An Almost Perfect Day

"Our pupils had not much exposure to wine, and kept making uniformed statements like 'Oh wine, I don't like it." When Mary Ward said, 'I never drink red wine; I like only dry white wine,' Paul took that as a personal insult. "That's like saying, 'I never talk to French people. I only talk to Italians.' " Julia Child, My Life in France

Yesterday was just about as perfect a Sunday as I could have imagined. The day was warm. The sky bright blue as only a south Florida sky can manage. It was easy weather. The kind of day that wraps around one like an old, soft cotton sweater.

We had coffee. Well, I had coffee. The Brit has yet to acquire a taste for it. He had a cup of beautiful deep amber hued Yorkshire tea. Husband volunteered to nip up to the local market for The New York Times. We luxuriated, reading the paper leisurely, passing sections back and forth, sharing snippets and insights as we were struck by one thing or another. I found two articles I thought might be of interest to daughter-in-law in the Business sections and emailed them to her.

As it was Sunday, I planned a lunch for two o'clock. Husband lent his hands and nimble fingers to mix and then jellyroll a cheese stuffed meatloaf. I stand over him and give instructions, watching as he pours salt into his palm and saying, "OK, that's enough, dump it in." I supervise everything. The recipe is in my head, the ingredients measurements indelibly etched in my mind's eye. I carefully guide him as he shapes the meat mixture into a rectangle, telling him how much shredded cheese to scatter before rolling the rectange into the jellyroll. It would be really difficult for me to make the meatloaf with out husband's hands. I'd probably cry in sheer frustration and give up.Husband diced up bacon and onion for me to sautee’ to pour over cooked fresh green beans.He peeled potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes.Our meal was wonderful.

At four o’clock we left for the movies.Husband was going to see “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” which I had seen with a friend the day before.I would see Frost /Nixon.His movie started forty-five minutes before mine and ran fifteen minutes later.We often see separate movies together.I really like doing this.Quite often husband and I do not like the same type of movie.He wants to be entertained.I want to be intellectually stimulated, my thoughts provoked, my emotions stimulated.Husband likes happy endings.I also like sitting where I want to sit, staying all the way through the ending credits and not talking too much about a movie until I’ve had a chance to think about it for a few minutes.I am also as much into the cinematography as anything else (actually, that’s really what I liked best about Benjamin Button…the filming was wonderful!).The story was OK, but really in my opinion, another Forest Gump, but with a quirky twist. It was also a bit saccharin and preachy.Cate Blanchett was, as always, magnificent.Brad Pitt was Brad Pitt, pretty and charming.The only movie I ever thought he did a great acting job in was Legends of the Fall, which also interestingly enough, also had Julia Ormond who was in Benjamin.To me, she is a beauty in some not in your face beautiful way.I can’t really explain it. Husband really liked the movie.It was a sort of fairy tale and while not a happy ending movie, it was entertaining.Enough said. As for Frost /Nixon…I really liked it.The acting was first rate.Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost were fantastic.Kevin Bacon as Jack Brennan was OK, although I always find him a bit too white bread for my tastes. Below are two movie quotes I liked.

David Frost: Are you really saying the President can do something illegal?
Richard Nixon: I'm saying that when the President does it, that means it's *not* illegal!
David Frost: ...I'm sorry?

Even though Nixon was a real bastard and an affront to the Presidency, the quote from the movie cited below made me feel almost sad for him.We tend to forget how human our presidents are.

Richard Nixon: That's our tragedy, you and I Mr. Frost. No matter how high we get, they still look down at us. David Frost: I really don't know what you're talking about.

Richard Nixon:
Yes you do. Now come on. No matter how many awards or column inches are written about you, or how high the elected office is, it's still not enough. We still feel like the little man. The loser. They told us we were a hundred times, the smart asses in college, the high ups. The well-born. The people who's respect we really wanted. Really craved. And isn't that why we work so hard now, why we fight for every inch? Scrambling our way up in undignified fashion. If we're honest for a minute, if we reflect privately, just for a moment, if we allow ourselves a glimpse into that shadowy place we call our soul, isn't that why we're here? Now? The two of us. Looking for a way back into the sun. Into the limelight. Back onto the winner's podium. Because we can feel it slipping away. We were headed, both of us, for the dirt. The place the snobs always told us that we'd end up. Face in the dust, humiliated all the more for having tried. So pitifully hard. Well, to *hell with that*! We're not going to let that happen, either of us. We're going to show those bums, we're going to make 'em choke on our continued success. Our continued headlines! Our continued awards! And power! And glory! We are gonna make those mother fuckers *choke*!

When we reconnected after our respective movies, Husband wanted me to tell him all about Frost/Nixon.This request really aggravated me.I know, I am a selfish witch.But jeeze, he wanted lightness and then he wanted to soak up my report and analysis as well as retelling of American history.I got a bit snippy and regretted it later.Oh well…I am human and chock full of faults just like Richard Nixon.This is why his quote evoked my sympathy.We all have feet of clay, wives and presidents alike…