The 65 percent solution

[gurdonark]

My personal 100 poems project achieved 60someodd poems by July 31, fewer than I had projected, but nonetheless a satisfying exercise. In the meantime, I returned from my business trip to find that numerous submissions to my Mail Poetry Call came in, from exotic places like Madison, Wisconsin, SF and Brazil. I'm so pleased that people participated, and eager to spend the next several weeks on finalizing a form of simple documentation. I haven't counted the total number of participations, but I know it was neither disappointing nor overwhelming, which is, in the words of the baby bear, just right.

My wife had work to do last night, so I tried to settle in and watch a video. I could not find our copy of "It's a Wonderful Life", though (although, oddly, I think we have two), so I plunged into Robert Donat's Oscar winning 1939 performance in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips". Our video of that movie has serious "tracking" issues, though, which made me turn it off in sheer frustration in short order. I need to dig out the paperback and re-read it for the xmillionth time. It makes me happy. I'm always intrigued by how much more "literary" so many folks are in their reading list than I am. I like books that are a good read, and I don't mind at all a bit of sentiment along the way.

I went into my office for a short interlude, to discover to my relief that no thermonuclear client crisis had erupted in my absence. Then I went to nearby Springhill Park in Rowlett, which had a nice little walking area, with a fishing pond that looked fishing-worthy in a future trip.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if life really gets any better than the riff on "Cortez the Killer", except that as soon as I say that, I wonder if the hand-clap syncopation on "Golden Years" isn't just as good.

Comments

[the-outsider.livejournal.com]

Odd that you mention "Goodbye Mr. Chips," as it was just on TV about an hour ago.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

That IS odd!

[laruth.livejournal.com]

My apologies for not participating in your poetry mail call. Poetry has never been my strong point, and I just never seem to get around to doing it! Bad Ruth!!! ;)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

You always rank high in my book, and I would never expect you to do something you're not comfortable doing. Just keep posting!

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

oh, i forgot to send a poem! my memory keeps leaving out important things and embarrassing me something fierce. next project you do, i'm in, for sure, and i won't forget.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you friended me some time back. I've really gained from the experience of reading your posts. Mail poetry, mail art, anything like that, is just about fun. Don't worry if you didn't play this time!

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

i'm so glad too, and ditto! thanks. :)

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

well you could have watched Peter O'Toole in it on TCM

but that original version takes the cake anyways

and sentiment, human emotion always work for me

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I love Petula Clark (and raisin bran), but the original book (and, for that matter, the original movie) always are the best.

But as cool as Petula is in Goodbye Mr. Chips, give me Judy Geeson in To Sir, with Love any day.

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

have you ever seen "You Can't Take It With You" starring a younger James Stewart and the older Barrymore......that is one endearing film