The Weekend Reviewed

This was a good weekend!

Yesterday I was up around 0630, really got out of bed closer to 0800, had breakfast, then got in the shower, dressed and picked up my mother around 1230 to visit Ray. I had his shirts and had stopped at the store to get him some crackers the previous night. We left ten minutes later and got to the rehab place around 1245.

We took Ollie and went outside to a small area that they had for the "inmates", and Ma and I sat in the plastic chairs, and Ray sat on the wall. The chairs were too low - when one has hip surgery, one is supposed to sit higher than the level of their knees, but not lower. The chairs would be okay for someone 5'10" but not 6'4" with long legs, like Ray. He's not disproportionate like some men, with a long torso and not so long legs. Luis is a little more like that. Some guys have very long torsos, a look I don't like. Longer legs look better.

Anyway, we had a nice time sitting outside and talking and then at some point Ray's hip began to ache so we went back in. He moves really, really well, trucking up and down the hallway with his walker, which really just provides balance at this point. He is tackling stairs at the physical therapy sessions. He has his staples coming out tomorrow. Things are moving along very nicely and the progress, in two weeks, is absolutely incredible.

We left at 1510 and I stopped at the A&P for Ma to run in and pick up groceries. I stayed in the car with Ollie. She took 45 minutes and I was ready to shoot her. I dropped her and the groceries off and headed back, picked up some Afghani food and then headed to the squadhouse at 1750, only to find that the rigs had already gone to the St. Whatever's Carnival. Apparently we were supposed to be there at 1745. Luis took me over and I was there at 1805.

Nothing happened at the carnival itself by some miracle, but we did end up with the smoke condition call right next door at Baldwin Oaks. There was no fire, but definitely the acrid stench of burnt food was overwhelming. The woman who burned her food spoke not a word of English. Amusing. We could not even obtain a signature. We gave up and left. That was the extent of our calls for the night. I'm quite happy with that. At one point I heard Medics responding to someone, but it was just that, and nothing else.

I was up around 0700 this morning after not sleeping most of the night. That is just the way those 12 hour shifts are. I ate breakfast around 0800 and then got ready for the day. I did a little stuff on Facebook.

Then we headed out to see Iron Man, and to our surprise it was incredible! Robert Downey Jr looks nothing like he did in the teeny-bopper movies; been a long time! But he looked good, just surprisingly older (which is stupid, since that is what happens to people). Gwyneth Paltrow is always great and it was certainly an interesting role for Jeff Bridges - who definitely doesn't look like he did in Star Man. The whole cast was good, really. The plot line was good and despite the 2 hour, 6 minute running time, the movie did keep one's interest engaged and looking forward to things.

I also managed to stay completely focussed and details that normally escape me didn't. That is both a positive and a negative. It made the movie more predictable but more interesting, too. However, predictable or not, it was still very, very good!

Some little details... on the way to Rockaway to see Iron Man, we were driving on Route 80 West and there was a white van ahead of us, drifting in and out of the lane. I was at first wondering if the driver could have been getting an early start on his or her drinking or maybe was that hammered from the night before. However, I needn't have worried. Occam's Razor once again came to the fore: the simplest theory is most likely correct.

When we came abreast of the driver, who'd drifted and miraculously stayed in the right-most lane, was yakking on her cell phone. I wished I'd taken a couple of photos - first of her driving while on the cell phone; the second while shifting through a pile of papers - maybe invoices? - and finally, one of the license plate. Talk about a menace! This woman should have been arrested. It was criminal. This was a middle-aged woman with close-cropped grey hair and obviously too busy running a business to drive in anything resembling a safe manner.

The matinee movie cost (at 10:55) was $12. Beats the hell out of last weekend's movie, which after 1800 shot up to $21. Ouch. After noon it would have been $16. And the concessions? BYO. You don't want to pay more for the munchies than the entrance fee - the after 1800 entrance fee!

It was pouring when we got out. Wahoo. But we had a good time and a good day.