Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
5000
WOO HOO — I as of today, 5000 visitors have found and, hopefully, enjoyed my blog! All just since I moved my blog to WordPress! If you add that to the unique visitors that were on the counter when I left Blogger, I have given almost 10,000 visitors something to read!!!
What’s been catching my attention?
There have been some things in the news and on TV that have caught my attention lately….here are my 2 cents on some of them!
First — my very favorite commercial right now is the Cottonelle one about the puppy going for some “me” time at the spa! How cute is that? I love ALL the Cottonelle puppy commercials, but this one has GOT to be the best one EVER!!! They’ll have a hard time topping that one!!!
Have you seen the report about the Mom who is sueing her daughter’s school to get them to retract all the year books and reprint them because of the shot of her daughter sitting in the front row of a club photo that shows her private parts? I have a problem with this on several levels — mainly, though, because the mother seems to be more outraged at the school for not doing a better job of proofing the photos before the yearbook went to press than in the fact that her teen aged daughter went to school with a mini dress and no underwear, not to mention that she doesn’t seem to know how to sit like a lady!!! So, she thinks the school should go to the trouble and expense to pull back, reprint, and redistribute the yearbooks to cover up her daughter’s lack of any sense of decency???
And – what about the 50 year old mother who paid over $15,000 to have plastic surgery so she could look like her 29 year old daughter’s twin??? They even went shopping to buy a wardrobe of matching outfits!
Back to commercials — I adore the Progressive Insurance girl — she is a RIOT!!!
The current season of Dancing With The Stars ends this week. It is down to Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini, and Melissa Rycroft. They are all so good — I personally hope Shawn wins it all, but it is a really tight race!
Some movies I’m looking forward to coming to theaters:
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My Life In Ruins — stars Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Richard Dreyfus. Opens June 15th – about the funny side of being a Greece Tour Guide
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The Proposal – Sandra Bullock – Opens June 19th
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My Sister’s Keeper – Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, and Abigail Breslin – Opens June 26th – about parents who conceive a child for the purpose of saving the life of their other ill child
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All About Steve – Sandra Bullock – Opens September 4th
The two Sandra Bullock ones have been out in previews for several months – I’m not sure if the release has been either delayed or if they are really trying to build anticipation!!!
What has been interesting to you lately????
What’s on my mind?
So, what’s on my mind this morning? LOTS!!! I, like some of my fellow bloggers, have been pretty bad about blogging on a regular basis! Mostly because I have been on two vacations in the last couple of months and been really busy with stuff! But — enough of the excuses!! I’m back and plan to write more often again!
OK, for starters — I thought it was looking like it was going to be a lovely Saturday, weather-wise, and now it is raining and not looking so good! I was really hoping for a great weekend that I could get out and go cruising with the top down – guess not!
I am almost to a major milestone for my blog — I will soon hit 5000 visitors – as of right now, I am at 4,951!!! Of course, this is only since I’ve been on WordPress – I moved to WordPress in September 2008, so I’ve gotten almost 5,000 visitors in about 8 months!!! WOW!!! When I left Blogger, I had about 4,700 unique visitors logged in and I was using that blog service for a year! So — thanks, WordPress viewers!!! I’m happy that you are enjoying my little site!!!
Communities In Schools is hard at work planning and organizing our very first “Dancing With The Lee County Stars” fund-raising event! It is scheduled for August 21st at the Civic Center! Watch for more info and plan to join us! If you know of anyone who is really good at ballroom dancing and may enjoy donating their time to help us by being paired with a “star” or other help we may need, please call the CIS office at 718-5426 or you can leave a comment here!
I can’t wait for “Dames at Sea” to start at the Temple Theatre – it is their last show of the season and it promises to be the Grand Finale!!! The show starts with their “pay what you can” night on May 27th and runs through June 14th.
