never enough time

Everything is madness right now! I'd really like to post about:

• The thesis readings. What amazing peers I have, and how lucky I am to take these writers away with me as friends.
• So much family! Spontaneous visits from my aunt and uncle for whom "in St. Louis" means "in the neighborhood," and planned visits from the immediate family. Hooray for moral support and breakfasts out.
  
• Sherman Alexie's reading, which seriously lived up to all expectations. What a perfomer. The dinner aftwards was revealing in many ways that I won't go into. He asked us all what song we wanted played at our funeral; you get mad cred if you can guess what I said. He also kindly recorded his poem from IR's 25th anniversary edition. Bounce over to the IR blog for more on that.
• Blackberry coffee cake.
  
• This beautiful book, The Back of the Line, that showed up in my mailbox today thanks to the inimitable Jeff Parker.
• Motorcyle accidents.
• Small bits of good news that I don't feel like posting about but you can ask me about if you want.
  
• The fact that I'm leaving in 4 days. Seriously.