Thanks to KBL for this one.

Obviously I have some work to do (Entire continents I haven't been to yet!), though I'd like to think that my domestic travel isn't too shabby. I've been to only 6% of the world, but 52% of the states.




create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide




create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide


Reading:

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Chabon
Lolita - Nabokov

I am mostly reading Nabokov because the ever-influential KBL posted this link, which is so much nerdy fun I can't stand it. You type in an author and it gives you a really cool map of authors that readers of that author tend to also like. The closer they are to each other, the more likely it is that you will like both of them. So Marquez and Nabokov were right on TOP of each other and I took it as a sign that since as far as I'm concerned, Marquez can fart and make it poetic, I should probably read me some Nabokov. So I went to the library near my office and picked up a copy of Lolita. I tried to choose another book, because I thought Lolita seemed like such an obvious choice, but then I thought of my boyfriend Sting singing about "that book by Nabokov" and I figured that in order to send out some good positive thoughts about the possible Police reunion I keep hearing about, I would start with Lolita. I think it's working because The Man sent me a linky-link this morning saying that they are going to be performing at the Grammys in a few weeks. Maybe if I finish the book, they will announce that they are coming here. I imagine that the moment I finish the book, Sting will be meditating and hear a little "ding" in the back of his head, call up his pals and say, "Boys, I dunno why, but I suddenly feel compelled to take our act to Cleveland."

A girl can dream.

Meanwhile Lolita is creepy but compelling.


Hearing:

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

I got a copy of Michigan for The Man for Christmas and I keep meaning to borrow (steal, whatever) it so I can put it on my work computer, but then, there are so many things I mean to do. Today it will have to be Illinois. Not that I am complaining. Please give this guy a listen, would you?


Playing:

Violin - opera duets arranged for two cellos (and orchestra, obviously)

Erhu - Follow You, Follow Me (I am rocking the keyboard solo)

Mandolin - Losing My Religion


Needing:

Advil.

My neck has been misbehaving somewhat lately. Nothing like last year when I was completely immobilized for weeks (God and yoga practice willing, I will never be that way again). I think it's that I am adjusting to my new pillow, which - holy crud, is something else I have to thank KBL for. When we visited her in Tokyo we slept on buckwheat pillows. I fell in love with them and wanted one ever since. A few weeks ago, we were at Bed, Bath and Major Life Decisions and The Man found me a 40 dollar buckwheat pillow on clearance for 18. I absolutely love this pillow but I feel like my neck is reorganizing itself on a cellular level, which is hard work and sometimes it feels sore from the effort. But I am sleeping like I never have before. I didn't realize how often I was waking up during the night because of neck pain and numbness in my arms. Until it went away. I think I understand a little bit now what it must have been like for The Man when he got his C-Pap. I feel like a totally different person. But I have now realized how sleep-deprived I am and I want to sleep all the time. It just feels so good to sleep now. So, thanks, KBL for having the good sense to marry a Japanese man and live in Tokyo and let us visit you so I could find out that I needed a buckwheat pillow. Of course we visited because we were on the way to China for The Baby, so maybe while I am at it I should thank The Man for not being able to make sperm. I couldn't have had all this wonderful sleep without your broken balls, honey. Thanks!


In My Car CD Player:

At The Villa of Reduced Circumstances - Alexander Mccall Smith

Got this one and another of his from the library too. I decided to tap the resources of the library near work, since until they finish renovating and expanding my local library at home, I am pretty sure I will have heard everything they have that I want to hear.

It was pretty exciting, actually. They are part of a different library system, so I got to get a new library card and be reminded how freaking cool it is that we can walk into any library, give them our address and phone number and suddenly be able to read anything we want. Librarians are seriously radical.