Greetings from Topsy-Turvy House, where I stare at a mattress propped up against the wall as I write this post, where the vacuum is on display for all to see in the living room because the aforementioned mattress is blocking the closet where it usually lives, where paintings and anything that would have been in the way of the new mattress and its travels up the stairs are stashed in corners, piled up on desks, and shoved behind pieces of furniture. Where we sleep in one room but our clothes are in another room and I’m not sure exactly where anything is.
And where Claudia is so sore from sleeping on the guest room bed that she actually groans during the night. I think I’m headed for the sofa in the den tonight. Don mentioned the fact that we used to think of the guest room bed as the most comfortable bed in the house. I reminded him that I said that based on the memories of a forty-something Claudia, not the realities of a person who is now quite a bit older. And that I really haven’t slept on that bed since long before we moved here.
This sunset greeted us as we left for our late afternoon walk yesterday. We’ve been rather lax about our walks lately, mostly because of frigid and/or rainy weather. I’ve missed our daily ritual, so I suggested we reinstate it yesterday. The cold air felt bracing, the scenery was beautiful, and once again we were reminded of how lucky we are to live here. This area is so gloriously beautiful, even in the dead of winter; mountains on the horizon, a river across the street and one just down the road, nights filled with millions of stars in the sky.
See? Just writing about this makes me feel better. Gratitude is a powerful thing.
We might go see Philomena today. It’s at our local movie theater which has a $5 matinee. I love Judi Dench and would be quite happy simply hearing her read her grocery list. I have to say that most of the films nominated for Oscars this year leave me curiously flat. I really don’t want to see them, with the exception of 12 Years a Slave and maybe Nebraska because I really like Alexander Payne’s work. American Hustle just looks like a lot of over-the-top costumery gone amok. The Wolf of Wall Street? No. I’m going to be frank. I am probably the exception here, but I’m not crazy about Leonardo DiCaprio. I never have been. He’s okay, but just okay. His voice is too lightweight, it doesn’t have the gravitas necessary to match the roles in which he is cast. I’m also not a fan of Matthew McConnaughey, who is nominated for Dallas Buyers Club. Don’t get me started on his new HBO series, True Detective, which we watched last night. I tried, Matthew. I gave you a chance, but I regret to say I am still not a fan. To be fair, you weren’t helped by your director or your co-star, Woody Harrelson. All in all, an exercise in self-indulgent acting by both McConnaughey and Harrelson that could have been reined in by a stronger director.
So there you go. That rules out three of the top films nominated. Would I watch them someday on HBO or Netflix? Maybe, but doubtful. Oscar voters seem to be unduly impressed by outlandish costumes and wigs and actors who lose or gain a lot of weight for a role.
I’ve seen Gravity and loved it. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Philomena. The two other films I would really like to see are Enough Said with the late, great James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and All is Lost, starring Robert Redford in what many critics have said is the performance of his career. So why wasn’t he nominated? Ridiculous. Too often the Oscars are all about films made by big studios with the money to wage an expensive campaign. Hmmm. Sound familiar? Just like our elections.
Anyway, these are just my opinions, obviously – Claudia as critic. (I seem to be speaking about myself in the third person today.) But for the first time that I can remember, I have no interest in watching the Oscars. I’m thinking an old movie on TCM might be a better option.
Okay. I’ve indulged in enough opinion for today. Thank you for putting up with it!
Oh, my favorite, Sherlock, starts tonight on PBS!
Happy Sunday.
I agree about being happy just to listen to Judi Dench read a grocery list. Have you ever watched the old British series she was in called As Time Goes By?
Yes, I have. She is wonderful in it.
Beautiful photos, Claudia…it really is lovely there! I feel your pain, we have had our dining room set in the middle of our small living room for the last two weeks while we finish the kitchen…
Makes you crazy, doesn’t it?
Yes.
xoxo
I rarely get excited about Oscar nominated films. I also find it hard to believe, after what I’ve heard, that Robert Redford wasn’t nominated for All Is Lost. It never ended up being shown in any of our local theaters, but I’m looking forward to seeing it. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will go quickly Claudia – and the mattress mess will become a distant memory to laugh about :)
Never shown here locally either, Debbie. I wish it had been. It comes out on DVD in mid-February.
Hang in there Claudia! The new mattress will be worth the wait. As for your opinions on the movies and the actors you mentioned, you are right on the money on all counts! I never could quite put my finger on the Leonardo thing, but I think that you are right. Now I know.
