Archive | March 2008

Movie Review – 21

Mar31
I went to see 21 this afternoon at the Spring Lane Cinemas here in Sanford. This is the story of a group of college students at MIT who work together as a team to count cards in Vegas. They are led by one of the professors at MIT, played by Kevin Spacey. The team consists of three guys and two girls – one of which – Ben – joins the team after one of the original members moves on. Ben is a math wiz who has been accepted at Harvard Medical School and the only thing that could possibly stand in his way is not having the $300,000 tuition! He applied for a special scholarship, but was one of 75 or more applicants and only one is granted each year. The advisor for the scholarship pretty much told him that he had an impressive application, but didn’t have anything that made him “stand out”. So – figuring his chances were slim to none, he joins this group to “earn” the money to pay his own tuition. The story chronicles his training and the team’s exploits in Vegas. They start out being very successful, but things start to fall apart and the drama begins —- they get the attention of a Loss Prevention Investigator played by Laurence Fishburne who uses mob-type tactics to ensure they don’t continue counting cards in the casino he is employed to protect.

The movie is good — interesting and exciting in a fun way with just enough danger and drama — I really liked the ending, too! It wasn’t perfect, though — I would have liked to have known more about the characters and what got them together (other than Ben, we really don’t know anything about any of them and not really all that much about Ben). I realize they have to tell an entire story in just 2 hours or less, but this one did need some more background info to help it along. I understand it is based on a true story and a book. I didn’t read the book or hear anything about the real story, but, I’ll venture to guess that those who have might be a little disappointed in the movie.

Will this get added to my video/DVD collection? Probably not!
Was I sorry I spent the money on it? No – it was definitely worth the $$!
Did I enjoy it? Yes – all in all, it was a good movie and I would recommend it!

Rating – One thumb up or a “B”

Peggy, Rosie, and Us at the Temple Theater

Mar30
On Tuesday night, The Temple Theater will present a real treat — Rachael Smith and Wendy Hayes will be there for a one-night-only showing of Peggy, Rosie, and Us. It will be a musical tribute to the great Peggy Lee and the incredible Rosemary Clooney! Both women made a huge mark on musical history and contributed to the future successes of women in music. I loved last year’s A Dash of Rosemary, which was a tribute to Rosemary Clooney, and can not wait until Tuesday to see this show.

(Photos – Miss Peggy Lee, Miss Rosemary Clooney, Wendy Hayes / Rachael Smith)

In particular, I am excited that the show includes the great music of Peggy Lee. Peggy Lee was a sultry singer with a jazzy, sexy voice. When I was a little girl, I used to like to play my Mom’s Peggy Lee records and sing along like I was just a elegant and sexy. She was amazing. My favorite Peggy Lee song was “Is That All There is?” with the chorus that goes “Is that all there is? Is that all there is? If that’s all there is, my friend, then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball. If that’s all…….there is!” Her most famous recording was of “Fever” — WOW – what a song – and she was the perfect one to sing it — that voice absolutely made the song!!!

Here is a You Tube clip of Peggy singing “Fever” to a collage of photos of her – very nice!

If you haven’t gotten your tickets for this show, yet — hurry!!! You won’t want to miss it!!! Hope to see you there!!!

Best and Worst Teeth Listing

Mar30
This list of Cleanest and Dirtiest Teeth in the US (click here for article) was on the AOL Welcome page today…..not sure how they determine what cities have the dirtiest teeth and what cities have the cleanest, but here is the list that was compiled by Men’s Health. (btw – since the list was compiled by Men’s Health, does that mean they only checked out men’s teeth????)

NC came out pretty good — Raleigh ranked # 3 out of 100 and Charlotte ranked #6! On the other hand, if I bought into this, I’m not so sure I’d jump into a kiss from anyone from Lubbock, TX without first asking for their dental records – ha-ha!!!

BEST TEETH
Rank, City, Grade

10 Minneapolis, MN B+
9 Fargo, ND A-
8 Grand Rapids, MI A-
7 Yonkers, NY A-
6 Charlotte, NC A-
5 Aurora, CO A-
4 St. Paul, MN A
3 Raleigh, NC A+
2 Nashville, TN A+
1 Madison, WI A+

