Book 29: The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

This is a tough book to describe clearly. 

Tuesday Next is the protagonist in a series of books set in a parallel universe. In this universe, BookWorld is a place where characters can move among books by bookjumping. Although Tuesday is a real person, she is also a training agent for BookWorld's police, Jurisfiction. 

While being pursued by an enemy, Tuesday hides in an unpublished novel Caversham Heights in the Well of Lost Plots. The Well consists of 26 subbasements of unpublished novels beneath the Great Library the home of all published fiction.

Got it?

There's also a murderer on the loose. Thursday may be his target. 

It's a fun and fascinating read, but the literary references can be confusing if you're unfamiliar with the plots and characters of the classics including Uriah Heep, Heathcliff, Miss Havisham. (I knew enough to get by.) This is also the third book in the series, which I didn't realize when I picked it up at a library sale. I prefer to start with the first. 

An important part of the plot concerns a new operating system called UltraWord. Tuesday argues against its adoption. "I'm talking about the wholesale destruction of everything that is intuitive in writing--to be replaced by the formulaic." An omen about AI?

An Off Week

I always feel a little off-centered or off-kilter in weeks with a holiday. I have trouble keeping track of what day it is. This is especially true for this week bracketed with the major holidays of Christmas and New Year's Day. 

I expected to do a lot more blogging this week but didn't manage to do that. I focused mainly on going to the gym. I've been working to reach my goal of 150 gym visits for the year: I needed six visits this week to make it, including tomorrow. 150 has been my goal for several years. It was only last year that I got close with 143. 

I took care of the NCNC birds twice this week--Tuesday as usual--and I picked up a day for someone who was traveling for the holidays. Everything went smoothly unlike last year.

I spent a lot of time walking with Jace. Most of the week has been bleak: rainy, foggy, overcast, raw. Luckily, we avoided the worst of the rain and even saw a little sunshine. 

Today was the highlight of the week: we visited friends we hadn't seen for in several months, due to health problems. We need to work more at getting together. 

Another Quiet Christmas

It was just the three of us today for a quiet holiday. My brother came for dinner last night. Our Christmas Eve feast was beef tenderloin, Caesar salad, fingerling potatoes, and green beans. For dessert, we had ice cream and Jim's homemade cookies. 

Today was mellow. We had our old favorite Christmas breakfast, opened our presents, exchanged holiday greetings with friends and family, and watched holiday movies (Holiday Affair, Four Christmases--not one I'd bother to watch again, The Man Who Came to Dinner, It's a Wonderful Life) and a Doctor Who special. 

It was a relatively warm day, hitting 50 degrees, but I missed the sun. Jace and I took a long walk for about two hours this afternoon. Tonight's dinner was a spicy salmon sushi bake and leftover Caesar salad.

In the past, I've enjoyed some large family celebrations, but the smaller, intimate celebrations are good too. It was nice not to have to rush around or travel anywhere. 

Merry Christmas.

Holiday Miscellanea

Two years ago, our gym moved to a new location in a Shoprite shopping center. It's been convenient for quick visits to the grocery store, but it's a problem on big shopping days before holidays. 

Yesterday afternoon, I drove around for over five minutes before I gave up finding a parking space. Normally, it would only be a minor annoyance, but I'm close to hitting my goal for 150 gym visits this year, and every day counts. I had done my weekly shopping on Monday but was going to get bread and some more lunchmeat. So much for that.

It was better this morning, I got a parking space, grabbed a few things at the store and hit the gym by 9:20. Later I picked up dinner for tomorrow. The amount of beef tenderloin is quite generous. We'll have steak for days. 

Today is Festivus, a holiday that lives on, long after Seinfeld the television show that created it. 

Yesterday was eight years since we said goodbye to Spike. Despite having two dogs to love since then, we miss him. We were lucky to have 13 years with him.

Here's to Spike.

Winter Solstice

Today is the first day of winter. While I don't celebrate the onset of winter, I appreciate that daylight will get longer each day, although it will take a few weeks to even notice it. 

Winter is coming, the Stark words from Game of Thrones. If winter is not here now, it will be in a few minutes. They can pinpoint the start of the seasons by minutes now.

Winter is my least favorite season, but I have to muddle through it.

Rainy Day Monday

Today was the second consecutive rainy, windy, dreary day. Jace looks as happy as I felt going out on our morning walk. 

Santa and Jace

Years ago, we took Spike to Petsmart for photos with Santa. We have two--one photo is with Jeff because Spike wasn't cooperating. We never tried this with Lola because she was timid with strangers. 

Jace is so outgoing and loves to be petted, so I didn't think there would be any problems. 

Well, I was wrong.

First, Jace wouldn't sit with Santa, so I sat down with them. Jace was still a bit antsy. This is the best picture of Jace. (The less said about me the better.)

For some reason, Petsmart set up the photo area right next to the cats available for adoption. Jace notices the cats.

 

Now, he's in full howl mode. 

Well, we tried. 

Making a List and Checking It Twice

Okay, I couldn't resist the trite title. 

There are actually several lists. But I have one less list to make now--food for Christmas Eve menu. I ordered a beef tenderloin dinner from Balducci's. Up until a few hours ago, I was all set to prep the menu and cook the dinner. But I changed my mind and went the for the easier if more expensive way. We're getting beef tenderloin, Caesar salad, fingerling potatoes, and green beans. We'll have Jim's super chocolate cookies for dessert with ice cream or whatever else I see that catches my fancy. Appetizers? I need to decide. Do I need to do more than cheese and crackers and pistachios?

I went to a specific liquor store to get our favorite Zubrowka bison grass vodka yesterday. Not only did the store not have it, but an employee told me they don't carry it anymore. That store had been the most consistent spot that carried Zubrowka, so I'm bummed. Onto another liquor store. I'm also stocking up for New Year's Eve. Last New Year, I bought way too much champagne--it lasted through September. It's better to have too much champagne than too little. I knew we'd drink it eventually. 

I've also decided to get some new napkins to go with my new placemats. That's another trip to add to my list. I'm not going to stress about it. 

I started making out the normal shopping list today. I'm out of most fruits and vegetables, so, better go tomorrow. The closer we get to Christmas, the crazier the stores will be. 

For the Birds

Today is the day I volunteer to care for the birds of prey at New Canaan Nature Center. In March, it will be two years that I've been volunteering there, but I haven't written much about it. 

Basically, I rake up the poop and leftover food, refresh their water, and give them new food. By giving them food, I mean I put down the food for them. I also prep food for the next day. That involves getting a meal together of frozen rats, chicks, mice, and/or quails with specific weights of food for each bird. Most times, I have to chop up some of the frozen animals. It can be difficult with the rats. If I had been told when I first called to volunteer that my duties would include chopping up rats, I probably would have declined. But I had already seen the birds and the other duties before I learned of the rat chopping, so I accepted. 

Currently, there are six birds in residence. I have pictures of five of them and have posted them before.

First, here is Ralph, the turkey vulture. She can be feisty; she's gone after my pant cuffs a few times and even untied another volunteer's shoelaces.

