Back from the storm-squalled Oregon Coast and so many panels, craft talks, and readings that, sadly, I’m dying for television, some good coffee, and a little down time. This morning after a shower in my own bathroom (ah, heaven) I raced out, hair still all wet, for a walk beside the flooded river near my house in the brief January sunlight we in Seattle are suddenly experiencing – after about 26 or 27 days of rain, you know, you start to go a little stir crazy. I consider myself an extrovert but after 10 days of spending 12 or more hours a day with groups of people I am craving silence, solitude. Even the dogs barking was too much company. I’m looking forward to catching up on blogs today and tomorrow, and not looking forward to catching up on overdue work. One note from the residency: Madeleine DeFrees, who is, I believe, 87 and an ex-nun, is a surprisingly fun person. If you get a chance to talk to her, do it!
I noticed that while I was gone, I was tapped for some meme by Kelli, so here it is for you meme fans:
4 Jobs You’ve Had: Makeup Artist; botanical genetics lab research assistant; manager of web designers and programmers; food writer
4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over: Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind (see earlier post re: Miyazaki,) the first Star Wars, Grosse Pointe Blank, Joe Versus the Volcano
4 Places You’ve Lived: LA; Richmond, VA; Knoxville; Cincinnati
4 TV Shows You Love to Watch: Buffy; Alias; Lost; Futurama
4 Places You’ve Been on Vacation: Montreal; Paris; Big Sur; Vancouver Island
4 Websites You Visit Daily: aintitcool.com, MSN, Seattle Times, and someone’s blog from list at left
4 Favorite Foods: Lobster, St. Andre cheese, good dark chocolate, woodfired pizza with figs and prosciutto. And twinkies, damn it.
4 Places You’d Rather Be: Montreal, Hawaii, Barbados, Colorado
4 Albums You Can’t Live Without: Whatever, Aimee Mann; Oh, Inverted World!, The Shins; Rufus Wainwright; The OC Soundtrack volume 1

Well, my darlings, one post before I’m off to my residency until the 17th. I’ve been in a flurry – trying to recover from a nasty case of bronchitis, get some work done before I leave (grant application, interview, essay, and review) and get packed.
In good news, Turner Classic Movies is running a Miyazaki marathon in January:
Jan. 5 Spirited Away (2001) 8 p.m. Princess Mononoke (1997) 10:15 p.m.
Jan. 12 Nausicaa of the Valley (1984)) 8 p.m. Castle in the Sky (1986) 10 p.m.
Jan. 19 My Neighbor Totoro (1988) 8 p.m. Porco Rosso (1992) 9:30 p.m. Whisper of the Heart (1995) 11:15 p.m
Jan. 26 Only Yesterday (1991) 8 p.m. Pom Poko (1994) 10:15 p.m.
If you do not watch Nausicaa, or record it, you are missing out. One of Miyazaki’s first and best efforts, this eco-drama is beautiful and moving. With a kick-ass female heroine, I might point out.
And, Futurama may be geting new episodes!
So my geek heart is happy.
And, my poem “After Ten Years Together, We Sneak Off to Make Out in a Friend’s Closet,” is living in sin with a bunch of other poems in Rebecca Livington’s anthology, The Bedside Guide to the No Tell Motel.
The new issue of Diner contains wonderful poems by poet pals Kelli Agodon, Ronda Broatch, and Rebecca Loudon, as well as my review of Kate Gale’s Mating Season.
Also, congrats to Jenifer Lawrence, whose poetry book will be published by Blue Begonia Press, and Steve Schroeder, who just won the Laureate Prize from National Poetry Review.
Now, it’s off to rainy Seaside, Oregon, where I’ve heard the waves are 20 feet high, for ten-days of all-literary-all-the-time crazy time.

Well, enough health nonsense. Happy New Year’s, Everybody!
Back to poetry stuff…
Got the proofs of my book. My little book is now 85 pages!! Now to the proofreading…
And, in other news, the new literary magazine from my school’s MFA program, Pacific University, is officially open for business. Here’s the web site: http://silkroad.pacificu.edu/
Right now, I’m the senior poetry editor or some such thing. They are looking for a wide variety of writings on place and the environment, personal geography, etc…read the mission statement for more clarification on that. Check out the submission guidelines – you can even submit by e-mail!

Thanks for everyone and their good thoughts. Your comments and e-mails meant a lot to me for the couple of nervous days.
After my meeting with the hema/oncologist, she thought it was unlikely I had something dangerous like lymphoma or leukemia, so hooray. Instead she is testing me for the much less scary mastocytosis. Which is mostly treatable with inocuous things like antihistimines. So no more cancer fears. What a nice present for the New Year! Woo hoo!
On the funnier side of things, one of the tests she did in the office was to thump around on my left side (to feel for spleen enlargement.) Then, she had another doctor come in and thump around. Then, they both thumped around. For ten minutes, I was a human drum. If I’d known I would have worn thicker clothes!
All righty everyone, I need to send out a submission packet and I have no idea where to send. Someone tell me!
And Happy Pre-New Year To All! I’m buying frosty chocolate milkshakes for everyone!

In the continuing saga…
More words you don’t want to hear come out of a doctor’s mouth: “I think maybe you should talk with an oncologist about that.”
And confirmation from an oncologist: “Yes, I think you should schedule an appointment.”