Valérian de Toyen
Went to bed a little on the late side last night, 11:30 or so, but woke up slowly a good half hour before the alarm today. Dreamed of being at a big convention of some kind and possibly being flirted with. Easy day at work today; the university is all caught up with processing new applications from the long weekend and related tasks.
On lunch break I went to a "lunch and learn" information session about the Lightbox Film Center, over in UArts's Gershman Hall. I already enjoyed going there for special film screenings, but I didn't realize how long their history was before becoming part of UArts, or that they do so much film preservation as well. I actually made a really cute lunch because I thought people would see me eating it for a change--a bento box with tofu and vegetables topped with beet kimchi, plus a "peanut butter and jelly" Jones bar. But I got hungry before it started and ate it all anyway, plus we all met in the auditorium and there was no table to eat off of, so I guess it wouldn't have mattered. They showed some experimental short films to us, of which my favourite was "Kinestasis 60" by Chuck Braverman, a frenetic series of viscerally charged images of the politics of the 1960s. And scored by the great Mort Garson!
On my way out of Gershman I saw the Saxby's coffee shop they have there and couldn't resist buying a hot coffee for $3. I asked them if it was made with robusto or Arabica, and I don't think the workers had ever heard either of those words before, so I knew I was getting complete crap, hahaha. But I didn't overspend today, thankfully, even though I bought some wrapping paper for my boyfriend's birthday gift. It's called "Mommy and Me" and it has two whales cuddling together, so it's extremely cute and I bet he's going to love it. Although maybe not as much as the Lego set I got him for his actual present.
I was supposed to meet up with someone to make a sale of some Magic: the Gathering cards today, but the guy ended up not being able to make it. He's from the suburbs and isn't around too often, so I'll just keep them listed in my online stores. They're cheap but desirable cards and I'm sure they'll sell fairly quickly. I've bought quite a few more lots online that I'm hoping to flip, and hopefully having a larger inventory helps my business along. At least I didn't mind the walk to Rittenhouse to hopefully meet up tonight, as the weather was actually kind of nice today. It was above freezing and felt almost like spring. The recent snow is melting away everywhere; at work today I kept hearing chunks of ice falling down outside and it kept spooking me and making me jump. I usually listen to music while walking around but I put a pause on it today, and just soaked in my surroundings for a change. Whenever it starts getting warmer, after it's been cold, I always feel more alive and more present in the moment.
Still enjoying the ROM hack Pokemon ROWE. I have over 700 Pokemon in the Pokedex and should be hitting 800 soon. I've beaten up to the fifth gym badge and unlocked being able to buy evolution items like stones at the department store, which is opening up a lot to me. Besides the progression being enjoyable, it's nice to play a game that reminds me so much of my childhood and makes me nostalgic for something, but that packs so many quality of life features and expansions to feel like an entertaining new experience. In Animal Crossing New Leaf I got lucky and landed two new fossils for the museum, and I also got a copy of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" from Redd.
Valérian de Toyen is a speculative fiction author and freelance music critic at @passionatereply on YouTube.
