Yesterday was marvelous. Truly great.

In Bill Bryson's latest book, he said that you should take a minute every once in a while and notice that you're alive and on the planet earth, and that was what yesterday was about, remembering my joie.

Of course, who can help it on such a lovely day?

I went into the city, having found a surprise bit of money in a pocket, and figuring that the best thing to do with it was spend it as quickly as I possibly could.

I decided to start at the British food shop that Tracing describes here. I have also learned that the best way to remember an address is to say it over and over again in a thick Yorkshire accent, because the second I thought of it, I couldn't remember the name but "'Oodsun Straaait between Horaaaatio and Jaaaane" popped unbidden into my head.

And there it was!

It's called Myers of Keswick and it's clearly for homesick immigrants, carrying all sorts of things beyond the usual suspects, like Jacobs cream crackers and Oxo and Potnoodle and Swan matches and PG Tips and Lucozade and things.

I got two of what I would call real sausage rolls, except for the fact that they make their own sausage there so it's a good deal better than you get in London, and the pastry is flakier as well, and some Crunchie and Bounty bars and a couple of Kinder Surprises and cans of Heinz Baked Beans With Pork Sausages and a can of Tango.

All I needed to be completely happy were Cheese Hamwiches.

Then I went to my two favourite shops in all the land, Portico and Fish's Eddy.

Fish's Eddy sells dishes and things,and they have a wonderful Cynthia Rowley design of which I have decided to acquire an entire set. There are big plates, medium kind of bowl-ish plates, smaller plates, cups and saucers, a sugar bowl and a creamer, and the design is a border of cartoon clothing on a white background. You know, like ties or shoes or underwear or something.

The biggest plates have only one design, but the smaller ones are all different, so I figure that I'll get four full settings and one each of the different smaller plates if there are more than four designs, which I think that there are.

Anyway, so far I have only one of the biggest plates so I thought I'd get a smaller one, one with underwear on it. I'll have a full set of matching dishes yet, by golly!

Portico sells bathy things, because I haven't nearly enough, and I was swept away by the Figleaf and Cassis Foaming Bath, the Lemongrass and Limeleaf Coconut Body Lotion, and the small box of three Citrus Soaps.

I sort of wanted to see a film, but I didn't know what to see, until I remembered seeing this review the other day, so I headed down to the Film Forum.

I don't know if that link will work if you haven't signed up with the New York Times, so just in case, the movie is a Japanese film called Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald, and it's one of the funniest films I have seen in all my born days.

It's about a live radio drama, and the funny thing is that it's a modern story--although I don't know why that's such a surprise, as England still has radio plays. Maybe America is the only place that doesn't have them anymore, not really.

Anyway, it's a live radio drama and people change things on the air and wackiness ensues, and I truly believe that one of the funniest things I have ever heard is a Japanese person saying the name "Mary Jane" over and over again.

And Toshiaki Karasawa, who plays the director, is such a babe.

Afterwards, I was on my way home, but saw a barbecue place and realized that I was sick to death of eating the same six things over and over again, and I hadn't had barbecue in about ten years.

So I had baby back ribs, and realized that it was even more appropriate to be reading Hogfather there than it was at McDonald's the day before. Everything was great, except for the dessert. I have no idea why something labeled "New York Cheesecake" would be served with a scoop of ice cream and a scoop of whipped cream! I think that's more along the lines of Peoria Cheesecake.

Although I ended up being happy that I had it, because the cheesecake was frozen solid and inedible.

I started going home again, walking to the bus stop, and I passed a ballfield right on the street with a game going on.

The players were having so much fun that I just stayed and watched. You rarely see that, you know? A bunch of adults of varying skills just playing because they enjoyed it, with everyone taking a turn pitching and a turn umpiring, and there was just so much joie (see above) that I hung on the fence with my mouth dropped open like a little kid for about five innings until they finished and I went home.

Maybe the last really nice Saturday night of the year, and though I hope I'm wrong, if I'm not, it was a great way to spend it.

Today's horoscope:
Business and pleasure mix today, be it an office party, celebrating a new job, getting together with colleagues from work, etc.

One year ago today:
We're a melancholy group...

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Last Updated Sun 12 September 15:51:09 1999