On Friday I met with Kogee and others at 6:30 (got up at 5), it took us about 2 dull grey hours to get to Stuart's cottage. The breakfast had already begun and we plunged into the talks almost immediately. I never fought so hard to stay awake in my life. The worst was the last talk by Jim Somebody, every syllable felt like a slo-mo sentence. Milo was jumping about taking pictures of us pale, bleary-eyed folk. The ordeal ended by noon. After lunch, some went kayaking, I joined Marc, Jim, Milo and the Allisons for golf. Talk about boring. Talk about the shameless waste of pretty grounds.
Lucky, lucky thing that Keith and Lucia could lend me the tent and the sleeping bag! Sure, I didn't get much sleep with the infernal all-night yammering from the people on the beach (not our group), but at least I was comfortable. The people inside the cottage slept wherever--on the kitchen floor, under the table (Kogee), ON the coffee table (Richard). Marcia and I prepared breakfast (eggs, bacon, bagels). I have a new respect for restaurant cooks. After the talks I helped Milo with his extravagant Indian lunch, mixing the dough for pakoras, chopping stuff and bumping sides with his other three or five "assistants". Everybody decided this was the "defining" meal of the 2004 retreat.
I had no desire to go on any offered outings, plus it began to drizzle, so I packed the tent and browsed through Stuart's cottage book collection: interesting mix. Bulgakov's "Heart of dog", Hamsun, Poe, Mann, C. P. Snow... Picked up Wodehouse, "The inimitable Jeeves"--I don't understand how anyone can finish any book of his, or rather, WHY. I get the joke, but every page is like any other. Ten years from now I could continue reading past chapter 7 (got that far) with no loss. Maybe there's some virtue in that too.
Anyway--FINALLY, the dinner came and went (excellent spare rib/bok choy soup and Filipino-style beef steaks), and FINALLY the hour to leave sounded. The drive took forever; I got home about 23:30 and took straight for the blessed shower (we were advised not to use too much water--not even to flush the toilet), then read some, and so to bed.
Post je objavljen 09.08.2004. u 13:52 sati.