this was going to be that

Oh, man! I've been trying to write up a book I read ages ago forevah, but I keep getting sidetracked and distracted. I know! so unlike me. Anyway. No book write up tonight! I was going to work on it tonight/tomorrow, but I'm going to be working tomorrow and it's just not going to happen. So, I figured now is the perfect time to finally post this cool picture I took downtown, outside a yarn shop I have yet to go into. (I took this back in June when it was still 50 degrees all the time.) I like the crazy half-burlap dress in the window, and I like the reflection of the building across the street.

I can't wait to get my new camera! (did I mention that the "this" of the post title was going to be made up almost entirely of non-sequiters? Because I think it is.) Anyway, I believe I mentioned here a while back that some fancy Portland ad agency contacted me via flickr about possibly using some of my photos for an Oregon tourism campaign thingie. Well, it turns out they did, and they PAID ME. Woo hoo!! It did not make me Rockefeller (or Hackensacker) rich, but I'm going to get a new camera with the $$. It seems appropriate (and I need a new camera). I haven't decided on what yet, although I'm looking really hard at the Panasonic Lumix cameras. They have a leica lens, they have image stabilization, it will fit in my pocket, the lens is slightly wide-angle (so when I take pictures of things I have taken hundreds of pictures of, they will be a little different), and has slightly more zoom than the standard pocket point and shoot. And really, a point and shoot is all I need right now. I'd love to have a Nikon D-Whatever, but if I can't fit it in my pocket, I'm not going to be using it that much.

Speaking of non-sequiters, I got my very own copy of Lynda Barry's excellent What It Is for my birthday. Not just the book, but color copies of the "word list" in the back in order to make my very own WORD BAG, which is in the top 100 of coolest things ever. (or at least in the top 100 of cool things you cut out and put into bags!!) It's part of the exercise portion of the book -- 4 pages of words which you cut out and put in coin envelopes -- the mystery word envelopes then go into a Word Bag, from which you draw out words and write on that subject for however long. (haven't read all the instructions yet, but was all over cutting things out and putting them in envelopes. This is typical.) My paper nerdery is such that I happened to have enough coin envelopes for all but TWO words. Of course this meant I had to buy another box of coin envelopes! (and some pens and ... ) Anyway, you should at least LOOK at the book because it's really fun and cool, and I'm not just saying that because of Sea-ma the sea monster (who is the "class monitor" and is also very charming with her many eyes and inspiring work-ethic).

I will have more to say about it later, although the word "later" is starting to lose all meaning to me! It's now or never! (at least that's what Elvis said, but can you really take that kind of advice from a man in a rhinestone jumpsuit with a Jungle Room?) Okay. So, it's not now or never. It's LATER, which is not now, but also not never. Right? Right.

NEXT TOPIC: here are three words pulled at random from my Word Bag. Although it's a word box at the moment, because I have them all standing upright in the former box of coin envelopes:

beards
ears
caught

Hmmmm. I'm not really crazy about these words in such close proximity to Elvis and the Jungle Room, but this is how it is tonight in the realm of the non-sequiter. Let me try again:

illness
bully
cake


Speaking of cake: My sister gave me a perfect present for my birthday. It's a pendant made from an old typewriter key -- but not any old typewriter key -- THE INTERROBANG! Which is not only one of my favorite words to bust out on the unsuspecting (because it sounds dirty but is perfectly innocent! What is wrong with you people!?), but also because it is the punctuation that attends my most common response whenever I hear anything even slightly outrageous. (that response is "What!?" I say it a lot while watching the news.) Anyway. It is wonderful! I just have to shorten the chain a little bit, but that is easily done.

I had a really marvelous birthday week. There was raspberry picking, there was a picnic at the park with turtles on a log, there was lebanese lunch with numerology, there was movie-going, there was dinner-having, there was the best of all part of catching up with some people I haven't seen in a while. (best part 2: cutting out four pages worth of words to shove in envelopes!!) I think it's going to be a good year. Oh, wait! I have been told it IS going to be a good year -- no need to wonder. My metaphysically inclined friend informed me that if last year was awful (and in many ways IT WAS), it's because it was a 4 year for me. But this year is a FIVE which means many adventures or something along those lines. I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but it sounded better than 4. (this is also the friend who has visions of me serving in the peace corps (!!!???) and something vague to do with motorcycles, although she really wishes I wouldn't since they are so dangerous. This despite my protestations that the peace corps and the motorcycle are equally unlikely.) I love LOVE love having lunch with her. I should do it more often -- since I'm in a five year, I think I will...