2005...some thoughts

Some meandering thoughts:

Greatest Moment of 2005: Walkig through the Louvre and just thinking, I did it, I'm in Europe. Nice ot be able to realize a dream.

Best Concerts of 2005:

REM in London - Standing outside in the freezing ass cold for hours and being crushed made me appreciate assigned seating, but you couldn't beat the energy. A great time talking with some good people while waiting for the show.

REM in Paris - Not as energetic as London, but damn good show and once again, a great group of people to hang out with.

The Decemberists at the Henry Fonda - Such a joy to watch a group that encourages the audience to have fun with them.

Wilco - Greek Theater - Great venue, nice crowd and good group of friends enjoying the show. The Roots was a very different, yet enjoyable opener.

Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne - Wiltern - Rachael is a favorite, she has a great personality on stage and her raw style makes for great live show. LaMontagne started slow for me, a lot of ballads in a row, but when he cranked it up it was amazing. Great bluesy style.

The Quiet - My fav unsigned band who always put on a damn good show, in fact they put on a more entertaining show than most signed bands I've seen. They deserve success.

KROQ Inland Invasion - I love buffets and having the variety such as Arcade Fire, Garbage, Madness, Weezer, 311, The Bravery etc made for a very satisfying show.

Most surreal moment: Watching Super Bowl in Paris and hearing commentary in French. I swear I heard an ooh la la in there after a good run.

Favorite Meal: Schnitzel and Veltins beer in Germany in celebration of Dunja's father's birthday. Great stuff, good time.

Surreal Moment 2: Watching the girls in the windows of Amsterdam's Red Light District (and yes I didn't touch, just observed)

Well maybe more thoughts later, but in honor of some of my posts from last winter... Gerald has got the heat really going and I'm about ready to pass out.

Family History

When I was back in Florida I picked up on some more history of my Mom's side of the family from my Uncle as we were going through tons of old photos.

I found out for the first time that my Grandmother was married before she met Grandpa. Apparently she had married someone "above her station" and his family didn't approve so she eventually got divorced.

I knew my grandfather had been married before and he got divorced because she had been cheating on him. I never knew the essential detail. Apparently Grandpa found out she was sleeping around and he cooked up a plan with his brother Jiggs. Jiggs' real name was Cleon, so about anything was better than that but I digress. Grandpa has Jiggs go over to his house while he is out and, Jiggs apparently has little trouble sleeping with Grandpa's wife. Voila, you can't get any better proof than that and they get divorced. Grandpa would tell me "She was rotten to the core(Corps) but she was good to the Army and Navy."

Books of 2005

I have some favorite books I have read in the past year. No particular order

1. Devil in the White City (Erik Larson) - A delight for me the history major. A highly readable, entertaining look at two men with grand designs in Chicago, 1897. One, the driving force behind Chicago's hosting of the World's Exposition a monumental undertaking. The other, one of America's most successful Serial Killers ever. The story Larson paints really brings the era to life and really invests you with the parallel stories.

2. The Song of Fire and Ice series (George R. R. Martin)- Set in an imaginary world that is much like medieval Europe with a touch of magic thrown in. Martin excels in twists and turns brought on by the schemings of the multitude of noble houses in his books. It can be hard to remember how all of these characters fit together but it is worthwile. I've never read a series that has less concern for eliminating major characters and making secondary characters primary in a heartbeat. Rich in history and background and beaucoup sex and violence. 4 books down (3 more?) to go

3. The Harry Potter books - I finally started to read the series and I love them. The world Rowling has created is lively and clever. A pleasure to read, it's good for the imagination. 5 Books down, 2 to go

My 2005: Favorite Movies

2005 May have not done well in terms of total box office, but there were several movies that stood above the top choices in previous years.

1. Batman Begins - The best comic book movie I've seen. No hokey gimmicks here, no nipples on the Batsuit. The more adult tone and real attempt to recreate the Batman mythos from ground up was welcomed

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - As the kids get older the movies just seem to get better. Deeper characters and motivations, darker themes just added to the usual entertaining visuals and top notch cast.

3. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - Ever since I saw a Grand Day Out at an animation festival I have loved these two. As Nick Parks' budget and expertise has grown the movies continue to entertain. Parks' gift for the sight gag and perfectly choreographed mayhem just shows what a talent he is. Animation never looked so good.

4. Sin City - I'm a sucker for Frank Miller's work, and this was a great idea that came off well. The look of it worked perfect, keeping the mood but putting a slicker look than Miller's trademark rough artwork. Mickey Rourke as Marv was one of my favorite bits of casting for the year.

