Yesterday I decided not to go and mow and flirted with reading a book I picked up at the dentist’s office, but I felt that some things had to be done – so I put the book down and really, really cleaned THREE bathrooms. And vacuumed the staircase and cobwebs and planned the smart- alecky things I can say to other people living here.

All of a sudden it was 5:30 and I went for my walk.

And then, all of a sudden, I remembered that The Great Gatsby is playing at the The Strand and that tickets are only three dollars. I decided to go and took my head that had been up close with three toilets and the body that is attached to it and got in the shower. I put on a skirt and a safari blouse and my parrot necklace – have I shown a picture of it here? – and drove over.

Ah, the Gatsby parties were like shows in Las Vegas; it was a colorful movie, to say the least. Do you know I watched that entire movie of opulence and did not think once of all the time I had spent earlier scrubbing areas where toilets meet floors? It was a flashy set with the outline of a story over it. Actually, it makes me think of one of those 30 second rabbit summaries of movies, only it was two hours and 34 minutes long.

It was not anywhere real. I mean I could not feel the distance between really wealthy people and my little toilet-cleaning life. Because of this movie, I think when I see something outlandishly overdone, I will be tempted to exclaim, “Oh, Great Gatsby!” But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like the flamboyance in super color and on the big screen and I want to watch the Robert Redford version again to see how that strikes me.

I think The Great Gatsby is better as a book. (Well, gee, AmeliaJake, it is supposed to be a great American classic.) In fact, the best parts of this movie as far as the story is concerned were when the narrator character (Nick) recited paragraphs verbatim.

Actually, I suppose at first reading, it is sort of a chick flick book. It is repeated readings that let you really appreciate the sentences. Well, that’s my opinion.

Oh, and that book from the dentist’s office: I started reading it and then just had to skim and then tossed it aside to be returned. I can honestly say cleaning bathrooms was more fulfilling.