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15 February 2003 (Saturday): auntie valentine, uncle sam
I just had a most excellent anti-valentine's day: good food, bright colors and big warm hugs. M. Mellow and I hung out in the downtown district in the afternoon, first at his favorite Korean BBQ/sushi restaurant, then at a little flower stand that's become something of a cultural institution. The man who runs the shop is the Miles Davis of flower arranging. Just watching him work made me giggle, with that feeling of suddenly being four years old again and delighted with the world. There was an effortlessness to the way he would pick out just the right stargazer lily or pull a strand of baby's breath down to the perfect spot, and there was a certain wildness to his bouquets, a sense that everything was fully intended but never planned. "I still can't figure out how he does it," said M. Mellow, who was helping run the stand all day.
After sunset it was down the freeway to college pal Karim's house, from which we set off in search of Indian buffet and miniature golf, and found both. We talked about the human genome, road trips, parents, and coworkers who ask you out of nowhere whether you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (Karim is Muslim, when he's not atheist). There was a lot of laughing and way too many godawful puns. I kicked his ass in go-kart racing. He kicked mine at air hockey. We pooled our skee ball tickets and walked away from the arcade with twenty-eight little erasers shaped like assorted pieces of sports equipment. If I get one of those nasty-bored moods sometime, maybe I'll stand at my third story window and drop them on people.
The world continues to smolder. Circumstances require that I ignore a peace rally in order to pursue selfish aims this weekend. Not that I've ever been comfortable at rallies of any kind; I don't know if I'd go even if I were able. Too much dogma, too much blind shouting. I'd much rather write letters to Washington.
posted by enjelani @ 01:58 AM PST
Replies: 4 comments
I hear ya on the rally stuff.
Get too many people together in general and all sense of individual thinking tends to go down the shitter :P
Glad you enjoyed your Vday :) And oh... Indian Buffet... It's my new love! ( that and boba! )
posted by syndromes @ 15 02 2003 03:46 AM PST
"She would have liked to tell them that behind Communism, Fascism, behind all occupations and invasions lurks a more basic, pervasive evil and that the image of that evil was a parade of people marching by with raised fists and shouting identical syllables in unison." -- Milan Kundera.
Which is not to say that I agree with you guys on the war-and-peace issue, but that's a separate matter.
posted by beefeater @ 15 02 2003 01:40 PM PST
yes.
posted by theo @ 16 02 2003 05:37 PM PST
Seems to me that there is something wonderful, powerful about people coming together to be the united squeaky wheels for a cause they have each come to espouse individually. Without a bit of that squeaking, the only noise we'd hear AT ALL would be the wheels on other carts. :/
posted by Moonpuddle @ 18 02 2003 11:45 PM PST