So I'm watching last night's Letterman, and they have this guy, the Bubble Guy on. With no more than two bubble wands, a straw, and a cigarette, this man made magic.
An incomplete list of what the Bubble Guy made:
--a dancing caterpillar
--a volcano
--a symbolic representation of love using bubbles
--a perfect cube
--a merry-go-round
There is one lesson to learn from this man, and that lesson is that I am wasting my life.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
meet me in the middle
Time for a round-up of some events I've attended recently:
Last Tuesday (2/20): I went to a reading at Elliott Bay Books by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, one of my favorite books from last year. The basic gist is that Gilbert, after suffering through an awful divorce, takes a year off to travel, spending four months in Italy, four months in India, and four months in Indonesia. In these settings, she finds herself, finds God, has a spiritual journey, finds out who she is, realizes her own strength...all these things that sound like cliches when I type them now but are incredibly powerful and beautifully written in the book. This was an amazing reading, because Elizabeth Gilbert is an amazing woman. She was able to poke fun at herself yet still gracefully defend her choices and her writing. Every answer was completely beautiful and witty and wonderful...even as she was saying things, I'd be wishing that I was taking notes so that I could remember exactly how she said it, and re-read it to myself when I was feeling low.
A good takeaway lesson from this event: Everything we do in even the tiniest of little ways influences everyone around us. She remembered a time that she was going home from divorce court on the subway, and she just broke down and sobbed. She said that looking back, she has a great deal of compassion for herself, but she also had a lot of compassion for all the people around her, who all had their own problems and lives and were just trying to get home, that had to witness a complete stranger break down. She took the responsibility for herself, to take care of herself and make herself happy. For her, this involved taking the year off to travel, and she was upfront about acknowledging that not everyone gets to do this.
Last night, Monday, 2/26: After a delicious happy hour at Nijo Sushi, we went to a lecture by Dereck and Beverly Joubert that was part of the National Geographic Live series. Their topic was "Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo." They had some amazing pictures and film of lions and buffalo being relentless enemies. That's a simplistic way to put it, because the pictures were accompanied by their tales about how they got the footage, what they were discovering about these animals, and other things related to the mystery and wonder of nature, but when it all came down to it, we wanted to see the footage of these animals trying to kill each other.
A good takeaway lesson from this event: I am glad I don't have predators that hunt me on the street and try to eat me. Also, don't marry a man who wants to spend life in Africa, getting close to dangerous animals.
Tonight, Tuesday 2/27: Tonight Clair and I went to the University of Washington to hear Tracy Kidder, the writer of Mountains Beyond Mountains, speak. Mountains Beyond Mountains is the UW Common Book, meaning that all freshmen were told that the book would change their lives. The book is about Paul Farmer and how he changed the face of public health in places like Haiti, Peru, and Russia. For being a book that students were supposed to read, very few students were there. The format for discussion was also fairly poor, as three people from disparate backgrounds tried to ask profound questions with little cohesiveness. But I guess that's the point of a Common Book; everyone can take something from it. The book is incredibly interdisciplinary in the topics it covers....science, anthropology, sociology, religion, history...the list goes on and on.
While I am interested in learning more about Paul Farmer and the work he's done (we missed him when he came to UW last year), I was interested in seeing Tracy Kidder because of my background in Creative Writing. From a writer's perspective, he was in a weird place of presenting this subject because he obviously believed in the cause and wanted to advance it, but he's also just gotta be trying to tell a good story and perhaps meeting some sort of journalistic standard. While he got questions about both these roles to some extent, he never really owned up to either side, making me confused about his place in this. Are you still selling me on Paul Farmer and his cause, or are you selling me things about how to live a good life in general, or are you just selling me your next book?
Anyways, after the discussion, Clair and I had Indian food and had the deep, profound conversation that the Tracy Kidder program had lacked. I'm too tired now to recreate it, but suffice it to say, we thought of like three great ideas for the next Common Book program and solved at least two of the world's problems. And talked about work.
A good takeaway lesson from this event: You don't have to be Paul Farmer and live in Haiti and minister to the sick to make a difference. What you have to do is figure out what you're good at, and figure out how that can solve a problem. As Tracy Kidder pointed out, Paul Farmer needed a guy to be great at business, make a ton of money, and then agree to finance things that seemed unreasonable in terms of what they could accomplish in third world countries.
Last Tuesday (2/20): I went to a reading at Elliott Bay Books by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, one of my favorite books from last year. The basic gist is that Gilbert, after suffering through an awful divorce, takes a year off to travel, spending four months in Italy, four months in India, and four months in Indonesia. In these settings, she finds herself, finds God, has a spiritual journey, finds out who she is, realizes her own strength...all these things that sound like cliches when I type them now but are incredibly powerful and beautifully written in the book. This was an amazing reading, because Elizabeth Gilbert is an amazing woman. She was able to poke fun at herself yet still gracefully defend her choices and her writing. Every answer was completely beautiful and witty and wonderful...even as she was saying things, I'd be wishing that I was taking notes so that I could remember exactly how she said it, and re-read it to myself when I was feeling low.
A good takeaway lesson from this event: Everything we do in even the tiniest of little ways influences everyone around us. She remembered a time that she was going home from divorce court on the subway, and she just broke down and sobbed. She said that looking back, she has a great deal of compassion for herself, but she also had a lot of compassion for all the people around her, who all had their own problems and lives and were just trying to get home, that had to witness a complete stranger break down. She took the responsibility for herself, to take care of herself and make herself happy. For her, this involved taking the year off to travel, and she was upfront about acknowledging that not everyone gets to do this.
