Listening: Good Love Never Dies by Liz Phair. (At first I thought this was a sweet song about love. Then I listened more closely and realized it was a sweet song about some seriously tortured love.)

Reading (perhaps quality): The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

Reading (definitely pulp): Nothing.

Drinking: Agua.

July 28, 2003
8:15 pm

Weather's been lovely the last few days. Warm but not too humid and sunny sunny sunny.

Have been putting together furniture for my apartment, trying to decide how I want it to look. This isn't the first time I've had to do this, but it is the first time I've done it all at once. As usual, everyone's got an opinion:

• My father says I should set my sights reasonable and that I might have to settle for not fantastic things. (He also said this when I moved out to California where I settled for not fantastic but family-donated things I was thrilled to have.) I try not to get my back up when he says it, try not to shout back that yes I know and I've been putting apartments together since I graduated from college 7 years ago. Because I know he loves me and is just making sure I consider all the angles before I act.
  
  
• My mother says I should get funky, use this as an opportunity to buy some cool vintage things and decorate really according to my personality. A lot of my apartment's already pretty funky - have my collages up, groovy carpets and all. Am not sure I'm up for an entire apartment of fabulousness. I mean I want to pass as an everyday kind of girl one day.

Of course that's a lie. Have been shopping and am thoroughly enjoying the freedom to go funky.

Went to Eastern Market with SS the SS and saw the guy who-has-the-cool-store-in-Takoma-Park who I first saw at the Arlington Flea Market last summer. Cool mid-century stuff. So I walked by his stall at the Market and saw two pieces that made me stop - a great 1950's hutch (fake wood with black and gold) and an equally amazing 1970's bench (steel legs and turquoise naugahyde). I was looking for strong pieces to build something around. These pieces fit the bill. The price was reasonable and he could deliver up to my third floor walk up. So I dove in.

After I shopped I had to go home right away and wait, despite him saying he wouldn't be by with the things until early evening. Just when I was sure he'd run off with my money and my cool furniture he came by. Then when they left and the furniture was there I laid down on the bench and gazed at the hutch. Quiet, listening to the ceiling fan and kids playing in the playground out back I stared at these very funky pieces. An entire apartment of that kind of thing may be a bit much. But a couple of pieces is just right.

Doing (life and related tasks):trying to figure out a way to get all of this furniture in my apartment and still move around.

Doing (crafty stuff): The snake looks gorgeous, got compliments on it.

Wanting: Nothing. All's good.

Anticipating: Much the same.