerland, I'll buy that thing from the Swiss. But, I feel that during the recession, the country (maybe every country) adopts a pseudo-isolationist point of view. It does make sense that if everyone bought things made in the U.S. instead of things made by our red brothers across the Pacific, the economy would do a bit better. I'm not against international trade, that would be stupid, but the fact of the matter is, while American made stuff may be generally more expensive, it is also generally much better quality than the "equivalent" made in China.
     So, during the patriotic season, which lasts from now to the magnificent 4th of July, I'm going to try to post some of my Made in the USA findings. By no means a definitive list, these are just things that I have a use for. Here we go...

MADE IN THE USA:

Darn Tough Vermont wool socks - Some of you know about my wool-only sweater policy. Well, I've expanded it to other garments. Socks, especially in the cold weather, must be wool. Darn Tough has been making wonderful wool socks in Vermont for 30 years, and so far, the pair I have has lived up to the name. A little more expensive than garbage cotton blend socks you'd buy at Walmart, but I prefer warm feet in the winter as opposed to frostbite. But that's just me.

EXPECT LOTS OF SOUSA!

Classical

     Within the past 6 months or so, I have developed a liking for classical music. It's not that I hated it before, but I just didn't feel it. My previous attitude being that it was more cerebral, whereas other forms of music, rock, jazz, &c., were more emotive, and that's what gets me with music: the almost indescribable "soul" of it, the compounding of human experience, emotion, and other indefinable mysteries coalescing to become these moving works of art. And to me, the music I listened to had that, and classical didn't. It was equatable to a mathematical equation, a sum of parts put together just so to please the old kings, aged queens, pious pontiffs and other ancient patrons of the arts.
      But, of course, that was stupid. Writing a good rock song can be just as formulaic as composing a symphony (albeit the symphony will have a vastly more complex equation), and a classical piece can stem from, and extract, emotions just as deep and strange and human as that favorite piece of contemporary music that grabs your heart and squeezes and doesn't let go, ever. Both types of music can be composed of mind and magic.
      Still, though, classical music doesn't do it for me in the way that the music I've grown with does, and I don't expect it to. I listen to it mostly in the mornings: it's good music to clear your head and think to. It helps keep me calm when driving, something that I find more difficult each time I get behind the wheel. I'll never scour classical record bins or prefer this conductor's treatment of a classical masters opus vs. that conductor's, or be put off by a certain piece being played on not-period-correct instruments, but I like classical music now more than I did before. And if I hear a piece that really gets me or that I think is interesting or fun to listen to, I'll write it down and, if you're lucky, I'll share it here.

P.S. If you get a chance, listen to Towe on Thursdays w/ Teri Towe onWPRB Princeton 103.3 FM, 6-11 AM on Thursdays. His DJing is extremely passionate and entrancing and is almost more of a joy to listen to than the music, but I find he always plays good music, too.



Franz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (1847)- You'll recognize this from 'toons of old. Do today's cartoons introduce children to music that will endure for hundreds of years? Probably not.

Still Ill...

     I hope all of you people with fully-functioning appendages have been enjoying the beautiful weather, while I sit in solitude in my "drug den," as Jeannine has affectionately called the living room since my injury. It's not bad now, but before, when I was on the pain pills and drowsy and all the blinds were closed all day, I'd say her label fit. Now the blinds are open, my bike is set up on the trainer so I can start to get some exercise again, and the sleeping bag is away (well, on it's way to being away. It's tricky impossible to roll up a sleeping bag with one hand). I've been reading more now that the percocet fog has lifted, revisiting Hemingway  (if any one has my copy of The Sun Also Rises, gimme!) and continuing my stay with Raymond Chandler.

     Also, I have been gardening some. In fact, I was just doing that when I came inside to check some planting info out, and in just the few minutes I was inside that monster above (Henry) proceeded to take advantage of the fence being momentarily down, obliterating one whole square of the garden. Casualties: 16 lettuce, 8 spinach, 18 beets, 2 collard greens. Fortunately, they were just little seedlings, but still. What a monster.
     I'm still watching an inordinate amount of movies, too, so here:

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Pretty exciting if you like westerns, which I do, but only good ones. I'll probably watch the new one soon.


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Just watched this last night. It's been a while since I read the book, but from what I remember, this film got it pretty spot on. The story is incredibly heartbreaking and heavy, but not without its many moments of light. This was one of those films where you don't say much after, and just let the credits roll for a few minutes and think.

While the movies I've been watching see to be all over the charts content-wise, there is a theme to some of them, and this fits into the "become more acquainted with Audrey Hepburn movies" category. This may be my favorite so far, but that also might go to Breakfast at Tiffany's. Directed by Billy Wilder; also starring Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.

A classic, but I hadn't seen it in a while and came across it on my netflix queue.

