Personal Perestróĭka

You can order the films my boss has made online. Because we’re a non-profit we essentially accept donations for them. Yesterday a woman went online, donated and then 25 minutes after she’d done so sent me the following email:

cut for all-caps shouting

When I drove to work this morning, not only was it lightly raining, but the temp was below 80°F!! I can’t remember I was so excited about temps in that range. And possible thunderstorms today and tomorrow! So exciting. And also tragic. Mostly because it’s absurd how much I care about the weather lately and also because I’m getting excited about what is basically normal weather.

Girls, it’s supposed to be in the low 90s in Arkansas this weekend, but really cooling off at night (maybe even in the 60s WHEEEEEEEE!), so pack accordingly.

daft, soon I will have you! YAY! Also, smonsterbite, luluminion, coiledsoul and onelittlesleep, girls!!!! It’s DAYS away. Arkansas here we come! You will never be the same after. I’m not sure if I mean you girls or I mean Arkansas. Hmmmm…

Driving home tonight the moon was giant coppery disc. There’s nothing bad about that. Ever. The moon is always made of goodness.

I feel like I might explode or perhaps, less dramatically, just fall into a million little pieces as I’m walking around. Work stress, probably hormones as well, maybe the impending full moon (and total lunar eclipse). I haven’t slept at all well in several days and I have pretty unpleasant dreams when I do sleep.

This morning had maybe a hint of fall in the air. Partly I’m sure because of all the dead leaves from the drought, but mostly because it was actually reasonably cool enough (85°F at 9 am, still sort of UGH) that I could drive to work with the windows down and not arrive covered in sweat. Although cool temps don’t mean too much if we don’t get some damn rain. This image of the drought is fairly distressing. Although I guess it sort of proves how bad the drought really has been. Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia have been really, really fucked this year by the weather. Someday soon I’ll stop going on about the weather, but not today. Here is a link from the National Weather Service:

To put the recent heat wave in perspective the 15 days of 100 degrees and above in Nashville this month is more than twice what occurred in the previous 15 years. From 1991 to 2006 Nashville only had 6 days of 100 degrees and above.

Have y’all seen the blog for the Fightin’ 6th Marines? They are deployed in Fallujah and have lots of great photos and such. It’s hard to tell how much of it is real and how much is propaganda, but it’s a good read nontheless.

I feel like I haven’t done anything but complain about the heat for weeks. But honestly it’s completely melted my brain. Over 100°F temps for 14 of the 24 days of August? Worst drought in 100 years? The combination makes me MISERABLE. This story says we can only be saved by a huge hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast and maintaining tropical storm status until it hits us. Gosh, that sounds so positive! I hope the hurricane doesn’t do any damage on it’s way up to wind down here. *rolls eyes*

Poor Holly! She got here literally in the worst of it. And all the old timers are calling for a hideous winter on the heels of this summer. At least she has me, though, right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Today’s song has not much to do with heat, just I’ve had it stuck in my head for like a week. Her Majesty – The New Tragedies (click to download). Really, I’m not even sure what this song is about, but it sounds like vaguely lonely past heartbreak to me. And go knows the heat is making me emo enough to want to wallow in such sentiments. I wonder if the heat will be what finally, permanently sends me over the edge.

For breakfast I am having potato chips, iced coffee and a nectarine.

The heatwae shows no sign of breaking for the next week, but apparently all the temps will drop 25 degrees as soon as September hits. WEIRD.

Now I need to go do a little work so I can break and write rhiannonhero some emails to cheer her up.

Will I learn my lesson and stop listening to NPR before it gives me aneurysm? Probably not. Today reporting on Orleans Parish prison an dhow bad it is since Katrina, they touched in how it’s always been one of the worst prisons in the country, even pre-Katrina. Hmmm, really? And that’s all you have to say on it, NPR, besides sensationalizing the dramatically bad conditions inside the prison? No mention of the poverty in that region and how the treatment of prisoners and quality of prisons is related to the economics of the area it’s in? Nicely done, jackasses.

Hi, the humidity is coming back! This makes me oddly happy. I mean sure I’ll complain about it, but at least it’s normalcy and not bizarre, global climate change induced, scary, desert like weather, ya know?

Holly is here which is super happy making. Although it’ll be ever more super awesome when there aren’t boxes to be moved in the heat, or unpacking and organizing to be done. It’s like all the work of moving, without actually moving. Ack. Well, I mean, obviously Hols moved, but on our end. Of course we love her, so we will work to have her here.

I haven’t been posting much. Hmm, ask me anything and I will answer.

It’s finally raining in Nashville. It hasn’t rained in weeks. I feel like a salamander that been drying out on rock in the sun that might actually be revived.

It’s coming down in huge sheets. The driveway is fast becoming a lake. I couldn’t be more pleased. Maybe the heat will break for a few days too.

GLEE.

The real problem with America is portable breakfast foods. In Europe I can go down to the corner and get a lovely croissant of sorts filled with spinach and cheese or a delicious meat-filled pasty. In the US I go to a coffee shop and it’s all cake, overly sweet muffins and doughnuts. Also there are not enough good savory treats widely available. Chips are good, but I want more options. Nutrition bars and such should come in salty or savory flavors not just sweet ones.