I’m finally going to get the white walls in my house painted!!! It has been on my project list every year since I bought the house in January, 2004!! Every year something else comes up that I decide is a higher priority. This year, I actually made it a New Year’s Resolution, too!! I was determined!!! But, what ended up making it happen was my best friend has been laid off – his job at Transmatic went away when they closed down – and he has the time and I’d rather pay him than some stranger! I gave him my wish list and he is going to see what he can get to for me – the priorities are painting my walls and adding some ways to organize my garage better! So — I’m looking through swatches to decide on colors and thinking about what I need to get done to prepare the house for the job!!! Oh, boy! What fun this is going to be!!!
I was looking to see if there was a movie I might be interested in seeing at the theaters this weekend…….probably not! I was excited about seeing “The Soloist” when the previews came out, but I have decided that I don’t want to support the career of someone who thinks it is funny to tell a 16 year old girl to “go make a porno movie and grow up”, to suggest she take heroin and become a lesbian, and hopes she catches chlamydia on a bicycle seat – and I believe there were other sexual comments, as well!!! Yeah, I know Jamie Foxx apologized to Miley Cyrus, but the comments were totally uncalled for and absolutely inappropriate for a man of his age (any age, for that matter) to make to a young girl – I don’t care if she is a celebrity or what she said that made him think it was funny to sound off on her like that!!! So – “The Soloist” is off my list of potentials! I also thought about seeing “Obsession”, but haven’t heard anything good about it — has anyone seen it? I may give this one a try! I considered “Star Trek”– yep, I’m somewhat of a trekkie – but I hear it isn’t as good as the hype about it and that the filming will make you dizzy!!! I think I’ll wait a while to hear from some others before I spend my money – maybe I’ll just wait for it to be available on NetFlix! So – not sure if there will be a movie review posted this weekend or not…..
I guess that’s all I can think of at the moment…….but, I’ll be back!!!
Katie’s Adventures
Katie went on vacation with me on my trip to Mom’s in April. She was such a great traveling buddy and had some exciting adventures. Read on to find out all about her trip full of wonderful “firsts”!
First – let me say that Megan and Amy were not “left out” of having adventures – they had a vacation of their own, as well. They spent their time at Rae-Zor meeting a lot of new friends and playing hard every day! Megan got her teeth cleaned, too! So, they had a lot of fun and came home exhausted!
Now – back to Katie! This wasn’t Katie’s first vacation or her first trip to Mom’s. We have traveled together before and she is always a good traveling buddy! Her “new” adventures started when she got to Mom’s — my brother’s dog, Kahlua, was staying with her while they went to South Carolina for a few days. So – Katie got to meet and play with her cousin:
She took to Mom’s furniture right away — she seemed to particularly love the cushy soft sofa:
But her best adventure of all was getting to see horses up close and personal for the very first time, ever!!! She was out in the yard doing her duty one morning and one of the horses in the pasture that borders Mom’s yard snorted — it scared the crap out of her!!! ha-ha She jumped and hid behind me and kept sniffing and peaking out from behind me — so we went inside. After that, every time she went out, she looked for those horses! Then, one day, FINALLY – they were up close to the fence when we went out! Luckily, I had my camera in my back pocket! Katie went over to the fence and laid down to watch them eat – she didn’t bark or lunge at them – she just watched and sniffed and looked like she was absolutely fascinated by them! I only wish the little donkey they have would have come up to the fence for a phote – but he stayed in the back of the pasture with a palomino he was friends with.
Her trip was relaxing for her, too….
Then — on the drive back, we stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Fairmont, W Va to break up the long drive. The room had two double beds. When Katie got in the room, she took a few minutes to sniff every inch of the carpet and got up on both beds, rolled around, and sniffed them all over — then, she settled in on the one of her choice! When I got ready for bed and crawled in the one she was on, she looked at me with a dirty look, got down, and made herself comfortable on the OTHER bed — she wanted one to herself, I guess!!! She slept there all sprawled out on her own bed all night!!!
It was a great trip for us both — but Katie seemed to feel like she was on her own special adventure — she was the center of attention the whole trip — exactly what she likes to be!!!!
