in spite of what Gertrude Stein once said...

[sergebroom]

In spite of Gertrude (*) Stein once saying that there is no there, there, in Oakland, one could see this Martian Brain Spider (**) near the Oakland BART Station on July 19, 2007. It was part of an exhibit called the Crucible, held a few days before. By the morning of July 20, the day I flew back to New Mexico, the brain lay legless, on the ground, shrieking "Uhhh-laaaa!!!"

All right, I confess... I made up that last part. And the photos of the Thing aren't as impressive as the one that Kathryn linked to here...

http://kathryn-ironic.livejournal.com/6852.html

http://images.burningman.com/index.cgi?q_keyword=i.t.&q_year=2006

Besides that, the trip back on Friday night was uneventful, provided that you don't consider eventful the transfer plane showing up a bit late at the LAX airport. For one thing, I made it to Albuquerque by 8:20, not much later than originally expected.

Yesterday was quite busy, what with the upcoming home improvements that a contractor'll begin on Monday and last the whole week. Because of that, I spent most of yesterday moving the bedroom into the recently emptied guestroom, then moved into the garage everything still in the livingroom that I could lift without hurting my back. That, young whippersnappers, covers a lot of things, in spite of my almost being 52 years old. But I am not foolish enough to think I could lift a couch or a huge TV set by myself. For that, I'll need the help of my equally fifityish neighbor this afternoon. Things will be a bit disrupted these enxt few days, but, as a reward, instead of a crappy carpet, we will have a (fake)hardwood floor.

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(*) Not Gloria, as I originally posted.

(**) Mentionned here a few days ago.

Comments

[kathryn-ironic.livejournal.com]

two words: forearm forklifts. Makes moving things much easier. I bought mine online, but perhaps regular hardware stores have them too.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Those look neat. I don't think I'll need them because, thank goodness, there is no stairway involved, and the route from the livingroom to the front door to the garage is all wide spaces. Still, I'd better keep that link in mind. Thanks again.

[kathryn-ironic.livejournal.com]

They're good for stairless moving- I'd use them for anything where either awkward size or weight could cause me to put too much weight on one arm / side (i.e. hurt my back).

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Definitely something to keep in mind then.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

That was Gertrude Stein. Confusing her with Gloria Steinem is a bit anachronistic.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

My wife got us a set of those for moving a piano and a treadmill.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Argh! I did it again.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

I myself wouldn't mind having a forklift like the one that Sigourney Weaver used in Aliens...

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Remember, one was a lesbian novelist, the other a heterosexual feminist scholar.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Nor I.