Saturday 9 May 2015

Supergrass and a pet plant

I worked in an office once which had a drinks machine where, to get your beverage just the way you liked it, you pressed a sequence of audible buttons. So there was a choice of buttons playing different notes for coffee, tea and so on, and another set of them for number of sugars, another for degrees of strength, milkiness, etc. - you get the idea.  These are probably very familiar to everyone but it's such a long while since I've been near anything that can make me a drink and which doesn't also look like my husband so please forgive my explanation. Anyway, I loved ordering my sugar-free cappuccino with chocolate on top because pressing the buttons in the required order on this particular machine provided me with the additional pleasure of hearing the opening bar of Supergrass's 'Going Out'.  Or so it seemed to me.  Dah-dee-dah-dee-dah-dah... yep, definitely a sort of Casio version of  'Going Out'.   I think it was in the charts at the time.  I pointed this out once to the colleague waiting behind me for his cup of tomato soup (moderately lip-scalding, powdery lumps) but he didn't seem to know what I meant; I don't think Supergrass were his thing.


Anyway I was thinking about this today... the song and the band... because I had another Supergrass track going through my head and you know how these trains of thought go. The song I had on repeat today was actually 'Moving'. Moving, just keep moving... the words kept going round and round... actually it never got beyond that line.  And I had these lyrics in my head because I was admiring a house plant... I know, it sounds just as ridiculous as the drinks machine thing. Supergrass obviously move in mysterious ways. But it was another one of those trains of thought, because the plant does move, and she does just keep moving!


This has given her a strange kind of animal-like quality and I've begun to think of her as a pet.  Here she is in the morning:

 And here she is at intervals throughout the day:




 If you look closely at the leaves, like you're doing a spot the difference puzzle, you'll see how their angles have changed in each pic, until at night they're pointing as upwardly as they can. This is all new to me because I have a shit track record for looking after houseplants successfully (even supposedly indestructible yuccas have died in my non-green-fingered hands) and so this is the first indoor one I've dared to bring home in a very long while.  However, I'm pleased to report that she is currently thriving. Maybe she likes the music we play... ?

In the event that you're remotely interested, here's a time-lapse video of another Calathea plant, moving in the same way.  I bet they have a really hi-tech drinks machine in this office too.


18 comments:

  1. Can't help but think of The Day of The Triffids, though it's possible that your lovely plant is more benign. Shame Supergrass split up.

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    1. Forgot to add that my blog will self destruct very soon. Need a fresh start in so many things. Will let you know about any future blog developments.

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    2. I hope she's benign! I'm trying to keep on her good side anyway by plying her with Baby Bio... Yes, shame about Supergrass, there was something rather special there, but perhaps they wouldn't have been the same if they'd carried on?
      As for your blog... I'm sorry to hear that, of course, but I do understand and also hope you'll continue in some form or other so will look forward to future developments. (I'll keep in touch)

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    3. Er...I broke already and, in the hope of doing something new and positive have established myself here: http://warpdrivedufflebuttons.blogspot.co.uk/
      Am hopeful it will last. Please pop over.

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  2. That's funny, my wife is only familiar with a similar kind of drink machine. It doesn't do cappuccinos though...just straight coffee.

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    1. Haha, I suspect there are many such machines in many households... but the burning question is, does it play a good tune too when she presses its buttons...?

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  3. They move, yet you never see them *actually* move. That time lapse is actually a little spooky. Love the Supergrass tunes, with or without coffee and I highly recommend the current Gaz Coombes solo LP 'Matador', it's very good indeed.

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    1. It is a bit spooky, isn't it? Now check out Mimosa Pudica (as recommended by Yve) and if you're not already familiar that really is something... I watched a good video on youtube should you wish to see it too.
      Thanks for the tip-off about the Gas Coombes solo LP... I'll investigate!

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  4. Oh wow, Yve, I've just looked up Mimosa Pudica and found a video of it being touched in various ways... incredible. Thanks for that! I think a new-found interest could be developing here...

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  5. I smoked some super grass once or twice while in college.

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  6. Singing Bear mentioned 'The Day of the Triffids' - a favourite science fiction/fantasy book. When I first read 'Supergrass', I'm afraid my wayward brain initially conjured up an image of a super "joint" too.

    Not being possessed of green thumbs, I'm now down to only a single hanging plant that I haven't managed to kill off.

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  7. Dr MHM and Marie - I missed a trick there, I should've called the post 'Supergrass and a *pot* plant'...

    PS Marie - your scenario with the plants sounds all too familiar to me! Hope the hanging plant continues to survive, perhaps you could also try a Calathea?!

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  8. The boring sound of black coffee!!

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  9. Hi C,
    Got your email and re-sent the invite. Let me know if there's a problem?

    All the best!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Marie. Yes, got in fine this time. I've emailed you too...

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