The Continuum will note we write this from our new/old coffee shop. Or is this our old/new coffee shop? We don't know. They've got the satellite radio tuned to 90's rock. We've already heard Collective Soul and the Gin Blossoms. '♭Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down...♭' Hootie and the Blowfish can't be far off. Ah, Blues Traveller. Jesus, it's like 1994 all up in here, yo.
Stroock's Books has received no content warning updates from Blogger this morning. We cross-posted again at our Substack yesterday. Reader(s) may assume we will be doing so going forward.
A childhood friend of ours asked what was going on with this blog. We told him, and once more remarked that this blog is stupid and we can't help but wonder if there's something more important we could be doing. He told us to keep blogging and said a writer's blog was like an artist's sketch book. Quite right. This friend now lives the life of a gentleman squire in a European nation.
Stroock's Books continues its policy of sending back Republican National Committee mailers with graffiti, on our own stamp. 'No money $$ for RINO looser Rona! Resign in disgrace! #Trumpwon.' [Oh, very mature-Ed]. It's something.
Between going to Palestine Ohio and the Georgia jury forewoman being crazy, Trump is having a good week, no? Sorry, but we can't help but like that crazy witch.
At The American Conservative, a long piece about the decline of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. We've seen the movie, which is good, and read the book, which is better. The author laments business casual. During our professorial days we usually wore a coat and tie, though sometimes we did jeans, button down shirt and blazer...the Andrew Breitbart we called it. One can get away with a lot when one is wearing a coat and tie. People will really assume one knows what one's talking about.
Things I'd like to say in earnest: Hey! That's my luggage! (look up Sam Britton).
In Little Children, Kate Winslet plays Sarah, a 30ish mom married to an older man, Richard. By this point, the marriage is cold and loveless. Richard is a marketing consultant, a workaholic. Bored himself, Richard has a weird porn obsession. They live in Richard's home, a family hand-me-down that was decorated by his previous wife. Richard has no inclination to redecorate, so Sarah is always surrounded by the legacy of Richard's mother and first wife.
Sarah had ambitions. She was an academic with a lot of post-graduate work. Now she's a bored mom. Throughout the day Sarah 'marks time' till the evening when she can leave her daughter with Richard and go for a walk with an older friend. When Sarah meets stay-at-home-dad Brad at the park, he fills the void in her life. Sarah starts worrying about her appearance again. When they start taking their kids to the town pool together, Sarah buys a red, one-piece bathing suit. One thing leads to another and during one post pool nap-time...
As we said, we lived this life. We were never quite frustrated. We did the gig voluntarily. It was fun. It was also hard work. There were ways to keep the toddler busy. The coffee shop, the park, the mile or so walk around the neighborhood. the grocery store (where they had those fun kid's carts, she loved those), there was plenty of daddy-daughter play. Still, nap time was a relief. We miss it, but not in a painful sort of way.
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