last day of NOV / im taking flannery o'connor as my personal icon

as well as stevie wonder's 'living for the city.'

it was in the mid-twenties when i left for school at 630am. holy hell.

my neighbors are on the meth & jose & i just witnessed a true south tucson style drop off right from my stoop. we laughed. what else does one do? the meth neighbors recently tore up the metal fence right across the street--tweakers bending metal. wonderful. never a dull moment on rubio which i love. there's a dog wandering around with a wolf head & a weiner dog body. ive a new cat named loki. he really belongs to the tweakers across the street, though i believe they dont look after him. he's kinda the mayor of rubio, but no one seems to like him much cause he's a car-sleeper-on-er--but that small detail has never mattered much.

two and a half more weeks of class. im stoked. it's been a long semester for literally nothing financially. i dont think i broke even, even.

im ready to go home soon. got my ticket booked: dec 22-27. whoop! though i must start doing a lil shopping so as not to be overwhelmed completely in a couple weeks.

hallo december. this year is better than the last.

monday / microdermabrasion-crazy students-coldest nite in 10 or so years-once more to the lake!-&poetry poetry poetry

that's been my day. highlight: sonny's blues & eating, & the skin spectrum. i'm so ready for december. xo--

sat / lounge-taco shop needs-yuma sitting-bivouac sat-show the guns-veggie burrito needs-love-lalalalalala-baby it's cold outside

wed nite. grl time & cooking. nail painting. down time. much needed.

i had a lovely thanksgiving w/ n at his aunt amy's house. we then popped over to mms for dessert & coffee & wine. very lowkey day which i enjoyed. we watched the kids are alright. drank wine on the couch.

yesterday i cleaned & planted stuff & chilled out & played w/ yuma the kitten a lot. went to matt's show--he's a pretty amazing drummer-went to dinner at the garter w/ n yeah yeah-went to the western to meet up w/ dan & his hoes but nobody sang any karaoke. i fell asleep on the couch w/ my head on n's lap.

tonite is movie nite w/ mm. i am stoked.

much needed time off is so dern nice.

tues / lucero stew love lilies laundry catsitting love nap car tires fixed neighbors cupcakes / tues

last nite n & i went to see lucero. ben nicols played the mama song. both n & i thought of you mama.

sunday / singing wind fiesta / out in benson in the middle of nowhere / grls day

drew came over last nite to chill w/ me whilst i was grading. i heart drew krew. this morning, early early for a sunday morning for me, i picked up ms annie & we went to benson to the singing wind bookstore to see mm give a presentation on 'the chuck bowden reader' that she edited. just a tiny wee out of town i realized the slow leak in my tire had me rendered nearly flat so we had to air up the tire. quite a process--then onto benson. ocotillo road, cross a cattle guard, turn right, down a dirt road past tractors & cows & horses, i felt i was going home almost! we parked in the pasture & hopped a fence & we had made it...to the famous ole singing wind bookstore. wyn & joe do this thanksgiving fiesta-type thing where there were 8 authors reading from new books on the southwest--& mm was next to last of course! a lot of it was a snooze fest w/ dear vicky & danny singing some desert tunes or some sort in between the audience feasting on a fine spread. veggie chili, chips, guac, salsa, etc & then too rich desserts & stuffs. gabbie giffords was there yes. that's our congress woman for tucson. she's cool. annie & i had fun. deanne stillman was there in pink lipstick & all around fabulousness, so was nancy. most imp, mm did a jam up job presenting. she's quite a natural & i thoroughly enjoyed watching her do her thing.

home now. finished grading. lazed up w/ grita--(shout!) happy.

one covet

free people harness harley boots by jeffrey campbell

friday / laze cook grade love

i like friday. i just successfully made my first indian curry. something of a tomatoey/garlicky/saag which both n & i thought was pretty dern good.

last nite was an all gals potluck at mms--me & mm, giovanna, & annie. i fried okra & made some delish mashed potatoes. im a cooking machine no? we had a ball last nite.

here are some of lyla g's one year old pics recently taken. here is one mama's pics of southern decor down in ga--scarecrows & stuff out in the yard. love it.

tues / two good classes / staying afloat / and happy

just got back from mms--had yea ole shrimp creole & cornbread & some cava, yes cava.

im sore today cause last nite i worked out at the y for an hour.

local tucson poet kim nelson asked me to blurb her book, which i've done & enjoyed thoroughly.

what else? im happy. i have flowers in the kitchen--roses & tulips & they're lovely & from someone special who's lovely. just picked up another comp section--this one at the downtown campus--a nite class, of course. not at any point in my next semester will i be waking at 5am. no i will not, not ever. i like to hustle but all that must occur after ten or so.

