weapons of massdistraction

Obviously we know what today’s big news is, but after the dust settles some folks will be noticing something else on the local front. First Avenue has closed its doors. And laid off all its employees. No word on what will be happening with shows scheduled for the near future (Robyn Hitchcock was slated to play there tomorrow night). I practically grew up at this fine institution, having gone to my first show there at age 14 (Agent Orange headlined, I still have the t-shirt somewhere) and making many friends through the scene. I wouldn’t have survived high school in the burbs without this outlet available to me. The Sunday afternoon all ages shows may have saved my life, or at least my sanity. And as an adult I continued my patronage, though less and less since becoming a mother. My last visit was in June, to see They Might Be Giants, who I had enjoyed there before. I could try to tick off all the great bands I’ve seen, both in the entry and the main room, but the list would be far too long. It could be the nostalgia speaking, but this strikes me as very sad news.
NaNo word count: 3435/50000

Day one of NaNo is already two-thirds over, yet I’ve only made it to one-third of my daily quota (1,667 words/day). And the message boards back at HQ are more hindrance than help, as it is too easy to get sucked in to endless discussions regarding “Tips & Strategies”, “How to Procrastinate Effectively” and, most compelling, the local forums…as I’ve now met a number of the folks posting there. Inspiration is everywhere, but I need the focus to pull it all in, weave it together and spit it back out as something somewhat coherent. And I haven’t re-trained myself to write in quantity over quality mode. I can’t stop myself from re-reading, and editing, what I’ve just written. And what I have so far is this: two characters I don’t know very well yet, in a location I’ve never been to. Hopefully Google can take care of the latter, without leading me too far astray. As for the former, I hope I grow to like them enough to continue writing them throughout the month, without resorting to killing them off…too soon.
NaNo word count: 1943/50000

Friday the little man had an impromptu overnight with his grandmother, which left me free to head out…to our regional NaNoWriMo kickoff event. A couple dozen folks showed up, including a few familiar faces, but there was one in particular. Figuring out how I knew him nearly drove me mad. While mentally ticking off the list (did we: work together? go to the same school? see each other at shows? have a one night stand?) I found myself staring more than once. Eventually he took off his jacket and put on a name tag and then everything clicked. He is a juggler I’d met years ago, in another lifetime, through the little man’s bio-dad. So I approached him and jarred his memory. He then introduced me to his lovely girlfriend. It turns out the lot of us have a number of shared acquaintances, and more than a few common interests. I spent the evening talking their ears off. Hopefully I didn’t overwhelm them too much. Also in attendance, the store clerk who assisted us at Wild Rumpus last Wednesday, who happens to be a friend of theirs. Such a small town.

Saturday morning we set out bright and early to retrieve the little man, then headed directly to a four year-old’s birthday party. It was lovely. So many small children, many in adorable costumes. The little man started out dressed as Batman (courtesy of his grandma) but wound up swapping with the birthday boy, to become a super-deluxe Buzz Lightyear. And our gracious hosts had gone above and beyond the call of duty, by baking a vegan birthday cake for us. All in all a brilliant way to start the day, but a draining one. Upon returning home our little trio was too wiped out to do anything remarkable for the rest of the day. A friend’s Halloween party was straight out, as was leaving the house for any reason at all. Hopefully we’ll make better use of today.

Despite starting out with a most unfortunate meal, and missing the blood-red lunar eclipse due to cloudy skies, Wednesday night’s pumpkin-carving activities were good fun for everyone. My favorite of the night? The collaboration between the little man and my velvet vamp, Zophia. He drew the face on, and she carved it (pictured below). Many thanks to her for hosting the messy event (upon my suggestion…after I invited myself over). And extra mad props for her safety-conscious pumpkin carving tip. Cut out the bottom instead of the top. You’ll be glad you did.

Thursday. Three spider-mans. Two princesses. Two power rangers. But only one crappy homemade ghost costume. Still, it’s what the little man wanted, and I think he looked awfully danged cute. But I’m his mom so what do I know. Well, I do know that yesterday was exhausting from start to finish. In the morning I hitched a ride in on the school bus with my boy, which he thought was great, and I got to see the roundabout route he takes every day. It’s a long one. Then I spent the half day following the lad around the school. Sure, it was a little out of the ordinary. They don’t regularly go trick or treating, but I know that managing that group of young’n’s must still be a handful every day. Don’t know how the staff there does it. When we got home I was ready to pass out, but just a few hours later we headed right back…for the first meeting of a support group, for parents of pre-school age children with special needs. There are 980 such children enrolled in our district. Only parents of 12 of them showed up. Just 12. I understand that time is in short supply for many of us. The husband was unable to attend because of his work/sleep schedule, and I’m sure many others are in the same boat. But of the parents who showed up, many were like us. Floundering. Our kids are most at risk. One of the social workers imparted some alarming information, about the path that special needs kids often follow…starting with low self esteem in grade school, early ostracism causing them to be social outcasts in junior high, leading them to hang out with “the wrong crowd” in high school, and culminating in incarceration. Cheery. Makes me want to home school the little man, but we won’t be able to protect and shield him forever.
An aside: listening to Elliott Smith’s posthumous release, as much as I may like it, only dampens already soggy spirits. Lunch with friends and an evening out at the local NaNoWriMo kickoff should help turn things around some.

It turns out I’ve been completely out of the loop. For about nine years. You see, no one told me there had been a little elf living at Lake Harriet. But the local rags knew, and CNN did too. Somehow I came upon the knowledge yesterday morning, and was determined that the little man and I would seek out Mr. Little Guy. We set out after school. Directions were vague, with little more than “the south shore of the lake” to go on. I drove around the lake, around one bend and then another, until my spidey-sense was tingling. Parked at the first available spot and hopped out. Down a set of stairs and a little to the right…and bam, there it was. Had to get down on my knees to read the little plaque on the door:

FROM THE CABIN
I have moved home to my castle toward the East. You may write to me at:
Mr. Little Guy
P.O. Box 50358
Minneapolis, MN 55405

Maybe we’ll drop him a line. But it was too cold to linger at the lake. We headed back to the warmth of the car, and, as we were already in the neighborhood, it was the perfect excuse to pop by another magical place…Wild Rumpus, the most charming children’s book store around. I guess it was a day for fancy doorways…the bookstore has a purple child-sized door built into the boring black bigger one (I always forget to photograph it). Inside it’s overstim central, but can be fun for the little man and I, in small doses. My goal was to pick up a gift for a birthday party we’re attending on Saturday. Naturally we came away with something for the little man as well. But Go Away, Big Green Monster, by Ed Emberley, is a book that we have been checking out from the library at least once a month for the last year, so the lad may as well have his own copy. Overall, a lovely day…even if no elves were to be found.