Movie Review – Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
FINALLY!!! A new romantic comedy — and a good one, at that!!! There hasn’t been a movie in theaters that has given me something to look forward to in a while (have you noticed the lack of reviews lately?), so I was very excited about Matthew McConaughey’s new film, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”.
I had several things I wanted and/or needed to do this weekend – my first weekend back in town after an extended vacation! One of which was seeing this movie, so I made time for it Saturday – right after I made a trip to the Post Office to ship a package to a friend and made a late stop at the Farmer’s Market at Depot Park!! I’m glad I did!
“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” is the story of Conner Mead (McConaughey), a notorious womanizer with no conscious or care for the feelings of his fellow human beings – female or male! Case in point: He is pressed for time, so he shamelessly breaks up with three women at the same time over a conference call!!!!
Conner is a famous photographer who finds himself back in his childhood home – his Uncle Wayne’s (Michael Douglas) mansion – for his brother, Paul’s (Breckin Meyer) wedding. As someone who doesn’t believe in love and especially the institution of marriage, Conner makes his presence and opinions well known to everyone attending the rehearsal dinner! The guests include one of the bridesmaids – a woman who was an important presence as a dear childhood friend and, later, a girlfriend who’s heart he broke – Jenny, played by Jennifer Garner.
Conner is visited by the ghost of his Uncle Wayne, who he learned his womanizing ways from, and three ghosts who take him through a Scrooge-type journey to show him what his actions have done to others and how his life will turn out if he continues on the path he is making for himself.
This is funny and touching…….it does start out rather boring, but gets better fairly quickly. The relationship and exchanges between Conner and Jenny are priceless. Will it end up on my list of favorites – probably not – but it was a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon! I give it a B and recommend it for those who like romantic comedies!
So much to write about!
I sat down to write all about all my adventures several times, but every time I did, I decided to wait and add something else!!! I’ve crammed so much into this trip it will take a novel to cover it all!!! I promise to go into more detail about some of the wonderful things that have been happening to me, but here is a little teaser:
I, of course, have spent a lot of time just visiting with my Mom. I love being here with her and really wish she would move to Sanford so we can see each other every day and have great adventures all the time!
Katie came with me and she has had her own set of adventures – that will surely be a fun post with pictures! Megan and Amy spent their vacation with Miss Rae at Rae-Zor and, from what I hear, they have had a pretty incredible time playing and meeting new friends, too!!!
There was an evening of fun and reminiscing with a nice size group of my high school friends…..that deserves an entire blog post all it’s own! For those who are my Facebook friends, you can see the photos!
I was able to spend a lovely day with relatives I haven’t seen in a very long time. The reason we gathered together was a sad occasion – my Great Aunt Betty’s memorial service, but it was still a great reunion!
I have spent a lot of time going through and scanning old photos to preserve them and have them electronically for projects I hope to find the time and patience to complete this year. It has been amazing seeing and learning about the history of my family beyond what I already knew! I plan a blog post on some of the stories I have discovered – it is all so fascinating!
I spent time (not enough) with an old friend from school — just talking and having dinner! I am going to really miss seeing her, but now that we have reconnected, we’ve promised to stay in closer touch!
As you can see, this trip was full of collecting memories of, reconnecting to, and reacquainting myself with my past! It has been an emotional and fulfilling time! I look forward to sharing parts of it with my Sanford friends! It has been an incredible experience – one I will hate to see end!!!
Weekend Highlights
I had a really full weekend – lots to do – gorgeous weather – a lot of driving around with the top down on the pony…..here are some quick highlights:
The weekend started on Friday evening at the Temple Theatre to see Little Women, The Musical. I found this show to be charming and delightful – one of the very best of the season, in my opinion. I can’t wait to see “Dames At Sea”, though. It will be the last show of the season – perhaps they saved the very best for last!
On Saturday, I got my hair done, ran some errands and went to my friend Rowena’s wedding reception! It was a really fun reception held at the Old Gilliam Mill Park in Sanford.