Last night, Monday, 2/26: After a delicious happy hour at Nijo Sushi, we went to a lecture by Dereck and Beverly Joubert that was part of the National Geographic Live series. Their topic was "Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo." They had some amazing pictures and film of lions and buffalo being relentless enemies. That's a simplistic way to put it, because the pictures were accompanied by their tales about how they got the footage, what they were discovering about these animals, and other things related to the mystery and wonder of nature, but when it all came down to it, we wanted to see the footage of these animals trying to kill each other.
A good takeaway lesson from this event: I am glad I don't have predators that hunt me on the street and try to eat me. Also, don't marry a man who wants to spend life in Africa, getting close to dangerous animals.
Tonight, Tuesday 2/27: Tonight Clair and I went to the University of Washington to hear Tracy Kidder, the writer of Mountains Beyond Mountains, speak. Mountains Beyond Mountains is the UW Common Book, meaning that all freshmen were told that the book would change their lives. The book is about Paul Farmer and how he changed the face of public health in places like Haiti, Peru, and Russia. For being a book that students were supposed to read, very few students were there. The format for discussion was also fairly poor, as three people from disparate backgrounds tried to ask profound questions with little cohesiveness. But I guess that's the point of a Common Book; everyone can take something from it. The book is incredibly interdisciplinary in the topics it covers....science, anthropology, sociology, religion, history...the list goes on and on.
While I am interested in learning more about Paul Farmer and the work he's done (we missed him when he came to UW last year), I was interested in seeing Tracy Kidder because of my background in Creative Writing. From a writer's perspective, he was in a weird place of presenting this subject because he obviously believed in the cause and wanted to advance it, but he's also just gotta be trying to tell a good story and perhaps meeting some sort of journalistic standard. While he got questions about both these roles to some extent, he never really owned up to either side, making me confused about his place in this. Are you still selling me on Paul Farmer and his cause, or are you selling me things about how to live a good life in general, or are you just selling me your next book?
Anyways, after the discussion, Clair and I had Indian food and had the deep, profound conversation that the Tracy Kidder program had lacked. I'm too tired now to recreate it, but suffice it to say, we thought of like three great ideas for the next Common Book program and solved at least two of the world's problems. And talked about work.
A good takeaway lesson from this event: You don't have to be Paul Farmer and live in Haiti and minister to the sick to make a difference. What you have to do is figure out what you're good at, and figure out how that can solve a problem. As Tracy Kidder pointed out, Paul Farmer needed a guy to be great at business, make a ton of money, and then agree to finance things that seemed unreasonable in terms of what they could accomplish in third world countries.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Being detail-oriented is usually a good thing
One of the main appeals of this trip, besides the chance to learn about the Mormons, was the amount of time I’d have in the car to listen to music. I kept track of every CD I listened to, because I am anal-retentive, and I hoped it would teach me something about myself (it didn't). I listened to all CDs all the way through, rather than flipping through songs like an attention deficient monkey (I can get that way in the car). I could have listened to more CDs, but sometimes my stereo gets overheated if I drive for more than an hour or two without stopping. The CDs, and any relevant comments:
R.E.M. – Green
Had a craving to hear "You Are the Everything."
Richard Shindell – Courier
Good pick because it brings together three good trucking song, and Richard's cover of "Fourth of July, Asbury Park" has been one of the songs I have had stuck in my head this month.
Jeffrey Foucault – Ghost Repeater
If all goes as planned, I'll be seeing Mr. Foucault at the Tractor tomorrow.
Jesse Sykes – Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul
I don't remember what was going on when I listened to this.
Kris Delmhorst – Strange Conversation
My first listen to this CD, which is based on poetry. Poems either provided the framework for the song, or in some cases, provided actual lyrics. Very interesting CD.
Nerissa & Katryna Nields – Love and China
Has a lot of songs about travel and movement.
A.C. Newman – The Slow Wonder
To try to pep myself up in Oregon.
Feist – Let It Die
The sun was setting as I listened to this CD.
David Bowie – Hunky Dory
Listening to this CD as I crossed the Idaho border.
Sufjan Stevens – (Come on feel the) Illinoise
I put it on to see if there were any comparisons between Idaho and Illinois, besides their first letter. Then I started thinking about songs that could be written when Sufjan gets around to his Idaho album. Here's what I came up with:
In Oregon they drive slow slow slow
But not in Ida-ho-ho-ho
Aw no no no
You gotta go go go
To Idaho-ho-ho
Wo-wo-wo
Don’t chu-know, Don’t chu-know, Don’t chu-know
In Boise, it’s noisy
In Twin Falls, we make phone calls
In Bliss, we kiss
In Idaho City, it’s pretty
In Sun Valley, we’ll rally
In Glenns Ferry, we’re merry
In Pocatello, we’ll say hello
Yo! Yo! Yo!
Potato! to! to!
Idahooooooooooooooooo!
If you can't tell, I'd been driving for a LONG TIME by this point. But hey, Sufjan, call me when you get to the Idaho album!
Bottle Rockets – 24 Hours a Day
A raucous end to a long day.
The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
An early morning album. Driving past mountains, rolling hills.
Patty Griffin – Children Running Through
New Patty Griffin, it will probably take a few more listens for me to absorb. She lets go with the voice a little more on this one.
