![]() On July 27th while sitting in the sun-room working on a puzzle, something I often do before dinner, I heard a thump. I knew immediately what it was but hoped I was wrong. I’d seen Dad pass by the window to sit outside - he was doing that intermittently as he found the air conditioned house too cold - outside was just right. No one saw him fall, but I suspect he was coming back up the stairs and missed the handrail as he went to grab it. He was motionless on his back when I got to him and was conscious, so I suggested he stay there and be still. We began a brief examination - does anything hurt, can you move, lets try the legs, arms etc., - everything seemed to be working. By then my brother was out and I thought we should get Dad in a sitting position. He could not do it himself. Peter grabbed his right arm and I was going to try the left, but decided to get behind and lift the full torso. We did this and stopped at the sitting position, but it was clear Dad could not hold that - I was propping him up. I suggested we try and lift him into a chair - which we did, but he really could not support himself - he was like a rag doll. In the chair he seemed to lose consciousness, eyes closing and not responding to questions. Mum was outside by this time. I said to her that if nothing changes in the next few minutes I’m calling an ambulance - which I soon did. By the time the ambulance arrived he had come around somewhat and was speaking a little, but we were answering the attendants' questions. He had a bleed under the skin on the back of his head where he hit the driveway, and his left elbow was also bleeding. One attendant was bandaging that, but Dad was complaining it hurt. Turned out he had fractured his left humerus. We did not go to the hospital with him as it would be hours before we could see him. We did not go that night, but I went the next morning. Turned out I could not see him as his Covid test results were not back. Until they could confirm his Covid status, he was not allowed visitors. If he tested positive I could still see him but under more strict protocols. I also learned that only two family members would be allowed visitation, another Covid restriction to inhibit the spread of the virus. It was not till Thursday that we were allowed to see him. I assume his Covid test was negative. He is stable at the time of this blog post. He will be 98 in November. ![]() Maintenance A few weeks ago a small leak appeared in the pressure release valve of one of the hot water pipes in the basement. It was just a drip, which happened to fall onto a large plastic lighting ceiling tile. A great deal of water eventually collected secretly. I happened to notice the sagging light sheet and got a big surprise when I investigated - soaked. Called the repair guys and it was an easy fix. When it rained hard I noticed a drip in the dining room. It was coming from a bay window extension. After a preliminary investigation, I got a ladder and made my way up onto the small roof overhang. It was pretty high and the roof area very small. For safety I decided to secure myself with a rope. To do this I had to open the window above that roof. We’d replaced all the windows in the house except for the four on the south side - two are bathroom windows. Point being that they are almost impossible to open. To open the one I needed I had to move my bed. To do that I had to unscrew the headboard from the wall. Why you might wonder why. The bed frame was broken and the only way to keep the bed from moving away from the wall was to screw the headboard into the wall and then the frame to the headboard. So I unscrewed the head board to access the stuck window. Successfully opening the window I was able to secure myself with a rope and make the repair - which was a great deal of caulking where the roof meets the brick outside wall. It seems to have worked. Kitchen window was replaced a few weeks ago, it had begun to rot. (reported in an earlier post) ![]() Last year I noticed a leak in the pool. The water was slowly dropping. At a certain point the water gets below the skimmer and starts to suck air - very noisy and not good for the pump motor. It needed water added every 2 or 3 days. We had the leak experts in at the end of last season but the water was too cold and they were very busy. I called them early this year as the same thing was happening. I told the guys it only leaks when the pump is on, so it’s not a leak in the pool shell. I also told them the bottom drain had been plugged years ago because of a leak. The diver put on his wet-suit and checked it. Yes, the plug appeared to have failed so he re-plugged it. It seems to have worked - fingers crossed. This type of problem is something that takes up space in one’s reality - always having to check water levels and then pulling out the hose to fill. It's great to be able to put that problem to bed. Pool update. The invoice for the repair arrived and said it was leaking of the main drain pipe at the SKIMMER. OK not what I expected. Then I connected the dots. For several years a young man named Mario managed the pool. He came from