That's it! National Blog Posting Month is complete, and I have successfully posted every day this month (including today with this post). A couple of the mosts were made a couple minutes before midnight, but I did it. I post a lot, anyway, so it wasn't much of a change for me.
Tonight I auditioned for a couple of roles in the Theater Ensemble Arts production of Dear Brutus, written by J. M. Barrie, the author who wrote Peter Pan. It's a wonderful play, and I'm hoping I'm offered a part. Wish me luck!
In honor of my mother staying with us for a while, yesterday her and I went to Durango and took a ride on the D&SNGRR steam engine, which has been in operation since 1882, to Cascade Canyon, Colorado. Visit the Railroad's web site for some fascinating reading about the train's history. It used to haul gold and silver ore from the mines, and now it just hauls people.
During the summer months, the train runs all the way from Durango to Silverton, Colorado (thus the name). During the winter months, the danger of avalanche is too high, so it only runs a little more than halway to Silverton, stopping at Cascade Canyon before heading back. It's a short trip to nowhere, but people take it for the scenary, photography opportunities, and the experience of riding in an actual steam-powered train that was originally built in the 19th Century (although it has been rebuilt and refurbished many times since, of course).
Has nothing to do with the railroad, but I took a picture of this on the way to the railroad. These are the doors to the General Palmer Hotel, a fixture in Durango.
A mural on the side of a building depicting Main Street in Durango as it looked in 1890. There is an unfortunate shadow of a street light post ruining the shot, but you get the idea.
A sculpture of three young horses outside the train station. One of the train cars can be seen in the background.
The front of the station.
A view down the Observation Car, which is an open air car where it's easier to take pictures of the passing scenary. Unfortunately, it was too cold to spend much time in there, though a number of the passengers tried. I went back into it a couple of times, then gave up.
A view down Coach #2, where we were seated. A word of warning if you ride this train: the men's room in Coach #2 doesn't have a lock.
The Durango-Silverton more or less runs along the route of the Animas River. This is a shot I almost didn't get of us crossing the river, with a footbridge in the distance.
I got this picture violating the rules of the Observation Car, which were to keep your all your appendages inside the car. I'm such a rebel.
A couple of slightly blurry pics of another train we passed that had not stood the test of time. It had been left on this side rail to disintegrate over time, but it still looked cool.
A view of one of the many points of rapids along the river. You can also see the ice forming on the rapidly moving water, giving you an idea of how cold it was. No swimming.
A view in the Concession Car, where Mom and I went to get something quick to eat. If you want something hot, it's going to be microwaved, and you have to be rail thin (get it? rail thin?) to work behind that counter, but they had a pretty impressive array of junk food and a full bar, to boot. You could get whatever drink you wanted, and then immediately dump it down the front of your shirt because you're on a train and bouncing around like a human pinball.
Running out of time, but I have many more pictures, so stay tuned.
What's your musical horoscope? (Put your player on shuffle and write down the first 10 songs that come up.)
Veruca Salt, "Born Entertainer", Punk Alternative (Neighborhood only because it's not family-friendly)
Ornette Coleman, "Endless," Clarinet Jazz. (Yes, I know, I'm musically all over the chart)
Covenant, "Edge of Dawn," Euro Power-Techno
Digital Bonzai, "Planet Hip," Instrumental Electronica
Bassic, "Dove," Instrumental Electronica (file couldn't be uploaded, for some reason)
Rachmaninov's Finale, Alla Breve, performed by David Helfgott on the piano
Prince, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," soft rock. (Yes, I'm ashamed.)
Chopin's Prelude #13, performed by Richard Morris
Vangelis, "So Long Ago, So Clear," Electronica with Vocals
Vangelis, "Spiral," Instrumental Electronica (again, couldn't upload)
Okay, considering the wide range of music in my collection, the fact that my random picks were, with the exception of #1, all very mellow, I'm going to assume this means I have calm, yet intellectually stimulating times ahead.
