What is this? Another post already!

On Sunday, I set out to have an epic Father’s day celebration since our girls were out of town enjoying Camp Nana & Grandfather. The plan was to have brunch, visit the Farmer’s Market, work on the yard, then go to a movie. We had a brilliant brunch, and headed over to the Farmer’s Market where we scored the largest zucchini I’ve ever seen. Yeah, everything in Texas is bigger, apparently!


Moments after this photo, a massive rainstorm hit and we were caught in it. We had parked a few blocks away and the walk to the car felt like we were in the middle of a splash park. The fat rain and strong winds didn’t hurt. It was still plenty warm and the cool rain was refreshing. I was actually laughing, because I love pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. On the drive home, I was literally sloshing in my seat from the downpour, all the while, a stupid grin graced my face from the experience.

When we arrived home, instead of working on the lawn as previously mentioned, I opted for a nap. No sense in attempting to mow during the rainstorm. It was such a glorious nap, too. I slept the hardest I’ve slept in weeks and was so re-energized, I awoke hungry. I remembered I still had my birthday avocados (doesn't everyone?), which needed to be eaten, so a snack of guacamole before the movie sounded like a great idea. The avocados were perfectly ripe, too. I diced the garlic. I had tossed in my salt. I chopped cilantro. I squeezed the lime. I spooned the halves of the avocado that didn’t have a pit into my bowl. Then, I took my Global Chef’s Knife to the pit to take it off--just exactly as I have done many, many times over the years. You know, each of those times I’d performed that same task, I remembered feeling quite proud at accomplishing such a dangerous feat--knife skills can be dangerous, after all! This time, however the pit just slid around in a circle when I tried to grab it with the center of the blade and an easy chop. Instead of just squeezing the avocado to produce the pit, I earnestly shoved the pointed end of the knife to the pit, so as to stab it in place…

….the pit easily tumbled out, the sharp knife easily sliced a 1 inch gash near the joint of my left index finger, and all together, like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, all pieces clashed to the sink! I rinsed knife off, my blood pooled blood under the cool water, my mouth salivated because I was so hungry--all I wanted was some guacamole. I calmly called out saying I needed to get to a doctor, willing my finger to be ok, telling myself no less than 50 times that I didn’t feel the pain. If I can state it aloud and rationalize it to my brain to stop feeling the aches, I can likely suppress it. (Surprising myself with this ability: when we were at the ER later and the triage nurse asked me my pain level, I stated 1 on the scale of 1-10. It was by no means a 10, but I did expect to say something higher, because duh, we were at the ER!)

I did a quick check on WebMD to see what to do and how it compared to other lacerations. According to the Internet (ha!), I had between 12 and 24 hours before I needed immediate attention, so I said, let’s try to make the movie*. We cleaned it up the wound, bandaged it and headed out. Nevermind I could see the blood saturating the bandage. I clot well and I had a back up paper towel just in case. However, being Father’s Day, all movies were sold out unless you wanted to sit at the very front row. Dangit! Off we went to the ER, where I was gifted with some Lidocaine and five stitches.

The doc asked me if I’d ever gotten stitches before and I answered honestly, “Yeah, on my vagina.” He was a bit taken aback by my bluntness, and caught his stammering by saying, “oh..well, uh…you were likely numb from an epidural.” I interrupted him and said, “No, I felt it. Both my births were natural and the stitching was well, not pleasant, but after giving birth coupled with the hormone surge, the tiny pricks weren't really a factor. The birth itself was a 10 on the pain scale.” We continued to joke and he showed us proper stitching technique--in the event of the zombie apocalypse (his words!), then walked me through what to expect. As a result, I’m going to miss playing in the annual dodgeball tournament which will be later on this week, but the whole thing made for a great story!

That night, we stayed in and made a plan to go to the movies the next evening.

*The movie was Mad Max: Fury Road and in my opinion, such a clever and fantastic action movie with heart! I was overwhelmed, surprised, in suspense, and felt like I was a small child watching my first ever action film, only there were really strong female characters in search of redemption. I HIGHLY recommend you go see it! It may not be for everyone, but it was DEFINITELY my kind of film. I had been wanting to watch this film since it was released, but we didn’t have a sitter or time. While everyone else is raving about Inside Out or Jurassic World, I’m behind the curve saying, hey, check out Mad Mad, folks, because I agree with Rotten Tomatoes’ 98% rating! Go now, before it leaves the theaters.

Thoughts on Frozen

Back at the end of November of last year, Disney released their latest animated adventure, “Frozen.” Prior to that, if you’d gone to a child’s movie, you might have seen a teaser trailer for it featuring the beloved character Olaf, the snowman who loves warm hugs and Sven, the reindeer who loves carrots.

First, I must give you some background information. I have two girls, age 5 and 2 at the time we saw the movie. Growing up, I LOVED Disney films, but I couldn’t help but grow up wondering why movies told me that my value was in getting married and having children, to be saved or rescued by a handsome prince, and that my life would be happily ever after…until I discovered Mary Poppins, but that is a story all of its own.

Later, as I grew and had daughters of my own, I realized that I didn’t have much to pull from when it came to strong female characters in Disney animated films. I’m not a man-hater or anything. I’m saying it would be nice to see strong and mighty girls, is all.  I’m not knocking the Disney princesses, because in all honesty, I wasn’t familiar with all of them when I had my own daughters. First came Mulan, and I was ECSTATIC! Then came The Princess and the Frog (yaaay, a princess of color with dreams of her own!!), Tangled (wahoo, a girl who has a best friend, great hair, and can defend herself!), and a couple of years following was Brave. Yes, yes, yes!!!

With Merida and Elinor, Disney knocked it out of the park. They nailed it! Merida was wild and lovely. You saw her “prettied” up as a princess, and she was lovely, too. But when you saw her as her real self, unapologetic for who she was, that’s when she was beautiful. The relationship she had with her mother was real. Furthermore, her mother was present and in her life, not a monster, not absent, and especially not a doormat for her husband or anyone else for that matter. They had real arguments and real struggles and the element of magic and fantasy, that sparkle that makes Disney movies, well, special.

So when Frozen came out, you can understand why it had such a high bar for me. (Caution: Spoiler Alert) I expected less traditional Disney and more girl-power Disney. Which there were some elements to of that. Sister’s before misters, right? She didn’t need someone to save her, she saved her sister. Plus, so much of that music was outstanding. So fun, so rich, so catchy, so very classic Disney, that you wanna blast it in the car and sing along, and go right ahead, because I always try to sing a duet with Idina Menzel in my car as much as possible! Kristoff, mocking her choice of becoming engaged to Hans after just meeting him that day. Olaf was delightful and the kind of true and genuine spirit of optimism and innocent hope. Part of me thinks that Elsa put all of her hopeful childhood into Olaf’s spirit. Reindeer Sven was a great character, too.

In the early part of the movie, the two girls are playing. Wild and free, it was very similar to the way my girls play together. This was a huge, positive takeaway. What transpired after the injury and how Elsa excluded her little sister Anna. This was a teachable moment we have referred to for our 5 year old.

Then there was the rest of the film that had me chewing on things, asking questions, and wondering, what?? WHAT?? what?? wait, what? :: scratches head ::

These are the questions I’ve asked myself and wondered, was the script cut short? Was the budget too much? Did they just not consider these things? Am I really dissecting a Disney film like this? Seriously Bianca, hellooooo, it’s just a movie.

First off, what about their mom? Where was she, in the shadows, so to speak. She didn’t hardly have much to say. I realize the parents died, but really? That’s it?? And even beyond that, they live in a massive palace and NO “MOTHERLY” CHARACTER whatsoever?? They didn’t have anyone male or female to show them about love and compassion? Then again, she would’ve known love and there wouldn’t be a need for plot, so there you go. And speaking of parents, where were Kristoff’s parents? How did he go from childhood ice kid to human kid of the trolls? And why did he not remember the whole scene with Anna and Elsa? Did the trolls do troll magic on him?

Speaking of people in the castle, they lived and worked with these girls ever since their parents died. They HAD to have known that Elsa has special powers. And yet, SHOCKER…they were so fearful to have discovered what she could do that immediately upon recognizing something as different, they judged her and left it to the old, “We’re so afraid of what we don’t know.” No one stood up for Elsa but her sister. What? Really?

