What Charles Dickens’ Day means to me.
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Charles Dickens’ Day, I thought you would never arrive.
For years, my family and I have celebrated CDD together. February 7, 2008 will mark the first CDD without them, as my parents both passed in an unfortunate car accident last July. My sister and I have looked forward to CDD since the funeral, as it gives us a chance to celebrate what made our family different from most and to carry on the traditions our parents taught us.
We would always start the day with scrambled eggs, and the process of procuring the eggs from the carton was what made it special. As a nod to Sydney Carton, as each egg was taken from the carton of eggs, we would say, “It is a far, far better egg that I scramble, than I have ever scrambled; it is a far, far better breakfast that I make, than I have ever made.”
We then would sit around the fireplace and take turns reading passages from The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, one of Dickens’ grossly underrated works. One must not go much further than even the title of this piece to appreciate it.
We would always play a few rounds of “Twist”, a clever game we invented. The object of “Twist” was to collect as much gruel as possible. You can obviously see how the phrase “Please sir, I want some more” was incorporated into the game.
The day would end with the four of us sitting around the dining room table, sharing what “great expectations” we held for the coming year. My parents’ great expectations for 2008 were that they expected my sister to graduate with her degree in media studies and me to quit my dead-end job. I am sad to say they did not live to see these events, but I am very proud to say that these events did indeed occur.
Charles Dickens Day might seem stupid to you. I imagine you celebrate it the same way you celebrate Secretary’s Day, Arbor Day, and Flag Day– you completely ignore it. But to my sister and me, it truly represents the best of times and the worst of times in our lives. Charles Dickens may not be the best writer of all time, or even of the 19th century (one can certainly argue that the work of Starks or Lipscomb greatly eclipses Dickens’ body of work), but his writings completely and perfectly embody the nobility and perseverance of the human spirit, and for that I am thankful. THAT is worth celebrating.
ZachAction.com
Just shuddup and go there.
More Zachlusives: Catcher in the Rye is a real good book - Looking back with a discerning eye
What did you pay for “In Rainbows”? - Gary Coleman: Model Railroader, Model American
The Wooden Rose - TLDR Biographies: Thomas Edison
What amazes me is that Dickens’ proclivity for sodomy was never really an issue for the man, as this passage from http://ebookstore.cc/Dickens.htm illustrates:
“Death struck the great novelist Charles Dickens at work, when, after a full day on Edwin Drood, he suffered a mild stroke in June 1870. “
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 8:42 am
All those eggs will plug up your ass. Party pay back must of been a bitch
micky2
7 Feb 08 at 9:44 am
FFE: You’re aware that you’re crazy, right?
Micky: So long as CDD doesn’t fall on Cabbage Tuesday, we’re all good.
The Bagel of Everything
7 Feb 08 at 11:54 am
Eeewwwwww ! grody with a spoon.
micky2
7 Feb 08 at 1:04 pm
Crazy? I wasn’t the one who died after a full day sodomizing one of my literary creations.
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 1:17 pm
micky: you mean ‘gag me with a spoon’ ? That’s how all the cool kids are saying it these days.
FFE: It all comes down to sodomy, doesn’t it?
The Bagel of Everything
7 Feb 08 at 1:40 pm
No bagel, grody.
Valley girls have nothing on me.
micky2
7 Feb 08 at 1:49 pm
Well, it is a physical and/or intangible constant in most societal institutions
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 2:42 pm
which brings us right back to Zach’s inherent observation that Dickens was both an observer of and commentator on the societal institutions and views of his day.
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 2:43 pm
and that he died after pounding Edwin Drood’s orifices
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 2:43 pm
I prefer Darwin Day myself. Never was much of a Dickens man. Maybe it’s because of that time I was forced to read David Copperfield and couldn’t find any Cliff’s Notes for it…
Cody
7 Feb 08 at 3:02 pm
@ Bagel: If you take the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll out of RR, you’re bafflingly left with conservative politics, dog fighting and Gary Coleman.
@FFE: Few people realize how much the Victorians sanitized Dickens’ work. For instance, what we know as The Adventures of Oliver Twist, was initially The Adventures of OliverTwink. “Nicholas Nicklesby” was Dick-olas Dickelsby. The Old Curiosity Shop was The Old Curiosity Shop; Wink-Wink. Dickens’ writings were chock full o’ buttsecks and we should set the record straight–right here; right now!
Trust Mickey when it comes to Valley Girl slang. He almost banged Dale Bozzio!
@ Cody: When I read David Copperfield, I kept waiting for him to date a supermodel or make the Statue of Liberty disappear. A disappointing read, I must say–so much for my Great Expectations.
Soylent Ape
7 Feb 08 at 7:57 pm
Soy and Bagel: Now I dare anyone to accuse this fine emporium and salon of being befet of literary sense and sensibility. Which reminds me, I must find that documentation of Jane Austen’s propensity to go down like the HMS Serapis at the guns of John Paul Jones’ USS Bon Homme Richard.
Get it? Going down before Happy Dick? Eh? Eh?
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 9:59 pm
uh, bereft, not befet. The lithium dosage is a bit low tonight . . . .
Frontier Former Editor
7 Feb 08 at 9:59 pm
While we’re at it, Bronte was a carpet-muncher.
Soylent Ape
7 Feb 08 at 10:40 pm
Pay no attention to the ones who just don’t get it.
As for my family, we celebrate “Beverly Hillbillies” day. We dress up as Jethro, Granny,Jed, Jethorine, Aunt Pearl, and Ellie Mae. If enough relatives show up, then we can have a Mr and Mrs Drysdale and maybe, Sonny.
