I'm not entirely sure when or where my Tiny Tim fixation originated, but I have a feeling it may have been around Valentine's Day, 2001, during an inexplicable yet delightful Laugh In marathon. I was immediately drawn to his cheap suit and pancake makeup, and was positively entranced with adolescent wonder at his gestures, so effete and dare I say, old-timey. I immediately felt a connection with this creature, much as I later came to admire Shane Mac Gowan and even Liza Minnelli for their unrefined beauty (why are famous people so boringly pretty these days?). Later, when I learned of his encyclopedic knowledge of pre-rock music from the 1880's to the 1950's, the legend only grew. Mannerisms and sheer talent aside, I wholeheartedly agree with what Penn Jillette said of Tiny Tim, that is, to paraphrase, the real wonder of the man was that his persona and his act were so completely free of any irony or sarcasm. Tiny Tim mentioned on Fresh Air that at the time he was cutting his teeth as a performer, everyone had to be original, and this is what he came up with. Truly an inspiration. Can I be him when I grow up?
The montage of Tiny Tim jewels was cut short by an invitation to lunch from my friend and roommate Jamina. Cravings for animal protein and bar food perfection led us to the delightful Eugene institution Cornucopia. Their fabulous hush puppies took me from feeling about 62% human up to 78%. Not too shabby!The rest of my eve has been spent in bed with Ira Glass and old shows of This American Life. Nothing like the soothing sounds of public radio and slice of life stories to extract oneself from the lower realms of Lousy. Hopefully tomorrow I emerge from bed fresh as a daisy and ready to tackle the Master and Margarita-esque maze of bureaucratic madness that is the University Health System in order to retrieve old MMR papers. Until then it's mint tea, a pile of blankets and Ira.
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