Special Nap

Two Emotional Films

Saturday we watched two fairly emotional films.  Bobbins saw Les Mis with the girls while I saw Lincoln with Mr. M and Diablo.  I'll let Bobbins comment on that movie, but you know I have to weigh in on a film on a topic which I much studied and on my favorite President.  The short verdict is that it's good but not movie-theater good, i.e. wait till it's on Netflix or other platforms.  It's obviously a very dialogue-driven movie, so you don't need the big screen or sound.  But it's a little too long and there's a couple troublesome spots.  First, the script elevates Mary Todd Lincoln into someone/something she wasn't.  They've kept her weirdness and grieving nature but also made her more of a player in the action than she really was.  Lincoln was certainly a folksy guy but I don't think -this- folksy.  The film is almost exclusively about January 1865 but the last 20 minutes goes to April and Lincoln's assassination.  It's a sappy coda to the real story, the passage of the 13th Amendment.  This isn't a biopic of Abraham Lincoln but the story of the amendment to end slavery in the United States.  The film's crescendo is the amendment's passage, and this should've been its end too.  Instead we get a long play to emotion for the drawn-out finish.

But the good points: Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal as the President.  He's an unbelievable actor so you expect it, but it's still a revelation.  From the first moment he appears on screen you feel like you're really looking at the 19thC man.  Tommy Lee Jones embodies radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens.  Spielberg infuses heady drama into parliamentary maneuvers toward the amendment's passage in the House of Republicans (which wasn't -that- dramatic) and there are some wonderful exchanges.

The second film, which Bobbins and I watched together, was Ocotober Baby, a powerful pro-life story that really challenges some of the conventions of today's abortion debate.  It's a very touching film.  The first half doesn't quite establish its footing, as the dialogue is jumpy, the scenes don't mesh, and the narrative falters, not flows.  The second half, however, packs quite a wallop.  Of course we already agreed with the film's message, but this story is so remarkable I don't see how even the most ardent pro-choicers couldn't be moved. 

Ready for Broadway

This one's pretty much for the grandparents . . . .

Rose Parade

New Years morning we ventured over to Colorado Blvd for the Rose Parade, as we've done every year since 2009.  This year Bobbins' brother Mark and his wife Jessica & son Will joined us.

 

 

 

 

 

Northwoods

Keeping with tradition, we ate dinner New Years Eve at North Wood's on Rosemead.  We left the girls at Nana Norma's and Poppy Ernie's.  The food was plentiful and delicious, as always.

Huntington Library & Gardens

New Years Eve day we intended to visit the CA Science Center, which now features the retired space shuttle Endeavour.  The tickets were sold out so we decided to hit the Huntington Library & Gardens in San Marino.  Bobbins and I had a very memorable date there several years ago.  The girls were a little young to fully enjoy it but it was a really nice day.  I enjoyed the Death in the Civil War exhibit.  We snuck in some food and had a picnic underneath one of the trees.  Afterward we walked through the Japanese Garden.

 

Rock-A-Bye-Baby

JoJo read Nana T to sleep one night in CA.




We're not sure how or why she does it, but JoJo talks and sings herself to sleep for about 30 minutes to an hour every night, usually while paging through a book.

Life of Pi

On our annual date at the Santa Anita Mall this year, Bobbins and I checked out Life of Pi.  The best showtime was in 3D, so we sprang a few extra bucks, and it ended up being worth it.  The scene where the ship sinks and Pi is stranded in the water looking down the ocean swallows it was very well done and impressive with three dimensions.  Another scene involving Richard Parker making a special appearance was a lot more terrifying in 3D.  There were also lots of brilliant colors.  The movie was pretty good, in general, with solid acting and some great effects.  Apparently Richard Parker was completely CGI, which I would've never guessed.  Having read the book, the plot and reveal at the end didn't grip me as much as others.  Bobbins was gripped enough but didn't like the way the moral/theme was revealed at the end.  She thought it was too dumbed down, which it was.  This is one I would recommend for the theater, even in 3D, although by the time you read this it'll probably be too late.

Kitchen Entry Widening

With two days after Xmas before going to CA, we decided to take on a house project.  The front entry to the kitchen was standard door length but blocked the pantry door from fully opening.  How hard could it be to knock out 14" of wall to make it bigger?  A little harder than we anticipated (especially me having to crawl in the attic so much), but we nearly finished it in a day and half.  Uncle Jack provided some key help the first night, in particular in the electrical, as we had decided to add an outlet on the wall facing the front door (outside the kitchen).  Since we had to replace two of the tiles, we decided to take up five others in the kitchen that were cracked.  Bobbins' dad and brother helpfully laid and grouted the tile while we were gone.  Bobbins and I finished the drywall and moulding (including painting) when we got back from CA.

        BEFORE                                 AFTER

 The process

 

 

 

 

Castle Dome

On our way to CA for New Years, we stopped at the Castle Dome Mining Museum northeast of Yuma.  I had read about this place in the AZ Republic a couple years ago and thought it sounded pretty neat, even though it was 120 miles out of our way.  Boy was it ever.  A lot to see.  Much of the old town remains, moved into one central location for easier viewing.  The mines produced mostly lead but did have some silver.  They were most active during the two World Wars, when lead for bullets was in high demand.  We paid the admission and spent a few hours tooling around.  Also had a great picnic lunch under a ramada.