Christmas Mash Up (Includes a Review of the Film Frailty)

Christmas has come and gone here at home, well not entirely. We still have the tree up for a little while longer. But overall the holiday has come to our home and passed, somewhat uneventful and some good.

On Monday before Christmas Eve, I journeyed to the post office to see if I had received any more of the packages I was expecting. I was excited to find that a CD I had bought off of eBay had arrived. It was important for two reasons, it was a gift for my mom but more to the point I was hoping it had the full version of We Three Kings with all the verses. My purchase did not disappoint anyone. It was an amazing CD and even better, it had the entire song of We Three Kings. I owe a huge appreciation to a group called The Roaches and their CD called We Three Kings. I was able to make my mom's Christmas special in two ways. She got her song and then we learned that the group was a favorite of my brother-in-law who passed away six years ago.

 

We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve and opened our gifts. Everyone got many things that they wanted and my mom even got a special Pandora charm, We Three Kings.

 

 

So Mom's Christmas was super special, she got her song and a charm to represent it. I think this is one year she won't forget. I know I won't because of her reactions. I love seeing my mom happy.

 

Christmas Day found Tony and I visiting his folks. We drove to the beautiful San Bernardino mountains and enjoyed the furious winds. We opened presents and had a great early dinner of ham that was delicious. Tony got a great new quilt from his mom that is baseball themed as his other one just was a goner. I got a couple of great books and a beautiful set of note cards. I always enjoy spending time with my in-laws and I look forward to seeing them again real soon.

 

The rest of the week progressed as normal. Everyone worked and I kept busy doing what I could. Then we arrived at Saturday. Tony and I did a few errands, laundry, and put our wonderful postal employees to hard work looking for a package. They found my package, a wonderful surprise gift from my friend in AZ. Even funnier, last night I looked through the used bookstore to find a copy of the book she sent me as a gift, The Shining by Stephen King. As soon as I finish Guilty Wives by James Patterson I'm reading that one next.

 

My Saturday night as been an enjoyable one. My mom and I watched an incredibly twisted film called Frailty which was also the directorial debut of Bill Paxton. The film is told through flashbacks of one brother about the other and their life growing up with their father. Matthew McConaughey plays one of the brothers as an adult and Bill Paxton is the father. As the movie progresses you feel as though the father is a bit off his rocker and is dragging his children into his delusion. The movie was intense and kept me guessing and then reassessing the entire time. Then one twist and another brings the movie to its final conclusion which is just another final twist. Overall, the creep factor is high, and the plain fact you think you know what is happening and then you don't is just unsettling.

 

My evening is concluding with a 1980's favorite of mine, Tales from the Darkside. I got the complete series on DVD for Christmas. I remember staying up late at night and watching this before bed, which might be why I don't sleep well at night. I'm just kidding. This is just so much fun to watch and remember the good times. Of course, watching with most the lights off and watching creepy stuff can make for a fun evening.

 

The end of the year is close at hand. I'm looking forward to what it will bring and what new adventures I will have. What movies and shows I will see. If I'll be keeping up with my blog (I hope to be). I also have high hopes of finding work and getting back to school to finish my associates degree. Come on 2014, you are going to be bringing lots of good things my way.



 



I Love the Smell of Napalm, No Wait, Cat Poop, In the Morning

Nothing can wake you from a good sleep like the smell of cat poop. Well maybe not your cat's poop if you have a cat; but my cat, Cleo, her poop will wake you from a dead sleep if it reaches your nostrils. I'm serious, it is that deadly.

I have no idea or clue why it is so vile smelling. She eats the same food as the other cat. Then again she also partakes in a snack of dog food every once in a while. It makes me wonder what she has going on that's so different that it stinks.

This problem didn't just begin, her crap has stank ever since the day she came home from the humane society. She is a very special cat in this respect. I have never had one that had stinky poop like she does.

I will continue to live with the stinky poop because Cleo is an angel and I love her so much. My nose hair may not agree with my thoughts, but I think that will be fine.

This is the stink pot herself, Cleo.

'Twas the Risky Night Before Christmas…an Insurance Holiday Tale

I have worked in the insurance industry for fifteen years and this time of year we seem to always see this little story come around. It is an insurance professionals insight into Santa's operations and what we need to be on the look out for. I hope you will enjoy it for the humor even if you don't understand all the insurance jargon. Please note, I did not write this and reading through it I think words might have been omitted from the original text, but either way it is a funny read. ---Spaz

‘Twas the night before Christmas (12:01 a.m. 12/25) and all through the house (single family, joisted masonry, extended coverage 3, territory 44, protection class 5), not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (thorough pride of ownership and excellent maintenance).

The (flame-retardant) stockings were hung by the (contractor-installed?) chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there (check protective safeguard discount — application lists deadbolt locks and central station alarm system).

The children (ages 4, 8, 14, & 16) were all nestled snug in their beds (check MVR on 16-year-old) while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads (check for drug use; possible malfunctioning furnace/CO poisoning issue).

Ma in her kerchief (scheduled heirloom) and I in my cap (wearing headgear to bed? possible inadequate heating system) had just settled down for a long winter’s nap. (Check employment — is insured sleeping all day?)

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter (check into condition of premises, housekeeping, etc.), I jumped out of bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, threw back the curtains and tore open the sash (intentional destructive act, no coverage; also, appears insured only wearing a cap in front of uncovered window — possible emotional distress claim by neighbors).

When what to my wondrous eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. (Check if sleigh is rated business use and corporate owned.) With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. (Notify life underwriting, order medical on 600-year-old driver).

