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The End…….or is it?

Sep24

 Aahh – the soap opera!  Women (and, yes, even quite a few men) have enjoyed watching daytime soap operas for generations.  When I was a little girl, my grandmother religiously watched what she called “my stories” every day.  As she went about her daily activities of cleaning, cooking, sewing, etc., she would arrange to complete certain duties that could be done while sitting and watching the TV during the time slots that her stories were on.  I’m not sure, but I think she watched As the World Turns and The Guiding Light - but my memory might be wrong on that point.  If we were with her during the daytime, she would tell us to “play quietly, now, so I can hear my stories”.  Quite often, I would sit and watch them with her and help her do whatever it was she would save to do at that time.  Of course, there were no VCRs, DVDs, or DVRs, so if she didn’t arrange her day to be able to watch them live, she’d miss them and that was not something she would be happy about!   They were her guilty pleasure and she made sure she didn’t miss them often!  I don’t know if it was because of those early days of watching Grandma’s stories with her or if it was just inevitable because of the era I grew up in, but I, too, found myself indulging in the guilty pleasure that soap operas became.

The first soaps I got hooked on were General Hospital and Dark Shadows.  They were both on after school, so I would rush home to watch them while I started my homework.  I watched Dark Shadows, the hokey saga of vampires and ghosts that aired long before either were “cool”, the entire time it was on the air (1966 – 1971) – I rarely missed an episode.  My favorite characters were Quentin and the lovely Angelique.  A trivia tidbit:  Kate Jackson, of the original Charlie’s Angels, got her start on Dark Shadows.   Once I got into my high school years, though, I had much better things to do than rush home to watch a soap opera.  I stopped watching General Hospital and never looked back.

After I graduated from high school in 1974, I went to work at GE and got an apartment in Brockport with my friend Greta.  Greta and I both worked second shift and she got me hooked on three soaps – Ryan’s Hope, All My Children, and One Life To Live.  Like my grandmother, we scheduled our days so that we could be sure to be home in time to watch them.  We’d get up about 10:00-ish or so, do any errands or chores we had that day, come home in time to watch RH at 12:30, AMC at 1:00, and OLTL at 2:00.  We’d get ready for work during the commercials and head out the door as soon as OLTL ended at 3:00 – just in time to get to work and clock in by our 3:30 start time.  Ryan’s Hope was a really good soap and I was so sad when it didn’t last very long – I watched it just about the entire 13 or so years it was on.  My allegiance to OLTL, though, was spotty – I could take it or leave it.  There were periods where the story line kept me interested, but I easily broke away from it.

The soap that I was interested in the longest was All My Children.  I started watching it in the mid-70s (4-5 years after it started) and watched it off and on (mostly on) for much of the next close to 40 years.  I got Mom hooked, too!  hehehe  Yes, there were times when my work schedule changed and I couldn’t watch it for a while, but it wasn’t long before VCRs were available so I could tape it and watch it later in the evening.  I tried to force myself to not tape them while I was working on my degrees (no time for that sort of thing working full-time and going to school full-time), but I’d just nicely get used to not seeing it and I’d go home to visit Mom and she’d get me interested, again.  I haven’t watched it much for the past couple of years, now, but when I heard it was going off the air I had to start taping it, again — I had to catch the ending!  I kept up with the characters, even when I wasn’t watching it regularly, and made sure to follow certain story lines.  And, as with most soaps, I was always able to pick them right back up and get right back into the story lines – no matter how long I hadn’t been watching them – sometimes with a little help from other fans to fill in the blanks or to explain that a new face wasn’t really a new character – just a new actor playing the old character!

I matured with Erica Kane and Brooke English.  I had wild crushes on Tom Cudahy, Cliff Warner, and Chuck Tyler, but also, along with thousands of other girls, found myself shamelessly attracted to Tad (the Cad) Martin – the bad boy of Pine Valley!  I rejoiced in their weddings and the birth of their babies.  I was respectfully shocked at the exciting plot twists and turns.  I hated the villains and loved the heroes.  I really got into taking sides over the rivalries – like Erica and Brooke, Mona and Phoebe, Palmer and Adam, Greenley and Kendall, and others.  I swooned over the eternal love stories, like Jenny and Greg, Tad and Dixie, Palmer and Daisy, Ryan and Greenley, Kendall and Zack, Erica and Jack, and others.  I sobbed in utter hysteria over their deaths and funerals……..and, then, was so very happy to find that they actually were just lost somewhere with amnesia and found their way back to Pine Valley, alive and well – sometimes after having plastic surgery to give them a new face!  Yes, I was wrapped up in the characters and their lives – totally!

