Nights this week find us busy. Tonight I'm staying at the university after work for a while before going to some geography-related event at which someone will talk about the Ponca Indians. She gets extra credit for it in a class and I'll just get the satisfaction of having learned new things. I'm not being sarcastic when I say I don't really mind this at all.
Last night we had a bookstore-related meeting with our new priest and his wife. They're super people and getting to know them is something we're really digging quite a bit. Both are quite knowledgeable and hold great vision. Our church is in a fairly significant transition, I believe, and Stacey and I are part of the sort of "new wave" of folks getting involved and whatnot in the small parish. By "transition" I don't mean that the church itself is changing doctrinally or socially or liturgically, God forbid...but rather that in much talking of "the future" and "the church members who will carry the parish in the fugure," well, some of us are here already and starting to do so. One of the great things about our parish is that it's a solid, health, balanced mix of both folks who started it and sweated and bled out those early years (most of whom came over as disillusioned Anglo-Episcopalians) and people who have recently sought and found Orthodoxy and are beginning to understand how they figure into the future.

Today I'll be listening to a couple volumes of Lee "Scratch" Perry's Arkology set. Maybe some U-Roy. At what point I need a break from reggae, I've got Arthur Russell, Two Gallants, Black Flag, Calvin Johnson and some PF Sloan to choose from.
My reading lately has been The Brothers Karamazov (which I should've read YEARS ago and hopefully can dedicate loads of holiday "free time" towards this year), Believer magazine, Uncut magazine. I'm kind of interested in the new Tom Wolfe book but it's probably going to have to just join a rather long line.

I'm excited to have some new reviews up on the zine. While tonight probably won't see much getting done, tomorrow and the weekend promise to be productive. I've been playing a Nintendo emulator on my computer a bit lately, enjoying some of the old games I played years ago. Hopefully I can use that as a reward rather than just a distraction. The plan is to start writing consistently and work on getting others on board who will, as well. Once I know that I'm able to keep this going decently well, I'm hoping Katy will resume the role of music editor. I want to be a bit more assured of my own consistency before talking and making solid plans but I did respond to a message from Jonathon about it, anyway...she's talented in this realm and I know we'll make a good team if I can get my act together. Carter's been busting his butt adding new great things to the site/community and that's encouraging for all of us. I really do hope this is the beginning of us really actually doing something. I'm still not sure how I'll juggle family life, work, grad school, church stuff and the zine but I'm excited and very happy about all of them and glad to be in the position to have all those things looking great and on my plate. I feel as if I'm in a pretty creative groove and happy with the way things are turning out so far...my Smiths & Daniel Johnston tributes review is something I'm very proud of. I rarely claim any kind of objectivity on my own work (usually I think most of what I write absolutely sucks, honestly) but I think I did well on that and hope it's indicative of fine work to come. I never really know how well I'm doing most of the time, though, so getting Katy back involved as a writer and as a music editor (and editing partner for whatever else I write) soon is important to me.

Thanks for reading my thoughts and as always, I love your comments...thanks to those who toss them in now and then.