Dad

He is not a candidate for serious surgery. He was told that the last time. The heart he has is the heart that was given him via genetics. He has never smoked or drank. He has had issues with weight, but he has done the best he can to keep that under control. At his heaviest, after seminary, he was roughly 300 lbs. On a five-eight frame that's pretty round. But through dilligence and some fear (his doctor told it to him straight: lose the weight or die at 30) he lost the weight.

The fact that he has made it to 70 years of age is amazing. He should of been dead at about 4, or so. When he had his first heart attack in Virginia. We didn't realize how much damage had been done to his heart until he had his second one. But, like I often say: "he's a tough old Kraut" (I learned the other day btw that the word Kraut means "cabbage" in German. For some reason that seems oddly appropriate).

He has been having tests all day. I guess they started hauling him out and about at 0530. He ate his breakfast in "shifts" as he said.

He should be home either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Hospital

This morning I was awakened, around 830-ish my dad telling me that he was going to hospital because he had had some "tightness" in his chest during the night and had taken over the course of the night four nitroglycerin tablets. They helped aleviate the tightness, but his doctor had told him that if he had ever had to take more than two he should get to the hospital. He thought the doctor meant two in quick succession, but not over the course of 8 hours. But, he and my mom decided that it would probably be for the best to at least him looked at. So, we went to the emergency room of St. Francis Hospital. It is a brand new hospital and is considered to be one of the best in the state and its also not too far away from our house (an added bonus).

He was taken into the ER and promptly hooked up to monitors that buzzed and beeped and made neat little lines that went up and down on their screens.

He is fine. Let me get that out of the way. There is no need to worry, but the doctor decided to keep him for observation. They are also going to run a sleep test to make sure he doesn't have sleep apnea. Which, he may have.

The room he is in a suite. Its gorgeous. Has a nice big window that he can look out, a little Philips flat-screen tv, among other amenities. This is a rather new hospital facility, its much nicer than the other St Francis hospital complex he's been in. Much brighter, big hallways, and no scary corners. *chuckles*

He was in good spirits.

An Amalgamation

My feet hurt. So I took of my sneakers. I'm thirsty, so I got a cup of water. I am sitting behind circ desk at the library tonight. For some reason my feet just ache. I think I might need to get new sneakers, but I don't know.

I'm kind of tired, too. Been a long week. A long day. I didn't each much today. Actually, that's a bit of a fib. I didn't each much from breakfast to dinner, nothing actually except a couple of really sweet cookies in the late afternoon. My co-worker and I ordered pizza, as usual for Fridays. And I gorged myself on it, as per usual. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating. I wish I hadn't eaten so much so quick. I don't feel sick, but I'd like to just curl up and go to sleep. I could use a Sprite, too. That might make my stomach feel less bloated. That was probably too much information.

I wrote this in the little blog I keep at myspace:

I am tired right now. I didn't sleep real well last night, I had somethings on my mind that I can't fix. But I heard a phrase the other day that I really liked and I've kind of made it my mantra the last day or two: "Lots to think about, nothing to worry about." How true. I could worry about things, but that doesn't do much good. Those things that were keeping me awake are things that will solve themselves, or won't.

I can't wait for this semester to be done. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the classes and the work I've had to do for them. I've got two classes left and then I am officially done. I'll have my degree and I can see what happens next. That's what I'm really excited about: what's gonna happen next.

Someone asked me a few weeks back what I planned to do once I got my degree. I told them, with a straight face, that I hadn't thought that far ahead, yet. I told them, that when I do plan for things or plan to do something, usually job related, that thing doesn't work the way I wanted it, too, but that the result is usually better for me than it would of been if what I had to happen had. That was a convaluted sentence, but if you parse it, I think you'll get the meaning, or not.

So, I just go about life. Walking along and enjoying the view. And wonder "what's gonna happen next?"

A Funny Thing

When my white cat Emma gets tired at night. She gets these little bags under her eyes.

That is all.

Nikki Gioivanni Tells it Like it is at Virginia Tech

Nikki Giovanni is one my favorite poets, she is amazing. Her two minute speech at Virginia Tech is amazing and should be listened to over and over again.

VT

This cartoon was in the Indy Star this morning, its by Gary Varvel, editorial cartoonist for the Indy Star.

I'm not sure what to think about the events at
Virginia Tech yesterday. What can I say that hasn't already been said? I can just watch the tv and listen to the continuing coverage that goes on and on and says the same thing over and over.


