I'm reading The Windmills Are Winning, and in this entry she mentions a couple of collabs that she is working on, and one was this:

"If you could relive one day in your life, what day would it be and why? (You make the rules for this: whether or not you are allowed to change things, whether it's a good day or bad day you're reliving, etc.)"

I started thinking, what would I want to relive? Have I ever had a single best day of my life, so good that I want to do it again? A show that had a really good night? Some fun time I had? Spending time with someone whom I haven't seen in awhile? And then it hit me, of course. My father.

I've always said that if I could go back to that last day I saw him in the hospital before he went into the coma, I would have sat and talked with him all night long, they would have had to drag me from that room, but would I really want to relive a time when he was in pain? Why would I want to do that when I have my whole life up to that point to choose from?

Which of all the wonderful days would I choose? Maybe one of those times where we would go to the supermarket and then afterwards go get donuts at Winchell's--he'd always have an apple fritter, those were his favourite. I actually don't remember my own favourite donut, though I always loved the cokes with crushed ice that Winchell's had.

Or maybe a trip to the zoo, he and I would always go to the zoo together. Whenever people talk about great zoos, they always mention the San Diego Zoo, but never the Los Angeles Zoo, which is great! And I don't think that I think so only because it's my zoo, but because it really is wonderful. My father was a charter member of the zoo, so we would go all the time because it was free. There was the petting zoo with all the goats, there was the reptile house with the Blomberg's Toads, which were absolutely huge, and they were never as early in the reptile house that we thought they would be and we would always worry that they were gone, but they never were. And the giraffes near the snack stand, and the mandrills and Susie, the monkey that we always visited and fed peanuts. Any zoo day I would be happy to relive.

Or my dad reading to me. I got my love of books directly from him, we would go to the library every two weeks and stagger out under the towering piles. He would read to me long after I was old enough to read for myself, and it was always better than reading for myself, because he would do all the voices. James and the Giant Peach, that was a good one, all of the insects had funny voices. I particularly remember the glow-worm, which was all stuffy, like she had a cold.

Or just riding in the car. When he would pick up the carpool and then drop off Paul and P.K. and Melanie, then we'd ride home together. Days like that was when he told me the story of Watership Down for the first time, he'd tell me what he had read the night before. I couldn't wait for him to be done so that I could read it myself, but I wanted it to last forever so that he could keep telling me the story.

Or a night sitting in the den, watching The Wizard of Oz. I would always sit on his lap so that I could hide my eyes at strategic points, because the witch and the flying monkeys scared me.

And then there were days that I visited him on the set, those were always so much fun. He did a massive amount of Disney films when I was a kid, and we would visit him on the lot and eat in the commissary and have cheesecake, or we'd drive out to the Disney ranch and watch the shoot and I'd play with whatever kids were in the movie and we'd all have lunch together. Or I remember when he was doing Room Service at John Milford's theatre. I think he played the hotel manager or something, and that was one of the best shows he ever did. I must have been at half of the rehearsals, I have so many memories of that show.

Or maybe sometime when I was small enough to be carried. I remember that I always wanted him to carry me across the street on the way to church, and he would joke that I'd ask to be carried across the street to my wedding.

Maybe something that I can't remember at all, so that I can have a new memory? Something from when I was a baby?

Anything, I'd take anything. Just one more day with my father, the most mundane, boring day, a day taking the dogs for a run in the park, or just sitting in the den watching TV and having dinner, a day where we exchanged even only a couple of words, I'll take anything at all.

Today's horoscope:
Both work and home demand attention today. You find yourself giving support and assistance to other people's ideas.

One year ago today:
Except that she never actually existed and none of it happened. You know, except for the part of people sending gifts and money, and loving her.

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Last Updated Thurs 23 May 15:02:09 2002