Robots in Russia

The first of the traveling bots has sent a message to the Homeland. My friend Adam, currenly on a jaunt through Europe's underbelly, has kindly directed this photo back from Peterhof. Typical robot behavior-- attempting to take over the gaudy gardens of the czars.

Update: Removal of Worldy Possesions

I've gotten rid of it all. There is nothing left in my room (of my own) except my skis, a few changes of clothes and my computer.

That's a total lie. My place is still full to the brim, it seems. I've got boxes of stuff, but nowhere to take them. Salvation Army, I guess. And more boxes of trash. I could just take those to the curb. And, of course, a room still full of possesions, in general. IE, books, clothes, notebooks, a giant box of pencil stubs (?), and the list goes on. Slowly, but surely, I will simplify my life. 'Cause it's so complex, I know, I know. But seriously, every time I can put another hoodie in the "give away" box, my heart feels a little lighter.

Onward!

On another note, the writing is humming along now. Seems I just need copious amounts of coffee and a little guilt to get me going. Today I wrote the beginning of two plays: one about a transient who can only speak in iambic pentameter (his name is Billy), and the other is about a family who can't get things quite right (especially in regards to religion). Hopefully I'll have enough on these soon that I can show them to people. I might decide they're not so great after all.

Cherry blossoms are falling. Wind is blowing. Sun's shining a bit. Construction outside my house all day long.

Mom's Day

Hey you-- yeah, YOU! You ROCK! I know I'm not home this year (gasp, for the first time ever), but I'm still thinking of you. Lots. Ask anyone. Someone says something about home, and inevitably I will say something about, "Dude, my mom is so cool. Seriously, man, you don't even know."

Everyday something (well, okay, tons of things) remind me of you. Take, for example, the fact that "Burkina ___" has come up as a clue in my daily crossword for the past two days. Or that people are always asking where I got my robots, and stealing my Indian scarves. And that I know how to talk to human beings. And how to write, sometimes. And also, how I know to have my own money. And that if I don't like something, I can change it. And that I can, actually, change the world.

I know this sounds like it's about me, but really, Kim Tackett, you know it's about you. You have taught me, well, it turns out, everything necessary for thriving in this world. Or you gave me the tools to figure out what I don't know on my own. That plus unflagging support equals two daughters well prepared to face life.

Love you. And I'll call you in the morning. Hope you're eating strawberries and drinking too much strong coffee. (That's another thing you "gave" me.)

Explainings

Two Down is about crossword puzzles, which I am currenly consumed by. Go, power of-- Cryptic Crossword! Go, power of-- Thinks.com! Go, power of--24 (their sudoku is pretty good, too)!

That second one is just because like 3 houses in my neighborhood have recently been torn down, and the dad really was clutching a hose spigot while watching his home being bulldozed. Thought it was funny.

Grocery Shopping is just 'cause I got nothin in the house but Raisin Bran and peanut butter. But that's just 'cause I shop the way the French do.

New Works on Paper (actually on hard drive)

Two Down
Everything came so easily
Until the last few unknowns
What does it mean, to be liked immensely?
What are the repercussions,
The effects, the shock-waves forthwith?
I need to know, to understand, you see
What one calls a foreign ruler and how
Many rupees add up with joules
To explain what it means to be liked immensely
And how songbirds line up to
Zola’s collections and also where Mary
Went to ease her pain
And what Rubrik
Said, which was similar
All of this adds up to a one word explanation, what it means to be liked immensely.

Cleaning Up the Neighborhood
One house two houses down
Was knocked to the ground
One month ago and has proceeded
To be rebuilt through the rain
And unseasonable snow.
A second house three houses away
And a skip was knocked to the ground
Or in the process of today
While I walked up the hill and around
The family including what
Must have been the patriarch grey-haired
As he was clutching a memento I propose
This was an outdoor spigot for the hose.

Grocery Shopping and Why it is Necessary
The prodigal son has returned to find nothing in the cabinets but cobwebs and stale double-scoop Raisin Bran—no milk in the fridge, he thinks he is coming undone.

Take Me To the Mountains

I just wanna have fun. And hike. I can hike around the city endlessly, but my mind/body/congolm-exsi-soul wants out for a bit. Because of prior engagements (ie money makin) I'm waiting until Early June, but that really seems like a long time. I figure that until then I can escape through literature and my fertile imagination. The only downfall is that I get an increase in comments from my friends along the lines of, "Kate, are you okay? You've been staring at the wall for 20 minutes. You're creeping me out." Which is actually probaby an upfall, rather than a downfall.

The Robots

Please do not be worrying. Judging from the outcry (of EVERYONE) the robot collection is pretty darn cool. I'm not getting rid of them. But I am going to do fun things with them. Toys are no good sitting on a shelf. So here's the deal: I've got several that are travel sized and can fit in people's backpacks. So I'm giving them to friends as they traipse around the world (Mongolia, Europe, Michigan, Europe again...) with the demand that my wee robotic companions see the sights, taste the salt air, experience the thrill of adventure, etc, and are well documented via those handy cameras people got everywhere. Will post pics as more develops.

Commence

I'm proceeding with the plan to eschew worldy possesions. Kind of a road block when I realize that I have very few worldly possesions. But, I've gone through my books (filled a box), my clothes (three banker boxes), and extra tchachkas (one more box). That's about it. Plus an alarming amount of straight up trash. I still have a lot of crap, but I tell myself that I need all of it. I think I'll do this again next week and see what else I can release.

On the positive side, I see that most of what I own is straight up paper goods: in folders, piles, on the walls, not to mention my extensive and well developed library. Next in line is an alarming amount of pencils, and following that, my robot collection.

When I find myself trying to decide whether to put something in the "keep" or "give away" box, I repeat a mantra created by my parents (in their infinite wisdom): "Pack light, move fast. If you care about it, carry it yourself. And it should all fit in the back of a VW Bug."