Flip Flop Flying

Yesterday, I played in my first ever game of softball. And what fun it was.
I played for four innings, got a bit sun burnt, and, well… I did okay.
Firstly, the opposition never hit any balls into left field, where I was playing, so I didn’t have to catch anything, which, conveniently meant I made no errors.
I had two at-bats. First one, I hit a single. I was so shocked that I managed to hit the ball, that I just stood there and watched it before a teammate shouted at me to remind me that I needed to run to first base. A couple more batters along, and I got to run from second base all the way home to score a run. My oh my, that was good.
Second at-bat was not so good; I stuck out swinging.
So, for probably the last time in my softball life, I’ve got a .500 batting average.
We won 14-3, and I can’t wait for the next game in two weeks. Although I must remember to wear suncream next time; my arms and neck are burning like hell today.

As with every return from a holiday, it’s taking me a while to get started again. Not looking for any sympathy or anything, and I realise that hearing a freelance arty cunt moan is about as heart-wrenching as hearing a pop star complain about being famous, but all this time we freelancers have can sometimes be a burden. Of course, I say this, having spent the best part of Friday afternoon sat in the park, drawing and playing ball with Billy. But, the downside is it’s kinda tough to get back in the swing of things with no boss to demand that I sit at my desk from 9 ’til 5.30.

Belgium was wonderful. I say Belgium, but really, I mean Ghent. I only spent parts of a couple of days of my holiday not in Ghent. The more I think about it, the more it feels like my future home.

But for the meantime I’m in Berlin, with a new challenge: softball. As someone who’s not played a team sport for ten years, I was kinda nervous the other night when, through a friend of a friend, I hung out and did some training with a local team. It was the first time since my love for baseball appeared that I’ve used the big fat glove that has previously sat cradling a baseball and gathering dust on my desk. And apart from a bunch of dumb errors, some woeful bat-swinging, and weak throwing, I did okay for someone who’s not caught, hit, or thrown anything since I was forced to play cricket at school.

So today, the eve of what is potentially my first softball game, (I guess I may get a chance to play if enough people fail to turn up) I’m allowing myself that final opportunity to dream of being as hot as A-Rod, smacking home runs out of the park, before the reality likely hits home that I can’t hit a softball for toffee.

Anyway, some more photos from my trip.

A piece of road pointing into the sky across the border in the Netherlands

Again, in the Netherlands

The best of a bunch of crappy photos of Daniel Johnston live in Brussels

The view of Ghent from the top of the Gravensteen castle

Gent-Sint-Pieters train station

A pool ball reflected in the window of a bar makes a rather attractive goitre, no?

Some bicycles that were the victims in a road-markings accident

Somewhere to urinate:

Somewhere to get your teeth done:

Somewhere to park your bicycle:

Oh dear, look what they’ve done.

The regular design on the left, the shitty “modern” limited edition on the right.

Enlarge

All the songs are from 1965-69 this time.
April Mix (50MB 43’36). As always, online for a week. Enjoy.

The Yardbirds “For Your Love” (1965)
Official site, Wikipedia, iTunes

Paul Revere and The Raiders “Him Or Me – What’s It Gonna Be?” (1967)
Official site, Wikipedia, iTunes

The Mark Four “Hurt Me If You Will” (1965)
Wikipedia

The Move “I Can Hear The Grass Grow” (1967)
Official site, Wikipedia, Amazon

The Spencer Davis Group “I’m A Man” (1967)
Official site, Wikipedia, iTunes

Cream “Badge” (1969)
Official site, Wikipedia, iTunes

Tommy Roe “Sweet Pea” (1966)
Official site, Wikipedia, iTunes

The Buckinghams “Susan” (1967)
Official site, Wikipedia, iTunes

Giorgio Moroder “Looky Looky” (1969)
Official site, Wikipedia, Amazon

Barry Ryan “Eloise” (1968)
Wikipedia, Amazon

The Monkees “Daydream Believer” (1967)
Wikipedia, iTunes

The Zombies “A Rose For Emily” (1968)
Wikipedia, iTunes

Keith West “Excerpt From A Teenage Opera” (1967)
Wikipedia, Amazon

Donovan “Atlantis” (1968)
Official site, Wikipedia, Amazon

Just a quick note: I’ve done a web page for my forthcoming Atlas, Schmatlas book. Between now and autumn – when the book is published – I’ll be adding more bits and bobs to the page, including some animations.
Anyway, here ’tis: www.atlasschmatlas.com

After Bob Marley, today I saw a second in a potential series of Crappy Paintings Of Musicians In Berlin. Here’s Angus Young:

Some YouTube and Google Video fun for the long weekend:
Louis Theroux‘s documentary about the Phelps family. (Thanks to Leen and BiB for the heads up.)
Trapped In The Closet, R. Kelly’s highly amusing hip hopera.
Bill Hicks‘ One Night Stand.
Dinner For One. Something of a Christmas tradition in Germany, this. I have no idea why, but it seems to be very popular. You don’t need to speak German to understand it. But you still won’t understand why Germans love it even if you do watch it.
And Mallrats.

Have an enjoyable long weekend if you live in a country which commemorates Jesus Christ’s death and subsequent David Blaine impression.

Sometimes being a vegetarian is really frustrating.

Well, the beachy picture that was at the top didn’t last long. I missed my grandpa, so he’s back. Along with a bit more effort in the overall design.

To make this particular post less boring, here’s some YouTube joy I’ve come across in the last couple of days:
Snoop telling Dutch TV what he thinks of Bill O’Reilly.
Prince showing some Muppets how he does it.
Sam Peckinpah’s Salad Days via Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
Last Day by the much ignored Silver Sun.
Queen live at Wembley 1986.

New episode of The disenchanted forest today. This time, the trees are on the trail of some Colombian drug lords. Oh, wait. Err, sorry, that’s “Miami Vice.” This time, the trees are just kinda stood around…

Westboro Baptist Church + What Would Jesus Do? = Jesus clarifies

Click the image for larger version.
Disclaimer: Ich bin ein Atheist.
I really hope this Louis Theroux programme on the Phelpses turns up on YouTube soon.