Life (and Oscar) Update

We finally got the house ready to go on the market. Woohoo! We're just waiting for a couple of things to fall into place before we actually do it, but it's just a matter of time at this point. We painted, spackled, boxed, hung, took down, screwed and unscrewed just about everything we could find. If the house isn't perfect, it never will be. Much of this is thanks to Sarah's brother Adam. Without him there's no way we could have gotten it together this fast. He's come up to help us at least three full days. Adam, you're a rock star.

We've actually had a little bit of pre-market interest in the house. On Superbowl Sunday, we had a last minute, half-time showing and tonight I showed the house to a second couple. We'd be just about the luckiest people alive if this actually panned out. We're not counting on it, but I can dream, right? So, if you're interested in buying a home in lovely Boulder, CO before it's even for sale you'd better get in touch quick! The worst of it was that the place was a bit of a disaster when Sarah left for Canada on Sunday morning. We'd been working all weekend and hadn't done any of the cleanup. Who came through in a pinch? You know it.

We also found out that our departure date to Romania has been postponed a week. We're not exactly sure how that will affect us. I don't think it really does in the long run. But it's at least a reminder that we definitely need to stay flexible.

Since I've been working like a dog on the house, I decided to treat myself to a little Oscar double feature. I went to see Another Year and Rabbit Hole. Now, if you know anything about these movies, you might think that I'm something of a masochist. They're not exactly lighthearted comedies or action films. But then again if you know anything about me, you'll know that this is very nearly my idea of a perfect night.

I absolutely loved Another Year. Mike Leigh is a masterful filmmaker. The only film of his that I didn't absolutely love was Topsy-Turvy and I'm beginning to think that it was me, not Mr. Leigh. I might have to give it another try to see what I missed. Another Year is up for best screenplay and it really gives The Kids Are Alright a run for its money. There is so much going on in every scene in this film. Every character is so well written that we understand exactly what they're going through and what they would like to say even though they can't or won't say it. Roger Ebert put it thusly: "Leigh sees the ways people display their anguish without meaning to." This is easily one of my favorite films of the year.

I think I'm too tired to write much about Rabbit Hole. It was a much more straightforward film than Another Year in many ways. But if you don't know anything about the film, it takes a few minutes to figure out exactly what's going on. In any case I had a few minor complaints but in all it was very touching. The ending was particularly well done. In a film without much hope, we get a glimpse of a parallel universe of hope as it is being formed. Nicole Kidman was excellent in it, but my money is still on Bening.