you can never go home again
Current mood: ninja
Category: Travel and Places
In late march of this year, I got one of those bad calls. My grandmother, the matriarch of our family, had passed away at the hearty age of 86. I owe Gramma a eulogy, but I'm not quite there yet, so instead I'll focus on my visit to my birthplace, a tiny town called Winsted in the NW corner of Connecticut.
yup, that's a bonafide Town Hall, fire station is round back!
Packing wasn't much of an issue. 15 years in L.A. and 5 in Hawaii meant that my wardrobe contained nothing even marginally appropriate for a New England winter (frightfully, early April IS still winter... temps in 30's/40's YIKES). I decided I would have to make due with raiding closets while I was there (hence my funny outfits).
I headed out from Hilo airport, embarking on an 18 hour odyssey that would span half an ocean and an entire continent. Thankfully, Dad kicked down generously with the ambien so I was blissfully unconscious for most of the trip, waking up just long enough to change airplanes entirely too many times. I somehow ended up on first class for part of the trip, which I found quite novel!
front row seats - that's the cockpit, biiotch!
my vodka-cranberry came in a GLASS and in my hand before takeoff... niiiice
I left New England for California when I was 18 and never looked back. My first trip back in over 20 years made me understand why i've always been such a spooky girl. New England is a creepy freakin' place, folks! The woods, the architecture, even the SKY, fer chrissake… Taking in the stark countryside, it's easy to see why the area inspired the likes of Stephen King and HP Lovecraft. And me.
Here's a bunch of random shots taken while cruising the countryside:
creepy tree
creepy truck on creepy road
creepy friggin' pond
creepy abandoned building
i don't even want to know what they get up to there...
JOIN US
My sistah and I took a drive to find our grandfather's grave. After much meandering thru the incredibly eerie countryside, we were finally successful. We spent about 5 minutes paying our respects before getting completely sidetracked by the ancient part of the graveyard across the street.
ooooo ah'm so sceeeayed
"a soldier of the revolution"
Creepy ambiance aside, the highlight of the trip was spending time with my family, most of whom I have't seen since I left the east coast over 2 decades ago. My Gramma had 5 grandchildren, all female. (I'm the eldest by 7 years) This was actually the first time the scattered Brood gathered in the same place. Sarah came from Florida, Robyn and Jill from Colorado, me from Hawaii. Elise didn't roll too far from the tree, which was great because she was able to bring her beautiful Brady for visits - I was having serious canine withdrawals.
the brood: old lady tara, baby sarah, robyn, elise and little jill - not a bad legacy!
sweet brady
We were never preached to as kids, but in Gramma's time and place, church equaled community. Gramma attended church til the very end, but it was my first time inside one of those places since I was a small child, holding a candle and singing Christmas carols inside that very building. That's where many of Gramma's friends were and it's the service I'm sure she wanted so who the heck am I to say a word. But some of the stuff those people say... it's just plain weird. Their buildings sure are cool tho.
Anyway, on to happier times. My sistah had the fantastic foresight to search out our very favorite meal, MAINE LOBSTAH! And how far did we have to travel for this ultimate delicacy? About 5 minutes down the road, as a matter of fact. How cool is that?! Poor Uncle Lane, always the odd man out (and he's a pretty odd man, to be sure). He must have been ready to keel over from estrogen overdose by the time we all left…
DAMN you wimmin
the "devil sisters" want their lobster NOW
bliss...
After Lobsterfest, we headed back to Auntie Jan's house where we all hung out for a bit. Then the grownups all went home or to sleep, and it was on! Yeah, the Nordgren girls getting toasted together for the very first time. Wine and laughter flowed til the wee hours and great fun was had by all. Except maybe for Robyn, towards the very end there – she's a lightweight heh heh heh.
we love our technology... and our wine!
cheers, sarah!
bottom's up, elise!
jill's looking pretty toasted!
awww, poor robyn!
Part of the trip was sad, going thru Gramma's stuff and helping Mom pack it up. But even sad time with Mom is better than no time, I loved being by her side for 5 days. Luckily, my hardboiled yankee kin ain't the types to moan and groan, and you can bet there was far more laughter than tears. Before I knew it, it was time to head out to the hotel by the airport where Mom and I said goodbye to Uncle Lane, had dinner and went to sleep so we'd be rested for our 6am flights back to our own realities.
