There is just so much to love at this site – so many links to investigate, so little time!
Top ten trivia facts about you!
Ten Top Trivia Tips about Boyd!
- It takes more than 500 peanuts to make Boyd.
- The first American zoo was built in 1794, and contained only Boyd!
- Boyd can squeeze his entire body through a hole the size of his beak.
- Fish travel in schools, but whales travel in Boyd!
- In 1982 Time Magazine named Boyd its ‘Man of the Year’!
- Boydology is the study of Boyd.
- Antarctica is the only continent without Boyd.
- Boyd does not have toes.
- Over 2000 people have now climbed Boyd, with roughly ten percent dying on the way down!
- Boyd is actually a fruit, not a vegetable.
Brokeback Mountain
(I’m going to talk about this movie. If you haven’t seen it, you might want to stop reading now!)
We finally go to see this movie last night. For weeks, I’ve been carefully avoiding TV programs, friendly conversations and e-mail exchanges that mention it. I wanted my own response to be really my own and not colored by the media buzz or personal opinions of others. Harald knew more about what was going to happen in the movie than I did, but I had him promise not to spill a word. And frankly, after all the excitement this movie has been generating, I was afraid that I might already be expecting too much from the film and that, like so often happens, I would be disappointed at the end of it all. Boy, was I ever wrong. Now I know why this movie has been receiving such popular and critical praise.
The scenery is magnificent and the cinematography was superb. Ang Lee has done an unbelievable job creating such an exquisite little film. It was all so perfectly under-acted, never descending into the kind of caricature or stereotype that I thought I might find. There were so many possible opportunities where the movie might have gone wrong in lesser hands, but it never did. It was poetic, sublime, and heart achingly beautiful – both emotionally and physically – from beginning to end. Ang Lee is a new hero to me for what he has done, not the less so because the film never once descended into political or social commentary, per se.
The love story was a classic. I haven’t read the story it is based on, but now I want to very much. Annie Proulx must be that rare, gifted writer to create a story that transcends so easily the specifics of its time and space, yet remains fully grounded within them. How did she do it? Rarely have I seen any production centered around two gay characters that was treated with such respect and emotional honesty.
The entire cast left me stunned. I read one review that said “Heath Ledger as Ennis is a revelation” and now I know exactly what that reviewer meant. I thought he was absolutely perfect for the role. And Jake Gyllenahaal was the perfect Jack, too, and very easy on the eyes too! The two of them, I thought, were both brilliant, relying as they had to more on body language instead of dialogue for much of the film’s message. Their performances were artfully subtle in so many ways. Michelle Williams as Alma was breathtaking. She played her part so incredibly well. She deserves her nominations. Randy Quaid was ideally cast, too. But you know who I thought really stole the scenes they were in? The two people who played Jack’s parents at the end of the movie. I thought the mother and father were absolutely incredible, even though they were only on screen for a few minutes.
And didn’t the scenes with his shirt at the end just make you want to melt? As we walked out the theater, I told Harald what I really felt like I needed to do was go home and have a good cry. I even woke up at 3:30 a.m. this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep for thinking about this movie. It set me to thinking about my own life, about love that was not meant to be, at least not the way I wanted it to be. I identified with both Ennis and Jack and I think that many of us have had the experience of know what each of them was going through, at least in some small way.
And that scene at the end, where Jack and Ennis meet for the last time at Brokeback Mountain. Didn’t that just rip at your heart? When it was all over, many of the straight people in the audience (and it was mostly straight people) got up and left quickly. But the little pockets of gay men and women who were there were scattered over the theater, drying their eyes and trying to gather their composure before they left. So many of us have had the experience of loving a man or woman and having that love sabotaged by inner demons, old tapes, social expectations that we be something other than that which we truly are. Perhaps that is why this movie resonates with so many of us, though few of us have fallen in love with a cowboy in Wyoming in the early 60s. And that is the point of what makes the film so great. Although the story is clearly about one particular situation, its themes are so clearly universal and go far beyond the particulars.
It’s been a long time since I have seen a film that left me feeling like this film did. Perhaps the last was Longtime Companion, which was many years ago now. I do know that I will see this movie again, and in the theater despite its length, because it was that good. In a word, it’s a masterpiece. In my opinion, it deserves every bit of the praise it’s received, and then some.
