My stereo receiver seems to be dead, and I’m near despair. It used to belong to my brother when he was a teenager. As he is now the head of the school of business and finance at a major western university, and has been for a long time, you may all safely assume he hasn’t been a teenager for a long time. A lot of us fall under that heading.

All the wiring is original, and has been stiff and crumbling for a long time. I think the receiver itself has ‘transistors’ in it. You young things might have to consult a dictionary for that one.

I usually listen to music via my computer anyway. But it was nice to have music in the living/dining/kitchen areas, for those many, many occasions when I cleaned, cooked, sewed, baked, and did what the history and home ec books call “domestic” things. I think that’s what they’re called. I really can’t remember, it’s been almost a year since last holiday season I bought my new sweeper which I’ve used maybe four times since then daily, because, as we all know, cleanliness is next to impossible godliness.

My turkey is thawing in the refrigerator, and I keep opening the door and giving it a pinch to see if it’s thawing properly. I’m sure once a day would be sufficient, but every time I open the door I feel compelled to pinch it. Maybe it’s a weird courtship of sorts, because when you really think about what I’m going to be doing to that turkey in a few days, a little foreplay is certainly to be appreciated.

I can’t believe I just wrote that.

Well, it certainly gives a person respect for the Roto-Rooter guy. And the gynocologist.

We were planning to see the new Harry Potter today but Hub went to an auction and lost track of the time, so we’ll go later. I’d rather see Harry Potter at a midnight showing anyway, because only the diehard fans go to midnight showings and I won’t have to hear everything being explained out loud over and over to stupid illiterate old people who thought they were going to see a movie about the Last Supper .

I’ve heard there ARE people who don’t know what it’s about. I find that almost incomprehensible. I hope they don’t have children.

I’m also looking forward to the new Narnia movie. I loved those old PBS Wonderworks Narnia movies, but that one little girl with the absolutely enormous teeth kind of spoiled it for me, because those teeth fascinated me. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, and they really detracted from the rest of the really very, very good film. Honestly, that poor girl looked as if she had tried to swallow a grand piano. I wonder if she is related to Marcus Flint. . . .

Enough bashing of innocent people with different tastes than I have. Well, for now, anyway.

I’m off to do more of my domestic tasks. I wonder where my sweeper is?