Excise

Loyal Reader (read: Brian),

I am thirty-six-and-a-half today. And I am a firm believer in the importance of celebrating the half birthday. Why not feel the joys of aging multiple times a year?

In an effort to occasionally act my age while simultaneously elevating my spoken language, I will attempt to remove the following words from my vocabulary:

like, as in
interjection
Informal . (used esp. in speech, often nonvolitionally or habitually, to preface a sentence, to fill a pause, to express uncertainty, or to intensify or neutralize a following adjective): Like, why didn't you write to me? The music was, like, really great, you know?

thing, as in
some entity, object, or creature that is not or cannot be specifically designated or precisely described: The stick had a brass thing on it.

awesome, as in
Slang . very impressive: That new white convertible is totally awesome.

and finally
interesting, as in
Adjective. (used in place of a word or words that better expresses what you mean because you're lazy and the word "interesting" is just easier to find in your brain, or as used to lie about a person, place or thing that you actually find totally dull but wish not to offend the speaker with the truth): Yes, that story about your awesome thing is, like, totally interesting.


Wish me luck, dear reader.
Wish me luck.

Toilet Mug

I know.
I posted this on facebook already, but I can't get enough of the toilet mug.
I heart the toilet mug.

That is all for today.

m

The King of the Birds

"Many people, I have found, are congenitally unable to appreciate the sight of a peacock."

Larry Levis

3.

You are the sweet, pregnant,
teen-age blonde thrown from the speeding car.

You are a dead, clean-shaven astronaut
orbiting perfectly forever.

You are America.
You are nobody.
I made you up.
I take pills and drive a flammable truck
until I drop.

I am the nicest guy in the world,
closing his switchblade and whistling.

Birthday Letters

From The Shot:

You were gold-jacketed, solid silver,
Nickel-tipped. Trajectory perfect
As through ether. Even the cheek-scar,
Where you seemed to have side-swiped concrete,
Served as a rifling groove
To keep you true.

Frederick Exley

Page 35: "And finally, I wanted love - or said that I did, though I know now that what I wanted was the adulation of the crowd, and that love was just a word that crowded so many other, more appropriate words off the tongue."

Soapstone

I am here at Soapstone for one glorious week.

I'm in the cube.

Out the circular window in front of me:
the pointy roof tip of the other writing cabin, spring green tree leaves, white birch bark, cloudless blue sky.

Out the circular window to the left of me:
rolling white river water over rocks, green moss on the trunks of trees, insects zipping by at top speed.

Out the circular window to the right of me:
the sound of a car or two passing on the highway, a big red sign that says EAT, and green, green, green.

I'd tell you about the circular window in back of me, but that one's dirty and needs to be washed.

Loyal reader, (that's you Brian), ahoy from my cube. And good day.