Bad Movies; Dry Lightening

[mallorys_camera]

The Meezer spent yesterday in a complete snit because the heat index was 107°, and I wouldn’t let her outside.

In the afternoon, the former Democratic Congressional Candidate and I swooped into Rhinebeck to see Indignation, an indifferent film adaptation of the Philip Roth novel.

For years and years and years, I’ve wondered why Roth is held in as high esteem as he is; why every year, when various media writers are guess-listing the Nobel Prize for Literature, Roth’s name is bandied. If you ask me, he’s a pretty pedestrian writer. His sole strength seems to be his prolificacy.

“So-o-o, I guess this was Roth doing Atonement,” I said – the reference being to the Ian MacEwan novel and subsequent movie that were all the rage five years or so ago.

The former DCC shook her head.

“Do you read a lot?” I asked.

“Not really,” the former DCC said. “I mean, I read a lot on my computer. I read too much on my computer.”

I really need to find more friends who read so that they’ll get my obscure literary allusions!

###

Driving in this heat is kind of scary because I don’t trust new-fangled machines like cars. I’m always afraid that my car will break down and that I’ll die of heat stroke before Triple A can get to me.

Also, the extreme heat has interfered with the Perseid meteor shower!

Well. Not with the Perseid meteor shower itself.

But with my ability to see the Perseid meteor shower.

Because for the past two nights, thick thunder clouds have loomed over the night sky.

The dry lightening strikes have been pretty impressive. A celestial Son et Lumiere show!

But they’re not the Perseid meteors.

###

In other news, Max tells me that he and Liza have officially broken up.

I saw that one coming from 20 miles away, so I can’t say I was particularly surprised. I am sad, though. I liked Liza a lot. Thought she’d make a great mother for my unborn grandchildren.

Max didn’t see it coming, which really shocked me.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“Well, she didn’t visit you the whole time you were in New Mexico,” I said. “What happened exactly?”

“Well, she slept with someone in her nursing program,” he said.

“And you have an agreement that you’re monogamous?”

“Not exactly,” he said. “Mom, I really don’t want to talk to you about stuff like this. I feel bad about it. But not that bad about it. She feels terrible about it.”

Right, I thought. But not as terrible as you’re gonna feel six months from now when she announces she’s pregnant by that guy in her nursing program, and they’re getting married. Why didn’t you just propose to her? That’s what she wanted!

But, you know. I’m his mother. I can’t say shit like that.