today's grunts

a) birds who insert themselves between me and whatever i'm doing
b) birds who track honey all over the apartment (and my clothes for that matter) due to grunt (a)
c) people in cars who yell curses at feeble-looking elderly folk as they're crossing the street
d) presidents who "fly over" a national disaster area (i remember when he did that here -- i knew we were in good hands from that point on)
e) bosses who get noticibly irritated when i prove unable to read their minds
f) conference calls

well, that's it for now. not too bad, really. any grunts you'd like to share?
**
on my way home from the grocery store today, i noticed this guy walking toward me. he was not a particularly attractive guy, late thirties, early forties, dark-ish complexion and the most icy blue eyes i've ever seen. the effect was quite creepy in a deranged killer sort of way, but i found that i couldn't look away. i was more than a little unnerved when he noticed my attention and looked back directly at me. i quickly averted my gaze and sped up my gait, leaving the scene quite perplexed.
**
i'm re-reading one of my favorite books, veronica. at first i couldn't recall exactly why it was at the top of my list. it moved a little slow, and i wasn't sure i was following all of the subtle little clues, but now that i'm more than halfway through, i am reminded. the plot is engaging -- a story of a young man who gets pulled into a dangerous world of magicians by a enigmatic woman named... well, you guessed it. the characters in this, his first novel, are a little flat, but what's most unique about the book is not the plot or the characters, but the way the author (primarily a poet) describes the magical landscape of new york. you get sucked into the fantasy in a very subtle way that you don't realize until you put the book down. anyway, i'm going to get back to it... if your reading list is needing some perking-up, though, i highly recommend it.