Outings

Two days ago, my boss sent me an article about Sheryl Swoopes coming out as a lesbian. (Here’s an interesting story about the timing.)

I read it. We had a little email banter about gay female athletes.

Then yesterday at around 5:00. I read in TheStranger.com/blog that George Takei aka Mr. Sulu of the original “Star Trek” series, has also come out of the closet. I told my boss (verbally) about George Takei.

BOSS: So? How is that news?!

ME: It’s news! If Sheryl Swoopes being gay is news, this is news! You sent me an article about Sheryl Swoopes!

BOSS: That’s different, Sheryl Swoopes is adorable!

ME: George Takei is adorable!

COWORKER: Forgive me for breaking in with some work-related business, but Boss…

*****

And with that, I’m off to San Francisco!

beaverton rules!

Hard upon the release of "Thumbsucker," which I blogged about on Oct. 10 (sorry, can't figure out how to link to a previous post--I never promised you a technological rose garden!), we have the debut of a new South Park episode skewering the post-Katrina response, in which a nearby town is flooded. The town is called: Beaverton. (Episode 908, aired 10/19/05)

While this fictional Beaverton bore little resemblance to the Beaverton I know and love/hate, it was incredibly thrilling to hear Beaverton mentioned over and over again, ie "Those people in Beaverton still need help!"

Two pop culture references in one month--Beaverton, Oregon is on the cusp of some kind of hip status. Or maybe it's anti-hipness. I can't tell which. Perhaps the next use of Beaverton in TV/film/literature will provide the answer...

Also: I have been telling you people this about anti-bacterial soap! Maybe now you'll believe me.

that sound you hear is the pulse of university village via my finger

Did a lightning-fast errand cruise of the UVillage this morning and what do I find? A new store—Packaging Specialties! I love this store. With lots and lots of gift bag/wrap options, and most fairly cheap, Papyrus now has some serious competition in that category! Huzzah!

In other news: When your old (factory) car speakers were 15 watts each, and you get new ones, and the ones in the front are 100w max, and in the back 220w max, and you also get a phat new iPod-friendly stereo, IT IS EASIER TO HEAR ACOUSTIC GUITAR SONGS WHEN TRAVELLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS!! That upgrade was way overdue, and I’m really enjoying it.

bad dream!

So, yesterday I read this.

So: nightmare. It really shouldn't have been so convincing because in the dream, I woke up in the dead of night in our bed EXCEPT this bed was located in the front room of the house I grew up in. I woke up to strange noises. Pointed these out to MSH; he seemed unconcerned. Then a figure emerged from the shadows wearing a light blue T and khaki shorts. He was shortish for a man.* He held out his left hand palm upright, fingers outstretched, like "wait a sec" or "quiet down." In his right hand he had a revolver. I can't remember what his face looked like or what he said, but he was shouting and MSH and I had to go out of bed and walk out the front door into the cul de sac so he could rob us. All our neighbors had been similarly rousted out of their beds and were standing in the cul de sac, watched over by more criminals with automatic rifles while their comrades stole their belongings. I was incredibly calm the entire time and kept telling MSH that it would be OK, and that the men just wanted our money and valuables and to stay calm. I stopped talking, looked up at him and realized that as long as he was not hurt, it really would be OK, and I didn't really care about all our stuff. At the same time, I felt the asphalt under my feet so vividly and thought, "Still, this is a terrible thing to have happen and the people around me are so scared." And then POP! I woke up. I was really scared and couldn't stop thinking about the dream. It was 5:12 AM. I had a typical post-bad-dream exchange with MSH:

ME: Bad dream! I had a bad dream, honey.
MSH: ..ferfle...grunt...
ME: Tell me something nice...
MSH: Flowers are pretty. [corny, but this works!]
ME: What else is pretty?
MSH: You.

But still tossed and turned until my alarm went off half an hour later. On the bright side, had no trouble getting up to meditate, although my mind was a bit muddied with the unpleasantness of the dream.

I get to leave work in two hours to head out on a road trip with Alabam, huzzah! It's not just getting to leave work early--wasn't it sweet to leave school early back in the day?--it's the Call of the Open Road! The companionship! The tunes! The snacks! The winding asphalt through the hills!

