This One's For You, Grandma

After 89 treasured years on this Earth, my last living grandparent, my mother's mother, has passed away.
Grandma Alma was the sweetest force of nature I've ever known. Her boundless energy and zest for life rivaled anyone's youth. She often had stories to tell of the trips she took to the Cape, or Florida, or one of the region's casinos on her most recent senior trip. She kept me up-to-date on the latest movies since she went to the theater with her friend, Alice, on a regular basis. And we would always discuss last night's Red Sox game, another painful loss. When they finally broke the streak and won the World Series in 2004, it was a thrilling victory she was sure she would never see in her lifetime, never mind twice.
I've yet to remember a major milestone in my life without my grandma there. Even as she grew older, she still came down for my mother's singing concerts and my niece's birthdays. And if she couldn't make it, you knew there was a card on its way in the mail. After all, she was the matriarch of our family, staying on top of everyone's lives as they developed alongside her own.
That's why Grandma's house was our central meeting place, as her door was always open. On any given day you would find a handful of friends and relatives hanging around the kitchen, chatting and reading the newspaper, or outside helping her in the garden with Uncle Dickie. When I was younger, my cousins and I would shoot baskets next to the garage of Alma's sister's house next door, or if there were enough people we'd play a game of wiffleball. As we got older, we'd pass the time playing board games or watching movies and football after a holiday feast.
There were always kids running around Grandma's house as new generations were added into the family. Often times I would find myself in the basement for yet another impromptu puppet show or new dollhouse display. Upstairs Zia Linda would be clearing the tables and my Aunt Linda washing dishes, as Grandma puttered around the kitchen to make sure everyone had a plate of leftovers to bring home. "No one leaves this house empty-handed" was her motto, even in her death. Many people brought home food from the reception that followed her funeral, and I'm sure Grandma was smiling down on us, trying to point out a dish that we had missed, making sure no one left hungry.
The holidays will be the hardest without her. She was the soul of our traditions, and she carried them with grace. I will always remember ringing the bell to enter the kitchen, greeting Grandma and Zia and Uncle Butch. The smell of homemade cooking follows me as I wander upstairs to put my coat away. Back downstairs a number of family members are already gathered around the hors d'oeuvres, trying to keep me from eating all of the deviled eggs. I snag about four, which I instantly regret once the food is ready. My mother, the eldest child, gives her annual toast, after which we clink our glasses to a rousing "Salute!" After salad, it's a rush to beat my dad to the beginning of the food line (not an easy feat I assure you).
And all the while, Grandma is behind the scenes with Zia and Butch, making sure everything is out on the tables or that there's enough meat cut. She's the last to sit down, after a few exasperated pleas from the rest of us, since sitting down was not one of Grandma's strong suits.
After dinner, Zia puts the coffee on rush order as Grandma brings out her fresh apple pie to add to the already overflowing dessert table. My mom whips up the cream, while a line forms to see who can lick the beaters this year. As stomachs settle, it's time to sample just a little from each dessert, or at least figure out which ones you'll be bringing home next to the leftover picadu (mmm, delicious, irresistible, totally bad for you picadu, how I love thee...). But I digress. :)
With full stomachs again we catch up with Grandma, who makes the rounds in each room. Every holiday I learned something new about Grandpa Al through added pictures on the walls. I can still see her resting on the couch, smiling up at her kids and her grandkids and her great grandkids, soaking up another successful holiday celebration. And at the end of the night it takes half an hour of walking around in your coat, carrying your leftovers, to say good-bye to everyone, including those you haven't seen in five years whose names you can't remember, but they just walked in the door so you gotta say something, even though your body temperature has gone up 20 degrees from your jacket and your significant other has been waiting in the car for 15 minutes thinking you got lost... :)
But it was all part of my family, the best parts of my family. The laughter after a dirty joke, ringing one of Grandma's many bells to signal dinner, the hello and good-bye hugs, the comfort, the togetherness. This is the sense of family my grandmother instilled in all of us as her legacy. And these are the holiday traditions that I wouldn't miss for the world.
I will miss them now though, as I will miss my Grandma Alma.

Slacker

I know, I'm a terrible slacker. It's been AGES since I've written in this thing. However, this weekend I had absolutely nothing planned, so I'm back! :)
A number of things have happened since my last post. I spent a day in Salem with some friends, walking around on the cobblestone and taking in the ghoulish, eerie ambiance. Well, actually, we got there in the middle of the afternoon so there were a ton of people and it wasn't really any different from any other tourist town. But at night we took a walking tour, with a terrific tour guide who brought the eerie parts of Salem to life, so that was great.
Unfortunately, walking for six hours on cobblestone did not set well with my knees, which are horribly out of shape (which goes along with the rest of my body!). Plus, a few days before that C and I went to visit some friends, my friend in NY and his friend in Maine, so there was plenty of walking done at that time as well. So at my annual physical the doctor determined I had sprained my knee, which shows you how much good walking does. :) Okay, okay, so it's probably the fact I don't actually do much walking that caused this, I'll admit it. But with a physical therapy appointment coming up, I should be up and running (well, more like regularly walking) in no time.
And there's more Fred medical news as well (what can I say, she's a geriatric cat by the vet's standards). Of course, whenever I hear the word geriatric it makes me think of nursing homes and retirement communities, not so much my cat that jumps on furniture and plays with squeaky mouse toys. But I digress...
Anyway, she went in for dental surgery this past Tuesday. Now, I know what you're thinking. You think I'm one of those people who takes their pet in for regular dental work and play dates and psychic readings or whatever. No. I couldn't afford it, nor am I that crazy. This is the last medical procedure I can do for this cat. The vet suggested it because her teeth were almost rotting out of her head, leaving the potential for bacteria to break loose and get into her blood stream, causing yet another infection. I just spent $800 on this cat- I want my money's worth! (Oh yeah, plus I love her to death and all that stuff). :)
Thankfully she made it through the procedure just fine, although I once again have the pleasure of giving her antibiotics. This time it's in pill form rather than liquid, which means no more pink spots on my couch, but it does mean more crushed medication that I have to do since pilling her is like pulling teeth (and the pun is totally intended there).
So that's pretty much my life at this point- knee strain and cat meds. Pretty soon I'll be adding to that a balanced diet and regular exercise regimen, to bring up my good cholesterol levels. Woo hoo! Look out world! :)

King Richard's Faire

Good evening gentle ladies and kind sirs. Tonight I would like to tell thee about my venture to King Richard's Faire in Carver, MA.
Don't worry, that's as far as I care to take the Old English. :)
This was my first time at any Renaissance Fair, and it was a blast. Not only were the costumes great (and a number of people who didn't work there were all dolled up), but the scenery was a lot of fun. It's in the middle of the woods with a number of different stores set up around the edge of the whole faire. In the middle are food vendors (complete with large turkey legs), rides mostly operated by cranks or swinging objects, and games including axe and knife throwing. We viewed a variety of mini shows throughout the day, and came back to watch jousting matches in-between. We ended our trip with an awesome tiger show (I love tigers) that included a liger. And there was no cage around the stage either. In fact, one of the rules was that no children were allowed to sit in the first three rows. (Screw the adults I guess). :) Actually, the guy running the show said it was a way to keep kids from getting too excited near the stage.
"Unless you don't want your kids going home with you after the show," he said with a grin.
The mini shows were a lot of fun. We listened to a three-man band play the song "Desdimona," a Renaissance rendition of the Knack song "My Sharona," and a roaming chorus finish off a set of classical music playing kazoos. We came across one dom with mad whipping skills, who used her whip to rip up pieces of paper held by her cohorts. At one point she brought a man from the audience onto the stage and placed a piece of celery between his legs. She then proceeded to use the whip to whittle down the celery piece by piece. He was very brave. :) They finished off their set by doing acrobatics with two long ribbons that hung in the air from three rods.
And then there was the jousting match. We watched the first show, where they had four knights on horses do various tricks with their lances, including popping balloons and spearing rings held by their squires. They then held a jousting match, which ended with a second match called so King Richard could attend. For the second match, our knight to root for was from England, riding with the colors red and green. That jousting match ended with another knight cheating and cutting our knight with his sword. They began fighting and the king announced they would have a final duel to determine the winner- a joust to the death. (Dun dun dun!).
But we didn't stay for that last one. :)
The last show we watched was the tiger show (did I mention I love tigers?). They had tiger cubs and a couple different varieties of tigers, including Bengal tigers, a snow white tiger, and a liger. The liger, Hercules, was so cool. He weighs over 900 pounds and has a very distinct lion-like head with tiger features. He could have swallowed one of the kids past the third row whole. But on stage he was a sweetheart, drinking the vitamin D milk they give them out of a bottle, and even catching a long stream of it in his mouth from one of the trainers standing a few feet away (adorable!). They also had him stand up, using a piece of meat on a stick, to show just how ridiculously long he is. Hercules indeed. I got some great pictures.
So all in all it was a great day. Beautiful weather, new atmosphere, fun things to see and do, what more could you ask for?

