Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
CIS Gala Teaser – 3 Days To Go!
Aside from the forecast of rain on Thursday and Friday, all is going well on the Gala planning front! We had a meeting at the Stewart home on Friday to discuss tent layouts and other logistics and talk to the restaurants about the plans for the “Taste of Lee County” feature. CIS staff have been busy putting twinkle lights on all the bushes and getting last minute details in order.
We have a special guest coming this year – Jenifer M. Fox, author of “Your Child’s Strengths, Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them”. Ms. Fox will be available to mingle with the guests and enjoy an evening of celebration of the possibilities that all children have with a little encouragement and the presence of a strong mentor in their lives!
Today’s teaser will focus on the Jewelry Raffle. Lora Wright at Southern Jewelers has been working with us this year on the Jewelry Raffle. The first two years we did a Diamond Raffle with Balou’s Jeweler’s – which was a very popular feature both years – who wouldn’t buy a $25 glass of champagne for a chance to win a $4000 diamond? The concept was that for your $25, you got a glass of champagne and a gem – 99 of them were CZs and one was a $4000 diamond! Cool! But – we didn’t want that feature to get boring. We were just starting to think about maybe coming up with some different options to keep it fresh and new for this year when Lora Wright contacted us and said she had a proposal for us! It was like she was reading our minds or something — we were very excited about her ideas and decided to go with the new concept! Lora has selected some fabulous pieces to offer in the raffle! The catch phrase is “every ticket is a winner” — no one will lose on this raffle! Here is the poster with the items that can be won in the raffle:
3rd Annual Benefit Gala for Children
Jewelry Raffle
Sponsored by Southern Jewelers
* All proceeds go to Communities In Schools of Lee County
Tickets: $25.00
50 Chances will be sold – all 50 chances are winners!
v All ticket holders will receive at least receive their $25.00 back in the form of a gift certificate to Southern Jewelers
v Ticket holders will have a greater than 50% chance to win one of 26 other prizes valued at more than $25.00
Purchase a chance for $25.00, select a box that peaks your interest, and open the box to find your number. Each number will correspond to one of the prizes listed below. Once all chances are sold, the Grand Prize and a few other random prizes will be announced and awarded to the winners. All others will take their numbers to Southern Jewelers within 2 weeks to discover which of the remaining prizes their number corresponds to.
NOTES:
v No one affiliated with CIS knows what numbers correspond with the prizes. Southern Jewelers does not know what numbers were wrapped inside each box.
v All prizes are final and can not be traded in. Southern Jewelers reserves the right to limit the number of combined gift certificates on any one store purchase.
PRIZES
GRAND PRIZE – Blue Topaz Necklace – Value = $850
The Grand Prize is a designer piece from Fresh Designs chosen exclusively as the grand prize for the 3rd Annual Benefit Gala for Children. This piece is an exquisite necklace on a 19′ sterling silver rope chain with toggle catch. The links in the rope are open and add to the beauty of the piece. The pendant is set in sterling silver and 18kt gold with a 4 carat fantasy cut Blue Topaz in a bezel setting. The topaz is surrounded by detailed gold scroll design with diamonds set at each corner of the design work and also on the bail. 13 diamonds appear on this stunning piece. Detail work is evidenced in every aspect – even the back of the pendant is designed with scroll work. This is definitely a piece that every woman will enjoy wearing.
1 – Two Tone Garnet and Diamond Ring – Value = $560
Not just your average ring! This ring sports beautiful detailing with diamonds in bezel set and 9 garnets in the center. The stones are mounted in a large square setting. The ring itself is 1 inch square. This ring was bought at the July International Jeweler’s Show specifically for this event.
1 – Custom Made Necklace – “Designs by Lora” – Value = $300
One of Lora Wright’s “one of a kind” custom designs made exclusively for this event. This lovely necklace is approximately 19″ of freshwater pearls and 5 accents of genuine Venetian glass beads of faint shades of green and gold and a sterling silver toggle catch. A wonderful addition to any jewelry collection.
