Back in mid-July I experienced two or three “symptoms” which I easily attributed to stress caused by weather and the power outage, among a few other things. But those things resolved and the symptoms didn’t, so I saw a doctor. She suggested four possible causes, made two suggestions/referrals, and also ordered labs to check for a couple of possible infections. At least one of those infections was diagnosed from those labs, and we’ve been trying different medications to get it cleared up.
Today, new lab results came, and it looks like I’ll be taking it easy for a while longer. (Of different possible culprits, one of the referrals did result in a smaller dose of one my regular meds, so we’re seeing if that helps with the symptoms, too, and I’ll see a specialist the end of September for the third possible culprit.)
I know all that sounds vague and there’s no crisis here, just an ongoing attempt to help me feel like myself again. Which I definitely don’t, and it comes with limitations. So reading books, watching movies, and coloring may last for a while, because it’s a struggle to write except brief notes of things I want to remember when I have the energy to dive back into the Neverending Saga.
This morning, I watched a romantic comedy I really enjoyed on Netfix, Love Again (2023). It didn’t do well at the box office, but I think a lot of movies have struggled with that post-pandemic. I read nothing about the movie before I clicked on it and got a nice surprise that Celine Dion actually has a part as a “fictionalized version of herself.”
It was so good to see footage of her at the Olympics. Her resilience and perseverance in light of her health challenges are inspirational. She was written into the film’s story arc to good effect, and I really enjoyed the other actors’ performances, including a strong supporting cast. This is one of those movies I wouldn’t mind having as a DVD on my shelf so I can see it anytime the mood strikes me. Definitely classifies as a desirable rewatch.
I remember saying this was going to be my Ethan Hawke movie summer, but that plan got derailed for several reasons and is on hold. After this morning’s movie, I’m switching my summer theme (in Texas, summer doesn’t end in August) to RomCom Summer. More about that tomorrow on Sunday Sundries. Next feature from my personal shelves is Sweet Home Alabama (2002), which I probably watched before and liked well enough to buy a used DVD. Since it’s Alabama, and it’s Reese Witherspoon, and I see Candice Bergen, Jean Smart, and Mary Kay Place are in it, as well, all favorites, I’m game to see it again.
ETA: Yes, had definitely seen it before. Not sorry about the rewatch, though.
Rewatching movies of those I’ve seen so many times I know it forwards, backwards and in-side-out, I would do so again, and again. Some movies, though, didn’t deserve a rewatch, in my opinion, because the element of surprise is gone, or it was just that bad.
Momento was told in short pieces going backwards in time, to try and solve a mystery for someone who can’t make more memories. I can’t watch that one again, because the suspence wouldn’t exist. It took me many years to try to watch Day after Tomorrow again, despite knowing enough about meteorology that some things in that movie just don’t happen (yet). I gave up early with Trainspotting.
Those Lord of the Rings/Hobbit series of 3 hour movies, well, I can only get through in bursts, so I’ve seen those about 4 times now on my DVDs.
The Dark Crystal, Goonies, those hilarious moves and some of those Marvel Comic movies were amazing, but I have to avoid rewatching that for a long time so that I can get that amazing feeling.
But Back to the Future, Clue, Spaceballs, Titanic, Ghost, Lego, Jeffery, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Adventures in Babysitting, I would watch over and over again with the Doctor Who.
It’s interesting how we can also make a list of movies we’ll never watch again. For me, they’re usually ones that scared me (not even going to name one of them) or broke my heart (I have a copy of Life Is Beautiful on DVD but will probably never have the ability to watch it again because it was too powerful and haunting). On the other hand, the silly ones–like Caddyshack or Airplane! for example, I’ve seen so many times I can quote pretty much every line.