Hello ... Hello Again

Tea: Chinese Melon Seed

Music: Bob Walkenhorst, "Life Can Turn"

Time: Evening.

Yeah, I thought about the Cars song, but it seemed way too cliche.

So ... let's try this again. I stink at keeping anything up day to day, but here goes.

Since I last blathered at you, here are some things that happened:

I had a photo show end because Nighthawks -- my home away from home -- closed. I'm still a bit shell-shocked, two weeks later. Probably will be for some time to come. The regulars there were a family ... here's hoping we don't lose touch.

I ate the best duck I've ever had at The Vineyards in Weston, Missouri, and tried -- and loved -- sturgeon the next night at Justus Drugstore in Smithville (also Missouri).

I blew the water pump on the Ford. It still isn't fixed. Heck of a big paperweight, that car.

I've seen fire and I've seen rain ... no, wait. That's James Taylor.

Anyway. I'm not going to play catch-up. Too much gone by for that. But I'll try to do better at checking in each day.

Stay tuned.

Framicide Prevention

Tea: Vanilla Lapsang.

Music: Gorillaz, "Clint Eastwood"

Time: Night.

The photo exhibit at Nighthawks Coffeehouse in Mission officially opens Saturday (although the reception's not until Friday the 7th), but I figured I'd get a head start on hanging the show.

My rationale ran thusly: "It's my first show. I have no experience. There will be unexpected setbacks."

There were, several involving broken frames. But thanks to the miracle adhesive Handi-Tak, today was a casualty-free day. I can't say enough good things about the stuff, and I owe a large debt of thanks to Nighthawks regular Virgil for recommending it.

Here's hoping for two more months' worth of the same.

Whew.

Tea: Pu Ehr Poe.

Music: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, "Hiding All Away"

Time: Night.

We interrupt our regularly unscheduled panic to bring you this important bulletin:

The photo show is back to its original date, March 1-April 30 at Nighthawks Coffeehouse in Mission, Kan. And boy, am I relieved.

While there was a certain adrenalin rush to trying to get everything pulled together by this Friday, I wouldn't have been able to do it right. I couldn't have promoted it decently, that's for sure.

Life lesson? Sometimes going for the Big Thing quickly can be a lot of fun -- but it takes a lot of little things, done over time, to make the Big Thing work.

Out of the Silent Steeper

Tea: Candy Apple

Music: King Crimson, "Indiscipline"

Time: Afternoon.

Hi, kids.

Yeah, I've been gone for a while. No 'Net access in southwest Kansas (I mean, they have 'Net access there. I just didn't have any myself) and a huge jumble of blargh since I got back.

No excuses, though. I've been slacking.

So ... first, to tea. The Candy Apple tea is part of a parcel that friend/colleague/undefinable kindred spirit Seánan Forbes sent to me. (More tins of tea! The rest of the family uses the same words, but with a question mark and different inflection: "MORE tins of tea?")

I'm going to be needing a lot of caffeination in the coming days, though. Remember the camera Seánan sent me? Um, yeah ... I've been taking a lot of pictures with it. A ... lot ... of ... pictures.

Last month, the owner of Nighthawks Coffeehouse was kind enough to offer me a show. The middle room, March and April. Plenty of time to get ready, right?

Enter the monkey wrench. The room opened up when the scheduled artist ... well, vanished. Brian -- said kind owner -- asked if I could get something up by next week. So, I'm getting something up by next week.

It'll come together. As it does, I'll thank Seánan with every sip of steeped fuel -- and when it does, I'll thank her again for the camera and the impetus to start shooting again.

Cup XXVII: Shah Mat

Tea: Joseph's Dream with honey

Music: Robert Fripp, "Starlight I"

Time: Night

Convergence of cool things tonight.

I won a chess tournament at Nighthawks. For that, I got a book (always a welcome prize for a wordperson). After that, I got to share a new taste with friends.

(Yeah, so the Coast and Center link is self-referential. Cut me some slack, it's late.)

And on top of that, my foot (tendinitis casualty du -- I'd say jour, but it's been more like a week) is doing much better. This is a very good thing.

And with that, off to dream.

But before that, speaking of chess:

I'd always heard that "Shah Mat" -- the Persian phrase that gives us "checkmate" in English -- meant "The king is dead." This article claims otherwise.

Not being an expert in such things, I make no claims to know which is right. I just like stirring the pot sometimes.

Okay, now it's dreamtime.

Tonight's spooky story:

Richard Marsh, "A Set of Chessmen"