Rain and an Old Movie Memory

I take back all my skepticism about yesterday's rain. It turned out to be exactly what we needed -- a full day of steady, soaking drizzle -- almost 16 mm worth, according to our local weather site. It was by far the rainiest day we've had in months. I couldn't even begin to think about going outside until about mid-afternoon, when I spotted this discarded tin while walking Bailey. (I did not try to salvage it!)

Here's where Bailey spent most of her day -- perched on the end of the couch, where she can easily see outside and be entertained (or tormented) by passing wildlife.

I caught up on answering blog comments and read a New Yorker. And I wrestled with yet more demands from my stepmother's bank. They're now arguing that the notary seals and the apostilles have to have the same date, so they want me to go back and re-sign and re-notarize all the beneficiary forms I've already submitted. I'm going to call them today because a) this is bullshit, and even a simple Google search would tell them that a notary seal and an apostille don't need to be completed on the same day to be valid; and b) this imposes a hardship on me because I'd have to spend another £300 (about $400) on notaries, in order to inherit less than $2,000 -- my tiny share of her accounts. It's enough to make a person crazy. I really do believe they're acting in bad faith, and this is a disgraceful way to treat family members who have endured the death of a parent.

On a brighter note, I'm kicking around the idea of transcribing my childhood journals into a private blog -- not for anyone to read, but for me to be able to search when I want to remember something. I did this many years ago for my adult journals, and it helps me rapidly look up memories (like the encounter with Gloria Steinem I related recently). I'd have to edit them pretty heavily because they're full of gibberish and childhood in-jokes between me and my brother that no one else would understand, but it could be done. I took one volume down yesterday and read a few entries. Here's a sample, from when I was 13:

July 2, 1980

Last night I typed a card for the Andeker, which Dad drank on Monday. We also got ready to send off for the cans we need from that guy in Arkansas. We packed up the Fischer's Light and the 16-ounce Pabst Blue Ribbon and a letter telling him we wanted the Old German can and the Boh can. Boh is short for Bohemian, which is the can he's sending us. I also told him about our extra Puerto Rican cans and our extra Andeker. I told him to write back if he's interested. So maybe we'll get a reply! Jim also let me take home the Beer Can Bible to read.

I scoured that dingy bathtub today. What a pain! I never did get all the rust off. I got a lot of it off, though. At least it looks like a bathtub, and not a 16th-Century washtub!

We went to a movie with Mom tonight called "The Empire Strikes Back," which is a "Star Wars" sequel. I even saved my ticket stub! There was one creature in the movie which Mom really liked, named Yoda. He was a Muppet creation, and Frank Oz did the voice. (I knew there was a reason why he sounded like a cross between Fozzie Bear and Grover!) He really fools you, because he looks so real. All the Muppets do, and whenever I watch them, I keep forgetting that. I don't think I'll ever get the fact that Kermit the Frog isn't real through my thick skull. (Good grief, I must really be tired. I just insulted myself!)

A few essential notes, in order for that to make sense:
-- My stepbrother and I, at the time, collected beer cans. We would have our parents buy any unusual beer we spotted in a store, which my dad then wound up drinking before giving us the can. We traded these cans with people around the country as members of the Beer Can Collectors of America (BCCA), and we typed up notecards noting the source, condition and brewery of every can. It may seem like needless work but it taught me to type!

-- The well water where I grew up was heavy in iron and would routinely stain our fixtures, appliances and dishes rust-red.
-- Of course I knew the Muppets weren't real, but my point was that they seem very animated!

And here's the ticket stub for "The Empire Strikes Back." You gotta love the fact that going to the movies in 1980 cost two dollars!