Social Distancing Diaries: April 8
/John Prine died yesterday. I knew he was ill with COVID-19 and that it was pretty bad, but the news was still a blow.
Read MoreJohn Prine died yesterday. I knew he was ill with COVID-19 and that it was pretty bad, but the news was still a blow.
Read MoreI hope everyone reading this is doing alright. I know this self-isolation hasn’t been too big an adjustment from my regular lifestyle, but I see a lot of my friends are going a little bit shack-wacky and feeling lonely, disconnected and anxious. If you’re reading this and feeling this way, your feelings are valid and I see you.
Read MoreI was originally going to post an update next week, but it looks like I’m going to be stuck in the apartment for the most part until further notice. I was getting pretty overwhelmed by my Facebook and Twitter feeds, especially since the algorithms have been prioritizing content related to the pandemic, so for the time being I’m limiting my time on them (I deleted both from my phone) and am going to post on here every few days just so people don’t worry about me.
Read MorePersonal website of photographer and writer Bronwyn Douwsma.
I’m on the bus. It’s too early to be human and I haven’t had my coffee yet so I don’t really want to do much; maybe read or listen to music, things that help tune out the other people or the monotony of the commute. When I leave the suburbs, it's usually dark. I sometimes look out the windows, but more to see how far I’ve traveled than at anything interesting. By the time I arrive downtown, I can see the sun coming up over the harbour.
The year is winding down. I’m preparing to go to New Brunswick for my regular Christmas visit with the family; my travel arrangements up there have all been taken care of. I haven’t bothered with Christmas shopping yet; my cash flow was a little tight until my last paycheque came in, and my tolerance for the malls has dropped over the years. Everything costs too much money now.
Looking back at my writing about SNL from years ago, I now feel like I was a bit harsh on the show at times. Maybe it was just disappointment about talented performers being used for the most irritating sketches possible at the expense of their range. It was also partially untreated depression and burnout.
If there was one word to describe the 13th season of SNL, it would be “consistent”. No longer on the bubble thanks to the previous year’s success, SNL in 1987-88 continued pretty much in the same direction as the last season with a little more confidence and a little less to prove.
Sketches include “Pumping Up With Hans & Franz”, “Wilson Trap Doors”, “Church Chat”, “Airline”, “Jorge Garcia, Nice Guy Dictator”, “The Cop & The Prostitute”, “When Great Minds Meet” and “Pirates”. 10,000 Maniacs performs “Like The Weather” and “What’s The Matter Here”.
Sketches include “Calgary 1988”, “Giant Businessman”, “The Bean Cafe”, “The Pat Stevens Show”, “Girl Watchers”, “Computer Panic”, “Casey Kasem Sings The Beatles”, “Delivery Room”, “Stand-Ups III”, and “The Pawn Shop”. Randy Travis performs “Forever And Ever, Amen” and “What’ll You Do About Me”.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here.