This is Mort, a black vulture who is the newest resident. He seems mellow, but always hungry.

Here's Jasper. I'm fond of him even though he tried to fly onto my head. 

Next we have Gus. In his new aviary, he hides near the roof. I haven't actually seen him in a while, but still talk to him.

This is Tupelo, he's usually very vocal. You can see his open beak here.

Phoenix is kept in a separate aviary, and I keep forgetting to get his picture. Maybe next week.

Here are two birds that we've lost since I've been a volunteer.

This is Hedwig.

Here's Glory. 

My feathered friends.

TCM Movie Update

It's time for another post on what films I've been watching since my last post was about Halloween movies. These are all classic films, i.e.oldies. 

Born to Kill--a good movie about two amoral people played by Lawrence Tierney (as Sam) and Claire Trevor (as Helen.). I first saw this film in 2021. It's the kind of movie I'll watch over and over. 

Tierney and Trevor are supported by a strong cast. Elisha Cook Junior plays Marty, Sam's only friend who tries to reign in his murderous impulses. "You can't just go around killing people whenever the notion strikes you. It's not feasible." Walter Slezak plays a smart but sleazy detective Albert Arnett hot on Sam's trail for the murders he committed in Reno at the start of the film. One of his victims is Laury Palmer (Isabel Jewell) whose attempt to make Sam jealous by dating another guy succeeds all too well.  

Laury's friend and neighbor Mrs. Kraft (Esther Howard) is the client who hires Arnett to find Laury's killer. Howard is brilliant especially in the scenes when Marty tries to kill her and when Trevor scares her into dropping the case. Her anguish over letting Laury down is palpable. 

San Quentin--I watched this for the pairing of Tierney and Barton MacLane. Jim Roland (Tierney) is a former convict rehabilitated through a prison welfare league, where inmates police each other and learn useful trades. Nick Taylor (MacLane ) is currently imprisoned and faking his participation in the league until he can make his escape. Taylor's opportunity comes when the warden plans to publicize the league at the press conference with Roland, Taylor, and another recently jailed inmate. Taylor's escape succeeds, and the league's reputation is damaged. Roland decides that since Taylor used the league to escape, someone from the league should capture him. Roland gives himself the job, captures Taylor, and gets married at the end of the film.

I was disappointed in this film. First the title is misleading--only a few minutes took place in San Quentin (this 1937 film is better titled.) Tierney is much better as a bad guy than a good guy. MacLane is memorable as the villianous Taylor.

Detour--A rewatch of a classic, low-budget noir. Al Roberts (Tom Neal ) is hitchhiking across country to reunite with his girlfriend. He thinks he's hit the jackpot when Charles Haskell picks him up who is heading all the way to LA. Haskell is killed in a freak accident, and Roberts thinks it a good idea to assume his identity rather than risk calling the police. Roberts's real trouble begin when he offers a ride to Vera (Ann Savage.) Vera had previously hitched a ride with Haskell and knows Roberts is a fraud and blackmails him. For Roberts, things go from bad to worse. Savage gives a raw and dare I say savage performance as Vera. 

The Party--I recorded this because I remember my brother said this was a funny movie (he had seen it years ago.) Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor who destroys an expensive movie scene with his ineptitude. He is then accidentally invited to a party and creates havoc. Seller wears brown face to portray an Indian. This was more acceptable in the sixties than it is today. What I found most offensive is that Sellers' makeup changes throughout the film. He is noticeably lighter in some scenes and darker in others. I'll just add that Claudine Longet is a lousy singer. 

Goodbye Jezebel, et al.

A few weeks ago, I clicked on Jezebel.com and noticed there had been no updates. I later learned that Jezebel had been shut down. I didn't read Jezebel on a daily basis, but I enjoyed its reporting of feminist issues as well as pop culture. 

I got to thinking about other websites and blogs that I used to read, such as Shakesville, Feministing, Feministe, and Pandagon. Others include: Elle, Phd, Womanist Musings, The Happy Feminist, Shapely Prose, Echidne of the Snakes. Then there were other blogs whose names I don't remember. 

I guess the golden age of blogs was about 15 years ago. On Shakesville alone, there were several contributors, and I would check it out several times a day to see what had been posted.

Some of the website/blog shutdowns were publicized; other sites disappeared without notice. I miss those blogs. Sigh. At  least, Jezebel may return. 

Book 28: The Sisters of Henry VIII by Maria Perry

I picked this book up at a library sale, but don't seem to have a record of it on this blog. No big deal, but I wonder when and where I got the book.

Something in the introduction struck me the wrong way--the author derived great pleasure watching people's faces as they take in the unexpected information. There was just something so condescending about her comments. 

Henry VIII's two sisters Margaret and Mary were married to the King of Scotland and the King of France respectively. I think Margaret was the more interesting sister. I never got a sense of Mary's personality. She seemed rather shallow.

I would enjoy hearing more about Margaret. 

Christmas Decorations

I finished our Christmas decorating last night. After I turned off the computer and recharged my phone, I just looked around for a minute. I liked what I saw. I'll never win any decorating award or followers on Pinterest, but my decorations mean something to me. 

This is one of three angels that Jeff's grandmother made. Now, each of her three grandchildren have one. 

This is from a Christmas about 25-30 years ago. This was not planned by my stepfather and Jeff's father--just a happy coincidence. 

We can't forget Festivus!

Here's the ornament I bought at Merwinsville.

I like checking out outdoor Christmas decor as Jace and I walk. At Halloween it seemed like giant skeletons surpassed the giant inflatables.

Inflatables seem to be resurging at Christmas. It's especially weird to see inflatable manger scenes. And even weirder to see any kind of manger next to Rudolph, or Santa, or a unicorn (why?)

The Christmas decoration landscape changes almost daily. I'll keep watching.

Seasonal Weekend

On Friday, I had an excellent visit to HomeGoods. I got Christmas placemats and cocktail napkins, a few things for Jeff's stocking, and other household things I needed like a mixing bowl and a wooden cutting board.

Saturday morning, I bought several things at the Westport Library Book Sale. 

The books were

1.    Anne Boleyn A King's Obsession by Alison Weir--the second in a series of Six Tudor Queens

2.    The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde--I previously read a Thursday Next book and thought it would be fun to try another.

3    Road of Bones by James R. Benn--I had read two books in the Billy Boyle Word War II mysteries, and they were good.

I also picked up some CDs: Bangles, Grateful Dead, INXS, Paul Simon, the English Beat, the Psychedelic Furs. I usually ignore CDs and DVDs, but my friend Marti was talking about how good the selections were. They weren't arranged in any particular order. When I quickly found the six, I moved on to books. 

We stopped for a drink in the library cafe before heading to a crafts show at the Westport Museum. I met a woman there who should be able to repair the quilt my mother made and Lola ripped up. 

Later Jeff and I  took Jace to Rowayton Dog Park. It's the only place I trust Jace off leash because it's completely fenced in.

