I'm a late adopter when it comes to TV series. Early this year, Barb suggested we subscribe to Showtime to reward them for not punking out and showing The Reagans. I figured, what the hell, let's throw HBO into the mix while we were at it. Ever since, I have been hooked by The Sopranos (in its second-to-last season) and Six Feet Under (in its fourth) and finally figured out what everyone's so enthusiastic about: it's the writing, stupid. (Other favorites on non-premium channels: The Shield and Arrested Development, the latter--hooray!--renewed by the kind people at Fox. Thank you Rupert Murdoch!) Last night we watched the first-ever Six Feet Under episode, and it was kind of cool to see how it's evolved from sometimes in-your-face-bizarre to something deeper, where the characters are more rounded. What hasn't changed is how goddamn funny the show is. The sequence where Ruth and Claire are riding in the hearse right after Nathaniel's death, Claire high on crystal, and Ruth starts asking her whether she's having sex and doing drugs, and the one where David's (apparently still-secret) partner Keith shows up at Nathaniel's viewing dressed up in full police uniform and Claire, noting "The cop is hot," sidles up to bust a move on him, were my two favorites from last night. Granted you have to like your laughs a little dark and way mixed up. But that's me.

God, this is going to make us sound like the most horrible yuppies in the universe. We actually went to University Village today--voluntarily. I was on a mission, you see: to acquire safe enclosures (read: lanterns) for candles so we can light the corners of the living room with candle light. Was impressed by all the nice young saleswomen (and one salesman) at Restoration Hardware. They work hard to help people buy their ridiculously overpriced but adorable merchandise. And we managed to score three of the little votive-sized lanterns for $30. And then plates right next door at Pottery Barn! Before enjoying a Starbucks oat and chocolate bar. (Guess which one won!) And then driving past the Kidd Valley on 25th, all around the pretty little park at the east entrance to Ravenna Blvd and the pretty little street all the fancy-schmancy houses are on that we used to walk along when we were first together. And then went to...

Mark and Barb go to the movies: Coffee and Cigarettes (dir. Jim Jarmusch) Among many other categories that divide the world into two parts, there are people who think Jim Jarmusch is a wanker, and there are those who think he's funnier than hell. It depends a lot on context (and the individual viewer) what turns to junk and what turns to gold in his movies. So if you didn't find Stranger than Paradise, say, uproarious, then you might as well spend your money on Shrek 2. If you're in Jimbo's camp, I think you'll find a lot to enjoy (and laugh at) here. My favorites: two Cate Blanchetts, Jack and Meg White, GZA and RZA from Wu-Tang Clan along with Bill Murray, Alfred Molina/Steve Coogan (24-Hour Party People, y'all!), and Bill Rice/Taylor Mead as cantankerous but affectionate old coots. Mark's rating: ***


Listening: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington People claim Erroll Garner was the happiest jazz musician ever, but I think Earl is right on up there. (Which is why he and Louis Armstrong blew the roof off the first duet they recorded.)

Man, this South Dakota Congressional race is going down to the wire...

Happy Memorial Day a day late to all our fighting men and women in uniform and all the ships at sea. A weekend of some happiness. Sense of psychic, physical well-being. Helped Tom shop for guitars Friday, then Saturday. Stopped at Dusty Strings, The Trading Musician, even Satan's Pit, aka The Guitar Center. And we still didn't see one as nice as the Larrivèe over at Guitar Emporium. Sunday another great party at Hal's. Met up with our new neighbor Noralee, a husband and wife who work for a petroleum industry newsletter and have a Goth industrial band. With one Green Tortoise driver. With one actress from Open Circle Theatre, who'd just returned from performing a flamenco dance at the Northwest Folklife Festival. With our neighbor Amy's niece Amber. (So she plus the Goth band gal had that name.) And many, many more, all enjoying barbecuing meat or fish (or maybe even one of our Morningstar Farms healthy corn dogs!). So tonight it was time to take cousin-in-law Kia out for dinner shortly before she leaves Seattle for good. She didn't get into the UW School of Social Work for the second time in a row, and cousin Jonnie has a job at Sequoia National Park for the next six months, so it's off into adventure land for them.

And damn, I'm in love.

Mark goes to the movies: Day After Tomorrow (dir. Roland Emmerich) Gloriously silly, with Dennis Quaid substituting for Tom Hanks as Heroic Everyman, Jake Gyllenhaal as a nerdy 18-year-old who gets (maybe) his first kiss from a young woman, the city of New York as a popsicle, and an argument between a librarian weenie and a pragmatic young female person about whether it would be better to preserve Nietzsche in book form or burn him for firewood. (PYFP: "He's a chauvinist pig!") Irwin Allen is smiling down from heaven. Mark's rating (Stupid Points): ???