Can't believe that it's been so long since I posted here. My life has been incredibly busy, but 5 months?! Time goes by faster and faster the older I get. Why is that?
I'm getting used to not having enough hours day. I actually surrendered to it during this holiday season. What else could I do? No amount of trying to be efficient with my time by working on my laptop while on the way to and from work ever got me caught up. During the last couple weeks before my Christmas break, there were a few days that I was operating with less than 4 hours of sleep banked - not good.
I've learned to let some of the little things go and I'm starting to get rid of STUFF. Time to get my house in order - both figuratively and literally.
I feel some New Year's resolutions coming on...stay posted!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
My favorite thing about summer...
…is usually the movies. This hasn’t been the greatest summer for movies, but it hasn’t been the worst, either. It’s been awhile since I have posted a movie review, but that doesn’t mean I haven't seen any movies. It’s been an incredibly busy summer so far – details will follow in subsequent blog entries (now that things are quieting down). This may be overdue, but here is my take on what I’ve seen in the last month…
TOY STORY 3 – I own the DVDs of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and several different toys based these movies. I have two Woody dolls (one talks and the other has a guitar and sings), one talking Buzz doll, a talking Jessie doll, a poseable Bullseye, Mr. Potato Head and Rex. I guess that you can surmise from this that I LOVE TOY STORY! Anyway, you can imagine how excited I was about this movie opening! What’s even better is that Wild Thing loves the Toy Story almost as much as I do. So Ron and I were excited to take Viliamu to see this movie on opening weekend. I can’t be objective about what I’m going to say here – because I LOVE TOY STORY, but this movie did not disappoint me in the least. I loved it!!! Ron and Viliamu loved it, too. I laughed and cried and thought that it was a wonderful way to wrap up the story. In fact, I will ask Wild Thing if he wants to see it again this weekend...I hope he does! It's going to be a long time until the DVD comes out. It's a definite must to own!
ECLIPSE - The Twilight Saga movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. I have been looking forward to this next installment for a long time, too. (Not as much as Toy Story, though). I got to see it with Mandi and Beckie so that made it even more fun. For fans of the series, you will really enjoy it! Of course, there is no way to put in every detail in the books, but I think that the script writer did a great job of capturing the essence of the story and featuring the highlights. I am still and will always be on Team Edward. Not that Jacob isn't nice to look at... The fight scenes are pretty great and the love scenes are hot without being too hot for teens. Loved it! Can't imagine how they are gonna make a PG-13 movie(s) out of the last book...good luck, Melissa!
KNIGHT AND DAY - Not a fan of Tom Cruise anymore. He just got a little too weird over the last few years. HOWEVER, that being said, when I saw the trailers for this movie, I was just interested. So Ron and I went to see it and here's the deal - this movie is not gonna win any awards, but it's not as bad as the critics have made it out to be. It's a fun summer flick! Tom and Cameron have pretty good chemistry, even if the story was a little hokey. Wait til it comes out on DVD but it's fun to watch.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a lesbian couple with two teenage kids who arrange to meet their sperm donor dad without letting their moms know. It's a very good movie - really funny in spots, uncomfortable and very sentimental in others. It's also quite a bit sexier than I was expecting. Mark Ruffalo is the "dad" and he is not afraid to show his derriere! Hmmmmm. I think this is probably a pretty good representation of one type of family. At any rate, I think it's important for all types of family to be represented in entertainment and the media. See it if you can deal with Mark Ruffalo's bare butt!
A SINGLE MAN - Saw this one on PPV this last weekend. Colin Firth was nominated for an Academy Award for this portrayal of a middle aged gay English professor who is dealing with depression after the death of his partner of 16 years. He was really good in this film. It's a sad movie and I wasn't thrilled with the way it ended, but it was really worth watching. It's set in 1963 and it was pretty groovy in parts. Julianne Moore was in this one too and she is always just great.
