My God! Sorry if any of you are offended by My God, but it seems fairly innocuous to me. I'll start again.
My God! There is so much going on now that Kay has arrived I can hardly get to write this blog and I certainly have put off the Thank yous, again.
Kay and Skip and I went down to Venice yesterday. I drove. We wandered around the Arts thingie. It was very much like the Arts thingie in Sarasota. Lots and lots of white tent-like structures holding paintings, prints, photographs, pottery, driftwood sculpture, palm-frond sculpture, jewelry, etc. Lots of stuff no one really needs, but it is fun to look at it all. I saw a few of the same "vendors" I saw in Sarasota a couple of Sundays ago.
Pat Surface, the former pro basketball player turned singer/songwriter was there singing away, his wife was selling CD's. I bought one at the Sarasota Arts thingie. I'm not crazy about it, but he does have a good voice, good back up band, folksy music. I'm intrigued by the songs on his CD of lullabys, but I held off on buying it. I've got enough to listen to. I listen to Sister Kate's album a lot- the new one, Come To The Fair. Great when I'm driving the car. Skip sings along a little, but he does not like it up to the volume that I enjoy. Oh, well.
Back to the tennis. Tennis dominates life here until after the 13th, the night of the awards dinner. So this a.m. was the next to the last chance to practice/play before Thursday. I got there about 9:20 a.m. and went out on the court. Many fewer players there today. Twelve, maybe.
Anyhow, I got out there and I couldn't "hit the broad side of a barn", as "they" say. It was weird, because I felt pretty good, but I hit the ball out, into the net. I stood and watched the ball go by me. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I flubbed return of serve. It was ugly. I didn't have a chance to warm up before I played, but that is often the case. I was simply "off." I sat until my next turn. The next time up I improved a little, but I was still, I thought, a mess out there.
Finally, by the time I got up to play my third 5 games I began to return the ball. I started to get them into the court. I began to hit the ball over the net. I have no idea what happened early on, but I was able to forget about it, focus on the ball and eventually won a few games. I don't care about winning as much as I care about playing well. It isn't much fun to have someone serve the ball when the person returning doesn't return the ball. Short games without a lot of rallying. Not much fun. So about 10:30 I began to feel better about my playing. However, most people had left by that time. I got a chance to play a few more times, but everyone "crapped out" at 11:30a.m. I like to play until noon, if there is someone to play with. No takers today, but at least by the time I finished playing I was hitting the ball better than when I started. Wonder why it happened? Hope it doesn't happen again.
Anyhow, Kay and Skip and I checked out the Rookery at Venice after we had some lunch and made the rounds of the Art whateveritis called. Some good views of Great Egrets in breeding plumage. Anhinga on nest with two young. Their heads and necks looked like snakes poking up under the adult sitting on the nest. They are not called "The Snake Bird" for nothing. Great Blue Herons on nests too. We didn't have time to linger. There were about 10-15 people there, most with cameras taking photos of the scene.
Last night Kay had us for dinner along with Judy H and her mother, Helen and Lois, Brooke's mother. Helen is in her 90's and "sharp as a tack' as the saying goes. She is a beautiful woman, very gracious. lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, has some great stories. I was happy to sit next to her.
Judy got very exorcised about the Health Care Situation, the Social Security Situation, the Government, the Immigrants,then she got onto the problems on having the BMW, Chevy and Nissan dealerships in Scranton. One thing after another she really did rant on about the negatives of all these things. One think we did agree on, amazingly enough, was: We both think the Government is in the drug business. So we had one topic of conversation we could both state. If the Government wanted to shut down the drug trade, of course, it could, but it doesn't. It doesn't take much brain power to figure that out. So we were both on the same side of that issue. However all other issues, Health Care, Obama, etc. we are diametrically opposed.
Unfortunately Judy was the only person talking for quite a while. Well, her mother did chime in with her. Lois, a very strong Democrat, I think, said nothing, Skip tried to change the subject when Judy "went off the deep end" about health care. I tried to keep an even keel. I don't believe it shouting, but I do believe I have a right to an opinion, even if it is different than someone else's. I tried to gracefully get out of the conversation I found myself in when Judy began to sound very angry, got very negative, talked in generalities about "The Government". I realized I was in the presence of a very opinionated Republican who did not seem to have much if any tolerance for another opinion on the subject of Health Care.
She recalled her experiences with the Emergency Room when her husband was ill, about twenty years ago, I think. I mentioned I had worked in an Emergency Room and that, I think, may have been a mistake. The conversation and all her vitriol was directed at me. I kept calm, although I don't believe when someone is attacking the whole system of health care based on one incident I could possibly have much to do with what happened many years ago.