So, now, as of yesterday – Friday, September 23, 2011 – after 41 years, All My Children has been canceled and will no longer air on ABC Television!  A cooking themed talk show will begin airing in the 1:00 daily time slot beginning this coming Monday.  I so enjoyed the last few weeks of episodes where they brought back old characters and reunited families and flashed back to how it all began!  I even liked the bazaar story line of David Hayward and his special medical procedure that made him able to bring several recently (within the past couple of years) deceased characters back to life and back to Pine Valley!  It has been an emotional few weeks.

But, the very last episode, which should have finished wrapping up all the story lines into nice neat little packages for the fans and provide a slew of happy endings, was a disappointment – to say the least!  In true soap opera style, the very final episode ended the 41 year run with not one, but THREE cliff hangers!!!!  It ended and I just sat there staring at the TV with my mouth gaped open and said “what the hell was that?”!!!!  You see, there is talk about someone picking up the rights to the show and continue it online or some other format!  Huh?  But, it doesn’t sound like they have the support of many of the actors, so who is going to take the characters and the story lines into the future?  And when will all this be available – if ever?  I would have preferred they wrapped up everything that the TV version had going on and finish it off – period.  Then, if it does continue on, they could pick those characters and story lines up and go from there………

So, will fans ever find out the answer to the three burning questions the show left hanging?  Are Erica and Jack really finished or will they get back together (again) and prove that true love conquers all?  Who is the last patient David Hayward claims to have brought back to life and has stashed somewhere waiting to be revealed and returned to Pine Valley?  Who did JR shoot from the secret passageway in Chandler Mansion at Stuart’s welcome home party and are they dead or will David save them?

Stay tuned……..

Lie To Me and other thoughts

Nov10

Lie To Me - the Fox TV show – is interesting, infuriating, irritating, and intriguing all at the same time!  I love the concept and the story lines.  Watching how they determine if someone is lying by watching them in both every day situations and under pressure is so interesting.  I can’t stop watching it – even though I can not stand the main character!!!  Dr. Cal Lightman, played by Tim Roth, is the single most irritating person to watch in the entire world!  I have never seen him in any other role (not that I remember, anyway), so I don’t know if he is putting this all on for this one character or if he typically acts this way.  He just gives me the heebie jeebies (yes, that is a technical term)!  For instance:   he walks and stands like he’s about to pass out drunk - all the time – he weaves around and looks like a limp dish rag ready to slump into a pile on the floor.  And then there is the revolting facial expressions – when he is watching and talking to someone he curls his upper lip up like a dog that is snarling, furls his brow, and gets a disgusted look on his face that make him look like he is about to throw up.  And he always gets right up within an inch of the other person’s face - back off a little, for criminy sake!  He can’t sit like a normal adult human being in any chair, he always looks like a bum even in a suit, and he usually holds his head sideways to look at people – like that gives him a better advantage!  I just find him so irritating!  But……I can’t wait until next week’s episode – right after House – another odd character, but at least House is one I love to hate and doesn’t make my skin crawl!

Speaking of TV — at the beginning of the season, I wrote a post about the shows that I was most excited about – click here to read it.  So, what happened to the line up?

  • Of the new ones, only two became hits – Blue Bloods and The Defenders - both of which I am still faithfully watching every week! 
  • My favorite is Blue Bloods – I love tuning in to the Reagan family each week to see their closeness and their struggles.  I love that every week there is at least one scene where the entire family – 4 generations of Reagans – sit together around the table for a meal and discussion – even if it does sometimes get heated. 
  • The Defenders is good, too – definitely one I enjoy watching – love Jim Belushi!!!
  • Outlaw was on its last leg and has been banished to Saturday night – which I hope is a good move that might revitalize it!  I really enjoy that show and will be sad if it goes away.
  • Chase is still on, but I’ve heard that it may not last – I like it and watch it every week, but wouldn’t be lost if it doesn’t make it.
  • It looks like The Whole Truth is gone – I haven’t seen it on in a couple of weeks and a search on TV Guide.com doesn’t bring up any scheduled episodes.  That was a good show – not great, but good.  I liked that it always ended with a scene that closed the loop and told the viewers the real truth — whether the guilty/not guilty verdict was the right one!
  • Lone Star is history – I never bothered to watch the one episode I had on my DVR, so I don’t know if I would have liked it or not.

