Grandma Update, Book, Movie, Music
I was going to go and visit Grandma last Wednesday (it's a really a pain when I write an entry but don't post it for a week, because then I have to go through and fix all the "todays" and "yesterdays") but didn't get there because stupid UPS insists on trying to deliver packages to apartments between the hours of 10:00 and 2:00. I do NOT understand why they are used so much. I used them to mail a pair of Chucks back to Converse and it was almost $11 vs the $5 it would have cost me at the post office. I was already there with a different pair of Chucks to mail back to zappos.com (they're the best, they actually sent me a packing slip so I could mail it for free – which is why I was at the UPS store), otherwise I would have been at the post office to begin with.
Anyway, Wednesday was the third attempt and the little yellow slip stated they were going to deliver between 2:00 and 5:00, so I had to be at home. I talked to her in the morning and she told me not to worry, she'd be fine. I had tried to call her for a few hours on Tuesday and the phone just rang and rang and rang. She was out gallivanting around the rehab place, i.e., she was in the dining room listening to some guy playing the guitar and singing songs. Then it was time for dinner, and she doesn't leave the dining room after dinner, she hangs out with the other women and chat until God knows what time.
When I called her on Wednesday (since I hadn't been able to get a hold of her on Tuesday) she had been up and cleaning out one of the drawers in her dresser, getting stuff together for my Mom to take home and getting a list of other stuff she wants from home. She told me that I don't have to call her every day, etc. Yeah, yeah, whatever, Shortstuff. I'm not sure I've told you all how darn cute she is, lately, have I?
Oh yeah, there was a meeting last week in which people from the rehab place all got together, I'm assuming with doctors, and discussed who needs to stay and who is doing well enough to go home. Another "oh yeah," Grandma's doctor wrote out a prescription two or so weeks ago stating she needed to stay, so she ended up only paying for about 5 days (or so she says, I think it was longer, actually).
Mom and the YS (there's a story there) took Grandma home on the previous Saturday for a visit. I guess they do that when it's getting close to time to go home to see how the person feels and how they get around their own house. Grandma said she had no trouble getting into the house (it's a decent sized step from the garage into the house), nor up the stairs to her bedroom, etc. And this is all good, because according to the outcome of the meeting, it sounds like Grandma is going home in a couple of weeks (next Wednesday, to be specific). The aunts from California are going to take two weeks each (I think), consecutively, using their family leave time in order to make sure Grandma's not alone. I'm not sure if the Oregon aunt is coming, too, because I don't know if they have the family leave time policy, as well.
Grandma also said that she's learning and doing lots in therapy although she wasn't sure about last Friday's & Saturday's therapy. It was OT, not PT, and on Friday they painted flowers on a little flower pot and then on Saturday they planted a flower in said flower pot. Grandma was kind of annoyed because she wasn't sure how that's going to help her get around. Grandma's not really into crafts, although she mentions semi-regularly, that she thinks it would be nice to take up knitting again. Maybe I'll see if she's serious and go over there one day and refresh her memory.
FWIG posted this a while back and I thought it contained interesting questions (it's amazing how far out of my way I'll go not to use a certain word that starts with "me" and ends with "me").
1. Who are your much loved Bands? Favorite songs by them?
Okay, who here can't name my favorite band? You either haven't been paying attention or are new, because I think I mention it every few months, just in case… ;-)
Joy Division – Atmosphere, Atrocity Exhibition, Heart and Soul, They Walked in Line, New Dawn Fades, etc.
The Crüxshadows – Kisses 3, Winter Born, Spectator, Go Away, Orphean Wing
2. Do you like your job? Could you do your boss' job?
Yes, I like my job. I like the people, I like being able to help them manage their workload. I could NOT do my boss' job and nor would I want to.
3. What is the first thing you would do if you won the jackpot? (I mean after you collect your winnings.)
Pay off my debt (which isn't massive, I don't think), buy my mother a better condo, put money aside for the nieces and nephews college, get new carpet for my apt.
Yeah, I know, I should buy a house, right? The problem is that I have never ever wanted a house. I hate mowing the lawn and gardening. I hate shoveling snow. I like knowing there are people nearby who might miss me if they didn't see me for a few days. Yes, I know I could hire people to do the gardening, shoveling, etc., but that's not the point, really.
