Grab the Lapels

Sunday Lowdown #244

THIS WEEK IN REFLECTION

My emotions have been all over the place this week. It started when we had a guest speaker in my interpreting class who, at one point, explained that her agency isn’t really taking interns anymore because they’re doing something different. The agency she runs is two hours from me, and it was one I had planned on applying to, if possible, when I do my internship. So, it’s becoming more and more real that not only will I have to move for fifteen weeks, but chances are high it will be in a different state, possibly not even near Indiana. I keep hearing my professor repeating, verbatim in words and tone, “PLAN. TO MOVE. AWAY.” to our entire class. I have my fingers crossed on something close enough to visit Nick on the weekends, but then if I have to go far away maybe near Huntsville, Alabama, where all my horror movie friends are whom I met in person in May. The internship will be January to May of 2025.

Then, thinking about leaving Nick and being a little weepy, Tuesday night he tells me he’s taking his team overnight to Chicago, so he would be gone all Thursday and Friday. That would be fine if I were in school, but Thursday and Friday were our fall break, so it was just me, alone, with my thoughts of moving away. I can’t tell you a thing I did on Thursday except Biscuit Book Club online that night.

Friday I accidentally showed up an hour late to volunteer appreciation day (for my time at the Friends of the Library sale). Everyone had already finished breakfast and was about to leave, so I hurried and got some food and proceeded to listen to man tell me a half-hour story about his son being a narcissist and how he’s in prison. I kept wondering how my ears were being held hostage like this until we got to the end of the story and revealed that his son just got out of prison (and still sounds like a massive narcissist). I think he just needed to talk, but it was surprising to hear such personal information from someone whose name I don’t remember. I guess people are always on a journey and want to be heard.

We got a ticket for a free pass to the zoo, so off I went to see what changes have happened. Some animals got old and died, some were new, some got moved to new exhibits. Here are a few updates that surprised me:

Lions right against the glass, and they are MUCH bigger than I had thought in their other enclosure. Like, really tall.
Pushed against the glass, much closer now.
Not new, but one of Nick’s favorites
Not new, but one of my favorites. And actually much smaller than I always think it will be!
Zebras and girraffs now in an eclosure together.

Biscuit and Dad came down Friday night and stayed through Sunday. On Saturday morning, Biscuit ran a 5K on the campus of Notre Dame. I took the photo of my dad looking around because the instructions told us to meet at the “tent” and this is what they consider a “tent.”

IT DIDN’T MAKE IT TO GRAB THE LAPELS

N/A

THIS WEEK’S BLOG POST

I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but I thought it was interesting that I was both reading one book (Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly DeVos) and listening to another (The Drift by C.J. Tudor) that were a retreat + snow + zombies. Huh. DeVos’s novel is great fun for October, and I don’t recall it being incredible scary at any point. However, given my lovely readers’ personalities, I never know what’s too scary for some of you!

NEXT WEEK’S BLOG POST

To answer Sue @ Whispering Gums, no I will not be reviewing horror all October. Next week I’m reviewing A Nun in the Closet by Dorothy Gilman, which is about two cloistered nuns who head to a large, spooky house that their abbey was surprised they inherited, only to discover a suitcase full of money in the well and a man in the closet who has been shot three times. It’s rather funny, actually.

BOOKS I BOUGHT

Books I paid for (that are not textbooks) since January 2023: totaling $43.28

BOOKS ADDED TO THE TBR PILE

After watching John Carpenter’s The Fog, I learned that Adrienne Barbeau wrote some fiction:

41 comments

  1. How was The Fog?? It’s on my list to watch.
    That’s a bummer about potentially having to move for your internship. I can see why you’ve been down. I would find it very hard to be far from Rob for that long. ❤

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    • I actually really love The Fog. This was my second watch. I like that the framework is a ghost story, but then the town really experiences it. Then, you learn the backstory of why there are ghosts in the fog, and it makes you kinda root for everybody involved. There is one part near the end with some glowing red eyes (it’s an 80’s film, after all) that makes me sigh because it’s a special effect I’ve always hated, but other than that, I find it a total creeping dreadfest!

      I keep reminding myself that once the internship is over, I’ll never have to be away like that again, AND I’ll be a skilled professional finally helping our family financially.

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          • I actually have no idea what we’re doing on Halloween yet. We both took the day off because it’s our wedding anniversary. But as to WHAT we’re doing, we haven’t decided yet. We’ve been flying by the seat of our pants a lot this year lol.
            I don’t think it’s cliche (or if it is, who cares) to watch Halloween on Halloween.

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            • Why did I not know you got married on Halloween?! That is just the best, though I wonder if you had a weekday wedding as a result. I would just watch horror movies all day.

              Actually, I’m listening to the back catalog of a horror podcast, and suddenly the host was at February of 2020, and I kept thinking, “This man has no clue what’s coming.” Finally, COVID hit, and he kept asking his guests if they were just sitting around watching loads of horror. I thought about it myself and wondered why I didn’t do that. It’s something I’ve been thinking about, and I now realize instead of writing a massive comment I’ll write about it in my Sunday Lowdown.

