October 11, 2009

Control

Earlier today, DC hosted both the National Equality March and the Race for the Cure. I knew about the former but not the latter, for which the runners wear pink. So as I drove up Connecticut Avenue today en route to Politics and Prose, I encountered a cadre of people wearing--well, I know now they were pink bunny ears. But the ears were more flesh-colored than pink, and for many one of the ears had flopped down, leaving a proud...erect...um, bunny ear...Let's just say I thought the National Equality March was being a bit brassy.

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For those interested in such things, Adventureland is a pretty good movie. Maybe its that I have a weak spot for anything that details the life of a carnival; maybe it's that some of the character roles (Martin Starr as Joel, Margarita Levieva as Lisa P.) were drawn with particular skill. The central characters are all older than I expected, post-college instead of post-high school. This was a big plus, as there wasn't a lot of time wasted on the troubles of obtaining alcohol or the perils of making curfew. Unfortunately, our Comcast On Demand system has some quirks that shift the viewing experience. Namely:

Adam: "I thought this was supposed to be a lighthearted comedy."

Me: "Maybe it's funnier when it's not in black and white."

Besides, if you wanted comedy you couldn't beat two SNL all-stars, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, in the roles of--oh, my god, amidst typing this I am reading that the actress playing Lisa P. was born in 1985. 1985!

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I'm worried about October. My favorite month is slipping away from me. So many October rites of passage that I have not yet managed:

-Buying a pumpkin from the Farmer's Market;
-Spiking a cup of hot apple cider with spiced rum;
-Tromping through a pile of leaves in open-toe shoes;
-Road-tripping at least two hours away.

...Yet it's not a good sign when fun traditions become one more thing to stress over, right? That's the challenge of this fall. Finding a schedule of working at home that honors the pleasures of ritual without 1) turning them into routine or, 2) indulging to the point of counter-productivity. Good to have time to read a magazine; bad to feel guilty for being three issues behind on New York. Good to cook from scratch; bad to let one recipe daisy-chain to the next (I have half the cilantro left, washed, chopped...must not waste it) so that you end up with more food than you can (or should) comfortably eat this week. Good to sleep in a half-hour to suit your body's clock; bad to keep hitting the snooze button until it is 11 AM.

No, not expecting your sympathy. Just sayin', nothing is perfect.

4 comments:

Giulia said...

October is only half over. I do identify. And I hope the reading was great yesterday...could not make it.

Herbs. Remember if you don't want to dry them, chop n' freeze (thyme, rosemary work especially well). Chop, swirl into filtered water, freeze. Then pop cubes into a freezer bag. Much cheaper to buy larger amt. at farmer's market (or friends with gardens might fork over goodies).

Basil, for a few days, make paste w/o.oil, put into used mustard or jam jar, pour a little oil on top to keep air out. If more than a few days, freeze into cubes.

Cilantro pesto works in similar way (will be darker but still good).

Also slow-roasting a pack o' farmer's market peppers & onions with some olive oil is good way to deal with excess produce guilt. Resulting piperade is so useful. (Don't know which allergies you have but...can be done with all sorts of veg & fruit).

You just reminded me that cider must be purchased...don't know whether to thank you for the reminder or not. (OK, thank you.)

ciao

Susan

PS: Only 3 issues behind? I'm playing the little violin:)

Lyle Daggett said...

For what it's worth, it snowed here (Minneapolis) a little bit, yesterday and today. Maybe a little chilly for open toe leaf tromping. Might be about right for the hot cider though.

Maggie May said...

Let's add

Good to get poems written

Bad to stay up till 3am doing so
(when you have three children, that is)

Unknown said...

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