My complaint about the networks is that they don’t give shows a chance to gain an audience — one week into the season and they are already talking about which ones they are going to cancel because they didn’t get the ratings out of the gate!  There are so many new and returning shows that you can’t watch them all the first week or two.  With the DVR, DVD, HULU, etc. available, people typically watch one the night it is aired and catch the others they are interested in later – doesn’t mean they aren’t getting watched and enjoyed!  Anyway — I hope Outlaw gets a shot in the arm from being moved to Saturday and hangs around – I like it!  If not, I’ll stick with Blue Bloods and The Defenders and a couple returning hits as my must see shows and flip around when they aren’t on to find something else that catches my eye.

Off the TV topic and on to my beautiful Katie! 

She hasn’t been feeling too good lately – kinda blah and sluggish!  She had an allergic reaction to something and we had to treat her with antibiotics and prednisone for that.  Then we found she has some gunk going on in her ears, so we’re doing drops and washes for that.  And during all that we found out she has a thyroid problem, so she’ll be on meds for that the rest of her life!  She’s on the brink of her senior years – she’ll be 7 in April – so she also has some joint pain, too!  Poor old girl – gotta get her straightened up so she can be her sweet, perky, friendly self again – SOON!

And now I’ve said all I have to say for this morning and I’m getting off this computer and getting on with my day….

Tuesday Thoughts

Oct19

So…..what do you think about the new theme?  It is an antique-y theme called Quentin – very proper looking!  I like the look, but don’t like that it doesn’t support a custom header, so I lost my photo of the girls…..boo hoo!!!  But – I like it, so I’ll keep it until I get sick of it and decide to find one that will let me customize the header, again.

When I saw the name of the blog page theme I picked, it made me all nostalgic!  Not because Quentin is an old-fashioned name……no, I got all nostalgic because it reminded me of a favorite TV show from my school days.  In the late 60s / early 70s, I used to rush home from school every day so that I could see “Dark Shadows“!  One of my favorite characters was Quentin Collins, played by David Shelby.  It was a poorly filmed series with hokey acting and story lines, but I loved it!!! 

I understand they are working on a remake of it for the big screen…….not sure how I feel about that!  The charm of it was the dark, bad filming and hokey-ness of it!  I hope they don’t ruin it by modernizing it too much.  But, I have to say, I am a little excited about the thought of Johnny Depp playing Barnabus Collins……yummy!!!  Wonder who they are talking to about Quentin, Angelique, and some of the others………I’ll definitely have to go see it!

Speaking of movies that have peaked my interest — I am definitely intrigued by Matt Damon’s new movie, “Hereafter”, opening this weekend!  At first, it looked like a horror/thriller type movie, that I would have no interest in at all.  Then, I started seeing more in-depth trailers and it looks more suspenseful and interesting!  It opens on my birthday weekend, so may just need to be sure I include it in the celebration festivities!!!  {wink}

It has been a lovely, productive Tuesday…….time to settle in for the night and prepare for the inescapable Wednesday!

Brain Dump!

Sep28

I think I’m up for a good ole “Brain Dump”…..got lots rattling around in my head and just might need to purge to make room for more interesting things to think about!  I’m one of those creative types, so I have an overactive imagination and thought process…..so, sometimes I just get so much going on in my mind that I think my brain is going to explode!  hahaha  How’s that for a nice mental picture as a framework for this post????

OK – so, first up – TV!

I’m really excited about the new fall line up on network TV.  This is the first time in several years that I’ve actually thought this was a possibility, let alone believed it!!!  But, it’s true.  From what I’ve seen of the shows that peaked my interest, so far, I think I’ll be working my DVR to death and spending a lot of time watching TV!  That can be good and bad news………

So, what ones have me all worked up?

