Sunday, March 06, 2005
Movies, books and the art of the clean sleep
I keep borrowing DVDs from the video store and not finding a suitable time to watch them until the day they are due back. I kind of get them out on the basis that I'll fill in one of the blank spots in my life with them - one of the times when I'm bored with my book, there's nothing I want to watch on TV and I'm feeling too idle to do anything physical. Lately there seem to be fewer and fewer of these places. In a way that's good; in another, I'd like to watch these movies before I'm absolutely forced to watch them NOW so I can run them back to the store. Worse than that, I have my very best sleeps in front of TV (or DVDs it seems).
This week I have slept through most of Cold Mountain, waking in fits and starts only to realise at one stage that I've done this before in this self-same movie. I'm reliably informed it's a good movie. Some of the early scenes I managed to sit out were certainly shocking enough to keep one's attention.
Then there was the something or other of the spotless mind. That one I slept through most of the middle but saw out the final hour. I don't think I missed much.
Today it was JFK - yes I know it's really old but it was good - but once again I slept through most of the middle. Was it the longest movie in the history of movies? I started watching at 4.30pm, dropped off, woke up at 6pm and raced it back to the store after 8. I saw all the good bits I think and made it through the whole trial but only just in time to get it back before the store closed. Thank God the liquor store was still open as well because I was completely out of wine and I love my nightly glass - tonight imbibed at 9.30pm and dinner at 10 and all because I just hate taking those movies back without at least getting some value out of them.
The stupid thing is that I start watching them when I'm already tired. Today I'd gone out to a Japanese restaurant for lunch with some friends, then we'd dropped in to see some other friends, then they'd stayed at my place for a while so we would discuss her art project - and the weather here was really hot and humid - so by the time they'd left, I felt as thought I just wanted to go to sleep. Ha! she thinks, I have to watch that movie this afternoon, I'll do that now. I reckon I only lasted about 20 minutes before I was in dreamland.
Still those sleeps are so nice. It's great having a sleep when it's not the proper time for a sleep. I go to bed at night and toss and turn and can't ever get comfortable and listen to the radio and get up and down to the toilet or to have a cigarette on the midnight balcony, but put on a DVD or a TV show I've been looking forward to and it's off to dreamland, no trouble, and I love that wicked feeling of knowing I'm drifting off, eyes getting heavy, allowing them to close then forcing them open, knowing full well that it's a losing game and unless I get up and walk around I'm about to lose consciousness any moment now.
The books I've been reading have been fairly poorly written and trashy or too literary and slow and none of them have kept my attention. I've even given up on a couple after taking all week to get halfway through. Still I did identify with this passage from "The Jury Must Die" by Carol O'Connell:
" 'I got a philosophy,' she said. 'I'm gonna write a book - Zen and the Art of a Clean House - that's my title. You put a house in order, and you put your life in order. All this stuff is weighing you down Riker. You might as well drag it around on your back, the dirt, the mess, the busted coffeemaker that probably hasn't worked in twenty years. But that ain't the worst of it.'
He followed the point of her finger, looking through the doorway to the room beyond where dust balls, having acquired tenure, roamed free and fearless across the open floor. One windowpane she had cleaned; all the rest were fogged with a yellow grime of nicotine. And a layer of dust colored everything else in gray.
'That's what the inside of your head looks like,' she said. 'Scary, huh?'
Ah, the wisdom of the humble cleaning woman - works for me every time!
This week I have slept through most of Cold Mountain, waking in fits and starts only to realise at one stage that I've done this before in this self-same movie. I'm reliably informed it's a good movie. Some of the early scenes I managed to sit out were certainly shocking enough to keep one's attention.
Then there was the something or other of the spotless mind. That one I slept through most of the middle but saw out the final hour. I don't think I missed much.
Today it was JFK - yes I know it's really old but it was good - but once again I slept through most of the middle. Was it the longest movie in the history of movies? I started watching at 4.30pm, dropped off, woke up at 6pm and raced it back to the store after 8. I saw all the good bits I think and made it through the whole trial but only just in time to get it back before the store closed. Thank God the liquor store was still open as well because I was completely out of wine and I love my nightly glass - tonight imbibed at 9.30pm and dinner at 10 and all because I just hate taking those movies back without at least getting some value out of them.
The stupid thing is that I start watching them when I'm already tired. Today I'd gone out to a Japanese restaurant for lunch with some friends, then we'd dropped in to see some other friends, then they'd stayed at my place for a while so we would discuss her art project - and the weather here was really hot and humid - so by the time they'd left, I felt as thought I just wanted to go to sleep. Ha! she thinks, I have to watch that movie this afternoon, I'll do that now. I reckon I only lasted about 20 minutes before I was in dreamland.
Still those sleeps are so nice. It's great having a sleep when it's not the proper time for a sleep. I go to bed at night and toss and turn and can't ever get comfortable and listen to the radio and get up and down to the toilet or to have a cigarette on the midnight balcony, but put on a DVD or a TV show I've been looking forward to and it's off to dreamland, no trouble, and I love that wicked feeling of knowing I'm drifting off, eyes getting heavy, allowing them to close then forcing them open, knowing full well that it's a losing game and unless I get up and walk around I'm about to lose consciousness any moment now.
The books I've been reading have been fairly poorly written and trashy or too literary and slow and none of them have kept my attention. I've even given up on a couple after taking all week to get halfway through. Still I did identify with this passage from "The Jury Must Die" by Carol O'Connell:
" 'I got a philosophy,' she said. 'I'm gonna write a book - Zen and the Art of a Clean House - that's my title. You put a house in order, and you put your life in order. All this stuff is weighing you down Riker. You might as well drag it around on your back, the dirt, the mess, the busted coffeemaker that probably hasn't worked in twenty years. But that ain't the worst of it.'
He followed the point of her finger, looking through the doorway to the room beyond where dust balls, having acquired tenure, roamed free and fearless across the open floor. One windowpane she had cleaned; all the rest were fogged with a yellow grime of nicotine. And a layer of dust colored everything else in gray.
'That's what the inside of your head looks like,' she said. 'Scary, huh?'
Ah, the wisdom of the humble cleaning woman - works for me every time!
Comments:
Hello, Kay, dear. It's me, Lisa from Florida, USA. I must apologize for not being in touch in so, so very long. I've not been a very good friend. Work, wifery, motherhood, and charitable obligations have left me with VERY little time for blogging or much else. Don't remember if you'd read on my site, but I'm expecting -which leaves me less time than ever, due to the sleepiness pregnancy causes.
Rest assured I've thought of you often. Things are well here. Just recently was reading an article on invasive species and thought of you more strongly than ever, that being your field and all. Then this morning I hear a cyclone is headed your way (not sure how close it really is to you, since I'm no expert on Australian geography)and I had to at least check in with you. I hope all is well with you and you're well out of the danger zone.
hugs,
Lisa
Rest assured I've thought of you often. Things are well here. Just recently was reading an article on invasive species and thought of you more strongly than ever, that being your field and all. Then this morning I hear a cyclone is headed your way (not sure how close it really is to you, since I'm no expert on Australian geography)and I had to at least check in with you. I hope all is well with you and you're well out of the danger zone.
hugs,
Lisa
So good to hear from you Lisa. I do check your blog from time to time but you never write anymore. Hope your baby is growing well and you are feeling well. There are two cyclones, either side of us but hundreds of kilometres away at this stage. Keep in touch. x K
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