2002-05-22 - 1:46 p.m.

On the internal soundtrack: "Half a Person", The Smiths

In the spirit of the poll, I'll classify each section of this journal entry by poll category.

Pictures of buildings

Awhile back, I happened to see a book called Nightmares in the Sky, which I think I need to purchase. It's a coffee table book with photos of gargoyles and grotesques all over the United States. In the text, written by Stephen King, is this passage (thank you Green Man Review):

He takes me to the window, small, dirty, crisscrossed with old chicken wire, and points across the street to something which seems to be a monster being born not of a living creature but of a building. Seeing this obscene thing is a shock; what is worse is seeing the people passing to and fro beneath it, intent on either plotting their day's business or their evening's pleasure; they pass to and fro and do not look up.

None of them look up.

I hear him say it again: We don't see them ... but they see us.

It's true, you know. Last week on a walk, waiting to cross the street by City Hall, I looked up at that monstrosity (which is not to say I don't madly love it) of a building, and saw a seriously disturbing, blank-eyed Ben Frank watching me:

I see you, Ben.

When we stopped at a nursery the weekend of the funeral, there were dozens of little stone "ornaments" that you could buy for your lawn. One of them was a crouching monster of some sort, painted dark green with red eyes. It was seriously disturbing. If I can find another one (I wasn't lugging that thing home on the plane), I'm buying it and putting it over my front door, to see who notices. This would be especially effective if we end up with a slightly worn-looking Tudor-style house.

Later during that walk, we happened by the Ritz Carlton hotel. It had a large round dome, reminiscent of the Jefferson Memorial, so I wanted to see the lobby. Poindexter was not keen on going inside, but I dragged him in, saying, "Just walk in like you own the place." Technically, we can afford to stay there, but generally we choose to pay less than $200 a night for the cheapest room in a hotel.

Sure enough, the doorman opened the door for us and said, "Welcome back." Ha.

The lobby was stunning, of course. There was something that looked like an upside-down chandelier in the floor (I really do not know how to explain this, but you can see it here) with dozens of tables and couches all around it. The tables had little vases on them, each with a live ORCHID in it. Good golly. You can see more photos (they're thumbnails -- the larger pictures are much better) and information at Architecture Week -- click "continue" to see more.

Looking the Grand Ballroom picture, I think maybe the "upside-down" chandelier is the Grand Ballroom chandelier, viewed from above.

Apparently, you can have afternoon tea in this lobby. I'll have to see if I can get Alicia and our moms down here for that sometime. Or maybe I'll get impatient, put on a dress, and go alone one afternoon.

Do I have an appropriate dress? Probably not. Time to go shopping!

On our way out of the lobby five minutes after entering it, I winked at the doorman and said, "We were just gawkin'." He laughed.

Anyway, moving on. On our way home, we happened past a jewelry store that sent me into paroxyms of delight. I grew up looking at small local jewelry stores and mall jewelry stores and the jewelry section at JCPenney. So I had never seen a jewelry store like this one except in the movies:

Look at that! Chandeliers, wood, pillars! It's almost enough to make me actually want to buy a real diamond.

Mentions of abz6598

This quote in one of today's entries made me laugh: "Its admittedly a handy size gun but it wouldnt stop an enraged hamster."

Also, this seems like a good time to admit that the one time I had a dream about an LJ user, it was about him. I ain't sayin' anything more about it, though. I'm sure whatever you're imagining is better than the actual dream, which I've completely forgotten.

Descriptions of her personality quirks (PaperMate pens, etc.)

Um...

Ok, here's one. Have I ever mentioned my toes? They function on me like a dog's tail. When I'm happy or excited, they wag. I wiggle them. The happier I am, the faster they wiggle. "My toes are going," I'll say. Or Poindexter will point and laugh (affectionately, mind you). It happens most often when I'm happy to see Poindexter when he arrives home from work, or when we're snuggling and I'm happy to be snuggling.

There are other times, when I'm concentrating very hard or I'm anxious, I think, that my toes will scrunch up tight. Quite the opposite of the free-spirited wiggling when I'm happy.

This is not, btw, the same thing people talk about when they say "my toes curled". I don't know if mine do that or not. I'd have to ask Poindexter.

Upcoming later this week: More obsessing over city vs. suburbs, and possibly some TMI.

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