I heard a public service announcement on KEXP that reminded me of the new voting requirements and as a sidenote, the date of the general election: November 8. Yikes! and Duh! and Doh! Am going to be out of town. (And I've known this for...at least six months.) With a few tippity taps of the keyboard, located the phone number of the King County Elections Office (had I been more patient I would have located the information/form I needed on the website) and ordered a one-time absentee ballot. Phew. If I can't vote on Initiative 901, I will be sorely disappointed!

*At first I thought he was this guy I went to college with, Andrew. Except we never called him Andrew, we called him Bushwick Bill.

dream

We were all flying to Vietnam in a giant plane. (When I say “all,” I mean it was one of those casts of thousands—everyone I worked with, used to work with, went to school with, etc. It was a huge plane—like 40 yards across.) I was there in my capacity as a college admissions officer. My boss’ daughter (who is, in real life, who is 4 years old and Vietnamese) was with us, except she was 18, white, blonde, pouty, and wearing big 80’s-style glasses. I asked her what she was going to major in at college and she sarcastically said that she would be a religion major because this would make everyone assume that her mother was incredibly good-looking.

When we got to Vietnam, we went to a big banquet. The Dalai Lama was there, sort of running around and greeting everyone, very happy, and an Indian woman in a purple sari was showing us individually how to fold our hands and be mindful before beginning our meal. The plates were black and my food was two little chunks of meat (?) and a few vegetables. It was very little food, but looking at it, I knew it would satisfy my hunger.

It was a really pleasant dream, I wish I could remember more about it.

today i point you to

A celebrity version of The Stranger's "Drunk of the Week" feature.

The content is brewing! It's a vegetarian dish, in the slow-cooker, on the Low setting. Slow-cooked flavor. Mmm. In the meantime, you must consume the fast food of my links.

mo' links

Aw, yeah!

and

Thank the fashion gods. Percentage likelihood of visible crack decreasing.

link

http://www.noivyleague.com/

"Thumbsucker"

Yesterday afternoon, Hellcat and I went to see "Thumbsucker." In the opening title sequence, you see cookie-cutter suburban homes. "Beaverton!" whispered Hellcat. And indeed, they did look like they could be in the town of our raising.

The movie began, and it was very good. Then Oregon State (University) was mentioned, and we thought: Hey, maybe this is in Oregon. And then we saw a policeman with "Beaverton" on his arm-patch and we knew! And then the characters paid a visit to the Washington Square Mall, and it was a little creepy.

But it was a really incredible movie. The lead is "newcomer" Lou Pucci, and he's awesome, and the whole story is very heartbreakingly true to what it feels like to be in high school, and to be a teenager, and to be in a family. This morning I went to the official website and found a blog* by the adaptor/director, Mike Mills. And I'm totally in love with him. He is very honest and tries to be a kind person and he constantly photographs "omens," most of which are friendly dogs. I'm trying to figure out a postal or email address so I can write him a letter. Because he needs to know how awesome he is and that I grew up in the Beav and that I saw his movie. Has anyone ever filmed a movie in the Beav/Tualatin before?

Highly, highly recommended.

*Lou Pucci with facial hair: hott.

Information As Art

This is the kind of thing that gets my geeky, library-lovin' heart doin' the two-step.

In other news, there is a backhoe jackhammering directly in front of our building. It is incredibly noisy, and makes everything shake. It's very distracting, but I'm trying to focus on the fact that a) those people are doing their job and the upshot will be an improved road for me to drive on and b) I will only have to put up with it for a few days--those doing the work have to put up with this sort of thing all the time! So far, the jackhammering has been going on for about 25 minutes, and this method is 42% effective at quelling my irritation.

Also: It is now October. October is possibly our favorite month here at Marmot Central. The weather is crisp but usually (we hope) fair, the leaves are turning, warm soups and sweaters are back in style, and last but not least! It's time for Halloween--time to hack up pumpkins and concoct your Halloween costumes! (Unless you've already been planning yours for eleven months. Not that I would *ever* do that. No. Not at all.) Halloween is the best holiday! You get to pretend you're something you're not, wear crazy makeup, and there's no good excuse not to--it's a non-denominational/pagan holiday! And if you play your cards right, cute costumed kids ask you for candy. My spooky tree has already been deployed and the spider votive holders (thanks, K!) and all the other trimmings are out, ready to be unleashed upon our living quarters. Halloween ROCKS!!!