Some facts, and a little associated speculation.
- It’s finally raining in the Bay Area. Maybe we’ll be able to take showers this summer. Personal hygiene aside, for the fires and the farmers, this is crucial. Perhaps those Polar Vortices will now free the rest of the country?
- I’ve only got 1.5 episodes of Breaking Bad left. Looming crisis of absent narrative. But hey, guys, is that some classical story-telling or what? I’ve never seen the concept of hubris so well and thoroughly explored. Do we think, as cable series enter the approved canon for high school student study, that teachers will be reading Ahab and Hank, In Search Of The White Whale, for the next couple of decades? (If you haven’t watched it, put up with the annoying first couple of episodes, and hang in there. The show takes off in its second season.)
- My nephew is getting baptized today. As my brother’s wedding involved a Buddhist monk, a tea lounge, a photo booth, and a bar that opened before anything other festivities, I am speculating about this ceremony. Every hypothesis involves a very cute little guy.
- My daughter is in town for said ceremony. Some facts don’t call for speculation. I am very, very happy to see her.
Have a great weekend everybody. May the forces of weather, narrative exploration, and celebrations be with you.
26 Responses
The anticipation for the rain was painful. I used to feel the same out-of-tune with nature when we lived in England, and by April had painful physical need for sun. It feels balanced now. Read a lovely line the other day by Chris Erskine – who’s back with his LATimes column – how college-age kids no longer push back when hugged…
I’m having a weekend with a daughter as well, although no cute baby here. Enjoy yours — and enjoy the rain! (a bit funny here to think of your perspective on it, truly . . . )
As a Breaking Bad freak, I would love to hear your thoughts after that last frame of video rolls. Enjoy the christening, it sounds like a very special weekend.
One word, Hubris. If I had another few thousand words, boy oh boy that narrative structure!
I am ready for Spring so we can thaw out! It has been colder in North Texas than it is at Sochi. I can’t wait to hear about the christening. I really wish we celebrated moments like that more.
Since Breaking Bad ended I have been making up for the lack of narrative in my life by reading lots of novels. It’s the only way.
The Golem and the Jinn, in hand.
We desperately need rain down here in Southern California. It would be a treat to see it rain for a whole day!
Breaking Bad is superb! Was completely in it’s thrall. OK, your next assignment is to start watching The Wire. It’s probably easiest to buy the whole series. You must watch it with subtitles. It’s very complex and involving series. Beautifully plotted. Stick with it. It’s worth it.
I’m sure the baptism will be unique and beautiful. Congratulations to all.
I have to second this recommendation of The Wire. It’s worth buying the entire series — I’ve watched it twice, some episodes three times. The writing is brilliant!
OK. As soon as I recover from my period of mourning:).
Hooray for rain! and hopefully, soon for the East Coast – a thaw. And congratulations on the very cute little guy! Whatever the celebration may bring, may he always have blessings and love in his life.
Have a beautiful weekend. Maybe I’ll give Breaking Bad another go.
It’s good for a baby to be baptized.
Usually it involves the parents promising to being the child up in the faith.
If they’ve been taught a faith, and I’m not all that convinced there is any one correct faith, they can accept or reject when they reach adulthood, they have a point of reference that their parents established.
Some parents will say, well they can wait until they’re grown and find a faith. My issue there is that the children have no point of reference and can get sucked into faiths that are, in my opinion, weird or whatever the next-door-neighbor made sound good.
Anyway, young nephew won’t ever have the excuse that he wasn’t ever baptized to keep him away from a faithful group.
Enjoy the rain (then please send some our way!), the celebration and the visiting daughter. Sounds like a lovely weekend all around.
I’d love to send you some snow. I think that since January 1 we’ve gotten 70 inches, and I could spare 20 or so right now. Though it’ll be good for the great lakes.
I’ve never enjoyed very traditional showers and baptisms, but your family’s sounds like fun. Years from now wee nephew will wonder at the range of photos of ladies with paper cocktail umbrellas behind their ears, holding martini glasses in one hand and him in another, and figure he missed a pretty good party.
I forgot my cocktail umbrella! We had real ones though:).
Yeah for the rain! We’re getting some too. It was so dry we turned on our sprinklers a couple of times to water the trees.
Love the idea of the bar opening first. I always think we do things back to front with ceremonies. Recent funeral of a dearly loved man would have been so much more relaxed if we’d all been able to down a couple first, mingle, chat, find out each other’s names and then had the service. Instead, we all walked around stiffly, no-one knowing who the other was and how they fitted into the picture, the men were noticeably uncomfortable in shirts and ties, the women all anxious about how they looked. The Wake was just fantastic afterwards, with the awkwardness gone, friends, family and lovers celebrated the life of our dearly beloved until the wee small hours. If only we’d done it the other way around….
Give “The Americans” a try. The first season (13 episodes) is available for streaming on Netflix or iTunes, or you can wait for the DVDs which should be out in another week or so. Season two starts February 26.
I’ve tried Breaking Bad a few times but just can’t get past the first episode, but will try again after I finish up Damages, which I’m pretty addicted to.
Congratulations on your darling nephew’s baptism and hope you’re enjoying the weekend with your daughter.
Dear LPC — I think that your brother’s wedding is becoming more of the new norm in our H-W world. Of the six weddings that took place among me and my three siblings, only one involved an Episcopal priest, and only one was held in an actual house of worship (not the one with the Episcopal priest). As far as rain goes, I only heard on NPR yesterday how little rain you’ve had in northern California. That is serious. On the other hand, while not flooded like England, here in the Hudson River Valley we have had lots of precipitation (there is at least a foot of snow covering the ground at Darlington right now), so I expect a very green spring and summer. Won’t you please come and visit us then? Fondly, Reggie
Yes!
Ah rain – what is the perfect amount? For me the amount would be considered a drought for many or i prefer rain but only at night and in showers. Funny enough in London – people may be experimental but when it comes to the big occasions I notice people still are very traditional and don’t have ceremonies that reflect what they say they believe in at dinner parties.
Please give us a report of the ceremony. The early open bar innovation is fascinating!
Rites and rituals of WASPs do evolve. I recommend “Debutantes” on MyDigitalRealm on YouTube for its marvelous vintage film clips and retrospective interviews.
I have to ask my brother how comfortable he would be with a retelling. Thanks for the Debutantes info.
Sounds like a perfect excuse to get dressed up and spend some quality family time…enjoy seeing your daughter!
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