Responsibility is a 4 Letter Word

It really sucks to be an adult sometimes.
Last Saturday, Fred threw up. No big deal. She's on medication for hyperthyroidism, and puking can be one of the side effects. It's happened before, plus she had just eaten a big plate of treats, so I didn't think anything of it.
But when she didn't want to eat on Sunday, I became a bit worried. She still drank water but couldn't keep any of it down. By Sunday night she was failing.
I woke up on Monday and called my vet. Unfortunately she was on vacation until the next day, but they told me to take Fred to Tufts if she couldn't make it much longer. By that afternoon she could barely walk. It was time.
I was at work by then, so our neighbor drove C and Fred to Tufts in Grafton. They admitted her (by the way, it's $128 just to walk in the door. That information will factor in later) and started her on an IV after taking some blood. They did a chemical panel and later discovered she had a fever. They also pushed on her middle and saw that she cringed while only pushing on one of her kidneys. So without doing an extensive list of tests that would've cost over $1,000, they decided to start her on antibiotics for a kidney infection.
The whole time, C is calling me at work throughout the night, giving me updates on her condition and what the cost of further tests would be. He told the vet I was definitely strapped for cash, and they tried to work with the results they had already obtained. We decided to wait and see if the antibiotics worked overnight before going any further.
I went to visit her that night after work, and she barely lifted her head. Her back was to the cage door and she looked tired. But after talking to her for a couple of minutes, she gingerly stood up and allowed me to pet her before laying back down for the night. I was relieved that she was in a medical facility, but of course it pained me to see her in a cage with the IV.
The next morning they called to tell me that she did all right overnight, and that her fever was gone. She was even eating a little bit which was a good sign. But they felt something hard in her stomach, like her intestinal walls were thicker, and suggested an ultrasound. They also discovered from the chemical panel her liver levels were off, which could point to liver failure. This information led them to believe that she could have something as serious as lymphoma.
Lymphoma?
That brought on a whole set of new concerns, concerns that, on my budget, would be impossible to satisfy. Cancer treatments imply chemotherapy, and who knows if that would even improve her life? Extending it is one thing, but if it was only to be time spent undergoing treatment, that's no life at all, for any living being.
Unfortunately, the ultrasound cost $250, and the vet said if it didn't show anything they'd still have to take more blood to determine a more definitive cause. Since I had already spent $120 for one overnight stay, and they wanted to keep her for another night, I had to forgo the ultrasound and stick with the bloodwork.
All day I tried not to think about the possibility that I may have to put my Freddie down. I've had her for seven years of her sixteen on Earth, and this was the first time that idea even presented itself. I've been lucky in that she's been a really healthy cat for most of the time I've had her. And now that her old age is finally showing, I may have a tough decision to make.
All this while having to keep up a modicum of professionalism. It was not a good day.
Thankfully, the results of the bloodwork came in that night while I was at work. They said her liver values were back to normal, and she was doing much better with the eating and drinking. They decided it was the kidney infection that snowballed into all of her other symptoms, guessing she was septic by the time we brought her in. No ultrasound combined with her progress allowed me to bring her home the next day, with two different kinds of antibiotics and the suggestion for an antacid. The cancer idea was off the table for now, so long as we kept an eye on her and had her blood checked again in another month.
I picked her up the next day, just beaming from ear to ear. She looked much better and even meowed while in her carrier, a sign that she was getting back to normal. (She really hates that thing, and will meow like she's going through the Spanish Inquisition the whole time she's in it. It really adds to the fun of bringing her to the vet, or ANYWHERE). :)
Now it's just a matter of force-feeding pink liquid medicine down her throat (and you know all animals just love that!) while trying not to spray it all over her face, and paws, and any other body part she will try to put in the way of her and the applicator. She looks like a Pepto Bismol junkie, with tiny pink spots all mashed into her fur. And we get to continue this fine tradition for a month- yay.
But I'll take it for even just one more day with my feline best friend.
I can't imagine what I would've done if the results of this hospital trip had turned out differently. As it is, I spent about $800 to bring her out of this situation alive and well. Who knows what will happen if she becomes sick again. It's just too much of an adult decision for me to ever want to think about again.
But I will have to eventually, as all adults do, with nothing but responsibility as my guide. And that brings no comfort at all.

I'm F#ckin Old

You know you're getting old when conversations with friends (or co-workers) go something like this.
"So, I was flipping through channels the other day and I came across the MTV Video Music Awards."
"I remember when all they played on MTV was videos. Now all I see are shows about teens in the 'real world,' none of which I ever encountered when I was that age."
"Anyway, it was hosted by some punk guy I didn't recognize."
"Oh yeah, he's in some band I think."
"Oh, that makes sense. He was wearing ridiculously tight black pants with spiky hair and lots of make-up. He really wasn't that funny either"
"Did you see that one singer, Re-hanna, Re-anna..."
"Re-ahna?"
"I guess so. Her pants looked like they were painted on. And she was wearing heels, no lie, that looked about eight inches high."
"How does anyone function in those shoes?"
"No idea."
"These are great role models for kids. Look like a slut and make it in the music business."
"Well, there are the Jonas Brothers with their virtue rings."
"Who are the Jonas Brothers?"
"Some boy band. They look about 15."
"Well geez, I hope they're still virgins at 15!"
"Remember when Jessica Simpson claimed she was a virgin? That didn't last long."
"But that was years ago before she got married. At least she waited that long."
"Yeah, and she was what? 23 or something?"
"I think so. That's a long time to wait in this day and age."
"No kidding. There are a number of famous teens right now having babies. Can you imagine? And I don't know any teen pregnancies that end up like in Juno. Or even Knocked Up."
"Yeah, but those are just movies, and comedies at that. They're obviously overdone to be funny. And I would hope people would recognize that."
"Older, wiser people, yes. Hormonal teenagers, not so much."
"Did I tell you a group of teenagers threw a rock at my car the other day?"
"Seriously?"
"Yup. Never mind the damage to my car, someone could get hurt."
"Damn punk kids."
We're calling teenagers punk kids.
I remember being a high school kid. I remember being a college student. But I don't remember making the transition from being one of those things to complaining about them.
At least I'm not calling them whipper-snappers yet. :)

Mosquitoes and Those Who Hate Them

For some reason, mosquitoes love me. Often times I will stand next to C, who is 6'8, and he'll come away with one or two bites, while I'll have 27. And that's not really an exaggeration either. We were at a barbecue a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed a huge bug bite on my leg after being outside for an hour. I asked for some bug spray and sprayed my arms, legs, and feet. I knew my hands might get one or two more, and maybe my neck if I wasn't paying attention. But for the most part, I thought I was safe.
Thought is the operative word there. The next day, I woke up with 22 bites. C, I believe, had less than a handful, and he never even put on bug spray. Bastard. :)
And this past weekend, we went to his mom's house and sat out on the back deck for less than 15 minutes, and I came away with eight bites, all on my feet. Again, C came away with none.
I was even in bed one night, covers up to my neck, when I felt something land on my eyebrow. I brushed it away and felt something sticky on my finger. Sure enough, when I turned on the light I saw a squished mosquito on my hand. In my own bedroom! ARGH!
I'm surprised I haven't died from malaria/West Nile/yellow fever.
I have no idea why mosquitoes are so attracted to me. One web site I went to said they are often attracted to men, those who are overweight, and those with Type O blood. I'm not particularly any one of those things, while C takes two out of three. It's just not fair.
I even have poor blood circulation. Whenever they have to take blood it often takes the nurse a good minute or so to find a vein. Apparently they should employ mosquitoes to do the job because they have no problem finding my blood.
My blood must be fairly sweet or at least giving off some kind of pleasant aroma that attracts those damn bugs because it never fails. Any time I'm outside, and not even for an extended period of time, I could just be walking to my car, I put myself in jeopardy of being attacked by one of those vicious predators. And, seriously, those red spots itch like a mo-fo! I finally got over the patchwork of bites I had from the barbecue, and the cycle has begun all over again. ARGH!
I should start a club: People Who Are Often Bitten by Mosquitoes and Are Sick of It!
Hmmm. I'll have to work on the name. :)

