Day 6, L3 (Sunday 3rd May): TV, Docos, Rain and a freaky alignment
An inside day from start to finish today. It rained, it howled, it was awful. Even the cat didn't want to set foot outside.
So today's beach photo is of Halfmoon Bay (or Oban Bay), Stewart Island/Rakiura. Brett and I were there in May 2017. What a tranquil and isolated place.
We also went through the Catlins on that trip - spectacular. A part of the country that you shouldn't miss.
I had my first full-on TV-watching day today and did very little else other than watch the screen as wild wind and rain was hurled around outside. It felt like a real day off!
First up I watched Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert hall, filmed 20 years ago in 1998 and livestreamed this weekend. All the popular songs from his well-known musicals - Elaine Page, Sarah Brightman, Donny Osmond, Antonio Banderos and Boyzone. Am pretty sure I've seen it before but very much enjoyed seeing it again.
Watching Boyzone, I became curious, wondering who the cute guy singing lead vocals for "No Matter What" with Ronan Keating was. I hadn't realised the song was from the musical "Whistle Down the Wind" - not one I've seen). Boy is that title apt for today's weather - it's been honking outside all day.
A bit of googling told me it was Stephen Gately, and that, sadly, he died in 2009 from an undiagnosed heart condition, aged just 33.
Here's where it gets a bit freaky ...
Stephen had been writing a children's fantasy novel (called "The Tree of Seasons") and he finished it the day before he died. It had taken him three years and was ultimately published post-humously.
This really piqued my interest - as mentioned, I am in the process of rewriting my own children's fantasty novel - which I started back in 2002!!!
A little more research led me to some reviews (people loved it, especially adults) and I also found a site where I was able to read the initial chapters online. OMG the parallels to my own manuscript are uncanny. Although the storyline, fantasy world and characters are completely different, there are so many similarities, even right down to dialogue, that it made me gasp out loud. I'll need to get the book and read the whole thing.
Yesterday I didn't even know Stephen Gately's name and today I read the start of his one and only book - which is so aligned with my own that it's beyond freaky.
Anyway, here's Boyzone performing at that 50th concert, all youthful and dressed in white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMCDDCeaVBY
Next up, I had an eye on the Sunday afternoon omnibus of Home and Away while doing the cryptic and tidying the kitchen and whatnot. Don't laugh! I used to watch it with the boys years ago and got quite caught up in it. I even continued watching when they drifted away from it. I haven't seen an episode in years (it clashes with The Chase!) but it was quite fun to check back in again and catch up on who has died, been maimed, lost their sibling, found their mother, discovered they're pregnant, got tangled in a love triangle, been kidnapped etc ... It's actually a good forum to explore life's vagaries. Everything happens on that show!
At 5pm we had our usual social catch up with friends, always good fun.
Then I settled in and watched "Escher: Journey into Infinity". I've always loved Escher's mind-bending and often unfathomable graphic artworks and found this film truly enlightening. It's narrated by Stephen Fry using Escher's own words from notes, diaries etc.
I still can't get my head around how he approached the painstaking elements of what he created, but this film helped. He was an inventor as well as a mathetician and graphic artist.
I love the Curl-Up that he invented - a creature that conveniently rolls into a wheel. Mind-boggling and marvellous.
Here are some of his quotes.
Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.
I think it's in my basement... let me go upstairs and check.
I could fill an entire second life working on my prints.
I then watched "Dancer" - about the bad boy of ballet, Ukranian dancer Sergei Polunin. Fascinating. He's the dancer in the video of Hozier's song "Take Me to Church". Tattooed, strong, flexible, rebellious, tarnished and somewhat tormented - and oh what an incredible dancer. The Nureyev of today with an even more renegade layer added. He can leap through the air and do things with his legs that are as mind-bending as Escher's works!
Watched a thing called "Night" - Australian produced - people talking about their thoughts, feelings, actions etc in relation to the night. It was colourful and kinda quirky. A full moon featured. Colours were enhanced and it was a rather intriguing insight into how others view and behave in the nighttime.
Strange as it may seem, night is my favourite time of day! My most creative thoughts come in the hours of darkness.
Then I watched a wee clip about the Bakerloo Line on the London Underground - the one I used most often when I lived there - and the oldest line.
Then, a doco about the use of camouflage during the war - cubist warships, spy trees, paper mache horses used as hiding places. All sorts of techniques were used. I had no idea. Fascinating.
