Monday Night, November 5 - Election Eve

1) My goodness, I don’t understand how ye Fycebykke decides things about me, but this evening I had to delete these tags from my ad settings: engineering, innovation, public broadcasting (with a map of Great Britain), structure, Fenway Park (!), Traverse City micropolitan area, Simon & Schuster, George Santayana, performing arts, concept album, classical ballet, Northern Michigan, and prehistory.

1a) It’s unusual for me to retain one of these suggested settings, but for giggles I’m keeping: Boston, Lincolnshire; creativity, and erotic novels.

2) Continuing to celebrate Vivien Leigh’s birthday by finishing That Hamilton Woman and watching a movie only I would watch, Dark Journey from 1937 with Conrad Veidt. A WWI espionage drama costumed for the 1930s and a screenplay that needs a bit of work . . . but I love it.

3) As most of us do, when I got home I went to slip into something more comfortable, and the first thing I found was my Do Better T-shirt from my Do Better Box, a project of my Young Interlochen Friend Danny. And it’s very appropriate for the night before Election Day, ‘cause gurrrllll . . . we can ALL do better! #vote

Monday Afternoon, November 5

1) Apparently today is Vivien Leigh’s birthday, so it’s Most Proper to take a look at Winston Churchill’s favorite movie, That Hamilton Woman:

2) A mentally restless morning, difficult to concentrate, followed by a wonderful site visit to Symphony Hall.

3) Next mood swing in _____ minutes!

Monday Morning, November 5

1) Coffee in the study. How grateful I am to live alone!

2) You know I have Gyygle ads on my site. Imagine my shock when I went to check something this morning on an old column, and the ad that showed up had to do with Medicare!

3) Remembering that a party of us on the staff have a site visit at Symphony Hall this afternoon - hurrah!

Sunday, November 4

1) What time change? Too busy today to notice!

1a) I think I must’ve washed four dozen forks and two dozen cocktail plates, and I know I took out two dozen wine botles in the recycling.

2) Done is better than good, as a good friend taught me, so today’s column (with video) is done, and the Repeal Day invitation (and video) are done. And I feel good about that.

3) Dreaming of, and researching possibilities for, a winter vacation someplace warm and sandy.

Saturday Night, November 3

1) Breezy evening + no rain after all = cape!

2) In the words of the late Noel Coward, “I went to a marvelous party.” In this case a wedding banquet for my Interlochen friend Christina and her new husband Chas, held at the UMass Club downtown and with sweeping views.

2a) I knew no one at this wedding banquet but the bride, but she seated me at a table with other arts-oriented folks, and we had a great time.

3) The most moving part of the evening (for me, anyway) was just before dinner was announced, when Christina and several of her choral friends performed three works related to love. All three cast their own magic, and I confess I stood gaping like the village idiot with my hand over my heart through all of it. But the second piece, “How Do I Love Thee?” with text from the famous poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, just carried me away. (I hope this is the arrangement.)

Saturday Afternoon, November 3

1) As metioned before, Freddie Mercury has never really been part of my musical life, but since Bohemian Rhapsody was pointed out to me earlier this week, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is becoming my new musical obsession.

2) Walking through Back Bay after filming a quick video at the Gibson House to promote Repeal Day, I saw a short, very round man older than I walking with some difficulty up the Commonwealth Mall. I looked again in time to see him fall flat on his face. And I crossed the street, more with reluctance than compassion, to offer what help I could. Two petite young women got to him first. The good news was that he didn’t appearl to have broken anything, and he wasn’t bleeding. With one young woman on one side and me on the other (the women brought strength to the rescue, and I brought size), we were able to help him take his time to get up and to walk six feet to a bench.

2a) Continuing on my way to the supermarket, I was chastising myself for my reluctance to help, and then caught sight of this painted rock in a flower bed (see above). It said “A small act of kindness still counts.” So that shut up the dialogue in my head.

3) Spent half an hour on the phone with Mother talking all last weekend’s festivities and then took a disco nap to prepare for tonight’s wedding celebration. It’s been years since I’ve been out on the wedding circuit, but this autumn I’ve had two weddings and a wedding banquet in four weeks!

Friday, November 2

1) Yesterday evening: Heidseck, pizza, and leftover birthday cake with a friend.

