Two in a Row

This is a first: two consecutive nights of frustration dreams. I was checking into a hotel with my family. We had shopping carts to carry our luggage (classy.) Another family put their baby in a car seat into our cart.

I was distracted by the baby and realized that my family was gone. I tried to call them to find our room number, but couldn't get my phone to work. I don't know why I didn't think to ask the hotel clerk--I can be quite illogical in my dreams. Instead I wandered around the hotel lobby, pushing a button on my phone that didn't do anything.

On a landing in the corner of the lobby, I saw a women wheeling a gurney with a covered body on it. She quickly darted back off the landing, with a leer.

I wondered if this was a scene in a story I was writing and not a dream at all.

***

What does this all mean? I don't know for sure, but I know I'm frustrated by my inability to get things done. All I can do is start with small steps. 

New Cell Phone Frustration Dream

Here's the setup. I had an appointment with a new hairdresser today. I got a new phone about two weeks ago.

Here's the dream. I was at a Lisa Vanderpump restaurant in Westport (hey, you heard it here first.) I wasn't eating, but talking to Scheana as she folded napkins or something. Weird, as Scheana is one of my least favorite characters on Vanderpump Rules.

I had a car but left it as I headed to my hair appointment. The sequence of the rest of the dream is vague, but I dropped my new cell phone and it broke into four main pieces and some tiny pieces. Tiny like lights on small ceramic Christmas trees. I scooped up the tiny pieces into a snack sized Ziploc (that I just happened to have on hand.) I was worried about what Jeff would think.

I walked toward my appointment and saw my mother. I asked to use her cellphone, but she refused because she only had three minutes left on it.

The hairdresser called. Since I was late, she couldn't see me until Thanksgiving. Somehow I received her call, but couldn't call out.

It was nice to wake up and realize my phone was still in one piece.

Opening Day: Mets Win!

Jacob deGrom, in his first Opening Day start, got his first win of the 2019 season against Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals.

Robinson Cano, in his Mets debut, was impressive. DeGrom was no slouch himself, striking out 10 hitters. Including last season, deGrom has made 30 consecutive starts allowing three runs or fewer--a new MLB record.

Let's go Mets!

Book Six: Cemetery Dance

I finished this book on Thursday. Another good one by Preston and Child.

I was mad that Smithback was killed; I liked the character. At least he wasn't really a zombii.

A zombii? Really?

This is what I love about Preston and Child. For all their fantastical elements, there's a logical, scientific explanation for their creations/activities. Well, maybe some answers are more mystical than logical and scientific, but they also work for me.

Cemetery Dance combines vodou, special effects, lobotomies, and  animal rights--a melange that somehow works.

I'll miss Smithback, but as long as Nora Kelly is okay, I'm good.

To Spike

17 years ago today, Spike came to live with Jeff and me.

He'll always be a part of our lives. We love him and miss him.

Happy Anniversary to Spike. 

What We've Been Watching--TV Series Edition

Haven't posted about TV in a while, and we've watched several shows.I'll start with two series: Vikings--Season Five and Outlander--Season Four

I enjoyed but was disappointed in both.

Jeff and I watched Vikings from the beginning. The  first four seasons focused on the charismatic Ragnar Lothbrok until his death in a snake pit about three-quarters through Season Four.

We continued to watch; I wanted to see what would happen to Ragner's wife Lagertha and his sons. But then came 20 episodes of Season Five. I think the show runners deliberately padded the story to drag out the season. Did they think the Floki in Iceland arc was interesting? It was excruciating, so boring. I couldn't even be bothered to find out who the characters were. The only scene I liked was when Floki found the cross deep in a cave in Iceland. It was the ultimate fuck you.

Season Six with another 20 episodes is on its way. I'll check it out, but not sure I'll stay for the long haul. 

