It is mid-week of a very stressful week and I want to escape, or hide. While that may seem like a somewhat negative thing on the surface I am convinced that both are needed at times in our lives to enhance our lives. We escape through books, movies, daydreams. We occasionally need to hide out from family and work obligations to take time for ourselves. Today feels like one of those days. In my blog reading recently I discovered a link on Neil Gaiman’s site that would make hiding out at home infinitely easier: Hidden Passageway.
I don’t remember the first time I saw a movie or read a book with hidden passageways in it…I do remember it is one of the things I enjoyed in the Don Knotts movie Private Eyes…but I recall that I have wanted my home to be full of them for as long as I remember. Who hasn’t wanted to pull a book from the bookshelf to reveal a secret room, or pull a hidden lever to reveal a secret passageway? If I had a large amount of money to build my own home there is no doubt that I would incorporate things like this into the design…no doubt at all. Watch the videos on the Hidden Passageway site. They are very short computer animations of the things that they install: hidden safes, spinning fireplaces, bookshelf rooms…not to mention a very cool chair slide. All those things are just too cool. I wouldn’t mind having several in my office as well.
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It is no secret that one of my greatest forms of escape is reading. Neil Gaiman’s skill at prose has always made that escape seem as easy as falling…or in this case walking through a hole in the wall. Stardust is one of my favorite Neil Gaiman stories. It is the tale of Tristan Thorn, a young man with a secret unknown to even himself, who crosses over into the realm of fairy to seek a fallen star. Stardust is a marvelous fairy tale that has been slated for the world of film for some time. Matthew Vaughn, director of critically-acclaimed film Layer Cake and most well known for dropping out of directing X-Men 3 has co-wrote the adaptation of Gaiman’s work and will begin filming in earnest this April. I wish I could say I was entirely excited about this film but I am actually more apprehensive. Although Neil Gaiman has given the project his blessing he is fond of pointing out that this is Vaughn’s interpretation of Stardust. If you’ve read the book you know it is one that doesn’t need to be improved upon or re-interpreted. Putting it on screen as is would make an ehchanting movie and the LOTR technology makes filming it well a distinct possibility. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime read the book, it is a wonderful way to escape.
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Speaking of hiding and escaping via books, it is very logical that New Orleans would have lost a great deal of the printed word during the devastation of hurricane Katrina. Now the New Orleans Public Library is seeking hardback and paperback donations. Any books not selected for library shelves will either be sold to raise money for the library or given to destitute families. So, if you are thinking of cleaning out your bookshelves for a good cause you may want to consider this. Reading is one of the most positive and life-enhancing ways to escape from the world for awhile and despite the passage of some months the people of New Orleans are surely in need of a little escape once in awhile. Books can be sent to:
Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112
If you tell the Post Office that you are sending the books to a library they will charge you the library rate which is cheaper than media mail. (Thanks goes again to Neil Gaiman’s site for this info.)
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And finally on this Escapist Wednesday I must comment on the fact that we have escaped the bonds of February and are now in the third month of 2006. Perfect time for an Uberlist Update. I have gotten through 4 more books this month, half as many as last month but I am still well ahead of schedule for my goal and am proud to say that I am reducing my stack of to-be-read books in addition to getting through books loaned to me by friends. Of course my book purchases as well as gifts from friends continues the growing of the pile but thankfully the acquisition of books was not something I addressed in my Uberlist, so bring them on!
I completely redecorated my bathroom this month, another item on the Uberlist and one that thrilled my wife Mary very much. Having President’s Day off was just the motivation that I needed to complete that project and check it off the list.
One of my Uberlist items is to create at least one piece of written art, one piece of two-dimensional art, and one piece of three-dimensional art this year. In order to not procrastinate and find myself art-less at the end of the year I set a deadline for planning for at least one of the projects for the last day of Feb. I am glad to say that I actually have 2 three-dimensional projects in the planning stages and am in the process of gathering materials to begin work on them (and I have my dad looking for stuff for me too…thanks dad!). I’m very excited. Don’t know if they will turn out the way that I want but I’m ready to try anyway.