LOST IN AUSTEN – A friend from work recommended this mini-series to me. He had been watching it on PBS. It was originally created for British TV, I think. It's the story of an English woman who is obsessed with "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. She is unhappy with her life until the day that Elizabeth Bennett shows up in her bathroom after having come through a secret door in the wall. OK, so you have to let go a little bit and just get into the story but I loved it! It certainly made me want to see "Pride and Prejudice" again. I found it by Googling Lost in Austen. Really, if you have the chance, check it out. You might be able to find it at Netflix. The only down side is that there are only 4 episodes.
So that's it for now - will try to see Grown Ups, The Last Airbender and Despicable Me soon. I'm also looking forward to Inception, Eat Pray Love, The Sorcerer's Apprentice and The American.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Adjusting to the empty nest...AGAIN!!!
Someone failed to mention to me before I had children, that being a parent would mean enduring a lifetime of "letting go." Just when I thought that I had it all figured out and had adjusted to my girls being grown and out of the house, I find myself back at the beginning again. No, that's not quite true. I do have more experience with the letting go now so it doesn't hurt quite as much...sort of...
At least now I can look beyond my feelings of loss and focus on how much I admire the strong, independent women that my daughters have become. They are each doing something in their lives that I was never strong enough or brave enough to even attempt. I am proud for whatever part Ron and I had in helping them to become the intelligent, confident and adventurous people they are. It would be selfish on my part to dwell on how much I miss them. I have decided instead to live vicariously through them. I will still worry about them because I am their mother and that's what I do, but I will also delight in their experiences and marvel at their determination.
Today while my youngest is flying to South Africa for a 3 month stay, I refuse to be my normal "Nervous Nelly" self. Instead I am happy for her and proud of her for doing what she has wanted to do for so long. I am also very grateful that she is traveling with someone who loves her and will help to keep her safe. (Thanks, Branden!) So, no tears today...just excitement...but between you and me, I will be relieved when 3 months from now she is back home telling me stories about her adventures in South Africa.
Bon Voyage, Beckie! I love you!
At least now I can look beyond my feelings of loss and focus on how much I admire the strong, independent women that my daughters have become. They are each doing something in their lives that I was never strong enough or brave enough to even attempt. I am proud for whatever part Ron and I had in helping them to become the intelligent, confident and adventurous people they are. It would be selfish on my part to dwell on how much I miss them. I have decided instead to live vicariously through them. I will still worry about them because I am their mother and that's what I do, but I will also delight in their experiences and marvel at their determination.
Today while my youngest is flying to South Africa for a 3 month stay, I refuse to be my normal "Nervous Nelly" self. Instead I am happy for her and proud of her for doing what she has wanted to do for so long. I am also very grateful that she is traveling with someone who loves her and will help to keep her safe. (Thanks, Branden!) So, no tears today...just excitement...but between you and me, I will be relieved when 3 months from now she is back home telling me stories about her adventures in South Africa.
Bon Voyage, Beckie! I love you!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
A little bit of sparkle
After a day of shopping for graduation hootch in Sonoma, Napa and at BevMo, Ron and I decided to go to the movies. I wanted to see Prince of Persia, but we would have had to wait until 10 pm for the next available showing - NOT HAPPENING! So we opted to see Sex in the City 2 last night.
This movie is all about guilty pleasures. I watched the show way back when it was was on HBO and I loved it then. Yes, it was over the top, and almost always naughty, but it was funny and sad sometimes and there were little kernels of truths in it from time to time. I was sorry when it was over.
Then came the movies...I really enjoyed the first one from 2 years ago. It seemed to tie up some loose ends and give a proper ending to the series. It must of made some money, because they decided to make another one. This series has always been about the crazy fashions they put on Sarah Jessica. That was a big part of this movie - crazy outfits. There was a fabulous wedding with an amazing performance and all I will say here is "Liza with a Z!" But then, Samantha had to be especially crass and tacky and I'm pretty over all that. I did laugh out loud, but I hope that this is the end of the series. Enough is enough.
If you liked the series, you will probably like this movie, but you might feel guilty about it....I did and and I do!