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  2. Oh Melanie, I’m sorry about the stress you’ve been under. That’s terrible to have a course being run in a place where the necessary internment opportunities aren’t available. I assume you’d have to pay for your accommodation and living expenses too?

    “I guess people are always on a journey and want to be heard.” It’s sometimes amazing what strangers will share. I suspect not only do they want to be heard because perhaps the feelings are all-encompassing. But there may also be an element of telling someone who is unknown so safe to share with because they won’t be there down the track remembering what you said, judging you even perhaps. Strangers can play the same role as Counsellors sometimes, can’t they? But these strangers can be so wound up they don’t always think about the listener, and what their story is and what they can cope with.

    Ok, so not horror but still spooky?! Ha ha. Love the cover.

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    • Yes, internship could be anywhere in the U.S. Maybe Canada? I haven’t asked that, but perhaps I should given how close I live to it.

      I hadn’t thought of how a stranger wouldn’t be judgmental, which explains why so many folks chew the ears off their hair stylist. The situation with the man did remind me to be patient after it was over.

      Yes, the Nun book is largely fun silliness. I included a few quotes to show how lighthearted it is.

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  3. Oh I love the cover of that nun book! Brilliant!

    Re life stories, we have workmen in to do some stuff on the house and I FORGOT that what workmen do is tell me their life stories. So far I have had How Lockdown Went When He Lived Alone and Works All The Time and He Got This Much Money from one (as well as a discussion of The Pubs of [University area] Past and Present] and from another, That Time He Had To Deliver His Own Baby Even Though They Had Got to the Hospital and then His Mental Health Struggles and How They Are Affecting his Older Son. The latter at least I could give some help for, as I recommended that online course I did a while back and also signposted him to the Mind charity. But exhausting!!

    And I’m sorry about the plan to move away thing. AL sounds like a good option but that is crappy.

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  4. The nun book looks like a lot of fun! I’m intrigued.

    I am so sorry about you probably having to be away from Nick for so long. That’s really… surprising? Weird? that there aren’t any opportunities closer to home. BUT if I know you, you will find a way to make the best of it.

    Kudos to Biscuit on the run!

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  5. oh dang, that kind of stinks that you might have to go so far away for an internship! I’d be stressed out about it too. I hope you don’t, and it works out that you can get a spot closer to home! Kudos to Biscuit on the 5K! Also, she is absolutely adorable! And the plot you outlined for Nun in the Closet is nothing like I had imagined it would be 😀

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    • Yeah, I also thought Nun in the Closet would be a Sapphic novel.

      I keep wondering if I will end up near a book blogging friend, so we can meet up for dinner or coffee. That’s just in my lil imagination right now, though.

      Biscuit is super cute and has no idea.

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  6. I once saw Adrienne Barbeau in a bakery in Studio City! Just now, before posting that, I double checked and, sure enough, she had a house in Studio City at the time so it was definitely her and not just someone who looks like someone. LOL

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  7. I’m sorry that you’re having to stress about the thought of maybe needing to move. I hope you’re able to find the right spot and thrive wherever you end up for that time period.

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  8. Sorry to hear you’ve had such a stressful week, and especially about potentially having to move for a bit. I’m glad you were able to see your parents though – and well done Biscuit for the 5K!

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  9. What is too scary for me? I’m not sure, thankfully I don’t get scared too often in real life. What I don’t understand is reading or watching fiction in order to be scared, I don’t see the point. Reminds me I didn’t see the point either of the ‘Mad Mouse’ – a roller coaster which would race you to the edge of precipice then turn 90deg at the last second.

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    • I do recall you saying that the Australian horror movie Wolf Creek, and I quote, “scared the shit out of” you. Is it because that could happen in real life, and you are often in the back yonder of the country? I mean, people do disappear in Australia. And the times your truck has broken down? Hoooboy, Bill. Stay not murdered, okay?

      I wish I could explain why I like horror movies clearly, but overall the social commentary movies strike me the most. They’re about domestic abuse or puberty or racism or the Islamic extremists, etc. When I just watch the news, like now and what is happening at the Gaza strip, I have no connection. What should I do? What can I do? What is really going on? A horror movie makes it more understandable and emotional.

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  10. Also, I’m really impressed with Biscuit’s running. Not enough to resume swim training, but she inspires me to keep riding my bike when I would rather just jump in the ute (my HiLux pick-up).

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  11. Wow that Nun book looks like a ROMP! So fun. Can’t wait to read your review of it.

    Good for Biscuit, running long distances is impressive! I just can’t into running, never can, never will.

    I can see why moving for a period of time is a daunting process, I would have anxiety about it, but it seems like you a) have friends in lots of places and b) are really good at making new friends based on your hobbies, so this will be a very cool adventure for you. I have to constantly remind myself that pushing myself out of my comfort zone is a good thing, and although it feels hard in the moment, I’m always so happy I did afterwards. You are good at pushing yourself, so pushing yourself a little further into a short-term move will be a piece of cake for ya.

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