I got to see Star Trek last night. I knew I'd enjoy the hell out of it, but I never expected to be as rapt and squee-ing as I was throughout. I didn't even think to criticize, it was such a joy just to be back in that 'verse. :)

I've always loved it, since I was 12 or 13 and recorded episodes playing on some UHF channel at night so I could listen to 'em again and again. Organizing my whole neighborhood to play Klingon Slave Camp. You know.

Didn't occur to me to nit-pick. I just enjoyed the ride. Personally, I think they did a BRILLIANT job of both casting and of keeping a focus on character even while having fun with the effects and action. Plus they paid homage to the classic series constantly. Every time a character said one of their classic lines, my friend and I just grinned at each other. We came out of their high as kites - without ingesting any illegal substances!

Tomorrow...seeing it again, on IMAX!

Last Saturday night I got to attend my very first house filk - hosted by gorgeousgary and his wife whose LJ name I don't know! It was such a great experience, despite the fact that I was half dead before I even got in the car for the drive to the filk. (INSANE month including kids' back to school and mom's post-surgery issues has left me falling asleep at 8 pm - which is the time the filk started!)
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My mom had knee replacement surgery a week ago Monday, which is why I've been absent from LJ for a bit. It went really well, although the recovery time is going to be long and slow and more than a little painful. They've got that fake knee in there - now they have to train the knee to bend again, even though it's stapled together at the moment. Ow.

Mom is back home - they kept her a whole week! They had her on a special rehab floor for most of that time. I've been going a bit bats, trying to make sure her needs are taken care of, and my son's, and that I put in my 8hours of work at work, all while my hubby is away managing another family crisis. My daughter was away at camp, thank heavens.

It's getting a bit better, as mom's now out of the hospital and hubby has returned home, but next week - oy. Last week before school, camp over, no child care, hubby working, mom laid up, and me SUPPOSED to be working...should be interesting.

Meanwhile, mostly at 3 a.m. or so when the cat wakes me up, I have managed to continue to explore the Filk 101 Songs that allisona so graciously listed for me. I am enjoying it SO much! It's all new to me - and there's so much to discover. This week I am into "Hope Eyrie" and "Witnesses' Waltz" --which my son loves to play every time we're in the car-- and "In a Gown Too Blue" -- since I just finished the book it's based on, "The Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis. I've also been listening to Ookla the Mok and the Butterbeer Experience and Vixy & Tony (a TON). As per usual, the only time I get to hear any of it is in my car as I drive around frantically trying to DO everything...but, oh, what nice interludes in the car. Many thanks to you, allisona! I am really loving this. There's nothing more exhilirating and soul-satisfying than new music!

This is going to be one crazy week, with hubby away dealing with family-of-origin crisis, and mom going into surgery for knee replacement tomorrow. Please think good thoughts! I know it is routine and will be fine...but still! *bites nails*

In other news, I just had the pleasure of a visit from jewelsong!

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If you haven't seen this astounding reunion between a now "wild lion" and the men who raised him when he was a cub, you gotta see it...

What the heck did I do? My last post disappeared. Did I delete it instead of saving it when I edited it? D'oh.

Well, the most important thing in it was a big thanks to starmalachite for her kind introduction to everyone at the Saturday evening filk at Shore Leave last weekend. Thank you! I was too chicken to dive in and take part that night, but I really enjoyed hearing some more filk. I'm kind of taking the crash course! :)

This week has been nuts, but I thought I'd just quick post this image of a Lizard Under Threat. I think I'd best not leave these two alone... the cat's eyes are absolutely ablaze!

I'm up at 4 am with this infernal toothache that antibiotics do NOT seem to be helping. So...before I pop another 4 motrin down my gullet, I'm listening again to the Lord of the Rings Musical original cast recording which elanorgardner recently sent me. (THANK YOU, PIP!!!)

I used to think it would be the coolest thing ever if they made a musical LOTR, but I didn't think anybody would actually DO it. *grin* Then they DID do it, but it took them forever to come out with the music on CD, which has only just happened.

I have become slightly obsessed, trying to memorize the Elvish bits --of which there are a LOT-- and tending to get stuck on a different song each day, playing it over and over. Ah, the joy! I have missed being obsessed about anything other than work.

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Just wishing you the happiest of birthdays, dearest Cos. I would have done it with nice big font, sparklies, and a banner type of moving effect, only you're the only one who ever showed me how to do that and I don't want to bother you because... it's your birthday. So PLAIN will have to do!

I hope the day consisted of some FUN parts (not just work-work and family-work) and that you get to celebrate some this weekend.

Meanwhile, I am reading a certain fic of yours --still in orange because I was out of black ink-- and enjoying it very much. I compulsively had to start all the way back at the beginning, which just made me remember how utterly lovely the entire beginning was. *grins at you* Can't wait to get to the new parts!

Hey, I know Ben, aka Henry Gale, of "The Others" on LOST is not REALLY taking care of my kid this week. At least, I don't THINK he is.

See, my daughter is attending this really cool film camp. The guy who runs it is some Sundance Award winning dude, and some of his staff are film folks.

My 9 year old SWEARS her teacher is Ben on LOST, right down to the voice and the blue eyes which are a bit...protuberant. *snort*

I swore it could not be, and looked up the actor's name to PROVE to her that her "acting for film" teacher was NOT the creepy leader of the Others, thank you very much. Of course...the actor's name is Michael and her teacher's name, it turns out, is Mike. *SNORT*

So...erm...I don't know! What can I say? I drop her off in a rush on the way to work, and my mom picks her up out on the curb in a line of 200 cars as other parents pick up kids from a variety of camps...so I've never SEEN the guy. I say: it's not bloody likely, but my husband still tells my daughter NOT to leave the Continental U.S. with him because, you know. ISLAND!

OK, I'm fairly distraught after tonight's episode. I just didn't think... I just didn't REALLY believe... *shakes head* There are no words.

Damn.