And finally, a doco about palm reading. A kind of science versus palmistry experiment. Not a very satisfying watch overall - although there was an amazing female Indian dentist/palm reader who was spot on. I'm into palmistry, learnt about it from an Indian guy I worked with years ago in London. I used to read palms as a zany party trick, often flooring people (and myself) by being spot on. It always bothered me that Dad had a short lifeline ...
What a TV feast - I don't think I've ever watched so much in one sitting - except on a plane! But I think this Sunday binge-watch surpassed even that! Being such a hideous inside day made it perfect.
Last night I watched "McQueen". Alexander McQueen (or Lee as his family called him) is another who died young and tragically, by suicide (2010 aged 40).
I've been digesting the film and his story. I adore his ornate and amazing dresses that are wearable art-worthy. But I can't see any sense of style in his early stuff; it might have been what got him noticed but it leaves me cold. The word "spin" comes to mind.
There's no doubt the guy could design and sew and had vision and talent. But seeing models on a runway wrapped in plastic bags doesn't do it for me. Some of the shows are gimmicky and OTT. I'm glad he evolved into creating the stunning dresses he is known for. Here are a few that take my fancy.
BTW, I watched all these docos via a site called www.docplay.com - there's a month's free trial. Making the most of it today, that's for sure!
Brett and Michael played golf today - and got absolutely drenched! Golf in the pouring rain? No. Just like skiing in white-out conditions are a no. I've done both many times during those early obsessive days. Unnecessary lunacy! Never-ever-again.
LUNCH: A "LEACH" Muffin - Lettuce, Egg, Avocado, Cheese and Ham in an English muffin. Plus the rest of the avocado with balsamic vinegar.
DINNER: A good old mince and cheese pie with tomato sauce. I do like a pie!
SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
The Kentucky Derby ...
Should have been run yesterday, 2nd May, but was cancelled. Instead they created a virtual Triple Crown Showdown - all the past winners of the Triple Crown pitted against each other in a virtual race, using stats and whatnot to sort position and finishing order etc. Secretariat was the winner!
I watched the race and smiled.
https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/29127439/secretariat-overtakes-seattle-slew-stretch-win-virtual-kentucky-derby
Secretariat - great story, great movie.
So today's beach photo is of Halfmoon Bay (or Oban Bay), Stewart Island/Rakiura. Brett and I were there in May 2017. What a tranquil and isolated place.
 |
| Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island |
We also went through the Catlins on that trip - spectacular. A part of the country that you shouldn't miss.
 |
| Nugget Point Lighthouse, Catlins |
 |
| Purakaunui Falls, Catlins |
I had my first full-on TV-watching day today and did very little else other than watch the screen as wild wind and rain was hurled around outside. It felt like a real day off!
First up I watched Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert hall, filmed 20 years ago in 1998 and livestreamed this weekend. All the popular songs from his well-known musicals - Elaine Page, Sarah Brightman, Donny Osmond, Antonio Banderos and Boyzone. Am pretty sure I've seen it before but very much enjoyed seeing it again.
Watching Boyzone, I became curious, wondering who the cute guy singing lead vocals for "No Matter What" with Ronan Keating was. I hadn't realised the song was from the musical "Whistle Down the Wind" - not one I've seen). Boy is that title apt for today's weather - it's been honking outside all day.
A bit of googling told me it was Stephen Gately, and that, sadly, he died in 2009 from an undiagnosed heart condition, aged just 33.
Here's where it gets a bit freaky ...
Stephen had been writing a children's fantasy novel (called "The Tree of Seasons") and he finished it the day before he died. It had taken him three years and was ultimately published post-humously.
This really piqued my interest - as mentioned, I am in the process of rewriting my own children's fantasty novel - which I started back in 2002!!!
A little more research led me to some reviews (people loved it, especially adults) and I also found a site where I was able to read the initial chapters online. OMG the parallels to my own manuscript are uncanny. Although the storyline, fantasy world and characters are completely different, there are so many similarities, even right down to dialogue, that it made me gasp out loud. I'll need to get the book and read the whole thing.
Yesterday I didn't even know Stephen Gately's name and today I read the start of his one and only book - which is so aligned with my own that it's beyond freaky.
