REVIEW: Wonder Boys

For the past week I've been on a little movie kick--looking for films that I've heard about for years and forming my own opinion of them. I loved Mean Girls, but I could not get through You Can Count On Me (the 1/2 hour I watched felt like 2 hours.)

One of the great things about Netflix is the search engine, which you can use for films and also for actors. Sometimes I'm an "actor watcher" more than a "film watcher." I don't even remember how I found Wonder Boys, but it was probably searching through the Robert Downey Jr. list of movies, because he is one of my favorite actors who never fails to surprise and impress me.

Like the others I've watched this week, I had heard about Wonder Boys for years. And when it was done, my first thought was, "It's like Dead Poet's Society on marijuana." That's not an insult, just an observation. Michael Douglas plays Grady Tripp, a creative writing professor at a small unnamed college in Pittsburgh, a city whose washed out colors seem to match this washed up writer. His one success, a book called The Arsonist's Daughter, is his biggest competition, because he has never been able to come up with anything that is its equal. And yes, he self-medicates. As a result, life's events seem to bounce off him without ever getting absorbed. This make him charming yet frustrating to everyone who knows him.

Tripp is just one of a group of interesting characters brought to life by some great actors. Robert Downey Jr., with his usual brilliance, plays Terry "Crabs" Crabtree--Tripp's editor--whose career has taken a downward spiral as he has waited for 7 years for Tripp's next book. Tobey Maguire is James Leer, Tripp's most talented and misunderstood student, who has parent issues, suicide issues, and an obsession with the gory details of celebrity deaths. The 2 women in the film, Katie Holmes and Francis McDormand, are the voices of reason--Holmes as a writing student who rents a room from Tripp, and McDormand as the college chancellor with whom Tripp is having an affair.

The story is a series of intertwined, twisted puzzle pieces that take place over 3 days, but the acting and writing are so good, that the viewer feels like they know everything about the characters by the time those 3 days are over. The director, Curtis Hansen, is also the director of LA Confidential, another great movie that plays in much the same way. The fragments seem very disjointed, but they come together at the right time and the viewer is left very satisfied.

I had read that Wonder Boys was underrated, and I agree. It's intelligence is probably also its downfall, because the larger population doesn't respond well to intelligent movies. Again, not an insult, just an observation. This movie is all dialogue and character development, not action sequences and special effects. And the story isn't for everyone, because the characters are all flawed, and they stay that way. Still, I was engrossed from start to finish, the definite sign of a good and worthy film.

(Good summary here.)

She's not Hillary...

Disclaimer: I'm a devoted Democrat, so this is not an endorsement of McCain's VP choice...

Like most people, I was shocked and a little confused with McCain's choice for VP. Sarah who? But then, after a closer look, McCain's choice was about throwing off the undecided voters who care more about race and gender than the issues. It was also about stealing Obama's thunder, which the Republicans have made no secret about. (Someone explain to me why Mitt Romney had a sudden need to visit a Denver museum during the DNC? Give me a break.)

And, on the subject of Mitt, I'm so glad that he wasn't chosen. My reasons are purely selfish, but it isn't easy being LDS and a Democrat. And I really don't like it when political issues are brought up in church. That is not the place for it. And yes, I would feel the same if we had a Democratic president in office. Church and state are separated for a reason...

So back to the running mates. Issues aside, let's just look at the demographics that everyone is aiming for. We've got Joe Biden and John McCain cancelling each other out in the senior-white-man arena, Barack Obama as a very impressive man of color, and newcomer Sarah Palin appealing to the women.

Crafty, very crafty.

Unfortunately, there are swarms of people in this country who are going to be so thrilled with the fact that there is a woman on one of the tickets, that they won't care which party she represents. Yes, America can be that stupid. Obviously, right? They voted Bush in twice (well, once, really, because we all know that Al Gore got screwed on that first election.) I miss Al. America really missed their chance with him.

Just remember, folks. Sarah Palin is NOT Hillary. Having female parts doesn't change the fact that they are of different parties, of different minds, and that Palin is representing McCain as his running mate, not as the candidate. (Good article here on the subject, despite a blaring spelling error.)

Don't get snowed and blinded by color and gender.

