Hi,
Well, we did it! Today we moved in to our new house. It was a wild and crazy day, with more truck loads of stuff (amazing how much it grows) lots of installations and an immense feeling of satisfaction. Oh, and a growing list of things that need attention. This is later in the day because I had to wait to send it. I should be back on schedule by your Wednesday morning.
I'll just say that the song I gave you is approachable. Linda got it and a few of you have it lurking right outside of reach.
"If you wanna know if he loves you so It's in his kiss (That's where it is, oh yeah)" Hint: OK, I just gave you part of the title. The song is known as "The __ __ Song" Note that the two blanks are the same word. Hmm. How hard could it be?
We are beginning to enjoy the comforts of home. As I write, Lisa is enjoying her first bath. We just got back from dinner at the Night Bazaar and it's really time to chill.
Today we had two air/cons removed from the rental house and installed here. The upstairs unit didn't get finished so we're braving it without air. It's been raining since a storm that came this afternoon so it's warm and humid. If we chicken out, we'll just run down to the guest room and sleep there. Oh, sweet luxury. Then there was the team from the dish company. We thought they might not show to move it since the scheduled time was right at the beginning of the downpour. It let up and an hour later they showed and moved it. They spent hours trying to find a way to get a signal to two other rooms beside ours. Since we'd had the house wired with the proper cable, they just had to test a bunch of cable in a handy box in the hall and tonight Boot is watching her favorite show in her room. Of course, if we want to watch T.V., we have to watch the same thing. That will change after we get her a receiver of her own. For now, it's cool.
Well, I have to go down to the 'Cafe' and send this out so I'll cut it short. I have lots more to tell you so stay tuned and have a Happy Tuesday.
Peace,
Danny
"If you can't fight
and you can't flee......
flow."
~Unknown
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Doing
Hi,
This will be the week that was. Tomorrow we're moving. Water or no water, damn the torpedos, full speed ahead. We have a plan for living if the water isn't finished. For now, it's just exciting to know that it's finally going to happen.
The gift you were given for the weekend was apparently not appreciated. I got one message that got the joke. Brava to Linda. The song was "Hey, Hey, Na, Na, (Kiss Him Goodbye)" by Steam. It was one of those songs I tried hard to forget. Do a Google search and there's a YouTube video at the top. Anyway, that was your gift for a while. Today we'll play with a song that I know you know:
"(Is it in his eyes) Oh no, you'll be deceived (Is it in his eyes) Oh no, he'll make believe If you wanna know if he loves you so It's in his kiss (That's where it is, oh yeah)." Hint: The title is not a lyric in the song, but a background part. It was a 'Girl Group' from the mid 60s.
Like I said, we're movin'. The weekend was full of more boxes, lots of sweat and more questions than I can count. Things like 'when will...', 'where is...', and 'what is...' filled the air as we stood and looked at rooms full of our lives. There are boxes we never unpacked when the container arrived. We now have rooms full of wonder. 'I wonder why I packed that?' and 'Will wonders never cease?'.
The landscape crew is still working their magic. Today they put down the sod for the front lawn. It's a little like a checker board, but when it grows in, it will be beautiful. It's looking kind of like a golf course. Can't wait to see the back area. There are still more plants to be put in the ground and lots of clean-up.
Waterfall pool guy and his crew were also hard at work. They planted a variety of green on various levels of the rocky formation. It's looking very tropical and exotic. Now they're in the water-cleaning process. I guess it's time to put up a few more pictures on the Flickr site. Be sure and check them out.
Speaking of the pool, I've gotten several emails wondering about the shape of the pool. In some of the pics it looks like a diamond. Actually, it's a parallelogram. If it had been a rectangle, it would have gone too far towards the back of the yard. So, after much visualization, I came up with the present design. We actually gained one meter on the length of a lap. Cool.
This will be the last message I get to send from the comforts of home for a while. We won't have our same internet connection when we move. We will be receiving email via a GPRS/EDGE connection which is very slow. Sending will take too much time, so we'll be making treks to the local Internet Cafes to send messages and make Skype calls. Bear with us during this little interlude. We're waiting for an 'Air Card' which, if it works in our area, should give us comfortable speed and stability.
