Posts
To: dom borax < mailto:printthisplease@printthis.com >
Sent: Sunday, June 17th, 1999 23:11 PM
Subject: Matrix and Election
Hi Dom,
Okay…extra writing as promised…
Marcus has gone to bed…he’s not sleeping…reading…he always needs to read before going to bed…I mean…MAN! I only stay two nights a week and he reads…?
I think he’s reading Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago…at the moment…such good bedtime reading…such sweet dreams…
…and he’s been reading it for a while…
the book’s been on the table for ages, I reckon…it’s covered in dust…
sometimes I check to see how many pages he reads…(he’s a dog earer)…and I swear over the last few days he’s been going backwards…
Anyway he’s on this Russian kick (hence me, I guess) he brags that he can read Russian…but his stressing is all wrong and I can’t understand a word he’s saying…
I wonder if he’s asleep yet…?
I’ll go look…
Okay, back…he’s asleep. Got myself a glass of wine and checked how many pages he’s read – three btw…
Back to you…and your new lady…
I must admit…I did see you and Elsa coming together….i think I saw it last week…she looked at you in a way that every girl knows…and when she went off with ‘keith’ (was that his name…?) I could tell she really wanted to go off with you…
It’s ‘cause you make her laugh…that’s why…
…a girl is a sucker for a guy that makes her laugh…and the fact you still had wit while tripping…wow, that’s impressive…
And she knew that…she knows that you can be really funny…and when she laughs at your jokes…she really laughs…her hair flips and her head tilts back…it’s pure joy…
Anyway, picked it…even told Marcus…he didn’t pick it of course…he thought you might be gay…he even had a moment of jealousy…’you never laugh at my jokes that way…’ he said…
So we had an argument…
Not sure why I’m telling you this…
…anyway you looked good together…you looked happy and again….the night was lovely…so a big thanks from Marcus and me…
Speak soon
Stacey
PS can I have the recipe for the pasta? If it’s a secret, that’s cool…it’s just I really liked it and thought I could cook it home…
PPS We saw two movies, if you’re interested - Matrix and Election. One was good, one was bad. You pick
Two words: Field day!
ReplyDeleteEnough said
Translated:
ReplyDeleteHi Dom,
I want to write to you
Marcus irritates me.
I only stay two nights a week (and I spend them writing to you)
Marcus is an incompetent reader
He only likes me because he's in a Russian phase
His Russian is also incompetent
He was only able to get through three pages.
How pretentious
You make Elsa laugh
I like guys who make me laugh
You make me laugh, unlike Marcus
Marcus and I argue
I really like your cooking also.
Stacy
Anon (9:29), I've been pondering your two words. Do you mean Dom's having a field day? You? Stacey? My interest is picqued.
ReplyDeleteAnon (9:57) Love your translation. Makes for a good read in itself. I did wonder if the 'russian phase' is hinting that she herself is going through a phase.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I'm sure that the comments that will in follow this post will answer your question.
ReplyDeleteGosh, there's some 'read between the lines stuff.' Maybe a bit of jealousy. Kinda annoys me that she is complaining because she could have been with Dom all this time.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I loved the reference to "dog-earing" books. I'm guessing she doesn't like that?
I can relate to that. haha. I cherish my books. I never dog-ear -- always use a bookmark.
Dog-earing is a sin.
Some of these book titles in these e-mails are making me feel alittle stupid. Sure, I read a few of the classics in university... But I tend to have "junk-food books" on my shelves...the kind where they are purely for entertainment. Currently reading the Hunger Games series. Tend to read alot of Young adult fiction even though I am no longer a teenager.
Field day for sure.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I sometimes think the literary references are try-hard. Indeed in this one, I suspect Marcus thinks he should be reading Russian Lit' but probably likes something softer.
ReplyDeleteThat being said; check out Solzhenitsyn. Maybe start with "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich." It's a novella. Tough story but amazing. All about the Russian Gulags.
I've heard the Hunger Games is good too. Is it worth reading?
Anon (2:32) Okay this field day is driving me crazy. I understand it to mean 'having a field day' as in having a damn fine time.
ReplyDeleteIs that what you mean?
I've looked it up and there doens't seem to be any other real meaning )except a Canadian Band or High School sports references.
I've become too obsessed with finding this out. Please help!! :)
I think it refers to the fact that there is so much, as Stephanie says, between the lines stuff. That it is such a constant degradation of Marcus, while full of nothing but admiration and flattery for Dom. It really says something about Stacy's feelings. And judging by the active commentary on Stacy's last email, (which was based in a similar style although much less obvious) than this one, commenters are likely to have a field day with this post.
ReplyDelete0_0, Honestly, I think Dom should stay with Elsa =]=] and I take back what I said before about him being desperate.... he was just diligent in his attempts, plus Stacey seems narcissistic all that talk about "living in the moment" is just an excuse for instant gratification and I bet now she's regretting it. Even though I hoped they would get together I think Dom would be happier with Elsa =P
ReplyDeleteOOOOh and The MATRIX hahaha that was 1999, ( ._.) time flies I still remember getting the VHS and watching it with my bro... good times =]
Thank you, Anon (4:06) It was driving me nuts.
