no block party here

For the third consecutive week I wonder...why doesn't Dave Chappelle's Block Party make it to Bend? "Check out the movie link" here's just a little taste of what we're missing.

The day after

I consider it my duty to report on the skies for all y'all despite more than an inkling that many do not care.

A lunar eclipse occurred yesterday. It was at 3:35p.m. PST and not visibly noticeable for us here in the northwest parts. However, some believe these eclipses have impact causing abrupt changes.

The only semi-unusual happenings for moi include: getting a door slammed in my face and starting an irrational argument with Mas. It should be noted that the two events are unrelated.

I wonder if any of my readers have news to report. Anonymous postings accepted.

and, he gets away with it!

This P.I. enjoyed "Slate.com"article on Rumsfeld's recent testimony before the Senate appropriations committee. Somehow, his oratory style is the most annoying of all in Bush's cabinet.

Special Announcement

Allow me to interrupt your day with this! Bush on Global Warming on Transbuddha
Three days later--I am not noticing any comments and yet, I believe this link is worthy...Check it Out!

My virtual victory

I was just beginning my indoor running session when HE walked up. He proudly stepped unto the treadmill next to mine. I clicked up the volume on the ipod and began at an easy pace. There was no heavy breathing, I was just striding out, stretching my legs so to speak. I noticed that he was glancing over at my machine. I upped the incline and continued with my warm-up. He increased the incline and the speed and until I could hear the pace of his thuds quickening, drowning out my own.

You want to play? I thought. Alright then, let's play.

I increased my own speed. And then we were off. I focused on the music...good, a gorillaz song...that'll help. I tried to convey confidence. I increased the speed again. Take that! He anted up and we continued stride for thunderous stride. I wondered how much he actually had up his sleeve. There are not too many dedicated treadmill runners that can give it up for more than 30 boring minutes. But I am practiced in the art of going nowhere quickly.

Sure enough, he hit the panic button after five miles. HA! I continued my pace staring ahead. He turned toward me, took a bow and then departed the cardio room quickly.

conversations

ONE

girl: shhh... I'm sneaking.
(jokingly in direction of lift operator)) are you gonna open the summit today?
today's the kind of day that everyone's gonna be asking if their gonna open the summit today.

hmmm... i wonder if they will open the summit today?

their not gonna open it today, i mean, they would have to be blowing right now if they were gonna open it by noon.


guy: i'll just meet you up there.


girl: what?


guy: just go ahead when you can and i'll meet you at the top.


girl: oh...yeah, right.

Que honda?

I'll tell you what's up. Beck is coming to Bend Memorial Day Weekend. That's right. All you guerolitos get ready to have a good time May 27th. Please join me in my wish for a happy-go-lucky, dancin' fool Beck performance like the one I saw back at Bumbershoot the year Princess Diana died. It was a Built to Spill*Beck*Sonic Youth line-up. Beck did a tribute to his granny (it was her birthday)and shook his groove thang in the September sunshine. What a day! Until we biked home from the Seattle Center and discovered that Princess Di was no longer. Talk about a bubble burster. Anyhow, I am elated to hear the skinny scientologist is coming our way. It just keeps getting better in our little bubble.

dude talk

There I was trapped at home, in convalescence. Mas' ski buddy and his buddy were in town. They were here to do two things: drink and ski.

Let me clarify--unlike Bode Miller, their intention was not to do both simultaneously. They simply wanted to spend an evening with spirits and the following day in the pow.

I decided that this would provide the perfect opportunity to engage in some anthropological study of the aging, big Testosterone male. What I feared was being stuck in some sad but real GTI commercial. What I found was that gap between ourselves seems to be diminishing.

Drink of choice: Rock Star energy drink and Crown Royal. I didn't try it so who am I to judge? I prefer Jack Daniels & Coca Cola myself. Call it traditional or call it gross. I have a friend with a "no brown drinks" policy which kind of makes sense.

Favored topics of discussion: Home improvements, investments, action gear and adventure travel.

Although I was in no shape to chit-chat or hang in any substantial way I sat in my quiet corner and responded to their efforts to be inclusive. Fortunately, we had my crazy-nice brand-new mountain bike to discuss. Time and again they wanted to know about specific parts (don't really know about those) or wondered aloud about technicalities I rarely consider.

