Bin 2 Long

1) N's college counsellor gave him a "student's guide to procrastination" (it might have had another peppy and equally compelling title, I've forgotten) which I copied and read quickly hoping it might give me some insights into my own attention deficit-infused behaviour. Perhaps it gave him some solace knowing that he wasn't the only one in the house that puts things off. We are in the college whirl.i.gig. I find myself dressing like a college "mom" in flowered skirts and t-shirts with cashmere sweaters flung around my neck, and pearls at my throat, and two neat pins in my hair a la Amanda Hesser. Apparently I won some points from my son yesterday for asking at the four college presentation "Could one of the four panelists please describe what is meant by 'a liberal arts education' as it seems as if this term is defined in different ways depending on where you look or who you talk to." The venerable panel of Deans of Admission of some Significant Liberal Arts colleges all looked at each other as if to say, "sheesh, I'm not taking that one" until one brave soul piped up. There was a collective sigh of relief in the room, because I'm sure it was the dumb question everyone was dying to ask but wouldn't for fear of being perceived as stupid. My English accent counters that one every time. I can ask as many stupid questions as my little heart desires.

2) Ever since we had dinner with the Farrars a week ago and Josef cooked up a Persian feast, drank a few bottles of wine and reminisced about his youth in Tehran where he dreamed of a beautiful blonde American girl who looked just like his wife, Kanda, I've become obsessed with Persian food. I want to learn how to make the rice with the golden crust, rice with sour cherries, those fragrant lamb & beef flat skewers, and stuff handfuls of lemon basil and tarragon into my mouth. In fact, I've just ordered two books on amazon: "New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies" by Najmieh Batmanglij and "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food" by Claudia Roden.

3) Cedars-Sinai has sent me one of those pretty little violet cards informing me that it's time for my yearly mammogram. Now I know how J feels about the coloscopy cards that come in the mail. It sits and stairs at me for at least a month before I pick up the form (see point 1).

4) Briar is getting very very old. She has started throwing up her food and re-digesting it, like a cow, which is cause for concern. She can't hear anything now but a whistle but when she does spot me and I wave my arm up and down at her, she gallops towards me on her stiff, arthritic legs, smiling and wagging her nub with joy. She is now gray on her paws, around her eyes and on the whole of her snoot, not just underneath her chin. But once in a while I see the glint in her eye, especially when I dance with her in the morning.

5) Bonnie is also behaving like a moo cow creamer, and refusing to go forward for Minks. She turns round and tries to bite M's boot and is generally very pissy. The vet is checking her for stomach ulcers, ovarian cysts and all kinds of other things before we send her to reform school - the horse-whispering cowboy in Temecula who performs miracles. M was in floods, "Oh I don't want him to hurt her, she's a good girl." I comfort my daughter with one arm while gnashing my teeth at the horse behind her back. For me it's a clear-cut case of taking advantage of a little person three weeks before the medal finals.

6) I am procrastinating more than ever and I don't like it. What's today's date? As of today, September 17, I vow not to put off anything until tomorrow, including unpleasant tasks. I really do need a good kick up the backside, as my father so elegantly put it.

7) Stella (4), the little girl next door told me yesterday "it really is very sad when your dogs die. mine both died." I agreed, "but you know I always imagine them in a lovely sunny place with green fields where there's plenty to eat and they can chase rabbits all day long." She thought about this for a while and said "yes, and they're not old anymore."

and ps.
8) Wicked is pretty darn fantastic.