My left ear is wonky again. It�s been plugged up for almost two weeks now. This has happened before but it hurt so much last time I swore off ever using Q-tips again. And I didn�t! I didn�t use a Q-tip! I just sort of stuck my finger in my ear a few times �cause it was itching and now I can�t fucking hear out of it! What the fuck? My cousins were all like treating me like this eighth wonder of the world because I can�t use Q-tips, like �I�ve never met anyone who couldn�t use them before!� And C, who is studying to be a nurse was all, �Your eardrum must be really close to the surface,� which sounded interesting for a second but then I thought, well that doesn�t help me now. Plus, it sounds like something I can�t really do anything about, which, hi, thanks for that. Now I can barely hear anything people say if there�s any background noise at all. I keep waiting for it to go away but it keeps not. And this guy at work was all �You�re infected!� and was like don�t touch him and shit. So of course I started to touch everything I handed to him to my ear first. What? You would have done the same thing.

I saw the new Harry Potter movie. I loved loved loved it. It�s really different from the first two and, as the books get longer and longer, they can only really skim the surface of the story, but it was terrific. And Daniel Radcliffe is making his way into adolescence nicely. It�s not always like that, you know (*cough*Tina Yothers*cough*). Draco wasn�t looking his best, but I think the crazy movie folks did that on purpose. Although, the trend of bad acne equals bad guy is an old pet peeve of mine. Anyway, if you like Harry Potter, you�ll like the movie. I can�t really say more than that. I mean, I couldn�t really tell you why it was good or why I liked it. I like the books, so obviously I was predisposed to like the movie. But I think everyone should like the books AND the movies. But, like, P Doody? He doesn�t even want to know. He�s adamantly against ever seeing or even speaking about Harry Potter. Which is funny because everyone else in my family loves Harry Potter. Loves him. Well, maybe that�s why. He�s the youngest and maybe he�s rebelling or something.

*ASIDE: One weekend P wrestled a vigorous head-butter and he was left with a strange mark on his forehead and we called him Harry Potter all weekend. Much comedy was had by all. Except, you know, him.

But I think he�d like the movies, at least, if he would just look for a second. But I always think people are missing out when they don�t get as much enjoyment out of something as I do. But the thing is, my taste, well, such as it is, doesn�t seem to, um, discriminate much. Increasingly, I�ve noticed that I shouldn�t recommend things to people. From food to fun, I don�t seem to have the same taste as the people I know. Well, that�s not strictly true. I like everything they like, plus everything else. I laugh at everything, I like most music and movies. I just don�t have much of a filter, really. This woman at work was telling me that she just doesn�t laugh out loud at comedians much, and I was like, yeah, you can hear me four blocks away. I just think that if you don�t try and experience as many things as you can, well, you�re probably going to miss something good. I�m all about DragonAttack's adage that you shouldn�t blindly disavow an entire genre of music (Rocksnobs Rule of Etiquette Number Four) because it�s judgmental and sloppy thinking. Like these people who are all about hating country just �cause it�s country. How much are you suckers missing? Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Kinky Friedman-the list goes on and on. And I think this can go for all types of culture, pop or high. My point is, of course, what my point always is: people need to be more open-minded! Maybe they�ll go from enjoying Abba to being pro-choice. You never know.

So this guy at work today told me that I was �a little old� to be writing things on my hand when he spotted the short shopping list on my palm. And I was like, �What does age have to do with it?� He didn�t really answer me. I had to write it down before I forgot and I was driving and I had no paper in my purse. What else was I supposed to do? At least I didn�t write it on my calf or something. That was a brief fad once when I was in junior high. The girls would write all over each other�s legs. And, of course, the more writing you had, the more friends you had. God, girls had/have so many ways to make each other feel inferior, so many different ways you had to measure up. Anyway, I think he was being a little small-minded about what he considered childish behavior but I was also a little pleased. I have to say, I do like it when people think I act younger than I am. Not in a tantrum way or drink too much way but just in a way that reassures me that, hopefully, I will never feel as old as I am. Does that sound all Oprah? I hope not.