Update on Grandpa January 30, 2006

I talked to my dad this morning and the hospice nurse is now saying that grandpa only has a couple of more days of life, he won’t make it to Friday.

He is starting to have convulsions. The sad thing is that with his diabetes comes neuropathy and he can’t even receive touch without pain. So in these final days and hours he can’t receive physical touch from family as they say their final goodbyes.

My dad said he’s unconscious most of the time and when semi-conscious is halucinating conversations with my grandma (who died 10 years ago), his mother and my uncle Joe (who died in December of 2003).

It’s just bizarre. We spend our lives wondering how and when we’ll die and now he knows.

One good thing is that my dad, who is a pastor, has decided not to perform the service. He did for his mother and brother. I think this time he might be able to stay in the moment and really grieve. I’m proud of him for stepping back and letting someone else do it.

Beyond the Sea [2004] January 29, 2006

I didn’t know much about Bobby Darin, other than he sang Mack the Knife.

He overcame a lot of physical adversity to be a singer. He had rheumatic fever and was never expected to live beyond 15 and yet made it to 37. Maybe because of that he knew what he wanted and got it, including his wife, Sandra Dee, who married him at the age of 16. Yet Bobby never gained the fame of the rat pack.

This movie plays like a 1950s musical - heavy on the music, light on the plot. I wanted to know more about the drama of a man who was raised knowing that he was dying yet wrote songs like Splish Splash. He found out shortly before he died that the woman he believed to be his mother was really his grandmother and his sister is really his mother. There is an amazing story in that and yet the focus is on the dance numbers and not the essence of the man.

Kevin Spacey acted, directed and championed this movie. I’m not sure what he was fighting so hard for or why. His version might have been better served on TV than the big screen.

Almost Wedding Day January 29, 2006

Today is the day that Brian and I had talked about getting married.

Kind of weird to be sitting here in my jammies, coughing and watching movies instead. I think we knew a while ago it wasn’t ever going to happen, but cutting it off takes a lot of courage. I can’t help but feel a little sad.

If I could just turn off the feelings I would but I know it takes time to fully disengage and move on. I wish I could speed it up. Part of me wonders why in the world I wanted to get back together to begin with. Maybe I was trying to prove something. Maybe I just wanted what I wanted. I have no idea.

I hope we both find what we’re really looking for.

Melinda Melinda [2004] January 28, 2006

I’m battling a lingering cough so I am burning through my blockbuster DVDs. I still have no energy and curling up on the couch to watch movies is the right speed for me these days.

Tonight it’s Melinda Melinda, written and directed by Woody Allen. Given that fact you know what to expect. There is a high amount of neurosis, heavy dialogue, and conflicted relationships usually involving adultery.

Woody delivers all of this in a tale of two genres. Two writers offered the tale of Melinda [Radha MItchell] as fodder work out plots that argue if the deeper reality of life is found in a comedy or tragedy.

In the tragic turn of the story Melinda is a suicidal lost woman who finds drama and tragedy at every turn. A woman who has lost her family to her infidelity and now loses her best friend to another betrayal.

In the comedic version she’s a little kooky but in a charming way that helps Hobie [Will Farrell] find true connection and a happiness he hasn’t had in his marriage to indie film director Susan [Amanda Peet].

I’m not an expert on Woody Allen’s movie and I think most of them are trivial and self-involved. This one isn’t much different. We’re still watching self-involved New Yorkers work out their boredom.

Dream of Airport and an Old Friend January 28, 2006

Last night I dreamed of being in an airport trying to travel again.

I was with my family and we were travelling through Houston (I have no idea why specifically Houston) and I ran into one of my old college roommates at the airport. I haven’t seen her since my graduation in 1997 and things didn’t end on a good note. We spoke to each other cordially but didn’t linger in conversation.

To dream of an airport is about something new. I suppose that’s appropriate - New Year, new opportunities arising. At least this time I wasn’t stuck at the airport.

Grandpa January 27, 2006

My mom called me tonight to tell me that my grandpa is "going down hill fast."

