Wednesday 29 August 2012

Animated Discussions: France - A Cat in Paris

Been watching "A Cat in Paris" which do have me chuckling and quite suspended with the crime gangs and rooftop chases and such. OK. I know it is meant for kids but what can I say? I never grow up. It's got a beautiful end/credit sequence by the way.... one long blue and black sequence of interiors. Oh, I be chuckling and enjoying, but The Old Man not so. Turns out he doesn't like it. Or more precise... can't follow it. That facial recognition thing is triggered by the stylised character designs and he don't tell one character from another easily... so he do not have a clue what's going on.
Is this just a "crime story" thing with him? Character recognition do not seem to bother him with Disney cartoons.

A CAT IN PARIS - Official HD Trailer

Monday 27 August 2012

Wet Summer...

You may remember I do tell you that I did find a toad in the garage a while ago? Well... last night I go into the kitchen to make my cup of hot water what I do take to bed...
how exciting be the life of an old doll?...
As I'm saying... I go into the kitchen.... and there... in front of the closed porch door be...
.... a small frog.

I do look at him and he do look at me. I do squawk for The Old Man. Who scoops up the small frog whilst I do open the porch door and then the yard door. Small frog is released into the rainy night.

How did the frog get into the kitchen? Which does not have an outside door?
Mrs D will tell you that this is a "locked door" mystery.

Friday 24 August 2012

Animated Discussions: Japan - Tekkonkinkreet

The other day I do watch Tekkonkinkreet which be a 2006 Japanese anime based on Taiyo Matsumoto's Manga series from the 1990s.

It's the story of two orphan streetkids "Kuro" (Black) and "Shiro" (White). Kuro is an angry streetwise kid and Shiro is a dreaming innocent. Black and White, see? Anyway this is their story of survival in the gritty corrupt streets of Treasure Town with its cops and Yakuza.

I do love the little film so much... the dark gritty streetlife, the fantasy, the art work.... I do get myself a copy on DVD straight away.

Tekkonkinkreet 2006 - Movie Trailer

Sunday 19 August 2012

The Old Man Further Transported

.... as the new cartridge glides over a "supercut analogue" recording of Bernstein conducting Mahler's "Song of the Earth" with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau....

... It leaves him speechless with a soppy half-smile on his face.

Saturday 18 August 2012

The Old Man Truly Receiveth The Needle

Today this small package landed on The Old Man's doorstep. An extremely small package of Japanese constructed loveliness (though not in its own handcrafted wooden box!) ... that do be The Old Man's cartridge.

I do go downstairs after a while to see the new cartridge operating by the light of an anglepoise directed at the turntable.

The Old Man be almost weeping.
"I can hear Tom Waits' words." say he.

Friday 17 August 2012

The Old Man Gets The Needle

Some time back I did tell you of The Old Man's hi-fi concerns that did lead him to buy a New Arm. Okay you digital kids... don't worry about this strange world of analogue sound... just accept that those who are obsessed with it be... well and truly.... Obsessed. And that never can so much time and concentration and money be spent on a matchbox, pin, and a rubber band....

In my last post on the subject I did hint that a frown had settled on The Old Man's fizzog as he do contemplate.... The Cartridge.

Well his birthday time be approaching, as be Christmas if it come to that... and the Christmas after that.... and the Christmas after that.....
He have started calling me "Sweet Thing" and "Beloved" and other such suspicious terms of endearment. He have also gone so far as to consult with his old stomping ground chums of hi-fianalia, Walrus Systems, in order to gain some advice from those who do recall his system and his preferences. They have duly advised him.

The nettle of The Cartridge is being firmly grasped. But I do fear I be the one to be stung.

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Herman And The Old Man


Needless to say that there have been variable results with Herman the Cake (see previous post). The Old Man has passed precise judgement on them all. But none have gone to waste.

Remember. The Old Man is really A Dog... Woof-Woofing down every last flawed crumb.

Monday 13 August 2012

That Herman Friendship Thing

A few weeks ago I be given a recipe for a cake and a bowl of jollop. Turns out that that is "Herman the Friendship Cake". The jollop is a starter mix (kind of like a sourdough starter that works from natural yeasts) which you feed occasionally with flour and stuff, and stir everyday, and about every ten days you give two portions of starter away to friends, bake a cake with a third portion and retain the last portion as a starter for the next cake. And then the whole thing happens again.

I do quickly work out that I do not have enough friends for this project but that I do like the idea of a yeasty cake. The Old Man steps in and tells me that if I just half the quantity of "food" for the starter... I can just half the eventual mix and forget about any friends! This do seem to work and Hermann becomes the "Selfish Cake" ...or "How to have your cake and eat it too". And I do religiously do this thing and try improving the variable results with a dutiful sense of responsibility towards my friendly cake donor.

When I do ask my friendly cake donor how she be getting on with it, she do tell me that she couldn't be bothered with all of that and did throw the starter jollop away.

Do you recognise that feeling that one has been over-conscientious?

Tuesday 7 August 2012

In Which The Old Man Fails To Buy A Stamp

So it be that we live quite close to the proud town of Penzance what do have a Gold Olympian quite early on. Putting aside groans about Olympic Hoo-Ha, The Old Man looks forward to his special issue stamp with picture of  Helen Glover. He do ask for several days running at the Post Office he do use (4 miles from Penzance) who do wait expectantly then ring up Royal Mail and so on. But no stamps arrive. Eventually Royal Mail tells our sub-Post Office that they ain't going to be sent any Helen Glover stamps.

The Old Man stomps off in high dudgeon.
If they can't supply our Post Office when all around are receiving theirs... so be it. No stamps bought then.

Sunday 5 August 2012

I See The Toad - The Toad sees Me

The other day I do go out and start cutting the grass in the shady corner of the garden. As I do mow towards the plants I do feel something hit me on the head. So I do think perhaps a neighbour have taken against my's mowing sounds on a sunny afternoon. But at the back of my mind I do wonder how high a toad or frog can jump.

Today I do be tidying up the edges in the same bed. I do pull back some geranium leaves and there be a toad - flat, matte, mossy green with black spots, staring at me.

Be this the toad that do hit me on the head I do wonder? He do look like he would like to hit me on the head.

Saturday 4 August 2012

The Old Man As Dog

I have mentioned before that I suspect that The Old Man be in actual fact.... a Dog. This morning... first thing.... it come back to me that this be so. He do pop his head out of the bedroom as I do come out of bathroom.
"Pasta." say he.
"What?" say I.
"Saturday. Pasta."
"You mean supper?"
Old Man smiles and nods.
"You really are a dog ain't you." say I.
"Walkies." say he.
I do stump off downstairs.
A bit later and there be a bit of a spat. I flounce out the room and do play loud opera for a while. (Callas. Bellini. La Sonnambula.) By the second and final act The Old Man do come and stare at me. He do have that head slightly cocked, frowning eyes, doggy look I do know so well from puzzled spaniels. Any minute I do think he may whimper.