Safa means tranquil, serene, calm…I try

I must really be in need of some adult interaction. Here’s why:

My husband and I work with my 5 year-old on activities (aside from reading) to help strengthen his vocabulary. One of the activities is a game where we’ll give him a letter and he has to say as many words (no proper names allowed) beginning with that letter. We try to give him more difficult letters. He usually says the words in increments of five. The other night he and I are played. I gave him the letter “D”. Here’s how it went down:

Son: My first word is ‘difficult’
Me: OK
Son: Duck
Me: that was easy but OK you got it
Son: delivery
Me: good word
Son: doo-dee
Me: that is not a real word
Son: yes it is
Me: J, I am telling you that it doesn’t count because it’s a fake work so please choose another.
Son: no I am not choosing another word! (he’s getting upset and yelled this statement)
Me: who are you rasing your voice at? I said it’s not a real word so if you don’t want to pick another one, this game is over!
Son: why isn’t it a real word?
Me: that’s just a word we say to mean a bowel movement
Son: I thought it meant to do your responsibility or job
Me: ooohhhhhhhh. You meant ‘DUTY’
Son: yeah, I know ‘doo-dee’ isn’t a real word. Are you proud of me because I knew that word and you’re a grown-up and didn’t?
Me: shut-up and go sit down somewhere! Nah, give me a hug. I am very proud of you…sorry about that.

True story…I need a friend who doesn’t wear diapers or require me to wipe their behind!

Several occurances over the past few weeks have me asking this question. The first was when I went bowling with a couple of co-workers as a “team building” activity. There were 7 of us all together and about 4 of them, aged 22-28 had never heard the term “grasping at straws”. I will say that there was a girl around 24 who was well aware of this term. It really blew my mind. There are sayings and expressions that I just assume are universal…at least “universal” in the sense that the US represents the universe.

Another incident was a few days ago. I was playing a game like T.rivial Pursuit…it is called Crani.um. Now I usually excel at these types of games b/c I have always been sort of a movie, tv, and all around pop culture junkie. Also, as I mentioned before, I am a heavy reader so my vocab is pretty strong masha’Allah. However, allowing for that, I think something’s wrong with a lot of the Y generation.

On the 9th I turned 36. I have recently started to accept that 36 may be “older” than I initially thought. One of the questions was to impersonate a famous person. This is exactly what I said, “Stella…Stella” and “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”. NO ONE on my team could guess Marlon Bra.ndo. One of the girls even said, “oh, yeah, he just died 2 weeks ago”. I had to remind her that it was actually his son who had died” .

Another famous person I got was, well let me see if you could guess. This is what I said, “I was known as the woman of camelot, I wore these huge sunglasses and was known for my pillbox hats and immpecable fashion sense. “In my later years I worked in a NYC publishing house and eventually remarried a greek shipping tycoon” also, ” people refer to me by my 1st name and only the 1st initial of my last name”. Again…no one could guess that I was Jackie On.ansis. I know I could have used less obscure references but I really did not think they were all that obscure!

It just seems to me that people should know more. I mean just general information. This may seem strange coming from someone who no longer owns a TV or really has no interest in current pop culture. However, if you are 30, you should have been able to get my clues. What is that about? Do you think the internet has ruined it for people? I would think that if anything it would have made people smarter since there is more access to information than ever before. I guess it’s all relative since I probably could not win if the clues were about people who have become stars in the last 3-5 years.

I’ve always known that I get emotional with certain movies. I’ve cried at all the movies one would expect. However, even I think I’ve gone too far. To put this in perspective, I cried a lot during The N.otebook…like most people who saw it. However, this movie I watched on Saturday brought on the waterworks like you would not believe….like I could not believe. I cried more during this movie than I did with The N.otebook. I think it was a combination of nostalgia and …I guess that was it. Anyway, it was Roc.ky Bal.boa!!!!! When he was reminiscing (sp) about….nevermind I don’t want to give anything away. It really surprised me that I was as shaken up as I was. I was sitting around my little dvd player looking like a bloody fool!

Please tell me any movies that had you cried at or touched you in a way that probably wasn’t intended by the writer/director? Like, were you the only one who rooted for The Term.inator…I don’t know.

I don’t know how many of you guys live in overcrowded/congested cities and mutli-state areas but if you do, you have an idea of what I go through. Yesterday in the DC area there was an ice storm. I left work at 4pm. Mind you I left early b/c I had to pick up both sons since hubby had something to do in the evening. I did not realize that there was supposed to be a bad ice storm. Anyway, I’ll apologize in advance for those who have no idea what areas I’m about to describe. I left from Falls Church to head to Springfield area to pick up my 5 year-old. This drive should have taken about 20 minutes. I was then going to get the baby who is aound the corner from home. I have to get him by 6pm. If all had gone according to plan, I would have been home by 5:30 with both children. Because nothing ever goes according to plans…at least our plans…

How about I did not make it to pick up either child. My husband picked up my 5 year-old around 7:45 and then the baby around 8:30. Guess what time I made it home? 10pm!!!!!! It was a nightmare. Streets had been closed due to ice, the interstates basically shut-down, all of the backways and shortcuts overcrowded, etc. Everyone was sleep when I got home, the house was A MESS since hubby was just trying to maintain his sanity with the boys. The ate ooddles of noodles for dinner!!!!!!

