Heaven, Babel, the flu and Baldness

In the last few days, I have signed in to blog, gotten distracted trying to find a photo, or trying to discover how to "link" ... and still have not got that figured out. I am new at this. I'm not even sure what I meant to say when I started this. SO, the answer to THAT is just to get started again. I would appreciate it if anyone could give me easy directions about linking.

Saw an excellent movie the other night on IFC called "Heaven" with Cate Blanchette. The movie was in Italy, in italian, with english subtitles. I am not sure what year it was made, but Cate Blanchette is Cate Blanchette and she has now become my favorite actress. I saw her in Elizabeth and in Oscar and ????, what was that other name? And I want to see "Babel" soon.

In "Heaven," she plays an english teacher in Italy, focused on revenge for the death of her husband. Telling more might spoil it as I might tell too much. But this one scene, I'll have to tell. There is a scene in this movie where she actually shaves her head. Completely. Amazingly, she was still beautiful.

Then, the next night, it is all over TV about Britney Spears shaving her head. Clips of it made me wonder if she had seen Cate Blanchette in "Heaven."

Then, last night, on my currect favorite TV show, American Idol, it seemed that there was an unusually high percentage of bald (shaven) young men competing. I think there was only one last year. So what is it with this baldness? Is it the new rage? Older men could forget the hair plugs, etc., if Bald is In. It probably wont catch on with women though, as they have to be young, beautiful and have a completely perfectly shaped head. (Not everybody does.)

My sister did come to visit and we had a really grand three days. But a day after she left, I came down with the flu and have not been myself at all.

It's a really good neighbor

who will keep your dog for you! Or maybe it means that you yourself are a good neighbor. . . or that it is an especially good dog.

The neighbors ARE keeping the Australian Shepherd so that means my sister won't get here til Sunday. (They are going to visit their son and his wife first, and then come here.)

But speaking of dogs, I ought to mention that I have a really amazing, elderly Pug - named MacTavish. He will be 14 this year and is taking advantage of his great age by sleeping as late as he pleases. He tells me that Age has its privileges. (Yes, he talks, though not with sound. He talks with his eyes.)

In 1993, I was thinking of getting a dog. Since even then, I would often sleep late and not hear my alarms. I thought a dog would wake me up in the mornings, so began the search. My sister lived here (in this town) then and one morning we were having coffee and looking at the ads in the paper. There was an ad for pug puppies not too far away, out in Fredonia. She knew how to get there, so we went. It was a rural area and there were a lot of dogs running around. On the porch stood the mother pug, looking a bit weary but majestic, all the same. We were led into the kitchen to see the last puppy. All the others had been chosen except this one. A little male, fawn with black face and ears. He did not run right up to us, but stood there on his firm little legs and looked at me. He seemed to be thinking about it.

We told the owner I'd have to think about it, and we went back to the car. It was a coldish day in December. My sister started the car and I said "Wait!" -- What's there to think about?

and went back in for the pup.

Well, we've been getting along pretty well for 13 + years. I took him to school three times and he loved it. He learned to walk on the lead, to sit, stand and down, but "stay" was a problem.

He was so tiny and the school had many big dogs. He wasnt afraid of them, but neither did he like them much.

He's still that way. Doesn't care much for other dogs, but is neither agressive nor submissive. He just looks at them and keeps his distance.

MacTavish never has waked me up in the mornings. Never. He sleeps later than I do. And he only learned to bark last year. Well, sort of a bark. A loud noise anyway. He used to be a very quiet dog, but now gets loud if he doesn't get his food on time.

We watch The Dog Whisperer religiously, and we've both learned a great deal from that program. Mostly me. MacT just looks at me and says "I told you so."

My sister loves flip-flops

Good news! My "baby sister" is coming to visit. (from Florida) Haven't seen her in a year. She called tonight and said she'd be here tomorrow! But she said it depended on whether their neighbors could keep their dog (an extremely beautiful , unusually slender, frisbee catching Australian Shepherd.) I don't quite understand what that has to do with it. She knows she can bring the dog.

Oh, I am very excited and will be so happy to see her.

I'm still working on the socks and think there may be enough yarn to finish them. I've decided to keep them since the yarn is not machine washable. Not everybody wants to hand wash their socks. I don't either. I didn't realize that the yarn was "hand wash only" until I had the socks well under way. Live and learn.

The book (Crichton's NEXT) arrived a couple of days ago and I started it. At the beginning, he says "This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't." After 100 pages, I was infuriated about that! I want to know which parts are NOT fiction . . . as there are so many outrageous things described . . . if even 20% of them are true, this is a far far stranger world than I ever thought possible.