A week of hibernating and it's still not enough. After last writing, I managed to hair model at the BBC Scotland for a couple of days. I enjoyed it and learned a lot about 1940's/50s hair and wigs. It inspired me to cut my bangs and look into investing for a whole new wardrobe someday. The woman over seeing it won an academy award for "La Vie en Rose" and also did hair for Gosford Park and The Duchess. And though it took days to get all the hairspray and wig glue out of my hair, it was nice to get all gussied up for a bit.
After that, I pretty much took four days to disappear. I mostly either went to the gym or watched old hollywood films and a marathon of all three seasons of True Blood. That was it. I've been off my emotional rocker so I needed to just take time to square myself and find perspective with everything: where I'm going to move next, what type of career I want, what are my flaws and downfalls, what might hold me back, money, loneliness, finding peace over this Malfi project, and just allowing myself to be absolutely grumpy for a while. It was not long enough but it certainly helped.
This weekend I went with AK to her home of Fife. She took me on a road trip to three beaches, small towns, an old church on the sea, the best fish and chips in Scotland, and we had mint chocolate chip ice cream cones. It was so relaxing and peaceful. AK is the kind of friend you could take anywhere and either be ridiculous with or quiet. It's nice. AND she let me play whatever music I wanted in the car. Can we say 90s mix tapes and teen pop ballads? Oh, yeah. That happened.
Scotland is really one of the prettiest places I've ever been. Reminds me so much of where I grew up. When you get out of the city, it's green everywhere. The weather is completely menopausal. One minute it's sun, then clouds, then rain, then warm, then cold. There was one point when we were walking along the smooth sandy beach of Tentsmuir, one way it was a light breeze and sun, and on the way back, out of nowhere, a thick blanket of fog closed in on us. Within minutes we could no longer see further than fifteen feet in front of us. AK said, "this is the point in the film where we would get murdered." I was actually thinking the same thing, "shouldn't we be running for our lives or something?"
But it was truly a nice quick getaway. Just M&Ms, a car named Beth, mixed tapes, and a beach. And the small villages are places that make me wish I could just be some sort of recluse writer that holed up in her small house near the sea and only be seen when her publisher is begging for the next manuscript. What would life be like if your biggest worry is what to plant in your garden this season? Although, in truth, I'd probably manage to get bored with myself within days and I've got a black thumb and would kill anything I tried to grow instantly. But one can dream.
As for a Prayer for a Friend.
I have a friend here in our cohort who has had probably the worst luck in the history of the universe. I love my friend, SW. He is one of the smartest people I know with his two masters degrees and quiz night knowledge. He's one of those people who can take you to the art museum and walk painting by painting giving you a full history of british monarchy and politics just by identifying the art. On pub quiz nights, I'll be overjoyed when I get 1 out of 25 questions right, and he'll already have had the answer for the other 24. My question is usually something stupid like which Elvis song was also a movie but it's also the only movie in which he dies in the end? P.s. the answer is Love Me Tender. But I digress. Anyway, SW also happens to be one of the most tenderhearted guys I know, while at the same time is also overtly blunt and honest. You know that when he starts a sentence in his Geordie accent, "I'm not trying to be funny but..." that the next words coming out of his mouth will be direct and a bit...saucy...for lack of a better word. And I love that. Because I know he doesn't pansy-ass around a point. And he says what most people are thinking. He'd also go out of his way to be there for a friend, would protect a stranger, would see five films at the cinema in one day and give you a review of each when he's done, and, to me at least, listens when I have something to say. And he makes me laugh.
SW has had a few accidents this year from a variety of unlucky moments, and this week he's had the worst one of all. He's ok but he's banged up pretty bad from a car accident. I know he's going to be ok. But it sure couldn't hurt to have a few extra prayers and good vibes sent out to the cosmos on his behalf. So if you wouldn't mind, before you go to beddy bye tonight, do me a huge favor and send one up to your deity of choice for him. I'd be ever so grateful.
Thanks so much. xoxo
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