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town
I had planned to put this on in Utah, because it contained the only song I could think of that mentions Utah, which is "Promised Land" ("rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert"). Also lots of songs about driving/cars. But listening to it while I was driving, with the first song being "Badlands," I started to think about it as a road trip album, with Badlands being South Dakota, and where Bruce might have had to drive by song 6 ("Promised Land"/Utah). I ended up not liking the theory because by song 4 ("Candy's Room"), he really wasn't anywhere interesting that I would have imagined Candy living.
Erin McKeown – We Will Become Like Birds
So I could re-live the excellent concert from last Thursday night.
Johnny Cash – American III: Solitary Man
What I listened to as I drove around Salt Lake City. Probably my favorite of the American recordings, and a good CD to listen to as you drive around, thinking about Mormons.
Mason Jennings – Boneclouds
It was late, I was in Utah.
Ryan Adams – Jacksonville City Nights
In hindsight, I probably should have listened to Gold, because it's the quintessential road trip/travel album, but this is what got be through a dark Idaho night.
Tom Russell – Love and Fear
My second favorite album released in 2006.
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
My third favorite album released in 2006. Here I should say that my favorite album released in 2006 was We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, by Bruce Springsteen. But I didn't play it here, because by this point, I had made the unofficial rule in my head that an artist only got one album played apiece, and Bruce had gotten his earlier in the day.
Josh Ritter – The Animal Years
I was driving through Idaho. Josh Ritter is from Idaho. Also, this album has the song "Idaho" on it.
Tift Merritt – Tambourine
This album makes me want to move down south again.
The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Boise was a bit of a bad day for me...it was raining, I kept getting lost, I couldn't find a place to eat, I needed an oil change and all of the car places were closed. This was what I listened to as I drove around.
The Long Winters – Putting the Long Days to Bed
See above.
Belle & Sebastian – Tigermilk
The first album of the last day of driving.
Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope
Not much happened while this CD was on.
Peter Mulvey – The Knuckleball Suite
I forget how much I like this CD.
The Essex Green – Cannibal Sea
Normally this is a quick, happy bounce of a CD, but on this particular listen, the CD player kept overheating, so I kept having to turn off the stereo so it would cool down. Turned a short CD into a very long experience.
Mindy Smith – Long Island Shores
This was my first-ever listen to this CD. It was sweet.
Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
I put this one on because I wanted to hear “Idiot Wind,” as the winds of Eastern Washington were trying their best to blow me right off the highway.
The Be Good Tanyas – Blue Horse
This CD was played during a particularly dire section of the trip, when I realized that I had inadvertantly passed up my last chance for gas while perilously close to empty. I was trying to get through Manastash Pass between Yakima and Ellensburg, watching the gas light flicker, watching the needle dip below 'E.' Eventually I had to turn this CD off because I just needed to focus all of my energy on willing a gas station into existence.
Kathleen Edwards – Back to Me
This is another CD that I had to turn off because the road needed my full attention. When I was trying to get through the Snoqualmie Pass, it was raining/snowing...the worst weather of my whole trip. I was convinced I was going to die.
Clem Snide – End of Love
I don't know what it says about Kathleen Edwards, or about my timing, but as soon as this CD came on, the rain let up. I began the slow crawl into Seattle, wishing for those Idaho highways where you're the only car on the road and you can go 80. Through sheer luck, the CD ended right as I parked behind my apartment.
R.E.M. – Green
Had a craving to hear "You Are the Everything."
Richard Shindell – Courier
Good pick because it brings together three good trucking song, and Richard's cover of "Fourth of July, Asbury Park" has been one of the songs I have had stuck in my head this month.
Jeffrey Foucault – Ghost Repeater
If all goes as planned, I'll be seeing Mr. Foucault at the Tractor tomorrow.
Jesse Sykes – Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul
I don't remember what was going on when I listened to this.
Kris Delmhorst – Strange Conversation
My first listen to this CD, which is based on poetry. Poems either provided the framework for the song, or in some cases, provided actual lyrics. Very interesting CD.
Nerissa & Katryna Nields – Love and China
Has a lot of songs about travel and movement.
A.C. Newman – The Slow Wonder
To try to pep myself up in Oregon.
Feist – Let It Die
The sun was setting as I listened to this CD.
David Bowie – Hunky Dory
Listening to this CD as I crossed the Idaho border.
Sufjan Stevens – (Come on feel the) Illinoise
I put it on to see if there were any comparisons between Idaho and Illinois, besides their first letter. Then I started thinking about songs that could be written when Sufjan gets around to his Idaho album. Here's what I came up with:
In Oregon they drive slow slow slow
But not in Ida-ho-ho-ho
Aw no no no
You gotta go go go
To Idaho-ho-ho
Wo-wo-wo
Don’t chu-know, Don’t chu-know, Don’t chu-know
In Boise, it’s noisy
In Twin Falls, we make phone calls
In Bliss, we kiss
In Idaho City, it’s pretty
In Sun Valley, we’ll rally
In Glenns Ferry, we’re merry
In Pocatello, we’ll say hello
Yo! Yo! Yo!
Potato! to! to!
Idahooooooooooooooooo!
If you can't tell, I'd been driving for a LONG TIME by this point. But hey, Sufjan, call me when you get to the Idaho album!
Bottle Rockets – 24 Hours a Day
A raucous end to a long day.
The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
An early morning album. Driving past mountains, rolling hills.
Patty Griffin – Children Running Through
New Patty Griffin, it will probably take a few more listens for me to absorb. She lets go with the voice a little more on this one.