1 – Two Tone Diamond Cut Filigree Band – Value = $160
5 winners will receive: Akoya “Candlelight” Pearl Strands, 18”, 6-6½ mm – Value = $150 each
8 winners will receive: Akoya Pearl Strands, 18”, 5-5½ mm – Value = $140 each
1 – Sterling Silver Tri-color Woven Mesh Braided Necklace w/ Extender, 16-18” – Value = $120
1 – Vermeil Faceted Rutilated Quartz Ring, Size 8 – Value = $120
1 – Cuff Bracelet w/ a Hidden Watch and Enameled Detailing – Value = $80
4 winners will receive: Silver Tone Bracelet Watch – Value = $30 each
2 winners will receive: Pearl Earrings, 5 mm – Value = $30 each
24 winners will receive: Gift Certificate for Southern Jewelers – Value $25.00 each
How’s that for a raffle????? Don’t forget to bring at least $25 to participate in this exciting feature! I know I will……
Of course, the raffle isn’t the only marvelous feature you can spend your money on — I’ll post some highlights of the Silent Auction next — you won’t believe the wonderful things Sanford has provided for this year’s auction!!!! It’ll knock your socks off!!!! There is sure to be something of interest for everyone!
It is still not too late to buy tickets — $100 each — call the CIS office at 718-5426.
CIS Gala Teaser – 5 days to go!
It’s crunch time…we are at the “5 days and counting” point – this week will be intense for all the CIS staff, board members, and volunteers to finalize details and set up activities, all building to the flawless execution of one of Sanford’s premier events of the year! October 10th – the 3rd Benefit Gala for Children!!!
This is the first of a series of “teasers” — if you don’t already have tickets either through a sponsorship or purchasing individual tickets and these teasers convince you to get some, you can call the CIS office at 919-718-5426 or leave me a comment and we’ll be happy to assist you!
The live entertainment this year will be The Jackie Gore Entertainment Group. Jackie Gore is a former member of the Embers and wrote the classic beach music anthem – “I Love Beach Music”. This band will surely provide a great back drop for the Gala and give everyone lots of reasons to get up and dance!
I’ve talked a lot about the restaurants and this teaser will highlight them further……Each restaurant in the “Taste of Lee County” feature is unique and will provide a nice mix of a wide variety of specialty items for our guests to enjoy! The “Taste of Lee County” feature has been one of the most popular features of the Gala each year. The idea is to showcase some of the area’s finest chefs and highlight 1-2 of their specialty dishes – giving guests a sampling of what makes their restaurants unique and inviting! The tents where the restaurants are located are usually the best spot for networking because everyone is there at some point and it is where mingling is the most focused throughout the evening! The restaurants donate the food and their time to serve the food — and this is just a small example of the many things they do for our community!
Here is what our guests can expect from the participating restaurants this year:
Amy’s Confection Company— a unique Sanford favorite for gorgeous cakes and other wonderful confections that satisfy the most discriminating sweet tooth and chocoholic! Amy is currently located in the Shops at Steele Street and through her web site. Amy always provides a nice variety of scrumptious desserts for the Gala! Her Gala menu items this year include:
Carolina Cake Truffles
Key Lime Cheesecake Martinis
Pecan Tassies
Cheesecake Bites
Bagels & Stuff— new to the Gala and relatively new to Sanford, Bagels & Stuff serves up a wide variety of amazing authentic bagels, homemade cream cheeses, breakfast items, sandwiches, and iced coffees comparable to Starbucks! Visit Bagels & Stuff to eat in or take out at their spacious and inviting shop at 1949 S Horner Blvd next to Cafe Vesuvio! Their Gala menu items include:
Assorted Bagels
Assorted Homemade Flavored Cream Cheeses
Iced Coffee
Bella Bistro— Chef Chad Blackwelder owns this popular eatery in historic downtown Sanford featuring elegant dining with Contemporary Southern Cuisine that delights all who dine there! Classy, yet comfortable, Bella Bistro is located at 133 South Steele Street. Chef Chad’s Gala menu item includes:
Hickory and Rosemary Smoked Pork Stew with Crawfish, Hominy, and Pickled Corn Relish
Homemade Pimento Cheese with Jalepeno Pepper Relish
Cafe 121 / Chef Hamm — Chef Gregg Hamm opened Cafe 121 at 121 Chatham Street earlier this year, where he serves up delicious choices for daily lunches, dinner on Thurs evenings, a daily coffee bar, and even a fabulous Sunday Brunch – all in a quaint setting in the newly renovated area on Chatham Street! New to the Gala this year, Chef Hamm’s menu items include:
