October 30, 2012

Snow on the ground, deep-voiced wind in the air. Bruce H swims to his car on Manhattan, which is underwater and a total loss.

We had our Highlands Fair in Humanities last night, where the students brought food or games or mechanical devices from the 19th century and told their stories. It was delightful. Makes me think that more time should be spent on the history of everyday things, when we know it. In the middle of one young woman’s presentation I thought of those sewing patterns my mother used to make clothes, the flimsy brown paper you attached with straight pins. They had to have started sometime, for some reason. One young man had built a bike out of spare parts, and told us the history of bikes, which seemed to have been more trouble than they were worth through much of their history.

Shocking polls have Romney pulling ahead, if slightly. I never worried about this election, much, because Romney’s status as a liar and plutocrat and cynical opportunist (or at least the public face of a cadre of cynical opportunists) was so clear. Pundits credit the debates for a rise in that man’s popularity, which is astonishing because most of what he had to say was simply made up. Maybe America is flattered when someone cares enough to lie to it. On the simple daily level, he will be a worse president than Bush. I can’t imagine such a victory– it’s like the rabbit voting for the fox–but the world is often enough unimaginable.

Four gigantic financial demands all at the same moment. Of course. Two futile, one unnecessary, but one goes through the motions.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to be satisfied with something? I made eggs and bacon in my newly seasoned cast iron skillet. That was satisfying. Sleep was satisfying last night. The sound of the heat kicking through the registers is satisfying. I found this pullover in my closet that’s very comfy. That’s about it for now.