Apocalypse Later

This phrase can apply to so many things today, not the least of which is our movie viewing plans for Josh's last night here. We also went to the Newseum today, which was a nice companion visit to the Capitol. One of the many cool features of this museum dedicated to the press and its constitutionally guaranteed freedom is the daily display of a newspaper front page from each state. May I tell you, fellow beltway insiders, that very few of them even mentioned the debt ceiling.

The People's Office Building

We visited the US Capitol today and were fortunate to have a friend give us a "beyond the public tour" tour. She works for the Senate, so we stayed on the northside of the rotunda, and the insiders view of that place was fascinating. Starting with the fresco restoration project and carrying through to the floor tiles, picture frames, office assignments, stairways, balconies, and the actual chamber itself, "the Capitol" became a much more concrete place, even to this inside the beltway denizen. As we walked the halls and passageways, we saw Senators Boxer, Webb, Leahy, Rockefeller, Hagan, and Coburn, mere mortals, one and all.

I can't decide if the fact that our representatives are just people is heartening or not. I guess we'll all find out in the next couple of weeks.

ADD Woman

Since one of the themes of our summer so far has been characters with extraordinary capabilities, I suppose it's only reasonable to speculate about my own super power. Hmmmm. Well if forced to guess, I might say I am an effective multitasker who is yet able to hyperfocus in a split second.

Why, just today, caught a package of chicken wings midair as it plunged from its shelf in the grocery cold case. Later, at the check out, I handed a little boy a copy of the New Yorker split seconds after his grandmother asked him to fetch it for her. His amazement was palpable in the thanks he gave me, so present in fact that I felt the need to apologize and explain that I was really not eavesdropping.

Surely Nick Fury will be calling on me any day.

(Did I mention I can hold my breath a really long time, too?)

Uncle

"I don't think I'll be eating any more burgers," Josh whispered to me as the lights went down in the theater. We were seeing the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie and had just checked Five Guys off our summer burger list. I nodded with understanding. Science can exact a hefty toll on even the most dedicated researcher.

Just so you know-- it was the bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a coke that put him over, and there will be more to come on this grand experiment when we analyze our data.

Que Lastima

Why is it that there are so many TV shows these days that are predicated on witnessing/exploring/causing(?) somebody's misfortune? What do we as viewers gain from this spectacle?

Just wondering.

Super

Another of our summer serial pursuits has been to see the new Marvel Comics based movies and revisit the past ones, as well. We started with X-men First Class and saw all the earlier ones, then Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man 2. It's been especially fun to look for the connections they have worked into all of those movies in order to set up the first Avengers movie next year.

As a kid I was never a big comic book reader. Sure, I bought Archie at the airport news stand whenever we traveled, but not much else beyond that. I think I may have missed out, but fortunately, it's not too late.

The Drear Light of Zoo

I had my writing group last night and as implausible as it seems, I found myself sitting at the desk in my classroom at 3:30 with no idea of what I wanted to write and bring to share. Sure, the classroom was bare, walls empty and brown paper neatly taped over the bookshelves, but it was also quiet, and I brooded without interruption.

I had come mostly because my printer is acting up and I just haven't taken the time to troubleshoot it, but I also had a hunch that away from the distractions of home, I might be a bit more productive. Writing has been hard for me this summer; I cling to my daily devotions, but it has been a while since I was satisfied with the product. And so here I was, all alone, printer at the ready, and still bereft of inspiration. Sigh. I turned to my writing notebook, though, and it came through for me in a satisfying enough way. I liked what I wrote.

Tonight we are watching the movie Howl with James Franco as Alan Ginsberg, mostly because Josh has been on a Jack Kerouac kick this summer. There are many observations I could make about teenaged boys, sexuality, and the Beats, but let's just say that this movie definitely moves the conversation forward. For me, it is also an excellent opportunity to revisit what I know of those disillusioned, self-destructive, but very creative young people, most of which I learned in grad school.

Ginsberg's words on creativity and life and living a creative life with integrity make my own writing struggles seem a bit petty and amateur. I may be tortured, but I'm certainly no genius. In fact, I'd love to commune more nakedly with my muse right now, but I really need to get dinner on the table.