Gathering

The maelstrom is over now, but it was pretty good while it lasted. 4 days, lots of people and partying. Sometimes you need a good excuse for everyone to get together. A node. Way back in the fall, Jalal heard about Hot Chip going on tour and bought a bunch of tickets. Katie and Patrick came from Oakland, Kendall, Jalal and Libby came from Boston, Erika drove up from DC. Our house was the hive center. A bit of a slumber party, everything soft we owned spread out on the rugs as bedding. A pretty long weekend. Getting dressed up at our house, then the concert, then a gay bar, then back to our house where we set up lights and did a photo shoot of Katie's new line of hats. It's a nice feeling when everyone makes the effort to get there. We have awesome friends. I have done well by this marriage, friend-wise. There was a point during the concert when I just needed to squat down and rest, and my friends formed a stockade of bodies around me to protect me from the crush of the crowd. They're pretty awesome.

Arm

I'm laid up. Shoulder surgery. Voluntary? I guess so. Not really, when they say, "it's fine now but in three years it'll be complete shit and you won't be able to lift your arm." In so many words. So I'm recovering. Torn Labrum, Superior Labrum anterior- posterior, full tear of rotator cuff, sub-acromial spurring, bursal impingement and tendinitis. Got it all fixed up. PT now, an hour twice a day, still can't lift my right hand as high as my shoulder.

So one of the good things about this enforced long-term downtime is that I've been catching up on my favorite hobbies, and learning a little something: I'm happiest when I'm working with my hands. It's a shame, no one pays anyone o be a craftsman anymore, bu yes, I like Doing. That's how I got into the whole Art world that i later abandoned: I liked drawing when I was a kid, and therefore I ended up studying ARt, which got all complicated, and it has to be so deep, and it means something about society or culture or politics... Wait, find me the 20 year old who has something really insightful to say about the world. Please, do. Ergo: disillusionment. Career in film. But now, I delve deep into my "craft" (not Art) projects, and i love them, and it doesn't matter if they say anything to anyone about anything. I'm just doing them. All week I'veebeen buzzing along on making two space angel helmets for costumes for Alex and me, obviously for burning man, but for whatever costume party in between or after. I've discovered LEDs and soldering. Combining what I know from work with my crafty interests. Put pink LEDs in Alex' helmet so they rake her cheekbones in a flattering way.

A tired dog is a happy dog.

Tom