Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
Kate and Truman have a post-Thanksgiving Day tradition of assembling and decorating our Christmas tree while listening to and half-watching both Miracle on 34th Streetand Elf. In our home, Christmas ornaments are the family antiques that are both hearty and, as they brighten our home, periodically useful.
The two films suggest that Christmas togetherness can be had despite the obvious obstacles presented by New York City: people living in small apartments or enduring long commutes to faraway suburban homes, the widespread capitulation to crass corporate culture, the gruff and cynical exterior of the city’s secretly lovable citizens, and those citizens’ lack of interest or belief in magic of any sort, despite what F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby calls “the racy, adventurous feel of [New York City] at night.” Part of the success of the stories of both Miracle on 34th Streetand Elfis made possible by people who still believe in the magic of Santa Claus and who must convince others that Christmas spirit is still possible and actionable in an otherwise bleak world.
In Davis, California, I feel that obstacles to togetherness and joy are actually coming down. This week the air quality has improved dramatically, meaning that the widespread self-enforced quarantine could be broken at the same moment that the storm-clouds were breaking over Yolo County. With hope that the precipitation has provided relief to the heroic firefighters battling record-setting blazes in Butte County, in our family, we took a break from our earlier film festival (Dead Poets Society, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid), and stepped out into our front yard and looked to the heavens with gratitude.
For some, the break in the smoke meant an opportunity to return to the gem of Davis, the UC Davis Arboretum. Having experienced rain for the first time early Thursday morning, our new French bulldog puppy Margot subsequently took her longest trip in the “puppy bjorn” (a carrier that looped over Kate’s shoulder during the 3.5-mile Arboretum loop), as well as our dog’s longest-ever walk. At the beginning of the voyage, she was shaking in anticipation and fear at the novelty of the new experience (still getting her vaccinations, she has yet to meet another Davis dog), but by the end of the trip, she was pulling at the leash, showing energy and perseverance that are uncustomary for a small lap dog.
Still recovering from our trip to the Arboretum, the next afternoon Margot spent a couple hours sleeping on my outstretched legs while Kate and Truman did all the decorating work, and I took a nap that was long enough to threaten that night’s sleep. Except to bring the decorations in from the garage and to walk the dog, we didn’t leave the house today Friday. Reflecting on our day of enjoying leftovers, favorite holiday films, and each other’s company, I consider this the best possible boycott of Black Friday.
We hope you, too, have been enjoying the fresh air and time with family over the Thanksgiving break. Now, let’s welcome back Monday with gusto, and get to work!
In addition to topics raised above and in last week’s newsletter, tonight expect questions about American movies, late-night TV show writers, numbers of relatives, director pairs, superheroes, Christian singer-actresses, war narratives, tequila, again with the France, returning opponents, hilltops, bond-trading, unwelcome third parties, notable Midwest scientists, Soviet jumps, birds, Irish-Americans, continental pairings of letters, Oscar-winning movies, insurance, holidays, villainous voice actors, escalations of soy at a local restaurant, alarm clocks, door signs, redheads, U.S. Senators, cellos, tugboats, favorite novels, U.S. presidents, Paul Simon, Hawaii, flowers, sharpshooters, automobile culture, and Shakespeare. I hope these hints help.
Our next Poetry Night is December 6th, and will feature the poet and novelist Mary Mackey, author of more than 20 books. Details on that later. For today, just focus on clearing your schedule for 7 o’clock tonight so that you can join us for the de Vere’s Irish Pub Pub Quiz!
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Here are three questions from last week’s quiz:
- Chess. The world chess champion and the primary challenger both have last names that start with the same three letters that make a common English word. What are those letters?
- Science. What do we call the field of mechanics that deals with the launching, flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles?
- Books and Authors. British poet John Milton was born and died in the same century that is considered to be the Dutch Golden Age. Name the century.
P.S. “You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There’s another day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, shoppers take a break from their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity.” Bill Gates