Saturday, 04 July 2009

  • Happy Independence Day!



    I hope that my fellow Americans have a safe holiday and take a moment to remember how truly blessed (and lucky) we are to be living in such a wonderful country.

    My cousin, Michelle, and her daughters, Samantha and Emily, are flying in from Canada this afternoon, so the family is planning to get together tonight for a combination 4th of July cookout/graduation party for Emily. I've also made plans to meet up with my best friend and her family at Mineral Springs Park for the fireworks display, but it has been raining all day so those plans might get scrapped. Guess I'll have to wait and see.

  • Disney Vacation Rewind, Part 1

    Some randomness and observations:
    1. Brazilians are the most annoying, obnoxious tourists on planet Earth. I can overlook the matching t-shirts, but the traveling in a mob, the loud singing and clapping, the pushing in line, the leaders waving huge flags, and the one idiot in each group walking backwards to film it all? It's almost as if they were saying, "HEY LOOK AT US! WE'RE FROM BRAZIL! AREN'T WE SPECIAL?". Made me wish that I could speak Portugese just so I could tell them all to piss off.
    2. My best friend Kelly was stuck in Birmingham, Alabama for the week after her van suffered complete engine failure on the trip down. Her husband Mark and their two children (my godchildren Elizabeth and Nathaniel) had to fly from Birmingham to Orlando early Monday morning (the 22nd) while she stayed behind and waited for her dad and brother to make the trip down south.
    3. The daily temperatures were so unbearably hot that Disney World could have doubled for Hell. The worst day was Monday when we went to the Hollywood Studios. With the heat index factored in, the temp was 120°! I made the mistake of wearing make up the first day we went park hopping, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that my face melted in the time that it took for me to walk from my room to the bus stop.
    4. I had an emotional break down Saturday evening. Kelly had called me, sobbing hysterically over the van dying (see #2 above), as we were exiting I-4 into Lake Buena Vista, so I was busy trying to console her and come up with a solution when my brother, Bart, started vying for my attention because he was looking for our hotel. He made some smart ass remark about me being on the phone, I snapped back...and then the tears started. Once we were stopped in the hotel parking lot, he apologized for his rudeness and gave me a hug, but I just coudn't pull it together. The sweet Italian girl who checked us into our rooms saw that I had been crying and tried to make me feel better by giving me a "Happily Ever After" button, but her concern made my tears start all over again. *sigh* The next morning, Mother Nature gave me an unwanted "gift" a week early, so now I know why I got so worked up. Damn hormones.

Friday, 03 July 2009

  • At The Movies: Public Enemies

    It's official: Marion Cotillard is the luckiest woman in Hollywood. Getting paid to make out with Johnny Depp AND be carried around in Christian Bale's arms? So unfair.

    Public Enemies is a very good movie featuring strong performances from all involved. The shoot out scenes are fantastically realistic, and the atmosphere of 1930's "Gangland" Chicago is captured perfectly via the costumes, automobiles, and set design. My only complaint? The film needs less of the romance between Dillinger and Billie Frechette and more of the exciting cat-and-mouse action between Dillinger and Melvin Purvis.

    I don't think I mentioned this before, but the husband of one of my co-workers was cast as an extra in the scene where Dillinger and Billie are dancing in a club. Julie and George participate in couples dance competitions in their spare time and had traveled to Chicago to audition when they heard that dancers were needed for the film, but only George was selected. Julie was a little bummed, but deep down she knew that she wouldn't have been able to concentrate and do her job with Mr.Depp in the same room.

