A few things
November 24, 2011
1. The other day Charlie leaped on the coffee table, and this was as weird and anomalous an act as he's ever performed. He's sedate, if not unconscious, most of the time (unless a fire truck sounds its alarm, and then he's gotta HELP OUT!) and his favorite activities are a) sleeping and b) relaxing. He has never jumped on anything that was not cushioned and/or made for napping on.
Here you see Charlie in his natural habitat. It might seem as if he's peacefully dozing, but in fact he's waiting for me to place that blanket on top of him. He will soon look up and hrmph at me and if I don't do it he'll hrmph again. Come on, human with opposable thumbs--make with the blanket-application skills.
He will occasionally nab a person-food but only if it's on the very edge of the coffee table, at which point we're really just asking him to take it. But this, this jumping on the coffee table? It was as if he stood on his hind legs and offered us homemade crumpets. It made no sense. But there he was, just like that, on top of the coffee table, looking as confused about how he got there as we were. Scott and I were like whaaaaa? and he looked at us like I KNOW and then we had to help him off because he was all scrabble-legged and freaked about how to get down. And then afterward, oh, how we laughed. How we laughed!
We laughed like this: Ha, ha! Ha! Hoooo! Heh.
2. Ever since Camp Mighty, I have been having stress dreams about Oprah. Oprah is terribly disappointed with me. Every time she looks at me she makes her unhappy face, which I do not like. I complimented her on her dress, and it turned out that she called me into her office specifically to show me the problems with her dress and to ask me to return it for her! Goddammit! And then I woke up soaked in sweat.
3. Scott and I went out to dinner with friends last night and I spotted a character actor also at the restaurant, the kind of actor whose face you instantly recognize but you can't say from where. But his face, his lovable kindly hangdog face! Scott can usually identify these people at a glance, but the name was also escaping him. (Our friends just looked at us blankly while we referred to various obscure actors it could be but probably was not. Thank God we're married to each other.) On the way home I said, I know he's got a really WASPy name, like Buckram Gainsbridge or Percy Crampton. Scott scoffed at this and insisted that this actor was nothing if not Jewish and his name was probably Schlomo Herzfeld. (I'm paraphrasing.)
It turned out it was Austin Pendleton. Austin Pendleton! WHO WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE KIND OF NAME HE HAS OH THAT WOULD BE ME. Scott was not impressed enough that I at least could pull the characteristics of his name from deep within my subconscious. So now I'm asking you to be impressed. Go on.
4. I feel like this is some kind of metaphor for my life, but I'm not sure how:
5. In another dream Oprah wanted me to find someone's missing baby while she talked with her contractors about renovating her new offices. I couldn't find the baby. Once again: all sweaty upon awakening. I NEED TO MAKE OPRAH LIKE ME.
Reader Comments (28)
Funny, I wouldn't have gotten Austin Pendleton either, but I would have been able to tell you, "hey, he was in Guarding Tess" 'cause that's how my mind works. Happy Thanksgiving, Alice, Scott and Henry! (Izzy and Charlie, too.)
I am not only impressed but extremely envious, as I passionately love Austin Pendleton, especially for writing "Orson's Shadow."
Barry Haskell! Good to know he finally got the drink he wanted.
Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be lucky enough to experience my own Thanksgiving in the UK soon as my American lodger is going to orchestrate it and also make a (veggie) Thanksgiving dinner for us. I can't wait!
Re Charlie though - who can blame him for wanting comfort? My dog Ruby waits by her basket for me to make it for her when the blankets get too messed up. Though she does spend a lot of time on the sofa too :)
I read this while making pie, also at 5:30 in the morning, but fell asleep before hitting "submit." Deleted because it made no sense. Hopefully my pie is better. Oh, and I am totally impressed that you recalled the characteristics of the actor's name without actually being able to remember the name itself. That's skill.
I love dreams.
I couldn't write better movies.
Happy Thanksgiving, to one of my faves.
I would never have recognized Mr. Pendleton as anything more than a guy who looks like Martin Short crossed with Brad Dourif. Genetics!
Its all the life list pressure; EXCEL, DO GOOD... I hope your five things are ones that are purely for you. But I bet they are not and that's why Oprah, the ultimate dogooder, is on your case.
Hey Alice, I'm sure you wanted me to throw in my amateur dream analysis, right?
I like you way more than I like Oprah.
Our Beagle who passed away a yer ago in October, also named funnily enough, Charlie was a huge blanket fan. Every night she would come to bed and get between us and wait for husband to lift the blanket and let her under. If she got up in the night for a drink she would come back and very gently paw your shoulder to wake you so you could lift the blanket for her. No matter where she lay the tip of her nose always had to be covered by something, a paw, a blanket, the edge of a piece of furniture, I always felt it was the only way she could "shut off" her nose and rest.
Happy paleo Thanksgiving, I hope you found lots of good things to make.
I like your blog. I check up on you, because you're neurotic, like me. I like your boy, and your husband, your cats and even your dog Charlie - who doesn't seem good for much, does he? But cute. So I guess that counts.,
So, happy thanksgiving, you loveable stranger!
I really enjoyed the video. Happy Thanksgiving Alice!
Austin Pendleton will always be in my heart because he saved Kermit the Frog from the evil Doc Hopper in "The Muppet Movie." That was some serious stuff to a 5 year old. I would have made a complete fool out of myself if I had seen him, which is why it is probably a good thing I don't live in NYC.
Wow, when you described the actor's lovable kindly hangdog face, that was the actor I thought of! Even though I did not know his name. Bravo to you for knowing his name was more WASP-y and less Jewish-y.
Oprah doesn't like it when we tease blind kittens.
Bonus points for knowing his name was super WASPy, but that can't possibly be his real name...can it? He has to have been born a Schlomo or Herschel or something Jewy. That is not the face of an Austin. And, I say these things as a Member of the Tribe. We know from Schlomos.
That's a pretty nice post, i was reading something related on another web page not too long ago that essentially said the same thing although yours is better,plus its good to have some validation on seeing two sources agree.Lip Fusion
I've enjoyed the video! Thanks.
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We just rewatched "My Cousin Vinny" the other night and Austin was the stuttering public defender. I wouldn't have been able to recall his name either. Usually my husband and I communicate about such things with conversations like :"It's that guy from that movie where the thing happened." "No, it's not, he's in the one, with that girl who was in the other movie with the kid." "Oh, yeah, you're right."
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That's a pretty nice post, i was reading something related on another web page not too long ago that essentially said the same thing although yours is better,plus its good to have some validation on seeing two sources agree..
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It is really a wounderful post.Your research on the topic is commendable.Good going...
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Dating myself now, but Charlie's caper calls to mind the Mad About You episode where Paul walks into the apartment to find the dog, Murray, standing on the dining table and deadpans "This is new."
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