My dad phoned me at midnight to tell me about an article he clipped from the paper. The headline was “Veronica Is Not Coming Home.” Veronica was a Romanian child actress, “a type of Shirley Temple” said my father, her most famous movie being “Veronica Is Coming Home.” She is now Luminita (“little light”) and she lives a hop, skip and a jump away from me. My dad made me promise to call her. Found her name in the White Pages and, as soon as I get rid of my just-woke-up voice, I will call and introduce myself as the slightly puzzled offspring of one of her fans.
I finally received my Arizona map yesterday. Now the trip-planning can truly begin.
Karen sent me the $500 Tae Kwon Do gift certificate yesterday. She also included a small book called Witty Women. Having just re-read it, my favourite quote is still the last one, from director Nora Ephron: “What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, IT WILL GET THICK!” Critical appraisal: best use of uppercase.
The author of this book I’m reading has a necklace with a small bottle of bubble fluid. When she is alone in elevators she fills the elevator with bubbles. Before she reaches her floor, she tucks the bottle away. The doors open and she stands there innocently surrounded by bubbles.
*****
Travel advice I want to try – I can’t remember where I read it – instead of giving money or pens or stickers to kids (and encouraging them to beg) blow bubbles and play with them.
Met Stacey. The criminals who stole her car left it on the side of the street when it ran out of gas. They plundered it: her passport is gone, her air freshener, even her chapstick. They left their crowbar, axe and wig, however. Two months later Stacey is still fixing her car and she takes the bus to work.
Jennifer’s great grandmother was Romanian. She is also part Russian and part Jewish. She used the word slay yesterday. Twice. Her great-great grandfather was slayed in a pogrom.
Jennifer didn’t bring any lunch today either. Katrina gave her a fruit and lent her a dollar to buy chips. In return Jennifer told about how her pit bull, locked in the car at the time, was framed in the mauling of another dog (who wagged its tail despite the gouge in its back). Jennifer hopes to go to Capilano College to pursue a degree in textile design.
Everyone in the office is coming in on Saturday to complete the Alberta orders.
Steven has psychic powers as well. He had me concentrate on the number he was thinking. “Six,” I replied. It was nine.
Our illustration class ended early tonight because the teacher had to go to bingo. Under what circumstances I still cannot understand. She also showed us her current project, a retelling of Esther within a retelling of a grandmother’s Holocaust adventure.
While shopping, three very persuasive shopgirls forced me to buy a blue frock. Another scolding shopgirl forced me from a large to a medium. Shock all around that I wear so much black.
Met Cheryl before class. She had me look at her Edward Gorey pop-up book (The Dwindling Party) while I forced the Eleven Cats upon her. Cricket also arrived early and asked us if we were reading to each other.