Boxes and Doctors and Film Festivals

Monday, August 13, it was still steamy. Mom and I hopped in the car and drove to her old school. We filled her car with boxes of stuff and drove it to her new school…which I don’t remember the name of. I should find that out. We were actually having fun, dragging all that stuff up and down flights of stairs and wheeling it down to the car. Mom would hold the bottom of the hand cart, and I would hold the top. “Tell me if you need me to slow down,” Mom said when we were already at a crawl. “Yes,” I replied, “Slow down, please,” and started practically moving in slow motion. I’m not sure she noticed, but she did call me a smart aleck.

Tuesday, August 14, I continued the theme of helping out the family by babysitting Jenny and Megan’s babies. I wasn’t all on my own. Megan is a stay-at-home mom, and Jenny will be, too, in about a week. Until then, Megan’s got her two little ones, Logan and Landon and Jenny’s little boy. “I didn’t think one more would make that much of a difference,” she said, “but three is a lot harder than two.” It’s also harder when you’re watching someone else’s baby. Babies are most comfortable with their parents, and it takes a while to learn a baby’s “tricks.” Some babies like to be held looking out, and others cuddling in. Some babies like to bounce. Others like to sway. You get the picture. Anyway, I had so much fun playing with all the little ones, cuddling them and feeding bottles to Jack. Megan made me a yummy mac and cheese lunch, and then I even got to lie down and read on the couch. It was also nice to spend time with my cousins as adults, something we haven't really gotten to do much, outside of special occasions when I happened to be in town.

Wednesday, August 15- The next day I was hanging out at the house again. I took some nature photos.

Thursday I attempted to go to the doctor for a check up. I was working on the computer, trying to set up the whole housing situation (grr!) and getting all my ODU (Old Dominion University) ducks in a row. I lost track of time. Then I couldn’t find the forms I needed for the doctor. The truck was still hooked up to the trailer, and I had to call Mom to make sure the remaining car was in working order. It was, but I had to drive cautiously because it was raining. I ended up about ten minutes late to the appointment, and they told me I was too late. I would have to come back Friday. GRRR! So I went home. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready to see my friend (and former college roomie) Kelly.

Kelly had joined up with some BV drama department alums, Chris and Nina New and Jed Spera (as well as Nina’s sister) to take part in the 48 Hours film competition. Each team showed up and was given a character, John or Juanita Should (tourist); a prop, a business card; and a line of dialogue, “If at first you don’t succeed…you know the rest.” Then the teams drew genres. Kelly’s team (Unofficially “Buford” after BV’s mascot, Buford the Beaver) drew western or romance. Then everyone had 48 hours to write, film and edit their short films.

Thursday was the screening and awards ceremony. The first place winner, City Cops and the second place finalist, Good Cop Bad Cop were hilarious, as was John Becomes a Spy (made by other BVU alums, including Justin Isbel! See photo above left). Walking Away, Team Buford’s assassin romance (they were going to make an Amish romance, but costumes and buggies would have been prohibitively expensive) won third place overall, Best Acting and Best Writing. Way to go, Beavers! Theirs was the best serious short. You can find the films at YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=Des%20Moines%2048%20hour%20film&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&uploaded=&page=1 Check them out. After the screening, we schmoozed. It was great to see people from college!

Friday, August 17, I finally made it to the doctor for real. Then I went shopping in Des Moines. I wanted to sell books to the Half Price Book Store. I basically ended up donating books to the store. Then I bought some cute new shirts and returned home, exhausted, to have a delicious dinner—including fresh sweetcorn—with Mom, Dad and Grandpa. Is there a more perfect end to a summer night in Iowa?