Palin still supports the war in Iraq--one of the costliest and most controversial travesties this country has ever been involved in, and NCLB (No Child Left Behind for you non-educators)--the most ridiculous program that education has ever been forced to endure, not to mention scads of other issues that are extensions of the current administration.

As someone who is a teacher, and sees every year the way NCLB is disintegrating our school system more and more, and as someone who has two 1st cousins in the military (one who has already been to Iraq,) it is terrifying to me that anyone of any race or gender should get elected and still support these ideas.

So yes, Sarah Palin may be a dynamic-looking lady, but she's still the flip side of the McCain ticket, which is the flip-side of the Bush administration, which is another name for the bleakest 8 years and sorriest excuse for a presidency this country has ever seen.

Don't fall for it.

This is your brain...

Remember that commercial? It's a famous one.. Here's my version--

"This is your brain."

"This is your brain the week before school starts."

That's how it feels right now. Stimulation and information from 100 different sources. Concerns, worries, obligations, schedules, ambitions, and hopes. Trying to control the things I can't, and dominate the ones I can.

So, in the spirit of a new school year, it was time for a little facelift on this blog. Thanks to the Cutest Blog On the Block website for helping me out there. (But their site still runs way too slow for my taste and I refuse to put distracting links on my page. So this is the one shout-out they're gonna get.) Props to the CBOTB for the great designs. OK, I'm done.

I'm down to 3 days left available to work in my classroom. Only next Tuesday will be a required and paid day. The rest are on my own time. I'll probably do 2 days--tomorrow and Tuesday. The Labor Day weekend needs to be 3-days. That's the rule I've set for myself.

My brain is going into "school mode," which it is forced to do with the pre-first-day-of-school trainings and staff meeting. Lots to think about. Lots to worry about if I allow myself. I wish I could be one of those non-chalant people that let things roll off their backs, but, alas, I'm not.

One day at a time, focus on the positive, etc. Even platitudes have their usefulness once in a while...

REVIEW: Mean Girls

Today was my first official paid day at school. We had a 3-hour staff meeting that left me feeling a little stressed and frustrated. I went into my classroom and worked in there for 2 hours, but left feeling like I hadn't accomplished much.

My mom called and said that she was babysitting my nephew for 2 hours. I needed some "baby time." For whatever reason I forget my troubles when I'm with Alexander.

When we dropped him off at my brother's, I came home tired and in need of a good distraction. Enter Netflix's instant viewing. I've known about this, but just started experimenting with it a couple of days ago. Most of the movies and TV shows available for instant viewing are not new releases, but there is some decent stuff.

I had always heard that the movie, Mean Girls, was really good, so I decided to give it a try with the "instant viewing" feature.

It was very good. How good? Good enough that I sat through a full-length Lindsay Lohan movie on my computer screen, fer cryin' out loud. She plays a girl that goes to regular public school for the first time in her life because she grew up in Africa, the child of 2 researchers, who home-schooled her. High school turned out to be a "baptism by fire" experience, but she did make 2 friends who warned her about the clique called the Plastics. When the Plastics invited her to sit with them at lunch, Lohan's character, Cady, started living as a double agent, hanging out with the clique, but feeding information back to her 2 friends, Janice and Damian. The problem is that popularity and the combination of fear and respect that it yields from others can be pretty seductive.

We've all known people like the girls in the Plastics. We've all done a little two-faced talking at one time or another in our lives. For me, I found the watching of this movie to be very timely, especially because my students start school a week from tomorrow.

Dr. Phil calls it "leveling." That's when someone is mean to someone else for the sheer pleasure of it and to make themself feel better. But the honest truth is that it doesn't. And, like the movie says, calling someone fat doesn't make you thinner. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you smarter. I'm going to remember that when the problems start in my classroom, because with 5th graders it is inevitable, and I have to try to appeal to their logic.

What I also liked about the movie was that it had a good message but it was still pretty funny. I laughed out loud at the Danny DeVito line, which you'll have to see in context.

Good movie! Highly recommended.

Today I...

