Had a dream about an old friend from high school--someone I haven't talked to in 20 years almost--calling me up out of the blue. Long conversation ensued about what seemed like nothing (though she did talk about how broke she and her husband were). Only when she hung up did I realize she was asking--in a very subtle, masked way--for me to ask my father to help her get out of a traffic ticket. [SI]. I had to call her back to say I'd help.
Yesterday we went furniture shopping, an act which always puts my wife in a good mood. Well, maybe it's more getting out of the house that puts her in the good mood. But she was in a good mood, that's the point of it. We bought no furniture, but we did get to the West Side of town where one of our favorite Mexican restaurants can be found. There, we got to eat spicy pork, putting ME in a good mood. After dinner we watched the first two episodes of Downton Abbey on DVD. Written and created by Julian Fellowes, the screenwriter on Gosford Park, Downton Abbey is the story of the relationship between the wealthy family and their servants living on a large--actually, immense--stately home in the English Countryside. It is, essentially, Gosford Park as a mini-series. (It even features Maggie Smith, reprising a very similar role as the one she played in GP). Not surprisingly, both my wife and I totally loved it. I'm sending back one of my Netflix DVDs unwatched tomorrow just so I can speed up the arrival of the next disc.
I am currently in the process of reading 11 separate books (I counted yesterday). Surely that is not good. Surely I should just pick one and finish it. But, that seems in no danger of happening. I don't know when I stopped reading one book at a time, but it's been a while.
Woke to find the Bink's receiving detangling and grooming from my wife. He look disgruntled but patient enough--he knows a treat will come at the end if he sits still. It's exactly like I used to look when I was a boy and someone would try to put me in my tie for Sunday School. And then brush my hair! Like I couldn't brush my own hair!! (Well, to be fair: I couldn't. But that's not the point!)
Poor Binks. The cost of beauty is not small.
4 comments:
You will be glad to know (if you don't) that another series of Downton Abbey is in the works. :)
We were actually just discussing that, around here. The special features portion of the first disc made that seem to be the case, but it was unclear.
But we are very glad to know that. Very glad.
Eleven books?? Wow. I can do two or three, though I usually go with one. But eleven? And this from the person -- and I sometimes quote you to this effect -- who once told me it would be better to read six books closely for the rest of your life than read thousands of books.
Something like that.
I want to see Downton Abbey.
I know: it isn't how it should be. And I DO believe that quote (which is from Faulkner, btw, although I've also seen it attributed to Flaubert.) I'm citing this as an example of my current literary flightiness. I need to choose!
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