me (looking): um…no.

boy (pointing to one of the actors on screen): isn’t that guy in the godfather?

me: yes, but it’s not one of the godfather movies.

boy: are you sure?

me: yes.  sidney poitier was not in the godfather.  neither are hardly any other black people.

boy: how was i supposed to know that?

me: you’ve watched the godfather.

boy: oh, right.

boy: such a good movie.  how did you like it?

me: loved it.  and i might have a small crush on marlon brando now.  is that okay with you?

boy:  i have a small crush on marlon brando.  so, yeah. as long as we can share.

me: united over our mutual crush on a film actor but only in one particular movie role from 1954.  our relationship is really grounded in reality.

boy: indeed.

mom: so what would you say is the main theme of this book?

me: i’d say, centrally it is about the oppression of women in society by men.

mom: okay, how about this one?

me: how women’s lives are shaped and determined by men around them.  in victorian times.

mom: okay, what about this one?

me: this one is about how a group of bachelors and how they are all free, educated and have opportunity, and then part two features a bunch of maids and widows who have a crappy life producing paper for the men.

mom: seriously?

me: yes…i mean, they mention other things, but…

mom: i hate to ask, but what about this one?

me: um…how women are denied education in favor of offering it to the men. basically, more oppression of women. oh, AND FOOD.

mom: sigh.

dad: i’m depressed already. [exit dad]

the end.

* * * *

we are currently in our faux-blizzard, which we prefer to endure on the couch after going out to get some hot chocolate. the store actually had no hot chocolate (what the heck? in colorado?) so instead we got chocolate chip cookies to go with english breakfast tea (with milk & sugar) that the boy just brought me.

and if i hadn’t caught a ride with my sister down to his house, he would have come and gotten me just so i could spend the blizzard with him. pretty great, he is.

this should hopefully make up for the fact that he’s sitting next to me biting his fingernails, a habit that is about ready to make my head explode. maybe. pass me another cookie, and i’ll think about it.

grin.

me: a cute bird.

boy: like a bluebird?

me: sure.

boy: standing or flying?

me: whatever is cuter.

boy: a standing bird is definitely cuter.

* * * *

no further explanation offered.

• sara: if “x’s” mean kisses, and “o’s” mean hugs, what do all the other letters mean?
• troy: foreplay.
• [pause]
• sara: touché.

• sara: apparently because i’m white and middle class, i should like the tv show ‘the wire’. so i rented it.
• troy: OK
• troy: whoa
• troy: caps
• sara: i feel like we say that enough that that is it’s own phrase. like if you do something wrong, you should say “whoacaps!”