More rapid than eagles (check MVR for speeding violations) his coursers they came and he whistled and shouted and called them by name (possible aggressive driver).

Now Dasher (turbo equipped?), now Dancer (classic?), now Prancer (check occupation), now Vixen (definitely check occupation), on Comet (possible muscle deer), on Cupid (check credit score), on Donner (4×4) and Blitzen (possible drinking problem?).

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall (check for structural damage; also look into height exposures), now dash away, dash away, dash away all (old man climbing walls either in great shape or overly medicated).

So up to the housetop his coursers they flew, with a sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas, too. (Check for possible retail delivery or livery classification of autos). And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. (Check for shingle damage; also classification of operations—roofing is a prohibited class).

As I drew in my head and was turning around, down the chimney he came with a bound (comp neg for using unusual ingress).

He was dressed all in fur (scheduled items) from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. (Part-time job as firefighter?)

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back. (Check to see if insured has safety committee; check lifting training). His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples how merry, his cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry (order updated medical report, possible drinking and/or drug abuse).

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth (ineligible for nonsmoker discount) and the smoke encircled his head like a wreath (check batteries in smoke detectors to make sure operational).

He was chubby and plump a right jolly elf (overweight for height) and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a nod of his head soon gave me reason I had nothing to dread (Stranger enters past alarm and insured not worried? Sounds suspicious.)

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stocking, then turned with a jerk (review workplace for ergonomic compliance).

And laying his finger aside of his nose (obscene gesture?), and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. (Check operations, chimney sweeps are prohibited classification, look into GL PD deductible.)

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle (not likely with fat man and sleigh full of toys. Check GVW for proper classification, light/service/local seems unlikely).

And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” (Check hours of operation; 24-hour service operations prohibited. Also check into seasonal nature of business.)

NOTE: ORDER NEW LOSS CONTROL REPORT.  DIARY FOR 07/01/14 TO DISCUSS WITH AGENT.

– Source Unknown

Sisters, Sisters . . . (Warning there are spoilers about the movie Frozen in here)

I've been meaning to write for a few days, and I'm just settled in to do it. I'm going to get to my main topic of sisters in a minute, but first I have to share the craziest dream, kind of more like nightmare, I had earlier in the week.

What made it so strange was it could actually happen, at least I think I can. My dream involved myself and Tony, we were on vacation somewhere and hanging out at a beach around sunset. We were sitting in a shaded spot just watching the waves and enjoying the scenery. Slowly the waves started getting larger and encroaching on the shore, people close to the water started moving up to get away. As we sat there and watched, it became obvious that we were going to need to move too despite being far up on the shore. However we came to that conclusion a little too late, because we got hit by a wave. We got up and started walking up further inland, mind you I have no idea where exactly we are so I can only assume we walked further inland as that makes the most sense. But we couldn't escape the water. We took to running and I got ahead of Tony who got trapped in another wave, but managed to stay on his feet. I kept moving ahead assuming he would catch up because he always caught up to me and then I felt the mist of water hitting me. Eventually I stopped to turn around because I thought I was safe where I was and Tony was nowhere to be seen. There was just water covering everything, buildings were immersed, and only a few people stood around where I was. I started screaming but then that woke me up. I quickly reached over to make sure Tony was still next to me and he was. I apparently woke him up and he asked if I was OK. I told him that I wasn't and asked if he would snuggle with me to make me feel better. I told him a brief overview of what I had just dreamt and that it was scary for me because I can't imagine not being with him. It was a horrible dream, but thank goodness it was only that, a dream.

Now for the sisters piece of my entry. Because well I have a cool sister. For as long as I can remember we have always enjoyed the part in White Christmas where sisters Betty and Judy Haynes (played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen respectively although Vera-Ellen was dubbed by Trudy Stevens for singing) sing Sisters. 

 

 

 

I remember this so fondly that when I got married, I had part of the lyrics embroidered on my sisters handkerchief that I gave her as a gift. We tend to hum it in each others presence and enjoy singing random parts. While the song is cute, the relationship that Betty and Judy have is common, the older sister looking out for the younger sister. My sister is no exception as she is constantly looking out for me and protecting me. She always has ever since I was little.

 

On Tuesday, my fabulous sister treated me to a movie and we went and saw Frozen.  I didn't know much about the movie except from the preview I saw with the snowman and the reindeer, which is all it took to make me want to see the movie.  The film's story is about two sisters, one older and one younger, and their relationship. The older sister, Elsa, however is born with an ability that after an incident with her younger sister, Anna, is basically put into hiding to protect Anna and the rest of the people in the kingdom. Anna doesn't understand why Elsa no longer wants to play or do anything with her and what ensues is a fabulous song called Do You Want to Build a Snowman that helps to show the passage of time.

 

As is customary with many Disney films, their parents die, and they are left to themselves. When Elsa reaches the appropriate age, she is going to be made queen. There is a big coronation ceremony planned and for the first time in years the castle gates are going to be open and there's going to be a ball. Anna is just so excited because she has felt like a prisoner and Elsa could be less thrilled because she just wants to protect her secret. Well one thing leads to another and Anna is so pushy, as many a little sisters are, and Elsa's secret is revealed to everyone at the ball. Elsa runs away and Anna sets out to find her and make things right.

 

When Anna finds her sister they have another argument. Anna wants Elsa to come back and Elsa just wants to hide. During the fight Anna is struck with ice right into her heart by Elsa. This just confirms to Elsa she has to stay away. Anna leaves but is damaged and is getting colder. Anna had help finding her sister from Kristoff, a young man who was raised by trolls or as he calls them, the love experts. He rushes Anna to the trolls to see what can be done to save Anna. While that's happening another party has set off to find Anna and instead find Elsa and drag her back as a prisoner to her kingdom. The grandpa troll informs Kristoff that the only thing that can heal Anna is an act of true love. Kristoff once again takes Anna and rushes to the kingdom to get her to this prince she's been going on and on about.

