Some Stuff I Did this Weekend

Laura and I saw THE BOUNTY HUNTER, an okay Jennifer Aniston movie. We also saw a preview for EAT PRAY LOVE, and - guilty pleasure - I want to see it!

Watched part of a documentary on Patti Smith. There were video clips of her from the 1970's, talking about why she moved to New York. And her and Sam Shephard playing guitar. Michael and I will see her in New York as part of the PEN WORLD VOICES festival.

Read the new issue of Vogue magazine which seemed more vapid than usual and made me not want to buy it ever again. I used to love me some Vogue!.

Watched an episode of Project Runway, which I still love!

Finished my grading for winter term.

Tried to clean my office (still in progress!)

Read some of A Little Middle of the Night by Molly Brodak, the 2009 Iowa Poetry Prize winner. Has the Univ. of Iowa press adopted a sans serif font for poetry permanently? I like the poems, but I prefer my fonts serif-ed when it is poetry.

Put sheets on Max's new bed.

Took Sawyer for several walks with his new easy-walk harness. It helps considerably with the tugging on the leash. Walks are no longer a tug of war!

Michael and I are going to watch Breaking Bad tonight - season premiere!

Listening to Jim Croce on Pandora on my Gordon Lightfoot station.

Hey! I won something!

Garth Stein's latest book! (It has nothing to do with Raven the Disney star, but my kids used to watch that show and I've never had a reason to post a photo of her.)

Until now.

Thank you Mead Hunter!

Once More to the Lake

I knew Michael Quigley. Many years ago, in Eugene. I found out this week that he died in September, in Sacramento.

He was a big fan of this man, and this essay.

I think maybe he liked E.B. White because White possessed a certain sophistication and embodied a type of civilized discourse that Michael Quigley aspired to but never quite achieved.

Michael Quigley was rough around the edges. He introduced me to Apocalypse Now, The Return of the Seacaucus 7, Deer Hunter, BEER Hunter, and SPAM.

I knew what SPAM was before I met him, but I think he's the only person I have ever witnessed actually cooking SPAM. And eating it.

He was never really at peace, so I doubt he's resting in peace, and I doubt, really, that resting in peace would really appeal to him.

So I guess what I hope for him is he's found a place where he can keep fighting.

In peace.