It's official -- I'll be headed back to Florida in early March, for a quick trip to join a "celebration of life" for my stepmother. I bought my ticket yesterday. I bought premium economy again, and it wasn't much more than what I've paid in the past for tickets in regular economy, so I felt pretty good about that deal. More legroom and the world's most expensive glass of "complimentary" champagne!
That's about the only meaningful thing I did yesterday, besides realize that we'd better stop spending so much money. Between our travels at Christmas, our trip to Spain, our summer cruise to Italy, this new ticket to Florida and my new laptop, I am hyperventilating about our checking account balance. We have more in savings but I'd rather not rip through that like a racehorse on the straightaway.
I went out yesterday morning with grand plans to transplant a buddleia that was growing at the back of our garden, underneath our fig and ornamental plum trees. The location was far too shady and last year it didn't look so good. Well, no transplanting was necessary, because when I looked again yesterday it was dead as a doornail. This is not a crisis. We have more buddleia than we know what to do with.
So I spent most of the day on the couch, reading. I polished off three New Yorkers. Oh, and I organized and archived all my photos for the last month or so.
In the evening, Dave and I went to see "Melania." NO! I'm KIDDING! I would never pay money to see that ridiculous film and in fact I wouldn't even watch it for free because WHO CARES?! Mr. Pudding posted this brilliant review from Mark Kermode on his blog and I have to link to it here as well because I got such a kick out of it. "Melania always talks about working," Kermode says. "When she says working, she means trying on frocks."
Other memorable lines from his review:
"It's like somebody making a documentary in which Eva Braun feels sad about war whilst Hitler invades Poland."
"She makes Derek Zoolander seem smart and self-deprecating."
"In its final act, it basically turns into 'Triumph of the Will.' It's a piece of handsomely mounted, crypto-fascist propaganda...a heist movie about a crime family breaking into the seats of power and stealing the cutlery whilst destroying democracy."
Trump "claims to be a peacemaker and a unifier and the ghost of Leni Riefenstahl fills the room."
(Photos: Stickers on Finchley Road.)
I've been following your blog for some months... this link to Mark Kermode is just... beyond words. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it! It gave me a boost!
DeleteThe last line is not lost on me, but would be by so many. Hopefully they will search for Leni. I just checked and it doesn't seem to showing at the two large cinema chains, and the posh cinema chain has it showing at two of its nine cinemas.
ReplyDeleteWell, Melania certainly belongs at a posh chain, not a chain for the everyman. LOL
DeleteThank God we are not forced to go and see that film - that would be my idea of hell.
ReplyDeleteMine too! As I said, I wouldn't even watch it for free!
DeleteSome of the Melanie reviews are so satisfying. I saw the trailer. That was bomb enough.
ReplyDeleteHow else are you supposed to go through savings if not like a racehorse on the straightaway? No one ever told us!
Ha! It's the only way to save!
DeleteBrilliant review link.
ReplyDeleteMr. Pudding gets credit for noticing it first.
DeleteKermode was very succinct but sadly words alone will not bring down this voracious family.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking eventually their voraciousness will do them in, but it's amazing what people seem prepared to tolerate.
DeleteThanks for the link...
ReplyDeleteThank Mr. Pudding!
DeleteIt is good that you'll be there for your stepmother's celebration of life.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wouldn't miss it. It's important for all four of us kids to be there.
DeleteI've technically been retired for awhile now but as a family unit, my wife still works and has no plans to ever retire so I don't know how I will feel when/if we ever get to a point where money is only going out. But I imagine I will feel really nervous for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard anything about the Melania film other than it exists. Although it was never on my list of things to see, even if paid to see, it certainly isn't on my list now after your review. The Eva Braun comparison though had me laughing.
Well, we have money coming in too, but it's been going out at a faster rate than usual!
DeleteMelanie working? So, it's a comedy??
ReplyDeleteI saw a review that called it a reality show and said it shows Melanie as being nothing more than an empty person.
She seems very empty. She's as featureless as a mannequin.
DeleteWhat was the point of the Melania film?
ReplyDeleteUltimately to boost her image and Trump's, I suppose, but yeah -- WHY would anyone care?