Went to see this in the theatre and was completely blown away, basically because all I knew of it was this trailer, which doesn't begin to touch on what the movie is really about. Woody Allen has come out with a lot of great films the past few years, but this might be my favorite. Just as good on the second viewing, and I kind of want to watch it again. If you don't know anything more about the movie than the information in the above trailer, see it that way and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Quicksilver - 1986 - If a young Kevin Bacon with a tiny mustache as a super-successful 80s Wall Street-type guy doesn't exude smug jerkiness, I don't know who does. Of course, he loses everything, and decides to become a bike messenger. Not a bad movie. Roger Daltry does the theme,"Quicksilver Lightning."

Also, I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie yesterday. I am a huge fan of detective fiction, be it hard-boiled or Golden Age or otherwise, but am ashamed to say that up until now I had never read any Agatha Christie. This novel is, according to some, one of her masterpieces, partly owing to the huge convention-defying twist of an ending. Great, colorful, well-fleshed characters throughout. I'll be reading more Christie, someday.

Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday - 1953 - Starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. About a ago we watched Breakfast at Tiffany's, which was such an excellent movie that it got me wondering why I hadn't watched more Audrey Hepburn films. So now I am.

     I think the content on this blog will be limited because A) I'm not doing much and B) it's annoying to type with one hand. But I will be watching a lot of movies, so I will continue a tradition started in the last entry, and post the trailers.

My Week In Review, or, Ouch! The Musical

     I introduced my finger to the spinning blade of a circular saw on Monday. That's the wound after it was temporarily stitched at the urgent care. It looked quite a bit worse when it happened, but I'm proud to say I didn't pass out the, either.

    That's me yesterday, all prepped for surgery at the Rothman Institute. At one time, I thought the likelihood of me being conscious with an IV in my hand was slim, but now I know.
    The surgery went well, or so I'm told. I was busy time-traveling to three hours after it started, which is when I woke up. Synopsis: Completely severed artery, tendon, and nerve, as well as a nicely nicked bone. Probably won't regain 100% operation, so that may put a damper on future PMMP reunions. Oh well, at least the finger is still on my hand.
     And, of course, waves tomorrow.

Movies I've watched today (in viewing order):
 
Two-Lane Blacktop - Starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, and Warren Oates.


Breaking Away - 1979 cycling film. As mentioned in a previolus post, I have been cycling a lot. I did a fifty mile ride last Thursday, which felt really good and was a really nice milestone to reach, and I've been gearing up to do some bike camping, but I guess that will have to wait.


Triplets of Belleville - If you have never seen it, do yourself favor and see it. If you have, but haven't seen it in a while, do yourself a favor an see it again.
 

Sorry if this seems rambling, my pain medication has just started to take effect, and that combined with one useable hand have made this tough typing. Maybe if I was typing in Dvorak....

Signs of the Times

     Spring is just around the corner, and even though it has felt like Spring for much of the Winter, there are a few things that come the changing of the seasons other than warm weather and sunshine. One of them is ice cream, and the fact that Jeffreeze is opening this Friday makes me so happy I get brainfreeze just thinking about it.

     And I'll be riding my bike there more, to partially (barely) offset the caloric consumption of a gargantuan Jeffreeze small soft serve. Since this winter has been so warm, and we haven't had many waves (up until the last two weeks anyway), I started road-biking a lot. I didn't really decide to, I just kind of suddenly felt like getting into it, and bikes have always been a part of my life, be it BMX or British 3-speeds, or what-have-you, and road riding was the next logical step. I bought the above Nishiki Sebring as a single speed, rode it like that for a bit, discovered the magic of gears (I still really like single-speed riding, and am in the process of setting up another bike for that), and added more stuff along the way. I have been commuting when I can, and nothing makes a work day better, in absence of a good morning swell, than getting an hour's bike ride in beforehand. Also, figured pretty conservatively, I save about 2.30 on gas each way, probably more now that gas has gone up a bit, and that makes it that much better. Of course, we won't talk about the cost of bike parts to a restless tinkerer...

    And despite the lack of surfboard construction recently, I have been surfing some, and here's proof! Every time someone captures me surfing, I'm just going straight on a crumby wave. Someday I'll see what I look like turning or something. Maybe an air...

     I have also been doing lots of prep for gardening this year, whether it be reading about it, working on the garden, or starting seeds. I found a book at the thrift store in the fall, Square Foot Gardening,which has a different method of gardening much better suited to small spaces, as opposed to traditional row-type gardening. I definitely recommend it, and I can't wait to see the results this growing season.

AHHHH! OK HENRY I'LL STOP WRITING NOW!!!!

Jeff Mangum/Music Tapes Philly Show Review

     Since it's a rain day, here's my rambling, less than cohesive, review of the show. 

