There's worser things than marchin' from Umballa to Cawnpore

[sovay]

Stuff. Some happened! It's been that kind of week already.

The Brandeis reunion on Saturday was a lot of fun. I got to see kraada, skotodes, fleurdelis28, fellow-alumni and spouses whose livejournal names I don't know, one bona fide instance of a person I hadn't seen since graduation (I guess this is what Facebook is for), and one curious-eyed seven-month-old who hadn't existed the last time I saw her parents. A rather poignant moment when she reached out from her car seat and grabbed the front of my shirt, because she has figured out where food comes from, just not that not everyone has it on tap. I told her she had Andy Serkis eyes. derspatchel met me on campus in the afternoon, just in time for the ice cream social. Mostly we climbed around the non-Euclidean hallways of Usen Castle; I showed Rob my senior year room, whose furniture was distressingly unchanged, and Joel and Jon tried to find the secret panel that leads to the stairwell to the roof, which some enterprising administrator turns out to have boarded up. We did not manage to locate the famous Door to Nowhere—an ordinary-looking fire door that opens onto a sheer three-story drop—but Rob believes me that it exists. The Rose Art Museum had one exhibit that left us all cold and one that Rob and I really liked. Dinner was loud and kind of generically party-ish, but since I met my first two friends at Brandeis while fleeing orientation events, it felt weirdly appropriate. I have a college T-shirt now.

Sunday was a great deal of public transit, a near-migraine, and a lot of people, but I nonetheless count it as a success, because if I hadn't gotten up at eight in the morning to catch all those buses, I wouldn't have seen nuqotw for an hour at brunch. (It turns out she lives close enough to my god-daughter that I will almost certainly see her the next time I visit strange_selkie and darthrami, but still. Also, when the invitation said "brunch," I think I was envisioning something like bagels, not strawberry rhubarb French toast, two kinds of tortilla española, two kinds of goat cheese, two kinds or at least sizes of muffins, and a plate of trout one of the hosts apologized for not personally smoking themselves. After which we had a great conversation about cooking anachronisms and I left with a vague desire to spit-roast some beef and read Consider the Fork.) I had to bolt at noon for the last Readercon meeting before the convention proper, which was taking place somewhere on MIT campus I'd never been. At least it put me in the right area to read Derek Jarman and meet Rob for dinner at CBC. Their track record with mussels continues: I wouldn't have thought that Hefeweizen was a good addition to coconut curry, but there wasn't much left in the bowl by the time I put down my spoon.

(The near-migraine was very unpleasant and probably a combination of dehydration, weather-changing, and muscle tension ratcheting up from my lower back, which I've pretty badly messed up. I helped gaudior heave some packaged cube shelving into a car on Wednesday and by Thursday night I couldn't even stand without pain. By Monday, my neck and shoulders had gotten into the act and I couldn't turn my head. Things are improved since then, but they're not resolved. I have been spending a lot of time wrapped in my rice-filled, microwaveable sheep.)

Monday was marked mostly by different kinds of pain, aftermath of a headache so bad Rob had to go to CVS for me the previous night because I couldn't deal with getting up from a bed in a dark room. It was not necessary that the MBTA should choose that afternoon to be capricious, so that after being passed by three 96s and two 94s and nothing resembling an 89 or an 80 at all, I had to walk home in the rain with a backpack's weight I really didn't want on my shoulders. The nice discovery: the deli in Ball Square was closed by six o'clock, but Ball Square Fine Wines & Liquors has a tiny sort of deli cooler and they sell goat brie cheaper than Stop & Shop. I did not buy it; I bought ham and cheddar and made myself an omelet as soon as I got home, the first in several months. I was vaguely worried I'd lost the knack. I flipped it twice without breaking, so probably not. Read slush for Strange Horizons all night. If you submitted a poem in April or May and have heard no response from me, query. ajodasso is reading now.

And last night there was bowling at Flatbread & Co. to celebrate the dismissal of the wingnut lawsuit that has been consuming the lives of a surprising number of people I knew since February; it was the first time I'd bowled since high school (moment of silence for Wal-Lex) and I sucked way less than I'd thought I would, especially with my shoulders and back. I came in third place out of five. Should like to repeat the experiment sometime when absolutely nothing in my spinal region hurts. Conversation was great, new LJ friends acquired, the restaurant gave ron_newman's lawyer free dessert. Came home and failed to sleep more than two hours despite repeated application of sheep. That's about where we are this afternoon.

