Up 4:30. Stayed in bed reading/browsing, fell back asleep, up for real around 7.
Usual morning routine (keeping an eye on mom while the caregiver helped my dad clean up after breakfast).
One toilet, replaced not long ago, behaving strangely - bubbling when the tap was on. Dad called the plumber, but it stopped before I showered - someone will still check it out, but it may have resolved. Anyway another crisis.
Talked to my dad about some present concerns, made first step toward getting his takes done - calling his accountant to have them send a workbook/organizer so we don’t have to guess what info is needed.
Visit from mom’s hospice head case worker (who comes less often than the nurse who came yesterday). Stuck around for that. Discussed pain medication and some emergency protocols, if/when the time comes.
Left around 11, stopped by Rad Coffee in downtown Upland, read the rest of Huysmans and started looking at the editor/translator’s notes, which are straightforward, edifying and in some ways more engaging than the book. Looked briefly in an antique store that seems to have opened since I was here last - overpriced vinyl, very square pre-rock CDs.
Put on Cedar Walton, Composer. Drove to the prison-project used bookstore in Claremont, picked up a sort of ‘60s “folksinger’s choice” book assembled by Milt Okun and one of the Churchlands’ brain/philosophy tomes.
Lunch at Wolfe’s (saving Meat Cellar for another time).
Worked on Middleton about 1:15-3:45 at Honnold; at 1191 words.
Saw a flyer for some classical recitals at the theology school across Foothill - tried to go to something scheduled 4:15, found it had been cancelled. Annoying, as I’d have stayed at the library for another hr. otherwise. Went to Upland Starbucks instead, read the middle section of Jordan’s book, wrote a daybook poem, and dealt w/ some email.
Home before 6; brought it emptied trash. Dinner, Jeopardy. TCM is showing all the Maisie movies - saw a scene from Congo Maisie where Ann Sothern sings the bridge of “St. Louis Blues” to African tribesmen. Tried to watch Maisie Was a Lady, got drowsy a 1/2 hr. in. Retired around 10, put on this odd record of an Italian singer + trio doing lyricize Ornette tunes.
4.30.18 - 5.1.18
4.30-5.1.18
Pop Conference in Seattle went well (my paper included); not going to attempt a report.
Read 1st 1/3 of Jordan Davis, Shell Game, on place, did a daybook poem. Arrived at Ontario Airport around 4 pm; Kyle drove me to my parents.
Caught up on how things are going here, fooled around on the piano 15-20 min., had dinner, watched Jeopardy w/ my dad, and a silly episode of Screen Directors’ Playhouse (w/ Jeanette Macdonald, Laraine Day, and Leo Durocher) that I DVR’d from TCM months ago.
Went to bed around 10. (Was relatively sleepless in Seattle!)
Up for a while around 3, fell back asleep to a YouTube of a MoMa conversation on Adrian Piper.
Up for good around 6. Routine around the house looks like I’m needed to keep an eye on mom until around 9-10.
Checked that the car I usually use here would start, went out to Sanctuary Coffee in Claremont (maybe its Pomona), started work on the revision of Richard Middleton’s “Bridge” entry in Bloomsbury (formerly Continuum) pop encyclopedia. 10-1, wrote around 500 words, some of it quite close to my book — the main thing here will be strategizing about what to include given the available length (around 2000, maybe can push to 2500).
Tried to go to Claremont Library book sale - but the library’s closed for renovation until fall.
Dropped by the mostly-media Goodwill on the way back; 3 classical CDs (Rameau, Gesualdo, and Britten), a nice older hardcover w/dustjacket of the play-script of Moss Hart’s Lady in the Dark, and a pb of Everett’s Erasure, which I’ve read but don’t own.
Back to the house before 2. Cleared some email; saw confirmations of 2 of my 3 grant rec. letters. Wrote a reminder to 3rd.
Visits from my mom’s nurse and a clinical social worker/therapist who comes every two weeks; this started while I was gone, so I hadn’t met either.
Watched part of a Penny Singleton Blondie movie. Dinner w/ parents at 7. Watched Jeopardy w/dad.
Went to Upland Starbucks a little after 8. Read farther into Huysmans, Parisian Sketches, which I’ve been dipping into since before I left NY. Falls between Zola and Baudelaire, I guess - hard to get traction in current state of mind. Daybook poem.
Home; lights out by 11.
(Listened to Exile on Guyville over course of the day.)
April 2018 reading
Susan Fast, Dangerous
Andrew Levy, Ashoka
Stephanie DeGooeyer, et. al., The Right to Have Rights
Paul Hoover, Viridian
The Ballad of John Latouche
Rodney Koeneke, Body and Glass
Oliver Assayas, A Post-May Adolescence
Jennifer Moxley, Druthers
Jenn Pelly, The Raincoats
Stuart Isacoff, Temperament
Tracey Thorn, Naked at the Royal Albert Hall
hiatus
4.23 - worked on talk, packed, had dinner w/ Bree (and left Tracey Thorn book in the restaurant), called dad. Listened to dharma talks and some of Dewey Redman/Cecil Taylor/Elvin Jones (who's unbelievable), Momentum Space.
Flying to Seattle today; Pop Con starts tomorrow. I don't expect to keep this up for the duration, though maybe I'll record some quick notes (not a full "conference report") later. SEA --> ONT on Mon. 4/30, to see my parents for 3 weeks. Will resume at that point.
4.23.18
Up 8.
Set up a monthly order of a case of sardines for Bree.
Left by 9:30; Thorn on train.
Coffee. Caught up on this.
Therapy. Lunch.
Worked on talk from 2-7. Got somewhere, not as far as I need to be.
Dharma talk on way home.
Laundry. Daybook poem. Read Charles Johnson interview.
Lights out 11:30.