2) “The season” used to be between Christmas and Lent, I think, but now it seems definitely to be between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. I feel like my season starts tonight ‘cause I’m going to dinner at L’Espalier (!) and tomorrow night I’ve been invited to a wedding celebration. Woohoo!

3) This house is not going to clean itself, which is really too bad.

All Saints Day, Midday, 2018

1) The scent of a person who does not like you.

2) Salmon quinoa.

3) Bohemian Rhapsody. Just saw the trailer yesterday. Freddie Mercury was never part of my musical life, but I think I’m going to have to see this movie.

3a) I think the last time I saw a movie in a cinema was last Thanksgiving when I saw the new Murder on the Orient Express. And now here it is almost Thanksgiving again, and I’m interested in a new movie.

Hallowe'en Night, 2018

1) Yes, I brought the Weeping Baby Pumpkin Heads to the office today, but in boxes to prevent the tragedy of last year.

1a) But the haters don’t have to worry! Hallowe’en is when Weeping Baby Pumpkin Heads go back in storage until next October. The glass pumpkins stay out through Thanksgiving.

1b) I’ve nicknamed 3.0 (seen at left above) “Stepford,” since the eyes are hollow.

2) On the train home I sat near a woman in a Scooby-Doo bodysuit and a guy with a costume involving a sword.

3) I made a list on the way home - no lie, I wrote it out and everything! - of several things I could do tonight. Not even one of those items included the phrase “ Fall into a deep sleep at 7 PM for three hours,” and yet somehow that is exactly what happened.

3a) Three hours!

Hallowe'en Morning, 2018

1) Last night I was VERY surprised to open a birthday present and find A THIRD WEEPING BABY PUMPKIN HEAD! Needless to say I included it in today’s Hallowe’en video. Its eyes are hollow, so I’m going to nickname it Stepford.

2) In my whole adult life I’ve never stayed home to give out candy. No idea why, but I’m not starting this year either.

3) I shall certainly wear my cape if the weather permits.

Tuesday Morning, October 30

1) Candlelight coffee and devotional in the parlor. C.S. Lewis makes me mad today. “When the event you pray for occurs, your prayer has always contributed to it. When the opposite event occurs, your prayer has never been ignored; it has been considered and refused, for your ultimate good and the good of the whole universe. (For example, because it is better for you and for everyone else in the long run that other people, including wicked ones, should exercise free will than that you should be protected from cruelty or treachery by turning the human race into automata.)” Dammit, I am still going to pray for the repentance of despots and tyrants!

2) Two months left of the year. My thoughts fly so many places this morning.

3) Ritual. Color. A progression of color. Coffee.

Saturday Morning, October 27

1) Yesterday I saw a display of messages related to domestic violence awareness on T-shirts.

2) A sweaty domestic morning today, mopping mostly, but also laundering. A compressed time for housekeeping since I’m off to a wedding!

3) If it doesn’t all get done, well . . . it just won’t all get done!

Thursday, October 25

1) Last night I walked into the kitchen about midnight. I put my hand on the corner of the counter and heard CRASH! tinkle tinkle tinkle. Two balloon goblets from last winter’s thrift shopping were sacrificed on the midnight altar and I spent 15 minutes sweeping up the remains.

2) Tonight’s gone from Alan Chapman and Jimmy Buffett to Evelyne Laye and Jeanette MacDonald. ‘Cause that’s how I roll.

3) In the words of the late Crystal Allen, “Oh, it is dear of you to want to be with me on my birthday. But I won’t be lonely. No, honestly I won’t! And if this weather lets up my neuralgia will be better and then maybe I can . . . oh no, it’s nothing, it’s just nerves.”

Tuesday Evening, October 23 - Searching for the Good Stuff

1) Yesterday afternoon, before a site visit at one of the Back Bay private clubs, I popped into ye Styrbykke’s on ye Nywbyry Street and was very surprised to find my favorite former hostess from Doyle’s! The last time I saw her was two years ago at a Legendary Eatery Popular With Tourists. She was just as glad to see me as I was her, and she even pressed on me a slice of lemon cake.

1a) It reminded me vividly of three months I worked at ye Dynkin’ Donyts in college and treating three regular mafiosi on my last night there.

2) Dashing between bus and train late this afternoon I was delighted and dazzled by a rainbow. My photo absolutely does not capture how beautiful it was.

3) I’m not so different from a lot of people right now. I just need to know it’s going to be OK.