Elsa seems distraught and torn because of her skills. In the Faerie Tale Theater’s Snow Queen that I’d seen, that was what I loved about that character. She was so unapologetically wicked. Melissa Gilbert, the girl, sets off and rescues her male friend, so already it was a powerful statement for girls! A queen embracing her gifts. A girl rescuing the male. Friendship, friends, not romantic love…

Big sister Elsa creates this amazing castle and this fabulous dress showing off some va-va-voom curves. So she wasn’t apologetic for Anna is so very complimentary to her sister, wanting to show her sister love through her words and actions. Elsa is the snow queen and thus is too afraid of the harm that will ensue as a result of letting anyone close to her. You know, I have an older sister. While I may have been an utter pest to her growing up, she never once hesitated to pay me a compliment, even during the times when she loved me, but didn’t like me a whole lot.  Elsa couldn’t have written her sister a note?  Why did she have to be totally devoid of all feelings…numb? Yes, icy and cold, duh, she’s the snow queen and because, right, women can’t control their feelings and have to run off to some remote location to recharge and cut off the world in order to deal with their issues. Or, they have too many feelings and are in constant need for feeling validated by the people that reject them the most. In the end, if they would’ve had a dialog about their feelings and been taught that feelings were ok (and not afraid of them), but most of all, to use their words to express these emotions, then we probably wouldn’t have had a plotline. It wouldn’t have stuck to the story.

Love…oh love, sisterly love right, but laced with romantic love in the plotline. You have Hans fawning over Anna (albeit with ulterior motives), then eventually Kristoff jumps in. No one wants Elsa? Elsa is too busy being self-involved to care about a piddly thing like romantic love? Ok, that’s cool. Why can’t Kristoff just be their friend? Why does it have to involve a *gasp* kiss? Then that horrible “Fixer-Upper” song. Catchy and cutesy, but did you hear the words?? “You can fix this fixer-upper”---why fix? We are all inherently broken and with baggage, but the improvement goes on the shoulders of the person. It isn’t the responsibility of someone else to fix you. They finish off the song with dialog about true love and how it is applicable to just love all, father, sister, brother (no mother?? hmmm)…true love will fix the fixer-upper. But what if you are alone (or feel alone) and you don’t have that kind of true love. Sad, but true.

That’s why I didn’t love Frozen. I would even venture to say that I didn’t particularly like it either. I didn’t hate it, I just had more hope for it. I wish there was a movie for just Olaf and Sven. I wish they would’ve developed Kristoff’s character more. I wish that Kristoff would’ve only been their friend and didn’t have to have the romantic element. I wish that they would’ve been better able to convey the love that Elsa had for Anna in a better way than just a last few moments of ALLLL BETTERRRR now, everything is unfrozen and I love you. I wish they would’ve had the trolls to teach them about love early on, too. There were too many loops that I saw they were trying to go somewhere with it, but then didn’t. I know I think about it more, though, because of the questions my little ones will ask me afterwards. Also, the expectations they’ve created in their little minds because of these impressions.

As parents, we can guide only so far, equipping our children with whatever tools we can give them. It is for that reason that when I left the movie (and most movies we watch together---even if they aren’t “real”) I had so many questions than just the happiness of watching the film. With that said, we will probably purchase the film for the girls to have at home. We will probably watch it more times than I will want to. But I will enjoy it more because of the time we share together while watching and for singing along to it. Big kudos to the song writers because even my smallest one knows most of the words to “Let it Snow.” We will, however, not go to the sing-along in the theater.

Fun Last Minute Gifts + a giveaway!

As you run to and fro' gathering the last bits of good tidings for your loves, I wanted to share a couple of last minute happies sure to please!

Redbox Yes, finally, at long last, Redbox is offering gift codes for you to share with friends. Redbox.com/gifts is your stop to buy a movie rental on your friend. The only drawback, caveat, is that you MUST either be friends with the person on Facebook (and send via facebook) or know their email address. Of course, your recipient couldn't use Redbox if they didn't have an email address, so yeah. Anyway, these gift codes are sent in increments of $5 or $10. They are super convenient, as Redbox is convenient. I've talked about them before, so this isn't new news. Once upon a time, I gave Blockbuster gift cards. With the advent of so many of their brick and mortar shops closing, it's more difficult to actually use the gift card.

Groupon Yes, you can give gift credits to groupon. If you have a friend that is a Groupon junkie, then give them some groupon love. Buy Groupon e-cards with different increments from $15-$200.

Gift Cards Well, we were talking about e-cards, but you can also go with the ol' standby of regular gift cards. Who doesn't like a thoughtful gesture? However, I always like to add a personal message associated with the gift card I pick out for the recipient. If I give a DSW card, I'll say something like, "For those shoes that you wanted, but couldn't justify because they weren't on sale. LOOK! Now, it's like they are on sale!" Small personalizations totally make a difference. Oh, and if you visit your local grocery store (or Wal-greens/CVS), you can visit the gift card carousel and probably find the gift card you need without having to go into the store. (Not so great for your local mom 'n pop shops. HOWEVER! You can call them directly or visit their site and get a gift card. One of my favorites: CITY CRAFT offers these and I think it is brilliant!!!)

I'm feeling super generous, so one of you readers will win one of those lovely Redbox gift codes, valued at $5!! Thank you all for being my readers, even when I've fallen off the radar screen. This is an easy giveaway. Just leave me a comment. Anything you want to comment. Whatever you want to say, hopefully nothing negative. You can tell me what you would like to watch. You can tell me your favorite holiday tradition. You can confess that you bake, but never get to the baking part because you eat the cookie dough before it goes in the oven. Whatever. Just enter and BAM. If you take less than a minute to enter, odds are you will win because my contests usually have less than 15 entries. :) HOORAY!

Contest will close at Midnight on December 30th. Bonus: For those of you who read this through Networked Blogs or on Facebook, your comments will go towards the entry, too! For you sneaky ones who want to comment on my regular blog and on Facebook, well *zing* you get 2 entries for being sassy and finding a loophole. Good luck!

**I was not contacted by Redbox, Groupon, or City Craft to promote their products. I just like their stuff and think it is nifty!**

Miss Representation: Movie

For those of you unaware, there's a fabulous new documentary out there called Miss Representation.  It is about the projection of women in the media. Miss Representation is something we need to share with all our friends and families to change the way our children see themselves and others.






Tomorrow night, I will be having a house party at my home to show the premier of it on the OWN network at 9/8 Central. Hopefully, we will achieve the goal: Educate, Engage & Empower. I feel fortunate to have grown in a world with strong women. Physically and emotionally strong women who always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. At the time, I found it ironic that they were telling me to aspire for greater ambitious careers, yet, they themselves were content (or so it seemed) with being homemakers. It wasn't until later that I realized their chosen path was to raise their family. Because of it, I saw that homemakers worked hard in their homes and still looked amazing doing it.

We didn't watch much television growing up, and we didn't get many publications. There were advertisements on billboards, but nothing like today. We were watching the first part of the baseball play off game (maybe the 2nd inning) and there was a preview for the new release of The Thing. I was scared! I couldn't begin to imagine the fear in the mere seconds Mari watched before I rushed her to the other room. I realize that she will be exposed to those things some day, but there's enough time for that later. Additionally, I purchased this month's Men's Health. It was just laying around. While I realize it is filled with half dressed men showcasing their fabulous muscles, I was surprised to see a full page devoted to a gal in skimpy undies, caught looking over her shoulder as she took off her tank top. I only saw it because Mari was pointing out that the girl was naked. Not quite, but mostly. She looked at me and stated, "She's a cochina showing her panties." But her young eyes were fixated on that perfect body. I was impressed with her body and would love to have one like it, but what kind of message was it sending my daughter? I asked Mari what she thought the girl was thinking. She thought that the girl was surprised and angry. I asked her if she thought the girl was embarrassed. She said, "Yes. She wanted privacy to change her clothes." "Exactly, kiddo!"

But I've since evaluated the different impressions I've made on her and other influences. Since having my own daughters, I've actually tried to put more of an effort into my appearance. I try to show them confidence and not be overly critical of my body in front of them. I don't get embarrassed when she watches me get dressed. She knows what a "real" female body looks like. But I have to keep it up. I'm glad there is this film to hopefully raise awareness and maybe, just maybe, make a change.

I encourage you all to set aside some time tomorrow night at 9/8 Central on the OWN Oprah Winfrey Network!

HDMR: I Don't Know How She Does It & Downton Abbey

I Don't Know How She Does It
Recently, I was one of the 100 people who went to see I Don't Know How She Does It. Yes, I paid full-price for it. I was a sucker for the trailer. I know a lot of people thought it was lame. It was listed as a comedy and I wanted funny. Plus, I wanted to go to a movie with my mom and I figured this would be a good one. (We also got to see Bridesmaids together, which was REALLY funny!  I know you've already seen that one.)

