Ah, the Great Outdoors

• Location: REI
• Date: April 1, 2008
• Description: green crane with the words to the song “Peace and Love” by Fountains of Wayne written in more green

Seth and I made our second sojourn to REI in search of metal water bottles. Although they had some in stock, they were too big or too expensive for my liking. Once again, I returned home metal water bottleless. But while we walked around the store, Seth and I realized that being outdoors and doing outdoorsy activities was one of the things we missed about New Hampshire. It’s hard not to do things outside when you’re in New Hampshire because all you can see are mountains and trees. In our area of Massachusetts, there are lots of buildings.

Have you ever heard the song “Peace and Love?” It’s cute — very laid back. Here’s my favorite part:

Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont
Open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant
Got crazy karma, never harmed a single soul
So if you want to join me then together we’ll grow old

I’ve been thinking green again. It’s easy to do. We’re trying to make the leap into organic foods, but sometimes our budget doesn’t agree with our idealism. Ah, me.

Non-Easter and Kevin James

• Location: Train station in CT
• Date: March 30, 2008
• Description: yellow crane with an olive branch on one wing and the phrase “let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me” on the other wing

Part of my sojourn into central Connecticut was a non-Easter dinner with my family. Seth and I stayed at my parents’ house. Bright and early Sunday morning, I asked my dad (Hi Dad!) if he’d like to leave a crane with me. He said yes, and then we brainstormed places to leave cranes that weren’t stores. The train station was a winner, and so we went. Truth be told, I don’t think it was as exciting as my dad hoped. The train station was empty except for a guy taking pictures of the train tracks; the doors were locked. It’s too bad, really — the train station is very pretty on the inside. Oh well. I’d like to take a minute and point out the golf ball in the far left of this photo. What’s it doing there? How did it get behind the fencing? Will my crane be there as long as the golf ball? We’ll never know….

Tonight, Seth and I stopped by the Burlington mall. They’re filming a movie there! We hung around to see if Kevin James would magically appear on set. He didn’t. But the mall is all decorated for Christmas, and they film at night, and they have a place to sign up if you want to be an extra. They also have this:

A giant ball pit! I wanted to dive in, but they have it blocked off and people with headsets are everywhere telling you not to loiter. I imagine they’d throw a fit if I dove in. Maybe I’d get arrested? That would be a funny charge: arrested for diving into a pit of balls. Ha.

More of the set was off to the left of this photo, but they asked us not to stand and stare, and some parts of the mall were roped off. We saw at least two of the actors, some set pieces, cameras, lots of wires, and a man dressed as a security guard riding around a Segway-type machine — not sure if he was an actor or a real Burlington Mall security guard. Also, if you look at the minivan in this photo, you’ll notice that the back is dented. I’d like to see if they manage to get that in any shots of the movie.

That’s it. There were a bunch of bros [#3] wearing headsets telling us not to stand too close, and one guy that I would describe as a tool, just from the clothes he was wearing and the way he was dancing and then pointing at people with both hands as he walked by. And the director, yelling for people to be quiet. Maybe one night I’ll go to the mall in my winter clothes (even though it was 70 degrees today) and sign up to be an extra.

Did I Mention I Love John Lennon?

• Location: Blue Pearl, New Haven, CT
• Description: blue crane with words to the song “All we are Saying is Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon
• Date: March 29, 2008

We went to Connecticut this weekend for my sister-in-law’s birthday and a non-Easter dinner at my mother’s house. We ended up going out to a restaurant in New Haven, where I left a crane. It was dark. I’m sure you can tell that from the photo.

While we were walking around the streets of New Haven, a bum approached us and asked us where the ice cream shop was, and then he followed us for a block. That’s the first time something like that happened to me.

I’m pretty tired. We went to the blood-letters today (aka a Red Cross blood drive). I think I’ll go.

