Sunday, June 18, 2006
Another day, another birthday. My Brother was 36 years old today.
First thing today was a trip to the cemetery to put some flowers on my Dad's grave. (It is also Father's Day in the UK. Is Father's Day a worldwide thing? I don't know.) Attending were my Brother, Sister's 1 and 2 and my Niece. Sister 3 and my Nephew had better things to do, and my Mom never goes to my Dad's grave. The last time she went she worked herself up so much that she collapsed.
Weirdly enough, it is never a sad occasion for the rest of us to visit my Dad. My Dad was a happy person. There was no time for misery in his life. When his older Brother died my Dad held a party. It was a proper wake. When it had finished my Dad spent the night in the front garden, much to my Mom's disgust.
When I go to the cemetery I never think that He is lying under that headstone and under that grass and earth. Yes, there is a nice suit (he had some wicked suits) and some bones down there, but He is not there. He is somewhere else, maybe. A couple of years ago, we trooped up to the cemetery in Sister 1's car. She had a tape of Soul To Soul playing. We did the business, got back into the car and drove off to the sound of "Back To Life" playing. My Dad would have liked that. Another time, my Brother and I watched two young ladies in very loose tops filling jugs full of water. They were bending over. The view of creamy bosoms was overwhelming. My Brother turned to me.
"Would Dad have approved?"
"Fucking right, he would have" said I.
Today my Niece was wearing a pink denim hat. She bet me that I would not wear it. I did, all the way throughout the visit to the cemetery. She took a picture of me on her mobile phone. With the sunglasses I look very... Gay.
Am I showing enough respect in a place full of dead bodies? Perhaps not, but it is not as if we deliberately go out to bother anybody else. The Pynchon's idea of how to behave does not suit everybody.
After the cemetery we spent a happy afternoon at Frankie & Benny's at Five Ways. Another steak and chips shithole, to be honest, but better than the Harvester we have frequented the last couple of birthday meals. My Brother paid, although I gave him a tenner towards my scoff (the full mixed grill - yummy!) There was much alcohol ingested. We were very loud. Sister 1 worried that the food might be fattening. Sister 2 did not give a toss about whether the food was fattening. Sister 3 talked about the holiday that her and my Nephew are going on tomorrow. My Nephew talked about going to cadets. My Niece showed me all of the pictures on her mobile phone. My Brother told me all about the girl he is now seeing. (I've mentioned her before. She was the stalker who sent him pornographic pictures. So, if this turns out to be a relationship of any length, I can say that I have seen my Brother's Girlfriend naked. Actually, she ain't bad.) My Brother says that this girl is lonely and craves company. I hope that my Brother is not just using her. I can never be sure with my Brother. My Aunt ate with her mouth open. My Mom beamed at us.
Dining Pynchon style!
My Brother did not leave a tip on principle. There had been long delays. Leaving, Sister 1 went to the toilet and when she was coming out said that she heard the waitress who served us, saying to another waitress as we left, that we were "tight bastards". Yes, I suppose that is certainly possible. My Brother wanted to go back in to brace them, but we talked him out of it.
I came home. Lorraine was still at the hairdressers. I put on Brazil versus Australia. (Bad luck Australia. You gave Brazil a fight.) Lorraine came home. (Her hair looked nice.) I fell asleep in front of the TV. I am a pisshead.
I have just watched "24". I think that there are 4 episodes to go. It's gets better and better.
I will write about "Hard Candy" tomorrow. I have some thoughts about it. It is a good film.
First thing today was a trip to the cemetery to put some flowers on my Dad's grave. (It is also Father's Day in the UK. Is Father's Day a worldwide thing? I don't know.) Attending were my Brother, Sister's 1 and 2 and my Niece. Sister 3 and my Nephew had better things to do, and my Mom never goes to my Dad's grave. The last time she went she worked herself up so much that she collapsed.
Weirdly enough, it is never a sad occasion for the rest of us to visit my Dad. My Dad was a happy person. There was no time for misery in his life. When his older Brother died my Dad held a party. It was a proper wake. When it had finished my Dad spent the night in the front garden, much to my Mom's disgust.
When I go to the cemetery I never think that He is lying under that headstone and under that grass and earth. Yes, there is a nice suit (he had some wicked suits) and some bones down there, but He is not there. He is somewhere else, maybe. A couple of years ago, we trooped up to the cemetery in Sister 1's car. She had a tape of Soul To Soul playing. We did the business, got back into the car and drove off to the sound of "Back To Life" playing. My Dad would have liked that. Another time, my Brother and I watched two young ladies in very loose tops filling jugs full of water. They were bending over. The view of creamy bosoms was overwhelming. My Brother turned to me.
"Would Dad have approved?"
"Fucking right, he would have" said I.
Today my Niece was wearing a pink denim hat. She bet me that I would not wear it. I did, all the way throughout the visit to the cemetery. She took a picture of me on her mobile phone. With the sunglasses I look very... Gay.
Am I showing enough respect in a place full of dead bodies? Perhaps not, but it is not as if we deliberately go out to bother anybody else. The Pynchon's idea of how to behave does not suit everybody.
