Slings and Arrows..

[fajrdrako]

What a great evening!

Did an hour of yoga. It must have been relaxing - I kept yawning throughout it. This is good. In recent months or years I've been having trouble relaxing.

Then I visited maaseru to watch the opening of season 3 of Slings and Arrows, a Canadian TV show starring Paul Gross, about the New Burbage Shakespeare Festival and the Artistic Director who runs it. This year, Geoffrey Tennant - our creative, artistic, troubled hero - is producing and directing King Lear, but as usual life doesn't make his path easy.

Had me in stitches. This is odd, since I normally never watch comedy on TV, and if I do watch comedy on TV I don't laugh, I don't even like it. Why is this different? Is it the Canadianness of the humour? The familiarity of the setting?

And it has William Hutt in it, too, as a sort of bonus.

Then after it was over, maaseru gave me a camel named Humpy. A soft, imperious stuffed camel who I think came from British Columbia. He's lovely. Sitting on my lap as I type. maaseru said she'd thought I wouldn't want a camel - now, why would she think that? I didn't tell her it was a Dunnett tradition to have camels, since Nicholas had one in Spring of the Ram.

Comments

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

sounds like a thoroughly splendid evening.
Maybe you could laugh because you were feeling well? (on top of the qualities of the comedy). For me mood makes a big difference in such things.

Totally unrelated camel story:
A (Dutch) reporter went to join a camel caravan trough the Sahara. She was told to bring along extra strong condoms to put over the microphone to protect them from the sand. So she went to the drugstore and asked "Can I have a few packages of your strongest condoms since I am going on a trip with some camels"

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

The camel is utterly adorable (I have lots of cuddly toys, too!), and I hope will prove useful for you on your imaginative journeyings in Outremer.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Maybe you could laugh because you were feeling well? (on top of the qualities of the comedy). For me mood makes a big difference in such things.

Well, it does. But I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't laugh at the other comedies on TV.

Re the camel story: LOL. Humpy looks as if he's laughing too, in a laid-back superior sort of camel way.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I hope will prove useful for you on your imaginative journeyings in Outremer.

I'm sure he will. He looks very wise, too - though disinclined to share his wisdom.

I used to have a lot of stuffed toys, all gifts, and gave away most of them when I moved to this smaller apartment. It doesn't mean I don't like the things - ! I just hate clutter. Humpy is a welcome roommate.

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

Comedy on TV rarely makes me laugh either - but the funny bits in DW, say, are quite another matter.

I like your camel. Everyone should have a camel.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

the funny bits in DW, say

I adore the funnny bits in DW. Never tire of quoting them.

"Who am I to argue with history?"
"Usually first in line."

I just don't get tired of them! In fact, if someone were to say to me, "I like bananas," I'd be howling with laughter. (And they'd probably wonder why.)

Everyone should have a camel.

I have to agree.

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

Everyone should have a camel.

I have to agree.

why, oh, why?

I don't responds very well to "everyone should" sentences.

for stuffed toys I have an owl (so much in tatters, hardly recognizable) a pinguin (small and hand so can travel in my pocket to scary events). I used to have as a favourite toy something that was (I suppose) supposed to be a cat, my mother had knitted it for me. But my 4 year old self knew that it was a devil and called it 'Duivelie'. I lost it on holliday in Austria when I was 6, I was absolutely heartbroken.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't responds very well to "everyone should" sentences.

I don't if it's a command; in this case, the logic was more like:

1. camels are wonderful things to have
2. people without camels would therefore want one
3. people should have what they want
4. people should therefore have camels

What is your owl's name?

So sad about losing Duivelie! I iamgine it had great adventures and is now living under an assumed name in South America, on the proceeds of several Swiss bank accounts.

My previous recent beloved stuffed toy was the Asterix and Obelix pair I got from lmondegreen.

I too had a childhood stuffed toy I lost: the first Punkinhead (http://imagesource.art.com/images/-/Merrythought/A-Merrythought-Punkinhead-Bear-Circa-1950s-Giclee-Print-C11787027.jpeg). He had yellow shorts and I adored him; I got him the Christmas I was three. That very day we went to visit someone and I lost Punkinhead at the subway stop. We went back to find him but he was gone. I have always wondered what adventures he had, that day and afterwards.

The following year, when I was four, I got a bigger Punkinhead for Christmas, with red shorts, as in the picture. We were companions forever.

Punkinhead was the hero of various books (http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/eatons/punkinhead.htm) and other kinds of toys put out by Eaton's - a Canadian department store - in the 1950s.

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

What is your owl's name?

Archimedes. (After the owl of Merlin in the Once and Future King). I read it wehn I was about 10, I am sure the owl had a name before that (maybe just "Uilie"). But from the moment I read about Archimedes there was no doubt about the proper name of my owl.
The litle pinguin has no name (as yet).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Archimedes: I remember him well. It's a great name for an owl.

provenance of Humpy

[maaseru.livejournal.com]

>gave me a camel named Humpy. A soft, imperious stuffed camel who I >think came from British Columbia. He's lovely. Sitting on my lap as I >type.

Humpy actually was rescued from a Wild Animal Park in Oregon. He was clearly needing a special home, and he and you look perfect together.

>said she'd thought I wouldn't want a camel - now, why would she think >that? I didn't tell her it was a Dunnett tradition to have camels, >since Nicholas had one in Spring of the Ram.

Now see, if you'd told me that, I'd have known. Anyway, all is well. Camel and camel hugger are now together, forever.

Re: provenance of Humpy

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Humpy actually was rescued from a Wild Animal Park in Oregon.

Aww - how wonderful - liberated from a zoo! (avoiding the American draft too?)

I am happy to provide a special home.

he and you look perfect together.

I am honoured.

Now see, if you'd told me that, I'd have known.

Didn't want to be too obvious.

Camel and camel hugger are now together, forever.

He has already taken authority over Squeaker and the Little Guys. For whatever good it will do him.