Four Years and Change

"I was going to ask you to play House, but I think you'd be a weird example for our children." ~ Susie from Calvin and Hobbes

***

Last week at dinner, The Boy and I were chatting over some Thai food and he said to me, "You understand me better than anyone else I know." He said it in such a sweet and sincere way that I wanted to jump across the dishes of food and give him a big smooch, but I restrained myself. I'll remember the way he said that for a long time. (Although sometimes I know him too well and it annoys him, like when your mom knows you're doing something naughty even though you deny it.)

***

Four years and almost 365 days ago, I met The Boy under circumstances that involved him thinking that I was British (and thus having a cute accent), that my name was Bridget, and that I looked good in a sweater (a la Lana Turner). Only one of those three scenarios somewhat resembles the truth.

The anniversary of our 5-year meeting is coming up next week, although neither one of us is quite sure of the exact date. I blew off an initial invite with him to see a Sunday matinee of Duck Soup (which he still mentions on occasion) and he was over two hours late to our eventual first date that might have been on a Wednesday (and that is what I counter with). But the rest of the "four years and change," as he puts it, has gone quite swimmingly, all things considered. Life with The Boy's been the best and brightest example in my life of where jumping into something (or someone) with total abandon and impulsiveness was the best thing I could have ever done. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without my Boy, all of these details that make up our days are like the colorful sprinkles on our Cupcake of Life:

He is all Brooks Brothers and I am all about $5 sunglasses and big rhinestone rings...
He loves Ealing Studios comedies and I love Stanley Kubrick (but we both agree on Billy Wilder)...
He'd throw me over for Carole Lombard (and I totally support him on that one), although he's the one that bought me the large vintage photo of Errol Flynn...
He has two expensive watches but is always late and I don't wear a watch but am compulsively early...
He's a Presbyterian and I am some sort of infidel...
He steals my fuzzy socks and I steal his t-shirts with the holes in them...
He likes Paul and I like George...
I've been to Paris, Venice and Buenos Aires without him but together we've been to a party at the Playboy Mansion and to Disneyland...
He bought the camera and I take the pictures...
He makes me laugh--a lot. I hope I make him laugh almost as much...

***

We always seem to be entertaining each other and not on purpose. Our life seems to be all about what happens when you could be surprised at any moment.

I look at all of our little quirks and our life together is like mish-mash of ideas and comings and goings, an intricate puzzle that wouldn't seem to harmonize but in fact meshes perfectly in many ways, on many levels. His neverending boyish charm and giant dimple suckered me, but it's his fine mind and genuine compassion that tethers my heart. Plus he's a good kisser. I'll probably get in trouble for saying that.

So here's to our random meeting, our random anniversary on whatever day we think it was, and to lots of years and "change" to come, Boy o' my Heart.

***

Photo of Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston in a still from one of our jointly favorited movies, Girl Shy (1924). Thanks to Bill for directing me to DoctorMacro and the amazing images there.

For Yoli: Look Who's on My Dresser

Hi Yoli! See anyone here on my dresser you might recognize?
No kidding...I just took this photo last night!

"He likes a woman to be feminine. That is because he is so very masculine. He is a man's man. He is a man, a young, attractive man. But he has an eye, too, for a pretty face." ~ Lily Damita

***

I don't kid around. When I like a boy, I really like him!

En Garde!

Dear Eva and Malena,

You've inspired me to dust off my glove, mask and foil! Here is some fun viewing for my "Sisters of the Sword."

;-)

The first video, full of classic swashbuckling, is great because it has a clip of Maureen O'Hara in At Sword's Point. She was an accomplished fencer and did many or most of her own stunts. The actors shown here were known for their prowess with the sword, even though these fights were all obviously choreographed. And my first love, Errol, is featured after the Maureen O'Hara clip. *swoon*



This clip gives a nice historical setting to the modern day art of fencing. I think I'll have to get this DVD for myself:



I just found an article that descibes fencing as the martial art of incurable romantics...perhaps that's the tie between tango and fencing? That might explain it.

Enjoy!

xo

tangobaby

A Letter to Olivia

Even though I've been at my desk all day today, I can't really say I've been working a whole heck of a lot.

Emails, some random phone calls, a couple of blog posts, catching up on other favorite blogs...and now the next thing on my To Do list: write a letter to Olivia de Havilland.

I guess I should explain first. Long story short, The Boy and I have a new acquaintance in Paris, a Canadian-born chef who we've been in correspondance with regularly, now known as Our Man in Paris. Somehow last week, he and The Boy got on to the subject of Errol Flynn, and Our Man in Paris drops the fact that he knows Olivia de Havilland personally.

In fact, he doesn't just know her. He's friends with her. He goes to her house and cooks for her and hangs out with her.

The Boy called me at work to tell me this, and I pretty much had a little crazy (quiet) fit at my desk. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll probably get the idea that I'm a huge classic movie fan. I can't say I'm a movie buff because I'm not that educated, but I adore old films and always have.

To say that I haven't admired Olivia de Havilland in several films is an understatement. She was a talented actress and was also the first person to take on the formidable Hollywood studio system, resulting in a landmark case ruled in her favor against the Goliaths of Hollywood.

But to say that I haven't daydreamed a million times of being her as Maid Marian in The Adventures of Robin Hood, with her fabulous succulent lips and lush fake lashes and wearing tight bias-cut silk gowns and crowns and wimples and kissing Errol Flynn in glorious Technicolor--do you have any idea how many times I've seen that movie since I was, like, eight or nine years old?! She's kissed Errol Flynn more than any other actress, I'm sure of it.

This afternoon, I went out and bought a really beautiful card. I want to send the card to Our Man in Paris and have him give it to Ms. de Havilland in person. But I'm afraid to put pen to paper, either because I'll crap up the card and waste $5.00, or probably more likely that I'll write something really stupid.

I'm really stuck though. How do you start writing a letter to a two-time Oscar-winning actress that you've admired all your remembered life? I have no idea what to say.

Because this is what I really want to ask her:

"Dear Ms. de Havilland,

You don't know me, but can we just cut to the chase here? You're so beautiful and all, and I loved you in Gone With The Wind, Captain Blood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and of course The Adventures of Robin Hood, but what was it like to kiss Errol Flynn A LOT? Please tell me NOW!"

Do you think she'll write back?