ReplyDeleteBring on the comments, I hope.
Anon (4:38) I agree, I think Stacey does use 'being in the moment' as an exuse. Maybe for instant gratificaiton. Maybe for something else. Maybe it's so she doesn't have to engage with the difficult stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have faith in her, though. Anyone else feel like defending out poor Stacey?
Hey, I also had Matrix on VHS.
I wonder where the VHS tape is now.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the translation @ anon 9.57!!
ReplyDelete@stephanie -- i work in a bookstore and more often than not im reading YA fiction... currently The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.... beautiful beautiful book... haunting words... almost lyrical
@stephen -- i love the way u make every commentor feel so much at home here... involving conversations, leading us towards so much more... im gonna try this book too
Ipshi, it is a good translation. I'd love Anon to do more. Help us all read between the lines. Kinda like Missy M's ratings. Where is she by the way? Miss those ratings.
ReplyDeleteI don't know The Sky is Everywhere - I'll check it out.
If we are swapping lit' I read Yann Martel's Beatrix and Virgil recently. It was amazing. Anyone else read it? Or The Sky is Everywhere?
I think it'd be great if this blog was a kick off fo book reccomendations.
After all - we all seem to like reading! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteit is a bit of a field day isn't it! Love it. Love it so much that, i think on this field day i am going to have a siesta on the grass. -the comments so far have been spot on, so i shotgun back seat haha! [i am sleep deprived also :P]
ReplyDeleteanon 9:57 - i like your version better ;))
PS. i also love how the anonymous olives are lovingly referred to by their original post time stamp. Somehow on this blog they are not just another person. They are THAT person!{insert number HERE} :) Very homely.
PPS. this blog has got me reading 24hr soooo much more effectively than before LOL
Anyway time for that sleep! :P
Oh Stacy... you may say you live in the moment, but you always dwell on the past.
ReplyDeleteI had much sympathy for Stacy before, but this is a really desperate email designed for what exactly? I'm not sure where she's going with this to be honest, but it doesn't sound unplanned in the way it's constructed. So why not just say what she thinks? Why try and disguise messages?
ReplyDeleteStephen, good luck finding somebody to defend Stacy. To me, she seems desperate - she realized she threw away a chance with Dom in the past, and now wants what she can't have anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlso, anybody else pick up on this passage?
ReplyDelete"I must admit…I did see you and Elsa coming together….i think I saw it last week…she looked at you in a way that every girl knows…and when she went off with ‘keith’ (was that his name…?) I could tell she really wanted to go off with you…
It’s ‘cause you make her laugh…that’s why…
…a girl is a sucker for a guy that makes her laugh…and the fact you still had wit while tripping…wow, that’s impressive…
And she knew that…she knows that you can be really funny…and when she laughs at your jokes…she really laughs…her hair flips and her head tilts back…it’s pure joy…"
Perhaps Stacy is talking about herself? Perhaps a subtle hint that Dom doesn't notice when girls have interest in him? Paralleled to when Stacy went off with Marcus, she actually wanted to go off with him... Hmm
"Not sure why I'm telling you this"... She knows exactly why she's telling him this. Sadly, I've played this game. She believes she is giving him a glimmer of hope. Trouble at home along with compliments is supposed to keep him asking questions and returning emails sooner than later. Yet, I have to keep in mind that you call this a "love story", so I know Dom continues to fall for it.
ReplyDeleteI would love to stick up for Stacy, but I have trouble figuring out who she is... Looking back on their first "date" and their conversation about the fake marriage, she seemed like a genuinely quirky and unique soul. Someone who actually does live in the moment. Hopefully I will get some clarity on Stacy. I do feel that she is, at the very least, heartbroken over Dom and Elsa's relationship. I'm also pretty sure that Dom knows this.
Field day, indeed.
Ok Field day, yes, Dom is going to have a Field day with this letter. He is beaming inside because anyone with half a brain sees that she is totally over Marcus and totally jealous of Elsa. She has the one thing all people with intelligence has that always ALWAYS gets in the way TOO MUCH PRIDE. Whoever this Anon was that did his own translation of her letter was, in my opinion spot on... my response would have been nearly identical sir or maam so well played. And on a side note to Stephen, I am not the golf pro in my videos. I am Norman big guy with a lot of keys. I'll tell Chad you like his pants ha ha. Thanks for looking.
ReplyDelete@Ipshi: Cool you work at a bookstore!
ReplyDeleteI currently have a job interview at a bookstore this friday. I hope I get it. :)
@Stephen: You should definitely try The Hunger Games series (by Suzanna Collins). It's a young Adult fiction book but it has alot of heavy themes. It takes place in a dystopian society, where every year there is a lottery and youth are sent to a deadly complex stadium [kind of like a futuristic roman gladiator situation] where the last one standing both wins and gets to keep his/her life]. I'm currently on the second novel: Catching Fire.
Hiranga, I love your sleep deprived responses. So streamed.
ReplyDeletePennyPup, how simply accurate. Someone needs to tell her this.