Labor Day Weekend

Whew, what a weekend! Thank goodness it was three days long, because I needed the extra day to get some rest! :)
I worked six hours of overtime last week, which is a rare thing (I think it's only the second or third time this year I've gotten any extra hours). So when my supervisor asked if I wanted to get any more this weekend, I did think about it for a split second. But after such a long week, I was ready for three whole days off.
Saturday C and I went to my parents place for the day, and to hang out with my grandmother. She's going to be 89 in November and is struggling with her breathing, weight, and energy level. As a very active woman it's tough for her to be unable to do most of the things she enjoys. But many of our family still live in that area and visit her frequently, and of course she still watches the Red Sox. Nothing can stop her from doing that. :)
Anyway, we then had dinner at my parents place- delicious ham of which we got to take a few slices home (that'll be at least two days of dinner for work this short week.) We chatted about the upcoming election and how McCain chose an extremely conservative woman from Alaska to be his VP. My dad told us he heard a commentator say that McCain chose her because he realized how important the Eskimo vote would be in this election.
"Because he wasn't a comedian I wasn't expecting that, and I almost spit my food out," he said, as we all laughed.
After that the rest of the night was spent trying to keep my two nieces from destroying each other, along with my parents house. They both have the energy of a nuclear explosion, so putting them together just might cause one! :)
C and I came back home that night, since Sunday was his mom's birthday. We went over there for dinner (two free dinners- it was such a great weekend), and to play a game of Scrabble with C, his brother, his mom, and me. Usually I'm not much of a match for C or his mom (they've actively played Scrabble together for a long time) but I scored a come-from-behind victory to convince C that I wasn't letting his mom win on her birthday. It was my strategy all along. Really, it was. :)
That brings us to today, Monday, Labor Day, where we had absolutely no plans and haven't gone ANYWHERE. That's what the holiday's all about, right? And that's exactly how we planned to "celebrate."

Fred, the Patient

As you saw in my previous blog about my cat, Fred, she was just getting over a rash caused by medicine she was taking for her hyperthyroid condition. When it was finally healed, I called the vet's office to order a new prescription of the name brand stuff, Tapazole.
The vet had told me I could get the medicine from any pharmacy, since humans also use the drug for the same condition. So I told them to call the Rite Aid pharmacy where I get my prescriptions, to keep things fairly easy.
Well this morning, I stopped in to pick up the prescription before I went into work early, so I could put it in Fred's food before I left. She's taking a lesser dose, only 1/2 a pill a day, and I wanted to get her back on the meds as soon as possible. So I walked up to the counter and asked the pharmacist for a pick-up order for me. As she looked for the last name, she came across one bag with a confused look on her face. She came back to tell me they had a prescription on hold for a Fred (last name).
"Um, that would be my cat," I said, smiling.
"Ohhh," she said. "That would explain why we don't have a birth date for the patient."
Thankfully they were able to fill the prescription right away, once they got her "birth date" (I can only give them the month I got Fred and the year 1992 since she is now 16). But I thought it was very cute that the prescription was indeed in her name. It does say Cat next to her name though. :)
But the best part was the price. Normally, the medicine costs about $55, since unfortunately my job doesn't have an insurance plan that includes cats under family coverage. :) However, the pharmacist asked me if I had a AAA card. I told her yes, and it got me a discount of 50%. The total bill came to less than $26 total. Awesome.
So now Freddie is back on her medication and even has her own account at Rite Aid. They grow up so fast. :)

No More Slacking Off

Boy, I've really been slacking. Five whole days with no new posts. I hope I'm not disappointing anyone. :)
On the up side, I have been working on my book a little bit, and I plan on continuing that trend over the weekend. C's brother, Z, is here for the weekend and they'll most likely be cracking out on gaming. So that pretty much leaves me to fend for myself in terms of finding stuff to do for the next two days. Fortunately though, I need that kind of nothingness to get my ass in gear and get some writing done! I'm excellent at taking random things and making them last ALL weekend, which is good to keep from getting bored, but bad when it distracts me from getting stuff done! But this time, the dishes are cleared, the laundry is done, and the Olympics will be over. Time to be productive.
When I graduated from college eight years ago, a bachelor's degree in English in hand, I wasn't sure where I was gonna go from there. I took the summer off to dog sit these two retired greyhounds who belonged to a fairly wealthy couple in Stockbridge. Their business gave them the summers off and they enjoyed traveling and being away from home quite often. It was an easy paying gig, (I mean, I got to stay at a cool house and play with dogs all day!) and it gave me time off from writing 20 page papers without having to jump into the work force immediately. Ah, those were the days. :)
But I also thought a lot about becoming a writer. Every time someone asked me what I got a degree in, after my answer they would say, "Oh, are you gonna be a teacher?"
"Um, no. I want to be a writer."
The response to that varied, depending on who I was talking to. Some people thought it was cool and asked what I wanted to write about, which at that time I had no idea. And others would ask me, almost mystified, what my parents thought about it. My father being an English teacher and my mother being the supportive woman she is, had no problem with that and were very proud when I became a reporter. I believe my mom still has all of the articles I've ever written, which is over three years' worth!
But the book thing never took off like I hoped it would. I changed my topic almost every month, never being able to find that one character, that one angle, that one story, that really captured my interest to develop it. I kept thinking, I've got time. I'm in a place in my life right now where I can do anything, go anywhere, be whatever I want. I'm writing on a regular basis so that should help to keep my creative juices flowing.
Unfortunately, though, writing other people's stories never left enough for me to write my own.
So I left. After three and a half years of town meetings, special events, feature pieces, even health magazine articles, I had had enough. It was time to go out and do something for myself, and that something was to find my story.
I left my hometown at age 26, the first time since graduating college at 22. I went east to stay with my sister and her husband while I tried to figure out what to do with myself. C and I were already dating by that time, which also helped in my decision to move away from home. Of course, at the time we said it was casual, but you obviously see how that's changed. :)
It was then I thought about writing about the quarter life crisis; you know, being in your mid 20s, out of school, but not quite in a career, where you feel as if you have every opportunity at your disposal. Your choices don't have to be permanent, they just have to keep you going forward. And even then, if you make a mistake, so what? There's plenty of time to fix it and move onto something else. The world is waiting for you to emerge and make your mark on it.
Now I'm 30.
Um, where the hell did all that time go??
So this is it. It's time to quit with all the excuses and weeks, months, YEARS of procrastination. I have found a story, which other people have told me is dramatic enough to be compelling, with characters I'm looking forward to developing. I'm outlining chapters, doing character sketches, and have had the first line down for awhile now. I even had a dream the other night that I had written the book and there were two publishers negotiating its publication.
Now I just have to do the work to make that dream a reality.
What is this book about, you ask? Well, I think I'll save that for my next blog.