 

Well once everyone is at the kingdom we find out who the real villain of the film is and I must say I was shocked. They did a good job convincing you it would be one character and it is another. Either way, Anna is left to die while her sister is being held as a prisoner. Then comes Olaf the wise cracking snowman that has been around for comedy relief to help Anna, he lights the fire in the fireplace and helps Anna to get close to try and stay warm, while he melts. He didn't know that he would melt but he doesn't care. As they sit there trying to figure out an act of true love, Kristoff turns around to see a terrible snow storm circling the kingdom and rushes back to help. Elsa has escaped her prison and is trying to run away but her emotions are causing the severe storm.

 

As the movie reaches the climax and finish, Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa are all out on the sea which is now all ice. Kristoff is looking for Anna, Anna for Kristoff, but then Anna sees Elsa in danger from the villain who is looking to kill her as a way to end the freeze. Anna gives up her search for Kristoff and instead goes to rescue her sister by putting herself in between the sword and Elsa. It works, but Anna is now completely frozen. When Elsa realizes what has happened she holds Anna's frozen statue crying because once again she has hurt Anna and this time it is permanent. But slowly Anna starts to melt because that was the act of true love, she sacrificed herself for her sister. It didn't involve a man kissing her or any of that nonsense, it was the love between sisters regardless of what happens in their lives. Elsa then realizes that she can melt everything that is Frozen with love and saves the kingdom.

 

In the end the bad guys don't get away and the good guys are restored to their places and everything is happy. I laughed a lot during the film, but I was the only one, so I'm not sure if I was laughing at stuff that was supposed to be funny or that I just found funny. But I loved this movie because of the sister relationship dynamic.

 

So that is it for now. I'm not sure if I will write again before Christmas, but I will try, you know if something interesting happens. If not, I wish everyone a very merry Christmas.





Bathroom vs. Restroom

This morning as I sat on the toilet I began to ponder the difference between the words bathroom and restroom. I always use the word bathroom at home and restroom in public places. Why do two names exist for the same facility? And let's not start on all the words people use to describe the place we go to eliminate waste from our bodies.

I think the first step is to define the two words so I'm going to use my Merriam-Webster dictionary on my phone:

     Bathroom - a room containing a bathtub or shower and usually a sink and toilet

    
     Restroom - a room or suite of rooms providing toilets and lavatories

According to the dictionary, bathroom and restroom are synonyms so that explains some of the confusion.

Now let's examine the words themselves, according to the word bathroom there has to exist a shower or bathtub in the room, that makes sense, it really does. On the other hand a restroom just has potties in it. OK I'm starting to see the difference. I have a bathroom at home because it contains the needed bathtub and when I'm out in public those places don't. But the bathroom definition says, "usually a sink and toilet" so there could exist a bathroom with neither a sink or toilet and it is still a bathroom.

Restrooms however are "a room or suite" that's got nothing but potties. I've been in some super nice restrooms, the one I can best remember is the ladies restroom at the Arclight in Hollywood, that one is swanky. Of course the ones at most of the theaters, I'm talking live theater establishments, are always beautiful. Thinking on this, restrooms in high end places also have couches and chairs. It is like they are inviting you sit down and take a load off and maybe even a nap.

Well now I get it. I get why I have a bathroom at home and go to the restroom in public. I just never really thought about until this morning. I think I need to not think so much next time I'm sitting on the pot.

    

My 2013 Fantasy Football Season

For the last few years I have been involved with a fantasy football league that was started by a couple that Tony and I are friends with. The wife, V-, is always our commissioner. We have twelve teams in our league, Tony and I each have our own. It always makes football season fun in our house because we cheer for our players and at the same time cheer for our favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks.

Typically, the last few years, I have finished in the bottom 5. It would get to a point where I didn't want to play anymore so I just let my team go to waste. I never would spend time updating my team each week and just let it go. So I deserved to finish in the bottom. This year I took a different attitude to see how it would go, and it went fabulous. I clinched a playoff spot tying for fifth place, the other team had more points. We use the last few weeks of the regular season as our playoff time.

I played it smart this year, I made sure I updated my team in time for Thursday nights games. I kept track of my players, who was doing well, who wasn't, and who was out for the week or even the season. I will admit that I held onto to Darren McFadden because I didn't want to not have him if he made some amazing come back. I would search for other players based on the number of fan points they had racked up and replace as needed with the top players I could get. I hardly ever asked from help from Tony which in the past I did every time before I would even set my line-up.

I don't actually participate in the draft at the beginning of the season. I let the computer choose for me and then deal with what I get. This year I think I got fucking lucky as hell. My original drafted quarterback was Russell Wilson and boy has he performed like a stud this season. I love it, every time the Seahawks would win, Wilson would have earned over 30 - 50 points at a shot. I loved it, I was riding high on the fact I had an amazing quarterback and that he was on my favorite team. Not everyone gets that lucky.

My other regular stud muffin of my team was LeSean McCoy. He racked up over 200 points in the season for me. Last weeks game when the Lions and Eagles played in the blizzard, he got me over 50 points because they had no real choice but to run the ball. Those guys are all amazing for playing the weather they did. They made it an amazing game given the circumstances they were thrown.