Argentina every spring and stay April through October opening, cleaning and closing pools. A year ago, before the pandemic, he got a job at the Casio and left the pool business. He closed the pool in the fall of 2019. In the spring of 2020 a new guy - Rob - opened the pool - and opened it according to the usual process. What he didn’t know (and neither did I) was that Mario had to remove the main drain plug at the skimmer to winterise it. The plug sealing the leak was never returned and so all last season we dealt with a slow leak. When the invoice arrived I went and looked at the repair and recognised the plug - it sat in the garage all last season. ![]() The house has two air conditioning systems - one large one for the upstairs and a smaller unit for the family room/kitchen area. The smaller unit stopped working. I called in the repair guys and after a complete system check they said it had died. It was 21 years old and had been discontinued. Meaning the faulty main circuit board could not be fixed. They would have a salesperson come by to set us up with a new system. The new air conditioner is great but the unit is smaller than the older one and as a result the wall on which it's mounted needed to be plastered and painted. The colour needed to be matched and it looks like a significant amount of painting will ensue. Paint was purchased and much of the room received a new coat. For some time now - going on two years, the air in the car tires deflates (every 7-10 days) to the point where the warning light comes on. I’ve had the air stems replaced, had the tires removed and rims sanded - nothing works. It is a common problem with this model - Ford Edge. American engineering and lack of responsibility for product quality - it’s not their problem, buyer beware. Beginning the second summer at the cottage where the land line has so much static that it’s impossible to have a conversation. I suggested to my brother-in-law who was there, to disconnect the extension line that runs out to the sleeping cabin. My thought was that water had leaked into the line - the protective coating had been damaged and was causing interference. Turned out to be the correct diagnosis. Whatever the real cause, disconnecting solved the static line problem. Sometimes your hunch is right. ![]() Read Outline Rachel Cusk (2014) Enjoyed this book. Nothing much happens but there is great insight into the human condition, especially from the female viewpoint. Thoughts on relationships, marriage, children, and fulfilment presented in an unique format. One Goodreads comment suggested it would be interesting to have various famous authors follow this format writing their own versions. I agree. “What she couldn’t stand, she said, was pretence of any kind, especially the pretence of desire, wherein someone feigned the need to possess her wholly when in fact what he wanted was to use her temporarily. She herself, she said, was quite willing to use others too, but she only recognised it once they had admitted this intention in themselves.” “The worst thing, it seemed to her, was to be dealing with one version of a person when quite another version existed out of sight.” “She herself, she said, had visited the very depths of disillusionment in the male character by being honest in precisely this way: men who had claimed one minute to be dying of love for her were openly insulting her the next,” Goodreads reviews here Death in the Desert: The Fifty Years War for the Great Southwest Paul Wellman (originally published in 1935, I read a 1987 reprint) Concerns the wars between the US Calvary and various Indian groups and their famous leaders. The historical period is between 1825 - 1875, during which time the native Americans were defeated and moved wholesale to reserves. Not for the weak of stomach. Goodreads link here ![]() Watched Late Night (Netflix) Stars the brilliant Emma Thompson as a popular TV host who hires a new writer to keep from getting replaced. The new writer is played by Mindy Caling who also wrote the script. Mindy is new to me. I never watched The Office, which she starred in, wrote, directed and was one of the executive directors (whatever that means today - a way to up your financial take?) She also had a series “The Mindy Project” had many other movie roles and is a best selling author. Emma Thompson as always is a joy to watch. She was recently on my radar as Kenneth Branagh’s first wife (read a book on him) and in the movie “The Children’s Law” This is a fun movie. Trailer here Halifax: Retribution (PBS) Australian “who done it” crime drama. Another one of the reluctant female crime solvers (Jane Halifax) , having to be convinced to come back and save the day. Nominated for the Best Drama Series for the 2020 AACTA Awards, and Rebecca Gibney (Jane) was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Eight part series. Trailer here The Little Things (Crave) Cast: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto - some heavy hitters. I didn’t know Malek, I didn’t watch Bohemian Rhapsody (I’m not a Queen fan). I didn’t know he won the Oscar for Best Actor, The Golden Globe for Best