This movie is all about guilty pleasures. I watched the show way back when it was was on HBO and I loved it then. Yes, it was over the top, and almost always naughty, but it was funny and sad sometimes and there were little kernels of truths in it from time to time. I was sorry when it was over.
Then came the movies...I really enjoyed the first one from 2 years ago. It seemed to tie up some loose ends and give a proper ending to the series. It must of made some money, because they decided to make another one. This series has always been about the crazy fashions they put on Sarah Jessica. That was a big part of this movie - crazy outfits. There was a fabulous wedding with an amazing performance and all I will say here is "Liza with a Z!" But then, Samantha had to be especially crass and tacky and I'm pretty over all that. I did laugh out loud, but I hope that this is the end of the series. Enough is enough.
If you liked the series, you will probably like this movie, but you might feel guilty about it....I did and and I do!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Hello Again...
It's been ages since I wrote anything here, but life happens, doesn't it? It's been a busy time at work and things are certainly getting busy at home as well because...
GRADUATION IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY!!
And in the meantime, there are plans to make and a trip to El Paso for a wedding. And then there is the touchy business of having to navigate the healthcare system in an effort to get some relief for my aging aching back...but that's another story.
As you know, one of my favorite stress relief activities is going to the movies. I have been going to some but haven't written any reviews for a while...So, I will try to think back and tell you a little bit about all the movies I've seen in the last couple of months.
How to Train Your Dragon - Animated 3-D story about a boy viking and his dragon...we took Wild Thing to see this movie last month. It was good enough to keep him and Ron interested. I thought it was very well done - it was done by Dreamworks and I would say that it's almost as good as a Pixar film. See this movie even if you have to borrow a 3 year old to take so you don't feel self conscious about sitting in the theater. It's good!
Date Night - Tina Fey and Steve Carrell in a silly movie about a couple that tries to spice up their marriage and then there's mistaken identity. Some funny situations in it but a pretty forgettable movie overall. There are plenty of other movies to see - skip it.
The Back-Up Plan - I was looking forward to this one because I really like the lead actor - Alex O'Loughlin. J-Lo and Alex have definite chemistry, but the movie was a disappointment because it was so predictable. I guess it's hard to come up with new ideas for movies. Oh and it was incredibly unrealistic because J-Lo was supposed to be pregnant with twins in this movie - when she was about to deliver the babies she looked like she was about 7 months along with one baby. Everyone knows that being pregnant with twins turns you into a person the size of a small house! ( I was, anyway!). Wait til this one comes out on DVD.
Babies - There was a lot of hype and build up to this movie around here and I was so excited for this movie to open. Ron wasn't at all excited but since it was Mother's Day weekend, he took me to see it. The babies in the film were absolutely precious, but the movie was not great. There was NO narration of any kind and the film just jumped around from one baby to the other without any rhyme or reason. so....eh...see it if you want, but you won't be missing much if you skip it.
Iron Man 2 - Love Robert Downey, Jr. He does a great job playing egomaniac Tony Stark. This movie was fun and flashy but not as good as the first one. I am not a science person, but even I know that the science in this movie was just silly. Gwyneth Paltrow was ok, but is Scarlett Johanson really that hot? I say that if you liked the first one, you should see this one because there will obviously be a 3rd one and you have to keep up with the story.
Letters to Juliet - There are people out there who are gonna call this a chick flick, but I REALLY LOVED THIS MOVIE! Probably not for the reasons that you might think. I can't tell you why I loved this movie so much without giving important stuff away. Let me just say that if you saw and loved the movie musical "Camelot" you will be so surprised. No, there is no singing in this...It's just a lovely, old fashioned romance. It made me very emotional and was just what I needed. I loved it! I said that already, didn't I?
In the Heights - is not a movie but the Broadway musical that won the 2008 Tony Award for the best new musical. The twinsies bought me tickets to this show for Mother's Day. We drove up to SF and saw it last Thursday night. It was really wonderful. The talent was amazing - great singing, dancing and acting all around. Of course, the music was Latin, so I loved it...Thanks, Babies!
