Three Beautiful Things 05/16/13: Introducing Richard Hugo, Dropping in on a Friend, Scratching the Popcorn Itch

1.  My copy of Richard Hugo's Making Certain it Goes On, the one I took notes in when I was on Richard Hugo tour back in 1992, is just beginning to fall apart.  I wanted to ease up on it, so I bought another copy.  I didn't realize it had been reissued several years ago with in introduction by William Kittredge.  I read that introduction today and it did just what I hoped it would:  it reflected upon the kind of guy Richard Hugo was.  It told anecdotes. Kittredge didn't  try to place Hugo in some phony baloney category of poetry.  He mentioned Hugo was a Northwest poet.  Okay.  He mentioned that Hugo thought of himself as a modernist.  Fine.  But the rest was given over to Hugo's story as a guy, a talented, but always regular guy, who grew up in the humblest of circumstances, flew fighter planes in WWII, studied with Roethke at the U. of W.,  loved taverns, drank too much booze and cheap beer, suffered a breakdown, quit drinking, went on long drives, loved to fish, lost one marriage, moved easily between laughter and sobbing, was sentimental, even maudlin, succeeded in a second marriage, loved being a stepdad, and succumbed to lung cancer and leukemia.  Kittredge wrote one of my favorite books ever, Hole in the Sky, about growing up in Eastern Oregon.  He also wrote one of my favorite essays ever, "Drinking and Driving".  Now he's written my favorite introduction to Richard Hugo.

2.  I got off the bus at Patterson and 13th, dropped by Dairy Queen and dropped a buck nineteen on an original burger (more like a slider) and, thinking Jesse might be working at Sixteen Tons, strolled on down there.  I was right.  I enjoyed a pint and a half of The Commons Holden and Jesse and I unraveled the knotty NBA playoffs and played a couple quick rounds of "What Year Did He Get Drafted?".

3.  After we had a flatiron steak, mushrooms, and cabbage salad, the Deke asked me to go out and get some beer.  I did, but I didn't stop there.  Going against the grain of my long practice not to buy junk food, I bought a bag of white cheddar popcorn.  The Deke was astonished and delighted (that was fun) and I scratched a popcorn itch I'd had for several months.  I drank sparkling water with my popcorn.  I let the beer chill for another time.