Mrs. Dalloway's Coffee Break

The sounds of morning. Harison preparing his breakfast downstairs, occasionally throwing a short fit of coughs, or a sudden burst of sneezes. The raging of his loud coffee bean grinder. The slightly loose downstairs bathroom door clunking open and shut. Harison spitting out water in the sink while he is brushing his teeth. Earlier in the morning. The newspaper delivery person in their car, turning to our little alley on his route, just below the window closest to the bed. The newspaper delivery person distributing the paper into mailboxes. The newspaper delivery person turning their car around in the far end of the very short cul-de-sac and returning to the street. The floorboards’ tactful yawns and unassuming stretches, preparing for another full day of stomping feet upon them; almost silent little whines and noises, almost, but not quite. A faint creaking sound from downstairs. That used to drive me mad when we were brand new homeowners. Now I know it is just one of this old house’...

During these strange times of seclusion and roadblocks and restaurants closed and everybody doing their best to hold their respective own while this planetary house arrest is in progress, I guess I have nonetheless managed to find a handful of reasons to live. I felt I wanted to write you this letter, describing exactly what those reasons are, how I feel about all this, and what I find noteworthy about my life now that most of the things I have held so dear are going or gone. I hope you will please forgive me, should you find these musings utterly in poor taste, if I was mistaken, and there never should have been even an inkling of intention on my part to ever share with you what I am about to share. While my husband is writing his urgent pieces about the virus for the paper downstairs, I have taken into carrying a heavy brass candlestick with me around the house, thinking if we are going to do it, let’s go all the way with this upsetting, mauve-tinted paranoia, this hyster...

Since the honorable Mr. Reeves is taking the Internet by what appears not a mere storm, but a hurricane, and the moment just a couple of weeks ago, when he replied to an overwhelmed fan’s breathless declaration with an even more breathtaking response has gone viral, I think just the one piece on the man about the John Wick franchise found below is simply not enough. Now I know every girl in town likes to think she is Keanu Reeves’ number one fan, and I am entering the competition at an awkward stage, right in between the aftershocks of the huge blow that was the Cyberpunk 2077 press conference, the release of Toy Story 4, John Wick 3 playing in theaters, and the success of Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe, but here goes anyway. The title of this story is a bit misleading, since ever since Keanu Reeves started getting bigger roles on screen he has been showered with attention. Though not always complementary on his acting skills - I myself remember a huge cover story in Suosikki...

I was standing at the counter of my local record store, basically monopolizing the entire table as well as the attention of my favorite salesperson. He is my peer and has manned the counter for as long as I have been shopping there, so we practically have the same profession. He also has the whole High Fidelity-Rob Gordon-Championship Vinyl Owner -vibe about him, without the superiority complex or the raging fits, that I know of, and since Nick Hornby’s modern classic is one of my favorite books, I always look for signs that the story in the book is all true, and therefore notice such things. I had come down to check out birthday gift possibilities for my girl Roberts, and let’s face it, when at a record store, you don’t just get the one record and leave. So, the man was doing his best to help me out. “So, I mean what do you have in CD format?” “Oh, I have a bunch of stuff here, in the Used section. Let’s see now.” I waited, all my stuff spread across the counter, whi...