After a few drinks, I could discern tidbits of stories from the kitchen about bachelor parties, sports injuries, and then whispers of "a blonde and a redhead". Ski buddy #1 was regaling the others with tales of another friend who is even more of a dude because he is bigger and richer. In all justice, the guy used to have a pet tiger so, automatically you might say, he is something.

I got sleepy and said good night. They continued in their reverie but with respect I did not anticipate. The music volume went down and after awhile they too, went to bed. I woke up the next morning and found the kitchen entirely clean. Not a single empty glass, beer bottle, nothing.

Now I have returned home from work and they are gone. I only wonder...how was the snow today?

Gummin' it

Your friendly private eye took extreme measures to find the perfect oscar-viewing venue. Calls were made, arms were twisted and home entertainment centers devised so that yours truly could indulge her bizarre wish to participate in this meaningless ritual.
Forgive me if I offend, for I missed at least a third of the ceremony, but what was that? There was no feast for the eyes, no banquet of delights to be found on ABC Sunday evening. It was the equivalent of a soft foods diet. Everything felt pre-masticated.
The interpretive dance set to "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" seemed like a KIDS Incorporated skit from over a decade ago.



Come on people, you can do a little better than that. Sure, Reese gave a sweet little speech. We all knew that was coming and that it would be perfectly calculated for effect.

I wanted the real deal: a genuine gaffe, drunken speech or something. So, Crash won Best Picture and Jack Nicholson raised his legendary brows. At the end of the ceremony we still wondered aloud, is that all there is?

Locker room phenomenon

Have you experienced this?

You are at the gym during off-peak hours. You select a locker because it is in your favorite spot or, because there is no one else in that aisle and you have adequate sprawl space, or you like to use lucky locker number 8 every time. For whatever reason, there you are, you've made the change and your workout begins.

An hour or so later, you return to the locker room. Sure enough there are others seemingly surrounding your locker. You scan the locker room and notice that all the other rows appear to be empty. In fact, the only other people using the facility happen to have chosen lockers in your aisle. What is this about?

Surely I am not the only one who has noticed this as my locker room cohorts comment on it as we gingerly avoid touching each others belongings and try to condense our piles into one heap allowing room for everyone. I believe it is one of the ways the universe conspires for us to get closer. What do you think?

In case you haven't noticed

There is a new contributor to Seriously Curious investigations. Despite my inclination to control this teeny, tiny space of the world, I'm giving it up. This here is an open invitation to all you aspiring super sleuths...

Perhaps you do not know you are curious about our world...but I believe you are. Listen up! I'm talking to you!

and you...This is an open call to all you wandering wonderers


You are welcome to sign on as a contributor to this site, hosted by yours truly, star detective

is this what you're talking about?

before the thaw

oh the mud thaw snow

so now that the sun has been shining and the days are a little longer i am feeling less uneasy. so i guess that would make me more easy. well... at least it does regarding my outdoor 'tude. just walking the dog is easier, going to a friends house is easier and even going to work is somehow easier. i've been paying particular attention to the what's happenings along tree'd paths near my home and for awhile the lingering snow/ice was getting me down. oh how i wished to see the earth below.

well now that i have my wish i still cannnot be content. why you may ask? well, let's just say it's personal and there's nothing you can do to fix it. unless of course you have a hair dryer with a really long cord i can use. i have now been reminded that the lingering snow/ ice was the only barrier to the newly formed mud slides along the aforementioned trail. but i have decided to no longer let it get me down and have decided to let it slow me down. i will now slow down my pace in the shadowed areas, taking a moment to see what i usually pay little mind. i will make an effort to notice the changes the sun and warmth are bringing. the new colors the new life. while forging a new way around that old mud thaw snow.

For the locals

So excited for the free range film series. The smarty-pants at bendfilm will present flicks that would not have previously made it to our 16-plex. Yee haw! I'm pencilling in tuesday nights at the Tower Theater. Click on bendfilm link for film listings.

Do you care about Academy Awards?

Perhaps it's my competitive nature but, for some reason, I get a mild touch of Oscar fever around this time of year.

Symptoms include:

a delusional belief that the best (insert category) will win

that there is some meaning to the event

that some genuine goodness will be derived from viewing the ceremony.

All I know is, Heath Ledger has my (inconsequential) vote for best actor. Bravo!