VirusHead

Bev – one of my very best friends ever – was so amused by my birthday narratives that she sent me this in the mail today. Hee-hee.

Phil's Idea (Bev 2009) Click to see

Is a CIA Recruit Training Kit toy really necessary? Really?

I was in a toy store picking up a few things for our son’s birthday tomorrow, and when I saw this, I just had to catch it on camera.

Does anyone think that the CIA is all about playing infrared tag? This is what we’re telling our kids now?

(shaking head)

Enjoy this day, and meditate upon hope and resurrection and refreshment and life and the eternal.

And chocolate (why not?).

“White Lily” – Laurie Anderson

What Fassbinder film is it -
The one-armed man
Walks into a flower shop
And says: “What flower expresses
Days go by
And they just keep going by…
Endlessly…
Pulling you
Into the future?
Days go by…
Endlessly…
Endlessly pulling you…
Into the future?”
And the florist says: “White Lily”…. ?

Just when I had loads and loads to blog about, I got knocked down by oak pollen. I just knew those trees were hostile. There is too far too much to tell, so here’s just a very quick summary.

• Equinox Weekend – Inconsolably depressed, and for no good, acceptable (rational) reason.

  Spiraling outside my will. Surrounded by a wall. Falling down a well.

  But then… the thunder quieted a little and – between the soundcracks of the whirlwind – I began to hear multiple voices in my spirit.

  … wake up… wake up… wake up, love… look who’s here to see you…

  Friends. Light. Comfort….

  Take heart…. open your eyes… Arise!

  And then the gifts arrived, one after another…

• 3/24 – Dinner at the fantastic Rathbun’s Restaurant with Joseph and Marie-Claude and David. Friend vibes overwhelming – like an angel rescue. Readers of this blog will already know how much I admire Joseph and his work. I hadn’t seen him since I was last in Paris, and if anything, we’re more simpático now than we were then. It was totally lovely to meet Marie-Claude at last, and so fun to sneak out for a smoke with David. Even our waiter was fun. Oh! The food! They had yummy Wellfleet clams, and the Lamb Scaloppini was to die for. Oh! The conversation. I was totally relaxed and free. I haven’t had so much fun in ages. Just what I needed – thank you, cosmos.
  

  Heidi, Joseph, David, Marie-Claude

  

  John, Heidi and Joseph

• 3/26 – The big event – Joseph’s terra incOgnitO gallery opening at David’s beautiful Wm. Turner Gallery in Atlanta.

  Take a look at the art! I’m writing an essay on the artwork (stay tuned), but meanwhile listen to this interview. Since Joseph’s art was on the cover, they also had a copy of John’s book there. Very nice.

  

  Friends turned up! Jerry was embroiled in conversations brilliant. Robert and Sloane (who appeared with a baby! how did they hide that little gem from us?!?!?) dropped in and on such as day as that there is much hugging. Geoff and Curzio got in some good conversations with Joseph and John, and I drank champagne and reveled in my happiness level. We went out for snackies afterwards and I got to meet David’s wife – a very cool woman who is – unfortunately – allergic to Facebook. Wah. I was able to speak at greater length with Marie-Claude, and hear all about their impressions of Atlanta. There were foot rubs! Perfect evening.

• 3/27 – Jeff and Ann made a very brief swoop-in visit to Atlanta for an occasion, and we arranged to meet them with some of their friends at Manuel’s Tavern (prior to having dinner at Cafe di Sol). Manuel’s is the hangout of Atlanta liberals – yes, we exist! John and I showed up at the appointed hour, and it was hilarious because we wandered all around seeking but not finding. I had never actually met Jeff or Ann. I adore all of Jeff’s fiction (read him – he’s top notch – really, maybe the best living American writer) and we had all become friends via online interconnections, but I wasn’t completely confident about picking them out at a crowded bar/restaurant. John and I did several circuits around the place, garnering some curious looks, but didn’t see them anywhere. We saw a young woman standing outside, also looking around and waiting, but we didn’t think to ask her if she was looking for them, too. Finally, we walked down the street to see if they had decided just to go straight to Cafe di Sol – which turned out to be the old Cafe Diem where I spent far too much time as a graduate student. Nope.

  Finally, we went back to Manuel’s and ordered a drink at the bar. That was fortuitous, since we then became involved in conversation with two very charming men – one who lived in a part of France that we’ve wanted to visit (John cornered him for details), and another that I clicked with right away – he works at GA Tech and is originally from New York. We were soon trading stock phrases in northern accents and having a grand time. We all exchanged contact information…. Then, I had a sensation on the back of my skull, looked toward the door, and there they were, just walking in!

  And yes, the beautiful young woman – Desirina – a talented writer in her own right- had also been waiting. Along with were more creative cool friends Will and Sara – but I hardly even got to talk with them at all! Why? Why? Because the restaurant was too darned noisy, that’s why! The old Cafe Diem was always more subdued – it was easier to talk then.

  

  Sara, Desirina, Heidi, Ann, John, Jeff

  John and Jeff huddled – it sounded like it was probably a fun conversation, but I only got little bits of it. I’m sorry for that, because I would have liked to talk more with Jeff, but I can’t complain because I had a fabulous time talking with Ann. She brought us issues of the magazine she edits – Weird Tales. Yes, that’s right – THE Weird Tales. Why I don’t already have a subscription to that, I have no idea (that’s been rectified). The magazine is on the ballot for a Hugo this year. Even against the steep competition, I think they’re going to take it. Ann is an amazing woman – I love her, and she is henceforth considered to be my sister, with all associated benefits.

