3/29/2007

The Call's Coming From Inside The House!

The night before last when I got home, I was pleased to see several new cultural consumables had arrived in the post. That sort of thing always make me giddy and since giddy isn't really my best look, I'm thankful this isn't a video blog.

Yesterday was a planned day off but one that required sharp decision making skills at every turn. Dilemmas presented themselves in the forms of questions about such things as where to rank R.A. Lafferty's Nine Hundred Grandmothers and Moshin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist in my to read pile? Having The Agony And The Ecstasy and Bang Crunch on the go already, would it make more sense to finish them first or put on a blindfold to help me pick and then trip over a chair?

While I pondered whether a video blog might not be such a bad idea, I put on my new cd and switched to wondering whether I should forgive Amazon or not. They'd lied to me by saying they would get me a copy of the mistressy mastery of Joan Sutherland's amazing 1960 recording The Art of the Prima Donna if I was patient with them. They lied. They bluffed saying they were looking extra super hard for it but eventually sent me a shit, we can't find it anywhere man email. I'm going to suggest they check eBay next time. The cd is as outstanding as the reviews led me to hope it would be.

As I sat around wondering what to do next, I was started by a call. Who would be calling in the middle of the day? Nobody knows I'm home. It turned out to be the back yard: Hey! Look how great a day it's turning out to be! It's warm! Get out there and do some yard work! Like any part time shut-in worth his salt, I hung up immediately. Somehow, the calls kept getting put through and I was eventually worn down. I raked and baked long enough to feel I'd been somewhat productive and headed back inside.

As I snacked and settled on the couch, somehow the first 8 episodes of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman accidentally whizzed by. Clocking in at about 20 minutes each, they were just as strange and funny as I'd remembered. I did manage to stop myself from marathoning through all 25 episodes in the first volume and opted instead for a nap.

Later that same day, I got to check out 300. It was pretty cool with lots of stylized violence which I always pick over the real thing given the choice.

The main thing I was able to decide was that it turned out to be a pretty damned fine Wednesday.

17 comments:

Writeprocrastinator said...

C'mon Dale! One more time, "this...is...Sparta!"

I'm going to be the last person on the continent that will be able to faithfully recite the Gerald Butler line, without seeing the film.

One of these weeks, I'll get to see it.

Joe said...

Glad to hear about Mary Hartman...that's on our list.

Dale said...

I wish I could have figured out WP, how to write out all the battle cries! Raaaahhhrr! It was decent.

The police officer sets Mary up with one of my favourite lines so far Bubs, it's simple but cracks me up. I won't spoil it.

Allison said...

That sounds like a sublime day off. New music, little bit of fresh air, and a nap, most excellent.

I'm interested in seeing 300, but not quite sure I could handle the violence.

Old Lady said...

I was rather disappointed, I thought it was about the Spartan Spring Free for All.

Jenny Jenny Flannery said...

Some day I'll have a day off like that. Sigh.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

How do people manage to fit all these things into one day? Are you sure you didn't stay home all week? How come when I have the day off I can barely manage to buy groceries and I still haven't read the paper from three days ago? And I don't even know where the tv is anymore. Obviously I lack coping skills.

That Amazon, though, they used to have a word for people like that and it rhymed with sock please.

mellowlee said...

Yep, that sounds like a great day off to me too :O)
I think I just may go see 300 this weekend. Maybe.

BeckEye said...

A guy like you needs a hammock.

Actually, a gal like me would kill for a hammock.

Chancelucky said...

Loved the line about "I always prefer stylized violence to the real thing, if given the choice"

You should be a guest on Fernwood 2nite.

Writeprocrastinator said...

Dale,

Tag, you're it.

Andi said...

Hell of a lot better than my Wednesday. I can't even remember my Wednesday. It couldn't have been very exciting.

Dale said...

It's pretty violent but it's more wow, look at that than oh God I'm gonna puke Allison. At least that's how I found it. Then again I'm a desensitized weirdo.

I know what you mean Old Lady. I thought it was about Oprah, The Early Years.

I sure hope so Flannery, it was pretty sweet. Sigh. And later next week, I'm on vacation for a week. Feel free to haterate.

Sometimes you just have to let all the pressing stuff fade into the background Barbara and just relax (or if you're me, just shirk shirk shirk...) Haha, sock please, it took me a few seconds before I got it. I'm too relaxed maybe?

You'll maybe have to let me know if you liked it Mel.

I'm pretty sure I could use a hammock successfully Beckeye, I think I have a photo of me in one somewhere.

Are you reviving the show Chancelucky? I'll get out my leisure suit and try and come up with some good material.

WP! But I've been semi-actively been avoiding doing that meme. Should I just do it? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

You were somewhere in transit between there and Nashville weren't you Andi?

X. Dell said...

I'd say you will be in reading heaven for awhile. Were you a US citizen, however, that Hamid book might get you into trouble.

I'm glad you pick movie violence over the real thing. Actually, I'm happy to know you can distinguish the two. Down here, a lot of us think of movie violence more as instruction than as fiction.

Dale said...

It occurred to me that it might not be a 'flight friendly' book X. Dell but it does sound like an interesting read for sure.

Movies, games: not real.

Real life: real.

Melinda June said...

Hmmm, Mindy and I have been wondering what bad dvds would could watch together - thanks for the ideas.

Dale said...

Mindy & I coming from Melinda June's avatar, it could only be CP! Watch away! I'm nearly through all the Mary Hartman's. It's like a glorious trainwreck and I'm loving it. I've only got a few to go.