tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92315412024-03-07T00:11:49.783-06:00monsters sold separatelyVictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-63587860155878086792021-02-28T17:46:00.099-06:002021-03-05T19:35:04.890-06:00Rose Prick Perfume: An Investigation <p><span style="font-family: arial;">I've been trying to figure out what it is about <i>Rose</i> <i>Prick</i>, a not so new, new perfume by Tom Ford that costs a fortune and for which there are no samples. I don't know why I ever tried it in the first place, or where this all started, though, presumably, it all started at Macy's. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">'ve learned that Tom Ford is probably best is known for</span><i style="font-family: arial;"> Fucking Fabulous–</i><span style="font-family: arial;">a perfume that I have tested and, in my opinion, smells really nice (fabulous, even). It, too, comes in a distinct chess piece shaped bottle, as does his entire line. Tom Ford is known for his slightly racy naming convention, which is either officially 'controversial' or 'not at all controversial'.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not alone, certainly, in wondering why the company didn't name <i>Rose Prick, '</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;">F*ing Prick' </i><span style="font-family: arial;">or</span><i style="font-family: arial;"> 'What a Prick'</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. These do seem like the clear, more obvious choices. And something like these examples was probably on the table and they just dropped the ball. It might have been corporate's attempt to tone down That Which Can Still Be Changed. Because maybe That Which Can No Longer Be Changed, <i>Fucking Fabulous</i>, was a very risky, over zealous error, never to be repeated again (yet, with the precedent set, and in an attempt to keep things of a piece with something like <i>Fucking Fabulous–</i>the tradition continues, But it's watered down). It makes me wonder if the name <i>Rose Prick </i>was decide before any perfume was actually composed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Perfume basically gives me a headache, but I enjoy the <i>idea </i>of perfume. I like reading perfume reviews. And I'm surprised so many people still wear perfume, especially since you really can't wear it in an office anymore. But I realize, even if I did wear perfume, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I would never wear<i> Rose Prick</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">That said, there's just something about <i>Rose Prick</i>. There's some element or ingredient in it that reminds me of something. And this, in and of itself, causes a whole nearly-remembering-something chain of events–something I've learned is better known as 'presque vu', and is tangentially related to deja vu. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I can't quite access whatever this memory is, nor discern the element in this scent that is triggering the memory. The elements in <i>Rose Prick</i> are pretty straightforward: Sichuan pepper, turmeric, May rose, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose, patchouli and tonka bean, none of which have this effect on me in any other combination. Making the whole thing even stranger.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Having a memory triggered by <i>Rose Prick</i> is, for me, like having a word on the tip of my tongue. It feels like I am this close to figuring what it is about <i>Rose Prick</i>. But, I need to be able to smell <i>Rose Prick</i> in order to unlock the memory it triggers. And then, of course, it stops working, and by then I have a headache. And I give up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So, when I'm out doing errands, which is not very often these days, finding </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Rose</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Prick</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> is part of the plan. So much so that my significant other asked yesterday if we need to find<i> 'r</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;">ose something'. </i><span style="font-family: arial;">Which was so nice of him, because yes, we did.</span><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And, later, on the L, on our way back home, having stopped at Macy's for my dose of <i>Rose Prick,</i> to again try to figure out what it is that I am almost remembering, sniffing my wrist through both my coat and my mask, it was, as always, suddenly, briefly within my grasp.<i> I had it.</i> I knew what it was. It was right <i>there.</i> And then–it was gone. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's like forgetting a dream. Then having things just barely remind you of that dream all day long. Then, it stops working. And then I'm just stuck smelling like </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Rose Prick</i><span style="font-family: arial;">, and honesty, I'm starting to get used to it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's almost like I'm chasing a dragon. And it's occurred to me that maybe that's the whole point of this perfume. That maybe this is the effect it has on everyone. That it's not just me, but part of the perfume's alchemy. That perhaps the scent is so bad because the scent isn't even the point. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Maybe the real magic of <i>Rose Prick </i>is in it's chemical makeup which, as it is inhaled, intoxicates the wearer, targeting the memory. A</span><span style="font-family: arial;">nd all one has to do is apply more <i>Rose Prick</i>. Maybe </span><span style="font-family: arial;">the fact that the perfume itself is so bad while also being so addictive is the real 'f you', right there </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and really, how else for a designer to finally say FU to their customer base than via such a devious campaign!?! </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">All that aside, my first impression of <i>Rose Prick </i>was that it had absolutely nothing to do with roses. Sure, it has an accord in part </span><span style="font-family: arial;">made up of roses. But if it were called anything else, something generic such as, <i>'Fleur-de-Lis'</i>, I would not detect a single roses in <i>Rose Prick</i>. What I do detect is something candied. And maybe something reminiscent of bath powder. Or, if there are any roses, they are made edible somehow, like Turkish Delight. But fresh cut roses? No, there are no fresh cut roses, nor anything else that is fresh in <i>Rose Prick.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Or! If there are any roses to be found in <i>Rose Prick</i>, they've been boiled down with sugar for hours, made molten, then cooled into something hard, clear and artificial like a red lollipop, whose flavor is described only as "Red". But even then–it doesn't address the 'something else in there' element. And, again–this is where it all get so confusing. I am not simply mystified by the terribleness of this scent, but, as stated above, by what it evokes: by what it does. By what it is doing.<i> </i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And, if it even matters, what I'm almost remembering a</span><span style="font-family: arial;">re the vaguest of impressions. And I feel like it's a mistake to attempt to put it into words, but if pressed, I'd say the memory has s</span><span style="font-family: arial;">omething to do with a hospital or cotton candy or a carnival or a nurse or medicine.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So, these days, if I walk into Macy's it's not casually, but in order to accomplish the following: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1. To spray <i>Rose Prick</i> on my wrist–a wrist that already has zero perfume on it because: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A. I only wear perfume around the house, if ever.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">B. I don't want to offend anyone else with my perfume, in the odd circumstance I am wearing it. Except in the instance of wearing <i>Rose Prick, </i>then clearly I don't care one bit! (Actually, I do care, quite a bit. Much of this story is completely made up). </span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">C. Given all of the above, I know I'm going to apply some <i>Rose Prick</i> to my wrist at some point if I am doing errands. I know this because I apply <i>Rose Prick</i> to my wrist at some point <i>whenever </i>I do errands. And having it clash with another perfume on my wrist, in the rare instance I am wearing any, would ruin this investigation. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2. To also spray <i>Rose Prick</i> on my sleeve. This, to occur while spraying my wrist, a sort of 'two for one' perfume grab, if you will. My sleeve, in this case, should be machine washable and comprised of 100% natural fibers. The reason for getting some of the perfume on my sleeve, as well as on my wrist, is due to the fact that perfume lasts much longer on fabric than it does on one's skin. Though it will smell differently on fabric than it does on skin, sometimes a person must make concessions when trying to conduct analysis on a perfume for which access is unpredictable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3. To get yet another dose of the perfume as a backup on one of those paper cards you find supplied at perfume counters. Even as I'm spraying perfume on my wrist and sleeve–this further spraying of perfume onto a card is all in an effort to get as much perfume out the door with me as possible during any one opportunity I get to do so, while still behaving as non-hoarding as possible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4. However, if the person behind the counter is not paying attention or happens to walk away, I will proceed, as practiced, to quickly <i>decant</i> a sample of the perfume from the tester into a medical grade glass bottle* I've carefully hidden up my sleeve for this very purpose (and so many others). But, if at any time a clerk comes over, or starts to seem suspicious, I can–<i>though I really, really don't want to</i>–take my decant and the tester bottle <strike>and run out the nearest exit</strike> and walk<i>**</i> at a normal pace to the westernmost bank of elevators, look at my cell phone as I wait, go up to Housewares on the 8th floor, browse as though I'm shopping for flatware, take the stairs from the 8th floor to the 6th floor, walk over to the easternmost bank of escalators, take the escalator back down to the ground level, and, now that I'm situated on the opposite side of the building from where I began (having confused everyone who thought I was stealing with my completely dazzling lack of concern for getting caught) I exit the store.