She's Coming!

I'm driving to Corvallis after work to pick up mom and bring her back to Portland for Thanksgiving.

Speaking of which, a reader on a blog commented on the article on Caffeine Destiny about the history of Thanksgiving, that I think I originally posted around 2000, if not earlier. It's still kind of fun to read I think.

I'm reading On the Nature of Human Romantic Interaction, by Karl Iagnemma. It's a book of short stories - the winner of the Paris Review Discovery Prize for best first fiction - but he's a research scientist in mechanical engineering at MIT.

More soon - I have to vacuum.

Annie and Laura

I took this picture backstage last night. I think they're both adorable.

Tonight Laura and Max and I are going to see Twilight. I'm not big on vampire movies, but maybe it will be good?

I made curried carrot soup last weekend and it was super easy! I kind of used two different recipes and then added coconut milk, which neither recipe called for, but I have seen as an ingredient in other soups and it was really good. All that was in it was onions, carrots, chicken broth, curry powder, a little turmeric and coconut milk! Saute the onions in butter, then add three cans of chicken broth and add the carrots (I used about three pounds). Add the curry (I used about two and 1/2 tablesoons) and the turmeric (I used about two teaspoons). Once the carrots are tender, you puree it. But don't fill the blender up all the way or it will explode, because hot things expand! (thanks to Martha Stewat's recipe for pointing that out). I pureed it in batches, and then I added the can of coconut milk afterwards.

Super easy.

Thursday

Amy has a new kitty!

I need a book to read.

Laura and I are going to see Guys and Dolls tomorrow night. That will be my second time.

I finally took the big rotting pumpkin off our front porch.

Yes!

I Hope He is Our Next President

How to Watch The Election

Happy Halloween!

This is Max and Laura ... ten years ago! They are very proud of their pumpkin Pez dispensers.  I made the Dorothy costume that Laura has on. Max was the cowardly lion. 

We carved pumpkins last night.

David Sedaris is tonight. Election soon! 

Exactly

He'll be here next week!

I'm Still Here!

Readers I have rearranged my office! My office at home I mean. Now my desk faces the window. Aren't you glad I told you?

It's great to have a new arrangement and I figure it puts me in the right frame of mind for the new administration that will hopefully be arriving in January. Yes!

I have been reading People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

Parkrose won their homecoming game last Friday.

I was on KBOO last night with the poetry finalists.

I am working on a new poem.

But right now, I must dry my hair.

Did it

Watched McCain and Obama tonight.

Need I say more?

Anyway, I finished the Portland marathon. It took me longer than I thought. It rained a lot. I spilled a whole cup of water on my foot. My Ipod stopped working. I feel like I should have done better. However, I appreciate the fact that I did it and I am pleased about that! It was great to see my family at the finish line!

It was a learning experience and I learned that I want to run another marathon. But not any time soon! I am looking forward to Sunday morning this weekend, when I plan to sit around in my pajamas and read the Sunday paper and not go running.

I started The Short History of A Prince by Jane Hamilton and I am not going to finish it. The main character is kind of insufferable and I can't tell if the author is aware of it. There was one scene where he interacted with another character and it just seemed like the only reason the other character was there was so that she could deliver important background information that the reader needed to know. It just seemed kind of clumsy.

I liked The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton, and some of her other books. Just not this one!

Max's team won their game this afternoon and it was a beautiful fall afternoon. I am glad that autumn is here.

Tomorrow is IT

I run the Portland Marathon tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Last Weekend of September

Yesterday I went to Gresham with Laura; the Parkrose Cheer squad was in the Teddy Bear Parade. It was funny to see all these people, young and old, carrying teddy bears. Horses and dogs had them too.

We went to Mcminnville yesterday and watched the Ducks demolish WSU.

Guys and Dolls was great and I've been humming tunes from it all weekend. Came home afterwards and watched the rest of the debates.

This time next week I will be done with the marathon!

I think Hud is my favorite Paul Newman movie. What's yours?

Guys And Dolls

Michael and I are going to see Guys and Dolls on Friday at Portland Center Stage. I can't wait.

Parkrose won its first football game in a long time on Friday!

It's autumn everyone!

Weekend!

I ran 20 miles today. That means I can run the marathon, unless I trip or something. My goal is to come in under 5 hours, which I can do. Who knows maybe I'll run it in 4 1/2 hours. No, I don't think so.

