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. 

Friday

Yesterday was a good day. I met my friend Melissa at Pausa Caffe in the morning. I'd been wanting to go there for awhile; my hairdresser told me about it.  

I ran some errands: got cash and alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine and beer. I would  have gotten kombucha, but I couldn't get someone on the phone at East Coast. 

Jace and I had three good walks. On our midday walk we saw Zoe a cute dog who lives in the next building. I call her Jace's girlfriend. Later we saw another doggy friend Roscoe. I was so happy to see him--it's been so long, I was starting to get worried. His human Marilyn told me they had been in North Carolina. 

I finished cleaning the living room and the kitchen. It's a nice feeling even though it won't last. Cue the B-52s.

I finished washing the kitchen floor Friday night. The incentive: having people come over on Saturday. The Mets were on their way to a 0-7 loss. I played some music on my phone as I mopped. I was also dancing. At one point, Jace came in and just stared at me. I hope he wasn't traumatized. And no, I don't dance like Elaine.

At Oyster Shell Park

Jace and have gone to Oyster Shell Park in the morning the last few days. Unfortunately, there was no breeze today. I didn't seen any interesting birds either. 

Jace and I did see this guy today. 

I was reminded of the gopher from the movie Caddyshack. But this guy wasn't dancing.

Book 20: The Accidental Suffragist by Galia Gichon

The novel focuses on Helen Fox--a button factory worker, tenement dweller, wife and mother in New York City during the early 20th Century. In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, in which  her daughter is killed, Helen meets some suffragists. She attends a meeting, gets a job with the suffragists, and comes to believe that women getting the vote will help save other children from her daughter's fate. 

The novel did a good job of blending the fictional with the historical characters. I liked reading how Helen grew self-confident in her duties and beliefs, even as she handled the conflict with her role as a more traditional wife and mother. 

There's a nice framing device concerning Helen's daughters. It was Abigail, who died in the Triangle Fire, who is first interested in the suffrage movement. At the end of the book, Helen's other daughter Claudia is happily marching with Alice Paul. 

I liked seeing the more educated, wealthier suffragists and their world through Helen's eyes, especially as she experiences things for the first time, such as being in a car or hotel room. 

I'd like to read more historical novels about the suffragists. 

Ultimately, I wanted to like this book more than I did. It just seemed a little simplistic; I wondered if it was written for young adults. I really disliked the title. I can understand why the author (or publisher) found it appealing, but it's inaccurate. There is nothing accidental about Helen's commitment to the suffrage cause.

An Artful Weekend

Yesterday, Jeff, our friend Cynthia, and I went to an outdoor art festival at Third Place in Stamford. It's in the same building as the  Loft Artists. The art show was much smaller than I expected, and was disappointing. We did like drinking beer in the beer garden. It was a beautiful summer day. 

The Sono Arts Festival was also this weekend. I met my friend Chris there; we had actually parked two cars away from each other. The Festival seems to get smaller each year. I was happy to see Joanie, who makes the pocketbooks I like. She recognized the one I was carrying. It's a relatively small pocketbook, but holds everything I need and then some. Chris bought some card cases (there is probably a better word) and some earrings. We stopped for fruit tea. 

I'm happy to have summer things to do when the weather is nice.

A Friday in a Life

I started the day in a bad mood. I didn't sleep well Thursday night and overslept. By the time I washed up and dressed, it was 9. I took Jace for a 40 minute walk, had coffee and breakfast, and headed to the gym. Oops. My tire pressure light came on. I thought about driving to Town Fair Tire (two shopping centers past the gym) but then I looked at the tire. Flat.

Roadside assistance took about an hour to arrive. I did a New York Times crossword and started to clean the bathroom as I waited. By the time the tire was fixed, it was lunchtime. I had lunch, finished cleaning the bathroom, and walked Jake. We saw the mean cat on Truman Street lying under a car. When Jace started barking, he got up, took a few steps towards us, and stared at us. I hurried Jace down the block and around the corner. It may seem silly to be intimidated by a cat, but when we saw him before, he swiped at Jace and followed us down the block. I figured a close encounter wouldn't do any of us any good. 

When I got into the car to go to the gym, the tire pressure light was on. So I headed to Town Fair Tire. My morning's plug repair wasn't done correctly. A mechanic made sure my sensors were working correctly, and another filled the tire with air. I have to return Monday to have the tire repaired properly. This time, the quick fix/short cut didn't work. I should know better.

I finally made it to the gym and worked out for a half hour as planned--my fourth visit this week. Back home, I showered and washed my hair and walked Jace. Jeff and I enjoyed a Friday cocktail (gin and lemon elderflower soda.) I made dinner: mac and cheese with pork sausage, asparagus with garlic and parmesan, and sliced tomato. (I had planned to make chicken Milanese but went an easier route.) We watched the Mets lose again (their fourth in a row) and listened to various songs on Youtube. 

I was happy that I didn't let my tire problems ruin my day, despite getting off to a bad start. There's hope for me yet. 

Book 19: Round Up the Usual Suspects the Making of Casablanca--Bogart, Bergman, and World War II by Aljean Harmetz

This was a fun read; Casablanca is my favorite movie. Even though I already knew some of the back story, this book gave me a lot more. For one thing, I didn't realize how much the United States government tried to steer movie content during the Second World War. I also didn't knew about the conflicts between studio head Jack Warner and producer Hal Wallis or that Warner Brothers was known to be extremely cheap (e.g. Harry Warner picked up nails dropped by careless carpenters; Jack Warner turned off lights when not in use.)

There were rumors that Casablanca was originally to star Ronald Reagan, Ann Sheridan, and Dennis Morgan. The book reveals that the story came from Warner Brothers publicity department even though it was never true.

The book mentions that Director Michael Curtiz liked to reuse techniques that had worked in previous films. I had noticed this in dueling anthems scenes. I've also noticed his use of reflections in Kid Galahad and The Sea Hawk.

Author Aljean Harmetz also wrote about the making of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. I'll keep my eyes open for the latter. 

Tuesday's Topics

I am happy that July is over. To me, July represents everything that went wrong this summer. I'm ready for the rest of the summer, starting today. 

We've had three nice days in a row--weather wise. I have more energy; I'm in a better mood. I've enjoyed my walks with Jace. Today we visited Tilley Pond Park in Darien. Jeff, Lola, and I had been there a few times. It was a first for Jace. We walked around twice, and Jace got to experience some new scents.

I've been journaling a bit lately. Trying to work myself out of this prolonged writer's block. I'll have to show up here too. I was just thinking I need a spark. How do I get a spark? I imagine myself using the flint and steel method driving myself to tears in a futile attempt to write something. Sigh. 

The Mets season is basically over. Of, there are still have two full months of games to play, but we're seeing a trading deadline selloff that no one would have predicted at the beginning of the season. Another sigh. I've watched my share of bad Mets seasons. Will I continue to watch this one? Probably. 

I'm hoping we can get away for our anniversary this year. I need to talk to Jeff and make some plans. I'd like to go away for two weeks, but we'll have to see. I need to figure this out soon.