Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
What’s new?
The Friday before President’s Day in February, 1999, was my Liberation From Glasses Day! I first got glasses in the fifth grade, after probably actually needing them for some time before that, but never let anyone know I was having trouble seeing the blackboard until then! I wore corrective lenses from that time on…….big clunky glasses, little wire granny glasses, progressive lenses that seemed to always look like sunglasses even when they shouldn’t be dark, contact lenses……..and my eyes got progressively worse over the years!
In the end, I was just barely away from being considered legally blind and had a severe astigmatism – I literally could not see the big, bright numbers on the alarm clock in the morning without first reaching for my glasses…….until that wonderful day almost 12 years ago when I had Lasik surgery done! It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself and the best $4000 I ever spent! I was liberated and could see the world without the help of corrective lenses for the first time in…….well, let’s just say, a LOT of years!!!
So, why is this post titled “What’s New”? This obviously isn’t new news! Well, that part isn’t……but, this part is:
The Lasik surgery has served me well for almost 12 years. I was already over 40, so the doctor over corrected one eye and under corrected the other so that I would prolong the onset of the “40-year-old eye syndrome” – you know, when your arms suddenly aren’t long enough to be able to read the paper! And, it worked — I have not had ANY vision problems and have seen things perfectly clear all these years! Until recently! Lately, I have been having some blurry vision when my eyes get tired or I have a lot of small print to read. So, I went to get an eye exam. I could still get away without wearing glasses at all for quite some time, but we decided to get reading glasses to help keep my eyes from working too hard at times! And, so, the circle comes back around and I am, again, wearing glasses — only when needed to read, but wearing them just the same! As of yesterday, I have a lovely pair of Gucci reading glasses…….yes, Gucci — I always go right for the expensive items, no matter what I’m looking for — it is a curse! hahaha
I think the color (violet caramel) and shape goes well with my hair and shape of my face — I like them (keep your opinions to yourself, if you don’t agree – I need to be happy with the whole “giving in to glasses, again” thing)! And, man, they do help!!! So, here they are…..drum roll, please:
So, that’s new…..or back to old…….or whatever!
Find your joy and let it show…
The title of this post is not a phrase I came up with…..although I wish I had! It is actually from a song that Jen Chapin wrote about her first son before he was born. I have heard the song before and really like it a lot, but for some reason, tonight when I heard Chapin sing it live at the Temple Theatre, that phrase resonated for me and really touched me. In the song, she is telling her soon-to-be-born son “I have been thinking ’bout this sad, sad world About survival and the one thing you should know is find your joy and let it show”. Wise advice that I try to live by, but never said it so profoundly!
As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, I attended a fundraiser at the Temple Theatre tonight. The Jen Chapin Trio performed for about 90 minutes and wow’d the audience! I was disappointed to see a small crowd attend, but those that did were treated to a very special experience. I have heard her music before and was in awe at the chance to hear her in person. I was not able to attend the last time she was here, which was a huge disappointment for me. I’m so glad I was able to attend tonight.
Jen Chapin, the late Harry Chapin’s daughter, has a style all her own – her thought-provoking lyrics and soothing sound have a calming effect, while infusing humor and fun along the way. It was the perfect end to a long work day – allowing me to mellow out and feel full of joy and emotion. I found myself feeling the same way I feel when I get out my old Melanie, Carole King, Carly Simon, or Joni Mitchell albums — mellow, joyful, emotional! Don’t get me wrong – I am NOT comparing her music to these other ladies or them to each other! They are all very distinctively unique, but the feeling they bring out in me is the same.
I hope the next time Jen Chapin appears at the Temple Theatre that we can fill the house – she deserves it and more people deserve the amazing experience I and the rest of tonight’s audience enjoyed.
Tonight, I found my joy and I’m letting it show!
Thank you, Peggy, for continuing to bring high quality entertainment to Sanford – we love you for it!
October
I LOVE OCTOBER!!!! I look forward to it every year…..it is, hands down, my favorite month. Yes, there are other months that I find almost as enjoyable – April, because it is a sign of renewal and spring time – December, because of Christmas and all the decorations and holiday activities – just to name the top two after the perfect month. October just seems full of joy and beauty and starts to cool down, but not too cold (great sweater weather) – it is THE perfect month!