Casey, I took your advice and painted the edge of the bathroom mirror black. It makes such a difference! Thanks so much.
It seems as though Claudia has turned a corner…she is now into acceptance of the temporary topsy-turvey. It’s hard on my part dealing with a third person too…so I’m going to quit while I’m ahead! Good for you…taking walks again. I think it’s an absolute necessity to do something normal, when other parts of your life are mixed up for whatever reason. And, I too, could listen to Judi Dench read her grocery list! Enough said about the oscars! ;)
Hopefully, another walk today, Donna, though we are both having a hard time getting motivated!
Claudia, I feel your pain. Well maybe not the actual pain,but the topsy turveyness (I just made that a word) of it. To keep our kitchen pipes from freezing I have to keep all of the under the sink things out from under the sink. They are everywhere about the kitchen.
I don’t like Leonardo Di Caprio either or Woody Harrelson. Blah. As for Robert Redford he could read me his grocery list anytime. I hope he reads your blog and takes me up on it.
We have to keep out cupboard doors open, Trudy and have the faucets drip every night, so I understand!
Maybe Robert Redford will give you a call, Trudy!
I have heard that Jared Leto is amazing, and yes he dropped a lot of weight but did not break character the whiole time he was filming.
Pretty impressive.
Mere
Don worked with Jared Leto once and he did the same thing then. I’m not impressed by the not breaking character thing. If you’re a skilled actor you should be able to move in and out of scenes without having to stay in character all the time. Or subjecting every other person on the set to your being in character 24/7. Every actor has his own process, but I’ve noticed as a coach that theater actors rarely do that sort of thing because they are used to the rehearsal process and have the skills to navigate the time onstage and offstage during that process. Anthony Hopkins has a few well known quotes about his impatience with working with method actors.
Of course, I know Daniel Day-Lewis does that same thing, but somehow I can forgive him!
I just looked up Judi Dench on Wikipedia, oh my, that is amazing. I loved her in Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, such a great movie. You guys hang in there, before you know it this will be a memory for the beginning of 2014 that will make you smile!
She is incredible, Annette.
Hi Claudia, I love your honesty on subjects you talk about. I had to look up who Judi Dench was and realized I loved her in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel also. My husband and I have watched that movie many times and enjoy it each time. We also watch Quartet often and love the characters in the movie. Have a good day. Doris
I loved that movie, Doris. I haven’t seen Quartet yet, but plan to.
I feel the same way about DiCaprio, but was never really sure what it was about him. I’ve always felt that he was too young for the roles he played. But as he has become older, I realized that wasn’t it exactly, either. You’re right Claudia! It’s his voice and lack of gravitas. I’ve never been able to get past the feeling that I was watching someone trying to act a role rather than experiencing him as the character he was playing, if that makes sense.
It makes absolute sense, Gina. I feel the same way. I just can’t take him very seriously!
I’m planning to treat myself to “Philomena” this week. I can re-watch old episodes of “As Time Goes By” and still enjoy Judi Dench in them.
Your views are beautiful, Claudia. Outside. Here’s hoping the interior ones improve soon.
-Karen
Inside: not so pretty!
I too adore Judi Dench! Philomena is on my list of movies to see. I am also so saddened by the Academy Awards seemly attachment to over the top movies without any real depth. I want to see Gravity and The Butler also. I do know that living in chaos is so difficult, hopefully they are making that bed as we speak!
Oh, I forgot about The Butler!
I feel so bad for you two..it is awful to have to sleep on an uncomfortable bed..maybe that is why you haven’t felt like walking for a while..of course now that the frigid temps are back that won’t help to motivate you either..
Yes, it’s cold today, Nancy!
You can cope with anything so long as you’ve got a good night’s sleep behind you! Hope the bed situation gets sorted.
I normally love the cinema but am totally underwhelmed by what seems to be on offer, it seems like misery heaped on misery. I agree too about LDC he is so wimpy I cannot take him seriously but Judi Dench is fab in anything she touches. I also loved As Time Goes By as much for her as her as well as the interplay with Geoffrey Palmer. I’m still fizzing that she is no longer in the Bond films!
I will really miss her in the Bond films, but I think that was her decision, if I remember correctly.
It is so miserable to not get a good night’s sleep at any point in our lives! I’m not much of a movie goer so the Oscars don’t really impress me generally anyway. I do want to see Gravity – I’ve heard from several that it was good.
Try the sofa tonight!!
Judy
I think I’m going to, Judy.