Believe me when I say that Hawaii is a nice, warm place to come home to.
Partying like a (washed up) rock star
Current mood: fermented
Category: Friends
So, over the weekend I had my very first myspace encounter. Gina Grotesque materialized on my island! Yay!! She made the trek accross the island from Kona to our little corner of the jungle on Sunday, so we showed her around Puna a bit.
We headed down to the tidepools, out to the lava flow, then back home where we consumed copious bloody marys well into the wee hours. Miss Gina is every bit as adorable, intelligent and fun as one who has been reading her blogs for any length of time might expect. And she is quite the ninja BAMF to boot, I might add.
[This is where I should be posting some ridiculously cute photos of us, but my stoooopid camera is on the fritz, so you'll just have to use your imagination. Just picture 2 red-haired, lightly tattooed hotties in bikinis with the bright blue pacific for a backdrop. ]
What was a bit of a shock and a bummer was that it took me 2 fucking days to bounce back from a single night of excess. I guess in some ways, getting old does suck after all. Or maybe it's just when I'm trying to keep up with 21 year olds…
Sign of the Times
Current mood: discontent
Category: News and Politics
Last night I saw a rather interesting documentary called Zeitgeist. To some, this piece of celluloid will be perceived as the mad ravings of conspiracy theorists; to others, an emphatic attempt to help others break free from the matrix. To me, it was an interesting and controversial 2 hours that has had me thinking and researching all day long. I recommend that next time you're ready to sit down in front of the t.v. for an evening's entertainment, you instead point your browser to http://zeitgeistmovie.com/ where you can watch the full 2 hour film for free online.
ACT I The first act of the film deals with debunking Christianity, which to me is preaching to the choir hahaha. I've been aware for quite some time that the teachings of the Bible were taken directly from its pagan forerunners, but it was interesting to hear the astrological basis for many of the pervasive religious myths that Christianity incorporated at it's outset.
I was surprised by the degree to which the "good book" was plagiarized, but it's very logical when you think about it. If you are hoping to get a good portion of the world's population on board with your new religion, you need to make it easy for them to swallow. By using the same astral/orbit/axis based mythologies that have been in place since the dawn of man, early church leaders were able to convert the faithful much more easily than if they came up with some entirely new, untried and untested allegory. My eyes did cross a bit as the narrator hammered this point home but soon the film switched gears.
ACT II Up next in Act II, the 9/11 conspiracy, baby! I found this the most interesting part of the film. I've always been open to the possibility of a huge deception at the heart of September 11th, tho I doubted whether anyone would have the BALLS to try to pull something like that off. This film offers some pretty convincing arguments that criminal elements in the US government staged the attacks to forward their agenda of waging an ambiguous, open-ended war.
I understand that many will see this as the outlandish accusations of the lunatic fringe. But I ask, when has there been a limit to the depravity of heinous acts that low men with unlimited power will commit? History is choked with examples! And the public record is choked with eye witnesses and expert testimonies that refute the Bush administration's explanations.
In an aricle titled "Why the 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Won't Go Away" Time Magazine estimates that 36% of Americans believe that it is "likely" that government officials either allowed the attacks to be carried out or carried out the attacks themselves. That's not a fringe movement – it's over a third of the nation! I found that quite surprising.
After thinking long and hard on this subject, I came to a realization. At my heart, I DON"T CARE if the attacks of September 11th were caused by our government's malicious intent or if it was a matter of gross incompetence followed by opportunistic maneuvering. In my eyes, the events that have transpired in the wake of that day diminish the event almost to the point of insignificance. The most powerful military force in the history of man has gone rogue, waging unilateral wars of aggression, toppling governments, executing presidents, eschewing the Geneva conventions – the very basis of international law! - advocating torture, overturning the Bill of Rights… I know many don't agree with me, but I can't equate a couple of buildings and a couple thousand lives with the humanitarian nightmare that these policies of terror, the legacy of September 11th have produced.
