Mark L. Van Name's Blog, page 277
July 26, 2010
One week from tomorrow
Children No More will officially go on sale. I'm not mentioning this date so I can make more money; I'm telling you so we can raise more money to help rehabilitate and reintegrate child soldiers. If you're not aware of the connection between the two, the short form is that I am donating 100% of the money I receive from sales of the hardback edition of this novel to Falling Whistles to help with this cause. (The long form of the story is
A press release will go out soon, and the...
A press release will go out soon, and the...
July 25, 2010
It's the last day of my vacation
and I'm in a deejaying mood, so let me offer two songs for your consideration.
The first returned to my mind after a conversation in the car on the way back from the beach. We were listening to a mix CD Sarah had made, and one of the songs featured a singer with a very deep voice. He reminded me of the man who sang this song, but I couldn't remember his name or the name of the group. What I could recall was the title of this song. Fortunately, Kyle then remembered that the group was the ...
The first returned to my mind after a conversation in the car on the way back from the beach. We were listening to a mix CD Sarah had made, and one of the songs featured a singer with a very deep voice. He reminded me of the man who sang this song, but I couldn't remember his name or the name of the group. What I could recall was the title of this song. Fortunately, Kyle then remembered that the group was the ...
July 24, 2010
Beach BBQ and sunset
Today, we return home from the beach, so I thought I'd end the entries from this trip with two sets of images that made me happy.
One group involves a barbecue joint that appears only three days a week and operates out of a trailer. We first noticed it from this sign on the side of the road.
A smaller sign made stated that the restaurant operated only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays--an odd schedule, even by beach standards. When we checked out the building next to the sign, we found ...
One group involves a barbecue joint that appears only three days a week and operates out of a trailer. We first noticed it from this sign on the side of the road.
A smaller sign made stated that the restaurant operated only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays--an odd schedule, even by beach standards. When we checked out the building next to the sign, we found ...
July 23, 2010
Conetasm--and a shot from dusk
You've asked for more of the cone, and I am listening. Or were those voices in my head?
It doesn't matter. More cone shots are now yours. Enjoy.
The cone alone.
My nephew, Chase, and the cone.
Sarah and the cone.
Scott and the cone.
Sarah's friend, Emily, and the cone.
Kyle and the cone.
Sarah's friend, Brian, and the cone.
Brian, who was as enthusiastic about the cone as I was, dancing while in the con suit.
And, finally, apropos of nothing, the view we enjoyed while waiting the other night for a...
It doesn't matter. More cone shots are now yours. Enjoy.
The cone alone.
My nephew, Chase, and the cone.
Sarah and the cone.
Scott and the cone.
Sarah's friend, Emily, and the cone.
Kyle and the cone.
Sarah's friend, Brian, and the cone.
Brian, who was as enthusiastic about the cone as I was, dancing while in the con suit.
And, finally, apropos of nothing, the view we enjoyed while waiting the other night for a...
July 22, 2010
It. Is. Mine.
Frequent readers may remember
Back? Good.
When we hit the beach this year, we were dismayed to learn that the ice cream shop that had housed the giant cone had closed. Fortunately, a while later we learned that a different shop had purchased the cone and had it standing in the corner, face to the wall, unwilling to display it proudly.
We have history with this cone. I've danced ...
Back? Good.
When we hit the beach this year, we were dismayed to learn that the ice cream shop that had housed the giant cone had closed. Fortunately, a while later we learned that a different shop had purchased the cone and had it standing in the corner, face to the wall, unwilling to display it proudly.
We have history with this cone. I've danced ...
July 21, 2010
Perhaps the oddest double bill ever
Monday night, as is our beach custom, we watched two movies. The pairings are frequently unusual, but this particular duo stood out for its sheer strangeness.
Here's the first film we chose.
The second was rather different.
Oh, yes: we went there.
Here's the first film we chose.
The second was rather different.
Oh, yes: we went there.
July 20, 2010
Waffle dog night
Once, at a craft show far, far away (well, in Virginia), Jennie, Bonnie, and Jain ate waffle dogs and brought home tales of their tasty goodness.
We knew then that we, too, must eat of the mighty waffle dog.
In the fullness of time, Jennie found a mini-waffle-dog maker, purchased it, and carried it to this very beach house.
The other night, we put it to use.
We started by assembling all the left-overs in the house and a bunch of new stuff we purchased explicitly to go into waffles. Doesn't this ...
We knew then that we, too, must eat of the mighty waffle dog.
In the fullness of time, Jennie found a mini-waffle-dog maker, purchased it, and carried it to this very beach house.
The other night, we put it to use.
We started by assembling all the left-overs in the house and a bunch of new stuff we purchased explicitly to go into waffles. Doesn't this ...
July 19, 2010
Inception
Warning: spoilers below.
Let me start with the bottom line: I loved all but the last few seconds of this movie. In that final, troubling close-up, writer and director Christopher Nolan tried to play the ending both ways, and that was a huge, stupid mistake. Cobb, DiCaprio's character, had won, and he deserved an unequivocal victory.
Despite that misstep, however, the movie was a joy. Visually, it was amazing, with more cool scenes and gorgeous eye candy than even the trailers had led us ...
Let me start with the bottom line: I loved all but the last few seconds of this movie. In that final, troubling close-up, writer and director Christopher Nolan tried to play the ending both ways, and that was a huge, stupid mistake. Cobb, DiCaprio's character, had won, and he deserved an unequivocal victory.
Despite that misstep, however, the movie was a joy. Visually, it was amazing, with more cool scenes and gorgeous eye candy than even the trailers had led us ...
July 18, 2010
When you stop
at a roadside, weekend-only, outdoor market, it's about a hundred degrees and the air is so thick with water that you can almost drink it, you have over an hour before the movie you're about to watch, and you see this sign
what do you do?
You order the tiger blood shaved iced, of course--at least, that's what you do if you're Kyle.
The rest of us just egged him on.
For the curious, here's the creation itself.
We asked the purveyor of these fine ices what this flavor was. His response: "Fru...
what do you do?
You order the tiger blood shaved iced, of course--at least, that's what you do if you're Kyle.
The rest of us just egged him on.
For the curious, here's the creation itself.
We asked the purveyor of these fine ices what this flavor was. His response: "Fru...
July 17, 2010
Beach weirdness never stops
Warning: Two disgusting images ahead. Stop reading now if you don't want to see them.
Life at the beach moves at a slow pace, but it doesn't lack for weirdness. One of today's odder group conversations took place in the pool, as several of us discussed the enormous flap of skin hanging from Kyle's foot--a flap that until recently had been a callus. Kyle was (understandably, at least to men) rather proud of his huge callus and at various points offered these two observations:
Life at the beach moves at a slow pace, but it doesn't lack for weirdness. One of today's odder group conversations took place in the pool, as several of us discussed the enormous flap of skin hanging from Kyle's foot--a flap that until recently had been a callus. Kyle was (understandably, at least to men) rather proud of his huge callus and at various points offered these two observations:
My left foot h...
