Quel trou à rats!

Ladies and gentlemen, for no good reason - Mlle. Rosa Moline!

I suppose it's reading so much about her of late, but Bette really can take over one's subconscious, especially, as now, when the first words out of any sane person's mouth when looking at either our current or future apartment would have to be "What a dump!"

We're at that stage where we're preparing to camp for a few days in the new place while the movers ply their black arts at the old one and then drag the stuff over (note to future house guests - yes, we now do have an air mattress), while at the same time slowly but surely dissasembling the old place in preparation for the movers.  It's all going to be complicated and uncomfortable, two of my least favorite things, and it all has to be done in the context of a careful choreography of which of us can get off work, when the two buildings can cooperate in various ways (I now know more about loading docks and trash-removal schedules than I ever hope to again), and when we can be getting in cleaners, cable installers, and other vital auxiliary players in this great drama.

Which is of course why I'm procrastinating to the greatest extent possible by both reading and writing about Bette Davis.  Beyond the Forest was very definitely not Miss D.'s favorite moment in her long and distinctly checkered career (Scream, Pretty Peggy, anyone?  White Mama?), but I have to say that if nothing else, when it comes to drag names, Audela de la Forêt is my new favorite.  Hell, even DeRoep van Hetleven wouldn't do too badly for the right drag king...