Saturday, October 13, 2007

Random thoughts...non sequiturs...ramblings...

So, is it just me--or does the older author Michael Cunningham gets--the more he looks like Michael Palin?

No matter; they're both really amazing and inspirational. Just an observation.

~~

I've been visiting McDonald's lately...not because I have any great love for it, but because I want to take a stab at their big Monopoly game. Pathetic, I know--but what are you gonna do when you're as poor as me, yet with so many goals that require big bucks? Anyway, I order my customary iced tea today, and the girl who rings up my order--who has already struggled for what seems an endless amount of time to find the key for hot fudge during the previous customer's order--makes me think, "mine will be easy for her." But no. She manages to give me a large iced coffee instead--and after having to wipe off the drenched cup (apparently, she can't fill a styrofoam receptacle, either) I literally gag on the first sip. I hate coffee. I can't tell you how much I find the taste disgusting. The two worst things on anyone's breath, in my opinion, is coffee and cigarettes, and I avoid both. It took a literal hour to get the funky aftertaste to go away. Why didn't I notice it was coffee, you ask? Well, I was thinking of sex or something (as was she, apparently--not paying attention to where she was headed with the cup), and you have to admit coffee and tea share the same color, when they're coming from the mass dumping spigots of a place like McDonald's. Perhaps I should stay away and just put my dollar into the lottery, if I'm gonna jettison my earnings into the big vortex of chance. I make better tea, anyway.

~~

All of my new tattoo work is itching so bad, I feel like I have scabies. I always forget between tattoos how annoying the healing process is. Not only did I get the new ouroboros image on my arm, but I had Donald touch up my old sacral tattoo from '91, plus add a little shading to my ankle piece. Jesus, I'm scratching at myself like some homeless person. It has become such an absentminded act that my Metaphysics instructor mistook my grimace while digging away at my arm during class as frustration over a particularly complicated explanation of the bundle theory. Eeyah, I'll be glad when these things heal and I can relax.

~~

Valerian Root=bad for Alexandra. I've gotten into a habit of staying up really late to study (or just to toss and turn with insomnia), and then coming home after school (on the days I'm not working) to sleep for a couple of hours. This has, of course, created a vicious cycle, and I'm exhausted during the day. The other night, I remembered I had purchased some Valerian Root that was on sale last year in anticipation of the insomnia I have when I'm under stress. I took it at about 2 in the morning, and woke up in a cold sweat at 5 am, after just having a series of dreams that were beyond disturbing. It was if I was in some sort of Lovecraftian otherworld, where the walls were made of flesh that exuded macabre organ music that somehow had a scent, and all the inhabitants were chittering, psychologically threatening entities. During those terrified moments in the dark, I recalled I had read somewhere that Valerian sometimes causes bad dreams in some people.

Yeah, no shit. Guess I'll pass on the next dose.

~~

I know it's no longer cool to like Bruce Springsteen, but I find merit in his work. Plus, his politics are awesome. I just ripped The Rising and am currently listening to it. His writing is very simple, but it's very good:

"Lonesome Day"

Baby, once I thought I knew
Everything I needed to know about you
Your sweet whisper, your tender touch
But I didn't really know that much
Joke's on me, well it's gonna be okay
If I can just get through this lonesome day
Lonesome day

Hell's brewin' dark sun's on the rise
This storm'll blow through by and by
House is on fire, viper's in the grass
A little revenge and this too shall pass
This too shall pass, yeah I'm gonna pray
Right now all I got's this lonesome day
Lonesome day

It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright

Better ask questions before you shoot
Deceit and betrayals bitter fruit
It's hard to swallow, come time to pay
That taste on your tongue don't easily slip away

Let kingdom come I'm gonna find my way
Yeah through this lonesome day
Lonesome day
Lonesome day
Lonesome day

It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
Yeah
It's alright it's alright

Lonesome day
Lonesome day
Lonesome day

~~

I find Leonard Nimoy's voice incredibly soothing. Perhaps it's all of the early childhood viewings of Star Trek and In Search Of... that have wormed their way into my brain to create some sort of subconscious response, but the timbre of his voice is so incredibly peaceful to me. I've been watching a bunch of episodes of A&E Mysteries that he narrated, and I just feel so good, afterward. I want him to record all of my reading assignments.