I just can't wrap my brain around the whole thing, that's for sure. Particularly the gap of two hours betwen the first shootings and bloodbath that occured in the engineering building. Those two hours are going to be key. What did the shooter do during that time. Where did he go? How did he get away and how was he so easily missed? Granted, there was a certain amount of chaos in the campus. That's a big campus: 2,600 acres, 26,000 students, over a 100 buildings. I'd say its pretty close to impossible to "lockdown" a campus that size that quickly.

They keep saying that "an email was sent" at such and such a time. That's all well and good, but in order to get said email you have to be at a computer. On a Monday morning on a college campus students are on their way to class so they can't get the message. Word of mouth works, but not that well. This is one of those tragedies, and I hate to use that word because it is one of the most overused words in our languae recently, has a certain amount of shock when it happens. Who expects someone to go shoot 30plus people on a college campus? You can't plan for something like that. I'm not absolving the VT administration of some culpability, but at the same time I'd like to think that they did the best they could.

And it is my sincere hope and prayer that the VT community and the town of Blacksburg, VA can stand strong and tall and in solidarity with each other. My prayers and sympathy goes to the family and friends of the victims. Peace be with you.

Grindhouse

I went to the movies this evening. I saw Grindhouse the newest Robert Rodriquez/Quentin Tarantino vehicle. Grindhouse is a movie that is over the top, which seems to be what Grindhouse Cinema was all about. Grindhouse was a form of cinema that was popular in during the 60' and 70's. I'd seen it and I didn't even know it. I used to enjoy watching those bad kung fu movies that used to be shown on Sunday afternoons when I was a kid, but Grindhouse was also bad horror (slasher films) and the like. It also falls under "exploitation" genre of film, i.e. blaxpoitation films (i.e. Shaft and Super Fly). For some better examples you can check this out. I have a friend who just loves these kinds of films. I mean he loves 'em. Its his fault that I'm kind of into the whole genre to begin with.

Grindhouse is a hell of a good ride. Its kitsch-ie, raw, silly, strange, over-the-top, funny, sexy and bloody. I could go on with the adjectives, but you I think you get my meaning. Grindhouse is a "double feature." That is there are two full length films as well as fake movie trailers.

The first movie is Planet Terror. It is a blood spattered good time. The basics are this: a biological weapon is released by accident that causes humans to turn into these strange zombie like creatures. This has all kinds of great horror and bad sci-fi elements as well as just strange stuff. I was particularly intriqued by the go-go dancer with a machine gun for a leg. Weirdly, it works. The movie is just so far-fetched and my disbelief was suspended to such a degree that I just went with it.

The second movie, Tarantino's offering, is called Death Proof. I really liked that one. It has one of the best car chase scenes I think I've seen in a long time. Kurt Russell stars as Stunt Man Mike a somewhat disgruntled and disturbed stunt man who has done stunts in movie no one has ever heard of, but the time he gets done with people he comes in contact with, though, they know very well who Stunt Man Mike is. Death Proof felt a lot like Reservoir Dogs, at least at the beginning, particularly with the dialogue heavy scenes and the camera work, but the second half is well worth the build up.

In between the movies there are fake movie trailers that are actually quite fun. One of these trailers was directed by Rob Zombie of White Zombie and House of 1,000 Corpses fame. Another of the trailers was for a "movie" called Machete. It "starred" Danny Trejo. You probably don't know the name, but you've seen the actor. He is the Latino actor with the bandito tattooed on his chest. He usually plays a bad guy.

The whole experience was a good time. This movie is certainly not one to take the kids to, but if you're looking for a hell of a good time and want to be thoroughly entertained by all means go check this film out. From what I understand the movies will be released seperately on DVD so you won't be able to get the "Grindhouse experience" unless you go to the movies and see it. I may have to go see it again.

Darn That Dream

I am in the law library right now. We are on extended hours which, in fact, means nothing more than staying open one hour longer so the baby lawyers can get studying in. The irony of it all is this: I don't think there is anyone in the library but me and my coworkers. So, I sit here at the circ desk reading blogs and listening to my iPod with one earbud in my right ear, the other lays limp by my chest. I've been listening to my iPod on "shuffle" for the last few weeks. I've gone through a little more than half of the songs I have on it. Right now the song playing is "Darn That Dream" by Miles Davis. I find some irony in that title, but I'm not sure why. Why am I finding irony in so many things lately? Is that in and of itself ironic?

