Saturday Notes

I worked all morning at designing the interior pages of A Marvelous Paranoia. Did some editing last night, but I wish I had a top pro working over my manuscript. I think it's improving but not nearly there yet. I inserted a title header on every page this time, which sharpens the book's overall look. Used a William Stafford quote. Dedicated the book to my daughter and her son. Explained that I changed some names in the book to protect the innocent.

Found a nice photo of a trumpet for my logo. I've used a trumpet logo in several of my designs, so I'm staying with the theme. I played trumpet years ago. I can still play, but my chops are practically non-existent. You don't forget how to play of course, but if you forget to practice you are doomed. "You've got to practice..." the trumpet-playing character in my play Litany in a Trumpeter's Bog advises. "Be like Miles."

I live near Portland State University, and I've been watching the Viking football team practice. The players seem small, Jerry Glanville's recruits from the run and shoot offense he and Mouse Davis implemented here until last year. New football coach Nigel Burton doesn't have the players he needs to compete with the big boys.

Arizona State and Oregon and likely U.C. Davis will crush these guys. So will Montana. I might go to that game. It will not be pretty. The ASU and Oregon games will be nice paydays for the university, but someone may get hurt out there.

I liked the run and shoot. I saw Mouse run it in the early eighties during his first stint with PSU, with Neil Lomax at quarterback. I watched PSU play Delaware here in town. I think Lomax threw for eight TDs. The score was 102-0. Lomax had a short, injury plagued NFL career, but he was a special player.

I once interviewed Mouse and his staff about the run and shoot offense for a piece I was working up for Willamette Week, which didn't make it into the rag. Too bad.

I watched an old man selecting tomatoes out of bins at the Farmers' Market on the PSU campus today. He was being very selective. I mean very, very selective. I didn't know one could obtain that kind of intensity regarding tomatoes. He was funny, about 90.

I don't know if it's a good thing to live that long, not that I have a chance. Probably don't eat enough tomatoes.

The PSU summer graduation ceremony happened earlier. I watched hundreds of newly minted college grads lining up to receive their sheepskins at Hoffmann Hall. It was already hot and most of them were carrying their gowns draped over one arm until they could get into the air-conditioned building to dress for the show. I strolled close to a group of them and asked if they were lined up to apply for unemployment benefits.

They laughed. Sort of.

TS