Fred

Fred is my 16-year-old cat. I got her from my friend's grandfather after he died, because no one else in the family could take her. The grandfather gave her the name Fred because originally he thought she was a boy. I kept the name, not wanting to confuse her after having that name for nine years, saying it was short for Fredericka. Hey, it works. :)
I've had Freddie for seven years now. She has her own personality, as does every cat I think, where she likes to pretend to be aloof until there are a number of laps for her to choose from in the living room. Then she generally has to visit each one, especially after one person stops petting her. She's an indoor cat who is very curious about the outside world, but whenever she's accidentally gotten out into it, she's had no idea what to do. There have been a couple of times where she was closed out of the apartment by accident (here and at my first apartment, both places of which were only in a hallway, not actually outside) and after only a minute or two of limited exploration, she started meowing as if she was just tossed into a jungle.
We then decided to bring her out onto our back porch a couple of times while we were out there to keep an eye on her. She just stood in one spot at first, but eventually she started sniffing around the trash cans and then around the outside of the deck. Now, any time the door is open the slightest bit, she'll nose it open and escape out onto the back. Of course, the door has never been closed behind her, so I'm not sure how brave she would be, not being able to get back into the place which holds her food.
She also used to enjoy scratching up my furniture when I first got her, showing no interest in the scratching posts I bought. Finally, I tried one of those corrugated cardboard boxes that lay flat on the floor. Bingo. She loves it so much that she'll still lay on it from time to time (and thank goodness for that!). I don't think my recliner could've handled any more abuse.
Unfortunately, now that she's older, she's starting to get those older pet ailments. I took her to the vet to update her shots, and the vet discovered she had lost a couple of pounds and had a fairly significant heart murmur. After a number of tests they determined it was hyperthyroidism that had caused the weight loss which, in turn, caused the heart murmur. I was very surprised, because I hadn't noticed any significant changes in her behavior. There were a couple of days that happened months ago, where she was spending a lot of time underneath "her bed" in the guest bedroom. But once I brought her into the living room and blocked off that one spot that was difficult to get to, she started being social again, and has been ever since.
So we put her on methimazole and watched for any adverse reaction to the new medication. First there was some vomiting, which I fixed by switching her to a wet food only diet (her teeth were already in fairly poor condition anyway, so eating the softer food seemed to help). She seemed to be a bit more spry, jumping from the recliner to the couch and back again, climbing to the very top of the chair seemingly just because she could. But then I noticed more and more as I pet her, I could feel her bony frame more than her skin or fur (of which she still has PLENTY, and not just on her body but all over the apartment!). And that's when the rash appeared.
First it was just a couple of red dots above one eye. But then it became more and more dots, over both eyes, and then on her ear. And of course, they were itchy, which caused Fred to scratch out the fur around the rash.
That's when I called the vet yet again. At her appointment on Thursday the vet said to take her off the medication to allow the rash to heal (there was nothing to give her for that, because of her advanced age). And instead of giving her the generic medication, which the vet said often causes the most problems in pets, we'll start her on a smaller dose of the name brand, Tapizole. Hopefully we'll have better results with that.
Freddie is the first pet of mine to have this kind of medical condition that involves actual medication and multiple doctor visits. I had a mouse when I was in eighth grade, who lived for three years with no issues (well, except for his death of course). Then I had a turtle for five years who died a few months ago. We had no idea how old he was so I think he simply passed from old age. Even our family dog, Muffin, who I grew up with and who had problems as she got older, was a pet that my parents took care of most of the time. I wasn't the one who had to take her to be put down.
The only thing that keeps me hopeful about Freddie's health is that she doesn't seem to know she's sick. As I said, she still eats just fine and is fairly spry for a cat her age (although her gracefulness has definitely declined). She is still pretty amusing when she gets all ready to jump from one piece of furniture to the next and lands on all fours, boom, right on the floor. That's when she walks away, tail held high, as if to say, "I meant to do that."
Even when I checked on her rash she would turn her head or lightly bat my hand away, probably wondering why the heck I was fussing over her face.
My sister had a cat that lived into her 20s, and while I don't want Freddie to suffer in really old age, I do want her older years to be just as enjoyable as her younger ones. I just hope I don't have to make any tough decisions about her health during them.

Watching the Olympics

I haven't watched the Olympics, winter or summer, in years. I can't even tell you the last time I saw an event on TV or even paid attention to it in the news. I figured this year would be no different.
I did sit down and watch the last hour of the opening of the games, flying torch holder and all. I missed the first 3/4 of it because I was watching the Red Sox game that night. But after a friend of C's told him how awesome the very beginning of the show was, we decided to find it online and watch it. And it was pretty damn cool.
The next day, C and I were sitting around not really doing anything when he said, "Let's see if there's any Olympics on."
I was totally surprised. He doesn't even watch sports, any sports, except for UFC (Ultimate Fighting Champion. He likes the mixed martial arts). Even when I watch the Sox I'm usually in another room or he's on the computer doing other things when I'm watching it in the living room. So for him to actively seek out sporting competitions was a new thing.
And since then, he's been watching it for hours every day.
I'll come home from work and he'll give me the lowdown on some of the standings for the day. We'll watch gymnastics and he'll comment on little mistakes they make, like balance checks or taking too long a step in the landing. Volleyball, swimming, boxing, diving, we even watched archery today. I learned he enjoyed archery and was fairly good at it when he was younger, something I did not know. We laugh at the ridiculous comments the announcers say, and anyone who stops by sits down and watches it too, making their own comments as well. We'll sit around, order food, and do our own commentary on whatever event we're watching. I don't think I've ever watched this much of the Olympics in my life. Of course, the fact it's on some channel at every hour of the day doesn't hurt!
But if the goal of the Olympics is to bring people together well, it is serving its purpose. :)

Moments of Dumbosity

We all have those moments. Moments we'd love to rewind and do again, with much more finesse and a lot less stupidity. Subtract those things we do without thinking that make other people think, "What the hell were they thinking?" Basically, we'd like not to look foolish.
Although I know I'm not the only who does these things, I do tend to do them in front of other people. You see, making a silly mistake when no one else is there to catch it doesn't really mean anything. Making it in front of your boyfriend or entire family, well, then you never hear the end of it.
Take an hour ago for example. C and I went through the drive-through at Burger King, and our total came to $14.76. Now, for some reason, I gave the girl $20.06, thinking I'd get back $.30 for change. Well, I was right about that, but the girl looked at me confused, wondering why I had given her a nickel since, getting that kind of change back, I'd be getting a nickel in return. And of course, I couldn't grasp that concept immediately until I thought about it for an extra two seconds. "Ohhh, yeah you're right. That was pretty dumb," I said. C just laughed and I tried to laugh it off too, but doing that in front of other people is never a fun feeling. And all I needed to do was think about it for an extra two seconds before the dumb move occurred.
But that's only a small brain fart in comparison to other blowouts I've had in my lifetime. There were some doozies when I was a reporter. In one article, I wrote about the town appointing a new building inspector, and all they were waiting for was the CORI check to come through and he would be hired. This was the first time I'd seen the abbreviation for the background check, so instead of asking the selectmen what it stood for, I figured I would just Google it. Well, Google comes up with many fine answers to one question, so the first one that came up at that time was a contracting institute. It fit well with the subject so that's what went into the article. Of course, the next day I got an email from the institution (they did daily Internet checks on how often their company is featured in online items) wondering why they were mentioned in an article about a town building inspector. Needless to say I felt like a huge dork, apologized for the error, and told them it might have been a cut and paste fiasco. Oops.
But the best one so far has been my birthday two or three years ago (it was so traumatizing I've almost blocked it out). :) My entire family came to Worcester to take me out for a birthday lunch at Vinny T's. When we got to the parking lot I parked next to my parents. C and I sat in the car for a second while I waited for my mom to open her car door so we wouldn't bang doors. But she was writing in her travel journal, so I decided to get out before she did. Now, this would've been a smart move had I not still had the keys in the ignition and the motor running. Doors locked, I slammed my door shut.
Shit.
Thankfully my mom had a wire coat hanger in the trunk, as they had a suitcase for their trip up that weekend. So my handy brother-in-law shimmied it down the other side of the door and was able to unlock it, allowing me to properly turn off my car. But the damage was done- a typical DER moment, and not just in a public parking lot, but with my family waiting for me to have lunch. Priceless.
Unfortunately, it's these situations that tend to make the best stories, and are fair fodder for razzing on people. But it's all in the way you handle them that can turn them from embarrassing to just plain funny, and something you can laugh about whenever it comes up. And trust me, they might come up quite often!
Thankfully for me, I've had plenty of practice. :)

Just As Good the Second Time Around

I took my friend for his birthday to see The Dark Knight this weekend, since his girlfriend had no interest in seeing it and just about everyone else we know had seen it. A group of 4 of us (three of which had seen the movie, including me) drove to the theater to see if it would be just as enjoyable the second time as it was the first time.
It was.
Now, obviously there are differences in your movie experience when you see a movie for the second time. You know what the action sequences are, you know who lives and who dies, and you know how it ends. But with this movie, watching the action sequences was still really cool, I still jumped during one scene where a dead body hits a glass window (and I knew it was coming- doh!), and the ending is still fantastic. It's not quite the same heart palpitating catharsis, but it's still pretty damn good.
One of the reasons for this is the intelligent character development. It really is exciting to watch the Joker and Batman go up against each other, whether in a fight or just in the interrogation room. The performances are that outstanding. And the script has so many great one-liners, allowing the dialogue to flow smoothly from one scene to the next. My favorite? "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Poetry.
So basically, this movie kicks ass and just keeps on kicking. :)

I Made It!

Well folks, I finally made it to the Worcester Art Museum today. It only took me all weekend, in which I didn't do much of anything, but the important thing is I went! :)
It was a great trip. I went by myself which was actually a very enjoyable experience. Normally I like to go to museums with other people to discuss the art, but today I got to take everything in with quiet reflection. One thing I appreciated about the museum's set up is that they have fairly detailed note cards for almost all of their pieces, and a placard on the wall at the beginning of each room and genre to describe where the art had originated.
When you enter the museum from the Salisbury Street side, there is one of many beautifully preserved mosaics on the floor. These mosaics come from an excavation in Antioch in the 1930s. Some are on the floor and others hang on the walls throughout the museum.
The first floor consists of Asian, Egyptian, Roman, and Medieval artwork and artifacts. The Asian section is usually one of my favorites and this was no exception. I love the painted folding dividers, and if I ever have a house big enough I would love to have one of those dividers as decoration. The landscapes are often very detailed and breathtaking, but the one I enjoyed the most was of a dragon's head. The swift wavy brushstrokes made it a very fluid picture, and the lighting contrast made it look as if it was coming out of the painting. Very cool.
There is also a recreation of a 12th century chapel house which is very impressive, seeing as they had to piece it together. It's fairly dark and ominously quiet, but the stone architecture brings you back to a time of small monasteries where men gathered to discuss how to serve the community in their religious endeavors.
The second floor has European and Contemporary art. I only remember a lot of religious depictions from this floor, some of which is very beautiful, but others are more simplistic and rather boring to me. I can only look at so many images of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus before the effect starts to wear off- same with the saints and apostles.
The third floor houses American artwork, most of which is done by local artists. There's an early painting of Worcester, possibly the earliest known painting of the city, which is very expansive and beautiful. It's amazing to see any city or town that was mostly hills and pastures in its original form, before civilization took over and molded it into a modern-day society.
I also enjoyed several individual pieces on this floor. One was called, "Portrait of My Daughters" by Frank W. Benson, done in 1907. In it he paints his three daughters sitting outside enjoying a lovely summer day. It reminded me of my two sisters, and how we're able to visit with each other more frequently since we live in the same area. But the painting also has a slight nostalgic feel to it as well, since two of the three sisters are older (which is also similar to my sisters, who are 7 and 8 years older than I am). The painter, who paints this as the father, almost seems sad to see his children growing older, shown by the eldest who is lost in her own thoughts. She faces away from the viewer and is looking down, not at her sisters, while the other two have their attention focused on a basket of flowers. It's as if these moments, though enjoyable with his daughters, are becoming few and far between as they get older.
Another painting I thought was beautiful was one of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his daughter, Edith, by George Peter Alexander Healy. According to museum notes, the painting was done after the death of Longfellow's wife, and his expression is one of longing and quiet despair. To contrast that, Edith, in a very pretty dress, holds her father and looks into his eyes as if to say, "We will now have to enjoy the remaining time we have together." It was very moving for such a simple pose.
All in all it was a a very interesting visit to end my long weekend, and I did plenty of walking to fulfill my exercise regimen. :)

Exercise, Schmexercise

I should be exercising right now. C and I just finished watching coverage of the Olympics and we're not doing anything in particular together. I thought I would blog since I need to get back into the habit of writing every day (and because it only involves me sitting in a chair writing whatever comes to mind). But exercising requires a bit more effort, something I only do in fits and spurts.
It's just the actual starting to exercise thing that gets me. Once I'm in a routine I'm pretty good at keeping up with it. But if I've spent most of my day sleeping, eating and watching TV (which I did on this lazy Saturday), it's hard to suddenly want to get up and get all sweaty while exerting way more effort than I have all week.
I have been trying to watch what I eat, simply because I'm the heaviest I've ever been right now. And keeping track of what I eat helps tremendously on that front. But if I want the weight loss to be more complete (and a bit faster seeing as I'm hardly losing any right now!) then I need to get off my butt and move around some more.
But it's pretty late right now. I'll do it tomorrow, when I have all day to put it off again. :)

A Day Off

There are few things better than a day off from work (except for maybe a week or two off from work). :) I took today off because A) it's Friday and who doesn't like long weekends? B) I worked 5 hours of overtime last week and needed a break from proofing, and C) I have enough time off to plan at least one day off a month so, why not? It's good to have those days of rest to get your spirits back up for the next week of daily grindage.
So, my plan was to go to the Worcester Art Museum since I've lived within walking distance of it for almost 3 years now and have never been! C has been a number of times, so I figured while he was meeting with his advisor in the afternoon, I would walk down and check it out. Well, it turns out that last night we spent 5 hours watching and playing video games with our upstairs neighbors, and didn't get home until 6 am. This meant I didn't wake up until 3:30 pm. By the time I got dressed and went to Dunkin Donuts to get breakfast, er, lunch, it was 4 pm. And when we finished eating it was about 4:30 pm. The museum closes at 5 pm. Oops!
But that's the great thing about long weekends- even when you miss a day of activity, you've still got two more days of freedom. :)
So for the rest of the day I plan to watch the Red Sox game, Stargate Atlantis (I'm actually home to watch it- yay!), and maybe some reading in bed. Although the way things have been going we may end up in another video game crackfest until the wee hours of the morning. But that's okay, because I still have an entire weekend to enjoy.

The Crummy Mummy

Last weekend C and I went to see the third installment of the Mummy trilogy, which really should've remained one movie, seeing as the first one was the only really good one. This one was so blah that I don't even remember the movie's subtitle (something about a tomb I think?). It was okay and somewhat cool to see on the big screen, but I would rather have waited for it to come out on DVD then spend $13. Oh yes, we paid that much because the showing we went to was in the "Director's Hall," which meant we got to reserve our leather-clad seats before going into the theater. And that was it. Three extra bucks for that, and it's not even like the theater was that crowded! And leather seats? Whoop-de-doo. Now if there was a massage mechanism... :)
Anyway, you go into the movie thinking that with a bad guy like Jet Li, you're gonna get some bad-ass kung fu fight scenes. Unfortunately, that feeling changes to disappointment as you walk out of the theater because there really aren't any. There's a short one in the beginning with an assassin, then there's a sword fight with him and Michelle Yeoh where you wish they had done their own choreography rather than follow the bland moves given to them. And of course, there's the final battle between Li and Brendan Fraser, lead man, where you wonder how, after getting his ass beat by some crazy kung fu moves, the white guy suddenly overpowers the martial arts master with something as simple as a couple of head butts.
Even the characters were fairly weak, especially the main ones which is never good for a movie. Rachel Weisz doesn't even come back as the wife for this one, and the new chick just doesn't hold her own, as herself or as part of the O'Connell team. Their son, Alex, is a cocky S.O.B. who's only enjoyable half the time. And even Fraser is given these paltry lines that make him look more like a schmuck than an experienced hero and slayer of mummies. The only guy who completely fell back into the usual routine is the guy who plays the brother (whose name I can never remember). He still has the funny one-liners and is constantly startled by anything and everything, making him the most fun character in the movie.
At least the storyline was different from the other two, bringing us to a different land with a new mummy. I just wish there was a better script (this one was more cutesy than anything else) and more colorful action scenes. Normally for action movies I feel like the fights drag on too long, but for this movie I wish they had given us more, quantity and quality.
The first movie will always remain the best one, simply because it is funny, charming, and action-packed. The second one C and I couldn't even remember that well, so I'm assuming we weren't that impressed by it!
And hopefully, with this movie out of the way, they will put the mummy series back in its rightful place- buried.

Mawwiage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam within a dweam

Ok, so I have to continue on this relationship thing because I got a comment on my last blog that asked, "But would you marry him?" I assume he's asking about C and our "realistic relationship." :) So I guess it's time for me to tell the whole world, no, I would not marry him.
Now, before you inhale heavily out of shock, as in, why would you stay with him if you're not going to marry him, let me say that I don't intend on marrying anyone, nor does C intend on getting married. We both agreed that it would be enough to just be together, stay committed to each other without a ring, ceremony, or piece of paper.
C is not a big proponent of marriage. He views it as unnecessary and more of a legal and financial institution, which I think is partly true. He's seen many divorces happen around him and he's seen what a couple has to go through to end a marriage. There's not a lot of divorce in my family, which I think has influenced my views on marriage. While I don't plan on getting married myself, I certainly understand why other people want to get married. I can see the love and romance in a wedding ceremony, even if some are shrouded in religious overtones. And declaring that love in front of the other people you love, I think, can be a rather sacred thing.
I just don't particularly feel like doing it myself.
And don't worry, we don't plan on having kids either. I think both of us are fairly content right now living in an apartment, not having any major responsibilities beyond work and school, and having an open schedule to do things on the fly. I get my child exposure from my nieces, where I get to hang out with them in small doses, and then give them right back to their parents. That's a great arrangement for me! :)
So there it is, no marriage and no kids, but hopefully, a lifetime spent together.

