Daily Archives: May 9, 2009

Cinema and Television

Slumdog

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Beltane                   Full Flower Moon

It takes longer for films to make it up here north of 694, the transition point where pick-up trucks begin to out number SUV’s and mini-vans.  It should be no surprise then that Kate and I just saw Slumdog Millionaire.  This is a wonderful movie.  At least at first the most engrossing aspect of the film was its sheer cinematic beauty, somehow Danny Boyle made the famed Mumbai slums glow while not romanticizing them.

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto  (what kind of name is that?)  made the film with their tenderness in the midst of horrific circumstances.  Dev Patel’s slumdog had a nobility and purity that put the police, the corrupt game show host and his own brother in such a bind that they all ended up supporting him, even if reluctantly.

Freida managed a tough girl staying on her feet in spite of the curse of beauty.  Dev never gave up on her; he pursued in a Quixotic manner, eventually making it on the game show because he knew she would be watching.

Worth its Oscars.  In fact, it was good in spite of them.

Travel

Gettin’ Ready

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Beltane                         Full Flower Moon

As I move into the week before a trip, I begin going over my check lists, things to take, things to stop, buy fewer groceries, get all necessary work around the house done.   On my to take list are wheeled luggage (for those long trips from the first class lounge to the train), netbook, deet, camera, Kindle and my passport.  Yes, clothes, too.

On the to do list is gathering necessary passwords and usernames in one place, stop the mail, stop the newspaper, get all the baby plants in their new beds, check the bees one more time, finish moving the day lillies.

There is, at least for me, the inevitably of forgetting some task, some essential item.  Over the years I have become familiar with my habits, the kind of things I tend to forget or misplace, so I tend not to lose or forget my wallet, glasses, tickets, camera and Dopp kit.  Maybe this will be the trip where everything gets done and nothing forgotten.  No thing left behind.  Hey, could be an educational program, too.

Today in specific I’ll move all the indoor plants outside, work some more on the day lillies and set my baby plants outside for 5 hours.  Gotta groceries, too, and cook dinner.  Then, there’s workout.  Ready. Set.