What Every Sofa Needs

, originally uploaded by willem7^2.

Back in the 70s, I spent a lot of time in love with the music of Broadway. This was in the heydays of Stephen Sondheim musicals like Follies and Company. Then Broadway musicals (at least the kind with music I like) got replaced by the mega-musicals. And gradually my interest lagged.

Then along comes this album with Michael Feinstein and Cheyenne Jackson and these songs seem fresh again.

I'd always liked Michael Feinstein but found his singing somewhat precious at times. Maybe it's because he's now 'out' or maybe it's the influence of his collaborator, Mr. Jackson, but I've never enjoyed his singing more. And Cheyenne Jackson (lately featured on 30 Rock) can match him note for note.

Their duets are terrific and they each get some great solo songs. I think my favourite is Michael Jackson singing "Old Friend". It's a song from an off-Broadway show from the 70s called "I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road" by Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer. I loved this show and now all these many years later this song has a special resonance for me.

And there's something happening here that I couldn't have imagined in my early coming out days back in the mid-70s ... two men singing together about their love for one another. There's no fudging the lyrics here. When Cheyenne Jackson sings Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me", he sings "... won't you tell him please to put on some speed".

Spring - Vivaldi's Four Seasons

This would be great fun to play.

Windy Days

The wind just keeps blowing and blowing. It's pretty much been windy since I returned with my new canoe (see below). The wind is exhausting to be out in ... I came close to getting an 'ice cream headache' when I walked the dog this morning even though I was wearing a hat.

I'm sure that the windy weather has nothing to do with me getting this canoe but since I brought it home I've only had a chance to get it on the water twice because of the wind. (Lack of wind is good in a canoe.)

New Canoe

Last week the dog and I traveled to southern Washington State to pick up the canoe shown atop Helmut, our trusty (mostly) Westfalia campervan.

I'd discovered the canoe for sale on craigslist (in Portland) and a short roadtrip seemed like a good idea to pick up a canoe that appeared to be in such great condition.

I'd been looking for a new, lighter canoe and had found a couple made by companies in Ontario that looked as if they might fit the bill. However, shipping added on to the cost of the canoe meant I was looking at $3,000 to get the canoe to Victoria. This canoe (Prism) by Wenonah had all the specification I was looking for at a third of the price. The canoe is in very good condition and my first two paddles have been quite satisfying.

Simply Sublime