twirt

These are good:

http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/50477/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/weekinreview/21scott.html?scp=1&sq=wallace&st=cse

movie tickets for two = $17.50
cupcakes afterward = $10
babysitter for 3 1/2 hours = $42
evening out of the house while the baby sleeps = priceless

seriously, I know it’s ridiculously expensive, but OH it’s nice to go to the mooovies every once in awhile.  I’ve been cooped up in the house for the past couple weeks as the weather’s been dreadful, and little z and I basically have just been looking at each other wondering “what now?” for days and days.  G & I went to see this movie, which I’ve been wanting to see since before it came out, and even though it didn’t have any explosions or car chases I think G liked it almost as much as I did.  (we’re both suckers for wisecracking dialogue that’s much cleverer than anything you hear in real life — someday I’ll tell you all about our obsession with the Gilmore Girls).

with heartfelt gratitude to Golan for (finally) getting twirt ported to a new host and for totally going the extra mile to install wordpress while looking after the baby today –

welcome to my new blog. 

inaugural posts are always so awkward, don’t you think?  what am I going to write about?  I used to be something of an obsessive journal-writer, never without my 9″x12″ hardbound blank book, but I haven’t kept a diary like that in years, and I’m out of practice.  many years ago I read a piece by Natalia Ginzburg in which she observed that a good writer has to keep writing to keep the plumbing in order — 100 lines a day, just to flush the garbage out of one’s system.  the thing is, what do you do with those 100 lines of garbage?

thank god for the internet.

I’m thinking I’m going to try to separate the personal from the political as much as possible, here — so for rants on the local scene, I refer you to the blog at progress pittsburgh, where I’m an occasional contributor.  twirt is going to be more eclectic and maybe a little obscure.  and sleep-deprived.