He seemed to rally for a moment, but it only lasted long enough for him to get his affairs in order and to say goodbye. Now his body is shutting down even further and he is unconscious most of the time.

His hospice nurse says it will be about a week.

I’m just beginning to digest that.

My life in 4s January 26, 2006

This little gem was stolen from Doug….

Four jobs you’ve had in your life: telemarketer, admin asst, trade show mgr, marketing slave

Four movies you could watch over and over: Grease, Pride & Prejudice (BBC Version), Steel Magnolias,  While You Were Sleeping

Four places you’ve lived: Van Wert, OH; Mexico City, Mexico, Los Angeles, CA; Brea, CA

Four TV shows you love(d) to watch: Grey’s Anatomy, Sex and the City, Growing Pains; Joan of Arcadia

Four places you’ve been on vacation: Boston, MA, Seattle, WA, Chicago, IL; New York, NY

Four of your favorite foods: Pasta, Brownies, Steak (with A-1), Enchiladas and Spanish Rice

Four places you’d rather be: home, with my nephews, on vacation, heaven (less about wanting to be dead more about being in a place with no suffering, crying, crime, etc)

In love with a blogger January 25, 2006

One of the great thing about blogging is the wandering from link to link finding new voices and points of view.

Some how I landed on Waiter Rant.net. The writing is AMAZING. He offers an insightful, observant, thoughtful and poignant look at humanity through the eyes of a waiter. It’s the perfect perch to judge but instead he engages and occassionally gets sweet revenge. Still, I’m in love. He even quotes scripture, gives theology lessons before work (this link is one of my favorite posts) and has a healthy respect for my peeps.

Who is this anonymous stranger that steals my heart with his honest musings?

Apparently he is a one-time seminarian, turned mental health worker turned waiter. Can you fall in love with someone just from their thoughts - who knows, but I’m hooked on his writing like crack. I’ve spent the last 3 hours reading archives - so good.

I’ve heard rumors that men were capable of this type of thought, but rarely, if ever, have I seen tangible proof. But it’s more than just a gender thing, its about character, morals and what he does when no one else will see or know. It’s the sense of humor and sarcasm balanced in for good measure.

Maybe its all for a good blog post, but who cares, I buy it hook line and sinker.

Go check it out.

Inside the Actor’s Studio jumped the shark January 25, 2006

Now in my mind Inside the Actor’s Studio is a place to talk to people who practice their craft. You know, Oscar Winners, critically-acclaimed directors and serious actors.

I never thought of it as a promotional machine like Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood, but I’m beginning to wonder. I saw an ad on Bravo the other day for their latest guest - Martin Lawrence, who is out promoting Big Momma’s House 2.

Serious actor with a method and process is not what comes to mind. If this were a show seeking the next celebrity to have a reality tv show I might buy it, but not to teach others how to act or make movies, especially this movie.

I tuned in for a minute of it and I have to say I was surprised to see that he wrote, directed and starred in - Thin Line Between Love and Hate. Who knew he was a Sylvester Stallone?

I met Martin, Bobby Brown, Regina King and Lynn Whitfield at the press junket for this movie, as the art and entertainment editor for my college paper. I was shocked that poised, elegant Lynn and super-talented Regina would be in the movie. My opinion about Bobby and Martin stand. This movie, like Big Momma’s House, is not Oscar-winning or critically acclaimed.

I suppose you can learn something from everyone.

Soundtrack to Wedding Date January 25, 2006

The music in Wedding Date is great. I went onto amazon to order it but realized the only thing they put on the CD is the instrumental score, I hate it when they do that, so I had to create my own version. Here are the songs from the movie that should have been included:

The Corrs - Breathless
Texas - When We Are Together
The Chiffons - One Fine Day
KC and the Sunshine Band - Boogie Shoes
James Brown - I Got The Feeling
Air Supply - All Out Of Love
Maroon 5 - Secret
Michael Buble - Sway
Joss Stone - Super Duper Love
Michael Buble - Home
Michael Buble - Save The Last Dance For Me

Near perfection.