Notes from my holiday travels
- Several of us drove to Virginia to see my great-aunt, whom I don’t get to see nearly often enough because she’s in assisted living several states away. Even at 96, she still uses words like "obscurantist" in everyday conversation. She’s one of my role models, and I hope we’re still discussing current events when she’s 100.
- On the drive back, I prevailed upon my family members to let me hunt for the Met’s broadcast of Don Carlo on the radio. They were very sporting about it, considering I had to keep chasing the broadcast around the dial as we kept moving northward.
- The Golden Compass is a fantastic book, in all senses of the word. I’m now itching to get my hands on the second and third volumes of the His Dark Materials trilogy. To everyone who recommended it: thank you!
- This was the Christmas when I learned to make stuffing. There was a proposal to just make some Stove Top to go with the turkey and I said no, I’d find a recipe and make it from scratch. It was simple and quite tasty. Fresh sage was what really made it work; that and cremini mushrooms.
- I’m hosting a friend who’s in town for the MLA, which I’ll also be attending (more on that anon). I may see some of you reading this at the blogger panel on Saturday, if not before.
- My job doesn’t start up again until January 3rd, and classes don’t start until the 8th. There’s time to go see a movie! (I want to see Volver and Pan’s Labyrinth, and they both just made it to Philly.) And declutter the apartment! And maybe go shopping for shirts!
- And, finally, I’ve seen this widget at several blogs, including wolfa‘s and Jane Dark‘s:
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My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Baroness Amanda the Eldritch of Bumpstead under Carpet Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Bumpstead under the Carpet…nice!
I need to get my a** over to see Volver, since it’s in my town. Though the reviews have been ever so slightly spotty, I’ve heard nothing but good things from people who’ve made it.
And how exciting to be reading His Dark Materials for the first time — the movie website, I must say, has me very optimistic.
I’m wishing I was at MLA, and hoping you might post notes on blogger-spotting and blogger-ruminations at the blogger-panel.
I will, once I can get my computer to cooperate! There was a blogger meet-up last night, and I think Clancy’s going to post pictures when she gets back from her travels.