  • Grey’s Anatomy – old show, new season – I’ve gotten totally hooked on this show and am really looking forward to the new season.  I was a little disappointed by the season opener, but recognize that they had a lot to catch people up on and I thought they did do that well.
  • Dancing With The Stars - again, old show, new season – the last two seasons seemed a little blah to me!  I lost interest and thought maybe the show had run its course.  But, I’m really into this season, so far.  The majority of the stars came out with the gloves off and really made a good showing on the first two weeks of the competition.  I was really happy to see that the one that really deserved to go home the first week did go home – David Hasslehoff.  Usually, the ones who need to go are kept alive by fan votes far too long.  I only hope that this trend continues with Michael Bolton going home tonight……we’ll see!
  • House – the last of the returning shows on my list!  I missed the season opener – I need to look it up on Hulu!  But, remembered to set up a series recording on my DVR and saw last night’s episode.  I’m not sure what I think of House and Cuddy finally hooking up, but we’ll see where they take it.  In past series that had lots of sexual tension between characters and then they hook up, the result is usually the end of the show because it is the end of the “fun” in watching them dance around it……case in point:  Who’s The Boss, Moonlighting, The Nanny, and others!
  • Outlaw - LOVE Jimmy Smits and am soooooooo happy he’s back on TV!  I also love law based shows, so this is likely to continue to appeal to me!
  • Blue Bloods - the main attraction:  Donnie Wahlberg - enough said!!!  And, I find it interesting to follow a family of NYC cops.  I’m betting this one will not fade out of my top favs.
  • The Defenders – nice mix of comedy and drama – another law based show – Jim Belushi……winning combination, for sure!
  • The Whole Truth – the first show was good, but I’m not sure, yet, if it will endure for me!  But, it is keeping with the law based theme!
  • Chase – this is about US Marshalls hunting down dangerous criminals.  The first show was good and I think it has high potential.
  • Lone Star – I haven’t actually seen this show, yet – it is on my DVR, though.  It is about a texas based con man, but other than that, I’m not sure what it’s about.  I like the previews for it, but since I just read earlier today that low ratings has resulted in it being the first official cancellation of the season, I’m not sure why I am even mentioning it here!!!!  But – it got me excited, so I’m listing it!

I’m reading a book that I’ve really been enjoying — Tim Gunn’s Golden Rules!  I love Tim Gunn and Project Runway and anything else he is on.  He’s such a character and the things he says are a hoot!!!  This book is all about etiquette and what is acceptable in proper society.  He dishes on celebrities, Project Runway contestants, and family/friends to make his points – for the good and bad!  It has really been fun to read!!!

Speaking of books……I found a free app for my iPhone – iBooks!!!  That is where I got Tim Gunn’s book.  It is great — I can buy a book, read it, and either keep it for future reference or delete it (but it still is accessible, if I want it again later).  I don’t have to have the actual book lying around taking up space!  And — it goes with me everywhere — like I really needed another reason to have use my iPhone!  So, if you see me out somewhere gazing into my iPhone, I may be reading emails or text messages or checking my FB status or checking out the news, but then again, I just may be reading a good book!!!

I am going to walk in the Alzheimer’s Walk this weekend.  I’m really excited about participating in this event!  It upsets me so much to think of all the people who are robbed of one of our most precious gifts – our memories!!!  I just can not imagine it!  My Great Aunt Betty suffered from strokes and a form of this horrible disease.  I wasn’t able to see her in her last few years, but kept in touch.  It was heart breaking to know that she was so lost and I was deeply saddened by what her children, my cousins, were going through.  She was always one of the sources I would seek out for stories of my family and our history.  I don’t know if my bad knee will allow me to walk the entire route, but I’m gonna give it one hell of a try — for her!!! 

Movies I’m looking forward to seeing soon:

  • Wall Street – Money Never Sleeps
  • You Again
  • Secretariat
  • Life As We Know It
  • Red

And there are some others that I’ve seen in previews at the theater, but don’t remember what they were…….I’ll remember them when I see them again, though!

Hhhhmmm — doesn’t sound like much now that I’ve written it all down, but that’s about all I have for now…….and DWTS is about to come on with the results from last night’s dances!  So, I’m done with my ranting

And they’re off…..DWTS 11

Sep20

OK….so, here’s my opinion about tonight’s DWTS season 11 premier!  I got bored with the show last season, but ended up watching it in the last few weeks.  But, this season, I think I just might stay interested.  For the most part, everyone did pretty good for the first week out of the gate.  Some did REALLY well, some were surprising, and a few don’t hold much promise.  These are my thoughts…………spoilers coming………..if you haven’t watched your DVR, yet, you might want to wait until after you do to read my opinions!

