Good Things!

Man, there are some very cool organizations around here. Not to hippie out on you, but did you know that Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley has this amazing Edible Schoolyard, where the kids grow and cook their own organic produce? And that there's a non-prof in West Oakland called People's Grocery that's working for "food justice" in a neighborhood that has a distinct dearth of grocery stores and a wealth of fast food joints and liquor stores? It's amazing. I'm so impressed. This is why I work for the non-profs; some of them do extremely awesome things.

In other news, believe it or not, our heater's pilot light is out AGAIN even though we just got the whole shebang repaired a few weeks ago. Remember when it was really actually freezing? That's when we didn't have a heater. At least now it's evident that springtime is hella nigh.

And with springtime being nigh as it is, I'm starting to think about wearing bikinis, which means I'm trying to talk myself into going back to kickboxing. But I'm also very inclined to take naps instead. Or sit outside in the dwindling sunlight since, hey! it's still light out when I get off work because the days are getting longer and golly that makes me happy! So yeah, I've still got a layer of chub to contend with. I've been thinking for a couple of years about buying one of those old-timey cover-all swimsuits, or maybe switching back to the one-piece. My mom has this theory that the more tan you are, the less fat you look. I'm pretty sure you just look fat either way. Maybe she means that all the terrifying stretch marks that appear on the hippier of hips are less apparent when they're doused with with self-tanner? I don't know.

I just spoke to a close friend of my cousin's on the phone, a girl I totally knew in college, without her knowing that it was me. I think. She spoke very quickly, so it's possible that I could have misunderstood her name, right? Except that I know that this girl works for the publication she was calling from, and works in a capacity that would require her to call regarding a fundraising event. Why I no say hi? Because I resent her success in the journalism world.

I guess I'm jealous because I used to (do I still? do I even know?) have more writerly aspirations, and because I really like magazines. I'm upset that Kitchen Sink seems not to be publishing anymore. They're not accepting subscriptions and I haven't seen it in a bookstore in months, but their webbie is still up and running, so I could be totally wrong. I've been reading Jane and Esquire mostly lately; I haven't been interested in the last few issues of Interview. (I mean, who can top John C. Reilly being interviewed by Will Farrell?? Or the Scissor Sisters by Elton John?? God, that was an amazing issue.) And I haven't found a new "alternative" magazine that catches my fancy. And by "fancy" I mean "attention span." Kitchen Sink was great. Will it come back? Maybe February is just a slow month for the mags.

Gives me time to focus on my book, at least, which is very good. Everything Is Illuminated. I always resist reading contemporary lit for some reason, preferring to let all those bestsellers stand the test of time, dammit, before I will deign to pick them up. Hmph. But I'm really enjoying this book. Even while I'm picturing the "hero" as effing Frodo. I hate that guy.

But you know what I love? Effing sunshine.