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Monday, December 27, 2010

Snowbound!

Another Nor'easter came up the coast yesterday and socked us in with lots of sideways-falling snow. Winds howled and gusted at 35-50 miles per hour throughout the night - and continue even now through the day.

If it weren't for the water in front of the house, this would look like a scene right out of Dr. Zhivago.

Just humming "Lara's Theme" gives me a chill.

There is something enchanting and romantic about being snowed in. I love to snuggle under my favorite blanket with a hot cup of tea and my Kindle. Or, watch old movies from the 40s and 50s and covet that dress or that pair of shoes and try to repeat that Really Great line when it comes by.

I've also gotten caught up on reading the New York Times and Washington Post which I now get "delivered" to my laptop every morning. It wasn't that long ago that you could be assured that if there was a blizzard, you were not going to get your newspaper delivered to your doorstep on time. Now, no matter the weather or location, if I have my laptop, I have a newspaper.

Ya gotta love technology. When it works. (I'm praying we don't lose our electricity.)

And now, thanks to Santa's Elves, I have a Sirius Radio. OMG! Can I just say how much fun this is? It's totally portable, so I can bring it in the car with me and. . .and. . .AND. . . it will move to Cambridge with me when I begin my Proctor Fellowship in a few weeks.

How amazing is THAT?

My regular radio doesn't seem to work very well here on the water, for some strange reason, so I'm delighted to have this satellite radio.

The local station with the strongest signal seems to be "The Talk of Delmarva" - a local Fox News station. Of course.

In the past couple of months, I've actually listened to Rush Limbaugh, et al., and all the Rush Wannabees more times than I care to admit. I got suckered in after trying to find a local station with local weather reporting.

You know, I don't mind that people hold different opinions than the ones I hold. Indeed, I find it interesting when it isn't occasionally confounding. But, OYE, the venom and vitriol!

The other night, a talk show host named "Duke" (how's that for a manly-man name?), was trying to get some music he had pre-recorded on his MP3 to play on turntable number two, but just couldn't get it to work. So, after muttering and stammering in a manly-man way, of course, what else was he to do but start taking callers.

The first words out of the first caller's mouth were these, "Hey, Duke. Sorry yer turntable went 'liberal' on ya."

Honest to Pete! "Went 'liberal' on ya'"??? You're kidding me, right?

Needless to say, it went downhill from there.

I had to turn it off after a few minutes. I was in danger of "going postal".

I've also had an opportunity to catch up on reading various blogs, which I haven't had much chance to do over Christmas. It's been good to check in on some of my friends and listen in on their thoughts.

I did wander over to one of my least favorite blogs and, you know, I was struck by how it sounds remarkably like stuff I hear on "The Talk of Delmarva". Like this little link about Global Warming.

My favorite comment was, "They (meaning, of course, the nefarious 'liberals') will never give up, because this isn’t about science, it’s about politics."

Talk about having a firm grasp on the obvious.

If stupidity is ignorance that refuses to be educated, then both stupidity and ignorance can become their own form of entertainment. Which, I suppose, is why Rush Limbaugh and all the Rush Wannabees are so successful in the media. And, the plethora of so-called "reality" shows.

I don't think this is exactly what our founders thought would happen to the First Amendment right to "freedom of speech."

Whatever happened to "situation comedy" like . . . . . Oh, never mind. I'll only date myself and then feel bad about sounding like an Olde Poop.

Meanwhile, the wind continues to howl outside my door, as I begin to consider which DVD I'll pop in and watch tonight, having done all the reading I care to do right now and watched all my favorite HBO shows "on demand".

I'm going to pass on "The Big Chill" - the title alone makes me cold even though it's a great flick - or anything with any snow scenes, like "Fargo".

I haven't seen "Rainman" in an age. Or, "Moonstruck". Or, "My Cousin Vinny". Or, "Prince of Tides". Or "Terms of Endearment". Or "Steel Magnolias".

Just found "Out of Africa" and "Atonement" which was hidden behind, "Life is Beautiful" and "The English Patient" - (OMG! Julia Binoche! Can there be a more perfectly beautiful creature than Julia Binoche?)

Or one of my all time favorites - "House of Sand and Fog". It's one of those rare movies which I thought was deeply respectful of the characters and story line of the book - even though the ending was different. The acting (Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley) and directing (Vadim Perelman) are also suburb.