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then, about a week later,<i> </i>I can<i> </i>return to the store, the tester bottle of <i>Rose Prick</i> tucked safely up my sleeve, and look at scarves then umbrellas then hats–all in a way that suggests to the most hardboiled of store security that I'm really shopping. <i>Then</i>, after winding up in the perfume department at the counter in question, I can with a gloved hand (the softest, deepest burgundy, bracelet length leather glove imaginable) place the bottle back onto it's rightful pedestal with the cap on straight, and perfectly centered. But first–!<i> </i>I can spray some of the perfume on my wrist and sleeve as though that was the whole reason I was standing there. Then, if a clerk does come over, I can talk to them about perfume and behave normally. And ask them for a sample of <i>Rose Prick</i>. Already knowing, of course, that there are no samples of <i>Rose Prick.</i> Then–if they are the type of clerk who relishes getting petit revenge on their workplace, but only in the most plausibly deniable ways–they can, as I depart, hand me a small shopping bag filled with 25 or so perfume samples, some of which I will realize only later are samples of <i>Rose Prick</i>––f*ing f</span><span style="font-family: arial;">inally!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">* purchased from overseas </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">** But in reality: "Walk..." two steps away from the counter to spray it on my wrist, so as not to get it on the clerk, who no doubt has a headache every single day. –The End. </span></p>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-27414279312181649852020-11-05T05:20:00.004-06:002020-11-05T05:27:31.895-06:00Editing: Mad Skills or Just a Symptom of Something? <p> <span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Some</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">where</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">,</span></span> probably </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">fifty </span><span style="font-family: courier;">years ago</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">in the pouring </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">rain </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>| </b></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: xx-large;">the</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: xx-large;">winds</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: courier; font-size: xx-large;">hield </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: courier;">wipers</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: xx-large;"> </span></p><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">in </span><i style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">TRAFFIC</span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">\\\</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: courier;">the </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">passenger</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> anxiously</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> twists </span><span><span style="font-family: courier;">her dove </span></span><span><span style="font-family: times; font-style: italic;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">............</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">...</span></span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">.....</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">.....</span><span style="font-family: times; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: medium;">..</span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">....</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">........</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;">.............</span></span><span style="font-family: courier;">gray </span><span><span style="font-family: courier;">gloves</span></span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large;">::: </span></span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large;">a </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">taxi</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> waits at a light</span></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">.....</span><span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">...</span></span><span style="font-family: courier;">she's</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> "</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">loath" to be</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"> stuck </span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">anywhere </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">in <span>the </span>rain </span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">but <strike>truly </strike></span><strike>loath</strike> to be stuck in a <span style="font-size: medium;">c</span>ab</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">|||||||||||||o ||k</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">||| </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the <span style="font-size: x-large;">R </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">elentl ess </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">ticking of a wristwatch–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">but, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">wh</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">ose</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">//////</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">///////////</span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry", she explained J</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">ust, </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01;">JUST</b></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> it's </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strike>just that I'm </strike></span></span></div><div><span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large;">l l ll </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">l llll</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large;">. . . . . ...</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">entrance</span></span><span><span style="font-family: arial;">d </span><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">but it's already a </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">quarter<b>past </b></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;">10</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">transfixed by a singl<span style="background-color: white;">e<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-size: large;">sparkling</span> raindrop<span style="font-size: xx-small;">......... . . . . . </span><span style="font-size: large;">w</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ould you?</span></span><b style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">>>></span>> > <span style="font-size: medium;">>></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><strike>rolling r</strike><i>aining</i> down the windows; </span><span><span style="font-family: courier;">reflecting, </span><i><span style="font-family: courier;">mirroring, casting </span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">a<u>mid </u></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><u>a</u> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">g</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">al<u>axy</u></span><u><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">o</span><span style="font-family: courier;">f</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></u><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><u>ra</u>i</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">nd<u>rops</u></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">star</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: courier;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: courier; font-size: large;">like</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">,</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> reminds me of ////// </span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">mi</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">cro</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">each in its </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">own</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> universe</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: xx-small;">. .....</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">...</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">som<span style="background-color: white;"><u>e</u><span style="font-size: medium;"><u> </u><span><u>untol</u>d magic, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">of course.</span></b> she <strike>ignored</strike></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">- - - </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">N</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">ot </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">yet.</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">I mean, not </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">ever </span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">(((</span></span><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><strike>actually</strike></i></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">)))</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">the </span><span style="font-family: courier;">scene developing outside of </span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"><i>the safe </i>confi n es<i> of </i></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-style: italic;">this c ab </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">.......</span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span><span style="font-size: xx-large; font-style: italic;">.</span><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span><span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.....