dangerous compassions

I call you / from the comet's cradle

Monday, May 31, 2010

lentil salad idea

I want to make this lentil salad. I need fresh parsley and possibly more lemons.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/SALATAT-ADAS-LENTIL-SALAD-1278929

Yellow Cornbread with Fresh Corn

Right now I have a new cornbread recipe in the oven. It's Yellow Cornbread with Fresh Corn and has onion in it too. It smells heavenly baking. I have never put onion in cornbread before. I will let you know how it tastes.

edit to add: The onions and corn are good in the cornbread, but I have difficulty with the mixing of sweet and savory. Erik doesn't have this difficulty and ate more than I did.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

magics

This afternoon there was a knock at the door and a neighbor kid was there. He said something like, "I'm giving magics for five dollars." Erik didn't understand. The kid was nervous and not communicating well. He made a motion on his shoulders that looked kind of like massaging. Erik said, "I'll keep that in mind." The kid said something like, "You know where I live--right there," and pointed.

Then Erik was troubled that he hadn't been able to understand the kid. What was a magic? He thought maybe it was some kind of candy, but what candy would cost five bucks? The idea that this seven year old was offering massages seemed bizarre, and that his parents evidently approved because we were encouraged to knock on his door and ask for one.

So then we were going out, and pinned to their family's air conditioner's foam padding is a piece of paper saying, "Massages $5."

super social

Yesterday we went to a BBQ at my friend H's place. We stayed only a short time. I am not good at parties at all, so it was a stretch. We brought blueberries.

Then we went to dinner with Erik's best friend T and his girlfriend--we were meeting the latter for the first time. First we drank water at her place. Then we went to Kasbah and ate delicious Middle Eastern food. Then we went back to T's girlfriend's place and sat talking on the porch. We were really nervous. They're moving to Napa, and we're planning to visit them there.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Street Map

Yesterday we went to Ancil Hoffman which is a huge park on the riverside. But we learned it was the last free day--from now on you have to self-register if no one's in the little booth. So we were sad, but enjoyed sitting on a bench looking at the river for a long time. I read and Erik wrote.

Ancil Hoffman is famous for its many deer and wild turkeys, but we didn't see either yesterday, which was okay.

Then we went to the thrift store Thrift Town to look for a tea table for Erik. Did I tell you about Wednesday when we looked for tea tables at three different Goodwills? Yes, I did.

Then we went to one of my favorite libraries and looked for something to read together.

Yesterday we had one hour apartment cleaning. I cut an old holey, threadbare sheet into rags.

In the evening I got a call from my friend who's in the hospital in New York. She used a calling card. She's supposed to get out Tuesday. I was heating up a leftover pasta and broccoli dish for dinner and stopped when I heard her voice speaking on the answering machine.

This morning I ordered the new (from last year) EP called Street Map by Innocence Mission. Right now I'm listening to Old Lumps on myspace--I love them and wish there was an album.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

bright green

Yesterday we went to Music at Noon and heard UC Davis chamber music. I didn't like the first piece, liked the Bach okay (the cellist seemed timid), and loved the Mozart.

Then we went to Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe for the first time. Our paninis were super tasty, and our cupcake too. It was fun.

We also went to three different Goodwills. Kind of crazy, huh? Erik's looking for a tea table. I looked at stationery and clothes. Almost bought a bright green teeshirt--decided it was too bright green.

Today there's supposed to be thunderstorms and possibly hail. Maybe we should go out this morning before that happens.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

slow wave

Did I already post a link to these fascinating dream comix?

http://www.slowwave.com/

strawberries

It's been raining and is supposed to rain more tomorrow. This weather is extremely strange for late May.

Today I think we're going to hear a Music at Noon concert of UC Davis chamber music. Erik is saying I can drop popcorn from the balcony.

Yesterday I saw P. We ate strawberries and drank water, talked.

Yesterday I wrote an inarticulate but hopefully acceptable letter to C in Eugene. I'm also sending her some of the last Pocket Tricks and a mix CD.

Monday, May 24, 2010

rich

Today we came home. I got my order from Plan-it-x records, about which I am stoked. I got Best Friends Forever by Best Friends Forever, a split cassette with Madeline Ava and Chris Clavin, Plan-it-x Comp #2, and Paul Baribeau by Paul Baribeau.

I also got a letter-with-poems from my friend C who is a new / old friend. I sort of knew her during my undergrad years but we're only getting to be friends now.

