There is something so refreshing and honest about shows, movies, and other media that are clearly built on a very obvious, simple premise, as if dreamed into existence by a roomful of young people with beers. Part of the appeal is that my friends and I could come up with these things. I feel that way about Jaws, Tremors, and I don't know what all else. I'm watching the premiere of Time Warp on the Discovery Channel. All it is is they show cool stuff happening and make it even cooler by slowing it down with a high-speed camera. It's so elementary that I'm surprised it took us (humanity) so long to come up with it. It seems like something they would have done when they invented the high-speed camera. Maybe they did and just didn't televise it. I recommend it for mindless background entertainment.
Yesterday I made some olive and rosemary pancakes. Nothing sweet about them--regular pancakes aren't even that sweet, it's just the syrup, fruit, or sugar you add, but these are even more savory. A Mollie Katzen recipe. It feels so good to try something new. I already made all the batter into pancakes so I can freeze them, because while they're delicious, they're not the kind of thing I want to eat for a week just because they'll go bad. Actually nothing is the kind of thing I want to eat for a week, and I'm discovering how helpful my freezer is. Who knew? I got a blender on Monday and have had a smoothie every day since. I even used the food processor attachment for the olives in the pancakes. I've already officially gotten my money's worth. I love when a purchase proves itself so quickly.
My class discussed Annie Dillard today, and as usual they are more insightful and seasoned than I am and pretty much changed my mind about the reading. I'd forgotten, or just not known, how divisive Dillard can be. Lah-di-dah cock-eyed optimists like me eat her up, and cynics just sneer away. After our discussion today, I stand loyal to her but certainly see the basis for all criticisms. Many students said they just didn't get it, walked away unchanged, so we joked about checking the SparkNotes. That cracked me up, because what would be on the SparkNotes of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek? "Chapter 1: Annie goes to live at Tinker Creek. Chapter 2: She is still there and totally enthralled. Chapter 3: She tells us some fascinating information in an awed tone. Chapter 4: She visits the creek again and is awed again." Actually, I'm going to go check SparkNotes for that right now. The question is, does that matter? That there's no plot or change? The Pulitzer people say no. I say, eh, if a student wrote like that I'd probably tell them to show us a change in the narrator, show us a point, and not fall back on beautiful language. Now if we can only get my other class to step it up, which for them means, oh I don't know, read the material. Oh, the difference between general studies and creative writing students. At least in that class we're reading The Importance of Being Earnest, so I know what's going on just by reading it instead of relying on the big prof for everything.
There's a "parade to the polls" from campus tomorrow for early voting. I have class then, but how cool. I think I'm voting early. Why not? Yeehaw.
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