Movie Mania

Thursday Feb. 23 - Friday Feb. 24

Thursday Feb. 23. Not much going on today. Just more or less lounging around the condo, reading, surfing the Internet and catching up on the blog. I do manage to get in a good workout in the evening. I am having an interesting email exchange with (niece) Kris at the moment. She has bought a Kindle, and we are comparing notes on the usage of the device, and on reading in general. Way to go, Kris! I didn't think you had the patience or the attention span for it, but I"m glad you're finding it interesting. I also get an email from Dawn that my car insurance bill has arrived -- $324.50 -- that Dawn will pay out of my checking account and mail me the new "proof of insurance cards" down here in Fort Myers. There's just no escaping the mundane (and often expensive!) realities of life "back home" even as I enjoy a little slice of heaven down here.

Friday Feb. 24. I went to the "Fleamasters" flea market today, and visited my watch buddy, Chris. He brought me a bunch of watches and watch parts from his "project box" for me to look at. I end up with eight watches (or parts of watches) including a nice case for a rose gold Hamilton "Wilshire," and a Seiko automatic chronograph. I got the whole batch for $120, and he didn't even haggle with me. So I should do well on those.

My book buddy, also named Chris, is there, and today I strike a rich vein of Randy White novels. I've really taken a liking to this author since reading "Sanibel Flats," which was his breakout novel featuring intrepid (but often reluctant) adventurer "Doc Ford." So I pick up four more books from the "Doc Ford" series, along with an early work of his, "Assassin's Shadow," which the author wrote under the pen name "Randy Striker." Oftentimes it is great fun to read an author's earliest works to see how they have evolved. The lead character in "Shadow" is named Dusky MacMorgan. Jeez, the name alone is enough to hook me, and it is said that White used MacMorgan as the prototype for Doc, who I find an extremely appealing character. He is my new Dirk Pitt, only I think I like Doc Ford better, because he is a great example of the "flawed hero" and, as much, is more mulilayered and complex than Pitt. Chris throws in one of the books for free. I really like this guy! I had visions once of being a book dealer, and imagine I might have turned out much like Chris. But it's kind of a tough life, and there's too much heavy lifting. So I'm glad I chose watches instead, and just keep reading a pleasurable pastime!

I also pick up a nice pair of workout shorts at the flea market for six bucks. So all in all, it's been a banner day at Fleamasters.

Well, I'm getting excited about the Oscars on Sunday, and in preparation I need to catch up on movies. This is something I had planned on doing during "rainy days" down here in Ft. Myers, but honestly we have not had a single rainy day (that I can recall) since I arriving here Jan. 1. So I decide to do a movie "double header" over to the Regal 20 cineplex at the nearby Bell Tower Mall.

The Artist
The Descendants

I also reserve a copy of "The Help" from my local Redbox, though I don't pick it up until Saturday (more on that later).

I found both movies wonderful in their own way. The Artist certainly tugs at one's nostalgic heartstrings. The parallels between the story line and the life of silent actor Rudolph Valentino are unmistakable ... the lead character's name was Valentin ... hello? (There was widespread speculation whether Valentino would have made it in the "talkies" with his ethnic voice. Of course, we never found out, as Valentino died unexpectedly in 1926 before the invention of talkies.) But the love story in The Artist is unique to this movie, and is irresistible. Bérénice Bejo's performance of  "Peppy Miller," opposite Jean Dujardin's "George Valentin" was worthy of her Oscar nomination of best supporting actress.

The Descendants was also great, and shows very poignantly how life does not come wrapped in a neat little packages of black-and-white, tied with pretty bows. Most of the time complicated, and filled with shades of grey. I found the scenes of the character, Elizabeth, lying in the hospital bed a bit difficult to watch, because it reminded me of Gwen's final days at Hospice. But, as the movie shows, life is hard sometimes, and we all need to be reminding that time is a gift not to be wasted. The movie makes we want to read the book by Kaui Hart Hemmings. It is her first novel, by the way, and it’s available on Kindle.

I bought the big bucket of popcorn, and their largest soda (which I think you can use the cup afterward as a small fish aquarium). I bought this so I could get a free refill between the movies. I timed it so I had about a half hour between the two movies, and it was a good thing because I had to pee like a racehorse after downing the first soda (hey, at least I made the sodas a Diet Coke). Though I put no added salt on the popcorn, it was pre-salted at the concession stand, so my mouth and tongue felt like the Bonneville Salt Flats by the time I left the movie theater. So if you check it out below, you'll see that I spent $35.75 at the theater to see two movies. Does this not strike anyone as a bit ridiculous, or is this yet another sign that I am getting old?

Expenses: Books, $12; shorts, $6; Movies, $22; popcorn/soda $13.75. Total:  $53.75.

Bruce