Saw Nebraska this week at the $5 movie day. I loved it. It was in black and white, have a feeling Nebraska looks that way in early winter anyway. LOL. Saw Philomena, good but not terrific. Maybe a bit too predictable for me.
Had a friend see 12 years a Slave, she said very brutal. Yes, that is the history of the time, read many books on that era. Now a days I go to movies more for entertainment than realistic.
Ok, why are you not moving that matterss out of your house? If you aren’t going to use it, donate it or move it to a garage or shed until it is hauled away. Our waterbed ( yep, still had a waterbed) sprung a leak this Fall and had to get a new matterss. First new bed in 20 years, got a regular type of mattress. It is so much better for our backs. The key is a heated matterss pad!
After years of a heated Waterbed it was hard to get use to getting into a cold bed. Got a heated mattress pad from Overstock.
It is one of our best purchases ever. Preheat the bed 20 minutes before getting in…..oh my…ahhhhhh. Then I turn it off or down to one. Hope you get your bed soon!
Why would I move the guest room mattress out of the house? It’s perfectly good, it’s a firm mattress and lots of our guests love it. It’s just not right for me. We need a guest bed and it does the job very nicely – but it’s not a bed I normally have to sleep on.
The mattress we are replacing, on the other hand, will be taken away by the guys that deliver the new mattress.
Nope, not the guest mattress the other one, the one your replacing the California King with? Didn’t you say it was filling up your house? Just a thought. :)
Oh sorry, Janet! I misunderstood! Yes, that one is filling up the house for sure, but part of the delivery agreement is that the guys who deliver the new mattress will take away the old mattress and split box springs for free. That’s why it’s still hanging around. I wanted them to take it the other day but they have to do an exchange, so it has to wait. Most places like Salvation Army or Goodwill won’t take mattresses anymore. It’s not at all easy to get rid of them on your own.
We don’t have a garage and there’s no room in the shed. And we don’t have a basement. So, we wait. xo
If you can why not throw the old mattress on the floor downstairs and sleep there? Then up against the wall again for the day. Just a thought. Oh and a few more. I don’t really care for Matthew McConnaughey either. He always looks like he is acting. I think you don’t see that in a good actor. Never gave Leo a thought one way or the other. And yes! Sherlock tonight! I just saw a “short” about “August: Osage County” and Sherlock is in it! He plays Meryl Streep’s son. Good southern accent too.
Not enough floor space, Tana!
Comfort is key when you reach 60. I like to crawl into my snuggley warm bed as I have always been a little bit chilly and I think electric blankets and heated mattress pads rock! Like Janet, I turn mine back to #1 or off when I get in and I sleep so much better. Sometimes I turn it back on in the morning if I’m not ready to get up. Hubby gets up in the middle of the night to go to work and this time of year it doesn’t take long for his side of the bed to feel chilly. Long about Easter, I will be ready to take it off the bed, maybe.
See this transition time as what it is and you might see something esle in a different way. Maybe you will like something in its temporary spot and just can’t move it back. Just don’t fret the topsy-turvy effect, have a glass of wine and consider how blessed you are to have these problems! Actually, above my computer in my home office, the ceiling needs a repair. Water leak, need I say more. In order to do such a repair, everything must leave the room. My house is small too and it is full. I will tackle it soon and fully understand where you are right now.
Wouldn’t work for me because I run hot.
I’ve already moved lots of things into new positions that I like – that’s what I’ve been posting about for the past week or two. But nothing else can move until the new mattress arrives!
So sorry to hear about the mattress. How can something so simple turn into such a nightmare? Sometimes I think when things like this happen its because everyone seems to be overworked. I know I am at times. I work for a landscape company and am the only one in the office most of the time and I too have been on the receiving end of people hollering and complaining. But everything will work out in the end. You found those lovely earrings after all that time. Its always such a nice treat to find things after so much time has gone by. I am going through each room and tossing out things and old magazines too. I love my magazines. Please tell Don congrats on the Poisoners Handbook and also congrats on the other part. I had fallen asleep like I always do but was able to watch it on ONDEMAND on cable. My four legged alarm clock has a habit of getting me up around 4:00 in the morning so everyday starts very early for me. Who needs a rooster when you have a Lucy! Love the pictures, so tranquil and peaceful. Well, back to housework and hang in there it will all come together!
I will definitely pass on your congratulations to Don, Nancy. Thank you!