To sum it up I feel fantastic of how I played my 2013 fantasy season. I like that I made a good effort to play this year and didn't just roll over when I would get on a losing streak. I held out to the very end. My record is 8-6 for the regular season.

If you read this far then you will find it funny that I just realized that I have to play this week. Apparently in the past we have only had 10 teams and this year we have 12 so the top 8 teams are the in the playoffs. So there you go, I have to keep playing. Maybe I can win this sucker after all. Fingers crossed that I win this week since right now I'm the underdog against the team I am playing.

Hold on to the hats and glasses folks I'm hoping to go all the way. Woohoo!

New Look

For the last few years I have been getting my hair done by the same stylist and I told myself I would never change. I felt lucky to have met her, she understood my hair needs, the fact I don't style my hair, I don't use a blow dryer, and I don't use products either. I found her because of a gift certificate I received to the salon she owned. It was a great working relationship and I have always enjoyed how my hair looks after I see her.

Alas, times have gotten hard for me financial wise. I can't spend $200 on a color, weave, cut, and blow dry any longer. I have to be frugal but at the same time find something of same quality and kind. I wasn't sure I would find this. I was hoping to start spending under $100 for my hair care because I can save $20 a week and pay for that.

Facebook is an amazing vehicle for reconnecting people. Over the years I've been on there I have connected with people from my grade school, junior high, high school, and even college. It has given me an opportunity to explore what the people I know have been up to and where their lives took them. For instance, I was having an issue with my vet and decided to find a new one. I put the word out and soon discovered that one my friends from high school was now a vet and local. One trip to see her and now all my pets go to her. There is a different connection when you have a history with the actual person.

That brings me to today. Someone I knew in grade school is a cosmetologist now and looking at her Facebook page I saw how amazing her work was. I sent her a message through Facebook and inquired on her pricing and how to make an appointment. Her prices are incredibly reasonable for someone like me and she was able to get me in quick. The salon she is at is charming. All the stations have old timey bureaus and the place is very unique.

We talked for about 15 minutes about my style preferences, what I actually did or didn't do with my hair, and what kind of color I wanted. I'm also in the process of growing my hair out so I need to make sure I don't look funky as it grows. We came to a decision on a color and then she gave me a baby trim and blew it dry (the only time my hair every is really styled is at the salon). During the whole process we were catching up on what has happened over the years since grammar school. It was a really fun time and I love how I look. I have also gotten a ton of great comments on it and the color and how well it plays against my skin tone. 

This is me tonight at home having Tony take pictures so I can post something. Like I said, I love it. I will get to show it off next week at Tony's work party. I'm looking forward to that event, the party is at Benihana's and I love that place. The food is so yummy. But I'm getting off topic.

When all is said and done, I'm switching stylists. I love how today went and the end product. I love that I can connect with an old school friend and enjoy my time while in her chair. I am looking forward to many more visits and the evolution of my growing hair. She may even convince me to get really wild once in awhile. Maybe.

I'm going to end here for the night. Today has been a good day and has given me some motivation for moving ahead. Tony did take a few pictures so I have to share my terrible duck lip picture which is so popular when people take pictures of themselves. You can laugh it is totally OK.

 



A Life Change & Evil Dead (2013)

I have been living a different life since about the end of August beginning of September. No one knows except Tony and my sister (the one person I felt I could tell without judgment). The only other worlds that know are a couple of community groups I have joined for support and knowledge.

Tony and I agreed to try a different lifestyle and we are enjoying many rewards from it. Our relationship is stronger and we enjoy many other benefits from the change. I think, for me, the most enjoyable benefit is meeting new and interesting people. I will think about discussing this more but for now just a quick story.

One of the people I have met enjoys scary movies. I use scary to cover anything from horror to thrillers. Those movies that make you squirm, scream, and just look for a way to cover your eyes. Last night I finally got to watch my first film with him. Of course I jumped a few times but when I went to cover my eyes, my hands were quickly pulled away and he said you have to watch otherwise you miss important stuff. So I watched the whole thing, giving up complete control of the volume, the pause button, and using my hands to cover my eyes. I survived the movie and I'm proud to say had no nightmares.

I watched the remake of Evil Dead (2013) having never seen the original film. I plan on watching the original but as of right now I can only imagine what that one is like. I had done a little reading when the remake came out about the original because of an article in Entertainment Weekly. It seemed that the remake was going to be good and was being fully supported by Bruce Campbell who was in the original film.  

I'm no movie reviewer but I will say that I really enjoyed this film. Some parts weren't all that believable and a couple of times I said that would never happen, but overall the movie had a great creepy factor. Many films like to revolve around a group of young people alone in a secluded place finding some random book that is the cause of all the terror they face. So too does this one but the reason they are there is to help a friend kick her drug habit. The ensuing action of the movie gets tense and gruesome.

You do have to pay attention, because there are certain pieces of dialogue that you have to hear in order to understand other events in the movie. One thing that was done during the credits was a voice over with information on the book that is discovered. Upon further discussion with my friend, I found out that it was from the original film and a little bit about how it played a part in that movie version. It was creepy though.

Overall I really enjoyed the movie and I can happily say that I could probably give some really detailed descriptions of what I watched, such as the conversation I had today with Tony about what happens to Mia in the thicket. Yes, that detailed. A good scary movie with plenty of moments for those that still have the reflexes to react to the things they are watching. I look forward to seeing the original and possibly the sequel too. On to the next scary flick I can find.

No Shave November

In less than 40 minutes the clock will rollover to November 1. Halloween was a fun night and I enjoyed handing out candy to the kiddos. Something I get to do every year, I really miss trick or treating with my niece and nephew. I saw lots of superheroes, clowns (yes clowns), and a bunch of other costumes, all the kids were cute.

