— छह हज़ार एक सौ उन्नीस —
I have quite a backlogged work load at work and yet I can't stop reading about the historic "
Blue Wave"
elections yesterday. It's a problem. But you know, there are worse problems to have! This is far, far better a result than I could ever have dared to hope.
I keep thinking about how much deeper shit we would be in if this would-be dictator and his cabinet and supporters were actually intelligent rather than idiot incompetents. But all they did was royally fuck up everything imaginable, in the end finally infuriating even their own base. What a bunch of morons. But, better for us that they be morons than fucking evil geniuses. I shudder to think.
— छह हज़ार एक सौ उन्नीस —
For the second time in about a week and a half, last night I went to a movie with Ivan—we saw
Breeder, which I thought was basically fine, but I think he liked it better than I did. He kept saying "I found it amusing." It was moderately so.
It had been on a short list of movies he provided when I texted him a while ago to ask if there were any movies this fall he was interested in.
Wicker, which we saw together two Saturdays ago, was among them. So was
Wildwood, which was what I hoped he would want to go see last night after he told me he had both Monday and Tuesday nights off of work, as I am eager to see that one again. But, he wanted to see
Breeder more, which was still already tentatively on my calendar anyway, so we went to see that one.
The showtime was at 5:00, so I walked straight over there from work and he met me there. He never buys his tickets ahead of time, which is kind of annoying, but because I can rely on him to be that way I decided to wait to book my ticket through my AMC subscription until he bought his ticket. The guy at the window recognized me and suggested I scan my member QR code so Ivan could get the Tuesday half-price ticket. I did not realize you had to be a member to get that deal. Ivan was pretty pleased to get it.
After the movie, just like after
Wicker two Saturdays ago, we walked back up Pine toward my building together. He rather surprised me during our walk when he said, "Are you going to Diwali?" I asked if he meant the Diwali Festival this Saturday, and he said yes; he was planning to go. I told him Shobhit and Alexia and I were indeed all already planning to go—Alexia is getting here at 11:30 a.m. so we can walk downtown and then catch the Monorail over to Seattle Center and get there right when the event starts at noon. This was Shobhit's suggestion as then the lines will be shorter, especially if they have the buffet of free Indian food like they have the last couple of times we've gone.
I asked Ivan if that was too early for him, and again he surprised me when he said that should be fine. So, he'll join us and go along at the same time. He stunned me when he said he had never ridden the Monorail before. What? I've ridden it probably a hundred times.
When I told Shobhit Ivan was joining us, he was very unusually weird about it. "Why?" he said. "Because he's interested, and he was already planning to go!" I said. "Why?" he said again. I was just like: why the hell would you ask that? He's not usually annoyed by Ivan himself, so I suspect he just doesn't like the prospect of increasing the number of our group and thereby slowing him down in his desire to get through it all quickly. We really don't need to rush through everything though.
— छह हज़ार एक सौ उन्नीस —
— छह हज़ार एक सौ उन्नीस —
Another very odd thing regarding Ivan last night was his scruffy facial hair. He clearly hadn't shaved in a few days. There was gray in his scruff, which made him look older. It was a kind of jarring sight, and I could not help but comment on it. I commented on it on the walk down, and when he saw me looking at him while stopped at a street light on our way back he said, "What's up?" I said, "Your facial hair!" Then he said, "It's unusual, I know." Or something to that effect.
When I first brought it up, his explanation was that the sink in his house is not working. This would be the house he's sharing with a coworker (which still strikes me as ill-advised) only blocks from our place but which he refused to share its exact location. Can he not use the kitchen sink to shave? Is the shower working? I have many follow-up questions that I did not ask. But, it does reveal one thing: clearly the house he's sharing with a coworker is not that nice a house.
I am pleased to be hanging out with him with some regularity again, though, even though the movie a week and a half ago was the first time since he came over to pick up his bags on September 13. We even talked about seeing movies or having dinner at that time, but only picked up again after I was the one who followed up about movies. Sometime in the next couple of months we'll get together for dinner though, and we did already make plans for him and Alexia and me to do the Queen Mary Tea Room in December; I made those reservations in September.
— छह हज़ार एक सौ उन्नीस —
Beyond that, I've got even more holiday-season activities and events coming together: I just discovered yesterday that Pacific Place will have a new holiday event through the holidays, called "
Snowglobe Seattle." I saw signs advertising it when I was waiting for Ivan outside the AMC. I texted Alexia to ask if she was interested, noting that you can book free timed-entry tickets that I am not convinced are even needed but they can't hurt; and the first day is Black Friday when she was planning to come for the Lighting of the Tree Ceremony anyway. She was all about it:
Let's check it out! It's free, there's no downside. (I think there are paid-bars and things inside but whatever; I should still get lots of pictures.) I booked three tickets for 5:30 on November 27, just assuming Shobhit will be with us. If he isn't, no biggie; but he probably will be.
Also, I texted Gina and Beth to ask if they were interested in a holiday day trip for a Seattle Holiday Sights Tour again this year—it'll be kind of a do-over, because Gina came by herself last year due to Beth facing some significant challenges; it sounds like they are good to both come this year. I had heard they were very busy so I was surprised when Gina immediately said they would be interested; maybe Beth having just retired makes a difference. They are busy the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving, however, and that would be the most ideal time, especially if they want to see the Seattle Festival of Trees, an annual favorite that ends the beginning of the week after Thanksgiving. I gave them several options and am hoping they choose the Monday after Thanksgiving—a weekday will be less crowded, and I can leave work early that afternoon. I am also taking the entire weeks of both Thanksgiving and Christmas off work, but both those have pros and cons as to what holiday things will be available; I also threw out Saturday December 5 since that's the Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition and I have no one to go with this year (Alexia
and Shobhit will be out of town that weekend; Shobhit barely, as he'll be in Bellevue, but still, he'll be unavailable). Anyway apparently Gina and Beth are "poolside in Mexico" right now so I'll need to give them time to respond to the cascade of texts I sent with options.
— छह हज़ार एक सौ उन्नीस —
[posted 12:32pm]
