STILL FALLS THE RAIN

Ever since I heard Roxy Music in Ft. Smith the other day, I cannot stop listening to them.  I'm officially going through a third Roxy Music phase and it's the deepest one yet.  

Is it all over my face?

On Saturday, we took a hurried trip to Fort Smith-->Dallas-->Fort Smith to take my lil cousin to IKEA to pick out some things for her dorm, a treat for high school graduation.  We did not do any loafing around in the "Big D", as it is yuckily referred to by the old-timers around here, but we did get a meal in at Cosmic Cafe.  I'm certain there are loads of awesome restaurants in Dallas that would make me very happy, but we only go to CC. Their Okra Remedy and I Hate Eggplant sandwiches are total enlightenment.  We made it back to my aunt's home in Ft. Smith late Saturday night.  I slept on a twin-sized mattress in a teenage girl's room.  I received very little sleep despite my exhaustion.

Late the next morning, my aunt loaded us down with a lot of homemade Vietnamese food and we went back to North Little Rock.  On our way out of town, we stopped at a convenience store to gas up the car and get foode/drinke for the road.  Roxy Music's 'Love Is The Drug' was playing on speakers.  It was unexpected and it made me happy.

Yesterday, ATM & I headed over to Everett's for a BBQ about 4 p.  About 15 minutes into hanging out, I FELL.  I missed the last step of the back stoop and I WENT DOWN.  It took me a minute to get up and be helped over to some steps to sit because I was experiencing pain all over my body, primarily my left ankle.  I could feel that it had turned in a way that it shouldn't have.  I sat for a few minutes before, per ATM, I lost all color in my lips + face and I told him that I thought I was going to faint.  I suppose the fall put me into shock?  I could see psychedelia!  It was pretty + frightening!  HELP ME!  It took all effort to be led inside to lay out on the couch. I remember the French Open being on the telly, Djokovic acting goofy during a rain delay, which made the experience weird.  My foot was elevated and I was sipping an ice cold Topo Chico.  After 10 mins or so, I felt much much better.  The color came back to my face and I could rotate my ankle, but it still hurt like hell.  Minor swelling, no bruising.  Ibuprofen cocktail and early to bed!  Today, it still hurts + I've got a funny walk.  I'm stiff all over.  I'm hoping for full recovery by week's end.

Anyway.

Amateur photo of Saturn - your favorite planet - by Thomas Davison.


Eyeball examination:


New specs:


Say your good-byes:


Be easy.


Our new couch cover makes the couch look like it's wearing a suit, getting ready for a job interview:

NOWHERE FAST

MATHEMATICS

BAM BAM

KING TUBBY'S BADNESS DUB

We will be stronger for it.

The last six words of Hon. Chris Piazza's ruling deeming Arkansas' gay marriage ban unconstitutional.  I appreciate his not mincing words.

For a week, gays + lesbians who wanted to marry in Arkansas, could.  For one week, the State of Arkansas was progressive, the first Southern state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  For a week, I had the honor of witnessing the (very guarded) joy of people who couldn't even fathom the idea of being wed in their beloved home state.  This might qualify as one of those 'you had to be there' experiences, but trust me when I say that it was awesome, exciting, beautiful, and real.  

Real life is so much more different than what is reported in the news.  

My co-worker told me of a conversation that she had with another co-worker who just couldn't wrap her head around it all.  "Why do 'they' make such a big deal out of it?," which is more of a critique than a genuine question.  Whether you agree or not, that is an awfully callous + arrogant thing to say.  It compelled me to write a little something.  I'm aware that this isn't my story or my fight, but I want my support to be clear and evident.

I do not accept the argument regarding the sanctity of marriage.  I do not have to look very far to see that it's not a viable defense.  My mum has been divorced three times, my father two.  That's not very inspiring, it's not uncommon, and doesn't really bring to mind inviolability.  Marriage just doesn't work out sometimes, no matter who is involved.  Not to be completely unromantic, but marriage can come off as a business arrangement, too, what with tax and insurance incentives.  

All of that said, recognition of a union, of love, is what 'they' want.  And equal protection under the law.  It's for any and all reasons any person who hopes to married or is married wants.  It's not that hard to understand, and yet...

It's a big deal, too, because there are some people who make it their life's work to ban gay marriage.  It's annoying, time consuming, and it will cost tax-payers millions because you all know -- deep down you know it to be true -- that it's unconstitutional.  You don't even have to be a legal scholar to know it.  So, it's a long, painful, harmful, expensive, dramatic farce that we are all forced into.  This never had to be a big deal, but here we are.  We've still a ways to go.  

Anyway, here's the good stuff.  This is the very first gay marriage license to be issued in Pulaski County, Arkansas:

Witnessing the Hon. Wendell Griffen officiate his first gay marriage was moving:

Yesterday, the AR Supremes issued a stay on the ban.  We're back to where we started.  But, I have faith in the judicial process.  It'll take time + money, of course.  I hope there is some relief that at the very least, the couples who did get married before the stay will be federally recognized.

Oof, I really want some wedding cake.

LUMINOUS

The Horrors have got a new album coming out May 5, but they are streaming it online right now. It's so good with it's traces of Ride and not-so-subtle hints of Echo + the Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs.  Dreamy, lovely, sweet + moody.  I hope to catch them on tour again and this time I will stand on the synthesizer side of the stage.  ♥♥♥ ♥ ♥