I suggested she was describing a dysfuntional health care system, perhaps we need some reform. That did it. She is convinced The Government can't do anything right. Obama is lining his pockets. Social Security is badly run. What's that got to do with health care? I mentioned there was a problem with obstructionists in the Congress and Senate, but that went right over her head. She thinks there is not solution and when I suggested that other coutnries have health care run by their government she and her mother told me, "They don't work."
Finally, Kay called us in to dinner and suggested we not talk about health care. What a relief. I guess I know where Judy stands on that issue. Skip and Kay both told me I kept my cool, which I did. I didn't say anything inflammatory. Kay and Skip agreed. I think the fact I said anything other than agree whole-heartedly with Judy must have set her off. I didn't get a chance to suggest to her to look around at all the health care that has great results. Perhaps she missed some of the positives in the world to look at. Looking at only negatives is enough to make somebody ill.
It's my turn to have Judy and her mother to dinner with Kay, of course. I'll plan it for sometime after the tennis tournament. Perhaps, by that time, Judy may have forgotten our discussion, but I'm not planning on that. I hope we can find some positive things to talk about. Maybe, the tournament or the Oscars or who knows? It may prove interesting. Maybe I'll invite some real left-wingers to dinner to counter Judy and Helen's Right wing tendencies. Now that would really be interesting, but probably not all that much fun ifif everyone doesn't enjoy a free-for-all.
"Why can't we all get along?" Why can't people talk, have a discussion without going ballistic? Why take everything so personally? Why not talk about issues in a sane, reasonable way? Why carry grudes for 20 years or find fault with everything? Isn't there something positive in the world. Or, if you don't like the way "things" are, why not offer a solution, a suggestion for how to improve the situation? Anyone can find fault with things. That's pretty easy. Finding solutions is what is important. Not running everything and everyone into the ground. It may be an enjoyable exercise for some people, but how productive is it overall?
So, tonight we find out who won the Oscars. I don't like to make predictions, because I have no way of telling the future, but neither does anyone else. So, I'll go out on a limb and predict the Director of Hurt Locker, the woman whose name I can't remember, will win Best Director. Jeff Bridges will win Best Actor. I haven't even seen Crazy Heart, but I've been listening to the talk. After that I have no predictions. Lately the woman have taken to wearing Vintage gowns. A much better choice that some previous choices. Not to say that some of the current designers aren't good. Michele Obama certainly wears great clothes by current designers. I hope we'll see some of their creations.
I am partial to Vintage Valentino. I like the simple, elegant, not too fussy look. Brilliant purple is always good, if it's the correct purple. Black is always a good choice for formal wear, but I'm not crazy about pastels. Creamy silks. Red. Off the shoulder good. Split to the navel, not as attractive. Very low backs can be a problem. Too tight to allow a woman to walk comfortable accross the stage or up the stairs is awkward. Trains seem a little overdone to me. This isn't a wedding. And if it were, is a train all that necessary. For Princess Di, maybe. That was quite a spectacle. The Oscars are not that. Although the Royalty of Hollywood. Jack Nicholoson (sp) in his shades, his ex-girlfriend, whose name escapes me now. Agelica Huston. I'm looking forward to seeing Lauren Bacall. She's got guts.
Many of the newer, or more recent actors I am not that up on. I like to see Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, hear somebody say something different. I'm not happy about the thanking God stuff. Thank your parents for God's sake, or some teacher who took an interest in you, or your friends, co-workers, or your long-suffering wife or husband or your kids who are home with their nannies
Got to go to the grocery store. Kay is coming for dinner. I've already folded the napkins. Found a great book on how to fold napkins in the Goodwill book store. I'll work up to some complicated fold before Judy and her mother arrive. There is some pressure on serving dinner to Judy and her mother. Judy's daughter is Amanda Hesser, the food critic for The New York Times. Judy's other daughter, Rhonda has a catering business. Both Judy and her mother are very experienced cooks. They make everything from scratch, as I do. But they use ingredients that I am, sometimes, unfamiliar with.
I believe in keeping it simple. I don't want a lot of ingredients nor do I want to spend all day preparing a meal. I've got other fish to fry, as the saying goes. So, if I were on the Vineyard, I wouldn't have any problem thinking of something. Fresh fish speaks for itself. August - corn on the cob, salad. A pie from Edith Blake or maybe I'd make a flourless chocolate cake. But here in Florida. I want to spend as much time as possible relaxing, something I do little of in NJ. I don't want to slave over the stove all day.
Perhaps I can find a one-pot meal I can simmer for hours or a recipe for Idiots that will serve the purpose. Tonight it is steak, roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts, a salad and some ice cream and fruit?
How easy is that?
Probably lost most of you long ago. I do go on writing on this blog. It is very cathartic for me. I don't know what it does for you.
Later, FAN
No comments:
Post a Comment