Took a deep hot bath, etc., and frontal headache finally subsided, and I felt I had the energy to proceed. So, I got all ready, for the cold and wind, and couldn't find my keys. Got all hot looking for them. Found them and left. Very cutting wind. But, I had to dress to let some of it go through me, or else I would broil.
Things were blown about. Swarms of birds were enjoying coasting on the wind. Waved to a police guy as I passed his sitting car. They know me by now. Luckilly, he didn't see the giant knife in my pants' back pocket, making a bulge in my jacket.
Walked to the Walgreens in that area. Found more ethyl rubbing alcohol. Girl at countre was nice. Proceeded to Aldi's. Entered Aldi's w/o mask - woops - put on my N95 covered by my Irish cloth mask. Zombies everywhere. Which is why I brought the knife. Girl with taller bf looked like girl from large supermarket I once eye-flirted with, before I boycotted the place a year ago. But I could not tell, because her protrusive nose was that girl's defining feature, and this girl's nose was under a mask. So, then I see another girl with the same upper face, who is making eye contact, but I look away, because I thought it was the other girl. Noticed this one was shorter and had really nice boots. After that, I tried a little to get closer, but she ended up the aisle where Barack Obama checked her out. They conversed and so I discovered she was another gruff-voiced redneck, a bird common in these regions.
When shopping, I really tried to minimise things, so I wouldn't be weighted down - but I ended up with a very heavy haul anyway. Included was a 5 pound duck, 2 pounds of brown sugar (for the Kombucha), and a thing of yogurt - etc. So, I had my work cut out for me. The whole trip was difficult, but less so as I continued, taking rest breaks. The cold and wind were really a challenge, but this is nothing compared to what Mads Mikkelsen had to go through in "Arctic." Colder days are yet to come.
On the way home, in gusts of up to 50mph, what do I espy? Some guy is out with a leaf-blower. Leaf-blowers are stupid, to begin with, but being out when the leafs are just going to blow about every which way - this is like a prime example of stupid. I wonder if that guy uses a snow-blower in the summertime. And waters his lawn in a thunderstorm. And mows the lawn every time it snows.
Maybe he is anticipating our promising future of communism, where he will get paid to be adroitly irrational. And the rational people will be milked like aphids by the ants. I, for one, welcome our great overlords. I am looking forward to getting paid for digging holes that other people will be paid to fill in.
Whilst making my comatose bee-line home, I believe my LL slowed in her van to discern if this was in fact me. Legendary me. Lugging my backpack like a cross. Yet, not getting paid for it.
"Edward Scissorhands," is one of my favourite movies. At first, the townspeople really take to Edward, the ultimate stranger. But, the crazy little Christian lady warns them that he is a devil. Well, soon enough, the whole town turns against him, now seeing him as evil. Well, there is a scene where the oversexed middle-aged foof is showing him around her business. She points to a wall and says the equivalent of, "all this will be yours." Edward walks up to the wall and extends his scissored hands outward.
But a nifty little visual trick is played. We are looking from behind. In front of him, on the wall, are three little pictures. Two apart, and one above in the upper middle. When Edward spreads his arms, the three pictures combine with his body to suggest, visually, that he is nailed to a crucifix. It blew my mind when I realised this. As the outsider, who is suddenly widely berated, he does represent one role Jesus played.
I knew this wasn't my imagination, because I had spotted other visual 'jokes' in the movie. In one scene, the family and friends are sitting at a (Thanksgiving?) dinner table, with Edward cutting the turkey. He tries to pass a large slice of meat to Winona Ryder, but it falls with a sloppy thud onto her lap. That was a sexual joke.
And, while approaching Edward's castle, the Avon Lady is seen walking up to the door. She is situated next to a giant topiary hand. Both she and the hand are seen through the legs of a giant topiary person. So, the hand seems like it reaching up to grab or tickle the area between those two legs. Another sexual suggestion.
But, there is so much in this movie that is outright funny. And, there are two scenes where I always cry a little - always! One of the best movies ever. And, it is good for the holidays. So, check it out, if you've never seen it!
And you should check this out, as well, yo. It's great. German children's book/s created in 1845. At a time when the world was moving from transcendentalism to Gothic literature to Darwinian Marxism and all that. I know a lot of weird stuff was churned out in those days, but these children's stories seems a little Medieval. What was German society like back then. Was this book a way of averting serious carnal violence, by trying to convince kids that their deeds would come back on them - they were the one's at fault? That's a step in the right direction - but why all this social tonos in the first place/ It is so interesting to study the rise of the value of children from this time into the, say, 1950's, especially when it comes to concepts of Xmas.
I don't know what was up with German society in 1845, but we all know a lot of grief was to follow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I do know I revere so many of the musicians and philosophers that came out of those ages. Civilisation: An endless, painful paradox. Check this out...
Der Struwwelpeter It's amazing. Tales by Hoffmann...
"Die Geschichte vom Zappel-Philipp". Illustration from the 1845 edition.