My oldest sister has a marvellous skill for  coining words or phrases. While I was in Calgary for the university reading I was interviewed for the campus radio station, CJSW, on their program, “Writers Block”. At any rate, an older man (my age? 5-10 years older?) was selling used cds and dvds in the food court on campus. And I totally scored some tunes from my junior high soundtrack!!! Bat Out of Hell, and the best of Led Zeppelin. Not a huge LZ fan, but adored “All of My Love”…. Was talking to my sister about our rocker days and she said we were influenced by this guy, Murray, who was a couple years older than us who worked at our parents’ mushroom farm. She qualified that all things considered, we had been “harmless headbangers”…. <grin>  

I was a bit nervous/anxious about the U of C reading for numerous complex reasons. But when I cranked up “Bat Out of Hell” and The Meat just filled the interior of my vehicle with his soaring voice and ki, my testosterone levels rose and endorphins kicked in and all was well. Thank you, Meatloaf!

The next morning I cranked up “All Of My Love” in the house, and danced what we called “the hangover” with my mum. This was how we danced in junior high. The guy latched onto the belt loops of the girl’s jeans, just at the waist, and the girl placed her hands on the boy’s shoulders. People who were going steady mashed up against each other. Other dance-couples could easily have a 12-inch space separating them. The ‘dance-steps’ are not unlike the steps a zombie would make, a kind of lurching side-to-side motion. 

In grade 7 I thought ‘necking’ meant people pressed their necks against each other. It did not compute what the erotics were of this particular act. 

The U of C reading was lovely and such a warm and generous audience. It was good to catch up with old friends. The U of C writer in residence, Marcello di Cintio, will be coming to Edmonton for his part of the exchange– watch for updates on his reading. 

I’ve not been writing 1000 words every day– at least not during these public presentation days. After the intense sessions at the Grant MacEwan writing conference this weekend (immediately following the trip to Calgary) I’m a pancake of exhaustion. My daughter called me a potato couch and we ordered pizza for dinner. 

It’s okay…. Listen to the body. Rest when it’s time to rest. Epsom salt baths– two cups of salt and a minimum of 12 minutes soaking.