2001-09-05 :: 12:25 a.m.

hi, Grandma

Soundtrack: Radiohead, OK Computer

Today was a day of reconnecting. Of movie moments, hellos historic and inconsequential. I'm wondering what kind of person I am when the past smacks me in the face and I feel tired and a little more numb than I wish I was. It's probably healthy, the healthy thing, but it doesn't make it easier, or more pleasant. The most pleasant thing today was a lot of hugs. I can deal with a lot of hugs. The last year is on for me, and the first year begins for my sister. Loops, connections, circles, all of that hippie shit.

I finally got some stories from Grandma. I jotted them down afterwards. Since I'm not dealing with/hanging onto the pad (it was the only nearby recording device), this is verbatim. I ought to just do a dump of my Australian notes that aren't getting elaborated on sometime here too. The next few entries will probably be catchup. Maybe. We'll see. Too much to think about.

The pad says:

Grandma's father saved & drove a Dodge (--^ really her Mother, he was a bad driver) & didn't go to Europe every summer like his peers -- then Depression hits, & her Mother fed people out the back porch -- peers' children didn't go to school -- Grandma went to Hunter, Joe to NYU

Grandpa bought uranium @ 5, it rose to 500 -- but didn't sell -- 1942 or so -- insider trading
[Insider trading because Grandpa knew a few things about The Manhattan Project, but apparently the practice wasn't really a big deal then... Grandpa didn't make any money anyway because the stock fell back down eventually.]

Huddie Ledbettor   Leadbelly (--> Grandma danced w/ him) was on a chain gang in South (GA?) & Alan Seger (grandfather or uncle of Pete) finds him while he's singing
Somehow negotiates for his release¹⁹³⁸--Grandma sees him @ NYU w/ friend who goes there & he's looking like a wild man -- he sings --- Pete Seger is in Pablo Casals Club w/ Jesse & Grandma (Jesse knew Pete Seger well -- & he really is that nice) & around 1940 Grandma sees him all cleaned up
Pete takes learns "Irene Goodnight" from Leadbelly, but changes "I'll guess you in my dreams" to "I'll kiss^{-->or see?} you in my dreams"
[I looked up Leadbelly on AMG and he was a convicted murderer in Texas, but Seger doesn't figure much into the story there. I'm sure Grandma must be telling some part of the story that isn't on AMG, I mean, friends with Pete Seger? And she spelled his name wrong. It's Ledbetter, not Ledbettor. Still, not bad for an old lady, especially an old lady that complains about her memory.]

Aug 1945 VJ Day -- really was people kissing in the streets -- people ran to the Times building - Ra & Grandma are going to see Oklahoma! -- orig. cast -- Celeste Holm  Alfred Drake --> knew Joe-in Army together / v. nice!
Ra & G seperated but somehow meet @ theater
Cast sings extra songs after
"the place just burst"
- Grandma realized that Jesse had worked on heavy water in BC (--> He suspected it was Manhattan but never even told G) for those 3.5 yrs the day after when it was revealed in the paper

G and Grandpa saw Bea Arthur in The Threepenny Opera

Grandma & Grandpa in Paris - want to go to [Jewish Star] deli, Goldenberg's -- Grandpa asks for phonebook & gets it but as soon as he hears it is for Goldenbergs he snatches away the phone book: "leave my store"
[This is sort of unclear, but the shopkeeper they were trying to get directions from was a bigot. That is basically the point. Grandma doesn't think much of Paris.]

Constantine's Sword
[Grandma recommended this book.]

---

Some additions not in the notes: She talked about Grandpa playing chamber music with people all over Europe that he'd arranged to meet by mail. Some rich, some poor -- one man hired two others to make the quartet, Grandpa didn't know until they left immediately after finishing and he paid them...!

When talking about VJ Day she said it really was a different time, that people were more trusting then, that it was really like those pics of the nurses and soldiers kissing in the streets. My grandmother is not a conventionally sentimental woman and to hear her speak of such conventional Grandma Things was really... just nice. She was amazingly animated and loquacious. And I didn't have to ask or pry, it just came out. She just said "I have a story that might interest you" and launched into the Leadbelly bit, and that led to all the others. I told her to call me, asked why she didn't tell these stories more often. She said it was just something she was reminded of (Mom didn't know some of the stuff, even) and who wants to hear these stories? I do! Jesus!

Grandma probably doesn't have much time left; I really hope she will call me as I asked her to (numerous times) when she finds that she is reminded of another anecdote like those. I will try to call her a few times just to check up anyway, because I doubt she'll call me even if she thinks of one.

I got tickets to see The Strokes today. Three of them. I figure if I don't find people who want to go they'll scalp for high prices. I wonder if they'll live up to the hype. Probably not. Jeb theorized that they have a major guerilla marketing campaign underway to invade the white college male demographic. If they are, it's working. "I can't go a day without hearing about The Strokes 17 times," he said. Yeah, pretty much. At least the tickets were cheap.

More class shopping, more administrivia, a need for a bed, the strange moments in life. "No Surprises". I sometimes think my luck is I haven't done anything that broke me. Sometimes the nothing hurts, but sometimes I think it may be the best thing I have going for me. As I told Mom tonight, I have all the basics in place. I am so lucky. I really am.