Yesterday was a dreary, rainy day: perfect to start Christmas decorating. I'd like to finish that today.

T'is the Season

Now that it's December, it's officially Christmas season. Even though I hate that Shop Rite has already started playing non-stop Christmas songs, I can't really complain. Damn, I even sang a few words to "Jingle Bell Rock" as I headed down the dairy aisle. 

Yesterday, I brought up all our Christmas stuff from our basement storage bin. I had downsized to one ornament box, two smallish Christmas trees (each about five feet tall) and a box of everything else. I opened the box--glasses, placemats, dish and hand towels, stuffed animals, my Festivus kit, and somethings I'm forgetting. 

I'm in more of a Christmas mood this year than I've been for a few. I want to enjoy it, rather than get annoyed by the holiday over-the-topness.

NaNoWriMo Review

 I failed miserably, abyssmally. You get the point. In a contest to write 50,000 words, I didn't quite make it to 2,000 words. Pitiful, embarassing. 

Why did I fail? There are myriad reasons.

1.    I expected to fail. It's hard to psych yourself to work when you start off thinking you won't succeed. 

2.    I was too distracted by research: one example is here. I did use some research that I had previously written about the railroad industry in general, but I'm not sure if I put it in the right place.

3.    I did not prioritize my writing. Actually, I do not priortize my writing. Ding, ding, ding. That's the number one reason, and I guess the only real reason for all of my writing failures. I remember mornings when I'd get up to write only to be distracted by emptying the dishwasher and playing New York Times word games.

At the beginning of the year, I had a goal to write for two hours a day, Yeah well, I fucked that up. Think of all the words I would have now. Isn't that's what writing is, words strung together--hopefully beautifully. 

Finally, it dawned on me: I have to think of writing as my job and plan accordingly. At least I've learned something from my failure.

Another good result from this mess: I'm in Merwinsville mode again. I'm remembering why I'm so fascinated by Sylvanus Merwin and his hotel. I'm imagining his relationship with his wife Flora, wondering about his rivalry with his half-brother Peter Gaylord, visualizing the telegraphic courtship of Helen Merwin and Ed Hurd. 

There's more to learn and much more to write. 

The Christmas Shoppe at the Merwinsville Hotel

Cynthis and I drove up to Merwinsville on Friday, the opening day of its Christmas Shoppe--a kind of combination Christmas display and holiday sale. 

One room on the main level has a railroad running through a village as well as World's Fair miniatures of various amusement rides. A collection of Santas were in a corner of another room. The Nutcracker collection was on the second floor. 

Then there were all the things for sale: jewelry, pottery, glassware, dolls, knitted mittens and hats, scarves, ornaments, paintings, and plants. 

I only bought a few things this year. The first is a beagle ornament. Now we have several beagle ornaments already, but this was different. I also got a wooden gift tag that says "Merry Christmas." I thought this would look nice hanging on our door and for $3, why not? 

I have three Merwinsville wine glasses that are starting to lose their logos. I decided to get replacements. Each glass was $5, but I got four for $18. Sounds frugal to me. 

It's been a year since I've been to the hotel. It felt good to see it again

It's Never Too Late...

 ...to be thankful. 

We hand a nice Thanksgiving. My brother Jim and our friend Cynthia joined Jeff, Jace and me. As I previously said, I was organized. I even decided to make a special cocktail: a vodka gimlet with fresh lime juice. I made two drinks but planned to serve four mini drinks in cordial glasses shaped like mini-martini glasses. Jim wasn't interested, so more for the rest of us. 

I served shrimp cocktail and Boursin cheese with Trader Joe's pumpkin cranberry crackers as appetizers. Our dinner from Whole Foods consisted of turkey breast, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I added Pillsbury crescent rolls. For dessert, we had pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. 

The only problem was that even though all the food had been defrosted (according to Whole Foods, it was chilled not frozen) the turkey and mashed potatoes took about twice as long as the instructions indicated. I took the stuffing and green beans out of the oven while the turkey and potatoes continued to cook. It was annoying, and I got teased about the delay, but we didn't really mind. 

After dinner, I took Jace for a short walk and then vegged on the couch after I found The Godfather on TV. 

Here's the list I might have made if I had posted on Thanksgiving night. 

What I'm thankful for:

1.    Jeff

We've had many heatlh challenges over the past few years, but we're still here and we still love each other.

2.    Jace

To be honest, there are times Jace wouldn't make this list. But he is fun and loving and sweet and loyal. And cute too. 

3.    Friends and Family

Sometimes it's hard to stay in contact with others. We all seem to get bogged down in our day-to-day bullshit. But the effort is well worth it.

4.    My Health

Seeing Jeff's health problems, as well as those of other friends, makes me appreciate how lucky I am to be healthy. It keeps me going to the gym too. 

5.    Our Home

Yes, it's true, I want to move out of our condo, out of Norwalk, out of Connecticut. But it's nice to have a place of our own with no mortgage. It's a good size for us in a good location.

6.    Good Weather (for the most part)

Most of the fall has been mild. As Fitzgerald said: "Life starts over again when it gets crisp in the fall." Already, many mornings are cold. I'll enjoy the crispness when I can. 

Thanksgiving Eve

I think I should be in bed but feel too awake. I am very organized for our dinner tomorrow.  And when I use "very" I mean "very." So, part of me asks, "What are your forgetting?" I have a list I made last week. I washed the china and the flatware. I still need to wash the glasses and make cocktail sauce. 

Can that be it? I guess I can do some kind of quick touch-up somewhere. 

Maybe I can just relax.

And reheat.

Book 27: The Sisters The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell

Years ago, I read a reference to the Mitford sisters--I think it was a book review in Ingenue magazine, which I'll remember forever for introducing me to I Capture the Castle. I'm not sure I would have heard of the Mitfords otherwise, except maybe for Jessica Mitford's book, The American Way of Death. 

It took me a while to get through this book. I didn't find the early years of the sisters all that interesting. Then we got into the thirties and forties. It was as if the sisters existed at a perfect place in a perfect time to capture an era: a Communist, a fascist, a novelist, a gentlewoman farmer, a duchess, and a friend of Hitler. 

It seems like the Mitfords are people my mother would have been interested in. But maybe she was a little young: graduated from high school in 1944. They would still make fascinating subjects for a mini-series.

Monday Miscellanea

After Jeff and I went to the gym, I went to ShopRite--I didn't have to get Thanksgiving stuff (except my complimentary turkey breast) but I needed fruits and vegetables and cleaning products. It was crazy. I can't imagine how bad it will be on Wednesday. I spent a whole half-hour just waiting in the cashier line. 

After lunch, I was walking Jace down Prospect Avenue. A policeman came out of his parked car to meet Jace. He even knew Jace was a lemon beagle. He had a beagle, foxhound, coonhound mix at home and showed me a photo. 

A few people have put up their Christmas decorations--I even saw a Christmas tree. It seems way too early for me. A few houses have Thanksgiving decor--an inflatable turkey here and there--and one house had two signs from the Peanuts Thanksgiving TV special. Very cute. Of course, lots of Halloween decorations remain. A new kind of changing of the seasons.

