School, stones and film.

The other night I went to the most lavish cinema I know (the VanCity) and sat down to watch a gorgeous print of Dziga Vertov's Man with the Movie Camera with live accompaniment by the Alloy Orchestra. Seeing this film as it was originally intended blew my mind. My experience with Vertov's (and all Soviet era cinema, I suppose) has souly been through DVDs. I fell in love with Vertov's essays in the film studies courses I took last year.

 

Seeing the brief Q & A afterwards opened up some new avenues of thought for me. The Alloy Orchestra explained why they enjoyed writing soundtracks for silent films so much - they essentially bring silent cinema back to life and forward into the present. I guess there are people against them writing new material for old films.

In other news, I have a roommate now I suppose. His name is Brody and he is a small brown mouse. I saw him peek into my living room late last night (or rather, early this morning), after I had suspected something with tiny feet had been scuttering about my bedroom the odd night. At least I know for sure he's not a cat sized cockroach now. That always makes turning the lights off a little easier. I was considering buying a snap trap, but now that I've named him I've gotten all attached, so a live trap it is.

I harvested my first two wee tomatoes today! Pictures will go up a bit later. Despite my recent gardening neglect, I do have one tomato forming on one of my Brandywine Tom plants, which is delightful. The Micro Tom plants are loaded with fruit and keep budding with new flowers! It's quite wonderful. I've also got some nice flowers going in this square planter. Mini peppers are fattening up on a ledge in my kitchen and I'm thinking of trying my hand at herbs again... who knows!

Last time I posted I said I may have had a kidney stone, and that might is still a might. The theory is that I passed it by the time the ultrasound was preformed. Which is good, as whatever was bothering my abdomen was a great deal more painful than anything I've ever experienced.

There's a midnight double bill of Mad Max and The Road Warrior in the next couple weeks, and I intend to be there and enjoy the future dysotopia that is Australia with a young and dashing Mel Gibson. Inception is on my list of things to see this week - after papers of course.

Class registration is done. On Mondays I get to scamper between three different campuses, which is going to get tiresome pretty quick, I think. But I feel a little more like a film student now that I'm all enrolled and ready to go. Although I'm taking only one film related course (as I've taken all of the lower division ones I possibly can already), I think September's going to be a bit of a blast.

I've just finished reading Dune by Frank Herbert and I wasn't as fond of it as I thought I would be. A friend pointed out that it is written very much like a play, a style I often have a hard time enjoying. However, I am glad I've read it - it is a classic after all!

Sorry, not much craft news these days - I've been so busy! I purchased some key rings from CLBeads on Etsy and a variety of hand painted glass eyes from Suncatcher Craft Eyes from Etsy as well. I'm quite excited for the eyes, I had been anxious to try something more complex than a button for some time. This should add a little touch of personality.

I hope everyone's summer is illin'!

Odd & Ends

I've had some spare time lately because it's been extra slow at work, so I've made a set of new felties, but I shall post those later! Here are some miscellaneous happenings.

Here is my gorgeous Weston Cinemeter. I don't know how to use it yet, but it's definitely on my list of things to conquer this summer! Sometimes I feel horrible that I have all this equipment, but not the wherewithal to use it. In time, I suppose.

Here's most likely the last three sisters feltie I will ever construct. It was a fun idea while it lasted, but I love making new things too much! This one here was specially ordered, so I made an exception. Hopefully the buyer loves their mountainous feltie!

My garden!

It's sort of a pathetic garden, but I like it. Whatever.

This is the deal I've got going on my patio.


What my plants look down over each and every day!

Radishes, greens, tomatoes and shrimp!

Shrimp you say? Oh yes. Meet Jacques. He is a Japonica Shrimp and his soul purpose in life is to pick things off aquarium glass and eat them. Perfecto! These are amazing little creatures to watch, and I was really happy when I found out freshwater cleaning shrimp existed. They have so many tiny legs! With two tiny arms, with two wee claws, he picks things daintily off the glass and stuffs them into his mouth. I would have liked to get another, but it was recommended at one per ten gallons, so that's what I've got! It's really hard to find him when he doesn't want to be found. I've been terrified of the other fish trying to eat him. But it  hasn't happened yet, so here's hoping!!

On the 21st, I planted a bunch of seeds! Radishes, mescluns, lettuce, spinach and carrots! I picked up some Jiffy strips and Dutch Treat starter mix from work. These photos are from today! The mescluns and radish are growing like weeds! I love it. What else do I love? The packaging for West Coast Seeds. Compared to the other seed packets at the garden center, these ones are very pleasing to the eye, not to mention functional! Not like the stark whites and neon yellows of other brands.