Scents remembered
This was from a journal prompt several years ago on a journaling group that I belong to. I thought it worth posting here when I found it in an old mailbox of mine recently.
> When I smell ***, I remember ***
When I smell Youth Dew, I remember Grandma. I remember as a little boy seeing her get ready for church or for her lodge meetings, getting her hair all done up, coming out of the bathroom with her Playtex girdle on. I would sit on the bed in her room and watch her powder herself, put her slip on, then her hose, and spray a fog of Aqua Net (the old red can) all over. Even though it was aimed, more orless, for her head, it always seemed to go everywhere. I don’t think even a hurricane could have moved that hair, which was good considering we lived on the Gulf Coast of Florida. And then the Youth Dew came out of the drawer and that sweet smell always pleased me. After she had baptized herself with Est
A cat’s life ….
Now isn’t this the very essence of comfort, contorted, twisted, upside down, paws in the air, ASLEEP!?
A little Italian inspiration for a snowy January day
No, I’ve never been to Italy, though I’ve promised a dear friend I will sip espresso with her in Venice one day. Another mutual friend from a journaling group took a trip to Rome in December and was kind enough to take numerous pictures and upload and share them. Never before have I so wanted to GO to Rome as I felt when looking through her photo album this morning. Maybe it’s the snow. Maybe it’s the lack of sun for last the umpteen days. Maybe it’s just January. Whatever the reason, the photos struck me as visually stunning, magnificent really, a feast for the soul and the eyes. If you’re ready for a little Italian inspiration, click here to go see Catherine’s pictures. Dontchajust luv it when someone’s photos make you gasp “Oh my!” time and time again?
Well, I never!
From the quiz, What Kind of Yarn Are You?
You are Dishcloth Cotton.
You are a very hard worker, most at home when
you’re at home. You are thrifty and seemingly
born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain
Jane, but you are too practical to notice.
What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
I suppose the truth grates every now and then. There are worse things than dishcloth cotton, aren’t there?
WTO?
Now here is a line you won’t see repeated very often, fresh from Yahoo news:
“This year, the World Toilet Organization celebrates World Toilet Day by highlighting the plight of 42 percent of the world’s population, especially women, who do not have access to proper toilets,” the statement said.
Yes, there really is a World Toilet Organization, not to be confused with the American Restroom Association. And to think we just missed the World Toilet Summit 2005! Oh, and do visit that last link there, paying particular attention to the Summit Objectives page. Go ahead, I’ll wait on you.
How could anyone, referring to the event, say something like “This an extremely prestigious event…” I’m sure.
Or, what about this compelling teaser of one the speakers – “who will set out the Singapore model of public toilet excellence.” Ugh.
I’m sure the attendees where the butt of jokes amongst their friends. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.
More About the House
We went to Slumberland yesterday after church and looked for a replacement for the sofa that wouldn’t fit through the door last week when it was delivered. We found a nice oatmeal chenille sofa that was just the right size, and we get a refund because it was cheaper than the original one. It was just small enough to fit into his dad’s expedition, so we ran to the warehouse yesterday and picked it up and now our den feels more complete. Cleo loves the new sofa! And we got lots unpacked this weekend, so aside from about 12 boxes in the garage and the stuff at each of our places that hasn’t come over yet, we’re all moved in and unpacked. Which feels MARVELOUS!
We had our house blessing on Saturday and it was such a gorgeous day and such a beautiful and intentional ceremony and everyone just loved it. Many had never been to a house blessing and a lot of people commented on the lovely prayers for each room (for which I thank Betsy who was such a gem about sending ideas). We blessed each room with aspersion and the lighting of a white candle and as we moved into each room, we rang my favorite Tibetan bell and then read the prayer. Afterwards, we had mimosas and a fabulous brunch of quiche, spinach/walnut/strawberry salad with a raspberry balsamic dressing, a bowl of mixed fresh fruit, fresh scones, pumpkin bread, cranberry bread. And Harald’s aunt made her phenomenal homemade German chocolate cake which is just to-die-for delicious. All in all, it was a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable event for everyone!
