Yesterday, while I was working on a scheduling issue with one of my students, she said that maybe we shouldn't meet late in the afternoon on Friday, "because you might want to have Date Night with your wife." I don't know where it came from; it's not as if I ever talk to this girl about my wife, or about Date Night. (Also the meeting in question was going to start at 4:30, which has little chance of interfering with Date Night around the ANCIANT household).
Then, later the same night--on a Date with the wife--I was told that my blog has not featured enough family stuff of late. There's been no Bink. There's been no wife. That's no good, the wife said. My readership wants family life!
So, here's some snippets of family life--centering around Date Night no less--to appease the quiet majority my wife thinks is out there.
-We went to a new Italian restaurant. The food was above average, the ambience was great. The service was terrible. But they had forty dollar Barolos, which is pretty great and pretty rare. The wine alone made it worth the price of admission. Barolo--the grape of the gods. Reminds me of my friend Cold Bacon, who sent me a great email yesterday. But that's not apposite.
-Discussion Topic At Dinner (Main): my wife's research. She has about nine different projects at various stages of completion right now, and I need constantly to be reminded of what they are and what they aim to do. Her most exciting project is...
-The Illumaniti. The wife has been invited to a National meeting of higher-ups within her work universe. They are going to meet at a retreat somewhere near DC and decide the future of the planet. The price of Zinc. Who'll win the next Presidential election. Stuff like that. So, if you have any hopes for the future, submit them now. It's all about to be decided.
-At the end of the date, when we returned to the Eager Dog Locale (aka our house) I let my wife suggest some appropriately romantic music. Her choice? Rumours. (!?) Don't get me wrong: I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rumours, but....I don't know. The album is a chronicle of two different marriages dissolving. It has Stevie Nicks singing things like "if you don't love me now, you will never love me again." Yes, it's Stevie Nicks, which is an absolute good. But I had to question the mood of the thing. ("Chains...keep us together" I quoted to my wife. To which she said, defiantly, "that's right. I am your chain." Which, while true, doesn't necessarily awaken thoughts of love in me. Or anyone.)
Anyway, it was all moot in the end because I don't have Rumours on my iPod (inexcusable, I admit). So she got a second choice, and with it she picked....Led Zeppelin. (!!!) And there was much rejoicing! We watched a long documentary about Robert Plant when we were in London last year. I think that, combined with It Might Get Loud (which we also saw recently) has finally allowed my wife to put aside her high-school associations with Led Zeppelin (i.e. geeky boys and Rush) and listen to them on their own terms. Doing so, she has realized--like all right-thinking people must--that they are fricking awesome. (One of the few bands from my youth that I actually seem to like MORE, the older I get.)
So anyway, I got to listen to Robert Plant singing about ringwraiths last night, during a date. Now THAT is romance. Yes it is.
Oh, and here is some Bink.
9 comments:
A few points...
I. I kind of agree with your wife. Your observations or even just descriptions of your relationship life are far more touching, funny, and compelling than descriptions of shrieking samurais hacking each other into tiny bits in movies I'll never see. Don't get me wrong, that's good stuff - full of buck and vigor that i find fascinating, but it's a bit esoteric. Come to think of it, I find it fascinating for how esoteric it is. I'm just saying The other is one of your great strengths.
II. Wives that pick out Zepplin for date night are hot. Rule of nature. In all the textbooks. Ask any respected Harley Street physician.
And going somewhat farther afield...
III. As a departure from screaming samurais, enjoy this clip from Smokey and the Bandit. Recall Jerry Reed, aka Snowman, had a basset hound named Fred.
Footnote: The dog's actual name was Happy, for whom Jerry Reed, in a later interview, expressed great affection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5O3PXwf19E
Needs more Gogol.
Well I guess the morale is my wife is right a lot. What a dispiriting thought!
On the same date I told her that "Lying Eyes" was written by Loggins and Messina. What the hell was I thinking? What song was I thinking of...it has "eyes" in the title? Dez??
Also, Bryan, we did talk about Gogol on said date. But I'm done with Dead Souls, so it may not come up as much. Don't cry.
Moral, obviously. Not morale.
I don't see any reason why you can't write about home life, Date Night, Bink, AND Gogol, etc. I applaud any and all entries, on whatever subject. Like Evil John, I find the samurai thing both fascinating and odd. Forgive me if you've written a post like this in the past (my brain is the consistency and logic-producing equivalent of scrambled eggs these days), but could you articulate the larger reasons why you watch samurai movie after samurai movie?
Also: Get Rumours on your ipod. That is unforgivable, as you said. And yes, Zeppelin rocks, but the lyrics about Mordor and such are comically bad. "David, Smell the Glove is here."
JMW: "The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back." Okay? TO BRING THE BALANCE BACK.
You were thinking of "Angry Eyes" by Loggins & Messina. A much better song than The Eagles' "Lyin' Eyes."
-Love, Dez (have to post anonymously from this computer)
Oh, I'm in the minority, but I'd rather hear about Samurai films than home life. Which is why your blog is satisfying to all of the people. You cover home life and Samurai.
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