March 2024

By: Jane Dow / Mutterings & Musings
“Oh, Mandy. Well, you came and you gave
without taking.”
My sweet dog Mandy came to me not from
Barry Manilow, but from A Path 4 Paws, a dog rescue in Las Vegas. She
has blessed my life in ways I could not have imagined.
She came with the name Mandy. I thought it was sweet and suited
her, so I kept it. She had a litter mate, Molly, which I also adopted.
Sadly, after four months, the vet discovered an advanced bladder
cancer in Molly, and I had to put her down.
Mandy
has the
confirmation
of a standard
dachshund
with the head
and scent drive
of a beagle.
A dangerous
combination!
We go for sniffs,
not walks.
Four inch
legs with a nose
to the ground
does not make
for tidy little
strolls. Plus,
doxies have ravenous appetites, so anything on the ground (I mean
anything) is in her mouth before I can scream: Stop!
Yes, there have been vet bills because of the stuff/crap she has
ingested.
But that’s all the negatives about her I can muster. She has slept on
my bed from day one. Never moving or bothering me.
The only time she ventures out of her chill demeanor is when we
get ready to take a walk. Excitement hardly describes it. Running in
circles. Whimpering. Licking.
“Hurry, Mommy, I gotta get out and sniff me some sniffs!” I attribute
her affectionate nature to the old man who raised her. His death gave
me my Mandy.
I’ve had other dogs that were not people or dog friendly. Mandy never
met a person she didn’t lick, bestowing them with wet, sloppy kisses.
She is shy around big dogs but sniffs butts with little ones. A typical
day is her wandering from her living room dog bed, to under my bed,
then the quilt in from of the TV, and finally to a doggie bed in my closet.
A true wanderer. Mandy, my bestie four-legged friend.
My final message is: “Don’t Shop. Adopt!”
20
“Oh, Mandy”
Jane taught high school English and theatre for 30 years. She
now spends her time being a Toastmaster, enjoying the endless
entertainment options in our town, attending Pilates classes and
spoiling her rescue, Mandy.
March 2024
The Boys in the Boat
By: Renee Riendeau / Movie Revelations
The Race is on! “The Boys in the Boat” is
a two hour biographical 2023 American sports
drama filmed and directed by George Clooney
from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith. The movie is based on the 2013
book of the same name written by Daniel James Brown.
During the height of the Great Depression, members of the rowing
team at the University of Washington were placed in the spotlight as
they competed for Gold at the 1936 Olympics, held in Hitler’s Berlin.
The film highlights their journey in the Olympics. Callum Turner
was featured as Joe Rantz, top rower and Joel Edgerton as coach Al
Ulbrickson Sr.
The World Premiere for this film was held in Los Angeles last
December. It grossed $41 million and received mixed reviews from
critics.
The non-fiction novel describes the University of Washington’s crew
representing the United States in the men’s eight at the Olympics. There
was an entire section devoted to the boat builder, George Pocock, and
the working class athlete who involved himself with the builder in
completing the racing boat.
This student’s family had effectively abandoned and left him to fend
for himself at a very young age. He and Pocock worked well together
making the racing boat glisten and gleam when the boat was finished.
Grant Heslov as co-producer assisted in choosing the additional cast
of Peter Guinness, Sam Strike and Jack Mulhern and others.
This film was an inspirational true story with heart and solid
craftmanship, but George Clooney, with his traditional approach,
prevents it from leaving much of an impact. It’s a bit old-fashion,
relaxing and predictable, and a “feel good” movie. It’s a perfect rainy
day movie.
I love true stories and I give “The Boys in the Boat” a 4 on my 5 point
movie scale.
Renee Riendeau is the movie reviewer for The Vegas Voice. Renee
can be reached at rriendeau@aol.com and is anxious to hear
from you.