• ...met with the air conditioning guy. Everything's fixed and he only charged me $65. Phew!
• ...dropped some mail off to my brother. Baby was almost asleep so I didn't get to see him.
• ...wrote a 3-page letter to a former neighbor.
• ...went to Trader Joe's for flowers, pet supplies, and lemonade.
• ...took the flowers to Brad's grave at the cemetery.
• ...went to an open house in the area. I'm "scouting" for my brother and his wife.
• ...went to the cemetery where my grandparents are to see if the marker has been completed. It hasn't.
• ...went to Trader Joe's again with my mom.
• ...went for sushi with my mom.
• ...walked down Lake Ave in Pasadena to Borders and bought a new journal.
• ...wrote a long email answering one to my cousin, Monica.
  
• ...and here we are. A full day. THE END
  

Internet's Up, A/C's Down...

If it's not one thing, it's another, right?

This morning my A/C went out. Not good for summer in Southern CA. I called my A/C guy and he'll be here in the morning.

I spent the morning in my classroom and my helper and I got a lot done. Right now I'm at a bit of a standstill, waiting for a few textbooks, waiting for my class list, and waiting for the pacing calendars for Language Arts and Math.

Only about 2 hours was spent in my classroom and we did as much as we could with what we had. Then I took Altagracia, my helper, to lunch and we ran a couple of errands. When we got back to my hot house with no air conditioning, she went home and I stayed home and sweated.

The good news that my Internet is up and running again. Yay! That was fixed with a 10 minute phone call to AT&T. Apparently something needed to be reset. Fine. Whatever. I just care that it's running and didn't cost me the fee of a service call.

I look forward to being able to work on my laptop in a cool house, though. Isn't it sad how we become so dependent on these things?

School, Baby, and Web, Oh My!

Yes, it's true, my summer has come to an end.

Today I went into my classroom for the first time and started setting things up. Including today, I have 6 and a half days available to get ready for the new year. I have to admit, with everything that has gone on lately with my grandma's passing, I'm very unmotivated. Although, I did find myself getting into the "zone" once I got into my classroom.

I took my #1 helper with me, my mom's former aide, Altagracia. She is so great at helping to move furniture around and doing the bulletin boards, it is like getting 8 hours worth of work done in 4 hours.

We arrived at 9am, I picked up my keys from the office, and opened up my room. I'll be teaching 5th grade this year, but all of my 4th grade texts are still in the room. Our supply/text lady wasn't there today, so everything is just sitting in a big pile waiting to be picked up.

We got the furniture in formation, distributed the texts I have so far and took an inventory of what we need, did the bulletin boards, and I set up the top of my desk. There are some things that I can't do until I get pacing plans for math and language arts and the class list, but we made a lot of headway today. I probably won't need all the time I've given myself, but I feel better starting early.

I just wish I wasn't so tired. I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation!

Yesterday my mom and I babysat my sweet nephew, Alexander, for 12 hours. 8:30am to 8:30pm. We took him to the Arboretum where they were doing a photo shoot for National Geographic. They were using the little Native American village near Queen Anne's Cottage. We took Xander's picture with a horse and mule that were waiting nearby to be part of the shoot. The animal handler was really nice and helpful.

Needless to say we were pretty worn out by the end of the day! I think it is easier to deal with 32 10-year olds for 6 hours than one 6-month old for 12. Despite that, we loved babysitting, and I'm really proud of myself for getting better at being able to interpret Xander's cries to know what he needs.

And, lastly, one thing that has been weighing on my mind is my Internet is out at my house. I don't know what the problem is, but I'm guessing it is my modem. However, there could possibly be a problem at AT&T, my ISP, because when I called them I got disconnected twice. I would be more suspicious if I didn't just deal with them recently and got really good service. Fortunately, I have other avenues for web access, like my phone, and an unsecured network in the neighborhood that I can get to really easily on my little Mac from school. Still, I miss working on my lovely Toshiba laptop.

So those are the updates! No pictures on my blog entries until I'm back on my other laptop!

Sushi Craving!

My favorite food in the world is definitely an acquired taste for most people. It is sushi, or, to be more specific, sashimi, which is the raw fish that is not on a little block of white rice. (Rice fills you up and I'd rather have the fish.)

