Movie Night

Not sure about my cosmic guidance for the next week, but I guess I will go at it from the “festive occasion” angle.

"It's Welcome Your Challenges with Open Arms Week. To take maximum advantage of this festive occasion, practice being grateful for your interesting difficulties; remind yourself of how much smarter and stronger they can make you. Celebrate the riddles and dilemmas that have helped and will continue to help transform you into such a uniquely gorgeous creature. Now study these words of wisdom from playwright Theodore Rubin: "The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.""

Yesterday was a good day and the film festival event was great! I couldn’t talk myself into staying for the Q&A since the movie got over at 10 p.m. and I had a 40 minute ride home…But Philadelphia Story seemed very ahead of its time in the conversation and situations. I would be interested where the actor Edward Herrmann and the head of the Film Institute at Wesleyan went with the post movie conversation. The purpose of the evening was to bring awareness of the Hepburn Cultural Arts Center – and the renovation of a 1911 historic building in Old Saybrook. I also took the opportunity to look around the cinema building at Wesleyan to copy down some film contest web sites to send my son. Also got to see a college friend of sister #4’s at the movie. He is a joy to see on so many levels!

Good walk in the morning yesterday with FCW (favorite co-worker) and FCTCW soon to be full time farmer and community based environmentalist. It was one of those days when I feel a bit “2 steps backward” in our office setting, but the good news is it is other people’s backward movement and not mine.

I am having a “challenge” not a “problem” with my 1% vs Skim Milk purchase. I bought 1% when I usually get Skim and it is amazing how it tastes like cream when used to Skim. How easy to shock my dull taste buds!

No swim meet tomorrow. My CTCW’s son has an ear infection so he will be sitting it out. I guess I will start getting ready for the weekend with the family. Other sports news – American League wins again. First inside the park homerun in All Star Game history by Ichiro. I guess he was a bit jacked up from hearing the rumor mill that he will be signing a $20 million per year, 5 year contract extension!!! That would be enough incentive for me to hit hard, run fast. I got to listen to the game on the radio on the ride home and watch the tail end when I got home. I also like the Prince Fielder stories – a second generation big hitting guy.

Have to pay my taxes today. Being a renter, the only tax bill I have is the tax on my car. $89 dollars per year. My mother was tax collector in the 70’s and early 80’s in my town, so it is always fun to see the reaction when I go in to the Town Hall.

Bird by Bird for the day: "Becoming a writer can also profoundly change your life as a reader. One reads with a deeper appreciation and concentration, know how hard writing is, especially how it is to make it look effortless. You begin to read with a writer’s eyes. You focus in a new way. You study how someone portrays his or her version of things in a way that is new and bold and original. You notice how a writer paints in a mesmerizing character or era for you, without your having the sense of being given a whole lot of information, and when you realize how artfully this has happened, you may actually put the book down for a moment and savor it, just taste it.

There are moments when I am writing when I think that if other people knew how I felt right now, they’d burn me at the stake for feeling so good, so full, so much intense pleasure. I pay through the nose for these moments, of course, with lots of torture and self-loathing and tedium, but when I am done for the day, I have something to show for it."

I have done that "put the book down for moment and savor it" routine many times with books!

Forgot to go to our local library film festival on Monday night…Madeinusa from Peru. I have marked my calendar so I remember next week. I THOUGHT the florescent green brochure on my desk would catch my eye…but my calendar is what I know I look at every morning.

Got a call from the Rachel’s Vineyard contact on my way to Wesleyan last night. Next meeting is Aug 1. I am looking forward to getting involved locally in this incredible organization.

HHH today again, but the weather has not interfered with any plans so far this week. I will bring my bathing suit to work so I can dip on the way home. Hope you all have a respite location.