MEAT

This guy is on a mission to document his adventures in weird meat. I realize that I am culturally influenced into a barf reflex when i read his blog and see some of the pictures, but there's something about putting a creature in your mouth that's trying to bite you back that just doesn't appeal to me. Rus, on the other hand, thinks it's very cool. I am quite proud to say though that I was able to eat rotten shark meat in Iceland and he wasn't. HA! 2 points for me.

A book about books...

The author, an avid book reader, challenged herself to read one book a week for a year; not always an easy task for someone who is a mother and a full-time job-holder. This is a sort of diary of that year. I'm just in January but it is a surprisingly good read. I know it sounds horribly boring; reading about someone who is reading, but I have enjoyed it so far. I can relate to her and her frustrations and experiences. I like that she doesn't think she's a highbrow intellect or literary elitist. So this book sits by my bedside this week, along with squarefoot gardening and mexico guidebooks. I had been in a reading rut, where everything I picked up either irritated or bored me, until I got more interested in nonfiction and realized that I'm just heading into a nonfiction phase. I guess that means I don't need or want to escape the real world as much??

better than the zoo

We toured the pet stores in lethbridge with our kids yesterday. It made us too late for a wedding dinner and we missed out on the food and comradie, but we were having so much fun. One of our daughters was literally shaking with excitement at the mice scurrying in their cages. It's better than the zoo in some ways because it's free and you can cuddle the rabbits and let the birds hang out on your arm. Too bad Rus exudes something that makes animals aggressive. He was bit by a furious little albino hedgehog!

The Dorking Gap Affair!

I came across this book and just loved the title, in my head I had some good ole poking fun at the Gap kind of fun:
"The Dorking Gap Affair"

Turns out that it's actually some kind of "Mycroft Holmes Adventure" novel. Mycroft Holmes is Sherlock Holmes' brilliant older brother, apparently. Who knew?
So say the title with an English accent and maybe it will make sense.

pride and prejudice chick

i saw the new pride & prejudice. i liked it (even kierra knightly). the book (and the movie) is one of those impossible love stories that guys might find cheesy, but every woman secretly wishes for. who wouldnt want a loving family with a pile of sisters to support you. who wouldnt want to spend their days perfecting their artistic talents, in a mansion with servants to do the dirty work. who wouldnt want a lonley troubled millionaire to fall desperately in love you. especially one with the phattest side burns ever.

Rooftop Gardens

I have always loved this concept. What a great use of space. Just imagine a world where every flat-roofed building had a garden on top.

griffin and sabine

I finished the rest of the 6-logy... hexlogy... hexology... whatever. The trilogy in six parts (see post below titled "the end"). I think my brow was furrowed in agitated concentration the whole time. It took a lot of effort to stay focused on the story. The interaction between Griffin and Sabine became more intense,complicated, and mystical as another couple, Matthew and Isabella was added to the correspondence. I can't say that the story itself would stand on its own, as it was fairly ambiguous and confusing at times. It was the illustrations and the presentation that brought it to life. My imagination was exercised to the limit, which was agitating at times (hence the agitated confusion), but ultimately good for that part of my brain that has become lazy. phew! I'm reading something a little more obvious next.

The Concert

I´m still at loss for words over the Depeche Mode concert last weekend in Copenhagen. I admit that I have not been to many big concerts so I don´t have a lot of comparison but this one was just fabulous.

I did not take these pictures I got them of http://depechemode.com but they are from this tour. The stage was fantastic and Dave Gahan is just a maniac. The crowd just responds beautifully to him. I was not close to the stage but I could see it very clearly from the side and I saw the screens well and I had a wonderfull time watching the crowd interact with the band.

They started with songs from Playing the Angel
which I´ve come to like very much, and then
moved on to older songs, I got chills all over my body when they started "Walking in my shoes" which has not even been one of my favorite songs. The crowd (including me) went wild during predictable songs like "Personal Jesus" "Never let me down again" and "Behind the wheel"and "enjoy the silence" and ofcourse they where amazing.

The high point for me though was after the first encore when Martin Gore performed "Shake the disese" acommpanied only by keyboard.

He was so incredable, it was like he put his heart and soul into it. I´ve never seen or heard anything like it. He is just an incredable preformer.

Music just is not the same when played live, I had epiphany about the meaning of some lyrics at this concert and before you ask, I have not been taking any drugs.

They closed with a beautiful rendering of "Goodnight lovers" after 3 encours

The bottom line, best concert I´ve ever been to
magnificent band I might quit my job and follow them around. It´s all your fault Rus if you hadn´t given me that "Construction time again" tape I would still be sane.

I think this might be close to the order of the songs

> Intro> A Pain That I'm Used To> John The Revelator> A Question Of Time> Policy Of Truth> Precious> Walking In My Shoes> Suffer Well> Damaged People> Home> I Want It All> The Sinner In Me> I Feel You> World In My Eyes> Personal Jesus> Enjoy The Silence
encore> Shake The Disease> Just Can't Get Enough> Everything Counts
encore #2 Behind The Wheel> Never Let Me Down Again>
encore #3 Goodnight Lovers