  

  Ann with Digital Kitty

  Click! Click-click – CLICK! Thank you, benevolent deities, inc.

• 3/28 – Ok, now I’m officially over-socialled and crashing fast, but there’s more! Dear friends Mark and Marty threw a rock-climbing birthday party for their son – this was in addition to the new puppy, lucky kid. John wasn’t feeling well, so I packed up Ben and off we went.

  This is the second year they’ve done this, and there’s a confluence between me, the rock-climbing place, and the presence of pounding rain. As I approach this building, it’s pelting rain. Once I enter the building, the rain dies down and stops. Silly, you say?

  Yes, but oh, it goes further! I accompanied Mark to go fetch the pizza and ice-cream cake. Again, as we approached the building – RAIN! Once inside… no rain. It made me feel a little like Tyrone Slothrop in Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. Sometimes even magical paranoia can be fun. We had a low-key and enjoyable afternoon. I got exactly three photos before my cellphone died. Great expression, Marty!

  

  Marty

  Oh, Mark: Linen which?

• Well, then it hit. The pollen. Pollen! Pollen! More Pollen! It knocked me out for most of last week, and I’m not quite recovered even yet. But how could I let a shining week like that go by without comment?

  Thank you to my beautiful lovely smart creative wonderful friends of the spirit. You make me remember.

Jolly Roger of Reconstitution 2.0 has bestowed upon me a very lovely award. It’s been a busy, busy week, but I finally have a chance to post it.

Love Ya Award

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Jolly Roger is unrelenting in his commitment to speaking the critique that may yet return us to the uniquely American vision of a viable and vibrant free society. He also coins hilarious words. He doesn’t mince those words much, because the issues that he confronts are much too important to soften. His critiques are as thoughtful as they are sharp, so if you can’t argue effectively, you had best vacate the debate. I am honored to be his blogger friend. Big hugz, JR!

As I think about all the people I’ve met through blogging, I have to echo Jolly Roger’s sentiments:

There are some really decent people doing this thing that we do, and quite a few of them reach out to others with kind words, encouragement, and a pat on the back, delivered in HTML. I’d like to recognize some of these folks here, because they certainly deserve the recognition.

I would like to be on record, however, as being in (respectful) disagreement with the characterization of his critically patriotic blog:

Heidi of Virus Head is a long-time friend of this disgusting rag. She’s also very human in her writings, no matter what they are about.

I am indeed pleased to be considered fully human (grin).

So – here are some of the friendly blogs and bloggers upon which I rely.

• Kimmy blogs at Kimmy Sharing Light. The title is apt – she shares the light, even to the droopy-eyed. She’s also become a very fun Facebook friend – always sending little tidbits and extending her beauty through a thousand little kindnesses.
• Vance blogs at Meditations on an Eyeball and at the related Deferral of Meaning. He posts far too infrequently, but there is always a central question or concern that is worth mulling over. Vance is one of the only people I know with whom I am inclined to discuss biblical interpretation. Because his studies are question-driven and a bit existential and postmodern, we speak something close to the same language. Our visions of God might be a bit different, but our paths often intersect in ways that enrich both.
• Darrell blogs at Blog of the Grateful Bear, and I’m grateful for him. He inspires me with hope. He is very service-oriented – truly caring and compassionate. We’re both mystics of a sort, and so we share a love of cats and coffee (as all good mystics ought).
• Amanda blogs at Welcome to the Trueness. She is a tireless worker for issues having to do with our animal friends on planet earth. She also a creative, lively, curious and compassionate woman. I’m glad to count her as a friend.

  She has also started up a business – Lemon Queen Web Design – to support her website design habit. Check it out.

• Kate blogs at ITISI. We met through a series of coincidences. We just kept meeting up, and after a while resistance to synchronicity is futile isn’t it? She is witty and fun and she has a wonderful aesthetic sense – with images, with words, with ideas. I love her blog, and I love her too.
• So, the shining woman and mom known as Judith writes at The Only Thing I Know. She makes me laugh and celebrate. We share a deep love for the nuances and resonances of language. I wish she lived in Atlanta.
• Todd blogs at – and about – Postcards from Hell’s Kitchen. He’s one of the first bloggers that turned up when I started blogging, and we’ve been faithfully following each other’s blogs ever since. I get a vicarious pleasure from his explorations of restaurants and cultural events, and have come to value him very highly as a friend. I also think that he must be an excellent teacher.
• Mark blogs at Left Behind and Loving It. Although we went to graduate school together in Iowa, we didn’t really get to know one another very well at the time. I’ve been enjoying the way Mark thinks since we rediscovered each other recently on Facebook. He’s churchy, but in a good way. It’s a two-for-one friendship too, because his wife Christine is totally cool, too. I still remember their wedding (sniff, sob).

I could go on and on, really. I can think of ten more right off. But because there really are so many terrific blogging friends, and so many friends who have yet to start blogging, I’ll leave this space open. Ask yourself: Are you a good friend and blogger? Are you kind and encouraging to others? Do you offer laughter or wit or authentic questions? If so, claim it!