Halloween

We carved our pumpkins this weekend. Well the kids carved them! I took them to Rossi's Haunted House last night. It's suddenly colder outside. Laura's costume has black feathered wings. Max has a very scary mask.

I didn't go see Richard Ford. I didn't go hear anybody! But I'm reading Ford's new book and I'm liking it.

Football season is over, and Laura has one more soccer game.

I'm working on a poem but it's slow. I will be on the radio tonight, briefly, talking about the Oregon Book Awards. And then listening to the finalists read from their books, which I'm really looking forward to!

There will be readings by some Oregon Book Awards finalists in November in the Japanese Garden. These are going to be great; Chelsea Cain and Marc Acito will host. I think it's great people will have a chance to hear some of the finalists read before the Book Awards on December 1st. Tickets for the Book Awards are available at the Literary Arts web site.

There! My blog world and my work world have just collided!

Now back to me - I watched some of the Omen on Saturday night, and a lot of Boris Karloff in Frankenstein on Sunday morning. So I'm in the spirit!

Richard Ford

Well I've thought more about it, and I'm going to go see Richard Ford, I decided. Yes. I didn't know he was going to write a sequel to Independence Day, which was a sequel to the Sportswriter. I think he would be good to see again.

I got an email from Janine, hooray.

We played poker tonight, the kids and Michael and I. Michael won.

I"m going to try to go running BEFORE work this week. Wish me luck. And get some poems written so that Daneen and I will have poems to talk about next weekend.

I want to see the new movie, THE QUEEN. And Laura and I want to see FLICKA.

Max has his costume. He's not Elvis, he's scary mask person with a black robe. I will take pictures.

SUNDAY

Nine days until Halloween! I'm taking Max to find a costume today. He wants to be Elvis this year.

Tuesday I think Daneen and I are going to see Barbara Ras read at PSU. But the Poetry Bus is in town, and Richard Ford is reading at Powell's. I like Richard Ford, and I'm looking forward to reading his new novel. I did see him read once many years ago, with Tobias Wolff. But I think I will probably go see Barbara Ras. Although I'd like to hear Joshua Beckman and Christian Hawkey. It's a tough call.

I am grading Marylhurst papers this weekend. I still have those bulbs to plant.

The Decemberists

We went to see the Decemberists last night. It was fun but I wanted to hear more songs off their new album, and more of my favorites, like Oceanside, or July July or Red Right Ankle. But they didn't play any of those songs. We still had fun though.

I haven't been doing much stamping or collage-making lately, although I have been getting caught up with the kids' scrapbooks. Last November I was writing sonnets on demand. One of them grew up to be a poem that was accepted for publication. Maybe I should think of something like that again. I was trying to start a sonnet crown. With a twelve line sonnet.

I have tulip, daffodil and crocus bulbs in my garage that I need to plant.

Fun Phone Times

Well I was going to call my mom to thank her for being a conference call phone participant today, but I believe it's too late now.

I was practicing making a conference call today at work. I called my mother, and my sister Amy and my brother-in-law Scott. Fun times! We laughed and sang. Well, Scott sang. I wonder if the real one will be as mirthful. I'm not sure.

Well it's my Friday! Max has two games this weekend and Laura is in the Grand Canyon.

Daneen and I saw Laurel Snyder read last night. She was good and Henry Carlile was there so that was cool. I always still expect to see Nico at PSU readings. I have come to accept that I won't see Zanni or Janine anymore when I go to a PSU reading, but somehow I still expect to see Nico, walking in late, or standing in the back, or just being there. Ah well! In spirit, etc.

Nico has new poems on Shampoo.

Calvin Trillin was fun.

Colin Powell

Max is going to meet Colin Powell on Monday! He's excited. He's going with a group of students from his class.

Max has been writing a play. I've been typing up his scenes for him as he finishes them.

Laura leaves for the Grand Canyon next week, and her first plane ride!

I had a good Friday off. It's nearly 4:30 and I have yet to brush my hair! Wrote some poetry, swept my kitchen floor. That's a good day at home for me!

I"m going to read some Calvin Trillin this weekend. We're going to McMinnville to watch the Duck game tomorrow.

We need a new furnace and a new air conditioner, but I"m trying not to get too excited about it. We're getting quotes.

Here's a quote from Calvin Trillin: “The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.”

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