:: Diary of an Aging Protester ::

:: 5.09.2003 ::

St Angela--Patron Saint of Housecleaners
I am on a merlot buzz, trying to ward off the growing despair about getting up early tomorrow to grade 1102 essays for 6 hours by finishing off the last drops of a decent bottle of wine. Speaking of 6, Johnny and I cleaned 6 places today. One of them was a CNN headline news journalist. I'll be discreet and not mention his name but he does do entertainment news and is kinda cute. His apt. is not much to speak of. Small 1 BR on the 36th floor in Midtown. Excellent view, but the digs reflect a guy who doesn't spend a lot of time at home. While cleaning Mr. CNN's place, Johnny and I found ourselves discussing our mutual fondness for Bill Hemmer. when I had free cable in Houston and watched CNN incessantly starting with the 2000 election, moving through 9/11, war on terror, anthrax scare, etc. I grew to really like Bill Hemmer. He is so not my type but I do find him really sexy in a there must be something beneath all that uptightness way. During some of the protests against the war on iraq in March, we would inevitably end up at CNN headquarters, and I distinctly remember thinking: Oh my god, Bill Hemmer could be in that building. And: we now live in the same town. As if I'd run into him at my yoga studio, or walking in Piedmont Park.

Anyway, during this marathon cleaning session, Angela called to tell me she didn't have to have her wisdom tooth pulled and she wanted to celebrate. So she showed up a few minutes after I got home tonight with wine, food, and good cheer in hand. I took a shower and by the time I'd got into clean clothes, she'd whipped out a very decent dinner of take-out california rolls, calamari salad, green salad, and merlot. We indulged in some memory recall since we're more or less the same age and at some point I took out some photo albums and showed pics of ex-husband, recent ex-, friends, family, etc. turns out that she worked at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Espemento, a great tapas bar on 23rd and Valencia. My friends Glenda and Jesse lived in the Mission for years right around the corner from Angela! Isn't that a trip?

The night turned out to be a good one. I could've just sprawled on the couch watching Shields and Brooks on Newshour and getting depressed about geopolitics and my sore lower back, but instead Angela came to save the day. Thank you, Angela!
:: posted by Doreen on 10:30 PM [+] ::
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Salaam Pax is Back!
I'm happy to see Where's Raed? is up and running again though he's a bit more bitter sounding. His account of war time Baghdad offers interesting insights that no press accounts, even Robert Fisk, could cover. His despair over Iraqis looting, relief and anger about saddam's departure, the problems with dinars, the scary encounters with fedayeen and US soldiers hunting them down, and acquiring gas--which appears to be a life or death situation--as well as his constant reminder that war is hell and has indelibly left scars on him and his family/friends all attest to the power of blogging and its long term effects as a medium of testimonial. For a more indepth analysis, check out Chuck's blog entry.I'm glad he's well and blogging again.
:: posted by Doreen on 12:24 PM [+] ::
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