Monday, December 23, 2002

Chalow checks out the red maple leaves on our patio

"What can be done about the problems that beset our life? Nothing can be done, and nothing needs to be done."

David Mamet, Writing in Restaurants, 1989

It is not enough to be h

We wake up to rain. It is still early when FFP decides to rescue the papers. It isn't too long before I'm up. I have to get the towering paper pile out of the big room. (THE room, we call it.) I have to straighten up the kitchen. I have to chop up vegies for entertaining tonight. I have to wash the sheets. I do all this, taking time to put some of the papers pile in recycling. (Although a good-sized pile goes in my office to hide during the entertaining.)

I also go through the tapes, DVDs and LDs and find the movies that we will choose from tonight.

Then I'm off to the club for a workout. I go take a bank deposit for FFP on the way. When I come back Gayle has arrived and is making salsa fresca and has brought 'heat and eat' stuff from Central Market for our lunch. That tastes good. Then the maid comes. I've showered up at the club to stay out of her way, but I actually got back before she arrived. (OK, and I had a short steam, too.)

Then I try to stay out of the maid's way. She is vacuuming my office so I busy myself elsewhere and then go into the office or up to FFP's office to avoid her paths.

The evening's entertainment is food and movies. Gayle is staying over and we've invited five others. A proper number to not overwhelme the kitchen or the spots for watching TV. People arrive. We have raw vegies, olives, cheese, crackers, a spinach/artichoke dip, a homemade pizza, nachos with smoked chicken. We open several bottles of wine. We drink them.

We settle into the movie watching. Big Night is first up. I do some dishes and run around doing things. I've seen the movie a lot of times. But I don't ever get tired of it, of the food, of the cars and dresses, of the passion. After Big Night, we decide to watch Dr. Strangelove. It's FFP's choice, I think. But he gets the votes for it. I never get tired of this one either, but FFP really, really loves it.

When everyone leaves, we finish the clean up. Not hard for such a small party. And, bed.

JUST TYPING
Getting ready for guests.
You hide things.
The pile of newspapers.
The scattered shoes.
The toaster oven.
Close doors.
Present an orderly exterior.