The machines were struggling for a beauty beyond their humble states

Writhe through the first one minute and 8 seconds.

Constant use had not worn ragged the fabric of their friendship...

Today I nearly set my apartment on fire. See, I put the kettle on. Yes, I do that. Daily. I usually consume an entire carafe of coffee, but because I've been sick I've taken to green tea. It's easy to defer to in these parts.

Regardless, gas top a-gassing I notice the fire is more pronounced than ever. There also appears to be a billowing stream of black smoke pouring out from under the kettle. Odd. Perhaps, I muse, there was some remnant of some food product on the bottom of my kettle. I remove it and turn down the gas. Trouble is, when I turn down the gas, the fire won't subside. It's then I realize I've placed, inexplicably, the rubber stopper for my sink on the range and that it's wildly on fire.

Well, hmm.. That's curious. Herald back to horror films of old. Frozen in fear, or maybe mere amusement. I, for a moment think it the worst decision ever to douse the flames. I figure I need baking soda. Do I have baking soda? Oh wait. This isn't a grease fire. Then I snap back into reality. Oh yes, now, now, now put it out with water. And so I do.

My apartment reeks of burnt rubber, but there was some satisfaction in having removed the charred rubber remnants in one fellow swoop with a dollar store kitchen fork.

All's well and quiet on the eastern front. Coffee is just now being made.

They gave us the wine to drink, not to talk about

A new aim. Wine in the sky that seems plausible. And delicious.



My apartment is not nearly packed. I can excuse myself in part because I'm busy. One part. The other stems from the fact that I may not be ready to leave. I've made new friends. I've taken Hiroshima as a new lover and I've found that now- life, living, this moment in August, I'm as good alone as I ever was with another.

Let's drink to that. And all this mixed-up adventures to follow.
I'm bellyfull of beauty.