Countdown to Thanksgiving

When someone asked me if I'm cooking for Thanksgiving, I said, "I'm reheating." This will be our fourth year getting our dinner from Whole Foods. This year I'm picking up the food on Wednesday instead of Thursday to make sure the food is properly defrosted. Last year the meal was practically frozen and took too long to heat up. That's one stressor I can avoid.

We're having two guests: my brother Jim and our friend Cynthia. Both were scheduled for last year, but Cynthia got sick and had to cancel.

I'm very organized this year. I've already bought the items I need (except for the meal and shrimp which I pick up Wednesday afternoon.) I'm serving shrimp cocktail because it's one of Jim's favorites, and his birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year. I personally think it's overrated and kind of boring. But, whatever. I also have cheese with pumpkin and cranberry crackers. 

I've been in cleaning mode for a week: doing some work each day instead of one big cleaning binge. By Wednesday afternoon, I'll have washed the good china and glasses, sharpened the knives, selected pots, pans, and serving dishes, and set the table.

Sounds like a good plan.

Halfway Through November

If I had been participating properly in NaNoWriMo, I woiuld have written about 26,000 words by now. Spoiler Alert: I wrote just over 1,000.  

With about a half month to go, it's too soon to label myself an abject failure, but I'm well on my way. 

I wrote about my fear of losing Nano: it's not a big deal. I'm going to keep writing. 

Besides my normal problem of not sticking to a writing schedule, the hour-long review of notes on Halloween night wasn't enough prep to get back into the Merwinville concept--I kept referring to notes, handouts, and the Internet. I actually stopped writing a scene to look up if people in Connecticut drank coffee in the 1830s. 

After I finished the first draft of the first chaper, I went back to add details. Later I moved material from Chapter One to Chapter Two. These are all things you're not supposed to do in Nano. The only way to get to 50,000 words in a month is to explicitly not edit anything. Save that for later. That is true of all writing.

Today I wrote a bit about Sylvanus seeing opportunities and then some background about railroad/transportation from 1800-1850. I called the file Pre-Chapter One. As I think about it, it's probably not in the best place, but I'm not going to worry about that now. 

I previously used my Ancestry.com membership to research Sylvanus Merwin's descendants but didn't get very far. I had wanted to cancel my membership because the monthly charges are too high. So I spent several hours of the last few days of access to do more research. I found an interesting connection that may be very important in my book. 

At least I'm learning in my failure.

A Photo Post

A few weeks ago, my cousin Deb sent us a few goodies, including a stuffed dog for Jace. I texted her that Jace was playing with it, and she asked for a photo. This was the closest I could get. 

The week of Halloween Jace was dealing with a scratched cornea and needed to wear the dreaded cone for five days. 

Here's a more restful sleep.

Finally, here's Mort a black vulture who's come to live at the New Canaan Nature Center. He has an injured wing and is missing a few toes. He always seems hungry. 

Halloween Movie Catchup

We don't decorate or dress up for Halloween, and we don't get any trick or treaters. But we do watch scary movies. We caught Horror Of Dracula at least three times, plus another Hammer Dracula movie. I watched The Wolf Man Halloween night. 

These other films, we recorded and saved.

The Uninvited--while on holiday, a brother and sister find a beautiful, abandoned cliffside house and impulsively buy it. The only catch: it's haunted. One room is deadly cold; the pets won't go upstairs. TCM described this as the first film to treat ghosts seriously. Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey (I remember her from The Philadelphia Story) star with Donald Crisp. It's a good film with strong performances especially from Gail Russell and Cornelia Otis Skinner. 

The Conqueror Worm--this is a confusing title; it was chosen for US audiences. The original title, Witchfinder General, makes sense. Vincent Price plays Matthew Hopkings the traveling witchfinder who tortures and executes witches for a fee and sexual favors during the British Civil War. After he targets a priest and his beautiful niece, a Roundhead solder engaged to the niece seeks revenge. The revenge subplot takes over the film. In the final scenes the soldier is watching his fiancee being tortured. The soldier's friends rescue them and kill Hopkins. As the fiancee screams, the solder ignores her to complain that he didn't get to kill Hopkins himself. Way to make it about himself.

House of Usher--A man visits his fiancee in a crumbling mansion and wants to take her away from her creepy brother Roderick Usher (Vincent Price.)  The film has good production values and is suitably gruesome--Roderick buries his sister alive--but I just didn't get into it. 

The Blackening--I heard some college professors on NPR discussing horror movies. One mentioned this movie and it happened to be on TV that night. A group of eight college friends rent a house to celebrate Juneteenth. The film was funnier than it was scary. I liked the joke that none of them admitted to watching Friends but knew all the black guest stars.

House of the Seven Gables--this is more of a gothic romance with a hint of the supernatural than a horror movie. Jaffrey Pynchon (George Sanders) secures the murder conviction of his brother Clifford (Vincent Price) while Clifford's fiance Hepzibah (Margaret Lindsay) waits for his release. I teared up when the lovers were reunited and appreciated the happy ending. According to TCM, Margaret Lindsay considered this her best performance. I have to agree: she was fantastic.

Mondays

Mondays get a bad rap. I understand--for most people it's the first day of the work or school week. Now that I'm retired, I look forward to the start of a new week. I tend to be optimistic about each new week. I'll have all the time I need to write, work out, clean, run errands, whatever I need to do. 

It can be disheartening to get off to a slow start to the week as I did today. I only accomplished a few things: I went to the gym, and I took Jace to Rowayton Dog Park. That park is completely fenced in, so it's the only place I feel comfortable letting Jace off leash. Otherwise, I just did some light cleaning and made dinner.

Let's try again tomorrow. 

NaNoWriMo

I had been thinking about doing NaNoWriMo this year. I was hesitating; I realize that I was afraid. But of what? I had failed before (failed NaNo twice before) I could fail again. It wouldn't be that big of a deal.

I signed up on Halloween night. Officially NaNoWriMo starts at 12:01 on November 1st. I stayed up and watched The Wolf Man and then started writing at the official time. I wrote until 12:48 (though I may have dozed off a time or two) and wrote 277 words. As I went to bed, I realized that what I had written was useless. It was a recap of what I had read about Sylvanus Merwin. It wouldn't work in a novel. I decided instead that I should start the story with a dialog between Sylvanus and his wife Flora. So, I did the next morning--I wrote 476 words. Then I got up to walk Jace, go to the gym, etc.

Later I realized that I had to help Jeff with a complicated government form, and between that and all of my other chores, etc. I didn't get back to writing. (Still haven't.)

It's still early in the month, so there's hope for me. For now, I need to go to bed and get some rest. 

TCM Movie Matinee: The Famous Ferguson Case

Last Monday, TCM showed a series of B-movies--most were from long running series. There were three Philo Vance films with three different actors in the lead role, four Perry Mason movies with three different leads, a Doctor Kildare feature, and two miscellaneous reporter films. I caught bits and pieces of many of these films, but I watched The Famous Ferguson Case in full. 

