october 2006

I made some tentative efforts yesterday to get excited about going out last evening. So tentative that instead of going over to the Castro last night with a friend, I opted for going home early, and reading in bed. What am I reading now? Good question: Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. Aren't you glad you asked?

I did manage to have some less tentative moments this weekend, however. One cheer for me! Friday, I left work early and got to Kryolan over on 9th Street, where I chatted with one of my favourite people behind the counter and bought a little glimmering eyeshadow. I then walked on over to Polk and Sutter for a new pair of (red) shoes from Foot Worship, before strolling back downtown to catch the BART home.

Next weekend, though, I have to be even less tentative. Next Sunday brings the last of this year's half-day sittings at Berkeley Zen Center. No makeup, no heels, no wig, also no mind and no not sitting needed. Just no sleeping in late, like the laziest buddhist in the world.

One more thing. I recommend you listen to Bruce Sterling's closing keynote speech from Idea 2006 which you can get here.

I just finished reading Natalie Goldberg's The Great Failure, her book on coming to terms with the human-ness of two men in her life, her father, and her teacher, Dainin Katagiri Roshi. I haven't read anything by her prior to this, although I have noticed her writing book, Writing Down the Bones on the bookshelves before. I saw a bit about it on David Chadwick's cuke.com site and was interested enough to track it down at the library. I've been trying to read more books about Buddhism lately, trying to compensate for being such a lazy buddhist of the "no sitting, no mind" school, I guess. (Actually, I do mind – Western guilt mind machine at work!)

In any case, I found the book helpful, her writing style easy and confessional, with it giving a good sense of her own personal growth and perspective along the time-span of the book. It probably helped me to finish it by the book being a library book. Nothing like a deadline, right? I liked this particular passage:

Every once in a while I get tired of tying myself in to knots. How about you?

I wandered over to the park behind Berkeley City Hall yesterday, accompanying one of my favourite people. We caught a glimpse of Al Gore, in town to speak out in favour of Prop 87. I generally believe Gore to be a decent person, but I am not overly enthusiastic about spending much of my time as part of a crowd, in the sun, listening to political speeches (unless it's at some Pride week event, and even then I'm not big on speeches). So, I split back to work after he uttered a few sentences in the wonderful Tennessee accent of his. Sorry about that Al. I'm sure you gave a good speech. Lest I be tagged a cynic, I am hopeful that there will be some positive changes after the election, just not expecting miracles.

Via LinkMachineGo, the Guardian has an interview with Alison Bechdel regarding Fun Home!

O...I missed the Sisters' Trike Race this weekend. Damn! Link to some cool photos (dig the fabulous tattoo!) via boingboing.

Recently, I restarted twice monthly sessions with my favourite therapist. I hadn't realised just how much I missed engaging with her, until we actually got going. I think she thought I was trying for humour, when I apologised at the end for talking through the whole session...

It had been several years since we had last gotten together, and while I perhaps had a touch of anxiety about the first of the new sessions, the anxiety evaporated immediately in her presence.

Additionally, I was happy to be able to bring her a copy of Alison Bechdel's newish book, Fun Home, which is a book I enjoyed immensely and one I like to turn my friends...and my therapist...on to.

Since I enjoyed the book so much, and admire her work, and since I've lately been spending such a great deal of my non-work time on flickr, I was also tickled to find that she has a flickr site as well.