Anyway, in this film, I didn't really think it was much of a comedy. I guess I could see where some things might have been funny, because yes, it is relatable. The part about making the list at night...OMG, yes! When I lay my head down to sleep at night, I do the list in my head. I fall asleep making the list. I wake up and I'm still making the list. These lists become lists of tiny lists. It's really out of control! But the rest of the funny?? I was waiting for it, but no. My heart was breaking, actually, because it is a very real movie. Yes, we're in a recession and the problems she has don't have anything to do with not having a job or trying to make ends meet...but they are still very real problems. Knowing that, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the film, even though I was disappointed I didn't laugh more. And Pierce Brosnan...va-va-va-voom! That man just gets so much better as he ages, it's ridiculous! And big kudos to Olivia Munn, too! She brought the funny. I really like her!

It's worth the rental, for sure. Make yourself a bowl of kettle corn and a root beer float (or a glass of wine) and indulge for a 89 minutes.

Downton Abbey
After hearing all of the awards this show won at the Emmy's I was curious. Thankfully, Netflix had this on streaming. We only own one television and I don't always want to watch football when it is on (even though I really love it), so I watched it on my phone and on my computer. Folks, I loved it! It was every bit of dramatic and scandalous as I wanted a show to be. There was snark, there was betrayal, there was snobbery at its finest, and the costumes....oh, how I loved the costumes. I can't think of one single character that I did not like. I couldn't believe it was a part of PBS's Masterpiece theater! How in the world they are able to sustain the writing and the cast, I have no idea, but I am looking forward to the 2nd season when it premiered in January.

Those of you who are lucky enough to have Netflix streaming (Qwikster?), you should definitely check it out. I give it a waaaay thumbs up and it makes me happy knowing it won so many awards!

HDMR: Salt, Flipped, The Kids are All Right, Going the Distance, & The Other Guys

Well, I haven't done a hump day movie review in quite some time, but that isn't to say we haven't been watching movies, because we have! :) I just haven't been writing about them.

Without further adieu....

SALT

This movie is action packed from the get-go. Once I resigned myself to this being an action flick and nothing more, then I enjoyed it a whole lot more. First off, I like Angelina. I don't like Angelina as a runner. It was painful to me watching her run in this show. Seriously, I have a crazy run, but in this show, where she's a bonafide BAMF, kicking all sorts of tail and such, why oh why couldn't she be a better runner? Another thing, there was a scene where she's balancing on the edge of a building, climbing from window sill to window sill and you later learn there's a dog in her backpack. REALLY? I don't know about you, but I have only carried one creature in a sack that wasn't moving around and yelping, throwing me off balance, let alone, trying to quietly escape, exhibiting world class rock climbing move while barefoot, and in a skirt. Again, don't take it too seriously!  Was it fun to watch and entertaining? Yes. Is it everything you expect from an action packed blockbuster? Yes. I don't intend to own the movie, but it was fun watching and trying to figure out her motivation. Don pegged it early, but I was in disbelief. :D Anyway, it is worth the rental, so enjoy!

FLIPPED

I rented this movie just because it was from the same director of When Harry Met Sally... and Stand By Me. First off, you need to know that I was attempting to watch this on Christmas day when I was in the sick trenches. I didn't watch it in one sitting. It took a few times to watch it and I missed about 15 minutes in the middle, and honestly I don't remember the end. From what I remember watching, though, I liked it. I liked how the story was told from each perspective. It started off a bit slow for my liking, but it was cute. It is a story about your first love and how one moment, you are crushing on someone, but then once you forget about them, they story is flipped and they are crushing on you. Isn't that the way those first loves tend to go? :)  It is a charming tale and if it happens to be on a Sunday afternoon movie matinee, then I would recommend it. Or if you are having your own movie matinee marathon using a video streaming device, then go for it! 

The Kids are All Right

There is some serious wit going on in this movie. It features Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Mia Wasikowska (Alice from Alice in Wonderland). The brother implores his older sister to seek out their sperm donor father shortly after her 18th birthday. The kids are raised by two women (obviously lesbian), who are in a serious committed and married relationship in California. Mark Ruffalo plays an adorable guy, albeit, a bit too laid back for his own good. This movie further perpetuated a false reality of how everyone in California is incredibly gorgeous, with the exception of Annette Bening, who is incredibly beautiful, but for whatever reason, she appeared to be more aged than her partner. I loved how real this movie felt. At times it was raw and heart wrenching, which is why I have a difficult time seeing it nominated as a comedy. They were times where it was funny, but there were many more times where I felt extremely uncomfortable. The two mothers are in a very real relationship, with very real marital problems. Then, the cherry on top is when they take their daughter to college and drop her off. I honestly found myself crying more in this movie than I was laughing. Blame it on the hormones. Was it funny? yes. Was it entertaining? Yes! Was I totally jealous over their kitchen in their home? Heck yes!  I can see why this film has been nominated for awards. I would recommend it for sure! Best of all, when I was pent up in my room sick and recovering, I got to see this on Amazon Video on Demand for free! I had purchased some music from them and they gave me a credit. Talk about awesome. Even if it wasn't free, I would still recommend you watch it!

Going the Distance

This is another freebie courtesy of Amazon on Demand. Seriously, if you are stuck in bed and you don't have a TV in your room (like us) and Netflix streaming doesn't have the movies you want to immediately see streaming on their site, then use them. It is super, duper easy! Anyway, what was I saying, oh yeah, Going the Distance starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. First off, how adorable are these two together. It was totally no surprise to me that their chemistry carried off the screen because it was quite evident on the screen. Yes, it is a classic RomCom, but there were plenty of hilarious parts too. I think I enjoyed the lines of the supporting actors more than the actors. Big kudos go to Christina Applegate who played the over-the-top OCD sister. Wow, she played it so well!! The gist of the story: Boy and girl meet in NYC, but the gal only has 6 weeks until she moves across the country back home to San Francisco. When they initially got together, they were just going to keep it fun and light, but as we all know, best intentions screw things up and well, you end up caring more than you thought you would. There were some very real moments of struggle especially when it comes to long distance relationships. Anyway, it is a lovable tale and I was glad that I didn't have to pay full price for it. When this shows on TBS, definitely watch it, but should you shell out the $5 at Blockbuster? Nah, you can wait. Maybe spend the $1 at Redbox or use your free code there, but still. Grab some chocolate and settle in for some laughs with a dash of tears and enjoy the ride.

The Other Guys

First off, holy moly...Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Derek Jeter!?!?! With that said, I had no idea what this movie was about. Well, I knew it was a cop movie that played up the not as good cops. That's it. What I didn't expect it to be was a movie full of awesome one-liner quotes and random hilarity! Seriously, this movie is totally something to watch when you are feeling silly, need to feel silly, or some pick me up...if you like that kind of humor. I just kept thinking to myself, are you for real? Is that really happening? Does Mark Wahlberg really take himself that seriously? And wow, he really is a good actor because he is playing a guy who is insecure and over-the-top macho, who takes himself and his role way too seriously, and no one gives him any credit, but you know he isn't really like that in real life. Funny. Breakdown: Will and Mark are the kinds of cops that aren't really a part of the A-Team, heck, they wouldn't make the B or C team either. Will Ferrell's character is really great at auditing financial records and is meticulous about crimes that really aren't as big of a deal as murder. Mark Wahlberg's character would like to be a super cop, and is pretty good, but because of an earlier mishap in his career, he's been downgraded to partner up with Will Ferrell, who by the way, is married to Eva Mendes. This is a funny movie and I totally would recommend it. Heck, I'm even considering a purchase because we enjoyed it that much.

HDMR: Burlesque

Holy moly Bianca, this thing doesn't even open until Thanksgiving, how in the heck are you doing an HDMR right now? Well, special thanks to my friend who invited me because she scored a ticket (plus 1) from Gordon and the Whale. Backstory: I had to bend time tonight because I had a work dinner in Uptown. I inhaled my food and thanks to an amazing server at Victory Tavern who put my order in early and got it out just as fast, I enjoyed dinner before zipping down the Toll to West Plano Cinemark. Of course there was a bit of traffic. Of course I had to park near the end. Of course the winds were blowing 30 MPH against me. But I made it in line (the 2nd to last line, mind you, but near the front of it, so I had hope!) I scored our wristbands when I got a call from Val letting me know she'd gone to the wrong spot, but she'd make it. Sure enough, moments after they called the line before ours, she ske-daddled in and I slapped on the purple wristband. Not 5 minutes passed when the manager of the theater came to us and told us the disappointing news: the theater was full. WHOMP WHOMP...BUT...We were welcome to go watch any movie for free. We went to get in line and were trying to figure out which movie to watch when I cop approached a rather angry (and flamboyant) man who was more than upset about being left out. His gesticulations were over emphasized by the Cher face held in his hand by a large Popsicle stick. Both he and Cher were pissed! I was worried that things were about to get out of hand in the theater and this poor guy was going to take a ride of a different sore, when all of a sudden, he scurried away like a happy rat who discovered cheese. I was intrigued and followed suit, because there could only be one reason to go from bitch to bliss in .5 seconds. He and Cher were gonna have some Cher! We hurried along and scored entry!! The two rows in the absolute front were not occupied, so that's where we had to sit, but I was grateful to just have a seat. :) Alright, alright, I've punished you enough with the backstory. On to the review.

