welcome.
If you're curious, crazyknee.com is:
a personal Web page (a blog, even) created by Leanne H. Milway. The page was launched Nov. 1, 2000, the day she had ACL/meniscus repair performed on her right leg.
Hence the "crazy knee."
This page will be updated in some weekly way.

31 july 2001 . 03:12 pm PT
Hi, it's my birthday. I just finished writing a story for work about Mexican Independence Day (like, how did I get involved?); now I'm about to leave the house to buy music and talk to friends (the unemployed ones, or those who work at bookstores).

I could talk about birthdays and the aging process, but I think I'll refrain. Give thanks for small favors! Love ya, kisskiss.

29 july 2001 . 11:32 pm PT
Sunday nights are so painful, sometimes, when you realize how very early you must start functioning that next day. It's even more painful after a activity-filled weekend. Even MORE painful when you spent the last 2 hours standing in crowded room, listening to a Professor Schwartz drone on about ancient Iranian linguistics, his specialty. He was a guest of honor at a Dave Eggers function, of course. Eggers, Schwartz, rock star David Byrne and Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Chabon were all part of a panel discussion on relationship issues and ancient linguistics. This was after Byrne's little powerpoint presentation on "The New Sins," the book he recently published through Eggers' Mcsweeneys group. And that was after Chabon read part of a short story about the grisly murder of a clown. Eggers read some stuff too, and I almost feel I've grown weary of him. Hmmm. But Toph Eggers was wandering about and I feel sorry for him because he has rather unfortunate hair. Not that I'm one to talk.

But! on Monday night? I get to dance around as Byrne sings songs and strums the guitar. Fun!

You know what's almost more fun than that? Camping with a bunch of your friends, drinking beers and being rather loud, all of which causes the cute Marin families camping nearby to yell in disgust for you to stop the merriment. "It's 11:30 and the rest of the camp is trying to sleep. Could you keep it down?" As if!

And I'll post the winning response(s) to the picture contest Wednesday. Probably. Don't bet your life on it or anything, but I think it will happen.

28 july 2001 . 04:29 pm PT
I was doing some music research/web surfing this afternoon and came upon a blurb about "The Conet Project," a 4-cd compilation of sounds, most of those sounds being static-laced radio transmissions of numbers being read in sequence, in different languagues, and it might just be the work of spies, and, my god, I'm listening to a real audio clip right now and you MUST LISTEN. And LISTEN TO THIS, to understand and submit! I found "The Conet Project" on this impressive list of top record picks by the Aquarius Records staff. Check it.

27 july 2001 . 06:19 pm PT
Ever have one of those days where everything you put on seems to have deodorant stains all over it? This has been happening to me all week. I think it's a sign of the coming apocalypse. And my fast-approaching birthday.

Right now I'm "packing" in preparation for our Friday-night camping party, over in San Rafael. I probably have the best friends in creation. What did I do to deserve this?

24 july 2001 . 12:19 pm PT
Malcolm Gladwell writes in The New Yorker how "caffeine created the modern world." I haven't read it yet, but, ohhh I can't wait. (I never linked to his most recent expose, did I? About "The Trouble with Fries: Fast food is killing us"? Well, it's another of those great print-it-up-to-read-on-public-transit pieces.)

More helpful links: The new film "Ghost World," about two alienated and sarcastic girls just out of high school, is a must-see. Ebert says it's magical; the Times says it's a better film than "The Graduate" (!!!). Here's a great bit about the reclusive director; the official site has some fun graphics and sound bites. You can find more about it if you really want. Also, I have the Daniel Clowes comic book it's based on. If you like to look at pictures and stuff.

22 july 2001 . 11:59 pm PT
Catherine says I must call animal control on the raccoons. Yeah? Poor little rabies-infected rascals.