ACT III The final act of Zeitgeist deals with the U.S economy, specifically with the Federal Reserve. While there were some interesting ideas put forth, I haven't found much outside the content of the film to convince me that the US economy is controlled by a few international bankers who are working in secret to eradicate the dollar and, subsequently, all international borders. No, I think that nationalism is too useful a tool for control and manipulation. The world's governments are not going to give it up that easily!
Personally I'm all for a world government. I think it's inevitable. I think that borders, like religion, are an excuse for people to hate and fear each other, to conceive of differences that either don't exist or don't need to exist. However, I don't think it's likely that global hegemony can be achieved through purely economical scenarios. No, it will probably take a global disaster for mankind to put his differences aside, stop slaughtering his neighbors and band together in the interest of his species as a whole. However, Act III did inspire me congratulate myself heartily for my choices in lifestyle that allow me to live as far on the outskirts of capitalism as I can mange. Yay me!
In summation, the film obviously made me think, as is evidenced by the preceding storm of opinions and ideas. Whether you agree or disagree does not matter; there are many sides to every story, and today's cult of television only gives us one: the story of those in power. That story is one-sided, so it's up to us to search out information for our selves, to choose a variety of news sources, to expose ourselves to ideas that may not be comfortable. The path to enlightenment is knowledge and understanding. QUESTION EVERYTHING.
Piano Recital (for real)
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music
(okay, i think i've solved my myspace technical difficulties...)
Hi Myspace, it's been a while!
It's been a few months since I began teaching myself to play piano (with the help of a couple of good books and some youtube videos). Since all of my playing is for an audience of one, me, I wanted to share my progress with you via this, my very first myspace piano recital!
(lights dim, a hush falls over the audience)
First up, Greensleeves, a familiar tune which may or may not have been composed by Henry VIII. Regardless of who composed it, it has become the mandatory first song that most people (at age 5) learn on the piano. And I am no exception. Except i'm not 5... Here's the super simple version from my textbook:
Next, a short piece by 17th century composer, Henry Purcell. I think it's pretty (except for that damn change of hand position that I can't quite hit fast enough…)
Finally, my piece de resistance, or half of it anyway. Here's the first 16 bars of Sadness and Sorrow from the anime Naruto, composed by Toshiro Masuda and arranged by Piano Squall. I can in fact play the entire piece, but after trying for an hour to get it on video error free, I decided to go with the first half only rather than break something in frustration…
So all in all, I think it's going quite well so far. It would be nice to have a teacher, but unfortunately that's not an option for me right now... But that's okay, it's more of a challenge this way!
Thanks for coming to my myspace piano recital!!
(applause)
Currently
playing
:
Eternal Sonata Release date: 17 September, 2007
Every year the Pahoa Xmas Parade reminds me of just why I so love this town… I was planning to write a witty and entertaining blog about my small, weird, wet town, sandwiched between rainforest, volcano and vast blue sea, fertile farmland bursting with orchid, papaya and pot farms, home to all manner of misfit toys… But nothing fills me with the overwhelming need to procrastinate like this here joyous holiday season, so I'll just let the photos speak, more or less, for themselves:
We set up to watch the parade right across from Pahoa high school (Pahoa means dagger in Hawaiian)
Those of you who have ever been to Pahoa will immediately recognize the irony of this statement…
Auntie Emily Naeole, our new Puna councilwoman, shaking things up in the 5th District
The Dollah Deli, dba the Dallah Delli
I dunno, but I like it…
the mounted renaissance xmas fairy
apparently Pahoa now has it's own cartoon, and it's about... a rock?
some of our local agriculturists put great effort into their floats…
some, not so much
this year's parade theme: FABULOUS!
no wait, what WAS this year's theme agian?
oh yeah, Drug Free and Proud
guess which presidential candidate had a Pahoa xmas parade presence
this year's parade did have LIVE PUNK ROCK! (and what's more punk rock than playing electric guitars during tropical downpours?!)
the black sands subdivision won best float with their not particularly xmas-y but quite cool pirate ship
and here's santa, in his orchid filled catamaran with snow-covered mauna kea peeking thru the clouds in the distance – beautiful! --------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonight we go to Bob, Tyna & Nico's for Xmas Eve feasting, fun and, of course, video games. Tomorrow Dee, the 'fella' who catered our wedding, is having a big dinner party... YUM! I am determined to gain 10lbs in two days - wish me luck!