      We went to the Jeff Mangum/Music Tapes show in Philly the other night. The show was at the Irvine Auditorium (photo above not from that event, but sans the stars in the background, it could have been), which, if you've never been there, is a really cool place to see a show. It was weird seeing Mr. Mangum and the Music Tapes (who opened for him) in a theatre setting, as I have previously only seen them in smaller, seatless venues such as Maxwell's, but after standing at shows forever, it's nice to sit, and our seats were good, even though there didn't seem to be a bad seat in the house.

 

     The Music Tapes (photo above, also not from the show), led by singing saw-loving Julian Koster, were as fun and weird to see as always. The set was a mix of mostly old and some new songs, all of which were good. Koster has a wonderful singing voice, and I feel like that shines through much better during live performances versus albums. He told a great story about a Romanian circus family who passed down there secrets through songs, and proceeded to play one of the songs. Koster creates not only great and unique music, but alternate worlds and universes in which that music dwells. It's always Christmas there. In every performance I've seen of him, he exudes such vast quantities of music and joy that a spectator would be hard pressed to not enjoy the show, even if his music isn't their cup of tea (which I'll admit, it's not for everyone. I bought my Mom a copy of his album The Singing Saw at Christmastime last Christmas, a copy which I now own. I replaced it for her with A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector). A really fun set.
     Jeff Mangum's stage appearance was preceded by five guys carrying one guitar each. This was an acoustic solo performance, and I was surprised to see five guitars. He entered  the stage with a casual wave then began playing. He played most, if not all, of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, some songs from On Avery Island, and some other various songs. No new stuff, though, which I hoped for but didn't expect. Mangum played the songs well. They echoed album versions so closely that you could almost hear the band that would be backing his percussive acoustic strumming. Some of my favorites from the show were songs other than the Aeroplane songs, such as "Engine" and "Little Birds," two songs with almost exactly opposite emotional content.
     He did some songs with the Music Tapes, too, which were really good, but left me yearning to hear other NMH songs, specifically "Ghost" and "King of Carrot Flowers Pts. Two and Three," with a full band playing them. I think that's the only time I'll go see Jeff Mangum again, if it's a full reformation of Neutral Milk Hotel. One can only dream.

A video from the show, another of which can be found at this website, as well as the setlist.

"Rubby Bulbs," one of my favorite NMH songs that wasn't played at the show.

 P.S. This is ostensibly a surf blog, and I finally got a good post-work solo surf on some clean waist high lines the other day. It had been two and a half weeks, the longest I've gone in a long time, and it felt like I hadn't paddled in years. I live for winter surfs like these: lined-up, empty waves. Doesn't need to be big. In fact, I almost prefer smaller, because it brings less people out. It was also nice that it was above 50 degrees after 4 pm at the end of January!

Snow!

     Well, a little anyway. Enough for Henry to love it, and for it to look nice, at least for a little while. Once again, haven't been keeping up with this blog. For the few people who check read this, and for myself, I'll try to keep up on it more.
     I have been slowly making my way through 009, which can be seen in the photo above standing in our dining room lammed, hotcoated, and awaiting sanding, which maybe I'll get to this weekend. It's funny, I find it takes me so much time to begin the next step on a board, and that it sits for a while, but then when I actually start I enjoy it so much I wonder why it took me so long. There's always something going on, I guess. That's just how it goes.
     This is the first board I've done with epoxy, and I have to say I love it. It wets out on the cloth so much easier, especially when you microwave the resin first to heat it up, and as a result it uses less, so weighs less the kind I used (Resin Research Fast) allows plenty of time to work with it. The mixing ratio is always 2:1, no matter what temperature, so it does away with the charts and figuring that comes with traditional poly resin. It has no odor, which means no ventilator, and I can bring it inside to let it cure so I don't have to keep the shop heated. Also, the lack of odor, along with a carefully placed tarp, would allow me to glass in the house, thus saving the money of heating the shop at all, if only I could convince the Missus. It cleans up with vinegar and gojo citrus handcleaner, which puts an end to harmful-for-me solvents. All in all, it's great stuff, and I can't wait to use more of it.

The Mighty Nauga!

     I like the Feelies alot. I first got into them after reading Rick Moody's 1992 novel Garden State, and have since been a fan. However, I often find myself listening to their first album, Crazy Rhythms, and eschewing their sophomore album The Good Earth. I found that record at a thrift store a couple weeks ago (in a lucky record haul that also included the Beatles' Help! soundtrack, Pet Sounds, Led Zeppelin I, Kinks Kronikles, some Mitch Ryder records, and a bunch of other good stuff), and after listening to it I wondered why I haven't more. Also, their new album is pretty good. 

ON A FINAL NOTE, in trying to catch up with all the movies we didn't get to see this past year, we watched Another Earth last night. It was an interesting and well-done science fiction film, but sci-fi in a way that uses the sci-fi element as a backdrop and instigator, a MacGuffin type thing, that drives the very human drama that plays out between the very human characters. More psychological sci-fi than aliens-and-rayguns sci-fi. I would definitely recommend it.