I know that a lot of people who look at that picture on the left are thinking, "Yuck," but when I look at it my mouth just waters! I have literally had Japanese food 3 times this past week and have slowly converted my mom into loving it too. Now we are constantly on the lookout for new places to try.

Yesterday we had my nephew and my brother at my mom's house for about 7 hours. My brother, Jonathan, came over to study (he's a nursing student) and my mom and I were in charge of Alexander, my precious nephew who just turned 6 months old on August 13. I feel like I want to spend as much time as possible with him now because I know I'll have to return to school (work) soon.

After Jonathan and the baby left, my mom and I asked the daily question, "What should we do about dinner?" She suggested going to Zono Sushi on Lake Ave. in Pasadena, which is our favorite Japanese restaurant. I wanted to run my car through one of those drive-through car washes first, which she agreed to, and we ended up trying another Japanese restaurant called Fuji Sushi/Korean BBQ on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena (yes, that's the street where the Rose Parade has its route.)

Usually when we go out for Japanese, we end up getting a Bento box, which is what you see above. When you get a Bento box, there are usually some standard things that come with it, like salad, Miso soup, glass noodles, cucumbers with vinegar, mini egg rolls, etc. Then there is a list of things that you can pick as your main entrees, like teriyaki chicken or beef or salmon, tempura (deep fried shimp and vegetables,) rolls (sushi rolls,) etc.

There are many reasons why I love Japanese food, but the main reasons that come to mind are this:

1. Sushi is filling, but you never feel "stuffed." Of course, if you are not a lover of sushi and sashimi and order the deep fried items, you may not experience the same feeling at the end of your meal.

2. The service at Japanese restaurants usually supersedes the service at other restaurants. If you need your drink refilled, dishes cleared, and food brought fast, you will usually get these things at a Japanese restaurant.

3. You will also rarely or never encounter a rude server. On the contrary, everyone greets you and many will thank you for coming as you leave.

4. The presentation of the food is always impeccable. A Bento box (above) is like a little work of art if done correctly.
Undoubtedly, Japanese food can be expensive. The above sashimi plate could run you around $30. The last time my mom and I went to Zono Sushi, she wanted to get a sashimi plate of salmon (bottom left) and it was $10 for only 5 pieces. This is the reason that I usually get the Bento box, which is around $15.

This is also the reason that the BEST place for decent sashimi--ALL you can eat--is the Todai buffet. This is the place where I really load up on sashimi. Salmon is my favorite, and a good one to start with if you're attempting to get accustomed to the taste. I also love their tilapia, which is marinated, and their poki, which is a combination of different fish and also marinated. Tuna (top left) and red snapper (bottom right) are other good fish to try if you're a beginner. The Todai buffet is $15 for lunch and, with drink and tip, comes to about $21. It sounds like a lot, but when you consider that it is all-you-can-eat, and how labor-intensive Japanese food is, you're really getting an incredible deal. We're lucky that there is a Todai at our local mall in Arcadia, CA.

It has gotten to the point where people wait outside the restaurant for it to open (since, like most Japanese restaurants, it is open for two 3-hour blocks per day.) I know that for myself, I don't even eat at the food court anymore. (The food court at Santa Anita is also SO noisy because some genius designed it with horrible acoustics.)

Sometimes I have such a sushi craving that I'll run to the mall just to go to Todai and then leave. It is also a great place to go if you're new to eating sushi, because you can try different things. If you don't like sushi, there are still tons of items--teriyaki chicken and beef, tempura, etc. that anyone would like.

Well, this has truly turned into a restaurant review. That's OK. I've been in the mood for sushi so much lately, that I'm happy to share my thoughts on some of the local places I've tried. Here's a breakdown:

FAVORITES:

Todai Seafood Buffet at 400 S. Baldwin, Arcadia, CA, at the Westfield (Santa Anita) Mall.

Zono Sushi at 230 S. Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA.

Sushi Heaven (when we vacation in Carmel, CA this is where we go), on Dolores between 7th and 8th, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA (like many of Carmel's places, this restaurant is dog-friendly, we take Bailey and eat in the courtyard and the servers usually bring him water and treats.)

Others:

Aoba/Japanese Thai Fusion at 239 N. Brand, Glendale, CA (we often go here before attending the Glendale Centre Theatre.) It is quite comparable to Zono in quality and service.