Of course, the first and most obvious reason I love October is because it is the month in which I was born! This year, the 24th day of October will mark my 54th year of enjoying life and all it has to offer. But, I think I would love October even if it wasn’t my birth month. Since it is, however, I take full advantage of the wonders that come with being an October girl.
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PINK is the official color of October……I may not go so far as to make pink my signature color, like Shelby in the movie “Steel Magnolias” – remember her addiction to blush and bashful, the two perfect shades of pink! But, I do like pink a lot.
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The semi precious birthstone for October is pink tourmaline. It is a pretty pink stone, but I prefer the precious birthstone in the next bullet.
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OPAL is the official birthstone for October……I love opals so much! They are a brilliant display of color and fire and light up my face whenever I see one. Some say opals can predict illness and some say they have healing powers. Legend has it that it is bad luck to wear an opal if it is not your birthstone and good luck to wear them if it is your birthstone. All I know is that they make me happy!
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Calendula is the official flower of October…….this flower looks very much like a daisy, which is the happiest flower – a great flower to be the one representing the happiest month of the year!!!
Other family reasons to love October:
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My grandparents were married on October 14th.
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All three of their grandchildren were born in October – my cousin on the 2nd, my brother on the 7th, and me on the 24th.
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My ex-sister-in-law’s birthday is the 17th.
I know that autumn officially starts in September, but October is really the month that kicks it all off and when autumn is at the height of beauty. I grew up in the north-east, where the change of seasons is so much more pronounced and celebrated than it is here in the south. North Carolina does have a change in seasons and autumn is quite lovely, but it in no way compares to October in the north-east. I so miss the gorgeous colors, the sound of rustling leaves underfoot, the smell of burning leaves in yards around the neighborhood, and the joy that all those things bring.
The rest of October’s nature (beyond the beautiful leaves) is wonderful, too — pumpkins, squash, apples, corn, mums, indian corn, gourds, and more!
And, of course, you can’t forget that October kicks off the holiday season……yeah, I know, most people think that Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, but you can’t leave my second favorite holiday out of that picture — HALLOWEEN!!! Ghosts and witches and gobblins and things that go bump in the night!
Then, there is baseball…….October is a big month for baseball – the playoffs and the World Series – when I think of October, I think of the NY Yankees! Perfect combination!
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month……go pink and save the boobies – big or small, save them all!!!
So, October is jam-packed full of wonderful things — and, did I remember to mention that my birthday is in October?????
Happy October, everybody —- enjoy it!!!
Brain Dump!
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?
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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The Defenders – nice mix of comedy and drama – another law based show – Jim Belushi……winning combination, for sure!
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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!
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Chase – this is about US Marshalls hunting down dangerous criminals. The first show was good and I think it has high potential.
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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:
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Wall Street – Money Never Sleeps
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You Again
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Secretariat
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Life As We Know It
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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
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?
Chicago at Temple Theatre
“Lead with your biggest and best”…..”Go big or go home”…..you typically hear these when friends are sitting around a card table playing Euchre. I used to play Euchre a lot. Although I’m pretty rusty from not playing in many years because it isn’t as well-known here as it was in my Western NY home area. They are advice for Euchre players meaning that if you have the right bower (the jack of whatever is trump for that hand), then you should lead off with it – let everyone know right off who has it and use it to draw out as many other lower power trumps as possible so that you and your partner can have a better chance of winning the hand. Hopefully, you or your partner have more trump cards in your hands to seal the deal.
When I left Temple Theatre on Saturday night after watching Chicago, I thought about the Euchre advice on the way home – between singing the songs from the show in my head. You see, Chicago is the opening show of the new Temple main stage season and it appears the Peggy Taphorn may have had this or similar advice in mind when selecting the order of her shows. She certainly slapped down her best card to start off the season! And from the season line up, it sounds like she just may have the perfect “loner” hand (in Euchre, that means the top 5 trump cards – a hand that can not be beat no matter who leads or how the hand is played, so the holder announces he will play without his partner). Chicago is definitely a right bower, we’ll have to wait and see if the rest of the season is the perfect loner hand.
