Skyliner

Some great skies lately.

Have you looked up?

The Quadriceps Cities

It's time to Bix7 once again!

My 14th consecutive race.

After getting our race stuff, I persuaded the Momster to wander into the

park to see Tuba Skinny, a jazz group out of New Orleans.

They were in town for a newish day-long music festival called

The Height of the Era. It generally features music of the early 20th century.

See that sky.

Storm's a-brewin. The puffy clouds told me so.

Tuba Skinny got through about half of their set before they were stopped on

account of threatening weather. Wind, lots of rain. 

Still, I enjoyed the half set they did get to play.

On the walk back to our car, we experienced a wind gust that blew sand and grit

straight into our faces. I was picking sand out of my face all night.

I got to hang out with this cute dog before the race.

You never know what you'll see along the Bix7 racecourse.

Like this determined and rhythmic tuba player!

I rounded out my Barbenheimer experience and snagged the last seat for the

7pm showing of Barbie.

I liked it. It isn't a children's movie, so if you're expecting that, you're gonna be disappointed.

Thinking about the commentary around this movie, I gotta say that some folks

are either willfully clueless or genuinely dense.

It's satire, clearly.

And if some of the film seems a bit over the top, it's because it has to 

convey a lot of information in an hour and forty minute runtime.

Unfortunately, folks don't always pick up on subtlety and nuance when you need them to,

so it is sometimes necessary to club them over the head with The Bombastic Hammer.

It has definite feminist themes, which I'm just fine with, thankyouverymuch.

But in the end, the point it's making is that men and women should both 

have opportunities to be themselves. Barbie should have the chance

to not be a stereotype, and Ken should be able to be his own person,

not simply an accessory to Barbie. 

It isn't Barbie and Ken, it's Barbie and it's Ken.

The patriarchy sucks and an extreme in the opposite direction sucks too.

Also, it's okay for Kens to cry. Barbie said so.

Anyway, the next day, after the obligatory yardwork, 

I took myself to the Figge Art Museum, to catch the last

of the free admission days.

I greatly enjoyed the current Haitian exhibit.

Edouard Duval Carrie: Endless Flight

From the Figge's website:

"The central wall of the altarpiece, echoing the architecture of a Catholic church, is accompanied by seven sculptural assemblages. These sculptures are in the form of ships and carts, and carry figures and symbols associated with Voudou spirits like Baron Samedi—the father of the spirits of the dead, and Erzulie Dantor —the goddess of love, motherhood, and vengeance. These vessels refer to the historical migration of colonists and enslaved Africans to Haiti, as well as the modern migration of Haitians fleeing their country due to political turmoil and poverty."

Also on exhibit is Charles M. Schulz and his Peanuts characters.

I remember reading a few books of Peanuts cartoons when I was

a kid. I liked them, but Peanuts never grabbed me like it

has some other folks. I'm a casual fan, I guess.

Still, the exhibit is a fascinating look at the timeline of the characters he

created, how they evolved, and what they are now. Looking at the

hand drawn strips, with corrections and editor marks, are a

good window into his creative process.

I hate to waste summer hours, because I'm so miserable in the winter doldrums,

so I went out again later that night to catch Genesius Guild's production

of Aristophanes's The Wasps. Just as Shakespeare is best experienced

with live actors, Greek plays are so much more enjoyable on stage.

This play is very funny, with some cutting social commentary that

resonates in our modern world.

And the wasp puppets were adorable.

Before I ripped them out...

...and after I replaced them!

By myself, thankyouverymuch.

I'm certainly far from professional, or even very well-equipped, but

I did manage to complete this project without too much drama.

Tearing out the old steps was the hardest part, actually.

I had to go to the hardware store and get a pry-bar to help me

muscle them apart.

Then it was just a matter of putting the pieces together.

I plan to paint them, but was advised to let the wood

dry out a bit before doing so.

For this year's Bix Jazz Festival, you would have found me assisting the

saxophone section of the Bix Memorial Youth Band.

Holding down the 2nd Alto chair, and covering the

Benny Goodman clarinet solos. :-)

And then I was summoned to a local Lutheran church for a jazz service to round out 

the jazzy weekend.

Felt good to give my Red Clarinet a good workout.

Less than 20 days to my big adventure.

Putting together the healthy-traveler kit.

Malaria pills, antibiotics, upset stomach meds, SPF, bug repellent,

hydration tablets, pain meds, contact solution.

House sitter is arranged (Screaming Pines will not be left abandoned)

The Bird and Turtle will be looked after.

Flights booked. 

(The outbound booked twice because one

of my flights was cancelled by the airline and I had to make

some quick re-arrangements) 

Just some final details about what to keep in my bags and

what do leave at home, and I'll be off!

However, there are several fun things left on the calendar before I depart.

I'm sure you'll hear all about it!