Major surgery would stress out even the most famous of families, but Brad Pitt says he, his partner Angelina Jolie and their children didn’t let her double mastectomy get them down.

“We set up our own little post-op recovery that became pretty fun,” Pitt told USA Today. “You make an adventure out of it.”

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  PHOTOS: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt side-by-side through the years

“Adventurous” is not how most of us mere mortals would characterize post-op recovery, but the beautiful, intrepid demigods that are the Jolie-Pitts probably wrestle tigers before breakfast. A little life-saving surgery could be just the sort of thing they consider a fun challenge. Do you think they healed Angelina’s sutures with the sheer power of their beauty?

Pitt is incredibly glad that the procedure went well. “it’s such a wonderful relief to come through this and not have a spectre hanging over our heads. To know that that’s not going to be something that’s going to affect us.”

Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, and says she hopes her story will inspire other women fighting the life-threatening disease.

Jolie wrote in the New York Times on Tuesday that the operation has made it easier for her to reassure her six children that she would not die young from cancer, like her own mother, Marcheline Bertrand, did at 56.

The post The Word: Brad Pitt calls Angelina Jolie’s recovery ‘an adventure’ appeared first on Metro.us.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the city’s plan to spend $1.77 billion in aid for Sandy recovery efforts, and city residents and businesses are set to start receiving the funds as soon as this summer, the New York Times reports.

The city’s plan calls for $648 million to go to programs to rebuild homes and make them more storm-resistant. That sum also includes $9 million in rental subsidies for low-income New Yorkers who are at most risk for homelessness.

The rest of the money breaks down as follows:

• $360 million on city infrastructure
• $294 million on investments to make the city more resilient to storms
• $293 million on loans, grants and other programs for businesses

City officials say the aid is not enough to cover all the damage caused by the storm, but it will allow for crucial progress to be made. The funds will help address some of the most persistent issues, such as evacuees still living in hotels and mold in homes, the Times reports.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to announce the approval of the plan at City Hall on Friday.

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Coney Island’s Luna Park opened Sunday for the first time since Hurricane Sandy. While local leaders and longtime fans of the park celebrated the traditional opening that comes one week before Easter every year, some local residents who are still struggling to recover from the storm came out to protest.

The opening arrived on schedule, even though devastation from the storm almost delayed the event, the New York Times reported. The storm had damaged rides and flooded electrical equipment. Most restaurants still remain closed, but Sunday’s celebration and opening of the rides signaled a return to normalcy for some New Yorkers.

Sunday’s excitement also highlighted how much more work needs to be done in the area following the storm’s damage. About a dozen nearby residents came out to the park to protest. They held signs that read “Coney Island is not back” and “People live here,” the Times reported.

A number of local businesses as well as major institutions like libraries, hospitals and police stations remain closed in the area.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said he understands the residents’ concerns and that it is important to keep the focus on them.

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