He just died. Still warm. Not struggling anymore. I wasn't supposed to get here till Tuesday. He liked that I always remembered his birthday.

Last weekend, we went to Chicago to see Wild Flag. On the way back to Iowa, we stopped to see The Farnsworth House.

Yesterday, I made ( The Simsworth House: )

I am officially 100% sterilized. Finally. It's taken about a year and it's been painful and stressful... I am hopped up on percocet and busy planning things for our trip to New York City on Saturday.

I figured that I would give up on Livejournal around the time I turned 30, and other than snarking on ONTD, I pretty much have. I am sad about it because I have met some amazing people on here. I'm so bad at making friends. It was easier on the computer.

Yeah, I'm watching Nicolas Cage movie. This was before he totally went off the deep end.

I need to take a nap. I need to pack for the trip. I need to plan dinner. I need to take a nap. I need to get a pedicure. I need to take a nap.

Third time's a charm? We'll know in three months.

For now, I'll ride this Percocet/Valium train into the sunset...

It felt weird to uninstall The Sims 2. The Sims 3 people are too blobby for my liking... but the game is so much faster. So... onward and upward.

Here is Beatrix, our eldest daughter.

She looks like Alison Pill.

Now I want to watch Scott Pilgrim.

Sometime ago (winter before last I think?), I was approached by Annie with the news that I was being asked to help with a very special project.

The news was that Douglas Coupland had been chosen to do 2010's Massey Lectures in Canada, and he wanted his fans to help. There is a core group of fans who were all on a mailing list (Remember those? I made so many friends on Words + Guitar.) who knew each other, and everyone on that list (called Campers) was asked to help. Annie asked me to help too, since I founded microserfs, which used to be fairly busy and vibrant back before livejournal died.

The project was to go through all of Doug's book and to select quotes/aphorisms that struck one as being "Couplandesque." We were trying to help him find the major themes of his work, which would assist him in finding the story for his lectures. I worked on a chapter of Microserfs (TrekPolitiks, I think), I was on the Eleanor Rigby team, and I tackled "jPod" the teevee show with one other person.

It was fun and exciting to have an awesome project to work on. It was an honor to be asked, and a thrill to help with whatever the eventual result was going to be. Ever since I read Microserfs the summer before 10th grade, Douglas Coupland has been my favorite writer.

Last month, Douglas Coupland gave his lectures, and now they're available online for your listening pleasure. You can get them here through Sunday. They're also on iTunes but I don't use iTunes, so no link.

The lectures ended up being a novel, and check out this acknowledgments page:


I can't even describe how it feels to have my name and the names of several e-buddies on the thank you page of my favorite author's latest book. It was enough when our names were listed on the website for a short while, but this was unexpected and a little breathtaking.

I didn't get to go to the lectures, but several Campers did, and erinaf was RAD enough to get a signed copy for me.

I fucking love the internet.

Giving Wacker Drive an upskirt.

What is the best record store in Chicago?

I made enchiladas y frijoles for dinner and we watched Stand and Deliver, which is a movie that I love and have not seen in forever. I've been missing my family and that movie was shot at my dad's high school and I just wanted to watch a bunch beaners do math. Also, it was nice for Andy to finally see a movie that I quote quite often. We're watching Cable Guy next. I can't believe that he hasn't seen it yet. Sheesh.

Anyway, here is our tree:

I'm still in love with the turquoise and red color scheme.

Also, I got a new prescription and new glasses. And I cut my bangs:

I'm really glad that I like how I look without makeup. Because makeup is expensive and I would rather sleep that extra ten minutes.


Merry Christmas, everyone!

Halloween.

Tomorrow I am buying tickets to see U2 in Philadelphia next summer. The plan is that Andy and I will also visit New York and Washington on this trip. And Mill Run, Pennsylvania (with a possible jaunt to Pittsburgh, it depends on train schedules).

I am excited because I'll get to see polianarchy and rfd. Also, my vacation won't be at the end of the year.

That being said, timing dictates that I won't be able to go home for Comic-Con next year. Again. I'm ok with that, I guess.

This was after we went to the Dred Shed. Bad times.

It's almost vacation time!

I've made my list of what to pack. I bought a nice new suitcase that will hopefully last more than 1 trip like all the others.

I will be on a plane to Las Vegas Thursday night and I will see U2 (and the Black Eyed Peas?!) Friday evening. Then I'll be home in San Diego on Sunday afternoon. I get to see Amanda on Monday! I will get to see the ocean, I will get to relax, I will get to exhale. I'll miss Andy, but I think solo vacations do us good. He already had his in May.

My little cellular phone died. I don't have anyone's number anymore. I lost all my pictures and texts.

I don't feel too bad about it.

Back home, to the part of the country where autumn has arrived. There are leaves all over the place; raindrops too.

Flurry of activity in the apartment... getting ready to head down south tomorrow for ateolf and absolution's wedding on Saturday. Then we'll head to Louisiana to visit one of Andy's good friends.

Finally, vacation season is starting. Tomorrow at noon. See you on the road!

It was magnificent, it truly was.

And now I am 29.

Tonight Andy and I are heading into near-Chicago (Oakbrook Terrace, I think) and then tomorrow we will head into town, have fun, see U2, etc.

Too Beautiful To Live was canceled. I'm pretty upset about it. It will live on as a podcast, but that's a big step down.

With all the badness in my gut at the moment, I am glad that I got tickets for actual seats at next week's U2 concert. I can't imagine standing in GA with people rubbing against me. Well, I can imagine it, and it's no fun.

Next week! I wonder who's opening.

Can you see how utterly thrilled I am that The Last Days of Disco is being given a Criterion Collection release? Better yet, the cover of the DVD has the art from the cover of Whit Stillman's novelization of the movie, The Last Days of Disco with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards.

Tuesday can't get here soon enough!

Next weekend: male strippers and roller derby.

I listen to a radio show podcast every day at work. It's called Too Beautiful to Live and it's kind of awesome. I've been listening for about a year and a half now, almost since it began. Ira Glass described it as Luke Burbank's attempt at re-inventing talk radio. If I were to describe it, I would say it's a pleasant diversion, it's listening to three reasonably intelligent people talk about pop culture and the minutiae of their lives. It's right up my alley.

Anyway, since it's a different kind of talk show, instead of taking calls and hearing rants about politics, they make calls to listeners and talk about... the minuatiae of their lives. It's very navel-gazey, but I like it.

All this to set up the fact that I was on the show last night! Andy and I were watching Top Chef and my phone rang, and I had a pleasant conversation with Luke, and to a lesser extent, Sean. Sadly for me, Jen was on vacation.

If you want to listen, download this mp3. My call starts at about the 25 minute mark. I would suggest giving the show a try; go ahead and download all of Wednesday night's extravaganza.

If you go to this page, all of the recent shows are there for the taking. The show is 3 hours a night, and the podcast is split into hour-long segments, minus commercials for the most part.


If you listen, this photo will make a little more sense.

Mr. Shucks and I go way back.

Last week, I had to go to Philadelphia on a business trip.


I got there Thursday night, and Poliana showed me around for a bit.

( Philadelphia is a food town. )

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Philadelphia. It was really great and really exhausting.

More later, I promise. Now it's time to rest.

RIP, PYT.