I Love Horses Day/Lavender Festival (Washington)
2005-07-15 @ 10:00 p.m.

Scientists have discovered a planet in the constellation Cygnus orbiting a triple-star system. Isn't that cool? Batch sweaters arrived today, and Eugene tells me they look a lot like Harvard's sweaters, which is apparently the point. They're nice, although the hood is really awfully poseur. I'm not complaining though! Ran six rounds today like I was supposed to, and I have no mental fortitude when it comes to running. Oh well, at least I achieved what is quite probably my personal best for the first three rounds. Now to add the other three rounds in! Not to mention train until I can do five pull-ups. The ever-encouraging Eugene tells me that I can retake my NAPFA at Toa Payoh Stadium if I fail again. Does it count though, since they take the school NAPFA results for students? Still can't decide whether to sign up for the NAPFA on Tuesday or Thursday. I don't think the checkup will take very long, unless they're mad enough to make me go through the whole thing again. I suspect I'm being called back because my heartbeat deviates marginally from the norm, and they're paranoid after the recent deaths, so they want to run some more tests. Come to think of it, the decision hinges on whether I can do five pull-ups by next Tuesday, although that begs the question if two more days are going to be of any help.

Just got a reply from QLRS, and I conclude that I am a very astute judge of the quality of my writing. Guess which poem was accepted? Minor tweaks proposed and counter-proposed, so we'll see what comes of that. Very happy about the whole thing, so not even NAPFA can get me down right now. Meant to write something in the afternoon, but I frittered the time away again watching cartoons and MTV. (Yes, I can see all of you gasping in mock horror.) Finished Carol Shields's Various Miracles, which is very good prose. Fluid and seemingly effortless, despite the obvious contrivance of some stories' premises. Really love her writing, because it kind of reminds me of Italo Calvino, to whom I'm quite partial. Have settled on various combinations of Thom Gunn, Thomas Hardy and Philip Larkin for 'S' Paper. (Yes, I know I've stated previously my dislike of Larkin. I hereby recant.) What I'm looking for is a female free verse poet to balance the three male poets, who employed traditional poetic devices like rhyme. Kelly has been most helpful, suggesting Margaret Atwood, Adrienne Rich, Muriel Rukeyser and Anne Sexton. Of course, there's Carol Ann Duffy and Sylvia Plath, but I'm not a great admirer of Duffy's, in my opinion, questionable use of enjambment, or Plath in general. Sharon Olds's just popped into my mind, so I might check out her poetry too. Have decided not to study The Feat Of July.