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town
I had planned to put this on in Utah, because it contained the only song I could think of that mentions Utah, which is "Promised Land" ("rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert"). Also lots of songs about driving/cars. But listening to it while I was driving, with the first song being "Badlands," I started to think about it as a road trip album, with Badlands being South Dakota, and where Bruce might have had to drive by song 6 ("Promised Land"/Utah). I ended up not liking the theory because by song 4 ("Candy's Room"), he really wasn't anywhere interesting that I would have imagined Candy living.
Erin McKeown – We Will Become Like Birds
So I could re-live the excellent concert from last Thursday night.
Johnny Cash – American III: Solitary Man
What I listened to as I drove around Salt Lake City. Probably my favorite of the American recordings, and a good CD to listen to as you drive around, thinking about Mormons.
Mason Jennings – Boneclouds
It was late, I was in Utah.
Ryan Adams – Jacksonville City Nights
In hindsight, I probably should have listened to Gold, because it's the quintessential road trip/travel album, but this is what got be through a dark Idaho night.
Tom Russell – Love and Fear
My second favorite album released in 2006.
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
My third favorite album released in 2006. Here I should say that my favorite album released in 2006 was We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, by Bruce Springsteen. But I didn't play it here, because by this point, I had made the unofficial rule in my head that an artist only got one album played apiece, and Bruce had gotten his earlier in the day.
Josh Ritter – The Animal Years
I was driving through Idaho. Josh Ritter is from Idaho. Also, this album has the song "Idaho" on it.
Tift Merritt – Tambourine
This album makes me want to move down south again.
The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Boise was a bit of a bad day for me...it was raining, I kept getting lost, I couldn't find a place to eat, I needed an oil change and all of the car places were closed. This was what I listened to as I drove around.
The Long Winters – Putting the Long Days to Bed
See above.
Belle & Sebastian – Tigermilk
The first album of the last day of driving.
Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope
Not much happened while this CD was on.
Peter Mulvey – The Knuckleball Suite
I forget how much I like this CD.
The Essex Green – Cannibal Sea
Normally this is a quick, happy bounce of a CD, but on this particular listen, the CD player kept overheating, so I kept having to turn off the stereo so it would cool down. Turned a short CD into a very long experience.
Mindy Smith – Long Island Shores
This was my first-ever listen to this CD. It was sweet.
Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
I put this one on because I wanted to hear “Idiot Wind,” as the winds of Eastern Washington were trying their best to blow me right off the highway.
The Be Good Tanyas – Blue Horse
This CD was played during a particularly dire section of the trip, when I realized that I had inadvertantly passed up my last chance for gas while perilously close to empty. I was trying to get through Manastash Pass between Yakima and Ellensburg, watching the gas light flicker, watching the needle dip below 'E.' Eventually I had to turn this CD off because I just needed to focus all of my energy on willing a gas station into existence.
Kathleen Edwards – Back to Me
This is another CD that I had to turn off because the road needed my full attention. When I was trying to get through the Snoqualmie Pass, it was raining/snowing...the worst weather of my whole trip. I was convinced I was going to die.
Clem Snide – End of Love
I don't know what it says about Kathleen Edwards, or about my timing, but as soon as this CD came on, the rain let up. I began the slow crawl into Seattle, wishing for those Idaho highways where you're the only car on the road and you can go 80. Through sheer luck, the CD ended right as I parked behind my apartment.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Almost 2000 miles with the “Check Engine” light on
So I’m back from Salt Lake City! Here are some details from my trip. Expect more later!
Days on the road: 4
Hours spent driving: Approximately 28
Illnesses/injuries sustained: 4 [1. Bruise/scrape on shoulder (from hitting myself with the car door 2. Cut on my finger (don’t know how it happened) 3. Windburn 4. Mild food poisoning]
CDs listened to: 33
Best meal: In an IHOP outside Salt Lake City (avocado, bacon, and cheese omelet, and pancakes)
Worst meal: The fast food that gave me the mild food poisoning
Number of chocolate chip cookies consumed: Three, one made by Mormons, two made by a Holiday Inn in Meridian, Idaho
Nights spent in Twin Falls, Idaho: 2
Number of time zones passed through: 2 [Western and Mountain (By the way, how dumb is Mountain Time? I didn’t even understand it. It went one hour up, but television went two hours up? What the dealio?]
Best continental breakfast: Holiday Inn (until they burned me on the last day by not providing their signature cinnamon rolls)
Stops for gas: 5
Cheapest gas: $1.99 in Salt Lake City!
Number of informational cards the Mormons have with my address on them: 2
Number of lies I had to tell to get a copy of the Book of Mormon without an in-home missionary visit: 2 (1. I’m rarely home because I travel a lot for my job. 2. I don’t have a phone)
Things learned about myself: Countless
Days on the road: 4
Hours spent driving: Approximately 28
Illnesses/injuries sustained: 4 [1. Bruise/scrape on shoulder (from hitting myself with the car door 2. Cut on my finger (don’t know how it happened) 3. Windburn 4. Mild food poisoning]
CDs listened to: 33
Best meal: In an IHOP outside Salt Lake City (avocado, bacon, and cheese omelet, and pancakes)
Worst meal: The fast food that gave me the mild food poisoning
Number of chocolate chip cookies consumed: Three, one made by Mormons, two made by a Holiday Inn in Meridian, Idaho
Nights spent in Twin Falls, Idaho: 2
Number of time zones passed through: 2 [Western and Mountain (By the way, how dumb is Mountain Time? I didn’t even understand it. It went one hour up, but television went two hours up? What the dealio?]