Wow. Seriously. Wow. I hadn't been this excited to see a show since The Devil Wears Prada. I was hesitant to show my excitement because the probability of me getting to see this in the theater were slim to none. Also, not all musicals (especially the ones featuring famous singers) are great. But I had hope. I adore Stanley Tucci. Thanks to this season of The Good Wife I have a greater appreciation for Alan Cumming. This is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing Cher in concert and I'd heard rumors that the ever adorable Kristen Bell actually played a semi-villian. Oooh...juicy. And then there's the gem of the show, Christina Aguilera, who has always held a special place in my heart because that little thing can sing, but it doesn't ever seem like she ever gets near the spotlight of some other chanteuses in the industry...and frankly it's a darn shame. She is completely and totally adorable in this film and not only that, but you believe in her spunk and the character. You find yourself pulling for her and craving more and more. That voice!! Aaack, I love that voice. Cher, oh momma, you more than got it going on! I only recall seeing her sing two numbers, but whoa! Finally, Cam Gigandet and Eric Dane, whooo, you guys make some nice eye candy to look at. The guys behind us were oogling and making comments that had me quietly giggling. Cam Gigandet's body reminded me of the way Don's body was when I met him, just not as tatted up, nor as tan, but wow. I fell in love with my husband all over again and for the rest of the movie, I didn't see Cam, I saw Don. So much so that I was a little more than jealous that Christina was kissing him. Talk about having to put the hormones in check!

My next favorite thing in the movie were the costumes. Oh the glorious glitz and glam of burlesque costumes make you wanna dress up, but with very little. *wink* I wanted to run right out of there and grab my glue gun and some sequins because surely there's something in my closet that needs bedazzling! (Sidenote: hate you...Louboutin for making a cameo with some gorgeous shoes...hate you! Making a gal drool with envy.) The movie itself is so sensual, visually and melodically. One tiny tidbit just for my dear friend Mandi, you will enjoy and appreciate the make-up! Girl, that's my inspiration for my company holiday party!

Finally, there's the music. Seriously, I want the soundtrack, stat. Unfortunately, not every song featured in the movie is actually on the soundtrack. However, every song they sung is on there, so that's definitely good enough. I can't wait to sit alone in my car and belt out the tunes in my own way. ha ha!

I highly recommend this movie, especially if you are fan of those powerful soulful solos of Christina's, that amazing snarkiness of Stanley Tucci and his eyebrows, and of the ever fantastic Cher. It will not disappoint. (and if it does, don't tell me because I don't want this bubble to pop).

HDMR: Get Him to the Greek & a bonus

Well howdy folks, it's been a long while since I've done a Hump Day Movie Review huh? Amazing. Well, it isn't because I have taken a hiatus from watching movies, let me tell you. My Netflix rating is nearly to 1500 and that's only the movies I took the time to rate! If you do the math, that would mean I would average close to 54 movies a year, and well, that's just silly because I know during those college years I was watching movies like there was no tomorrow. ha ha!

In honor of November and the awesomness that is Thanksgiving, the ratings will be based on foods associated with that holiday. Anyway, on to the reviews:

Get Him to the Greek

I had a free Redbox rental code, so I said why not. I picked up the movie and at first Don looked at me like the pregnant hormones had completely taken over my brain, but he was open to watching it. We had to pause a few times when little Mari elected to get up and insisted that we have a dance/giggle party and again when she wanted/needed water. The movie flowed well, and there were a couple of moments in the movie where we were laughing so hard, I was not only gasping for air, but when I finally caught it, I started coughing so much that I nearly lost my dinner. Both of us had tears streaming down our eyes, and we were thankful for the added belly laughs from the movie that accompanied the ones earlier from the Sugarbean. I'm glad we didn't see this in the theater, because I don't think we would have had quite as much fun. I rate this a full-on turkey dinner with all of the fixin's plus dessert.  WARNING: It has adult content, so it is best to watch it only if you are an adult! It cracks me up that I write this because once upon a time, I was completely oblivious to how much influence movies and music has on a kiddo, but now I'm fully aware.

Oh and yeah, I totally forgot to return it before the 24 hour rental window, so our "free" movie cost us a dollar. Lucky for me, Don said it was worth the dollar, so hooray!

Now for the bonus: 
I have an additional album to review. Bianca, what is up with all of the music reviews? Seriously? Well, folks, it's been a LOOOOOONG dry spell since I procured any music, whether from a mix CD, friends sharing stuff with me, or actually *gasp* buying a CD. I like buying CDs as opposed to albums, because music from a CD will not all of a sudden vanish if/when your hard drive fails you. With that said, I bought another album. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but whatever. I bought the new Taylor Swift album, Speak Now.

Before you run off and judge me for my musical taste, here's the reasons:

1. Her music is simple and yet catchy. 
2. Her music is family friendly (minus the heavy sexual innuendo and curse words). Last thing I want is my toddler writhing on the floor, singing Like a Virgin, ummm...no thanks.
3. Her music is simple enough for my daughter to sing along to, and I love hearing her sing along in her cute little voice! 
4. Her music takes me back to a time that I don't ever want to forget, and that's a good thing.

Anyway, with that said, after I opened the CD, I read the liner notes. I look forward the reading the pictures, the "thanks" section, and bonus if the lyrics are included. When I read her note, I felt chills and kept nodding my head. She's right, there are times in your life where you are at a loss for words and you may be blindsided. After the fact, you are wishing that you would've said this or that. But sometimes, you are lucky and you DO have the words. Because you have those words, you should totally speak up, say them with conviction, and not live in regret for not saying what you felt. She has the medium with which to say those words after the fact and I applaud her effort for doing so.

Overall, I liked the album.Better than Revenge is a bit dodgy. I did not like the words she was singing and if there was something that I think she may regret later, it is singing about this song. It may be heartfelt and such, but I thought it was a bit tacky and low. To make up for it, though, we have Never Grow Up. When I first heard it, I saw my little one in the back of the car, happily bobbing her head to the beat. Tears filled my eyes and all of the hopes and dreams I have for her, flashed before me. I pray she's happy, I pray she grows up to be a genuine lady with character and integrity. I pray she meets the person of her dreams, who treats her with respect and admiration. I pray that she comes knows the love that Don and I share. I pray for all of these good things. I pray for a handful of tolerable hiccups, just so she can have the life experiences. I don't ever want her to have to go through the creepy dark, seedy parts of life. That song spoke to me and it continues to speak to me. Overall, I like this album. She and I were actually dancing to it the other day when we were making breakfast for Daddy. If it is on sale and she's the kind of gal you like, or you like your music, then you will not regret this purchase. I rate this pumpkin pie with a large dollop of whipped cream.

*I did not receive any compensation for reviewing these products. My free Redbox code was sent to me via their text program that I signed up for and I am pleasantly surprised by getting a free code via text. If you haven't done it and you have unlimited texts, it's a pretty cool thing.

Weekend Wrap-up

HAPPY BELATED FATHER'S DAY!

I just wanted to do a quick weekend wrap-up to share all of the awesome indulgences (and gluttony) from the past few days. I'll make it a bulleted list to keep it short-ish.