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Fried Green Tomatoes
Sweet Tea
Assorted Fruit Smoothies
Fresh Choice Cafe — offers a delightfully healthy choice of sandwiches, soups, salads, and daily specials for lunch and dinner. Friendly and inviting with its adorable cafe style decor, Fresh Choice is located at 805 Wicker Street. Their Gala menu items include:
Shrimp and Grits
Homemade Soup – flavor TBD
Assorted Bite Sized Gooey Bars
Cheesecake Bites
Myra’s Kitchen — Myra puts the “country” back in “country cooking” with daily specials of various down home comfort food that keep her customers coming back for more! As the name implies, entering Myra’s Kitchen at 1401 Colon Road (across from Turner Chapel) is like pulling up a chair in Myra’s own kitchen where everyone feels like they are back home eating at their Mom’s or Grandma’s! New to the Gala this year, Myra’s menu items include:
Meatloaf
Chicken ‘n Dumplings
Peach Crisp
Also featured will be Smith’s Coffee and Premium Bottled Water – named the 2008 Small Businessman of the Year by the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce, their table with offerings of hot, aromatic coffee and cold, refreshing premium bottled water is a popular stop in the “Taste of Lee County” tents!
Additionally, there will be three bars for those who care to partake in a little beer or wine. The beer for the evening is generously donated by Harris Wholesale. Just a few of the bartenders for the evening include Bob Joyce of the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce and his wife, Gordon Anderson of the Sanford Herald, and Jay Riley of the Family Doc – and others.
So — there you go — the first “teaser” — was that enough to build the excitement for those who are already planning to attend and to push anyone who was on the fence over to deciding to get your tickets?
Watch for the next “teaser” — topic will be either the Jewelry Raffle details or the Silent Auction items — not sure which order I’ll post the teaser in, but by mid week, all the details will be revealed to enhance anticipation and entice possible guests!!!
Saturday in Sanford
It was a pretty day in Sanford, today — sunny, warm, great weather! The temperature on the sign at Walgreens said 90 degrees – I don’t believe it got that hot, but it was definitely quite warm! Our fellow blogger, Lindsay and her best guy, Ross, got married today and I’m so happy that the weather was perfect for them!
Speaking of weather — up until last night, the 10 day forecast on Weather.com has indicated that all of next week (including Friday – GALA night) would be perfect – mid 70s and sunny or partly sunny every day! Then, last night the forecast changed on Weather.com and all the local weather reports! Now they are saying that a storm system is brewing in the mid-west and should be here bringing “possible” showers by the end of the week – Thursday and Friday – UUGGHH!!!! Please send whatever mojo you can muster up to keep the rain away from Thursday and especially Friday!!!
So, what did I do all day today? LOTS!
I started the day (after spending the morning playing with the girls) by having breakfast at Myra’s Kitchen! Did you know that Myra’s is open for breakfast on Saturdays now? I think their hours on Saturday are 7:00-2:00 or something like that! Myra also said that they are going to start opening up at 7:00 am during the week for breakfast, too!!!
After breakfast, I ran some errands and then went to the movies! I saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I enjoyed the movie, but was a little disappointed – not much, though! It was really cute, funny, and an enjoyable time! I can’t really put my finger on why I was a little disappointed – maybe my expectations were just too high – don’t know! It did have some sections that were on the boring side and I found my mind wandering and wishing they would move on. But, you have that in a lot of movies – it wasn’t enough to ruin the enjoyment. Kids will LOVE it — the theater was full of kids and they were having a really good time! Adults will enjoy it too — just maybe not as much as some other recent kids movies that also have adult appeal. Judge for yourself, though — like I said, I did like it and can’t really pin point why I was slightly disappointed, so it might have just been my mood today……..I am giving this one a B and may give it another chance when it comes out on DVD!
