Harmony Makes a French Connection
We are pleased to report that the delegation from Menton will be leaving tomorrow morning having had a wonderful time, eventually.
The visit did get off to something of a rocky start; reasoning that our French guests would be oenophiles, someone offered them a taste of our new tomato wine. Confusion reigned and emotions ran high, but they were eventually able to chalk it up to language barrier/cultural misunderstanding and move on.
The rest of our hospitality was received gratefully, and the visitors give particular thanks to the Doucette family for opening their home and introducing them to the community.
They would like to extend an invitation to any and all of us to visit them in Menton when they get back, which should be in about three months. Personally, a spring holiday on the French Riviera sounds…Nice.
New Old Media Discovered
A cache of antique physical media was discovered in the archives of the Harmony Library recently, and librarians hope that some of the data can be recovered.
The media, aluminic plastic discs of various sizes, contain video and audio, some of which may be previously lost, though Jessamy Bentham, the library's media conservator, says that it's unclear how much can be recovered. Although the late 20th and early 21st centuries comprised an age in which nearly everything was recorded and commodified, the recordings were generally fragile and of poor quality. "Fragile and of poor quality" seems to describe their society as a whole, but I digress.
One way in which even the damaged recordings may be useful is in jogging the memories of folks old enough to have experienced them. If we can't recover the original songs and stories, we'll recreate them to the best of our ability, as we've done so many other times. Who knows, there may be another "Scuse Me While I Kiss this Guy" in there.
Lift-Off Claims First Victim
Just a few days into the Great Compact Lift-Off we have our first injury. A neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous tore their pectoral muscle while attempting to bench press an undisclosed amount of weight. They did admit, however, that they are quite new to lifting and had no idea how to bench press or what a reasonable starting weight would be.
Once again, and with no small amount of exasperation, the Recreation council reminds us that every neighborhood gym will have several certified trainers who are experts in kinesiology. If literally all of them are busy at the exact moment you're attempting something new, ask a more experienced lifter for help. Lifting weights is meant to be challenging, but not risky, and the goal of the lift-off is fitness and fun. Stay safe out there!
Public Apologies
Cairo Badiou apologizes to Tom Mitchell for spilling an entire iced tea down his back at the Flat Rock Canteen last night, but believes that it'll be a funny story for the two of you to tell someday.
Frank McCain apologizes to Denise McCain for forgetting their anniversary, which in his defense he did not forget the date of, just the fact that the date had arrived. Nevertheless, he is preparing a special evening, and in the future, as the date approaches, he will prepare in advance.
Can't wait for another Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy. Classic.
Lots of smiles and laughs to be had in this one. Well done!