(I know that i need to write some people - don't hate me for taking so long!! this time of year compels me to curl up and hide, especially times like these when i'm too butt-poor to get into the shopping spirit... which itself pisses me off because a made-up holiday shouldn't have any power over me. anyway, i'll crawl out of my hole soon, i promise!!)
Aloha & Mele Kalikimaka to all!
Currently
playing
:
Blue Dragon Release date: 28 August, 2007
In lieu of anything Halloween related for big kids like me to do in Pahoa (I'm going to have a party next year, I think), I embarked on the annual horror movie marathon for the last week and a half of October. This year I revisited some favorites - it's quite interesting to watch them from my "adult" perspective to see if they stand the test of time, and, sometimes, to find new things to love about them. I even tried out a couple newer titles and have rescinded my claim that Nightmare on Elm Street was the last great horror flick made. This year we watched (in reverse order):
Rosemary's Baby: Chilling and suspenseful. Roman Polanski is a master story-teller, and the pacing of this film is intense and surreal. Mia Farrow is captivating as Rosemary, a pregnant woman harried by evil forces. As the plot around Rosemary thickens the tension builds and tightens to a surprise ending that I always appreciated. The thing I found most disturbing is the complete dismissal that "poor little Rosemary" receives from all the men in her life…
The Toxic Avenger (Director's Cut): Troma, baby! I loved this film just as much today as I did in 1985. Hilarious, campy, gory and goofy… with an awesome soundtrack that I can't get out of my head ("body talk, body talk, I love the sound of your body talk" – sing along with me y'all!). Great socio-political commentary on environmentalism, political corruption… and health club patrons. I <3 the Monster Hero!!
Black Sheep: Well this was a pleasant surprise! I was not expecting much from this Zombie/Weresheep (yes, SHEEP) flick, but I ended up likng it a lot. Made by New Zealand horror freaks who obviously love the same stuff that I do. The effects are great. Forget buckets of gore, this flick has 50 gallon drums of gore, along with slick production and a sense of humor. Highly recommended!
The Fly / The Fly 2: 1980's retelling of the classic science gone awry story. Cronenberg's remake is fantastic – he's such a twisted genius. Jeff Golblum is great as Seth Brundle, and the effects are outstanding and still hold their own today. Couldn't get the Fly by itself; it comes bundled on a double sided dvd with it's sequel... the sequel was fair, decent performances, nice FX, and nothing too blatantly stupid until the completely retarded ending… but it didn't hold a candle to the Cronenberg's remake of the 50's classic.
The Dead Zone: after trying and absolutely hating the TV series (didn't even make it thru the pilot), I was glad for the reminder of how good this story is. One of the better adaptations of King's work, I feel, thanks in large part to Cronenberg's direction and the always delightful Christopher Walken in the lead.
House of 1,000 Corpses / The Devil's Rejects: How & why the hell have I never seen these movies??! Rob Zombie is a freak after my own heart to be sure. Lots of fun and quite disturbing in a very Texas Chainsaw type o way. Thumbs WAY up
1408: Unrated Version: It's hard to go wrong with Stephen King and John Cusack, in my opinion. Creepy haunted hotel room story. No raves, no complaints.
Halloween: Awesome! John Carpenter invented the slasher genre with this film. Jamie Lee does not look remotely high-school age, but her (debut?) performance definitely gives the film weight. Carpenter captures the essence of my horror obsession – and in many ways my entire childhood - with this film. Scary and classic.
Poltergeist: Meh. For a movie that scared the living crap out of me as a kid, Poltergeist was quite dull in retrospect. Despite being directed by Tobe Hooper, I found Poltergeist sorely lacking - or maybe my expectations changed when the opening credits reminded me that Speilberg wasn't the director... The score was inappropriate to the point of being distracting, and the fledgling CGI effects that dazzled in 1982 obviously fail to impress 25 years later.
Grindhouse: Planet Terror: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror was a lot of fun, tho I liked Tarantino's Grindhouse contribution Deathproof just a bit better (owing mostly to Kurt Russell's awesome performance). Rose McGowan is insanely hot. This was the first entry in the marathon and I'm having a hard time remembering it clearly (shocking!) so I think I'll need to watch it again…
So what are your favorite horror flicks? Seen any good ones lately? What did you watch for Halloween? I'm already compiling my list for next year… any suggestions???