Fuji Sushi/Korean BBQ 2879 Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA (Definitely the best priced Japanese restaurant I've ever been to. A 3 item meal plus drink and green tea ice cream was only around $13. But the standard Bento box items were not as good as Zono and the atmosphere was a little dingy.)

We stay away from:

Z Sushi 1132 N. Garfield Ave., Alhambra, CA. (I've been here twice and will not go back. The food was decent, the prices leaning towards high, the service was the worst I've ever had at a Japanese restaurant, despite the fact that the place was practically empty.)

Komeyoshi 185 E. Glenarm, Pasadena, CA (This used to be our standard Japanese place where we would go, and then something happened. I don't know if they changed owners or what, but suddenly the service became worse and worse. At last memory we were waiting 20-25 minutes for our meal and then they would bring only one person's dinner and the other person still had to wait. No, no, no. After we found Zono, Komeyoshi became a distant memory and we have never returned.)

Well, this was fun! Let me end by sharing some pictures of our baby. Pay no attention to his goofy aunt!

REVIEW: Mamma Mia!

Last night I experienced a pleasant and unexpected departure from all the recent family drama when my friend, Bobby, invited me to go and see MAMMA MIA. I had wanted to see it anyway, because I am a big ABBA fan, so I accepted.

MAMMA MIA is the movie version of the famous Broadway musical, which is about a girl named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who has been raised on a Greek island by Donna (Meryl Streep,) her aging hippie mom. Sophie is getting married and longs to know who her father is so he can walk her down the aisle. After reading her mother's diary from 20 years before, 3 possible dads emerge within its pages. Not expecting anything to come of it, Sophie invites them and is blindsided when all 3 men turn up a day before the wedding: dapper divorced dad of 2 Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan,) introverted single guy Harry Bright (Colin Firth,) and Swedish outdoorsman Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard.)

Naturally, the rest of the movie is a comedy of errors as the story works to reveal which man is the father. Sophie's mom, Donna, is also supported by her former girl-band back-up singers Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski.) ABBA's songs are peppered throughout the show and, being very familiar with all but one of them, it was fun to see which songs would be used in which situation. And I was surprised by the ending, which is not as predictable as you might expect.

The story moves forward at a good pace. ABBA's songs are always so fun that they never slow it down when they're planted in different places. I have never heard of Amanda Seyfried, but I thought she did a great job. My other favorites were Colin Firth and Julie Walters, but I'm biased because they are 2 of my favorite actors. Meryl Streep is a capable singer (I think she sounds a lot like Cher) and usually stole every scene she was in, although sometimes her character was so twitchy I wanted to strap her down. My least favorite was, amazingly, Pierce Brosnan, who sang so horribly and was so uncomfortable-looking in this role that he just had this constipated air about him throughout the entire movie. I guess you can't win them all. But, to loosen things up, it was hilarious to see Donna and her friends belting out songs while wearing their old sequined outfits and platform shoes. Streep, Walters, and Baranski were the heartbeats of the movie in my opinion.

I usually rate movies on whether I'd like to see them again and, possibly, add them to my DVD collection when they are released. In the case of MAMMA MIA I wouldn't mind owning it, but I can also see myself getting impatient sitting in front of it and downgrading it to something I would have on in the background.

The best character is still the music, with ABBA's sing-a-long melodies and driving beats, and you don't need to own the movie to enjoy them. Go buy their 2 greatest hits CDs, ABBA Gold and ABBA Gold II. The original group's voices are far superior than any in the movie and you can listen to the CD anywhere.

Overall, you'll enjoy the movie, but you'll love the music. Music: A / Movie: B

As the dust settles...

Things are slowly getting back to normal, but normal has taken on a new look. My grandparents' house feels like a weird shell full of memories without them in it.

Yesterday my mom, aunt, cousin, and I divided up some of my grandma's jewelry. It felt strange and invasive, although we knew it was necessary.

Today I went over there again. I found the love letters that my grandparents wrote back and forth to each other throughout most of 1940. I also found a journal where my grandma would write her prayers. My eyes filled with tears whenever I saw my name--she would pray for all of her children and grandchildren.