Standouts – all did an amazing job and show the most promise, so far:

Kyle Massey
Brandy
Jennifer Grey

Most Awkward – all were stiff, nervous, and least likely to stay long:

Bristol Palin
Michael Bolton
David Hasselhoff

You’re Kidding, Right? – made too much of a mockery of it and it did NOT pay off for her:

Margaret Cho

Biggest Surprise – I was completely shocked how good he did:

Kyle Massey

Still Got It - at 76 years old, she’s still got some moves and some pretty amazing gams for an old broad – she likely won’t get into the finale, but she’ll surely do well for a good portion of the season:

Florence Henderson

I Totally Disagree w/ the Judges

# 1 – he had only one week to practice (much less than all the others) and he STILL did a LOT better than Michael and David – he didn’t deserve to be in a 3 way tie for last place with 15 points:

The Situation

# 2 – not at all sure how he got more than the minimum 15 points:

Michael Bolton

My Favorite – from her emotional rehearsal video to the selection of a song from Dirty Dancing to what I thought was the top performance (and the judges agreed) – I had tears pouring down my cheeks the whole time:

Jennifer Grey

My guess for the first to go home BEFORE the show:

David Hasselhoff

My guess for the first to go home now that I’ve seen them in action – tie – either one will meet my approval:

# 1 – he walked and just went through the motions, instead of danced

David Hasselhoff     (but a cult fan base may keep him for a while)

# 2 – she made a sorry attempt at a comedic dance and it didn’t work

Margaret Cho

Do you agree with me or have different opinions?

West Wing

Sep18

There are few TV shows that really grab me.  Yes, there are some that I truly enjoy watching and look forward to, but very few that I just can’t get enough of and never grow tired of.  And, it is interesting to note that most of the ones that fall into this category were ones that I didn’t particularly like when they first came on!  Of those I can think of off the top of my head, ER is the only one I liked right from the very first episode…..but, ER also just barely makes the list and maybe, technically, shouldn’t even be on the list because I stopped watching it not long after Dr. Greene died – just wasn’t the same and it got kinda ho hum after that.   But, back to my point — for most of the shows that I put on my private little pedestal, I was excited by the promos and anxiously awaited their premiers.  I made sure I didn’t forget to see their series debuts and was sure they would be the best shows EVER.  And, then, when the first show aired, I was disappointed and thought they would surely be big flops!  To be fair, I typically watched a second episode and, maybe, a third just to see if that first episode was a bust because it was meant to set the stage.  In all cases, I didn’t go beyond that………..until, at some point, I accidentally got hooked – usually during rerun season!

West Wing is one of those shows!  Yes, I preliminarily thought it would be great, but the first show of the series was so confusing and hard to follow that I didn’t bother with any after that.  After the second season, I started catching them during the summer reruns and was hooked!!!  I caught up on the second season throughout the summer and never missed an episode after than….until the end!  I sat each week riveted to my seat watching the inner workings of the White House during President Bartlet’s reign.  I adore Stockard Channing and was memorised by her portrayal of Mrs. Bartlet.  CJ was funny, smart, and a great reminder of what a strong woman can achieve in life.  Her vulnerability in her relationship with Danny Concannon was touching – who, by the way was another of my favorite characters to watch.  Of course, Martin Sheen was the perfect choice for President Bartlet……one can only hope we will have a President just like him some day!  Charlie was such a sweet heart – you just had to root for his success and his future!  And, then, there was Leo…….I loved Leo!  I was heart-broken watching President and Mrs. Bartlet in torment when Zoe was kidnapped.  I agonized over Toby’s fall from grace and rejoiced in the birth of his twins.  And I was devastated when Leo died!!!!  The West Wing characters became like family and I had to watch every week.

I was so sorry to see it all end…….I would have loved to see how Jimmy Smits may have taken the show to a different level.  But, I understood why they didn’t continue.  With Leo dead and not being the Vice-President and several other key characters moving on and not staying, it would have been so very different…….better to quit while they were still on top!

I’ve caught reruns every now and then, but not consistently.  Then, just recently, I discovered that it is on a couple of times a day every week day on Bravo while I’m at work!!!  So, I set the DVR to record it whenever it comes on!  I come home every day with at least two (once in a while only one) episodes waiting for me!  What a treat!  And the best part…….I started recording and rewatching it right at the last few episodes of the final season — I got to see the campaign and win of Matt Santose (Jimmy Smits), including the death and funeral of Leo……an emotional revisiting of some of the most painful episodes of the series and, perhaps, of any show I’ve ever watched!  And then, after the very last episode of the series, they started in with the pilot and on with the first episode!  I am now watching the first season – episodes I didn’t get to see – giving me a retrospective baseline for the show!  Including that very first pilot episode that I originally hated — and, frankly, still didn’t particularly enjoy!  If I hadn’t gotten hooked and fell in love with the show and then saw the first episode again, I still would never had gone on with it……I often wondered why I didn’t like it – was I just in a bad mood that night, did it just strike me wrong, did I miss some key element that would have tied it all together and made me like it?  But, I see, now, that none of these were the case!  hahahaha  Just a few days ago, I saw the episode where Charlie got his job and heard his story and how the President reached out to him — very touching!  I’ve spent the last couple of days catching up with episodes that were DVR’d while I was on a business trip – I have one left to watch!

