"Cloud nines are airborne habitats first proposed by Buckminster Fuller. Fuller proposed that giant geodesic spheres might be made to levitate by heating the air inside.

Geodesic spheres (structures of triangular components arranged to make a sphere) become stronger as they become bigger, due to how they distribute stress over their surfaces. Because of this, they may be imagined on colossal scales.

As a sphere gets bigger, the volume it encloses grows much faster than the volume of the enclosing structure itself. Fuller suggested that the mass of a mile-wide geodesic sphere would be negligible compared to the mass of the air trapped within it. He suggested that if the air inside such a sphere were heated even by one degree higher than the ambient temperature of its surroundings, the sphere could become airborne. He calculated that such a balloon could lift a considerable mass, and hence that 'mini-cities' or airborne towns of thousands of people could be built in this way. These 'cloud nines' could be tethered, or free-floating, or perhaps maneuverable so that they could 'migrate' in response to climatic and environmental conditions."

-text from wikipedia

Labels: a little bit of blah blah, delightful, if i had a band i'd call it that, wikipedia

I was fortunate enough to come across yet another a very lovely online community project through Neil's blog: Citizen of the Month. The premise is that "everyone is somebody", and that we all should be interviewed, at least once, regardless of whether or not we are famous in the world's weird heirarchy of acknowledgement.

Of course I absolutely love this since I firmly believe that there are billions (maybe even gazillions) of wonderful, tragic, sad, beautiful, happy, grusome (etc) stories never told, so I signed up.

How it works: Neil uses the commenting on his blog to assign interviewers and interviewees, so that eventually all of those who comment on his post get the opportunity to be interviewed and they can then post the results of the interview on their respective blogs. The questions are to be derived from taking a look at the interviewees blog so that the interviewer can ask questions that will gain a little more insight into the fabulous and quirky character of their interviewee.

While I have not yet been interviewed, today I had the priviledge of interviewing the lovely Blackbird.

Here is my interview of Blackbird:

IF: When you were little, what did you dream of doing?

BB: I really have to say that from the time I was little I dreamed of being a mom. I played mom constantly with doll babies - I cooked for them and shopped with them and made little homes for them.

IF: Did you play with Barbies? If so, are there any strange scenarios you would like to share?

BB: I SO PLAYED WITH BARBIES. I switched a Stacie head onto a Francie body - I liked her smaller chest, and pretended that Stacie was the only daughter in a family with six brothers. They were very wealthy, hence her extensive wardrobe, and I changed her name to Samantha Jones.

IF: Tell me a memory about your childhood. Something involving food.

BB: I went to stay with my grandmother every once in a while. In the city. I loved her tremendously - she had a great sense of fashion and style. This particular visit was during a heat wave and the two of us were not able to walk around her neighborhood too much. She was never known for her cooking, was famous for boiling EVERYTHING, and on this one afternoon she intended to make potato salad for the two of us. But we were starving and tired and she only got as far as boiling the potatoes. We took them out of the pot, slathered them in butter and salt and ate all of them. I don't think I could have been more that 5 or 6 and I remember the way they tasted, how hot it was, the scent of her steamy kitchen.

IF: What makes you laugh?

BB: Lately? My youngest son, who has just honed his adult sense of humor.

IF: Name five things you are really proud of.

BB: My kids, who seem to be turning out okay.
My husband whose integrity continues to impress me.
My youngest for caring so much about everything he does.
My middle boy for pursuing his art so fervently.
My oldest son for being the only completely authentic person, good and bad, that I have ever met.

IF: What is the strangest job you have ever had?

BB: It's a toss up - I spent a summer working at a microwave store that was really just a front for a guy who sold pot. It was never dangerous and I occasionally taught 'classes' for women to learn to use their microwave oven to make dinner! I was 16.
The other strange job would have been the summer that I spent as an inventory clerk at a big discount store. This involved checking off miniscule boxes on giant sheets of graph paper for each piece of merchandise sold. I checked hundred of items each day, developed symptoms of stress and quit - after about six weeks.

IF: Tell me about a recent moment of joy.

BB: I tend to be moody - I'm either pretty joyful or walking around fretting. A week or so ago, we had dinner at my house with friends. The conversation was good, the dinner was fantastic and all around me friends were happy. It was a nice moment in time. On the other hand, when I picked Youngest up at school yesterday I was just so happy to see him. I had missed him. For no particular reason seeing him at the end of the day just made me happy.

IF: What is your favorite food? What does it make you think of?

BB: I don't really HAVE a favorite food. Isn't that funny? I think it's because food is held in high esteem at my house - everything is carefully chosen and prepared, so I don't have one thing that I love best because it's really all GOOD. My favorites change all the time - bread, pasta, really good beef - salad...I'll tell you, and this is going to sound funny, but I could really go for some Russian caviar, which I have fond memories of as my dad made a point to have some around for special occasions. I haven't had any in a long time and it is the perfect symbol of how he treated us to all the best things in the world.

IF: In what ways do your children resemble you in personality? What makes you most proud? What freaks you out a little?
BB: I'm not a good judge of resemblance. AND K and I have similar features. Each of them has sort of an air of me, but none really LOOK like me. Personality-wise I'd say they have my sense of humor. I always believe that one person in a couple is the funny one and one is the pretty one. I'm the funny one. I like that they are funny. What freaks me out a little is that two of them are worriers like me - not healthy.

IF: If you could go to any city in the world tomorrow where would you go and what would you do? (Assume unlimited funds, it's more fun that way.)

