Harryhousen Hunker Down in the Snow Globe

The head cold set up for some serious work yesterday and I was under strict orders from my Panamanian doctor to get some rest.  I’m probably one of the worst patients in the world.  I’ve always taken the tact (well at least since I joined the Army) that you won’t feel as miserable if you refuse to acknowledge that you’re sick – don’t give in to the inclination to take it easy.  This has always driven my wife, my sisters, and my mother (well maybe not my mother) a little crazy as they try to get me to take better care of myself.

After a run to grocery store to stock up for the week I decided I needed to start heeding some advice.  I wimped out of traveling down to Rhode Island for a birthday celebration and accompanying Irish bar sojourn.  This at least avoided a confrontation with my brother in law’s sister who probably would have tried to seize my camera if not employ assassins. 

The Snow Globe Yesterday

My decision was aided by yet another snow storm that started in earnest around noon time.  I’ve written before about sitting in my family room during a snow storm.  Since there are windows on three sides it’s really like sitting in the middle of a snow globe.  After the past couple weeks I’m feeling considerably less poetic about the beauty of snow. 

I spent the afternoon pursuing a nostalgic walk through movies I enjoyed as a very young child on many a similar snowbound Saturday afternoon sitting in the TV Room of the house I grew up in.  I received a series of movies for Christmas featuring the work of Ray Harryhousen, one of the pioneers of stop action special effects in the movies. 

The Harryhousen Black and White Trifecta

The effects cannot compare with today’s CGI effects but it was a nice walk down memory lane as I spent a Saturday afternoon with three black and white movies and then topped it off with arguably his best work and first one in color  – Jason and the Argonauts.  I don’t think there’s a single boy from my generation who didn’t love this movie.  Seeing the giant brass man, the seven headed hydra, and the army of skeletons was like visiting old friends.

Jason in the Boneyard

It was interesting to see many of the places I’ve lived or worked in captured in their 1950’s incarnations.  Strange to see a series of buildings on either side of the reflecting pool leading up to the Lincoln Memorial, the pentagon, as well as some familiar sights from San Francisco.  The films were made in the late 1950’s one right after the other.  Funny to see the death ray from one movie used as a light fixture in the movie made the next year.

The biggest treat of a very long day on the couch though was the return of the Netflix series House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey.  The first episode was one of the best things I’ve seen on television in a long time.  Spacey plays an exquisitely evil congressmen (kind off redundant there) who’s about to be sworn in as vice president.  There are a couple of really stunning moments as a major character is offed in startling fashion.

One of the coolest things about the series in Spacey taking breaks at times, a la Richard III, and speaking directly to the audience.  I though they had abandoned that modus operandi until nearly the end when he looks into the camera and says, “You didn’t think I’d forgotten about you, did you.” And then ends his remarks with “welcome back”.  It was such a cool moment. 

I woke up this morning feeling remarkably better; not that I’ll continue to take my legion of caretakers’ advice any more seriously.  I had yet another date with the driveway this morning.  We only got about six inches of snow but the winds howled all night.  Since it was a light snow it created some interesting patterns (at least until Buddy arrived) that reminded me of the sand I’d seen in deserts from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (see photos below).  One side of the driveway had drifts well over two feet tall while the other was barely covered. Panama, oh Panama!