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I haven't got to spend too much time with the kids recently as I've either been in hospital or in bed and trying to isolate a bit so I don't pick up any treatment-threatening, life-threatening bugs.
But they came in today to give me my Father's Day cards and presents and to remind me (as if I needed reminding) that I absolutely can't die for at least 15 years, however much my body wants to self-destruct.
I didn't get the #1 Dad it the world this year, but it's nice that it's gone to someone else, as it was getting a bit embarrassing.
Ernie had bought me a card (saying Bad Ass Dad - though my Ass is basically the only bit of me that hasn't let me down) and then made me one at school, which was a cut out of his hand, made into a guitar and the legend "Dad, you rock".
Phoebe (and Catie) had got me a card showing a cartoon of Bob Mortimer saying "Dad you are---sssh. Just Magic." It's a reference to his appearance on Last One Laughing and I am 100% certain that they have not paid Bob for the privilege. But he gets the honour of being the epitome of the perfect dad.
Phoebe has found the cancer diagnosis quite difficult and is worried that I might die and I've done all I can to reassure her that I should be fine. But I don't want to say I will be fine, just in case something else goes wrong.
I've had to reassure a lot of you too. I should be fine. The prognosis on this one is excellent, even better than the also incredibly excellent prognosis on the ball cancer. And nothing needs to be cut out of me this time. I talk about stuff like this, partly because I've always been pretty open about everything, but also because some of our fears and assumptions about cancer are way off.
I am not claiming to be a fan of cancer, even though it seems to be a big fan of me. But increasingly a cancer diagnosis doesn't mean it's the end. And even if is one of the horrible, terminal ones, treatments are getting better. Like I say, I am still not a fan.
On the plus side my daughter's worries mean she is telling me she loves me a lot more than usual (again ditto you lot). And it's not a bad thing to tell the people we love that we love them as often as possible, just in case something happens.
Did I tell my own dad that I loved him when I face-timed him this evening?.... Maybe not. I can't remember But you know, you can take these things too far. And he's only nearly 90. I have many many years to tell him I love him in the future.
It's not just World War II Escape films that I am still able to watch during my recovery. For some reason I have become a bit obsessed with
watching clips of the 1980 film Xanadu and trying to work out what the fuck is going on.
From the bits I've seen (and I really don't want to pay to watch the whole thing to see if it has any narrative structure) I'd guess that an ageing Gene Kelly has been kidnapped by some young people and forced to take part in a roller-disco, which is haunted by the ghosts of dancers from the previous 80 years - a bit like in The Shining.
How long did it take them to put together these dance routines and for what purpose? Did the man doing the splits on the tight rope ever recover.
It feels both meticulously choreographed and also totally improvised based on what costumes they have found in the dressing up box.
Gene Kelly is in a pinball machine. For a bit. It sort of looks like a high budget episode of Record Breakers. He kicks a hat on to his own head. The video effects and punks mean the film would only be watchable for a window of about 9 months (and apparently no one watched it then). Is it just a load of pop videos knitted together where the direction had to follow the instructions of an sugar fuelled 8 year old who was saying "And then what happens..."
It's the greatest and most terrible thing I've ever seen and I don't want to spoil it by learning the real plot or watching it in order. Or watching anything other than clips youtube suggests. So like I say, cancer has its positives. I wonder if my old tastes shall return.
Olivia Newton John is terrific though and should be enough to carry the film.