So……..I’m reliving and enjoying a show that reached out and grabbed me and that I have missed terribly!  I have another chance to connect to the characters that I loved and those I loved to hate!  What a blessing DVR is!!!

By the way…….the other shows that round out the top three in the same category of shows that have consumed me:

Gray’s Anatomy (second place to West Wing’s first place status)– Again, I hated the first episode and didn’t let myself get hooked on it………..until the rerun season between seasons 5 and 6.  I got so hooked that I couldn’t stand not knowing what happened “before”, so I got all the DVDs from seasons 1-5 from Netflix and watched them all while keeping up with parts of season 6!!!  I can not wait until season 7 starts!!! 

Friends — This one just seemed too silly the first 2 or 3 episodes and I just couldn’t get into it, but I got hooked on reruns after about 2 seasons!  I still watch it in reruns, if I happen to be flipping channels and find an episode that catches my eye — I still laugh at some that I have seen over and over again!

New Food Network Star

Sep5

Right from the start of the most recent season of The Next Food Network Star, I was pulling for Aarti!  She had such a vibrant personality and smiling face.  Her point of view is to bring Indian flavors to every day American foods.  And everything she made looked and sounded absolutely amazing!!!  I was excited when she made it to the finale, but was concerned that one of the others might squeeze by her!  But, then they announced the winner……….Aarti………and I cheered!!!  I was so looking forward to seeing her new show – Aarti Party - on Food Network!  I set up the DVR to record it so that I wouldn’t miss it!  It was on today at noon and it was just as much fun to watch as I thought it would be!  I haven’t been this excited about a new Food Network star in a long time!  After watching her first show, I’m hooked even more than I was just watching her during the competition!  I look forward to discovering many new recipes with her!

The recipes she crammed into her 1/2 hour show are all ones that I will definitely plan to make – I’m even thinking of going out to get a pork butt roast to make the main recipe for Labor Day!  (we’ll see if I actually get that ambitious or not)  Her recipes today included a new twist on Pulled Pork that looked incredible – I could almost taste it right through the TV – it was called “Pulled Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce”!  She also made an “Apple – Lime – Peanut Slaw” that was a tangy sauce over cabbage, green apples, and garnished with roasted peanuts – YUM!!!  And, for dessert, she made “Come ‘ere Puddin’ Pie” – a chocolate-ginger pudding pie with made from scratch pudding!  Click on the recipe names for the links to how to make these great sounding dishes!

I was particularly interested in the pulled pork recipe.  Pork is my favorite meat – I love it!  I have also found from living in North Carolina, that pork – in particular, pulled pork – is its own major food group and found everywhere!  The variations based on region are about a different as night and day and are the source of many heated discussions any time the topic comes up.  Although I like them all, I do admit that I prefer a BBQ based sauce to the vinegar based sauces.  But, the very best way to eat it is without any sauce at all — just the flavors from the rub that was used to cook it!  I don’t usually want to mask the flavor of the pork in any way.  But, the sound of the Mango BBQ Sauce she used is so intriguing……I really want to try it!!!

Catch her show and try her recipes — you’re sure to have fun doing it!

A Saturday Well Spent

Aug1

Saturdays are often a struggle of whether or not to take care of business or sit back and enjoy the end to a long work week.  You know – some business can only be taken care of on Saturday morning and there is all that housework and laundry that you really weren’t up to taking care of after getting home from work!  But, then again, it is Saturday – a day off work – meaning NOT a work day!  But there is all that personal work that needs to be done and who else is gonna do it if you don’t!  So, what often happens?  Saturday is a full and busy day trying to do it all – housework, shopping, and relaxing!

Here’s how my Saturday played out this week:

As usual, the girls woke me up about 6:00 am to go outside and take care of their business.  But, I was able to get them to come back in quickly and go back to bed.  This is getting to be a nice ritual that I’m glad they have taken to — better than in the past when I would try to go back to sleep and they would prefer to play and make sleeping in impossible! 

I finally got up for the day about 8:30 – earlier than I had hoped because I had a pretty exhausting week, but it was nice none-the-less!  I fed the girls and we curled up on the couch to watch a couple of the programs I had on DVR.  Megan played ball with me and Katie and Amy snuggled.  I was well on my way to deciding the relaxing option was going to win out.  I thought about all the things I should be doing and then looked at the girls and just settled in for a quiet morning!