Final observation of the week: This Place we've built is actually in the country, in a manner of speaking. When you consider that there was no main water line, minimal internet, and it's across the river from 'town', we're in the country. Hmm.
Have an Inspired Week.
Peace,
Danny
"For the things we have to learn
before we can do them,
we learn by doing them."
~Aristotle
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
This will be the week that was. Tomorrow we're moving. Water or no water, damn the torpedos, full speed ahead. We have a plan for living if the water isn't finished. For now, it's just exciting to know that it's finally going to happen.
The gift you were given for the weekend was apparently not appreciated. I got one message that got the joke. Brava to Linda. The song was "Hey, Hey, Na, Na, (Kiss Him Goodbye)" by Steam. It was one of those songs I tried hard to forget. Do a Google search and there's a YouTube video at the top. Anyway, that was your gift for a while. Today we'll play with a song that I know you know:
"(Is it in his eyes) Oh no, you'll be deceived (Is it in his eyes) Oh no, he'll make believe If you wanna know if he loves you so It's in his kiss (That's where it is, oh yeah)." Hint: The title is not a lyric in the song, but a background part. It was a 'Girl Group' from the mid 60s.
Like I said, we're movin'. The weekend was full of more boxes, lots of sweat and more questions than I can count. Things like 'when will...', 'where is...', and 'what is...' filled the air as we stood and looked at rooms full of our lives. There are boxes we never unpacked when the container arrived. We now have rooms full of wonder. 'I wonder why I packed that?' and 'Will wonders never cease?'.
The landscape crew is still working their magic. Today they put down the sod for the front lawn. It's a little like a checker board, but when it grows in, it will be beautiful. It's looking kind of like a golf course. Can't wait to see the back area. There are still more plants to be put in the ground and lots of clean-up.
Waterfall pool guy and his crew were also hard at work. They planted a variety of green on various levels of the rocky formation. It's looking very tropical and exotic. Now they're in the water-cleaning process. I guess it's time to put up a few more pictures on the Flickr site. Be sure and check them out.
Speaking of the pool, I've gotten several emails wondering about the shape of the pool. In some of the pics it looks like a diamond. Actually, it's a parallelogram. If it had been a rectangle, it would have gone too far towards the back of the yard. So, after much visualization, I came up with the present design. We actually gained one meter on the length of a lap. Cool.
This will be the last message I get to send from the comforts of home for a while. We won't have our same internet connection when we move. We will be receiving email via a GPRS/EDGE connection which is very slow. Sending will take too much time, so we'll be making treks to the local Internet Cafes to send messages and make Skype calls. Bear with us during this little interlude. We're waiting for an 'Air Card' which, if it works in our area, should give us comfortable speed and stability.
Final observation of the week: This Place we've built is actually in the country, in a manner of speaking. When you consider that there was no main water line, minimal internet, and it's across the river from 'town', we're in the country. Hmm.
Have an Inspired Week.
Peace,
Danny
"For the things we have to learn
before we can do them,
we learn by doing them."
~Aristotle
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friday Funnies
Hi,
It's been a mad, crazy day here in the Land Of Smiles. It was to be moving day. We got up bright and early ready to get rid of all the boxes stacked everywhere. Then we got a call from Supat saying the movers he found were afraid it was going to rain. So? It's the rainy season. Stay tuned.
You may have read that Bo Diddley passed this week. He was a pioneering influence on what would become Rock and Roll. I remember buying a 78rpm of his first big hit. It was 'Bo Diddley' (the man was not shy) backed with 'I'm A Man'. I played those songs over and over. That was back in the days of segregated radio, even in L.A. If it hadn't been for Hunter Hancock, a lot of artists would never have been known. He made it a point to feature the best there was of Jazz and Rhythm and Blues by 'Negro artists'. I could hear a song on 'Huntin' with Hunter' and go over to Mr. Ford's barber shop/record store and find a copy. If he didn't have it, he'd get it by next week. Those were the days when life was simple and so was I. (555) Boy did I wander. The song was by Bo, who's real name was Ellas MacDaniel. It was from 1959 and it was "Say Man". We saw Bo Diddley in West Hollywood in the early '70s, still grinding out the same show he did a hundred years ago. That's another story. Oh, the rhythm I spoke of is not found on this song, but on 'Bo Diddley'. It became his signature. There's a whole list of tunes that have used it through the years and I'd love to send it to you if you ask for it.