I was talking to a professor I had a couple semesters back. She is 70 years old, looks about 60, if that. Her husband last summer after a long battle with cancer. They had been married for fifty years. She informed me today that she is getting remarried! To a guy who was a friend of her husbands and whom she has known for over 40 years. They are getting married in Vegas next month and then moving to California. I wish you could of seen her as she told me about it. She was so happy and joyful. She is my favorite professor I've had during my time here. I'll miss her. I honestly can say that if I hadn't had her as a professor I doubt very much I would of gotten through this.

Shooter and Where it Leads

I went to the movies today. That's something I don't do very often... go to the movie. I was hoping to see Grindhousethe newest Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodeiquez "double feature." I have a thing for movies of this nature. Strange and off beat. I also like "exploitation" films, too and this kind of fits in that category, I think, but, darn the luck-- Grindhouse wasn't shown until four o'clock and I didn't feel like waiting around. So, I decided to give The Shooter a try. I didn't know much about it, but I'd seen the previews and it looked like a movie I might like, you know one of those movies that is geared towards the 18-35 year old male (I fall into that category). It looked like a good a balls out kind of movie. It didn't have quite the fun quotient of say The Rock but it had its moments.

I must say this off the bat: it is a bit over the top in its violence. I, personally, don't need to see heads explode as bullets pass through them, but realism is a must now adays so there you are. On the whole, I liked the movie. It was paced well and had just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Though, I found myself getting lost once or twice, I was able to catch up. In movies like this one must be able to turn off their powers of disbelief. If you don't, can't or won't you just won't enjoy the movie. There are some far-fetched scenes.

The Shooter is about a former Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, who is a bit disenfranched about his government (cliche, I know) because of something that happened in the past (Rambo type start to the film). He is recruited by the CIA, or the FBI, or one of those alphabet soup agencies to help them catch an assassin who is planning to kill the president, but in actuality they are setting him up to take the fall. Let's just say that that is the start of a lot of bad things that happen. I'd go into it further, but then I'd have to ruin the surprise.

I must say that Mark Wahlberg (aka Marky Mark) continues to impress me as an actor. He really is very good. He "holds his own" as they say. Also, Michael Pena does a great job as a rookie FBI agent, but I got him confused with Michael Beach, who stared as Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers. They look an awful lot alike.

Here's what drives me nuts about going to the movies: the cost and the 15 minutes of advertisements/trailers. The trailers don't bother me too much, but its the ads the drive me bonkers. I really shouldn't bug out too much about the cost, though, because after I dropped my seven bucks to get into the movie I spent another 10.50 to get myself a Coke and think of nachoes, I was hungry. I feel like I'm a captive. At least I wasn't subjected to the anti-pirating PSA's they had a few years back. I'm also kicking myself because I forgot my MovieWatchers card.

I'll try and see Grindhouse soon, but I also want to see The Hoax mainly because Clifford Irving appears in an amazing film called F for Fake, by Orsen Welles. And the movie The Hoax is about Clifford Irving's world renown con: an authorized bio about the excentric billionare Howard Hughes.

So, to bring this back to its original thesis: The Shooter is a pretty good flick. You don't have to think too hard, it has some good one liners and some great shootouts. Its violent, but I don't remember much vulgar language. Oh, and it was good to see Danny Glover back in the movies. I hadn't seen him in a while. So, if you have a few extra bucks in your pocket go check out The Shooter.

Those Hills, They Got Me By the Heart

I got back from vacation last night. My mom, dad, and I did a short trip through Ohio to Maryland. Weather-wise, it started out great. Warm and sunny, but then, well, some Artic weather came down and things got cold, quick. By the time we got the mountains of Maryland the weather was down right see-oh-elle-dee. The tempeture never got about 32 degrees and it snowed. Well, there was snow flying about, it wasn't sticking, per se, but it was snowing and blowing and grey. It was funny, though. Everytime I said something, in a joking way, about it being cold and the first week in April everyone, to a person said "Well, that's Garrett County." How true. How true.

I grew up in Garrett County, Maryland. I lived there from my sixth grade year to my sophmore year in college. I lived there for just under ten years. It is my home. Everytime I go back there it gets hard to leave. I hope someday to live there again. Those mountains they have me. They really do.

This One Is True.

If you ever wondered it the news stories on Yahoo are real. I can vouch for this one. They are friends of the family. My mother is good friends with these kids' grandmother. Has been for years.