After the movie, I went to that new nail place in WalMart plaza – Queen Nails and Spa – to get a pedicure! It is a really nice place — clean, bright, and nicely decorated and furnished! They do a good pedicure, too! Every nail place does their pedicures a little different – basically the same, but with some twists – I just want a nice relaxing pedicure that isn’t too rough and where the nail tech isn’t afraid to work on any ingrown nails!! I got that and was very pleased! I would definitely go there again!
On another note — I joined Netflix and got my first three movies yesterday! I have thought about joining for a while, but wasn’t sure if I would get enough use out of it to get the best value — like I really have time to add watching even MORE movies!!! ha-ha I also thought maybe it would help me save some money by seeing movies at home and not going to the theater as much! I would rent more, but I think going to the rental places and having to take the movies back on certain days is too inconvenient, so I don’t usually bother. But, let’s be honest, here – the inconvenience of rental isn’t really what keeps me from renting more and there’s little chance of anything keeping me from spending so much time at the theater!!! I just plain like movies and when I see one that interests me, I can’t be waiting for it to come out on DVD!!!! ha-ha Anyway — I’ll see how Netflix goes — I can always cancel it anytime if I find I don’t get enough value out of it — I sure like the idea of movies coming to me in my mailbox, though!!!
Shoes – Love them or hate them?
Shoes – most women LOVE shoes! Movies glorify shoes — The Devil Wears Prada was all about fashion and, of course, shoes! In Her Shoes was about sisters who had very little in common, but they did both enjoy a good designer shoe! Even Legally Blonde had a scene where Elle was waiting for her turn at the water fountain and one of the witnesses in her case looked at her tapping her foot and commented on her shoes – which resulted in Elle exposing him as being gay and using it as one of her points to blow the case out of the water! And, there are tons more examples!
BUT — I do believe that all manufacturers of shoes are closet torture masters!!! Even the women designers create the most torturous looking contraptions for us to put on our feet – you’d think they would know better!!! Who’s feet are shaped like that? My toes don’t come to a sharp point and my foot doesn’t arch up so that I walk on my toes with my heel way up in the air! And they aren’t even made out of comfortable materials — they are hard, rigid, and don’t move when your foot moves – not soft and plyable! If they don’t have hard, rigid sides, they have straps that cut into your flesh when your foot slides down in them (and it will)! And what about those heels? What made the inventors of 4-5″ (or more) spike heels think that women would naturally be able to balance themselves on a tall toothpick? That takes years of practice and specialized training — just so we can wear shoes that cost as much as our homes do because they look so cute…..and I won’t even mention the long term medical ramifications wearing shoes like these have on your feet, legs, back, etc…..
Here are some examples I found — they may be adorable shoes, but they don’t even remotely look like they would be comfortable for more than 10 minutes on a normal foot:
I have worn high pumps in the past — spent a fortune on shoes that were a perfect compliment to a special event — for my wedding, for example, I had a lovely pair of ivory lace pumps that matched the chantilly lace in my gown! Every time I attempted to wear high fashion shoes, I was so very sorry!!! My feet screamed at me after the first little bit — I was able to make a fashionable appearance and then the shoes spent the rest of the time off my feet under the table while I comfortably went barefoot!!! Once, I even turned my ankle trying to dance in a pair of absolutely adorable sandals with 5″ spike heels!
So — here are MY favorite shoes — I go purely for comfort when I pick out a shoe — yes, I want them to look nice, but that is a secondary selection criteria — with the exception of flip flops and little slip ons (I do love flip flops and little slip ons), I go strictly for practical, comfortable shoes!! Grasshoppers and Easy Spirit are my designers of choice!
What a great night for Sanford…
I had the absolute pleasure of being an usher at the Temple Theater tonight for the “invitation only” presentation before the public unveiling of the results of the 2nd Century Project — Sanford’s new logo and branding! WOW! I couldn’t stay for the public portion, so I’m not sure how much detail they put in the presentation at Depot Park. The Temple Theater presentation went deep into what they did and how they came to the new logo and the catch phrase “Sanford – Well Centered” – PERFECT!!!! To say I was impressed would be a huge understatement! Everyone who worked on this project deserves a HUGE thank you from all of Sanford!!! Job well done!!!
