summer solstice bicycle rapture

It totally happened! Or maybe those kids just ran to the backyard and let their bicycles fall where they may. 

I could make an argument for either. 

shortest day/longest night

Happy Solstice! I think it's tonight.. As I ably proved during the full lunar eclipse in August, astronomical time-telling is not exactly INTUITIVE for me. (But I'm pretty sure that the solstice was tonight around 10ish for those of us on the west coast of the united states. Everyone else: I'm sure it's soon, or has happened already. please adjust your celebrations accordingly.) Anyway -- I always love the winter solstice because it means the days start getting longer again -- good news for me here in dark cloudy rainland.

Bird Brain: Today I was thinking about the different birds that I've seen at the park -- mostly crows, although there's one seagull who is constantly crashing the crow party. (hilarious, if you allow that socially awkward seagulls can be hilarious, which I DO.) Occasionally I see small birds of prey (I think they're falcons of some sort -- when they're sitting in the tree they look JUST LIKE the statue of the maltese falcon, except Not A Statue, which I believe is exactly how John James Audubon would have identified birds if only the pop culture of his era had supported it.) This morning I saw about a dozen tiny yellow finches! They were hopping around eating bugs or whatever it is they eat on the ground. They were so small (about the size of my thumb) that at first I thought they were leaves. Very cute, very busy -- a wholly unexpected pleasure to see.

Speaking of the squirrels, I KNEW IT!

In other park news, the Stick of Damocles remains. There is this stick (it is between stick size and limb size) that has been caught in the branches of another tree and hanging over the path for almost a year. It dangles menacingly, although "dangle" doesn't really sound too threatening. The deceptive dangle! We've had huge wind and still it hangs. I've seen other park regulars try to talk the tree-maitenance guys into removing it, but it remains. I'm certain that it is going to fall on my head and kill me instantly. (This has replaced my previous Death Certainty, which was that I would be run over by a car going the wrong way on a one way street the ONE TIME I didn't look both ways before crossing.) The Stick of Damocles was much easier to ignore in the summer when it was hidden by leaves.

As for television (and why not), I loved VH1's top 100 of the 90's. It's cheesy, it's nostalgia for things that are barely over, but it's also what this channel does best: make lists. I love lists! These shows are great to listen to while I work on projects. Some of the talking heads are incredibly lame, some of the comedians are of dubious quality -- I don't think comedy means what they think it means -- but Sir Mix-A-Lot should be on every show they produce. I, of course, have quibbles (how is it possible that Deee-Lite was in the 100-80 section??? They should have been in the top 50 at least! Bootsy Collins, people! astronomical!), but it was almost as fun to be outraged as it was to think "I love that song!" Last night I was having a top 100 related IM with a friend that largely involved me going " OMG! How could I forget about XYZ!!! they're so wonderful/ terrible." A sample exchange:

Her: That one guy always makes me think of gnomes
Me: hee hee hee!
Her: I think you know the one I mean!
Me: the one with the gnome beard?
Her: yes!

(actual answer: Spin Doctors)

here are a couple of videos to celebrate the solstice! or something! First, No Diggity by Blackstreet. I am not a huge fan of modern R&B, but I forgot how crazy I was about this song.



And, of course, Deee-Lite -- so lovely and delicious!