Then…….suddenly, at 11:00, I remembered that I needed to go to Sanford Animal Hospital to get some Advantix and Interceptor because I forgot to get them at All Animals the other day when I was there and I give those treatments out on the 1st of each month……..so, I headed out.  And that was the turning point where the day became more about getting things done!

I made a long weekend trip to see my Mom last weekend and when I got in my car at RDU I found that I must have parked near an ant hill or maybe someone spilled a sweet drink beside my car or something — whatever caused it doesn’t matter — what matters is that I discovered the inside of the rider’s side door was a swarm of ANTS!!!!  They were localized just on that door and a little on the rider’s side of the dashboard.  So, I got in and drove to Lowes to get some ant spray.  Bottom line, the pony needed a good cleaning to get rid of the mess all that left.  So, from the vet I went on to the car wash on the corner of Horner and Wicker — all nice and clean, now!

I came back home to think about what else I needed to do — I decided to go to Cary to BJs and Party City to get supplies for Communities In Schools of Lee County’s Second Annual Dancing with the Lee County Stars event that is being held at the Civic Center on August 13th (how about if I take a moment here to  add in  an extremely shameless plug for the event — go to www.dancingwiththeleecountystars.com to purchase tickets, vote for the dancing couple of your choice, or get info on how to be a sponsor)!

I headed that way about 2:00 or so and I have to say that I really hate going in to Cary!  Sure, they have a great selection of stores and restaurants and entertainment.  But, the traffic and difficulty getting in and out of places just kills it for me!  Crossroads Plaza is where I had to go for Party City and I also did a few other things while I was there — you get in that place and end up driving all around the world trying to figure out how to get out going in the direction you want to go!   And I was parked in lines at stop signs and stop lights longer than it took me to take care of the business I needed to do!

I enjoy shopping in Sanford and usually find whatever I may need right here!  I support shopping locally and have limited reasons for going out-of-town to shop.  If Sanford could just get a BJs and a PetSmart, I could avoid Cary a lot more often! 

The up side was that between BJs and Party City, I got all the supplies I needed and a few things for myself, as well.  I also ran into a dear old friend I rarely get to see and we talked in the aisle at BJs for what seemed like an hour or more!  I also took in a movie – scroll down to read my review in a post I wrote last night.  I also planned to pop in at Macy’s and PetSmart while I was up there, but it got late and I got tired, so I decided not to!

The icing on the cake was dinner at Red Robin — YUMMM!  Of course, the meal was good, but I really enjoyed the Speckled Lemonade – a quirky looking glass of nicely tart lemonade with fresh strawberries cut up in it!  OMG, it was so good I had to take a photo of it:

No – there was no alcohol in it and my camera wasn’t drunk when I snapped the photo – that is really what the glass looked like!  Funky and fun!

I got home about 8:30 or so and snuggled in with the girls to watch TV and play!  A perfect end to a day mixed with relaxation and productive activities. 

So, now on to Sunday — definitely a day of relaxation and enjoyment!

Happy Birthday, Psycho

Jun16

Today, the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, Psycho, turns 50 years old!  So, what was so special about a movie released 50 years ago?  LOTS!!!  Hitchcock was a genius – master of suspense and psychological thrillers.  Several failed remakes and sequels later, the original film is still the standout example of classic thrillers.

Not a lot of people realize that the story was based on a REAL LIFE serial killer from Wisconsin – Ed Gein – and that the movie was adapted from a book by Robert Bloch.  Just a bit of mindless trivia….

The Bates house is still one of the most famous houses in movie history!  It is a popular attraction at Universal Studios in Hollywood.  I visited the theme park several years ago and when the tram took me past Norman’s house and the Bates Motel, I got chills remembering the scenes that were filmed there so many years ago – even though seeing it in broad daylight (as seen in the second photo below) wasn’t anywhere near as menacing as seeing it in the film!

My personal memory and experience watching this film came some years after it was released – afterall, I was only 4 years old when it was released and it wasn’t the type of movie parents would take a 4 year-old!  The first time I saw it was in 1968 when I was in the 6th grade.  I had a slumber party that year and invited a boat load of girl friends – all of my female classmates from Waterport school, some neighbor friends, and a couple other girl friends.  The house was crammed wall-to-wall with young girls – dancing, playing records, making root beer floats, giggling – all the things a house full of young 12 year-old girls in the 60s would be doing!