When I left the Temple, I was parked on Moore Street and started to just go on down Moore to avoid the traffic. But, I was really all pumped up and so excited, I decided to circle around and drive by Depot Park to see what kind of crowd they ended up having there. It was a pretty night and, like I said, I was all pumped up, so I put the top down and cruised past Depot Park — I was so very happy to see that there couldn’t have been an inch of grass not covered by someone — it was so packed that people were standing along Moore Street watching! I do believe it is likely that nearly every Sanford resident was there (slight exaggeration to emphasize the size of the crowd)!!! The celebration got the turn out it so richly deserved!!! I could hear the band and it was amazing!!! I just drove by slowly taking it all in and was totally overwhelmed by the joy of seeing the success of this event!!! I have never seen so many people in the park all at the same time!!! Maybe it was the free hot dogs — don’t really care what got them motivated to go — they were there — that’s all that counts!!!
Then, I headed home — and it wasn’t long before I realized that putting the top down might have been a good idea when I was all pumped up and driving slowly — but, as soon as I got up to the speed limit and the wind started blowing through the car, it was no longer such a good idea!!! It was COLD!!! By the time I got home, I was chilled to the bone and needed to thaw out!!!! ha-ha-ha
So — if you didn’t participate in some portion of tonight’s festivities, you really missed out!!!! But – you can find out all about it in Friday’s Sanford Herald — it won’t be the same, though…….
Tuesday Topics – Dancing and More
Depending on how you look at it, I can either claim “2 for 3” or “3 for 3” on my Dancing With The Stars predictions…..Last week, I said that by rights based on technical ability, Cloris Leachman or Kim Kardashian should be the next two go. But, since I felt they would get the early popular/charity votes, I defaulted to Cody as the one to go. As it turns out, Cody actually did really well this week and will survive to try again! BUT – both Cloris and Kim were the last ones standing and Kim was the one that left! Since my final guess was Cody, I’ll claim “2 for 3”, even though I did say Kim should probably go….. My prediction for next week: Cloris can’t keep getting the votes much longer! Rocco is another possibility, but I’m going with Cloris!
I participated in a really cool thing at the Boys and Girls Club tonight — can’t say too much about it, but I will say that it involved meeting six of the most amazing teens I’ve had the pleasure to talk to in a long time! I had such a good time and really enjoyed the experience! I’ll do a post all about it on or after the 15th!
A little over an hour ago, Megan jumped up to play with me just as I was bending down to play with her — we collided!!! Her hard head bonked me right square on the tip of my nose pushing it upward! It didn’t bleed and didn’t even hurt that much at the time – it made my eyes tear up a little (not cause I was crying – they just got teary), but it was little more than a quick jolt! But – over the last 20 minutes or so, it has started feeling kinda strange — like waves of pressure that come and go and a couple times it felt like someone was pushing down on the bridge of my nose…….I’m wondering if I should go have it looked at — maybe it dislocated something! Has anyone ever had their nose whacked like that and had it feel like I’m describing?
Be sure to join in the excitement of the 2nd Century celebration in Depot Park on Thursday — and if you can’t make it, be sure to get the Sanford Herald on Friday to read all about it! I’ll be there for at least part of the evening’s events – I will be working with the Chamber Ambassadors. Not sure if I’ll be able to stay for the whole celebration, but I’ll definitely be there for part of it!
Time for bed……I’m ready for a date with the Sandman!
My Dinner Invention – YUM!
I used to do a lot of cooking and was actually pretty good at it. I’d rarely use a recipe – I cook more like my Mom and Grandma – a little of this and a little of that and taste and adjust as I go. Refrigerator full of leftover? No problem, just put them all together and add some things that sound like they will make it all more cohesive and BAM – I had a meal! But – I haven’t done much cooking – especially creative cooking – in a long time! Well, tonight I had the urge and this is what I came up with…..
In my “Sunday Outing” post, I talked about all the wonderful fresh veggies I got from Harris Teeter yesterday. I wanted to find a way to have a nice “harvest” meal.