Now tomorrow is November 1. At this very moment, Tony is in the bathroom shaving for the last time this month. He made a deal that he would grow out a full beard in November, hence no shave November. I'm going to be documenting this whole month because he has never grown out a full beard, only a goatee. I'm super excited about an adventure. It doesn't take much these days.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates.

And Then There Were Two

This year is super exciting for me as a baseball fan and a Dodgers fan. My team has made it through the NLDS and is headed to the NLCS. Now we wait to see if it will be the Pirates or Cardinals we face. If the Pirates move forward we have home field advantage. And to be honest, I would love to see the Dodgers play the Pirates. When I lived back east I loved driving the eight hours to Pittsburgh to see them play at PNC Park.

Tonight, I watched as the first team won the ALDS, the Red Sox. A team that for so long heard chants about 1918 before winning a World Series in 2004, which subsequently made all Yankees fans shut up and have to come up with a new insult to hurl at the Red Sox players and fans. The Red Sox were my "team" when also living back east. They were close, they were fun, and they had a lot of heart. So I'm happy to see they made the ALCS.

The other team tonight also played hard. I remember thinking of the Rays as a team where players went who wanted to play but weren't all that good anymore. It was like the approaching retirement team. Tonight I learned that is not the case at all or ever. They are committed team that fought through every inning tonight trying to make a come back and win. An incredible team effort that you saw stretch all the way to the dug out and bullpen.

Now we wait for the other two teams to be determined. The NLCS will either be the Pirates or Cardinals playing the Dodgers. The ALCS will either be the Tigers or A's against the Red Sox. Both will be exciting to watch as we narrow this down to the final NL and AL team to play in the World Series.

I Am Legend (2007)

Well it has been awhile since I have written about a movie I watched and while I have seen some, I just didn't. My life has turned upside down a couple times in the last year and so keeping up with my blog wasn't a priority. But I am going to try and do this more and if you don't like it don't read it.

On Saturday night I settled in to watch I Am Legend with my mom and Tony. I knew some about the film, but not a whole lot. Yes I knew Will Smith was in it. I knew it was set in New York, that Smith's character was like the last man on Earth, and that was really it. Silly me, it was way more than that.

The movie freaked me out, had me in suspense, and left me shaking my head at the end. Considering this movie is classified as drama, sci-fi, and thriller; it lives up to those classifications for sure because those three words are this movie.

The drama aspect is created by the location of the film, the lack of noise, and Smith's character. When I think of New York, I think of a huge loud city, filled with noises of all kinds. This film has none of that. There's no noise in New York except for the sounds of a single vehicle, a dog bark, and the wild animals that run through every so often. It's creepy and makes the scenes intense. New York is not a silent city and seeing this in the film just makes the movie powerful.

I have to talk about the sci-fi and thriller aspects together because well they work in tandem. I got the movie thinking it would be scary, and in parts it was. But the other part that was even scarier was the idea that what happened in the movie could happen to the population of the world. We hear all the time of major illness outbreaks killing thousands, what's not to say that a vaccine couldn't do the same thing, or mutate people. So yeah, pretty freaky in my eyes. At one point, Tony asked when do we get to kill Emma Thompson, and I said she was probably already dead. Either way, the things in the film are freaky and I wouldn't want to be around to see one in person.

Overall I really enjoyed the movie more than I thought I would. The ending did leave me shaking my head though. To get all that way, realize the solution, and then what happens. I'm trying not to give everything away, but if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. I think however, seeing the final final resolution is rewarding. That made me grin to know it wasn't for nothing.

On a different note, I'm going to try and watch as many scary movies as I can this much between baseball postseason games. The Dodgers are on my TV right now trying to win this game against Atlanta and move on to the NLCS. But when I can I will. I love having Netflix and if I watch them fast enough I can get in quite a few. Next in my queue to get is Lady in White, a film I remember from my childhood that was scary. I'll have to wait and see if it still is.

Long Time No Post

Well hello! It has been a long time since I last posted. A really long time. Things have changed and stuff has come and gone. But I still am here and kicking along.

In April I found a job that I enjoyed. I was working from home and feeling really good. The position had been created for me out of someone's need for a sort of assistant and while that can be scary, I looked at as a way to create and mold a new position that others might be able to use. Yeah, wishful thinking. In the last week of June, the board of directors decided they didn't feel comfortable with it, and my position was eliminated and I was let go July 3. So I moved on and I've been looking for work since, no fish are biting.

During my off time I went and got my insurance license in the hopes it would make me a more desirable candidate. I also became a Notary Signing Agent to try and bring in some extra income by doing loan signings.

I muddle through and keep my fingers crossed. I'll see if I can't get back into doing this again. We'll see.

Mostly Marvelous May

Well it has been awhile again, but there's always time. It's already May, five months into the year and where has it gone. I know where the first three months went, forming a nice dent in my recliner and packing on the pounds. Of course there were some great highlights, but for the majority of the time, I was on my butt.

April things started to turn around. Well, things started turning around in the end of March. I got connected to someone looking to hire someone. We clicked and about two weeks later I had a job. I like this job, I like the company, and the people. Everyone has been wonderful in explaining and training me. I'm starting to find a groove and think by next week I should be on a good pace with what I am doing. Then will come adding new tasks and learning to juggle those with the old ones. I really want to succeed with this position, I feel that it fits me really well.

Second week of April was an insurance conference that I attend regularly every year. It moves around and this year was in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is always fun in general, but I do enjoy when I get to see friends from all over the west coast. The conference was one of the more calmer ones but I think it was successful and insightful.

