Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Involuntary Vacation


So one thing I've been thinking about as I come back to this curious form of public writing is the question of truthtelling. With retirement approaching, I've realized that the need to be quite so enigmatic as to the details of life is less; current events have provided a perfect opportunity to start that process.

So here goes: I'm a fed. And, at the moment, I'm furloughed.

Yes, carissimi, it's true: dear old Golden Handcuffs Consulting Amalgamated International was, truth to tell, a bit of a ruse. Most of the finer (and, if apropos, funnier) details of my employment have been quite true, but I've encountered them while in service, not to corporate mammon, but to the American taxpayer. For the moment I'm going to avoid anything more specific*, but I will say that it was all quite aboveboard and, on the whole, I'm pretty proud of my twenty years in public service.

But my goodness the last couple of years have made that a lot more trying, and the last couple of weeks never more so.

And now that the holidays are in the rear-view mirror, I'm finding myself uncharacteristically at loose ends. There's something about this kind of limbo that isn't conducive to getting things done, and I'm particularly peeved because I've got some rather amusing travel scheduled, but it's looking more and more likely that the classes I'd be teaching won't come off. I will be genuinely sad to miss one last go at a stay in Alte Wien, not least because the last time I was there I was still (although I didn't know it at the time) a bit of an invalid, and it would have been glorious to be able, when not hard at work, to do as much walking as I'd like.

So I'm puttering around the house and putting off taking down the Christmas tree (which we usually leave up through Orthodox Christmas anyway, in deference to Egyptian traditions) and generally not doing much of any use except keeping the dog blissfully happy. And now the museums have all closed as well, so there's not much to do were I to stir myself to some activity anyway.

But the real question, I think, is: how is it possible that I've never heard of a Tony Curtis picture featuring Stritchy—and directed by Blake Edwards, to boot? It's either a hidden gem or a real stinker, and I have a feeling I know on which end of that spectrum it falls...

*And I'll ask that you, mes amis, do the same in comments or elsewhere; I'd like to keep the Café off the radar, Google-wise, for at least a few more months.

13 comments:

  1. Thrilled to see you commenting again, for whatever reason! Happy holidays, and thanks for the corn pudding recipe (my fourth version was on Christmas eve).

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    1. Well, if nothing else, then, I've left a culinary legacy. We did surprisingly little serious cooking over the holidays, but I have to admit I've had that pudding on my mind. Nothing says it can't be cooked outside festive occasions, and yet is so rarely is. I shall do something about that...

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    2. I am making it again this Friday to take to a dinner party!

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    3. I really can't tell you how happy this makes me. My grandmother smiles down upon us both.

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  2. Whoever you are, welcome back.

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  3. Somehow, as a lifelong non-corporate myself, I always suspected there was more of a smattering of "The Naked Civil Servant" than "Gordon Gekko" going on here. I wait with bated breath for the expiry of the "50-year rule"... Jx

    PS It is so good to have you back, sweetie!

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    1. Thank you, Caro!

      One of the few surprises of this strange adventure turns out to have been how very quotidian much of official business is. It's all vouchers and memos, and not much intrigue, alas...

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  4. I remember from my days in federal service these odd, not quite vacation days that a shut down of the government provides. Since I was lazy, I liked it, but not being able to plan, since one doesn't know when the furlough will be over, is annoying and the threat that one might not get paid (although it never came to that) rather darkens one's appreciation of the time off.

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  5. I have thought of you now and again and wondered if we would hear from you. Anyway glad to hear from you and I hope you and mister and the dogs are doing well.

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  6. Had to look up quotidian, thanks.

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  7. I can sympathize. I never deal well with lack of structured time.

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  8. Please keep puttering if it means we get more of you! I wanna' see that film but in the meantime, I'd like to point out that Tony Curtis has the last line in The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951) and it's a gem: "Oh Tina of my heart!" (Piper Laurie was Princess Tina) Just a lil factoid.

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