13 Thursday: Mind Games
1. Tongue twister created after I played AI (a three legged sloth) twice in one Scrabble play, which caused Mara to squeal, “Two three legged sloths … Two three legged sloths … Two three legged sloths.”
2. When I tried to say “two three legged sloths” three times fast, it kept coming out as something ending with “sluts,” which reminded Mara of the bar drink she had when we were in Lexington, called “a redheaded slut.”
3. “The bees are disappearing, independent bookstores are closing, and they’re selling botox on TV to women in their 30’s!” I recently ranted to my friend Alwyn over the phone.
4. When I played the word QUEUE in our last Scrabble game, Mara and Rosemary broke out in song, singing, “Q-U-E-U-E whatever will be will be … the future’s not ours to see … Q-U-E-U-E.
5. Favorite quote from Claudia Emerson’s VPI Poetry Symposium keynote address: Sometimes the line will agree with the sentence and sometimes the sentence will argue with the line.
6. Joe and I tend to argue about stuff like whether something is purple or blue, or is that blue and green?
7. When it comes to my bad back it’s more about what I don’t do than what I do. In other words, less sitting and more moving.
8. I dream in fiction.
9. Last night I dreamt of blogger Michele Agnew (of Meet and Greet fame). She had a new blog, designed from an online survey she took. The details were posted on a bulletin board at the New Mountain Mercantile, here in Floyd. I was in there picking up my farm eggs and was telling someone that I knew her. I had a bicycle outside and was on my way to Christiansburg, but then it started to rain. When I woke up I was trying to figure out how to get home to get my car without getting wet (I live 7 miles from town).
10. While doing some research on local blues musician, Scott Perry, who was quoted in my story about the arts in Floyd, I discovered he has written a song called Floyd County Rag. Here.
11. My mind just went blank. Then I thought of the T-shirt my son Josh brought home from London that said “Mind the Gap,” taken from signs at the London Underground. In this country the underground is called the subway and our signs read, “Watch Your Step.” My T-shirt should probably say “Mind the Lapse.”
12. Some Mind Game architecture HERE and HERE.
13. Winter Tax Refunded in the Spring (AKA The Audit): In April I calculate poetry … the way others do their taxes … as though the world were overdue for a good accounting … Bursting to put into words … what the birds already know … with each emerging daffodil … I mark spring’s growing windfall … Its affluent bloom … and excess of green are annual assets … we all get to claim.
Thursday headquarters is here. My other 13’s are here. View more 13 Thursday’s here. #129
April 17th, 2008 1:02 am
I never play scrable before 😀
Will you visit mine Thanks
April 17th, 2008 1:11 am
Hmmm how is it to play mind games w/ your self?
April 17th, 2008 5:27 am
architecture- tres cool
April 17th, 2008 5:52 am
Y’all just have way too much fun playing Scrabble! Are you sure you weren’t having ‘redheaded sluts’ to drink? Love the t-shirt idea – Mind the Lapse – you could get one made up over at cafepress. Love The Audit! Great TT, have a good one!
April 17th, 2008 6:07 am
Your Scrabble games must be a hoot! I love the silliness that comes out of them. And I love Claudia Emerson’s line. Sometimes all the words in the elevator of my mind argue about who gets to come out first, so this kind of argument would reflect amazing progress for me!
April 17th, 2008 6:20 am
A slut is what I’d become if I drank a few of those sweet drinks! Sugar and alcohol = trouble for me. Love the “Mind The Lapse” idea. That would get people to thinking…which of course, is the point…how better to mind lapses than to spark up the synapses!
April 17th, 2008 8:17 am
‘I dream in fiction’. Would make a great tag line. Happy T13!
April 17th, 2008 8:34 am
After being in England Josh told me that anytime there was a hint of a lapse in conversation, someone would offer him a cup of tea. They drink a lot of tea and it’s a remedy for everything.
I love the idea of the elevator of your mind and ideas fighting for who will get off first, Sandy!
April 17th, 2008 9:16 am
As the possessor of my own auburn tresses, I have to know what’s in a redheaded slut LOL.
April 17th, 2008 9:50 am
Mind games are really not my cup of tea ! It’s too much effort, lol !
Sorry there was something wrong with my link to my travel blog it’s http://gattinatravels.blogspot.com/. I corrected it now, thanks !
April 17th, 2008 9:58 am
I love Scrabble and word games, the QUEUE cracks me up, I used to love the song Que Sera Sera when I was little, so that was cute!
April 17th, 2008 10:13 am
my favorite drink used to be ‘sex on the beach’ and i never could get away with asking for it w/out the bartender making a funny retort.
and your phone call to alwyn made me think of you as a town crier… 🙂 it also reminded me of an article about a trend where parents are letting their teenage daughters get plastic surgery. what in the world is that teaching them?
April 17th, 2008 10:20 am
It is a funky time in the world. Do you ever play scrabble on-line? I’ve never done that – I do like the little wooden pieces. Though, I’m not very good at games – I don’t like the competition and get easily bored.
I like that people know each other in your dreams….
Happy TT, Colleen.
April 17th, 2008 10:30 am
Or Lapse the Mind. I’ll have to tell my friend, Aimee the Red, about the redhead drink. She’ll love it!
April 17th, 2008 11:01 am
#3…so sad, so true. I played this week…
April 17th, 2008 11:20 am
Mind games … so much fun!!! As always … glimpses into YOUR mind are most entertaining. As for #3 it’s sad but true … I especially miss my favorite ‘Book Soup’ among others. How cool to dream in ‘fiction’ ;–)
Hugs and blessings,
April 17th, 2008 2:14 pm
I like the “I dream in fiction.” Happy TT!
April 17th, 2008 2:57 pm
So am I hearing I should wait until 40 for botox? It’s so tempting. I want to tape my worry lines flat so my bad habits of the past don’t arrive in awareness before the new me does…
April 17th, 2008 5:06 pm
Another great TT. I checked out the Paragon Park Blog entry and I see what you mean.
I think your writing is excellent anyway and I love journals too. xo
April 17th, 2008 7:29 pm
I laughed at “Q-U-E-U-E” when I sang it out loud. lol Thanks for that.
~S
April 17th, 2008 8:05 pm
It is totally true that we drink tea in times of adversity in England. And in times of rejoicing, and boredom, and any other mood!
I think we all want to know more about this dreaming in fiction you do!
April 17th, 2008 9:11 pm
These were all good. I love that you dreamt about Michelle Agnew, too funny!
April 19th, 2008 9:47 pm
The marketing angle for selling Botox to women in their 30’s is that it can help prevent wrinkles before they are formed. Too late for me. I didn’t know bees were disappearing – I’ll look into that. I always dream in fiction. I just assumed that’s the way everybody dreams, no?
April 20th, 2008 11:07 pm
Oh, I love Scrabble!
I also dream in fiction and yes, I too have had a dream that had Michele Agnew in it…it is scary isn’t it?
Now, I must go get farm fresh eggs and tell all the ladies at the market that I know Colleen of Loose Leaf Notes fame. Oh yes, they will indeed be impressed. Really, they will!
April 21st, 2008 1:07 am
I have never had a dream that had Michele Agnew in it….but I am visiting from Michele’s and bought “All-Natural” eggs at the store this week. 🙂