Monthly Archive: September 2006

30
Sep
2006

IT WAS EITHER THIS OR A MEME

It’s been thundering and lightning all evening. And writing that sentence just made me realize that whenever we say that, we are using the word lightning as a VERB, just because it has an ing on the end. Really, it should be lightninging, which I just sat here and said several times out loud to see how it sounded, prompting my husband to say, “what?” in a confused tone from the living room. Last night I had dinner with my oldest girlfriends in Sweden, the women I became friends with first after I moved here, that is…it’s nothing to do...

28
Sep
2006

POETRY THURSDAY

I have always been partial to e.e. cummings although I know he tends to engender either shining adoration or pure-black hatred in people. It seems to me that his poems express joy better than nearly anyones. Joy in living, joy in love, joy in language. I bet he bounced in his seat when he finished writing one. I sometimes bounce in my seat when I finish reading one. Like this one, for example. 🙂 you shall above all things be glad and young by e.e. cummings you shall above all things be glad and young For if you’re young, whatever...

27
Sep
2006

SO INCREDIBLY BUSY

That spinning sound you hear? The loud, whirring one? Yeah. That’s my head. Also, remember my foot that I busted up on Valentine’s Day last year? Yeah, I dropped a heavy metal chair on it while we were rearranging before the meeting tonight, in the EXACT same place and oh dear, oh shit, OW OW OW I think I really did a number on it again. 🙁

26
Sep
2006

SWINGTIME

Bad mood: tried to order a Clone Trooper costume for Anakarin Karin online yesterday and my card was not approved. Called the customer support in the States and was basically given the following advice: “ummmmmmmm dunno. can ya try again tomorrah?” Which I did, but no dice. Good mood: gave up and called my sister in St. Louis and had HER order it including shipping to me, then bought her 2 bottles of her favorite perfume (at her request, and with the SAME CARD that wasn’t approved at the other site) to pay her back Bad mood: Anders is gone...

24
Sep
2006

READING IS A DISCOUNT TICKET TO EVERYWHERE

859 exhibitor booths, all having to do with books or other printed materials, in a conference hall the size of several football fields makes for a delirious day of giddy joy in a bookworm of my caliber. It actually turned out to be a good thing that the majority of the books were in Swedish because I can’t even imagine what I would have spent at a book fair where all the books were ENGLISH! And as it was I came home with 22 books, including 6 each for the kids (plus 3 original Star Wars film-adaptation comic books for...

21
Sep
2006

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

I think my books-to-read pile has reached unwieldy proportions. It’s listing to one side. It’s spreading. The trouble is, finding the time to sit down and them all! Not that this stops me from buying more books, or using my mom as a procurer. And damn, I’m reading as fast as I can!, I swear! I have dreams about being able to do nothing but read all the books I want. Also, why didn’t anyone introduce me to Josephine Tey any sooner?? I just started reading The Daughter of Time and I may be up all night now. Partly because...

20
Sep
2006

SO FAR AND NO FURTHER

Dear Week 38, What’d I ever do to you? You’re killing me and I’m only halfway. Cut me some slack, will ya? Kisses, Lizardek In Sweden, a lot of things are reckoned according to what week it is. I don’t know if that’s a common thing elsewhere in Europe or if it’s peculiar to Swedes. All I knew when I first moved here was that there were 52 weeks in the year, but I have no mental calendar to figure out what week it is on any given workday, after about week 12 or so. Thankfully, awhile ago I discovered...

19
Sep
2006

SAME SHIT, DIFFERENT DAY

Lather, rinse, repeat. Except I slept better last night. And am in a better mood. I wish I could stop this compulsion to write down everything I accomplish during the day. I know that no one really cares except me. I do it at work, too. Even though no one ever wants to see it, like my boss for instance during salary reviews, I keep a list of all the projects I’ve completed, for my own record. Even if I don’t impress anyone but myself, that must count for something, right? Other compulsions I wish I could stop: DOING SOMETHING...

18
Sep
2006

A CASE OF THE MONDAYS

Don’t sleep well. Worry about everything that needs to get done at work. Get handed multiple last-minute projects the minute you log on to your computer. Nearly get into a screaming match with the colleague responsible for most of them, but manage to just barely restrain yourself. Shut office door and ignore passersby. WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK. Mentally sigh while smiling every time the door is opened and someone says, “Can I just…” Eat a 15-minute lunch. WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK. Manage to get most of the last-minute projects done. You hope. Worry about...

17
Sep
2006

ONLY 2 MORE AND WE’D HAVE A COMPLETE SITH BASEBALL TEAM

I feel like everything in my head is so disjointed. When I sit down to start writing, it all tries to shove out past my fingertips in staccato sentences and bullet points: bang! bang! There doesn’t seem to be any flow in me right now, no story, no form. Martin and I went berry-hunting today at the schoolyard. All the rowans are ruby-dotted with huge clusters of bright red berries. We figure the birds have more than enough and no one will miss half a bag full for us to use as table decorations for the Halloween party. We still...