Friday, April 06, 2007

Nobody Expects The Inquisition

We're experiencing a typical yet never expected April freeze here; the weather report says it's an Arctic freeze. In Indiana, the weather can change before you can tap your shoes three times and chant "There's no place like home. . . ." but this freeze thing is ridiculous.

On Monday, it was balmy and breezy and in the eighties. On Tuesday the skies split open and water poured down like Niagara Falls. It didn't rain; rain has individual droplets. It came down as one huge wide soaking-wet strand: it reminded me of that horrible spittoon joke that has made me seriously sick since third grade when I first heard it and it had to be explained in detail to me because I had never heard of a spittoon before. I'd repeat the joke here for you but I just ate.

I'm keeping a close eye on my flowers. Why, I don't really know, because it's not like keeping a close eye on them will save them from Mother Nature. Ceres, she's a nasty one sometimes.

It's kind of like keeping a close eye on your children and believing that is all it takes to save them from things. Oh, sure, some things, but ultimately the time comes when they walk out the door and have to face-off with things you would have cut your own hands off to save them from.

My flowers will live, or they will die. I guess it all comes down to how strong and firm their roots are, and how well each little flower can adapt to the cold. You don't see many primroses and dianthus in an igloo's windowbox.

Charley Gordon's water keeps freezing, too. When I let him in, he heads straight for the toilet, where, naturally, all the lids are UP because nobody in this house has any manners. But oh well, everyone deserves a mixed drink on occasion.

I wish I had one right now, in fact.

I've been listening to music, of course (when am I NOT listening to music?) so I'll share my random playlist with you. Yes, I already know my tastes are eclectic to the point of absurdity, but thank you for mentioning it.

1. Angels Rejoice - Dave Matheson
2. Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds
3. East of the Sunrise - The Floating Men
4. You Take My Breath Away - Eva Cassidy
5. The Wife of Usher's Well - Steeleye Span
6. Cinderella at the Grave - Kim Crosby (from "Into The Woods")
7. Undone - Robbie Williams
8. Laika - Moxy Fruvous
9. Almost Like Being In Love - Tilly Cryar
10. Still I Can't Be Still - Idina Menzel
11. Beatles Medley - Rockapella
12. Go To The Mirror/Listening To You - from "Tommy"
13. The Warmth of the Sun - Matthew Sweet
14. Anno Domine - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
15. Turn Back, O Man - from "Godspell"
16. Muzzle of Bees - Wilco
17. Love Duet from "Madame Butterfly" - Maria Callas and Guiseppe di Stafano
18. So Sad - Enigma
19. Monkey Man - Toots and the Maytals
20. I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise - Rufus Wainwright

That is, I'll have to admit, a strange playlist. Hitting "random" will do that.

Strange, yes. But not the strangest. Ohhhh, noooo, my dears, not the strangest. Not even close.