john, vladimir, and bedsheets

"Well, that's a lovely bunch of coconuts, isn't it?"

Quite right, my dearie. But they all have something in common, they do!

"If you do be saying so, then it must be so, eh?"

For sure! And to think it was centered on a brief chat with the Xióngmāo as I was on my way to Planet Fitness today. I happened to spot Opal as I was getting ready to park. He was just about to leave, as he'd already been to the gym and maxed out a couple more machines there...

"Hold up there, girlie! You were talking to who? The Chong man?"

Hahaha! No, I said "Xióngmāo", not "Chong man". Phonetically, think "show moww-ah", with the accent on that second syllable. I guess in Okinawa, Brad Nelson would have taught it to me as "show me out". That's how I learned to remember Dōitashimashite. That's Japanese for "You're welcome", but it sounds like "don't touch the moustache".

"Yeah, it seems that you've wandered off topic. I still don't know who you're referencing."

Well, I bet this will help! Xióngmāo means panda in Chinese and this person taught himself Mandarin. Also, I call him my bfrb, though that may need to be altered, as he isn't running much these days. Plus, I already mentioned I was at the gym...

"Oh! You mean Kevin??? He's a panda?"

Well, I had told him how much fun it would be if people were multicolored and had stripes or spots, though I supposed that moles and freckles counted as spots. Then he told me he'd taught the precious snowflakes that a zebra says "moo", as it has four legs and eats grass like a cow does.

"Wow. I mean, wow. Are you on too much caffeine right now?"

No, I promise I'm not. I am still just so delighted with our little chance encounter today.
(beaming smile!)

"Yes, dear, I know how you do love his company."

I do, I really do!
(another beaming smile!)

"Okay, let's see if we can cross back over out of La-La Land, shall we? I'll start. What's with the random things in the post title? "

Umm, let me see... oh, yes! They're the reason I'm here right now!

"And... they are conjoined how...?"

Nice word, "conjoined". You could have said "combined" or "united" or "linked"...

"Maybe I should go take a walk... "

No, stay, please! Okay, I'll spill the beans! But, first, let me just say that Kevin reads a lot of biographies, and I mean a lot! And the two fellows, John and Vladimir, have very similar-sounding last names. Hence, hilarity ensued.
(smiled)

"Oh! I bet I can guess who they are. After all, there may be a world full of Johns, but I'd warrant Vlads are not so common. So, since the Russian is most likely Lenin, then the John has to be Lennon. Am I right?"

You most certainly are! Were you peeking when I set up those links earlier?

"Sure, let's say I was."

Ah, HA! Caught you red-handed!

"No, seriously, I'm leaving now... "

Hahaha! He sometimes uses that same line on me. Trying to get me back on track, usually. Oh, like you're attempting to do.
Okay, okay, don't tap that foot at me!

"Well, really, you can wander so far... "

So, here's what happened. After I parked next to his car, he got out and we started chatting, after a hug, of course.

"Of course. "

Of course. And I seem to not recall why, but he said the book about "lin on" was actually funny. And, in my mind, I said "But of course, since John Lennon was known to have a sense of humor!", but aloud I said naught, as he was continuing his tale. Then he segued into talk about Karl Marx and a revolution and that Marx thought the revolution would be in England and not in Russia because of industrial versus agricultural and that he'd had to go to Russia to not miss it.

"What??? How did Marx enter into the mix? "

Oh, something about him not liking Russians. That had thrown me, because I thought he was Russian, but apparently he was German and studying in England...

"And that was in the book he was talking about?"

Hey, good question! Perhaps it was. At any rate, right about then I said to him, "What does that have to do with John Lennon?"

"And he said..."

After looking at me like I'd grown a second head, he told me he wasn't talking about Lennon, he was speaking of Lenin. Hahaha!

"Surely he understood how you could have thought that, right?"

Well, I'm sure he did not, at least not at first. He knows that I know that he's been on a months-long involvement with books about the Holocaust, WW I, WW II, Vietnam - you know, books about people doing ugly things to other people. I guess I though he'd taken my advice to go toward the light. A bio of a Beatle would have tied in nicely with our conversation from last night.

"Y'all were talking about The Beatles??? "

Well, let me finish my story, okay? I'm almost done.

"Oh, I thought it was told. Lenin, not Lennon, right? "

True, but then I tossed in another homophone, "linen", and gave examples of bedsheets and tablecloths. He didn't know what to say about that, just looked at me quizzically, as he sometimes does.
I must say, it's quite interesting having a shrink as a best friend!
What conversations we have!

"Yes, I know. You've spoken of that a time or two. But you do realize your misuse of the word "linen", don't you? "

Oh, you mean the general usage of the word as a plural when referencing covers for tables and laps and other flat surfaces in a house?

"Darn tootin'. The singular, "linen", is meant for the fabric made from woven flax. "

Yeah, well, I doubt the subject will arise again with him. So, let's just keep that little slip of the tongue right here, shall we?

"No skin off my teeth, dearie. Also, we seem to have drifted into the darknet since you began this new blog, so it's hardly a question of him - or anyone - stumbling upon your lapse. "

Well, good! That works just fine for me!