––––––––--------- - - -</span></span></i></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">on the street the pedestrians,</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> in the</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier;">cold</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier;">and wet </span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">running </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">from never toward fear</span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">spectral </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">highlights</span></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: courier;">their </span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span>ruined shoes<span style="font-size: x-large;">;and </span>many </span><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">without a coat</span> that day</b><span> </span><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>bumping umbrellas</span>,</span> scrambling to get t<span style="font-size: x-small;">o</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">)</span><span style="font-size: large;">)</span><span style="font-size: medium;">)</span>))<span style="font-size: x-small;">))</span>no </span><span style="font-family: courier;">more than </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>a</b></span><span style="font-family: courier;"> newspaper to protect</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><strike>destinations.</strike> </span><span style="font-family: courier;">themselves.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span>But</span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">absorbed</span><span> in thought </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>and calmer </b></span><span>finally.</span></span><span><span style="font-family: courier;">And</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">shegaveup</span><span style="font-family: courier;">on <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span></span><b style="font-family: courier;">(</b><span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>(</b></span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">((</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">wait</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">,</span></span><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">wh</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">at?</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">]]]]]]]]]]]</span><span style="font-family: courier;">being <span style="font-size: large;">L<span>ost</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">o</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">...............</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">...</span><span><span style="font-size: x-small;">but</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">thi s </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>d o esn't </b> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ <i>∫ ∫ <b>∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ </b></i></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>∫ <u> ∫ ∫ </u></i><i> </i></span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span><b><span style="font-size: large;">..</span></b><b style="font-size: xx-large;">.......</b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">..;;;;;;;;;;;...................\\\\\\\\\</span></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">on time and let <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>the</b></span>\\</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">F</span><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">amiliar</span><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">s</span><span style="font-family: courier;">ou</span></b></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>nd</b></span> </span></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: xx-large;">of </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">..</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">>>the </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">city</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><strike>because</strike> </span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">| </span><span><span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">wind</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">shield</span> <b>wipers</b></span><span style="font-family: courier;"> put her into a</span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"> <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">deep Tr<span style="font-size: x-large;">ance</span></span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;">,</span> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">perhaps inside every cab,</span> <span style="font-size: medium;">things </span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">like this</span> cannot be planned</i>, she <span style="font-size: medium;">t</span></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">hought. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">the passenger, lu<u>lled b</u></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>y </u></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>t he sou</u>nd of t he windshield wiper s :::::::</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><i>S</i></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>he</i> </span>felt </b></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">disappeared</span><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: xx-large;">, </b><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">vanished</span><i><b><span style="font-family: courier;">--</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">---</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: xx-small;">-------</span></b></i><span><span style="font-family: arial;">the steady,</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> oddly calming</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span></span><span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">l</span><span style="font-size: large;">ow</span></span> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">sta</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">te</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">due to the thump<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">and </span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">track of </span>the wiper blades<span style="font-size: medium;">:::</span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><strike>on the glass</strike></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">boots that were </span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">cracked, peeling and </span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;">frankly</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">no longer waterproof </span><span style="font-size: medium;">(and were<i> </i></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>never </i></span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">warm to begin w/) </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: xx-large;">+</span></div><div><span><span><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-large;">•</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xxx-large;">•</span><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">•</span><span style="font-size: medium;">••</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•••</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-small;">•••..................................................</span></b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-large;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-style: italic;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: x-large;">.............</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">...</span></span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">.....</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">.....</span><span style="font-family: times; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: medium;">..</span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">....</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">........</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;">..................</span></span></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">√</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">by the sound of </span><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">the</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> wind</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">sh</span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;">iel d </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: courier;">wi</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pers</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">mark</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">ing </span><span style="font-size: medium;">..__</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">______</span><span style="font-family: arial;">t i me </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">•</span></b><b style="font-family: courier; font-size: xx-large;"> </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-41871030123445490692020-11-02T20:03:00.005-06:002020-11-02T20:06:16.807-06:00Cinnamon: Minimum CinemaAt first the knocking is faint and you are able to ignore it. But it slowly becomes louder and more insistent. And one night it wakes you. And you see cracks have developed on the walls, which begin to widen until the plaster crumbles to pieces. Once the walls cave in completely and all the dust clears away, you find yourself standing in a the middle of the wilderness. And you realize that the wall were only temporary. That everything is only temporary. <br />
<br /><div><br />