Anyway, here's Boyzone performing at that 50th concert, all youthful and dressed in white.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMCDDCeaVBY
Next up, I had an eye on the Sunday afternoon omnibus of Home and Away while doing the cryptic and tidying the kitchen and whatnot. Don't laugh! I used to watch it with the boys years ago and got quite caught up in it. I even continued watching when they drifted away from it. I haven't seen an episode in years (it clashes with The Chase!) but it was quite fun to check back in again and catch up on who has died, been maimed, lost their sibling, found their mother, discovered they're pregnant, got tangled in a love triangle, been kidnapped etc ... It's actually a good forum to explore life's vagaries. Everything happens on that show!
At 5pm we had our usual social catch up with friends, always good fun.
Then I settled in and watched "Escher: Journey into Infinity". I've always loved Escher's mind-bending and often unfathomable graphic artworks and found this film truly enlightening. It's narrated by Stephen Fry using Escher's own words from notes, diaries etc.
I still can't get my head around how he approached the painstaking elements of what he created, but this film helped. He was an inventor as well as a mathetician and graphic artist.
I love the Curl-Up that he invented - a creature that conveniently rolls into a wheel. Mind-boggling and marvellous.
Here are some of his quotes.
Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.
I think it's in my basement... let me go upstairs and check.
I could fill an entire second life working on my prints.
I then watched "Dancer" - about the bad boy of ballet, Ukranian dancer Sergei Polunin. Fascinating. He's the dancer in the video of Hozier's song "Take Me to Church". Tattooed, strong, flexible, rebellious, tarnished and somewhat tormented - and oh what an incredible dancer. The Nureyev of today with an even more renegade layer added. He can leap through the air and do things with his legs that are as mind-bending as Escher's works!
Watched a thing called "Night" - Australian produced - people talking about their thoughts, feelings, actions etc in relation to the night. It was colourful and kinda quirky. A full moon featured. Colours were enhanced and it was a rather intriguing insight into how others view and behave in the nighttime.
Strange as it may seem, night is my favourite time of day! My most creative thoughts come in the hours of darkness.
Then I watched a wee clip about the Bakerloo Line on the London Underground - the one I used most often when I lived there - and the oldest line.
Then, a doco about the use of camouflage during the war - cubist warships, spy trees, paper mache horses used as hiding places. All sorts of techniques were used. I had no idea. Fascinating.
And finally, a doco about palm reading. A kind of science versus palmistry experiment. Not a very satisfying watch overall - although there was an amazing female Indian dentist/palm reader who was spot on. I'm into palmistry, learnt about it from an Indian guy I worked with years ago in London. I used to read palms as a zany party trick, often flooring people (and myself) by being spot on. It always bothered me that Dad had a short lifeline ...
What a TV feast - I don't think I've ever watched so much in one sitting - except on a plane! But I think this Sunday binge-watch surpassed even that! Being such a hideous inside day made it perfect.
Last night I watched "McQueen". Alexander McQueen (or Lee as his family called him) is another who died young and tragically, by suicide (2010 aged 40).
I've been digesting the film and his story. I adore his ornate and amazing dresses that are wearable art-worthy. But I can't see any sense of style in his early stuff; it might have been what got him noticed but it leaves me cold. The word "spin" comes to mind.
There's no doubt the guy could design and sew and had vision and talent. But seeing models on a runway wrapped in plastic bags doesn't do it for me. Some of the shows are gimmicky and OTT. I'm glad he evolved into creating the stunning dresses he is known for. Here are a few that take my fancy.
BTW, I watched all these docos via a site called www.docplay.com - there's a month's free trial. Making the most of it today, that's for sure!
Brett and Michael played golf today - and got absolutely drenched! Golf in the pouring rain? No. Just like skiing in white-out conditions are a no. I've done both many times during those early obsessive days. Unnecessary lunacy! Never-ever-again.
LUNCH: A "LEACH" Muffin - Lettuce, Egg, Avocado, Cheese and Ham in an English muffin. Plus the rest of the avocado with balsamic vinegar.
DINNER: A good old mince and cheese pie with tomato sauce. I do like a pie!
SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
The Kentucky Derby ...
Should have been run yesterday, 2nd May, but was cancelled. Instead they created a virtual Triple Crown Showdown - all the past winners of the Triple Crown pitted against each other in a virtual race, using stats and whatnot to sort position and finishing order etc. Secretariat was the winner!
I watched the race and smiled.
https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/29127439/secretariat-overtakes-seattle-slew-stretch-win-virtual-kentucky-derby
Secretariat - great story, great movie.
Comments
Post a Comment