For the weekend, I'm giving you a gift. Not only will you get the song, but you'll have a song in your head that will make you scream.
"He'll never love you, the way that I love you, 'cause if he did, no, no he wouldn't make you cry... Na, na, hey, hey, goodbye." Clue: I'm literally giving this away to make up for the obscure Bo Diddley tune. If you read the last part of the quote, the silly part, press the reply button and send it back.
So, having our mouths all set to move, we set out for an alternative. Lisa, Boot and I went down to Big C to investigate our internet options a bit more, pick up a few things and look for a mover. Someone at Big C suggested we talk to someone at the furniture store across the highway. We stopped there and a woman told us about the people who moved her. Boot called her later to get the number. It took a bit of work, but a couple finally came to the house. After looking at all our stuff, she gave us a price. We kept wanting to know if she had a big truck. Finally we got the answer we wanted to hear. A little later, a blue dump truck pulled into the yard. Now, my idea of a big truck is a truck big enough to hold a lot of stuff. This was a little dump truck. At least the bed was small. Little did I know the secrets of Thai moving. When it was all said and done, they moved more than we'd planned on, in three trips.
Lost in translation: We knew it might rain so we asked them to cover our things. On the first run, they covered the load. On the last two loads, they didn't cover and it rained. Big rain, with spectacular lightning and thunder. Fortunately, nothing got ruined, but we spent a bunch of time wiping things off. They put everything in the rooms where we wanted and we hope we don't change our minds too soon. Now it's a matter of unpacking and deciding where to put things.
Last, but not least, they started the water installation today. As we drove up we could see workers digging a ditch along the side of the road. Later they dropped off a huge coil of pipe. Presumably, it will connect to our system and we should be ready to move in on Monday. I'm staying calm, given the rains. It could be Tuesday, but we're seriously planning on Monday.
It's time for the 'Funnies'. Have a Cool WeekEnd.
Peace,
Danny
The Magician
A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience
would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do
the
same tricks over and over again.
There was only one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows every
week and began to understand what the magician did in every trick.
Once he understood that, he started shouting in the middle of the
show.
"Look, it's not the same hat!" "Look, he's hiding the flowers under
the table!" "Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades?"
The magician was furious but couldn't do anything, it was the
captain's parrot after all.
One day the ship had an accident and sank. The magician found himself
on a piece of wood, in the middle of the ocean, and of course the
parrot was
by his side.
They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This
went on for several days.
After a week the parrot finally said, "Okay, I give up.
What'd you do with the boat?"
PS F1 GP of Canada this weekend.
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
It's been a mad, crazy day here in the Land Of Smiles. It was to be moving day. We got up bright and early ready to get rid of all the boxes stacked everywhere. Then we got a call from Supat saying the movers he found were afraid it was going to rain. So? It's the rainy season. Stay tuned.
You may have read that Bo Diddley passed this week. He was a pioneering influence on what would become Rock and Roll. I remember buying a 78rpm of his first big hit. It was 'Bo Diddley' (the man was not shy) backed with 'I'm A Man'. I played those songs over and over. That was back in the days of segregated radio, even in L.A. If it hadn't been for Hunter Hancock, a lot of artists would never have been known. He made it a point to feature the best there was of Jazz and Rhythm and Blues by 'Negro artists'. I could hear a song on 'Huntin' with Hunter' and go over to Mr. Ford's barber shop/record store and find a copy. If he didn't have it, he'd get it by next week. Those were the days when life was simple and so was I. (555) Boy did I wander. The song was by Bo, who's real name was Ellas MacDaniel. It was from 1959 and it was "Say Man". We saw Bo Diddley in West Hollywood in the early '70s, still grinding out the same show he did a hundred years ago. That's another story. Oh, the rhythm I spoke of is not found on this song, but on 'Bo Diddley'. It became his signature. There's a whole list of tunes that have used it through the years and I'd love to send it to you if you ask for it.
For the weekend, I'm giving you a gift. Not only will you get the song, but you'll have a song in your head that will make you scream.
