Big News, Dinner Parties, Departures

The big news: I am the newest contributor to a very popular London website. They put out a call for new writers, and, feeling manic, decided to apply. Three days later, I was hired. There's a slight problem, in that I'm supposed to be the expert about the classical and new music scene in London. But I really don't know all that much about the classical and new music scenes in London. I've done a few practice posts on annoying Covent Garden posters on the Tube, and a horrible event that is about to happen. We'll see how it shapes up.

Now I know what you're thinking: Didn't Tony S— tell you not to do anything except for musicology, and not fall in to the trap of doing other work? I know, I know. It will indeed be quite a time commitment. They want 3-5 posts a week. But here's my rationale: I have been writing so much on this weird document that seems to have no end and no beginning. And no actual readers, not even my uncommunicative adviser. So I feel like it will actually help my diss if I get a little exercise writing things that start and finish and that people read. I think it'll be good, really...

I finally threw a dinner party. Some of you know how important this is to me. The guest list included the fantastic American, the architectural historian, all three housemates, and a guy who runs a non-profit that I met on the internet but had never actually seen in person. The menu was: chilled carrot soup, spinach salad with spicy walnuts and goat cheese, roast vegetables, rice, and baked cod in lemon-thyme butter. For dessert, berries in cream (this mysterious British thing called "double cream" which is good) and baklava brought by the new acquaintance. Good gay conversation.

Then we all went to Unskinny Bop. (Again! How the months fly by...) As we were walking, we found some illegal drugs on the sidewalk. This has never happened to me. It felt like... manna from G-D... Unskinny Bop was, as usual, wonderful. Although there's this friend of the guy who originally invited me who's American, and every time he sees me, he totally shuns me. It's odd.

I'm leaving for New York tomorrow morning. I'm exited.