1. Kohl's was having another one of their epic sales, so we headed out in search of a pair of shorts and new panties for Mari. We left with a Father's Day present and a few new items for all of us. Yeah, that place is totally dangerous. I've already made a take-this-back-ASAP bag for things that weren't on major sale. (major sale=75% off or more)
2. We headed out to Urban Crust for a birthday party. The pizza was good (not Il Cane Rosso good, but still good.) and the company was even better. The rooftop lounge could've used a fan to help with all of the smoking. We had to leave early because of it. My eyes were burning, my lungs aching, and I quickly realized, I just can't hang in all of that like I did before.
3. We headed to chill at our place where Mari was having her first slumber party, sorta. My BFFs son H was hanging out with her since it was his father's birthday party we were attending. She enjoyed having him there. His mom came to pick him up a little after midnight and so the next morning when Mari woke up, she was positively disappointed when he wasn't there with her. It was cute. I'm so glad they get along so well!
4. While we were at the house, we were up late playing Trivial Pursuit, Bet You Know It. Those of you not in the board gaming know, this game isn't even out yet! I was lucky enough to be selected to participate in a House Party, so we got an early preview of it. So far it's been a hit and a highlight for us ALL to play, not like the old Trivial Pursuit where I felt like a total moron. ha ha! Highly recommend you go out and get it. And if you need a $5 off coupon, I have an extra.
5. As a result of playing the game, I didn't go to bed until 2:30AM.
6. Saturday morning, I was dragging, but I did manage to muster up some get-up-and-go for a baby shower/going away party.
7. We indulged on red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles, yummy lemonade, finger sandwiches, and mimosas. Mari was in heaven playing with a pair of cute yellow high heels that perfectly matched her dress. I was grateful to the owner of the shoes for graciously allowing her to play in them. 
8. Mani/pedi session led to hourslong at the spa, which TOTALLY relaxed me. I actually fell asleep during my wax treatment. Crazy!
9. A short power nap later, and we were off to Queen of Sheba to indulge in some uber-yummy Ethiopian food. Eating with your hands rocks! At dinner, I was gifted with some AMAZING Indian food spices and already put together Indian food sauces. One of those will be used this next week, just not sure which.
10. For dessert, we headed on over to Henry's for a bit of sugary goodness. I released my inner kid and had strawberry with marshmallows. Don' hate!
11. I passed out shortly after we got home. I did not want to think of all of the calories I had consumed during the day, but I did. Ugh.
12. I had planned to let Don sleep in for Father's Day. Instead, he was up at 7AM to let Guapo out, then came back to pass out. I don't know how Mari did it, but she wound up in bed with us a bit after 8. She and I did the morning routine and snuck out to let Don sleep.
13. He was up within the hour clearing out more of our garage. (sold our old fridge that had been gathering dust for a few years on Craigslist. FTW!) That's what I love about him, he has a free pass to be completely and totally lazy and not only did he make a visible dent in our garage, but he cleaned the kitchen, and did some laundry. I felt like a total slacker.
14. At church, I was gifted with this book from a very stylish friend and fellow mommy. I adored the packaging, which was a regular brown grocery back repurposed into a very stylish and personalized gift bag! 
15. We went to see Toy Story 3. Mari wasn't ask taken with it as I thought she would have been. She was very insistent on going potty a couple of times. Both of which were false alarms. She looked so big sitting in the booster seat alone in her own chair, munching on her snack pack of popcorn. Oh, and we loved it. Review to come.
16. While killing time before standing in line for the movie, we went to Best Buy. I scored a swanky case for the iTouch, Alice in Wonderland, and another memory card for the camera(s). I also held the 5D Mark II. It made me want it even more.
17. We watched Alice and Mari loved that movie, again. It made me that much happier with our selection for her birthday party theme.
18. Hit the hay early (for me!), but was up at a ridiculous hour because I was entirely too hot in a rather cool house. I have NO IDEA why my body feels the need to heat up to 100+ degrees when I'm dead asleep. It will always invariably lead to waking me up and making me cranky for the day. Boo! Unfortunately, Mari is the same way, but she's still able to sleep through it.
19. Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I weighed myself while I couldn't sleep. I'd gained nearly 10lbs in the past two weeks!! I'm tossing out the last bit of cake left in the house. Someone is gonna be logging some serious miles on the beach! 
20. Oh, did you not know? That's right, I get a working vacation at the end of the week. We're headed to Cozumel to shoot a wedding and enjoy some down time digging our toes in the sand. Thanks to our MIL for watching Mari for us.
21. I still haven't tidied up my bathroom counter. Eeek! I don't get to enjoy the Twilight marathon (don't judge me...most of you like it too, you just don't admit it!) unless it is clean.
22. On a happy note, I have canceled our subscribe and save training pant order from Amazon. Mari had many successful potty trips and has been very vocal in telling us she has to go. She wore panties most of the day on Saturday and Sunday without having any accidents in them. She had a couple of accidents in her training diaper, one of which caused a disastrous emotional breakdown in a restaurant because we didn't make it to the potty on time. I spent a bit comforting her and assuring her it was ok. I guess it is a good sign that she's taken to the potty training when we have those types of breakdowns, though, right? ---And is she really growing up this fast! Tears to my eyes!

HDMR: The Blindside & The Changeling

This is true story post day...yaaay!

THE BLINDSIDE...based on a true story

I went in this movie knowing it would be emotionally gut wrenching and hopefully inspirational. I didn't leave disappointed. Spending my elementary years in a predominantly black neighborhood, I realized that many of my friends weren't going to have the same opportunities as others. Even at that tender age, they had resigned themselves to what was expected. Very, very bright kids with extraordinary athletic talent, they just weren't given the option to shine. Sometimes you just need someone to "see" you and believe in you. Just one person makes that difference. I knew this true story would take some movie license, but for the most part, from what I understand, it was true to form. I remember seeing Michael Oher play against Texas Tech last year at the Cotton Bowl. He was an integral part to their victory, a force all his own to shut out our defensive line. Not an easy feat!

Anyway, this movie has some moments of ultimate cheese, but overall, I really enjoyed it. Sandra Bullock fell into the part and I completely lost sight of her. I loved how well she played the character, and unlike some of the other characters she's played in the past, this one just stood out. I don't know if she'll win any acting awards, but I certainly hope she'll be nominated! Both the little boy who played SJ and the young man who played Michael stole my heart! I couldn't help but see the vulnerability in the Michael character, and his big burly body with a sensitive nature reminded me an awful lot of my own brother. I'm definitely buying this movie brand new! Go out and watch it tonight! Premium Cosmo with a fresh lemon twist...*clink*

THE CHANGELING...based on a true story

After so long, I finally got around to watching this movie. I knew the story behind it. Honestly, going into it, I really wanted to watch it so I could drool over the wonderful costumes, especially the hats that Angelina sported throughout. Because it was directed by Clint Eastwood, I had a high level of expectation for the movie. I'm not sure why we delayed so long. Possibly because I wasn't quite ready to see the images evoked on screen. Ever since having Mari, the thought of anything going awry with her gives me the heeby-jeebies and invariably leads to a delicate crying fit and an extremely melancholy mood. sigh...

Anyway, this movie was actually compelling. At first, I thought it went slow, but it slowly pulled me in. There were strong characters that I instantaneously hated. Angelina seemed like she had an old woman's voice. Maybe it was to give the impression that she was frail (because all I could think was give this woman a taco!!!), both in body and voice, when in reality, she was quite strong. I like her motto: Never start a fight, but always finish it. Definitely something to think about when you have your back against a well. Also, there are some haunting images that will stick with you, and I have no doubt I will have nightmares about them later. This was definitely worth the rental, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in the theater. Raised glass of cheap Ballatore Spumante champagne...*clink*

New Moon Fever

I went out to see New Moon over the weekend. I was hard pressed to find anyone to go with me. Primarily due to two reasons: those who were interested had plans to see it at midnight when it opened and the others who think I'm silly for falling victim to this series to begin with. Lucky for me, e-Stacy was available to be my date and my inner teenager silently squealed with delight because I wouldn't have to wait until it came out on DVD.

I didn't have high hopes for the film. I was expecting loads of boring, brooding stares. Heck, it got 1.5 stars and most of that was for the effects. Essentially, I was expecting this movie to suck on an epic level, similar to Gigli. Instead, what I got was a whole lotta Some Kind of Wonderful with hints of TV action sequences. It wasn't bad, honestly. Actually, I enjoyed it. Not enough to spend another $7.50 to watch it in the theater, but I will more than likely buy the DVD when Blockbuster adds it to the 3 for $25 section and add it to the collection.

The revelation I made about this film (and quite frankly the books too) was that it really did take me back to being a teenager: when most of my thoughts were consumed with boys, my future, that insecurity I felt over and over and over again, and the uncertainty of it all. I'm not a huge fan of the Bella character, but somehow Kristen Stewart made her not seem as whiny and needy as she was in the books. She kept her trademark lip chewing to a minimum (for her anyway.) Heck, I wanted to give both her and Taylor Lautner some Burt's Bees lip balm with all of the lip licking and biting. But then I realized that as an awkward teen, you often make silly little facial gestures, revealing what you really want, but not really having the courage to follow through. Anyway, I don't know what it was, but Kristen Stewart looked really lovely in this film. So there you go boys, a little eye candy for you too. My favorite scene was when the guys gathered in Emily's home. There was such an easy feeling and flow to them. Their antics didn't seem forced. They genuinely looked like a tight-knit family. Plus, I love, love, love all of the little details in the movie. How many of you notice the things put on end tables or the photos on the wall in a movie? Raising hand...I do!

And God bless Stacy for tolerating my tiny bouts of snickering every time Edward glittered in full view in the sunlight. I couldn't help but chuckle ever since I read that comparison of him to Michael Jackson's glove. Which, can you believe that glove fetched $420,000 at an auction? I adored Michael Sheen as Aro! He certainly does evil well.

