A few nights ago, I woke up to the sound of the floor creaking, and I thought there was someone in my room -- someone large, by the sound of the creaking. I was absolutely paralyzed with fright. I rolled over as if I was shifting in my sleep and tried to get a look, but I couldn't see anybody - although the door was open and I always keep it closed. I was trying to think of what would make an effective weapon, good enough for me to get past this hulking mass and to my son's room. Heart pounding, mind racing, not good for thinking. All I had within reach was a glass of water, but I thought maybe that would be a good element of surprise at least. I could hear the dresser drawer being slowly opened, and I thought: GO! So I got up and moved towards the door, and there was nobody at the dresser, or in fact in the room at all. I snapped on the light all HA and there was the cat, who has apparently learned how to open the door AND the dresser, and was all nestled in amongst my sweaters. I did not pour the water on her.
The moral of this story is: my cat may be a little on the hefty side.
Today I went and rehearsed the SINGLE LINE that I am dubbing for a video game for twenty minutes. I'm sorry: TWENTY MINUTES. Please understand that I did an entire movie without a rehearsal and it was fine, so this seems like excessive preparation. Apparently my delivery of "How many slices do you want?" required an entire backstory for my character, which I got, and also several different tries in order to achieve the maximum quality pizza seller voice. I am baffled. But the people are nice and it was good for me to be out in the fresh air; it was a beautiful fall day today.
I keep thinking about the US election. I have already voted, so I really do not need to inform myself further, but I cannot stop. It is dumb. I have managed this year to stop clicking on celebrity gossip types of things, because they are stupid and I never feel better knowing them. I have managed also to stop reading comments on news sites and I've mostly stopped reading comments altogether. This is huge for me, to consciously decide NOT to read something and stick to it, because I will read your cereal box if you'll leave it out for me. So I have got some self restraint. However, with the politics, it is just ... I cannot stop. I want to know, to acquire more knowledge. To what purpose? No idea. I mean: to be informed about politics IN GENERAL is certainly a good thing, but why I needed to read the text of a debate between two candidates when I have already chosen seems rather a time suck.
In politics where I actually live, there is a Czech artist, a lawyer by degree and a painter/opera composer/teacher by profession, who is running for president. I am so irritated by the current president, who is just a giant bag of air. The artist is witty and quick and tattooed all over. I wish he had a chance; at this point, he's still collecting signatures to try and get on the ballot.
I just finished season 5 of Mad Men. Gracious, but I do love television. It's almost ridiculous how much. I love watching people that I do not know go through their lives, some of which I recognize as similar to mine and some of which I get to understand for the first time seeing someone else experience them. I read a quote from Erma Bombeck: I should have laughed and cried less watching television and more watching life. And there is some truth to that, okay. But I laugh and cry PLENTY watching life, I assure you, and it is nice to get really angry at Don Draper and not feel like I'm being a bad friend for feeling that way.
I'm probably just being crazy but of course I imagine all the people in the Czech Republic read books and are non-reactionary.
So it is not the nightmare the US is.
I remember when I was trying to get tenure and I told myself bla bla bla if I get tenure I'm going to WATCH TV and wear yoga pants to work and I don't wear the yoga pants but I think I spent time catching up on about 10 years of TV I missed.
But once I googled the average person's TV watching and I am amazed 151 hours a month! 5 hours a day! How is that possible???
They must stay off the internet. But 5 hours? A day. I feel so guilty about my little 3 hour binges on Friday night.
Is it really so bad? It is kind of like reading if the TV is good--you think about the characters, you are a bit expanded in your life experience, blabbity bla...
I was kind of bummed that you don't have a ghost!
Posted by: ozma | October 22, 2012 at 04:40 AM
I think it's not bad to watch TV if you're watching it thoughtfully. I think most things are okay if you're able to stay focused on them -- if it's just for distraction, then maybe it's not as good, but even then: JON HAMM.
I have two ghosts, but even they know they're not allowed in my room. Which the cat also knows, she's just more stubborn.
Posted by: anne | October 24, 2012 at 10:17 AM