Tag Archives: The Cabin

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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Sailor Dan

Sailor Dan

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber has been one of my favorite short stories since adolescence. Apparently Ben Stiller is releasing a movie by the same title this at Christmas. Here is the trailer and a synopsis of the book:

The short story deals with a vague and mild-mannered man who drives into Waterbury, Connecticut with his wife for their regular weekly shopping and his wife’s visit to the beauty parlor. During this time he has five heroic daydream episodes. The first is as a pilot of a U.S. Navy flying boat in a storm, then he is a magnificent surgeon performing a one-of-a-kind surgery, then as a cool assassin testifying in a courtroom, and then as a Royal Air Force pilot volunteering for a daring, secret suicide mission to bomb an ammunition dump. As the story ends, Mitty imagines himself facing a firing squad, “inscrutable to the last.” Each of the fantasies is inspired by some detail of Mitty’s mundane surroundings

Ben Stiller is the only actor with three one-billion-dollar franchises (Night at the Museum, Madagascar, and Meet the Parents). He’s most known for those movies and for playful rom-coms like There’s Something about Mary and slapstick like Dodgeball. With Mitty, Stiller exhibits Oscar pretensions. This time around, Mitty (Stiller) is a photo editor at Life magazine who is desperate to transcend the tedium of reality. He is heckled by colleagues and enamored with a sultry brunette (Kristen Wiig). A grizzled Sean Penn beckons him from a black-and-white photograph, and fantastical excursions involving helicopters and stormy seas follow.

The Beach Vulture

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The Beach Vulture

The Beach Vulture

The beach vulture hovers above, hidden in the sun, hidden from the beach denizens below. Riding the thermals above the tree line, it floats above all. Looking down it sees all below. The beach vulture patiently waits and then waits some more. It is in no hurry, because it waits for death, while death waits for all. As you lie on your back, sunning yourself, with eyes closed that momentary flicker of shadow might just be a seagull or it could be the beach vulture, spiraling in for you.

Here is a fun fact, one-percent of all allen wrenches made in the world, are made for IKEA. All of that contemporary Scandinavian furniture that IKEA sells and comes with some assembly required, also comes with an allen wrench or two. Allen wrenches come to mind these days, because for the last two days, I have been deploying them as I work on my bicycle. First, I gave my bike its annual facelift. This year, this maintenance consisted of new tires, tubes, brake pads, chain and cassette. Next, I broke down the cycle for transport. I removed the pedals, turned the handle bars, but I could not lower the seat post. Then I remembered what troubles I had with this seat post, when I first got this bike.

I got a ride in this morning. It was down right cold. It was in the fifties. Very unusual for Saint Louis in July. The new chain was much quieter than the old one had become, but the rear derailleur needs some adjustment. It jumps in some of the gears. I may adjust it, a process of successive approximations, or I may have a professional do it for me. I can’t decide. It is suppose to rain tonight and tomorrow, so I won’t be riding then, not with my shiny new bike parts.

Warbling Vireo Nest with Eggs

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Warbling Vireo Nest with Two Eggs

Warbling Vireo Nest with Two Eggs

A couple of days ago, Anne sent and I posted a photograph of a Warbling Vireo, with just its head sticking out of its nest. At that time, she also sent another photo shot from the same angle as the one above. That one has no eggs in it, while this one has two. Maybe there will be baby birds soon?

Today I worked. I also worked out. I biked to work today. Working on the weekend is no fun, but biking to work on the weekend was a joy. None of the rushing, scary, smog belching traffic that usually accompanies biking to work were present today. An additional plus was that almost all of my route was over smooth new pavement. New pavement is always a joy while bicycling.

After I returned home, I got my hair cut and then mowed the lawn, a double shearing. What is behind all of this frenetic activity is a spell of unusually pleasant Saint Louis weather. With highs only in the seventies and lows in the fifties that are hovering near the record low, I find that I have to pinch myself to remind me that I’m not dreaming all of this.