Looks like the little man will be going to the Magic Kingdom. Without me. But this will be a good thing. He’ll have some quality time with his grandma, and I’ll have some quality time with the house. So much work to be done. But I already have a brief break planned. The timing of his getaway coincides with the Neko Case show. I’ll be able to go out without the need of a babysitter! Plus Ms. Case is playing in the main room that night while next door Birthday Suits are headlining in the 7th Street Entry. I’ll definitely be crossing over for that.

Speaking of travel, I do so little of it these days that, when I do, I have a tendency to try to cram in too much. I’d like to fully enjoy the Chicago trip so I don’t want to overdo it. But it is imperative that I make it to 826 Chicago’s Boring Store, where spy-themed supplies are sold. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting San Francisco’s Pirate Store. Some day I hope to shop at Brooklyn’s Superhero Supply. And just this morning I learned of the Space Travel Supply Store in Seattle. Neat.

Bonus: I thought I’d seen it all, but this 70s era Muppets skit was new to me.
Plus: Sunday is Family Art Day at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. The event will feature their current exhibit, Environments of Invention, which looks like a super cool installation. But we already have such a danged busy weekend in the works.
And: April will bring with it the 25th Annual Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival. And on Earth Day there will a public art event held near my house, on Harriet Island, called Wishes for the Sky. We’ll definitely walk down for that.

The other day I put a fresh battery in a broken clock. Now I cringe once every sixty seconds, when it emits a sad little croaking click. The minute hand struggles past the hour hand but the hour hand just won’t budge. It is determined to remain in the six o’clock hour indefinitely. Which really confuses the little man at bedtime. I should probably get up, remove the battery, then throw said clock away. But the couch is just so cozy and warm. Speaking of…I’m waiting for the weather to warm up properly, so I can begin the big purge. Nearly eight years worth of unnecessary crap has collected in my home. And it needs to go. I will vanquish the clutter! Take that conspicuous consumerism! Only thing is, uh, when I returned home this afternoon there was a notice from UPS stuck to the door. I don’t even know what package I missed. I’ve really got to stop buying stuff online. No bingeing. Only purging. And then I will feel free.

Bonus: Fascinating photos of people sleeping. Series #8 will look familiar to anyone who has tried to sleep with a child resting on their head.
Plus: This weekend The Host starts showing at the Uptown Theater.
And: Captain America is dead. But I did see him today. On flickr.

Not to get Bjork-like and all All is Full of Love on you, but a confluence of events, combined with my perpetual exhaustion, has me in a decidely weird mood. Thinking maybe there are some okay people out there after all and maybe everything doesn’t suck. Crazy talk, I know. But I was reading about this Sikh temple in Delhi, where free meals are served to around 10,000 people every day:

“This spirit of inclusion and equality is reinforced by the kitchen’s adherence to vegetarianism, not because Sikhs are vegetarian, but because others who visit may be, and by serving no meat, they exclude nobody.”

That gave me the warm fuzzies. Then I listened to Wayne Coyne’s audio essay, Creating Our Own Happiness, on NPR’s This I Believe. More warm fuzzies. And I finished reading Pat Murphy’s The City, Not Long After, which is awfully danged hopeful for a story set in post-apocalyptic San Francisco. And speaking of hope in the face of adversity, I heard an inspiring speech given by Iran Davar Ardalan, regarding conditions in her native Iran.

Thus far 2007 hasn’t been The Year of Sharyn, quite as I had hoped. But it could be worse. And like Mr. Coyne says, I need to be happy within the context of the life I am actually living…and to make more moments of happiness happen. So let’s bring on the happy!

Bonus: Gonna dress you up in my love. A flickrite pointed out the aorta shop on etsy. Jessica Wynne Plymate’s work is most awesome. I adore her whimsical cephalopods and dancing bunnies. And if I were a dude, a dude who worked somewhere with a dress code, I would totally wear the office squid ties.
Plus: In an effort to “create more moments of happiness” I’ve lined up a babysitter so I can go to some shows. There are so many coming up! Just a few I’d like to attend:

Saturday 3/31: Sondre Lerche in the Entry
Saturday 4/7: Neko Case in the Main Room
Friday 4/13: My friend Dave’s 30th Birthday Party/Show at Big V’s (with Tornavalanche, Vampire Hands, Total Fucking Blood, Chambermaids, Histionics)
Saturday 4/14: Low’s CD release show in the Main Room
Sunday 4/15: Blonde Redhead in the Main Room
Wednesday 4/25: Ted Leo in the Main Room
Saturday 5/5: Naked Raygun with D4 at the Triple Rock
Friday 5/11: Andrew Bird in the Main Room

And: There’s a flickr photowalk slated for Sunday, and the weather is supposed to be giving us “a very sloppy case of Spring Fever” - with temps in the 40s. Yes! Happy Happy!

