Bits and Bobs of Joy

[przed]

I've had a lovely few days, both fannishly and familialy (Is that even a word? I thought not.) So I thought I'd share a bit of the joy.

First, my Ladder of Swords DVD arrived on Friday, from the Danish DVD store recommended by lady_meander. The speed of the shipping almost makes up for the exorbitant shipping fee. (Nearly 6 times the cost of the DVD! Luckily the DVD was cheap.) The film itself looks lovely, though I'm still poking about for a way to turn off the subtitling. Still, I'm very glad to have a replacement for my dodgy VHS copy.

Love the movie, but wow, they could have done a better cover.


The Sweetie saw the DVD lying about, prompting this exchange:

Sweetie: What the heck is this?!
Me: A Martin Shaw movie I love.
Sweetie: What's it about? A bear attack?
Me: He's a circus bear.
Sweetie: And what the heck is Shaw supposed to be? He looks like he wandered out of a bad panto.
Me: He's a circus performer, okay. He's actually pretty gorgegous in most of the movie.
Sweetie: Okaaayyyy. ::backs away slowly:: ::stops:: ::turns:: Ya know how the movie could be better? If Martin Shaw was a panto performer, stuck in the woods. And he was being attacked by a bear. And he had to kill the bear.
Me: ::backs away slowly::

Yeah, the Sweetie is a nut, but he's my nut.


Second, it seems a-ha did an in-depth interview for Q, the CBC Radio arts and culture program. The interview is available to stream here (look for the May 19 file), and is everything I'd hoped for from the band. They're smart, articulate, and clearly kept their heads in the face of both their early fame and their failure to ever crack the North American market properly. My affection for Morten has increased tenfold, knowing how much he despises the fact that he's known in the mainstream media primarily for having a pretty face.

Mind you, that face is rather pretty. Here, have a gratuitous pic of the Toronto a-ha concert:


Actually, have one more, just because I love this shot:



Finally, we've had an especially awesome week with Ros. She's physically growing an insane amount (about 1 cm every 2 weeks), and seems to be growing in maturity by the day. You can have real conversations with her, and she gets way more than I would have expected even a few months ago. And she can just do more stuff. Including operate our real camera, as opposed to the kid digital camera we gave her for her birthday last year. In fact, she's now responsible for one of the best pictures of me and the Sweetie I've ever seen.

I'd love this pic of the two of us anyway, but the fact that Ros took it makes it even more special.



There was also a lovely visit to a park with some uni friends and their kids on Saturday, and a get together with our (sort of) adoption group today, where the kids had a fab time and so did the adults. It doesn't get much better.

Hope everyone else had a similarly awesome weekend.

Comments

[ancastar.livejournal.com]

You guys look awesome! Ros may have found her calling.

And please tell Don I side with him about that hideous DVD cover--and this from someone who knows how freakin' gorgeous MS is in that movie. Bad, bad, BAD cover design.

Someone got paid for that.

::sigh::

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

"Look out! There's a bear behind you!" Erm, yeah, I have to agree with your sweetie here. *g* I'd never pick that up of the DVD shelf, wouldn't even recognize Martin Shaw as I walked right by it. Erm... He sort of looks like Stalin in that picture. Eeek!

Still, fantastic to hear that it's a really good copy as yes, MS is gorgeous in that film.

The Ros snapped piccie is great and of course part of it *is* absolutely down to who you're both smiling at. :D

[nsandik.livejournal.com]

Wow! Great picture of you and the hubby!
Sorry I missed you at Media West. Look at your gorgeous long hair! I do sort of miss the blond pixie look you had a few years ago, but this is really nice, too. ::g:: It sounds like Ros is even more wonderful than you had imagined. See what good parenting can do for a child?

Hugs from Nevada.

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

You're right. . . . .Ladder of Swords cover is horrid and Ros has a future as a photographer. . .wow, that is actually a great pic. . . how old is she really?. . . . .

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

That is such a ghastly cover for a great vid. Did they want to put people off buying it?!

Oh your little baby! She is growing so fast and seems as if she is very intelligent. It really is a lovely pic of you and your Sweetie. You must get that printed and framed. :)

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Hate to say it but the Sweetie has a pont there about LoS:-))) And isn't Ros just getting good at photography? Glad to hear you had an awesome, migraine free weekend, hon xxx

photography!Ros

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Ros is clearly way better than whoever designed that DVD cover - her subjects look great, whereas the person(s) responsible for the cover actually succeeded in making MS look awful (how is that even possible?!).

The real-conversations stage is really lovely, isn't it! (we're in the unreal-conversations stage here, aka having teenagers - which has its upsides, while being quite ... difficult. I'm not great at the whole letting-go thing, but their dad is worse!). I'm curious - you mentioned that Ros is learning Mandarin (I think?) - are either of you Mandarin speakers, or is it just her? It's a wonderful thing for her future, either way!

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Ros took that picture?

That's amazing. You look so happy.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

*waves to P and Sweetie* How cool is that. I've never seen Mr. S before. LOL! You guys are adorable! Isn't it fun now that Ros is getting more user friendly? Really, I loved my kids as babies and through the years, but it's so much fun now that they're grown. We have the best times together. I know women luv babies, but me, I'll take teenagers (yes teenagers) and adult kids any day. Have fun!

It's so great you had a good week. Mine was fine, other than melting here! I made great headway into my S&H story for a zine being published in October. It's my first long (big bang size!) S&H so it's been fun writing it. Actually, this is the first rewrite after the editor sent it back with major suggestions, which were spot on.

