Saturday, December 22, 2012

Is this Bryn Athyn bridge dangerous? Two movies that are dangerously boe-ring

Package in hand, I head out for the Bryn Athyn post office. I think it closes at 4:30, but when I get there the door is locked.... 4 o'clock, but I zoom over to the Huntingdon Valley PO 5 minutes away.

I had parked my car near the roaring Pennypack Creek and prepared to walk across the chain-link bridge that is "out" toward the post office.

Was fairly sure it's okay for pedestrians to walk across.

Look, I'm not afraid of death, but I don't particularly wanna die plunging into a freezing-cold river. Shades of the Titanic. Hopefully they would retrieve my camera and post these photos on my blog, titled The Last Post.

At first I tiptoe across the bridge, but then gather speed and confidence.

Warning: Bridge closed. Look! They've even decorated the bridge for Christmas.


I got back in my car here

which was parked next to this stone bldg, and then sped off to the Hunt. Valley PO to mail a friend of mine a small Xmas gift. I had also wrin a 2-page letter.

How did we acquire the habit of buying expensive gifts for people? The gift I mailed cost $3. It was a box of Decaf Tea.



When you get a grant, as did New Directions, we've gotta account for how we spent the money in a year-end report.

Dreaded of course.

I worked on it for about two tense hours, calling my own bank and asking Lesley to add up some numbers for me. Mine never come out the same twice. I use google to add up numbers.

Finally, I got next year's budget right and I pressed the SUBMIT button. Due on Jan. 4, I knew I wanted to finish it before Xmas which is next Tuesday.

As a reward I took myself to the movies. On the way there I was excited to see one of those yellow ribbons on the rear of the car proclaiming Diabetes Type 1. I immediately felt like honking and saying, I've got Type 2.

People need so much attention these days. Does this person w diabetes want us to pity them? Next thing we know banners will proclaim: I have bladder cancer - I have a prolapsed uterus - I had an ectopic pregnancy.

At my advanced age, I went into a minor panic trying to find the Regal Warrington Cinema. I was fairly sure I could get there on Easton Road, so I simply coaxed myself along, saying It's gotta be here somewhere, but is it this far down Easton?



It was right where it was sposed to be. Before I left I packed my diabetes kit and a baggie filled with cheddar cheese and my whole-grain pretzel sticks. I planned to be there for quite a while.

Before I went into Theater 9 to see my film, I stopped by Skyfall, which had started half an hour ago. I asked a young man who was going back in what the movie was about.

It's a James Bond film, he said.

I went in and stood for a few minutes and decided it looked good enough to rent. Takes place in London.

I made it with 2 minutes to spare as I entered the film I most wanted to see.



Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, based on Lee Child's crime-action drama "One Shot."

How can I describe this amazingly violent movie that can barely go for 12 minutes w/o a violent fight using every conceivable weapon.

Jack Reacher is a very fine hand fighter. He uses his head to bash people and he likes breaking various bones in the enemy's body. I'm a fan of the Reacher novels.

Tom Cruise was absolutely wonderful in the title role of this well-made, well-photographed, well-acted awful movie.

Since I didn't know the rest of the cast, I was delighted to see

the great Robert Duval, a gun shop owner, who wants to get in on the killing for the first time since he served in a war.

The other great Robert was also in it - DiNiro - who is so versatile he was nothing like the Phila father in Silver Linings Playbook. 


Since I missed author Lee Child who had a cameo as the Desk Sergeant, I knew I could find him online.

Jack Reacher was one terrible movie.

Well, as long as I'd made the 20-minute drive down, I figgered I'd see something else.

I scanned the starting times of all the films and decided on my second film. Movies cost $8.50.



My goodness, you think Jack Reacher was bad, this one was even worse.... and three hours long.

The show was in 3-D so you wore those glasses - it's rather a miracle how it's blurry until you don the glasses - wish I could do dat with my blurry photos up top.

The movie started off real well. Charming, you might say. But shortly thereafter, violence of every sort. I slipped on my coat and hat and prepared to leave, not once, but FIVE different times, but decided to stay to the bloody end.



This adorable man - everyone is English and I'd never heard of a one of em - played a good guy with a nasty streak.

I didn't get antsy during the Reacher film, tho I made one wild dash to the baffroom, but sitting in on the second, I got restless and needed to multitask.

Reached in my backpack and extracted hand lotion which I applied on my face n hands. I sat far from the maddening crowd so no one would disturb me and vice versa.


This little guy who seemed half-animation and half-real was a tremendous actor. In fact, all the acting was superb.

After each scene, I'd say, Please be over soon, please be over soon.

Finally, at the end of a huge battle where heads fly, the screen went dark.

I was way high up in the stadium seats and raced down the steps. If the Hitchcock movie had been playing, I might have stayed to watch it, hoping to beat the odds of zero for two.


3 comments:

  1. You gave me an idea, Ruth. Maybe Margie and I should go to a movie tonight. No, it won't work. We will be busy taking care of some untaken care of things.

    Last time I bought gas in Wasilla, it was $3.57 a gal - the lowest it had been in awhile. Using the benefits of our Safeway Carr's card, I got highly discounter gas at Carr's Safeway in Eagle River for $3.09. Some places in the bush villages, it is over $8.00.

    Merry Christmas.

    I know... you are no more religious than I am, but still...

    Merry Christmas.

    All my Hindu relatives in India are wishing everybody Merry Christmas. It is the holiday, after all.

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  2. bill, i've actually been thinking of you b/c there's a show on PBS about different Eastern religions like Hindu. great show. i watched it tonite while on my stationery bike cuz of gross overeating at a xmas party i attended and had a great time eating desserts. you know us folks w diabetes love our desserts.

    guess what? i'll be 67 yrs old tomro, xmas day. life goes so fast! you and margie are youngsters and of course you're surrounded by young 'uns!

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  3. Thanks for the encouragement Ruth, but we're not that much younger than you.

    Happy birthday!

    ReplyDelete