Monday, January 16, 2006
We've been having an impromptu Planet of the Apes festival...
...this weekend. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...oops! I guess I showed my hand. I noticed the series of movies (the old ones) at Costco Saturday when I took a quick trip for supplies. I considered getting it. My mother used to be such a fan of the movies that she taped (very badly) all of them off TV and reminded me of her "treasure" many times soon after I came to live with her in 1993. The series on DVD was cheap enough. I considered getting them but wasn't sure that she would even remember her infatuation with the movies so I decided to ask her before purchasing them, although I noticed that only three sets were left.
I shouldn't have bothered to ask. When I mentioned the series at breakfast she looked at me as though I was crazy not to have snatched it up. When I told her there were only three copies left she said, "Well, I guess you'll have to go back and pick up a set today." Just like that. So I did.
Before we began our festival I joked to her that I guessed over this long weekend we'd watch so many Apes movies that I'd be screaming and she'd be wishing they'd made 10 instead of 5. Good sport that she is, she laughed. Oddly, though, I'm enjoying myself. Naturally, our first was the original. Then, though, I decided to queue up the last DVD of the series, a two hour docutainment production hosted by Roddy McDowell about the making of the film series. By the time it was over I was ready for and looking forward to the rest of the films. We've got two left for tomorrow. Mom is ecstatic. I'm enjoying myself, much to my surprise.
We took a break this evening, watched Saved!, which played just before The L Word. This week's episode wasn't as Mom-watchable as last week's. Too much sex for her. During one particularly hot scene Mom said, in her jesus-fucking-christ voice, "What is the point of this show, anyway?!?" You haven't lived until you've had her ruin a perfectly amiable viewing of anything with this interjection.
Weekends are an interesting phenomenon in our household. As you may be able to imagine, most days here are like weekend days for both of us. However, when we run across mention of "long weekends" on television, Mom always sighs as though she's been working the mines for months and says, "Thank goodness!" She's so funny! Tonight on her way to bed, having heard, once again, while waiting for the local weather and hearing, once again, that tomorrow (today, actually) is a "holiday", she said, "Tomorrow would be a good day for both of us to sleep in."
I laughed. "Mom," I said, "you sleep in almost every morning."
"All the more reason to enjoy tomorrow morning, then."
At some time while we were viewing movies and the show, tonight, it snowed. Not much, but everything's covered. I was sorry I missed the event. There is something about watching snow (or rain) fall, standing out in it, that resets me. It doesn't look like we're going to get much more. This snow will probably be gone by morning and the next seven days promise more sun, although much cooler temperatures. Looking at the snow outside, though, I can feel myself relaxing to a level I haven't yet experienced this winter. Even Mom stood at the window for several minutes, gazed at the scene and said, "A nice change."
Earlier today I heard Seattle has been experiencing a 27 day stretch of rain that broke sometime this weekend. I withered a little. I wish I'd been there for it, washed out roads, mudslides and all. Rain will fall, again, within the next 24 hours. I've been so parched lately that I've been indulging in fantasies of putting Mom in a respite home for five days (the minimum amount of time any of the respite homes here will take someone) and scooting off to Seattle just to fool around in the rain for awhile. But, you know, knowing that the respite care would be exactly the same as what she received at "one of the better" skilled nursing facilities without the imperative of prescription therapy, knowing, as well, how confused she'd become because I wouldn't even be visiting every other day, I couldn't do that to her unless it was absolutely necessary and it's not. It's just not.
Stat reminders:
I'm planning another interview for tomorrow if Mom seems up for it. This morning (Sunday morning) she talked, once again, with much enthusiasm while we were bathing her that she thinks she'll "teach again next year." I didn't break into her fantasy, I let her roll with it. I occurred to me during our conversation that this would set up a great interview about her teaching career and her thoughts about education, both formal and informal, in general, and would also fulfill her desire to talk on record about "what I do." The Apes movies, though, got in our way. I suggested the possibility a couple of times but she didn't want to stop watching movies. When she finally needed a break for apes, she opted for television instead of recording. Maybe tomorrow. I'm up for this one.
Speaking of the podcast, it looks as though, without trying, I'm gathering enough material so that I'd have a fair chance of being considered for listing status with iTunes. Setting up my RSS page to include all their requirements was a breeze. The interviews are taking a different tack since the Who Am I? cast and I think I can legitimately argue for sociological interest so I'm hoping that will spark their interest. I already have three episodes and by the time I get around to petitioning for listing status I'll probably have four or five and will have established that Mom & Me - The Podcast will be updated regularly. The last requirement I took care of tonight. iTunes states that they give preference to those podcasts that include "a robust image", "at least 300px x 300px" as an advertisement. This requirement stumped me until I had an inspiration tonight that I created and I think is the perfect image for this cast. I'm displaying it here. The B&W headshot on her lower abdomen is a headshot of me cut out of a group picture taken when I was in the fifth grade of a chorus I belonged to at that time that put on concerts and musicals. When I was trying to think of some kind of appropriate image that headshot of me came to mind because, although it was taken a couple of years earlier than the picture of Mom, I've got the same kind of expression as she has. The belly placement of my head indicates that I'm her daughter. Our expressions are a perfect representation of the tone of this journal and of how we both, separately and together, look out on life: No window dressing, just the "if you're going to study me then I'm going to study you" essence, m'am. It should be "robust" enough for iTunes. Of course, there's no guarantee...and, as well, I've got a list of other directories to petition, once I find some time...
...later.