I'm still pretty happy, though.

Comments

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

strawberry rhubarb French toast,

stuffed or compote? my rhubarb needs picking and the strawberries are ripening.

Hope your back and neck are better, *sympathy*

[sovay]

stuffed or compote? my rhubarb needs picking and the strawberries are ripening.

I thought I was looking at a deep-dish bread pudding when it came out, but apparently it was layers of French toast with strawberries and rhubarb and sugar cooked down in between, like a really elaborate crumble. The liquid was a delicate opaque violet and very tasty.

Hope your back and neck are better, *sympathy*

Thanks. I think they were better when I got up this morning. I'm back to permanent sheep by tonight.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

hmmmm, make the frenchified toast with extra spices, then have the variation of compote slathered between like a sugar high sandwich. hmmmm ...

[sovay]

hmmmm, make the frenchified toast with extra spices, then have the variation of compote slathered between like a sugar high sandwich. hmmmm ...

Just provide a full report on the results of the experiment, please!

[beowabbit]

“Brunch.” Wow.

I hope your back feels better soon! And when it does ...

Should like to repeat the experiment sometime when absolutely nothing in my spinal region hurts

... I bet plumtreeblossom and I would love to join you and derspatchel for bowling sometime. We had a blast.

[sovay]

... I bet plumtreeblossom and I would love to join you and derspatchel for bowling sometime. We had a blast.

I am all for this plan.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

That door to nowhere sounds like it's actually a door to Hades, or to the grave, or--if you're feeling cheerful--a stairway to heaven. Too bad about the secret passageway!

[sovay]

That door to nowhere sounds like it's actually a door to Hades, or to the grave, or--if you're feeling cheerful--a stairway to heaven.

Heh. I have "Andy Fell" stuck in my head now, which is probably not the best association.

Too bad about the secret passageway!

It would still be accessible if you wanted to unscrew the panel! It just used to be a squarish hole in the wall.

[kraada.livejournal.com]

There was always a panel, I just recalled it being bigger than that, and that the screws hadn't been painted over. It was never really just open.

[sovay]

It was never really just open.

Check. That was not readily apparent from your description of its former dimensions. asakiyume, sorry for the misinformation.

"Andy Fell"

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! Just downloaded and am listening. I dunno, I think it's rather perfect in a black-humor sort of way.

Thanks for the song.

(And do you think it's intentional that "Andy Fell" can be heard as "And he fell"? )

[sovay]

I dunno, I think it's rather perfect in a black-humor sort of way.

I really love Human Sexual Response. "Andy Fell" isn't my favorite song of theirs, because that's "Marone Offering," but it's the one that's known to get stuck in my head for days on end. I wish somebody would release In a Roman Mood (1981) on CD, but until that day I'll make do with my vinyl rip from 2008.

(And do you think it's intentional that "Andy Fell" can be heard as "And he fell"? )

I don't think it's accidental, no. And he fell and he fell and he fell and he fell and he fell . . .

"Marone Offering"

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Oh this is very good.

(anything that begins with a rapping at my window is off to a good start, and if you throw in bonfires and blood on my knees, well then.)

[sovay]

(anything that begins with a rapping at my window is off to a good start, and if you throw in bonfires and blood on my knees, well then.)

I'm so glad. I love it. It has always read to me like a very Boston-specific (the Rat, the Fenway) demon lover song.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Ha! I heard fen way, way down by the fens! I totally didn't think Boston's Fenway! And I heard "rat," and thought, somehow, actual rat!

I feel better informed now.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I'm glad for all the good things.

That brunch sounds splendid, and it looks as if I should myself read Consider the Fork.

I wouldn't have thought that Hefeweizen was a good addition to coconut curry, but there wasn't much left in the bowl by the time I put down my spoon.

I like hefeweizen, but I have to admit I wouldn't have thought of that, either. Drinking it with coconut curry, perhaps, although I'd worry about too much of the subtlety of the yeast flavours being lost under the lovely impact of the curry, but not putting it in. I'm glad it worked.

I'm especially glad to hear about the dismissal of the wingnut lawsuit. Those things always worry me.

I flipped it twice without breaking, so probably not.

Excellent. I've never got the flipping trick properly down, myself, although I can make an adequate omelet (adequate for me, at least) without.

