Type: travel and argument with Robin
People: Robin and Sandy L.
Featured: an airport and some Steiff stuffed animals
We get off an airplane and chat with the pilot and crew in the cockpit. They’re very jolly and friendly. It’s a Russian airline and they have Russian accents. Sandy and I walk down the airport terminal hall. She wants to go and gamble (I guess we’re in Las Vegas). There’s some promotion going on that she knows about, where if you gamble six dollars you get some kind of good deal.
Along the way I see that there are a bunch of small Steiff stuffed animals for sale. I stop to look at them. They look like the ones I recently got rid of, because Robin had been pressuring me to get rid of some of the numerous knick-knacks I have around the house. I ask to look at the bears and spend a long time going through them all. They look a lot like mine, but not exactly the same. But I’m pretty sure they are mine; they’ve just been beat up a bit since then.
I finally give them back to the woman behind the counter and follow Sandy down the terminal. Robin is there now, and we start arguing in loud voices as we follow Sandy toward the gambling place. I’m really mad at Robin, and shout at her. (Though I don’t remember exactly what I’m mad about—the fact that she made me get rid of the stuffed animals, perhaps?) But at the same time I’m embarrassed to be making such a public scene. Robin then says, “Oh. I read your chapter, and thought it was really good.” That shuts me up. We get to the gambling place and Sandy (who has paid no attention to our argument) talks to the woman in charge.
Later, on the way back to the plane, I see that other Steiff animals have been added to the collection, including a really cute lion, which I would love to buy. Then we’re back on the plane, talking once again to the charming and chatty crew.
Annotations:
Sandy is a friend I met years ago in a wine-tasting group. She’s not particularly into gambling, as far as I know.
I do have a small collection of Steiff animals that I acquired over the years as a kid. And I do indeed also have a lot of knick-knacks around the house in Santa Cruz. Robin’s generally a good sport about them, though she does insist that I be the one to dust around them, because it’s a pain to do.
I have had issues in the past with Robin about being embarrassed when we have “scenes” in public, but not so much in recent years.
I recently started writing a new book, and gave the draft of the first chapter to Robin yesterday to look at.
I have no idea what’s up with the chatty and friendly Russians. Maybe it’s because we’re so near Russia here in Alaska?
I am so sorry for the scene! Really, honey, you can keep all your knick-knacks! For those who feel bad that Leslie is forced to dust, we have hired a housekeeper to do the dusting...
ReplyDeleteFor those who don't know, when Leslie says regarding "scenes" that it is "not so much in recent years", she means like over 20...But the memory of our early years lingers, I guess.
Can you see Russia from your house?
ReplyDeleteWhat is your new book about?
ReplyDeleteIt's the sequel to my mystery.
ReplyDeleteYou mention that Sandy wants to gamble, but how do you feel about it?
ReplyDeleteGreat that you're starting a new novel.
Jolly Russians. With grim pictures of Putin on all the news mags these days, it is a surprising and happy thought.
How did I feel about Sandy gambling? I didn't think much about it, except that I thought it would be fun to do it too, since it was only six bucks (I'm a cheap gambler).
ReplyDeleteLaura--can't see Russia from here. Alas, we're much more inland than where Sarah Palin lives. But I do think about how close we are. Pretty cool, that.