So, enough with the Euchre analogy……Chicago blew me away!!!! I have seen Chicago in several different ways. Of course, I saw the Renee Zellenger / Catherine Zeta Jones movie many times and LOVED it! I saw it live on Broadway and performed by touring groups in Rochester, NY and Raleigh, NC. And now at Temple Theatre. All were amazing in their own ways. This is one of my all time favorite musicals!
Peggy Taphorn never ceases to amaze me — she is perfect as Velma Kelly. Lea Kohl also did a great job as Roxy Hart. I also thought Corey Brunish and Patty Cucco nailed their performances as Billy Flynn and Mama Morton, respectively – they absolutely made the characters stand out and live up to my expectations!!! Then, there is Temple’s own Michael Brocki as Amos Hart…….I adore Brocki more every time I see him in a role! I only wish he had added a little soft shoe routine to the Cellophane bit…..but, it was still one of my favorite numbers and he did a great job with it!
But, calling out the main characters without a shout out to the rest of the incredible cast would be an injustice! This cast – every single one of them – obviously worked very hard to make this show a success! They were outstanding! There were NO disappointments Saturday night (except that I bought my ticket the day of the show and ended up in the center of the front row…….., but that was my fault!). The talents – both singing and dancing – are top-notch, the production is very well done, and the costumes are perfect. I am still singing the songs in my head and I’m sure I will for a while!
I highly recommend going to see this show before it ends on October 3rd! But, a word of advice —- get your tickets early! It was so great to see the theatre packed and I hope it will continue throughout the run — if word gets out much more than it already has, I’m sure it will be!
I can’t wait to see how Peggy tops this one!!!!
West Wing
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!
I’ve been dissed!
I’m still trying to recover and figure out if I’m getting enough sleep (I’m sure I’m not) from all the traveling and craziness in my life, lately! The build up to the big CIS fundraiser – Dancing with the Lee County Stars, two weeks at Mom’s, and then two and a half days in New Jersey for work. I’m hoping things are now going to settle down some so that I can find some sense of normalcy – whatever that is!
So, I couldn’t get to sleep last night until late – restless and wide awake after dozing on the couch. The girls were frustrated with me cause they finally got home after spending 3 days at Rae-Zor and I wouldn’t go in to bed to snuggle and let them sleep in their very own room!!! Then, I slept later than I should have this morning because I barely got 4 hours sleep and really needed to just smack that snooze button a few more times!!! They were anxious to go out and get their breakfast, so they kept trying to get me to heed the snooze alarm and get my butt out of bed!
After I got them all out and ready for their day, I sat on the chair in the living room accepting kisses and hugs…………Megan had an abundance of excitement and love for me………..Amy was her usual sweet, gentle self just wanting to cuddle………….and KATIE DISSED ME!!!!! Here’s how it went:
Me: Hey, Katie, how’s my pretty girl this morning?
Katie: Slowly wanders over and acts like she’s gonna give me a kiss, but turns just inches before and starts to walk away from me.
Me: What? No Katie kisses for Mommie this morning?
Katie: As she is walking away, stops, looks over her shoulder at me, and lets out a short, but deep, throaty, hrrrmmmffff type growl and continues on her exit from the room!!!
What was that all about????
Dream – iPhone Drama
It is no secret that I LOVE my iPhone. It has become permanently attached to me. When cell phones started to become popular, I resisted the trend and didn’t get one for years. Then, I gave in and got a TracPhone, but didn’t give out my # to anyone and rarely turned it on – it was only used for emergencies or if I needed to make a call and was out somewhere away from my home phone. When I started having to purchase minutes more often than I thought I should, I gave in and got a plain old cell phone with a service. That turned into wanting one that I could check my email on, but still never used the TEXT feature! I got hooked on being able to access the internet and wanted more……………..hello, iPhone!!!! Now, I’m doing practically everything I do on my home computer and use it constantly! I can’t let a “ding” go unchecked! hahaha I have the world and infinite knowledge at my fingertips and I can even make a simple phone call with it, too! I am not sure how I lived so long without it!
So, I guess it isn’t all that surprising that my iPhone ends up in my dream life, as well. In fact, I had a strange dream just this morning where my iPhone was the STAR!