After dark, my Mom turned out the lights and turned on a scary movie that was on TV that night — the movie?  Psycho!  We all watched as Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) found her way to a run down motel owned by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).  We were creeped out by Norman peaking at Marion through the hole in the wall.  And we were scared out of our skins watching the “shower scene”!  Just after that scary scene – where a shadowy woman figure, who we assume at that time is Norman’s mother, rips open the shower curtain and brutally stabs poor Marion to death for what seems like an eternity of blow after blow after blow with the butcher knife – my poor step-father arrives home from working the second shift and opens the front door, which opens right into the room where the wall-to-wall 12 year-old girls lay in terror……………….we all SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER!!!!!  He calmly closed the door and went back to his car — he was not about to enter the den of screaming girls!  hahaha

To this day, I get nervous taking a shower anywhere there is a shower curtain and I can not see out to see who may be coming up on me!  Clear shower doors are my preference!

 For your viewing pleasure – here is the original movie trailer and the infamous shower scene – enjoy!

Grey’s Anatomy

May21

Some years ago, I watched the very first Grey’s Anatomy.  The hype before the season started got me all excited about a potentially great show – sorta like a cross between ER and Friends, from what I could tell from all the previews.  I have to admit, I wasn’t impressed – maybe it was my mood that night, maybe I was just expecting too much – whatever the reason, I was not impressed, so I decided to not get interested in it.  I didn’t go back to watch another episode to find out if I might like it afterall. 

Friends hounded me for years about why I wasn’t watching on this show?  Apparently, everyone who did stick with season one was hooked on it like a drug they couldn’t live without!  I didn’t understand the enthusiasm – afterall, I did watch that first ever show and distinctly remember not being in the least bit impressed by it!

Then, a few months ago, I started catching a show once in a while on LifeTime – they play the previous season in back to back shows from 6:00-9:00 every week night.  Then, I started deliberately watching them every day!  I found myself wondering what happened “before” so I could make more sense out of what was happening now.  I still wasn’t watching the current season – I didn’t want to spoil what I was getting caught up in on the reruns.  I figured I could catch the current season from the beginning on reruns after the season ends.

The wondering what happened “before” started really eating at me — I had to know — I had to have MORE!!  So, I started getting the DVDs from NetFlix and I watched a season at a time, beginning with season 1 and that first show I didn’t particularly care for……..guess what?  I liked it, this time!  But, doing it through the mailed DVDs wasn’t getting me through the seasons fast enough – I was receiving 4 DVDs at a time, but had to wait for the mail to come to get another set!  So, I got a Roku and got them on “Watch Instantly” and sailed through the rest!

Once I saw all the “before” seasons, I gave in and started watching the current season about 3 or 4 weeks ago!  So, now all I have left to catch up on is the first part of the current season………now that the season finale happened, the reruns should start soon and I’ll be able to get there!  Maybe the season will get released on NetFlix soon and I won’t have to take all summer to catch up on the reruns! 

And, you know what?  I still catch most of the episodes of last season over and over on LifeTime, if I happen to be home and able…….

So, I have become one of “those people” – the ones who are so addicted to Grey’s Anatomy that I absolutely can’t get enough of it……..I am so wrapped up emotionally in the characters that I just can’t fathom the thought of not being able to see what happens to them next!

Then, last night happened…………….the season finale I alluded to a couple of paragraphs ago…………the one that was the mother of all Grey’s Anatomy episodes – no, that doesn’t accurately describe it — it was actually the mother of all season finales of all series of all time!!!!  It was the fastest 2 hours of my life!  I sat down in my favorite chair with my feet up on the ottoman anxiously awaiting the show to start at 9:00!  Then, suddenly, what felt like 5 minutes later, it was 11:00 and I had never moved from that chair or the position I was sitting in - not even during the commercials – for fear that I might miss something!!!!  I was totally and completely and utterly riveted to my seat!  I spent those two hours engrossed, crying hysterically, and yelling at the TV to try to help the characters get through the horrible things that were happening!!!  It took me a couple of minutes after it ended to get my breathing back to normal and decide if I was going to be able to get up out of the chair!  I ran to Facebook to post my reaction and see what others were saying about it! 

So, yes, I am hooked……..I can’t wait to catch up on the first part of this season so that I can say I have seen every single episode and it didn’t take me several years to see them all – like it did most of the fans!  And I’ll bet most fans have to admit that they missed an episode or two over the course of the – what is it – 7 seasons!!!  Not me!!!  hehehehe