I tore through Moneyball<\/i> on my vacation. Everyone who is a baseball fan has got to read it. \\ Kind of a metaphysical book – which I love, because that’s how I see baseball on a lot of levels. It’s a sport, yes, but there’s something abstract about it as well, something intellectual. One of my favorite parts is when they discuss the “Platonic ideal of a double”.<\/p>\n
It rained pretty much every day. So … a lot of reading was done.<\/p>\n
My dad finished Volume 1 of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past<\/i> (although the new translation is called In Search of Lost Time<\/i>) – So he finished Volume 1 and began Volume 2.<\/p>\n
Jean was reading Salem’s Lot<\/i> which she finished our first night there – and scared herself so much that she went through all of these tricks to get herself to sleep – “Okay … I’ll close my eyes BEFORE I turn off the light … because I don’t want to be staring into darkness…” Etc. And then she proceeded to have nightmares about vampires anyway. After Salem’s Lot<\/i> she picked up Annie Proulx’s latest.<\/p>\n
Siobhan is reading David Sedaris’ latest – and has just finished reading Owen Meany<\/i> for the first time – so we had a great time talking about that book. I only read it once, and that was when it first came out – but I remember certain scenes with such vivid-ness and clarity it is like I just read it.<\/p>\n
My mom was reading Empire Falls<\/i> by Richard Russo – and Cashel was barreling his way through Goblet of Fire<\/i>. The Harry Potter book which is as large as the Guttenberg Bible. Seeing him sitting in a huge rocking chair, with a solemn face, and this enormous book open on his knees – was BEYOND sweet.<\/p>\n
Bren? Bren wasn’t reading anything I don’t think. He was panting to get his hands on Moneyball<\/i> once I finished it.<\/p>\n
I finished My Dark Places<\/i> too, by James Ellroy. Damn. That guy can write. You just cannot put it down.<\/p>\n
I started A.S. Byatt’s new novel (I love A.S. Byatt) – and I feel disloyal, but dammit, her latest book is not good, and I finally put it down. It was such a relief to just admit: I DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS. I’m a loyal girl, a loyal fan … but there is only so much shit I will take. Then I bought Moneyball<\/i> at a local book store, and it made me very happy. Could not put the damn thing down.<\/p>\n
I also read, on a regular basis, People magazine, US magazine, and In Touch magazine. I am very very concerned over the fate of the Olsen twins. I can’t get enough salacious detail.<\/p>\n
We swam. There were dart games. We played pictionary (riotously, I might add). Multiple newspapers were bought each morning, because each person needed to have the crossword puzzle. We swam in the lake. We drove into town. Jean, Siobhan, and I saw Anchorman<\/em> – big disappointment. We went on a shopping spree which, I might add, paid off: I came back into New York this morning, and stood there, in my new digs, waiting for a taxi. A big cop flagged one down for me and said, “Girl, you look like a movie star.” It’s amazing what a nice pair of shoes and a pedicure will do. <\/p>\n A plethora of stars crowding the sky. Mist on the lake. Crazy bird calls.<\/p>\n Red Sox games. The agony of defeat, and a small moment of glory. David Ortiz’ inglorious-ness. The bad ump who looked no older than 15 years of age. The Platonic ideal of a double. Erik Estrada (Don’t even try, CHIPS!!) in the Angel’s dugout. Much laughter at Estrada’s expense. An announcer saying, point-blank, “Well, his career’s in the tank.” We were just HOWLING.<\/p>\n The camera KEPT going back to Erik Estrada until the announcer had finally had it, and he said (yes, indeed, he did): “Oh, gimme a break.”<\/p>\n Smores. Burgers on the grill. Driving around town blasting Pink and Eminem. Jean, Siobhan and I joked that our little car had a black raincloud directly over it. We drove to a nearby town, to go shopping, to see a movie … and we drove into sunshine. Sun!! Sun on the green mountain slopes! We pulled into a little town, to grab some dinner, and as our car came to a stop, raindrops started spotting the windshield. And we realized that WE had brought the rain. It was US.<\/p>\n And then yesterday … back to Rhode Island. And a beautiful sunset romp in the ocean, with Brendan, Cashel and Siobhan. Big big waves, one after the other. There’s nothing I love more than the ocean, than swimming in the waves, diving under the foam … I had the experience of a lifetime<\/i> swimming in those waves.<\/p>\n Cashel tried his hand at body surfing. Will wonders never cease?? He would plunge into the foam, and try to ride it along, as Siobhan and I looked on, laughing at him, with LOVE! His little teeny body!!<\/p>\n Later, at dinner, discussing body surfing, Cashel said seriously (again, with the drama), “Life just isn’t worth living without body surfing.”<\/p>\n The family struggled to not burst into laughter … but oh. Oh. It is hard!<\/p>\n We said, all of us being from the Ocean State after all, “Yes, Cash, you’re right. Life isn’t worth living if you can’t body surf.”<\/p>\n Anyone who loves body surfing would have to agree!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I tore through Moneyball on my vacation. Everyone who is a baseball fan has got to read it. \\ Kind of a metaphysical book – which I love, because that’s how I see baseball on a lot of levels. It’s … Continue reading