Earlier today I went onto Photobucket and copied and saved several pictures that my uncle took on the day of the funeral. I want to upload them to my own album and give them captions. My favorites are of me and my 2 girl cousins, Monica and Laura:
And this great picture of most of the members of the family:
The ones who are missing are my brother and his family, who had already left when we took the picture. But what is really odd is not seeing my grandparents in it. I guess we'll have to get used to that. (Click on either picture to see the original size.)

All done.

With the passing of my grandma, Lucy, a chapter of our lives has really come to an end. And now that the services are officially over, I can really feel it. I had a feeling that it would hit me more once the funeral was over, because I have been so immersed in all of the planning to really think what my grandma's passing means.

Yesterday's funeral went well. We had it at the San Gabriel Mission and they did a very, very nice job. I like the atmosphere there, which is a little more laid back, but still very respectful. The lady who played the piano and the man who led the music did great.

At the cemetery everything went fine, except that the priest--who is visiting from another parish--got lost and we had to wait in the blazing August sun for about 45 minutes, but I guess everything can't be perfect! My mom's 2 high-school friends offered to go to the house and open it up for the food delivery, which was done by our local market.

Back at the house we had sandwiches, fruit, salad, iced tea, lemonade, and chocolate cookies. After such a long morning and standing in the sun (wearing black) the food really hit the spot.

A lot of the guests had arrived before the family because we stayed at the cemetery until the grave was completely filled, so many were leaving when we arrived. For most of the time that we were there it was just family. We filled up on food, enjoyed being inside and passed my brother's baby around.

As it got a little later, we got more informal and some of us went swimming--me, my cousin Robby, little cousin Cassidy, and Laura's husband Luis. Robby and Luis didn't have suits so I found some of my grandpa's old trunks for them to borrow. Just seeing them model those old trunks made us split a gut laughing. They looked so funny. But it felt so good to be in the pool that we stayed in for about 3 hours. It was a lot of fun.

As it got closer to 6pm, we started thinking about going our separate ways. My cousins, Monica and Robby, are flying out today--Monica's plane left an hour ago--so their family wanted to have a little informal get-together at their house in San Dimas. They invited anyone who wanted to go. My mom wanted to stay with the aunts who were also having their last night here, but I went. I ran home and cleaned up from the hours of swimming and then drove out there.

Monica, Laura, and my Aunt Nene and I went to the market and got wood for their fire pit and fixings for ice cream sundaes, while the guys at the house ordered pizza. We spent the next few hours chatting around the fire pit and enjoying pizza, sundaes, and each other. I had made arrangements to stay overnight at their house just in case I was too tired to drive home, but the call of my own bed was too tempting. I left around 12:40am and arrived home at 1:05am.

It was a good end to a long day.

Today all of the out-of town guests go home. Then we have to start thinking about resuming our lives. I still can't believe that both of my mom's parents are gone. I can't fathom dismantling their house in the next few months (although we are going to still have Christmas Eve there,) and it seems weird that with the passing of my grandma we've all been "promoted" a step in the generations. The little great-grandchildren, Cassidy and Alexander, are now the "kids" that my cousins and I used to be. My generation is now at the level where my mom and her siblings used to be. My mom, her brothers, sister, and their spouses are now the "older" generation in the family. Time marches on.

And, despite our desires to have Tito and Tita back, I can't help but think of them being together again in a more perfect state--happy and young and healthy. The picture above is one I found in a photo album at their house while I was putting my grandma's DVD together. I think it characterizes them perfectly. Two halves which, when put together, create an everlasting love.

I think this dialog from yesterday says it all. We were at the cemetery and Cassidy, who is 4.5, was talking to my mom:

CASSIDY: They're putting Tita with Tito?

MOM: Yes, honey.

CASSIDY: Why?

MOM: So they can be together.

CASSIDY: That's what Tita wanted, isn't it?

MOM: Yes, that's what Tita wanted.

Tita's Vigil

We are, at the moment, 50% completed with my grandma's services.

The vigil last night went really well and we had a full house in the chapel at the funeral home. They did a great job making my grandma look very attractive and like her former self. Everyone commented on how good she looked and there were pink flowers everywhere, as well as several extra arrangements that people sent.

