MAGIC EYEBALL

Sunday, May 17, 1998

Don't miss the greem tea therapy on Friday, and street jam dancing at the University Street Fair on Saturday!

I was all ready to go to the University District street fair again today. I bathed, dressed (in one of the cool little print dresses I bought yesterday) and even put on sunscreen. I picked up my things and walked out the front door of my building. Only then did I realize that not only was it cloudy and cool, it was actually raining! I figured that the swing dance jam wouldn't be happening after all.

So I changed my plans, and drove to City People's Mercantile to buy birthday presents for my youngest nephew B----. He turns five today! I was able to get some cool Playmobil guys who had been shipwrecked (to go with the boys' pirate ship) and a set of Crayola Glow-in-the-Dark crayons. But the best present was the one that cost the least, and that I just picked up by accident: a multicolor ballpoint pen, the kind with multiple points inside, with different buttons to push on every side to make different colors active. The feature that made this pen one of the coolest in the world? On the non-business end of the pen was one of those floating eyeballs, that always looks the same direction no matter which way you turn the pen.

For myself, I bought some votive candle holders at half off. This has been my weekend to spend money, but also my weekend to find bargains!

Back home, I wrapped the presents. I'm glad that B--- is still young enough that it's the ripping off of the paper is the main thing. I was forced to use an abstract Christmas wrapping paper, which I didn't really mind. I did mind having to use masking tape to seal the packages!

*     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

I drove to the top of Queen Anne Hill, to Q--- and J---'s place. The last time I was there was Easter Sunday. The original plan for B---'s birthday had been transmogrified, and combined with a dinner honoring the mother of Father T--- who was visiting from Liverpool. I was able to confer with my film festival buddy A--- about what movies we'll be seeing next weekend. We were glad to get started on that, though our plans may change at any time.

After dinner and cake, I drove A--- downtown. He lives right across the street from the Showbox, where I was going to dance, so I went with him to his apartment and hung out for a while. I was not shocked or surprised by the accumulation of books and papers that were all over his place (he lives alone) but I was startled to learn that he is sleeping in his living room now. Someone gave him a mattress a while ago, and he found it was too heavy for him to move it into his bedroom by himself. I got A--- caught up on stuff that's been happening to me lately, which was fun. It's strange visiting him, since he has our old dining room chairs and the couch we had made when my parents and I first moved to Seattle. It's odd to see these familiar objects in their new setting, and though I've been to his place before, it doesn't happen often enough to habituate me to that dissonance.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

I went across the street to the Showbox. Tonight there was a live band, local favorite Monty Banks. I really prefer this place when there isn't a live band. Too many people show up with live music, and too many of them don't know how to dance! I met a new acquaintance from work, S----. He is from Germany, and has been posting for a short while in the singles public folder. I also found out that Steve, whom I've been dancing with for a month or more, is also a Microsoft guy!

Even though the crowds were a bit much tonight, I did get to dance with most of my favorite partners. There was also a tap dance performance, and a belly dance act done to swing music. Both were very good, but I'd rather spend the time dancing!