On Duke St. in Alexandria by Telegraph Rd., people were literally getting out of their car, walking to the Du.ncan Donu.ts and getting back in their car. I had to go to the bathroom soooooooooooooo bad and I was famished. I was close to tears. I had to stop for gas and people who pulled in looked like refugees. Everyone looked down-trodden and beat. I grew up in NYC and this traffic is by far worst in my opinion. God forbid if there’s a natural disaster or other catastrophe…we will really be crippled.

I am an avid, voracious reader. I have been this way since I was a little girl. I practically live at the library! My reading has increased even more over the last 3 years since we did away with the television. I always try to make sure I get several books so that I don’t have a day lapse without a book. My reading is done in the evening after my familial “duties” are done and the kids are playing before bed. Once they are in bed I will read for a couple of hours.

When I was a kid people would always wonder when the day would come that they would see me walking around the neighborhood without a book in my hand. I am sure my love of reading comes from my mother. When I was as young as 5 I remember her always reading. I read many genres. I love Stephen King…have read all of his books from the age of 12 when I read my mom’s copy of It. I will usually pick an author and read all of their books. Over the last couple of years, here are the authors: Bernice McFadden (this was an author I learned about from my Homegirl Quel. After her, I read Robin Cook, then moved on to Allan Folsom’s books. I then exhausted all of Dean Koontz and Reginald Hill. I am almost finished John Connolly. I exhausted Gayle Lynds and Robert Ludlum over a year ago. I loved Caleb Carr’s books over 6 years ago. If you looked up all of these author’s you’ll see some sci-fi, mystery, medical thrillers, international espionage and then some. I am intentionally not giving you a summary of the books or authors just in case you are looking for some good reads. Do some searching. Reginald Hill is British and his books are based there. Connelly is Irish but his stories are mostly based here.

One thing that I never did was re-read a book. However, yesterday I finished a book without having another lined up. So, I had to look in my collection. I found a book I had read a few years ago called She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. It was a great book. I had initially learned of this author after reading I Know This Much is True, an Oprah pick. BTW, you must read this book! Anyway, I picked up She’s Come Undone last night with the intention of reading it to “get by” as I lay in bed. I was already planning to visit the library to get the next Connolly book. Now however, I think I may just re-read this one.

My question: what books, if any, have you read more than once? I never did b/c I saw it as a waste of time. I mean, I have always held the attitude of so many books so little time so why do repeats? With a few exceptions that Tru3woman reminded of - I will re-read history and religious texts.

I went to the movies on Saturday with a friend of mine. We decided to see No Country for… It was playing close to my house at the Old Town Theater (pic of actual theater). This is an independent “movie house” in the ecclectic/funky/historic section of Old Town Alexandria in VA (DC area). Anyway, this theater is like others in other cities where you can order food and drink and have it delivered to your seat. Ok, so the theater is historic, having been there since like 1910 or somthing. It has 2 screening rooms and no elevator/escalator.

My friend had never been to a movie house or cinema draft house as it is called in other places. The elderly cashier did that job and ran the concession stand at the same time. She was initally taken aback when she found out that once she purchased her popcorn, the cashier gave her the popcorn container. She was like, “ok, what I am supposed to do?”. He pointed her to the popcorn machine and told her to scoop out her own popcorn. You would have thought he asked her cut off a hand or something. She did it with a smile though.

We then proceed to walk into the first room we see. It wasn’t our movie but Atonem.ent. She comes out and says, “how am I suppsed to know where to go, there are no signs?!” The old man laughs and says oh, go on upstairs. We go in and find our seats. Now, the movie was supposed to start at 7:30, it was about 7:40 and the screen was blank. She wondered why there were no ‘coming attractions’ on. I told her sometimes they had them but oftentimes they did not. We just sat and talked and people watched. Around 7:50 the old man comes ambling up the steps. He stops on the middle step and says to the theater goers (in a deep southern accent), “Now y’all box up your trash when y’all done ‘cuz it’s just me and that other fella on tonight and someone just quit on me last night…ya hear?” My friend looks at me and says, “oh hail naw”.

The old man walks back and up to the projection room to start the movie. At first he has it all projected on the wall. During this whole debacle, everyone is kind of smiling and nodding. Now let me say that in this whole screening room, there is only one other black person besides me and my friend. He finally gets it right. However, he forgets to dim the lights and no one has the heart to say anything. So basically we watch the whole movie as if I were sitting in my auntie’s kitchen.

My friend…out of nowhere, just BURST out laughing. I ask her what’s so funny. She says (in earshot of others) , “In Old Town this place has character and charm, try this ish in southeast DC and people been done left, cussed out the old man and labeled this place a hot ghetto mess”.

Can’t argue with her there!