The Past 10 Days
Well, where do I start? It’s been 10 very interesting, full, busy, exhausting days. You all know that the closing went well – superb, in fact – and we were busy with school on Friday and Saturday after closing. We did manage something of a picnic dinner in our new (empty) house the Saturday after we closed, but had plans for most of Sunday so didn’t really go back in the house until Sunday night. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was consumed with stripping wallpaper off the bedroom and bathroom walls, scraping off the glue after we sprayed it to get it good and gummy and scrape-able, then washing down the walls twice, spacklings holes, sanding, and painting.
The washer was delivered and installed on Tuesday (is it wrong to fall in love with your new washing machine?), the carpet cleaner came on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 to steam clean. The mattress and sofa were delivered on Friday, but the sofa wouldn’t fit through the kitchen door to get down to the den, so it had to go back. We’re both trying to get used to the new bed, but as Harald says “We’ve got acres of room here!” and we do. And the bed doesn’t even look big in that bedroom.
The cable was supposed to come on Thursday but didn’t finally get finished installing until 8:00 p.m. Friday night (thus messing up a friend’s generous offer to assist in packing my kitchen). The situation with Comcast was an ordeal that involved many phone calls, escalating the call to managers, one short tantrum (mine!), and what felt like insurmountable frustration. Finally, on Friday morning we got a field supervisor who came to the house to install the cable personally (after Comcast agreed to install for free for their mix up). They originally went to the wrong address (Douglas Drive instead of Douglas Avenue) and someone put the phone number wrong on the work order so they couldn’t call, then the tech later on Thursday just decided he didn’t want to do the job after he learned the house had never been wired for cable. Long story short, the field supervisor was a sweetheart and he worked like a trouper to get the cable through some difficult situations in the walls. When he first arrived, he was getting ready to install and discovered that he couldn’t access the house ground in the electrical system (a local code requirement) – thus began a series of aggravated phone calls to a electrician friend who graciously agreed to come out that very day and take care of the problem. And she even gave us the discount rate for getting the work done. What a pal! So now I have broadband again and I’m not screaming banshee psycho bitch I was on Thursday and Friday of last week.
Meanwhile, we’ve discovered a leaky bathroom faucet (which wasn’t disclosed) that four trips to the hardware store haven’t fixed and any attempt to use the microwave while lights are on elsewhere result in blown circuits to half the house (clearly, this isn’t going to work long-term), the water line to the fridge had been cut (which I completely reinstalled myself) and once the water line situation was solved, we discovered a persistent leak in the ice maker (no wonder the water line hadn’t been repaired after the new floor was laid!) that requires a visit from a serviceperson this Friday. So we have electrical and plumbing work in our near future.
The cat, Cleo, cried for hours on Saturday night, roaming the house to investigate then running back to the safety of the bedroom. But she’s made remarkable progress in only a few days. She’ll even go downstairs into the basement to follow H. She’ll be fine in another week or two, I’m sure of it.
Despite all this, my heart is firmly planted in our new home already. Another neighbor we hadn’t met woke up early on Sunday morning to bake us a homemade apple pie and ran out in her bed clothes, apologizing for her appearance and exclaiming how anxious she was to meet the new guys who had moved in. She’s a charming woman originally from Kentucky – alright, another southerner right across the back yard! So far, every place I’ve lived in Minneapolis has had at least one fellow southerner above me, below me or beside me. And anyone who gets up early to make me a homemade pie is alright with me! I love coming home and knowing that H is there and we both have enjoyed the comfort of finally be able to say “good morning” and “good night” to another’s face instead of the phone.
Last night, we unpacked all of our cookbooks. Let’s just say we have too many and leave it at that, shall we? 300? 400? We’re not quite sure. We’ve almost completed the merge of kitchens (a huge undertaking fraught with potential peril!
So far, I think I like the laundry chute to the basement the best. No hamper in the bedroom, clothes ending up downstairs where they belong.
This Saturday our minister comes to perform a house blessing for us and Harald’s family.
I actually felt rather normal when I woke up today. Not bone tired and ass-dragging like I’ve been recently. This is good.
That’s all the news from Douglas Drive, folks.
Oh, and H’s condo is still on the market.
We’ve got tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo for Thursday afternoon. I bought them a while back, figuring we needed a extravagant entertainment to nurture ourselves after working so hard for so long.
