This global economic crunge has added a delightful extra layer of stress to the usual drudgery of working for a living. I’ve expressed a desire to Paloma of vamoosing from the rat race.
“We should open a bait shop.”
She nods.
“How do we become Bedouins?”
She reminds me that I like to say the word Bedouin.
(I wonder if the Bedouins fish)
Of course, if Paloma and I end up running a bait shop, we’d likely be living in a setting which would allow Paloma to assemble an ark-worthy menagerie.
I think that I might try to grow a giant pumpkin.
“We saw that show on giant pumpkins,” she says.
It’s true. We stumbled across a documentary one night on PBS about people who grow giant pumpkins. We had to watch.
After a grueling day working at the bait shop, trying to produce a pumpkin the size of a small car seems like it might be a good way to unwind.
I wouldn’t be entering the competition chronicled in that documentary. It seemed like it made things too much about the people when it really should have been about the pumpkins.
I feel more Zen already.
And tomorrow, if things should get stressful at work, I vow to take a moment to stare into space and think of giant pumpkins.
I have one song with pumpkin in the title, but I have numerous songs by Smashing Pumpkins. Paloma and I saw them in ’95. The show was more memorable to me for the tiny toy raygun Paloma found and wore in her hair as an accessory.
And, yes, Jackie Blue and Landslide are cover versions of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Fleetwood Mac.
Smashing Pumpkins – The End Is The Beginning Is The End
Barely Awake In Frog Pajamas 
January 28, 2009 at 7:41 am |
I thought you were going to suggest growing a large enough pumpkin that you can open a bait shop inside of it. Lo! Two hobbies combined into one!
January 28, 2009 at 6:06 pm |
Ah, the lure of the giant pumpkin… I have been drawn to that particular flame on more than one particular occasion. What sane man hasn’t?Nice to see that you and Paloma are still together, and that you have returned to blogging. I’m not sure if a bait shop is more profitalbe than blogging, but I suspect that it smells better.All the best…Ian, AKA The artist formerly known as ‘The Undead Survival Guide’.
January 29, 2009 at 12:47 am |
Wolf, unfortunately, I believe that only giant peaches are zoned for residential habitation (but I like the way you think).Ian!!! OK, I don’t believe that I ever knew you’re name, but I’ve missed reading your stuff. Are you writing anywhere?
January 29, 2009 at 2:51 am |
Most of my writing as of late has been outside of the blog’o sphere, but I’m starting to experience that little itch again.this morning I set up a new blog dormant gray matter on blogger, which is how I came across your blog. there’s nothing up yet but I’m hammering out a new piece which should be up in a few days.Nice to see you writing again. Best to Paloma…Ian
January 31, 2009 at 9:26 pm |
You know, you could start a farm, raising normal-sized pumpkins, and try to grow a giant leech. (Giant minnows don’t seem impressive enough.) Great post! (My word verification is “untwortl,” which sounds as if it should mean something, maybe in German or Dutch.)