Just before my dad left for Japan this time, he kicked me down this super sweet piano weighted 88-key midi keyboard (Peavey DPM C8) with matching Roland U-220 sound module. WOOHOO!!!! I've always wanted to learn piano and am attempting to teach myself with the help of Youtube and some good books since I'm way to po' to afford lessons and doubt there's a teacher within 20 miles.
Things are progressing nicely; I'm re-learning the reading pretty quickly, and after a month of obsessive practicing I've made it thru unit 1 of my study book, which starts off with 'Frere Jacques' (yawn) and ends with 'Greensleeves' (pretty cool!). My Youtube studies have thusfar encompassed the scales of C and D major, A minor and their respective triads and inversions. And "Imagine" by John Lennon. I REALLY want to learn Moonlight Sonata, but alas I think I'll have to get a bit better first, as the key of C-sharp major seems to scramble my brain for some reason. Fur Elise seems more manageable. Lurve me that Beethoven!
Superferry update! A while back I blogged about the Kauai Superferry protest, when the people of Kauai prevented the ferry from docking at Nawiliwili Harbor because it started service without doing the required environmental impact studies. Believe it or not, the ferry has been docked at Honolulu since that day well over a month ago. The Superferry people were waiting for today's ruling on Maui, where a restraining order was in place to prevent the ferry from accessing it's harbor until a ruling could be made to decide if the near billion dollar project could proceed unfettered. Today Maui Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza ended four weeks of testimony by ruling that the vessel may not sail until an environmental study is done.
Apparently this is causing some media outlets to spin the Aloha state as unfriendly (??!!!) and anti-progress. The truth is that Hawaii is a place where environmentalism is not an abstract concept - people who live in paradise take the environment seriously!! The Superferry people have been threatening to abandon the entire project (cool, thanks for showing the next guys how NOT to do things). They are apparently stunned that the judge has ruled that they cannot continue to operate while the studies are being done – um, HELLO would that not defeat the purpose? Anyway HOORAY for civil disobedience, and for Judge Cardoza, who actually seems to care about the rule of law and protecting Hawaii more than he cares about shit-piles of money.
The Superferry, of course, plans to appeal.
Currently
playing
:
Halo 3 Release date: 25 September, 2007
Happy (almost) Anniversary to Me!
Current mood: loved
Category: Life
Tomorrow is the second anniversary of the day I married my bestest friend in all the world. In honor of that I've created a new album on myspace with some of our wedding photos. If you missed our wedding website - or even if you didn't - stop by and check them out!!
Our goal and theme was "Gregg and Tara, Island Style." It was a perfect mesh of our lives old and new – lots of beautiful flowers, but don't forget the skeletons – and quite symbolic of the direction our life was taking.
Mars handled the flowers and decorating, and she did an AMAZING job - you'll see photos of some of her groovy decor. We didn't get any good photos of the food, but it was fabulous too – lau lau, lomi salmon, Kailua pig, fresh ahi sashimi, all the ono local style grinds we love – expertly prepared by our friend Dee. My Dad and his friends played the Hawaiian Wedding Song as we were walking down the isle. The ceremony started at 5:00pm at the edge of the ocean, and we partied afterwards til about midnight.
And we pulled the whole thing off for around $1000!
Gregg and I both wrote vows to each other, but didn't end up using them in the ceremony. In honor of this special day, I wanted to share my wedding vows that I wrote to Gregg with you all.
Tara, to Gregg
You've been my favorite person for as long as I've known you.
When we first met, we hit it off immediately. Every time we got together we had a blast. We were always on the same page, and understood each other so well that we never misunderstood each other. We became roommates for the first of many times, and we got along so well that you became my best friend.
As I got to know you better, you amazed me again and again with your kindness, courage and incorruptibility. Your loyalty to the people you cared for was unshakable and your generosity to everyone was legendary. If you saw someone – even a total stranger - who was in trouble and needed help, you'd risk your own neck to save them without thinking twice. Your bravery sped up the graying of my hair, but it also made you my hero.