After the wedding, I went downtown to the Temple Theatre’s Art Crawl fundraiser. It was very nice – a leisurely stroll around downtown with stops at various shops to taste some wines and view some beautiful art from local artists. There was also live entertainment at the Temple Theatre and on the corner of Carthage and Steele Streets. A very nice evening!
Sunday was devoted to getting my oil changed, tires rotated, and some quality time with friends…..including getting to know the newest member of our extended family – Chico!
I’m ready to go back to work to rest up from the weekend!
Super Cool Camera Mistakes….
I participated in the Temple Theatre Art Crawl event in Sanford today. I had a really nice time and it was the perfect day for it. BUT — the coolest part was the strange pictures I got when I tried to capture the Temple Teens performing (performances, by the way, that brought tears to my eyes – so amazing!). I noticed that my flash made the picture come out too dark, so I tried to shut it off and zoom in to see what I got —- well, I did turn off the flash, but I must have changed another setting in the process, too, cause I could tell the pics were then coming out blurry! I took several hoping for at least one that came out. This is what I found when I downloaded them — all the action looks like it was captured in slow motion and all the teens look like ghosts with no legs dancing around with a shower of twinkle lights falling all around them:
And the ghosts take a bow……
Easter Weekend Updates
What a great weekend this was!!! The weather was perfect and I had such a good time – can you spell S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G, boys and girls?
I started out the weekend by heading down to Fayetteville – I wanted to go to the Dress Barn down there. I got a few things there and at Macy’s. Speaking of which – the Macy’s at Cross Creek is soooooooooo much better than the Macy’s at Cary Towne Center!!! It has a much bigger selection in the departments I tend to shop in AND I do believe it is physically bigger!!!
I planned to have lunch at Red Lobster while I was down there – I haven’t had any really good lobster or crab in a while! So, I popped in there to eat between my trips to Dress Barn and Macy’s. They were fairly busy, but not packed. I had some “issues” with the hostess and finding a suitable table (that I won’t go into here), so after waiting about 15 minutes or so, I got up and left!!!! I went down the street to Joe’s Crab Shack and had a BLAST!!! It was a MUCH better choice — great, relaxed atmosphere, classic rock music blaring, and staff that acted like I was just the person they were waiting to arrive at that very moment!!! Any restaurant that gives you a bib, a bucket, a roll of paper towels, and a wet cloth large enough to take a bath with to take care of the mess you’re gonna make while eating is just my kinda place!!!! ha-ha The food was great (3 kinds of steamed crab and shrimp in big buckets doused with Old Bay Seasoning) and it was all very entertaining!!!
I also got my phone fixed while I was down there — I’ve been having trouble with it since just about the time I got it (last August), but I didn’t make the connection that it was a problem until just before Christmas. I originally thought I was just hitting a lot of dead zones. Then I realized it was specific to any 3G network areas — so, I could use it fine in Sanford, but if I tried to use it in Cary, Raleigh, Fayetteville, or pretty much any larger area outside Sanford (except in Hawaii – it worked fine there), it would show I am in a 3G area and that I had plenty of bars, but it would end the call before it started to ring the recipient and no incoming calls could get through to me! My phone is 3G capable, so what was that all about??? I had called the AT&T tech support folks and they told me that the only way to fix it was to shut the phone off, take the back off, remove the sim card, and put it all back together to “reset” it in the new network!!!! WHAT???? So, I took it to the AT&T store in Sanford and they told me the same thing and showed me what to do with it. I told her that if I had to go through that every time I had to use my phone outside of Sanford, I would just get a new phone OR a new cell company. She said they all do the same thing – it is a problem going from non-3G to 3G networks. Again – WHAT???? I know a lot of people who do that and they don’t have to take their phone apart every time they change networks!!! But – I’m not even a year into my contract, so I figured I was stuck, unless I wanted to pay full price for another phone or buy out my contract…….I decided to wait and see what comes up! So, while I was in Fayetteville, I passed a big AT&T store and decided to pop in and see if they had a solution for me! The girl thought the “take it apart” business was a crock! ha-ha She took it apart and saw that I had the wrong sim card in it!!! It was an old non-3G sim card – she said “no wonder, this won’t pick up 3G signals!” – she changed it out and copied all my info and turned it on and —– same problem!!! She was so funny – she looked at me and pointed at the phone and said “well, that is just wrong!”! She suggested I go to the device support center nearby. I did and they also said the advice I got regarding taking it all apart was a crock! They did a diagnostic on it and said it was all messed up and switched it out for a new one – problem solved!!! WOO HOO!!!
