I got two restaurant meals. Paul took me and Keith out for a delayed birthday supper and also to get out of the house so Katie could have some birthday joy in their absence. (He also paid for a takeout schnitzel meal for Jeff, who was too mired in work to go!) Keith talked continuously throughout. Paul literally did not say a word during the entire meal except “Do you want more wine.” (I had Stella, I don’t drink wine). I tried to get a word in edgewise and it was like whizzing into the wind, so I stopped. I’m buying a fucking chess clock, see if I don’t. It was quite disheartening and I can see why Katie wanted them both out of the house.
Anyway, Keith went to church yesterday (he’s networking in process of looking for work) and he spent a goodly amount of time during his peroration at dinner describing what advice he’d give to the church about growing the congregation and I’m like SILENTLY: DO YOU THINK WE DID NOT ADDRESS AND ENGAGE WITH ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS WHILE I WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE CHURCH AND OTHERWISE ACTIVE and DO YOU THINK I AM UNAWARE OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES and DO YOU THINK I AM UNAWARE THAT ALL PEOPLE BORN AFTER 1985 ARE BROKE or IN DEBT PAST THEIR EYEBALLS. Keith waving off any comments I made did not impact my digestion, fortunately. He wasn’t interested in my insight and thinks he can wander up and tinker. (He’s already friends with one of the church elders because of his work with Philosopher’s Café.) I put 15 years in. eyeroll. I managed to get his attention with my review of Black Adam, so I guess I misspoke when I said I didn’t get a word in edgewise.
Spoke on the phone with Sue Sparlin who will be 80 in January and is a credentialled TV actor excuse me and it was a lovely chat. I also spoke twice briefly with Peggy but she was on a call for the first call and I was out the door for the second call so I’ll try to arrange something today.
Read a Dowker poem to my mOm yesterday or a fraction thereof. It’s bad, (the urge to do that, not the poem) I shouldn’t have; best bet is to loan her the book so she can read and absorb without having to run it through a phone call. It was so good to hear her voice.
Today, laundry, dishes and hopefully I get some writing and practicing in before I leave the house to go hang with Suzanne (caring for Ryker) and the gang.
COLD SCHNITZEL FOR BREAKFAST is AWESOME.