Mary Hunt would be so proud

Mary Hunt would be so proud...

I paid off one of my loans tonight. And a bit more of another one. That's three paychecks in a row that I've been able to divert directly to loan payoff.

But I celebrated by buying a Christian Lacroix skirt on ebay.

Demo

Demo

I made a demo today. Three songs to send to Seattle. Now I have no excuses to get out there...

Finally

Finally

For months now I've been hearing the same song playing fromt he upstairs apartment. Somewhere over the Rainbow, the Hawaiian Ukelele version. I could not for the life of me figure out WHY my neighbor, who is on workmans comp and does nothing all day, would play the same song over and over all day.

One day I had a brainwave. Commercials. Of course. They'd play every half hour or more. So I've been watching lifetime, I mean, CNN, (nope -- really Lifetime -- old Will & Grace and Frasier Episodes) for weeks hoping that bloody commercial would come on. Nada.

Tonight It Happened. Just as I was about to mute the tv I heard that old familiar intro.

Organic Rice Crispies.

Imago

Imago

Some images from yesterday...

A tricolored calico crossing a field of alfalfa.

A small child walking down the side of the road, talking on a cell phone.

A tiny dark haired cherub with a backpack bigger than he.

Work

I cannot go to work tomorrow

The off season has hit in full force. Today I spent several hours on my hands and knees in nylons and a short skirt no less, scrubbing table bases and the underbits of chairs. This part of work drives me insane. If I could only work, and make money, and then go home when there's nothing to do, all would be a lark. Instead, when people aren't there, I run around inventing things to do (ie: merge tabasco bottles) to look busy enough that the boss won't decide that I need to do something even "funner" and more useless (ie: scrub down the baseboards with a toothbrush and wood polish). Why is it unacceptable to stand and read a book? When all the sidework for the day is done, and there's nothing more to chop, merge, clean, polish, wipe down, pick up, squeeze, restock or roll, why can't one stand still? And since I spend almost two hours a day without pay getting to and from work, it stands to reason in my own brain that all non-customered time, after the sidework is done, should be guilt-free. Think of all the books one could read in between breakfast and lunch, otherwise spent picking lint balls out of the carpet.

Don't rub your eyes after merging tabasco bottles. Hurts like the Dickens.

DATING

Long Distance Dates

I had a date last night in Seattle. It was lovely. We went out for Italian at Marcello's, and then out for a drink at a club. He called today to make sure I got home alright.

Corny

Very Corny

A new fall promotion at work has prompted an afternoon of terrible gags. Our owner brought in fresh picked corn to hand out after dinner as a thank you to our fall patrons. How to gracefully walk up to a table and deposit a couple of ears of corn in husk was the topic of conversation. Ending in the following "flare" button ideas:

Got Corns?

Wanna hear something corny?

Can you 'ear me?

Then we debated whether we should dress up like pilgrims, as we were already in all black, but we decided feather in our hair would be more appropriate.

The stranger

The Stranger

A man walks into the bar, carrying Dickens. I ask him what he's reading, he tells me. Have I read any of him? I think he's obviously paid by the word. I get bored in his full length works. What do I like to read? You can guess where that conversation goes. He's from Toronto, but has lived in Scotland, BC and the US, wants to go to Asia next. He's in Issaquah now, getting together a hot places to eat website so he can afford to travel and read. He's also well versed in Musical Theater.

Before he left he asked if he could take my picture. I assumed for his website, since he'd eaten in the restaurant. He said as a reminder that beautiful, articulate, smart, well read women exist in the world.

I let him take the picture.

Kittens Everywhere

So in the middle of Flogamockers my front door opens and in walks a parade of people carrying a kitten. "What is that?" "Oh, it's a kitten. Bob found it but his mom says he can't keep it, so can I have it here, if I promise to keep it in my room?" "We'll talk after Bible study."

The door opens. In walks a stranger carrying another kitten. "Is that a kitten?" "Yes, I found it on the side of the mountain." Speechless stares follow her down the hall.

The door opens, in walks my second roommate. "Doyou have a kitten?" "Nope, I wish."

Sigh. When did I become a mother? (PS, in case anyone is reading this that might report back to my father, the kitten will be out within a week)

Loving Lewis

Loving Lewis

Now that Atlas Shrugged is finished, I'm back to The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, volume 1. I'm about halfway through the letters covering 1905-1931. Most of the letters are to his Father or best friend Aurthur, with a few to his brother Warnie, and several classmates at Oxford. I've also check Jack, by Sayers, out from the church library to read concurrently. Yesterday I went to the Inklings Bookshop to buy Volume 3, but it isn't released until late November. I pre-ordered my copy, so Happy Birthday to me.

At this stage in Lewis' letters, he is an athiest, but beginning to reconnect to the mystical, or spiritual. He has recently read Chesterton and several years prior read McDonald, both of whom are huge influences to the writings of all the Inklings. Chesterton's Abolition of Man will later be credited by Lewis as his reason for conversion. He has also been introduced by letter to Owen Barfield, a fellow scholar at Oxford, and later a founding Member of the Inklings.

Lewis was an avid reader of the classics; reading many of them in their original Greek and Latin. He also could read fluently French, and less fluently German and Italian (at least at this point in his letters). As he peppers his letters with mention of his latest reads, it's amazing to me how clearly you can see themes develop which will later become the basis for some of his most famous books. For example, he discusses a poem that he is writing about the Greek Gods fighting "the gods of the air" which keep them out of contact with the Greater Good in space. (447) That will be a major theme of his Space Trilogy. Also some quotes from reading I've done and though, "wow, that sounds like Lewis/Tolkien/etc, have been quoted by Lewis. In Job is a line that reads, "Or who laid its cornerstone while all the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (Job 38:6-7) Lewis quoted it as an example of poetry accomplishing more than prose.

Steve thinks I should chuck it all and become a Lewis Scholar.