I cut into medium sized chunks:
whole bunch of thin asparagus,
two whole parsnips,
one sweet onion,
1/2 a large red bell pepper,
1/2 a large green bell pepper,
5 or 6 small white potatoes, and
5 or 6 small red potatoes (potatoes are the ones that are about the size of a ping pong ball)
I put them in a large, deep frying pan and covered them with water and brought it to a hard boil for just a few minutes or so to start cooking them – I wanted to be sure the parsnips and potatoes wouldn’t take too long to cook and make the rest too well done
Then, I poured them into a colander to drain while I fixed the frying pan with a nice mixture of olive oil and real butter
Once melted, I put the veggies back in the frying pan and tossed them with:
two envelopes of Lipton Vegetable Soup Mix,
a couple tablespoons of flour,
pepper,
garlic powder, and
a dash of Worstershire Sauce
The olive oil, butter, and Worstershire Sauce was enough to moisten the powered soup and flour so that it coated most of the veggies nicely
Then I stir fried them until they were nice and brown and crispy – like a pan of home fries!
It turned out sooooooooooooo good!!! A little mushier than I had planned (not sure what I can do differently to keep it from getting too soft – maybe not par-boil it first) – but the flavor was great! The vegetable soup mix was a really good idea – it gave them just the right flavor and added some crunch with the veggies in the mix that didn’t fully hydrate. The coating was perfect!!! The rich flavor of the fresh veggies blended together like a delicious symphony!
I done good — and it was more than enough to be a filling dinner — and there is enough to warm up for another meal tomorrow night!!!
Sunday Outing
It was an incredibly gorgeous day today! I decided that an outing with the top down would be wonderful and it was! The sun was warm and the sky was the most perfect shade of blue with fluffy bright cotton puff clouds! It was warmer than I expected – I wore a sweater and was actually pretty uncomfortable when I was stopped at a light and the sun filled the car with warmth! But – while I was moving, it was very nice — the wind blowing in my hair and fighting the urge to just lay my head back, look up at the sky, and raise my hands in the air to take it all in (not a wise thing to do driving down the highway)!!!
I wish I had taken my camera and captured some shots along the way. I did capture the beauty of the sky, though – but not until I got home – I couldn’t let it go without recording it for history! So – here is today’s sky shot from my back deck looking up over the roof of my house and through the trees in my side yard:
I put the top down and headed out about 11:00 or so. My first stop was Bagels ‘N Stuff – I just had to have some of Lenny’s bagels!! I bought several different ones so I would have some today and tomorrow (at least) and shared some with a friend! I also felt the urge to get a couple knishes! I haven’t had a knish in a very long time and although I knew Lenny served them, just haven’t tried one from there, yet! For those that don’t know what a knish is — it is a potato filled pastry that is a staple in New York City and a traditional Jewish treat! I bought two – one for today and one to take to work tomorrow! I like mine warmed up with applesauce to dip it in. I had one when I got home from my outing and it was DELICIOUS!!! Lots of perfectly seasoned potato filling – very good! If you have never tried a knish, run – don’t walk – to Bagels ‘N Stuff and have yourself a special treat!
Then, I gassed up and headed out Tramway Road to Rt. 1 in Tramway. Along the way, I enjoyed driving by the cotton fields – that isn’t something you see in NY and even after all the years I have lived in NC, I still get a tickle when I see the cotton blossoms looking like snow covered plants! I think it is so cool……another sight I wished I had my camera for!