I was also reminded how much my former self was addicted to adrenaline. I am very chicken when it comes to certain things, but never one to back down from a dare (even from myself), I often found myself in predicaments that allowed me to conquer my fears, thus yielding massive amounts of adrenaline. I haven't had a rush like that in years! No, I take that back, it's been nearly two years since the last big adrenaline rush...childbirth does that to you. :D

Anyway, I would recommend this movie. Yes, I wish there was a bit more action, but overall, it is mindless fun and a good way to escape reality for a couple of hours. And it was even better going home to Don and Mari and living my own reality. Everything turned out pretty darn nifty for this former angst-ridden teenager who was once in search of herself and love.

*btw, this movie poster is a fan poster I found on the Internets, but it is way cooler than some of the actual posters.

HDMR: Sunshine Cleaning, Monsters v. Aliens, Fast & Furious (4), & Transformers

Man, it's been a movie watching frenzy in our house the past couple of weeks. Here's your Hump day movie review (posted a day late, but hey, what can I say?)

Sunshine Cleaning
I knew the basic premise of this movie, but I wasn't aware of all that was surrounding it. Kinda depressing. No, this was REALLY freakin' depressing when you pulled back and thought about it. I love Emily Blunt and Amy Adams, especially Alan Arkin, but this movie and all of their brokenness really struck a nerve. I found myself shifting in my seat quite a bit, wanting to reach into the television and give Amy Adams a smack in the face. Kudos to her acting skills, though. Despite the uncomfortableness, it was ok. I rate it 1 plain biscotti minus the extra foamy cappuccino.

---

Monsters vs. Aliens
I went into this movie with no expectations. I just knew that I liked Bob the blog from the previews, but that's about it. What I discovered was a very well-written story line, full of wit, and hilarity. We found ourselves snuggled on the couch snickering and giggling so much. And just like when I watched Storm kick major bootay on X-Men, I wanted to dye my hair white and call myself a hero. In any case, I LOVED this movie. We all really enjoyed it and it has now made our Christmas list of must-have movies! Each characters quirkiness and love-ability immediately grows on you from the get-go. Definite thumbs up with a 1/2 dozen cupcakes and an iced caramel macchiato. Sugar rush to the max! Speaking of, I may need to take a break and make a run for the SBUX!

---

Fast & Furious (4)
All original cast members returned for this 4th installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. I'm so glad that they all returned. Rife with noisy muscle cars, flashy driving, and overly emoted acting (vaguely reminding me of any episode of Sesame Street featuring Elmo doing his best to describe any emotion), this was still a fun movie. I'm not sure if I would want to own it, but there was one classic scene in there where Paul Walker lays out a co-worker and you can't help but hit rewind and maybe watch it in slow motion because, let's face it, we've all been there before, and have played out that scene in our heads. I would have liked for them to have attempted to better develop the female characters and try to integrate the cars as a character like they did in the first film. Like I said, I did enjoy seeing the pretty, pretty bodies on both the cars and actors. Definitely an abundance of eye candy for all! I rate this a cherry coke and a red lollipop. *clink* cheers!

---

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
You may have had heard mixed reviews from everyone who has seen this. As a family who has avoided this movie like the plague all summer, we finally faced the inevitable and watched it because our buddy had purchased it and we figured, 'eh, why not? It's been about a week since we've wanted to gouge our eyes out, so why not? Movie trivia: there's a scene in the movie where stuff is blown to the next universe and this scene is the most expensive/biggest scene of blowing things up. Further proof that Michael Bay is and always has been a pyro! This movie would've been better watched on mute. It was so formulaic, the dialog wasn't necessary. Actually, I could've probably learned a new language while following along. Acknowledging the fact that it was mindless drivel from the get-go, I can't say that I wasn't underwhelmed. It wasn't the worst movie ever made. And had there been better writing, less over-the-top orchestral movie soundtrack, it could've been pretty good. Visually, it was stunning, and I'm still a huge, huge fan of Optimus Prime. Takes me back to my days of hanging in the backyard with my Barbies, He-man, Thunder Cats, Transformers, and She-Ra toys. (Is it any wonder that I'm blessed with a myriad of friends, when even then, all of my friends were so diverse?) I'm ashamed to admit this, but yes, I will be watching the next installment, probably not in the theaters, though. I rate it week old stale popcorn.

HDMR: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

September is volunteer month at Studio Movie Grill. I was so excited to get 2 free tickets to ANY movie that we waited until nearly the last day to use them. No really, I was excited, but the past few times we've failed at going to the movies. Call us cheap, but we are doing our very best to be somewhat frugal and going to the movies these days is an EXTREME luxury. Especially when you factor in babysitting cost, it's about as much as the price of admission.

There are several doozies out there that I'd like to see or that we've missed. I've really been wanting to see I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Don has been wanting to see 9. We compromised on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

First off, I only knew this was an animated PG film. I had no idea it was adapted from a book! No idea that it not only had Mr. T, Anna Faris, Benjamin Bratt, and James Caan, but also NEIL PATRICK HARRIS!!! Whoa! And, it was about food. (Which coincidentally is kinda mean because all I've been able to force down is pretty much cake and coffee with this whole dental procedure thing.)

We printed off the voucher and took a very awake toddler, dressed in her jammies, to see the movie. She happily carried her red blanket with white stars. We propped her in the booster seat in the theater and she gazed intently at the screen. They were already having previews and that seemed to capture her attention. So far so good. She was even laughing up a storm, so much so, that the father sitting two chairs down from us shot a look in her direction, every facial muscles softened, and he too let out giant belly laughs.

She sat there through 85% of the movie, ridiculously involved with it, only pausing when she wanted water, food, or was a bit scared. (not really scared, but she was surprised by some things)

Wouldn't you know it, Don and I were ridiculously involved with the movie as well. We were laughing hysterically. Once I laughed so hard, I started coughing and I thought I was very well going to vomit up a rainbow from laughing so hard. HILARIOUS!! And there were a couple of touching moments where, yes folks, I did get a bit choked up.

Immediately after the film, I had to call home just to hear my dad's voice, and honestly, I wanted to talk to my mom too, but they both sounded so tired, that I just had the chance to say hello to dad. Hey Mom, thanks for those brand new Keds sneakers to wear for cheerleader tryouts so long ago! They really did have some magic in them! The magic was that you believed in me.

Regardless if you have kids or not, I would HIGHLY recommend this movie. Two waaaay high up high fives and hokey pokey on the side.

HDMR: The Soloist, Race to Witch Mountain, The Last House on the Left, Knowing

It's been quite a long time since I've last done a Hump Day Movie Review (HDMR), so what better way to dust off the ol' blog than to write a quick review over some movies I watched as a distraction to the day? Just as an FYI, we watched 3 of these movies on Tuesday and 1 on Wednesday. Normally, we don't have this much time on our hands, but Mari took an extra long nap on Tuesday and on Wednesday, she went to sleep early-ish. Not really. We've been suffering from insomnia this entire week (thanks friends who have seen us and haven't commented on the hollow, dark circles where there was once brightness). Anyway, I hit up Blockbuster and rented 4 movies.

Anyway, on to the reviews:
THE SOLOIST

It is no secret that I'm a HUGE fan of RDJ. He's right on up there with Christian Bale (yeah, yeah, yeah, the guy has issues, but man he's good to look at and has some amazing acting chops). Anyway, I'd been wanting to see this movie for a while and when Jenna mentioned renting it from a Red Box, I remembered that it was something on my radar, but I had not put it on my Netflix. Since we are currently watching Generation Kill on Netflix, we didn't have any movies queued up for that day. So yes, back to the movie. I LOVED the soundtrack. Absofreakinlutely loved ALL of it. Every single classical piece and the modern pieces too. I forgot how much I loved Neil Diamond's Mr. Bojangles, so mellow, melodious, that simple strumming on the guitar strings, I'm listening to it on repeat right now, in fact...I digress. The movie was a little slow and I knew that the director was trying to convey schizophrenia. I liked it, but I couldn't get past seeing Jamie Foxx. He did OK, but didn't get lost in the role like I thought he did in Ray. But RDJ, well, he did an amazing job. He is so utterly expressive with those eyes, you can't help but feel what is going on in his mind. It was worth the rental, for the music alone. You feel for the guy and are reminded how you can find friendship in the unlikeliest of places. Rating: 1 box of raisinettes and an unenthusiastic high five

