:: Saturday, March 31, 2001 ::

 

9:34 p.m. The collaboration topic, which I've been avoiding all month, is now upon me. It's a good topic: "red." I like an open-ended, abstract topic because it lets me weave it into a typical day and thus kill two birds with one finely aimed pitch, if I'm lucky.

But not this month. I'm just not a red person. I'm far, far too timid.

I wouldn't mind being a red person -- I think. I enjoy being in rich red rooms in restaurants, and I'm sure my appetite rises, just the way it's supposed to. I would love to change my hair color to red, any shade of red from strawberry to autumnal mahogany leafy, but I'm too afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up the necessary end of the bargain.

I really believe that women with red hair have more presence than I'm prepared to bring to an outing. They have a crackling energy and a take-no-prisoners stance, whereas I'm more the blonde eclair gushy type. Sorry. I know it.

I also have very few items of red clothing, and you can believe that they're all upper-body garments, and in most cases, they were gifts. A red sweater for Christmas, a red kimono top, also for the holidays. They've been in my closet for upwards of twenty years, both of them. Almost brand new.

I do have a few pieces of furniture that I've painted barn red, and I like them very much, probably because they really stand out, and I admire their sturdy courage. Most of the flowers on my property happen to be pink, on the other hand, and I don't really know how that happened. They sort of just -- evolved.

When it comes to candy, I push the red pieces aside and always eat the yellow (lemon) and orange (orange) ones first. It's not my least favorite color, in general, but those who love red know that it either comes first, or not at all.

And that's the way it should be.

10:52 p.m. An hour has passed, and I've still not come up with anything remotely interesting about my relationship with the color red. I'm not wearing any at the moment, for instance. I've used exactly no red in my new designs for April, which I've been working on today.

Think, think ... I've got it!

I'm really enjoying Rudy Rucker's Saucer Wisdom, which came yesterday. I like it so much -- get this -- it's already half read.

Thank you. I'll be appearing here all this week.