May 30, 2001
Dear Everyone:
After weeks of “too busy to get together” from “Jeannie”, we finally did get together last Saturday. (The fact that she’s busy is good, since it means she’ll get paid something for it.) We had lunch in Walnut Creek, which was apparently hosting an “Adopt-a-Dog” (or any other kind of pet) event. The Good News is that they shut down Broadway and we could saunter back and forth across the street without worrying about being run over by a BMW.
We both need new luggage. Or at least, we both did until last Saturday. I got mine. She’s still looking. I decided, for once, not to cheap myself out and got a really good carry-on that should be able to hold everything I need for a two-nights-one-day trip. And it’s guaranteed to fit under the airline seat. We’ll see in a few weeks.
Other than Saturday, I didn’t see “Jeannie” again that weekend, even though it was a long one. A really long weekend for me because I took Tuesday off as a vacation day so The Salvation Army could come by to pick up my old sofa. They were scheduled to arrive some time between 10:30 and 1:30. The doorbell rang just before 11:00. It took the driver less than five minutes to reject the sofa on the grounds that it had a slight stain on one of the cushions. After 21 years, what would you expect?
Evidently, no one will accept any furniture for donation unless it’s in showroom condition. (In which case, why would anyone want to give it away?) St Vincent de Paul declined as well. My current (new) plan is to impose on a friend and haul it to the dump this next Saturday.
On the Plus Side, I did get quite a lot of reading done this weekend. Beginning Saturday morning, at the hairdressers, I devoured three “Amelia Peabody” mysteries by Tuesday night. My new chairs, which I got to replace the sofa I can’t seem to get rid of, are particularly well suited to curling up with a “cozy” book. As for the books, I’m endeavoring to re-read most of them in chronological order. “Jeannie” got me started with Number Six in the series, which left me quite confused about some things.
I also broke down recently and signed up for a cell phone. Because the company has a special deal with one of the service providers, I can get the same reduction for myself. My plan, when I find out what my account number is, is to see if I can add a second phone for “Jeannie”. If anyone really needs a cell, it’s she. Especially when they send her to the attorney’s old address, which was replaced with a freeway onramp. For myself, I’ve discovered that it’s very handy for calling myself, either at home or at work, and leaving a message to remind me to do something when I get there.
Other than that, the only other thing I did the weekend was going to see a movie that I knew “Jeannie” didn’t want to see anyway.
Shrek (unwritten subtitle: Katzenberg’s Revenge). When Jeffrey Katzenberg, who worked at Disney, didn’t get the recognition he felt he deserved, he left and joined with Steven Spielberg (and others) to form DreamWorks SKG. Shrek is a product of that company. It is also a wicked send up of many of Disney’s most famous animated features. Many of the jokes probably went over the heads of the kids in the audience. Even if they saw Sleeping Beauty on tape, would they recognize a quick flash of the three Fairies being evicted from Rose Cottage?
(In the original fairy tale, there were twelve fairies invited to the infant princess’s christening. When the thirteenth fairy crashed the party and laid a curse on the princess, this was one more example of why the number thirteen is considered unlucky. In a brilliant foreshadowing of corporate America, “Uncle Walt” downsized the fairies to only three.)
There are also rumors that the ogre, Shrek, was modeled after a particular executive at Disney. Apart from that, and a few amusing “cameos” from the Disney pantheon, it’s a pleasant story. Shrek goes on a quest to find the princess who is guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. He is accompanied by a talking donkey. The donkey is a motor-mouth who can’t shut up. The dragon has romantic issues. The princess has a warranty problem.
There are lots of little “lessons” similar to what you might expect to find on Sesame Street. It’s a pleasant 90 minutes. Take the kids. And you’ll love Shrek’s reaction to Snow White’s entrance.
Love, as always,
Pete
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