So, I hear this clicking sound while driving the Blue Devil today. Upon investigation… I find this.
Apparently hardware and fasteners abound on the streets of da Big NO. Now I’ll have to spend money that I don’t have.
Archive for the ‘life in da Big NO’ Category
Pretty, eh?
22
Apr
Well, this burst of wildflower bloomage on the side of the homestead is the result of 2 things. 1. The unusual (but welcomed) amount of rain in da Big NO area this season. 2. The fact that I haven’t taken the weedwacker to it in a while. Of course I’m not doing it today either because… well, it’s going to rain again today.
In other news…
I am retooling my half of “Pho For The Soul” as soon as I have finished this posting. Sure, I could do the same show I did 4 years ago but I’m not one to rest on doing the same old (or my laurels) where my work is concerned.
The challenge here is to sync up the work to the rhythms in my present life. It is a fact that our rhythms change. I’m doing what I’m doing simply because I want the piece to be fresh with me. The biggest challenge really is not so much in restructuring it but to do so and still keep a sense of spontaneity to it.
BTW… if you are coming to the show… the venue only seats 50 so get your tickets early. You can buy them online @ our page on Brown Paper Tickets. Unless you are planning to attend one of the Pay What You Want Thursday shows… which are also First Come First Served… so get there early.
This will be my first time on stage in 4 years. Those of you who know me know that being on stage is not one of my favorite things to do. Yet, this is a show that only I can do. So I am going into it with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
Anyway, on with the retooling. Hope you are all having a good Thursday.
UPDATE: I’ve just submitted an article at Fresno Famous. YOU CAN READ IT HERE.
It’s the people
24
Feb
Now that some of the “how great/how it sucks” punting on Da Big NO has settled a little let me put my 2 cents in. Yeah, we do have some fun/great amenities and events here… but our biggest strength in my humble opinion which hasn’t really been expounded on … are the people.
Sure, there is diversity in languages spoken, economic classes, etc… but there is a definite “Fresno charm” with the folk around these here parts. This is not just with the movers and shakers but also with the sit-on-the couch variety.
Canadian performer, Nile Seguin once shared his take on Fresno when he spent a week here as, “that quirky kid who sat at the back of the class… who you always thought was weird in school… but who turned out to be really, really cool!”
I guess that speaks (at least to me) on so many levels. Yeah, the rest of the class are going to write you off until they grow up (enough) to get past the externals (and the superficial) to discover you’ve always had more substance in your little finger than they’ve ever had as a gaggle. What makes it even more prominent is that you are still so unassuming about it. See, that’s the charm.
Sure, the city is still split upon the “can do” and the “no can do” line… but we all live, love and work here as best we can. Some attempt to make it better… and succeed. Others are complacent to be naysayers… that’s OK too. It is that continual push and pull that keeps us all alive and striving. Yeah, I am saying that even the naysayers in their heart of hearts are striving for better… in their own strange way.
And that in my estimation is part of our unique quirky charm. We strive and surprise… that to me is and has always been the essence of Fresno.
(picture source: archop.org)
EDIT: Thanks to The Fresnan for including this blog on This List.
people of Fresno don’t know…
19
Jan
… how to drive in wet weather. (BTW,,, we even got a tornado warning in the afternoon.) Just yesterday I was out and about and on 7 occasions drivers gunned through the red lights at traffic intersections. On 2 of those it was a good thing I was practicing “defensive driving” (slowing down to stop at the sight of a yellow light) or I could have been involved in an ugly wreck. It is actually pretty ridiculous. It almost seems with (the uncommon occurrence of) rain falling, a combination of panic and wild excitement takes over a major portion of the driving population. The streets of this city then become the venue for “Death Wish 2010″. So, being out and about now is only exercised on a “really need to” basis only.
………………..
In other news:
Me and a couple of friends are conducting sort of a media watch on when the story of Haiti will cool off. The colective opinion seems to put it at “top story level” at least until the end of the week. After that there will be “special segments” for 2 more then fade into oblivion.
I was remarking the other day that the closest we (being mankind) ever come to the idea of “world peace” or at least an active “lets get along” attitude is when a momentous catastrophe occurs. Though once the story dies in the media we tend to return to our fighting ways.
Anyway, on with the day.
EDIT: Here is a reminder of what is happening in Haiti.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
another quirk…
15
Dec
… about hang drying laundry is that it takes 2 days to get things dry… especially if there are “heavier” clothes involved. Plus, if there is an overcast sky due to a high fog one has to wait for that to clear for the sun to peek through. How different it is in the Summer when the clothes on the line dries within an hour of being on the line. Yes, it is true… I do like stating the obvious. LOL!
Speaking of the obvious, sad news in the papers today… the MET may be closing. As soon as January the reports say. I do have mixed feelings about this simply because I worked there in a different lifetime. It is a valuable resource, etc but part of the folly here was the recently completed renovation. (That is another thing I have mixed feelings about.) I think it was originally budgeted at $10 million and ended up costing $27 million. Plus that “folly” happened long before the present economic downturn.
