A Few Things About Me:
* I like pink. I love blue and green, but more and more pink keeps finding its way into my life. I guess it just makes me happy. And so, I now have a large pink mock croc handbag (perfect for trips to the movies), a fuchsia French knitting bag, with shocking chartreuse lining, and a Schiaparelli pink opera scarf. All these things were recent gifts from my grandmothers. It's that time of year.
* I have lots of bags. Most of them are strictly sensible Manhattan Portage bags. But I really love the ones that make people look twice: the pink mock croc, the Queen Mum/Doctor's Bag handbag complete with metal spikes on the bottom and tiny lock and key, and my Liberty tote bag. I've always wondered about the lock and key. If you lock your purse, where are you supposed to put the key?
* I often get phone calls from area codes that I can't place on a map. I got a call the other day that started with country code 6. I haven't a clue where that is.
* I was excited to learn that I'm to get a big tax refund this year, until I realized that I gave the government a big fat, interest free loan. Again. If I were more attentive to my withholdings, I could have had that money all year to squander as I see fit. Like on shockingly expensive bottles of French perfume at the Duty Free store.
* I can't bear being late to the movies. And I always have to find the optically optimum seat in the theatre. I must be such a pain in the ass to people who accompany me, but we're rarely straining our necks in the front row.
* I sometimes love irredeemably bad music. I like Bossa Nova, even though most people think it's just Muzak.




Au Meme Temps

That is a phrase that fills me with dread. At the same time, in a set of directions, invariably means that you've already made a mistake without knowing it.
Lately, I've had the distinction of undergoing SSSS, or super special security screening, at the airport, had a birthday, had the flu (on my birthday), had my car stall on the entrance ramp to an expressway, received a package from Belgium that looked as though it had been through a war, been tied to the train tracks by a dastardly looking man with a twirly mustache, seen an ex-boyfriend listed as the "singles ad of the day" on a favorite website, and seen a Bollywood adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Ah-ha, I've got your attention now. No train tracks for me, though the rest of it had to be endured with varying degrees of peevishness. Since I am still recovering from the flu, and I'll spare you the details, I've made my cousin Stephen my designated drinker for the evening. I'll be spending St Pat's with my DVD player this year.
It's really not that bad, I suppose. After the initial shock, I had a good laugh over the singles ad. Very interesting to see how the ad weighs up against the reality.
My car started up again after I coasted over to the shoulder. It was a nice little workout, as the power steering cut out with the engine. Sigh. I've got to get a major tune-up before summer stock season.
The package from Belgium was a long awaited yarn order from the lovely folks at Phildar. It only took a month! The postman dropped it off Monday morning, announced by a startling knock on the door of the sort favored by the police. It was held together with plastic straps, and I highly doubt that it left Belgium that way. Luckily, it was only the box and not its contents that were mauled by the post office.
The movie was a bit of a disappointment, though I am not sure what it was exactly that I'd expected. The acting was similar to the style favored by actors in Mexican soap operas, there were big music and dance numbers, and no kissing. I laughed a few times, but found the whole experience similar to accidentally buying a hollow chocolate Easter bunny.
I've been surprised by the response of my friends in the light of recent upheavals. I even got two transatlantic calls. I'm flattered that so many people care, given my Perils of Pauline life.