2011. Space Odyssey.

The year is saying goodbye tonight, and the world looks back in reflection on 2011.  I don't get too nutso over things like this.  I think I've already done a lot of that lately, anyway.  But it's worth noting that 2011 was one of the best and worst years of my entire life.  This was a year of pondering psychological and emotional anthropology.  Of awareness and mystery.  This year tested the limits of my patience and endurance in many ways, and I'm happy to say that I still haven't found their end.

I'm thirty years old, and I'm still discovering things that delight me every day, and I still believe in the goodness of people despite their shortcomings, and mine.  If next year is anything like this year, it's gonna be a rough ride, but if I can come away from it with what I just wrote, I'll be happy as ever.

Peace and love.

And all the other sappy stuff.

Here we go, Day 139: https://ia600801.us.archive.org/3/items/Improv123111/12_31_117_11Pm.mp3

Goodbyes.

The ride from the farm to the airport was a little mixed.  It was a good three hours with just sister talk.  It's been a while since that's happened.

Although I was bummed that I didn't get to see my folks at all this Christmas (except via Skype), the alternative several days at the farm have been pretty amazing, in a very calm and relaxed sort of way.  When I told Ana we only had one sleep left together last night, she said, "Awwww-wwww..." the way little kids do.  And today she looked very sad as I held my arms out for a big hug.  It's hard to leave my sister's family, as it is always hard to leave my parents every time they drive me to the airport.  I am so far removed from that Minnesota life when I'm in New York, it's hard to even put my finger on all the things I'm missing.  But it doesn't really matter if I can't quantify it.  It's my family, and it's hard to be away.

Maybe it was that knowledge that made me all weepy when natural disaster came up, and I told Joy about a letter I had received this past August from one of Lyra's biggest Vermonter supporters about the devastation following the hurricane.  I couldn't even finish the story without stopping to take a big gulp of air.  And then I had to go and tell her the plot to Madame Butterfly.  I just can't get through the end of it without crying.  I'm not even talking music... I'm talking synopsis.  When my roommate long ago read it to me for the first time, I started sobbing like a baby.  Which led to a memory of seeing La Boheme at the Met with both Akiko and my sister.  At the end, when the lights went up, we were all in tears, feeling "nobody look at me!!"

Ah.  Goodbyes.  They're pretty much the hardest thing ever.  Physically I make myself turn around and walk in the opposite direction, because for the most part, it must be done.  But emotionally, I don't know if I've ever said goodbye to anyone and meant it.

Well, maybe once.  More on that... em... never.

Here we go, Day 138: https://ia600804.us.archive.org/8/items/Improv123011/12_30_118_08Pm.mp3

Raw milk.

I derive pleasure from many things, but one of my favorites on the farm is raw milk.  Nothing quite like it.  I'm currently sitting back, relaxing, while the children are asleep, sipping a delicious stove-top hot chocolate with a wonderful base of creamy raw milk.  I love the singed taste that is hinted in the background, begotten from cooking the milk on the stove itself.  None of that microwave business.  It is one of the best hot chocolates I've ever had, if I do say so myself.  Not quite as decadent as my recent Italian hot cocoa from Eataly, but still very tasty indeed.  ;-)  I'm sure part of it is the surrounding experience: my sister, brother-in-law and I, all conglomerating in the living room in front of a toasty fire, enjoying our last evening together, sounds of sawing wood seeping out from the kids' room.

Here we go, Day 137: https://ia600806.us.archive.org/4/items/Improv122911/12_29_118_42Pm.mp3

Castle.

The knight is a jerk.  I wanted to put the whole story on here, but that would've taken a long time with the bandwidth at the farm.  It took two hours, in fact, just to upload one scene.  There was also the king trying to save the queen (oh, and he put the knight in jail, by the way,) and the king getting eaten by the dragon, and the blue townsman saving the queen.  Stick around for the sequel.  Especially if I can get dolls that have moveable eyebrows and mouths.

Here we go, Day 136: https://ia700807.us.archive.org/30/items/Improv122811/12_28_115_22Pm.mp3

Hot toddy.

My nieces and nephew are unbelievably cute.  And hilarious.

Now that they're all asleep, I might skip a long blog entry and play with the toy castle they got for Christmas.  It has a dragon... and a dungeon.

And happy birthday, Dad.  :)  

Here we go, Day 135: https://ia600801.us.archive.org/33/items/Improv122711/12_27_119_52Pm.mp3

Gatsby.

I love antique shops.  I could spend hours and hours in a good one, and lose myself to time.

Today found a few treasures... an art deco (I love art deco) thermostat (yeah, I just wanted it for the cool clock face, but I'll probably end up using it as a bookend, unless I can wire it for batteries), a pretty sweet 1907 windup alarm clock that still works, and the piece de resistance (I wish I knew the shortcuts for accents), a 1931 Victrola portable phonograph player that still works.  I got a few phonographs, as well, lest I have nothing to play on my new toy.  It was $44, and money well spent, if only for the wide-eyed, gape-mouthed expression I must've made when it produced its first crooning tones for us.  SO COOL!  I couldn't have left without it.

And then, just moments later, some random young guy wandered into the store, saw what we were oohing and ahhing over, and began to tell us all kinds of things about the machine.  A remarkable twist of serendipitous fabric, he turned out to know pretty much everything about phonographs... Edison vs. Victrola, steel needles vs. Tungs-tone, 45s vs. 78s, etc, etc.  He went on and on... from the felt being made out of mohair, to the springs inside being about 30 feet long, and covered in graphite.  Anyway,  I now have a personal expert to help me out whenever I have a question about my new, old turntable.

I love the sound of this thing.  Got me some Heifitz, some Bizet, a one-step, a two-step, a couple fox trots, a blues, and a handful of other fun little gems.  Can't wait to give it a good crank, and sit back in my chair with a chilled martini in hand.  I don't really drink martinis, but I'll do it once or twice for effect... pretend that F. Scott Fitzgerald is over for cocktails or something.

And I now have a frame of reference for that sound they put in movies of a record dying, and then being wound back up.  You know that sound I'm talking about?

Here we go, Day 134: https://ia600801.us.archive.org/4/items/Improv122611/12_26_118_05Pm.mp3

Three kings.

It's really fun to watch little kids open presents on Christmas morning.  Exhausting, too, but really fun.

As usual, there's a lot I'd love to write.  Actually, there are a lot of pictures I'd want to post, but the internet connection is on the slow side right now (unbearably so, in fact), so those will have to wait until another time.

But, the sunrise was beautiful (my observance of which was aided by the promise of Santa's visit), the sunset was truly breathtaking, and after dark, we were able to see the glow of Minneapolis against the clouds, even at 160 miles away.  And then, into the night, Orion, his belt, and yonder Sirius, were clear as could be... almost like if we were to make the journey, we would reach that brilliant star.  It twinkled with such intensity, and almost touched the cresting horizon.  I wanted to stare at it for hours, but it was just a bit too cold, and the fireplace was beckoning.

Here we go, Day 133: https://ia700803.us.archive.org/25/items/Improv122511/12_25_117_54Pm.mp3