It's good to be home and have a ton of food from my parents. We have strawberries, cherries, blueberries, oranges, mushrooms, and much more.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

otter, blueberries

Yesterday we went to Montana de Oro and walked by cliffs and saw beautiful ocean views. Then we got down to the beach and tidepools. Erik and I saw a dark purple starfish, hermit crabs, sea snails. On the trails I saw a dudleya and some loco weed, two of my favorite plants. And sweet little wild purple sweet peas. It was fun to do something different with my parents.

Then we went to lunch at a restaurant my parents like a lot. I had a garden burger. Erik had one too. We all shared nachos that were good. Someone at the next table was speaking loudly, and we heard all about her. For example, she would like to be reincarnated an an otter, but a freshwater otter. And she likes every fruit except for blueberries.

Then we went to World Market and my parents bought British food for themselves and to send my grandma who's British and lives in the US far from import stores.

At night we saw episode after episode of Jeopardy--my parents record them to watch with us when we come visit. It's the tournament of champions. Erik knows lots of answers, and my parents say he should go on the show. We like picking our favorite contenstants and rooting for them, and picking our disliked contestants and rooting against them. Probably everyone does this.

Today Erik's taking me to see my best friend E halfway between my town and hers. I made sandwiches to bring. This morning we skyped with some relatives, and it was nice. They're making tamales today.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

quick note

Yesterday we drove to my parents' house. I called A around Arroyo Grande and spoke with her for 10 minutes. She seems to be doing better. Last night we ate pizza and I wrote a letter. Today I need to take a walk for sure. My mom's making breakfast burritos and I should help her.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Dudleya


Dudleya, originally uploaded by ELund.

Harlequin Lupine


Harlequin Lupine, originally uploaded by ELund.

bug on flower


, originally uploaded by ELund.

Here are some pictures Erik took on today's hike.

hike, temporary zine lib, Furniture Press

It's a sunny Thursday morning, and Erik's hiking with T--he told me the name of the trail--Stevens', maybe? He says we picked huckleberries there. I thought they were blackberries. I'm seeing my friend P this afternoon and hope to go for a walk with her.

Ayun Halliday is having a temporary zine library and asked for zines, so I'm sending her the two newest functionally ills and the new ELM.

Furniture Press is having a poetry book competition with an August 31st deadline that I'm thinking about entering. I'd need to send 50 to 80 pages of poetry, which is a lot. Erik said he'd help me get something together. Yesterday I bought a book by the judge so I can see what he writes like--hopefully it's something I'd like to read anyway, and he's friends or at least friendly with my bestie E.

I Wanna Be an Emo Spock Look Alike

This is the only known internet transcription of "I Wanna Be an Emo Spock Look Alike" by I Like Japanese Hardcore and was done by me, Laura-Marie. Please comment with corrections or if you can make out what she says that I found unintelligible.

***

I wanna be an emo Spock look alike.
Ride around town on my glitter seat
1950s bike.
I want to cry at sad movies,
want to let my emotions rule me,
wear horn-rimmed glasses and [Ringer?] tees,
back pack, and socks to my knees.

I wanna be an emo Spock look alike.
Ride around town on my glitter seat
1950s bike.
I'll even trade you your blue sweater
for all my punk rock spikes,
dance off-beat like I don't know better,
wear vegan shoes and preach animal rights.

I'm begging you please,
got me on my knees,
just want to be
an emo geek.

Take all my punk rock patches--
don't want them anymore.
Safety pins and my leather jacket
have all gone out the door!

I wanna be an emo Spock look alike.
Ride around town on my glitter seat
1950s bike.
Listen to Super Chunk over and over,
and I promise I'll stop picking fights.
'Cause passive-aggression is so much better
for us scrawny emotional types.

I'm begging you please,
got me on my knees,
just want to be
an emo geek.

Don't want to fight the fascists,
'cause ARA meetings are such a bore.
Just because I decide to bathe
it doesn't mean that I'm not hardcore!

I'm begging you please,
got me on my knees,
just want to be
an emo geek.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

double batch

This afternoon it unexpectedly rained a little bit. Erik washed four loads of laundry. I don't mind folding it.

We went to our favorite park in the afternoon. Erik predicted that no one would be there because it's so cloudy and cool. He was right. I wore my new teeshirt that's a little low cut.

