“Ideologies have no heart of their own. They’re the whores and angels of our striving selves.” – John le Carre
I’ve fallen off of the WordPress wagon again.
My tumble was (and still is) completely unavoidable and entirely of my own doing. You see, in my single-minded desire to realize my academic endgame, I constructed a semester devoid of that frivolous little thing called free-time. I don’t even have time to do the things I need to do. I guess it’s true what they say about hindsight. I’m sure I will find the humor in my predicament – eventually. Perhaps when I have more time.
I learned this week (last month)…
…that the best part of fall has passed me by with nary a whisper. Sure, I went to the state fair with my family and friends. Sure, I ate a fried Samoa – it was yummy. Sure, I hated the crowd and swore I would never go again. But, that’s all I did to pay homage to my favorite of all seasons. I didn’t schlep down to the local pumpkin patch with a horde of children in tow. I didn’t spend hours meandering through rows of fat gourds looking for just the right one to guard my door against the ghouls and goblins of Halloween. I haven’t taken the time to find where I stashed my fall decorations. I haven’t bothered to darken the door of my favorite coffee shop in search of a full-fat, sugar-laced pumpkin spice latte. There simply hasn’t been any time to do all of these things I love, and now the holiday season stands looming on the horizon, bearing down on me with an intensity that takes my breath away. Perhaps this year would be a good time to make good on my threat to spend the hustle and bustle of Christmas and the New Year on a remote Caribbean beach sipping frozen margaritas and listening to Jimmy Buffett’s greatest hits.
…that dogs are weird. I am a cat person, and have been for as long as I can remember. My husband is a dog person. He’s an accommodating man who loves me, and therefore has suffered a houseful of cats for some 17 years. This week, we adopted a cute little dog from a local animal shelter. We are still in the learning stages, trying to figure out how to be dog people. I must say, our new addition to the family is a strange fellow who loves to roll around in the grass, steal acorns from under the oak tree in the backyard, and bury his gross chewy things between the couch cushions. I do think I may love our sweet Rocco, though I do find my preoccupation with his bodily functions rather disturbing…and disgusting.
…that it is possible to earn an A on a Geology exam. Could I actually pull an A for the semester in this class? The hopeless dreamer in me says: Yes! You can accomplish anything you set your sights on. The nagging realist says: Don’t be stupid (as he cuffs the hopeless dreamer in the head and slinks off to outline yet another mind numbing textbook chapter).
…that Ben Affleck’s Argo was everything it was supposed to be and much more. I was born in the early seventies and the Iran Hostage Crisis was my first exposure to the ugliness that lived just beyond my safe haven. Of course, at the tender age of 8, I was incapable of appreciating the magnitude of the situation; that this deplorable action was a calculated reaction to a foreign policy put in place decades prior. Argo lays out the politics of the time, the road that led the Iranians down the path of revolution, and the role the American government played in the rise of the decidedly anti-Western sentiment that had enveloped the region. There is an element of humor to this film that I was initially put off by given the seriousness of the subject matter, but as the story unfolded, and the tension began to build, it seemed to bring a much needed balance. My only complaints: the unnecessary cleaning up and “happy ending” of main character Tony Mendez’s personal life – completely irrelevant to the story at large, and Affleck’s homage to President Jimmy Carter that followed the closing credits. While I understand old Ben’s undeniable biases, I felt that it was a little like a rewriting of history and an attempt to polish Carter’s tarnished presidency. Of course, this opinion is largely brought about by my own biases, so my suggestion: see it for yourself and drawn your own conclusions. Next on my list of must see movies – Bond. James Bond.
…and last, but not least, this week’s awww moment is brought to you by Rocco, the newest member of the Isaacs’ family. He is as sweet as he is adorable. We are very lucky to have found him.
Of Bears and Boating 