I guess I'd invest the rest smartly. My former lottery winning dream was to travel the Champ Car circuit and attend every single race. We all know that's not even possible anymore.
4. Most annoying thing in the newspaper?
The incredibly bad grammar, the incredibly hideous, nasty, evil people who feel the need to comment and think they can say hateful things because they're anonymous.
5. Best line from a movie?
"I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me." Humphrey Bogart from In A Lonely Place.
April's Book and Movie List don't even require their own post...I read one book and watched one movie.
Nineteen-Eighty-Four by George Orwell - The Centennial Edition with a Foreword by Thomas Pynchon and an Afterword by Erich Fromm for a total of 357 pages - It's classic, everybody knows, generally, what it's about, but I had never read it. When people would look aghast at me that I hadn't read it, I would say, "My class read Animal Farm."
I also read 300 pages of another book, but I don't count a book until it's finished. I'll tell you all about it next month.
My one movie was Gosford Park (2002) - I DVRd this off IFC and I have to say that I quite enjoyed it. I read a review that said Upstairs, Downstairs meets Agatha Christie and while, yes, that definitely describes it, I kept thinking Upstairs, Downstairs meets Murder By Death, which if you haven't seen it, it's bloody hilarious! I must go and see if it's available at Netflix. It has been much too long since I've seen it.
I would definitely recommend both the book and the movie. Sad...so sad. I've already done better this month - two books read and two movies watched.
Labels: Books, Grandma Update, Movies, Music
posted by Kathleen @ 1:40 PM
20 comments
20 Comments:
That was a great line from Bogey, which I had never heard before. I think you would find unexpected pleasure from taking care of a home.
Kathleen: ...because then I have to go through and fix all the "todays" and "yesterdays."
MW: Oh, so true; but you forgot to change the date of the entry itself. I almost skipped past it when I saw the "May 8, 2008," date at the top.
Kathleen: Yes, I know I could hire people to do the gardening, shoveling, etc., but that's not the point, really.
MW: What then, may I ask, is the point? ;-)
Kathleen: I guess I'd invest the rest smartly.
MW: I think silver (such as old coins) would be a good, safe investment. Unlike gold, it doesn't cost a fortune to buy, nor does it fluctuate dramatically in value (or, rather, I should say that it would never lose all of its value). Furthermore, it is tangible. In other words, it won't disappear in a puff of smoke the way many traditional investments might if the economy goes down the toilet soon.
That is an excellent movie quote. It is exactly the sort of thing I might have written back in the old days.
Believe it or not, I still haven't read Nineteen-Eighty-Four, even though it has been on my bookshelf for over 20 years.
Scott: I think you would find unexpected pleasure from taking care of a home.
MW: I ever so respectfully and courteously disagree! ;-)
Scott - It's sweet of you to say so, but no, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't find unexpected pleasure in taking care of a home. I feel like my childhood was spent cleaning the house and doing lawnwork. I have no intentions of doing it again, as I didn't really enjoy it the first time around.
MW - Didn't know I had to do that, actually. The point is that I don't want a house. You're related to my co-worker, I know it!
Uh oh, MW knows me too well!
Well, I hope she does take up knitting. Studies have shown that folks who use their fingers have much, much lower rates of Alzheimers and Parkinson's.
Glad she's being social. Being social = good for morale and morale is the key to strength.
I could sit around and listen to someone play guitar and sing for hours. We had these 2 country bumpkins who had a guitar and a fiddle between them and we just sat and listened to them play song after song. It was great.
As for Joy Division, you mention them every few months? That's an understatement. ;)
It's all good though. I really should be talking more about music for music is a HUGE part of my life.
Sorry about the Champ Car. Heh, now that it's gone, you probably will win the lottery. But at least you can upgrade Mom's condo and put money aside for your nieces' and nephews' college funds.
1984 was great. I used to go off on how the Democrats thought 1984 was a good blueprint, but now I'm wondering if the Bush Administration is even worse.