A prominent financier in an upstate New York town is murdered, and a horde of New York City descend on the town like a swarm of locusts. The banker's wife is tied up and tells the police of burglars, but the reporters don't buy her story. They're aware of her friendship with a local banker and believe this is a crime of passion, and that's what they report. Joan Blondell stars as one of the NYC reporters. 

Oddly enough, I recently watched another film--Back in Circulation--with Joan Blondell as a reporter. Both films portray reporters badly. They just want a juicy story regardless of the truth. And both films have a few good reporters such as Joan Blondell in Back in Circulation. In The Famous Ferguson Case, it's the small town reporter who cracks the case.

Overall, it's an unrealistic film, but kind of fun for an old-movie buff like me.

Topics for Tuesday

Here's what's on my mind.

Health: Jeff and I got our Covid shots today. In four of my five previous Covid shots, I've had bad reactions. I scheduled this appointment before a day with no plans, just in case. We've also completed our annual physicals recently.

Baseball: We're watching more baseball than I thought we would. Happy to see two Game Sevens in the League Championship Series; happy to see the Rangers beat the Astros last night. We're watching Game Seven between the Phillies and the Diamondbacks now. 

Sleep: We overslept this morning. It was not a big problem, but obviously I got off to a later start than I had planned. I'm debating setting the alarm again. I had been waking up early without an alarm. It's easier in the summer morning light. 

Weather: Just as we're getting used to fall weather, summer will return this week with temperatures flirting with the 80s. I'm not complaining, but it's weird. Jace and I will do some hiking.

Cleaning/Organizing: I'm almost done with consolidating the stuff of Jeff's and my car. A friend was happy to get some of the car emergency items, and I was happy to give them to her. Most of the things left will go to Goodwill.

Writer's Doubt: I've barely written anything lately and am doubting myself. Can NaNoWriMo be the answer?

What's Cooking

I always make a batch of spaghetti sauce for Jeff's birthday. Of course, I make it other times too. This year, I had the flu on Jeff's birthday, so I was late making the sauce.

Last Saturday,  I made pumpkin, apple, sweet potato soup. I've been making versions of this soup for  years, trying to recreate an especially delicious variation. Unfortunately, it still eludes me.

Yesterday (the fifth consecutive rainy Saturday) I made a flat iron steak and black bean chili. It wasn't ready for dinner last night, so we had it tonight with a tomato, avocado, and pepper salad. 

I have more of all three selections in the freezer.

Book 26: Dead Mountain by Preston & Child

This is the fourth book in Preston & Child's Nora Kelly series (although Nora first appears in Thunderhead, the fifth book in Preston & Child's collaboration.) In the four books, archaeologist Nora is teamed with young FBI agent Corrie Swanson. Nora and Corrie are my favorite characters in the Preston & Child world: I love reading about them working together. 

In Dead Mountain, Corrie is assigned to a case where two bodies have been found after being missing for 15 years. The two were part of a nine-person backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. Six bodies had previously been found with no solution to the case the FBI named Dead Mountain. Nora works with Corrie to find the missing ninth body and solve the case that has baffled the authorities for years.

Another page turner--I finished the book in three days. 

TCM Re-watch: Bordertown

Bordertown is one of my favorite films from Bette Davis's early years in Hollywood. Paul Muni plays the main character Johnny Ramirez, a poor Mexican who believes he can achieve his dreams when he graduates from night law school. Unfortunately, Johnny loses his first case against socialite Dale Elwell (Margaret Lindsay) who wrecks the truck of a poor friend of Johnny's in an auto accident. When the opposing counsel (who is also Dale's boyfriend) calls Johnny a shyster lawyer, Johnny loses his temper and decks the opposing attorney which gets him disbarred. 

Johnny believes he lost his case because he doesn't have any money. He leaves Los Angeles and ends up working as a bouncer in the Silver Slipper nightclub. He eventually becomes a partner of the proprietor Charlie Roark (Eugene Paulette) and catches the eye of Charlie's bored wife Marie (Bette Davis.)

Johnny tells Marie he could go for her, but he won't betray his partner. Soon Marie sees her chance: she leaves a drunk, unconscious Charlie in the running car and allows the automatic garage doors to close. Charlie's death is ruled an accident.

Marie and Johnny partner on La Rueda--a new high end nightclub. But Marie's plans for a personal partnership are foiled when Dale arrives at opening night. Johnny believes now that he has money, he's worthy of her. He doesn't realize she's just slumming. 

Marie confronts Johnny about his new romance, telling him she committed murder to get him. Johnny leaves her in disgust. Marie then goes to the police and tells them that Johnny made her kill Charlie. 

It looks bad for Johnny until Marie has a breakdown on the stand, and the case is thrown out. Johnny returns to Dale and proposes. She rejects him, telling him he's from a different tribe. Johnny  becomes furious: Dale calls him a brute and runs into the path of an oncoming car.

Johnny sells La Rueda to help endow a law school, and he returns where he belongs with his own people.

There's a lot to unpack here. Johnny is clearly subjected to racism and prejudice, But the movie shies away from dealing with this explicitly. This review discusses the racism. Other user reviews on IMDB.com call the film politically incorrect. 

But I have to say that Johnny is clearly over his head in the trial against Dale. He doesn't understand the rules of evidence and what is admissible in court. I'm not denying that the lawyer and judge are racist and condescending. The judge could have helped Johnny, but immediately declares Johnny is "not a lawyer at all" but "a ruffian at heart, brutal, cheap and bad-tempered." 

Of course, the whole trial scene is ridiculous. Dale's lawyer is also her boyfriend who was in the car at the time of the accident. He would never represent her. Also, why didn't they settle the case? Because then there wouldn't be a movie.

The ending of the film doesn't sit well with me: keep in your own place. There's nothing wrong with Johnny endowing a law school to help his people. It's a shame that he's come to that realization only because of the snobby Dale.

About the performances. Paul Muni is a little over the top, but so is Johnny. I've seen Muni in subtle performances (one is Juarez, his second film with Bette Davis.) Bette is wonderful, expressing her frustration with her drunken husband, her guilt, fear, and paranoia after the murder, her confrontation with Johnny when she confesses the murder. Some commenters on IMDB criticize her courtroom scene as over the top. She toned down what the director wanted. I thought it was effective.  

Eugene Pallette does a good job as happy-go-lucky Charlie. Too bad he doesn't guess what Marie is capable of. Margaret Lindsay is also good as the spoiled socialite Dale. 

One last thing on this already long post. The poster for this movie shows Muni in a sombrero, which he never wears in the film. One last stereotype.

Book 25: Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

This is the second book in Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy focusing on the fall of Anne Boleyn through Thomas Cromwell's point of view. 

Ten years ago, I read Wolf Hall. My reaction to Bring Up the Bodies is similar. The choice of Cromwell as a narrator is brilliant. Even though Mantel is a prizewinning, acclaimed author, I just don't like her style. I find it stilted and awkward. To each his or her own. 