Mawwiage. Mawwaige is What Bwings Us Togeva, Today.

Yet another famous Princess Bride reference. I'm sure there will be many along the way. :)
A friend of mine at work revealed today that she is engaged, after only dating her boyfriend for four weeks. I certainly have mixed feelings about that, but what I think doesn't really matter. She's definitely been very happy throughout this last month, and if they're in love then who am I to judge. I just hope it's a somewhat long engagement.
But this situation does make me think about marriage and relationships in general. I'm in a very loving relationship right now with C, the best relationship I've ever been in I must say. We've been together for four years which is my longest relationship. And the way it began was not with any of the cliches like chills or fireworks or even flowers. Some of my previous relationships were full of that in the beginning, and they never got past the "honeymoon phase" of a couple months. At least they were good learning experiences.
C and I are both good conversationalists, and that's really what began our interest in each other. Sure, he was someone completely outside the realm of my small town, but we shared a similar interest in TV shows and movies, and of course, there was The Princess Bride. :) He has my same sarcastic wit and we traded barbs immediately. That showed me an intelligence beyond book smarts, although he has plenty of that as well being a physics major. But it was the ease of the conversations I most enjoyed, and after a couple of months we decided to try dating.
I consider our relationship to be a very realistic one. Sure, we had the honeymoon period at the beginning just like everyone else, where we wanted to spend every waking moment together, but after a while we settled into a comfortable rhythm. That's when we realized we had to be ourselves along with being part of a couple, which I think is a very important piece of a successful relationship. We can go off on our own and do our own thing, and still come back at the end of the day to talk about it.
It's these simple, yet not always so simple things, that I think make up a realistic relationship. Going out for burgers, watching a movie, arguing about the dishes, listening to music while discussing a recent South Park episode, that's what being part of a couple is on an everyday basis. It's not like in the movies where there's always something going on, or we fast forward five or ten years where the main characters meet up yet again. There's getting to know each other, and there's getting to know each other after you move in together. And sometimes, there's getting to know each other after getting married or having kids. Each of these stages can bring out aspects of the other person's personality you didn't even know existed. And it's the willingness to adapt to these subtleties that lets you know you really want to stay with that person.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that passion doesn't play a part in a realistic relationship because it REALLY does. :) I'm just saying that it's not enough to sustain a lasting one. It's easy to be enamored with someone; it's not always easy to remain that way for the long haul, nor it is an absolute necessity.
As long as my friend is willing to make things work when they eventually do hit rough times, then she'll know she's found "the one."

A 3-Year-Old Day

Today was a great day. I went to my niece's third birthday party, got some laundry and dishes done, and then C made me a delicious dinner of salad, buffalo chicken, and pesto pasta. I watched the Red Sox beat the pants off the Yankees 9-2, and now I'm catching up on my blog. It was a good mix of relaxing and checking things off my to do list.
My niece's birthday party sticks out in my mind as the most writable part of my day, simply because kids can be so delightfully entertaining, especially to those of us who don't have any. :)
There were 8 kids total at the party, with me being the only sane one, I mean, person without one. (Just kidding, all you parents out there, on the sane comment). :) This meant I was basically the only one without responsibilities, allowing me to fully observe the child dramas unfold around me (and be the first adult to eat!).
First there was my niece (we'll call her E), who either was unaware it was her party or was just not interested in her party. She and my other niece, (we'll call her J), spent a good chunk of time by themselves at the beginning in E's bedroom, playing with her Thomas the Train set. This prompted my sister to put on a Thomas DVD, cleverly drawing them out into the living room without any understanding of her exploitation of their love of Thomas. (Ah, the innocence of children). :)
That is, until, "the cup incident" occurred. J was collecting some of the plastic cups sitting around the coffee table, and I asked her if she would throw them away. She agreed, but then E decided that she, in fact, wanted to be the one to throw them out instead. Well, J wasn't having that so I suggested they throw them out together. But silly me forgot that this would involve them sharing in an activity, something the girls were still "practicing" every time they were in the same room. So instead, J gave one of the cups to E, who promptly did her "throwing out" by tossing the cup past J. That's when my brother-in-law came over to try and smooth things out between the two (since, as I said before, I had no responsibilities whatsoever). :) Pretty soon, everyone could hear the commotion over these plastic cups, and my sister, in her infinite wisdom and obvious oblivion to the situation, said from the kitchen, "You can both throw them away." Yeah, uh, we TRIED that already. But as children are prone to do, E quickly dropped the subject after her father told her she couldn't have any cups if she was just going to throw them, and she and J wandered away like nothing had ever happened. If only adult disputes could be settled so quickly (or forgotten that easily), with only minimal temper tantruming.
One of the cutest parts came when their friend, we'll say B, was watching over one of his sons, N. N, who seemed to be practicing for an upcoming marathon the whole time, was walking around with a crayon when he stopped in front of my sister's entertainment center. Slyly, he looked around to see if anyone was watching. All of a sudden we could hear B's voice off in the distance. "N, what are you doing?" N looked over at his father lovingly, smiled, and walked away. Bright boy. :)
The second cutest part also involved those two. While my sister opened E's presents (as I said before, she didn't seem too interested in her own party!), N slowly made his way through the crowd and over to the coffee table. I was looking at my sister and she was throwing something away, when all of a sudden N, the mini mountain climber, appeared at the top of the present heap in triumphant defiance of the numerous boxes that stood in his way. And just when he started his slide over the other side (apparently the climb up took everything out of him), B swooped in, snagged him by the back of the shirt, and lifted him over everything like a human helicopter. Priceless.
All in all, the birthday party was a big hit with the kids, especially when they received their goody bags and discovered a slinky among their prizes. You'd think they'd never seen a shiny, stretchy, piece of plastic that climbs down stairs before (although when we went to an arcade for my birthday, C had the same reaction when all of our tickets together were enough to purchase one, and he just had to try it on our back stairs since they curved). :)
I guess some things never get old.

Rain, Rain Go Away

I'm sitting here at work, with nothing to do obviously, listening to yet another friggin thunderstorm. Now I don't mind thunderstorms once in a while, they can be fun to watch when around other people, but for the most part they've just been a pain in the ass for me to drive in! And I checked out the forecast for this next week- guess what it said? Scattered thunderstorms, isolated thunderstorms, more stupid thunderstorms! I mean, all this rain is enough to make anyone go crazy.And I am.
We really lucked out for our NH trip, getting to swim in-between storms. But now it's like you can't plan anything outdoors because it's rain, rain, thunder, lightning, and more rain! I think Mother Nature is really PMSing this year, because it seems like we're getting crazy weather all over the country. She must be pissed about all this stuff going on with the ozone, and how we're destroying the environment.She's finally taking a stand and kicking our butts over our tragic handling of the planet.I hope recycling and hybrid cars and land conservation is enough to appease the mighty goddess, or else we're all screwed. The rain will be endless, the wind relentless, and the lightning, deadly. Dun dun dun.
(See what kind of weird shit I come up with when I have to write every day?) :)

