I’m sure one is not supposed to feel this stressed out after the first week of one’s summer vacation. And normally I wouldn’t but now I do. Of course the weather this year seems to leave a lot to be desired for with a genuine full blown summer still waiting somewhere in the wings, with a strong possibility of not making an decent appearance at all, and of course I’ve worked so hard in my day job, particularly for the last few months, that it takes a while to recover and actually start relaxing and recharging. But the stress mostly, or to be more precise, completely stems from the unsure situation of Sinisthra.

We’ve been recording for a week now and had to pull the plug for the time being because the negotiations with record labels turn out to be more tedious and time consuming than I’d had ever imagined. We won’t continue the recording until everything’s settled and clear and the papers have been signed, and I’m paying the studio tab of 1000 euros for now. This puts my mind at ease (of sorts) because I won’t have to worry about an inflating studio bill that might fall into our own hands for the rest of my vacation now. This would have gravely affected my upcoming holiday trip with a loved one, too. But now we can flutter out, without worries, to her father’s unoccupied house in Spain for a week of careless basking in the sun and all kinds of other unhurried and lovely activities that will make people very happy for me (or alternately bitterly jealous) once I get to tell everyone just how great a time we had. As I’m sure we will.

This brings to my mind (because he just spent a week in Crete) the subject of a personal blog of my personal and closely esteemed friend mr. Leinonen. He’s been promising a “grand opening” of his blog since March 2007 and seemingly continues to do so with no further visible results. This unactivity is unbearable, of course, and maybe putting a link here pushes him over the final edge and he starts to actually update his blog. Here’s the link again, just to be on the safe side. And here.

Here too.

Let’s see what else I’ve got in here to get off my chest. Not much it seems. Sinisthra has been the focus of my attentions lately, to the point of regularly finding myself awake at 5 AM grieving over things in sweat-soaked bedsheets. This hasn’t left much room for indulging myself in any other kinds of things I usually indulge myself in. I’m really really looking forward to spending next week in the lap of Fuengirola. Oh and here’s a link to mr. Leinonen’s blog.

THIS WEEKS’ SOURCE OF BEWILDERMENT:

This illustration, coupled with it's title, just somehow speaks to me. The language is unintelligible of course but it still speaks. I could say that it communicates some deeper meaning but I won't since that would sound very pretentious and wouldn't be true, either. I still like the picture and I like Simon Drew's other pictures too.





THIS WEEKS’ BOOKS OF CHOICE:
Just confused myself with “A Book Of Bestial Nonsense” by Simon Drew. See above. This person’s works might require a closer inspection, at some later as-of-yet unclear date. Which might never come. Officially I’m still very occupied with Tim Powers’ “Three Days To Never”. I put it aside for awhile to pick up something a bit lighter to read in between session at the studio and ended up going through the entire run of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comics once again. This choice really hit the spot as they say and now I’m wondering what to take with me to read in Spain because “Three Days To Never” is a massive-ish and heavy hard cover opus I’m not prepared to carry with me to the other side of Europe just to find out it requires more concentration and attention than I have to spare when the temperature rises to 35C.

THIS WEEKS’ BOTTLES OF CHOICE:
Yalumba Y Series Pinot Grigio. With pinot grigio it’s always quality time in my opinion. The qualities might vary but usually they stay on the positive side. This was especially nice, from Australia, and will be purchased and enjoyed again, definitely.
Devil's Rock Pinot Grigio from Germany was very nice too and was served in a demanding situation of the loved ones’ father coming over for dinner. It went well with smoked rainbow trout and held up after the dinner too but somehow still didn’t quite live up to the standards set up by several other pinot grigios I’d had recently so this one doesn’t make it on the to-buy-again list.
I’m looking forward to sampling the other pinot grigios on offer in Finland too but as I’m likely to bring a suitcase full of albarino and vinho verde from Spain it’s going to take some time before I get around to that.

Those were white wines. I haven’t had that much red lately but, looking at the drinks cabinet and wondering what to have, just popped open a bottle of Graffigna Malbec from Argentina. I haven’t paid much attention to red wine recently but anything made of malbec feels like a safe choice. And so it was. This didn’t really knock me over with it’s bouquet or the actual taste but I got what I expected to get. A warm fuzzy feeling inside and the conclusion of not buying this particular brand again but still finding it good enough to say that argentinian malbecs are my favourites among red wines now.
Sadly, because of the shrinking of the Sinisthra recording budget, I didn’t get to acquire the too-expensive-to-just-buy-without-a-good-reason Amarone I was planning on having with Make in the studio as a reward to ourselves.

Torres Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon Rose from Chile rewarded me with the knowledge that even though it might be dubbed the best rose wine available in Finland, it still doesn’t mean that I can’t find it utterly and confusingly horrible and not fit for drinking at all.