11.10.03 - 6:10 p.m.

I just glanced at the Julia Roberts bio that the EA plopped on my desk this morning. The jacket copy describes the book as "unputdownable." I can think of a few put-downs for the copywriter who came up with that one.

What do you think Bob whispered to Charlotte at the end of Lost in Translation? I think he said something to the effect of, "You know we can never see each other again, but this was just a dream and you should remember it as a wonderful dream for the rest of your life." It's a good way to end a film when you've created these characters who have an ambiguous relationship, a relationship that keeps audiences on the fence over whether or not it should be consummated at all. I don't think it's cowardly; I think it gives every viewer an individually tailored payoff.

Sigh. Apart from plotting monetary revenge on my landlord and prepping for vacation, there's not a lot on the radar. Well, there's the continual looming spectre of Thanksgiving, and the fact that I haven't called my grandparents yet to thank them for the stale, nasty cookies that get stuck in my teeth. Cookies even my coworkers won't eat, and that's saying a lot. Speaking of which, I should go throw them away now. They've been sitting by the copier for almost a week.

All-right-o. Thanksgiving is becoming a complicated little beastie. I thought that with the cohabitation setup, Dan and I would be switching off families for the holidays instead of trying to commute 6 hours each Thanksgiving and each Christmas. Now Moom and Bass are coming up to see the El Greco exhibit (and the James Rosenquist exhibit, AND possibly the John Currin exhibit), which is well and good, except that a little birdie hasn't told Dad of her plans to ditch him in favor of moi. I refuse to be involved in this shenanigan. I am merely the El Greco hotel.

Couple this with the fact that Gerb will be in town for a highly anticipated (on the end of Acire and me, anyway) His Dude reunion on Saturday, and that now Moom and Bass will be coming to Little Silver for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, so they will have a new set of directions to fight over, and it will be a jam-packed weekend.

I really can't think about this right now. Time to pack and then off to Seattle.