February 14, 2001
Dear Everyone:
Yes, we have snow. Snow is what we have. There is snow on Mt Diablo and on the Livermore hills. Basically, there is snow anywhere in the greater Bay Area that has an elevation above 500 feet. This is because some very cold, very wet weather came through a few days ago and left all this white stuff in the high places. Then the very wet weather moved on to visit Southern California.
But the very cold part stayed with us. Consequently, the snow has not yet melted. It looks very pretty, dusting the tops of Mt Diablo, etc. And as long as it stays there and doesn’t come any closer, I’m perfectly happy to let it hang around as long as it wants.
However, that part about the “very cold” means that it’s cold outside. And, if you have very little insulation, it’s cold inside. And that means turning on the heat. Right in the middle of an energy crisis.
I’m trying to do my part. Wear lots of layers. Dig the oil lamps out of the closet. Problem is, there’s very few really good places to put oil lamps in my home. I have one in the middle of the dining table, but that’s not enough light to see what you’re doing in the kitchen. So I cheat and turn the kitchen light on just long enough to fill a glass without spilling over the top, then turn the light out again.
And last weekend, I bought about $75 worth of new candle holders and candles. Some people might think having 20 or more candles and lamps burning at the same time is a little excessive, but remember this: They also produce heat. However, at the rate I’m going through candles, I’m going to have to compare my energy bill to my alternative-lighting bill to see if I come out ahead.
On the plus side, the sun comes up earlier and goes down later an average of 3 minutes per day. Already, if I leave work on time, the upstairs part of the house is well-lit by the setting sun when I get home. So there’s hope. In the meantime, I can “save” energy by spending my weekends either at “Jeannie’s” place, the office or the movies. Or more likely, all three.
Chocolat (Spell Check says it’s wrong) is about a Free Spirit versus Conformity and the Status Quo. The year is 1959. But it could just as easily have been 1859, or 1759, or even 1659. Nothing changes (much) in this quiet little village in the French countryside. Monsieur le Comte (the Count) rules his tiny fiefdom just as his ancestors did. True, now he has to go through the formality of being elected mayor, but other than that, things are as they have always been.
Until a woman named Vianne and her daughter arrive and set up shop. Vianne starts flouting authority and society immediately by offering the information that, yes, she has a daughter, but no, she’s never been married. And then she has the effrontery to open up a chocolate shop in the middle of Lent! It was the Count’s very ancestor who drove all those awful Huguenots (read: anyone not Catholic) out of the village centuries ago. This sort of thing cannot be allowed and so the battle of wills begins.
It’s a pleasant little film, with only two “star” performers, Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) and Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love). But there are plenty of lesser-known actors doing what they do best, including a kind of “drop in” by Johnny Depp. This is what’s known as an “independent” film, meaning it’s not produced by one of the big powerhouse studios. It was produced by a charming little independent company called Miramax. So why is Chocolat (still “misspelled”) suddenly on the Best Picture list for an Academy Award?
Because Miramax, the “independent” studio was bought, lock, stock and film library, a few years ago by Disney, one of the biggest powerhouses around. And little Mickey is determined to collect as many Oscars as possible. So Miramax will spend whatever it takes to get the Academy votes.
I’m only two movies short of seeing all five nominees and Mother’s already ahead of me.
Love, as always,
Pete
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