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

  • Ten On Tuesday

    10ot_4

    10 Guilty Pleasures On TV


    1. Dog The Bounty Hunter: Both my mom and I have huge crushes on Dog's son, Duane Lee. We want to go to Hawaii just to stalk him. And who wouldn't love Dog and Beth's fashion sense?
    2. Bridezillas: I can't believe that there are men stupid enough to marry these spoiled, self-centered, nasty, tantrum throwing wastes of DNA. Their behavior does nothing but repulse me, yet I can't stop watching.
    3. Intervention: My friend/co-worker Marie and I always text each other before the intervention to predict whether or not rehab will be successful for that weeks' featured addict.
    4. Obsessed: I'll admit that I'm fascinated by the variety of obsessive-compulsive behaviors on this show. And I can relate to those afflicted with the compulsion to clean.
    5. Dr. G: Medical Examiner: If I was wicked smart and had a stronger stomach, I could see myself working as a medical examiner. It would be so cool to solve the mysteries of unexplained deaths.
    6. Any health show involving the morbidly obese (i.e. The Half Ton Teen, Half Ton Dad)
    7. 16 And Pregnant: Should be required viewing for all junior high/high school students who think that having a baby would be fun.
    8. JONAS (pictured above): My nephew Cameron and goddaughter Elizabeth have watched every JONAS episode a few hundred times each, so I couldn't help but get sucked in myself.
    9. The Little Couple: Dr. Jen Arnold is the most adorable person on tv. I just love her.
    10. I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant: Who knew this happens more often than not?

  • At The Movies: Year One

    Two words: don't bother.

    Had it not been for the scene stealing David Cross as Cain, I would have walked out of the theater and asked for my $6.50 back.

Monday, 29 June 2009

  • The Funniest Photo From Vacation


    Check out the reactions of my godson Nathaniel and my nephew Cameron (front row) during our ride on Animal Kingdom's Dinosaur. I'm afraid that my older nephew Garett (middle row) is going to need intensive therapy after we talked him into yet another ride he wanted no part of.

    Got home late Saturday evening and still have lots to do around the house, so once I get caught up with that, I'll blog about our fun Disney adventure. Until then...

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

  • Nacho Libre

    You Are Nachos
    You are outgoing and generous. You love to share you life with other people.
    You are carefree and light-hearted. You try to always make the best of things.

    While you enjoy being with other people, you also value your alone time.
    You like to reflect, think, and pick things apart. You like to study everything carefully.

Monday, 15 June 2009

  • Monday Movie Meme: Trauma


    Movies that have shaken you to the core so much that you've never been the same because of them...
    1. Magic (1978) As a child, ventriloquist dummies had always creeped me out, but the tv trailer for this Anthony Hopkins/Ann-Margret thriller pushed my fear into a full blown phobia.You can read about my experience here, via a previous post.
    2. Phantasm (1979) During a sleepover at my house, my friend Kim and I snuck out into the living room after my mom had gone to bed to watch Phantasm on Cinevue (what we had during pre-HBO days). As sixth graders, we thought we were hot shit watching the R-rated horror film until the scene where a flying silver orb with spikes embeds itself in the forehead of one of the villains and drills his brains out. Kim ran into the bathroom to hurl, and I had to sleep with the lights on for a month afterwards, due to nightmares.
    3. It (1990) Just proves my point that clowns are evil. Period.
    4. Waiting (2005) I can no longer eat at a restaurant without worrying about what the kitchen staff is doing to my food. If you've seen this movie, you'll know exactly what I mean.<gag> And to think that I used to make fun of my mom's ex-boyfriend because he refused to eat at restaurants unless he could watch his meal being prepared.

  • The Birthday Girl


    I think that Claire liked the pink/brown outfit I picked out for her birthday gift. She's lucky that it doesn't come in my size because I would so buy one for myself and then dress her as my mini-me!

    And she calls me "Aunt Juju". How cute is that?

Saturday, 13 June 2009

  • Congratulations, Pittsburgh Penguins!


    2009 Stanley Cup champions

    Final thoughts:
    1. Hey Marian Hossa, how are you feeling about your decision now?!? Talk about the ultimate irony.
    2. I think Pippin Took might need some kitty Xanax as a result from all the screaming that my mom and I did during the series.
    3. Is it me, or does Gary Bettman look like the love child of a goblin and the Count from Sesame Street?
    4. Detroit won the Cup in '08 and Pittsburgh won it this year, so will both teams now do all hockey fans¹ a favor and stay out of the finals in 2010? Pretty please?
    ¹ The non-Wings, non-Pens fans, of course.

  • Camera Critters: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

    Camera Critters

    Earlier this week, I was surprised to find this toad chilling out on my patio. There is a small creek about 1/4 of a mile from my house, but this is the first time I've ever seen one survive traffic and make it into the safety of my yard.

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