"He'll never love you, the way that I love you, 'cause if he did, no, no he wouldn't make you cry... Na, na, hey, hey, goodbye." Clue: I'm literally giving this away to make up for the obscure Bo Diddley tune. If you read the last part of the quote, the silly part, press the reply button and send it back.
So, having our mouths all set to move, we set out for an alternative. Lisa, Boot and I went down to Big C to investigate our internet options a bit more, pick up a few things and look for a mover. Someone at Big C suggested we talk to someone at the furniture store across the highway. We stopped there and a woman told us about the people who moved her. Boot called her later to get the number. It took a bit of work, but a couple finally came to the house. After looking at all our stuff, she gave us a price. We kept wanting to know if she had a big truck. Finally we got the answer we wanted to hear. A little later, a blue dump truck pulled into the yard. Now, my idea of a big truck is a truck big enough to hold a lot of stuff. This was a little dump truck. At least the bed was small. Little did I know the secrets of Thai moving. When it was all said and done, they moved more than we'd planned on, in three trips.
Lost in translation: We knew it might rain so we asked them to cover our things. On the first run, they covered the load. On the last two loads, they didn't cover and it rained. Big rain, with spectacular lightning and thunder. Fortunately, nothing got ruined, but we spent a bunch of time wiping things off. They put everything in the rooms where we wanted and we hope we don't change our minds too soon. Now it's a matter of unpacking and deciding where to put things.
Last, but not least, they started the water installation today. As we drove up we could see workers digging a ditch along the side of the road. Later they dropped off a huge coil of pipe. Presumably, it will connect to our system and we should be ready to move in on Monday. I'm staying calm, given the rains. It could be Tuesday, but we're seriously planning on Monday.
It's time for the 'Funnies'. Have a Cool WeekEnd.
Peace,
Danny
The Magician
A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience
would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do
the
same tricks over and over again.
There was only one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows every
week and began to understand what the magician did in every trick.
Once he understood that, he started shouting in the middle of the
show.
"Look, it's not the same hat!" "Look, he's hiding the flowers under
the table!" "Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades?"
The magician was furious but couldn't do anything, it was the
captain's parrot after all.
One day the ship had an accident and sank. The magician found himself
on a piece of wood, in the middle of the ocean, and of course the
parrot was
by his side.
They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This
went on for several days.
After a week the parrot finally said, "Okay, I give up.
What'd you do with the boat?"
PS F1 GP of Canada this weekend.
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Ambition
Hi,
We're down to the final hours before the move. Well, sort of. Tomorrow (Friday) the moving truck comes for the big stuff. Then Saturday we have the boxes moved. We still don't know when we will move in permanently. There are still a few things left to be done at The Place. Wait for it.
I got a few responses regarding the artist, but not the song. I knew it was a long shot when I decided to present it. Think of it as part of your musical 'edumacation'. (Ha) Say, I'll bet you need more lyrics. "Well, I was walking down the street with your girl the other day/Ah-ha/And the wind was blowin real hard/Is that right?/And the wind blew her hair into my face/Ah-ha/You know what else happened?/What happened?/The wind blew her hair into her face/Yeh?/And we went a little further; you wanna hear the rest of it?/I might as well/The wind blew her hair into the street!" Clue: His initials are E.M. aka B.D. and he's a 'Man'. I love that last exchange. If you're trying to find the beat, think 'Hand Jive'.
The landscaping is still going on, with more plants arriving, but the grass can't go in until the standing water problem is solved. We've been getting a fair amount of rain and we have a couple of lakes. We joked today that we could just get some fish and call it a day. They are working on a solution to enhance the drainage. We thought the waterfall was done but there are some cracks in the channel and it leaked. Today they resurfaced the walls and put in some shoring until the cement can cure.
The last main obstacle to our move will be the city water. Tomorrow we're supposed to get the word as to when they will begin. It will take three days and we're hoping they'll start this weekend. (Sigh)
Today we went into town and went to what we call the 'Crazy Store'. This place has everything under the sun. We finally found a frying pan with a lid. Very important for making popcorn. We also picked up some of those essentials like mops and brooms. Got to keep it clean.
That's all for today. Have a Brilliant Thursday.
Peace,
Danny
"Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky."