Actor, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury - I might watch it. This movie is about 35 minutes too long. The car follow towards the end - I had to fast forward. For me the ending was unsatisfying - no one in the film ends up happy. Could be the “art” aspect. I like Washington when he doesn’t go ballistic. There was a very good movie in it somewhere, but it never came out - for me. Trailer here ![]() Domina (Crave) If you watched “I Claudius” (great series if you haven't) then this is for you. As with I Claudius this is based on the historical Caesar Augustus, first Emperor of Rome. In the first series, even though it is about Augustus, his wife Livia Drusilla eventually takes center stage. In this series, it’s all from Livia’s point of view. Season 1 is 8 parts and at the current time it has not been cancelled or renewed. I think it’s a winner - more please. Trailer here I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015 Netflix) Blythe Tanner (Carole) and Sam Elliott. Carole is in her 70’s and has not had a relationship with a man in the 20 years since her husband died - except with her dog. She meets Bill, played by Sam Elliott. It is a fun movie which made me feel a little awkward at times. Trailer here I’ve spent a number of nights searching Netflix, Prime, Crave and the other options on Roku TV for something to watch, and end up with nothing so I've suspended my Netflix for 6 months. By then there should be a good backlog to catch up on. Wrath of Man (Netflix 2021) Guy Richie production/direction with Jason Statham. Get your action here. Trailer here ![]() The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) (FTW) A 1946 American film directed by William Wyler, and starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Harold Russell. The film is about three United States servicemen re-adjusting to civilian life after coming home from World War II. The film was a critical and commercial success. It won seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor (Fredric March), Best Supporting Actor (Harold Russell), Best Film Editing (Daniel Mandell), Best Adapted Screenplay (Robert E. Sherwood), and Best Original Score (Hugo Friedhofer). It was the highest-grossing film in both the United States and UK since the release of Gone with the Wind, and is the sixth most-attended film of all time in the UK, with over 20 million tickets sold. In 1989, The Best Years of Our Lives was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". This is a 3hr movie and was probably one of the first after the war to take on what we now call PTSD. The three men are changed in their outlook on life and it’s these changes and how they react to the world they return to which garners your attention. The Harold Russell story is very interesting. He was not an actor but a serviceman who lost both hands in the war. As mentioned he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and went on to a successful career advocating for the rights of returning servicemen, He was Canadian. Commentary on the film View trailer here ![]() Cloud Atlas (2012) Had to rent this from Prime to view - my second time. It too (see above) is a 3 hour movie. Deals with the overlap of time, reincarnation and the nature of reality. A classic (IMO). Written and directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Based on the 2004 novel of the same name by David Mitchell, the film has multiple plots occurring during six different eras in time, with the cast performing in different roles. The Goldfinch (2019 Netflix) A boy’s life changes after his mother dies in a terrorist bombing at a museum and a dying man convinces him to take a famous painting called "The Goldfinch" from the museum. The movie jumps around in time between the boy when he is young and when he’s grown (30 ish). It was the biggest box office flop of 2019, losing about $50 million. I enjoyed it finding it more entertaining than most comic book thrillers offered today. ![]() Ice Cold in Alex (1958) Captain Anson, the officer commanding a British RASC Motor Ambulance Company in Tobruk, is suffering from battle fatigue and alcoholism. With the city about to be besieged by the German Afrika Korps, Anson and most of his unit are ordered to evacuate to Alexandria. During the evacuation, Anson, MSM Tom Pugh and two nurses, Sister Diana Murdoch and Sister Denise Norton, become separated from the others in an Austin K2/Y ambulance nicknamed "Katy". The quartet decide to drive across the desert back to British lines. As they depart, they come across an Afrikaner South African officer, Captain van der Poel, who carries a large pack, to which he seems very attached. After the South African shows Anson two bottles of gin in his backpack, van der Poel persuades Anson to let him join their drive to the safety of the British lines in Alexandria. Trailer here
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AuthorI believe we are what we think. What we think depends on what we feed our brains. This is a partial record of what my brain has been eating. Archives
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