Reading: Evany, for the first time. Thanks Beth! Civilization, the magazine of the Library of Congress. John Fowles, A Maggot

Christmas (Tuesday): Mailed presents and cards. Stamped more cards.

Viewing (Tuesday again): "Gaslight," the real one with Ingrid Bergman

8 December 1999: Lassitude

Last night we ate guacamole and cheese and cookies and oranges for supper. I recommend it.

Then RDC went out for a spot of Christmas shopping and returned just before 7:00. Channel-hopping for his second supper, he happened upon "Raiders of the Lost Ark" again, during the opening credits ("Clouds circle a snowy peak"). "We haven't seen the first 15 minutes in ages." This is true. Last time, my first line was "That's my pet snake Reggie!" So we watched past the bi-plane taking off and through "love you" penciled on the eyelids (since I had missed that last time and it's very important) and all the way up to "Marcus, I had it in my hand" before RDC shook himself and resumed channel-hopping, leading to the discovery we had missed the whole first half of a new "That '70s Show." Truly, my life is a tragedy.

But at least I was reminded what Denholm Elliot's character's name is. And at 7:30, "Gaslight" came on. Ingrid Bergman is so amazing in that role, going from terror to ecstacy to bewilderment to anger seamlessly.

Television. Ooof.

I think I like me better when I'm not so complacently self-satisfied. I haven't read much except for on the bus or exercised or thought much in several days. I'm puttering Christmasly. I made an Amazon wishlist even. Amazon's doing Toys for Tots too.

Or I could write about my conversation with my mother.

Nah.

If I send her the letter I wrote in response, though, I'll post that.