Nah, I think I'm going to watch Ms. Conroy's DVD of old "I Love Lucy" shows which she got a few years ago as a Christmas present.

No heavy thoughts here. Just my kind of "reality" show - one that takes me out of my present reality to consider the various realities and complexities and foibles of the human enterprise.

Oh, and laugh and laugh and laugh.

Meanwhile, the wind will continue to howl all around me, reminding me of my own snowbound reality from which I'm escaping - even if just in my mind and only for a few hours.

That, I think, is the real gift of being snowbound.

6 comments:

Riley said...

Your Stand Firm link isn't working....it needs some Viagra.

Glad to hear you're all snuggled up watching Lucy reruns, and not listening to those pesky RUSH wannabees. Really, Elizabeth?? I think you've got some splainin' to do. Just sayin'.

Julia Binoche is beautiful, but I've always favored another Julia....Ormond.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Hmmm . . . link not working . . . hmmm . . .I'm thinking that's not a coincidence.

Julia Ormond totally ROCKS, too. We have similar taste in women.

walter said...

..Well there is not satellite from where I am transmitting…let us delve into this topic of “healthy sexuality”. I choose heterosexuality because I am an heterosexual man with a strong sympathy for Dr Elizabeth.

I have heard of Fox News Live, repeatedly, conversations about “healthy heterosexuality”; healthy connoted by a male sexuality that views male sexual affirmation as the experience on which to build affections; and female sexuality that views sexual affirmation as the experience built from affections. This has been articulated as the link between male and female sexuality and a connotation of “healthy” intimate relationship. The problem is that we are not computers; if we are not convinced, try to be aware of time as we switch on your computer and creatively compare that “time” with the time it takes you to reach an understanding. Are we clear? I think we are.

The God-Life Inherent of sexuality cannot accept this “theory of sexuality” and romantic relationship. No! It is a distortion on the side of American Christian fundamentalism. To believe that a male sexuality as a female sexuality (either heterosexual or homosexual) are inherent sexual affirmations not linked to a stimulus from the outside or a response to the outside is to overcome the “theory of sexuality” of American Christian fundamentalism and to enter the genuine paradise of sexuality.

Either you choose an abomination of sexuality or you choose freedom with capital F. The answer must be yea-yea or nae-nae, anything else is evil unforgivable because against the Holy Spirit. Either you choose free choice or freedom. What are you going to choose? In the meantime (ILove this expression) I pray in the name of the One who keeps us centered and focused and truthful.

Walter Vitale

Riley said...

Hi Sweetie,
Your LESBIAN friend Riley here....waves at Walter.

Well, I still think the "I couldn't get anything but Fox on my regular radio" excuse seems a little flimsy...LOL, but I'll let that go for now. : )

I'm heading home to SD later today for our Christmas party. Normally we're all home on Christmas, but this year we did things a little differently. Such is life.

Love you, sweetlady.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Traveling mercies, Riley. Have a wonderful Christmas family celebration.

walter said...

On our viewing' opportunity remembering The epiphany..Hi sweeties! I have just finished lunch and I am writing in my bed getting ready for my afternoon nap. I have asked one of the administrators to rent for me The English Patient. Elizabeth asked the question if there could be something more perfectly beautiful then Juliette Binochet? Kristin Scott Thomas: will you notice how transparent she looks when she gets out of the bathtub!! Well it seems we have a different taste in women although I must say I have not seen yet Juliette Ormond. Riley, perhaps you may suggest a movie with her that I will try to rent. In the meantime can The English Patient be the space/time where we occasionally and epiphanically and ‘secretly’ meet with our erotic affirmations-sexualityplussexualorientationequalsprimarysexualaffirmation? I would love that and it would mean a lot to me..I am going to watch some more of the movie and maybe add something else later..Elizabeth and Riley, Juliette Binochet is truly perfectly beautiful but in the Freedom of my heart beyond gender’ jealousy Kristin Scott Thomas is a bit closer to The soul-she remind me of my most intense love affair I had in 1997-1998 with a bisexual girl-just splainin'. In the name of the One who keeps us centered and focused and truthful I hope Riley had a wonderful Christmas’ family celebration. ILove my Little Girl, ILove my Traveling Mercies, ILove my Brother-ILove my Libby.

Walter Vitale