1. We got a lot done in the garden. Two and a half rows of carrots planted; tomato plants transferred from pots into beds; planted two new jasmine bushes to replace the dead and/or dying stumps that have languished by the side fence for several years; contemplated replacing the back lawn with paving, fruit trees, and a bigger veggie patch; harvested a couple of bowls of strawberries. Mmmm. Gardening really is the new rock and roll.
2. I re-read the two volumes of Alan Moore's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", in anticipation of the release (finally!) - possibly as early as tomorrow - of, not Volume III, which is slated for publication in three parts in 2008 (as if), but something called "The Black Dossier", which, well, I'm sure we'll know it when we see it. (Moore has a unique ability to drag out the publication of his most important works, beyond the patience of most ordinary mortals. Does anybody else remember the interminable waits for the last couple of issues of "Watchmen", back when it was first coming out in "monthly" parts? "From Hell", too, limped out in fits and starts over a very long period of time - and bounced from publisher to publisher, just like "League". And then there's "Big Numbers", which remains stalled on issue 2, and has been for, what, almost 20 years. We live in hope.)
3. We had a nice walk along the lake.
4. We checked out the John Brack exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Brack is a stunning artist, formidably skilled and with a great vision. (Perhaps I like him because of the natural affinity I see that he has with the comic book artists I most like (see: the Raw artists; Daniel Clowes - who, if you haven't been keeping up with his New York Times serialised strip, well, you're a fool, because it started off pretty good and just keeps getting better); in fact, some of the people in Brack's portraits wouldn't at all look out of place in a Clowes strip.)
5. I listened to Masada's "Live in Sevilla 2000". One of my many regrets in life, but one of the bigger ones, is never getting the chance to see Masada play live. (We did attempt to see Greg Gohen's own group at an afternoon show at the Knitting Factory in NYC back in 1996, but it was cancelled. On the other hand, we were introduced to the joy of vodka and cranberry juice: it's an ill wind etc.) Anyone who feels obliged to perpetuate the canard that Zorn cannot, like, "play" the saxophone, man, should listen to the first four minutes of the final piece on this disc, "Bith Aneth".
6. And, like, family stuff, y'know.
