Friday, December 21, 2007

This Little kiddie went to the movies...

So. The emergency trip to Tampa was a good thing to do. Dad was visibly, and I mean really visibly, comforted by my being here. Mom, too. Little did any of us know that her "brain surgery" would be done with nothing more than a huge puncture in delicate tissue...essentially through the line placed for her angiography...and since she was stable before she presented and stable for hours thereafter, the somewhat of a PIA patient was discharged directly from the ICU to home---much to her relief.

Of course Mom has some very major life changes to be made and undertaking those efforts warrants some up-front strategizing and preparation and from this you may glean that the woman is still smoking like someone who has just nearly lost her life---scared and puffing, that's what she is... for the record, the first several days of most of my visits home are spent fighting very bad headaches from the second hand smoke in this house. I'm really not being critical of their smoking its just that when you pack in a hurry, you overlook some things. Like I shouldn't ever be their house guest without refilling my migraine meds. Because I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday in a dark, cool, relatively quiet* room, managing as best I could with Tylenol and hot baths. It is a vantage point from which it becomes difficult to help care for and comfort any one but yourself.

Here's to Life...
Friday dawned with new hope, though...no headache. I could be on my way home but I'd like to hang around and make sure Mom gets a few more (!!) days of TLC before she and Dad are on their own. So it is that I've made a vow to see at least 3, and perhaps 6, movies before I go home. After all, Mom wants to see some of them and she can rest just as easily in the theater as at home, right? Buy tickets online, walk right in and sit down. No hassle.

Yesterday we saw The Golden Compass which was really delightful and well done. I like Nichole Kidman in the villainess role because I can't stand her and I don't feel conflicted...thanks to the casting Director on that. Turns out my Daemon in an ocelot which is inspiring a good bit of envy round these parts, especially from my Mom who ends up having a jackal and my Dad---who has a Chimp (or a monkey's uncle as we like to say...) for a daemon. Well. Isn't this interesting! When Mom and I projected the answers to determine Dad's daemon, he was matched with the monkey's uncle as I've said. HOWEVER---when DAD answered the questions for himself he ended up with an ocelot. I THINK NOT! But we've had a good laugh about it this evening.


Today Mom and I saw Sweeney Todd---guys might not like this but is classic Burton/Depp. I LOVED IT. Except the blood---man, was there ever a lot of blood! At the end I had to laugh every time things got bloody because jeez---there was a lot of blood! The blood should have had its own credit! Depp and Bonham Carter both really hit their marks---too fabulous. Great costumes, make up and sets. A couple of really nice casting surprises including a very amusing spot for Sascha Baron Cohen. The score could have been better but I'm going to be less critical than usual. On the agenda for tomorrow: Charlie Wilson's War with Dad and Enchanted with Mom. Can not wait.


We wrapped tonight up with a celebratory dinner at Dad's favorite steakhouse. We toasted having supper... together .... breathing without artificial ventilation and planned holiday visits with a wonderful bottle of champagne. It was an outrageously good meal and what with the scotch and everything we were all sufficiently giddy to sing Christmas Carols on the way home as we drove about and looked at holiday lights.


It's a wonderful life.

*relatively quiet -- Dad's office is right next to the guest room and he is so enamored of the XM radio I gave to him for the holidays two years ago that he really cranks up the "Willie" station---classic country..LOUD. Oy! My head!

1 comment:

Melissa said...

We saw Enchanted last week. I will wait to see what you think before I share my opinion... We are going to see Charlie Wilson's War tonight. I also want to see Juno and my mom and I are going to see PS I Love You one day next week! I am glad there are finally movies out I want to see!