~American Proverb
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
We're down to the final hours before the move. Well, sort of. Tomorrow (Friday) the moving truck comes for the big stuff. Then Saturday we have the boxes moved. We still don't know when we will move in permanently. There are still a few things left to be done at The Place. Wait for it.
I got a few responses regarding the artist, but not the song. I knew it was a long shot when I decided to present it. Think of it as part of your musical 'edumacation'. (Ha) Say, I'll bet you need more lyrics. "Well, I was walking down the street with your girl the other day/Ah-ha/And the wind was blowin real hard/Is that right?/And the wind blew her hair into my face/Ah-ha/You know what else happened?/What happened?/The wind blew her hair into her face/Yeh?/And we went a little further; you wanna hear the rest of it?/I might as well/The wind blew her hair into the street!" Clue: His initials are E.M. aka B.D. and he's a 'Man'. I love that last exchange. If you're trying to find the beat, think 'Hand Jive'.
The landscaping is still going on, with more plants arriving, but the grass can't go in until the standing water problem is solved. We've been getting a fair amount of rain and we have a couple of lakes. We joked today that we could just get some fish and call it a day. They are working on a solution to enhance the drainage. We thought the waterfall was done but there are some cracks in the channel and it leaked. Today they resurfaced the walls and put in some shoring until the cement can cure.
The last main obstacle to our move will be the city water. Tomorrow we're supposed to get the word as to when they will begin. It will take three days and we're hoping they'll start this weekend. (Sigh)
Today we went into town and went to what we call the 'Crazy Store'. This place has everything under the sun. We finally found a frying pan with a lid. Very important for making popcorn. We also picked up some of those essentials like mops and brooms. Got to keep it clean.
That's all for today. Have a Brilliant Thursday.
Peace,
Danny
"Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky."
~American Proverb
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Know
Hi,
Believe it or not, we didn't go to The Place today. We did spend a bit of time packing things up. This morning I had a bit of an adventure that I'll tell you about in a minute.
The song a few of you got was "Babylon Sisters" by Steely Dan, from the Gaucho LP. Yes, it all comes back, doesn't it. The following lyrics are delivered by the artist and his sidekick. The characters alternate lines. It's kind of a spoken word thing.
"__ __/Whats that boy?/I want to tell you bout your girlfriend/What about my girl?/ Well, you dont look strong enough to take the message/Im strong enough/I might hurt your feelings/My feelings are already hurt by being here with you..." Clues: This pioneer musician was best known for a signature rhythm that was copied by many artists and groups through the years. This week he left this plane of existence. For bonus 'Cool Points', name another song with that beat. The more songs, the more points. Oh yeah, think square guitar. (What?)
This morning I took the truck to Toyota of Chiang Rai for a basic check-up. All the way there, I was hoping I'd get someone who spoke English. Well, didn't happen. Usually, when you take your car in for service, you stand in a driveway with a man with a clipboard who asks a few questions and then directs you to have a seat in a room with old coffee in foam cups and a vending machine for snacks. Or you might have to sit around a table and try to avoid the sun. This was not my experience today. A young woman came to the truck as I was getting out and greeted me. We established that I wanted basic service and nothing was wrong. She wrote up a ticket and led me into a very modern room that looked a bit like a bank. She directed me to a 'service advisor' who would help me. Once my number came up, it was my turn to sit at the counter while he looked up the truck on the computer. While I sat there, I was given a glass of ice-water. At one point we realized that it might go better with some English so he made some calls and the fairly new assistant manager of sales arrived with a big grin on his face. He helped us finish the paper work and then led me to the waiting lounge.
We walked up some steps, into the showroom, and up a few more steps where he just pointed and told me to enjoy my wait. As I entered the room I noticed a giant TV screen in the far corner. There was a woman sitting at a computer doing a Google search, rows of plush chairs and a children's playground on a patio. I had been told that there was coffee and snacks, but figured it would be the usual. Not the case. There was a counter with fresh coffee, hot water for tea, and little snacks for the taking. There was not a foam cup in sight. They provided cups and saucers for our drinking pleasure. Once I absorbed the basics, I started noticing the little things. There was a massage chair, a rack with current copies of a wide range of magazines and daily newspapers. In a far corner, I noticed a door. I peaked in and discovered a 'quiet room', complete with reclining patio chairs. There was a man in there sleeping. There was a big bay window that looked down into the service area, which was very interesting to me. I watched mechanics work on different vehicles, noting their routines and patterns. It's a very slick operation. For instance, when they take your car back to the garage, not only do they put the little paper floor mat down, they cover the seat with a cloth seat-cover. Supat and I were joking about how funny it would be to just go there and spend an afternoon hanging out in such nice surroundings.