I shouldn't have bothered to ask. When I mentioned the series at breakfast she looked at me as though I was crazy not to have snatched it up. When I told her there were only three copies left she said, "Well, I guess you'll have to go back and pick up a set today." Just like that. So I did.
Before we began our festival I joked to her that I guessed over this long weekend we'd watch so many Apes movies that I'd be screaming and she'd be wishing they'd made 10 instead of 5. Good sport that she is, she laughed. Oddly, though, I'm enjoying myself. Naturally, our first was the original. Then, though, I decided to queue up the last DVD of the series, a two hour docutainment production hosted by Roddy McDowell about the making of the film series. By the time it was over I was ready for and looking forward to the rest of the films. We've got two left for tomorrow. Mom is ecstatic. I'm enjoying myself, much to my surprise.
We took a break this evening, watched Saved!, which played just before The L Word. This week's episode wasn't as Mom-watchable as last week's. Too much sex for her. During one particularly hot scene Mom said, in her jesus-fucking-christ voice, "What is the point of this show, anyway?!?" You haven't lived until you've had her ruin a perfectly amiable viewing of anything with this interjection.
Weekends are an interesting phenomenon in our household. As you may be able to imagine, most days here are like weekend days for both of us. However, when we run across mention of "long weekends" on television, Mom always sighs as though she's been working the mines for months and says, "Thank goodness!" She's so funny! Tonight on her way to bed, having heard, once again, while waiting for the local weather and hearing, once again, that tomorrow (today, actually) is a "holiday", she said, "Tomorrow would be a good day for both of us to sleep in."
I laughed. "Mom," I said, "you sleep in almost every morning."
"All the more reason to enjoy tomorrow morning, then."
At some time while we were viewing movies and the show, tonight, it snowed. Not much, but everything's covered. I was sorry I missed the event. There is something about watching snow (or rain) fall, standing out in it, that resets me. It doesn't look like we're going to get much more. This snow will probably be gone by morning and the next seven days promise more sun, although much cooler temperatures. Looking at the snow outside, though, I can feel myself relaxing to a level I haven't yet experienced this winter. Even Mom stood at the window for several minutes, gazed at the scene and said, "A nice change."
Earlier today I heard Seattle has been experiencing a 27 day stretch of rain that broke sometime this weekend. I withered a little. I wish I'd been there for it, washed out roads, mudslides and all. Rain will fall, again, within the next 24 hours. I've been so parched lately that I've been indulging in fantasies of putting Mom in a respite home for five days (the minimum amount of time any of the respite homes here will take someone) and scooting off to Seattle just to fool around in the rain for awhile. But, you know, knowing that the respite care would be exactly the same as what she received at "one of the better" skilled nursing facilities without the imperative of prescription therapy, knowing, as well, how confused she'd become because I wouldn't even be visiting every other day, I couldn't do that to her unless it was absolutely necessary and it's not. It's just not.
Stat reminders:
- Dinner Saturday night: Chicken enchiladas.
- Just because I wanted it for breakfast this morning and Mom loved it: Grilled uncured, naturally smoked (no nitrates or nitrites) ham and Jarlsburg Swiss cheese sandwiches on sourdough bread with a taste-through veil of spicy mustard.
- Dinner Sunday Night: Chili dogs using kosher polish sausage, good home made chili that was left over, lots of chopped green onions, lots of grated sharp yellow Cheddar cheese on Bouille whole wheat rolls.
- Bowel Movement today at 1305: Fairly good volume; excellent consistency; very easy elimination; very easy clean-up.
I'm planning another interview for tomorrow if Mom seems up for it. This morning (Sunday morning) she talked, once again, with much enthusiasm while we were bathing her that she thinks she'll "teach again next year." I didn't break into her fantasy, I let her roll with it. I occurred to me during our conversation that this would set up a great interview about her teaching career and her thoughts about education, both formal and informal, in general, and would also fulfill her desire to talk on record about "what I do." The Apes movies, though, got in our way. I suggested the possibility a couple of times but she didn't want to stop watching movies. When she finally needed a break for apes, she opted for television instead of recording. Maybe tomorrow. I'm up for this one.Speaking of the podcast, it looks as though, without trying, I'm gathering enough material so that I'd have a fair chance of being considered for listing status with iTunes. Setting up my RSS page to include all their requirements was a breeze. The interviews are taking a different tack since the Who Am I? cast and I think I can legitimately argue for sociological interest so I'm hoping that will spark their interest. I already have three episodes and by the time I get around to petitioning for listing status I'll probably have four or five and will have established that Mom & Me - The Podcast will be updated regularly. The last requirement I took care of tonight. iTunes states that they give preference to those podcasts that include "a robust image", "at least 300px x 300px" as an advertisement. This requirement stumped me until I had an inspiration tonight that I created and I think is the perfect image for this cast. I'm displaying it here. The B&W headshot on her lower abdomen is a headshot of me cut out of a group picture taken when I was in the fifth grade of a chorus I belonged to at that time that put on concerts and musicals. When I was trying to think of some kind of appropriate image that headshot of me came to mind because, although it was taken a couple of years earlier than the picture of Mom, I've got the same kind of expression as she has. The belly placement of my head indicates that I'm her daughter. Our expressions are a perfect representation of the tone of this journal and of how we both, separately and together, look out on life: No window dressing, just the "if you're going to study me then I'm going to study you" essence, m'am. It should be "robust" enough for iTunes. Of course, there's no guarantee...and, as well, I've got a list of other directories to petition, once I find some time...
...later.
