But first, the weather. We have been below freezing again since Wednesday, late afternoon. Tonight (Saturday), it is supposed to rise above freezing, lasting 24 hours. Then Sunday it all falls apart again, as the next severe cold front moves in. As long as the winds are low, we are cozy no matter what the temperature. But once the winds fire up, our old house shows its weaknesses. Most windows have been replaced, and are the best you can buy, as well as the two front doors. They let nothing in or out. The attic and basement are well insulated, too. But the walls have never been upgraded, as well as four windows on the north side, and one on the east side. Gradually it will all get done. Next up for replacement are the kitchen and bathroom windows (north side). So each winter we get more and more prepared, for either extreme cold or extreme heat.
In medical news, Deb had her infusion on Thursday. Around the corner and at the same time I went for my regular eye exam. My prescription changed by 1/4 of a grade over three years, so I am doing quite well. I am in bad need of new glasses; the old ones are falling apart, and I stepped on my back up pair during an astronomy session a while back. But new ones are on the way, about 10 days from now. Just up the road from Deb's arthritis doctor is a vegan fast food place, where we usually get a take out lunch. So after both appointments were done, we did just that. It was the coldest day of the season so far, but it was sunny and bright. The upcoming cold front will see even worse temperatures on Monday and Tuesday of next week, before it again moderates.
I have partially torn a rotator cuff tendon in my right shoulder. This happened last June, lifting weights in the basement. I finally saw my doctor in December, and he sent me for x-rays and ultra sound. The tear was revealed, as well as some bursitis in the shoulder. So I will be seeing two specialists at some point. The bursitis one is Deb's arthritis doctor! He knows me from my visits with Deb to his clinic. However, I'm not certain the bursitis is a problem just now. The pain I feel is likely from the tendon tear, as well as the loss of my full range of motion with the right arm. The tendon doctor I will see is the one who operated (very successfully!) on Deb's shoulder, when she had the same problem (caused by Iaido). Things won't happen very fast, but I did get an appointment in early March for the bursitis so far. With most elective surgeries on hold in Ontario, it could be a while before the tendon doctor can do anything for me. In the meantime, I am becoming quite adept with my left hand and arm, choosing to rest my right one whenever possible. Some days are pain free. On others, there is pain, especially if I do something stupid, like try to reach out with the right arm. So far we have had no serious snowfalls; it might be a challenge to move snow off the driveway.
Yesterday was the first day we saw ice on the Detroit River. Ships are still moving, but there are less of them. today I caught an oil tanker heading down river from Sarnia.
In movie news, I have a film festival of three films on which to report, as well as my two regular choices. Let's get started. First, the Philip Glass opera, at 4 1/2 hours, put us pretty far behind. So I chose short films for my bi-monthly festival. Two were from the Czech New Wave series on Criterion. This marks my fourth (at least) viewing of Milos Forman's The Fireman's Ball. And each time I see it I am totally amazed at this little masterpiece of film. It could also be called the Train Wreck (In Slow Motion), as the annual gathering organized by the village firemen totally unravels, and a good time is had by no one. For the longest time it was the only Czech film readily available to western viewers, and the prints were old and very scratchy. This one was pristine, and the colours were vivid. The opening scene is the hall, getting set up for the ball, pretty much sums up how things will go. A true classic, and not to be missed.
Capricious Summer, from 1968, was directed by Jiri Menzel (Closely Watched Trains), and is one of those films that seems to pay hommage to many other directors and films. Three men, one of whom owns a bathing shack on a muddy river, sit around waiting and watching for girls to arrive and go swimming. Suddenly a travelling show wagon passes, and a young man crosses the narrow river on a pole, advertising his upcoming show in the village. The men make the effort to take in his tightrope act, and each one falls for his partner, the young woman who collects money from the viewers. The three men each end up having their own adventure with the girl, including the canon, wearing his collar. It is quite a good film, and the humour is subtle and refreshing, as is the film.
Next came Cocteau's Blood of a Poet, a restored print of the 1930 film that blew minds in its day. It's still fun to watch, especially once the artist has passed through the mirror into the hotel hallway. Great fun! We saw it so many years ago in Detroit.
Having recently watched all of the Zatoichi movies, it was now time to turn our attention to his brother's series, Lone Wolf and Cub. Based on the manga series, which I own and have read, the films follow the story line quite closely. The first film is called Sword of Vengeance, and is from 1972. It gives the back story in flashback, as the current adventure unfolds. Lots of violence, comic book style, and some great sword work. The photography is really well done,and the locations beautiful. It doesn't resemble Zatoichi at all in style or look. We'll be watching one of these each month. The young kid is really cute, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment