It's A F*x^#!* Winter Wonderland

February 15th is when it all ends here at the Homestead.  Except it didn't this time.  Usually we have mild temps and rain by now.  Since we've moved to this address (1989?), winter has been extended only once before.  So twice in 35 years isn't too bad, I guess.  We had some snow Wednesday overnight and again last night.  There is now about 6" of the stuff on the ground.  My daily exercise program, which usually consists of treadmill walking, stretching, etc., has now shifted to "cross-training," i.e. shovelling.  Our driveway is about 70' long, and the county snowplows leave a nice big and heavy snowbank at the foot of it.  So Thursday was a shovelling day, and today is another one.  Today's snow is heavier, though, so I am taking things in short bursts.  I've been out twice already, with perhaps two more sessions to go.

 

Speaking of sessions, astronomy was set to resume this coming Tuesday.  But take a look at these temps (in F) for the upcoming week.  Add wind to that forecast, and it's going to be another indoor week.  And being away from a city, we are usually a few degrees colder than Detroit (which comes in handy in the summer, but not in the winter).

 

 

Here are a few snapshots looking out the back door this morning.

 

That is a lilac bush.

 

A few backyard shots.  It took until mid-February, but we finally have some snow. 

 

Last week we finally finished playing all of the board games I had laid out to play on the Christmas holidays.  The final game in that stack is called Teotihuacan.  The game is loosely based on sacred rites used to build and decorate a large main temple in the prehistoric city.  We visited the actual city of Teotihuacan in the early 80s, and not only had experiences that were transcendent, but we also got the worst sunburns of our lives.  Anyway, the game is a very complex one to set up.  There are three rounds to play, so we played one round each day, leaving the table set up.  And since it took a previous day to set up the game, it actually took us four days to play.  Of course this can all be done in one long day, taking about 4-5 hours from opening the box to closing it again with everything back inside.  It's quite a fun game, so we don't mind playing once in a while, despite all the hassles of setting it up and relearning the rules.

 

The game is afoot!  In this case, Teotihuacan. 

 

The real thing.  We are sitting atop the Pyramid of the Moon, with the main (highest) pyramid at the left.  We climbed it, too.  There was a kid at the top selling coca cola. 

 

Last Friday I went and ran through most of my piano pieces in Chatham.  Jim P. has an 8'11 3/4" Steinway (9'), and having played it once before I was eager to do it again.  Jim is a piano teacher and a truly great player.  He tackles some of the biggest pieces in the repertoire, and pulls them off incredibly well.  Over two hours I ran through my program for him and he in turn played some amazing pieces for me.  These included Ravel's Jeux D'Eau, one of Bach's very difficult toccatas (E Minor), and the solo piano version Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue.  So that was a very fun afternoon!  As my program is nearing completion, it's time now to take it to Philip A., my teacher, for some final polishing and criticizing.  I'm still on the fence over performing the Bach and Couperin on harpsichord or piano.

 

In film news there is only one to report.  Mel Brooks has directed some of the silliest films to ever appear on the screen.  Spaceballs is his 1987 send up of Star Wars.  There are many jokes that fall flat, but when he hits a ringer it makes the whole thing worth watching.  And there are several ringers.  Rick Moranis is too perfect as Dark Helmet, and John Candy as the doggy friend Barf.  We hadn't seen this film for decades.  Highly recommended for SF fans who realize how deeply Star Wars itself set back the SF genre.  

Now showing on Amazon Prime video. 

 

Mapman Mike

 
 

 

 

Downtown Detroit Day

We had pretty much lost touch with the downtown scene over the past few years, but are slowly getting it back again.  We mainly wanted to revisit the restored Book Building, an amazing skyscraper from 1926 that just recently completed a top to bottom restoration.  Here is an historic postcard of the building.  We visited last Friday.

 

Detroit Historical Society collection. 

 

It had been abandoned for some time before Dan Gilbert became involved.  Now, it looks brand new, with the entire exterior being cleaned, the interior brought back to perfection, and the 476' skyscraper once again holding its head high in downtown Detroit.  The tall portion is now apartments, while the broader and lower part is a hotel, with rooftop bar.  In the corner area facing us, ground floor, is a very beautiful and fancy French restaurant (my own photo to follow).  The lobby has a small cafe/bar, and there is comfortable seating for all, with some great table top books laid out to peruse.  After checking out the public areas we sat and had tea at the cafe.  Of course the lobby is now decorated for Christmas (with books under the tree, gift wrapped), but it is still stately.  Original ceiling bas reliefs are restored, as is the original clock.  There is marble everywhere.  An unfinished room houses a historical exhibit about the building and the area.  Before the stock market crash, the other side was to house an 81 story tower, twice as high as the one standing today.  Imagine that!  Well, the blueprints are there to see.

 

Meanwhile, the tallest new skyscraper a few streets over is nearly at its highest, while other new buildings not quite so high seem to have popped up overnight.  Of course downtown was busy on a Friday afternoon, and all decked out for Christmas.  People were ice skating, and the decorations and lights were pretty much endless, even though we saw them in daytime.  Here are some of my photos from inside the Book Building, and of the newest addition to the skyline.

 

Deb sits and enjoys tea in the lobby of the Book Building.

Looking up in the atrium of the lobby.  Notice the bas relief ceilings, and that stained glass roof.

 

Glass ceiling of the atrium, which gives a golden light to the lobby area.

One panel of the ceiling.

 

The original lobby clock is also restored, though it was too dark to see the three golden cupids beneath it. 

Through the door shot of the art nouveau French restaurant in the Book Building. It was closed at the time.

 

This incredible 1937 Cadillac was parked in front of the Book Building on Friday. 

 

A shot of the David Stott tower in downtown Detroit, another restored favourite of ours, along with the much higher new Hudson site building going up near it.

We hope to return next Friday to see a group of avant garde silent films at the DIA with live music.  In local movie watching news, there are two to report.  Going from most recently watched, Deb's leaving choice this weekend was Star Dust, from 1940 and starring Linda Darnell.  How are stars made in Hollywood?  Well, talent scouts head out across the nation looking for undiscovered beauty and singing and acting skills.  A teenage girl from small town Arkansas is given her big chance, but internal politics get in her way.  Darnell shines as the girl next door who wants to make it big.  Also starring John Payne and Roland Young, and directed by Walter Lang.

 

Leaving Criterion this month.

Before that, my films was also leaving soon, from Criterion.  It was Mel Brooks' High Anxiety, his spoof of Hitchcock films from 1977.  Also starring Cloris Leachman, as a demented nurse at the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, where Mel Brooks will become the new head.  While many jokes misfire, since there is at least one a minute viewers don't have to wait long for one to click.  A highlight is Mel singing the title song in an impromptu night club performance.  There are Hitchcock references everywhere.

 

Leaving Criterion this month. 

 

We are currently watching Tesla, from 2020.  More on that film in the next post.

 

Mapman Mike