12/07/2004: "Amazing Grace, ringtones and Toni Morrison"

music: Movie Soundtracks Cd
mood: At ease...for the moment

A busy week last week and a busy weekend last weekend and thus a whole week between blogs…what to do, what to do. Well of course…make up for it…pay me by the word and I am a weathly woman…deduct for spelling errors…you’re fired. But, when I explain what I was doing, I’m sure you will forgive me for the lack of blog fodder (sounds like a star wars character). Besides the fulltime job at Artsopolis, which I still am loving, and a side few hours a week doing box office, house managing and concession purchase for the Pear Avenue Theatre in Mountain View, I have made time to do the following….and there was much rejoicing.

1) Beat my brother, who was in town for a wedding again this weekend, in Scrabble. Yes I know, I am still training for the Monopoly marathon. This was an unofficial game. We played a VERY defensive ( if there is such a thing) game, barely spreading past half the board and screwing each other over by making 3 letter triple scored words with J’s and K’s so the other person had no where to move. I was only able to win because I spelled the word PI with my final letter tile, thus giving me an extra 50 points for using all my letters. It was an intense hour. We still had to use the crappy travel scrabble board that is falling apart since mom won’t let us have the Xmas present that she got early. She can TELL us about it but not let us have it. Whatever.
2) I constructed an electric train set, tracks and all, complete with real smoke and headlight/light up caboose. Mom always wanted one around the Xmas tree and never got one so now that she has a Grandchild (who turned 1 on Monday) she’s not letting anyone go hungry…if you will pardon the expression. I decorated the tree, fireplace and pretty much the whole damn house with every decoration we have, including all the new stuff my mom seemed to thing we needed. It’s….festive…to be sure. The house smells of pine. Mmmmmmm, pine.
3) Saw the Butterfly effect. This movie is a great idea, but only get 2 Rutger Hauers ‘cause Ashton Kutcher is a doofus and my version would have been better. Plus it’s like watching Meet the Parents..too painful….but like a trainwreck…must…watch. It did have two endings though and I liked them both.
4) Experienced sympathy pains for my 3 ½ month pregnant sister. I was having sharp pains in my pelvis and was really tense last week and couldn’t figure out what the deal was. I found out Rebecca had gone to the doctor for abdominal pain on Wednesday, London time. The Baby’s fine (they think it’s a boy), it’s just ligaments that haven’t healed from the last birth. The pains and worry stopped as soon as I found out she was having the pain and not me, and that she was okay. Aren’t I a good little sister?
5) Went to a book club meeting where we ate like Carribean kings but mostly seemed to not be impressed by the book. I came very near finishing it. It’s a book worth knowing the story to, but have someone tell it, not read it, unless you are Andrew Shannon and then I will be sending you this book and you better read it. It was Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountain, and though a Pulitzer Prize winging novel, we soon found out that Pulitzers are not without their controversies. The history here is actually quite interesting, but it only proves its inconsistent and political in nature. The good news is if I write a book I can be considered for the $10,000 prize, by sending in my book and $50. It’s the Lottery for the Litterary.
6) Got complimented for kareoking a Vanessa Carleton Song in “alex’s 49ers bar” by a honest to god BAR FLY. This had scarier and more depressing regulars than the Almaden Lounge by far. Seedy, rowdy and an ear full on a Saturday night. Not many people singing but those that were were LOADED with the juice, if you know what I mean. Except for me. I was sadly sober, but believe me, I had a headache.
7) Had 3 VERY vivid dreams this week and have been ACHING to get them down in time before I forget them. One was about finding a hidden tomb underneath the floor of the Rosecruseian Museum,one about being able to predict the future because invisible “future gnomes” would leave me post-its that looked blank but when I put on my glasses, I could read phrases that were on them and when I said them out loud…they came true, and…I can’t remember the third one that I had last night while listening to the wind howl and the house creek. INTERLUDE….My parents house is all glass and wood, assembled over 30 years ago. When it rains, I can’t help but be panicky in that house when it should be the most soothing sound of all. We had two HUGE, 150 year old Bay trees in our yard for years. All growing up I used to imagine them falling over on the house in a storm, you could watch them sway out the windows on blustery nights. Small and sometimes not so small branches hurdling down to the ground more than occasionally. I had it worked out in my head how I would escape and what I would do from each room I might be in in the house should they give in. We had the trees taken down several years ago as a result of disease, but I still think I can hear them and I still imagine the crash of wood on wood and the shattering of glass. The call out to my parents, and the seemingly eternal gasp of silence between my shout and any response. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE….We also grew up for a period of 4 or 5 years with roof leaks and all last night I kept thinking I heard the sound of drips in metal pots, and could smell the fetid moisture from the liquid version of anything and everything that sat stagnant on the roof before finding its stained way to the inside of my room. Strong memories. At least my joints weren’t hurting. But the Cat was sleepless too and I got up to let him in and out twice that I remember.
8) I have been complaining about my phone (as have others) for a while now, and my poor old (and I do mean old) Nokia was down to a new battery, or a new phone. I took a look at what kind of free upgrade I was qualified for and was quite surprised. Since I had had my old phone (and not lost it thank you very much) for 3 years, for only $18 activation fee and $16.50 in Tax, I was able to keep my number, plan, and upgrade to a free Motorola V220 Camera phone, with voice recorder and so on and so forth. No I don’t have any mini voice recorder ( or my dreams would be clearer), and I don’t have a decent camera, or a decent phone, so it’s a pretty good deal. Three birds, one stone and I can take a picture of the bird, record it chirping and call you to tell you all about it. The only thing that would make it better (and guarantee that I loose it quicker than you can say, careful you idiot) is if it was an mp3 player as well. I figure its free for as long as I can take care if it, and then I’ll go back to the cheap one. So, as soon as I activate, I should be able to talk for more than 20 minutes without the battery dying AND, send and receive wacky photos. Hazzah.
9) Sifting through boxes of baby clothes with my mom. Actually, She is sifting and my job is to say “god no” and “ mom, that is so 70’s.” While going through “oh isn’t that just sweet” sundresses and gunny sax party outfits, I did hear a story I had not heard before about myself. Apparently when I was about 14 months old my mom got me into a dress, slip, tights shiny shoes and all, ready for a party of some sort. Mom got me all ready first and then went to take her bath. Then, Susannah (that would be me) just opened the door to the bathroom, and walked right into the tub….in her clothes. Typical Pisces. Typical Susannah. This might explain a little about growing up with wet hair, my long affair with the swimming pool, the shower and yes….the Hot tub. I started young on a mission for prune fingers. Maybe a way to see my finger prints better or reveal the future of my love and life lines.
10) Saw Toni Morrison Speak at the Flint Center. My Friend Anu was given tickets to the Celebrity Forum there and it was an inspiring, well timed speech about the importance of reading and writing for the writer and for the reader. I may need to elaborate on this more in a blog of it’s own. The upshot of it was, I was reminded once more how I really do thrive on (and am currently starving from lack of,) intellectual conversation. Not erudite or academic, but real passionate discussion of ideas and life. Stimulation of the mind is hard to come by and sometimes I think talking to myself and just playing with the ideas in my own head lead to more interesting conversation than attempting to engage with others. That sounded snobby. Yeah. So what. Talk philosophy with me. Talk deep. Teach me something and you may have a hard time getting rid of me. (Sorry Mister man) Not just wit, though it helps. Not just off the wall, though that too is an added bonus. But the potentially new, and totally unique stuff. Serve me up a taste of that and the wheels turn, the glow is ignited and you have on your hands before you know it, a full night of conversation, the making of a book, a film version of the book if you are lucky and a myriad of connected dreams the rest of the week
11) A Top secret, Life changing event. Uh.. I said….TOP SECRET! As if. Nice try. Check back next month.

