August 29, 2006 Year

Sometimes I forget that Chiara left her home, her job, her friends, and the city she loves to move clear across the world and live in New Zealand. Then I remember and am bowled over all over again. I like to think that someday I will leave regular life behind and have a great adventure. Chiara makes it seem possible. I'm now determined to get through season 2 of Battlestar Galactica before the season 3 premiere. It's an ambitious goal, but I think I can do it. The second season starts off with such a bang that I'm already plowing through it. OH MY GOD, HOW I LOVE THE WEEPIES. After finishing The History of Love, this made me laugh in a very mean-spirited sort of way You should all find a way to go to a nice restaurant with a food critic. We did, and it was most fun, as the owner and staff treated him like he was the king himself. I certainly enjoyed my fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade and my drum with giant lumps of crabmeat on top and the honey pecan bread pudding with toffee sauce, though. Also, I decided it would be a good idea to drink a Sazerac and three glasses of Gewurztraminer. You should all avoid the movie Brick at all costs. It might be the most irritating movie I've ever seen, and I make this assessment after being disgusted by the first half, falling asleep in the middle, and waking up for the repugnant finale. It's bad. Bad, folks. I've only caught the beginning of the Emmy awards so far, but I really liked Conan's opening. I never expected him to break out into a full musical number let alone one from The Music Man. I sort of think Conan O'Brien is hilarious. I am mostly very bored by the winners. My sister is gone, and I am sad. I was very delighted to come across this show recently. There is nothing like scanning the radio and being surprised by hearing a showtune. And then another. And then another. A whole show of showtunes! What could be better? I heard a song I'd never heard before, and it basically left me in tears because apparently everything does these days. I googled some of the lyrics I remembered when I got home and saw that it was "Unusual Way" from Nine. So I went to purchase it, and I discovered not only the version I heard on the radio but one by none other than Bryan d'Arcy James! Just kill me now. I bought both versions, and they're both gorgeous. (There's not much that can give me chills like Bryan D'Arcy James singing, "I'll be comin' back to you, Darlene, back to your dark eyes and hair." Jesus.) This weekend we played a game of Scrabble. My boyfriend scored 365, and I scored 350. So close! I made "juvenile" and he made "booking" and "gleaning." Scrabble both entertains and infuriates me. It's fun but can also be torture. It's mostly torture when you're losing like a loser which is what I usually do. We also enjoyed more gelato from Sophie's. I was disappointed that there was no peanut butter gelato to be found, but the cookies and cream was mighty good. My brother just called to tell me that one of his friends who went through something similar to what his girlfriend suffered recently is meeting them at lunch because he and his wife spent $1,000 on new outfits for her. We both just about started crying on the phone. He said, "I mean, the giving spirit of people." I said, "I know." We sniffled and hung up. Speaking of the giving spirit of people, it's the anniversary of Katrina today, clearly. I remember how giving online friends and strangers were after the storm. I appreciated so much your e-mails, thoughts, prayers, and surprises in the mail, and I know my boyfriend did, too. I could go on and on, but I won't. Its impact on my life is infinitesimal in the grand scheme of things despite how close to home it feels. I do regret that I was not more gracious when I was called to be, and I think I will always regret that. I will always wonder why I lacked what it took to open my home indefinitely to those who needed a place to stay or why I didn't just let people bring their pets and stay forever. I feel like there were bad feelings in the end and that makes me feel completely and utterly awful. But it's not about me. There are hundreds of thousands of people who are still displaced. There are whole areas of my state and neighboring states that remain destroyed. I wonder if people who aren't from around here even remember. It all feels so huge and un-fixable sometimes. What can people even do? I don't know. Come to Voodoo Fest two months from now. This book is a beautiful but grim reminder. I read a story today about a man who took his 2-year-old granddaughter onto the roof and watched her float away. So many horrible horror stories. I read this column today. I think you should, too. ::: About this time in ... 2005: 8/26: Down on his luck teacher? Check. Who changes the kids' lives? Through music? While speaking lovely and lyrical French? Check, check, and check. 2004: 8/24: We're going to see Avenue Q. I can't wait to see it and see her and where she's living! We're going to organize her apartment and hopefully reflect on all of the reasons it does not suck to be us. 2003: 8/28: The thing is, Colin is really smart. And a brilliant reader who has read every book in the world, and he loves his cat, Ophelia, and he gets along great with his parents and performs things like Long Day's Journey into Night all by himself when he's alone in his room. 8/27: It's like she's possessed by some kind of late night demon who compels her with its evilness into this horrid race with herself and with my sanity. 8/26: Also, parts of it break my heart. "And there's no mystical design, no cosmic lover preassigned, there's nothing you can find that cannot be found." 8/24: As usual, I found new favorite parts, but I really do think that the little smile and laugh Giles does after Buffy sings, "Hey, I've died twice," cannot be surpassed in terms of its greatness. get notified. journal archives © Copyright 2006 elb