Weekend wow-ness

What a jam-packed holiday weekend this is turning out to be.

Yesterday was supposed to be a work day for me while Otis was having appointments all day, but it didn't quite turn out that way. Otis did work, but I wound up doing not-work while waiting for Les Schwab to tell me that brake work to Otis's car would cost three and a half bills and that they couldn't do it until Tuesday. Still, I had a nice walk along the Fremont Canal, and a nice time at Canal Coffee in between taking care of business.

Anecdote the first: Since I left the car with Les, I needed to make my way home from Ballard, but I also needed a bit of lunch. As I worked my way up 15th Avenue and got navigational aid from Stella, I saw the big blue sign in front of me and decided to try out the Veggie Burger at Burger King (knowing I would never even get Otis inside a BK). It had been close to three years since I was inside a fast-food restaurant that wasn't Subway, so I felt a little lost in the protocols; the place had the same funky smell I remembered and not much seemed to have changed besides me. For $5.02, I got a meal of a veggie burger, fries,and a soft drink. The burger was actually quite tasty, with nice fresh tomatoes and lettuce on it; the fries were okay and not too greasy; the soda was the same as anywhere. I was in and out in about eleven minutes, even though I was reading someone's leftover newspaper while I ate. If it wasn't participating in in the Evil Economy, I'd go there again sometime.

In addition to telephony with Stella, I also talked to Johnbai, Soapy, Dingo, and J-Force at various points during the day, setting up the evening movie event. In the end, Dingo, Otis and I met at the Crest for Pan's Labyrinth; J-Force saw Miss Potter at the same time with some library pals and joined us afterwards in the lobby; and Soapy didn't see anything but met us for afters at 3PBR.

Pan's Labyrinth was a moving, affecting film. Otis was surprised by the amount of time the narrative spent in reality, and how brutal that reality was; she was expecting a movie set more in the fantasy realm. But the story was compelling and the film's portrayal of cruelty and meanness absolutely necessary and realistic. The special effects were wonderful and never overwhelmed the actors or the story, a rare feat in these CGI-heavy days. The interplay between the fantastical world and the real world was complex, and the layers of symbolism and structural parallels in the narrative warrant a sustained analysis. In the end, I felt that I had gotten a whole lot of story from the experience.

The afters kept us out late, but we were up and at 'em early. Otis was doing some personal work with a colleague in the morning, so I took myself to the Wallingford Tully's (as usual) and plowed through a stack of essays. I get a lot of work done when I'm away from home.

Anecdote the second: While at Tully's, a party of three sat down at the next table, two older gentlemen and a woman of a certain age. They were having an animated conversation and were a bit loud and distracting. I thought about getting annoyed, but then remembered how often I have been at coffee shops for afters, having a ripping good time and laughing and carrying on, and just let it be. When the group got up to leave, the woman came over to chat with me. She said that she was a recently retired English professor from SPU and that she could tell I was an English teacher by how I was grading. We talked shop for a minute, and then she apologized for talking loudly and explained that one of her gentlemen friends had been losing his hearing lately and that it was hard to keep him included in their visits. It was an educational and instructive encounter, and brought home to me in a very real way the truth behind all the cliched aphorisms and shibboleths about not judging someone until walking in their shoes and presuming the best of everyone and all that. I was glad that I had had the good sense to be gracious.

After lunch today came a short nap and more work; I am actually posting this from yet another coffee shop while Otis works her way through her stack of papers. Sorry we didn't get down to see Soapy at Folklife, but the will just wasn't there to face the crowds. This week is going to be summer-sized, so maybe there will be the chance for some outdoor goodness.