Taking a Leak

This was shot in my office a few months ago, and is one of my lead arguments for why I prefer to work at home:

What It Is: 11/9/09

What I’m reading: The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons, When The Shooting Stops . . . The Cutting Begins: A Film Editor’s Story, by Ralph Rosenblum, and Pop: The Genius of Andy Warhol, by Tony Scherman and David Dalton. The latter was on display in my library when I stopped in a few days ago, so I borrowed it and gave it a read. I might go on a Warhol kick this winter, because I suspect he’s key to an understanding of celebrity (not just in terms of the “15 minutes” thing) in our age.

What I’m listening to: Everything, Everything, by Underworld.

What I’m watching: Role Models (better than it should have been), and the first 3 episodes of The Singing Detective.

What I’m drinking: Miller’s & Q-Tonic

What Rufus is up to: Coming to the office with me last Friday, as part of his Ambassadog duties, and going on a nice, long greyhound hike on Sunday (no pix).

Where I’m going: L.A.! In fact, I’m already there!

What I’m happy about: The Yankees won their 27th World Series! I finished that Nov/Dec issue! And I’m kindasorta getting that “novel” going for National Novel Writing Month, even though it’s pretty shapeless and the characters need a lot of work.

What I’m sad about: Not having much time to explore L.A.

What I’m worried about: I don’t know. I’m pretty tired right now, so I don’t have the energy to worry.

What I’m pondering: Why it took me so long to start twisting my crazy anecdotes into ficton.

What It Is: 11/2/09

What I’m reading: The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons, When The Shooting Stops . . . The Cutting Begins: A Film Editor’s Story, by Ralph Rosenblum, and that bio of Timoleon in Plutarch that I read a few months ago. I’m still thinking about the weird modernness of T’s story. As far as the hoops book goes, here’s economist, professor and blogger Tyler Cowen on it:

Could this be the best 736 pp. book on the diversity of human talent ever written?  It starts slow but eventually picks up steam.  It’s also devastatingly funny.  That said, if you don’t know a lot about the NBA, it is incomprehensible.  (I could not, for instance, understand the section of Dolph Schayes because that was not the NBA I know.)  In the historical pantheon, he picks David Thompson, Bernard King, and Allen Iverson as underrated.  The 1986 Boston Celtics are the best team ever, he argues.  And so on.  I found this more riveting than almost anything else I read and yes I think it is very much a work of social science, albeit in hermetic form.

What I’m listening to: Just been shuffling around in iTunes. But the battery on my iPod (I only use it in the car or on plane-flights) is dying, so I’ve ordered a battery replacement kit and will soon attempt a feat that ifixit.com classifies as “very difficult.” Fun!

What I’m watching: Yankees playoff games, although not to the end, since they’re past my bedtime.

What I’m drinking: Blue Moon Belgian White ale.

What Rufus is up to: Celebrating Halloween in style and going on his first greyhound-hike in weeks and weeks.

Where I’m going: Los Angeles next Sunday, for the annual AAPS meeting.

What I’m happy about: No one seems to have paid attention to the Oct. 30 “receipt of final materials at the printer” notice on our production schedules, giving me an extra day or two to wrap up the Nov/Dec issue.

What I’m sad about: Not getting to see Pee-wee Herman’s stage show when I’m in LA next week, as it’s been postponed until January. I’m likely going to a Clippers game to make up for it, but somehow that seems like adding insult to injury. Grr.

What I’m worried about: Burnett in game 5.

What I’m pondering: Participating in National Novel Writing Month!

Sungrey

We haven’t gone on the Sunday greyhound hike in Wawayanda State Park for weeks and weeks, but the added hour overnight helped us get our thang together and join our greyhound pals. One of whom broke greyhound omerta by bringing along . . . a non-grey!

But Daisy — the pit bull above — was pretty well behaved and got along with everybody. Except for the dog to her left, maybe, but Reddy’s a little difficult sometimes.

Enjoy the pix! (even though there aren’t any Rufus pix this time around)

Forlorn

Just got back from our Sunday greyhound hike, which we haven’t participated in in a while. Pix to come are here!; but meanwhile, here’s a shot I took in the parking lot of our local pet store, where we stopped on the way home:

His mom cruelly left him in the car while she went to the store.

Happy Halloween!

Rufus’s costume: A greyhound that actually managed to catch the bunny. Photos courtesy of my wife (who’s getting ready to launch a photography business: hint, hint).

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Now to wait for the unsuspecting kids at the door. . .