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garnigalI go away for one weekend and I got so far behind....
Reindeer
Seth loved going to Newport for Christmas. Grandma and Grandpa let him eat whatever he wanted and gave him the best presents.
His favourite part was when Grandma took him to see the Santa Clause parade. Newport people had lots of money, so he figured they had the real Santa, not like Berkley. Newport’s Santa just had to be real. He even brought real reindeer to pull his sleigh in the parade!
Mommy said Grandma couldn’t take him this year, but she and Daddy would take him. And this year they were going to stay in Newport even after Christmas!
Latkes
“Hey. Latka. Mom loved Latka.”
“Your mother loved latkes? Was she Jewish? That would be so cool! We could be half-Jewish together in this WASPy town, letting our delicious traditional foods and amusingly timed ‘oy veys’ bring people together.”
“What are you talking about, Seth?”
“Delicious latkes. Fried potato pancakes served with either savoury or sweet garnishes because they are so wonderfully versatile. What are you talking about?”
“Latka Gravas from Taxi? Andy Kaufman? ‘Tenk you veddy much?’”
“That’s… a surprisingly good Latka. But explain something - you only get reruns and 80’s music on your radios in Chino? Ow!”
Party
There were a lot of parties in Newport.
Ryan had been to everything from $500 dollar a plate black tie galas to drunken beach bashes that degenerated into arguing, brawls and crying girls. He’d been to standing room only concerts and opening night at the opera house for The Magic Flute. He’d even been to a baby shower, which he’d argued against attending as hard as Seth had fought against the opera.
No matter how many parties he went to, he’d still prefer to spend his evening at home with Seth, Sandy and Kirsten, eating pizza and watching a movie.
Wise
There are different kinds of wise.
He’d always been streetwise – he knew what secrets to keep and where to avoid.
He knew about penny wise and pound foolish – Christmas with not even bowl of cereal, much less a bike, though Mom and Dad always celebrated Atwood-style.
He knew about wise guys – both the ones in old movies that AJ modeled himself on by sticking a gun in his waistband and also the wise guys that get slapped around when they talk back.
But in Newport he was learning it was wise to trust Sandy, share with Seth, and tease Kirsten.
Flame
How could he compete with her old flame?
Tall, blond and built (though he’d never admit that last one aloud), Jimmy Cooper was the guy Sandy had been competing with and losing to all his life. Jimmy had money, and didn’t mind spending it on flashy stuff for himself or his women. Jimmy had connections, and didn’t mind calling in a favour to whisk a girl into the mountains for a ski weekend or to a sold-out concert. Jimmy had bright white teeth, a wide smile and charm that could get him whatever he wanted.
But somehow, Sandy had Kirsten.
Reindeer
Seth loved going to Newport for Christmas. Grandma and Grandpa let him eat whatever he wanted and gave him the best presents.
His favourite part was when Grandma took him to see the Santa Clause parade. Newport people had lots of money, so he figured they had the real Santa, not like Berkley. Newport’s Santa just had to be real. He even brought real reindeer to pull his sleigh in the parade!
Mommy said Grandma couldn’t take him this year, but she and Daddy would take him. And this year they were going to stay in Newport even after Christmas!
Latkes
“Hey. Latka. Mom loved Latka.”
“Your mother loved latkes? Was she Jewish? That would be so cool! We could be half-Jewish together in this WASPy town, letting our delicious traditional foods and amusingly timed ‘oy veys’ bring people together.”
“What are you talking about, Seth?”
“Delicious latkes. Fried potato pancakes served with either savoury or sweet garnishes because they are so wonderfully versatile. What are you talking about?”
“Latka Gravas from Taxi? Andy Kaufman? ‘Tenk you veddy much?’”
“That’s… a surprisingly good Latka. But explain something - you only get reruns and 80’s music on your radios in Chino? Ow!”
Party
There were a lot of parties in Newport.
Ryan had been to everything from $500 dollar a plate black tie galas to drunken beach bashes that degenerated into arguing, brawls and crying girls. He’d been to standing room only concerts and opening night at the opera house for The Magic Flute. He’d even been to a baby shower, which he’d argued against attending as hard as Seth had fought against the opera.
No matter how many parties he went to, he’d still prefer to spend his evening at home with Seth, Sandy and Kirsten, eating pizza and watching a movie.
Wise
There are different kinds of wise.
He’d always been streetwise – he knew what secrets to keep and where to avoid.
He knew about penny wise and pound foolish – Christmas with not even bowl of cereal, much less a bike, though Mom and Dad always celebrated Atwood-style.
He knew about wise guys – both the ones in old movies that AJ modeled himself on by sticking a gun in his waistband and also the wise guys that get slapped around when they talk back.
But in Newport he was learning it was wise to trust Sandy, share with Seth, and tease Kirsten.
Flame
How could he compete with her old flame?
Tall, blond and built (though he’d never admit that last one aloud), Jimmy Cooper was the guy Sandy had been competing with and losing to all his life. Jimmy had money, and didn’t mind spending it on flashy stuff for himself or his women. Jimmy had connections, and didn’t mind calling in a favour to whisk a girl into the mountains for a ski weekend or to a sold-out concert. Jimmy had bright white teeth, a wide smile and charm that could get him whatever he wanted.
But somehow, Sandy had Kirsten.