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Yay for Roz! That is a fantastic photo, but gosh she is growing up so fast! It's funny how each individual day seems to be long, but they go by so very quickly.

It sounds like a fantastic weekend, all told. But, um, yeah...that DVD cover is, well, scary comes to mind. *g*

Here's to awesome weekends!

[inlovewithboth.livejournal.com]

I missed the original post about this, could you possibly give me the details of where you got the DVD from? Oh, to have a good copy of this film.....sigh.....

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Ya know how the movie could be better? If Martin Shaw was a panto performer, stuck in the woods. And he was being attacked by a bear. And he had to kill the bear.
Y'know I'd watch that movie as well *g*

Fantastic picture of the two of you and it really sounds as though Ros is growing up very fast indeed.

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

Awwww, you're so tiny and cute!

But that DVD cover...what else can you say about something as horrible as that?

[przed.livejournal.com]

Someone got paid for that.

And that's perhaps the most depressing thing.

Ah well, I shall just bask in the gorgeousness that is MS in the movie and ignore the goddawful cover.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Hmm, he does rather look like Stalin, doesn't he? And that is so very WRONG. Bad cover designer. No cookie for you.

You're right about Ros' pic. We both look so happy because we're smiling at her, and she is teh awesome.

[przed.livejournal.com]

The blonde pixie look was more like ten years ago. Scary, huh? I'm digging the long hair for now, and when I stop digging it, I'll go back to the short look.

I totally missed you at Media too. It just wasn't the same. Cindy aside, most of my good UNCLE friends weren't there, so I hung with the Pros crowd. Which was enjoyable, but also made me a little sad.

Hugs in return from Toronto. Some day we'll have to hook up.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It is a great pic, isn't it? And Ros will be turning 4 in less than a month. Scary...

[przed.livejournal.com]

I cannot imagine what the cover designer was thinking. (Hmmm, how can I make this gorgeous bloke look really hideous?)

The baby is rapidly turning into a young lady in a way that is both gratifying and frightening. And we totally have to get that picture printed.

[przed.livejournal.com]

He's totally right about that cover. Dear god, it's horrid.

And the Ros is definitely getting good at photography. (Of course, I didn't post any of her misfires. *g*)

It was a fantastic weekend, and not before time.

Re: photography!Ros

[przed.livejournal.com]

I think they should hire Ros to do their covers. She'd do a better job.

I'm going to enjoy the conversation thing until we get to the teenager bit. And then just hope she manages to avoid the usual sullenness.

As for Mandarin, the Sweetie and I took lessons for a year and a half before going to China. Not that we remember that much. But Ros seems to be picking up a fair bit at her lessons. (She was too young to remember any from China.) She even sang Happy Birthday in Chinese to her grandma (my mom) last week.

[przed.livejournal.com]

All in all, we're pretty happy most of the time.

[przed.livejournal.com]

The Sweetie is kinda awesome. And I have to say, that I'm not a baby person, but I'm loving this stage. Give me a kid you can talk to. I taught high school, and for the most part I pretty much loved my students too.

Good luck with the S&H story. Sounds very exciting. Especially when you've got an editor whose instincts you trust.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Ros is definitely growing up fast. And you're right about the days sometimes seeming long, whilst going by so quickly.

The perpetrator of that DVD cover should be shot.

[przed.livejournal.com]

If you click the link on the post above, it'll take you to the page for the movie on the DVD site. And the post that started it all is here: http://lady-meander.livejournal.com/105303.html

I managed to complete my order by using Google Translate. It was pretty easy. Though again, I'll warn you that their postage is insanely expensive, many times the cost of the DVD.

[przed.livejournal.com]

You and the Sweetie would apparently get along famously. *g*

Ros is definitely growing up fast. It's simultaneously frightening and gratifying.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm not that tiny! Well, except when compared to the Sweetie, who is huge.

Let us not speak of the DVD cover. It is too dire. *g*

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

Sweetie must be a Titan! But you are wee and cute. :-P

The cover is indeed Dire. I've seen better ones done by Graphic Design 101 students. Nay, better ones done by high schoolers! If they're paying for crap designs like that, why can't they pay me?

[przed.livejournal.com]

The Sweetie is 6'6". I'm 5 foot nothin'.

And you would produce good design, not crap! *g*

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

Awww, you're my height!

It would be so easy to do to. A cover that bad takes work.

[inlovewithboth.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant, thanks so much. Or should I say 'tak'?!!! *Meget store fnise. tak.*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Du er velkommen! (Danish is fun!)

You'll have to let me know when you get the disk.

[przed.livejournal.com]

And I perfect height it is. *g*

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

Damn right! Do not mess with the short chick, she will gnaw your kneecaps off.

Though the first time I asked a room mate to get something down for me from the second cabinet shelf, she laughed her head off.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I used to be totally self-sufficient with the getting things off high shelves problem. I just stashed stools everywhere in the house.

Living with a big guy has made me lazier. There's nothing he can't reach, and I'm not shy about asking him to get stuff. *g*

[squeeful.livejournal.com]

I'm usually okay -- I just climb on the counter -- but I had no stools, the chairs were covered in books, and the counter was full. She thought it was great, being only 5'3". I made her feel nice and tall. :-D

Until my sister shot up (to, whoo, about 5'3") the only person in my immediate family over 5ft was my dad at just short of 5'8"; mom is 4'9ish. I used to sing the Munchkin song to people when they first went O_O at the amount of short in the house.