I have in the oven a double batch of sweet potato biscuits--this is my first time making a double batch. I've heard you're not supposed to double the salt and have no idea why this is.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

rooster dish towel

Today we went to Ikea (and lived to tell the tale). We went for a wooden dish drainer, dish towels, and wooden cooking spoons to replace the two I broke the other day.

We should have taken a short cut to the kitchen stuff, but Erik likes to go through the whole place, and he's always on the lookout for a tea table. We didn't find anything appropriate, which is fine with me because the last thing we need in this apartment is another item of furniture.

Other than zines, love, people, etc, I am a bit obsessed with four things.

1. stationery
2. pens
3. soap
4. dish towels

The first two make complete sense since I write a lot of letters. Soap, I don't know. Dish towels, I don't know either. My favorite I got in Solvang and has a picture of a rooster on it. It's old now, and stained. But we're not fancy around here.

Today I got a phone call from New York, my friend's mom saying that my friend moved out of the holding tank hospital to the real hospital. So that's good. She gave me the phone number there, so I called my friend. I was in an upbeat mood and not too freaked out by calling. So I did a fine job.

Monday, May 17, 2010

okay

Today M came to town. We went to the park closest to home and walked. We heard a crow make a strange barking sound.

Then we sat at a picnic table until we got too cold and went to Thai food for lunch. She had drunken noodles. I had spicy green curry, my usual.

Then we went to the cafe I most often go to, where I get tangerine ginger tea. It was good. She had a Mexican mocha.

Twice during our visit she asked, "Are you okay?" because sometimes I don't seem okay when I am. My mom asks me this too.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

young

Today we found out our project is over, pretty much. They want us to check back, which is a drag because we don't feel entirely free.

But we went to the big farmers' market under the freeway. I'm eating some cherries from there right now. I also bought two little yellow bell peppers and two bags of mushrooms to make mushroom curry later. And some broccoli.

Then Erik went running at Southside Park. I walked a little bit and then did some writing. I wrote a poem that consists of a list of the litter that was around my picnic table.

Then we went to the co-op where I got lots of nice vegan stuff but found out they stopped carrying my favorite Alive & Radiant raw vegan kale chips.

Then we came home and Erik shaved his beard off and cut his hair. He looks really strange now, but it will only be for a few days. He said, "I feel like half of my face is missing." He looks young.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

baby wash

You know how you'll have something, and you don't like it, but it was given to you, and you feel like you have to keep it around because you don't want to be wasteful, so you look at it every day for two or three years, and then one day you say, "Fuck it!" and throw it away? That happened to me today.

three things

1. When I first got mint from my friend H's garden, I put some in a large mason jar to keep it fresh, and it grew roots!

2. Tonight I finished washing the dishes, something that had not been done in a long time. Some plastic containers had been stacked to the left of the sink for days, and I finally got to them by washing dishes twice today. Go me!

3. While making dinner I broke two wooden spoons. I was stirring some very solid just-out-of-the-can Eden refried beans, and my spoon broke. Then I grabbed another one, and that one broke too. "Dare I try a third?" I asked Erik, who had heard my cries and was scoring SAT. He said yes. This was a solider spoon I had designated for sweet things only (like oatmeal) because the default is for wooden spoons to get all garlic scent stained. So I liked keeping one just for sweet things. Anyway, need some more spoons. Out with the old, in with the new.

changes

This morning a U-Haul pulled up, and I don't know who's moving. But the U-Haul is between me and the laundry room, and I feel like I can't do laundry.

This morning I got a call from my friend's mom that my friend went into the hospital last night. Last I heard she'd been feeling better, so I was kind of surprised. I feel upset because I know she's upset.

It's scoring day 10, and I didn't meet my goal yesterday. I might meet it today. I'm getting by on thoughts of the future, chocolate, and Erik's kindness.

Friday, May 14, 2010

park days

Yesterday in the evening we went to our favorite park, and I walked in the golden light and long shadows. A ton of people were there, which is what happens when it warms up like this, which is strange to me because I prefer cool weather for being out.

Today we went to a not-so-loved park at a similar time of day. It was full of people too. We walked. The honeysuckle are blooming like mad, and I said, "Intoxicating."

negative

Wow--super critical essay about facebook.

http://www.counterpunch.org/brottman01112010.html

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Charlyne Yi

Last time we were at my parents' house we watched part of a pretend documentary called Paper Heart, and I loved the main character Charlyne Yi. I thought of her as my age, but wikipedia tells me she's ten years my junior. I feel old! I'm investigating her band Old Lumps on myspace.

tapenade

I got some tapenade from Whole Foods made with black olives that I tried at lunch on toast, and it's very good.

