90s Grunge in Ballard

I was legitimately out of the country when my friend's husband apparently helped jump start the Seattle grunge thing. Sorry--missed it. But I'll catch it retro-actively tonight. I promise.

Book Group

The women in my book group are wild about this guy. Apparently there's a new 007 movie coming out: Quantum of Solace. And he's Bond. James Bond.

The core compelling reason to see this film, according to the 6 giddy suburbanites in my living room last night, is this guy run out of the water in his swim trunks. There was swooning involved. And exclamations of "have you ever seen a more perfect specimen of a male body?!"

At least that was better than talking about "Three Cups of Tea." Yawn.

Wazzup on Wall Street?

There are a lot of white guys stymied by today's economic news, eh?

Umm, no bailout? But. But. But.

Errr.

Now what?

Oh, THAT Eurydice!

And here I was, feeling like I really should know the plot of the play we're seeing tonight, what with me being a former English major and all... and then I find out from Wikipedia that I know the story after all:

In Greek mythology, Eurydice (Eurydíkê, Εὐρυδίκη) was an oak nymph or a sweet maiden. She was the wife of Orpheus. Orpheus loved her dearly; on their wedding day, Orpheus played songs filled with happiness as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr had seen her and pursued her. According to legend, Eurydice stepped on a snake and fell to the ground. The venomous snake had bitten her, leaving Eurydice dead. Distraught, Orpheus played and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. In their saddened states, they told him to travel to the Underworld and retrieve her. Orpheus did so, and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, his singing so sweet that even the Erinyes wept. In another version, Orpheus played his lyre to put the guardian of Hades, Cerberus, to sleep. It was then granted that Eurydice be allowed to return with him to the world of the living. But the condition was attached that he should walk in front of her and not look back until he had reached the upper world. In his anxiety, he broke his promise, and Eurydice vanished again from his sight - this time forever.

Totally romantic.

Plus, there is disagreement about the pronunciation of this lovely maiden's name. Is it:

a. You're-a-dyke
b. You're-a-disease (in which the final 'z' sound is silent)
c. You're-a-dice
d. none of the above

Greek scholars? You wanna weigh in on this one?

Two Things:

Here are two things I would completely dismiss if it weren't for GVB's children's association with them:

1. Stanwood
2. Cheerleading

But maybe VBchild#1 is on to something I'm missing. I'll give it another shot next year.

Token Magnum Post

This cartoon reminds me of my ex-husband.

On Bailouts and Family Businesses

Somebody needs to explain to me why rich white guys still run the world. Haven't we learned yet that, faced with unchecked opportunities for self-congratulation, they'll eventually all make the rest of us pay for their excesses?

I'm the daughter of a rich white guy, so I know of what I speak. And some of my dad's relatives are reeeeeeaallllly greedy.