Before wandering into Davies Symphony Hall Friday night (Patti LuPone and Neil Patrick Harris starred in "Sweeney Todd," a musical about a murderous barber who bakes his victims into meat pies. Doogie Howser!! S.Sondheim was there too! YES I am a NERD.), I found this strange art installation, on Grove street:

Saturday I bought tall boots and a yellow scarf, after listening to some poets (Adrienne Rich, for one) read verse. Sunday we sat in the park with a wee baby, listening to music, performing headstands and egging on dancing hippies. Ate Ethiopian food for dinner, finished with a chocolate crepe, walked home up the outrageously steep 17th Street hill, climbing higher through the wet fog. Say it with me now: California!

Okay, heh heh, here's a fun game for everyone at home. What do you think is going on in the heads of the three people in this picture:

Prize for the most creative answer! I'm not kidding. E-mail me your guess.

Oh, and my mother wants you to know that the microwave-your-corn recipe is hers, all hers. She's a verifiable whiz with the microwave. Hats off to you, Mom! Here are the Milways in Vancouver. Aren't they cute?

19 july 2001 . 11:35 am PT
Do you know the kind of noise five young-adult raccoons can make? It sounds like a flock of seagulls circling the dump. I think they're playing, but it sounds like shrieking. They do this in the evening and in the morning. They live in the jungle of weeds outside our big windows. I am not sure what will happen when five full-grown raccoons start "playing" in the yard.

Here's a (so-so) picture of them climbing a fence.

Here's a picture of D.C.ers Dan Steinberg and Annys Shin. Dan just left his job as a cheese specialist and Annys is a reporter for the fabulous Washington City Paper:

And here's a picture of my new sheets:

17 july 2001 . 08:00 pm PT
As I cleaned out my Inbox today (and I have approximately 13 Inboxes, if you're counting), I happened upon a link to a Dave Barry column about newspaper cutbacks. It's from May 20, and one of you might have sent it to me, but I'm promoting it right now because it made me laugh out loud (or, LOL for you IMers). Highly recommenced for the journalism types.

Pop culture news: I bet you'll find "Legally Blonde" to be a very amusing fluff film. Ivy is an incredibly tight pop band when playing live. Michael Doughty does special things with a guitar. Pete Yorn has amazing cheekbones, an Eddie Vedder-goes-folk voice, and energetic bandmates.

Now, before I get back to cropping pictures, please glance at this poem. Tell me if I'm correct in thinking the way the piece changes at the line "if only you would turn me/from male to female!" is shocking and exciting. Everything that follows that line is ... *sigh* so good.

Helpful microwave tip: You too can cook corn on the cob in three minutes! Simply:

Husk the corn. Wash the corn. Wrap the corn in wax paper, twisting closed the ends. Stick corn in microwave for three minutes. Remove corn, unwrap from wax paper (careful! it's steaming inside!). Slather corn with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Eat, with little chopping motions from side to side. Delicious!

11 july 2001 . 02:27 pm PT
Okay! I'm working on it! As I "work on it," I wanted to extend my cheers and welcomes (and say, yes, move to California!) to Randi.

And for one quick link, before I get back to work heh heh, read this about Larry "Kids" Clark's new film "Bully." It sounds brutal. Gotta love that in a movie. And can I say that "A.I." was a bust? I know you've probably heard that already, but MAN. It's not worth it, silly robots.

05 july 2001 . 01:02 am PT
I get very nervous about this Web page. Because I don't have time. Because I just spent these after-the-fireworks moments (and it's but a brief blip of time, really) working on some poems and crap. Crap that might actually accomplish more in the ultimate trajectory of my (silly little) life than this Web page. And ... that makes me sad, sure. But ... damn, I also worry so much about sleep. About how I have to awake by a certain (early!) time to make sure I'm at work and functioning, and then if I want after-work activities, and I want to fully whip the painful vomiting food poisoning I suffered after a weekend of exhilarating (and alcohol-drenched) exhaustion ... well, can you see what I mean? I worry. Perhaps I need stronger pills. Heh.

God bless America. I mean that sincerely. I'm singing it actually. I am not even lying.