We’re snowed in again today. Funny thing is, the little man’s school was already scheduled to be closed so I’d lined up alternate childcare. But getting us from here to there won’t be happening. Thankfully we’re fairly well stocked. We have food. We have entertainment (though I could use more books).

• We do need light bulbs. I buy our groceries at the co-op and don’t think to pick up light bulbs while there, because they only carry the hella expensive compact fluorescent kind. Yes, I should be using those. And if I lived in Australia they would be mandatory soon.
• Yesterday I saw the UPS lady struggling up our hill with her big delivery truck and felt sorry for her. I felt even worse when I realized she was coming to our door. To make a critical delivery of…pants. For the little man. So yeah, we are now well stocked in the pants department (seriously, though, the kid’s going through another growth spurt).
• In the afternoon I forced myself outside to shovel. Again. I invited the lad to join me. He declined. After a 40 minute session I re-entered the house, ready to collapse. But it was then that he decided he wanted to go outside to play after all. I could’ve let him loose in the backyard on his own but opted to tag along. And we did finally locate our buried sled. As soon as I’d finished digging it out the kid went back into the house. Guess we’ll use it today instead.
• Last night the little man fell asleep with his head on my shoulder, as we were watching a movie in my room. So sweet. Later he woke me up with his knees pushing sharply in to the small of my back. That was a different kind of tender moment.

Bonus: When worlds collide. This Stephin Merritt appearance garners the capital A for Awkward award. And for my fellow cephalopod lovers, the SquidPod iPod cozy and a squid hat.
Plus: How much do I adore Sondre Lerche? He’s played in town quite a lot over the years, and I’ve missed him each time. Right this very moment I’m listening to his latest, Phantom Punch, and am determined to catch his upcoming 7th Street Entry show.
And: Due to perpetual budget problems the Minneapolis Public Library system has shut down three of its branches, including the one closest to my office. Grrrrr. But they’re having a grand re-opening for another branch tomorrow. If all goes well the East Lake location will become our new neighborhood library, after we move (though Riverview will always have a place in my heart).

This morning I was dreaming of socks. On some level I knew I’d have to get up before long and make my way downstairs to fetch the laundry. But, in my dream, untold horrors blocked the way between me…and the clean socks. I was relieved when the little man woke me up and flung himself on top of me for a good morning hug (until I realized how achey and tired my body already was). But dreaming of socks? I need a little more excitement in my life.

Yesterday morning the little man’s school bus pulled up to the stop and was followed in by a cop. Who proceeded to chew out the driver about something. That’s not the kind of excitement I was thinking of. I do hope my son is being conveyed to and from his school in a safe manner.

My Rebel’s camera battery is dead and the replacement battery and charger are nowhere to be found. Maybe they’re having a good time together and mocking me behind my back. Turncoats. If I buy replacements I just know the missing items will turn up immediately afterwards. And no, I will not resort to praying to Saint Anthony on this one. In the mean time I’ve snapped off a few shots with my old Olympus. Taking photos scratches an itch. Not taking photos leaves me feeling itchy. No one wants an itchy Sharyn.

Bonus: It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who sometimes shouts in their sleep.
Plus: I watched the preview for Paprika, a movie about dreams and virtual reality. Can’t wait for its release (in May). It brought to mind Second Life, which isn’t nearly so elegant or visually stunning. Though it is way more compelling than World of Warcraft (to me). And I could even see myself getting hooked. But its seedy underbelly is too much of a turnoff. That, and the chunky looking graphics. It’s so Max Headroom. Give me anime any day.
And: Being attacked by comment spam again. This aggression will not stand! Maybe some fiddling with the filters is in order. Sigh.