Well, that's enough babbling for today. Have a Wacky Wednesday.
Peace,
Danny
"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge
and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you,
you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."
~Winnie-the-Pooh
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Believe it or not, we didn't go to The Place today. We did spend a bit of time packing things up. This morning I had a bit of an adventure that I'll tell you about in a minute.
The song a few of you got was "Babylon Sisters" by Steely Dan, from the Gaucho LP. Yes, it all comes back, doesn't it. The following lyrics are delivered by the artist and his sidekick. The characters alternate lines. It's kind of a spoken word thing.
"__ __/Whats that boy?/I want to tell you bout your girlfriend/What about my girl?/ Well, you dont look strong enough to take the message/Im strong enough/I might hurt your feelings/My feelings are already hurt by being here with you..." Clues: This pioneer musician was best known for a signature rhythm that was copied by many artists and groups through the years. This week he left this plane of existence. For bonus 'Cool Points', name another song with that beat. The more songs, the more points. Oh yeah, think square guitar. (What?)
This morning I took the truck to Toyota of Chiang Rai for a basic check-up. All the way there, I was hoping I'd get someone who spoke English. Well, didn't happen. Usually, when you take your car in for service, you stand in a driveway with a man with a clipboard who asks a few questions and then directs you to have a seat in a room with old coffee in foam cups and a vending machine for snacks. Or you might have to sit around a table and try to avoid the sun. This was not my experience today. A young woman came to the truck as I was getting out and greeted me. We established that I wanted basic service and nothing was wrong. She wrote up a ticket and led me into a very modern room that looked a bit like a bank. She directed me to a 'service advisor' who would help me. Once my number came up, it was my turn to sit at the counter while he looked up the truck on the computer. While I sat there, I was given a glass of ice-water. At one point we realized that it might go better with some English so he made some calls and the fairly new assistant manager of sales arrived with a big grin on his face. He helped us finish the paper work and then led me to the waiting lounge.
We walked up some steps, into the showroom, and up a few more steps where he just pointed and told me to enjoy my wait. As I entered the room I noticed a giant TV screen in the far corner. There was a woman sitting at a computer doing a Google search, rows of plush chairs and a children's playground on a patio. I had been told that there was coffee and snacks, but figured it would be the usual. Not the case. There was a counter with fresh coffee, hot water for tea, and little snacks for the taking. There was not a foam cup in sight. They provided cups and saucers for our drinking pleasure. Once I absorbed the basics, I started noticing the little things. There was a massage chair, a rack with current copies of a wide range of magazines and daily newspapers. In a far corner, I noticed a door. I peaked in and discovered a 'quiet room', complete with reclining patio chairs. There was a man in there sleeping. There was a big bay window that looked down into the service area, which was very interesting to me. I watched mechanics work on different vehicles, noting their routines and patterns. It's a very slick operation. For instance, when they take your car back to the garage, not only do they put the little paper floor mat down, they cover the seat with a cloth seat-cover. Supat and I were joking about how funny it would be to just go there and spend an afternoon hanging out in such nice surroundings.
Well, that's enough babbling for today. Have a Wacky Wednesday.
Peace,
Danny
"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge
and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you,
you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."
~Winnie-the-Pooh
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Action
Hi, Today we had heat, and no rain. Umbrellas get double duty this time of year. I noticed a bike today with a handy sheath for carrying an umbrella at all times. Good idea.
I know the song is not a total bust because Lane and Jimmy got it. Lisa could sing it, but couldn't remember the exact title. Not to worry, this group often has titles that confuse. Although, in this case, it's quite obvious. See if this rings a bell: "__ __ shake it, __ __ shake it. So fine so young, tell me I'm the only one. Here come those Santa Ana winds again." Clue: In a bold move, I'll give you one of the words, sister.