Knowing
I went into this movie not knowing anything about Knowing. I like Nicolas Cage and even though he hasn't done anything recently worth note, I'd figured I'd give him the old Castor Troy try since he has had some sleeper roles (Captain Corelli's Mandolin anyone?) The way it started out, I wondered if we were going to see another suspense thriller. Instead, I found myself trying to figure out this mystery beyond mysteries. I found myself out of control and could related to wanting to control things. In the end though, it just made me want to hold my family a little tighter and slightly pissed off at the thought of being stuck in traffic only to have a ginormous plane plummet smack dab on top of you. BTW, the kiddos in this movie are creepy as all get out. I hope Mari isn't like them. Weird, I can handle, but creepy, not so much. Rating: handful of kettle corn and a low five

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT
Holy cow. I have no idea what compelled me to want to see this, but I did. Wes Craven, thank you for making movies and not being out there living out the reality in your head. Same goes for you cooky Quentin Tarantino. You're looking a hot tranny mess these days, buddy, but you make brilliant films. Anyway, back to the movie. I didn't find myself on the edge of my seat as much as I would have anticipated. I did, however, feel really uncomfortable during one of the earlier scenes and I just couldn't watch it any more. I felt myself wanting to throw up. But then later, when there was some major kickassery, I found myself ever so much more deranged than I gave myself credit for. I was pissed off that they didn't torture the evil people. Then again, when you think in terms of your family and horrific things that could potentially happen to them, your mind begins to craft all sorts of ways to exact revenge if you were put in the similar circumstances. Not sure if I want to own this movie, but I did enjoy it. Rating: 2 XL boxes of rasinettes, a tub of kettle corn, and a high five because this movie TOTALLY took my mind off of reality

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
This is a fun movie. You have to take it for face value because it is a kids movie and I believe it is another Disney film based on a ride, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it was filled with action and adventure. I love Dewayne "The Rock" Johnson and Carla Gugino. BTW, I've pretty much convinced myself that I want her haircut in this movie. I miss a regular cropped bob. *sigh* Anyway, this movie is fun and enjoyable for the whole family. Kudos go out to Ciaran Hinds. Anything he does is remarkable and he plays such a delicious villain, I found myself wanting to slap him straight through the TV! Rating: Box of raisinettes and an enthusiastic high five...and maybe a handful of kettle corn

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince Review

This post won't contain any spoilers, but I must caution you, DO NOT READ if you don't want any preconceived opinions prior to going to see the movie. I know of some people who are doing their very, very best to not read ANY reviews until they see it themselves, so there you go, there was my warning. (You can read up until the asterisks where it says Movie Review.)

Going into this movie, I was excited. Beyond excited, actually. I felt like Animal, pausing every few minutes to let out gleeful gutteral noises that seemed to only further exaggerate my joy. Time was proving to be an enemy for me, but I didn't care. By golly, I was going to squeeze as much as I possibly could into the day (which isn't unlike me), but at the sacrifice of adequate sleep. After I made the conscious decision to sacrifice many precious hours of sleep, and my beloved to join in on the ride, we scored two tickets to the 1AM showing. Fortunately for us, the neighbor kid agreed to come over to hang at our place in the wee hours of the morning so we could continue my tradition of seeing the movie on opening night (thanks Sam!).

Sidenote: Initially, I didn't want to read the series. I held off until book 3. For my birthday one year, my sister bought me the first book and made me promise her that I'd read it. Because I couldn't back down on a promise (much like an unbreakable vow), I reluctantly read it. I wasn't completely impressed, but moved on and devoured the subesequential books. When the first movie opened, I met up with her to see it on opening night. She, dressed in full witch regalia, and I wearing striped socks because, quite frankly, I always wear striped socks. I enjoyed the movie and it was there and then that I simply HAD to do this for every movie.

Anyway, we didn't have tickets to the show up until 8 hours before. This was definitely a last minute decision and I was COMPLETELY deflated when I discovered the theater by us was sold out. On a whim, I checked out Fandango and discovered that the ol' theater I used to frequent was showing it on EVERY screen! Plus, they had tickets!! (I later discovered that each showing was sold out!! holy cow!) I called up Primo and we made a plan to meet up with them at 11.

After work, I bailed on yoga mostly because I forgot my clothes. I was starting to get cranky because I didn't sleep well the night before. No matter, though. I was going to see HP! We headed to Chipotle to pick up a quick bite, then headed to the track for Sias Track Night. Yes, I know that I ran 4 miles earlier in the day (Don having done 6, plus a spin class...overachiever!), but Sias Track Night is our sacred thing and we were committed to it. Anyway, was yesterday hot? Maybe you can't sense the sarcasm, but it was so hot, that my shoes were already warm before I started the run.

Anyway, we powered through and rocked 1.5 miles. I mostly walked it, enjoying the company of one of my very dear friends who is expecting, our conversation surrounding fond memories of pregnancy and infancy. I did get some sprints in, while someone familiar to Mr. Blue Shorts was doing his own workout. He looked really fit, but I couldn't help but look over at my own man and be grateful for his build. That guy was too skinny, had no body fat, and while his protruding muscles showed off his excellent shape, I was unimpressed because he was running on the innermost lap of a mostly vacant track. All I could think was "slacker." My honey, was not only on the 4th lane, but also pushing our 20+ lb daughter, this after a day of physical exercise. God I love him! His work ethic, his drive, and passion to stay fit! *swoon* Ok, back to the story.

We get home and quickly shower. I prep Mari for bed and she goes to sleep without any fuss (3rd night in a row, score!). I force myself to stay awake for 15 more minutes while the washer finishes the cycle. I prep my clothes to dry, congratulating myself that my blacks were mostly workout clothes instead of dress clothes. :D Then, I nestle into bed and pass out for two hours until it is time to leave.

We bid the neighbor kid hello and joke on our way to the theater, reminiscing about our ride down that same road February 7, 2008. We pull in and are overwhelmed by the cars in the parking lot. EVERY-SINGLE-SPOT was taken. We had to drive on over to the parking garage to get a spot and had to pull on the 2nd level, no less. crazy! After trekking on over to the theater, the inside is a mad house. They have changed the way the concessions work, emulating a cafeteria feel, which was confusing, but also seemed comfortably familiar. I grabbed some nachos and a water, apparently unaware that Don had asked me for a soda and a hot dog. (How did I miss that? Oh yeah, I was still waking up from my nap.) We made it to our seats and to pass the time, we were cracking jokes at all sorts of little things and I played Brain Age on Prima's DS. My age was 80. Yeah, lack of sleep does that to your motor skills, folks. It's just as bad as being inebriated and I don't recommend unless there's an emergency, like opening night of a Harry Potter movie.


************movie review*****************
Visually, the movie was great. Hogwarts was a character all its own, similar to how the settings are a character in Ang Lee movies. Beautifully done, every single detail incredible! The wardrobes for the cast...wow! The tailoring on Snapes outfit was impeccable. I want to be that person's apprentice. I especially loved how his cape flows, then again, I have a not so secret crush on Professor Snape in the movies. Random, I know. Anyway, while the visuals were great, I think they focused too much on them at times, and in interrupted the overall flow of the movie. Also, some of the story line seemed a bit forced. This movie is (loosely)-based on a bestselling novel, the story line should NOT be forced. Yes, I have to be honest, I was slightly more than disappointed. To hear people say this was the best movie of the bunch, well, I'd have to disagree. It was enjoyable and worth watching, but it isn't one of those films that I'd pay money to go watch again in the theater. The actors, as always, did a wonderful job. It's so nice and refreshing to see them grow-up before our eyes and you really do feel connected to them. So much so, that even the antagonists continue to make your skin crawl with their high pitched shrieks and yells, think Helena Bonham Carter. However, there was just something lacking. I can't put my finger on it. But like Primo said, I was just waiting for it to take off. The one scene that sticks out to me more than the others are when Harry is in the cave with Dumbledore. That scene is EXACTLY what I hoped the rest of the movie would have been. That scene nailed it. For that alone, I would HIGHLY recommend you go out and make some time to watch it. I was on the edge of my seat, holding onto Don's arm, heart pounding, knowing, but still in utter suspense. THAT'S what I wanted for most of the film.

On a different review, Don, who hasn't read ANY of the books (and I've forced him to watch the others) said he really enjoyed it and wasn't disappointed. The three of us in our group who had read the books were disappointed, so I guess if you've read them and were expecting/hoping for some specific details that particularly stood out to you in the book, well, you could potentially be disappointed. But, on the other hand, if you go in there to just be entertained, then I think you will be pleased. Looking forward to the final two films that, I think, may come out next year. The tradition will, hopefully, continue.

*for those of you wondering, I've had a total of 3.5 hours of sleep, but I'm feeling pretty good. I'm just upset that I missed the morning workout because I failed to set my alarm properly. Here's to hoping I figure out a way to make it up.

Have a good one!

Quick Don, Come Here & Look!

"It's bending! OMG!! Do something!!"