Monday Morning, October 22

1) Coffee in bed. I’ve been trying to keep the heat off until Hallowe’en, and it’s cold in here!

1a) A look at this week’s long-range forecast, though, indicates I need to turn on the heat this evening. Mercy goodness, a freeze warning is in effect right now!

2) Piriformis.

3) I have now reached the death of Prince Albert in Victoria the Queen. Subsequent generations of the medical profession have identified his symptoms as those of Crohn’s disease, which wasn’t identified until the early 20th century.

Sunday, October 21 - Shredding

One of my many housekeeping assignments this weekend is “sort and shred papers,” which really means collecting all the piles of paper in every room into one enormous pile in the gray room, going through it all, shredding what’s no longer needed and creating a smaller pile of what needs to be kept. This type of exercise always brings up surprises and memories, along with thank-you notes and Christmas cards.

1) A program and ticket stub from Carnival de Venise, a Baroque opera I saw last June with a friend.

2) A card sent me by a friend in 2016, a friend who is now - how shall I say this? - having professional difficulties. I was watching Julie and Julia while shredding, and consider it a good omen that I found that card just as Julia Child got the letter from Knopf offering to publish her cookbook.

3) Another program, this from a private recital last April to benefit the Chorale.

Friday, October 19

1) Today was the birthday of both my Grampa Dimmick and my loving cousin Susan. And I miss them both still.

2) A day of experiences: a) a man with a crutch (who may or may not have been drinking) fell flat on the sidewalk getting off the #1 bus, b) waiting for the campus shuttle and listening to an old lady yawping into her cell phone, I was surprised to recognize her as a colleague from almost 30 years ago, and c) coming home tonight I was very surprised to find someone sitting on our front steps smoking a cigarette. I greeted her "Good evening! Are you visiting some of the neighbors?" She replied "No, I'm just takin' a break." She said she lived up the street. I had never seen her before, and it was unclear what she was taking a break from. I told her "I'm sorry, but we don't keep the porch open for the public, and this is a non-smoking building. You'll have to leave." (I really was so taken aback - this has never happened - I hardly knew what to say.) And off she went in the direction of Washington Street.

3) I am for the moment very focused on this scene from The Devil Wears Prada: “And then call Natalie at Glorious Foods and tell her NO, for the 40th time, NO, I don’t want dacquoise, I want tortes filled with warm rhubarb compote.”

Thursday Evening, October 18 - Communications

So for the past two (?) days I’ve been without email at my own domain!

1) Long story short (too late!) my domain straddles two ISPs. One upgraded a server, so the other was sending email to the OLD server - in other words, it was sending email into the ether and not to me.

2) This took a little longer to resolve since I had forgotten ALL of my login information for the second ISP. Attempts to verify my identity by calling me on my landline led to the surprise of (after unplugging my router modem thingy - whatever they’re called now) and replugging in my Dimmick Supply pushbutton phone from the 1970s - there was no dial tone.

2a) Had to verify by landline because they wanted to send a new password to the email associated with the account - which was one of the affected email addresses.

3) NOW I am able to send and receive email again - huzzah! - but, it seems, not through whatever the email system is on my computer, but through the web interface. Again, something about passwords.

Bonus: So if you DID send me email in the last two days, I didn’t get it, and please resend. Thank you!

Thursday Morning, October 18

1) Why on earth the first article I should choose to read is about the regional shortage of Tab cola I have no idea. It’s like the Norma Desmond of soft drinks: “Why, I thought she was dead!”

2) I’m going to be without email for a few days, so thanks for your patience. I’d fall asleep or die laughing explaining what happened in detail, but the short version is that, following a server upgrade at my ISP, I’ve forgotten lots of essential information and my landline has no dial tone when I plug in my aged Dimmick Supply pushbutton phone from the 1970s.

3) My prayer these days is that everyone not only know the truth, but recognize it as the truth.

Wednesday, October 17

1) Frustrating communication day, as my personal email will not send outgoing mail because of some “syntactically invalid HELO argument(s),” whatever the hell that is. JUST SEND THE EMAILS!

1a) Opened a ticket with ye Lynyrpyges at 8:45 AM, and it is STILL open ten hours later.

2) This is one of those days when I have to wonder what on earth I’ve been doing my whole life.

3) I was given a copy of Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists, which so far has been very interesting. So this puts me in the middle of three books simultaneously, including Victoria: A Life and White Trash.