And so it begins

Welcome to the new incarnation of Pickle Me This, perhaps the late-twenties version. At Pickle Me This, you'll be able to read about my latest palavers, current events gleanings, new poems and idle thoughts.

Lately, I've been consumed by Tracey Gold's recent drunk driving charge. Tracey Gold is married to Roby Marshall, whose parents' were the rather iconographic "Blind Faith" couple. His father, a self-made man high on eighties excesses and low on gambling debts had his wife murdered in the mid 1980s. The son lives a pretty understated life it seems, though his wife is a former sitcom star with her own share of problems. Also notable in the news, the University of Western Ontario is granting an honourary degree to the altogether worthy Dr. Henry Morgantaler. Sidney Blumenthal on the Terri Schiavo case. Over at the Guardian Book Section, the brouhaha over Ali Smith and Toby Litt's comments that women's writing is "dull, depressing and domestic." They've definitely made a whole lot out of nothing with this I think, but it's generated some interesting commentary.

Last night started with a whole lot of alcohol and so today wasn't as productive as it could have been. We had an excellent lunch at a restaurant in town once I'd roused myself from my duvet. And tonight, we made it to the gym though I was really doubting it would happen. The Foreigners Hit the Gym causes great distress to gym staff, who undoubtedly were concerned we'd wear our shoes in inappropriate places. They followed us around fretfully, talking all the while though they knew we couldn't understand. We had to fill out forms which we couldn't read, which also was a real laugh. Doing things properly is very central to the workings of Japan, and so no one was just going to point to the form and just tell us what boxes to check, but the result of this is that the staff stood before us, gaping and gasping with discomfort until we just picked any old box on the sheet and then they were visibly relieved. Who knows what we signed up for.

We're off to Osaka and Kobe tomorrow for supplies. You know, soup, magazines and Mexican food.