Now the hell pre-semester weeks are finished, I'm hoping I can get back into a groove with writing, sleeping, minor things like that, etc. The stomach flu hit me earlier in the week, Tuesday, but I recovered enough to survive a thirteen hour day Wednesday, virtually no sleep Wednesday night, a paranoid and exhausted day Thursday, decent sleep Thursday night, and a decent Friday. Today I worked in my office, took in a few meetings, and caught up on paperwork. Earlier in the week I attended a few all-day meetings, coded and categorized themes on my latest interview transcripts, and tried to hang out with the kids. Ok, ten bullet post, here we go:

T has changed his instrument of choice from guitar to drums. I’m ok with the switch. I don’t mind the noise. A friend at work is married to a band director. She’s promised to ask her husband about students who might be looking to sell their drum sets. S should be able to start guitar soon. Maybe N will have to pick up bass. They can form a band together, like Oasis (hope not) or Hanson (not a bad deal, all things considered).

Tomorrow my friend Mary wants to see “The Curse of the Golden Flower” with some friends from work. I might attend. I don’t go out on Saturday nights too much. I’ll be with the boys all day, too, so I don’t think I’ll worry about missing the kids. Maybe I’ll go. Ooh, should I leave the house on a Saturday night in Winter? I don’t know.

Speaking of winter, we’re in the throes of the dull, drab, colorless stage of the season. My dad used to say the worst month of winter was the last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February. He may have had a point. Still, today, while picking up (badly overpriced) pizza in downtown Port, I looked to the south and say a red haze hanging over the power plant, contrasted with a bright white smoke plume emerging from the smokestacks, and I was stuck by the beauty of the scene. Summer’s not that far off. We’ll live. Hell, once we reach March first, the worst is over.

I downloaded a video of N playing Wii boxing. Here you go:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sDkSsBRLhmI

M apologize for the glare. Please excuse the father’s voice in the background exhorting his son to commit cartoon violence.


Here’s a picture of me in the mirror. Do I need a haircut?

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i196/randomanthony/december075.jpg


I’ve been listening to the new Shins a lot lately. It’s growing on me. I also have returned to Eno’s ambient work, specifically “Day of Radiance”.

I almost bought a “mini to mini” connector so I could listen to my Mp3 player on my stereo at work. However, I balked at the ten bucks. I should be able to carry my CDs, right? They’re not too heavy. Dan says I should just buy the cord since the Mp3 player can hold more music than my CD case. He has a point.

I bought a pot specifically designed for African violets today, a pot through which I can water the roots directly. I am determined to someday, someday, grow decent African violets. They are my white whale.

I’ve been reading Gaiman’s “Fragile Things”, which is great, as expected, and some of Eisner’s “Spirit” comics. Eisner’s work is brilliant, way ahead of his time.

Next week a Bacon exhibit opens at the Milwaukee Art Museum. I can’t wait. His work looks dark, intense, and just cool. I’m going to cut out of work on Thursday and attend the member preview day.

http://mam.org/exhibitions/exhibition_details.aspx?ID=78

Tomorrow I’m back on the exercise bike. I need the workout. I haven’t played hoops in close to two weeks…I haven’t missed that much court time in six months.