Catching Up

Lea and I had an amazing time in Ossning, New York, where our young friend Jackie Morrill invited us to come read at a special National Poetry Month event at a senior center. There was also an open mic, where residents from the center read, along with a few students from Sarah Lawrence College. An excellent time, all around, and it was great to end up in a place we usually wouldn't. (Although if I someday end up at that facility, I won't complain. It was rather nice, with lots of activities. We spied a giant swimming pool, and caught a glimpse of residents playing "Wii Bowling.") I opened my set with the poem "After Rain," by Daniel McGinn, from his book 1000 Black Umbrellas . One of the SLC students read a poem from Andrea Gibson's  Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns . Always nice to see Write Bloody books out in the wild.

Afterward, Lea and I made our way to New Haven to visit our scientist friend, Jenna, and have the most incredible sushi at Miya's. Seriously. I got the "blue plate special," which had a sampling of some of their more unique offerings. I can't even begin to describe how good it tasted, but I intend to return. Afterward, Lea, Jenna and I had far too much whiskey. Excellent capstone to a great day.

I did very little after getting home yesterday. Which was nice. Right now, I'm cleaning my office, which is sort of a ritual I need to do before finishing my taxes. I call it "putting my crazy in order," because it seems my office is where I sort-of put all my self-neglect and disorganization, so I don't take it out on the rest of my life. Yeah, I know how insane that sounds, but I have a habit of putting my more self-destructive habits into places where I can deal with them, or at least manage them. It's mostly effective. Mostly. In any case, dealing with it at tax time sort of becomes a mental exorcism. It's an OCD thing, I know, but I've never claimed to be completely sane. I'm just happy I have coping mechanisms at all.