Reading: The Secret History, even though at this point I think I won't crack the 100-book mark this year.

Moving: Raked 2.5 hours

Garden: raked all the leaves, except I have to groom the front garden like a chimp, I guess. Worked some compost into the vegetable and south gardens.

Watching: "Fellowship of the Ring," as if there were anything else. "Chamber of Secrets" tomorrow. I can't wait for "The Two Towers."

17 November 2002: Sunday

We went to the museum today for to see the lost spacecraft exhibit and to see the new atrium. The exhibit was interesting enough; the atrium and terrace were super. I thought the atrium was going to be exhibit space, but it's just big interactive space. The view from the terrace is just amazing. The museum's site says you can see from Pike's to Long's Peak, but you can see a lot farther than that. You can see where the Front Range peters out up toward Wyoming. You can see our house. It's just a stellar view. And I hope it's really stellar--there's supposed to be an observatory in there too.

Before we all went to My Brother's Bar on Friday, the defender and SPM had a pre-dinner meal at Jerusalem. I hadn't been there in ages, so after the museum that's where we had lunch. Shawarma, bhaba ganoush, yogurt dressing on lamb. Yum.

Then I finished the leaves. I felt very productive. I did the sides and front yesterday and the back today. I still need to go over it with a fine-tooth comb, especially since the sumac hasn't dropped its leaves yet and the garden needs special attention. I worked some of the dirt I've made into the gardens, freeing up a tarp to cover a woodpile.

I love Angela Chase dancing to "Blister in the Sun." I love how Jordan Catalano calls Brian Krakow "Brain." And I thought it was just Jordan who is always referred to by his first and last names, but it's everyone: Brian Krakow, Halley Lowenthal, Delia Fisher. And I love that Brian is to Jordan as James is to Maybeth. And how different Brian's definition of irony ("when you recognize the inherent weirdness in a situation") is than Troy's in "Reality Bites": "It's when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning." Which is a sucky definition, actually. Brian's is better, but maybe only because Alanis Morrissette fucked with my head.

"For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge." Give me a damn break. This entry is brought to you by the word "fuck."

Sexism at the museum. First, a volunteer--and every single one of whom I've ever seen there is female--spoke of a desk being manned. Is "staffed" so unacceptable a neologism? Then the one clicking off folks entering the exhibit spoke of its attractions: the kids could make and launch model rockets, "and some of the dads too." And then she warned us not to be disappointed by the low light around the actual capsule. "I don't understand why the light has to be so dim," she continued, and then, looking directly at RDC (the only man in the group of five), "but you probably do."

Also one of the descriptions had an apostrophe in its, possessive.

But that view was spectacular.