In other news, Mom and I took the Durango-Silverton railroad today up to Cascade Canyon, and I have a lot of pictures. I also have pics I still haven't posted from Telluride. I'll get to them as soon as I can. Peace.
The Lost Room is a Sci-Fi Channel mini-series, which usually doesn't bode well, but my mother, who's here to visit for the week, saw the first part of it and said it was good, and Strix picked up a copy cheap on Black Friday.
After watching all several hours of it, I'll say that it's not only good, but very good, but ultimately dissatisfying. It seems clear by how nothing is tied together at the end of the miniseries that this was meant to be a pilot for a TV series. The loose ends are too purposeful and conspicuous. Still, it's worth watching, I think.
The idea is that something supernatural happened in a hotel room in 1961 that caused all of the objects in the room to take on magical properties. Some of these magical properties are highly useful, and some are not. Combining the objects causes new properties to emerge.
A sizable but secretive number of individuals are seeking the objects, which have become scattered across the U.S. and presumably around the world, to some extent. Two distinct factions exist. One faction wishes to destroy the objects, thinking that they are too dangerous to allow to exist. Considering that the objects are indestructable, it is never explained how they plan on accomplishing this. Another thinks that if they collect all the objects and restore the room, they will be able to communicate with God. There's no explanation as to why they believe this, except that the objects all have mystical powers.
The main character is a police detective, who inadvertantly comes across one of the 100 or so objects, the key to the motel room. The power of the key is that no matter what door you use it to open, it takes you into an alternate-universe version of the motel room, mostly devoid of the objects. Then, willing to be anywhere in the world, opening the door again will lead you to that location, so long as there's a doorway there. The implications are interesting and well explored in the mini-series, which is well-written, well-directed, imaginative, and displays some admirable acting.
My only complaint is that the story isn't complete, and apparently Sci-Fi Channel, in their usual display of stupidity, chose not to pick it up as an ongoing series. Thanks again, Sci-Fi.
Mom (Ladeewolf) and I went to see this today in Durango at the Abbey Theatre. We were the only people in the theater, which was handy because we could talk through the whole thing about how strange it was.
This is an intensely strange movie, with a seemingly directionless plot about three American brothers that are traveling across India, in search of spiritual enlightenment and their mother, who has joined a Catholic convent in the mountains, and whom they haven't seen since before their father's funeral.
All three brothers are socially ill-adapted and seem to be a collection of neuroses. Throw them into a new culture, and watch the wackiness ensue, except that even the wackiness is subdued and seems to be in slow motion (sometimes literally). This isn't a slapstick comedy. It's funny and sad at the same time, and for most of the movie it's hard to say what it is you're supposed to be feeling.
And that's what I like about it.
So, the five people in your neighborhood who have posted most recently show on the side of your Vox page. Recently, I was visiting one of my neighbors, and saw that I was the neighbor who had posted most recently, because I was on top, and Strix was the neighbor who had posted right before me. The result was kind of humorous.
Thinking about moving, but you're just not sure about the neighborhood you'd be moving into? Check out Rotten Neighbor. The site uses google maps to allow people to post information about their neighbors - barking dogs, tall weeds, loud stereos, whatever. It bothers me a little, though - how do we know the information is true? It seems like a great tool for committing libel, if it were used that way.
What are some ways you save money?
Submitted by Pixiemom.
Many ways. I teach it the dangers of smoking and drinking. I teach it safe sex and the benefits of a healthy diet. I then dunk it in water and tell it its sins have been washed away. Simple, really.
My mother is here for the next ten days, visiting, and in honor of her being here we bought the first season of the Heroes TV series. I hadn't seen any of it, yet, but she thought I'd like it. I've just watched the first ten episodes in a row, so suffice it to say I like it. It's the best TV since Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
This New Zealand white was very nice. It was crisp, almost effervescent, and fruity, with strong oak tones and a floral tone.
