thriller, live!

Darkness falls across the Bluegrass State

Every Halloween in Lexington, KY, they block off the streets and recreate Michael Jackson's Thriller video.

Really.

How many times did I hope for that video to come on MTV with none of my family around so I could attempt those dance moves? These moves that were impossible for my 11 year old brain. If I had that red leather jacket, I'm sure I could have done them perfectly.

The drive to Lexington was effortless and beautiful. The crowd was large and the dancers seemed to skip a few parts.

Was it perfect? Heck no.
Was it awesome? You betcha.

Thrilling adverts! :

Picking up and fall

Just in time

I've been under the weather for so long, it was wearing me down. All my energy was spent getting the bare minimum completed whether it was for work or around the house. This was no fun as I enjoy autumn very much.

A heavy dose of antibiotics on Tuesday led to a few days of sweating out toxins and bacteria, vacillating between fever and chills.

Through the fog, I began to feel the old healthy me emerge.

Though I'm not 100%, I'm feeling a great rush of creative and physical energy now, after having been held prisoner by my body for so long.

I'm thrilled.

Liquid Cereal

Natural and artificial fruit flavors

Lady Behind Counter: Huh (insert beat) This costs as much as one of those energy drinks.

Me: It's made with real cereal.

Zoom in to see can in fridge where it will probably stay until someone throws it out or drinks it.

Sunset

Looking South

Looking West

Fishermen

5 bucks a piece

I fought hard to get a photo of the little fella selling these figures alongside bonsai trees on the side of the road. His english broken, he kindly declined a portrait. I wondered what he was hiding from...

I bought a 3 year old tree anyway.

Shift

Heading north on 75

This was the Murphy's Law of days where I eventually got a heavy dose of antibiotics.

sidestreet

School was letting out

I usually don't look much beyond my periphery when driving—nervous nelly perhaps. At a stoplight however, I glanced over to a sidestreet up in Mt. Airy and was just sorta taken aback by the panorama, fall spectrum, and a building I'd never seen.

Zoom in, you can see it better.

farm day 3

Pumpkins

A great party was had. There were lots of friends, some patches of sunlight, kids running crazy having fun, and not enough carving. I'm guilty for not digging in to a pumpkin, which I will remedy this weekend.

Ford Rust

No plastic bumper

I'm always curious how today's automobiles will degrade. I'm guessing it won't be with this much integrity.

A bigger view

flipside

The less interesting view, perhaps

Tick tock

Uncropped

Ghosts and short posts

Maybe a scarier shot at night...

So I don't feel all guilt laden, I'm going to start posting pictures with captions and trim out the yada yada yada part of entries from time to time.

Fall

I'm finding myself driving around, looking for oranges and reds. Yellows don't seem to draw me as much

An old familiar view

Ohio River through the trees

On Saturday, I wanted to drive in the wonderful daylight. I made the trip across town to buy my favorite apples.

Called an old friend on the highway and lo and behold, I not only got an answer, but lucky. I'd join her for a drink at a roadside tavern.

I hadn't had a beer in a while and they made my eyelids bricks. But not after we caught up and she kicked my butt at pool.

Pumpkins

Hmm, how to carve one this year...

Free links

With daily photos, one is bound to repeat a locale

Bush's speech writer - requires QuickTime, and is worth every megabyte

Out of 5: Themed mixes - loverly graphic design, great music, fun idea

Kate Bush's coded cover - Looking forward to her new album. There's some speculation about the cover art. Kempa.com brings you love, and deeper understanding.

Audio clips from TV in the 70s - My husband, some hotshot. Here's his ancient Chinese secret...

1-800-Free411 - Free directory information (on your mobile). The catch: you must listen to a local ad. Sounds good to me. (via)

Well, that's a few links. As always, I keep them collected up at del.icio.us/glass.

In other news, I have gotten lots of test results back, trying to determine my (improving) state of health. So far, we've ruled out lots of things (which is relieving), but we haven't hit paydirt. I'm thinking I might give acupuncture a try soon.

