Hits and Misses (June 29-July 5)

Sometimes I wonder if anyone else out there in Cyber Land actually reads my posts. Either way, it's good for me to write and get it all out on paper. So....here's a look at the week that was.

HITS

• Because of a ton of rain on Sunday morning, my parents decided not to attempt the trip to Collierville. That meant that I got to attend church with both of the geriatric patients. I really do miss doing this on a regular basis. It was a great time at Marion First Baptist. We enjoyed Pastor Clay's continuing series on "What the Bible Says About...." as well as the Jubilation Jazz Band. Definitely a great start to the week!
• I was thrilled to get asked for a phone interview for a job. The interview was conducted via Skype on Thursday. I enjoyed speaking with the faculty members of this liberal arts school and think I made a good impression. Now they will begin the process of checking my references. I'm trying to not get my hopes up (since they've been let down already this summer), but a guy can't help but dream sometimes.
• It was great to spend time laughing with family on July 4th. We enjoyed a simple meal of burgers, hot dogs, and chips before eventually settling into the living room together. It was a treat to sit around with my siblings, Patsy, Jacqs, and Shane and laugh at Mom and Dad! It was even better to watch Mom get completely tickled at her own stories that she tried to tell. Truly priceless....and just what I needed.

MISSES

• The work week got off to a hectic start with another doctor's appointment for Dad. This one was the Sleep Disorder Center. It was a routine visit, but they did notice some things that were slightly disturbing. We don't know anything yet, but we'll be going in for more tests in the coming weeks. Things got crazier when we learned that Dad's medical equipment supplier in Arkansas could not longer fill Dad's prescriptions for his CPAP equipment due to changes in the Medicare laws. I'll be ranting about this a lot more in a future post....so I'll hold off here.
• This is the miss that I'll probably get in trouble for....but, oh well, it's my blog and my thoughts...like them or not. July 4th was wonderful, but we had some unexpected visitors crash the party. These were distant relatives of Dad's, but they are not people that my family has been particularly close to over the years. I don't mind people stopping by unannounced; I just prefer when they don't do it on holidays. Holidays are family celebrations. As the geriatric patients continue to age and with the prospect of me (hopefully) moving away in the not too distant future, these family gatherings are special to me. Drop by on a random Saturday unannounced....just not at lunch on the 4th or Christmas Day. As I continue to struggle with things, it generally turns out better for me when I'm able to prepare for situations in advance. I need to know what's coming before facing a group event. But, I also know that it's not all about me...
• On Saturday afternoon, I took the time to finally watch the film version of Les Miserable. What a hot mess that movie was! Casting of the lead characters was atrocious! The stage show is one of my favorites of all time. (Ragtime is the only other contender for the top spot in my book!) I saw an amazing production of Les Mis at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles in the fall of 1990 as well as a great national touring company in the late 1990s in Memphis. I would rather have seen lesser-known actors who could actually sing the roles instead of watching Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Hugh Jackman croak their way through this spectacular score. I must admit that I was surprised that Jackman wasn't more satisfying in the role than he was; I've heard him sing previously and thought it wasn't that bad. Crowe as Javert is nothing more than a cosmic joke! 

There you have it.  Hope you all have a great week!