A year back, I commented on the trend of Man Buns - which still have not made a positive impact on me. Lately the annoyance has been the burly beards of the Lumberjack look. Myself, I'd be thrilled to retain my full head of hair.
I found a fabulous photo archive of Men's hair styles in the early 1970's that took me down memory lane. And they were BIG! It talked about how they were Romantic in the Gothic sense, going back to Edwardian England. Imposed on the flower power era, that became the essence of an epic Quentin Collins in Dark Shadows. Big sideburns, over the ears and mullet down the back. I saw a Tom Jones video clip this week and had to stop the frame to see if it was indeed a hair-do and not an actual wig. Women had bouffants, but the men were not far behind. Add facial hair and you look like the Woolly Man magnet games. Here is a gallery of some doozies. They say that style is cyclical.... Enjoy.
There are few flowers as lovely as vines of lovely purple wisteria hanging from a trellis, patio or gazebo. I have friends who have tried to cultivate them here in MN. But whether harsh winters or humid lake temps, they just do not thrive here. Most things here tend to grow upwards rather than cascading down.
A year back I was in Amsterdam where the tulips & bulbs were the show-stealers, But there was also an abundance of lovely Wisteria on ancient doorways and hidden in alleys. Last week I found an article about two amazing floral gardens in Japan. One is Ashikaga Flower Park outside of Tokyo.It will feature more than 350 wisteria trees in full bloom during this
year’s Great Wisteria Festival from April 15 to May 22. Even the nighttime display under lights is ethereal. The other is in a distant city of Kawachi where they have the Fujien Wisteria Garden with ticketed admission from April 22 to May 7. There are tunnels and arcades just dripping in literal Purple Rain. Putting this on the bucket list, but it has to be perfectly timed for these late spring weeks of April and May.
I have not, and will likely never jump on the bandwagon of craft beers. I am good with a simple Mich Gold on ice during a hot summer day, or maybe an Illusive Traveler - a tutti frutti malt beverage - if I can find it on a happy hour menu. Craft cocktails are great, if you can afford them. Wines are always fun to explore. But sometimes I am met with disappointment on opening the wrong bottle that just didn't hit the mark and then having to finish an entire litre of acidic grapes. I am a freak that still grabs the Bartle's & Jayme's from the back of the grocery store for a guilty pleasure.
But when it comes to soda pop, I am all in. I'm a Pespi guy over Coke. And anything with artificial sweeteners in it, just curdles in my mouth. Sugar rush for me. But I tend to gravitate to the unusual flavors; like a Mug rootbeer or a Vernor's ginger ale. A childish pilgrimage for me is heading West out to Jim's Apple Farms where I can explore their massive coolers of small-batch pops. Everything from Grape to Creamsicle. When I get the occasional horrible concoction, it is only a few sips lost and then you move onto the next.
On a recent flight out East, I was taken by a feature in the magazine that pointed out a new website called Five Star Sodas by So Hearn and Zach Slaight. It is basically a blog listing of any possible small batch soda in the US. They target mom and pop shops that have a Regional following. Boot's Coconut Cream Soda - "imagine a pina colada with notes of pie crust." Root's Soda Kaleidoscope - "like a fruit punch with balsamic vinegar, but so much better than it sounds." The possibilities are endless. The web page sorts them in knowing categories like Citrus, Colas, Fruits, Root Beers....... The art direction of the photos themselves deserves mention. Each explicit review starts with the History of the product as well as where to find it. Then the taste buds are highlighted in Nose, Taste, Finish and finally a rating. It is a slick, informative and playful way to experience the wonder that is soda pop. Check it out!
Five Star Soda
I love travel but hate the aspect of flying. Most of my early travel for drum corps and summer camps was via a Greyhound bus. But as a young adult, I lived for that lift off and always wanted a window seat to see the fading skylines and the clouds close enough to touch.
As I've gotten older the charm has worn thin. Some people think of airports as a hive of activity, but I view them as a hub and a means of getting from one place to the other. Security check points, baggage claim, and terminals connected by shuttles and trams bog me down. And I tend to have lousy luck with with the airlines themselves. I argue about this often with friends of mine who work in the industry. I understand that in any business there are complications that come up - And with air travel there are a plethora of variable like weather and mechanical issues that arise. Not to mention the millions that travel through the skies on a daily basis. It is not a foolproof situation.
However - it is not chump change we are paying for said services. I am more forgiving of a shut down on the light rail where I have only invested 2$. Any flight is going to set me back at least $250. For that price, I assume to be treated with respect at least. I have spent Christmas night sleeping on a cot in an airport so that a flight crew could rest in a comfy hotel while on furlough. Luggage that is lost for 3 days. A recent "experience" on #American had us on a scavenger hunt @ O'Hare going between 5 gates and 3 terminal wings trying to track down the plane. None of us was told by a gate agent; it was cell phone technology and working as a team that got us to boarding the flight 3 hour later. And I was one of those forced "bumped" passengers on said flight - because the airline had rebooked my original itinerary from Philly to Chicago - in an ideal world I should not have even set foot in Chicago. For weight restrictions! If they can't hold enough weight for all the seats, put less of them on the plane! No apologies issued there.