Monday Miscellanea

I'm beat. It feels like it's been a long day (though it's still early.) I woke up around 4:15. I know I slept after that--I remember snippets of dreams--but I'm not sure how long. 

I had a good workout at the gym. I also researched some auto and home insurance pricing. Those were my main to-dos for today, along with this post. I wanted to post because it's been eight days, not because I have anything particularly insightful to write.

Jeff sold his car last week to a cousin of a neighbor. We had a slight snag because he had let the registration lapse. It took us three tries over two days to renew online. If the online system didn't work, we wouldn't have been able to get an in-person appointment until the end of the month. 

I spent a good chunk of Saturday going through all the stuff I got out of his car and consolidating his things with what I had in my car. We had more towels and blankets than we realized. I ended up reorganizing the linen closet and packing up things for Goodwill. 

For several weeks, our temperatures have richoceted from unseasonably warm (90 degrees in September and 80 degrees last week) to unseasonably cold. It's strange to see the beginning of fall foliage and Halloween decorations when it's 80 degrees. At least it feels like fall now, even though it's late October temperatures for now. It's also rained the first three Saturdays of fall, with more rain predicted for this Saturday. Ugh.

It's taken me a long time to recover from my bout with the flu. I don't know if I had a bad case or if I'm just old.

We're watching the baseball playoffs. Things aren't going as expected, but that's what makes baseball fun. I do hope the Orioles turn it around though. 

Requiem for the 2023 New York Mets

Only four posts with the label 'Mets' this year. That says it all. 

As a Met fan, I'm always waiting to hear bad news. More bad news. Today it was that Buck Showalter will not continue with the Mets. I understand it on one level, but on another level, it hurts. 

Pre-season Jacob deGrom signed with the Texas Rangers. But then the Mets signed Justin Verlander. That seemed the cure. Then Edwin Diaz was down with a season ending injury. Later Verlander was injured. 

Then the Mets sucked. I don't want to analyze the season and try to figure out when the Mets first messed up and how. I just knew things were bad. The Mets couldn't win. And didn't.

Steve Cohen cut his losses at the trading deadline: Robertson, Scherzer, Verlander, Canna, Pham were traded. The Mets now have prospects. 

Wait until next year. That's all we have to do.

Rosemary's Baby: The Villain of the Piece

Over the weekend, when I was sick, I watched Columbo reruns. In one episode, John Cassavetes plays a conductor who murders his pianist lover when she threatens to reveal their affair to his wife. 

Watching Cassavetes reminded me of his role in Rosemary's Baby. This is a summary of the plot (it's not completely accurate in all the details, but it has the main points.)

Here's my run-down of the villains in that film. 

Satan rapes Rosemary to impregnate with his child. Hey, Satan is evil. What can we expect?

Minnie and Roman Castevet are neighbors who befriend Rosemary and her husband Guy to manipulate her into giving birth to Satan's child. This is an evil thing to do, but they are in a Satanic coven--they think this is the right thing to do.

Dr. Abraham Sapirstein is Rosemary's obstetrician, but also a member of the coven. He and the other coven members believe they are doing the right thing.

Then there's Guy--Rosemary's husband. Guy--a frustrated actor--is the one who has a duty to Rosemary. But Guy is only looking after himself. Roman Castevet sets him up during their first dinner together. Roman tells Guy that he's a good actor but needs a break. I'm not sure exactly when Roman fills Guy in on the coven's plan, but Guy agrees pretty quickly. Soon, Guy gets a part because the original actor chosen has suddenly gone blind. 

In Rosemary's final scene with Guy, he says something to the effect that the coven promised him that Rosemary wouldn't be hurt, and she wasn't really, and they got so much in return. How can he say that with a straight face? Rosemary has been raped, she's been isolated and gaslighted, her friend has been killed, she experienced intense pain for months that her doctor has minimized, and now her baby has been handed over to Satanists.

Rosemary spits in his face. 

A Week That Went to Hell

The week started off well. Jace and I both had good checkups at the doctors. On Tuesday, I did two of my major weekly chores: food shopping and laundry. Jeff and I returned to the gym on Wednesday and had good workouts. I also took Jace for a hike on the western part of the Norwalk River Valley Trail--the first time for Jace. He loved it. Two people told me he looked happy. Another said he was impossibly cute. 

Thursday night I started sneezing and coughing. My throat hurt and I was chilled. I've been sick ever since. I feel better today, but am still spending most of the day in bed. Jace has been very attentive. Cynthia has been a big help, lending me a thermometer, walking Jace in the afternoons, and buying tissues and throat lozenges for me. I've tested negative for Covid twice, so I think this is a bad case of the flu.

Jeff's birthday is tomorrow. I don't think I'll be up to going out. I'll make it up to him.

Book 24: Manhattan Noir Edited by Lawrence Block

Overall I was disappointed in this book. Of its fifteen stories, I only liked four of them. I remember liking Boston Noir, but it doesn't appear I was crazy about that selection either. There are several other noir short stories collections. Maybe I'll have better luck with some of them.

National Cheeseburger Day

I heard the story on WCBS radio this morning as I returned from the doctor's office. Later as I wondered what to have for dinner and saw a half pound of bison meat in the freezer, my decision was made. Our veggie selection was limited. I had carrots, sundried tomatoes, and a small amount of romaine, and salvaged about half an avocado. 

I also roasted slices of summer squash with olive oil, sriracha panko, parmesan, and garlic. It's only the second time I cooked summer squash, and I'm pleased with the results.

I need to go food shopping tomorrow. 

Congratulations Bartolo!

Bartolo Colon officially retired from baseball yesterday...as a New York Met. Here is my favorite Bartolo moment.

We recorded the pre-game show and the game itself but we're disappointed in the limited coverage of Bartolo's retirement. He deserved more. 

35

Jeff and I got married 35 years ago today. 

My mother said I had wasted too much time on two old boyfriends and would probably never get married. A random co-worker said, "Aren't you kind of old to be getting married?" 

Whatever. Here we are. Happy anniversary and half-way day.

Thoughts for a Thursday

It hasn't been the greatest week. I strained a muscle in my right arm lifting Jace into the car on Monday. Jeff had a few days of more than usual pain and one night he couldn't sleep. On the plus side, we made it to the gym today, and we both had good workouts. Jace is over his "stomach problems" this week. Yesterday's rain washed out the humidity. I actually drank hot coffee this morning.

The Mets have won three games in a row against the Arizona Diamondbacks after ex-Met Tommy Pham spoiled the opener (for the Mets, that is) with a pivotal home run. It's fun watching the baby Mets on the big stage as well as seeing the more established players do well. Unlike Keith Hernandez, I'm not looking for the Mets to figure in the wild card race. I'll be happy if they make it to the .500 mark.

Hurricane Lee is heading up the Atlantic coast bringing windy conditions to us in Connecticut. I'm glad we decided not to go up to Massachusetts even though we weren't going near the coast. 