Another good event happened at the end of April, I turned over my lemon of a car. I had been dealing with it for a year. The thing overheated constantly and they fixed it three times but after that I was done. So through my attorney we have reached a settlement with the car company and I'm free from lemon. I am looking forward to moving on and getting a new car that hopefully, fingers crossed won't be a lemon.

Though I couldn't get through April without some sad happenings. Tony and I made a difficult decision that many pet parents will know too well. Posey, our 16 year old pup, crossed the rainbow bridge. It was a difficult day for us and tiring. She was a wonderful, loyal, and loving dog. She never let anything get to her, not the cats, not the little dogs we got to keep her company, and was always there to greet someone new. She will be missed dearly by everyone who knew her. I know she will always have a part of my heart because she stole it many years ago when she would get into bed with me after Tony left for work even though she wasn't supposed to be on the bed; then stuck her head through the blinds to watch him walk to his car and head to work. Farewell is hard to say to a friend like Posey.

And now it is May. Of course it is only the 3rd day of the month. I know this is going to be a good month, at least that's my hope. No one really knows what's going to happen. I do know that I get a holiday weekend this month. I hope to visit Disneyland once or twice. See a movie or two. Who knows what else. Oh and study for the second to last class to getting my seventh insurance designation. All good things ahead.

Sometimes the Sting Just Hurts

I had made a decision not to long ago to not seek a second term as President of an association I belong to. It was a well thought out decision with lots of thought put into it. I thought I would be okay with it and could deal with it. I was kind of wrong.

The nominating committee released their nominations tonight and I admit that that it stung me. I didn't think it would hurt me much but it did. I felt a sting in my heart and a little sadness. This was my choice, a hard one, but one I had to make. I know that in time it won't feel as bad as it does now.

That's it. I have been dealing with many things and that was what my evening ended with. I think the nominating committee did a good job finding candidates and I wish those nominated much success.

It's a doozy: The Host, New Eats, Film Noir

I haven't taken time to sit down and write so I figured a Saturday night when I'm half tired already is perfect. Not really, I'm more than half tired, I'm really tired. I am awake enough though to write my thoughts for the last few things. So in this post I will talk about three movies and a hole in the wall place to eat. Sounds like fun right.

First up, I saw The Host a week ago when it first came out. I have never read the book by Stephenie Meyer, I have it, just haven't actually taken time to read it. So I went in blind knowing nothing. I found it humorous when Melanie would have conversations with Wanderer in her head, it took me awhile to get over it and deal with it. The acting, was at times, cheesy. The story was interesting though, alien beings coming to Earth and using humans as hosts for their living. Small insurgent groups exist that are fighting to regain control and live in hiding. I just don't know, I think the book might be better, I'll have to read it to find out. My mom did say that the movie was not quite like the book, the story was the same, but she believed the ending was different. I'm kind of glad that we went to the matinee and didn't pay full price. That's a plus.

Flash forward to this past Friday, I know you can. I had lunch with a long time friend that I hadn't seen in quite a while. We decided to meet up near his place in Culver City. At first we had no idea what or where we were going to have lunch. I have just started using Yelp so went there to check out restaurants in the area. I came up with a list of four places. We agreed on Victor Jr's, a pizza place on Washington in downtown Culver City. I love pizza so most are OK with me and this place has OK pizza. I would eat it if it were an option. The downfall, not a lot of seating. There's a small bar inside and about four tables outside. The tables and chairs make for a crammed area so you either have to hope no one is there or be super skinny to fit. Other than that, not a bad place. I think either take out or delivery would be a better option though. Pizza and movies are always good together.

That brings me up to last night. My sister had read in the paper about the Egyptian Theater showing some classic movies, in particular Friday night kicked off their month long Film Noir festival. It is presented by American Cinematheque and the Film Noir Foundation. The first film we got to see was Try and Get Me, which had a young Lloyd Bridges. The film was originally released as The Sound of Fury and was a flop. Try and Get Me is the original name of the picture.

The film is timeless to me. It revolves around a man trying to do good, find a job, support his family, that is lured in to a way to make easy money. People today are in the same boat. The money he brings in is good until his partner decides that they need one big score to be set-up for good. It is a botched kidnapping. Then the media gets a hold of the story and turns a couple of simple and one major crime into a spree and condemn the men before a trial is even on the calendar. A character named Vito is kind of the conscious (I called him the Jiminy Cricket character) trying to convince his media friend to be easy and not pass judgement because it will give rise to mob rule. The film's ending is poignant because the mob rule wins over the legal system.

I have to say that one of the best parts of the film was Lloyd Bridges. My favorite scene is of him in the lock up of the jail. Hanging on the bars and looking like a stark raving mad man. I can see how he could make the transition to comedy, since to me that scene was kind of humorous with this acting. Overall a good film and the copy that was shown was wonderful.

The second film (yep a double feature) was Hell Drivers. This movie was exciting and dangerous. It also has a host of actors that soon would become stars in their own right including Sean Connery and David McCallum (Ducky from NCIS or to others they would know him from a show called The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). I had to lean over and ask Tony if he had spotted anyone of the guys, there are more, and I had not realized which one was Sean Connery, he looked way different and I couldn't even recognize his face. I knew David McCallum as soon as I saw him, his eyes and smile haven't changed (and yes I do have a small crush on him).

In this movie our main character is a recent parolee from prison who takes a job driving for a corrupt company (kind of sounds like many of the large companies today). Again a man trying to do right that ends up in a bad situation. There's a sort of romance in the movie too. I love how in old movies they had to be careful with kissing scenes so they wouldn't get censored. The film is really about the drivers and overcoming the corruption and those involved in the corruption to win and of course the hero gets the girl and the crowd cheered when the bad guys went down.