Best continental breakfast: Holiday Inn (until they burned me on the last day by not providing their signature cinnamon rolls)
Stops for gas: 5
Cheapest gas: $1.99 in Salt Lake City!
Number of informational cards the Mormons have with my address on them: 2
Number of lies I had to tell to get a copy of the Book of Mormon without an in-home missionary visit: 2 (1. I’m rarely home because I travel a lot for my job. 2. I don’t have a phone)
Things learned about myself: Countless
You were right about everything
Pretend I posted this on Thursday night…
Thursday I went to the Tractor Tavern to see Erin McKeown. It was a great concert, and I also had an interesting epiphany.
To understand my epiphany, you have to know that in high school, I was convinced that I should go to Brown University. I wanted to go to school in the northeast, and it had a compelling reputation as the Ivy League school for creative people. No distribution requirements! No grades!
But I didn’t go to Brown. Somewhere along the line, I decided that I felt more at home at Emory. Brown gave me shitty financial aid whereas Emory gave me tons of free money and perks. Etc etc etc. There’s no question that I did the right thing going to Emory over Brown.
Then came NBC’s hit television show The Office, and its witty, heartbreaking hero, Jim Halpert, played by John Krasinski. When I read that John Krasinski went to Brown and studied writing, and was but a few years older than me, then I became convinced that he and I would have met there, probably in a playwriting class. Of course we would have dated, and then married/or still be in a stable long-term relationship, and I’d be going to the Golden Globes and having weekend barbeques with Steve Carell.
Anyways, Thursday was Erin McKeown. She went to Brown and studied ethnomusicology, as most articles about her are fond of pointing out. According to Wikipedia, she was born in 1977, so it’s unlikely that I would have known her in my pseudo-Brown fantasy. But watching Erin McKeown, and listening to her clever songs, I again realized that I made the right college choice. If I had to compete with John Krasinski writing his plays, and Erin McKeown and her songs, I would have never left my dorm room. The wardrobe alone of a Brown creative person would have killed me. I would have ended up studying finance or something, too intimidated by the artsy people to participate.
Or maybe I would have been great at the Brown scene and I’d be a published writer by now. But watching Erin McKeown, I certainly didn’t feel I could have made the scene. So, go Emory!
Thursday I went to the Tractor Tavern to see Erin McKeown. It was a great concert, and I also had an interesting epiphany.
To understand my epiphany, you have to know that in high school, I was convinced that I should go to Brown University. I wanted to go to school in the northeast, and it had a compelling reputation as the Ivy League school for creative people. No distribution requirements! No grades!
But I didn’t go to Brown. Somewhere along the line, I decided that I felt more at home at Emory. Brown gave me shitty financial aid whereas Emory gave me tons of free money and perks. Etc etc etc. There’s no question that I did the right thing going to Emory over Brown.
Then came NBC’s hit television show The Office, and its witty, heartbreaking hero, Jim Halpert, played by John Krasinski. When I read that John Krasinski went to Brown and studied writing, and was but a few years older than me, then I became convinced that he and I would have met there, probably in a playwriting class. Of course we would have dated, and then married/or still be in a stable long-term relationship, and I’d be going to the Golden Globes and having weekend barbeques with Steve Carell.
Anyways, Thursday was Erin McKeown. She went to Brown and studied ethnomusicology, as most articles about her are fond of pointing out. According to Wikipedia, she was born in 1977, so it’s unlikely that I would have known her in my pseudo-Brown fantasy. But watching Erin McKeown, and listening to her clever songs, I again realized that I made the right college choice. If I had to compete with John Krasinski writing his plays, and Erin McKeown and her songs, I would have never left my dorm room. The wardrobe alone of a Brown creative person would have killed me. I would have ended up studying finance or something, too intimidated by the artsy people to participate.
Or maybe I would have been great at the Brown scene and I’d be a published writer by now. But watching Erin McKeown, I certainly didn’t feel I could have made the scene. So, go Emory!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Don't Mess With Texas
Today I was looking at the Wikipedia entry of museums in the United States, because I will go just about anywhere that has museum in the title. I was noting the ones that I wanted to go to, and thinking back on ones I had been to. When I got to the Texas section, I saw "Alamo-San Antonio," and it took me a minute to realize that I had even been to the Alamo. Then I tried to visualize it in my head, and I thought, "Hmm, I don't really remember the Alamo." Then I just had to laugh out loud and/or feel bad about myself, because if there is one thing that Americans have been instructed to do, it is Remember the Alamo.
Well, and also never forget 9/11. You have to have a really good memory to be American.
Well, and also never forget 9/11. You have to have a really good memory to be American.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Book #6: Yoga for People Who Can't Be Bothered to Do It
The book: Yoga for People Who Can’t Be Bothered to Do It by Geoff Dyer
What is this book about: This is a book of travel essays, the locations mainly distinguishable by what drugs Dyer consumed and which women he slept with there. Through the essays, Dyer grapples with external/internal journeys and his post-modern angst.
Why did I read this book: I thought the title was clever.
What did I think of this book: I’ve had a love/hate relationship with this book. For quite a long time I thought the only clever thing about the book was the title. I hated Geoff Dyer and his self-important intellectualism, and his self-congratulation at having been so many places and having such cynicism and contempt for them.