Michael and I saw the movie Tell No One yesterday. It's a French thriller! I thought it was great.

Laura and I saw Willy Porter and Raining Jane at the Alladin Theater Friday night. They were really good and I'm looking forward to seeing Raining Jane and Sara Bareilles in October.

Max was on t.v. Friday night, showing his Parkrose pride! His first football game is Wednesday.

I'm reading Empire Falls and looking forward to meeting Richard Russo on Thursday.

Here is a link to poems by Reginald Shepherd that were in Caffeine Destiny a few years ago. I was sad to hear that he died.

Thursday night

I want to find time to mess around and make silly collages.

I want to write some new poems.

I want the marathon to be done with.

I want my office to be magically cleaned by little elves.

I want to have time to bake bread.

I want to miraculously lose 20 pounds, just by thinking about it very hard.

I want someone to take my poetry manuscript and publish the hell out of it.

I want Obama to be elected.

There!

School Starts!

Laura starts high school tomorrow, and Max begins 7th grade on Wednesday.

Carly starts First Grade this week! Congratulations Carly!

We had fun this weekend in McMinnville. I had the most enjoyable run of my whole marathon training on Sunday with Amy.

It's hard to believe summer is just about over, but it is.

Not National, Still Poet-ish

I got my letter from the nice National Poetry Series people today and my manuscript has not been selected as a winner this year. Which would have been exciting, but hey, Frank O"Hara never was a National Poetry Series poet either. I like this picture of him!

I was a finalist and they told me in May that I was a finalist so I've been waiting. So I heard today but I will press onward!

I ran 15 miles yesterday. I was supposed to run 17, but only did 15. (note to self: how embarassing - I already mentioned this in the post from yesterday. People who are training for marathons are BORING!)

I wonder if Frank O'Hara ever ran 15 miles.

I appreciated this interview with Chase Twichell in the current Poets and Writers. I read it in print but here it is online and it made me think that Caffeine Destiny could end eventually and that would be okay. At what point is enough enough?

Here's a little Frank for your Monday evening:

My eyes are vague blue, like the sky, and change all the time; they are indiscriminate but fleeting, entirely specific and disloyal, so that no one trusts me. I am always looking away. Or again at something after it has given me up. It makes me restless and that makes me unhappy, but I cannot keep them still. If only i had grey, green, black, brown, yellow eyes; I would stay at home and do something. It's not that I'm curious. On the contrary, I am bored but it's my duty to be attentive, I am needed by things as the sky must be above the earth. And lately, so great has their anxiety become, I can spare myself little sleep.

Back from Eastern Oregon

I had a good time in Enterprise and La Grande. It's beautiful out there. It was good to see Zanni - and Rich, and David and Jody.

Today I was going to run 17 miles but only did 15. The Portland Marathon will be interesting! We'll see how long it takes me.

Laura and I saw Hancock last night. Laura's going to Mcminnville later this week, and Max has football camp.

Okay, just a few more papers to grade.

Fall 2008 is online

It's here!

Max and I saw The Dark Knight last night. I liked it. He's 12 now!

Back to work for me tomorrow.

Laura has daily doubles.

Michael has new glasses.

I need to finish some poems.

My tomatos are starting to ripen.

I hope you like the new issue.

Friday

I was supposed to run 8 miles this morning but I only ran 3.8.

The Augen gallery here in Portland has an exhibit, Bande à part: New York Underground 60's, 70's, 80's that I am going to see, either today or later next week. I read Andy Warhol's Diary a long time ago.

Tomorrow Max comes home from camp - hooray! Laura and Lily have their showcase for Rock and Roll Camp at the Wonder Ballroom.

Max Winter, whose work has appeared in Caffeine Destiny and many other places, as well as in the fabulous book The Pictures, will be on The Joe Milford Poetry Show on Saturday. You can listen to it live or it will be archived after the show.

Three Day Weekend!

We're going to Seattle tomorrow to see a Mariners game.

Then Sunday Max is going to Camp Collins for a week. Laura starts Rock and Roll Camp Monday.

I have Monday off. I'm going to take Laura and her friend to Rock and Roll camp and then come home and write. Not grade papers or post to blogs or anything. I'm going to get writing done.

New Caffeine Destiny is going up by the end of the month.

It's August, the month of endings.

and Max's birthday!

I haven't made a collage in a while. Maybe I will Sunday.