My brother, Jonathan, was the "MC" and the program went off without a hitch. I hadn't sung in public in front of a large audience since 2000, but I think it went quite well.

Now I'm in a bit of a rush because we have to start thinking about the funeral part of today--which begins in 90 minutes.

The highlight of the printed program from last night was this beautiful sketch that my Uncle Ruben did. Click on the image to see a larger version:

The Plans Continue...

Today was fun and productive. Probably more fun.

My cousin, Monica, who is here from North Carolina, and I took my little cousin, Cassidy, on some errands. We bought some frames for my grandma's pictures, grabbed lunch at Boston Market, and went swimming at my grandparents' house. The house is still very much alive despite the missing occupants. My 2 aunts from out of town are staying there, as well as the 3 caregivers. We've been so lucky to have such great and trustworthy caregivers.

We're trying to enjoy the company of our out of town guests amidst all the funeral plans. Tomorrow 5 of us are going to go and get manicures together and Monica and I scored tickets to see WICKED on Tuesday night. 3rd time for me.

Last night I went and spent time with Monica, Laura, and Cassidy. We went to dinner at Appleby's, I showed them the DVD I put together for the vigil, then after Cassidy went to bed at 9pm the 3 of us sat in the kitchen at my aunt and uncle's house and chatted until 12:30am. It was a great time and none of us wanted it to end, but we were exhausted and Monica was still on east coast time.

I love being surrounded by so much family. Too bad the togetherness is the result of a sad event.

Breaking Dawn

Stephenie Meyer talks about Breaking Dawn

With everything going on with my grandma, I almost forgot that today is the release date of book 4 in the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn.

I already pre-ordered my copy over a month ago and I just need to go and pick it up. It will be a good distraction and escape from the funeral plans, that is, if I even have the energy to read. I haven't been to sleep before 1am for the past 3 nights. Vampires, anyone?

From Morning to Night...

If anyone had told me a week ago that I would be in the middle of helping to plan my grandma's funeral right now, I wouldn't have believed them. But so it is.

Yesterday my grandma's one surviving sister flew in with her daughter. We had to sit my aunt down in the airport in a semi-quiet corner and tell her about my grandma's passing. There is no easy way to do that and it was very hard. I won't go into too much detail. But my aunt is an amazing, positive person, and after the initial shock and tears she did OK.

My 2 aunts from out-of-town, my mom, my uncle, and I went to the funeral home and made the necessary decisions. It was quite easy (in the logistical sense) this time since we just did this 4 months ago. I still can't believe that both of my maternal grandparents are gone. It is the end of an era in our family, especially because I have lived a few blocks away from them my whole life. It just boggles the mind.

Last night I went through files of digital pictures and old photo albums and gathered up and scanned pictures for the DVD. I also chose 2 songs, La Feria de las Flores and Mamma, both sung by Placido Domingo, my grandma's favorite singer.

This morning I was trying to put all the pictures in the order I thought they should be in and they would not stay where I wanted them. I remembered that this new laptop has a Windows Movie Maker--this is what we call "baptism by fire, I've never done this before--and after a lot of trial and error and 5 hours later, I ended up doing the DVD myself.

We got to babysit my nephew for about 1 hour and took him on a quick errand to the funeral home and then back to my brother. Then my mom, aunts, uncle and his girlfriend, and I had dinner--actually breakfast--at IHOP. We were all exhausted.

My mom and 2 aunts came back to my house to see the DVD. It happily got their approval. Now we're switching into "plan the program" mode. The next couple of days will be devoted to that and printing them, deciding on the food for the gathering, etc. I'm still trying to decide if I want to sing something during the evening service. It is one thing to plan and practice in your own home, but something entirely different when you're actually there in the emotional moment.

Seriously, I've had my fill of funeral homes and cemeteries for the next several decades. My family had better stay really healthy for quite a while. In 2.5 years I've lost my dad, my sweetheart, my grandpa, and my grandma. I try not to think about it too much, but that is a lot.

Tomorrow we continue on and all of us are going to try and have a peaceful, relaxing night in our respective ways. I'll be driving out to see my girl cousins. One is flying in from North Carolina. We're going to do a ladies' night out to dinner. We need that.