I have kept up with some of the smaller, more personal items on my list and have some items that I have had to reschedule deadlines for. I have only lost a few pounds and as spring approaches I really need to shift some focus to my physical health…getting more sleep and walking need to be priorities.
Thanks for listening, I need to keep sharing monthly for my own personal accountability.
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Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone. It has been unseasonably warm here. I was actually out on my deck reading Monday. It was fantastic. I am still hoping for some snow but will take 68 degree days in leiu of that. Get out there and escape!
Yay for your progress!
I’ve been reading all the books I needed to give back too, and I’m proud to say I have rid my shelves of all that isn’t mine. For now anyway…
Your site is back! Yay! Was going to write a poem/song about me getting 404s whenver I tried to visit. It went something like:
“Where oh where oh where is Carl gone?
Where oh where oh where has Carl gone?
Where oh where oh where has Carl gone?
Where can Carl be?”
Okay, so I may be borrowing slightly from Bear in the Big Blue House, but I’d only started 🙂
Stardust is one of Gaiman’s I haven’t managed to read yet. And I still haven’t managed to get around to Anansi Boys yet. Shame on me.
The bathroom looks great! Hurray for Carl, and three cheers for the Uberlist! You need to take pictures, Sweetie.
The hidden passages site looks awesome! Wouldn’t that be so fun to have a couple of back passages??
For those who don’t know, Carl (the Romantic) picks books to read aloud to me. It is loads of fun and is a great way for him to share books he likes. He read Stardust to me a number of years ago. I really enjoyed the book. He is currently reading Anansi Boys to me. Too bad you are long distance, Fence, or maybe Carl would let you listen in… 🙂
75-80 degrees outside and all we can talk about is books? The uberlist can wait, how about getting some vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin.
Didn’t know my site was gone Fence…was it for days or for just a little while today. Haven’t seen any evidence of it being down but wasn’t on it much so far this a.m. I know Angela has that problem with my site sometimes too and it happens even as others are on my site posting…don’t know what the deal is.
Good for you Anne! I look forward to the day when I have returned all lent books, read and enjoyed, to their rightful owners.
Thanks sweetie! I may post some pix of the bathroom…not in use of course! And I am thankful for Fence that she doesn’t have to be subjected to my reading. I suspect dear that you hear through the ears of love.
Hey, I sat outside the other night and read…it was awesome to read in the fresh air and sunshine! There are several outdoor things on the Ulist that I would love to get to now (and be ahead of schedule) but unfortunately these beautiful days only happen during the work week and the weekends suck!!!
Was down for two days. Course I wasn’t trying non-stop, so maybe I just arrived at a bad time both times 🙂
I think it is really nice that you’d read aloud to Mary. But I don’t think I’d have the patience to listen to someone. Unless it was a book I’d already read. If a book is really gripping me I’ll often skim read for pages, then I’ll reread to get all the nuances I missed first time round.
Nerd.
Me, or Fence….just kidding, I know enough to know you are complimenting me Tom…I wish I could quit you.
That’s just weird Fence, sounds like you were having the same kind of issues Angela (sci fi chick) has sometimes.
I don’t know that I’ve ever skim read anything other than textbooks. I like to read every word. I do tend to read alot faster when something is really gripping, however. My reading to Mary has a bit of selfishness to it…I love to do it and I know she enjoys it but it also gets her to “read” things I like that she may not normally pick up due to having piles of her own stuff to read. Its how she has experienced all of her Gaiman reading.
And evidently my dear wife and I are the only freaks who want secret passages in our house.
It is quarter to 4 p.m., I left work early to take Tori to the dentist. We are back, I am sitting at my PC watching the Best of the Corrs DVD with windows open on either side feeling the cool breeze in this awesome, spring-like 76 degree weather eating a chocolate drumstick while I wait to go to the comic shop to hang out with Jeff and the other comic geeks, buy comics, and then come home and watch Kung Fu Hustle with Mary. I am in heaven. End scene.
The bathroom looks great.
