The Blog Tribe And Other Matters

This will be a short one, an olio of items that don't fit anywhere else and are somewhat more newsy in nature than many of my posts. This was going to be a longer thematic post, but I became absorbed in other people's blogs (“down wit' OPB, yeah you know me...”). You guys are fine writers and create interesting web logs, and I spent much of the afternoon getting caught up without writing a lick. Oh well. At least I got to use the word 'olio.' I love words.

First item, Claire (see “Country Mouse Tales” in the sidebar) is feeling a little blue today. If you have the energy, you might want to encourage her a bit. She is one of those people who encourages everyone else; she deserves it herself today. We are one big blog tribe after all, Hilary Clinton notwithstanding, so if you can extend some support, I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

Kat, of pink india ink, has as her blog profile blurb, “Fine, you bitches, I'll use my real name.“ I'm not exactly sure if or how that phrase applies to me, but for the last day or so I've been muttering it sotto voce about once every thirty minutes. I suppose it just sounds good and is somehow appropriate to my mood. It's like a brain parasite, though: you're not sure how it got there, and you're not sure when it's going to leave, but you resign yourself to its presence while it is in residence. Thanks, Kat (which is, apparently, her real name).

I recently misread someone's “interest” in their blog profile. The interest was “baking;” I thought it said “barking.” Needless to say, I momentarily found the person fascinating. Why does she bark? How long has she been a barkist? Is there a club? Can I join? Alas, I looked again and found it was a letter from my wife.

Speaking of blog profile interests, I recently added three to my own profile: reeling, writhing, and fainting in coils. (I am especially good at fainting in coils.) I didn't include ambition, distraction, uglification and derision because I don't think there are many people out there as interested in arithmetic as I am. I hadn't listed any interests in my profile prior to this because there are too many and I didn't see the point in enumerating them. Just read my shit, is what I think. But the three new ones seem eminently suitable.

The big news in the coffee shop where I write is that Garrison Keillor just opened a bookstore right below us in the basement. Today was the first day it was open, as a matter of fact. It's a bookstore. I love bookstores. This one seems like a nice space, and it's good to see all my little paper friends again, and close by in the bargain. Good luck, GK, in your new venture.

Finally, I have to report on a small incident that accurately portrays Hulles in all his glory:

A few evenings ago I was sitting in the aforementioned coffee shop and wrapped up a blog entry of which I was quite proud. I turned to the guy sitting next to me, a complete stranger studying engineering, and said “I'm a fucking good writer!”

The young man just looked at me, smiled a little, and went on working. After another twenty minutes or so, I finally finished the rest work and stood up to leave.

“Okay, I'm leaving, so let's review: What kind of writer am I?”

“You're a fucking genius,” he said without even looking up.

I like that guy.

- Hulles