Friday, July 20, 2007

Springfield,Springfield, It's a Helluva Town!


By now everyone in Christendom (and beyond, no doubt) has heard that Springfield, Vermont is going to the place that premieres the new Simpson's Movie this weekend.

I really wish I could go to the movie or at least the event that surrounds it! Since my brother is flying to Montreal from Texas this weekend on an impromptu visit I won't be able to make it. We'll be visiting up in MTL. Not that that is a bad thing, but now that I think about it...

Confession time: I once wrote a spec script that had the Simpson's visiting Vermont. In other words, I am one of a legion of Simpson's writers manque (I don't know how to put an accent mark on that "e" - you should read that last word as "mankay": as in French for "missed"). I paid a professional (scam) writer to read my script and he thought it stank, although he didn't use that word in the worthless canned comments he sent. I reread it some time after I had written it and had to admit it was not so funny as it seemed while I was drafting. Just kind of laid there, but it had some funny stuff in it.

I have figures of Lionel Hutz and Blue-Haired Lawyer on my desk at work. Blue-haired lawyer is the New York, no doubt Jewish, lawyer who represents Mr. Burns'. He is a competent (i.e. slippery) lawyer. In this way he contrasts with Hutz, who is hired by the Simpsons over and over. (Hutz's office is in the Mall and is called "I Can't Believe It's A Law Firm.") I also bought Cletus and Brandene figurenes - they are the husband/wife - brother/sister hillbillies who appear on the show from time to time. I bought them mostly for my husband, who rants against hillbillies on a near daily basis. Cletus came with a whiskey jug and Brandene came with an extra halter top. C&B don't have Vermont accents but we have their equivalents in Vermont. They stand in the dining room of the Last House, next to the crystal wine glasses on the China cupboard. They preside over our own dysfunctional family dinners.

I am sure the Movie and surrounding street fair will be a great time and its Fabulous to have two of my favorite phenomena (the Simpsons and Vermont) mixed up in this way. I can't wait to see the movie in some other Vermont town... Kid 1 and Kid 2 have been quoting from the commercials for weeks. "Spider Pig, Spider Pig..." (That's something Homer sings in the ad - FYI). They love the show as much as their parent's do, which is a little scary. Maybe one of them will get that brass ring and write for the show one day. Reflected glory is fine with me.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Just A Little Weekend Update


One of the functions of this blog is to be a diary for me. Looking back, even at my sporadic contributions, reminds me of what's gone on the last couple of years and gives me some personal benchmarks. All this by way of saying I am writing an entry today because I have time (kids are parked in front of "The Amanda Show" upstairs and the company is gone) and because I was struck with the inclination - no big whoop, no revelations, no essays, and nothing in here that anyone but me will probably ever care to know about. You won't hurt my feelings if you stop reading here. ;-) (That's a computer wink in case you're wondering).


The "Company" was our friends from England, Ed and Alison , who run a consulting outfit in the UK. I can't exactly understand what it is they do, but it hasto do with corporate responsibility. They come here (to Northern Vermont) a couple of times a year to a house they have in Troy. They always have several kids in tow (she has two, he has two and they have a five-year-old girl). They are, of course, bright and interesting. We all had lunch al fresco and the weather cooperated here at the Last House. (See my first post if you're wondering what I mean by that). Rain gave way to sun and fluffy clouds and we sat on the lawn batting at flies and trying to keep the kids fed and amused.

Tomorrow Kid 1 and Kid 2 are off to day camp. Say goodbye to "the Amanda Show" and its ilk for at least a week. Hurray.

I am so enamored of the pictures I took yesterday on my walk that I am going to treat you to another one.


Cheerio.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Another Day In The Vermont Woods







Hello Gentle Reader -


If I do say so myself, I took some quite beautiful pictures of the fauna at Jay this AM (q.v.). It has been too long since I have been up and out for an early morning walk on the summer slopes, but I managed today and had my camera in tow. It has been raining off and an all week. The mountain was wet. As I dodged mud puddles and slogged through six-inch high wet grass I was reminded of a book I read some years ago by a Vietnamese woman. She said the Vietnamese word for country could be translated as"land-and-water mixed". This would, I suppose, make particular sense in Vietnam where rice is grown. It also makes sense here, especially lately, even without the rice paddies. My old hiking boots were soaked through after 20 minutes. Good socks are key. (Hence, "Woolfoot").

In an uncharastic bit of daring, near the end of my walk I came to a very small tributary of the Jay Brook that was rushing over its little banks. A bathtub sized pool had formed at the base of some rocks and, yes, I stripped and jumped in. (Understand that it was 7:30 on saturday monring and I hadn't seen a soul in those woods...) It was as great as it sounds. I felt very refreshed and like I must have been really clean. When I got home and took a hot bath (later), I found, however, that I had collected a fair bit of silt.
Tomorrow our friends from England are coming to the last house for lunch. More rain is predicted. Monday, the kids are headed to day camp. They really need to get out of the house and away from this computer!