And Keep Your Eyes Wide

• Location: on top of a cooler, Sports Authority
• Date: March 28, 2008
• Description: Pink crane with the words to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They are A-changin’” in red

I had a very specific quest tonight: find a stainless steel water bottle. (As we looked, all I could think about was how I’d be marking myself.) I have a Nalgene, but I’m concerned about hormone-disrupting toxins leeching into the water and possibly being the cause of the migraines. I drink from my Nalgene every day, and it goes to work with me, and I’m clumsy so I drop it and it gets rolled around and everything, otherwise I would get the No Impact Man style of reusable water bottle. Am I making excuses? Possibly.

So we left home in search of a stainless steel water bottle. You’d think it would be so easy, since they’re getting rave reviews. Guess what? It’s not. We went to three stores, and two were sold out and one just didn’t carry them. I couldn’t believe it. My quest was unfulfilled.

I chose “The Times They are A-changin’” for tonight’s crane because of this part:

Come senators, congressmen, please head the call
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be her that has stalled
The battle outside raging will soon shake your windows
And rattle your hall
For the times, they are a changing

Come mothers and fathers all over this land
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughter are beyond your command

It’s not the typical peace quote, but it’s quite poignant. I think it fits very nicely with the theme of this blog. I’m a big fan of activism of any kind. As long as you’re organized and going for what you believe in and trying to make a difference, although I might not always agree with what you say…. I was especially optimistic tonight because we just watched the show “Eli Stone” before we left, and it was an episode with George Michael in it. George Michael was lending his star power to talk about how abstinence-only education doesn’t work, and that it’s important to give kids all the options. I love it when people bring these issues up on something as widely seen as a television show — and it really was George Michael. That makes it all the better when a famous person stands up to say something. On a side note, Bob Dylan wrote these great protest songs, and then later denounced that they were actually protest songs. I suppose it speaks to the longevity of the song — if we had thought they only applied to the political upheaval from the Vietnam War, then would we remember them the way we do today?

I guess until I find a stainless steel water bottle, I’ll pull a glass jar out of the recycling, wash it out and use that. Then, maybe if I realize I’m not going to break it, I’ll stick with it. Hm.

What are we Going to do About the Other Generation?

• Location: the wall, Cafe Escadrille
• Date: March 27, 2008
• Description: aqua-ish crane with the lyrics to the song “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan written in brown

For the past few weeks, I’ve been easing myself into the new job and out of the old, and today was the last day of my fabric job. To celebrate, my boss took me and Lynne, my early 40s-ish replacement, out to lunch at the Cafe Escadrille. We had a nice lunch. The restaurant as a beautiful old-world India feel — lots of rich carving and plants everywhere. I could see at least two great places to leave cranes in terms of photography, but they were very much in the open. At the last minute, I took a detour into the sitting room and spied a ledge where one rock poked out along the rock wall. It was just the right size for a crane.

My boss, meanwhile, thought I might have dropped something or needed help with my coat, because he came right over. “What are you doing?” He asked in what I thought of as an unnecessarily loud voice, “What’s that?”

“Nothing, nothing,” I said, and fumbled with my camera.

“What’s what?” Now Lynne became involved, “What are you doing? Why are you taking that picture?”

“I’ll tell you,” I said, “but not at the moment. Just — hang on.” I steadied my hand to take a non-blurry picture in the semi-darkness.

“This is weird,” Steve announced, but he was smiling. “Is this some kind of game?”

“I don’t understand. What’s that bird thing?” Lynne wanted to know.

I tried hard not to laugh. Had she really never seen origami before? “I’ll tell you in a minute,” I said and took another picture. “Okay, got it. Let’s go,” I stowed my camera back in my pocket and started to walk away.

“Wait! You forgot your bird,” Lynne and Steve said at the same time. It really was in unison — I notice these things. I also noticed that Lynne went to grab it off the wall.

“No, leave it, let’s go,” I gestured for them to follow me, feeling like I was in a three stooges skit. We managed to walk out without looking too guilty, I thought, and I told Steve and Lynne about The Crane Project. They weren’t impressed. More likely, they thought I was nuts. Oh well.

I put Bob Dylan’s song “Blowin’ in the Wind” on this crane because of these lyrics:

Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?

Bob Dylan’s lyrics are cool.