Deleted a bunch of facebook stuff, shopped for music more at Plan-It-X, scored SAT. Erik's working outside the home today and tomorrow. Wrote two new poems in the suicide series--don't know if they're any good.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

hot dog time

Past few days I took theanine, and I also took a nap. I thought it was a coincidence. But today I didn't take theanine, and I didn't take a nap. So I'm concluding that it makes me sleepy. Erik wants me to try again when SAT scoring's over.

Tonight there's a talk I wish I could go to, Marxism in a Nutshell, but Erik's working and can't bring me.

Today we went to the store and got relish, fake hot dogs, and hot dog buns. I am so ready to have hot dogs for dinner. Yippee!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

vegan mint chocolate cake

Tonight I made this cake.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/13305/vegan-chocolate-mint-cake.html

It's so good! I used fresh mint from my friend H's garden.

The only problem is the pureed prunes. Pureeing the prunes with my hand blender was just short of traumatic, so I will never make this recipe as is again. However, I am thinking about making it next time with 1/4 cup canola oil and 1/4 cup apple sauce in place of the 1/2 cup of pureed prunes.

It was cooking and I asked Erik, "When's the last time you smelled a chocolate cake baking?" There's nothing like homemade chocolate cake.

quicksand

me: I knew what quicksand was. I was afraid of it--I was afraid there'd be some on the playground.
Erik: Quicksand was big in the '80s. I don't think anybody talks about quicksand anymore.

Monday, May 10, 2010

day 5

Today it rained a lot. "It's more like February than May," Erik said.

I went to help P with the bulletins in the morning. The folding machine broke, and Swami fixed it, which impressed me. P is getting confused a lot. I think it's her new medication, but she's afraid it's age. She'll be 75 this month.

Tonight I'm seeing H at her place. We're going to make avocado soup. I wrote her a letter, which I will bring with me.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

wtf

This is from the wikipedia relish article.

Other readily available commercial relishes in the United States include corn (maize) relish.

Is that some kind of wikipedia vandalism? I have always lived in the US and never in my life heard of corn relish.

edit to add: I think it's a southern thing.

relish

I was lying in bed, nice and cozy under the covers, just thinking my thoughts, when I was struck by the idea of relish.

"I want to know more about relish," I told Erik. He said the other day he was craving a hot dog with relish! I told him I used to have it at BBQs. I don't think we had it, when I was a kid, but at BBQs other people brought it.

We decided we need to get vegan hot dogs and buns and relish. We already have that mustard I bought yesterday and some ketchup. "Those hot dogs are bland," Erik said.

"It doesn't matter!" I said. "They'll taste like relish!" But not sweet relish--no. It's got to be regular relish. Well, wikipedia's telling me there's hamburger relish and hot dog relish. I think what I'm looking for is a non-sweet hot dog relish. I think this will necessitate a trip to the regular people grocery store.

non-events

Today we went to the co-op and my favorite park. At the park we were like, "Where is everybody?" Some rain downpoured hours earlier, but I guess that's enough. I've been reading Not Buying It more.

I don't get any sound on youtube, for some reason. Song I'm addicted to lately: "Much Finer" by Le Tigre.

happy holiday to the moms

I've been looking at music at Plan-It-X records--shopping, I guess, which I don't enjoy. I would rather just have the wonderful music than find it.

As for work, I'm dragging my feet. It's almost 3 and I've done very little. I made tofu scramble for lunch and added fresh ginger, but it didn't make much difference. I didn't prefer it that way.

I called my mom, and it started to rain. I was in the bedroom staring out the window, watching the rain hit the leaves of the sycamore tree. Wish I was there instead of here.

But I'm helping P with the bulletin tomorrow morning, and I'm seeing H in the evening. We might make candles. Maybe I can get more mint to bake that chocolate mint cake.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

recreational

I tried theanine today. I didn't feel a thing.

I also scored SAT, did laundry, washed dishes, wrote most of a letter, made rice & lentils with smoked paprika, emailed HH a dozen microemails, listened to a lot of music, and went to Trader Joe's.

I bought some fresh pineapple for a treat. It's so tasty.

Also in the news, I bought a new bottle of mustard. Our old mustard expired in 2007. Yikes!

vegansaurus

Bay Area vegan stuff here.

http://vegansaurus.com/

theanine

Erik's been peer pressuring me to try theanine.

fantastic mail day


Today I got some kick ass mail from P in Canada--he sent a real mix tape as well as a book detached from its cover and a letter typed on tracing paper, typed on tracing paper as he is wont to do. I hope he won't mind I've scanned his envie and posted it.

