658.2.

Late start, couldn't sleep last night.

"Bring It On," aimed at teens, was not a bad movie for what it was (a movie about cheerleaders attempting to win a national competition). There were some humorous moments, and the ending was not entirely expected. A simple four- or five-star rating system doesn't really cut it for me: movies must be taken in context. The "Scream" movies, for example, are among the best in their niche, while certainly NOT the best in the "all-movies" basket. Of teen-highschool-cheerleader-moral-dilemma films, this one rates four out of five. I found myself wishing, often, that they never tried to get serious about the star (Kirsten Dunst) love-interests OR the underprivileged inner-city cheerleader competitors. I found myself wishing said inner-city cheerleaders would just kick the crap out of Dunst and her palefaced friends. On the other hand, I really liked the "cheerleader love song," and the competition provided the whole point of the film. It wasn't "Election," but it was mostly watchable.

Pair of red-shouldered hawks today in a tree on Skillman. Are they still mating? Guess it makes sense, depending on gestation period... Noticeably more traffic an hour later than my usual time on my route...

Legs tired... must... rest...

650.5.

Shamelessly took the car in yesterday, because otherwise I wouldn't've come in at all. That was an amazing cold: hit like a ton'o'bricks Tuesday; I slept pretty much straight from 2pm to 7am Tuesday/wednesday, and again slept quite a bit wednesday afternoon/evening, and it's all but gone today. Still feel some effects, but felt well enough to bike in to work, and that's saying something.

Got pictures from earlier photo-ride, so anyone crazy enough to read this will be able to see some of what I'm talking about. My usual thumbnail grid - for a brief description of an image, hover over a thumbnail with the mouse pointer. Think I'll add a(n image-)map and other navigation later.

Surprised what appeared to be a duck and a pheasant taking a bath together in the roadside ditch this morning -- and they surprised me, too! Flew straight up and across about 6 ft in front of me. I guess if they mate, you get a phuck. <groan>

642.9.

Snow on Sonoma Mountain last night and this morning! They got 3.5" up in Ukiah - most since like 1922. Estimate the snow line at 1000' or lower, though the local newspaper says 1500. Maybe the base of the mountain is already at 500, 600'.

I think I may be getting another cold. Really hackin' and wheezin' this morning, after not enough sleep...

Weird movie "Jupiter's Wife" last night, about this NYC homeless woman, and this filmmaker guy who got to know her and started to track down her history. Interesting partly because she was at one time somewhat in the public eye, so he was able to find TV and newsreel footage from her earlier life (e.g. as the first female horse-drawn-carriage driver in Central Park), and piece together some of it. *** out of *****, because she's pretty annoying in her current state (and so's the producer/narrator), but it was thought-provoking... And at least partly confirmed something I always suspected - that the ranting of the homeless is based on real people and events; they mythologize their lives. And that irksome little knowing "mystic" smile while one spouts apparent gibberish, is indeed knowing, but it's no big cosmic mystery, just their everyday crap, twisted via aliasing and anthropomorphism. Gotta tell ya, I've had to deal with crazies in the street before; this filmmaker found a rare harmless one, and thus (I think) got a pretty inaccurate portrait of homelessness in general.

Funny though, in a later "True Hollywood Story" on Mackenzie Phillips, her dad "Papa" John Phillips, had the exact same post-too-much-LSD ramble and mumble...

So from my night of video and TV viewing, I have no more sympathy than before for (a) the crazy homeless or (b) the crazy rich.

Man. Feeling crappier by the minute here. Well, I'm already here, and not much difference between bike ride home now and bike ride home eight hours hence.

635.3.

Clothing was indeed still damp. Rode into town Friday for "beers" with ex-coworkers. Intermittent sprinkles as I explored beyond the new bike path (which is great for avoiding K-Mart and the McDowell/Washington traffic, but is not clearly marked where it turns off the erstwhile maintenance road, which becomes a rut next to a creek before fizzling out altogether), hefted the bike and myself over the fence, and tried generally to get to the downtown bike shop without being on major vehicle routes.

Got a rear fender, which is not noticeable except for the fact that I now have no Team Brown racing stripe up my back. And now of course I'm noticing the spray from the FRONT wheel.

Still had an hour to kill, so went to Red Devil Records, where the guy graciously (but nervously) allowed me to bring the bike inside while I browsed. However, he's got this near-life-size cardboard stand-up of Blondie, which he says is worth $500, but he props right near the front door. My rear tire accidentally touched it at one point. I felt very bad about it, and you shouldn't have a bike in a record shop, etc., but jeeze, I wouldn't prop anything that valuable right by the front door... I mean, knowing how clumsy people are (even without bikes), and knowing that in a good storm the wind could blow the rain right in there, I'd put it at the back.

I never liked Blondie much. Mostly image, not much ground (though perhaps some wind, haw haw) broken there (as compared to others of the mid-70s NY punk era).

Understand, I really like the store and the guy is cool. He knows my tastes somewhat, and has cogent recommendations for me that are often right on target. I consider it worthwhile to pay retail prices SOMETIMES for (a) supporting a cool local business, and (b) that personal touch. He also knows a bit of what I already have, thus almost talked me out of inadvertently buying a second copy of "No Teaser" (12th of the great "Teen Shutdown" series...), which, when I got home I found that I indeed already had it.

Anyway, got a boot of the Jam "BBC sessions" - second Jam bootleg, but really how can you have too much of this great neo-Mod band? Right when the Who were starting to suck, along comes the Jam with some great great albums (recommended: "The Gift" and "Setting Sons," though all are pretty good).

Rain off and on all weekend, but this morning I somehow again dodged a soaking. It's gonna get me good at some point here.

Hmm, best get to shower/coffee/work.