far too much writing, far too many photos

runswithscissors


Tuesday, September 28, 2004

After the exceptionally early appearance of autumn color in the first half of August, the month began sliding downhill in the direction of September, the weather changed from frequent rain to bright, summery, far more user-friendly. The result: the gathering of color seemed to slow to a snail's pace. Until four or five days ago, when something jump-started it again. Since then, it's been steadily shifting into high gear, producing the kind of color display that gives Vermont its reputation as the leaf-peepers' Mecca.

E. Montpelier, VT



Looking out any window here has become dangerous (forget walking outside). Forward motion slows, I stare about, amazed, all mental activity halting while I absorb the spectacular visual input. And that, in fact, reflects my general state of being during this last week -- drifting through the days, quiet, abstracted. Off in my own little universe. A state driven home earlier today in the locker room at the gym when the conversation around me consisted almost entirely of sports (the Red Sox and the annual Red Sox fan suffering-fest as the team implodes) and politics. I am largely out of the popular-culture loop, which has suited me just fine. Now and then I turn on the radio -- if what I hear concerns politics, I switch immediately to music. Or kill the stereo completely. Now and then I stumble across a sporting event on the tube -- I may watch a little, but mostly I go right on by. Baseball? Football? Out of the loop. European fútbol? Out of the loop (though I notice if I snoop around the sports page of Spanish newspapers, stories about certain Spanish fútbol teams get my attention in a way that suggests I may be watching some sports when I return to Madrid in November). La Vuelta (Spain's version of the Tour de France)? Pretty much out of the loop.

Et cetera. You get the idea.

And that's the story of this last week -- drifting through my days, doing what needs to be done, not motivated toward high-level productivity in any way. My nights are packed with dreams, with adventures, non-stop activity, and big-budget productions. (Which might explain in part the low-key nature of what's passed for my waking state -- I've gotta rest sometime.) I remember images, some faces, nothing more, haven't felt inclined to try to bring more than that back with me. (A moment I remember: me in a car, going in reverse at high speed -- passing a cop car going in the other direction, two startled uniforms staring as I go by. My velocity high enough that when they change direction, they're unable to catch me.)

The days do bring small events -- contact was finally made with the person who's mistakenly given out this page's email address during a nearly two week long website registration binge. [See entry of September 20.] I'd sent her a note via snail mail eight or nine days ago, then notified Google of what was going on. She didn't learn of the mistake through either of those attempts. Instead, a friend of hers from somewhere in this area happened across this page, thought the person I wrote about might be her, let her know. (What are the odds she'd know someone in Vermont who would clue her in?) All accumulated mail was forwarded to her, we exchanged notes, she seems like a good person. She also seems to still be giving out this address -- each time another piece of mail shows up, I forward it with what I hope is a gentle reminder to straighten things out.

Normalcy will reassert itself. Soon.

This weekend will bring a brief trip to the Boston area for a bout of hobnobbing with friends. I imagine that will plug me back into the world at large to some degree. In the meantime, I continue drifting through these days, Vermont looking its most idyllic.

Calais, VT



By the way, a brief piece from this journal has been included in the current Virtual Occoquan. Go read it.


Madrid, te echo de menos.

rws 3:03 PM [+]
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BLATHERINGS

August 2001
September 2001
October 2001
November 2001
December 2001
January 2002
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
June 2009
July 2009

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


MORE FOCUSED BLATHERINGS


Travels:
London '01
Pamplona
Italy '03
U.K. '03
Sevilla
Casablanca
Stoke-on-Trent
Barcelona
Québec/Ottawa
Boston/Lisbon/Madrid
Italy '04
Montréal
La Sierra

Events:
Madrid -- arrival
9/11
Emergency Room I
Holidays 2001
Holidays 2002
Holidays 2003
Holidays 2004
Holidays 2005
A neighbor's passing
Madrid -- March 11 bombings
  and aftermath
Emergency Room II
Israeli friend/Madrid Marathon
Madrid -- Royal Wedding
The DELE exam

GONE, a novel:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

THE BASTARD CHILDREN OF
JOE ROCCO, a novella:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3

BURBANK SHRUGGED,
a screenplay:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3
-- Part 4

Short stories:
Murphy's Wife
Another Autumn
La Queja de Una
  Hermanastra Muy Conocida

Autobiography
-- Personal History
-- Hormones On Parade
-- Accidents, Random Mishaps,
    Personal Problems

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


OTHER SOURCES OF WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

People/Weblogs:
dooce
foxvox
fudge it
fear not
rebekka
bookslut
802online
idle words
madhaiku
wockerjabby
grow-a-brain
rebel market
letting me be
out and about
kung fu grippe
fanatical apathy
baghdad burning
wfuv's music blog
kexp's music blog
mimi smartypants
between the miles
just a hippie gypsy
the impossible cool
tomato can brushes
vermont homestead
sugar mountain farm

Good Clean Fun:
gizmodo
futurismic
postsecret
dave barry
human clock
mcsweeney's
spaceweather
book-a-minute
internet archive
self-portrait day
my cat hates you
out of context quotes
surrealist compliment
  generator
strindberg and helium

Makin' Musical Whoopee:
last fm
stereo8
pandora
soma fm

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


ABOUT RWS/CONTACT





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runswithscissors would like to thank everyone who's ever lived for everything they've ever done.



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