As I reached Rt. 1 in Tramway, I noticed that the North State Pottery shop was open and realized I haven’t picked out a piece of pottery for the Gala, yet! Each year I pick up a small piece of pottery to have for the free drawing at the Gala – I donate the piece and put out a bowl for anyone who attends to put their name on a card for a free drawing. I always look for a Sanford potter who’s work you don’t see as often as some of the others. In past years, I have gotten pieces from Pottery ‘N The Barn and Shovelin’ Barefoot – two of my favorite Sanford potters! I also really like DK Clay, but for this purpose, I usually like to get something that is a little more unusual in colors and patterns. I was disappointed that they didn’t have a big selection of pieces from Pottery ‘N The Barn or Shovelin’ Barefoot – they told me that they are busy creating pieces for the next Pottery Festival and haven’t brought much in for the store. BUT – I did find a nice pie dish from Pottery ‘N The Barn and snatched it up! Here is what it looks like – it is hard to see in the pic, but it is a nice deep, heavy pie dish with a interesting pattern to the color side and brown speckles on the cream side. There is a message carved in the back that reads “A good laugh is sunshine in your house” and dated 03-17-08:
Then I headed to Southern Pines to see Ghost Town at the theater down there (my review is in the next post). I’ve been meaning to mention something that has been bothering me about going to the movies for quite a while now and it really got to me today, so I’m gonna talk about it here! Whatever happened to freshly popped hot real buttered popcorn at the movies???? Where are the big kettles that popped the popcorn and filled the theater with the smell of it popping right then and there – just for that group of theater patrons! And who’s bright idea was it to replace real melted butter with yellow oil? At some point in time, theater owners stopped the practice of popping the popcorn fresh and started buying big bags of pre-popped popcorn that they dump into their bins in the concession stands – some warm it up so it is still hot, but some don’t!!! And then they pour that yellow oil on it and call it hot buttered popcorn!!! And my other pet peeve about the new generation of movie theater popcorn is that the bag you get (after paying almost as much as the cost of your movie ticket) is mostly crumbs and not that many plump puffs of popcorn! I used to get a large popcorn and really looked forward to it — it was the second best part about seeing a movie in the theater (right behind getting to see the movie on a huge screen) and I always thought it was against the law to go to a movie without buying the popcorn!!! But now, I often don’t even bother getting any – I get other snacks instead – and when I do, it is a small bag to just get a taste and then I’m usually sorry I wasted my money! Anyway — I really enjoyed the movie, but wished I had left the popcorn crumbs alone!!!
I made the most of my trip down to Southern Pines and stopped in at Harris Teeter while I was there! Harris Teeter is the closest thing to Wegmans that we have in the south – now, it doesn’t really compare to Wegmans totally, but it does in the sense of the variety of brands and the fresh fruits and veggies! I love going to HT to see what wonderful fruits and veggies I can get — and the fabulous fresh bread assortments, too!!! I picked up some great looking asparagus, parsnips, red and green bell peppers, small red and white new potatoes, a butternut squash, some scuppernong grapes, and a french mini baguette that smelled amazing! I was planning to make a veggie dinner, but ate the knish and a bagel from Bagels ‘N Stuff and had the grapes as a snack later and that was all I needed for supper – so I’ll do something with the veggies tomorrow night! Among other things, I also picked up some oatmeal and brown sugar — the oatmeal caught my eye and I suddenly had a craving for it!!! I love oatmeal with just a splash of milk and LOTS of brown sugar! I like to keep some in the cupboard and used the last of what I had a couple months ago and haven’t replaced it, yet! I am having a couple slices of the baguette now — warm with real butter melting on it — it is just the right mix of chewy and soft with a classic crusty bread outer crust — YUM!!!
So — after the rainy week we had, it was an absolute pleasure to be out enjoying a gorgeous day!!! I was sad to see it end!
Movie Review – Ghost Town
Ok – so, in case you haven’t already guessed – I love movies OR I have no life – I prefer the first explanation! I really wanted to see Ghost Town, but it wasn’t playing in Sanford, so it didn’t make it to the final choices yesterday – even though it was tied for second choice and probably suited my mood yesterday more than Eagle Eye did (although, I am really happy I went to see Eagle Eye). It may end up coming to Sanford, but I didn’t want to wait for it and then miss out if it doesn’t come here! So – I made the trip to Southern Pines and saw it there this afternoon. It was well worth the trip!!!
