The Force Awakens

OK, I had to blog about this, right?

Whaddaya think? OMG, right?

I was blown away. Granted, I'm a scifi geek and I love Star Trek and Star Wars, and know enough about them that I wasn't going to be like that girl who went to the Star Wars opening night wearing a Starfleet uniform.

But geekiness and blind loyalty aside, it was a great show. Much better than the previous 3, with no stupid characters like Jar Jar, or corny lines. It was new and foreign enough to feel like a new movie, but yet had enough connections to keep it in the Star Wars family. And it doesn't leave you hanging completely as Episode 5, but does leave you in a bit of suspense at the end.

My goosebumps came out and hairs stood up on the back of my neck when the Star Wars theme came on. And it was a bonus that my 5 year old is into it too, and jumped up and smiled ear to ear when the show started.

The lightsabers. The X-wings. Millenium Falcon. The banshee-like screams of the TIE fighters. OMG OMG. I'm hyperventilating.

It was a great movie, and it's going to be a long wait till Episode 8. I'm not going to give away any of the plot- just go watch it and expect to have a great time. I know I will, for the 2nd time.

Perspectives

So the 5 year old hands me this. A picture she drew for daddy:

I was like, erm, thank you. 

But how to you respond to your daughter who draws you that? All I could think was, maybe she's old enough that I shouldn't shower in front of her anymore.

I innocently ask her. "What did you draw?"

"I drew a giraffe for you, daddy. Can't you tell?"

Oooooooooo. 

I guess I had my head in the gutter. Now I see it.

Ornaments

We put our tree up last weekend. And though there was a time I would have liked to have a uniform, clean, coordinated tree, in the recent years I've learnt to appreciate my wife's family tradition of getting trinkets and ornaments from events, people, places and adding them to the tree; putting them up certainly evokes certain memories.

Take this angel. A simple crystal angel sitting on a bell. I've had this for over 10 years now, but I remember where it came from. It was a nice gesture from a patient I was seeing in the hospital, who had a prolonged stay because of complications from a diabetic ulcer that ultimately led to his foot being amputated. He wasn't happy at the prospect of being in the hospital, but he was particularly disappointed that he couldn't take his wife out for their 50th wedding anniversary. And so I bought them a cake and brought it to them (ironic since I was dosing his insulin!). He was appreciative enough, and knew I happened to have to round for Christmas that year, and gave me this. He called me his personal angel- not something many patients say to me since many see us as the doctors who put them on insulin shots.

That was many years ago, and though I've forgotten his name, I still remember which part of the hospital his room was, and our interactions.

As I look at our tree, it's also now beginning to be filled with ornaments related to our girls, or trips we've taken. Never mind that it's not a uniform color- I'll take my memory-laden tree with its ornaments.