I know it is a long post but I had so much to get in because I haven't been keeping up. I'm sure many have had that problem. Just have to keep coming back and keep with it.

One more thing, I would like to recognize Roger Ebert who passed away on April 4 from cancer. I haven't read many of his books, Tony has though, but I remember watching him on TV and giving reviews of movies with the famous thumbs up or down. His insight and genius will be missed by many movie lovers around the globe.

Oz the Great and Powerful

I got to see a movie! Yay! I went with my sister to see Oz the Great and Powerful on Wednesday. This was a film I was hoping I would get to see mainly because when I was little I watched The Wizard of Oz over and over and over. Then again I tended to watch things a lot if I really liked them.

The movie is really neat and pays homage to the author L. Frank Baum and the 1939 MGM film. Of course because certain elements of the 1939 film are copyright protected things in this film had to be changed. The movie however is based on the original works with some minor glints of the 1939 film. The most obvious things that I noticed were a lack of ruby slippers (copyright 1939 film) and that the wicked witch has flying baboons instead of monkeys. The best thing is that the film starts off in a sepia tone and then transitions to color just like The Wizard of Oz. Very cool.

The acting was wonderful, although all the close-ups of James Franco's face made me twitch along with his eyebrows. Come to think of it there were a lot of tight face shots of everyone and I couldn't quite figure out why but I am not a director so I'm sure that there was a point I don't know. I will tell you that I did not see the film in 3D.

I was able to make a distinction between what Disney was offering and not keep comparing to a film I loved when I was little. They each stand on their own. This movie is a beautiful trip to Oz that is searching for a leader. The original Wizard is dead, having been given poison. There's a prophecy that another Wizard will come and restore order. The first thing that has to be figure out is which of the three witches to believe and Oscar (Oz) finds out the hard way which is the one to trust. What follows is a story of learning to believe in yourself and use the skills you have to do what you can to make a difference. Aided in his self discovery Oz finds true friends with Finley (a flying monkey in a bell-boy suit) that offers his allegiance.

I would highly go see this movie. If you can stand to see it in 3D go for it, but if not it doesn't lose anything watching it in a standard film format. It will be interesting to see if they make another one and carry forward with the story. Just go in with an open mind and forget everything you know and enjoy the film for what it is.

Here's the link for the film on IMDB: Oz the Great and Powerful.

Trying New Things (or better yet new food)

Yesterday I went and tried a new restaurant with my sister, Elizabeth. I don't usually go new places which was evident during this trip because I was wide eyed and looking at everything. It dawned on me that I really don't try new places all that often. Then as we talked my sister reminded me that I had tried two new places this month.

The first new eatery I tried was for lunch with my sister (we eat a lot together when she is off a day from work) and was in Burbank. The place is called Dino's Pizza. It is pretty much a hole in the wall type shack on a corner. They offer pizza and other yummy items I'm sure. We had pizza and some amazing garlic cheese bread. I love pizza; I also believe that it should be one of the main food groups. Seriously, it has grains (the crust), vegetables (the tomato sauce), dairy (the cheese), and then any other assortments of meat, vegetable and cheese options. See a major food group all on its own. We had a delicious pepperoni pizza and I would totally go back again. There two downsides. The first is the parking, the lot is shared with a mechanic so when both are open the parking is very limited. Second, there is not a huge seating area if you plan to eat there. We went late in the afternoon so it wasn't too bad but I can imagine that it could get packed at busy times of the day. Here's their website if you want to check them out or if you are local go try it Dino's Pizza Burbank.

Yesterday was another opportunity to try a new place. We live close to a shopping center that has two restaurants. One of them is called Cici's Café. This place always has people in the parking lot waiting on the weekends. We were lucky today as there wasn't a crowd and got seated quickly. The menu was incredible, pages and pages of various types of pancakes, French toast, waffles, crepes, and many other foods. I know you're thinking wow what an opportunity to branch out and try something new. Not quite. I had French toast that had cinnamon and powder sugar, pretty much regular French toast with a side of bacon. Elizabeth opted for the traditional pancakes with a side of original café sausage. The French toast was delicious. The pieces of bread were huge, I melted butter on the toast, poured the syrup and dug in. To say it was great doesn't describe it. You have to try it. I can't say anything about the pancakes because I didn't try them, but they were as huge as my French toast. The bacon was like any ordinary bacon. The sausage my sister got was good though.

Finally last night was another attempt at trying something new. My mom, Tony and I went to try Dickey's Barbecue Pit. It was weird to say the least. I went in expecting a sit down restaurant but was surprised to see it was more like a Subway. You start at one end and tell the person what you want and they reach into a large refrigerator and pull out your choice of meat and open the plastic wrap. I had a two meat meal and tried the sliced beef brisket and old recipe polish sausage. The sides I chose were macaroni and cheese and fried onion tanglers. The brisket was OK and the polish sausage was on the spicy side. The macaroni and cheese was just bad and the onions were good. Overall, it was interesting, but I'm not sure I'll go back real soon. Depends on how adventurous I feel. Go ahead and check out their website and give them a try Dickey's Barbecue Pit.

Now I'm wondering where I will try next time. Of course not sure how long it will be before I try something new.

So Many Movies I Want to See

There are so many movies out that I want to see. Times wasting away, I mean January is almost over. I figured I would share a list of the films I hope to see soon.