A lot's happened during the time that I've known you, but no matter what crazy shit was going on in our lives, you were my constant companion. You were always the person I knew I could count on, and you never let me down. You took care of me when I needed it and protected and stood up for me always. In the aftermath of any bad decision or cruel joke that life played on me, you were always there to cheer me up while you helped me pick up the pieces. With each year that passed and each challenge we helped each other overcome, our friendship grew stronger and we grew so close that you became my brother.
When you needed to make some changes in your life, you blew me away again by doing a complete 180 degree change in lifestyle without a backward glance. You completely transformed yourself with an ease I would never have believed if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. The you that emerged was the man of my dreams, and you became my lover.
Knowing you has made my life wonderful. Your exuberance makes every day exciting and your sense of humor fills every day with laughter. Your outgoing friendliness fills my life with so many wonderful people. Your faith in me gives me the strength to make my dreams come true. Your unshakable optimism keeps worry at bay and your ability to smile under any circumstances keeps me from taking myself – and life – too seriously.
I couldn't imagine a future without you as my copilot. We really make a hell of a team. You are my best friend, my hero, my brother, my lover and it's my honor and my joy that today you become my husband.
Currently
listening
:
Rain Dogs
By
Tom Waits
Release date: 15 June, 1990
WASHINGTON - A government watchdog group filed an ethics complaint against Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Tuesday after Craig said he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from complaints of lewd conduct in a men's room.
Today I was going to blog about this douche and how it drives me completely insane that I am expected to live by rules created by senile pedophiles. I know that lots of people are weird when it comes to sex, but if you can't keep your shit together in a fucking AIRPORT MENS ROOM than you have no business making the rules.
But then when I woke up and checked myYahoo page for news this morning, I knew that I had to switch my topic to the Hawaii Superferry.
The Superferry concept sounded great at first: a fleet of 300+ ft catamaran ships that can transport hundreds of people and their vehicles between the islands. What fun! Great for travel. Great for local businesses. Great for profits. A winning situation all around.
But then we started reading in the paper that the company responsible for the Superferry project decided that it would be a better idea to pay off local politicians in exchange for exemption from conducting any environmental impact studies.
The island of Maui procured a court order preventing Superferry service to their island, pending a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on the legality of operating the service without the necessary environmental assessments. That ruling is due today, but rather than wait to see what the courts say, the Superferry folks chose instead to launch their Honolulu to Kauai service ahead of schedule. Truly a fuck-you maneuver.
The Hawaiian islands are all individual and quite fragile ecosystems that have all suffered greatly from developmental impact. The Hawaiian people have a special and deep connection to the land, and most of us who came here from other parts do to – that's why we came. Living in such a beautiful place, many of us seem to become quite enthusiastic environmentalists. But what can some free thinking people do against the corporate machine?
DEY CAN DO PLENNY, BRAH!
Seems the good people of Kauai decided not to take Superferry's shit.
Yesterday was supposed to be Superferry's second voyage to Kauai, but when the arrived at the harbor entrance, they found it blocked by about 60 swimmers and surfers, while many on land chanted and waved signs.
After a 3 hour standoff during which the coast guard tried and failed to clear the way (I especially liked the reports of surfers laughing and splashing water at them) the Superferry turned around and headed back to Ohau. This morning they announced that it has CANCELLED SERVICE INDEFINETLY!
Hawaii Superferry president and CEO John Garibaldi must be a total chode. If he had done his homework he would have realized that people in Hawaii take their environment very seriously. If he had just pretended to give a shit about the place he'll be profiting from by conducting the required studies, his company would be raking it in by now. But now the boats will sit in the docks while the studies are done under court order, and the people of Hawaii will continue to resent the Superferry for years to come. Hawaii Gov Linda Lingle (R) says "I respect everybody's point of view, but it's just sad. It's really too bad what they're doing," She is speaking of the protesters, not the Superferry.
Aloha Nui Loa, people of Kauai! Thanks for reminding us all that we can stick up for our rights and our beliefs, and that a few swimming bodies can fight a $95 million dollar boat – and win.
Currently
playing
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Overlord Release date: 26 June, 2007
ninja
fermented
eccentric
discontent
accomplished
hungry
scared
optimistic
loved
amused