Friday, May 07, 2010

nun etc

I've been emailing with a nun of the order of Hinduism that I do. We're trying to work out logistics for a retreat she's leading for my women's group this summer. I email her convent and put in the subject line that the email's for her. We've finally settled on a date.

This morning I baked vegan banana bread and vegan sweet potato biscuits. They are and were good. I don't know why regular potatoes need to be organic but sweet potatoes don't, but I appreciate it. I've got this box of sweet potatoes my parents gave me.

Tonight there's a meeting of my women's religious group. Usually I bring berries, but I didn't make it to the store today. We are running out of some things. We lack a crucial sandwich ingredient as well as tortillas, tofu, lemons, tomatoes, creamy wheat, white whole wheat flour. But Erik's working 10 hour days. He's been disciplined today and will have time this evening to do yoga and meditate while I'm gone.

Today I went to We Make Zines to promote my two newest zines functionally ill 7 and ELM 47. I hadn't been on there in a while. Why do I promote my zines when they're free? I like trades.

Speaking of trades, I got some art in the mail today--a collage and an ATC and small zine. I like the zine best. It's about a stranger on a ferry.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

vegan chocolate mint cake

This chocolate mint cake sounds good too, but I'd have to buy prunes.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/13305/vegan-chocolate-mint-cake.html

fresh pea and mint soup

I have some fresh mint to use up, so I asked my friend A for ideas, and she googled me up some ideas, including this one. I only have frozen peas, and I don't think I have two cups, but maybe I can halve this? Using plain soymilk instead of milk, of course.

http://www.veggiebelly.com/2010/04/pea-and-mint-soup.html

my dream octopus paper

rejuvenation

Our apartment complex is one of a pair. The other is a mirror image of ours and is much fancier, with a gate all around it and roses growing out front. They're having roofing done today, so the smell of tar is in the air.

Last night I went to sleep before 9. I was lying in bed, and Erik was talking to me, but I kept falling asleep and waking up, falling asleep and waking up. Finally I gave in. So I slept a lot and hopefully am rejuvenated.

But the May SAT scoring session started today. I made tofu scramble for lunch, just the plain recipe with no extra veggies or tomato paste added. It was good. We don't have tortillas, so we ate it on toast, which is also delicious.

cute foods

Here is a super-cute cheat sheet for which produce should be bought organic.

http://www.mypapercrane.com/blog/?p=2135

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

quote I like

I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim too ugly or too this or too that. Songs that run you down or poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or hard traveling. I am out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood. I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work. And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you.

Woody Guthrie

last day off for a while

Today is our day off before SAT starts tomorrow. At the post office I sent about 50 copies of Erik and LM Magazine 47. At the bank I got $40 in quarters for laundry.

Then we went to Auburn and hiked my favorite trail which has manzanita trees. We saw wildflowers too. And mountain bikers that called out to us then whizzed by. There was a dead mouse on the trail, flat, and I wondered if it was killed by a mountain bike. We saw beautiful black butterflies, lizards, low-flying turkey vultures. Oh, and lots of small caterpillars. After our hike we sat at a picnic table, and then Erik found a tick on his hand, so we did a tick check and left.

I've been reading Not Buying It which is about a couple's year of not buying anything besides necessities. I like it though sometimes I get bogged down in stats when I'm most interested in the everyday experience of it. I'm really interested in getting around consumer culture.

Then we went to late lunch at our favorite Thai place. Then we went to a used bookstore we like.

Now Erik's washing dishes, and I think I'll clean up then read in bed until it's time to go on a bread and water run.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

fresh fava beans

On Saturday I bought some fresh fava beans at the Davis farmers market. I bought a few pounds. Today I hulled, washed, blanched, peeled, sauted, and ate them. It was a lot of work for little bean, but they tasted heavenly good.

H, wedding, mistranscription

Last night I saw H. She gave me long mint sprigs from her garden. We made butternut squash burritos and toasted squash seeds in the microwave. She lit candles, and we talked for hours. She didn't bring me home until 11, which for me is late.

Yesterday I got a "save the date" to my friend J's wedding, which will take place in Chicago in late August. I feel flattered to have been invited, but Chicago is a long ways away.

