By Alexandra Grilikhes
Sunk in contemplation of her mailbox
the old blue nameplate huddled
in one corner the dim vestibule
smelling of loneliness I ring
the doorbell. Again. That doorway,
newspapers spread for when it rained
that arched doorframe through which
so many came, the homecare attendants
who couldn't speak English the maintenance
men to change fuses. An old blue pillow
wedged in the bathroom window
to keep out storms, the medicine
chest with sorry small bottles that
were no longer touched, the pale
blue showercurtain dry, the happy figures
glued onto the ground floor windowpanes
now covered with green curtains made
by a cousin doing a good deed. The
wood table I set for the two of us
around which we sat at the last birthday
party all women we lit candles and sang
they gave her a new teakettle which
I now have as well as the table I
camouflage with papers and books
but which under its layers I know was
hers; now mine.
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I had a lovely mellow Friday to balance out my Thursday. Wrote a mediocre review of "The Return of the Archons" -- I knew what I wanted to say, I just couldn't get it articulated smoothly. I don't think I realized this was a first season episode for all these years, predating so many other "Kirk kills God" stories! It will be easier to talk about this one bringing it up during reviews of "A Taste of Armageddon," "The Apple," "Who Mourns For Adonais" and so many others. Then
Once the kids arrived, older son asked to be taken to the local collectible card store to use his birthday gift certificates to get the new Magic: The Gathering deck, so we did that. Speaking of cards, I was looking for a deck of English Heritage playing cards -- they make gorgeous decks with different images on each card of castles, abbeys, Stonehenge, etc., we got several of them when we were in England -- and I discovered Nice Toys, which not only has the cards for less than we paid for them in Britain but also has gorgeous chess sets and jewelry boxes and many other lovely things.
Had dinner with my parents who were considerably more mellow -- why must holidays be so much stress? The stress should be internal on Yom Kippur, not based on external annoyances -- came home and watched Threshold whose science was so silly that my husband declared that the show had already jumped the shark but I still like Molly and am sticking it out, folded laundry which is a really underrated activity as a stress-reliever
The Friday Five: Superheroes.
1. Who is your favorite superhero? I am not really much of a superhero fan. Have missed nearly all the superhero movies on first release and saw them later on DVD, if I got around to them which I still have not done with Spider-Man 2 or X-Men 2! I suppose it's first-season Clark Kent on Smallville, when being a superhero was a metaphor for growing up gay.
2. If you could have any superpower what would it be? The ability to see the good in everyone.
3. What would your super outfit look like? Real Goth girl or Renaissance-y without the bodice -- no latex, totally comfortable breathable cotton. *g*
4. What would your super villain/nemesis be like? He's in the White House.
5. What would your catch phrase/calling card be? "Twice the fun of regular crotch-bats!" (And if you get that, I know how old you are!)
Friday Fiver: I have the most terrible rabbit infestation.
1. What's your favorite animated characters? Wallace and Gromit are a pretty good choice. Or else Miguel and Tulio in The Road to El Dorado. And Mulan and Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, who may be a travesty of the character in the book but again I was relating to him as an allegory of being both Jewish and queer in an intolerant society.
2. Violence in cartoons - funny or harmful? I was not allowed to watch cartoons as a child because my mother believed the violence would harm me. I made up for lost time as an adult with my conscientious objector husband who grew up watching Bugs Bunny with his father the Lutheran pastor who'd been jailed for protesting the Vietnam War. I am sure that for some sensitive children, constant exposure to violent cartoons causes some desensitization, but I think that for parents who talk to their kids and make sure they understand the concept of farce, a few cartoons aren't going to cause major damage.
3. Can you do any impressions? I'm not great at accents but I can usually mimic speech patterns.
4. Would you consider yourself artistic? Visually, not at all. I can't draw stick figures to scale. I'm not terribly musical but I have a pretty good ear. I have written all my life and I have always had a passionate love of the arts.
5. What's your favorite type of cheese? That's like asking my favorite type of chocolate! Depends on my mood! I love really strong cheddar, I love smoked gouda, I love the soft spreadable cheeses, I love havarti with dill or fennel, I love spicy monterey jack...
Tomorrow is Maryland Renaissance Faire day! And I am finally going to meet Sparowe! The weather has been cool and gorgeous and I am just hoping for no significant rainfall!
Aboard the USS Constellation in October, a view of the capstan, the wheel and the mizzenmast.
The floor of the gun deck was wet in many spots after heavy rains the day before.
The great cabin and rooms off it have always been open since we've been visiting, but the crew quarters have mostly been roped off for renovation. Here is the purser's bunk, now accessible.
In the sickbay, a lovely amputation set.
Shot and shells from the Constellation's fighting days.
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