Scrabble Babble

Well rested . . . both of us . . . we were. . .upon awakening early this morning. So, of course, we played a game of SCRABBLE which I lost. Naturally we photographed the game. We liked this board because of how the words formed in the upper right hand corner. Highlights of the game include Jon's play of I-N-T-E-N-S-E giving him the first bingo and the my later play of L-I-B-E-L*-E-R-S off of I-N-T-E-N-S-E making it more intense. That was my bingo.

Later in the day, I installed Tomb Raider:Angel of Darkness. I enjoyed the previous versions of the game and have been looking forward to playing Lara Croft's latest greatest for well over a year. Wouldn't you know I'm already having trouble getting out of the first scenario. I can't make the leap from the balcony to the wall across the gap. Computer games would be so much more fun if they were just a little easier.

This evening, we were invited to a reading at KGB bar. We went to see Stephanie Klein, specifically. I didn't know that there would be other readers. Boy was it packed. Standing room only. When I arrived the first reader had already started so I had to wait outside with the others who arrived late. Inside the bar, people were crammed together. I took a picture of the crowd as reflected in the enormous mirror hanging near where I hunkered down before fighting my way into the room but it came out pretty dark and unless I post it as an 8 X 10, you'll never be able to decipher what's going on.

After the first reader finished, the moderator announced a five minute break and I was able to find my friends and miraculously there was a seat for me
at their table. I'm glad I made my way into the room.
The next reader was wonderful. Her name was Maura Mulligan and she read from her memoirs about her childhood in Ireland.

I wrote down some examples of her wonderful writing.

". . .winding, curling, grey, clouds . . ." used to describe the scene at her grandmother's funeral of grownups smoking their pipes "sending grandma up to heaven in a cloud of smoke".

"when the moon was high over Kilpatrick" . . . used to describe the scene where her Aunt tried to get her uncles to move her grandmother's body from one cemetary to another.

She was really charming. I was pleasantly surprised because normally, I find readings pretty boring.

Afterwards, some of the group went over to the Jaffa Cafe on First and St. Mark's Place. Excellent food. Three of us ate the Shrimp Scampi Linguine. It was most excellent.