• Mood: Seurat of soap and styrofoam
• Music: Sparks, "Something for the Girl with Everything"

swimming along

We went to the new Rockfish Grill, which opened just up the freeway from us. Although my wife and I have a mild prejudice against chains other than barbecue chains, Rockfish Grill serves broiled fresh fish, both tasty and healthy. I am into healthy now, and I can already feel the difference. But I still wax nostalgic for fried catfish and gingerbread men. The Rockfish Grill had a free jukebox, but we had finished our meal before "And She Was", "China Girl", "China Grove" or any of my other selections came on. The jukebox didn't have "Love will Tear Us Apart", "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" or any of the works of Gentle Giant or Camel. Even the B-52s supply was low, and when a jukebox lacks B-52 madness, one might as well be in a funeral parlor. Also, hint to management: the correct REM songs are "Radio Free Europe" and "Little America", not the one you chose, and the way to impress is not with Little Eva's "Loco-Motion" but with Grand Funk Railroad's. For that matter, give us "I'm Your Captain", and skip the potatoes altogether. I wouldn't complain if "Tell Me When it's Over" or "Watusi Rodeo" or "Ships in the Night" or even "Love is for Lovers" showed up on a jukebox, but I live in the real world.

I finished the styrofoam complete chess set for the mail art call! I took pix of the result with my throwaway camera, and will try to post them as son as I get them developed and sign up for a web hosting service. My wife said "how do you know which piece is which?", which just shows how avant gardish they are. I put 16 white styrofoam pieces, 16 black (really "salt 'n' pepper") pieces and two of my soap carvings, as well as copies of "Chess Poems for the Tournament Player", in the box addressed to Belgium, ready to go. I'm proud of myself, however modest the work product. I like to finish things. I love chess.

I also got something out the door to voodoukween, and made a strong start on my long overdue nervousness exchange due to texastornado_91. I should have it in the mail soon. I'm eager to finally get heymaggie's project done later this week, as it seems to have been hard for me to get done so far. I was disappointed that my other "tornado" friend, clickitgirl, deleted her journal. Although we don't share many common viewpoints, she's always pleasant and interesting. I hope she returns.

I finally got enough sleep this weekend, saw two videos, and almost am back up to speed from my illness. But I feel the need to find a new novel to read, and reviews tell me that the new Sparks album is a real departure, something nearly as wonderful as "Kimono My House". So I have media acquisitions to make, and dreams as yet undreamt.