ReplyDeleteCordelia, I'm not sure how aware Stacey is of her actions to be honest. I suspect if she read these comments she'd be shocked.
ReplyDeleteI suspect she's just trying to work it all out. Maybe not succesfully at this stage. But how often do we reject the happiness that's right in front of us because it's too hard to be good to ourselves.
Jason, come on there must be Stacey supporters out there! I strangely relate to her. And yes I reckon you're right - she is saying Dom makes her laugh and she finds that attractive.
ReplyDeleteBut now it's too late - for the moment anyway.
Kimberly, do you thin she's fishing? Maybe. I like that. I suspect that Stacey is terminally heartbroken. It suits her. It makes her feel lke a victim. But she has to take responsibility for her own actions. I wonder if the quirk was a defence to not reveal her true self. I do that. I clad myself in emotional armour to get throught he day.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaos we're seeing the armour come off and getting glimspes of the real Stacey. I mean the tables have turned and she is no longer in control. She, like all of us is a victim of her behaviour. Cognetive therapy would do wonders, perhaps.
Chris, YES TOO MUCH PRIDE. Love it. So classical. Wny didn't I see it before.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes - saw some of your pieces too. Did I see you in a dress at some point!!?? Very funny.
Pass my best onto Chad.
Stephanie, good luck with the job interview. Let us know how you go.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will look out the Hunger Games books. Sound great. Love a dystopian story, I do.
Also I know you and Ipshi are flirting with connecting, maybe?
If you want to there's a couple of safe ways to do it. You can email me by pressing the envelope at the top of the page and I can pass details onto each of you or if your a member of the bored olives facebook fan page you can connect via that.
Love that folk are connecting outside the blog. Hope that helps.
hahaha you did indeed an ugly green dress... in Irma Vep... no people i'm not a cross dresser lol it's theater.
ReplyDeleteGah!!! I love the post, I love love love Anon(9:57)!!
ReplyDeleteStacey should break up with Marcus already, if there are that many things about him that bother her, its probably not a good relationship and they should rethink it. Especially since she so clearly wants Dom again, actually I don't think she ever stopped wanting him....
Awesome stuff!
STEPHEN!!!! Stop hinting like that!! I really really want Dom to end up with Elsa and your crazy hints are making me sincerely doubt that that's going to happen!
Chris, Green is my favourite colour. And aint you cute.
ReplyDeleteSorry Steph T' - will stop hinting. It's so hard biting my lip.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with Step T. Elsa seems to make a better partner for Dom.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, if they've been roommates for a while, why wait til now? Ah... whimin.
aaaaaaaaa stephanie ur gonna b working in a bookstore??? thats so freaking amazing... ur like a soul sister or something... i will realy put all my good energy out there hoping u get it :)
ReplyDeleteand yes im on the Bored olives FB page -- names Ipshita :)
I'll somewhat stand up for Stacey.
ReplyDeleteI think she's trying to be edgy and out there and portray confidence, but really she's insecure. Her excuse for living in the moment is because she knows there's a chance that extreme anxiety will sink in and going to a bar by yourself to meet a guy she's met once and might not even remember what he looks like is pretty intimidating. Maybe she's even tired of the dating scene and putting forth that much effort is just exhausting. Plus, women always try to play hard to get because men seem to lose interest if women aren't a little stand off-ish. No matter what people say, it's always a game.
Then, when Dom and Stacey seem to be hitting it off, Dom gets drunk and leaves her at a bar. Most women are going to think, "Wow, he is NOT into me." We are left feeling rejected and doubting our feelings ("I thought he liked me... but obviously he didn't.). Then Marcus shows her attention and she thinks, "Wow, this guy likes me." Whether it's the alcohol, or feeling rejected by Dom, she sleeps with him.
Then, as many women do, we want to justify our actions and we'll do anything to turn a one night stand into a meaningful relationship, even if the man is totally wrong for us. After so many failed relationships, Stacey wants SOMETHING to work.
But of course, in the back of her mind she's still holding out hope that maybe Dom did like her and if things don't work out with Marcus, she can try it with him again. Then there is probably extreme jealousy that things fell into place with Elsa when they obviously didn't fall into place for her.
I wouldn't blame it all on Stacey. If she pours her feelings out, Dom would get overwelmed and run. Plus, I'm a woman and I needed to be told 10 times before I'll believe that a guy really likes me. And leaving me at a bar and then hooking up with your roommate is going to really leave me saying, "Wow, I wasn't good enough," but it doesn't make those feelings just go away. Relationships are complicated!
Juan, but I'm so invested with Dom and Stacey. Not Dom adn Elsa. Let's wait, read and find out more about Elsa, I reckon.
ReplyDeleteIpshi - putting my good energy out there too.
ReplyDeleteKingO, welcome to Bored Olives comments. What a great addition you are. This is a fantastic summary of the story so far and puts it into perspective.
ReplyDeleteI'd love other commenters to read this and am hoping you might be able to post this response again tomorrow - posting day - when most people check in and comment.
If not I hope you'll be okay if I post it again on your behalf.