Outlander started off strong. The first two episodes were violent, but the violence wasn't gratuitous. It was rooted in the time and place and the characters. In the first episode the excessive violence of Stephen Bonnet demonstrated the extent of his villainy--a fitting successor to Black Jack Randall of the first two seasons. The second episode highlighted the violence of the institution of slavery. The focus in episode three shifted from Jamie and Claire to Roger and Brianna. I didn't mind it for one episode, but the rest of the season was too Roger--Brianna centric for me.

My biggest problem with the season is that I hate Jamie as a father. Although he had no reason to doubt Lizzie's word, he shouldn't have beaten Roger without talking to Brianna. He interrupted and criticized Brianna when she was trying to explain what happened with Roger and Bonnet. When Roger finds out everything that happened to Brianna, Jamie expects him to immediately make a decision about his future. The guy traveled two hundred years into the past and spent months in captivity. Give him a chance to think.

The worst thing Jamie did was to counsel Brianna to forgive Bonnet while asking Murtagh to catch Bonnet for him. What a hypocrite. Just how was that going to work? Jamie, Claire, and Ian were headed to New York to find Roger and were expected to be gone for months. I imagined Bonnet escaping and victimizing Brianna again. Worst of all, Murtagh was arrested while trying to capture Bonnet, and Fergus had to  break him out of jail. Jamie could have lost two family members for his stupid revenge plot.

Other random thoughts. Aunt Jocasta is a great addition to the family. I hope to see more of her. I liked seeing Lord John Grey again. I could have done without Claire healing him from measles (?) I also didn't care about his (Jamie's biological) son. I hated the scene when Brianna visited Bonnet in jail for closure. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt her. I'll miss Ian but loved his acceptance by the Indians.

First Full Day of Spring

Unfortunately, it was a dreary day with a cold rain. It won't feel like spring until Sunday. Of course, I'm working all day Sunday.

At least we had a few beautiful springlike days over the last few weeks. Lola and I saw our first groundhog of the season a few days ago. Despite the gloom, we saw our first set of rowers on the Norwalk River today.

Spring is really here.

Fashions of 1934: Davis and Powell

1934 was a big year in the filmography of Bette Davis--just not for this film.

The story begins with con man William Powell in dire straits; his phones and furniture are being repossessed. "We need a new racket," says sidekick Frank McHugh. With the help of designer Bette Davis and ostrich feather king Hugh Hubert, they succeed in Paris.

Fashions, later renamed Fashions of 1934, is memorable for a Busby Berkeley number in a musical revue. It's a typical over-the-top Berkeley number that no stage could hold with multiple overhead shots that the audience could never see. (Check out Footlight Parade for similarly out-of-place Berkeley numbers and James Cagney.)

I had wanted to re-watch this film for some time to check out the chemistry between Bette Davis and William Powell. I was surprised and disappointed to see there wasn't much chemistry. Their romance seemed perfunctory. I didn't get when/how they fell in love.

Still, it's an enjoyable hour of film.

St. Patrick's Day

Found this image in my files--this is timely.

I had two tutoring appointments today. Jeff made a Guiness lamb stew. As it cooked in the crock pot, he met me at Sedona Tap House for snacks and beers.

I was a little disappointed that there was nothing at Sedona Tap House to indicate the day. Even the Italian deli next to my office had a shamrock in its planter. It was still a nice afternoon. We miss the Brewhouse in South Norwalk--now it's an office of a marketing company. They had good food with Irish specials, Irish music and dancers.

Things change.

Home to walk Lola and then have a good dinner.

Happy half-way day Jeff.

Book Five: The Wheel of Darkness

I finished this book by Preston and Child on Monday--a much faster pace than my previous book The Witches.

At the beginning of The Wheel of Darkness, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward Constance Green are studying in the Gsalrig Chongg monastery in Tibet. Soon they embark on a quest to retrieve a mysterious artifact that the monks have been guarding but have never seen.

Pendergast finds the thief too late--he's dead, and the the artifact is gone. Pendergast tracks the item to a luxury ocean liner on its maiden voyage. Soon passengers and crew members begin to disappear and die. 