Then I would wonder if I could hate the book, because it is very true that we live in this culture that prizes traveling, that tells you traveling will create these epiphanies and experiences for you, and oftentimes it’s just going from one monument to another. How can we ever just sit and enjoy the view? How can we ever find peace or how can we ever care about why monuments exist and why we go to them? Aren’t we always just looking for the next place to go?
When Dyer was exploring these questions in a lucid way, I was intrigued and did see glimpses of “yoga for people who can’t be bothered to do it.” But ultimately, I think I’m too much of an optimist to succumb to such complaining about the opportunity and privilege that Dyer has in his travels around the world. What Dyer is interested in is Dyer, and while everyone is interested in themselves, few want to read about others’ self-interest. It’s why this nation of bloggers and You-tubers is so weird. The point is, while I identified with Dyer at points, I was usually then immediately turned off by his pompousness and his self-absorption.
Also, the book isn’t “mordantly funny” and “side-splitting” as the back cover claims it will be.
What was my favorite part of this book: The essay on Rome was quite charming and evocative, but I think it’s hard to mess up writing about Rome.What did I learn from this book: That it’s better just to do real yoga.
What grade do I give this book: C+
Special feature for this book—Some excerpts I liked (please don’t sue me, Geoff Dyer)
“Things go missing. They just disappear. You invest your whole being in not losing something and still, incredibly, against all odds, you lose it. The more you covet something, the more certain it is that you’ll lose it, and the more devastating this loss will be when it happens—which it will.”
Pg. 216 (in talking about losing his sunglasses)
“I had been drifting for years, and now—like the lone cloud we’d seen at Hadrian’s Villa—I had drifted to a standstill. I may not have admitted it at the time—if that afternoon was a turning point, then I responded as one invariably does at such moments, by failing to turn—but at some level I knew that I had been kidding myself: that all the intellectual discipline and ambition of my earlier years had been dissipated by half-hearted drug abuse, indolence, and disappointment, that I lacked purpose and direction and had even less idea of what I wanted from life now than I had when I was twenty or thirty even, that I was well on the way to becoming a ruin myself, and that that was fine by me.”
Pg. 131
What is this book about: This is a book of travel essays, the locations mainly distinguishable by what drugs Dyer consumed and which women he slept with there. Through the essays, Dyer grapples with external/internal journeys and his post-modern angst.
Why did I read this book: I thought the title was clever.
What did I think of this book: I’ve had a love/hate relationship with this book. For quite a long time I thought the only clever thing about the book was the title. I hated Geoff Dyer and his self-important intellectualism, and his self-congratulation at having been so many places and having such cynicism and contempt for them.
Then I would wonder if I could hate the book, because it is very true that we live in this culture that prizes traveling, that tells you traveling will create these epiphanies and experiences for you, and oftentimes it’s just going from one monument to another. How can we ever just sit and enjoy the view? How can we ever find peace or how can we ever care about why monuments exist and why we go to them? Aren’t we always just looking for the next place to go?
When Dyer was exploring these questions in a lucid way, I was intrigued and did see glimpses of “yoga for people who can’t be bothered to do it.” But ultimately, I think I’m too much of an optimist to succumb to such complaining about the opportunity and privilege that Dyer has in his travels around the world. What Dyer is interested in is Dyer, and while everyone is interested in themselves, few want to read about others’ self-interest. It’s why this nation of bloggers and You-tubers is so weird. The point is, while I identified with Dyer at points, I was usually then immediately turned off by his pompousness and his self-absorption.
Also, the book isn’t “mordantly funny” and “side-splitting” as the back cover claims it will be.
What was my favorite part of this book: The essay on Rome was quite charming and evocative, but I think it’s hard to mess up writing about Rome.What did I learn from this book: That it’s better just to do real yoga.
What grade do I give this book: C+
Special feature for this book—Some excerpts I liked (please don’t sue me, Geoff Dyer)
“Things go missing. They just disappear. You invest your whole being in not losing something and still, incredibly, against all odds, you lose it. The more you covet something, the more certain it is that you’ll lose it, and the more devastating this loss will be when it happens—which it will.”
Pg. 216 (in talking about losing his sunglasses)
“I had been drifting for years, and now—like the lone cloud we’d seen at Hadrian’s Villa—I had drifted to a standstill. I may not have admitted it at the time—if that afternoon was a turning point, then I responded as one invariably does at such moments, by failing to turn—but at some level I knew that I had been kidding myself: that all the intellectual discipline and ambition of my earlier years had been dissipated by half-hearted drug abuse, indolence, and disappointment, that I lacked purpose and direction and had even less idea of what I wanted from life now than I had when I was twenty or thirty even, that I was well on the way to becoming a ruin myself, and that that was fine by me.”
Pg. 131
Saturday
Last night, I went to a bar to celebrate a friend's birthday. Unfortunately, the bar was also celebrating Valentine's Day...by marking single people differently.
What happened is we walked, inadvertantly, into a singles mixer that was predominantly for Boeing and Microsoft employees, from what I understand. They put heart stickers on the single people, so that others could tell who to hit on. They showed a slideshow of local singles. As a friend pointed out of the slideshow, all the boys were shown in outside situations such as skiing, hiking, etc, while all the girls were shown humping things. They announced the singles calendar, ie, a single woman was Miss January, a single man was Mr. February, and so on and so forth. This presentation was presided over by a woman who called herself Seattle's Social Coordinator, who I later saw grinding on the dance floor with Mr. August.