Yes, that's what I seriously yelled when I saw this tree split. Last night, we took Mari Jul to swim lessons. I think we were all pretty exhausted, but we all loaded up anyway and headed out to the aquatic center. Mari stared hesitantly at the water and went from calm, melancholy baby to pissed-off-why-on-Earth-are-you-torturing-me-like-this-Mommy baby. *sigh* Yeah, the water was cooler than I would've liked, so I know she really hated it. I couldn't warm her fast enough. I'm certain Mari knows how to pray, because no sooner were we in the water than we heard the loud sirens.

We filed out of the pool and sought shelter by the showers, which were totally enclosed in thick cinder blocks. It was quiet and became even more eerie when all of the kids started singing to calm their fears. We had no cell phone to call our friends and family to let them know we were ok. Less than 10 minutes later they called us out and cancelled class. They assured us that we had 20 minutes before the storm would hit. All of the parents filed out towards their mini vans, SUVs, and compact cars. We headed home while the dark gray clouds crept towards us, taunting us with a violent dance.

Before we got home, I told Don that I needed to run over to Michaels to get something right quick. He shot me an are you kidding me look and firmly said, "No." Now Don is never one to forbid me from doing anything. He's usually laid back about my crazy ideas, but when he does voice an opinion, I tend to listen to it, even if I don't agree. I shrugged it off, muttering something to myself when he pointed to the sky. There were 20 shades of gray staring right at me and all of a sudden I thought the world was going to be swallowed by a sea of black and white with all sorts of shades of gray. Our freshly mowed lawn POPPED cheery green and our trees in the front yard defiantly stood firm, aware of the battle to come. I hurried inside, grabbed some water to put in our safe room aka hall bathroom. I started lighting candles and grabbed my phone. I had missed calls and texts from San Diego, California to Rochester, NY and every place in between. (Thanks friends & family for being concerned, because clearly I was unaware!)

My MIL had the news on and I saw that giant splotch of red moving across the screen. WOWZERS! Meanwhile, Don and MIL were pulling things in from the outside and working away. I stood there, mouth agape, dialing my sister. She was out of power. I told her to keep me posted. Called up Primo. They were without power too. And then I heard it. The faint whhhiiiirrrrrrrrrr. I threw a look to my MIL and asked, was that the siren? No, I don't think so. So I ran to our dining room to look out of the window. (Yes, in hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest idea I've had.) I saw a tiny gaggle of teenage boys wearing oversized jerseys doing their very best to stay upright and jog away. Leaves blew by, then tiny branches, I seriously expected to see a llama from the nearby farm to fly by, then I heard the loud WHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR and I looked up at our trees. Stay put guys, c'mon, you can do it! And did they. They just kept pushing back, almost like they were having fun dancing with the 70+ mph winds. Across the street, though, was a different story. My neighbors tree was flapping back and forth. Both of them, actually. That's when I yelled, "Don! Quick, come here and look. The tree (pointing), the tree, it's bending! OMG...Do Something!" *Like really?? I'm a rational person, but clearly I wasn't thinking straight.* Don is quite amazing at many things. Fixing things and preventing things from breaking are among his strengths. Speaking of strength, he's pretty strong too. BUT he is not capable of stopping a tree from toppling over or splitting in half. At that very moment, though, I believed he could. I shot him a look of desperation and dialed the neighbor. No answer. I called the house line and they answered. I told them of the tree and she told me they were in their safe place. The concern in her voice wondered why I was in the window watching, when a loud CRACK thwacked above us and I saw two neon dazzling arcs electrically painting the street. The energy zapped and all was dark except the incandescent glow from the living area. Mari screamed because her three adults were irresponsibly staring through the windows like we were watching a full feature film. Our baby, alone in the room, scared. I hollered at her to reassure her. Don reached her first and she reached out for me. I enveloped her in my arms and buried the rest of her in kisses. It's ok, everything is ok.

I asked Don to pour me a glass of wine because that was certainly enough excitement for the evening. We had reports from our other neighbors and friends in the area of their trees that split, trees falling on their houses, trees falling on cars, fences blowing down, and all sorts of random debris strewn across the lawn. Broken skylights causing flooding houses, roofs destroyed, shingles all about, and some of the cars suffering damages from the wind and flying tree bits. Everyone was ok. No one was injured and that's what mattered most.

whoa...

Instead of being glued to the weather, we opted to watch Gran Torino with a couple of glasses of vino in hand.

MOVIE REVIEW: Gran Torino
Wow! No really, wow. Clint Eastwood is a badass. Always has been and that's just the way it is. But this movie even further cemented his acting chops. Some of the other secondary characters, not so much. But him, he was fabulous. Yes, at times the movie was a bit slow. But I really enjoyed it. I'd never heard of the Hmong community (shows how sheltered I am). It was a great tale, very well written, and even better executed. There were amazing dialog points, the cinematography was wonderful and I swear I could smell that food they were eating and was hungry for it! It was definitely worth the rental. And when it goes on sale at Blockbuster, I'm definitely buying it on their 3-fer deal.

That's all. I hope you all are safe and have a great Thursday!

What does severe upper respiratory infection mean?

Yesterday, I finally bit the bullet and decided I needed to suck it up and go to the doctor. I was in a complete haze, walking around like a zombie. The funny part about the appointment was that I had lost my doctor's number. I finally went out to the provider's website to find it and I was glad.

I got there and the nurse did an immediate diagnostic of me. She gave me a "you poor thing" look and I waited for my doc. When she came in, I couldn't articulate how bad I felt. I just said, I'm wheezing and it is difficult to breathe without coughing. She pulled out her stethoscope and sure enough, heard the wheeziness, but it was difficult for her to hear that over my coughing. I felt awful. :(

Immediately, she gave me an albuterol breathing treatment and told me she would be back later with the magic bullet shot. After 5 minutes of breathing in the albuterol (which honestly reminded me of smoking a hookah), I could take in a deep breath without coughing. This was the first time I could do that in almost a week! She busted out her stethoscope again, and there was still the intense wheezing. She wrote out a prescription for an albuterol inhaler, another for a week's worth of antibiotics, and finally, a super cough suppressant with hydrocodone (yes, that's a narcotic). The nurse came in and gave me the magic bullet in my hip. Actually, it was in the lower part of my back where my lovely love handles are. I felt a slight nip and a burn as the medicine went in. Nothing like the flu shot, but but there was still some pain. The cocktail had vitamin B-12, a steroid, and an antibiotic. She let me know that I'd feel better for a bit, and then I'd feel jittery like I had a few too many Starbucks, and then it would be time for me to take the meds.

Sure enough, she was right. I took my meds and cleared my schedule for Tuesday. I should've turned my phone off because I was getting texts and calls all day long, wishing me well. I appreciated them, but I probably should've napped more. Oh wel. I did have my movie marathon, and continue to consume my meds. I still feel congested and it is all in my ears now, mostly. I'm still wheezing, but I'm actively using my inhaler and things are looking up. I'm going to attempt to go for a run tomorrow (equipped with my inhaler, of course!). Hopefully I can get this junk out.

On with the movie reviews, here they are in the order I saw them:

Milk
This was a movie about Harvey Milk. I thought Sean Penn did a wonderful job in it. Actually, the entire cast was phenomenal. I left feeling like there was something missing. I knew it probably should've pulled at my heartstrings more, but it felt like they were spoon feeding me my emotions. I didn't like that forced feeling. I do like Harvey Milk's story and I think he was a true inspiration of hope and the movement. It was a good rental.

The Boy in Striped Pajamas
Wow. I knew this movie would make me want to jump off a bridge, but I had no idea that it would make me angry. As a mother, I believe you should follow your instincts and I was upset with the mother for not going with her gut earlier. It was beautifully shot and worth a rental.

Bedtime Stories
I started watching this on a plane when I was on my way to NYC last time. Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish it. It was halfway when it stopped and I wanted to see how it ended. The beginning was better than the ending. Oh wel. I'm glad I found out what happened. I can't wait to watch this with Mari some day and hopefully I can come up with wonderful interactive bedtime stories when she's older.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This was a tough movie to watch because we constantly had to pause and restart since Mari was running around on fire. We liked the concept of the story, but at times it was slow. Oh my goodness, and does Cate Blanchett every NOT look flawless? And I guess Brad Pitt was nice to look at also. :D It was worth the rental, but make sure you have the time to watch it uninterrupted. It probably would've been a better experience for us.

So all of them were worth a rental, but I wouldn't say I would necessarily have been happy to watch them in the theater. There you go. I'm back at work tomorrow and looking forward to this weekend!

The doc assured me I should be back to normal by Friday, Thursday at the earliest. I know I take good health for granted sometimes, so I'm excited to be back to normal! Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers!!