“Please, don’t encourage him.”

The Movie: Gosford Park, 2001 (Julian Fellows, screenwriter; Robert Altman, dir.)
Who says it: Maggie Smith as Constance Trentham, an autocratic relative of the McCordles, who own Gosford Park
The context: Constance interrupts the applause after Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) performs at a house party.
How to use it: To comment unfavorably on a friend’s performance.

Thanks to my friend Susan Kinsolving for reminding me of this line.

I brought Dizzy out to China Lake yesterday, and he demonstrated his excitement by eating something completely disgusting off the lakeshore and finding one last (foilwrapped) Easter egg in Anna and Tarren's office. Amazingly enough, he shows no ill effect from either of those things. (Yes, I know chocolate is poison to dogs; it wasn't very much chocolate, and Dizzy is a big dog. I was more worried about the aluminum foil, which has yet to reappear.)

Spring is busting out all over. All the mini-golf & ice cream places between here and China are open again. We got some much-needed rain last night, but yesterday morning the fire risk in the local woods was marked as Very High.

And I keep seeing things that I can only explain as results of spring fever. Among these, a Mobil station on the eastern edge of Augusta is advertising a free live lobster with every oil change. For me, that would be like receiving a giant cockroach in appreciation for my business... gee, thanks.