Exenellent.

My favorite subversive used bookstore maven had a reading tonight with Betty Levitov -- a lovely evening all around. Betty says it's possible to rent a home in Malawi or elsewhere in eastern Africa for $20 or so a month. So tempting I can hardly stand it ... I wouldn't even need to set up an income source, at least not anytime soon. More research is definitely in order; meanwhile, I hope Bookstore Maven, Betty and I can get together again sometime soon, as I really enjoyed meeting her.

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Between the reading and the party, I popped across the alley to Homer's for what likely will be my last visit -- the downtown store closes for good Saturday. This popped out at me from nowhere, and it's like coming full circle: I'm pretty sure I bought my first X album from the Homer's on Howard Street. We used to go to Omaha every summer for back-to-school clothes, then down to the Old Market so Dad could stock up on jazz at Homer's and Drastic Plastic -- 10 or 12 albums at a time, one of the few times he took visible pleasure in any activity. It made an impression; even today, nothing feels more indulgent than scouring a record shop for music I didn't even know I wanted 'til I happened across it. Cruising iTunes just isn't the same. Homer's, I'll miss ya.

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The FDA today approved a birth-control pill for continuous use -- eliminating the menstrual cycle completely. I have such mixed feelings about this.

I already take a pill that cuts my periods down to four a year. I'll admit it: I take it for the convenience. (It'd be a helluva miracle if I got pregnant, even if I *were* having sex with anyone besides myself). I hate the mess, the planning ahead, the discomfort.

But I also wonder, constantly, about what one researcher told MSNBC:

"Menstruation is a normal life event — not a medical condition. ... Why medicate away a normal life event if we’re not sure of the long-term effects?”

Actually, finances (and, again, a lack of legitimate need) have me experimenting with going off the pill. If I can be more self-righteous as an added bonus, so much the better.

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Spring isn't spring without lilacs; the late frost killed 'em this year. But iris from the side yard are good. Peonies should be popping open any time now, too.