Favoriteness

Yesterday was fabulous. Not only was it sunny and reasonably warm (sweater weather – my favorite), I got to hang in Central Square (more favoriteness!) where I met, (first time, live and in person too) my friend Wendy.

We planned to rendezvous at Rodney’s Used Books so, naturally, I got there a little early so’s I could peruse the fresh, gently used, crop.

Right off I found Minnesota Vikings ex-punter Chris Kluwe's essay collection, Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies.

From the 2013 Salon review:

Chris Kluwe, the punter for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, is as unlikely an essayist as he is a campaigner for free speech or gay rights. That’s part of his appeal as a public person. He complicates the stereotype, which forces anyone interested—fans, the press, readers—to deal with him as an individual rather than as an embodiment of a role.
~~~snip~~~
“Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies” begins with a truly weird extended metaphor titled “Hello?” in which Kluwe pretends to “call my own mind” on the telephone, because there are “a lot of different characters in there, and I think we need to talk.”

Def looking forward to starting this one.

Next up, I found Tales from the Bed: On Living, Dying, and Having It All: a Memoir. The author, Jenifer Estess (actually it’s as told to her sister Valerie), was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Lou Gehrig's disease. Jenifer was a theatrical producer and founder/producing director of Naked Angels, a Manhattan theater troupe.

As I was looking over the hardcover – scanning the jacket, the introduction and a few interior pages – celebrity names like Billy Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox and Katie Couric kept popping up. I thought, hmmph, a rich girl, celebrity thing. Nah, can’t relate and I put it back on the shelf. The warmth and humor I'd espied in my brief flip through drew me back though and, for just $6, I figured mebbe I’ll learn something on the cheap. It could happen, ya know!

So yeah, that's another one I’m looking forward to.

And then Wendy walked in. We recognized each other right off too! After a brief stop at Bix to drop off my finds we made our way down to Mary Chung’s for wonderful Dim Sum lunch-y. You ever meet someone who you’re completely comfortable with right off the bat? If you’re like me, the answer to that is not bloody often. Wendy though – tout de suite easy and relaxed convo. I could even lipread her fairly easily and that rarely happens on first meet and greet.

Awesomeness. I look forward to seeing her again.

Sunny sweater temp day, an awesome used bookstore visit, the always fabulous Mary Chung's for Dim Sum and I got to connect and spend time with a wonderful new pal – a total day of outstanding favoriteness!