Last night was one of the coolest nights ever.

It started off with annoyance. A couple days ago my friend Alex told me about this movie that just came out, The Cuckoo, and got me all interested in it and said we'd see it Monday. Then he called me as I was grocery shopping to tell me he couldn't come because he had to stay home and watch his brother. So that sucked, and because he flaked on me the last time we might have gone out I was kinda hard on him.

So I got home in a mildly poopy mood, which dissipated as I unloaded my groceries. I hardly ever go grocery shopping; it's like, I manage to eke by on what I've got left and what I get from my parents' house until I just can't stand the ekeing any more. Grocery shopping puts me in a healthy, happy mood. I start thinking of how nice it will be to cook proper meals for myself, how my foods will match each other, and how fresh everything will be. Mentally, it's like going to the dentist (which I also did this morning). It feels like a chore, but it's a good and necessary thing to do for yourself, and you actually feel pretty awesome when you leave.

So I went ahead and made myself an ultimately proper meal with little baked potatoes and an excellent asparagus improv that involved garlic olive oil, tarragon, and seasoned salt.

At the end of my meal, this guy Tom called, who I met almost a month ago. We'd made a connection, exchanged phone numbers, and he mentioned he was going down to LA to visit his family for a couple weeks. Okay, cool. I kinda forgot about him, and the other day I remembered him and thought, oh, I guess that's done with. And so he called last night, at which point I completely forgave Alex for not coming to the movie. Tom and I talked for nearly an hour about our respective trips, and then made plans to hang out tonight.

So that was cool. And earlier in the day, I had gone to a student government meeting at which it was confirmed that I would be appointed as publicity commissioner. Basically, my job is to get everybody excited about all the cool events and clubs we have on campus.

This I can do. And it's such a good thing for me to be doing, because a) as I am an organizationally-minded person, I do need to learn how to do publicity, how to broadcast, b) it will put me in touch with the powers that be so that I can do my part for this school and these unusually motivated students that I have come to love, c) I can use my position to also promote the arts club and the new student gallery that we're starting, and d) it is just one more thing on the list of things that will make UC Berkeley drool over my application.

After this meeting, I succeed in getting a parking permit, I pay the fees for the schedule that is exactly what I wanted, and I put my bills in the mail on time.

So from this I came home, and on my way out to go grocery shopping, I notice there's a package in my mailbox. Hmm. I did just order my textbooks, but I only just did that, so that would be impossible. Gasp--it must be my new McSweeney's subscription. I felt a well of excitement, which was forgotten in my hunger amidst food and my disappointment amongst flaky friends and my surprise at reliable strangers.

After I got off the phone with Tom, I remembered the package, and my elation went up another notch. As I opened the package, this beautiful hardbound book slipped out into my hands. I was standing in the light, and the gold design blazing IT CAN BE FREE IT CAN BE FREE seemed to float a clear inch off the binding. I stood there feeling the weight of the book, absorbing every letter on the binding as though it were a prophecy. Ah, I felt. This is where my craft has brought me. Ah.

After reading some letters, I go on the computer and write and refine some of my poetry, which is pleasing me more and more these days. Then I go to DeanforAmerica.com and read about Howard Dean and get really motivated and excited and hopeful for the future. And a friend shall send me a CD mix of his music.

Friends, is this not a night and day of perfect peace and exhilaration? Last night was a no-fall, high-jumps run on a snowboard, in dry powder, with a little but not too much sun and no wind.

And now my roommate is home, and I am glad to have him around, and my snake loves me, and my plants are well watered and growing large, and I'm just out of the dentists' and the sun it is out and it can be free it can be free.

11:35 a.m. 2003-08-19