WORST TEETH
Rank, City, Grade

100 Lubbock, TX F
99 Philadelphia, PA F
98 Spokane, WA F
97 Salt Lake City, UT F
96 Jackson, MS F
95 El Paso, TX F
94 Portland, OR F
93 Tulsa, OK D-
92 Tucson, AZ D-
91 Baton Rouge, LA D-
90 Los Angeles, CA D-
89 San Antonio, TX D-
88 St. Louis, MO D-
87 Dallas, TX D-
86 Tampa, FL D-
85 Jersey City, NJ D-
84 Denver, CO D-
83 St. Petersburg, FL D
82 Oklahoma City, OK D
81 Billings, MT D
80 Pittsburgh, PA D
79 Miami, FL D
78 Boston, MA D
77 Kansas City, MO D+
76 Newark, NJ D+
75 Austin, TX D+
74 Fresno, CA D+
73 Sacramento, CA D+
72 Birmingham, AL D+
71 Buffalo, NY D+
70 Corpus Christi, TX D+
69 Houston, TX C-
68 Louisville, KY C-
67 Rochester, NY C-
66 Bangor, ME C-
65 Riverside, CA C-
64 Burlington, VT C-
63 Memphis, TN C-
62 Orlando, FL C-
61 Baltimore, MD C-
60 Montgomery, AL C
59 Milwaukee, WI C
58 Detroit, MI C
57 Cincinnati, OH C
56 Fort Worth, TX C
55 Oakland, CA C
54 Albuquerque, NM C
53 Chicago, IL C
52 Phoenix, AZ C
51 Cheyenne, WY C
50 Columbia, SC C+
49 Modesto, CA C+
48 Honolulu, HI C+
47 Bakersfield, CA C+
46 Norfolk, VA C+
45 Las Vegas, NV C+
44 Fort Wayne, IN C+
43 Richmond, VA C+
42 Charleston, WV C+
41 Lexington, KY C+
40 Greensboro, NC C+
39 Indianapolis, IN B-
38 Hartford, CT B-
37 Little Rock, AR B-
36 Anaheim, CA B-
35 Washington, DC B-
34 New York, NY B-
33 Atlanta, GA B-
32 San Jose, CA B-
31 Providence, RI B-
30 Arlington, TX B-
29 San Diego, CA B-
28 Wilmington, DE B
27 Seattle, WA B
26 Cleveland, OH B
25 Fremont, CA B
24 Manchester, NH B
23 Toledo, OH B
22 Durham, NC B
21 Boise, ID B
20 San Francisco, CA B
19 Columbus, OH B
18 Wichita, KS B+
17 Colorado Springs, CO B+
16 Omaha, NE B+
15 Jacksonville, FL B+
14 Sioux Falls, SD B+
13 Des Moines, IA B+
12 Lincoln, NE B+
11 Anchorage, AK B+

My Current Favorite Commercial

Mar29
I love commercials — most of the time, they are better than the shows I’m watching!! ha-ha

Here is my current favorite — it gets my attention every time and if I’m in the other room when I hear it, I drop what I’m doing (within reason – grin) and run in to watch it!

Strange Bed Fellows

Mar28
I left this story in a comment responding to a post titled “Appetizer” that Jennifer wrote on her blog – “Life With Miles” – a blog devoted to her and Billy’s new puppy, Miles. After I left the comment, I thought I should post the story here – it happened about a year ago, long before I started my blog, but I think it is a priceless story and worth conveying “old news”!

I love reading Jennifer’s blog — it reminds me that I’m not alone in the world of what reading her blog proves are “typical puppy stuff”!!! I almost always have a similar fond memory that comes to mind when I read her stories. The one that rivals the “Appetizer” story goes like this:

One night about this time last year, the girls and I were getting ready for bed. I had just let them out to take care of business and when they came in, we headed to bed. The only light on in the bedroom was the one on the night stand, so it wasn’t very bright in there. I was just about to turn it out and noticed that Megan had just dropped what looked like a clump of dirt (they used to dig a lot and loved to play with dirt clumps, so this didn’t seem odd) on the bed and was attempting to “nose” the blankets up over it to “bury” it in the covers. I said, “eeww – stop that – we don’t want dirt in our bed!” and picked it up to throw it out. As soon as I got it between my fingers and picked it up, I realized it was fuzzy and squishy! I immediately dropped it and turned on the ceiling fan lights — I wish I had just kept it in my hand and tossed it out without ever really knowing what it was — it was a small dead mole!!!! And it was about to be buried in my blankets………..and I was about to crawl into bed with it!!!! uugghh!!!! If I hadn’t noticed it, I could have slept with it!!!! After I finished with the shivers and nausea that the thought of it all gave me, I got a wad of Kleenex and took care of the little carcass!!!

Enough said — luckily, there no uninvited “guests” in my bed that night!!!

Christy to the rescue…..

Mar27
I have been in BAD need of a trip to have my hair done for quite some time now — it had gotten really shaggy and long and the gray was taking over big time!!!

So – tonight I spent a couple hours with my friend Christy at CCCC – she is a student in the Cosmetology program! I paid my $15.00, she did her magic, and I left with a great hair cut and beautiful color!!!! At the same time, I had a really nice time catching up with my friend!

Christy really has a talent for this — she does a GREAT job (especially on color – that is definitely her specialty – but she does a really good job on cuts, too) — she’ll be one to watch for when she graduates and gets out in a shop somewhere in Sanford!!!!

Announcing – CIS Gang Forum in Sanford

Mar26

Communities In Schools of Lee County is holding a Gang Forum – information is listed below. Come learn about how to help keep (or get) your kids away from gangs. Bring your kids to learn about the many great alternatives to gangs we have here in Sanford. Or just come to learn about how to support gang prevention in our community. Whatever your reason for attending, please come support this important event!!!

We will have some really powerful guest speakers and booths with several local organizations offering alternatives to gangs – The Coalition For Families, Parks and Recreation, Girls Scouts, YMCA, and more.

