Omigod. Blogger just burped and lost my post. That hasn't happened in a long time. And I'm not too happy.
We took the train to Astoria on Friday and I just wrote you a damn good summary of the trip and now it's late and I'm mad and don't want to recreate it at the moment. [long string of bad words omitted.]
Friday, July 29, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Regular Yoga Practice May Help Prevent Middle-Age Spread
SEATTLE — July 18, 2005 — A new study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight.
Perhaps I will have more success converting people now. In my 9 years of serious practice I've managed to get, I think 3 people, into a class.
SEATTLE — July 18, 2005 — A new study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight.
Perhaps I will have more success converting people now. In my 9 years of serious practice I've managed to get, I think 3 people, into a class.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Did you know Paul Anka has an album out called Rock Swings with covers of songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit, Wonderwall (one of my fave songs of all time), Jump and Eye of the Tiger? Yeah, I know. Eye of the Tiger. If you have iTunes, charge up the Apple Store and listen to some samples. I'm speechless. And not necessarily in a bad way.
I wasn't going to write about this but screw it. I did totally officially quit writing the weekend before last. And it was simultaneously heart-breaking and liberating. I'd also been in the process of a pretty determined run at law school and I gave that up too. See my touching story in [cheezy women's magazine] "I gave up all my dreams on the same day."
But you know what? This is great. It's all good.
You need to break it all down before you can build it up again and I need to figure out how to see myself in the world without writing or something intended to make up for it.
I've got a great life and work I like and I only have to be there 4 days a week and I don't have kids and I have an independent husband so I can more or less write my own ticket. And when I think of the things I want to do: garden, cook, yoga, draw, photography, learn German -- and so forth. It's all making things and learning. The other afternoon we had an afternoon rain shower and Bob and I were on the back porch inhaling that incredible fresh smell and I danced around like a little kid: "And I'm going to be an interpretive dancer, and an artist and a photographer, and master chef and a ... ."
I've spent so much time not doing things because I was preserving time to write -- which often, I did not do. So now I'm doing those things. Like yesterday I went to Araline's for the annual work party. I was berry vine woman. You could argue that I won, but I am covered from wrist to shoulder and knee to ankle in berry scratches. It looks nasty but I'm sure it's meaningful on some symbolic level.
In the meantime, if I get a yearning to tell a story, I can always drop everything and start writing again. And I do tons of other writing that I like so not like I'm really "quitting."
This past weekend I cleared off my bookshelves and dumped about 90% of my writing books and cleaned out some notebooks and files of saved articles. It's like breaking up with a worthless boyfriend. Toss all that shit. Good bye and good riddance.
Seriously. It's good. Chuck it all right now.
I wasn't going to write about this but screw it. I did totally officially quit writing the weekend before last. And it was simultaneously heart-breaking and liberating. I'd also been in the process of a pretty determined run at law school and I gave that up too. See my touching story in [cheezy women's magazine] "I gave up all my dreams on the same day."
But you know what? This is great. It's all good.
You need to break it all down before you can build it up again and I need to figure out how to see myself in the world without writing or something intended to make up for it.
I've got a great life and work I like and I only have to be there 4 days a week and I don't have kids and I have an independent husband so I can more or less write my own ticket. And when I think of the things I want to do: garden, cook, yoga, draw, photography, learn German -- and so forth. It's all making things and learning. The other afternoon we had an afternoon rain shower and Bob and I were on the back porch inhaling that incredible fresh smell and I danced around like a little kid: "And I'm going to be an interpretive dancer, and an artist and a photographer, and master chef and a ... ."
I've spent so much time not doing things because I was preserving time to write -- which often, I did not do. So now I'm doing those things. Like yesterday I went to Araline's for the annual work party. I was berry vine woman. You could argue that I won, but I am covered from wrist to shoulder and knee to ankle in berry scratches. It looks nasty but I'm sure it's meaningful on some symbolic level.
In the meantime, if I get a yearning to tell a story, I can always drop everything and start writing again. And I do tons of other writing that I like so not like I'm really "quitting."
This past weekend I cleared off my bookshelves and dumped about 90% of my writing books and cleaned out some notebooks and files of saved articles. It's like breaking up with a worthless boyfriend. Toss all that shit. Good bye and good riddance.
Seriously. It's good. Chuck it all right now.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
I'm learning to take better photos. I met Hal at a party and he gave me a few tips and then I thought, hey, why don't I actually read the book that came with the camera?
This evening while the sprinkler is going on the garden I took some flower photos which you can view here.
