Month: September 2009

Following a long and illustrious family tradition, my youngest has elected to drop out of school.

This is very exciting; my offspring are … lively.

I had expected my son to spend a week or several meandering around before we started any sort of ambitious educational schedule.

Instead, he negotiated a multi-faceted curriculum including writing, reading, languages, music, physics, biology, and maths.

To the extent that he has managed to finish an entire year of advanced algebra work…. in three days. While blazing his way through a couple of tomes of classic literature. Interspersed with his habitual allotment of P. G. Wodehouse, obviously.

He says that he feels happier and more fulfilled now that he is able to do proper work.

I shouldn’t be surprised; my offspring are excessively difficult and eccentric and twitchy, but they do have some mad skills.

Literally.

If you were enrolled at the Bee Lavender Academy of Etiquette, lessons of the day would include letter writing, filmmaking, and David Copperfield.

Natalia is visiting! Jealous, Seattle?

I’ve made a habit of living in towns only while the library is closed for renovation, and this place is no different.

So I suspected it was an urban myth but no! The Cambridge Central Library is really and truly open… for the first time in years!

Summary: the new facility is bigger, uglier, more confusing, and features a cafe implausibly selling wine.

Though it is definitely open, and that is better than closed.

While thinking about the old neighborhood (and new Buy Olympia store) it struck me that wherever I travel, my book is always stocked, but never included in the ‘local writer’ section…. regardless of the city. Even in the locations described in the text.

It would appear to be official – no town or region presumes or pretends to claim me.

When I moved to Portland, the neighborhood (like my house) was boarded and derelict…. now look! The streets are clogged with boutiques and cafes!

Oh, how I miss the NW. But anyway: go here when it opens. Buy lots of stuff:

Land

I spent the morning lurking around Kings Cross waiting to be interviewed for a documentary about health care reform. Glamorous? Not.

Though I discovered once again that I have no problem disclosing all of my darkest secrets for the entertainment of a national broadcast audience.

While giggling maniacally.

Of course you knew that, but it always surprises me.

Finalizing my punishing quest in search of good coffee and it is official: Savino’s has the best in Cambridgeshire, AND they play Jens Lekman mixed with wacky eurorap before 10am, AND old men steal my copy of the Daily Mail when I’m not looking.

Too perfect.

Ten days worth of strike-delayed letters, packages, and newspapers showed up all in a rush…. including presents from Sara K in Portland! Mmm, Stumptown coffee.

There was also a package from my mother with marvels including a valid driving license!

I officially exist again.

Sort of.

Because of course, the bounty did not include a passport.

Tick, tock.

Yesterday I watched archive films of seaside holidays in the afternoon, then attended a Spike Milligan play in the evening.

Tonight I hung out on the bridge, watching silent movies and listening to live music. I heart the film festival!

Jolly good, what?

Passport renewal + postal strike = pain! I’ve never crossed a picket line but my identification is gonna have to…. or at least, I hope it manages to return soon.

Reading a design magazine, I was shocked to see a European hipster wearing a Huskies hoodie.

Um, in a word: no.

For those not initiated, I’m talking about the mascot and logo of the University of Washington sports teams. To be more specific, a really ugly one, involving the loathed color purple.

Later on Midsummer Common I discovered that it is difficult to unlock your bicycle when a cow is licking it.

This morning I was forced by circumstance to Ladychat at the health food store before 10am! Is nowhere safe??

Worse yet, I also talked on the telephone. Oh, the horror!

And I was confirming a radio interview. I sound like a demented ten year old on the radio!