Then, as if I couldn't hate Valentine's Day anymore, the social coordinator started throwing Hershey's Kisses into the crowd, and I got beaned in the back of the head with one. I hate love.
What happened is we walked, inadvertantly, into a singles mixer that was predominantly for Boeing and Microsoft employees, from what I understand. They put heart stickers on the single people, so that others could tell who to hit on. They showed a slideshow of local singles. As a friend pointed out of the slideshow, all the boys were shown in outside situations such as skiing, hiking, etc, while all the girls were shown humping things. They announced the singles calendar, ie, a single woman was Miss January, a single man was Mr. February, and so on and so forth. This presentation was presided over by a woman who called herself Seattle's Social Coordinator, who I later saw grinding on the dance floor with Mr. August.
Then, as if I couldn't hate Valentine's Day anymore, the social coordinator started throwing Hershey's Kisses into the crowd, and I got beaned in the back of the head with one. I hate love.
Sunday
There are some days, when I'm just trying to do simple things like buy groceries or go to the gym, that I become convinced that no other people should exist.
Seriously, do they not even require driving tests in Washington? Do they only require the self-absorbed asshole test?
Seriously, do they not even require driving tests in Washington? Do they only require the self-absorbed asshole test?
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
jingle bells
In the past 24 hours, I have consumed three things with raspberry:
1. Last night's aforementioned raspberry Italian soda
2. The new Tully's Raspberry Truffle Mocha (pretty good, but does not taste very much like raspberry. Yet, comes with a Ghiradelli chocolate)
3. Raspberry sorbet for dessert tonight.
Is 2007 going to be the Year of the Raspberry? Possibly.
Today was the end of an era. Yes, today I ate the Lean Cuisine Fiesta Chicken while reading my Time Magazine at lunch. Frankly, it was pretty good, and didn't deserve the bad reputation that I gave it.
Alright I'm going to drink beers, watch all of the television that I've been too busy to watch in for the past few days, and read the weeklies. Hopefully tomorrow I will have more interesting observations.
1. Last night's aforementioned raspberry Italian soda
2. The new Tully's Raspberry Truffle Mocha (pretty good, but does not taste very much like raspberry. Yet, comes with a Ghiradelli chocolate)
3. Raspberry sorbet for dessert tonight.
Is 2007 going to be the Year of the Raspberry? Possibly.
Today was the end of an era. Yes, today I ate the Lean Cuisine Fiesta Chicken while reading my Time Magazine at lunch. Frankly, it was pretty good, and didn't deserve the bad reputation that I gave it.
Alright I'm going to drink beers, watch all of the television that I've been too busy to watch in for the past few days, and read the weeklies. Hopefully tomorrow I will have more interesting observations.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Pho sure
Today Lean Cuisine Fiesta Chicken lost yet again, to some tofu salad rolls and sliced steak pho. My coworker picked pho because it was a very gray day, so gray you couldn't even see Elliott Bay from my desk, but weirdly, for the time in which we were eating pho, the sun burned off all the fog. Then pretty much as soon as pho was done, it rained.
Tonight was bev night at Bauhaus in Capitol Hill. I had a raspberry Italian soda that was excellent.
Tonight was bev night at Bauhaus in Capitol Hill. I had a raspberry Italian soda that was excellent.
supply and demand
Today for lunch I had macaroni and cheese. It was a bit confusing there for awhile because I was at a place called Sound Soups, and the description of the item made it appear like macaroni and cheese soup. With a cheesy broth or cream base, and noodles floating in it. But it was real macaroni and cheese. Frankly it was going to be a win for me whichever way it went.
Today was Day 4 of my being talked out of eating the lunch that I brought from home, by my coworkers. Last Wednesday I took in a Lean Cuisine (Fiesta Chicken), but on that day I got talked out of eating it by an offer of sushi (spicy tuna). Thursday I was talked out of eating it by an offer of a sandwich (tuna salad); Friday also offered a sandwich (turkey club). Today was the macaroni. Will I eat the Lean Cuisine tomorrow? Stay tuned.
It's time to write about some charming spam I have received at my Yahoo account.
1. From: Mollymcgee
Subject: spartan vacuum cleaner
Commentary: I am a sucker for spam with my own name in it. Mollymcgee would be a good nickname for me, if anyone is looking for one.
2. From: Hurt Magnus
Subject: bored ugly
Commentary: Hurt Magnus sounds like the name of a rebel, the kind of rebel that lacks a cause. And when one is without a cause, they might become bored, so bored that they are bored UGLY.
3. From: Rutledge
Subject: Dream Date Coupon
Commentary: While Rutledge has a boring name, he does offer the exciting offer of a dream date coupon. Man oh man. All I have to do is download the attachment that he sends, and then I can have a dream date! It's so tempting!
4. From: divulge
Subject: I Love You Mower
Commentary: Again, boring name. But imagine Divulge on a warm day, after a hard day's work, leaning down, looking at his lawnmower and saying, "I love you, Mower." And then repeating it at night, so that it's the last thing on his lips before he falls asleep. As you can see, we are deep in the midst of pre-Valentine's Day spam.
5. From: Forrest V. Jo
Subject: Awaiting Your Love
Commentary: Keep waiting, Forrest. All you offer me is the same attachment that Rutledge offered me.
