Hello valued reader. If you didn’t notice, there was no formal blog entry posted last evening. This was because I was drinking my most recent donation (from Swan Fungus reader Michael in Sacramento) and playing an epic three-player, 32-race Mario Kart circuit with Nate and Pat. Although Pat and I both put forth valiant efforts, Nate claimed victory. Though he’ll deny it until his dying day, Nate is a huge Mario Kart nerd who has spent untold hours honing his skills. How many hours? At the very least I calculate 6.25 days (9,000 laps at 1 minute per lap average divided by 60 minutes per hour divided by 24 hours per day?). Nate swears that the number of laps he’s driven includes all the times Tom or I played as his character online…but I think he’s just covering for the fact that somehow his Mii character is responsible for over six full days of Wii gaming.
Thanks to Michael, I was able to purchase a bottle of Stone Levitation Ale (which I see sold in six-packs frequently, but rarely as a single bottle) and a bottle of Stone/Nøgne Ø/Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale, which I’d never seen before, but sounded delicious. A beer brewed with spices, chestnuts, juniper berries, white sage and caraway seed sounded delicious. Plus, having the Nøgne Ø name attached to it can only help. Levitation Ale was a very good amber ale with some hop bitterness. I anticipated a flavor more like the Stone IPA (which I don’t like) so I was pleasantly surprised.
With the remainder of my donation, I purchased a brownie (which I let Pat and Nate share, since Nicci had purchased a brownie for me from a better bakery), and some supplies for a lunchtime picnic today. Since I wasn’t drunk during the picnic, it would be untruthful to say that this “getting drunk on your donations” thing extended past my trip to the liquor store and the four or five hours which followed. Nevertheless, the donation provided more than just alcohol.
In Barnsdall Art Park, in the shadow of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hollyhock House, Nicci and I enjoyed sandwiches, chips, grapes, desserts, some light reading, and even a game of Farkle on my iPhone. A short car ride later, we visited Ennis House, another one of Wright’s architectural stunners, Ennis House. That one is absolutely massive. I’ve seen a few of his works in the Chicago area before, but didn’t know about the one in Los Feliz until today! Every time I’d ever seen it before I just figured it was some kind of temple or museum or monastery or something.
Late afternoon jazz in the comfort of my room included Hank Mobley (The Turnaround), Kenny Dorham (Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia), Lee Morgan (Lee Morgan, Vol. 2), Wallenstein (Cosmic Century, which is kraut/prog not jazz) and Aidan Baker (Letters, which is most definitely not jazz). I think the tonearm of my turntable is in need of some repair. On two of the last five albums I’ve listened to, there have been skips in the middle of the final track. Tonearm resistance problem? Maybe…
Edgar in Germany! Your “Thank You” care package shipped today! Stephen in Japan and Rhodri in the United Kingdom, you are the only two people who have not received their packages yet. They are coming…sooner than you think!
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