ZS - Oh, it's all good that Grandma's being social. I just think it's funny that she's never in her room anymore. My aunt (who used to be a nun) used to play her guitar and we'd all sing songs. We all loved that! We hated when she left the convent because she rarely played the guitar after that. What? I mention Joy Division a lot? REALLY??? I had no clue! ;-) I definitely think the Bush Administration is worse than any Democratic administration, but then again I do lean that way. ;-)
The Bush Administration is the worst administration in United States history, regardless of party. Hundreds of historians agree with me.
In truth, I think Bush and his controllers, unlike previous presidents and their controllers, have simply been terrible at and/or unconcerned with hiding their crimes because they have a lot of very blatant and long-cherished crimes to commit in a very short period of time, and the subtle approach would have been too slow for these people who are the equivalent of 6th-grade educated mafiosi henchmen.
Lean that way... *pfft* you're a closet libertarian and you know it! :P
If you ever win the lottery, convert all of that worthless paper into gold and silver coin, just like MW suggested, but you can buy gold and silver eagles, you don't have to look for old coins...
LL - *sigh* I am not almost a Libertarian!!!!! ;-)
I love "In a Lonely Place" - both the book and the movie, though they are quite different.
Glad Grandma is doing better. You must be so proud of her!
I find renting a house is more work than owning an apartment!
XO
Suzy - I think the culprit is the noun and not the adjective...house vs apt as opposed to own vs rent.
In a bit of amazingly good timing as far as Kathleen's "reading queue" goes -- and in a truly rare fit of honesty --, the main daily newspaper for western Nebraska has published an excellent commentary on Nineteen-Eighty-Four in today's edition. I have just found this commentary on the internet: Living in the Land of the Blind by John W. Whitehead, constitutional attorney and author. Mr. Whitehead also discusses a few other prophetic novels and movies that Kathleen and others have discussed (or so it seems to me). Whitehead does a spectacular job of explaining how many or most of Orwell's prophecies have finally come to pass here in "The Land of the Free," and how most Americans apparently don't give a blank (I wonder if members of the local populace will see themselves when they read the beautifully written paragraph five). Whitehead's commentary is well worth your time even if you are only interested in the book and movie reviews.
P.S. The subheading of Fermicat's blog title is also briefly discussed. ;-)
I loved that Grandma didn't know how painting and planting flowers was going to help her get around.
I totally agree on the house vs apartment thing. At times I would like to have a backyard bbq, but is it worth it, I should say not. I've always said I'd just buy apartments in several cities, the Four Seasons Residences aren't shabby. That way you won't have to worry about buying the new carpet.
MW - The amazing part of that list of movies is that I've seen them all, except the two most recent and THX1138.
LL - I'm ignoring you now. ;-)
Sal - I like sitting on my front lawn, but I don't have to cut it. Woohoo!
I should read 1984 again someday.
So what if you mention Joy Division every few months? It's a hell of a lot better than being infatuated with Justin Timberlake or something like that. JD's not my favorite band, but what they did, they did very well.
Dr. - Really? I mention Joy Division every few months? That's crazy talk! ;-) Dear heavens, no Justin Timberlake here.
Kathleen! What are you still doing up at a time like this on a Friday night? ;-)
P.S. I asked that same question last Friday night, didn't I? Ha... ;-)
"LL - I'm ignoring you now. ;-)"
And doing a damn good job of it too! What with the multiple comments here and abroad... :P
lol, those were My nosy questions that FWG (and now you) answered.
I have started watching movies lately. Trying to stay off the computer so much at night (ahem it is now night and I am on the computer lol)
your gran sounds like a peach :D
I really enjoyed 1984 and Gosford Park, but what a Bogey line!
I used to love Zappos, but they raised their prices so much, I'm doing most of my shoe buying at different sites that offer coupon codes. I usually end up paying half of whatever I find on Zappos.
I'm glad your gradmother is doing well. My father went through a type of rehab, but it didn't do much. I believe he was too far gone.
Uh, oh. Here is another list of Top 100 Films from the Times Online of London. They say that this list isn't like all the others. I've only looked at numbers 100 through 90 so far, so I cannot confirm or deny that. Whatever the truth is, it's interesting reading why they have chosen the ones that they have chosen.
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