Snapshots

— Shoveling snow with neighbors is a bonding community experience – especially in an urban environment. I’ve lived on this block for 3 years and have met only a handful of people. Really nice. Much fun was had by all. Everyone helping out. Chatting, laughing, shoveling, getting the job done.

— Humorous moment: riding the stationary bike at the gym, next to a guy I see at the gym all the time, the two of us venting about Michelle Kwan (she was up on TV, of course). There we were, sweating it out in our local gym, regular old people trying to stay in shape, etc., and there we were being all self-righteous about an OLYMPIC-LEVEL athlete. hahahaha It was so fun. “She needs to just give it up,” I stated with finality, checking my time on the display. “No shit,” said the guy, swigging his water. “She needs to move out da way!!!” We both laughed, self-righteously, pedaling away, bitching about Kwan, halfway through our 30 minute bike ride … I don’t know why this image cracks me up – and it didn’t seem funny at the time – we were totally in the moment – but afterwards the comedy of it struck me.

— I’m reading At Swim-Two-Bird again, and laughing out loud again. I read somewhere that the whole One City One Book thing (I saw a link of it somewhere – UPDATE: Here’s the link) … you know: a whole city decides to read one book at the same time … and Dublin chose At Swim-two-birds as their book. I think they’re reading it from March to June – argh, whatever – It made me feel inspired to pick it up again. I haven’t read it since college. The book stands alone. A mishmash of styles: part fairy-tale, part young-lads-bumming-around-town realism … When it was first published in the late 1930s, James Joyce said, “This book is very funny” – which, to Irish writers, is like God himself giving you a stamp of approval. There’s certain parts of it that reminds me of Catcher in the Rye – the disaffected lead character … misunderstood by the adults in his life but … well … Finn McCool randomly shows up in At Swim-two-birds – like – what?? – There he is sitting around the fire with all the OTHER lead characters – and the story of the mad king Sweeny is told over 80 some-odd pages – It’s a magical book, and completely difficult to describe. But the first sentence alone – I picked up the book again, read the first sentence, and just SNORTED with laughter:

Having placed in my mouth sufficient bread for three minutes’ chewing, I withdrew my powers of sensual perception and retired into the privacy of my mind, my eyes and face assuming a vacant and preoccupied expression.

— Yesterday – before I went out and shoveled – I was completely housebound. The snow piled up over my windowsill – the air outside was grey and chill – I had coffee – and then I had one of the funnest experiences I know of: I made a mix “tape” of music as gifts for all the women in my girl’s group (We’re a group of women – we meet once a month). Anyway, I had been wanting to make a “mix tape” for the group for a while – you know, music I love – but also with a theme running through it – a theme of inspiration, female friendship, happiness, etc. It takes TIME to make a good mix tape. So yesterday I pulled out all my CDs, and started going through them – making lists, notations, reshuffling the order, etc. Is there anything funner than creating a mix tape?? I just love it. I don’t do it enough. I’m really pleased with what I came up with.

— I then blasted the mix tape I just made and went on a cleaning jag. Good stuff. I am especially proud of the transition from track 9 to track 10. Randomly, it works very well for some reason.

— Getting ready for my one-woman show. I’m kind of in denial about how much work I have to do.