Also yesterday I got a zine in the mail, Ken Chronicles 15. It includes excerpts from a letter I sent Ken about religion without God, but my letter was handwritten, and he mistranscribed some of my handwriting. I'm trying not to let it bother me.

Monday, May 03, 2010

M's visit three

Today M came to town. We went to my favorite park and walked around. We smelled the roses in the rose garden for a long time. They're blooming like crazy.

Then we went to lunch at Tower Cafe, a Sacramento treat--I had never been there before. We ate out on the patio--it's a warm day. I had spinach ravioli, and it was heavy but nice. She had a tostada.

Then we went to a cafe and sat outside and talked for a long time. We spoke of relationships and work and birth control and travel. People we know or knew. Her neighborhood, her boyfriend. I'm putting together a picture of her life now and getting a better sense of who she is now. She told me that a long time ago our teacher said she was a strange combination of violent and cerebral, and I was surprised he said "violent"--I would say "dominating" or "aggressive." But maybe love is blind.

This was visit three of the reacquaintance.

banana slug

I forgot to say that yesterday at Tilden Park when I got creeped out by the inchworms in a final way, I told Erik, "I'm going to the car--you can stay here."

He said, "I'll be there in a few minutes," and I was walking up a path back to the car, and there was a banana slug. I'd had enough of vermiforms and passed by quickly.

Then when I saw Erik walking up the path, I opened the car door and yelled, "Watch out for the banana slug!"

"Where is it?" he asked.

"On the path!" I said. And he didn't step on it.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

day trip, new zine, Sita Sings the Blues

Today we went to Berkeley. We walked by the shore and sat on rocks. I ate an apple. We walked partway down the marina. I had little energy. I saw a beautiful graffiti octopus.

Then I copied ELM 47 and did all the paper cutting--it's quarter size. The cover turned out great!

Then we had lunch, which was very tasty. There was classical Indian music playing for the customers and loud Pakistani music playing in the kitchen. It was neat to hear both at once.

Then we went to Tilden Park. I wrote in my journal a lot then worked on a letter. There were little inchworms around, and they creeped me out. We moved to a different picnic table. Then at the new picnic table there were inchworms too.

Then we went to Solano to see if my friend R was working--she didn't answer her cell phone. But her workplace seems to have moved or is no longer with us. We went to a Japanese import store--Erik likes looking at buckwheat hull pillows and cups.

That was enough excitement for us. So we came home. I did all the collating and folding. Now I need to poke holes and bind. Erik read me two Amy Gerstler poems, and we finished watching Sita Sings the Blues, which I loved. It tells the story of the Ramayana. The animation is awesome, I love the music, and my favorite thing is the conversation among the people who were discussing the myth as the movie progressed. It's free to watch online--you should see it. You can find a link on the Open Culture site.

http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline

ELM 47


Today I copied ELM 47 in Berkeley. I will start mailing them out in a couple days.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

two surprises, Davis, gluestick glue

This morning we received a shock--if all goes well, Erik's best friend is going to be a dad. This was very unexpected. So he and the mom-to-be are moving to Napa this summer. "No more hiking," Erik said.

Then we got another surprise--Erik's project scored out. So we were suddenly free. We decided to go to Davis. We got some things ready, and I went downstairs before Erik. A neighbor was down there, someone I'd never really spoken to, but she started talking to me. "How are you and your husband doing?" she asked. I said we were fine and asked how she was--she told me she's seven months pregnant. I hadn't noticed. She said this time was way different from last time, and we talked about how. Last time was 19 years ago. "I've never been pregnant," I said, and she said something like, "You don't want to be."

Then we went to the Davis farmers' market. I bought fresh fava beans and broccoli. Then we went to our favorite Nepalese place. There was a Sunday buffet, and I asked the worker, "Is there anything vegetarian?" He told me the vegetarian things. The korma was very bland. The spinach was heavenly.

Then we went to the co-op. They didn't have quite what I was looking for, but I got a Walt Whitman card and some lemon soy yogurt and a huge onion for making some dal.

Then we came home and hung out for a while and then went to our favorite park so Erik could run and I could walk. I finished a letter to J in Australia and started one to R in Berkeley. I've been working on notes to go with the new ELM which will be copied either tomorrow in Berkeley or Wednesday in town.

Yesterday I made a single copy of ELM 47 at Staples to make sure I did the layout right--it felt kind of complicated--and I did it right. But my gluestick glue for some reason sucks, or I asked too much of it, because some of my things fell off.