Why The Princess Bride Rules

Okay, so I REALLY have nothing to write about today. :) Therefore, I will explain to the world why The Princess Bride is the coolest, awesomest, best movie ever made.
First off, although it is your typical adventure story, each of the characters has his/her own quirky elements that make such a story atypical. The dashing hero is mostly dead for a day before saving his beloved. She almost destroys two of the few perfect breasts in this world. The evil prince can track a falcon on a cloudy day. The evil count has six fingers on his right hand. The bumbling boss thinks Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates are morons. The lovable giant only likes to kill people as god intended. And the expert swordsman hates waiting.
(Did I mention all the wonderful one-liners?). :)
With a delightful script, mostly read by a Jewish grandfather to his Fred Savage grandson, it's like we get a handful of fun stories in one. There's fencing, fighting, giants, escapes, true love, miracles (and I know there's more than that I just can't remember the whole line off the top of my head). It's a smorgasbord of all the best parts of movies rolled into one.
Not only that, it has one of the best revenge scenes I've ever seen, where Inigo Montoya gets the best of the six-fingered count who slaughtered his father. His most famous speech? "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." And when the count says he'll give Inigo anything he asks for, he wrenches that sword into the count's chest and replies, "I want my father back you son of a bitch." Pure poetry.
I must have seen this movie 100 times, with no exaggeration. Not only is it a great movie, but it's a great indication of whether or not I will like someone upon first meeting them. I only know one person who has never seen this movie, an ex-boyfriend of mine. When he told me he'd never seen it I thought, whoa. I shall have to remedy that. Since I own the movie we sat down and watched it one night, because I simply can't date someone who's never seen this movie. I told him a little bit about it, how charming it was, and how much fun we'd have watching it. But when the movie was over and I asked him, excitedly, what he thought of it, he said, "Eh. It was okay."
Okay? Okay?? I don't think so. We broke up about a year later (which was really a year too long).
Thankfully, all of my friends and most of my family are fans, and can recognize when I quote a line from the movie. But the best is my boyfriend, who either joins in when I start quoting or does his own quotes if the occasion calls for it. I told him at the beginning of our relationship that if all else fails, we'll always have The Princess Bride.
Oh yeah, and there's a Dread Pirate Roberts too. :)

My Trip to NH

This happened to be one of those weekends where C and I actually went somewhere, and that somewhere was Fitzwilliam, NH. His mother and her boyfriend rented a cabin at Laurel Lake.
The ride down was great- very humid unfortunately, but with the windows down there was a slight breeze to offset the bright sun. Now, when we first came upon the cabin, we had slight reservations about the structural integrity of the thing. But once inside, there was a nice sized kitchen and living room, with sliders out to the back yard and lake. Then upstairs there were three bedrooms, which basically took up most of the space except for a narrow hallway that led to the bathroom. But the downstairs was very open and it was a gorgeous day, so we had dinner with all the windows open and the sound of waves lapping up against the shore. It was lovely.
After dinner, C and his mom played Scrabble while we all watched Missing in America (his mom rented it). Good movie but depressing as hell! The rest of the night C and I watched TV and hung out in the back yard, enjoying the cool night air. We ended up driving home that night, since the beds were kind of small and it was pretty stuffy in the bedrooms. We have a king size bed, and it really is difficult to beat sleeping in that much comfort! :)
Anyway, we returned the next day, driving through a thunderstorm as we hit the NH border. But when we got to the cabin the rain had subsided, so we decided to go to the other side of the lake to visit two cabins that are owned by C's relatives. We met his mother's aunt and then jumped into the lake to go swimming (to try and get some in before the distant thunder reached us). The water was cold at first, but felt wonderful after a while, and I hung out on a floating dock while C, his brother, and their mom swam out to a rock grouping that you can stand on further out into the lake. I'm not the strongest swimmer, so floating in the sun was plenty fun for me!
Once I returned to the shore his mother's aunt asked if I wanted to go kayaking. I've only done it once before so I agreed. We went out in two small kayaks and rowed all along the shoreline, looking for painted turtles that sometimes sun themselves on smaller rocks down at the other end of the lake. We didn't see any, but we did see a beautiful loon diving in and out a short ways from us. We rowed closer, and the loon didn't even flinch. I imagine it's used to a large number of people hanging out in the lake on a regular basis.
After playing around in the lake for a couple of hours we stopped to get ice cream at the Depot General Store, which is one of those cute local businesses that has everything from convenience store items to movie rentals. We then went back to the cabin to change so we could go to a chinese restaurant called Typhoon Asia. As we got to the car the skies opened up and it started raining, lightly at first but growing in intensity the closer we got to the restaurant. But the food was delicious so it was totally worth the trip.
When we got back to the cabin we relaxed for a bit, working on a crossword puzzle together. But the rumble of thunder never truly went away, and pretty soon the entire sky was lit up, like someone had turned on the overhead light for the lake. We eventually had to close the sliding door because it became so windy the rain was blowing in on us sitting on the couch! The rumbling turned to booming claps and long drawn out thunder that echoed the length of the lake, so we decided to wait it out before returning home. We saw a small radar map on one of the channels that sort of came in on the TV, and it looked like the cluster of storms had passed. There was some yellow and orange spots south of us, but we didn't think we would hit too much of it.
Boy, were we wrong.
Three quarters of the trip I had my windshield wipers on high, and as we got closer to Worcester the storms got stronger. C could hardly hear himself talk over the pelting rain, and the lightning flashes were practically blinding. My knuckles were almost white (and I'm extremely pale to begin with so that's quite a feat!) by the time we pulled into the driveway. We were pretty much the GPS system for the storm, leading it right to our apartment where it ended about 10 minutes after we got home. It was just friggin fantastic.
But, as a whole, the weekend was a lot of fun, and it was a different place for a different experience. I haven't been out in a lake in a long, long time- it felt like summer camp! Hopefully there will be enough nice weekends throughout the rest of the summer where it won't be our last enjoyable outdoor activity.

The Dark Delight

For me, a truly exceptional movie is when I am willing to pay $10 to see it again in the theater. Iron Man was the first of those movies for me this summer, and The Dark Knight is the second.
What a fantastic film. We sat through the credits in case there was something at the very end, but it also allowed me to come down from the powerful catharsis I felt once the movie was over (and no, powerful is not an exaggeration). It was the perfect follow-up to Batman Begins, a movie I felt was excellent and difficult to top. I guess Christopher Nolan was prepared to do just that.
It starts out with a great robbery scene that sets up the type of Joker we can expect throughout the rest of the movie- twisted, maniacal, inhuman, and seemingly well prepared amidst the chaos he inflicts upon Gotham City. He explains that his villainy is unlike most- it's not for money or power or fame. He's simply there to hold a mirror up to the people so they can see how out of control the world is, and how much of that is out of their hands.
But of course, there's Batman, played by Christian Bale, who really shares the starring role with Heath Ledger, who plays the Joker. It's a cat and mouse game, with the Joker seemingly holding all the cards (pun completely intended) until Batman reveals his true identity to Gotham. At this point the city residents are unsure of what to make of Batman, as is the fate of any misunderstood, dark superhero, and they feel he should pay for the Joker's wrath.
As the story unfolds, we see both good and evil in those who were sworn to serve and protect the people, Gotham's police force. There are dirty cops of course, and then there's District Attorney Harvey Dent, who brings down mob forces by the dozens. This leaves Batman wondering whether his services will be needed at all, now that the public has a favorable hero they can look to for help and justice.
But, as we all know, Dent eventually becomes Two Face, and his sense of justice turns like the flip of a coin. The Joker is able to reach right into the best of Gotham and manipulate their good intentions, turning morality into rage and justice into vengeance.
That is, until he's finally able to wrestle the demons surrounding Batman. The Joker even tells him, "You complete me," a statement from Jerry Maguire that's obviously taunting him, but at the same time holds plenty of truth to it. As the Joker explains, his chaos would be incomplete without Batman to restore the natural balance of things. Without good there would be no evil- you must have both sides of the spectrum for both to exist, and the Joker is not so insane that he doesn't realize this. This is the concept the Joker thrives on and why wants to continue to play with Batman. On the flip side, this idea allows the decent side of Batman, his sense of right and wrong, to shine through in his eventual treatment of the Joker.
The movie basically boils down to two things- a great script and great acting. Bale picks up right where he left off with Batman, playing him with the delicate balance of darkness and brooding, while continuing the playboy persona of Bruce Wayne. Michael Caine returns as the ultimate Alfred, and Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucius Fox, with even more fun gadgets and gizmos for Batman to try out. Aaron Eckhart plays Dent with ease, even though he undergoes the most transformation in the movie, and Gary Oldman is back as Lt. James Gordon, struggling to combine his forces with the force that is Batman.
And I know this has been said many times since the previews for Batman broke, but Ledger really is outstanding in this film. He is successfully creepy and unnerving, and he takes the Joker character to new heights. He is the true definition of a terrorist in today's society, one who focuses on the downfall of humanity, and Ledger plays him as such. It's unfair to compare him to previous actors who have played the Joker, simply because those movies were done in a completely different light. These more recent films take the lightness out of the story, and replace it with a darkness that goes beyond shadows and into the murky abyss of human morality.
Oh, and the action sequences were really kick-ass too. :)
I'll admit, I went into Iron Man with fairly low expectations, and was blown away by the complexity of its storyline and the acting by Robert Downey, Jr. But in this case, with all the hype surrounding the film, I went into The Dark Knight with the highest of expectations, and was blown away. That's a much more difficult thing to do.