Over the years I’ve repeatedly had some really interesting reoccurring dreams about homes that I live in. In my dreams I find hidden rooms. The rooms are all unique. Some of the hidden rooms have been full of beautiful antiques. Often they are bedrooms and once there was one full of waist deep water with an old woman in a bed. One time I dreamed of an unfinished house where I kept finding extra rooms that were being built. At times, I’ve found these rooms through a sort of passageway.
I remember you talking about something like this on your blog before and I actually thought of you the first time I clicked on the Hidden Passageway site the other day because of that.
Thanks, I’m really happy with the way the bathroom turned out. It needs a few finishing touches that will be gathered over time that fit in with the colors/theme more but its really fun to have something different. Now on to the bedroom!
When I was a little boy, I discovered a double-closet at my Grandmother’s house, connecting one bedroom with another. I firmly believed I had chanced upon a secret passageway. Of course I got in trouble for messing up the stuff in the closet by going through a hundred times, but still…
I can empathize with you on your Uberlist. I didn’t actually write anything down, but I always start off a new year with some sort of personal improvement plan. Now, heading into Lent, I have committed myself to getting rid of–or at least decreasing my tendency towards–all my bad habits. Onward and upward, and all that…
I want a house first off. But once that is sorted (which shall not be for many many years given the ongoing and ever increasing boom) I shall want hidden passages too.
Ideally my house will be round. But nice round, not squished like a lighthouse round.
By skim reading I mean I’ll fly through the descriptive passages, although now that I think about it, I tend to only do this with books I know I’ll like enough to reread.
so much going on lately, it’s been hard keeping up with my friends’ blogs..
but question for you, when reading your latest post… so what do you do with the stuff (framed art, etc) that was in your bathroom before the redecoration?
i would redecorate more often.. in fact, i’m always adding to my walls.. but i don’t know what to do with the pictures when i’m not using them.. and most of it’s my art, so i’m not giving it away.
i must have stacks of framed art in every room, hidden.
Angela….I have to sadly report that although my bathroom wasn’t horrible before…and it is small…I did not have any art on the walls to take off! I understand your issue though. I have alot of prints from artists that I like and many of them end up in my “collection” in the basement because quite frankly I don’t have alot of places to put it up. I have my home office where the PC is and my work office…both are filled with sci fi/fantasy art. The rest of the house, though primarily decorated by me, reflects other interests/tastes that my wife and I share. Ideally I’d switch out art occasionally but I get so attached to what I already have up that its hard to make a change. Since your art is your own, you need a gallery room in your house! I did get to put up some of my sci fi related stuff in the bathroom that Mary likes…I’ll do some pics soon.
A round house would be cool. A lighthouse house would be cool too if you could have one that is bigger than normal so the rooms wouldn’t be so small. Just as long as you don’t read the endings of books first Fence I have no complaints.
Best wishes with your Lent commitments Wayne, personal improvement at any time is a good thing. I like my list mostly because I planned it all out in baby steps so things are attainable.
The best of the Corrs is “Breathless” isn’t it? I mean really isn’t it like the best of Debbie Boone?
Maybe over here in the old “all pop has to sound the same” US of A, Senor Tom, but overseas it is different. What I like about their music is how their voices harmonize and of course the Irish roots for their music. Even the Corrs music that could be thrown in to the bubble-gum pop genre is better because of the presence of the fiddle and tin whistle. Good stuff!!!
I said that actually to get a rise, but as usual, with cool Carl it never works. I have several of their songs on my mix cd’s. I especially love “Give me a reason” and “Somebody for someone”. They are also on the list of the thousands, nay millions that have remade “Changes” (Stevie Nicks, Dixie Chicks, etc).
Oh I knew why you said it and I was dying laughing when I read it…in fact it still cracks me up. You’re the only one I know quick-witted enough to pull out a Debbie Boone reference…I just don’t let you get a rise out of me, which also makes me laugh. You need to comment here more simply so I can get my daily dose of belly laughs.
And I am soooooo sick of ‘Changes’ remakes!!!! I do like the song though.
Ooooooo! Debbie Boone! Now this is a post I won’t forget. 🙂