Today our dining room table arrived. We had to have it made, because everything we saw would only seat six and we needed eight. The table is beautiful. We gave the man the height, length and width and a chair so he could match the wood. He did an amazing job. I neglected to get a picture of it today, but I'll snap a few tomorrow.
The big news today was the pool. When we got to the house, the water truck was back and this time it was filling the sitting area by the waterfall. We got to watch the water in the pool rise and finally spill over into the channel around the perimeter.
I took some pictures of the waterfall in action and I'll post them today. The creator of this monolith was tuning the 'fall' of the water with rocks and a sanding tool. Very interesting. We'll have to wait a few days before we can enter the pool because it has to filter some very dirty water. All those rocks took their toll on what started out as clear water.
Friday and Saturday will be moving days, even if we don't get the city water. We'll stay at the rental house and 'camp out', but all of our stuff will be at the new house. We'll spend our days there, unpacking and getting acquainted.
That's pretty much what's happening in our corner of the world. What about yours?
Have a Happy Tuesday.
Peace,
Danny
"Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare."
~Japanese Proverb
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
I know the song is not a total bust because Lane and Jimmy got it. Lisa could sing it, but couldn't remember the exact title. Not to worry, this group often has titles that confuse. Although, in this case, it's quite obvious. See if this rings a bell: "__ __ shake it, __ __ shake it. So fine so young, tell me I'm the only one. Here come those Santa Ana winds again." Clue: In a bold move, I'll give you one of the words, sister.
Today our dining room table arrived. We had to have it made, because everything we saw would only seat six and we needed eight. The table is beautiful. We gave the man the height, length and width and a chair so he could match the wood. He did an amazing job. I neglected to get a picture of it today, but I'll snap a few tomorrow.
The big news today was the pool. When we got to the house, the water truck was back and this time it was filling the sitting area by the waterfall. We got to watch the water in the pool rise and finally spill over into the channel around the perimeter.
I took some pictures of the waterfall in action and I'll post them today. The creator of this monolith was tuning the 'fall' of the water with rocks and a sanding tool. Very interesting. We'll have to wait a few days before we can enter the pool because it has to filter some very dirty water. All those rocks took their toll on what started out as clear water.
Friday and Saturday will be moving days, even if we don't get the city water. We'll stay at the rental house and 'camp out', but all of our stuff will be at the new house. We'll spend our days there, unpacking and getting acquainted.
That's pretty much what's happening in our corner of the world. What about yours?
Have a Happy Tuesday.
Peace,
Danny
"Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare."
~Japanese Proverb
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Monday, June 2, 2008
Vision
Hi,
Back from a wild, wet weekend. Not that we didn't have plenty of sunshine, but the clouds finally delivered. We spent most of Saturday at the new house. I'll fill you in after a musical interlude.
Not too many of you wanted to "Dance With Me" over the weekend. Orleans is the group you have to thank for the memories.
"Drive west on Sunset, to the sea. Turn that jungle music down, just until we're out of town. This is no one night stand..."
Clue: This is by a group fronted by two very prolific writer/performers that we visit quite often. Tune is about a wild time in Cali and somebody shakin' it. What?
We had to get up extra early on Saturday in order to be at the site at 8 o'clock. When we arrived for the blessing of the Spirit House, there was quite a scene. Two men conducted the ceremony. In western terms, I guess they would be considered laymen of the temple. They brought their own six foot table, complete with a red covering. The table was filled with portions of various kinds of food. There was rice, corn, chicken, duck, vegetables, a big basket of fruit and, last but not least, a pig's head. Incense was burning all over and there were bunches of flowers. We were each given a candle. On this candle we were to write our name and birth date with a special stylus.
One of the men, the head guy, sat and began chanting from a thick notebook. This was the initial blessing of the land, of us and the spirits that live on the land and the ones who may visit the land. At one point we were given a prescribed number of incense sticks and were instructed to offer prayers of our own. The whole ceremony went on for a little over an hour and a half. It included tossing of water on us, dabbing our palms and foreheads with a special paste, walking around the 'house' three times, and sticking incense into all of the food. Small figurines were placed on the Spirit House, to represent our ancestors. A long strand of string was run from upstairs in Lisa's studio (tied to a small Emerald Buddha) and stretched all the way across the yard to the Spirit House. A piece of that string was tied around each of our wrists and we are to wear it for three days. I will post pictures of all this on the Flickr site.
