if you say don't look back

My first call this morning was killer. We're taking calls for the Department of Health because they got flooded out of their building a couple weeks ago. I just listened to a horror story of hospital incompetance that resulted in a man's agonizing, useless, preventable death. His widow was calling, and mentioned in passing his service as a Marine, thirty nine years working for the railroad, how he called her Duchess, all their long years together. It was one of the saddest things I've heard. Health care should not be a for profit industry. It just shouldn't.

Yesterday I never got around to updating my livejournal, which is silly given how much nothing I did. I *did* get up to have coffee and then lunch with brienze at Korea House. Mmm delicious sushi. I ate the fried head of a prawn, a bright red baby octopus, lots of delicious salmon roe, a perfect scallop, more shrimp, fried softshell crab and sea bass. It was so delicious and I want to eat more.

Packing has commenced, slowly. I need to get the books done, and it will be less scary. This means I am on mission to acquire boxes.

those five words I hear you say

Most favorite of the memes. If you feel like playing, leave a comment random or otherwise and I will come up with some questions for you. I reserve the right to ask you cracked out questions if I can't think of anything interesting.

1. What do you like best about where you live?
So many things. The very best thing of all is the sky. Hard to explain, but there is nowhere else on earth that has such a sky. There's also the beautiful geography of the Hill Country, the live oak trees and pecans, the wildflowers in spring, the lakes, Barton Springs, the University of Texas, the Alamo Drafthouse, Amy's ice cream, Karbey queso and Magnolia mud, breakfast tacos at 2am, kegs of Shiner at college parties, an abundance of Tex-Mex, Chez Nous, Korea House, the bats under the bridge, the Texas history museum, the big old houses, Bevo, and being the only city I know where a homeless transvestite runs a credible campaign for mayor.

2. You have a gift with descriptions. Has that always been?
I like to think so. Writing is something I love, and sometimes I am good at it. I am more talented at descriptions, reviews, character sketches and those sorts of things than moving plots along so I have tended to focus my attention in such a way.

3. What's your favorite force of nature? (Storms, tornados, lightning, etc.)
The wind, for sure. I love the wind. I love the way it sweeps the sky, the lift, the sound and taste of it moving. I like to fly kites and run through the park. It makes the world seem to move faster.

4. Do you have any guilty food pleasures?
Oh yes. Chips, certainly. So bad for you, but I can eat an entire bag. I also really like hot dogs. I don't care what is in them. They are delicious when covered in mustard and onions. (Or wrapped in bacon and fried and covered in sour cream somtimes.)

5. Is there a habit or talent that you wish that you had? What would you do with it if you did?
I wish I could sing. (as I'm sure most of my friends wish too) I sing all the time, and would continue to do so. Just without being so off key.