</div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-77174957024979970602020-10-29T05:19:00.005-05:002020-11-05T05:34:34.598-06:00Dreams & TV<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">icing piped in uneven loops around a cake in the kitchen</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">cracked blue leather shoes drying on a mat by the door</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">windows rattling</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">abruptly coming down with the flu </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">falling asleep in a chair</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">coughing, tea left untouched </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">dreams and tv </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">the next day: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">soup </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">hot cereal, aspirin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">headaches, re-runs, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">ringing telephones</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">people, rain.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br /><div><br /></div><div>(2013)</div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-86122283487527301752019-05-04T09:44:00.002-05:002019-06-02T10:42:28.607-05:00Shalimar Eau de Parfum by Guerlain: Beautiful; Spooky<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shalimar opens sparkling with lemons and bergamot. And there's something else that's a bit unsettling. But you ignore it. The abundant citrus is so stunning you actually have to sit down. The whole thing feels distant, like it's occurring in someone else's memory. And all you can do is sit there at your mirror and watch as the opera unfolds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You note the rays of winter light coming softly through the blinds, filtered by layers of sheers and curtains. Like all the many layers you yourself are wrapped in. Properly dressed. <i>What time is it?</i> Yes, you feel about as far away as you can get from where you are when you wear this perfume. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The late morning light shines on the items on your table, the cut glass decanter of Shalimar throwing prisms all around the room. The wind blows the leaves outside dappling sunlight in your windows like a silent film. You feel super faceted. But from the very start something has bothered you. And you realized something is–on fire? <i>Is that a fire?</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black smoke closes in and all you can imagine are the fiery orange colors and thickness and gravity of smoke. You hear the haunting notes of white ghosts and melting strings. Violins, oboes, rain drops. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, just as quickly, this dissolves and changes and you wonder if you had imagined it all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All the actors leave the stage. And a strange, delicious </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">incense steps forward, wafting loose arabesques up into the quietest reaches of the highest ceilings in the safest rooms with the longest windows in the world. And it's magic. And there you stand in your window holding your tea looking out at the traffic in the wet streets below. You, so safe up above. So safe. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later, as the incense extinguishes, a smoky, wordless vanilla emerges from the ashes. And you know, finally, that right now is perfect even as it is already over. And you are at last existential–without the crisis. You die laughing at the absurdity. <i>If it's all so meaningless, then why is it all so beautiful? </i>You watch the clouds move across the November sky. And you wonder, <i>can any of this ever really be explained? </i></span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-81893627057409304702013-10-07T14:31:00.004-05:002013-11-02T19:06:16.161-05:00For the Love of Drag Races<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">t was still pretty early. W</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e stood out front of the supermarket, laughing, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the wind blowing up the backs of our kerchiefs. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was getting cold. I wore my brown gingham dress with the green sweater and my blue school shoes. Y</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ou wore your best blue dress with your sunday school sweater </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and your old </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shoe Town ankle boots. Cars with painted on flames started pulling up, circling around and revving. W</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e had a week's worth of lunch money, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">our combined baby sitting earnings and two wrapped meatloaf sandwiches in our pocketbooks. We had toothbrushes, pen, paper, lipstick, and a bar of ivory soap. T</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here would be no future. B</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ut drag races were forever</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-52296882992681198952013-09-10T14:25:00.004-05:002017-01-22T16:39:47.952-06:00Waiting for My Burrito: An Anxiety Attack<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Real mom and pop food </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with real sour cream </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for real people </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with real problems</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"a black bean burrito, please" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm number 17</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm waiting for my burrito</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my laundry is tumbling not a block away</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from this </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">old </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">wood paneled restaurant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with a zoo calendar hanging from a thumb tack</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">above the cash register</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and a red plastic kitchen clock </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and super tiny receipts with almost no ink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm waiting for a burrito</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">black bean burrito</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my burrito</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm just waiting for my burrito. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The plastic stained glass light fixtures </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tell a weird story </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">about </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">some </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">red and blue people </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">who live </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in what looks to be a green valley </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with red flowers </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and a great big </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">yellow sun</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm waiting </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at one of the oil cloth covered tables </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">breathing in and out</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but still, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it creeps up on me, sometimes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and before I know it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Waa!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you are in my living room window</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">why are you in my living room WINDOW?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">raindrops! raindrops!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">quick </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">please </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">something </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">start </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rinsing away </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">this person's FACE </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from my window!</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ok ok </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">shhh ok ok ok shhh it's ok</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">breathe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I'm waiting for my burrito </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I'm waiting for my burrito</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I'm waiting for my burrito</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that's all that's going on </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm just waiting for my burrito. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">look, see? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">there's a "veritable </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">kaleidoscope" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">drink flavor </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">choices </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in that cooler over there </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">how fun</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">all lined up and </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rattling together</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with such a classic, ice cube-y sound</span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">heh</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll go get two diet cokes out to add to my order</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">one for now, one for later</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">because I know I'll want one later</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I always do</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">yeah–</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">me?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm ok</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">really, I am</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm just waiting for my burrito.