Wednesday, April 24, 2013

A to Z: U?


U is a problem letter for fencing and swordplay. However, it does remind me of a particular character, known for his tough swordsmanship, in legends and in the TV series, Merlin.

Uther Pendragon

Uther is not the most likeable character on the show, but he is trying to do his best for his son and his country, although he makes plenty of foolish mistakes along the way. He's a veteran of war, a tough bird, and he still thinks he has what it takes to take down any opponent with a blade. 

So here's a short clip of his battle with Sir Tristan (his dead brother-in-law back for vengeance):





Oh, and BTW, I thought I would never watch this show because I'm a little tired of all the Camelot/Arthur remakes, but then . . .well, I watched one episode, and then another, and then I became hooked. Merlin is probably my favorite re-telling of this old legend.
And I liked how Uther was portrayed.

So, a writing lesson from Uther?
Keep fighting, even when the odds are against you. Or keep writing, even when the odds seem stacked up against you.


Happy A to Z!

In the Dad-carpal tunnel surgery/recovery news - no one, not my mom, not my dad, not me, thought about how my dad would be getting his prosthetic leg on and off after surgery. He needs both hands for it, since it has to go on evenly. My mom's day surgery left her unable to bend over for 2 weeks (she definitely doesn't want me to share details but it was fairly minor except for the not bending over, not lifting things part afterwards), so guess who gets to wrestle my dad's prosthetic leg on and off? Me.
This is the reason that my parents built their house on the lot next to ours, for occasional care by me. (I'm an only child, so this comes with the territory, and I generally don't mind.)
The worst part of my dad's care so far has been forcing him to keep his arm elevated and getting him to take his pain pills . . . I had a very busy afternoon with kids' activities and a service project with the youth group serving dinner at a community center. I thought my mom could handle the water, pain pills, and elevation aspect of my dad's care for the afternoon/evening. Umm, no.
They both fell asleep, and my dad didn't take his pain pills, drink water, or keep his arm elevated. By 7 when I checked on them, he was just waking up, super-grumpy. My dad is not a grumpy kind of guy, so I decided to see the humor in this and took a pillow, put his arm up - even though he didn't want to - and then watched him take this pain pill, drink a glass of water, and start eating dinner. He was mad at me for making him do all that, but I remember the pain of my own arm surgeries and how much I didn't want to elevate my arm, or drink water, or eat, and I'm thankful for my parents and my roommates making me do that (or at least I was, after the fact.)
Today is a new day . . .pray for me in the arm elevation battle . . . it makes a difference in the healing process and pain management.

17 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

He'll appreciate it later. Just keep doing what's best for him.

jaybird said...

I will pray for you! Sometimes being the care-taker is harder than being the patient.

And my mind was set against Merlin, until I watched it once, twice, next thing you know, I loved it too!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Alex - I plan too! Thanks for your prayers yesterday and today!

Jaybird - Thanks for your prayers! Sometimes it seems like that, although I think both places are hard to be in.
Merlin is a great show!

Julie Flanders said...

My dad was one of the grumpiest patients ever, so I can feel your pain with the arm elevation battle! I wish you much success with it and I hope your dad's recovery is smooth.

I've never seen Merlin but have heard lots of good things about it.

Unknown said...

Awesome! I love how you made this fit into your A-Z theme. Clever you!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Julie - Thanks for your thoughts. Merlin is a great show.

Julie - Thanks!

Natalie Aguirre said...

I love that series too, though I'm behind in watching the taped shows for this season.

Hope your dad gets better soon. Sounds like you've got your hands full.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I'm sad that Merlin ended, mostly because I loved staring at Bradley James in armor. I hated Uther and am so glad he died. He shoulda died much sooner in the series in my opinion. I also hated what they did with Gwen in the last season.

nutschell said...

You are a good daughter. Sending you prayers and healing thoughts.
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Mark Means said...

I'll definitely be keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. It's tough to take care of a parent, but it's the least we can do for all they've done for us.

Nice twist on the theme, by the way :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Hope your father heals fast for your sake.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Natalie - I'm behind too. Yes, my hands are currently pretty full.

Michael - I thought he would die earlier in the season, but I still liked how they portrayed him as a hateful character with "good intentions."

Nutschell -Thanks for your prayers!

Mark - Thanks!

Diane - Thank you.

Allison said...

I love Merlin! It is probably my favourite retelling too. Well, after Sword in the Stone.

Allison (Geek Banter)

Emily R. King said...

Best wishes to your dad. You're a good daughter!

Jeff Hargett said...

Oh, I do like me a little Merlin!

Michelle Wallace said...

I'm sending positive vibes and prayers all the way across the globe-----------
Take care.

Writer In Transit

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

We've enjoyed watching Merlin too!