A long weekend with Leo "Dear Heart" Stigliani

Leo "Dear Heart" Stigliani was my main squeeze this Valentine's Day.

Leo on the day after Valentine's wearing his new collar
designed and sewn by Marie Stigliani.

Claire went away for a long weekend, leaving Leo and I to fend for ourselves in Columbia. Many hours were spent in bed while I transcribed thesis interviews and Leo napped. Leo also did a good job of letting me know when he thought I'd done enough work with the classic nosebutt-typing-disruption technique. But I think that we both got what we wanted in the end. I did manage to finish the transcriptions, and I believe Leo would agree that he was well-loved in Claire's absence.

Momentum

This week, I received an invitation to participate in a press trip to the European Union headquarters in Brussels and made inroads with finding a magazine to publish the off-the-grid story I wrote last semester. Things are happening. I'm not sure where they're going, but it feels good.

Oh, and on a non-career note, I have a new favorite cake. It's a chocolate buckwheat hazelnut Nutella-like delicious thing, which I've made twice in a three-day period. I didn't eat them all myself (although I wouldn't have minded). I shared them with friends at two different dinner gatherings. They liked the cake too.

A poem

I've had more time to write poetry lately. Here's one of them.

Sweet Sleep

By Emilie Stigliani

Most likely where it all began.
In the hospital bed shortly after my birth
with Marie, Marisa and Claire Stigliani.

I have searched for sleep

On buses, trains

In cars and planes

Through fearful nights

When I left the lights bright

And checked the lock

Listening to tick-tock

Waiting for the sun

Which couldn’t come

Too soon

I have found sleep

In all shapes

The sweet “S”

Where a cinnabon dog

Curls in the crook of my knees

My polished teaspoon

Nested in another’s tablespoon

Under the silvery moon

The party-pooper corpse pose

On a crumb-covered sofa

To the lullaby of laughter

I sleep best

Not alone

Nuzzled and squeezed

The result of a family bed

Lie beside me

Too much fun?

I hope not. But I am taking my pursuit of fun seriously this semester, and it's off to a good start. I've been out more nights than I've stayed home this week. Last night, I went to a friend's concert. The beer soaked floor and my orthopedic boot didn't stop me from getting my groove on. Like I said, I'm out for serious fun and taking my cues from Cyndi Lauper.

Note to my parents: Fun has not kept me from getting my thesis underway.

Vouvray, dinner and dancing

I am kicking off what I expect to be the best semester yet. I felt hesitant driving into Missouri with my friend Kevin. Anxiety about restarting school set in, even though I'm not enrolled in any formal classes.

But, no sooner had I unloaded my bags than my friends Hilary and Rick called to invite me to dinner at Abigail's — a small, locally sourced restaurant — in Rocheport. Five of us had a long, delicious dinner. We caught up on the news of the break, discussed the body art in the bathroom (Rick noted that painted body parts had produced the interesting blotches on the wall) and sipped wine.

Afterward, we wandered over to the General Store where a folk/blues band called the The Thin Dimes was playing music that got me dancing even with my broken foot. I felt happy, a little floaty from the glass of Vouvray, and warm. I'm taking it as an omen of the semester that lies ahead.

Final week of rest

On the 22nd, school resumes. That means I have one more week of sloth.

I woke up this morning to find Tina curled into the crook of my knees. We've shared many hours of bed rest over the past month. So many hours, in fact, that my brother Vinnie suggested I might have a future working for Lebeda — the mattress company.

Something to keep in mind if journalism doesn't pan out.

The celebration continues

While the holidays are over, the break is not. I'm still in Iowa, and my family still has reason to celebrate. My brother Vinnie turned 20 this week. We found that cause to travel to Iowa City for a late lunch with Catarina and J.J.

The following day, and his actual birthday, we celebrated with Claire and other friends in Cedar Falls.

All the Stigliani children have passed through their teenaged years and I'm excited to see what comes next.