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, where was I?</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oh, right, I was running down the block</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to add the fabric softener before it was too late</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">when you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">when you </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">came-a-creeeeeeping </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">back in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">creep creeping creeeeeeping back in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">creepy creep creeper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">creeeeeeeping <i>back in</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">slithering like a snake, all </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">snake like</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">help help</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SPIDER oh god</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">boundary pushing </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pushy pusher </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pushing me </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>wait! </i></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WAIT.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">stop </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ok </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">calm down, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it's ok</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm just here </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">waiting for a burrito</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that's all </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it's Tuesday </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've got some laundry going </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">everything's ok</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm just </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">waiting </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for my burrito.</span><br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-34782223805489639322013-09-01T13:40:00.000-05:002013-09-03T08:06:02.730-05:00Desert Heist <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were in the middle of the desert. The jewelry store where I worked was a round structure up on stilts reminiscent of The Lautner House. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was floor to ceiling glass. Panoramic views of ink colored clouds in gradient skies. It was transparent mountains against layers of light. From the b</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lackest teal flecked with stars and planets all the way down to the palest shimmering pink horizon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can imagine, I was the jewelry store's sole security person. And the password, which was simply "crown, had been carelessly said aloud by me more than a few times at that point in the dream. Still, I continued to behave shocked whenever someone would tauntingly repeat the password back to me. For some reason I expected people to at least pretend that they didn't care what the password was. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later, after the sun set, I, the store's sole security person, found myself alone in a jewelry store filled with gold and precious stones in the middle of nowhere. Of course, it wasn't long before a group of people showed up on motor bikes and began loudly circling the building. Within minutes they were inside rifling through everything. This was a heist. The real deal. They shoved me along with a few other people into one of the vaults and shut the door. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wondered aloud if we were going to be killed. Nobody answered me. This became the hook from which I hung all of my hopes and dreams. Maybe, just maybe, no one had even considered killing us? Maybe this wasn't that big a deal? Maybe I was misunderstanding everything? Maybe. Whatever was happening, I knew one thing. I would have to wait to find out. Like anyone who's ever found themselves in a similar position, I would have to wait for an answer. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-50333884978326781562013-08-24T09:38:00.001-05:002013-08-24T15:09:02.891-05:00One Way Ticket to Mars<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God, I'd kill for some pancakes right now. My gum lost all it's flavor hours ago yet I keep chewing it because, it turns out, you never know when there will be more chewing gum. I've noticed that they've downplayed the scarcity of things like chewing gum out here. Which is fine. I get it. I mean, I'm ok if I never chew gum again, it's just that I wish they'd be more upfront about it. Because never knowing which piece of chewing gum will be my last has become weirdly unsettling for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday was kinda–odd. I don't want to say "bad". I don't know. I don't want to be negative or anything, but I watched the Earth get smaller and smaller until it became nothing more than a blue twinkling out in space–just a dot among a million other dots and stars. This fell on the 'Scale of Awfulness' somewhere between 'Bad' and 'Completely Terrifying'. But I was good. I just put another yellow pill under my tongue and waited. That always helps. They said it helps and to use it and I do. They've never led me wrong. "Bye-bye, Earth", I said. "Bye-bye".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I like about not needing to eat or bathe anymore is that, for the time being at least, as long as I remain totally low maintenance and easy going, I could literally stare off into space all day long if I wanted and no one, I mean <i>no one,</i> would bat an eye. It's almost as though we are cargo. Human cargo being carted through outer space on the biggest rig imaginable. They just have to get us there. <i>Then</i> they'll relax. And when they relax, <i>we'll</i> relax. And that's all people want, when you think about it. To just finally relax. </span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-88896624075254270732013-08-10T14:07:00.003-05:002013-08-11T10:25:54.921-05:00Flying<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">going </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">zipping </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rolling gliding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bouncing conveying </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">everything </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fitting </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">into one </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bag </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sound </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">breakfast sandwich</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">choice making </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">running skating </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">through corridors </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">having it all </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">having this bottle of water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">having this chapstic</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">finally lint free </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">practically at my gate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">newly dedicated </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">thinking </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">space</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">now artificially improved</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cleared for take off </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clicked in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">considering water bottle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">regarding pretzels</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">taxiing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enduring tolerating</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chapstic located</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shoes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clouds.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-5488157057792476872013-08-03T19:42:00.002-05:002022-08-30T19:03:27.134-05:00Cake and Coffee Reception<br /><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The volume was turned down that day </span><div><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">but </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I saw the </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">sparkling sponge mop </span><div>
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">glide across a floor</span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><br /><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">and then the game show host </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><br /><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">held his microphone </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">like a magic wand</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">and then the cake</span><div><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">decorated with frosting </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">roses</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">was brought officially down </span></div><div>to the finished basement </div><div>that had a little mirrored bathroom all it's own <br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">the coffee urn has an small, round orange light</span><br />
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">and there was the sound of the </span><div><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">aunts and the mom's gold jewelry tinkling </span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">the sound of nylons against </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">their </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">rayon </span></div><div>