This movie is hysterical!!! Ricky Gervais plays a dentist who doesn’t particularly like people and has little or no social skills. He goes in for a colonoscopy and something goes wrong with the anesthetic resulting in him dying on the table for 7 minutes. After this, he is able to see ghosts! Ghosts from all over New York City find out he can see them and they start to follow him everywhere trying to get him to help them with their unfinished business! In particular, the ghost played by Greg Kinnear is the worst one – constantly hounding him to break up the relationship his wife (Tea Leone) got involved in after his death. This all makes for some hysterically funny scenes, the dentist realizing he has been wasting his life by not getting involved with the people around him, and an unexpected love interest!
Some of my favorite parts:
-
when ghosts pass through people, the live one sneezes – I’ll never think of a sneeze the same way again! ha-ha
-
ghosts walk around wearing whatever they died in – one must have been naked when he died….
-
Kristen Wiig plays the surgeon that operated on the dentist – she is one of the Saturday Night Live comedians (the one who does the character that always has to say she has done the same thing as whatever anyone else says – only bigger and better) – she is so funny and is perfect in this role – the scenes she is in are a riot!
Those are by far not the only good parts — just the ones that stuck out at me! This movie was a very enjoyable 90 minutes – it was funny and even quite touching! I really enjoyed it and give it a solid A!
Movie Review + 2
I saw TWO movies this afternoon – both very good, but very different! Per my post of earlier today, I went to see my top two choices…
The first movie I saw was my top choice – Nights in Rodanthe – Richard Gere and Diane Lane were perfect in the lead roles and the story was incredibly touching. I loved the beach scenes and coastal scenery, which made for a mellow and relaxing experience! As with the other movies from this author, the lead characters are tormented by lost loves and the anticipation of second chances. In this story, there is also a secondary story of lost love in the character played by Scott Glenn – his wife of 42 years died on the operating table and Gere’s character was the doctor. This tragedy was what brought Gere to Rodanthe – Glenn sent him a letter asking to talk to him. Lane takes over management of the inn for her friend so that she can get a weekend away from the drama of her divorce. Gere is also going through a recent divorce. Together they share their stories, a hurricane, and the experience of meeting with the grieving Glenn. I won’t spoil the whole movie or the ending, but suffice it to say that there is love, warmth, caring, and more tragedy! If you liked “The Notebook” and “Message in a Bottle”, you will like this movie! It doesn’t really compare to “The Notebook”, so don’t go expecting that caliber of an experience – it is more on the level of “Message in a Bottle”. Still very good and will tug at your heart, for sure, just not quite as perfect as “The Notebook” was! I give it a strong A- and highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good romance!
Then, I sat in the car and listened to some music and made a couple phone calls waiting for the next movie to start – Eagle Eye – I haven’t heard much about this movie – pretty much just what I read in the synopsis and reviews. So, I was mistaken about a couple things — first, I thought the only name on the cast list that I recognized was Billy Bob Thorton. There were actually other stars I recognized that I didn’t notice on the cast list: Michael Chiklis for one and a couple others that I have seen in other films, but don’t know their names. The second thing I was mistaken about was Billy Bob Thorton’s role – it was actually a fairly large role and he was really quite good in it! I don’t care a lot for Billy Bob – he’s had a couple good roles, but on a whole, I don’t usually go see anything he is a main character in. But he was very good in this role – it suited him and he did a good job! I am not going to go into a lot of detail about this movie – you need to see it for yourself! But I will say this: It was INTENSE!!! They crammed so much action in every scene – I don’t know how they were able to put it all together and edit it without screwing it up! Through most of the movie, there was so much going on and such high tech information that I had a really hard time following it all — but it kept me on edge the entire time! I swear that I must have thought and/or said out loud “holy sh**” more times in the two hours than I have in the last two years!!! The whole story was about as far fetched and unbelievable as it could be, but it also totally put the fear of having my every move and every aspect of my life monitored and tracked in me at the same time — I am absolutely paranoid now!!! ha-ha When the movie ended, I finally relaxed my body and found that every muscle and bone ached and I was tense beyond tense!!! I wish I had seen them in the opposite order so that the mellow one came last! This will appeal to any action/adventure/suspense thriller buffs — I give it a big A and urge everyone to give it a try!
After I left the theater, I went to the Dairy Bar for some dinner — now I’m full and movie’d out and ready to curl up on the couch with the girls!
Kim's Thoughts 
Recent Comments