Still Winter, I Guess

Just when it seemed like spring had arrived...



I refuse to shovel the driveway this time. There've been robins in our backyard for a month, for jeepers sake!

Last week Alison was in Halifax Tuesday through Thursday, and then we both went in for the weekend on Friday. That's a bit too much time away from home, methinks, but it was well spent. I had a band practice Friday night, and then we went with Johanna to see Garrett Mason (son of Dutch, the Prime Minister of the Blues) play at Bearly's, winner of the World's Worst Website award. I'm not usually much of a blues fan, but he and his band are such good musicians it was impossible not to have a good time. Then Saturday night was a birthday party for Charles. Lots of familiar faces were there, and plenty of booze, so again, good time guaranteed. We both slept well Sunday night, though.

Not too much else going on around here. The Lodge album went on sale on zunior today. I found out we only have half as many CDs as we'd thought for selling at shows, which means no free copies for anyone. Sorry. We're working on songs for a new EP, and so far they're shaping up pretty great, I have to say.

Other than that, the only things that have been keeping me occupied are working on a new design for The University's currently-giving-Bearly's-a-run-for-its-money website (very exciting) and reading my new book, Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov. I got it in the mail last week — thanks, Mom. I've been wanting to read it ever since Nick Hornby raved about it in his monthly Believer column, which has since been cancelled, tragically. The novel's about an obituarist in the Ukraine whose poetic eulogies may be leading to the deaths of their subjects. And he has a pet penguin. He and the penguin are both kind of bummed out all the time. It's quite funny and charming; reminds me a little of Gogol.

For some reason, I continue to think about the movie The Reader. Here's what I keep wondering: were we supposed to be surprised by the law student's realization, even though they'd been telegraphing it all the way through? And is Kate Winslet's "character" supposed to be somewhat heroic for taking the guilt of others upon herself, which she only does after seeing that there is no way they will accept it, or is she just more ashamed of her much less serious failing, which basically makes her into an incomprehensible monster? Either way, what is supposed to be the point of the story?

Seriously, I want to know.

- Andrew