I’m happy to be working on the website for my friend, David Jones. He has a powerful voice and so many worthwhile things to say. I’ve believed for quite awhile that he needs his own channel, his own modern soapbox. And now it’s coming true.

After a few conversations with him to gather info and ideas about his work, I distilled my notes into 3×5 scraps of paper, spread them out on my worktable, and started organizing the thoughts.

After awhile, a site map came to me. This is still a rough draft, but I think it’s close.

I am building the site in WordPress. I’ve always loved WordPress, and it keeps getting more robust and flexible. But I have so much to learn, still. Like, how to make two navigation menus, one for the overarching aspects of the site, and one for the kinds of writing and such that David does.

For the site banner I am dinking around with a photo I shot of some graffiti under the First Avenue Bridge. So as not to spoil the surprise of the site when it’s published, I’m not adding my mock-up here, but this is a photo from the same location and shoot. I might add this somewhere on the site; it would be a nice favicon.

It’s so wonderful to use my talents for evil good.

Something beautiful which my new friend, Kymberlee della Luce built.

About a week ago I had my waist-length hair cut. The stylist took measurements beforehand, because I wanted to donate to Locks of Love if I could. He measured 30 inches overall, and he cut off 13 inches.

What freedom.

Of course we can construe all kinds of symbolism in my act. I mean, as you might know, my soon-to-be-ex husband was keen on long hair, and although many men and women were keen on my hair being long, it was for my (soon to be ex) husband that I kept it long.

I was always wearing the damn stuff clipped up, off my neck and out of my face. Looking very much like the old-timey stereotype librarian. Looking fraught and frumpy.

After my cut, I posted a photo on Facebook, and I just heard from a good friend that he’d had a strong response to the photo. Here’s the photo, and below it is a poem he sent me. The photo did not directly inspire the poem, but it sure fits my circumstances.

My dear, delicious friend, David Jones, is in school, expanding his horizons. Summer quarter he’ll be working on: motor control principles; refrigeration & A/C fundamentals, and welding. I’ve always found such things rather sexy–machines, widgets, science. David writes:

dive right in

it’s all about finding it
the something
that makes you forget life
makes you forget you
the thing
that draws you out
machines do that for me
chemicals do that for me
electricity does that for me
finite objects and principles
a theory with fixed
boundaries
a principle
applicable to everything
mechanical
i’ve always been better
with machines
than people
mechanical physics
is a clear deep pool
of knowledge
unlike the murky waters
of women and sexuality
where nothing is as it seems
i opened a new book
and closed an old one
having read most of it
upside down
the instructor said
dive right in
so i did

© djones 2009