football season . . .

. . . means that the weekend news gets the shaft. But I am not bitter. I know the news: the world's in a shithole, and we're having weather.

I realize that lately my blog entries may be reflecting a rather, shall we say, morose outlook on life. Au contraire! Various good things that have been going on in no particular order:

1. Finished grading, and if I can get my act together the rest of the evening I will be done with all my weekend homework. (Homework is not the best word to use for grad school stuff, but whatever.)

2. Read the most delightful short essay by Lori Soderlind entitled "66 Signs That the Former Student Who Invited You to Dinner Is Trying to Seduce You" which had me laughing out loud at several points. I was in B&N, so I went ahead and bought it. She unfolds the story by numbering - like Barthelme in his glass mountain short story. This style gives great weight to the irony and humor. Must try it.

3. Figs are still in the store.

4. Have been writing a lot of poems lately.

5. There will be something besides Lawrence Welk on television tonight. Of course, I won't be watching, but I like the TV on for background noise. But all those flashy blue suits and bubbles bouncing around the stage are very distracting. I don't do well with silence when I am trying to work. I like cafes, bookstores, the lake, beach; places where there is constant noise. The best sleep I had this summer was in Munich, in this little dive hotel with these huge windows that opened to the noise below. Munich doesn't sleep at night. It was great.

So there we have it. Five things. All good things. Also reading Chuck Palahniuk's book of essays Stranger Than Fiction. It is the first thing I have read by him, and yes, I know, Fight Club is on my list. I loved the movie. Brad Pitt does indeed rock. And yes, my new mission in life is to write a great book that Hollywood wants to option and cast Brad in. After all, it happened to Chuck, it could happen to me. (Don't be all judgmental on me now. This would be for purely altruistic reasons. My mother wants to meet him.)

Onto more reading and poetical analysis!