in my cd player... R.E.M. "Be Mine"   on the page... Donna Tartt The Secret History   into... Ned Ryerson; Henry; cheap airfares to Denver; a trip to Arlington National Cemetery; After Life; friends that humor me and my birthday banners   definitely not into... James and all the other people to whom I now have to write letters.   the storyteller... I spent two hours on the phone with Jim tonight, mesmerized by his amazing storyteller self. I brought up the story of Connor and the baseball bat and putting his two front teeth in milk.   J: "That story won me my current girlfriend."   I wasn't surprised.   curious... I ran into Jackie tonight while I was renting After Life on LA Michael's recommendation. She was renting Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth... just to see "the" scene. I've never seen "the" scene, but I've read the Bridgett Jones books. And I have to admit I'm curious. Have you seen "the" scene? Would you be willing to explain its appeal to me?   the i love lucy house... I told Jim that if I came to Denver to visit him, that I wanted to visit NORAD. And it reminded him that the nuclear war white house is somewhere close to here, along the Maryland/ Pennsylvania border. And apparently it's furnished circa 1950, like an early television sitcom.   Now this I just simply have to see.   a contributing member... Apparently birthdays make Brandon silly. And then it got me talking about the Secret Service and how they won't compromise their relationship with the protectee in order to "tell" on them for drinking or skipping class (all learned from a first season West Wing episode, mind you.)   I think this may have been the longest political conversation we've ever had without him telling me that I'm just wrong and he's just right.