Doris Gets Her Oats

Yesenia was discharged today, around 1:30 PM. She's incredibly cranky and tried, but happy to be home. The surgery was performed Laparoscopically, which is a word I had to look up again just now and I'm sure I'll forget again just as soon as I post this entry. What it boils down to is four tiny incisions, a shrinking of the gall bladder, and then removing it through the largest of the four holes (the belly button, I believe, but don't rely on me for accurate medical information.

We had a couple of visitors today, but most of my job was - gently - kicking people out, because Yesenia wanted to be left alone. I picked up a few DVDs, and we watched Night at the Museum.

Which means: mini-review!

I'm sure you already could guess this, but don't bother to seek this out, unless you have children you wish to divert for about an hour. The film itself is about 30 minutes longer than that, so even put to its most effective use as a pacifier, it doesn't quite measure up. A few bulleted comments:

• I've never seen a film that took the concept of a three-act structure so literally. It's the same film, three times in a row, with minute changes.
• I actually like Ben Stiller - the goodwill he generated in me with his great Fox sketch show, and a few really solid film comedies, and of course, his willingness to do things like The H is O, keep my feelings towards him warm - but Director Shawn Levy really did him a disservice by encouraging him to 'riff.' Odd to see a comedy where Robin Williams sticks to the script but Ben Stiller vamps, and vamps poorly. There was almost a Golden Child level of weird comedic disconnect going on at some point. I half expected him to start chanting "N-E-P-A-L!" at some point.
• Carla Gugino is cute but useless, here.
• Ricky Gervais sucked the life out of every scene he was in.
• Nice to see Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney get up to some stuff.
• The effects were meh.

Okay. Still much, much work to do by morning. Gotta go.

If anyone wishes to send Yesenia a get well card or a visit, she'll be house- and bed-bound for this week, and I'm sure she'd appreciate the gesture.

D.