this is a george orwell kind of week.

this opens my endless season of grading til dec. 16.

this is me happy ms ellie is coming from germany, & my house is so clean right now. here is for creativity. here is a time of folding inward cause it's cold out, for graciousness. here is for healing. now is for introspection & also now is for joy.

sun / c'mon vikings jeeeez / jog & cooking day

i do love a sunday but this football season is just getting me down. and i don't like to be got down by my team's struggles. lawd.

i've been grading all weekend & doing class prep stuff. today i went for a long jog & listened to lucero on my ipod, running running, & it's a lil cold out. but i feel good. i had some homestyle potatoes for dinner & a lil yellow curry of shrimp, garlic, & spinach atop a big ole salad. and vit c & hot tea all day to keep healthy. i'm doing good mamacita--sorry i havent blogged as much, but it's that crunch time in the semester where the end is in sight but still so much to do.

tomorrow my 102 will be reading the infamous "Lust" by Minot (& watching a lil stealing beauty...the snippet w/ portishead's 'glory box' playing in the background...woooo!) & to counterbalance that feminine coming-of-ageness, some war poems from Wilfred Owen--i like his work & can easily remember back to when i was studying at uga & first seeing his work...didnt like it then, at all. but i do now.

sat / ms dani's shower / chilly out / coal miner's daughter on the telly : your mama's a doggone songwriter

just got back from danielle & chris's baby shower for their forthcoming little bundle of joy who's going to be a lil boy. an eli they're thinking. it was a beautiful shower--dr seuss themed--& i brought a big ole cake--chocolate with raspberry filling.

satchel just appeared for glam. couldnt find her earlier.

to be the more photogenic michi, she doesnt look thrilled.

tues is beaut but quite cold yeah

just got back from mm's office doing class stuff for tomorrow. im doing well. grita is a lap cat & a squirrel. lyla g wants a sleep sheep & annie takes pics w/ such nice lite. tomorrow is zora neale hurston day & peer revision & grading & some sweetness too. im quite happy.

mon / bumming around / missus g is bumming around / sweatpants nite yes!

remember this song (laura little)?

	Danny Schmidt - Girlwhiskey
	Found at Girlwhiskey on Duck.fm

sun / all souls parade / best pics

sun / slept from 2am til 2pm / feel so much better / all souls parade day ... i love i love

pics from last nite:





my new pal annie has made me the absolute best mixed cd--& it has a unicorn sticker on it. i am so loving it that i dont even have football on. what!?! good music sunday. bravo for sunday. parade sunday. all souls sunday. love on this sunday. vikes did kick some ass on this sunday. whoop!

my reading w/ anselm last nite was real cool. i enjoyed him very much--his work & his person. thanks so much to POG for having us both read together. thank you to my boss at pima nw steven salmoni for giving me the best intro ever. dont ever know quite how to read after such amazing introductions...it's mind-blowing really. i thinks it went well. everyone was there--mm, danielle, deanne, jessica, neil, adrienne & susan, kristen, julia, noah, andrew brown, nick, drew krew, mike & annie, renee & sol, brent & kate, & lots of other wonderfuls. after reading we all went to the red g for drinks, & then we popped over to plush to have a drink w/ renee & sol. then home early-ish to sleep. i was very very tired from stress/anxiety of public reading. but such good times, & such good sleep.

did i say the vikes won?

did i say all souls parade is today?

My reading is this Saturday / w Anselm Berrigan / i hope to see yall there!

dia de los muertos

or, day of the dead. a day of remembrance for those gone on. my naybor Jose is having a party/vigil-type thing he's wanting me to attend--im tired though. classes everyday make me wonked out of my mind. body says rest. i will light my altar candles for those passed, though. and i will attend the parade this weekend. pics soon.

hallo november! / monday / arent we all blessed?

yes, it's november & yes, i'd say blessed. here's paul bunyan:



actually this is peacock, my best friend since i was a kid. he didnt really have to do too much to be paul bunyan. but i think it's a good fit. i like november. am glad october is over--that long long month that feels esp longer cause of the dark sooner & weather, thankfully for scorched desert-dwellers, changing. this past summer was the longest summer of my life. im winter ready. im november ready.

im enjoying my 8 week WRT 102 section. it's rapido, rapido but im enjoying it thoroughly. my students are "on-it." a nice change.

in other news: christian peet has a new chappie out today from interbirth books. it's called 'pluto: never forget.' it's the second installation of 'the nines.' everyone should get a copy. whoop!