"ACCEPT YOURSELF"

Don't ask me why, but since going to Canada, every time I sign into MySpace, it defaults to the MySpace Canada version. Sneaky little maple leaves, my BFFs. It's so flattering how you want to claim me as your own. I'm not packing a single box until you add me to the socialized health plan, though, capisce?

On an unrelated note, I'm coloring my hair-- magenta stripes in the dark brown mop, the usual-- but this time I'm adding a few turquoise highlights into the mix, too. Why not? You only live once, right? Anyway, I just went to check my tinfoil layers to make sure I wasn't going too blondey (you have to bring the dark hair up to blondey before you can make it pink or blue or whatever), and decided that my clump of hair sitting, stewing in its bleach paste, shedding its pinkishness and getting blonder in the center, well, I decided it looked exactly like a strip of bacon. So, feel free to carry on with you day, imagining strips of raw bacon and tinfoil coming out of my bangs.

And just see if you can resist me then. Hot, I know.

"REEL AROUND"

You guys! This is brand-new website it so cool! Pass it on. Booktour.

Who would like to give me a treadmill? No? Fine. Who would like to start a band? No? Fine.

So, Guths, as you might have figured out, are an open-to-possibility family, and as a result, often find ourselves on interesting adventures and pursuits. My parents, par example, are, as we speak, traveling to stay in one of the HGTV Dream Houses for the weekend. How did that happen that they get one of those places to themselves for the weekend? I don't think they are too sure, either. But, there they are, heading right in. So funny. Ma Guth said to me yesterday, I have to go shopping! I can't stay there in my regular clothes! I need to match that place! (Yeah right, like Ma Guth has ever been one to hang around in schmattas.) So, I sort of have this image of them wearing a dinner jacket and a flowy evening gown, respectively, just for cocktail hour. Eh, live it up, I say. Live it up. I have probably only seen them dolled up together maybe a handful of times since disco went by the wayside.

Now, I must put the following Canadian bands on your radar. Find them. Buy their stuff. Colourbook. Cobras Cobras Cobras. Les Autobus. And especially do not miss Wooden Sky. Possibly my new favorite band. (Click on their CBC link and scroll down to play their self-titled song. Ohhhh, I can't get enough of this song.) Wow, Canada really has their musical ducks in a row right now, don't they?

"GOLDEN LIGHTS"

Don't forget to mark your calendars, by the by!

Thursday, July 26th at 7:30pm
The Fixx Reading Series
(hosted by yours truly)
The Fixx Coffee Bar
3053 N Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL

This month (again, alphabetically, so I don't get beat-up):

Charles Blackstone author of The Week You Weren't Here
Rick Karlin author of Show Biz Kids
Elaine Soloway, author of The Division Street Princess

Can you believe?!?! I'm very excited for this line-up. (As my excessive punctuation might indicate.)

In other news: I have a new motto. Sure, Say yes will still stand, but I think Keep it Canadian is a new worthy motto, too.

"NOW, TODAY, TOMORROW"

"I WAS HAPPY TO STAY"

Well, Einstein had a fun night.


The reading went wonderfully! Tim Walker read beforehand, and I was immediately struck by how similarly he and I write about the world and details around us. We talked about this a bit later, but I am getting ahead of myself.


Walker started, I finished, our work read well together. Neil (of diner fame-- see previous post) brought incredible food, so many people showed up (many of whom I'd met around town in the day leading up to the reading), people bought books, people laughed and seemed to be into things. It was perfect. I'm so happy.



I'd read here again anytime they'd have me. I really like the good, creative energy in the Arcadia Project building (the record store/coffeehouse/gallery space, etc.).

Anyway... after, we stopped by LopLop, for a quick sip (I love this bar) then I hit the hay while the crew hung out on the roof of the AP playing guitars and singing until the storm blew through in the middle of the night.

Overheard in Canada:

"Jeez, that jacket is so Paula Poundstone, eh?"

"Naw, they were doing, like, Slayeroke. It was all only Slayer songs! Anyway, I sang Rain and Blood, yeah."

"I'm not gonna say we broke up because she loves The Eagles, but, uh... yeah I think we broke up because she loves The Eagles."