Spices

Dean & Deluca have the best packaging

I had a bowl of chili over at my mom's house late this evening. Always a highlight having home cookin.

She's getting ready for a kitchen remodel in November and the TV is almost always tuned to HGTV. All these shows where they do everything in a just a few days, can be intimidating I suppose, but I haven't seen the show where they have good (plain) taste.

Related tangent: As much as I'm a sucker for the last 15 minutes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I'm getting a little bit tired of the "themes" they vomit all over the kids' rooms.

Laurence Herbert Scott (1933-2005)

A drawing by "El"

I think it was the spring of 2002. I started chatting online with a fella in one of those bear chat rooms.

Boy he had a way with words. All these delightful expressions and vim. Laurence was overly complimentary and quick to offer an ear or lend advice.

We moved to writing letters and phone calls. His voice boomed over the receiver with authority laced with self-deprication. A charming character, all around.

A lover of gardens he said I must come visit Ann Arbor, to see the (insert flowers) in bloom.

That fall I planned a trip to a lake house in Canada and a visit was entirely possible—a nice break in the jaunt actually.

So after 5 hours on rainy roads, I remember pulling into the driveway of the house he shared with his partner of over 30 years—who happened to be an excellent cook. After some quick introductions and to verify I had no food allergies, Gerry tended to dinner and Laurence gave me a tour of the place—packed neatly with books and art hanging on what seemed to be every square inch of the walls.

He hung with the beatniks. Made drawings for the New Yorker. Protested, well... everything (and had buttons for it.) He knew people with names I should've known.

And after dinner as I sat there digesting absolutely everything around me, I could not shake that I was privy to greatness.

I left after brunch the next day and as I walked to my car, Laurence stood there waving in the shadow of his front door. That was the last and only time I would see him.

Our friendship strengthened from that visit. We chatted and phoned and wrote even more. He'd send classical music I should know. He'd send cards of prints he'd made. He'd call whenever his computer was being difficult. And he'd tell me I must come visit again.

I said I would, and I meant it.

But I noticed late spring of this year, an unusual silence. So I called. I wrote. And there was nothing for me to do but think the worst.

I did my best hand at research online and could not unearth anything.

Until tonight.

I found out that Laurence passed away in June.

Now I'm reeling between tears, anger, and memories.

Laurence Herbert Scott

Scott, Laurence Herbert Ann Arbor, MI Laurence Herbert Scott was born in Detroit, Michigan to Harry and Lillian (Eder) Scott on November 17, 1933. He died on June 13, 2005. He grew up in Ann Arbor and graduated from Ann Arbor High School and the University of Michigan. He received an M.A. from Harvard and did further studies there in Slavic languages. At Harvard he was a tutor at Lowell House and he later taught at M.I.T.

While in Cam bridge, he started a small press that printed broadsides of poems by Ezra Pound, W.H. Auden, Robert Lowell, and Allen Gingsberg. He also printed and worked in long, close relationships with the poets Marianne Moore and James Merrill. In later years he designed gardens, was on the Dean Fund, and was very active in Gay-Feminist politics.

For the last 25 years he has been a consultant to Abby Rockefeller and represented her company Clivus Multrum in Canada and Michigan. Laurence was interested in preserving and enhancing the environment both locally and globally. Poet, artist, gourmand and gardener extraordinaire, Laurence was fluent in eight languages. He delighted in words and images.

Laurence was a loyal friend, adored by many, who will miss his wide intellect, startling wit, eclectic interests and passion ate joie de vivre. He is survived by his life partner of 35 years Dr. Gerald G. Naylor, and his brother Burton (Dedi), nieces and nephews.

Skipped photos

Well, 20 of them at least...

In between my laptop's second hinge breaking (which held up the display), some pokes and prods from doctors, and trying to stay on top of work responsibilities—I really have been taking photos pretty much daily. Carving out time to post however, has been slim. So I'll just put all these out there and maybe one day go back and fill in the blanks with a bit more detail.

20 shots