Real quick.. drum roll please… Winners of the Week. My dad’s doctor for the last 30 years Don St Clair and his wife for proving that even at 65 and 69 (dude) they can not come in last. Sometimes that’s all it’s about. Not coming in last. They have survived 3 rounds so far on The Amazing Race. Amazing we ever found them on the show, as I don’t watch it, since I find it to be torture to get an even more condensed version of what the already rushed contestants are subjected to. Having to zip through places just waiting to be explored over the luxury of a year. I guess that’s what you spend the prize money on if you win. What I wouldn’t give for the chance…no matter…I imagine they won’t last long, but he was a doctor…I imagine they aren’t doing it so much for the money….then again, Portola Valley is expensive. Go team. Small world as always. Actually Jeff in the office mentioned that HIS doctor was on the show and I asked who his doctor was and it was at that point he told me who it was and we made the connection. Too funny.

I just remembered my dream from last night…It had to do with the family going to see a Monty Python show on the holy grail… not Spamalot but basically Monty Python sketches. We were late but there were plenty of seats and so we got to sit in the front row, but I couldn’t understand it. And Aretha Franklin was there for some reason. Then I think there was some sort of fight and all sort of turmoil and arguing…not very exciting. Well I guess you had to be there. Maybe you were. I can’t remember. ANYWAY…not to be anti climatic, but I need to go to the store now to pick up stuff for the Pear Avenue. Have a good evening…Hope all is well…G’Night.