Gang Forum Info

  • Price: FREE!!!!
  • What: An event to educate the community about gangs and alternatives to gang life
  • Guest Speakers: Alan Muriers, boxing trainer and founder of the non-profit organization “Kid Gloves”; Josue Bolanos, a reformed gang member and “Kid Gloves” boxer; Darla Cole, Lee County Schools Special Police Force
  • When: Thursday, April 3rd at 6:30 pm
  • Where: Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, 1801 Nash Street, Sanford
  • Sponsored by: Communities In Schools of Lee County and Lee County Schools Special Police Force
  • Funded by a grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission
  • A family friendly event with free child care and youth activities provided during the guest speaker presentations
  • Organizations with booths providing kids with alternatives to gangs: Coalition for Families, Parks and Recreation, Girl Scouts, YMCA, and more

For more information, call CIS at (919) 718-5426. Please help spread the word!!!!

Dancing….

Mar25
Last week Dancing With The Stars started the new season…….all 12 stars did a great job for their very first dance!!! It’s gonna be a good season!!! The opening week was held on TWO nights – 1 for the gals and 1 for the guys – and no elimination – YET! Kristi and Mario stood out as the ones to beat on the first showing — but, it’s early and they ALL showed major promise!

Tonight they are all dancing and will either do the Mambo or the Quick Step – both difficult dances!! Then, tomorrow, TWO will go home – one of the guys and one of the gals with the lowest combined scores from last week and tonight……………..the competition is off and running (or should I say Quick Stepping?????)

On a side note that has nothing to do with dancing ability or potential (cause I think she has a good chance to go a long way based on her performance last week) — does anyone else think that Priscilla Presley has had just a tad too much “work” done??? She looks like her face is pulled so tight or is so frozen from Botox that she is afraid to smile too big – it might crack on her!!! ha-ha Regardless — she is amazing — I don’t know of many 63 year olds (she’ll be 63 on May 24th) that are that limber and impressive on the dance floor — at 51, I couldn’t even come close in my dreams (and I can do almost anything in my dreams – ha-ha)……

The tennis star (can’t think of her name – Monica, maybe????) had a comment that cracked me up — she said that before this she “…didn’t know the difference between a Mambo and a Mango…” — what a hoot!!!!

And how about that Marissa???? Man, she is an inspiration to all us height and weight challenged ladies in the world……..what energy, charisma, and enthusiasm she has — she’s incredible!!!!

Good luck to all the contestants – they all deserve a TON of credit!!!

If I didn’t have THREE dogs…..

Mar24
I just got one of those emails that get forwarded and go round and round — but, this one I haven’t seen yet and actually thought it was pretty cute — and oh, so true!!! So, I am sharing it here:

If I didn’t have a dog…..

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn’t sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money … and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I’d look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading “mud” season.

I would not have to answer the question “Why do you have so many animals?” from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!

Sunday Morning – Happy is the word….

Mar23
Happy is definitely the word of the day…….so far!

First — Happy Easter!! Nothing says “Spring” quite like Easter! When I was a little girl, my Mom used to buy me a pretty new Easter outfit – complete with a pretty new dress, white gloves, white ankle socks with lace, white shoes, white purse, and a pretty bonnet! My younger brother had to wear a suit – he looked nice, but it wasn’t a frilly new Easter outfit, like I had!!! I have several pictures of us over the years all doozied up in our Easter finery – all taken outside and most with big snow banks in the background! So – another reason to be happy is that today is Easter and I don’t see any snow out my window (although, if I was up home, that wouldn’t be the case)! Easter also marks the date that I can get out my white clothing! I know it isn’t as strict of a fashion rule as it used to be, but I was raised with the understanding that you don’t wear white before Easter or after Labor Day (excluding white shirts or tennis shoes)!!! So, I don’t!!! So – Happy Easter for all the normal reasons, but also because I’m happy to be able to start wearing some white!!!!

The girls are always happy, but I do believe they are happier than usual today — not crazier or more energetic – HAPPIER!! Katie is going around kissing everyone and dancing around the room with a big “smile” on her face; Megan is eagerly squeaking her toys to try to get everyone to play with her; and Amy is all wiggles and “smiles” while she kisses everyone and looks for wiggly snuggles…………..this isn’t terribly unusual separately, but for them to ALL be so happy and affectionate to each other at the same time is rare! There is always at least one that doesn’t want to be bothered or is irritated by the attention of the other two or jealous that one is getting more attention than the other two……..So – this makes ME happy, too — I get a big kick out of seeing them be so animated and loving!!! This morning, I have no doubt that I have three very happy doggies……….(not that there is ever much doubt there)!

The girls and I put on a rowdy concert of Broadway Show Tunes this morning to celebrate all the happiness…….which made us even MORE happy!!! They love it when we sing and dance around the house together………………frankly, so do I!!!

And the last thing to add is that I just got a phone call with an invitation to go out for breakfast! This isn’t unusual, either, but just the icing on the cake for an already very pleasant (and happy) day!!!! So, I’m off to the shower and to get dressed so I can meet my friend for breakfast — wonder where we’ll go to eat????