Summer has hit, bringing hot, humid and frequently wet weather to southwestern Ontario. My life, like a lot of others on vacation, has simplified as a result. More writing, riding and general outdoorsiness. Hope you can get out there as well.
I’m reading two books, and neither are turning my crank, so I’ll leave them out. I think Stranger Things Season 3 is good, well written and acted. The story line is recalling The Invasion of the Body Snatchers in my mind to a certain extent anyway. (A classic 70’s horror movie) And its fun to see the clothes, cars and listen to the music from my younger days as it was in season 1 and 2.
The heyday of the mall is part of the story. Tacky admittedly, and hard on main street businesses, but I still prefer the personal scale of the Star Court to the giant box store conglomerations you have to drive your car around now being built on the outskirts of every town and city. Horrible things.
The producers certainly hired a quirky looking group of actors. However, they look a lot more like us than the sanitized and insanely unrepresentative look on most ‘reality’ TV. I can’t help but think of the Seinfeld episode where they are arguing about whether most people are attractive or not, and Jerry asks Elaine, who thinks they are, if she has been to the Motor Vehicle License Bureau lately. Or better, we can check out American Bandstand or Soul Train from the 1980's on YouTube. The evidence is clear. We humans are weirder than the media represents. Check mark for Stranger Things.
I am watching the Tour de France when I can, like every year. There are the tactics, the technology, the personalities, and the athleticism but the sheer amount of suffering these men endure every day is always impressive. And they do it for the better part of four weeks. It is also wonderful to see the French cities, towns and countryside, wow. Intoxicating.
Here’s a slice of writing:
Conor felt loose; his head was clearing. It was the siege at Castle White, it was the battle on the road, it was the fight with the snow monsters at Oro. It was his time. Conor was calm and fatalistic. He knew that to fight was to die. But he was ready.
Have a great week!