October 13, 2006
Carole Glenn is in Texas attending her high school reunion this weekend. J.D. and I are making progress on the chicken house, although he keeps stepping back, looking at it and saying, "It's alright as long as you don't show it to anyone." Ha. Carpenters! And I though artists were persnickity.

Speaking of persnickity artisits, I went home after lunch (ate at China Joy, $10 includes tip) and whipped out another Blue-Boy study. Once again, this is inspired by the 1931 New Yorker cover of a dark Manhattan skyline. I scanned the cover out of the book, but I'm not sure you can see the logo at top (a subtle shade of green). Meanwhile, my little scene spoke to me and this is what it said, "The moon sparkled and spoke through the molted clouds as he rode on past the sporadic fires and the bleached bones of a hundred battles."





After work I went to Bashas' for groceries ($36.95 house account, saved $1.98 with Bashas' card) and as I walked in front of the meat department I met another guy with a shopping cart, who strolled by in front of me as I cased the shrimp, he passed, and pointing at me, said, "Maniac Number 1,200," and kept walking. We both laughed.

At 5:30 Kathy and I met our old friends Mike and Fran Douglas at the AZ Wine Tasting up in Carefree to sample a series of South African wines. Afterwards we walked over to the Spanish Tapas restaurant in Spanish Village and had a nice meal out on the patio ($60 for our half, paid cash, includes tip). As we got ready to leave it started to rain and we ran to our separate cars, yelling goodnight as we scurried along. A couple sitting outside AZ Wine said, "Nice hat," as I fumbled with my truck keys, and I said, "Use to be." And they laughed as I drove off in the wet night.

"The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience."
—Emily Dickinson