Slept poorly - had breakfast and finished watching Maisie Was a Lady, but had to go back to bed after.
Around 11 or so, did nearly everything that remained to be done on dad’s taxes. Discussed a few matters.
Left around 12:30, went to Ontario Library, spent $3 on 2 books about Native Americans.
Went downstairs (very quiet) and read quota of Warwick + 2 stories in Johnson.
Deposited some checks for my dad, got a coffee at Rad.
Went to Honnold, worked about 3 - 5:30, made another go at the opening of the Middleton “bridge” revision. (Had a useful response from an editor yesterday.) 500 words, not sure if I’m on the right track.
Stopped by Rhino, said hello to Nathan, bought 2 used CDs - a Charlie Parker Verve best of, just for convenience, and OMD s/t debut (cheap, and the reissue w/ extras is hard to find).
Home, dinner, Jeopardy. Restless afterwards, went out around 10 to get a soda but mostly to drive around. Put on PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her, which I’ve never heard.
Made myself get through some email & the like, after 11. Watched SNL (already online before West Coast broadcast), put on some Robert Ashley, lights out around 1.
5.4.18
Up for a while at 2:30, but then slept through to 8. (Internal clock stabilizing.)
Did an hr. on dad’s taxes after breakfast.
Left before 11; listening to v/a Where the Girls Are, v. 7. This 1996 single by the Utopias is amazing.
Went to Sanctuary, drafted another 500 of bridge fairly quickly, then decided I should write to the eds for guidance.
Other email. I have 2 books out from NYPL that can’t be renewed - not sure what to do about fines between now and getting home.
Went home for a while to “supervise,” I guess, the shift change (put my dad’s mind at ease that he’d get dinner, really).
Left for L.A. before 5. Listened to Where the Girls Are and a disc of Rameau overtures on the way out.
Parked near the El Rey, read quota of Warwick in a Starbuck’s on Wilshire, daybook poem. Suppose I could have gone somewhere more colorful, or stopped by (e.g.) Amoeba. Trying not to spend money on records just for the sake of it.
Watched Rebecca Schiffman’s opening set (solo electric) - notably effective not to introduce herself before the first song, though she bantered later. Particularly liked a new one called “Song for a Writer,” which I could hear with a band. Talked to Scott Jacobson and one of his neighbors before/after. Watched about 2 songs of middle band No Joy (2 guitarists + drums, sort of a hard-shoegaze, quite skilled, couldn’t make out a word), skipped headliners Baths entirely. Talked to Scott briefly about possible “Flag Pin” video before I left.
Rest of Rameau and some Berg on the way back. Home at 11, read one story in Johnson, lights out before midnight.
5.3.18
Up 4:30.
Went out to Rad Coffee at about 6. Started reading Jacqueilne Warwick, Girl Groups, Girl Culture. More email, contacted the guy from a new Shrimper band about playing on one of their East Coast shows.
Came home by 8, per dad’s request, so I could keep an eye on Mom while the caregiver helps him shower.
Helped dad w/ taxes for an hr. or so.
Therapy by Skype.
Napped until almost 2; dad had gone to a dr’s appt. w/ Anthony when I woke up.
Tried to leave by 2:30; they came back just as I was pulling out, so we talked about some family issues.
Stopped by the Upland Library book sale - picked up Sheila Weller’s Girls Like Us, on Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon.
Called Bree back.
Went to the Spot on Mountain, had one beer, tried to get my to-do list together. Sent a couple emails re trying to get Dan Clucas a NYC show in June.
Home at 6:30. Read the rest of Jordan’s book; it’s very heart-on-its-sleeve in its way, and sophisticatedly demotic. Will re-read.
Dinner. Went to Sprouts for a few things so I wouldn’t have to tomorrow. Jeopardy when I came back, but Dad fell asleep. Another chunk of the Maisie movie.
Bed around 10. Read 1st two stories in Charles Johnson, Dr. King’s Refrigerator - one w/ an SF hook, one an updated fable. Maybe “deceptively simple” to a fault?
Have been listening to Eliane Radigue to get to sleep.
5.2.18
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.)