Hoping things go well onto our wedding anniversary on Sunday.

Book 23: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

This is the first of the Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter series. The 30th novel will be published in October. I read this book in two days, so obviously I enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, but Kinsey was much more professional. 

Stephanie is naive and kind of dumb in her dealings with nefarious criminals though she does succeed in the end. I expect she'll become more proficient with each book. She did become a crack shot in the first. I didn't like her dysfunctional relationship with her quarry Joe Morelli. Apparently, it will continue through more books. 

Stephanie lives in Trenton, New Jersey. As someone who lived in South Jersey for my first 20 years, I was annoyed by what I feel were anti-Jersey comments. But since Evanovich grew up in South River, New Jersey, I guess I can let it go. 

I'll look for more of the books, and I'm intrigued to see the film of the first book on Prime.

Book 22: bird by bird Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

bird by bird came out in 1994. I remember reading and/or hearing about how good it was. I didn't buy it then because I already had several writing books. What can I say? That was a mistake.

This book is funny. I love when Lamott talks about her writing students who want to know if they need agents before they've managed to write anything. "They kind of want to write, but they really want to be published." 

She quotes the old Vikki Carr song, "It Must be Him"as she waits to hear from her agent or editor after submitting her manuscript. 

Here's a line that I copied in my journal, "Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor." 

There were so many other great lines and insights. 

I want to re-read the book with a highlighter. 

Hawk Sighting

For the last few days, I've been walking Jace from Mathews to Oyster Shell Park in the mornings. I was psyched to see a hawk the other day. This isn't the best picture, but I think it could be a red shouldered hawk.

This is Tupelo, the red shouldered hawk at NCNC.that I help care for.

Here's a bird at Oyster Shell Park that people at the Carolina Raptor Center identified as a red shouldered hawk .

This season, I've only seen a few seabirds at Oyster Shell. I had wondered where the hawks were. I was happy to see one.

Longing for Fall

It's the day after Labor Day. Most of the kids are back in school. Summer is unofficially over. 

But damn, it doesn't feel like it. We are in the middle of a six-day "heat wave" (in quotes because I don't think it's officially official, but I'm going on how hot it feels.)

Just under two weeks ago, I was happy to feel a touch of fall. I'm waiting for more. 

Here's another thought. 

More on I Capture the Castle

As I wrote the other day, I have several copies of I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. First, it's my favorite book. This post explains what the book means to me. 

When it was out of print, I scoured antique shops and tag sales and bought a few copies when I saw them. 

The book is now back in print. I bought two more copies recently, anyway.

I'm safe in saying it's the only book of which I have multiple copies. (Is that grammatically correct? How awkward.)

I googled I Capture the Castle and found people who share my feelings about the book. I'm apparently a member of a cult. My second cult, it seems.

Welcome September

I couldn't wait for July to end. But August wasn't memorable (but at least it wasn't so hot.) 

I always welcome September--it's my favorite month and autumn my favorite season. Our anniversary is in two weeks and Jeff's birthday follows that. 

Welcome September.

Another Library Book Sale

Cynthia and I went to the Mark Twain Library book sale in Redding today. It was a beautiful day for a drive. The sale started Friday, and already we could see blank spaces where books had been. I bought eight books.

1. Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives. I've been looking for this book at book sales for  years. I borrowed it from the library and read it in 2021. I was psyched to find it today. This alone would have make the trip worthwhile. 

2. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Why not get another copy? I have four now, plus the one I'm cutting up for my art journal.

3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. I've heard good things about the Stephanie Plum novels. I like to start series with the first book and finally saw the first today.

4. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. I read the previous book, Wolf Hall. I wasn't crazy about it, but wanted to finish Anne Boleyn's story.

5. The Sisters The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell I vaguely remember reading something--maybe a book review--about the sisters. Decided to find out more. 

6. The Woman Who Ran for President The Many Lives of Victoria Woodhull by Lois Beachy Underhill Woodhull is a fascinating woman from the first wave of feminism. I'm intrigued to learn more about her. 

7. Railroads Across America A Celebration of 150 Years of Railroading by Michael J. DelVecchio There were several books on railroads. I selected this one for industry background.

8. Reel Art Great Posters from The Golden Age of the Silver Screen by Stephen Rebello and Richard Allen This is a gorgeous book of movie posters. I looked up Bette Davis in the index and saw three of her movie posters. That was enough for me. 

I'm really pleased with my selections today, especially Eric Ives' book. 

It's a No

For about four months, I've been thinking and talking about Jeff and I going on a two-week road trip for out 35th wedding anniversary in September. Then the two-weeks dropped to two days. Yesterday, we decided not to go anywhere. It was an abrupt turnaround. I had done hours of research on places to stay. On Tuesday night, I thought I had found a great place. 

That night the doubts started, and I couldn't sleep. The summer had a rough one financially. I wondered if we should spend more money. I knew intellectually the amounts we could spend wouldn't break us, but the idea of spending more made me anxious. Then I worried about the weather, whether or not we could trust Jace to behave, etc.

When we talked the next morning, Jeff and I both had doubts. So we decided to stay home. We'll plan a nice day close to home. 

No More Orchids (1932)

There was a Carole Lombard day on TCM recently, and I recorded a few films. I selected this one because Lyle Talbot is the male lead. 

Lombard is the flighty heiress Anne. Talbot plays Tony the "poor" man she falls for, despite being engaged to a prince. Unfortunately, Anne's grandfather is blackmailing her: if she marries the prince, he'll bail out her father's failed bank.

Anne is reluctantly going ahead with the marriage until her father assures her that he has found alternative funding. Anne and Tony can be together because Dad flies his plane into a mountain so his insurance money will save his bank. 

I thought that was a horrible ending. It sours me on the whole film which is well acted with Walter Connolly, Louise Closser Hale, and C. Aubrey Smith. 

Book 21: South The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Sir Ernest Shackleton Edited by Peter King

This was a book sale purchase from last year. I had shelved the book, instead of keeping it with my unread pile and almost forgot about it. 

South is the story of Ernest Shackleton's disastrous attempt to cross Antarctica. His ship Endurance was trapped in ice and crushed. The crew was forced to camp on an ice floe. Later they launched boats for a five-day, 346 mile trip to Elephant Island. Elephant Island was far from any shipping lanes, and it was unlikely the crew would be rescued. So Shackleton and five others embarked on a 800 mile, seventeen-day journey to South Georgia. Many experts consider this to be the greatest small boat journey ever undertaken.

But Shackleton and his companions had landed on an uninhabited part of the island. Shackleton led two others and crossed the island to the whaling station of Stromrness. Eventually the men on the other side of South Georgia and Elephant Island were rescued. 

South was originally published in 1919. The 1999 edition contains additional research by Peter King that details inadequate funding, lack of training of the crew and dogs, and failure to provide adequate food. 

Happy Anniversary Jace!

It was one year ago that we drove to Boonton, NJ to pick up Jace. He made himself right at home. 

