washwords

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments on all sides of the to anon or not to anon issue. I agree with… well… all of you on the reasons to and not to come out of the bloggycloset. I’m still mulling it, but one of the things I’ve had in the back of my mind is that for those who WANT to find me, it’s not that tough. In fact a little less tough then I realized when a certain (old media) blog directory listed Washwords in its newfangled blog directory, much to my delight, and then… MUCH TO MY HORROR!!!!!, my full name alongside it. No worries, thought I, I’ll just use this handy-dandy “click here to email” mistakes thingy – but Read more »

Just trying to drive web traffic, also “lindsay lohan” “free” “naked”

But seriously folks…. today, in the ongoing saga of my cooperative renovations, I came home to a ripped up carpet. I mean completely barebones gone.

Wow this is ugly, I thought glaring at the yellow tape, peeling paint, staples, long winding cracks meandering like veins between my apartment and my neighbors’ homes.

It is ugly, glaring, in the modernized streamline that is our beaaaaautttiful DC home. but…

on second thought,

it is also real.

With the carpet gone, voices echo, loudly. You can see bits of carpet gone by (blue and and frayed, black and tightknight), a veritable family tree of the hallway that was. You can feel the floor, including it’s ripples, cracks, and bumps beneath your feet. You can hear the click of heels across it, what gets dropped, what gets picked up, the rhythm of different feet.

It is raw, real and I like it. Not quite enough to be sad about the coming new sleeker, modder new brown and tan carpet, mind you, but still. I have seen the core of my building and it is a good one.

I’m working on my version of the x365 challenge started by Dan Waber on his 40th birthday: write 40 words (no more, no less) every day for a year. I’ve varied it slightly – I’m 35 so I’m writing 35 words. I may not write one per day but I love the concept and will try to honor it. Starting now. You can find the complete list here. I’m going to attempt to include at least a few of the items as separate posts to keep it on your radar, in the hopes that you’ll do it too

3/365 Nancy: You wore jeans, walked daily to midtown from downtown, made me earn your smile, held my feet to the fire, taught me that phrase. Major newsweekly internship advisor? No way. You were a goddess.