Pizza For Breakfast

Lots of movies in the last few days and few of them satisfying.  The Savages was good for the most part, but the father oh-so convienently dies and I just don’t buy that.  It dissappointed me because I wanted to see the two siblings grow up and deal with their demented father, this ended like a tv show, with all the loose ends tied up.  My Dad is losing his mental abilities and my Mom takes care of him 24/7 now, and I suppose I was looking for a film that would comfort me that people can grow and thrive even while dealing with their sick Dad who is in a nursing home. After all, I had the greatest expectations for this movie of all of them, so feel the most let down.  Her first film was far better.   The Ballad of Dewey Cox was kind of funny, but I think I would have found it more amusing if I had more of a liking for the the star of the film, I can’t even remember his name right now.  I watched a couple of movies on HBO, For Your Consideration which I actually found depressing.  I do agree with the revues that I read at its release, that if has crossed some line into mean spirtitedness.  Ratatoolie was only ok too.  After all the hype about it, I don’t think it was anywhere near as funny as it had a reputation of being. The winner of holiday movies goes to the the two consecutive nights we spent on Christmas Eve and Christmas night watching The Godfather, I wouldn’t have thought that even after seeing it, or parts of it so many time over the years, that it would still be so compelling and interesting.   

All of the sudden December is accelerating, over the course of last week it went from a slow early December to a faster and faster later December.  I can only imagine what the rest of the month will be like.  It looks like January will be busy.  I have started up the pet sitting service and am working part time for another service.  This is a good start.  This woman is much better organized than the other two I met over the summer, and I can build a good reputation with her and through her to the larger community.  Her service is relatively large, and she has lots of contacts.  The busy part of January won’t be sitting, it seems that it will take a few months to get a clientele built up, what will take up all my time is working on my own business, it is slow for this business the first three months of the year, so I will have to prepare to lay down a lot of  groundwork with little results until the second quarter, when hopefully a little word of mouth will be established.

I can’t seem to stay away from current events, even though I can feel my frustration at the repetition of the news and the candidates themselves.  Sunday morning talkshows on ABC and CBS were pretty good though.  I had taken a break from that sort of tv for a few weeks and it seemed a little fresher.  I am glad Edwards, my favorite, is taking a strong stand at the moment, even if it lost him the Des Moines Register in Iowa.  The Hollywood Writers strike reminds me that corporate interests respond to a big stick and then negotiations.  The writers big problems are that they are not powerful enough without the back up of the stars, and so it is easier for the corps to weather these stand offs, with threats that nothing will ever seem the same again.  I am not sure being such a populist will win Edwards in the the long run, but these things have to be said, and the standards of society and government has to be moved more in favor of the consumer and citizen, and away from the financial interests that benefit the very few.  More regulation will make a better, healtheir society for all.  I don’t everyone needs or wants to be rich, just comfortable and able to move around in society. 

No blue Monday today!  It looks like my new business plan is falling together.  I am working for a pet sitter and starting my own sitter business.  I published the website today www.dogcathomesitter.net and start promoting it this week.  I have to put together some addresses to send postcards to, vets and groomers and then locate the stores to place flyers in. 

I missed the holiday party that I had been looking forward to for all week.  Fortunately I didn’t miss the holiday comedy show at the Skirball Museum.  Beth Lapidies and her hand picked crew of comedy writers and (one performer/writer).  The best two pieces weren’t even about Christmas, but still concerned gifts – as the theme of the night was “What’ja Get?”  Really lifted my mood and warmed my spirit on a cold California night. 

Counting out the days…until Christmas I guess.   I’m looking forward to the holiday and looking forward to it being over.  I have a few fun items on the agenda – an early cocktail party tonight – and am considering a comedy show featuring stories about Christmas. 

In politics this week I gave Obama another chance while listening to the NPR radio debate.  He strikes me as dry as toast, maybe you have to see him live.  Hillary gets it for sheer competance, could she fall into a Gore trap of being punished for always being the smartest person in the room and liking it?  I’m a little worried that Edwards has staked out too much of a populist position to get some of those more modest liberals, but I think that win or lose the nomination he is certainly likable and seems tough enough to look Putin in the eye and not play the fool to jokers like Chavez.  I like Edwards the best, but I think Hillary could do it too.  Obama is good for pres. in 8 to 16 years, he needs to be a governor.