Tuesday off!

I took another vacation day today; Dottie was off after working her weekend and Monday. I got to bed at 4:30 this morning, a bit over 2 hours after I got home from work; I was up at 10:30 (with a lot of help from some caffeine).

At 11:30 we were seated in the theater for "Michael Clayton". I had read some very good things about it and seen a few previews. I try not to read too much as I don't like spoilers; Dottie had only heard me say I wanted to see it.

Stunningly good movie. Perhaps good enough to make it into my top 10, which is doing something since my own list starts in 1916...we'll see after I watch it again. "Box office and business" on the IMDB aren't updated, but I hope this breaks even for everyone involved!

We slipped out to Applebees for lunch, then back to the theater for "Resident Evil: Extincion". Dottie was so "into" seeing this that we rewatched the first two on Sunday night. I remember "1" almost frame for frame, but had forgotten more than I'd like to admit of "2". The movie was very good; they close the storyline enough that if there isn't a 4th you're content, but there is room for a 4th if the box office carries it. A nice addition to the series.

A turn signal bulb on her Malibu had burnt out on Sunday, so we stopped on the way home from the movie and I picked up a pair of bulbs, then hit the driveway to change her oil and filter, fix the bulb, and change wiper blades, along with resetting tire pressures now it's starting to cool down. I'll hit them about every two weeks until we settle into the 30's come December, as there can be 6-8 pounds difference if you drop 30 degrees air temp...(trying to get you each to do the same, forgive me!)

My niece graduated from the fashion program at Lasell College this last spring; her Mom and Dad sent us a DVD of their spring fashion show in which Melissa had designed, sewn and fitted a clothing line; each student then had to put together the music and show for their own line. It was really quite something to watch!

Now it's almost 4, Dottie went to bed almost 2 hours ago (very late for someone who has to be up at 8) and I'm headed off to bed shortly. This weekend is my brother-in-law's birthday party; delayed from the weekend we took my nephew back to school in Wyoming. Saturday night after Mitch's party we're hoping to keep Dillon overnight and revisit the Carousel Museum with him on Sunday.

I could use another afternoon of childhood right now!

Thank you all for the kind words below. I hope you forgive my asking your words of support for another blogger. I used to fear fighting that same monster when my sons were small, having lost my Dad and so many of my family members to it. I still fear that I may have passed something on to them that has yet to be discovered. I have had a hard time dealing with some of that this past few days, especially since last week was the 24th anniversary of Dad's losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Someone was once putting together a book I read about in "Films in Review" (a now defunct cineophile's magazine) that asked Hollywood stars what one word they thought the most powerful in the English language. They only printed a few, of course, to save the rest for sales; they printed Hedy Lamarr's, though.

Her word was "Empathy".

I have found much of that among you. I am so very grateful to you for sharing it, both with myself and others!

I wish, somehow, it could expand exponentially and slay the other monsters of this world!

alan