July 2004 Archives

The day has gone to shine in the evening (as has been the trend this Summer). It is as if someone has been gradually turning up a dimmer switch as the day lengthens till, near dusk, things are brightest.

Now, it is all greenery and gold -- with traffic helicopters droning over the nearby parkway.

Embracing my inner otaku I downloaded a nifty Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, screensaver. The artwork is amazing. I'm looking forward to seeing the anime when it is released here.

Other than that, things are calm. I'm looking forward to sitting out in the evening with a tall glass of cool water.

Not too bad for the deep days of July.

This evening I strolled along the walk, smelling roses. From soft-to-spicey: perfumes of many shades. Many scent-inspired musings.

And visuals.

This has always been my favorite. The sweetly lush perfume it holds (and its delicate colors) are almost achingly perfect. This picture does it no justice.

Roaming with my phone-cam, under evening's warm roof, I captured other imagery. Stone shapes; dusky statuary.

And Hollyhocks, purple and white, descended from seeds that I planted years ago. They are almost old friends now. Later, I watched water for some time.

Then came back in, to the cool.

And vanilla.

I spent a very enjoyable weekend at Hershey Park with Kelli and Alex. It was the first time I'd been there and I had a great time. The park reminds me, a bit, of Pittsburgh's Kennywood Park -- only bigger. And the Storm Runner roller coaster is a blast; zero to 72 miles-per-hour in two seconds equals fun in my book.

At the park there are folks roaming about with digital cameras who will take photos of you and then sell you the prints at various printing stations through-out the park. Here's is a shot of us by the carousel.

Right now, I'm popping back and forth from the computer to the kitchen (I'm making spaghetti while I write this entry). A few moments ago, the sky was a featureless white expanse and everything was still. Then, things rumbled and a wash of vague rain fell.

Now it is quiet again.

And hot.

I'm thinking of acceleration -- and breezes.

I had a very cool evening with Kelli, tonight. She and I went down to Station Square and had dinner at The Cheese Cellar (mmm, fondue...) and then went to the Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Guster show at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre.

The day had been pondering rain earlier -- but things brightened when we got downtown. We had a table by a window and people-watched while we ate. The amphitheatre started letting folks in a little after 6 pm, so we snagged ourselves a good spot and settled in for a great show.

I had never heard Guster before but found them to be impressively good. Ben Folds was excellent, playing fantastic piano. He and Rufus both did solo sets (with occasional help from each other and Guster). Wainwright's voice was great -- as it has been both times I've seen him (and he is no slouch on the piano, either).

It was a great way to start an extended weekend!

Ugh, I woke with a headache and it has settled in to visit all day (so far)...

Recently, I have been trying to spend a lot more time outside (it's Summer here and the weather has been mostly sweet). Not unsurprisingly, I've noticed that I feel happier when I get some free "air time". I missed that, for the most part, yesterday.

Gotta remember that.

And get out.

T he air-conditioning has it cool in here, almost Autumnal. The shock in stepping outside is...lush.

Lunch for me was hot coffee and oatmeal. Not exactly exciting, but satisfying.

Now it's time to see if I can get my printer working again. I already have a headache. ;-)

Hmm, it's a soft groove, today. With grainy eyes. The sunlight outside is filtered through muggy haze. Rain teases.

I've been updating my blacklist (a never-ending battle) and checking my mail. Not much there but more spam. *sigh*

Still, it's Summertime. The air is warm. And it's time for me to grab some lunch...

Moments ago, the visuals outside were accented by thin gray lines, soundlessly falling from sky to earth.

Now, the ambient illumination has been turned back up: yellowy against wet green. Gray verticals, erased. My windows are open but there is no breeze. And my coffee cup is empty.

*flick*

Back. That coffee situation had to be addressed. Better.

Things are even brighter now.

*flick*

I've been thinking about getting my hair cut short and spikey. What do you think? The picture shows the way it looks today...

Still haven't decided.

*flick*

It is dry outside, now. Birds are tweeting.

And my coffee cup is empty again.

*flick*

It is a shiny evening, after the holiday weekend. The air in here is cool -- but, outside, it is lush with heat...

The weekend was fun. The fireworks, cool. The company: great. Now, however, the week seems locked in slow-motion (not actually a bad thing, I guess).

As for the photo of Kelli...well, it's a long story. ;-)

Anyway, hello again. I hope your week is going well.

Well, as far as I'm concerned, the holiday weekend is just about started. (Once I am cleaned up and chowing on some pizza, things will be "official".) I put up my "July 4th" corner image early because I'm not counting (or planning, for that matter) on being online much for the next three days.

I need some Summer!

Ahem.

Anyway, I hope that your weekend is bright and enjoyable too -- and if you are in the U.S.: have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Catch ya later.

I find it oddly enchanting that a company called, Suntory Ltd. has developed a blue rose. I wonder what a garden filled with blue roses would look like? Cool and ethereal, perhaps. Maybe a little bit ghostly.

Thumbs up, I say.

July is tall-skied and vivid, warmth filling up the air. I'm getting ready for the holiday weekend -- hoping to put my brain in neutral and just enjoy the hours. That'd be nice, for sure.

So, Hello July.

Here's to a good month.