Wasted Affairs - Mind's Eye

Mia told me about this song.

"When my talking stage didn't work out and I was sad I listened to this," she said. "Sorry if you think it' so stupid and dumb."

I listened to the song, and it wasn't stupid or dumb at all. 

Talia and I have been really into Eve Babitz. Of course, she read LA Woman before me because she gets to everything cool before me, and I only just finished it on Saturday. It's still nice to go through this together. Joan Didon is another strong favorite. We're both supposed to be reading A Book of Common Prayer right now but I'm not sure if she is, since she already read it before me (because she gets to everything cool before me). Eve understands being a girl and LA while Joan Didion understands New York and the chaos of life, despite being from California herself. Virginia Woolf seems to understand all the little bits in between.

It's January and we've just gotten our first snow that stuck, only it didn't stay long enough to be remembered. I always liked January winters better than December ones. December winters feel like the end of the world while January feels like the beginning of a new one. In December I tend to focus on my past and dreadful present, while in January all I can think about is my future. But soon enough Spring will come, and I will forget that there was ever snow, despite it being piled on the ground for weeks. 

On Why You Should Start a Blog

Because it's freakin awesome. Gives you something to do. Share your ideas and take in the ideas of others. Why doomscroll Instagram when you could doomscroll the Izzy Star 6000? No rules, no one in your ear telling you your writing is bad. No one cares. Do what you want.

On Squirrels

 A squirrel hopped the fence. Off it goes, prancing into the middle of the field. I think it's searching for something. There he goes, digging around in the dirt, sniffing, searching I look away for a second and he's back over the fence.

And he's reappeared! He perks up and - oh! A second squirrel comes running right into him. My first friend jumps up, startled. A third squirrel joins the party. My first friend is still searching.

And the leaves are falling. it's 2:53 and the leaves are falling as a bee looks me in the eye and winks - what?

... and the leaves are falling as a bee looks me in the eye and... buzzes away happily.

Three ladies found my friend. They stand around and watch him dig. Do they know I'm watching too? A fourth squirrel hops the fence. It seems those are the only things squirrels know how to do, hop fences and dig for acorns. A father carrying his child points to my friend. So far, I've seen five dogs. Why don't people walk their cats? A man stares as he walks by.

The two squirrels have a staring contest while chowing down on an acorn, or at lease - what I assume to be an acorn. Maybe they found a nice steak?

And it's someone's birthday. I mean, that was a given (obviously) but now I know for sure that it's someone's birthday because of what was written on the balloons she gave him.

Six, seven, eight more dogs pass by. The sixth one spots my friend, and he stands still to point at it. His owner very kindly lets him into the grass, inching closer and closer to my friend. They have another staring contest, my friend is on high alert as the dog goes running! Get away! Get away from him! My friend runs up a tree, safe in the branches. A ninth dog goes by. Many families are out today.

A little brown bird hops in front of me but then flies away when someone approaches. I'm sitting on the bench marked "Sandy G, a man for all seasons; loved by his family; all year long."

And a 10th dog goes by

And all the squirrels are gone.