9 comments:

Steven said...

Since when is it not cool to like Bruce Springsteen? I like listening to his music and hopefully I will be able to go and see one of his concerts one day. You do have some really random thoughts but that is okay because I think everyone has those kinds of days. care for some Valerian root?:D Try Lavendar instead, I hear it is good for stress.

Alexandra Scarborough (Sasha) said...

>Since when is it not cool to like Bruce Springsteen?

I dunno, since the early 90s? But, as I said, I like his work too, particularly his later stuff. "Brilliant Disguise" is one of my favorite songs to sing in karaoke, but no places around here seem to have it.

>You do have some really random thoughts but that is okay because I think everyone has those kinds of days.

Well, my random thoughts occur 24/7, so okay or not, I'll keep posting 'em.

>Try Lavendar instead

I believe lavender can't be ingested, but I do use it blended in with bath salts and stuff. It is definitely good for relaxation. I'm looking to try Melatonin again for my insomnia. I recall that working pretty well in the past.

Thanks for the comments!

Anonymous said...

I seem to recall that back during the early to mid 90s, Nimoy was doing some sort of radio programs centered on various kind of Judaica, like reading folktales and Sholom Aleichem and stuff like that. Those were pretty cool.

Anonymous said...

In no apparent order:

* I think Bruce is back in. I'll check with the Hipster Gods of Silver Lake, but I'm pretty sure you're covered. And while we're quoting lyrics, have you ever heard Nebraska? Some serious Johnny Cash shit not even Dick Cheney could mess with:

I saw her standin' on her front lawn just twirlin' her baton

Me and her went for a ride sir and ten innocent people died

From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska with a sawed off .410 on my lap

Through to the badlands of Wyoming I killed everything in my path

I can't say that I'm sorry for the things that we done

At least for a little while sir me and her we had us some fun

The jury brought in a guilty verdict and the judge he sentenced me to death

Midnight in a prison storeroom with leather straps across my chest

Sheriff when the man pulls that switch sir and snaps my poor head back

You make sure my pretty baby is sittin' right there on my lap

They declared me unfit to live said into that great void my soul'd be hurled

They wanted to know why I did what I did

Well sir I guess there's just a meanness in this world

- - -

Go, Bruce. Anyway, sorry to hear about the Valerian root. Data point of one, but a friend who had bad experiences with Valerian also had issues with Melatonin, so you might wanna watch that, too.

Grats on the tattoo, and when you hit the Monopoly jackpot, come visit LA. I'll have real tea waiting.

Alexandra Scarborough (Sasha) said...

Da 'bro:

I am aware of those, actually, but had forgotten about them! I heard pieces of them on KPCC or KCRW in Los Angeles a couple of years ago. I'll have to look and see if those are available on disc and listen to them, fully.

Cormac:

Nice to see you back in my sphere--I've missed ya! Also good to hear the hipsters think Bruce is Boss again; I guess I haven't become completely irrelevant, according to them. And yes, Nebraska is a thing of beauty. Great, great album.

Looks like I may be back in early '08 to pick up my crap from storage. I expect a pot of jasmine green tea to be waiting for me. :)

Anonymous said...

Back in the sphere? I never left. What kind of a stalker would I be then? As for tea, we can do better than jasmine. There's some good gyokuro asahi out this way. Unless you actually do want jasmine, of course, in which case we can take a trip out to Ten Ren in Chinatown.

Alexandra Scarborough (Sasha) said...

Damn, you know your teas. And how to stalk successfully without being detected. :)

Steven said...

Have you heard his song "Radio Nowhere" from his new album? I've been listening to it all week among some of his other albums. I think his music just resonates with those of us in the 30's to 50's. I include the upper number because my mom and one of my uncles also enjoy listening to his music. :D

Alexandra Scarborough (Sasha) said...

I haven't heard that song, but I was aware of a new album. I have to play catch-up, because I haven't even listened to Devils and Dust, yet.

Seeing him live would be cool.