I was in my kitchen and rushing around doing things. I had my iPhone in my hand and needed to do something, so I laid it down to free up my hands. Suddenly, I heard sizzling and crackling and turned around to see that I had laid the iPhone on the stove top and the burner was on! The iPhone had melted and was bubbling on the stove! I screamed and ran to shut off the burner. As I did, I noticed there was a calculator on the OTHER burner and it was melted, too, so I also turned that burner off! I got all hysterical and paced around the kitchen screaming things like, “OMG, what have I done?”, “what am I going to do now?”, “I don’t have any insurance and they are so expensive to replace!”, and more….. Then, all of a sudden, there was someone sitting in my living room across the kitchen bar that I did not know. She stood up and walked to the bar and told me that it was going to be fine and not to worry. She said that she melted her’s once and it still worked just fine because the iPhones are indestructible! So, I picked up the melted, bubbled, piece of junk and turned it on and IT WORKED!!!! I was able to send a text and make a call…………but, I woke up before I could find out if I could check my Facebook or do anything else on the internet! So, I’ll never know if it was TOTALLY indestructible or not!
Technology…….love it or hate it………it is stuff that dreams are made of!!!
Labor Day Movie Double Feature
All weekend, I planned to go to the movies…..but was far too interested in relaxing and being lazy. The other thing that kept me from being overly motivated was that I had two movies in mind and just couldn’t decide on which one to see. Both were romantic comedys, both with lead actresses I like, but, neither sounded like they would be more than average……but, still ones I did want to see! So, today, I finally decided to just go and see them BOTH!!!
First up was the one I wanted to see the most – Going The Distance. This one sounded like it would be the best story and maybe a little more than a silly comedy. It starred Drew Barrymore, who I usually like in movies.
It was the story of two people who meet in NYC and strike up a casual relationship. Neither wanted a serious relationship and Erin (Drew Barrymore) was leaving to go back to school in San Francisco in six weeks. So, they agreed to just hang out and have as much fun as they could in the short time they would have together. Well, guess what? They fell in love!!! So, they try a long distance relationship — Garrett (Justin Long) on the east coast and Erin on the west coast. Of course, there are ups and downs as they try to make it work.
The story was enjoyable, the two main characters (and the actors who played them) were so cute together, and Christina Applegate was a lot of fun in her portrayal of Erin’s sister, Corrine. I loved the interactions between the three of them. What I wasn’t so crazy about was the extensive sexual innuendo and banter among all the characters – in particular between Garrett and his buddies. A certain amount of it was typical, but I thought it went a little overboard and got a little sickening after a short time into the movie.
Bottom line: It was a cute movie and I did enjoy it, but didn’t think it was all that memorable. I would highly recommend not taking kids (it is rated R, which is definitely appropriate). I rate it a solid B.
Next up was The Switch – I thought this one might be cute, but wasn’t expecting much. I figured it might be too silly to be very good, but did think it could be fun. It stars Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman – both good actors, but don’t tend to choose movies that become big hits. I find that their movies are generally OK, but that’s usually about it.
However…..I was pleasantly surprised! Maybe because I went in not expecting much……maybe because they finally found the right roles…….maybe because I was a little disappointed in the first movie, so this one just naturally outshined it………I don’t know, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it!
The story revolves around Kassie (Aniston) and her neurotic best friend, Wally (Bateman). Kassie thinks her biological clock is about to wind down, so she decides to find a sperm donor and have a baby. Wally disapproves. During a “get pregnant” party, Wally gets super drunk and ends up in the same room as the jar of the donor’s contribution. He doesn’t remember anything that happened that night, but 7 years later when he meets Kassie’s son for the first time (Kassie moved out-of-state to be closer to her family), it all comes to light! Apparently, he ended up switching the donor’s sample for his own and Kassie’s son is HIS son!
The rest of the story is a delightful depiction of Wally getting acquainted with his son and re-acquainted with Kassie. In the mean time, Kassie decides to introduce her son to the sperm donor she thinks is his father. The characters take the audience through all the emotions – laughter, tears, joy, sadness – it is heartwarming and heart tugging. I very much enjoyed the story and connected completely with the characters. I rate it an A and recommend it for romantic comedy enthusiasts.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable day at the movies. But, it just goes to show — watching previews and reading synopsis’ don’t always predict how you’ll react to a movie! I found my enjoyability was just the opposite of what I expected.
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