AHHHHHHHCTOBER!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 01:44AM 
Finally! Fall is here. I realize it technically began over a week ago, but for me, Autumn officially commences on October first.
Humor me.
See, I love October. As I've said before, October is by far my favorite month. The heat of the summer is over; the cold of winter has not yet begun. A person can wear a pretty sweater without emphasis on the word "sweat." You don't yet have the pressure of the holidays bearing down on you like a ten-thousand-ton freight train. There is a certain quality to the air, and a certain singing in the atmosphere.
Well, I hear it.
The yellow and red leaves whirl and scatter gaily under your wheels as you carom around the countryside in your automobile. On a wet day the bright colors will mix with the rain-gray and make a sort of muted kaleidoscope, and you don't have to squint into a tube in order to see it.
I think Johnny will like my potato salad.
In October one may get treated to the kind of day that Emily Dickinson termed "a blue and gold mistake" ... one in which "softly thro' the altered air hurries a timid leaf."
In addition to the coming of October, many things were on my mind as I was out of town over the weekend. Some go together and I will share them with you in a few days. Many, however, are as disparate as chalk and cheese ... and you're getting some of those first. Plus a video.
Assorted Non Sequitur And A YouTube To Mark The Jenny' s First Day of Autumn:
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Someone scolded me recently that I needed to get out of my comfort zone. "Get out of your comfort zone!" is an expression I detest almost as much as the epithet "You've got to pick your battles."
Look: I get out of my comfort zone every single day when I vacate my warm bed and become vertical. As for battles ... I figure they pick you, rather than the other way around.
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This warning, lettered on the doors of some rest area facilities, mystifies and amuses me ...
No Smoking
No Pets
... because it begs the question, why on earth would anyone want to smoke their pet? Are people more prone to smoke their pets -- or only specific pets, hence the directive "no" -- at rest areas? Is the sign meant to prohibit one from smoking the pet like a tobacco product, or does it only count if you throw the pet onto a grill or into an actual smoker?
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Increasingly, I am exasperated by the way folks interrupt one another on the cable news talk shows. The host puts a question to his/her guest ... said guest gets at most three syllables out of his/her mouth before the host begins talking at the same time. I cannot make out what either one of them are saying. It reminds me of nervous deponents and rude lawyers. Bleh. TV off. Wake me when it's over.
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It has been announced that Johnny Depp will reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean! I think the story line will involve Jack finding the fountain of youth. And some wenches, no doubt.
Speaking of Mr. Depp ... this past weekend I was introduced to a young lady named Elizabeth who claims to be distantly related to my favorite actor. She told me that, many years ago when she was about five, she remembers meeting Johnny at a family reunion. While details of the familial connection were scarce as hens' teeth, her story rang true and her mother was there to verify it.
Of course, I told Elizabeth I'd pay big money for insider information if and when her family has another reunion. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do ... and I think Johnny will like my potato salad.
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Now for your listening and/or viewing enjoyment, here is an interesting rendition of Bach's stunningly brilliant Toccata and Fugue in D Minor ... if this piece of music doesn't say "October!", no piece of music ever did.
Happy Autumn, everyone!
Reader Comments (14)
Ah, October is right. About this time 15 years ago I was about to give birth. All those Oct.5 birthdays...I remember this time of the year well. It's a favorite. But then there's winter...
Happy October to you!
Autumn and winter are by FAR my favorite seasons, so I'm with you - bring on October!!! That's a really interesting video of Toccata and Fugue - of course the song reminds me of Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorites that also reminds me of winter.
And seriously - what is UP with newscasters talking over each other/the guests? So annoying...
I guess I can live autumn vicariously through all of you who live where there are seasons! As for us, we are entering our "not quite as hot, not quite as wet" season - which is nice because it's still plenty warm without melting your brains, and we get plenty of rain without getting drowned every afternoon. As for the "newscasters" they are prima donnas and they drive me nuts! They read a paragraph that includes telling the "guest" how they feel and then saying Is that right? and the guest is going uuuhhh, yeah... and if they have the audacity to actually try to say something, the host talks over them and rushes them like crazy - then the hosts sit around picking their teeth and flirting with each other in highly inappropriate ways, and complaining because all anyone gives them is soundbites. (Gee you didn't hit a nerve there or anything!) sometimes I think someone needs to bring some sort of legal action because the press is using their Constituitional rights fraudulently, but that's a bit of another subject (having to do with trying to throw elections and little matters like that). Good Morning, Jennifer!
This made me laugh: "I get out of my comfort zone every single day when I vacate my warm bed and become vertical."
Also, Johnny has been cast as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and Tonto opposite George Clooney's Lone Ranger. Good times.
Re Jonny Depp, It's that 6 degrees of separation in action.
@ Cheryl ... I sure hope Em has a nice birthday, and I hope you enjoy it too! I know you'll go above and beyond to make it special for her, because that's the kind of mom you are.
@ Angi ... the Phantom! Yessss! We love him at our house too. Such great music.
@ Tracie ... girl you love a soapbox at least as much as I do! You are so right! Mercy ... what qualifies as "news" on "news stations" is beyond me sometimes. And yes ... I can hardly stand to watch Fox and Friends in the morning because it's always some little miss thighs-and-cleavage sitting between two young bucks and for all the world, it looks like a subliminal threesome. And the flirting! You'd think it was prom night instead of news morning. Good afternoon, Tracie! LOLOLOL!
@ WD ... I knew about Mad Hatter and Tonto but I did NOT know George Clooney was cast as the Lone Ranger!!!!! LOLOLOL! I kept meaning to look it up but then it would slip my mind again! Thanks for that nugget, Writer Dad! Glad you liked my vertical bon mot.
@ LL ... You are so right! I've got to think of ways to whittle that down to ZERO degrees of separation. One step at a time ...
That music does scream fall. Thanks for the update on Mr Depp -exciting news for my family!
I actually rather like the expression 'pick your battles', but only in connection with kids. See, the way I look at it is this - A teenage has only so much patience with battling parents and letting them win. You'll win rarely if you choose to always fight - it's a matter of pride to the kid. So therefore, I would always pick my battles with my boys. For instance, while I might want them to dress up in suits for Auntie Flora's wedding, I'd prefer the win the battle about them not travelling to London alone and sleeping rough in Hyde Park. You see? ;)
As to Johnny and the potato salad. I sincerely hope I'm getting an invite to that reunion!
What a great post and I love that you say "Autumn" instead of "fall". Nothing wrong with fall but autumn just sounds so nice!
I hate interrupters, too. So rude! Did you watch the debate last Friday? McCain and Obama were always talking at the same time so I have no idea what either one was saying. Annoying!
@ Mari ... you're welcome, luv! Lots of exciting news for all Depp fans, to be sure.
@ Jay ... I see! Much wisdom there! I'm glad most of those battles are behind me! And of course, dear, if I wangle an invite to that family reunion -- even if it's only to wait tables -- I'll see that you get an invite as well!
@ Erin ... Autumn is a beautiful word indeed! And yes, I watched the debate and cringed every time they interrupted one another! It is rude and it grates on my last nerve.
I've gotten in the habit of interrupting myself when I talk.
People think I'm simply jumping from topic to topic, but the truth of the matter is the left side of my brain and the right side of my brain do not like each other...
Kev, you always put such an interesting spin on a topic. BTW I interrupt myself constantly too. Now ... why don't your left side and right side like each other? Evil twins, perhaps?
AGAIN.... Are you me?
Dixie, we may have been separated at birth! I'm good wiv it, luv!