Today was Day 4 of my being talked out of eating the lunch that I brought from home, by my coworkers. Last Wednesday I took in a Lean Cuisine (Fiesta Chicken), but on that day I got talked out of eating it by an offer of sushi (spicy tuna). Thursday I was talked out of eating it by an offer of a sandwich (tuna salad); Friday also offered a sandwich (turkey club). Today was the macaroni. Will I eat the Lean Cuisine tomorrow? Stay tuned.
It's time to write about some charming spam I have received at my Yahoo account.
1. From: Mollymcgee
Subject: spartan vacuum cleaner
Commentary: I am a sucker for spam with my own name in it. Mollymcgee would be a good nickname for me, if anyone is looking for one.
2. From: Hurt Magnus
Subject: bored ugly
Commentary: Hurt Magnus sounds like the name of a rebel, the kind of rebel that lacks a cause. And when one is without a cause, they might become bored, so bored that they are bored UGLY.
3. From: Rutledge
Subject: Dream Date Coupon
Commentary: While Rutledge has a boring name, he does offer the exciting offer of a dream date coupon. Man oh man. All I have to do is download the attachment that he sends, and then I can have a dream date! It's so tempting!
4. From: divulge
Subject: I Love You Mower
Commentary: Again, boring name. But imagine Divulge on a warm day, after a hard day's work, leaning down, looking at his lawnmower and saying, "I love you, Mower." And then repeating it at night, so that it's the last thing on his lips before he falls asleep. As you can see, we are deep in the midst of pre-Valentine's Day spam.
5. From: Forrest V. Jo
Subject: Awaiting Your Love
Commentary: Keep waiting, Forrest. All you offer me is the same attachment that Rutledge offered me.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Book #5: Jane Eyre
The book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
What is this book about: A poor orphan goes to work as a governess and falls in love with her boss. But a terrible secret stands in the way of her happiness.
Why did I read this book: Because I need to catch up on some classics I missed, and one should probably read Jane Eyre before one turns five-and-twenty.
What did I think of this book: I thought Jane had to deal with a lot of assholes in her life, especially that Mr. Rochester. Also, I think the book needed an editor. Particularly my edition, which every so often had Mr. Rochester calling out "Janet! Oh Janet!" instead of "Jane." Man oh man that made me mad. Shame on you, Tor Classic edition.
That being said, it is a great book, and Jane's emotions could seem very contemporary. Also, I am glad Charlotte Bronte avoided her sister's use of "wandering on the moors" as a plot point, as was done in Wuthering Heights.
What was my favorite part of this book: Probably when Jane was doing something scrappy and independent.
What did I learn from this book: That if you are a poor orphan in British literature, you will likely receive all sorts of happy endings, just by being yourself. Also, don't let the man keep you down, unless it is the man that you are inexplicably in love with.
What grade do I give this book: B-
What is this book about: A poor orphan goes to work as a governess and falls in love with her boss. But a terrible secret stands in the way of her happiness.
Why did I read this book: Because I need to catch up on some classics I missed, and one should probably read Jane Eyre before one turns five-and-twenty.
What did I think of this book: I thought Jane had to deal with a lot of assholes in her life, especially that Mr. Rochester. Also, I think the book needed an editor. Particularly my edition, which every so often had Mr. Rochester calling out "Janet! Oh Janet!" instead of "Jane." Man oh man that made me mad. Shame on you, Tor Classic edition.
That being said, it is a great book, and Jane's emotions could seem very contemporary. Also, I am glad Charlotte Bronte avoided her sister's use of "wandering on the moors" as a plot point, as was done in Wuthering Heights.
What was my favorite part of this book: Probably when Jane was doing something scrappy and independent.
What did I learn from this book: That if you are a poor orphan in British literature, you will likely receive all sorts of happy endings, just by being yourself. Also, don't let the man keep you down, unless it is the man that you are inexplicably in love with.
What grade do I give this book: B-
Thursday, February 1, 2007
January soundtrack
One of the original ideas I had for my blog was to talk about songs that I got stuck in my head, but I haven't done that too much. So here is a recap of the songs I thought about a lot in January.
Nick Cave - Breathless
David Bowie - Modern love
Pete Seeger - I Had A Rooster
(this is a very scary song. if you are not scared when the lion verse comes around, then i don't even want to know you)
The Decemberists - O, Valencia!
(at first I kind of resisted this song because it was the one on the radio, but I came around)
Mika - Grace Kelly
(really only the video version, because I like the creepy girl so much)
The Klezmatics - Mermaid Avenue
Sandi Thom - I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker with Flowers in My Hair
(the first time I heard this song was on my shower radio and I had to stop and DANCE!)
These are some of the December songs, as best as I remember that time. It was so long ago:
Erin McKeown - An Innocent Fiction
Bruce Springsteen - How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live
Jeffrey Foucault - Ghost Repeater
Regina Spektor - Better
Nick Cave - Breathless
David Bowie - Modern love
Pete Seeger - I Had A Rooster
(this is a very scary song. if you are not scared when the lion verse comes around, then i don't even want to know you)
The Decemberists - O, Valencia!
(at first I kind of resisted this song because it was the one on the radio, but I came around)
Mika - Grace Kelly
(really only the video version, because I like the creepy girl so much)
The Klezmatics - Mermaid Avenue
Sandi Thom - I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker with Flowers in My Hair
(the first time I heard this song was on my shower radio and I had to stop and DANCE!)
These are some of the December songs, as best as I remember that time. It was so long ago:
Erin McKeown - An Innocent Fiction
Bruce Springsteen - How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live
Jeffrey Foucault - Ghost Repeater
Regina Spektor - Better
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