Monday, January 10, 2005

“I wonder whatever happened to me.”

The Movie: Duck Soup, 1933 (Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, screenwriters; Leo McCarey, dir.)
Who says it: Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly, leader of Freedonia
The context: The inept spy-turned-informer Chicolini (Chico Marx) has just answered Firefly’s telephone again without letting him know he had a call.
How to use it: When you’ve been away for a while.

Happy birthday today to Tod Goldberg, award-winning author, columnist, and writing guru. The fact that your birthday comes two days after Elvis's really does make you more like him, Tod. No, really.

It was nice to be at the bookstore yesterday, and I stocked up on advance reading copies in case I get stranded en route again today. My car, parked in an outdoor lot at the Portland airport, is now under 5 inches of snow -- so getting home will be an adventure, even after I land in Maine. If all else fails, I'll bring some matches so I can burn the books for warmth if I need to.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'd never burn a book just for warmth... the headlines would read "Local Woman freezes to death, surrounded by combustible material."

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