Goodbye to Sue and Dennis
Marilyn was burning UP with fever last night and this morning, and just not feeling well, again. I've been reading about a local flu virus that's going around that really lingers, so I think that's what she's dealing with. Frustrating, yes, but there's nothing you can DO about the flu (seeing a doctor is a waste of time unless you have a secondary infection) but wait it out. She's doing what she needs to do: Staying down, getting a lot of sleep, eating healthy, drinking fluids and not worrying about work (or very little, anyway). A clear sign that she truly doesn't feel well is the fact that she doesn't fight me when I suggest she stay home another day. (I know she wants to get back to work, but there's no point in forcing herself when she's not up to it...)
I didn't mention our big news from Monday: Just as we were getting ready to eat our casserole in the evening, Marilyn got a call from Sue B. (whom I've mentioned in this blog several times in recent years). A huge shock -- she and her husband Dennis are moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma in August!
Their house here will be up for sale shortly, and is already being staged.
Oh. The end of this month we'll be having our LAST-ever Staff Party there. Sue stepped up years ago and started hosting this event at their house, one of the best things that ever happened for the gang. (I guess we won't do anything now, as we'd soured on throwing a 'party' for ourselves long ago -- we're always so burnt out on doing events by summertime.)
They've already bought a house in Oklahoma. I haven't seen it, yet, but I guess it's pretty grand. Looks like they'll be living among the wealthy in the future. I guess Dennis was really courted for his new job there.
This is a terrible LOSS for the festival. Sue (and Dennis, too) have done amazing things. She was our President for two years, and such a worker (before, during and after being in office). Marilyn wouldn't have made it through the festival this year without Sue, and there's really no one like her to take her place. Frankly, it's hard to imagine the festival without her...
I don't know how to feel about this. Sue has obviously known for ages, but only told Marilyn now. This has clearly been in the work for months. I would have thought she might have given Marilyn a 'heads up' about this before now, but instead she told Jeff first. Anyway, ultimately, it is what it is.
I can't help wondering if we'll be able to keep in touch with Sue's Dad and his wife, Tiny. They'll probably be remaining here (but I don't know that for sure). They both seem like family, in a way. And aside from missing Sue (and Dennis), we'll miss their house, too. I told Marilyn I thought it was odd they didn't let one of the kids have it, but Marilyn said she didn't think that was their style. They just recently did a ton of amazing renovations to the house and got it exactly the way they wanted it. And it's always been THE party house: I can't even say how many parties I've attended there.
Oh. And they put down their cat, who wouldn't have been able to make the move. Well, that's enough about all that. But I did need to mention this. It's really the end of an era.
Movies we saw today include "The Warrior's Way," a 2010 film made in both New Zealand and South Korea, starring Jang Dong-gun, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, Danny Huston and Tony Cox. It's a fantasy Western that's just AMAZING! I highly recommend it, if you can face the violence and bloodiness. It's difficult to describe. I was getting an almost comic-book-ish hit from it. The way it's filmed is very cool. It didn't get good reviews, and it was a box office flop, which surprises me. I especially liked Jang Dong-gun, who is a big Korean star. If you're into action/adventure, this might be just the thing for you. There's also an off-beat romance.
The other movie we watched was "Bad Words," directed by Jason Bateman, who also stars in it. Ten-year-old Rohan Chand appears as Chaitanya Chopra. It's a difficult movie to describe. They call it a black comedy, but neither Marilyn nor I found it at all funny. It's gotten good reviews, but I can't say about the box office. The Jason Bateman character is pretty much an ass, regardless of the reasoning behind why he does what he does. If you're a fan of spelling bees, this is NOT the film for you, because part of the concept seems to be blasting them. But Rohan is a real DELIGHT -- and just seeing him might be reason enough to sit through the movie. But if you're looking for a laugh-out-loud film, skip this. And it's NOT appropriate for kids: The word 'fuck' is said so many times that I dare you to try and keep track. Plus there are sex scenes and sex jokes that could be offensive for anyone. I think what kept me watching was Rohan. Marilyn slept during part of it...
Marilyn's fever seems worse tonight. We just went through talking over everything I shared at the beginning of this post. She's frustrated, naturally. She recognizes that she's totally run down after months of hard, hard work and ridiculous hours. We hate missing out on summer, as we haven't been able to do much since the festival ended. I still think she needs to hang in there and not fight it. Rushing back to work is no answer, that's for sure.
(I guess I need to contact Donn, because it looks like she won't be going in tomorrow, either.)
We're going to look for another movie to watch...