How will Pendergast solve this mystery? There's no doubt that he will.

Happy Pi Day!

Thanks Jeff for getting this blueberry pie to celebrate. (sorry for bad photo--I was too lazy to re-shoot it--I wanted to eat it.)

Here's more on Pi Day.

Funk and Frustration

I've been in a funk for about three weeks now.

I can't seem to get anything done or make any progress. I've barely written, haven't gone to the gym, and have stacks of papers and books all around me that need to be organized, filed, put away, etc. Needless to say, the condo is a mess.

About 95 percent of this is on me. I'm prone to procrastination, I'm easily distracted and inefficient..

The 5 percent?  Those were times when I was ready to do something but didn't have the information I needed.

It didn't help my mood to deal with several days of snow. Only one snowfall was significant--eight inches. Yes, I know we've had a mild winter with very little snow. But it was like a punch to the gut to get our biggest storm in March. In January or February, it would have been expected.

Now it's warming, so we'll have several days of puddles and mud. Ugh.

I know that I need to do things--any step in the right direction--to get out of this funk.I need to do more than the minimum: something.

Book Four: The Witches

The Witches
Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem
by Stacy Schiff

I enjoyed this book, even though it took me over a month to read and only has about 400 pages. I tend to read more slowly when I read history, especially in this book with a six-page cast of characters.

For six months back in 1994, Jeff lived in Salem for a work project. I spent many weekends with him there. We had also gone to Salem for a long weekend before Jeff worked there. We visited many of the witch tourist attractions such as the witch museum and witch house.

I've read about the Salem witch trials before, but this book was a revelation. I recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in finding out what happened in 1692.

Hidden Stories

Yesterday I started a new writing course at the Norwalk Library called Hidden Stories. The instructor was the instructor from my last course.

Hidden Stories focuses on tapping into personal experiences, family stories, works of art, and imagination for inspiration. Our first class assignment was to describe our childhood or teenage bedroom. It was fun to write and to listen to the other students' stories.

For homework, we're supposed to write about our childhood best friend. I've been thinking about that since yesterday's class and wrote about 200 words on the subject today.

One thing Kim the instructor said yesterday really connected with me. She said we had taken an hour-and-a-half on a Monday to write. If it weren't for the class, probably none of us would have written a word.

Jack Rose

Years ago when I first started drinking legally, I would go out to dinner with my father. My dad wasn't much of a wine drinker, but he enjoyed a cocktail before dinner.

I don't remember why I started drinking Jack Rose's. I doubt if was my father's choice. Maybe it was something I saw on a cocktail menu; maybe a bartender recommended it. I tried it and liked it.

***

I hadn't had one in years. About two years ago, I clipped a Jack Rose recipe from The New York Times. Apparently it had once been considered one of the six basic cocktails.

The other day I heard this report on the radio. It inspired me to buy ingredients and make Jack Rose cocktails. 

The verdict: Now I remember why I liked the drink; it's good. Since I know have a bottle of Laird's Applejack, I'll make it again--playing with the lemon juice/Grenadine proportions. Maybe I'll see Jack Rose on cocktail menus again. 

What's Cooking?

Last weekend Jeff got two rotisserie chickens. We had chicken cooked with carrots and a salad. The next day I carved the second chicken and made broth with the carcasses. Later in the week we had chicken fajitas. Lola got several meals of chicken, broth and rice; she was having digestive issues.

Tonight I made lobster risotto. Although two meals from Plated arrived today, I wanted to make the risotto because I worried that the broth would go bad. It was delicious. I used garlic, scallion, sun dried tomato. asparagus, brussel sprouts, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and, of course, lobster. I made a side salad of romaine and spring greens.

We got Plated this week because it has a Beef Rendang dish. That's one of our favorite take-out dishes, especially from The Little Kitchen in Westport.

Looking forward to trying it.