I hope you can find the chance to bowl without spinal region pain. I wish you healing and restful sleep. More power to your sheep!

[sovay]

Drinking it with coconut curry, perhaps, although I'd worry about too much of the subtlety of the yeast flavours being lost under the lovely impact of the curry, but not putting it in. I'm glad it worked.

I think what it contributed was the slightly bitter savory at the bottom of the coconut, which was sweet and lime-bright and not that chili-hot. Would order again.

Excellent. I've never got the flipping trick properly down, myself, although I can make an adequate omelet (adequate for me, at least) without.

Eh, tonight's was unflippable: the (I thought) silicone spatula I used on Monday turned out not to be heat-resistant at the temperature I needed, so I resorted to my trusty metal one (shorter-bladed, shorter-handled, really excellent with grilled cheese) and it isn't as gentle on an omelet, so the egg broke slightly at the fold and left a rim of exposed melting cheese, meaning it would probably have come to pieces if I'd tried and stuck to the pan. Still cooked through, was still delicious. I have no regrets.

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

I somehow missed that you are also a Brandeis alum! I am class of 1996 and never go to reunion. :) I never lived in the Castle, but I knew a couple of guys who lived there and had an enormous hole in the wall of their room which may have led to a secret passageway. Or Narnia, for all I know.

[sovay]

I somehow missed that you are also a Brandeis alum! I am class of 1996 and never go to reunion.

Hello! Class of 2003. I'd never been before, either.

I never lived in the Castle, but I knew a couple of guys who lived there and had an enormous hole in the wall of their room which may have led to a secret passageway. Or Narnia, for all I know.

Huh. I wonder if it was the same room. I was not part of the Fourth of July roof-climbing escapade in question, but there was apparently a large squarish hole in the wall which broke into a stairwell to the roof, normally locked from the hallway side. Jon and Joel were pretty sure they'd found the room, but someone had screwed a panel over the hole and plastered around the edges, meaning it would be somewhat more trouble to remove than we had time for. [edit] See kraada's reply above: there was always a panel, it was just easier to remove and climb through.

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

My wife is a Brandeis alum, but this year wasn't one of the multiply-by-five ones--and it was for her high-school reunion. We went to that, and I finally got a taste of the school Fame was loosely based off of.

If you ever need a ride for stuff, let me know. I'm not available at all times, but I'm willing to help shlep when I'm available.

[sovay]

We went to that, and I finally got a taste of the school Fame was loosely based off of.

I've never been to any of my high school reunions. What's attending somebody else's like?

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't speak on a general level for two reasons: my high school had a tiny graduating class (30 people) and my wife's high school alma mater is not anything resembling a normative high school and never really has been. I will say that the people were a lot of fun. However, I was there as an attached outsider. I was, in many ways, alone in the crowd. All of them had some history with each other, even if it was just remembering the redhead who thought she was mostly invisible. They were not unwelcoming, though. I was not the only spouse of a graduate, and I was not the only person sometimes alone in the crowd. The spouses didn't gather to chat, though. Lack of frame of similarity, really.

Really, it's mostly about the people. I'd say that if the person you're attending with expects good people, and gets them, attending someone else's reunion is OK if you are willing to wait and occasionally be a wallflower. I am used to being a wallflower.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

A think that sometimes helps with that kind of back pain is a swing -- if you can find an adult sized one that allows adults, which isn't always easy. But I put my back out like that at World Fantasy and I kept doing it, so that it was either out or about to go out for months until I was in Texas and swung on weirdquark and Ada's tree swing. Worth trying, maybe, can't hurt and might help.

[sovay]

Worth trying, maybe, can't hurt and might help.

Fascinating. If I see a suitable swing, I'll try it! Thanks.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you've had a good few days! You had me at the the goat's cheese and French toast. I wish this keyboard was droolproof.

Hope the shoulders are on the mend.

[sovay]

You had me at the the goat's cheese and French toast. I wish this keyboard was droolproof.

GOAT CHEESE ON FRENCH TOAST. THANKS A LOT FOR SUGGESTING THAT. I HAVE NEITHER OF THESE OBJECTS IMMEDIATELY IN THE HOUSE.

Hope the shoulders are on the mend.

The shoulders are better, the lower back is worse! Eventually I'll stop feeling like I'm just trading off pains . . .