BB: As it happens, there are a few places I'd like to go tomorrow, with unlimited funds. I need to finish my Positano trip. I need to spend real family time with my friends there and show my kids some of the things we saw. We need to shop for and prepare a meal for our pals in Positano. Then I think I'd spend a week or so in Paris - I've been missing Paris and would like to rent an apartment and just BE in Paris. There too I'd like to do some food shopping and cooking. Finally, I'd hop someplace tropical. K has been talking about the Maldives. Wait. You said city? Tokyo. And Sydney.
I bought lottery tickets today. I'd better start packing.

Labels: delightful, other people's stuff, sometimes other people are much more creative than i am. ;), there are beautiful unique and quirky people in the world

Related post.

Arriving at our office building at 5:45, every one looked at each other blearily. Laughing and talking a bit nervously we stood and waited for the bus that would take us to the airport. I am not a morning person so I sort of stood to the side nursing a coffee, taking a scanning video of the crowd, part of it but not quite.

The bus arrived and everyone packed in, noting the absence of our Swedish colleagues (was this a hint?) Indeed it was! We arrived at the airport and checked in: we were going to Luleå, Sweden. The flight there was filled with sleepy yawns, but the relaxed camaraderie of people sitting next to each other that actually know one another. (Very different from sitting next to the sweaty stranger who wants to talk about their upcoming family reunion and their mother's pie or arrogant business person that needs to tell you all about the deals they have closed recently --- although I must admit I like these stories too... but not too early in the morning.)

On getting near to Luleå we quickly realized that there was a dense snow storm ... so we circled the field for about 20 minutes with the countdown to landing on the monitor varying from 4 minutes to 10 minutes and then back to 4 again. We landed in the middle of the most beautiful snow storm, windy and blustery but not cold, the air fresh.

After arriving at the hotel we were quickly invited for "drinks" outdoors in a park across the street from the hotel. Yes. In the middle of the snow storm and driving wind, we stood around and networked, drinking a sweet spiced hot wine and huddling together. Actually, it was great. I missed snow. I missed that coldness that makes you alert and happy and joyous.

OK> I'm writing too much so let me summarize:

• a strange event involving driving in the snow (since I have never done this the entire time I grew up in Canada (?!). I think that Canadians are missing on a great market: driving foreigners around in the snow, as an event that people pay to do),
  
  
• wonderful dinner with speeches spoken while standing on top of chairs each more outrageous than the last somehow becoming a tag team game,
  
  
• talking to new colleagues I had never met before but who surprised and delighted me with their diversity, intelligence and humour,
  
  
• dancing in a local club with colleagues I know and love and who pleased me with their happy little kid faces as they danced uninhibitedly (the club has a local nickname: the chlamydia club... but given that we were there with colleagues this was not a deterrent),
  
  
• a dramatic last dance involving lots of overposing and spinning,
  
  
• lingering in the lobby of the hotel with old and new friends (no longer just colleagues) not wanting it to end but aware of our full day to come, glancing at watches but not wanting to be responsible,
  
  
• a painful wakeup on Friday morning after just a few hours sleep and having used up all 8 of my "drink credits",
  
  
• everyone sitting in the lobby blinking at each other silently and hoping no one would be loud for at least a while,
  
  
• transport to a frozen lake and dressing up in big skidoo suits, everyone looking like oversized children and smiling in the joy of being warm on a cold snowy gorgeous day with the swedish sun remaining low on the horizon for its brief 6 hours,
  
  
• going on a dog sled ride through a winter wonderland and keeping each other warm on long sleds, the dogs barking eagerly, and the hangover miraculously disappearing in happiness, burning cold cheeks and laughter,
  
  
• walking through snow laden forests with the trunks bent over double and aiming branches at colleagues who end up with snow covered faces (don't worry, I got as good as I gave),
  
  
• skidooing through the woods and being surprised (after the dogsledding) how unpleasant the smell of the burning gasoline is but loving the rush,
  
  
• letting go and falling backwards into the snow then making snow angels while a kettle sits on a wood fire on the snow awaiting tea,
  
  
• laughing while watching polite colleagues take turns and throw snowballs at each other when the recipient is prepared (much better to barrage, but I wasn't going to tell them this)
  
  
• wishing we could stay and make forts and just stay there instead of...
  
  
• back to the airport, everyone sleepy and happy and gentled by the days, and then
  
  
• sitting in the airplane with an equally silly colleague, having wine bottle races (there is an explanation but too difficult to describe, not a drinking game but something involving a tilted tray), pretending we are in a roller coaster when we hit a patch of turbulence (whoooohooo), and making faces every time someone attempts to take a serious picture, and generally having the most fun on a plane I have ever had (usually I'm bored, impatient and uncomfortable.)

So. No need for cynicism or an unpleasant debrief.

It was wonderful. I had a fantastic time and discovered with joy how sweet, smart, and fun my colleagues are. Perhaps the weekend was not extreme but it was great.

There are times when I really fall in love with the people that I meet (not in a romantic way but really in a joyous "aren't you cool, I wish I knew you better, do you want to be my friend" kind of way) and this was one of those times. I'm glad I have a weekend to recover.

If I actually get to editing the videos I took, I will attempt to put something non-incriminating up.

Labels: absurd holiday fun, beauty in unexpected places, being alive, dancing, delightful, there are beautiful unique and quirky people in the world

Here is an image from the party.
Credit for the photo goes to: Onno

The evening was filled with leprechauns, wonder woman, WD40 wee willy winky, ladies, a "whore", Lenny Kravitz, Love (an unwieldy-looking heart-shaped costume) etc etc. It felt like being in some sort of twisted Disney movie. But was great fun. Thanks birthday girl!! :)

The best line was definitely: "You are delightful." :P People were using me (as a lamp) to read menus etc Very very funny.

Labels: delightful, lamp costume, lights, photo, silly, truth is stranger than fiction