Poem for Saturday

Absence
By Luljeta Lleshanaku
Translated by Henry Israeli

The moon
nicotine of a kiss...

A sideways glance
like the mast of a pirate ship
beyond a distant island

--------

My major activity for Friday, besides going to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End with , then going to Tara Thai with her afterward, was writing a review of "Datalore", one of several Next Generation episodes that has held up surprisingly well (though next week's episode is "Angel One" and I reserve the right to be utterly scathing). As I said, I adored the movie and can't wait to see it again. Kids are angling for this weekend, so even though we are visiting my in-laws, hopefully that will be soon rather than later!

Had dinner with my parents, who were not in the best of moods; father is not happy about his birthday on Monday, on which he will be a year younger than his mother was when she died (next year, when he turns the big number ending in a zero, I expect he will be unhappy for at least a month). We are trying to figure out something to do on his birthday and he was not thrilled with any of the suggestions, then griped at my mother when she lobbied for one just to have something to do. Am drinking kosher dessert wine to chill out. seems to be on hiatus this week...

:
1. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I've said this before and I'll say it again: the ability to see the good in all people.
2. Which is more attractive to you: physical appearance or personality? Oh please, go look at my interests list and if you can't figure it out from that, go check out some hot young things.
3. Who did you last fight with? Is it wrong that I was ready to type "my father" before I could actually remember what we last fought about?
4. What did you eat last night? Kentucky Fried Chicken...yes, I know, but we were on our way out to our son's concert and had to grab something fast.
5. Who are you mad about? Right at this moment? Elizabeth Swann.

:
1. What is your favorite board game? Scrabble.
2. What is your favorite card game? Gin rummy.
3. Do you like to play games on the computer or on a gaming system? We own three gaming systems and I have never played either. Have on rare occasion played a computer game, but not often.
4. If so, what is your favorite game to play? I play that bubble breaker game on my cell phone when I am waiting for kids at bus stops and stuff. Wish there was a big screen version of that!
5. Do you like to play games with people or to play them alone? With people. Hence my near total disinterest in computer games; I don't get as much interaction as I do chatting and talking fic.

:
1. Work with dragons or treasure hunt for Gringott's? Treasure hunt. I love animals but I think I'm too big a chicken to work with dragons.
2. Spend a day with the Order of the Phoenix or Dumbledore's Army? The original Order of the Phoenix would be my first choice, followed by the Order at the start of the book of the same name. As it currently stands, however, I'd pick Dumbledore's Army over Remus&Tonks, the older Weasleys, etc.
3. Visit Dumbledore's office or Snape's dungeon? Depends whether I get to see Snape's private rooms and whether I'm supervised. If it's just the Slytherin common room and potions labs vs. the Pensieve and all of Dumbledore's other devices, the latter.
4. Give an old school detention to Filch or Umbridge? Oh, certainly Umbridge, preferably administered by Filch.
5. Have an Invisibility Cloak or a Time Turner? Time Turner. I have one from the Noble Collection, but regrettably it doesn't work.


Koi being fed food from machines at the National Arboretum when we visited a few weeks ago.


There were lots of big fish among the not-yet-blooming water lilies.


And around the pond, fancy tulips were in bloom.


Never quite the same from season to season, the National Capitol Columns (many more images if you follow the National Arboretum tag).