Thursday, November 16, 2023

"Please DO NOT wash Nazi socks"

I'm hurrying to my first class, head full of details from one of the job searches we're currently on, when I see the sign: "Please DO NOT wash Nazi socks." I walked by... and then walked back... to consider it some more until it clicked--this was a message from the costumer for the student production of Cabaret that is set to start this evening. 

For the rest of the day, I muttered stuff about Nazi socks and it brought me to giggle mode every time. It buoyed me up so much I was able to make it--instead of bailing--on a girlfriends' book club meeting even after a longish search committee meeting.

Not only had I not read the book for book club--honestly, I couldn't even tell you the name of the book under discussion (which never happened). I got to catch up with everyone and drink a colorful margarita though. 

I'm being blasé, but of my four bookclubs--all of which I joined when I moved to Lansing and was desperate to find community--this one consistently picks books that are pretty badly written, but I love the people in it. What more can I say?

Pic: The sign: "Please DO NOT wash Nazi socks. Thank you."

9 comments:

Sarah said...

hahahahahaha— I am so glad you puzzled that one out

Nicole said...

Lololol Nazi socks.
You know, I have never seen a production of Cabaret but I read and loved the Berlin Stories for a German history class I took in third year university. But - and this is crazy - I had NO IDEA Christopher Isherwood was gay, nor did I have any idea that Berlin was known for its large gay community in the 20s and 30s. AND IT WASN'T BROUGHT UP IN THE COURSE. Well, life was different then, I guess. I think about that now and think how very strange that was, a huge part of the book and it was never discussed.
Four book clubs! I'm a bit jealous. I'm thinking of getting one going here but not sure if it will work.
Oh, and one last question - did you recommend Late Bloomers to me? Someone did and I'm reading it right now!

StephLove said...

That would be puzzling.

A young woman I know who used to go the theater camp with North is in a production of Cabaret at Brown right now.

StephLove said...

p.s. I don't know what I'd do about a book club that picked bad books. I'd find that frustrating.

NGS said...

There's a woman in our book club who always reads the books - about a month or two after we all have read it. LOL. She always comes to the next book with a recap and it makes us all laugh. Our book club is a social one and it's not serious! Book clubs shouldn't feel like homework!

Gillian said...

Silly sign.

Nance said...

Hey, those crummy Nazis can wash their own damn socks.

LOL

A former friend once told me she was in a wonderful book club and went on to describe it to me. I said, "It sounds great! It sounds like a lot of fun." She said, "I'm not going to invite you, though. They'll probably like you more than me."

Sort of the beginning of the end, that.

maya said...

Sarah, Gillian-- :)
Nicole--Yeah--that is bonkers. I learned very recently--like maybe this year--that there had been a transgender clinic in Berlin for decades before it was destroyed by the Nazis. Also actually it was FIVE bookclubs, but two of them no longer meet regularly. It was a GREAT way to meet people in a new town! I did not rec. Late Bloomers, but I looked it up (the novel, I presume) and the author is South Indian and it's 1.99 on Kindle, and I might give it a go! SO thank YOU for the rec!
StephLove--I feel a bit cued into theater kids all over the country now! The book recs don't bother me, because they're almost an afterthought for this group--we put more thought into which restaurant to meet at, frankly.
NGS--We have one of those too. And I think I've been that person too in months where I wasn't able to get hold of the book.
Nance--That is such a WEIRD dynamic!

maya said...

Sarah, Gillian-- :)
Nicole--Yeah--that is bonkers. I learned very recently--like maybe this year--that there had been a transgender clinic in Berlin for decades before it was destroyed by the Nazis. Also actually it was FIVE bookclubs, but two of them no longer meet regularly. It was a GREAT way to meet people in a new town! I did not rec. Late Bloomers, but I looked it up (the novel, I presume) and the author is South Indian and it's 1.99 on Kindle, and I might give it a go! SO thank YOU for the rec!
StephLove--I feel a bit cued into theater kids all over the country now! The book recs don't bother me, because they're almost an afterthought for this group--we put more thought into which restaurant to meet at, frankly.
NGS--We have one of those too. And I think I've been that person too in months where I wasn't able to get hold of the book.
Nance--That is such a WEIRD dynamic!

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