Things are really changing as far as the house is concerned. The inside is basically finished. All the window treatments are done, most of the touch-up and cleaning is done and now it's just the little things that we're catching and having corrected. We moved a few things over and the first furniture arrived. Bed frames, dressers and dining room chairs give it all a feeling of anticipation.
The landscape crew is still planting borders and creating little gardens all around. We had our first bird sightings during the ceremony. They've discovered our trees. You may recall that I was wondering about how the geckos would know about the house. Well, somebody told them. We spotted a tiny baby upstairs in the studio. Amazing Thailand.
Sunday marked the arrival of the first truckloads of water for the pool. By this afternoon it was almost full. The pool guy was in the water, in his trunks, walking around with a net, cleaning the surface. Tomorrow they're supposed to fire up the waterfall and test the pump and filter. Guess who's getting excited?
Needless to say, we've started doing some real packing and making preparations for the move, which is still based on the arrival of city water. Boot is staying with us now, since she gave notice on her place. So, we're getting a preview of living together. It's going to be pretty cool.
Have a Wonderful Week.
Peace,
Danny
"The only limits are, as always, those of vision."
~James Broughton
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Back from a wild, wet weekend. Not that we didn't have plenty of sunshine, but the clouds finally delivered. We spent most of Saturday at the new house. I'll fill you in after a musical interlude.
Not too many of you wanted to "Dance With Me" over the weekend. Orleans is the group you have to thank for the memories.
"Drive west on Sunset, to the sea. Turn that jungle music down, just until we're out of town. This is no one night stand..."
Clue: This is by a group fronted by two very prolific writer/performers that we visit quite often. Tune is about a wild time in Cali and somebody shakin' it. What?
We had to get up extra early on Saturday in order to be at the site at 8 o'clock. When we arrived for the blessing of the Spirit House, there was quite a scene. Two men conducted the ceremony. In western terms, I guess they would be considered laymen of the temple. They brought their own six foot table, complete with a red covering. The table was filled with portions of various kinds of food. There was rice, corn, chicken, duck, vegetables, a big basket of fruit and, last but not least, a pig's head. Incense was burning all over and there were bunches of flowers. We were each given a candle. On this candle we were to write our name and birth date with a special stylus.
One of the men, the head guy, sat and began chanting from a thick notebook. This was the initial blessing of the land, of us and the spirits that live on the land and the ones who may visit the land. At one point we were given a prescribed number of incense sticks and were instructed to offer prayers of our own. The whole ceremony went on for a little over an hour and a half. It included tossing of water on us, dabbing our palms and foreheads with a special paste, walking around the 'house' three times, and sticking incense into all of the food. Small figurines were placed on the Spirit House, to represent our ancestors. A long strand of string was run from upstairs in Lisa's studio (tied to a small Emerald Buddha) and stretched all the way across the yard to the Spirit House. A piece of that string was tied around each of our wrists and we are to wear it for three days. I will post pictures of all this on the Flickr site.
Things are really changing as far as the house is concerned. The inside is basically finished. All the window treatments are done, most of the touch-up and cleaning is done and now it's just the little things that we're catching and having corrected. We moved a few things over and the first furniture arrived. Bed frames, dressers and dining room chairs give it all a feeling of anticipation.
The landscape crew is still planting borders and creating little gardens all around. We had our first bird sightings during the ceremony. They've discovered our trees. You may recall that I was wondering about how the geckos would know about the house. Well, somebody told them. We spotted a tiny baby upstairs in the studio. Amazing Thailand.
Sunday marked the arrival of the first truckloads of water for the pool. By this afternoon it was almost full. The pool guy was in the water, in his trunks, walking around with a net, cleaning the surface. Tomorrow they're supposed to fire up the waterfall and test the pump and filter. Guess who's getting excited?
Needless to say, we've started doing some real packing and making preparations for the move, which is still based on the arrival of city water. Boot is staying with us now, since she gave notice on her place. So, we're getting a preview of living together. It's going to be pretty cool.
Have a Wonderful Week.
Peace,
Danny
"The only limits are, as always, those of vision."
~James Broughton
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
