Good evening, 919 Gang. Jan. 1 and we start a new year. As
will all beginnings we have high hopes of success. May all your hopes be
realized.
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PAUL OMUNDSON
writes:
Way to go Carl Larsen. The word “revenant” is a great one
to toss into the ring at the end of 2015. We'll see in the weeks to come if the
Alejandro González Iñárritu movie lives up to that title. And I'm sure David
Farmer will let us know the nuances of this incredibly powerful word.
In the meantime, I'm going to throw another “r” word out
there to start 2016: “revelator.”
Webster defines the word simply as “one who reveals the
will of God.” But hold on a minute. Just listen to Son House singing “John the
Revelator” from his mid-1960s Columbia Records collection. Then you get a sense
of word's strength, its deep vibrancy.
The word is magic, just like “revenant.” And we 919
wordsmiths are the magicians.
DAVID FARMER writes:
I'm grateful for Carl Larsen's faith in my word power (much
of it acquired as a child from the Reader's Digest feature that strove to
increase mine). Does the Digest still have that feature? Is there still a
Reader's Digest? Yes, the miniature magazine is plugging away, catering to
those of us with short attention spans.
My real secret is that I'm so bone-idle that I have
unlimited time to look things up and fool around with what I find. Time out:
why do we look things UP? You rarely find the answer to a question by gazing at
the ceiling or in the sky, so UP does not seem the right word. DOWN would be
more logical, since words are written DOWN on a piece of paper or computer
screen. Only time will tell.
Similarly, when we print something from our computer, why
do we print it OUT? We're just printing it, right? So let's all try to do
better in future, okay?
Carl assumes, without much justification, that I will have
something pithy to say about "revenant." (For some reason, my
spell-check software rejects the word. I sometimes have to over-ride
spell-check, much as I do with the GPS in my car. It's fun to listen to the
automated lady frantically trying to get me back on the correct route.
Sometimes I go the wrong way just to confound her.)
For some reason, Carl's confidence reminded me of that
Saturday Night Live character from long ago, Emily Litella. Played by Gilda
Radner, Emily would misunderstand some word, and go on at length about how
angry she became. For example, once she heard about school "busting"
(not busing.) She was furious at the thought of such violence against children.
The sketch always ended with someone off-screen correcting
what she thought she heard. Emily would then shrug and say, "Never
mind."
Here's what I've heard about a movie that's very popular
just now. The hero, Leon DeCarpo, owns a carpet store on Melrose Avenue in Los
Angeles. He's working late one night, alone in his store, unrolling a large
spool of carpeting. Something goes badly wrong, and Leon is suddenly wound into
the roll of carpeting.
He calls for help, but there's none to hear. He's inside
the roll for two days without food or water, while his employees search for
him. Fortunately, a wealthy Beverly Hills woman comes into the store and wants
4,000 square yards of the very carpeting that holds Leon in a death grip. The
workers unroll the carpet and discover Leon, barely alive.
But all ends well, and Leon DeCarpo produces and stars in a
movie about his harrowing experience. He titles it "The Remnant."
What, wrong actor? Wrong story? Wrong title? Never mind.
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ANITA PALMER
writes:
I wish my family had come up with Bonnie Rogers' fabulous
Christmas exchange Game. What fun! Our members are few and practical, which
translates to boring. I don't mean to sound ungrateful but who wants to unwrap
a perfunctory present?
Here's wishing a blessed and rewarding 2016 to all the 919
Gang, whether revenant, retired, or still raring to go.
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ELIZABETH GABRIEL
writes:
I can't say I am sorry to hear about Anthony's closing. The
place was an overrated, expensive and rude tourist trap. When relatives came to
visit when I lived in San Diego and wanted to dine there, I tried mightily to
talk them out of it. But a cousin and his wife insisted. The place was jammed,
of course. They told us the wait was 30 minutes. At 45 minutes, I complained.
At an hour and 15 minutes, I fussed. All they did was seat us in the bar, where
I, at least refused to order any of their overpriced drinks. When we finally were
seated, the order took forever and was, in current lingo meh at best. Relatives
were disappointed, I was annoyed. A spoiled evening. The Reuben E. Lee was
another story. Touristy for sure, but it was my 1971 honeymoon. I think fondly
of it.
DICK BARNES writes:
Riffing on your restaurant theme, maybe one of the Gang
could update me on a few places that figured prominently in my various times in
San Diego. Whatever happened to Top of the Cove in La Jolla? And Old Trieste?
And The Top Shelf in La Mesa. Did anyone eat at the Black Frog, run by a couple
of ex-SEALs? Or the Blue Man in Lemon Grove? Or Emmett’s, in Hillcrest? Most
are from the 1960s and ‘70s, and all probably long gone.
REBER: I hope someone has answers. I
know I am interested.
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JULIE PENDRAY
writes:
John McPeek, you are
exonerated for describing Auckland as the capital of New Zealand because it was
indeed the capital from 1841 to 1865. The South Island legislators however
complained about how long it took them to get to Auckland in those days and how
they had to wade in the mud to get to shore from their boat!
Now, Lonely Planet has
described Wellington as ”the coolest little capital in the world.”
Aotearoa is indeed a
special little place. I miss its simplicity, even the rain and wind in my face,
and the salty ocean air mixed with rich Auckland soil and roses. I join you in
having memories that move me to tears.
I'm glad you had a happy
time in my isles of Oceania.
REBER: We have many
wonderful memories of New Zealand, but sometimes things stick in your mind that
aren’t in the guidebooks. We were driving on the South Island, a particularly
lonely stretch. It was getting late, and we were getting hungry. In the middle
of nowhere we saw a sign that led us to a place which offered a room and
family-style sit-down dinner for all the guests. We asked the proprietor if
there was some place we could hike. He pointed out a faint path that led into
some woods. It was rough walking, but we stuck with it. Suddenly we were at the
coast, and a flock (covey? clan?) of penguins was cavorting in front of us. You
don’t see that every day.
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REBER: Let’s start the year right by
wishing Happy Birthday, Jan. 1, to Edna Whiteley.
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CARL LARSEN
forwards:
Interesting story from OC Register:
real estate titan The Irvine Co. forces out Marie Callender's and another
old-style chain for new "chef-driven" restaurants.
BARRY BLOOM
forwards:
Here's
my end of the year ode to Trevor Hoffman. He'll eventually be elected to the
National Baseball Hall of Fame, if not this time:
Trevor should be a first ballot guy. Like Tony Gwynn, a
great friend, teammate, player, family man. The epitome of what a Hall of Famer
should represent.
REBER: Not only is this next
a fine rendering of the song, the video shows photos from around the world.
Check it out.
DIANA MORTENSON
forwards:
Auld Lang Syne by Sissel; Happy New Year
P.O. Box 2239
Ramona, CA 92065
U.S.A.