The All Star game

Wow, what a crazy game last night! The funny thing is I didn't start watching it until the 6th inning, but because it went to 15 I got to watch a complete game. :)
Of course, the one thing that bothered me was the nonsense over Jonathan Papelbon pitching. I mean, the name calling was one thing and of course, completely unnecessary seeing as Papelbon and Rivera were on the SAME TEAM! But then I read a couple of articles online that said Papelbon's pregnant wife received death threats during the parade. Come on! How ridiculous is that! It's a game people, and the players are human beings just like the rest of us. They're not machines, they're people with lives who deserve to be treated as such. Celebrities, including sports figures, are always treated like they're from another planet just because they're well known. This gives some people the feeling that they can just toss out threats like it's nothing.
Now I'll admit, you hear plenty of profanities at Fenway Park, and they boo players of other teams just as much as Yankees fans. But I have never seen a baseball cap go up in flames at Fenway. I've seen it, twice, at Yankee Stadium.
This is what ruins a game for me. I understand Rivera is a cherished player (to say the least as seen from last night!) for Yankees fans, and of course they will create a kind of rivalry between him and Papelbon. But to go to the extreme of threatening him or his wife during the All Star game? Please. Some people have no class.
And on a side note, to say that Papelbon is overrated is just bullshit. I mean, he's fairly new to professional baseball and he's already THIS good? Rivera has made a career out of being an excellent closer, and Papelbon is already well on his way to the same distinction. I think the Yankees fans are just sore that they haven't won a World Series since 2000, while the Sox have won two. :)
In the same vein, I believe it was JD Drew, a Red Sox player, who took home the MVP trophy last night. Enough said.

Missed a Day

Ok, so I missed a day already. Sue me. :)
I worked a full shift yesterday, which means I didn't get home until 12:30. Then I was hungry, so my boyfriend (who has asked me to not put his name on a public blog on the Internet, so I'll call him C, just like I'm D. That way I can stop saying "my boyfriend" all the time), and I got some late night food. That's one thing about living in a city- even when I work until midnight, there are a number of places that still deliver. It hasn't been too great on my figure, but I'm working on that!
Anyway, so we ate a late dinner and then watched Weeds and The Secret Diary of a Call Girl. I'm not sure why we watch that show, it's really just mindless TV with the same kind of situations over and over again dealing with a call girl and her clients. The only reason we started watching it is because it stars Billie Piper, who played Rose on the Doctor Who series. Of course, there's plenty of T & A as well, which is probably one reason why C continues to watch it. But I digress. :)
Then after our Showtime shows, we watched a couple episodes of this cartoon called the Venture Brothers. My brother-in-law recommended it to us and it's pretty funny. I like a lot of stuff they have on the Cartoon Network for adult swim. It's generally a bit edgier, although Venture Brothers is just plain fun.
And that was pretty much my day yesterday. Made some money, ate some food, watched some TV, went to bed. Welcome to a typical day the D way.

Lazy Sunday (sort of)

Today was a fairly boring day, which I admit I absolutely love. I did dishes, watched the Red Sox beat the Orioles, did a little grocery shopping, and caught up on email. These days are the best because, for me, weekends are supposed to be laid back and peaceful. I don't travel a lot by some people's standards or even take a lot of day trips. There are those who don't understand my joy of sleeping in until the afternoon and lazing around on the couch while the sun is shining. But give me a good book, a good show, a good game, or a good conversation, and I'll have a good time going nowhere. :)
Now, that's not to say I do nothing EVERY weekend. I mean, how boring would I be? But my ideal vacation does not include getting up at the ass crack of dawn, no matter how many new things I would get to see that day. You can always go back, I say, and it's a great excuse to go back.
I think some people may actually miss out on things, simply because they didn't slow down and breathe in the richness of simply being alive. I don't have to go anywhere for that.

Hellboy 2- My Review

I'll start by saying that I'm not a huge Hellboy fan. I only just saw the first movie a few days ago, and I thought it was cute. So I've never been a cult classic fan of the series or anything. As I said, I thought the first movie was good, just not AWESOME as some people I know had told me it was. (These people are big Hellboy fans by the way).
With that said, I enjoyed the second movie more than the first. It's a typical action-packed summer entertainment movie, with great special effects and puppetry. It reminded me of The Labyrinth, and you can totally tell it's directed by the same guy who did Pan's Labyrinth. It just has that magical quality to it that's not contrived.
I enjoyed the Hellboy character from the start and Ron Perlman completely embodies him. I thought the character of his girlfriend, Liz, however, was a bit weaker in this film, which is ironic since she has more control over her power than in the first movie. But Abe is still as charming as ever and we get to see more depth in his character, especially during a charming scene with Hellboy where they both sing a Barry Manilow song. Priceless.
Oh yeah, and they bring a new character monster into this one, Krauss, who adds a breath of fresh air (literally) to the already established posse. I thought one of my friends was going to skyrocket out of his seat when Krauss came onscreen, as apparently he's one of his favorite characters in the series.
Even though there are a couple of cheesy moments scattered throughout the movie, and a bad guy who, despite his kick-ass martial arts moves sounds like he should be surfing, overall I found the movie quite enjoyable. This time around seemed a bit funnier with more heart mixed in among the grandiose action sequences (which are definitely cool to watch on the big screen!). I think non Hellboy fans will thoroughly enjoy it, and Hellboy fans will swoon. :)

Scuti cleopatra

Well, it finally happened. I saw a house centipede in my apartment last night.
Even though I've been expecting this moment ever since I moved here, I was hoping it would never come. You see, I had one (or maybe it was just numerous ones that all looked the same) in my old apartment. It was the first time I'd ever encountered such a freaky looking bug, and I had no idea what it even was. Thankfully the Internet is a wonderful tool.
First of all, it's scientific name is Scutigera coleoptrata, which is why my boyfriend and I so cleverly named it Scuti Cleopatra, Scuti for short. According to various web sites, this bug is not dangerous or harmful to humans, since the critters generally stay away from those who would squash them on-site. Of course I was relieved by this, not only for my sake but also for my cat who loves to chase stringy objects. With this bug's many long legs I was afraid she would think it was a new toy and attack, leaving Scuti no other choice but to defend itself. But the only thing I've seen it do is run away (or rather, wiggle away) very, VERY quickly. Oh, and it's also very talented in disappearing under things too.
This was all well and good until I got to the part of the web sites that said, "If you see one of these bugs, there are usually many more hidden." Great. A Scuti mobile home park right here in my apartment.
Now, when I moved to where I am today, I was really hoping that Scuti and his family would stay right where they were. You see, I had a storage closet where I was able to keep all my boxes from my original move which, in theory, was a great solution to needing boxes when I moved again. However, it also created a mini playground for Scuti and the rest of his kind to hang out and roam freely without being seen. So when I began packing, I was constantly checking the boxes to see if there were any stowaways. When I got to the new place, I did the same thing as I unpacked. Thankfully, no Scutis.
But of course, as my boyfriend so annoyingly pointed out to me after my sighting last night, Scutis exist all over the place, not just in my last apartment. It was only a matter of time before some of Scuti's extended family found their way into our home. Damn it.
So now I'm trying to find a way to co-exist peacefully with Scuti 2, a daunting process considering my immense dislike of the things. But my boyfriend also pointed out that Scutis eat other bugs that we don't want in the apartment, making my acceptance of them a bit easier.
I just wish I didn't have to see our little exterminator in action.

This is How I Blog

Hello. You can call me D.
This is my very first time blogging. As you can see from my profile I'm doing this to avoid writing something more difficult, such as a novel. Ever since college I've wanted to write a book and I thought, certainly by now, I would have. But unfortunately, the years go by so fast that my procrastinating self just can't keep up. Damn personality quirks.
That aside, a friend of mine who is an actual published author, suggested to me (actually, he told me I couldn't face him until I did this) that I start a blog. That way, I'll get into writing every day and hopefully become more disciplined in the field of writing, rather than the art of time suckage. (Don't give me credit for that one, I believe that's a ripoff from the movie Reality Bites. But I'd have to watch it again to make sure). Anyway, we shall see. :)