A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER

Friday, Terran and I celebrated Valentines. I know it’s a little late, but he had to work on the actual day and there hasn’t been a chance since. We went to the Gateway Car Museum about an hour from here. It is owned by the man that started the Discovery Channel, he owns a house there in Gateway and is building a resort to go with the car museum. Terran and I had a lovely time chatting while driving, seeing all the cars (one of them cost 3.24 million dollars), and eating a yummy lunch.

Our little partner got sick this weekend and couldn’t go sledding with us. Poor guy was really worried that we would forget him or be mad, because he couldn’t go this once. It broke my heart when his Grandma told me this. At times being a Senior Partner can be the most challenging and sometimes frustrating thing that Terran and I have ever done, but a moment like that brings it all back into perspective and I realize it’s all about showing a kid some consistency. Allowing him to get to know some adults that aren’t going to walk out on him, and just allow him to be a kid.

Because Trinity was sick we had an open Saturday. We couldn’t remember when this happened last. Terran and I got to sleep in and go cross-country skiing. To be out in the snow with the sun shining having no time restraints, that was a treat.

We also squeezed in a couple movies. Both passed our expectations. I’m a little embarrassed to say that The Departed was one of them, because it just won Best Picture at the Oscars; making it feel so mainstream and kind of cheap to recommend it now. I was surprised to see it as one of the choices, because it was so brutal and gritty. Now for the glowing recommendation… It is a brutal movie and if you don’t like cussing and blood and brains, don’t watch it; if you don’t mind those things when the plot is strong and the acting great, watch it. It’s a modern day gangster/mob movie with everything you expect from gangsters in it. It left me a bit shocked and crying for justice while saying it is one of the better movies I’ve seen.

The second movie was as far away from The Departed as you can go. It also ranked quite high. Scoop, starring Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and Woody Allen is hilarious! Terran and I spent the whole film laughing. The movie is well acted with the actors almost over acting their parts, only adding to a well-written funny script. Even though I think the actors over acted, the movie had a very understated air to it with a dry, wry humor hovering through the whole thing adding to the delight of the show. It almost crossed into the ridiculous leaving one laughing and surprised. I look forward to watching it again to see if it’s as funny and to hopefully catch a few more jokes.

Sunday also passed wonderfully with Terran skiing with friends and myself doing a little hiking, leaving me time to read and relax on my own.

This weekend was really a welcome break with the kids I care for having had the flu, plus working a bunch of extra hours, and myself trying to fight off the flu last couple weeks. Tuesday I came home from work queasy to my stomach, achy, and cold. I fed the dogs, deciding a bath was the only thing that I needed. It was heavenly for about the first five minutes; I was finally warm and could feel my muscles starting to relax. As Kaia came running in to see what I was doing and ran out again, a horrid, putrid odor filled the room as the tip of her tail disappeared from sight. She had farted in the split seconds she spent in the bathroom. It was all I could do to keep my stomach from rejecting all I had dared to drink and nibble on during the day, with no where to escape submerged as I was. I can laugh now about it. During the moment I could have strangled the little Turd quite happily. I always thought dogs were man’s best friend supporting, loving you in your down moments, giving comfort where it’s needed and so on. I’m not so sure now.

Naomi