Not sure what vacant customer service agent I am particularity bitching to, but all the recent viral blasts against airlines certainly struck a note with me. Let's get back to some ethical treatment and basic service for the fees we are paying for. Fly the Friendly Skies - my ASS
Although I have fond memories of my formative years in Erie, the PA city on the lake; this town is a magnet for all things bizarre. This is everything from the wacky weather that rolls in off the lake to the odd trailer parks that populate the lovely landscape that should be serene pastures.
With the latest installment being the suicide of Facebook murderer Steve Stephens at a Harborcreek McDonalds - the legacy continues. Even his name has quirk written all over it - like a bad porn moniker. And that the whole fiasco played out in a drive-thru window waiting on an order of french fries. Nothing grand and complex like our own Andrew Cunanan/ Versace murders that took Minneapolis by storm decades back. Just today Wayne Kozak was arrested for killing his own mother in Buffalo - he was found hibernating in an Erie hotel! It always has an air of Darwin Awards there.
Darwin Awards
This article in Go Erie frames up the consequence of small town/ big town bizarreness. Remember the 2003 Pizza Bomber? Kyle Johnson on the lam with his girlfriend in the trunk? 2012 brought on an unusual amount of UFO sightings over the lake and even reports of a mysterious "bigfoot". In 2011 prison inmate Jamie Cruz filed a lawsuit against Miley Cyrus for allegedly stealing a song that he wrote. Only in Erie.All of this amounts to an unusual season of #Fargo - if that series were not set itself in Minnesota. Maybe at the very least, there could be a pitch for Ryan Murphy to set a future season of #AmericanHorrorStory there - something of espionage, witchcraft and ghosts back to the early days of Oliver Hazard Perry. Dark Shadows meets the American battle fronts?
The article tries to explain why it draws "the odd into it's orbit." Erie seems to be a crossroads for people on their way to somewhere else. The article also talks about the economic blight that has been prevalent in the area for some 50 years now and not being able to "break the cycle of the negative." With it's graveyards of rusted out factories and discarded shipyards, Erie was an obvious boon for Donald Trump on his campaign tour to represent the under valued. That seems to be working out real well since then...
GoErie - Weird article
Today was a good day in the midst of a recent stretch of boredom and ennui. I think many feel this during these final days of winter when we are yearning for Mother Nature to speed forward another month. We are itching for green, fresh air and warmth.
Mind you, today was not spring, but there was scorching bright sunlight and the cardinals were not far off in the treetops. Instead of mourning over a lack of a new career or plunging into panic, I decided to take advantage of the day at hand. I boarded up the dog in tow, as I usually do, and headed East to Minnehaha Falls on the banks of the Mississippi looking out over our fair sister city St Paul. The frozen mecca was yielding to spring with cascading water, bitter cold from the melting of the recent snows. The bare trees gave way to the beams of the sun, and I watched the giant sheets of ice find their way into the current until they disappeared downstream. Waylon, always the eager companion, dove right into the frigid water - chasing ducks, gnawing at stalled branches in the creek and bobbed for chunks of ice. It amazes me that the temps of the water don't phase him in the least. Time was at my disposal. And for a good 2 hours I didn't fear politics, MBA classes, job searches or even an empty pocket.
I stopped in at Dairy Queen and enjoyed a favorite hot fudge/ peanut butter sundae. I listened to great Strauss & Rachmaninoff on NPR was we drove the parkway and took in the beautiful day. A prevalent reminder to take time and smell the roses - even if they are not quite in bloom yet. It will only be a matter of weeks. Eager to get my hands in the dirt and the shorts back on. A good day.
True credit for this post goes to Rev. Jen Crow for planting the seed shared here. I am merely passing the tale along for others to read. Her Sunday sermon was about the possibilities of imagining with purpose. Recently I have been doing some "visioning" in alignment with my job search. I believe that the concept is "if you can see it, you can possibly be it." I am not sold on the concept yet, but open to the magic if it should find me. How is that for noncommittal?
This particular story is a true one of Colorado native Scott Harrison. It is his Carousel of Happiness. The beginning of the tale starts in his days as a Vietnam Marine vet. As many soldiers carry charms or keepsakes to give them solace during their dark journeys, his was not the usual photograph or letter. For Scott it was a small music box that played Chopin's "Tristesse." He carried it with him through his bleakest days and said that it took him to a beautiful place in the mountains where a carousel was spinning. Harrison was one of the fortunate who managed to survive those jungles, yet brought home many of those same horrible visions.
Flash forward to 1986 when a friend told him of a vintage merry-go-round for sale and Scott jumped at the offer. The piece itself had been damaged by fire and wear - only the frame and motor were able to be salvaged. He brought it back to his native Colorado. And at that point he began to pursue a new calling of hand carving the animals for the ride. Mind you he had never done such a task in his life. But he wanted it to be a momentous keepsake for all. Instead of standard horses, he meticulously carved bright, whimsical and unconventional species. There are rabbits, pumas, St Bernards, kangaroos, mermaids - a colorful menagerie to choose from. In addition he decorated the canopy with tiny fairies that fade in and out of view as the ride revolves.
This entire outpouring of joy is now a beacon for the residents of Nederland CO. It debuted in 2010 where rides are a simple $1. I hope to ride it one day. Prophetic Imagination indeed!