After the cemetery we spent a happy afternoon at Frankie & Benny's at Five Ways. Another steak and chips shithole, to be honest, but better than the Harvester we have frequented the last couple of birthday meals. My Brother paid, although I gave him a tenner towards my scoff (the full mixed grill - yummy!) There was much alcohol ingested. We were very loud. Sister 1 worried that the food might be fattening. Sister 2 did not give a toss about whether the food was fattening. Sister 3 talked about the holiday that her and my Nephew are going on tomorrow. My Nephew talked about going to cadets. My Niece showed me all of the pictures on her mobile phone. My Brother told me all about the girl he is now seeing. (I've mentioned her before. She was the stalker who sent him pornographic pictures. So, if this turns out to be a relationship of any length, I can say that I have seen my Brother's Girlfriend naked. Actually, she ain't bad.) My Brother says that this girl is lonely and craves company. I hope that my Brother is not just using her. I can never be sure with my Brother. My Aunt ate with her mouth open. My Mom beamed at us.
Dining Pynchon style!
My Brother did not leave a tip on principle. There had been long delays. Leaving, Sister 1 went to the toilet and when she was coming out said that she heard the waitress who served us, saying to another waitress as we left, that we were "tight bastards". Yes, I suppose that is certainly possible. My Brother wanted to go back in to brace them, but we talked him out of it.
I came home. Lorraine was still at the hairdressers. I put on Brazil versus Australia. (Bad luck Australia. You gave Brazil a fight.) Lorraine came home. (Her hair looked nice.) I fell asleep in front of the TV. I am a pisshead.
I have just watched "24". I think that there are 4 episodes to go. It's gets better and better.
I will write about "Hard Candy" tomorrow. I have some thoughts about it. It is a good film.
# posted by Pynchon @ 8:24 pm 
Comments:
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Your dad sounds like he was a top bloke and I take my (gay) hat off to your way of remembering him.
Frankie & Benny's is indeed a "steak and chips shithole" (love that phrase by the way). Surely if you're in the middle of town there must be real places you could go to instead? It's not even like F&Bs is cheap! When you're stuck in some god-forsaken out of town mall type place F&B and others of its ilk are all you have but there's no excuse in the city centre surely?
Frankie & Benny's is indeed a "steak and chips shithole" (love that phrase by the way). Surely if you're in the middle of town there must be real places you could go to instead? It's not even like F&Bs is cheap! When you're stuck in some god-forsaken out of town mall type place F&B and others of its ilk are all you have but there's no excuse in the city centre surely?
I've only once been back to the spot where my Mom's ashes are buried. It isn't her, it's just a little bit of ash. Death shouldn't be the morbid affair us Westerners make it.
It was also Father's Day in SA yesterday; perhaps it's a Commonwealth thing?
It was also Father's Day in SA yesterday; perhaps it's a Commonwealth thing?
It looks like a lot of countries celebrate Father's Day on the same day. Although the catholic tradition is to do it in March so you can predict which countries do it then...
It seems to be pretty much the same world over unlike Mother's Day which is different. The reason the UK (and others) have MD on a different day to the US is because of the different origins. The US have Mothers' Day (a celebration of peace) and we have Mothering Sunday (when domestic servants got the day off to go and see their mums)
I liked this bit of trivia though:
"In the UK, Fathers Day is nine months before Mothering Sunday - suggestions have been made that Father gets his present on Fathers Day, and Mother gets hers nine months later!"
It seems to be pretty much the same world over unlike Mother's Day which is different. The reason the UK (and others) have MD on a different day to the US is because of the different origins. The US have Mothers' Day (a celebration of peace) and we have Mothering Sunday (when domestic servants got the day off to go and see their mums)
I liked this bit of trivia though:
"In the UK, Fathers Day is nine months before Mothering Sunday - suggestions have been made that Father gets his present on Fathers Day, and Mother gets hers nine months later!"
fuff - Thanks, lady.
stef - No argument from me, but that is where my Brother wanted to go. On my birthday we will be going somewhere nice. Perhaps not classy, but nice.
tiggerzar - Just about what I think.
stef - No argument from me, but that is where my Brother wanted to go. On my birthday we will be going somewhere nice. Perhaps not classy, but nice.
tiggerzar - Just about what I think.
Classy places aren't the place for parties.
I like to try and go to family owned or neighbourhood restaurants when I can. Chain restaurants just suck at my soul.
I like to try and go to family owned or neighbourhood restaurants when I can. Chain restaurants just suck at my soul.
Hey,
I love the story about visiting Dad's grave.
We have father's day here. I got my dad a necktie with a repeating picture (photograph) of my girls in full ballet attire. He LOVED it. They are almost 6 and almost 4, and the light of my father's eyes. I love my dad. He is 70(ish) and I don't know what I'll do when he kicks off. I feel so lucky to still have him at this point in my life!! I think you Dad would like how you spent the day(based on what you've said).
Happy Bday to your brother too.
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I love the story about visiting Dad's grave.
We have father's day here. I got my dad a necktie with a repeating picture (photograph) of my girls in full ballet attire. He LOVED it. They are almost 6 and almost 4, and the light of my father's eyes. I love my dad. He is 70(ish) and I don't know what I'll do when he kicks off. I feel so lucky to still have him at this point in my life!! I think you Dad would like how you spent the day(based on what you've said).
Happy Bday to your brother too.
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