Songs of the season

"Long Black Veil," Lefty Frizzell
"Call me the Breeze," Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Blood Makes Noise," Suzanne Vega
"Reservoir Park," The Dutchess and the Duke

New shoes!

I was on my way to the store after work when I decided I needed new shoes more than groceries. I got off the cable car at Grant, collected three pair of velvet mary janes, and, since I was there and all, had dim sum for dinner. On the way home I passed the time of day with a saxophone player at Grant and Post, and passed a Chinese violin player at Market and Ellis who was playing something that sounded a whole lot like "Red River Valley." As I got closer to home I was noticing the bougainvillea in the planters in the plaza, thinking about other places I've lived, with and without bougainvillea. Bougainvillea is important.

Waiting in the mailbox at home: jury summons.


Today's earrings: deer, buffalo

Bedtime reading: Come to Dust, Emma Lathen

Minty!

Right before I went on vacation, I ordered a bunch of books from Amazon. I got back and there they all were... except Joanna Russ's How to Suppress Women's Writing. I thought that was kind of funny, actually, for the first week. Then the bookseller emailed me to ask for feedback on their wares, and I asked them to start a trace for the package. Instead, they refered me to Amazon customer service. I asked them to start a trace. Instead they said they were very sorry and reversed the charge to my debit card. OK, whatever. I ordered another copy, which arrived in good time.

Today the first copy arrived. It was described by the seller as being in "very good" condition. It should have been described as "ex-library (good)." The binding's in fine shape, but there's a card pocket inside, the back cover looks to have rested on a damp surface at some point in the distant past, and it reeks eye-wateringly of peppermint. (The peppermint stench is a new one on me. WTF?)

So now I'm not sure what to do. Or, rather, I know I need to contact Amazon and tell them I've got the book, but should I be trying to send it back, or keep it? And if so, should I be trying for a discount on the grounds of the misclassified condition? Decisions, decisions.

Spelling Bee!

Spelling Bee Dude said "ma-ook-a," and I was like, "huh?" until he said it meant "toward the mountains," at which point I was all, "oh, mauka." Then Spelling Bee Dude said it had no other pronunciations. And I'm all "What!?" Dad said it with two syllables. He even was a native-ish speaker, unlike Spelling Bee Dude. hmph.


Today's earrings: turtles, trees

Bedtime reading: Dragon's Claw, Peter O'Donnell

Secrets of the Patriarchy, Revealed!

Today S told us that whenever a guy sees a woman in a dress, the rule is he's supposed to complement her. Most dresses don't have pockets, you see, and if women are encouraged to wear clothes without pockets, then men get to carry the car keys, and therefore get to decide when they leave the party.


Today's earrings: rockets, school buses

Bedtime reading: The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett

An open letter

Dear people in costume shouting "woo!":

You aren't as lovably zany as you think you are. And the official course is two blocks over. Go "woo!" there.

Love,
iiii

Crowning moments of awesome

First, on Survivor, there was much maneuvering, which culminated with Sandra standing up and saying that she didn't want to go out with the immunity idol in her bra. Then she made a production of pulling it out, while the jury enjoyed Russell's discomfiture in the background.

Then there was the season finale of Supernatural. It culminated with, well, it was pretty much the yellow crayon speech, but with a '67 Impala in place of the crayon. It worked, mate.


Today's earrings: spiders, crows

Bedtime reading: Borrower of the Night, Elizabeth Peters