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My weekly Thursday RIR post was delayed due to the Great Snow of ’19. As you read in Craig’s post “Meditations In White,” Sisters was walloped by a mighty winter storm at the beginning of the week.
I got up at 5:30 a.m. on Monday to this charming sight:
That’s my truck under there. One of the juniper trees next to our driveway sheared off under the weight of a massive dump of snow and fell over the truck. Over, but not on. Some hatchet work got me in the clear with no damage. That was just the beginning of the work, of course, at home and at the newspaper.
On Wednesday, I shoveled a path to get Marilyn’s Subaru out of the garage and to the street. It was fine outdoor work and I enjoyed it quite a lot. There’s something meditative about the simple sisyphean task of moving snow from one place to another, and I found myself physically taxed, but profoundly relaxed and a bit euphoric.
Then I took a lunch break and turned on the news. I had forgotten that Wednesday was designated National Michael Cohen Testimony Day. I was struck by a powerful sense of unreality and disconnection — and a flashback.
*
In the fall of 1991, my buddy Vince Bell and I climbed Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. In that time before cell phones, we were disconnected for several days, camping on the mountain, summiting, then overnighting in the Alabama Hills. Being assholes, the first thing we did when we returned to the L.A. area was to pay a visit to our friend Sean Graziano who had been unable to accompany us due to work commitments. Vince and I, of course, couldn’t wait to rub his nose in our adventures…
Sean was watching the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. Anita Hill and so forth. There was talk of a pubic hair on a Coke can and porn and penises and… WHAT THE HELL???
Coming out of the woods to that was like stepping through the looking glass into a very weird and not so wonderful wonderland. Disoriented and queasy.
That’s exactly how I felt on Wednesday.
*
I think there is a lesson in the physical sense of disorientation induced by moving from physically demanding, all-absorbing action, disconnected from civilization and its discontents, into one of these spectacles of theatrical scandal.
Here’s what it felt like: Last summer, I mistakenly chugged down a can of “fortified” soda water. (I know — who the hell thought of that and why?) I quit drinking almost 20 years ago, so the equivalent of a can of beer hit my system pretty hard. I didn’t know immediately that there was alcohol in the drink — I just knew I suddenly didn’t feel good AT ALL. I thought maybe I had a touch of heat stroke.
That’s how you know something is toxic — and the Cohen hearing felt just that way. I turned it off and went back to my shovel.
*
The implications of this are clear. I crave that centeredness that I find in a mountain trek or work outdoors. That’s the state I want to be in — all the time. I should unplug; disconnect. I WANT to. I’ve tried. I don’t know that I can. And I don’t like that at all.
Matthew says
Well, I’m not sure you should completely disconnect from civilization.
That said I think a lot of people might be better off if they turned off the tv and did some work or take a hike or something. Something to remind them that there is so much more than the politics of the moment.
Ugly Hombre says
Yep, the Thomas hearings were GD awful hurl inducing. “A high tech lynching” is what the good justice Thomas called it- and what it was.
Gregory A Walker says
From a good friend on this fellow -
“Comparing Cohen to [Gordon] Liddy -
” Cohen ‑Born in the mid 60s, upper middle class kid straight thru college and law school: practicing personal injury law, law firm type, business ventures (sketchy), Trump group. Dem or Rep as advantage entailed.
“LIddy — Born in 1930. Parochial school kid. College. Korean War artillery officer (stateside), law school, FBI 5 years, Prosecutor, the politics leading to Nixon and Watergate.
“One a sniveling child. Ambitious and entitled. The other arguably a psychotic whackjob, but at least he had honor.”
For some reason, this made me snort coffee on the keyboard.
I’ve been curbing myself to grab a book more often than grabbing my smart phone when I feel the urge to kill a few minutes. (easier to accomplish at home than in other venues, admittedly)
Incremental changes in behavior are probably the best way out of the technological wilderness–or if we can’t get out, at least we can orient, draw a map, and forge our own trail through.
slm says
“Blow up your t.v. throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches”
John Prine said that a long time ago.
I haven’t viewed the “news” on TV in now approaching 2 decades by the relatively simple expedient of not having that function available. No satellite, cable or antennas attached. DVDs and a bit of streaming Netflix works for us. Enough slime creeps through the cracks to remain somewhat aware of current events as they currently exist.
Zappa says:
” I may be vile and pernicious
But you can’t look away
I make you think I’m delicious
With the stuff that I say
I’m the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I’m the slime oozin’ out
From your TV set”
John Prine had it right. As usual.
tom says
years ago,cactus ed abbey shot a hole in his t.v. screen, in some arroyo here in sunny Arizona. could a used that shot for a quail and kicked the screen with his boot.…..but likely one feels more satisfied shooting a t.v. than a quail?
One of my favorite pictures ever.
Sisterssue says
This week I found myself more disconnected from the world by dropping my cell phone in the toilet. It still isn’t back totally functional and that’s OK. I’m not seeing the headlines first thing in the morning. Kinda nice. I’m not suggesting you dunk your phone in the toilet but it worked for me.
Well, there is a certain rhetorical flourish to it.
tom says
wife dropped her cell fone in the toilet, placed fone in a bag of uncooked rice and hours later the cell fone was in function!
TJ says
Nothing “deep” to say on this one but that photo in the snow is simply fantastic!
Saddle Tramp says
Finally scored a MOUNTAIN GAZETTE MAGAZINE 40th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE. The one with Ed Abbey （a long time contributor) on the cover. Hunter S. Thompson was also a long time contributor as well. A solid pair to draw to.They are the most quotable of all contributors. The magazine is unfortunately now defunct. I found found a copy in Santa Fe in perfect shape. First I had placed a failed order with Zinio. No explanation from them as to what happened.