I'm hoping for some GREAT blockbuster movies this summer...I am open to recommendations, so I'd love to hear from you...
GRADUATION IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY!!
And in the meantime, there are plans to make and a trip to El Paso for a wedding. And then there is the touchy business of having to navigate the healthcare system in an effort to get some relief for my aging aching back...but that's another story.
As you know, one of my favorite stress relief activities is going to the movies. I have been going to some but haven't written any reviews for a while...So, I will try to think back and tell you a little bit about all the movies I've seen in the last couple of months.
How to Train Your Dragon - Animated 3-D story about a boy viking and his dragon...we took Wild Thing to see this movie last month. It was good enough to keep him and Ron interested. I thought it was very well done - it was done by Dreamworks and I would say that it's almost as good as a Pixar film. See this movie even if you have to borrow a 3 year old to take so you don't feel self conscious about sitting in the theater. It's good!
Date Night - Tina Fey and Steve Carrell in a silly movie about a couple that tries to spice up their marriage and then there's mistaken identity. Some funny situations in it but a pretty forgettable movie overall. There are plenty of other movies to see - skip it.
The Back-Up Plan - I was looking forward to this one because I really like the lead actor - Alex O'Loughlin. J-Lo and Alex have definite chemistry, but the movie was a disappointment because it was so predictable. I guess it's hard to come up with new ideas for movies. Oh and it was incredibly unrealistic because J-Lo was supposed to be pregnant with twins in this movie - when she was about to deliver the babies she looked like she was about 7 months along with one baby. Everyone knows that being pregnant with twins turns you into a person the size of a small house! ( I was, anyway!). Wait til this one comes out on DVD.
Babies - There was a lot of hype and build up to this movie around here and I was so excited for this movie to open. Ron wasn't at all excited but since it was Mother's Day weekend, he took me to see it. The babies in the film were absolutely precious, but the movie was not great. There was NO narration of any kind and the film just jumped around from one baby to the other without any rhyme or reason. so....eh...see it if you want, but you won't be missing much if you skip it.
Iron Man 2 - Love Robert Downey, Jr. He does a great job playing egomaniac Tony Stark. This movie was fun and flashy but not as good as the first one. I am not a science person, but even I know that the science in this movie was just silly. Gwyneth Paltrow was ok, but is Scarlett Johanson really that hot? I say that if you liked the first one, you should see this one because there will obviously be a 3rd one and you have to keep up with the story.
Letters to Juliet - There are people out there who are gonna call this a chick flick, but I REALLY LOVED THIS MOVIE! Probably not for the reasons that you might think. I can't tell you why I loved this movie so much without giving important stuff away. Let me just say that if you saw and loved the movie musical "Camelot" you will be so surprised. No, there is no singing in this...It's just a lovely, old fashioned romance. It made me very emotional and was just what I needed. I loved it! I said that already, didn't I?
In the Heights - is not a movie but the Broadway musical that won the 2008 Tony Award for the best new musical. The twinsies bought me tickets to this show for Mother's Day. We drove up to SF and saw it last Thursday night. It was really wonderful. The talent was amazing - great singing, dancing and acting all around. Of course, the music was Latin, so I loved it...Thanks, Babies!
I'm hoping for some GREAT blockbuster movies this summer...I am open to recommendations, so I'd love to hear from you...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Why I love facebook...
First let me say that I am NOT "addicted" to facebook. I wouldn't have withdrawal symptoms if I stopped checking my my wall every day. I don't get a headache if I don't log on to facebook. A couple people in my family have accused me of being addicted to it. One of my girls even called me a stalker!
I do admit that I love facebook and log on almost every day. How else am I going to stay in touch with my children, friends of my kids, family, friends from high school, college friends, people I used to work with, members of my wedding party who all live so far away from me? How else would I get to see pictures of my kids, or my friends kids and grand kids so quickly? How else would I have reconnected with old friends after years of not seeing or talking to them? facebook is a wonderful tool.