More importantly HOLS IS IN THE HOUSE!!! Yes, she arrived today, while I was at work. The J & K household is now the H, J & K household. Starting today everything is new again! WHEEEE! I guess we need a pet who’s name starts with “I”??? HIJK…

My boss’s little pixie-cutie daughter is in the office today. She’s standing behind me as I write this, asking me questions about all the things on my desk. Fortunately she’s two so she can’t read that I’m not really working.

—

I’ve been thinking about blogging lately. I know a lot of you have migrated to other services besides LJ and many of you have said it’s better because you feel freer to say whatever you want, less scrutinized perhaps.

I’ve been thinking for a long time about anonymously setting up camp somewhere else, blogspot or vox or something, an assumed name, no identifying biographical information. I find I like talking to lots and lots of people, sharing music etc. but actually knowing my audience really limits what I’m willing to write about. I often compose long posts (in my head) that never make it down because they are full of things I might be comfortable saying to any number of you, individually on the phone, but putting it out publicly seems somehow too exposing.

I suspect it’s not surprising to any of my real life friends that I want to talk endlessly, but not about anything personal, or that I want anonymity in discussing anything emotional. I’m sure this a failing of some sort on my part, but really, do I care? Naw.

So, I started typing this, just to comment on my recent thoughts about a new blog where no one knows me. In the course of typing it, I’ve been stopping every few sentences and poking around online and getting a new place set up. I don’t know if I’ll really use it. Or if I do if it’ll interfere in my sporadic, disconnected posting over here.

It’s an experiment, as today launches a significant, though positive change in my life (more on that later today if I have time), I think it’s good time to start journaling for no audience and see what happens. And, yeah, I could do it like on paper, but the exhibitionistic nature of the internet is sort of addicting, so I’ll just stick with that.

This morning a caller into the radio said, “I don’t know the answer to that. That’s like asking how much water is in a bucket. Who knows? I can’t figure that.”

SERIOUSLY?

How much water is a bucket is impossible to determine? What the motherfucking fuck? Is this a common adage that I’m just unfamiliar with? Ugh.

Okay, y’all have to hear this, MASH UP – General Public’s “Tenderness” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella” (click to download).

Embarrassingly enough I heard it on CBC earlier and I can not stop listening to it.

Song of the day is the Magnetic Fields – I Think I Need a New Heart (click to download).

Something is clearly wrong with me. I’ve been listening to KEXP all morning and the ridiculous indie rock songs are resonating in my

. Clearly I’m either having a psychotic break, or perhaps I’m just getting soft in my old age. Or maybe it’s just hard to be me, to be all stolidly hip and opinionated all the time. I need a break.

On NPR this morning they were discussing whether Rudy Giuliani is a viable candidate in the South. A few people argued that he was, that people would overlook his stance on social issues (abortion, gay rights etc.) in favor of his “toughness” and, most importantly his perceived ability to beat Hilary. Interestingly the Southern Baptist guy said that he could never vote for Giuliani for moral reasons, but that if both candidates were pro-choice then the abortion issue would be completely off the table and that evangelical voters would decided on other issues like economic justice and that more would probably lean toward the Democratic side on those issues.

Personally my idea of hell contains a Giuliani v. Clinton presidential race. Fuck, I might vote for Nader again under those circumstances. Heh. Well, it does seem awful in any case. I’ve started turning ovr possible candidate combinations in my head now and that way surely lies madness. I mean Thompson (should he step up) v. Obama seems unwinnable on the Democratic side. Mitt Romney V ANYONE EVER would make me vote against Romney. Man, he gives me the willies. And I see looking now there’s some more Republican candidates I need to read up on. And I’m still behind Richardson as the guy I want to represent me. Although I guess I should be paying more attention to the Democratic candidates so when it comes to time to back one who might actually win, I’ll know who to switch too.

Now, I’ve depressed myself. Or maybe I just need coffee before I start thinking about politics? Everyone just elect me King of the Pirates and I’ll sail off and forget all this shit.

Am happy. There is joy in the world.

Y’all, don’t ever let me forget that, okay?

Also:

Oregon was awesome. The wedding was gorgeous, I hope to have pics up soon. But the weather, oh the weather! I got cold!! I had to put on sweater. It was dreamtastic. Now back in middle Tennessee where it’s already sweltering. Though, thus far, shaping to perhaps be not as hot as last week.

Highlights (outside the wedding) include my cousin Pilot and I going to get eggs in my aunts Miata. We took the scenic route. Hey now, on a beautiful, perfect summer day, there’s nothing wrong with driving back country roads 40 miles each way to get a dozen eggs. Pilot and I also went and ate at the Burger Hut, the local diner my grandparent used to take us too. It’s been remodeled but the food and staff are still the same.

It was weird going back there, there’s a house where my grandfather’s garden used to be. Someone else lives in my grandparent’s house. The farm out back is a housing development now. The park my grandfather donated to the city just isn’t kept up and I’m surprised how old it all looks, since it was built in my lifetime.

Seeing everyone was wonderful. I miss my family. (And hey, Pilot is going to be in Pensacola for flight school in a few weeks, so at least I’ll have some family in driving distance.) Spending days in airports and on planes not so great, although I need to remember to fly through Vegas all the time. Way better than Dallas or Denver.

Now my nose is running (from delayed allergies or airport plague, I’m not sure) and I’m way behind on work. Why can’t I just travel all the time? I think I’d like that better than this sitting at desk thing. More as I remember and I get caught up here.

I’m off to PDX for the weekend. I won’t be checking email or anything, so call me if you need me, otherwise I’ll see y’all next week.