A little about the issue:
http://mountaingazette.com/features/40th-anniversary-edition/
Cover photo provided by Zinio. I bailed on them after a long wait and no word after ordering. PayPal did reimburse me though after making the request:
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=zDh7XLKqAcH29AOVxpaYCA&q=mountain+gazette+magazine+40th+anniversary+issue&oq=mountain+gazzette+magazime+40th+&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-hp.1.0.33i10i299l2.2425.19722..20928…0.0..0.189.4550.0j32.…2..0.…1.……5..41j0i131j0j46j46i131j0i10j0i13j0i22i30j33i299j33i160j30i10j33i10i160.0IRixk5kXbQ#imgrc=3VNcMZmgx5PeUM:
Waiting for The Wild Bunch to arrive (again) …
— ST
Saddle Tramp says
Try again with the Ed Abbey cover link.
Such a monster of a HTML for whatever reason.
Anyway, I liked the cover graphic and it’s too bad they had to fold the magazine.
Also, Walon Green (the screenwriter for TWB) was the highlight of going to see the second showing of TWB tonight. He was extremely casual and without pretense whatsoever. Suspenders, denim shirt, faded denim jeans and very worn boots. He also knew of what he wrote. He had worked construction all across Mexico before this came along and he also had a very good friend whose father was a General in the Revolution. He also admitted about the many false rumors that it was he who had come up with the scorpion and red ant scene. He did not. Peckinpah did not either. It was the actor (as well as notable director) Emilio “El Indio” Fernández who portrayed Mapache in the film. Unfortunately Bo Hopkins and L.Q. Jones called in sick. They ain’t youngsters after all you know. Disappointing but understandable. Walon alone was worth coming for. However, Bo did call in an anecdote about Bill Holden being a mentor and getting him in for a sneak peak of the bridge scene. Bo’s part was short lived so he had not seen anything else. After seeing the bridge scene he said he knew the film was going to be great. Another scholar of the film in the Q&A said the film had more influence in the last 50 years than any other film since. Stephen Farber, the moderator of the Q&A got a big break while in film school in 1969 when was chosen to interview Peckinpah. It was Peckinpah’s idea to do the interview and Farber was an early defender of the film and it’s greatness. Yes, it’s a man’s man film for sure and I readily admit my pleasure in the film for that reason. I’d be lying if I said any different…
Here’s a second shot at Cactus Ed:
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=zDh7XLKqAcH29AOVxpaYCA&q=mountain+gazette+magazine+40th+anniversary+issue&oq=mountain+gazzette+magazime+40th+&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-hp.1.0.33i10i299l2.2425.19722..20928…0.0..0.189.4550.0j32.…2..0.…1.……5..41j0i131j0j46j46i131j0i10j0i13j0i22i30j33i299j33i160j30i10j33i10i160.0IRixk5kXbQ#imgrc=3VNcMZmgx5PeUM:
Fantastic.
Matthew says
I always wondered about those scorpians.…
The train scene was probably the best scene in the movie.
Saddle Tramp says
Absolutely Matthew.
I looked forward to it most the second time around (and well a couple of other things too).
I’m only human after all you know.
It was most definitely a couple of special and memorable nights for sure.
tom says
coincidentally, at the annual Tucson festival of books today there will be a 3 author panel discussing the wild bunch. this would include w k Stratton who has a recently released book entitled “wild bunch”. also a couple of Tucson authors are part of the panel. one is an anthropologist/historian…… I have to abstain from book festivals as I keep accumulating books and being a baby boomer (hint for age!) I now realize I have more books than I will read before I turn to dust!
Speaking of addictions…
Saddle Tramp says
I never need an excuse to go to Tucson in the first place, but books only increase the reasons. Usually when going there professionally I laid over at the TTT Triple T (Tucson Truck Terminal) Truck Stop. I could usually always count on a parking spot when arriving late. The Pilot, forget it. It was that or the muddy, hole filled drop yard off of Valencia up a deeply rutted and after a rain water filled long driveway. No facilities either. Have not been that way for a few years since I quit running El Paso Need to get back over there as a civilian. Photographing old neon signs is a passion as well and Tucson is a treasure trove. Books and neon get me a two for one bargain…
tom says
saddle tramp, I live in mesa, part of the phoenix sprawl. never got out of town as the career was here and all the family. but I savor an occasional trip to the “old pueblo” cuz it still has a lot of “old stuff”. old restaurants, old buildings, great cultural diversity, and a literary stable (unlike the phoenix area). the literary stable include(d)(s) ed abbey, chas Bowden, bill broyles, gary paul nabhan, on and on…… on a recent trip to the old pueblo I see Tucson has a “seedy” motel in the “seedy” part of town, called the “no tel motel”, I kid u not! (travel oracle road)
Saddle Tramp says
Yes Tom, that road has quite a history reputation and I have heard of that motel. I am going to make a personal circle trip up through Yuma, Tucson and back through Mesa/Phoenix. Mesa has a bunch of good ones too. I never had adequate time to spend there and explore. I plan to make up for it and you hit the nail on the head for prime hunting real estate. Thanks!
And the great list of literary greats too. Oh and I plan on a visit to the Pima Air Museum too. I have eaten at the Congress Hotel and used to also lay over in a pullout by The Desert Museum many times. Hiked Wasson Peak as well.
tom says
incidentally in retrospect I find books are more addictive for me than Copenhagen snuff or tecate beer were in my way younger years.…..
You and me both.