Don’t get me wrong… I am all for improvements and such. It is just a fact that when something is budgeted… the longer one waits to move on it the more expensive it is going to cost. (Have we not already seen enough instances of this in the recent past? Hello!) Perhaps proposed budgets should (be mandatory to) include projected costs increases over time when originally created. The law of realism (which I just made up) states that the longer one drags one’s ass the more it’s gonna cost… and that is even in the best of times. OK… so, I’ve taken the management to task there but there is enough blame to spread around.
Anyway, we can only hope for the best now… whatever that may be. Obviously no help (or effort) will come from the apathetic or those who voice disdain for anything Fresno… as evidenced by some of the comments in the original article. To them I could say “shit or get off the pot” but those folk are actually both shitting in and on the city they reside in. Conclusion: There seems to be quite a few who like living in their own shit.
laundry is done and hung…
14
Dec
… on this nice sunny day here in da Big NO. In fact, I may even take the rather huge pile of bedding etc down to the laundromat with the mondo washers and just spend the rest of it fluffing and folding. The only thing about sun drying this time of the year is the “shadow factor” necessitating the constant moving of the drying rack so that the sun catches it. A small price to pay for dry laundry.
It was a busy but fun weekend. Most of Saturday was spent as a slug. The wet weather decided that for me. Though I did venture out in the evening. First to the grill where I ran into some of the Rogue krewe then to the White Rice Christmas show. (BTW I hear the run is extended with a 2:30 and 7:30 shows on the 19th… so you still have a chance to catch it.) I was back by 9 and in bed by 10.
Sunday was taken up with kitchen and bathroom cleaning. The lovely Joy had invited folk over for a Christmas Tree Trimming shindig and we both felt strongly about presenting the facade of a house that is not in disarray. Mission accomplished… for the most part. Plus it did force us to do more sorting, etc. There is still more to do… but at least part of that mountain has been chipped away.
I then tore myself away from the trimming party to go to dinner at a friend’s. Good company, food, and conversation was just what the doctor ordered to end the weekend nicely. I was home by 10 and in bed soon after.
Yeah, I’ve been hitting the sack early of late… but that seems what the season calls for… at least for me. Hope you had a good one and the week ahead is a stellar one for you.
BTW… don’t be thrown off if I change the template to this blog yet once again. Just in search for a new look… for a new mood.
EDIT: I also came across this over the weekend and have been laughing my ass off. Enjoy.
it’s cold tonight.
08
Dec
We’re talking down to the bone cold. It’s slated to be 27F. Look, I understand that most of you in other parts of the country are going to scoff with one of those … “you think that’s cold?” Remember, this is central CA… da Big NO. For here it’s cold. For a bit (earlier in the day) there was actually a “snow watch” in these here parts. That happens like once in 10 or 15 years.
UPDATE: The Next Morning
Yep, looks like Mr. Frosty paid us a visit last night. These were taken this morning.
EDIT: The frozen Japanese Maple leaves on the roof of the Blue Devil trying to be ice sculptures.
the weather has turned finally…
07
Dec
… in the Big NO. Yep, the sunny cool days have been replaced by the overcast, wet and dank around these parts… yeah, lets not forget cold. I’m not complaining as long as the sun is allowed to peek out every now and then.
I rather enjoy seasonal weather. Makes me look at things in a different way. Especially the street that I live on. When conditions are the same day in and day out one has a tendency to take the view for granted. Around these parts the the irony is that certain aspects actually come into sharper focus when the street is obscured by the seasonal fog. At least, I think so. (Yeah, I’m funny that way too.)
In other news… the move is complete. OK, at least all of the furniture, etc is in the house. The lovely Joy announced to me a couple of days ago that “the nesting” will commence this week. Cool.
Anyway, that’s my life at the moment. On with the various tasks at hand.
* Image from THIS site.
a lot and nothing…
17
Nov
… or so it seems today.
I did start a facebook group on the historic service station in my neighborhood. (Join if you like… Russ Clements historical gas station.) Why? Because of THIS. I’ll state for the record that I like the place and the business that runs out of there. Anyway, here are some pics of the place I took and posted on my blog a while ago.
my weekend, eh?
26
Oct
Well, it all started with a returned phone call Friday afternoon. I had agreed to be a judge at the annual Pooch Parade. (See previous post for more pics.) Canines of all stripes and sizes turned up. It was really a very fun event with dogs and their masters/mistresses dressed up for the occasion.
Then that evening I turned up for the Dark Desires show at the Starline. Now, there was some trepidation that a show of this ilk may not fly in the berg of NO. (Especially after THIS recent controversy over public art.) But the house was packed and everyone seemed to have a bloody good time. (pun intended.)
Here are some pictures with the Theater of the Vampires hanging out amongst the crowd (looking for unsuspecting victims no doubt) before the show. Also included a couple of shots of the show (last 2 pics)… at least the 2 that I can post here.
After spending the Saturday hanging with pooches and bloodsuckers… Sunday was dedicated to recovery time. How was your weekend?
