feast

Perhaps quite obviously, one of my favorite things about "the holidays" is good food. In my family, there were more cooks in the kitchen at this time of year because there were more and different things to prepare. Delicious standards (like garlic bread) and rare treats (eggnog pie) emerged from the commotion of the kitchen only to land at a table whose company was equally as bustling. I've recently realized that my fond memories of holiday feasts stemmed as much from the good company as the good eats.

S and I just returned from a visit to Oregon where we feasted on the delights of reconnecting with friends we hadn't seen in far too long. The phone and e-mail are good, but I really enjoy face-to-face conversation (and all the subtleties of expression that come with it). S and I have had the good fortune to come to know some pretty remarkable people. Seeing many of them in only a few days was like overeating at a wonderful, long holiday feast. At its end, we were contentedly exhausted and ready to return for more. (One of the few drawbacks to this trip was the absence of C and those Santa Cruz people.)

So, if you're going somewhere in the next week or so (and even if you're not), I wish all of you great feasts.

flicks

I saw Sicko a few days ago and enjoyed it very much. I was appalled; I was saddened but it also made me laugh. I appreciate Moore's sarcasm, sense of irony and injustice, and his use of juxtaposition in telling this story. (The only beat he missed was when he explained how Western European countries developed nation-wide health care following World War II; he didn't explain that they did so on U.S. tax dollars thanks to the Marshall plan. This is an irony that I'm sure Moore have included if he had had it in hand.)

The best line from the movie came from a young couple taking their newborn home from a British hospital: "This isn't America" followed by laughter. It's brilliant; you can see it here.

My point is that I've seen a lot of good flicks, most of which were recommended by the lovely people whose blogs are here on the right. I enjoyed Atomic Cafe and Thank you for Smoking, and City of Men is in the queue. The holiday lull is fast approaching, so what other great flicks can you recommend to me?

my mom sent me this

...to ease my mind.
And, so far, it has worked.