DeleteThanks for sharing the review link! I'm so very glad you will be going to Florida. I know it will be meaningful to everyone. And Spain sound pretty wonderful. So, economy begins. But boy, look at all you've done and enjoyed! And you HAD to have that computer.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was money well spent, I think -- just a lot of it at once.
DeleteMelania working sounds like royalty working!
ReplyDeleteVery similar! (In her own mind, as well.)
DeleteI'm so glad you can join family to celebrate your stepmother's life.
ReplyDeleteI am too.
DeleteThat was indeed a brilliant review. Kermode seemed embarrassed to have even watched it. What a waste of resources that film is.
ReplyDeleteTHREE New Yorkers? I'm impressed. I'm to the point where I'll start reading and article and think, "Why am I reading this? I'll never remember it and I don't need to know this stuff."
Not always, of course, but more often than I used to.
It does seem like expenses pile up all at once sometimes, doesn't it?
I'm glad you don't remember the articles either. Sometimes I think, "What was in that New Yorker I just read?" But I hope if someone brings up the topic I'll click on something I read there. It has happened in the past. LOL
DeleteOh my gosh, I'm going to come back later to read the full review. The quotes you posted are gems. Good to hear you got your arrangements made for the memorial service.
ReplyDeleteIt's well worth listening to!
DeleteLove those cat stickers. I tried to grow buddleia twice and it died both times. This was at the city house and I guess it didn't get enough sun, most that yard was in shade.
ReplyDeleteThe bits of the review you posted were enough for me. That's how much I don't care about that documentary. And I've already read other reactions to it. I also read something today about now there are bots sneakily showing up as views of films or podcasts to bump the numbers and fake the popularity.
Buddleia here is a weed -- it's everywhere, especially along the railroad tracks. It seems to love this climate. You get the gist of the review from the quotes!
DeleteI haven't got to Mr Pudding's blog yet. The Trumps can only stoop lower and lower.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how low they can go.
DeleteYou'll be busy with travel. After this round of trips, you'll likely stay more local.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Melania film needs to acknowledge failure and close.
The lines from MK are priceless and spot on.
As Kermode pointed out, it doesn't really need to make money. Its backers are ingratiating themselves with the government, and their investment will pay off that way.
DeleteI'll go play that review when I have a moment, but if the quotes you posted are a sample, I'm in for a treat. Apparently attendance has taken a precipitous drop on the 2nd weekend, which is not really a surprise, given the subject............
ReplyDeleteYou will love the review, I think.
DeleteExcellent link and review. I read an interesting twitter article by a European guy about how brand America is slowly sinking into the sea. Hoka, a French company, is over taking Nike in the running shoe space. Starbucks, McDonalds, Tesla, and others are losing market share. You have to love it, the rest of the world has turned away and the US becomes irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI hate the fact that the entire country has to go into decline before people get wise enough to unseat these charlatans.
DeleteI've been spending too much money lately too--mostly on my house. (boring!) At least you're going on trips!
ReplyDeleteOne benefit of not owning a home!
DeleteThat's good you will be going to Florida.
ReplyDeleteThe sticker photographs you've shared are colourful ...
All the best Jan
Yeah, they're fun stickers. I found another one last night.
DeleteI'm feeling kind of like those cat stickers....
ReplyDeleteHa! They do seem like cats having migraines, or something like that.
DeleteI like those cat stickers!!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that the buddleia had died..usually you can cut it to the ground and it will regrow.
I think they do need sun, though. They don't like dark places.
DeleteWhen I first retired, I was terrified that I wouldn't have enough money to live on. I do and so will you, but it does take getting used to.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the celebration of your stepmother's life will be heartbreakingly beautiful.
I'm kind of in that zone now. I think I just need to live it and see how it goes.
DeleteI was so disappointed to think that you and Dave went to see Melania. I should have realized it was a joke. I hear that the only people going to see it are the southern MAGA women.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen this https://youtube.com/shorts/TEPew65kWC4?si=MaC0nRAy16CROrFR
Yes, I did see that! I was glad they had the guts to put up that sign, but it shows how small-minded the Melania people are.
DeleteI listened to Mark Kermode's interview too and it only reinforced my plan to NEVER see that movie.
ReplyDeleteYeah, mine as well!
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