Family! Family!

Grandmother and aunt are here from Rio. The cumulative effect at my mom's house - the two sisters and mom - is deafening and exhilarating. My aunt is loud, brash, playful - I guess there's some precedent in the family for that, but I'm never sure where it comes from. Also, she was wearing this weird necklace that looked like it was made of meatballs.

One of her favorite expressions is to refer to the U.S. as a "colossus." THis usually happens in relation to fairly trivial things, like...I don't know, good olive oil. "See this? It's Italian. Not like the cans of Portuguese mazola we get. That's what happens in a civilized country: you get choices. This country, I tell you, it's a giant. A colossus."

They are off, to big box stores and such, running down lists of want's from relatives: laptops, cameras, and so on. I think now I'm old enough to appreciate how much these trips mean to my mom, to have her sister and mother travel this far to visit her. I don't have any particular thoughts about it other than to say that this is the feeling I expect to get from the holidays.

But as a practical matter, I am much more worried about the fantasy football championship. I have been freakishly good at fantasy football - I can't remember ever finishing in worse than 4th place, and I am in the championship game in both of my leagues. I expect to lose both, just as I expect to be handily defeated for the first time in fantasy basketball this week. Ms. Citizen is struggling with a cold, trying to get some sleep.

Oh, look, the Titans' defense just scored. That's good for me.

Well, for once I started writing without a particular message in mind. Maybe later this week I will post some mixtape tracklists I've been working on. Life seems languid right now. I have half a poem sitting at the edge of my mind, and I know exactly 3 things that I want to say in it. But I haven't been bothered to write it down. Short weeks ahead, hopefully wintry ones. Our smart car got its first bumper kiss from some asshole last night, but I've forgiven him already. Off to the Verizon Center, for the ongoing punishment that is the 2008-2009 Wizards season.

Since it's a Sunday, I'll give you one more good line. I was talking to EDS about the complete Bill Evans / Village Vanguard sessions. There's a three disc set that collects all three sets from that Sunday afternoon - definitely one of my all-time favorite jazz events, and to have it all in one nice package is just so reassuring.

We were talking about the incredible vibe of that show - Evans playing slow, ponderous, gorgeous music. Scott La Faro chiming in melodically on the bass, ten short days before his death as the result of a motorcycle accident. Motian brushing the drums, afraid to cause too many ripples. Then we were silent. EDS offered: "It's a Sunday in there, you know? Everyone in that club has got to go to work the next day."

Good line, EDS. It's a Sunday in here too.

"I only like living, that's all." - John Ashberry.