--WELL, WHAT'S THAT BIG, FAT GRIN ALL ABOUT?

…I have a new story, "The Sin Jar" up at The Midwest Coast Review (pg. 23) and a new story, "Strangers," at The Stone Highway Review (pg. 28).
Both are here under “Words In Print.”

…I saw "My Idiot Brother." I had high hopes for the movie. It looked quirky in sort of an Indie film way. It had Indie actors like Paul Rudd and Zooey Deschanel and that lady from Saturday Night Live.
But it was not a good film.
It was sort of a sellout.
There were no surprises. It was as predictable as tomorrow morning's sunrise.
I had an inkling it wasn't going to be any good when the previews started. You can almost bet how good a movie will be just by the previews that are shown before-hand. (Hint: one of the previews was for the new Adam Sandler movie where Mr. Sandler plays a male version of himself and a twin, female version of himself.)
So, yeah, that was a bit disappointing.

…The concert was not disappointing.
The Walkmen opened the show. They were good. They look like four college kids from Utah or Texas, the lead singer in a suit, open collar button down, affecting a young Dennis Quaid look.
But the highlight, of course, was The Fleet Foxes. Listening to them is like being inside an orchestral orgasm.
The sound was lush and soaring and quiet and adoring.
They had flutes and a cello, mandolins, violins, an old piano that looked like it was stolen from the set of "Gun Smoke."
And it was all very beautiful.
They play a second show tonight here in Seattle.
Wherever you are, go see them if you can. Or get their album, especially the first one.

…Here in Seattle, down by Pike Place Market, there's a long side street called "Post Alley" that winds a mile or so. At one point you will come to the Gum Wall.
If you know about the Gum Wall you'll be prepared and not freaked.
If you do not know about the Gum Wall you'll be taken aback and probably grossed out.
Basically the Gum Wall is several buildings in the alley where people stick their gum.
By now, many thousand people have done so. I mean, there's a LOT of gum on the walls.
They cover several buildings.
It teeters on the cusp of being disgusting, yet it also is quite colorful, inventive, collaborative, organic, and ingenious.
People/tourists were busy taking pictures when I happened upon it yesterday.
The photo above in this post is the Gum Wall.
Come check it out.

…There are things I want to say to you.
Some of these things are secrets. Some are quite obvious but need to be said anyway.
Some of the things I want to say to you are barbed and might put you on edge. I don't know. I'm not sure.
I have been thinking about saying these things ever since I was a boy, before I knew you.
I knew even then that someday, when I met you, I'd have this hankering to share my news, spill the beans.
But now that that day is here and you are here (or nearby, at least) I'm unsettled about the issue.
It has nothing to do with bravery and everything to do with dark holes. It has nothing to do with trust and honesty and everything in the world to do with the future.
You know this about me, don't you, how the future is something I keep putting off while the past is a wide sidewalk crack I hopped over long ago.
In the end, of course, it all hinges on one thing. What really matters is if you really, really want to know, to hear the things I want to say.
Well, do you?