This and that

B2 was asking around for Newt this evening. I'd told the boys about Newt going away, and B1 had accepted it, but B2 hadn't really processed it, little kid-style. He was asking around for him, keeps putting food in his bowl (we haven't packed that away, yet). He got sad when I told him Newt was gone, said "But I LOVE Newt." and got all sad. Then B1 suggested we get a new cat and call him "Newt." That's very B1 -- sweet-yet-practical.

While on the bus, I was in a quiet, thoughtful state. Halfway sleepy, but my mind was spinning, and I saw this woman texting the seat ahead of me -- just a little detail -- she was texting about her mom, and was wrestling with "biopsy," how to spell it. That's what caught my eye, like her writing "byopsy" and then pausing over that, then correcting it to "biopsy," and then writing some more, backtracking, changing it to "byopsy" again, and writing some more, and then running a spellcheck (at last) and getting "biopsy," before hitting SEND.

I watched "So You Think You Can Dance?" tonight. It was nice seeing some of the past contestants filling in as dance partners for the new contestants. The field looks pretty strong, although I'm surprised how quickly they whittled it down to 11 dancers. I missed a couple of episodes or something.

B1 is nearly done with school -- hard to believe he'll be a 3d-grader next year. My lord. He's growing up so fast. I remember being able to pick him up with one hand, when he was a baby. Now he's a big boy. Man, oh man.

B2 gets one more year of preschool, just because of where his birthday falls. He'll be lil' Mister Badass when he's finally in school, more than ready for it. B2 loves music. He has corralled all of the instruments we have in the apartment -- a recorder, a harmonica or two, drums; even my guitar (he tries to get it, anyway). He really wants a little piano, which is very cute. We have a keyboard in storage, which I might bring up, if I can find the damned plug-in cord for it. I'm tempted to get him a vuvuzela, although lord knows what he'd do with that.

*BRRRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT*

New GHP

Yay, Mark Vidler crafted some new mashups!


"How Soon Is Independence?"

Gabby Crabby

Today's a lovely, properly summery day. I went to Subway (again -- two days in a row!) to snag some lunch, and walked across campus, soaking up the silence and the sound of the breeze, and city summer sounds in general. Just a pretty day. A good hand-holding day, although I didn't see anybody doing that; it's what I'd have done -- held hands and wolfen glances.

There are a LOT of pregnant women in the city, I've noticed. And it's not my doing, in case you wondered! But I swear, there are just tons of them. I haven't kept track, but I must've seen nearly 50 very pregnant women in the last month. Almost bums me out, because it means those kids are going to be what, Cancers? The world definitely doesn't need more Cancerians. At the Asylum, where I work, I've worked with more Cancerians than any other sign -- like at least 10 -- I guess editing appeals to Cancerian natures, somehow.

An abortive date-n-dalliance with a Cancerian when I was 19 is what led me to Exene. I could go on a total screed about Cancerians -- the pretensions and affectations, the phoniness, the self-righteousness, the superficiality, the endless whining about abso-fucking-lutely everything -- but I won't. I remember being bummed out to find that Mary Stuart Masterson, my adolescent celebrity crush (who, goddamn her, also paved the road to Exene because Exene superficially resembled Watts back in the day -- anyway, SHE is a Cancerian, too. I'm way past my crush on Masterson, but I look back on her and think "Huh. I thought you were alright, Mary Stuart Masterson, but you're a Cancer. So, you're likely NOT alright."). My older stepsister's a Cancer, too. Don't get me started on her.

Anyway, this baby boom I'm observing around the city, I keep thinking "Great. A whole crop of Cancerians. Just what this world needs." And if you're a Cancerian and you're reading this, and are put off by it, well, so much the better -- I've given you something to whine about for today. Just because it would annoy a Cancerian, I'll put this below in honor of them...

I will give you one prop to feed your vanity: you photograph well. I've yet to see a Cancerian who isn't reasonably photogenic. I suspect their innate tendency to pose their way through life makes them natural photographic subjects. They have the Art of the Pose down. Artifice is like breathing for them.

Well, I finished my sandwich (Tuscan Chicken Melt with provolone, on Italian, with lettuce, green peppers, black olives, cucumber slices, red onions, black pepper, oregano, and their Tuscan chicken dressing. I got it toasted), so I guess I'll go back to work.

Faces

Neighbors across the way have this big plasma screen television on their wall, and often they're watching something and I'll see this big face seeming to watch from their windows. This morning, they had this face freeze-framed, and, bizarrely, a candle lit. Not sure what's going on, there, but I had to capture it. I'll post it later, when I have time.

Also, I had my 50th toe stub of the year! Left big toe -- caught it on B2's little bicycle training wheels.