Here's how Saturday went: Bruiser knocked politely at our door so that he could come partake of the morning waking up activities. We got up, ate our breakfast (whole wheat bagels, toasted; tea). We went out, my husband for a bike ride, me for a trip to a couple of consignment stores in search of a yellow sweater, which may be becoming a quest rather than an errand. We went to Big City Soup for lunch. We saw Good Night, and Good Luck. We went to Ken Sanders' Rare Books and perused. We bought several excellent books (Galway Kinnell's translation of Francois Villon for me; a book on Coxey's Army for the historian). Then, we went back to the theater and saw Shopgirl. We rushed home, we took Bruiser to the dog park, leaving only when it was too dark to see and he was the last dog there. We came home and had soup and cheese toast for dinner. We watched the Jazz lose to the Suns--disappointment, but it was the Suns, after all. Then we watched two episodes of Six Feet Under before going to bed. It was a perfect day.
Today, however, The Weight descended. There's grading to do. Important manifestoes and assessment projects and textbook proposals to write. A package I should have mailed yesterday. In short, all the responsibilities that I shirked yesterday are crushingly present today. Yesterday felt light--even the sky, in between the movies, was streaked with gorgeous autumn sunshine. Today, the sky is heavy.
The cure to all of this is to dig in and grade, write, etc. Instead, I want to: take photographs of the leaves, paint, buy big sheets of rice paper and ink black shapes on them with a fat brush. Buy yards of white silk and paint colorful circles on it. Do yoga every day. Take long walks. Listen to each and every one of the new CDs I have recently purchased. Play through another couple of Haydn sonatas.
What I actually did: bought stuff at Target; made garlic french fries; took Bruiser to the dog park; counted how long until I can take another sabbatical (two years plus ten months). What I'm going to do now: watch the remaining two episodes of Six Feet Under.
Note: if I'm whining, so be it, as this is a blog, in case you didn't notice, and that means a license for narcissism.
I stand amazed at your Saturday joy--two movies!, book browsing, a park, and then the ever indulgent episodes of 6 ft.
ReplyDeleteI'm into whining.
I had to chuckle at the garlic fries--I remember you took us to the French place in SF for garlic fries. You insisted we get them and they were fabulous.
Hi--
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think of Shopgirl? I saw it this weekend, and I'm still mulling it over. But parts of it really bothered me.
(By the way, I'm Deb, another 2-year-college writing teacher. I've read--and enjoyed!--your blog for a while, but hadn't posted until now.)
Here's my capsule review, which I posted on my website:
ReplyDeleteShopgirl: My favorite combination--funny and melancholy. Is Steve Martin really too old for the part? I asked myself this question midway through the film, a question which I suppose implies its answer, since if he weren't too old, the question wouldn't have occurred. However, he looks pretty good, and I was willing to believe that the lovely Claire Danes might fall for him, given the romance of his gestures. The true surprise of the film, ravishing in an oddball way, is Jason Schwartzman. At first, you think the role might be conceptually too mannered, but he makes it all seem kind of invented on the spot. If you don't buy this kind of film, then please don't go and then complain to me about it. I, however, loved it.
By the way, nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteDr. Write and I need a dog. It would markedly improve our Saturdays.
ReplyDeleteSeeing moveies (together) is also good.
Hi--
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your Shopgirl review! My good friend (with whom I saw the movie) responded pretty much as you did.
Me, I don't know. I was kind of turned off by the Ray Porter character. For instance, when he takes off Mirabelle's watch during their second date, puts his fingers around her wrist, and says, "Now *I'm* your watch"--well, that just made me go "ewwww."
But maybe it's just me!
See, I mentally edited out that moment, which, you're right, is sort of creepy. However, I did find his gift of the gloves sort of bewitching.
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