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of gold cigarette lighters clicking</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of laughing</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of cake forks clinking </span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of metal folding chairs scrapping </span><div><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">white twinkling terrazzo </span><br />
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">as </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">the cutting </span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of the </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">communion </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">cake squares </span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">commenced</span><br /><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">but there were only so many pieces </span></div><div>with roses<br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">and a few girls looked tired </span></div><div><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of wearing veils all day</span></div><div>but they each<br /><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">got white gift wrapped boxes</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">they each got hearts and crosses</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">white velvet</span><br />
<span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">diamonds </span><span face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">and gold.</span></div></div></div></div></div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-7824264807075921212013-07-27T20:38:00.000-05:002013-09-06T11:12:30.560-05:00Dark Rainbow<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sticky pop covered </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">movie theater floor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the stack of white institutional paper napkins </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pressed together</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hospital strength pink pearl soap </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the phone booth with the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rainbow sticker </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">still stuck </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crowning yellow plastic </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">butter </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pouring down</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hair combs stuck in back pockets we belong</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eyeliner melted on with fire badge of badness </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ordered a medium coke </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and removed the straw from its white </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wrapper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that first sip</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a million bubbles syrupy joy </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end, we</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> pushed back through </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the steel doors </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">back into a corridor </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of blowing trash </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">back into the traffic </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">back into the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">world </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of unknowns and dark rainbows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wore cloud socks that day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you wore sparkle socks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we ran home like sisters screaming</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">past the bus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">past trees that might turn monstrous</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-8962743600116533052013-05-16T20:35:00.000-05:002013-06-03T08:53:41.629-05:00Time Travel<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It happens every forty-seven minutes. First the music starts. Violins mostly, evoking a slow, inevitable downward spiral. Then a man seen only in silhouette steps into the room. He puts down his brief case, the walls fall away and then begins what can only be described as his slow </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fall from a skyscraper. When he lands we know he's okay by the way he's sitting in a chair with his back to us, smoking a cigarette. It's as though he's bored by the whole thing</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been two and a half days of endless episodes of Mad Men via Netflix Instant. It's starting to take a toll. Admittedly, I was late to the party. Mad Men was all new to me. When I first noticed that five seasons of Mad Men were available on Netflix I ignored it. I usually don't watch TV on Netflix. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, like many, I had heard things. Things about Mad Men. Things about incredibly accurate set and costume design. Things about period coiffure <i>experts</i>. And, I just couldn't take it anymore. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You might say by the time I finally clicked on the Mad Men icon that it was already too late. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was Tuesday. It's now Thursday and everything has changed. As well, I'm keenly aware that I'm running out of episodes. I don't know just how I'm going to return to life as it is lived in 2013–to reality as it is experienced outside of my laptop–only that I must. That is, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know just why any of this has happened, only that it has to stop. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was Mad Men written with this kind of compressed viewing in mind? I noticed quite a few inconsistencies in the writing that I think might have otherwise gone undetected had I allowed any actual living of life to occur between viewings. Of course, I can't be sure. I can't un-watch Mad Men. I can't un-see what I've seen in the concentrated way that I saw it. Personally? I wouldn't do it again</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. But, please, don't let that stop you.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-70467619362698103352013-05-04T12:55:00.001-05:002013-05-29T13:14:01.573-05:00Sunny Enough<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sun – which, if I am totally honest with myself is no more than medium-bright today – is being enhanced somehow by how green everything has become literally overnight. It even smells green today. And my mood is about an eight this morning. So there's that. And this, too, effects the way I'm perceiving the sun. So, I guess if it were cooler out, or if everything were less green right now or if I were currently </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">depressed the sun might seem less bright to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's entirely possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I'm trying to say is that the sun is not currently shinning 'brilliantly' the way it does, say, in the movies or on tv. But, that I'm in a good mood anyway (eight on a scale of ten). And that the sun, which keeps coming back from behind the clouds as though to say it won't ever give up, is one resilient mofo </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(that crazy sun!). It keeps going; keeps getting back up, back out there in the sky to shine another day. So, while today is not the sunniest day in the world, it is medium sunny. And that's <i>saying</i> something.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-2141958634302833002013-04-27T22:31:00.000-05:002013-05-25T09:49:05.669-05:00Taste the Rainbow<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday was the first warm, sunny day this spring in Chicago. I worked a half day and had that airplane-in-the-sky happy, soaring feeling upon walking out into the street. And there was the sense, too–that, even though you couldn't see it, a large body of water was nearby. It happens a lot this time of year. It's not that it smells like water or even fish, necessarily. It's something about the sky. It's something about the way the buildings in the distance just stop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I walked through the neighborhood where I now work with my coat all rolled up in my bag, feeling sort of weightless. The whole world was wrapped up in blue skies. With the clouds giving away the curve and the shape of things. I could feel the distance and the size. I felt very, very small. And the sun, which had warmed the grass and earth and even things like garden hoses, made everything smell so familiar and promising. I was happy. So happy I couldn't decide whether to write poems or take photos. So happy that I had to be careful not to relapse in some way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My bus arrived and I kept thinking about how emotions are like flavors or colors that can be mixed to become other, more complex flavors and colors. Like the way I occasionally mix peppermint and orange tea. Peppermint becomes 'anger' and orange becomes 'happiness'. And mixed they become 'schadenfreude', or just, 'laughing darkly about something', I guess.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted so badly to go home right then. Really home to sit on my front stoop from years ago. Or at my table in my old-old kitchen. With the windows pushed wide open and the birds singing. With the green painted wrought iron peeling. With the sound of everything and the sun shining. But then I thought about how I'd never be back there again. And how weird that was. How one day I'll probably miss my current kitchen, too. And how that was fine (and would probably taste like jelly beans or, you know, 'anxiety'). </span><br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-57239386399606532962013-03-29T23:15:00.000-05:002013-04-07T07:36:19.399-05:00Pure Coincidence<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought I saw Kathi today. Kathi with an i. Kathi from college. I was waiting for my coffee when I saw her standing in line. It's been many, many years, but this woman had Kathi's nose. Then, when she turned, I saw that she also had Kathi's eyes. And I felt a pang of recognition. Her voice wasn't Kathi's. But it didn't matter, because otherwise she was <i>practically</i> Kathi. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought about it carefully. I knew that if I said anything to Kathi, there would be no going back to the not knowing whether or not she was Kathi. And, as obvious as it seems that confirmation would be the better thing, the fact that there is no going back to the state of 'not knowing' had to be carefully considered. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I knew if I said anything that the next few minutes would be very different than I had imagined them to be. And I had to decide what was more important to me: a few minutes of dark roast coffee with a hint of cinnamon and nothing else going on–or a few minutes of reconnecting with Kathi. Long lost Kathi. Kathi with an i.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I tapped Kathi on the shoulder, she and I would scream and hug and start talking very loudly and animatedly. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would be like no time had passed at all. I'd find out that she had indeed gone successfully forward in the fashion industry (as evidenced by her amazing suede boots and what looked like $10,000.00 bag). And I'd explain how I <i>hadn't</i> (as evidenced by my disposable drug store mittens and back-pack by <i>Bic</i>). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We'd laugh. We'd suddenly remember the instructor that had made our lives so miserable. And I'd be able to finally tell her how I went back to school years later and had that <i>same</i> instructor all over again! Oh, the exquisite irony. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Kathi would just die at the mention of this. Just. Die. And my mind would be blown by a flood of memories. Of course! Of course! <i>How could I ever forget?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We'd trade email addresses and promise to get in touch. We'd say goodbye and go our separate ways. Later, I'd look at her business card and marvel that her handwriting on the back was exactly the same as I had remembered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, I would wonder if I hadn't somehow predicted all of this. Hadn't Kathi crossed my thoughts a few times recently? I'd chalk it up to something slightly more interesting than pure coincidence. Like synchronicity. Or something about the Collective Unconscious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, should I say anything? It felt scary to break the status quo. What was I afraid of? Why was I so un-spontaneous? Why couldn't I simply run into someone and be happy to reconnect? Why couldn't I be glad for life's surprises? Why did this kind of thing always provoke such anxiety in me? </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What on earth was the matter with me?</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as I started to say, "Excuse me, is your name Kathi?", my brain screamed, <i>Wait!</i> <i>Let's think about this!</i> Even if this person is Kathi, it's unlikely that this will be anything short of awkward and uncomfortable. Besides, were there not solid reasons that we drifted apart in the first place?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then again, what are the chances of ever running into her again? I've been thinking a lot about the people I've lost touch with, lately. And Kathi was quite dear to me at one time</span>.<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Excuse me, is your name Kathi?"</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"No"</i>, she said, <i>"Sorry."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Oh, no problem." </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sat down at the window with my coffee for a few minutes, just as I had imagined I would. I did half expect Kathi to come through the door, though. It felt inevitable. And if she did? I was ready.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-52887171702732741622013-03-27T12:57:00.004-05:002013-03-28T08:58:25.524-05:00Consider Raisin Toast <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to to take this opportunity to recommend the reader sit back and please consider <i>raisin toast</i>. I made two slices of raisin toast for myself earlier today (with butter–it was <i>magnificent</i>) and am here to report that I have zero regrets regarding the making of raisin toast today. The current loaf of raisin bread that is in our bread box (note: our bread box is actually a bread drawer) has not been denied the very real, often ignored cinnamon aspect of raisin bread. So, the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pronounced cinnamon effect (</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pronounced</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to me<i>, </i>anyway, due to my oddly inferior past experiences with raisin bread) caused me to stop and think about cinnamon for a whole ten minutes. Thus bringing cinnamon to the forefront of what can only be referred to as my 'cinnamon brain'. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was so great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later, having broken out of my cinnamon reverie, I placed two slices of the raisin bread into our forty year old 'Toast-R-Oven'. We had bought it second hand five or six ago. It turns out, the exact same toaster oven that my family had when I was little is the exact same toaster oven my SO's family had when <i>he</i> was little! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We know it will break down any day, but so far, so good. And, you can watch the whole process of toast toasting through the toaster oven's window. It's so exciting. The Toaster-R-Oven really is just an Easy Bake Oven for grown ups, if you think about it. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should also mention that if you do chose to watch the toast while it is toasting, it won't seem like anything is happening for a long time, which may become frustrating. But then, all of a sudden, the toast will begin to change color and brown and crisp and it will smell gloriously like cinnamon and raisins. This will seem 'sudden' if you happen to give up, like me, and look away from the toaster for even a second. However, if you manage to keep your eyes on the toast the entire time, you will see a very subtle progression that is not only fascinating but oddly reassuring. </span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-40590953857959719062013-03-14T11:40:00.000-05:002013-05-07T20:19:34.380-05:00Winter Wear<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been having flashbacks: it's winter but for some reason I'm wearing a paper thin coat.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A little single-layer-of-fabric deal that doesn't even have buttons; that doesn't even have </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">belt</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It's a coat designed to be held closed (to be clear, <i>dramatically</i> closed. W</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ith one hand while jumping across puddles. Or traipsing through the streets). It's a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>smock</i>, if I'm honest.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A summer smock so diaphanous and lightweight that it would probably melt if I ever wore it out in the rain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet, I wore such a coat through many winters. Through<i> all</i> of the winters. I froze. And I accepted it. Discomfort was just part of Winter; just part of fashion. So, my shoes, which by February were destroyed by the salt, were, in the interim, continuously wet and soggy. And my gloves, which were really these mesh, fingerless decorations that had come free with a bag of marshmallows, were quickly tucked away into one's tiniest coin purse when not in use (or, as it happens, eaten for one's impromptu breakfast as gloves like these were typically fabricated from things like rice candy).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hats? Hats were the known destroyers of hair-dos. Layers? There wasn't room for any layers beyond those of one's already lightweight clothing beneath one's already lightweight coat. Boots? Boots would be just more things to lug around. And I already had a handful of Skittles in one hand and a micro-purse in the other–</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which kept my single </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Altoid and as many as eight dollars organized quite nicely. No, I was cold. Very, very cold. But then, *one day, as is the case with so many things, all of that changed. And I started dressing for the weather. And it was wonderful. And <i>warm</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<span style="font-size: x-small;">Last</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Tuesday.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-60579190018762508972013-03-09T11:43:00.000-06:002013-03-14T10:33:12.140-05:00Looking Up<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking up</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">through dirty winter windows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the sun seen almost by mistake</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as it really is</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just a glimpse</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of a cold hard beam of light</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not some loving, sparkling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lemon wedge in the sky</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">smiling </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">joy onto </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the world</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">so much as something</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unstoppable;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">so much as something </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unknowable.