Tuesday 5: Grilled Cheese and Other Musings

1. Last week, I was making grilled cheese sandwiches for the family and started daydreaming. Miraculously, I realized what was happening before the sandwiches burned. I just had to share, Fellow Adventurers, because, as anyone who’s ever made grilled cheese knows, it’s a pretty amazing event. 

2. I’d like to make a public apology to our mail carrier. I know sometimes our flag is up and there is no mail in the box. Arthur Dent does it when he checks the mail. When I asked him about it, he said, “There’s a letter in there.” I told him he’s supposed to take the letters out and bring them in the house. His response? “No, I putted a letter in there that I wrote to Spaceship. I have to put the flag up so it gets mailed to him.” So, long suffering mail lady, there are imaginary letters to Arthur Dent’s imaginary brother, Spaceship, in there. Thanks for taking care of our real and imaginary mail.

3. History nerd stuff: Did you know that Martha Washington said that the second most painful occurrence of her life was when Thomas Jefferson visited Mount Vernon? The first was the death of George Washington, of course. Now, think about this for a minute. She hated Jefferson so much that him visiting her was the second worst thing in her life—and she was a widow before she married George Washington. So seeing Thomas Jefferson was even worse than losing her first husband. Ouch. That’s some serious animosity. (My source is the Mount Vernon website, if you are wondering.)

4. This morning, I was carrying Laura Ingalls Wilder to the house. My shoes were wet and I slipped and fell in the garage. Lucky for Laura Ingalls Wilder, my mom instinct kicked in and I protected her at all costs. Not so lucky for me. I’m a bit banged up. The International Man of Intrigue has after work stuff, so I’m settled in on the couch with an adult beverage and the remote control. I was going to watch some BBC adaptation of some Charles Dickens story, but that seems a little more bleak than I need now that I”m a bit stiff and sore. Perhaps Gilmore Girls instead? 

5. Speaking of the remote control, I've mentioned before, but if you have Netflix and haven't watched the BBC drama, The Fall, go do it. The first season has quite a bit of violence, but it is really more of a psychological thriller. I think it's one of the most well done shows I've watched in a long time. The cinematography is sparse and striking. It’s more than a serial killer and cop show, though. It’s a show with a strong female lead and lines that are almost daring in calling out the undercurrent in society that still sees women as “less than.” Watch it. You won’t be sorry.