5. Serenity - A TV show that got ignored gets a great treatment into a fairly ignored movie, both undeservedly. Very familiar and accessible environments while keeping the ideas fresh.

Special Mention:

The Aristocrats - The hardest I have laughed in a movies for ages. Never have molestation, mutilation and dozens of other unspeakable acts been more entertaining

King King - The big guy looked great. If they would have shit canned the stampede scene and shortened a couple of others it would have been even better

Unreconstructed Southerners

When I was in Florida I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that had the Confederate Flag on it and the words that said something to the effect of "If this offends you try taking a history class"

Let me think, what that history class might tell me. That flag is the symbol of a breakaway group of rebellious states who tried to tear apart my country because things weren't going their way politically and just maybe someone might tinker with the growth of their antiquated way of life by actually not allowing the expansion of slavery into new territories. Not even really talking emancipating the slaves, nope.. just not allowing in new States as if it were their God given right.

So, Robert E. Lee the XXV, pardon me if I don't see your point of few, you stupid boiled peanut eating, 5 cars on blocks in front of your trailer house living, Lost Cause loving fuckhead. I don't want to hear shit about fighting for your rights or Northern agression, you fucking morons decided that you didn't want your little way of life disrupted so you tried to tear apart what your considerable smarter forefathers created. Although things were much more left to the individual states then, plenty of people from the North spent blood and capital to make the whole country great and that includes the South.

Thank God I know plenty of Southerners who actually have a outlook not rooted in misplaced joy of old times not forgotten. Time to catch up with the rest of us folks.

WORD

Sorry, to my readers.. all 5-6 of you. I turned on Word Verification for comments. I stil love to see comments (whenever I actually write) but I get spammed now and then. The latest by this stupid asshole running some blog called Juicy Fruit. So, hopefully you all will still comment and I will actually write. Going to do the requisite End of Year list soon.

Happy Birthday Mom

Mom would have been 63 today as it is Jan 5th on the East Coast.

We've been going through Mom's stuff. She was just like her mother, kept everything. She had a bunch of my school projects from elementary school, Valentine's Day cards I got then as well.. all kinds of shit. I am shipping back to my home tons of pictures she had. It will be fun going through them. The one of me from about 1974 in the electric blue pant/vest combo with the matching bow tie is a personal favorite. The polyester shirt with the funky pattern was a great match as well. The picture of my dad with the white tux that had black lapels and his yellow ruffled shirt was a another sartorial masterpiece.

At least I got to watch a wild football game tonight.. USC's defense sucked a Texas sized donkey. Fucking Trojans, pissed off was a change of pace I wasn't quite looking for.

Open house and service at Mom and Paul's house tonight. Not looking forward to it, so many of the people who plan to show are from the neighborhood and barely know Mom since they haven't lived here a long time. Oh well, Mom made friends fast. Everyone liked Mom.

Goodbye Mom

On January 2nd 2006, my Mother, Myrna Engler passed away from pneumonia. She had been weak from cancer treatment. I was able to get there in time before her sedation became so heavy she was out completely. She couldn't talk but she could see me and hold my hand to let me know she knew I was there supporting her. I went from talking to her, thanking her for my Christmas presents and telling her about what I picked up on sale the day after Christmas to saying goodbye in less than a week. I would have given anything to have here around for just a little while longer.

I still have a hard time thinking that was Mom in the hospital, silent. I talked to Mom a couple of times a week, keeping track on how we were doing and what was new. Restaurants, what moveis were good.. even the mundane was typical, we just enjoyed keeping in touch. She was the one I could always count on being there for me and she understood me better than anyone. Now I can hardly stand to talk to anyone about her without losing it. I know it will get better but it's going to take some doing.

The great maxim is life isn't fair. I was just starting to turn some aspects of my life around and was looking forward to things being better. Mom always said she was proud of me but she would have even been better.

You left too soon Mom. I was planning to come to come to Florida for Christmas next year, we hadn't spent Christmas together for too long. Jenifer and Donnie are going to probably try to start a family soon, if anyone would have been an ideal grandmother it was you. You and Paul were going to go to Paris and also spend a holiday weekend at the Biltmore. You were supposed to be there crying at my wedding when I finallly met the right woman. I thought you were going to be there for a lot more of our lives, in person. You will always be there in spirit, but damn it that isn't enough. It looks like there will always be a missing piece now. When something great happens now it will no longer be an automatic who I call first to share the good news.

There are millions of other things to say, but I don't know what else to say. I'm tired.

Goodbye Mom, I love you and I'm going to miss you.

Steven