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-48334097664799558622013-03-08T08:38:00.001-06:002013-06-12T08:55:57.343-05:00Prop Cake<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High white cake </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">crowned </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with red raspberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">leaning a bit to one side</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">three layers </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">inscrutable</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">soft vanilla crumb </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">filled </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with luscious red </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">raspberry </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">expertly frosted </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a clean white canvas</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to adorn </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the merest </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of painterly </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">flourishes! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a cake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cake to behold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cake </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to end </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">all other cakes.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-36227905848378073312013-02-16T21:47:00.001-06:002013-02-17T08:39:08.449-06:00Recovery<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orphan puzzle pieces carried around </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in a</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">plastic baggie for twenty years? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Convoluted way of doing everything </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">frustrates everyone?</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some underlying, unidentified background process </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that's drained you of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">all of your energy </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">all of you</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> life?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rain drops on the w</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">indows? Winter trees? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Warm mug of tea? W</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ooden bowl of apples? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happiness? Incredible relief?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-68773330881227344542013-01-01T19:14:00.001-06:002013-04-28T11:21:11.800-05:00Any House In the World<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it was Christmas Day, I got two seats to myself on the train to St. Louis. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I brought my laptop and a bunch of reading materials so, of course, I just </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stared out of the window the entire trip. The combined effect of the train's motion and cushioned silence with the awareness of entire </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">towns flying past at a hundred miles an hour had a tranquilizing effect on me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hours passed. Everything about the train finally imposed a superficial simplicity onto the outer world in a way that only high speed trains can, I suppose. So, actual p</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eople and houses were now actors living in mocked up sets that looked like real houses in towns that were mere plastic replicas. Far away, pretend towns that twinkled a little with Christmas lights even as early as seven in the morning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Problems? People in this town didn't have any problems. Not anymore. None that could be detected behind such air-tight windows as found on this Amtrak train. Distance? Speed? Such necessitated the making of snap judgements. Details? There were no details. Only a blur where the world used to be. By the time I arrived in St. Louis,</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I, too, wanted a hundred-mile-an-hour life as seen from the safe distance of a commuter train. By then I'd have traded lives with anyone. And by 'lives' I mean houses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take, for example, the blue house with white shutters and brick chimney that I saw somewhere between Joliet and St. Louis. It was neat as a pin. A perfect little house with pine trees all around it. I noticed a tiny potted plant set on what had to be the kitchen window sill. There, a white lace curtain was pushed to one side. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steam, presumably from the dryer, came reassuringly from a vent on the side of the house. All the while smoke from the fireplace came from the chimney. I sensed that this house was spotlessly clean on the inside, too. Maybe even a bit under-furnished as only houses of normal, non-hoarding, non-neurotic people can be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, though the house had to be at least a hundred years old, all the trim was new or at least newly painted. I sensed a strong 'no shoes worn inside' vibe coming from this house. I could practically see all the machine washable slippers lined up neatly by the front door. It was just a *hunch that I had.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<span style="font-size: x-small;">A fairly strong hunch, however.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As well, I was certain that every single piece of paper that came into this house was filed not only immediately, but properly in a nice, unassuming rolling file cabinet that was situated next to the desk in the office. Right next to the shredder. Because it makes sense to have file cabinets next to shredders in home offices. And, in this house, everything made sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which explains why there are no stacks of paper anywhere. Not even little stacks of receipts or coupons near phones or mixed up with the mail, as I've seen happen. There is no clutter. Not even a junk drawer. In fact, in this house there are still a few drawers and cabinets that have nothing stored in them. These are earmarked, as they say, for 'future growth'. Because the people that live in this house think about things like the future. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite room? The little sewing room off of the laundry room. It doubles as a space for ironing clothes but there's a fold-away bed in there for guests, too. There's a great big gray and white plaid blanket and lots of gray and white pillows. In the closet are shelves filled with sewing and ironing supplies. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's this one bottle of liquid that makes the steam in the iron smell nice. You just pour into the iron instead of water. It's called 'Air' but it smells more like 'Sunshine' to me.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-53880759878808115542012-12-03T09:01:00.001-06:002013-07-22T20:19:02.317-05:00Cinnamony<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why are things always described as "minty fresh"? Why not "cinnamony fresh"? You never hear people say "cinnamony"? Why is that? And who decided that mint is fresh? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is mint <i>fresh</i>?! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does mint have properties of freshness that cinnamon lacks? Does mint restore things to a fresher state? Or is it implicitly fresh? Would cinnamon not do the same thing that mint is purported to do? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is it that mint does?</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-91431247181264113232012-12-02T14:53:00.003-06:002012-12-02T18:36:25.842-06:00Same Kitchen, Different Decade<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun with re-staging old photos. Obviously, I'm in the 'figuring it out' stage. This was an impromptu attempt. I've started sorting through old photos looking for ones that might be good candidates or just challenging enough to be interesting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here, my niece and I are in my mom's kitchen having what we call a 'Cookie Day'. We get together to make Christmas cookies at my mom's house each year. The first photo was taken in 2002. I find it funny that my mother's kitchen hasn't changed at all in ten years (the only thing staged for this re-do was positioning ourselves where we were standing in 2002. I got the idea to do thus twenty minutes before I left for my mom's house. We took one shot). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note that the little item on the shelf to the very left of both photos (a tiny double decker bus memento from a trip to London) is in exactly the same postion as it was in 2002. And that the plant in the background has gotten completely out of hand. The light is very different as is the general quality of the photo (better camera/digital = today). The hand mixer and bowl are unchanged. However, my niece is now as tall as I am. She's the only thing that makes any of this interesting. She was a good sport. It was fun. We'll definitely be doing this again.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9231541.post-50908001344142062312012-11-26T13:27:00.000-06:002012-11-27T21:07:54.851-06:00Mystery Kitten<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a kitten in my life. He looks like a little polar bear. He's a big white cat. If I have a bad day he sticks by me like he knows I'm sad. He'll look up at me or my significant other sometimes with this very serious little kitten face. <i>Where did you come from, kitten?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's the thing. He literally just appeared on our doorstep three years ago. He's a mystery kitten. A mood stabilizing, problem solving mystery kitten with a very serious little face. I realize a photo would be appropriate right now but my photos are still on my old lap top. Another time.</span>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03406449906872692996noreply@blogger.com0