"So there I was in Vancouver, right?, and I walk up to this CityWorks truck and there's this big burly guy, a worker, in the truck, and he's fucken listening to Material Girl so loud."

"Man, fuck that zoo. That's not even a zoo! They've got like two goats and a wolf!"

"IF YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO SPARE"

"FIVE SECONDS TO SPARE"

Hi again from the diner. This town has got some really great diners. If you find yourself in these parts, hit Neil's Diner. It. Is. Awesome. Casual as your own kitchen table, low key, public radio, WiFi, and that Neil is a really nice guy who is down with local art and bands. Dig that.

Last night was a fine time, cocktailishy, impromptu arty and such. These dudes were hanging around the record shop yesterday, rocked a while, then split for a show across town. I'm hitting a thrift store today pre-reading, to see what I can find. I have it on decent authority that I'm to head to a thrift store that is "as large as a Walmart". Hmm. Wish me luck with that.

I just saw the Canadian equivalent of The Simpsons Crazy Cat Lady crossing the street.

"I WILL SEE YOU IN FAR OFF PLACES" VOL. II

I made it!

I'm in Sault St. Marie, currently sitting on the sidewalk outside of a very cute (but very closed) diner, getting a WiFi signal. The downtown area is so cute, sort of reminds me of Napa, but, you know, Canadian and therefore more polite.

I unloaded my bags into the building that houses the bookstore/coffeeshop/artspace/record store and was informed that I'll be staying the The Rock Star Room. (Hope I don't catch anything) And, I just heard a rumor that Robert Bondar's (1st female Canadian astronaut, fyi) niece is keen to introduce me tomorrow night. Is that cool, or what?

The trip up was uneventful. I got held up for a couple minutes at the border, but I'm here and that's all that matters.

Anyway, I'm off cocktail it up. Later skaters.

"I WILL SEE YOU IN FAR OFF PLACES"

So, it's 4:30am-ish, and I think I'm about set for Canada. Bag packed, apartment clean, passport set out where I can't forget it, yadda yadda. It'll be a fun time. Had a good weekend, and would again like to present a single-sentence stream-of-consciousness bit summing up my weekend:

errand, errand, Serbian laundry freakout, store's closed, brainstorm, can't cook I'll melt, Live Earth, fuckyouRichieSambora, timeline, 3 months, 5 months, Dukes of Hazard, passport, passport?, passport, passport?!?, passport, iddly-wonky, calm, okay, good, sleep, sleep, sleep, cat, wake, stupid Flanders cat, sleep, grapes, pack, can't cook I'll melt, must cook I'll wither, cooking leftovers, stupid rice, water, tea, melting, back to AC, melting, hot feet, meowy cat, restaurant reviews, eyeroll, sleep or nap or something, 3am get in gear

Now that I'm up, I think I want to sleep more. Oh, decisions. Sleep a little more and have to wait and hang out and get a late start to avoid Chicago rush hour, or suck it up and leave in the next two hours before rush hours starts. Hmm. Knowing me, I'll suck it up, but we shall see. (Update: I dicked around my apartment for so long trying to get it all together before sleeping a little more, that I think I need to suck it up and get going.)

Anyway. I'll blog from my travels, as per usual. I haven't been to Canada in a long time, so I'm excited to go again. Last time I was there, I went to Montreal and Quebec City, two other places I really love.

Remember, my dear Canadian (and Canadian border-near) readers, here is the scoop on my reading in Sault St. Marie. C'mon out, or send folks in your place. You know I like butts in seats for the readings. Er, I mean, an audience of smiling faces.

And... while I'm heading that direction, you can show a little love, if you like, to my hosts Uppercase Books and good ol' Bacon Bits and Midget Parts' Al Bjornaa. (Ohh, and check out a little blurb about them here).

"FOUND FOUND FOUND"

You guys, this website is so fun. It's called GoodReads, and while I have indeed mentioned it before, I don't think I realized how super-cool it is until I started playing around with it a bit last night. Go sign yourself up. It's very cool.

Then, you can friend request me right here. Pretty please.

So, show of hands, who is coming to my reading in Canada on Tuesday?