"I figured it would. I noticed you haven't called attention to it. "

Hey, it's listed in the "about me" section on the blogspot site. It just seems that no one has come looking to find out why I haven't written aught else over at beachwalks.

"yeah, I've noticed. That's okay, though. These writings were mostly for your own eyes anyway, weren't they? Sure, it's been good to share a few with others, but you write because that's just part of who you are. "

Certainly. Though it would have been nice to think someone cared to follow me down this new path...

"No one can read anyone else's mind."

Yeah, I seem to have heard that somewhere...

"If you want folks to know of this new sanctuary, you'll have to share. Perhaps the reason you've quiet about it is that you've had too much havoc already wreaked on your physical haven. I'm betting that once that gets all straightened out, you'll open up about your hindsights."

Yeah, we'll see about that. It's rather liberating to feel that I can write about anything and not have to be concerned about how someone will interpret my words.

"As you wish. "

So now I get "The Princess Bride" quote? Hahaha hahaha!

"It seemed like a nice change of pace. Like you and he going to The King & I for dinner last night."

That was a nice change! How very kind of him to have offered to forego the buffet, right? I took advantage of the shift to Thai by regarding it as my Valentine's Day dinner. After all, the grilled salmon with the chili garlic sauce was certainly an upgrade from our regular Tuesday fare. Plus, I had the company of a gentleman I love, so that made it extra special. On the 14th, I'll be ushering "Seussical" at the Lucas, so who knows if I'll dine anywhere?
And, no, I didn't tell him I was regarding our dinner in that regard.
And, no, don't raise that eyebrow at me.

"O-kay. Just saying... "

I'm fine. Well, relatively. My house isn't right yet, so that's working on my head.

"Got it. Backing off, but not too far. "

Thanks. Speaking of such, we finally saw "The Gentlemen" last night. I guess the fourth time was the charm for that one!

"Y'all had something interfere on the other three Tina Tuesdays?"

Yeah, can you believe it? The first time, he had asked if we could see "1917" instead, as it was at the same time. So, we'd done so, concerned that the war movie might soon be gone. No worries, as it turned out. That film is still on the silver screen.

"What about the second time your movie choice was altered?"

Well, that was actually on me. I had decided I wanted to see "Parasite" while it was still in the cinema, and, as it was at the same screening time, he agreed to see the Korean film. Good call! We both really liked the class-struggle movie, just as we had both found the war film to be extremely well done.

"Well, alrighty then! You each called for change and the other acquiesced, and it turned out well both times! That's a definite win, dear. And last week?"

Well, that was a different kettle of fish entirely. He had contacted me that morning. Would I mind rescheduling our evening? The Peacock Guild was meeting for the first time in months.

"The Peacock Guild? From that Flannery O'Connor event?"

Well, yes. And since I had encouraged him to join the group, to give him an unbiased ear as an outlet for help with the progress of his graphic novel, I encouraged him to go to that meeting. That was important for him, so it was important to me. And we hit upon my strangely open Saturday for our irregular get together.

"I know you would have preferred his company, but you still had him on Saturday. And then again last night! Oh, and then this afternoon! That's a whole lot of huggin' goin' on! "

i thank You, God!
(smile!)

"I do, too. You still seem to need some mothering, don't you, girl?"

Yeah. The hugs help. Hugs from him, hugs from the Odd Lot folks, hugs from mi tres amigas, hugs from people at church, hugs from the PFS crew.
Yeah.

"I'm sorry, dear. Things will get better, they will. Remember what Christina Ann wrote to you? She said, "I guess there's always a silver lining if you look for it." That was her take on something similar you told her."

She's a real bright light in my world. Truly she is.

"Truly, she is. So is Kevin, you know."

Yes, he is. He's also rather old-fashioned when it comes to dating. He insists on paying his date's way, regardless of cost. I've been trying to convince him that he should allow them to pay, but I don't believe he's buying it. Get it? Buying it?

"Got it, silly one kenobi. Is that why The Beatles came up last night?"

Yes, actually. He was going on about having spent fifty bucks a pop to take a date to a show by a Beatles tribute band. I was absolutely aghast! After all, I know he prides himself on being a cheapskate, but when it comes to dating, no amount of money is too much for him to spend. Just craziness! I made the remark that such a move would be expected to result in sex, and he seemed shocked that I would say that. I told him that anyone who was so wild about that music that they would plop down that sum of money would be amped up enough after the concert to carry on with the party, so to speak. Sometimes, I don't think he's as clued in as he should be. Then again, I know that by the time I was his age, I'd had much more experience with men than he has had with women. Just sayin'.

"Well, you were in the Navy, and that makes a big difference."

Yeah, partly, but that doesn't account for all of it. I think I was just more adventurous or amorous or active or ... some other "a" words.

"Being around theatre folk probably added to the frivolity."

No doubt! So much of the simulated sex on the stage spilled over into the backseats of cars. Get that little inside joke?

"Got it. You crack me up, girl!"

Hey, I crack myself up sometimes, too!
Right now, though, I need to do some adulting and pay some bills before the mail comes.
So, later, tater!

"After a while, crocodile!"

(smile!)