• Lincoln
• Mama
• Gangster Squad
• Broken City
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
• Movie 43
• Warm Bodies
• Identity Thief
• Side Effects
• Beautiful Creatures

There will be more and I may miss some because they may not be in theaters long. I always find it interesting that some movies come and go so quickly. Fingers crossed that I can get to some of these and share my thoughts on them.

Les Miserables

I have waited quite awhile to write about this movie. I saw it over a week ago. I had to give myself time to come down from the heady high I was in. So before I go any further let me give you some history about me.

I've been told that when I was little I saw a commercial for CATS (the musical) and said I want to do that. I took dance classes, voice lessons, and was even a theater major in college. I had done a lot of shows when I was little all of various kinds. In college I was more behind the scenes then in front of an audience. It never bothered me. One of my favorite experiences in college was being a stage manager for a play. I was absolutely in heaven with what path I had chosen.

In my early preteen and teen years I saw numerous musicals. From CATS to The Who's Tommy. I loved everyone of them. I even saw The Phantom of the Opera on stage in Los Angeles over 100 times (I loved the music and the story). I never got to see Les Miserables . . yet. So for me this film was my first time to experience the action with the music. I know it can't be compared because film is far different from live theater so I won't even go there. I just felt you should know my history.

The opening of the film is when Jean Valjean is in prison, him and the others are pulling a badly damaged ship into a dry dock for repairs. This is also the first time we see Javert overseeing the prisoners. From there we see him released but marked as a prisoner on parole. He would never know a life without this mark. He travels and ends up in a church, taken in by the priest. The first act of kindness he has received. A major turning point in his life. The best part about this is that Colm Wilkinson is the priest, he has portrayed Valjean in numerous cities. A real treat, at least for me.

I could go on with the whole story but I don't want to be a bore. Overall the story is one of rebuilding a life, making a promise, keeping that promise, and just paying forward all the kindness that Valjean was shown that one night at the church. At least that's what he had hoped until his identity becomes known and he is once again on the run from the authorities to keep his promise to Fantine.

Hugh Jackman was amazing! If you saw him host the Oscars with Anne Hathaway then you know this man is talented. He brought the character to life, you always could see in his eyes and body language that he remembered where he came from and where he wanted to be. What he hoped he could be to Cosette. His voice is crystal, overwhelming with emotion, and beautiful. He is reminiscent of the actors that came before him, those that could sing, dance and act.

Anne Hathaway was extremely beautiful even at the lowest point of her life, her Fantine exuded brilliance, life, despair and pride. I saw her interviewed by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show before I had seen the movie and she discussed the filming of her song I Dreamed a Dream. It couldn't be more perfect that way it is presented in the film. She makes you feel that passion that any mother would have to protect her child at all cost.

I heard of some instances where critics did not enjoy or like Russell Crowe's performance as Javert. I would disagree with them. He is the part. He is authoritative, passionate and is duty bound to his position in the government. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance, his voice dark, heavy and gravelly. I loved his rendition of Stars. I think he was perfectly cast and fulfilled his role as well as many others he has had.

I only mention the three, but truly everyone in the film is incredible. It could not have been cast any better. It brought together many of the talented performers in Hollywood that have the ability to hold their own and come together to be a cohesive cast that brought this musical from the stage to the arena of film.

I'm still hoping that one day I will get to see Les Miserables on the stage and I'm sure I will the next time it is in Los Angeles.

And as I always do, here is a link to the IMDB page of the movie Les Miserables.

Laid Up

Well it seems that my plans to see a movie every week has to be put on hold.

I had to get a tetanus shot on Wednesday and then saw my doctor Friday. I was told to elevate my foot as much as possible because of the bite. That means no walking or really normal sitting for awhile.

I hope to go next week. So many good movies out and I want to see them. For now I'll survive with my DVDs and Netflix.

Sometimes Life Hits Hard

It's been awhile. I haven't been to the movies since I saw Sinister. I have however been watching plenty of holiday movies between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes however life gets in the way.

The first week of December my cat Sport went missing. I was heartbroken, lethargic, and wondering why a cat who has lived indoors all his life would ever want to go outside. There are many possibilities of how and why he got out. I went to the shelters that were local and left fliers in the hopes that if he ended up there I could get him back. Then something strange and wonderful happened. I heard a meow while in the bathroom, I ran outside thinking he was right under the window, but he wasn't there. I convinced myself that I was just hearing things because I wanted him back so much. Then a day or so lately, sitting in the living room with my mom and Tony, we all heard a meow, faint and pleading. We took off in different directions, mom and I out the front door, and my other half out the back door. Still we couldn't see him and heard no other meowing. Finally, Tony started looking at the crawl space under the house and thought maybe he's under the house. We put a can of wet food out in the crawl space and waited. Tony went out to look and there he was! Skinny and scared but there, alive. He's made a full recovery and gained the weight back he's lost. My life went back to feeling normal and I was looking forward to December.

Well then of course there's been the last few weeks. I started a new job in the second week of December and that pulled my focus to get acclimated and be successful. Tony had to work a few Saturdays and we just weren't getting out to movies like we had planned. Christmas came and went and still no new movies were seen. We were watching our holiday favorites: A Christmas Story, The Muppet Christmas Carol, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Elf, The Ref, Fred Clause, It's a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas. On a continuous loop they went through the DVD player.

So now it is the third day of the new year, 2013. Tony and I have plans to once again see a new movie every week. We are going to try for Lincoln this Saturday, I've got my fingers crossed everything falls into place. And hopefully nothing gets in the way, of course I did get bit today on my little pinkie toe, but that probably won't keep me from limping to the movie theater.

Here's to 2013!