So – I had a very nice, entertaining, and productive day in Fayetteville!!!
As for today – I enjoyed another gorgeous weather day! I went to Cafe 121 for brunch and then to WalMart to get some groceries and bought myself a new camera – a Kodak Easy Share Z1285 – nice little camera!!! But, I mostly watched the girls play! They had some sleepyish play time in the house this morning while I was on the computer and then went out and really enjoyed the warm sun and grass! Here are some shots that I took today with my new camera:
Katie and Megan playing while Amy watches calmly:
Katie resting after her snuggle-fest with Megan:
Katie loving the warm sun and grass:
I Love Spring…
I adore Spring — it is, by far, my favorite season. It is so much more special than the other seasons – it represents new beginnings, resurrections, and the ability to wear white again…..here are my thoughts on Spring:
I’ve always loved Spring, but love it even more in North Carolina – mainly because it starts so much earlier here. No, not earlier on the calendar – Spring starts on the same day in NC as it does in NY — but the signs of it and the spring-like weather start earlier. I have been hearing from friends and family in my home town talking about snow and cold, windy days still occurring now weeks into the official calendar time frame for Spring! In NY, most people don’t start planting flowers and delicate plants until at least Memorial Day weekend….here, we are already planting or planning gardens.
Spring showers wake up all the dormant plant life. The evolution of this year’s Spring season is well on it’s way – the Bradford Pear blossoms have come and gone – the Cherry blossoms are mostly gone – lawns are getting thick and green – the dogwoods, azaleas, and red buds are in full bloom all over the area!!! In my yard, everything that goes dormant in the winter months are starting to bud out with leaves and blossom buds – my Weeping Red Japanese Maple in the back yard is full of small leaves starting to fill in!! Here is the wild dogwood in my back yard – it always blooms early! Unlike the dogwood and crape myrtles that I had planted in my front yard – they are still young and bloom a little later!
I love to wear white and hate the fashion rule that you don’t wear white between Labor Day and Easter — I look forward to Easter weekend when I can wear white again!!! I cheated this year and took a pair of white jeans to wear in Hawaii — I rationalized to myself that the white rule doesn’t apply in tropical locations where it is pretty much summer all year round! LOL
Next Sunday is Easter — the definition of new beginnings — the day that signifies the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion — the day that the Easter Bunny hides colorful eggs (eggs are a symbol of birth and beginnings) – and, yes, the day we can start wearing white again (OK, so that doesn’t symbolize new beginnings, but it is an important benefit of the day)!!!
Three of my friends are currently perfect symbols of new beginnings, too — Christy will be having a little boy in July — Jennifer and Lindsay recently found out they were pregnant!!! (See? They DO come in threes – click here to read about my obsession with the number 3) New babies, new blossoms, new beginnings!!!
The bad side of Spring in NC is the pine pollen!!! I never knew you could actually “see” pollen until I moved to NC. The first Spring I lived here, I was totally confused by the heavy blankets of yellowish-green dust that covered everything and made little green rivers when it rained!!! I was in shock when someone told me it was the pine pollen!!!???? WHAT???? I have since learned to keep things closed up (even though I would love to open everything up) for the few weeks that the pine pollen falls and to be very careful to not get any in my eyes (if I do, I end up with swollen, itchy eyes with big water pockets under them)….but, once a good rain comes and washes it all off the trees, it is better!
Spring has Sprung — enjoy — I know I will!!!
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