I admit that there have been times that I spent too much time on the computer checking on my facebook friends, but it is a nice way to get in touch with people. I have found causes to support, artists that I enjoy and I have a place to post photos and blogs that I want to share with everyone.
Yes, there are silly people who post TMI - let's use a little self censuring, people! And of course, there are those awkward issues regarding whether or not to accept friend requests from people that you don't know or don't remember or don't really like. Nothing is perfect.
Still, it's a great way to stay in touch. I have "chatted" with my daughters who all live in different cities and cousins who live across the country and around the world using facebook. How else would I have done that? A couple weeks ago, I got a message from a friend from Indiana whom we haven't seen in about 10 years. The family was in town on vacation and wanted to get together with us for dinner in San Francisco. It was wonderful seeing them again...all thanks to a message on facebook.
Yes, I'm a big fan.... but I can quit anytime I want to!
I do admit that I love facebook and log on almost every day. How else am I going to stay in touch with my children, friends of my kids, family, friends from high school, college friends, people I used to work with, members of my wedding party who all live so far away from me? How else would I get to see pictures of my kids, or my friends kids and grand kids so quickly? How else would I have reconnected with old friends after years of not seeing or talking to them? facebook is a wonderful tool.
I admit that there have been times that I spent too much time on the computer checking on my facebook friends, but it is a nice way to get in touch with people. I have found causes to support, artists that I enjoy and I have a place to post photos and blogs that I want to share with everyone.
Yes, there are silly people who post TMI - let's use a little self censuring, people! And of course, there are those awkward issues regarding whether or not to accept friend requests from people that you don't know or don't remember or don't really like. Nothing is perfect.
Still, it's a great way to stay in touch. I have "chatted" with my daughters who all live in different cities and cousins who live across the country and around the world using facebook. How else would I have done that? A couple weeks ago, I got a message from a friend from Indiana whom we haven't seen in about 10 years. The family was in town on vacation and wanted to get together with us for dinner in San Francisco. It was wonderful seeing them again...all thanks to a message on facebook.
Yes, I'm a big fan.... but I can quit anytime I want to!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Another Year Older...
I haven't written here for awhile - been very busy with work and moving Beckie from Santa Barbara to the LA area. Beyond that, I got tired of my silly little posts about movies. Didn't have the time to write about anything more important so I was only writing about movies. I will keep doing that when I feel moved to write about a really great or not so great film, but I want to go back to writing about things that are a bit more substantial. Besides, the movies we've seen lately have been pretty mediocre and not really blog-worthy.
So, happy birthday to me...I am 48 years old or 29 with 19 years of experience! Beckie and Branden drove up from Placentia to surprise me and Ronnie B spoiled me, as usual. I got phone calls from the rest of my Girlie Girls, my mom, my sister-the doctor, my dear cousins, Kevin, Kimi and Leah and even Martin! Got lots of posts from my fb friends, too! To top it all off, we picked up my Wild Thing last night for a sleepover and took him to see "How to Train Your Dragon" today. The movie was great and it's been a really super weekend, even though it's been raining all day.
Big things have been happening in my life and to the people I love. I will concentrate on writing about those things in the near future. For now, I just want to express how grateful I am for all the blessings in my life - a wonderful husband, children and family - great job and a very comfortable home. All in all, life is good!
So, happy birthday to me...I am 48 years old or 29 with 19 years of experience! Beckie and Branden drove up from Placentia to surprise me and Ronnie B spoiled me, as usual. I got phone calls from the rest of my Girlie Girls, my mom, my sister-the doctor, my dear cousins, Kevin, Kimi and Leah and even Martin! Got lots of posts from my fb friends, too! To top it all off, we picked up my Wild Thing last night for a sleepover and took him to see "How to Train Your Dragon" today. The movie was great and it's been a really super weekend, even though it's been raining all day.
Big things have been happening in my life and to the people I love. I will concentrate on writing about those things in the near future. For now, I just want to express how grateful I am for all the blessings in my life - a wonderful husband, children and family - great job and a very comfortable home. All in all, life is good!
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