The TV is all effed up because between the dvr box and the tv itself and the combo video/dvd drive -- the magic buttons were not pressed in alignment and all we can do is view video/dvd or snow. Not optimal but hey, a night without TV is like a gift from the gods. Go take pictures of your dahlias.
When we were in Germany at Christmas time for some reason I brought 2 half-dead camera batteries instead of fresh ones so when my battery finally died I had to buy one in Garmisch, a tourist town, with the crappy dollar so it was like a $25 camera battery and I'm thrilled to report it's still going strong. I have two new batteries sitting here but haven't had to touch them yet because the $25 Bavarian battery is kicking ass.
The Tribes are going back to Scotland. BBC link here. (The BBC knows my tribe exists. How cool is that?)
This evening while the sprinkler is going on the garden I took some flower photos which you can view here.
The TV is all effed up because between the dvr box and the tv itself and the combo video/dvd drive -- the magic buttons were not pressed in alignment and all we can do is view video/dvd or snow. Not optimal but hey, a night without TV is like a gift from the gods. Go take pictures of your dahlias.
When we were in Germany at Christmas time for some reason I brought 2 half-dead camera batteries instead of fresh ones so when my battery finally died I had to buy one in Garmisch, a tourist town, with the crappy dollar so it was like a $25 camera battery and I'm thrilled to report it's still going strong. I have two new batteries sitting here but haven't had to touch them yet because the $25 Bavarian battery is kicking ass.
The Tribes are going back to Scotland. BBC link here. (The BBC knows my tribe exists. How cool is that?)
Monday, July 18, 2005
May you be forever touched by his noodly appendage.
Excerpt of an open letter to the Kansas School Board:
I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. ... We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe.
Excerpt of an open letter to the Kansas School Board:
I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. ... We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
This is what happened at the movies the other night. It's not nearly as interesting now as it seemed when I jotted down the notes.
I arrived at the theater early (planned) and sat on a bench in the shade, enjoying being outside and drawing in my notebook. I noticed some people sitting against the wall and wondered if there was some nerd thing opening that night.
You know the guys. They had lots of electronic gear: cords, earphones, things of various size they were tapping on. Bad skin, the quietly aggressive bearing that those with sketchy social skills possess. Serious faces. No sign of humor in this bunch.
They sat in the shade behind a single canvas band. A man from the theater wearing a mauve shirt and black slacks and a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt came out and told them the screening was canceled. In all theaters.
The guys hop up in passive outrage and get on their cellphones. They take their Suncoast bags and wander off, no doubt to go home and bitch about the situation in a chatroom.
More people arrive for the screening and 15 minutes later another guy comes out to dismiss them.
Turns out the screening for The Island and I immediately develop a theory that the movie stinks and this is damage control. I want the movie to be good. It stars Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson and the premise is fantastic - clones and stuff. "Please don't suck" I thought when I first got a whiff of the trailer. I hope I'm wrong.
None of the people from the canceled screening paid to see another movie. They left.
Later, when Kathy and I went to our movie, (Mr. & Mrs. Smith - very entertaining!) we saw them letting people into the screening which wasn't canceled after all and I felt bad for the filmgeeks who got in line before 5pm and were sent home for nothing.
I arrived at the theater early (planned) and sat on a bench in the shade, enjoying being outside and drawing in my notebook. I noticed some people sitting against the wall and wondered if there was some nerd thing opening that night.
You know the guys. They had lots of electronic gear: cords, earphones, things of various size they were tapping on. Bad skin, the quietly aggressive bearing that those with sketchy social skills possess. Serious faces. No sign of humor in this bunch.
They sat in the shade behind a single canvas band. A man from the theater wearing a mauve shirt and black slacks and a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt came out and told them the screening was canceled. In all theaters.
The guys hop up in passive outrage and get on their cellphones. They take their Suncoast bags and wander off, no doubt to go home and bitch about the situation in a chatroom.
More people arrive for the screening and 15 minutes later another guy comes out to dismiss them.
Turns out the screening for The Island and I immediately develop a theory that the movie stinks and this is damage control. I want the movie to be good. It stars Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson and the premise is fantastic - clones and stuff. "Please don't suck" I thought when I first got a whiff of the trailer. I hope I'm wrong.
None of the people from the canceled screening paid to see another movie. They left.
Later, when Kathy and I went to our movie, (Mr. & Mrs. Smith - very entertaining!) we saw them letting people into the screening which wasn't canceled after all and I felt bad for the filmgeeks who got in line before 5pm and were sent home for nothing.
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