This is an order!

You must go read Equinoctial's story which is up on Spork right now. It is amazing and I love it. It features one of these:

Recommendations

I just wanted to share this totally creepezoid statement from Slate a few days ago: "The current film Little Miss Sunshine is a good example of how much we need to separate healthy families (ours) from diseased ones (those who sexualize kids). That film goes so far in its eagerness to pander to audiences as to imagine domestic bliss as the ability to be repulsed by and unite against sexy kids (beauty queens). Such hypocrisy plays to the uneasiness of audiences who, in real life, would find the lumpy little heroine of the film utterly disgusting, turning from her to feast their eyes on little vamps."

This last sentence, apparently utterly sincere, has been bugging me since I read it. I mean, what??? The lumpy little heroine was one of the most charming human beings I've ever encountered. Also, pretty much the whole film was terrific. I recommend it.

I do not recommend Global Warming Trivia as a party game, unless you want to see which of your friends will die of boredom first. A tip about trivia in general: if no one can answer any of the questions, the game will probably not be fun. On the other hand, Never Have I Ever is a good time and quite revealing.

Also a good time is the new Irvine Critical Mass bike ride. For Ride #1 a critical mass turned out to be two people, but I'm sure it will gather steam and become a true sensation.

Big O Tires

Okay, I'm tired of looking at those random people at Gina's so I'm posting something just to bump them further down the page. Then I'm going to take Greenie to Big O tires to see about a little windshield wiper fluid problem. Then to UHaul about the hitch. And a car wash somewhere in there.

I'm working on the books thing (see Hen and Belt). It's getting long.

Spackle

Today I got an email about the English "Grad Pub Night" at UW starting up again. It is very wonderful that this institution exists. And yet: it is hard for me to imagine caring about those faceless grad students as much as I care about my friends here. I know this is trouble, but whenever I move I want to keep at least a foot and a half in my old life. A happy life is such a rare gift, it seems like insanity to leave it. On the other hand, it will also be insanity to sit in a Seattle bar and wish I were at Gina's.

In other news, my task for the day is to fill all the nail and screw holes I've put in my wall with Ace Hardware's finest spackle.

Progress

Today I packed up a significant portion of the stuff in my room. It's weird. Where there used to be a wall of books, there is now a wall of boxes. I got supermarket boxes, so I'm now looking at three boxes of mozzarella cheese, two of snap-pea crisps (one Caesar flavored), two of Melissa's vacuum-packed beets, and one of hornet and wasp killer. Along with a bunch left over from my last move. I packed sixteen boxes today, all but two of books. So now it's official. I'm moving.

If all works out according to plan, my 2-bedroom apartment will be in the basement of this house. Nice, huh?



Tomorrow I'm going to do something I've never done before without HenHen: go to the Paul Mitchell Beauty School for a haircut. It'll make me sad to be there on my own.

Rock II

Awesome

Thanks for advice, guys. The ESL job got away from me, just as well, as did the cottage, but I'm hot on the trail of an even better place. It has TWO BEDROOMS. So you must come visit me.

Rock

Last night some of us got together a little combo with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, violin, and cello. It was awesome. We played a Mr. Excess Jr. original number with an unprintable title, and rocked "Mellow Yellow" like it's never been rocked before. We're going to be headlining the end-of-summer toga party.

Playing music with people is really one of the most fun things there is to do.

Advice

I'm trying to write a poem using the line "the awful tyranny of seasonal, local, and organic." That's right, I'm going to be out in front of the backlash.

Should I rent a cute, tiny cottage a few blocks from the U District, sight unseen? (But you can see a picture at http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/190759258.html) Emily and Tim just rented the cutest cottage ever--maybe it's in the stars. (Which makes me picture all the constellations going on vacation in a little beach cottage, Aquarius in the room with the twin beds, etc).

Should I take on two ESL students for the next 3 weeks and make a bunch of extra money, which would definitely come in handy? It would make me get up and get out of the house, which would be good, but it would also be a distraction, which would be bad.

Should I, should I. Right now I should work on my poems, so adieu.

A serious life

I just want to assert that my life is not all togas and karaoke. Mostly it is serious. Just so you know.

To wit, here's a poem I wrote, addressed to my friends (including you, if you are geographically able):

The summer is passing,
August is here,
you're still in Irvine--
might as well have a beer.

At our place in Verano,
number 6523,
dance your troubles away
or just schmooze or just be.

Bring your friends, bring some booze,
what kind doesn't matter. They
all will be welcome
9 pm Saturday.



And for a fun party game, guess which poets wrote these responses:

I'll be there in a toga
I'll be there on time
I'll be drinking lots of soda
with Jim Beam and lime

I will be attendin'
that's why I'm a-sendin'
this email reply.
I have a sty.

Since I'm invited
I'd be delighted
to join for some booze and a chat.
My feet smell like scat.

y'all can relax--
I'm bringing the ax.