BIG Bird
Visitor @ the bird-feeder yesterday morning….
No wonder we have to fill the feeders so often
X-rays
(late post this should have gone up on friday but got posted to my drafts folder by mistake)
Being at the Vet all day is a bummer! Whoa am I beat!
Tests for the tumor on Hocus’ belly came back positive for cancer, so Hocus had her full body x-rays yesterday. The good news is that her cancer has not appeared to have spread to her lungs or other parts of her body! <<<Happy dance for Hocus>>> There is still a strong possibility that it may have spread to the lymph nodes, unfortunately x-rays are not good at detecting spread to the nodes. She is scheduled for surgery on the 28th of May. They will take the tumor off, just the tumor and see how she does from there. We will not do a radical mastectomy, the vet recommended against it because of her age, old lady that she is.
As you can see she is beat. Her and I hung out in the sun yesterday afternoon, I with a good book (Dante Valentine series: Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow ) and her with a wad of catnip……nap. Oh my geriatric kitty.
Chick Flick Nite – “The Savages”
3 Tissues
Jon and Wendy Savage are two siblings who have spent their adult years trying to recover from the abuse of their abusive father, Lenny Savage. Suddenly, a call comes in that his girlfriend has died, he cannot care for himself with his dementia and her family is dumping him on his children. Despite the fact Jon and Wendy have not spoken to Lenny for twenty years and he is even more loathsome than ever, the Savage siblings feel obliged to take care of him. Now together, brother and sister must come to terms with the new and painful responsibilities with their father now affecting their lives even as they struggle with their own personal demons Lenny helped create.
Written & Directed by:Tamara Jenkins & Staring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney
Typically on my way home on monday nights I stop at the video (dvd) store and rent what strikes my mood. However, this movie I rented days ago, my decision based mostly on the actors, story was secondary. A little secret between you and me… I have always had a thing for Philip Seymour Hoffman, I don’t know what it is about him but I find him very seductive.
I have not been in the greatest of moods as of late (gee I wonder why) and tonight I could have really used a good romantic comedy, not a realistic independent film about dysfunctional siblings putting their abusive father in a nursing home to die.
Despite the painfully inappropriate subject for the moment & my mood the film was really very good. It had more humor in it than I expected, some quite laughable like daughter decking out dad’s nursing home room with swag from Urban Outfitters, lava lamp and all.
I work with the “elderly” professionally, so the subject of the film did not surprise me. Old people, nursing homes, sickness, dementia, all part of my work, unfortunately I have been desensitized. What did surprise me was how real the film’s characters dealt with their father’s dementia taking into account and despite the troubled childhood that was eluded to throughout the film. And I loved the relationship between brother and sister. It all was quite complex and beautiful the way it all came together.
This movie, “The Savages” was nominated for several awards, all well deserved. Overall I give the film 3 tissues. (Any other day I would probably give it four or maybe even five, but today like most days I am bias to my mood) It was worth seeing, and did not suck. It is though an independent film that does not quite fit the mainstream and has one of those stereotypical independent film endings that leaves you hanging. In the end I was left wanting to see more about the characters lives, but no, time to roll credits. It seems that the audience is only privy to the brief moment of their lives that brings closure to their relationship with their father.
Although the evening was not a total lost, next week I go back to my normal routine of renting a dvd the evening I plan on viewing. It is best that way. Such a creature of habit I am.
Baby Trees
I just realized that I never posted the pictures of the white pine saplings we planted from the Arbor Day Foundation. We planted them in two big clusters and surrounded them with black mulch. You can see the other cluster in the background.
Hopefully in time they will shelter us from the tragic view of the horrific driveway (road) that ripped between us and the neighbors, killing dozens and dozens of mature trees in the process. Hate those right-of-ways!
www.arborday.org
Grow little trees, GROW!
King Leo update:
The redwood King is budding feverishly but had not shown any needles yet.
All hail King Leonidas!
Bonus Chick Flick Nite – Juno
Four Tissues (not a crier, a belly laughter)
Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.
I can see both sides of the fence. This is a love it or hate it movie. After all the topic is teenage pregnancy. I really enjoyed this movie. Found the characters complex and entertaining, its a funny movie, but if you are sensitive it appears to really make light of the whole teen pregnancy issue.
I have read some pretty harsh “lay” reviews online and all I have to say to them is…… This is just a movie people! It is a comedy, NOT a bloody documentary (sorry, no pun intended).
It was worthy of all the nominations and awards won – too many to list but let’s just say that it was nominated at least once by every film festival it played in all over the world. The script was flawless and the acting was as well.
The awesome hip soundtrack is a bonus feature of watching this film. Note ladies the last song of the film, so sweet you will melt a little.
I highly recommend this film if…. 1 – you can handle the controversial subject & 2- you have a sense of humor that leans heavily toward the dark cynical side.
Although I feel that men can certainly tolerate, maybe even enjoy this film thanks to the sharp humor (my “serioso” sat in on the last 1/2 hour of the movie with me and said it didn’t suck); I think it is still mostly a chick flick that takes you through a range of emotions with a feel good ending.
Best chick flick line in the movie is spoken by Juno’s dad, here’s his advice about life partners:
In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That’s the kind of person that’s worth sticking with.
How true! Is sun shining out your ass?
