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. :)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
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. :)
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. :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
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. :)
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. :)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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. :)
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. :)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
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. :)
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. :)
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. :)
Friday, August 8, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
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.
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.
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