Ever notice how it's the little things in life that amuse us so much? More to the point, ever notice how it's the silly little idiocies in life that amuse us more than anything else? Well, this is not as much ''the little blog that could'' as it is ''the blog that enjoys going up the down escalator in your local mall.'' Will it have anything of real importance? No, probably not. But enjoy the ride never the less!

 

A day or two has passed since Mel's blow-out with her Dad & his girlfriend (though it was mostly with her Dad's girlfriend, and mostly her, not Mel's, fault), and things are returning to some semblance of equilibrium. While she's still not her usual self, she's at least recovering and letting the psychological wounds heal as best she can.

Myself, I'll stick to tenderly nursing a slow-burning grudge, thank you very much. And while I've since discovered that half a bottle of Hakusturu Sake won't hit you as bad if you stretch it out over 3-4 hours, at least I know that at her worst moments Mel was able to be among friends--a very comforting thing since I couldn't be there for her due to my work shift (and as a result, me discovering what happened after the fact).

So it's been no small miracle and relief to me to have seen her bouncing and smiling again tonight. For the most part, all it took was some cotton candy. Not a block away from our apartment complex, a very small carnival opened shop earlier this past week. It's been here before, leasing part of a large parking lot usually devoted to the sale of new & used Fords. In past years, the carnival's lasted through a good chunk of the summer.

In the past, we've never checked it out because of time constraints, hectic schedules and general disinterest. But tonight at Mel's request we walked over and checked out the carnival. It's the standard fare. You know the kind: over-priced, not a lot of rides to choose from, games where you can win a small toy and proudly walk away...before moments later realizing you've just blown $20 getting that small toy.

We had just enough cash onhand to go on one of the rides. It came down to the tried-and-true Ferris Wheel, and a sit-down ride that had you going up & down & around in circles before reversing and doing all that backwards. Mel let me choose. I asked her if she this was really a wise idea she had thought through. Mel then said she trusted me.

Halfway through going up & down & around in circles, Mel shouted to me the words that have since become the title for today's little bit of nowhere. She also shouted a few choice vulgarities when our carriage began swaying back and forth.

But she was rewarded in the end with a very large bag of cotton candy.

I don't know what I enjoyed more about tonight: the temporary adrenaline rush (adrenaline junkie that I mostly am), or seeing Mel giggle profusely as she skipped home and gorged on sugar. Tonight's carnival may have been only a temporary distraction, but it was still exactly what she needed. I haven't seen Mel this happy in days, and it's good to see her smile again. The smiling suits her much better.

Seeing her messily devour an enormous handful of cotton candy like she was a Viking warrior attacking a large chunk of meat, however...

Today's Lesson: if you casually and quietly stand around on the fringes of a movie set, it's remarkable how easily you can get mistaken as one of the crew.
posted by Phillip at 12:33 AM

 

Due to unexpected and unpleasant events from earlier this morning that were out of my control, and which I discovered after the fact, I have decided that tonight my new best friends are half a bottle of Hakutsuru Sake, and one of my fics wherein many dark and bloody things happen to characters I don't particularly like. Anyone venturing into the nearby vicinity might want to be a little careful upon enterring; body parts will be airborne and plentiful.

On a related note, I now hold a newfound understanding of why angry people actually feel soothed when listening to angry music played/sung by angry bands. A very macabre form of catharsis, I admit, but it's carthartic nevertheless.

Today's Lesson: nothing drives your writing forward quite like channeling all the emotions that are dark and vexing. Not recommended on a daily basis, but it still is very effective.
posted by Phillip at 5:58 PM

 

Mel & I spent last night with Donna and Gabe in Brantford. Things were looking optimistic for us as we headed out for an evening walk...until some very ominous changes began to take place. As we strolled down the street, all the people seemed to vanish. The fog started rolling in, and the already cold & damp air seemed to chill us even more. More scattered trash appeared on the streets and sidewalks. More and more stores appeared, being boarded up or looking like they hadn't been used in ages. And then I found an antiques shop with a very familiar name, and I realized what had happened.

Brantford had become Silent Hill.

And with me being the Silent Hill fan and all, Donna made sure that we got to tour the area they'd be using for some of the exterior shots. Yeah, I embraced my inner geek and bounced along, giddily identifying various drug stores and bars and shops I recalled from the game. And in all honesty, last night's natural fog and rain just added to the effect. Alas, there was no camera onhand; I couldn't get a picture of myself standing at one of the more identifiable landmarks from the first Silent Hill: an entrance to a circular brick tunnel, which subsequently is blocked off and rendered a dead end.

I'm still geeking over the experience, and am lamenting the fact that they'll be shooting over the next few days, and I will not be there to see it. Donna has assured me though that she'll take some pics of things as they develop. So now all I can do is gaze out through their balcony window and wistfully think of empty towns, and demon pacts, and everything suddenly going to hell in a handbasket when you come out of the girl's bathroom in the local school. Oh, and kicking evil things in the 'nads so they don't come back to life.

No, I'm serious. In the first Silent Hill, that's how you keep your enemies down. Well, you just have to kick them, truth be known, but where's the fun in that? Though John and I, when first playing the game, only discovered much later on that kicking enemies in the crotch actually had some value aside from being sadistically amusing.

Incidentally, the set right now is covered in snow. I hate snow right now.

And upon rereading the title, I'm particularly glad that I can honestly say it never had to be titled, "I Came, I Saw, I Geeked In My Pants". Or did that just belong in yesterday's little bit of nowhere.


Geek Note to Self: next time, must bring trusty pick-axe. In case the nurses attack.
posted by Phillip at 6:23 AM