We all get to drink from the “secret medicine” jar and challenge Jethro to math games.Then we all load up chairs on a truck and count our money (Monopoly money). On REALLY good days, some neighbors dress up as Flat and Scruggs and play banjos!!!!!
It’s a great day!!!!
Truthfully, I just made all of this up so you wouldn’t feel crazy.
trailerparkbarbie
7 Feb 08 at 10:51 pm
FFE,
I wish.
But I did give her a moustache in a magazine once.
micky2
7 Feb 08 at 11:17 pm
I’m more of a Sade guy myself.
Kevin
7 Feb 08 at 11:23 pm
Sade is not a guy
micky2
7 Feb 08 at 11:44 pm
Cody: I’m proud to say I’ve never read any Dickens.
Soy: And pictures of cute fuzzy animals
FFE: You give us entirely too much credit.
Barbie: Me too! Can I be Elly May? I got a cement pond!
Kevin, Micky: Anyone think Sade looks kinda like a really good drag queen? Sorta looks like Jaye Davidson to me.
The Bagel of Everything
8 Feb 08 at 3:50 am
What about an ‘ENTOMO DAY’? “Save the world and have an intense sex night in the process”. THAT is worth celebrating.
E.
Entomo
8 Feb 08 at 6:58 am
Funny, I always figured ‘Entomo Day’ would have more to do with green spandex and bad sexual innuendo. Sade is definitely Ms. Jaye.
keywork.
8 Feb 08 at 10:16 am
I would love Entomo Day!
I look good in green.
The Bagel of Everything
8 Feb 08 at 11:16 am
No bagel.
Sade has much bigger and better lips.
If drag queens ever came close to looking this good http://www.akwarner.com/sade/gallery.html
I would be a busy man.
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 11:31 am
Ooops, heres the real shit. And this is definatly not Jaye Davidson
http://www.akwarner.com/sade/sadenude.jpg
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 11:35 am
I’ve had enough of the crying game….
The Bagel of Everything
8 Feb 08 at 11:39 am
I’ve seen, Bagel.
keywork.
8 Feb 08 at 11:55 am
O.K ! Back off on Sade ! Everyone !
I make love to her singing inthe background.
All you fudge packing Jaye fans go listen to Johnny Mathis on your Entomo day.
“Entomo”
Sounds like some third world food made from insect shit.
You’re cool Entomo.
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 1:01 pm
Jaye Davidson = Sade
I’m just sayin…
Ever seen them in the same place?
The Bagel of Everything
8 Feb 08 at 1:07 pm
Micky, look at the facts. With songs like “No Ordinary Love”, you have to wonder what ‘Ordinary’ pertains to exactly.
keywork.
8 Feb 08 at 1:09 pm
Maybe she was fucking a herd of RACOONS !
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 1:18 pm
Well, I admit that would make her a tad bit more desirable in my eyes.
keywork.
8 Feb 08 at 1:28 pm
Sorry, Micky. Only one sacred cow per reader, and you’ve already chosen yours.
Sade Davidson…. That sounds almost too natural, doesn’t it?
The Bagel of Everything
8 Feb 08 at 1:30 pm
Sade has no last name ! Donchuno ?
Lola ?
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 1:39 pm
Muswell Hillbillies?
keywork.
8 Feb 08 at 1:41 pm
No
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 3:07 pm
I thought Sade’s last name was Horowitz. I’ve been wrong before…
This is Jaye Davidson.This is Joseph Gordon Levitt. Tell me these guys aren’t somehow blood relatives! Any similarites between Jaye and Sade fade in the blinding light of truth. You never saw Davidson and Levitt in the same place, either.
Soylent Ape
8 Feb 08 at 8:08 pm
I dont care if her name was “Lipshitz”
She aint packing. Shes so hot just talking about her made me wack off 5 times today already.
Gotta go.
micky2
8 Feb 08 at 8:40 pm
KW: Muswell Hillbillies? Huh?
Soy: They do look alot alike! But alas, JGL is a white boy.
Micky: I feel the same about Jaye Davidson. He’s the first transgender I’ve ever seen who isn’t scary. It doesn’t hurt that he played Ra in Stargate. I love me some sun gods.
The Bagel of Everything
9 Feb 08 at 6:46 am
@ Bagel: Jaye’s mother is white and he’s very light-complected. Joseph is Jewish and tans-up very nicely. (For some reason, he always looked a bit pale on 3rd Rock, tho’.
Muswell Hillbillies was an album by my favorite English rockers (behind Sabbath, of course), The Kinks.
I’ve always wondered what happened to Davidson’s career. He was a decent enough actor, but the cameraabsolutely loved him. He must have pissed-off some studio exec somewhere along the line.
Soymilk Ape
9 Feb 08 at 12:08 pm
Muswell hillbillies and a tranny named Lola. Fucking hillbillies. Only a fucking Hillbilly would write a love song about a tranny.
Davidson is toothless and hangs on Hollywood and Vine
micky2
9 Feb 08 at 12:18 pm
(laugh).
E.
Entomo
13 Feb 08 at 6:32 am
British Hillbillies? They’re called Scots.
Soylent Ape
13 Feb 08 at 7:49 am
Ah, Soy, we must have been exposed to the same uranium. Love the Kinks. Demon, alcohol. You can bet Green Day owes much of their success to the Brits. MH was a great album, I liked it better than the Arthur album.
keywork.
13 Feb 08 at 11:00 am
You are so right. Hell, I think anyone who plays a power chord should pay Ray Davies a nickel. I hear The Kinks in just about everything that rocks: Sabbath, Strokes, A, At the Drive-In… Their influence is ubiquitous.
Soylent Ape
13 Feb 08 at 8:00 pm