Tonight I'm making a duck breast for dinner. We also have gelato and Dogsters to celebrate. 

Update: Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Scandoval

I thought of titling this Final Thoughts, but who knows? I may write another post. I never expected Scandoval to get the attention it did; I never expected to still be hearing about it at this time. I don't remember seeing so much coverage of reality TV filming dates and times. 

I'll start by saying that I still believe Scandoval is real. Yes, some things were enhanced, others minimized, but overall the story is true. 

Ariana was savvy to tell producers what was going on as soon as she learned about the affair between Sandoval and Raquel. She cut him off at the knees at his attempt to spin the story. I remember her telling Sandoval that she loved him when he had nothing. Now he had a bar and a little money: she described Raquel as a woman who takes identity from a man. Ariana asked if that was who he wanted around? I don't remember his response, but he didn't actually answer the question.

This is a typical Sandoval move. It happened when former girlfriend Kristen asked if he told Ariana he and Kristen were breaking up (after Ariana reported he had said that to her.) Tom's "denial" was another word salad. Similarly, Raquel questioned whether he and Ariana had been intimate as Ariana said during the reunion. Again, his answer did not include a response to the question.

Sandoval also has a pattern of casting his soon-to-be-exes as sexless and crazy.

He complained that he and Kristen rarely had sex, Then Kristen gave him a gift by sleeping with Tom's friend Jax. Tom could break up with Kristen and still be the good guy. Kristen's later quest to prove Tom cheated on Ariana with "Miami Girl" cemented her role as the crazy-ex.

Back to Raquel and Sandoval: Sandoval is more to blame for the affair than Raquel. He was the one who was in a relationship, regardless of how healthy that relationship was. Did Sandoval take advantage of Raquel? Yes, but she was 27-28 at the time, not 17-18. At one point, she said something to the effect that she had to take into account how her actions effected others. Most people learn that in childhood. Remember Katie asking Raquel, "Who raised you?" There have been mentions of her weird family behavior/setup. Is that why Raquel has no empathy for others? 

Recently Raquel did some podcast with Bethenny Frankel. She insisted that she and Ariana weren't friends. I did get annoyed when everyone and their brother called Ariana and Raquel best friends. Scheana was always described as Ariana's BFF pre-Scandoval. Of course a BFF status made the scandal worse.

When VPR first aired, it was unique in that most of the cast were already friends and hung out together. I don't claim to know the current status of friendships among the cast, but they seemed to be work friends at least. Maybe Raquel thinks she should get a pass on her crappy behavior because she and Ariana weren't as close as depicted. She didn't do herself any favors in this interview.

Ariana seems to be thriving post-Scandoval. When the news broke, friends gathered to support her, while Sandoval whined that no one called to check on him. She's gotten numerous opportunities and marketing deals--Glamour magazine cover, Dancing with the Stars contestant, commercials for Bic shavers and Uber Eats. But Ariana's gotten some pushback too. A recent online article listed reasons people didn't like her. Castmate Lala and former castmate Stassi were discussing why she got more sympathy than they did when they were cheated on. 

Ariana's success may be the best revenge.

A Touch of Fall

I first noticed it one day last week: a slight chill in the air. It surprised me on Tuesday morning--temps had hit 90 the day before. For the first time in maybe three months, I put on jeans. I hope the 90-degree days are done for the season. Actually we've been lucky in this summer of weather hell. 

I welcome fall. Jeff doesn't share my enthusiasm for a long road trip, but we'll go away for a few days for our anniversary. On Saturday, I researched some places in Litchfield County. We really miss the old days of the Interlaken. I've got a list of five or six possibles, but want to check out other areas as well. I love fall getaways. 

Baby Steps

I've been writing--not very much, hence the title of this post. It started Thursday night. After I finished with dinner dishes and putting laundry away, I sat down around 9. I thought that I could do some writing. Instead I read a Thankful Thursday post.

After I turned off my laptop, I thought about writing again. I grabbed my notebook and pen and wrote some ideas for my Merwinsville book. The next morning I worked on a poem. I also made a list of other writing projects that I can work on. On Saturday, I journaled. Sunday, I wrote a speech for Sylvanus Merwin. 

Haven't done anything since then, but hey, baby steps. 

Creating for Oneself

I've been a fan of Laura Vanderkam for over eight years. I really liked this email she sent. 

Now I don't have a creative career, but I found her column helpful. 

I have struggled all year to devote two hours a day to writing. Two out of twenty-four.  Why do I always put every other thing before my writing?  

I need to find the answer to that question.

Chopping

I spent a good part of this afternoon chopping. Summer is flying by, and  I realized I hadn't made a mojito salad. 

When I was shopping yesterday, I bought a large (very large) watermelon, a seedless cucumber, and strawberries. I made a smaller version of the recipe and the store didn't have jicama, but it was still good. We had some with dinner and will have some more at lunch tomorrow. I also have enough chopped watermelon for a chilled watermelon, lemon, and jalapeno soup. I'll make that tomorrow. 

Things I Said

Jace and I were walking down Prospect Avenue yesterday. In an attempt to keep him from barking at two dogs walking on the other side of the street, I said, "These aren't the droids you're looking for." 

It didn't work.

TV Time: Star Trek Strange New Worlds

I've been a fan of Star Trek since the 60s (For a second, I thought, "Should I say 1960s?) I've written about The Original Series (TOS), The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, and Picard.

I enjoyed Voyager, Enterprise, and Discovery as I watched them. I liked Kate Mulgrew as Janeway and the whole set-up on Voyager; it also had some memorable villains such as the Hirogen and the organ-harvesting Vidiians  I never got the point of Neelix and Kes, and I hated that Voyager took over the Borg storyline. 

Enterprise wasn't all that memorable. I liked the character of Trip, and Porthos helped inspire our adoption of Spike. 

Discovery was confusing with Spock's secret sister, spore drive, alternate universe, android-looking officer, and trip into the future. But I loved seeing Michelle Yeoh as Georgiou and Doug Jones as Saru. 

We just finished the second season of Strange New Worlds, and I am loving it. It takes place on the Enterprise of Captain Christopher Pike. Pike's crew includes Spock, Chapel, and Uhura--all different from their TOS incarnations. Future Captain Kirk has made a few guest appearances. I don't particularly care about the differences and discrepancies. I've forgotten a lot of details of TOS. 

Strange New Worlds has offered some wacky plotlines: Spock "repaired" by an alien species as fully human, Spock and his fiance T'pring exchanging bodies, a crossover with characters from the animated Star Trek series Lower Decks, and a musical episode in which the characters are compelled to sing out their inner feelings. These stories have been done with fun in the tradition of some of my favorite DS9 episodes: "Trials and Tribblelations," "You Are Cordially Invited," and "Take Me Out to the Holosuite."

But Strange New Worlds is not a comedy. One episode explored the horrors of war and post traumatic stress. The season finale ended with Pike facing a seemingly impossible decision. If he follows Star Fleet orders, he condemns many of his crew to certain death. 

I want to re-watch all the episodes.