Pigs Flying By Our Window . . .

. . . and the other shoe falling all around us. Musings from the Goodrich Home, which should be under quarantine. Achy and stuffy once more. Good Grief! Is there no end to this malady? Tom should be put to sleep and out of his misery and I should have IV wine and a nice soft bed. . . .

Bizarre storm last week. Here in the middle of Topeka, we're pretty sheltered from the most awful winds, but just across the park, our neighbors Ed and Susie Marchant were visited by a whirlwind which smashed up their small, but tastefully appointed backyard. It also took the flying pig weather vane from their balcony, and the balcony railing. Someone is just not living right in that house! Likewise, our friends the Turners. Carol, who has been waiting for "the other shoe to drop," called to report that Payless Shoe Source had landed on their roof! (Figuratively speaking, I think. . . . Then again, this is Kansas--land of flying houses and flying monkeys!) Their home is tucked away above the Kaw River, in the bluffs where tornadoes rarely touch down. But this storm broke a glass table on the patio and generally wreaked havoc including ripping an outdoor clock from the wall and smashing it on the ground. Just a night or two before, a light fixture in Carol's breakfast nook had fallen and broken their glasstop table. That woman needs to be investing in Plexiglass!

Since she is kneedeep in glass replacement and grandchildren duty, I agreed to appear on her behalf at the meeting of Retired Teachers this afternoon. I was totally unprepared but did that stop me from talking? Never!

Too sick to see 3:10 to Yuma so far, but Michelle sends this encouraging report:

If there is one movie that you must see this fall it is 3:10 to Yuma. Now, I love the original. Glen Ford is outstanding. BUT...Russell Crowe is so witty, cold hearted, clever, intelligent and drop dead gorgeous as Ben Wade you will be cheering for the bad guys the whole way through the film. The acting is stellar, the costuming top notch, the music moody, ethereal and riveting, the visuals at time bleak yet intriguing....all in all...3:10 to Yuma is probably one of the best movies I have seen in the last 10 years. It keeps you interested from start to finish.

Speaking of finishes, if you have not seen the original or do not remember, it has a wild ending that you never suspect. I sat in my seat at the theatre while the credits rolled just wishing that I was taking it home on DVD right there so I could watch it over and over to study the nuances.

This film is dynamite! Let's all keep our fingers crossed that The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford lives up to the hype. I really hope that Brad Pitt is able to become Jesse James and not come off as Brad Pitt acting like Jesse James. If you are a fan of westerns or really handsome men looking their rugged best this is the fall for you! Ladies, even if you don't like westerns, try 3:10 to Yuma!!!!! I mean, come on, lots of ladies didn't like Gladiators but Crowe sure did lots for the gladiator uniform. He does not disappoint in the "eye candy" department in this one, makes me wanna be an outlaw's gal!!! Saddle up and head to the theatre, its high noon and men look dandy!

I can hardly wait to get to the theatre this week. I love to be the first one to see the latest, especially Westerns! Alas, Tom has the patience of Job and thus, if I want a date for the movie, I have to wait until he's ready. Right now, the rain is falling steadily outside my office window, my head is barely above the keyboard, and the radio reports that it is barely 60 degrees. Wasn't it just last week that it was a hundred? Dear readers, I am taking to my bed with a nice, chilled bottle of Nyquil.

Have a nice day.