Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Confusionpalooza


Natalie Morales, Scott Creley and me at Poetrypalooza

Times of transition flummox me.  I crave escape into a decompression chamber to adjust to change, but that’s not the way life works.
Alan went back to Playa on Sunday and back to work on Monday.  Summer is officially over for us.  My elder son came in for a brief visit from New York and left again.  I found an old friend on Facebook, incomunicado for 21 years.  We met at a jazz club last night, over a beer, for a catch-up chat.  He lives a half mile from my mom's.  He was the free-spirited, artist, hippie, U of Cal type.  He’s a long time business and home owner.  Why do people always surprise you?
I fell off my bike yesterday with skidding sideways flare, as though I were sliding into home.  All the articles I carry with me in my baskets-- water, Gatorade, sun tan oil, a spritzer, my purse-- and accessories from the bike flew across the asphalt and fanned around the downed bike and rider.  It looked like a physics experiment.  
Here was the top half of my bell, resting on the dotted white line in the center of the street.  There were two AAA batteries, come to rest in the murky depths of the slime-green puddle.  The third battery was twenty feet away, on the sidewalk, next to an oil barrel.  My right side didn’t feel so good as I gathered my scattered belongings.
Yesterday, I could still deal.  I picked up my mom and younger son for lunch on the westside with the NY visitor son.  I faked it through the ueberlong walk-about in the giant Trader Joe’s on Culver Boulevard, a delightful excursion for my mom.  I faked it through calamari at Colombo’s last night and the drive back home at 1AM.  
Today, I feel sore and wince with every breath.  My ribs are a mess.  The right side of my body looks like it went through a giant grater.  Who knew my body could produce such lumpy expressions of cerulean blue and purple pink winter fjord sunsets? 
I wanted to blog about Poetrypalooza but John Brantingham beat me to it.  You can go read his blog (johnbrantingham.blogspot.com) for all the networking he is doing.  Think to yourself: ditto for Marta.  I wanted to blog about the Perseids and my moonless ride to Mt. Baldy in pursuit of meteors.  I wanted to do many things today and tomorrow, but the gods of good writing said, "No!"  My destiny is to stay home, finish my rewrites and hand them in to Sunny Frazier, my ueberpatient acquisitions editor at Oak Tree Press.

22 comments:

  1. You were great at Poetrypalooza, Marta! Keep going, keep going. Think about this, even with all the chaos, you finished your rewrites and turned them in. You're my new hero!

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    1. I didn't FINISH my rewrites yet, you optimistic fool! I'm still slugging away at them, my ribs all taped and my every move accompanied by little sighs and curses~~

      Thank you for thinking of me in such a positive light, however. ;-)

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  2. A writer's life is never boring! Some day you can turn all of these experiences into a book!

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    1. You are right, Sally. I can alway bank on my repeated clumsy moves in life. I wish I could have made a Youtube out of it. I'm sure it would have gone viral, especially if shot from behind.

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  3. Take a little time off and let your body change back to its original color!

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    1. It's a lovely rainbow on my right thigh. It almost looks like a jagged forest. Perhaps I can pass it off as a trendy new tatt, at least till it turns all yellow and purple. Then I can say I'm a Lakers fan.

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  4. First question: Are you sure you didn't break a rib???

    Sally is right. Someday all of your experiences will contribute even more to your writing. In the meantime, you're a good daughter not to let on how you were feeling.

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    1. I'm rather sure i DID break a rib, but I didn't want to sound melodramatic on my post. I can sit well, but lying down or reaching for anything with my right hand is torture.

      My mom only saw the scrape on my elbow. The rest I kept to myself. I am SO noble. Thank you for noticing, Marja.

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  5. Those bike spills are no fun and can be really dangerous. Try telling me the Tour de France and other cycling events aren't as grueling a sport as any you might engage in. Do be careful and I hope all went well with your rewrites.

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    1. Rewrites are still in progress.

      I could never ride in a pod like that of the Tour de France or the Olympics. Large bicycling groups terrify me, and I see those multi-rider crashes due to the domino effect. No thanks. I'll stage my own little private falls from grace.

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  6. I'm sorry to hear about your bike spill. I can top that. I've had to babysit my near 2-year old rambunctious grandson with an infinite energy supply for 3 days and nights while my daughter is in the hospital with no release date in sight.

    I'm glad that Poetrypalooza with John Brantingham, Natalie Morales, and Scott Creley paid off. I’m sure that Sunny Frazier will appreciate all the energy you’re putting out for the rewrites.


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    1. That does not sound good. No one knows what is wrong with your daughter? This requires prayer. I'm sending some out right now. Let me know how it evolves, Carole. My thoughts are with you.

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  7. I hope you recuperate quickly from that bike accident, Marta. You described it so graphically, I could feel your pain. Good luck with your rewrites.

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    1. It's nice to have such a show of support from the Posse and my friends. Thank you for being one of them.

      The rewrites-- oooh, they require stamina, don't they?

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  8. Marta sorry to hear about the fall...lady be careful out there and congrats on your rewrites I'm sure Sunny appreciates the hard work.

    Augie

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    1. Send me good vibes, Augie. I am trying to get them as perfect as possible!
      xox.

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  9. Oh, TT, only you could turn such a painful, tragic spill injury into a beautifully descriptive visual. Would that you could AnnieLebowitz yourself then paint it! For now we'll settle for living it with you. Beautifully written!

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    1. You are my precious twin, Sweet Sue TT. I should have known I could rely on you to see the bittersweet irony of the situation-- no camera and no witnesses, other than a tall teen half a block away with earphones in his head. My fall must have created quite a clatter, as he turned toward me and mumbled, "Are you OK?"

      Eager to appear graceful as I sat in my sap green puddle with French indigo highlights, I managed a jaunty wave and a bright smile. "I'm OK." Dunce. He loped off and left me to my gathering of Marta talismen all alone.

      I still say it would have gone viral as a Youtube.

      Yes, we shall paint the tragic mess and elevate it to high art.

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  10. Sis!!! For the love of God, if your ADD makes you unable to manuever the imperfections of your small towns' streets please, please, please just lay there and wait for paramedics or some sort of assistance that appears in a uniform. It's just smart to let them determine if your able to simply go home and secondly, this just elevated this dreadful event into a damn good story. Of course you'd begin by telling us what the first paramedic looked like when he gently asked, "Can you tell me where it hurts and I need to feel for any possible broken bones...." just a thought...Seriously, for the sake of the sistahood, be careful. Love...0ne wing



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  11. One wing, One wing!!! Thank you for reading and commenting. I miss you in my day-to-day life, One wing.

    Yes, you are right. I should have gotten the paramedics to check me out. Damn! Another opportunity missed. What was I thinking? Clearly, I was NOT thinking. My brains were scrambled.

    I seem to be healing. it's a good thing. Let's get together soon, One wing.

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  12. YYYYYIIIIPPPPEEEE!!!!!!! Lets please get together...Hell, even at our most boring of times we could give one you one heck of a Wednesday post...But far more important than that, my heart could use of dose of Marta. My schedule is very flexible...I say we connect this weekend to set up a date...

    One wing

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    1. Dear One Wing-- You're on!!! I have a house guest through mid-week next week. How about Tues or Wed the following week? That would be September 18 or 19. Hit me up on Gmail and let me know, please. (((hugs)))

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