Claudia, you’ve exactly summed up my own feelings on the movies this year. The ones you mentioned – plus I think “Saving Mr Banks” – are the same ones I’d like to see, although except for “Gravity” I can wait until they’re available at home. Hard to get excited about going out in the Winter to sit in a crowded theater for a movie that will translate just fine to the small screen. And for a lot less than the [minimum] $8-10 the theater version would run. PS – please keep up your “reviews.” I’ve actually been wishing you’d comment MORE on movies and TV. It’s nice to hear from someone who knows what they’re talking about for a change [not just a journalist who happens to be a film critic]. When you comment on an actor’s voice, you speak with years of training and experience.
Gravity is meant to be seen in a theater. We generally don’t pay to see movies in the movie theater, either. Too much money!
I really enjoyed Philomena, for Judi Dench, for Steve Coogan and his Coogan-y bits of humor early on, and it made me cry, which I wasn’t expecting.
I enjoyed American Hustle: there’s a soft, broken heart under all the promo glitz. I haven’t particularly liked Christian Bale as an actor in the past, but clearly I was seeing him in the wrong things. He took a very unlikeable character and made him someone you could sympathize with. Ditto Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence who had beautiful subtle moments. I caught the twist before it was revealed but that’s okay. (I also haven’t seen Bale at any of the award shows. Does he not go to them?)
I saw one of my favorite actors, Jeremy Irons, was nominated for The Hollow Crown during the bit of the SAG Awards that I watched, which I missed on PBS, so I’ve added that one to Netflix. I’ve heard raves about “Gravity” but don’t know if I could handle all the spinning.
I’ve seen Christian Bale at awards shows in the past – maybe he’s in the middle of filming something?
I haven’t seen The Hollow Crown yet, either, most likely because I’ve coached those plays by Shakespeare and I am exposed to a lot of Shakespeare in my work. I tend to not watch other productions, but I might be tempted by Jeremy Irons.
Claudia, my heart goes out to you with the bed troubles…thank goodness they are doing all they can to get you a new one. For those of us with sore backs not having a proper bed is very painful.
Such lovely sunsets, you have a view that can be seen for miles.
Jen
Heaven knows, I sure will appreciate it when it arrives, Jen!
I haven’t seen any of the movies mentioned either and don’t plan to. I watched the making of Sherlock and wasn’t impressed at all I took it off my watch list but may have to give it a one episode try. Sure hope your bed arrives soon, you will need some painful sleep here soon.
I love Sherlock. It’s quite amazing and wonderfully acted. But I think you have to be patient and give it more than a one episode try – there’s a rhythm to the dialogue that takes some getting used to.
Tonight? The sofa.
Thinking of you, my friend.
I feel the same way. Love Judy Dench and want to see her latest. We started walking again too…a little bit anyway. We did the outside walk but it’s pretty cold. Yesterday we walked the mall which I am not a fan of. I don’t want to be accosted by kiosk workers while I am exercising. Oh well….Spring will be here soon, right? Sounds like you are tackling some indoor projects while winter is here. Good for you.
Hugs, Patti
Yes, have to keep busy, Patti! Today it was too cold to walk.
I’ve never been given to watch the Oscars I agree I think it goes to the money.
I can’t wait for 9 pm our time… I am SHER-Locked! ;)
-Pat
Since I normally can’t keep my eyes open past 10 pm, you know I love this series! I going to stay up all the way to 11!
Thanks for providing your take on the Oscar picks this year. Good luck with getting the mattress snafu resolved as soon as possible!
You already know that I don’t watch much TV and I’m not a big movie buff either, but Leonardo DiCaprio has never appealed to me either. I totally agree with you about his voice – and it’s just his presence in general. Or, lack thereof. Matthew M. is nice to look at, lol, but that’s about it.
I am completely with you on the Oscars…I rarely see films nowadays that float my boat….I would rather watch one on TCM and will Oscar night. Actually I look forward to their 31 days of Oscar to see so many favs…and YES Sherlock is starting…it is on the DVR and when I get home I will be watching with much excitement.
You are a woman after my own heart. I too am not a Leo or Matthew fan. I haven’t gotten involved with Sherlock but I love me some Downton Abbey. I hope your bed comes soon so you can get some good sleep. Let us know all about Philomena as we want to go see it too.
The only Oscar nominee I’ve seen is GRAVITY, Claudia, and I adored it. I hate it when my house is pulled apart. It makes me a little crazy! I hope your mattress will be delivered soon and you can put it all back together again…. and get a GOOD night’s rest.