All things counter, original, spare, strange
1. At Gaylord's now, again--my office away from office. I have to say, I think this is one of my favorite places ever. Even though I came here pretty regularly when I was job hunting, I don't feel like "one of the regulars" or that I belong to "their world," but I am glad to be a visitor here among the pierced and tattooed, the students, the now-locals whose accents belie their once-non-localness, the stay-at-home dads and moms who come in with tiny tots, the staff with their inscrutable dada in-jokes. This is the kind of place I imagined myself in long ago; it's good to actually be here. Time to crack open the planner and start the year.

2. On my way here this morning I took a wrong turn and was treated to a park full of Asian seniors mid-Tai Chi and then to a lovely drive along Lake Merritt reflecting the yellow sun and the Kaiser Building reflecting Lake Merritt. At first I was worried when I realized I wasn't going the way I had planned (where is the 580 west entrance off Park??), but then I found that I was following the #11 bus route and I knew where that came out by the lake, and I remembered that I didn't have to worry if it took a little longer because I had no deadline this morning and there wasn't a lot of traffic anyway, so I didn't panic and just drove smoothly and ended up enjoying the ride and having those great views. I think this is a clue and an omen.

3. Gerard Manley Hopkins: Pied Beauty

GLORY be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;	5
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:	10
Praise him.

- posted by k @ 9:21 AM