Addendum, Errata Slip
Why I get up early.The view this Sunday morning at 5:55 AM, looking East
A busy weekend and not even over.
I was persuaded yesterday to go with a friend to IKEA, in Burbank. You would think America had gotten over its obsession with Scandinavian design after Danish Modern, but you'd be wrong. We are stripping Sweden of its bright colors and unpainted pine forests faster than you can say "Lingonberry."
A surly crowd at the Returns and Exchanges Counter. Daunting. And you have to pay for plastic bags now - 5 cents ea. We cast fate to the wind and carried the BILLY bookcase to the car, rather than trying to battle the loading zone pick up area. Then we went to In 'N Out Burger for a Christian meal -- the drink cups have printed Bible citations on the bottom, for example: John, 3:16. [I looked it up: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" and etc., for you heathens].
A 93 year old man in Durham NC was arrested for drug dealing. As Justin just commented, I hope we aren't all reduced to this in our old age, just to make a little pin money to supplement the social security.
Grace Paley died. Because it's such a wonderful picture of her, I'm reproducing the NY Times photo here for a short while, until they force me to remove it. If you have somehow missed her short stories, run out right now and get "Enormous Changes at the Last Minute." Beautiful. I loved this lady because I loved her writing. I think that's probably the dream of any writer, to be loved despite whatever kind of a person you might really be. Your biography is secondary. People might not even recognize you on the street. But maybe you change their lives in some way, or help them through a really bad dark afternoon of the soul. That's what Grace did for me at any rate.
Grace Paley. 1922 - 2007
I also found time to watch "300" an animated cartoon about the ancient Greeks and also the story of why some Republicans think Americans can't leave Iraq because they can't ever surrender or retreat, just like the Spartans couldn't. I learned that Spartans occasionally sound like Scots, and that Xerxes plucked his eyebrows and wore makeup, and although buffed and ripped like the Spartans, the tattoos and piercings made him look really gay so you knew he was evil and bad, and not like the really hot manly Spartans. History is so interesting.
Today is John F.'s Birthday. Many more, doll!
BTW Edward VII is not actually IN the photo in the previous post. It is an image from the period. Or maybe he's taking the picture. Cynthia is not in it either. She was probably changing her clothes.
I was persuaded yesterday to go with a friend to IKEA, in Burbank. You would think America had gotten over its obsession with Scandinavian design after Danish Modern, but you'd be wrong. We are stripping Sweden of its bright colors and unpainted pine forests faster than you can say "Lingonberry."
A surly crowd at the Returns and Exchanges Counter. Daunting. And you have to pay for plastic bags now - 5 cents ea. We cast fate to the wind and carried the BILLY bookcase to the car, rather than trying to battle the loading zone pick up area. Then we went to In 'N Out Burger for a Christian meal -- the drink cups have printed Bible citations on the bottom, for example: John, 3:16. [I looked it up: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" and etc., for you heathens].
A 93 year old man in Durham NC was arrested for drug dealing. As Justin just commented, I hope we aren't all reduced to this in our old age, just to make a little pin money to supplement the social security.
Grace Paley died. Because it's such a wonderful picture of her, I'm reproducing the NY Times photo here for a short while, until they force me to remove it. If you have somehow missed her short stories, run out right now and get "Enormous Changes at the Last Minute." Beautiful. I loved this lady because I loved her writing. I think that's probably the dream of any writer, to be loved despite whatever kind of a person you might really be. Your biography is secondary. People might not even recognize you on the street. But maybe you change their lives in some way, or help them through a really bad dark afternoon of the soul. That's what Grace did for me at any rate.
Grace Paley. 1922 - 2007
I also found time to watch "300" an animated cartoon about the ancient Greeks and also the story of why some Republicans think Americans can't leave Iraq because they can't ever surrender or retreat, just like the Spartans couldn't. I learned that Spartans occasionally sound like Scots, and that Xerxes plucked his eyebrows and wore makeup, and although buffed and ripped like the Spartans, the tattoos and piercings made him look really gay so you knew he was evil and bad, and not like the really hot manly Spartans. History is so interesting.
Today is John F.'s Birthday. Many more, doll!
BTW Edward VII is not actually IN the photo in the previous post. It is an image from the period. Or maybe he's taking the picture. Cynthia is not in it either. She was probably changing her clothes.
You know, I swear that BILLY bookcase is actually keeping IKEA in business. It's the only thing that the people I know buy there. Well that & the occasional kitchen item. (OK, I'm not a good example ~ I hang out with industrial designers.) IKEA furniture looks OK in the catalog, but always seems to turn out dissapointingly shoddy in the showroom. On a different note I was bored by "300". Perhaps it was because everyone kept talking about 'the Hot Gates' & all those buff bodies ~ well, I guess I just had somewhat unrealistic expectations.