3 for 1!

This weekend I was laid up on the couch with a sinus infection. There's not much to do when you're not feeling good except watch movies and read books. I did both! This weekend I watched three movies while I made sure the couch didn't move and Hank made sure I was warm all weekend.

The first movie I watched was Brothers. It's got Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. I love all three of them and watched the movie mainly because of those three actors. Well, I got my socks knocked off. I've never seen Tobey Maguire play a psycho before but there's no other way to describe his character. He's a marine that goes to Afganistan and his helicopter is shot down. His family thinks he's dead and they try to move on with their life. What really happened was he survived the crash and was taken hostage. Months later he returns home and he's just "not right" after that. It's another side of war that we don't see very often, the PTSD and other psychological problems and how the families have to deal with this when these soldiers return. It is a very hard and harsh movie. It is a very intense movie. I really enjoyed it but I also know this isn't a movie for everyone. Watch at your own risk.

The second movie I watched was Birds of America. Same as the first, I watched it because of the cast. Matthew Perry (LOVE HIM), Ben Foster, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lauren Graham, and Hilary Swank. I know I should probably quit watching movies because of the actors but then...I probably wouldn't watch all the movies I do and besides what else would I do when I'm home sick? I had already cleaned out the DVR and I'm almost finished with my Instant Queue on Netflix. So...Birds of America. Matthew Perry is the older brother of Ben Foster and Ginnifer Goodwin. Their parents die when MP is 18 and he is left to raise them. He never has that wild and crazy college experience like so many of us do. He had to become a responsible parent very early in life. He loses touch with his younger sibilings and really doesn't understand where he is in his own life (probably something we can all related to...how did I get here?). Well, he bonds with his younger brother and sister and starts to find a new direction or at least a backbone. How the movie got to that conclusion is SO WEIRD! Again, not a movie I would recommend. This story has probably been done better (Beautiful Girls!) and not nearly as strange. It was funny in a strange way but the strange really is the major factor in this movie.

The last movie I watched was Just Go With It with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. It's a little more touchy-feeling than any of the other Happy Madison productions but I still laughed out loud a lot. I would highly recommend it if you're a Happy Madison fan. I'll never forget the summer between my freshman and sophmore year in high school. We watched Billy Madison so many times we literally broke the tape. Ah, good times. I guess we all have to grow up a little and so is Adam Sandler. Trust me there is still plenty of Billy left in him. Fun movie, two thumbs up. Oh! And I was seriouly surpriesd by two cameos. I won't tell you. I'll just let you be surprised, too! Funny!

Heeeelllloooo Johnny Depp!

You know how the MTV movie awards have goofy or strange categories like "Best Kiss"? Well, I've never really cared about what was nominated for the Best Kiss category until now. Monday night we skipped Halloween and went out to eat and went to the movies (more on that later). We went to see The Rum Diary with Johnny Depp. It is the first movie that ever made me want to ask for a time out while I grab my husband! HAVE MERCY! That movie has the best kiss in it ever and now I have a Johnny Depp crush! Whoo! It's been two days and I still get a shiver just thinking about how awesome that kiss was!

The movie was really funny. Not in a Hangover kind of way but in a Hunter S. Thompson kind of way. P.S. Am I the only person familiar with Hunter S. Thompson? I've talked about this movie with two different groups of people and when I say the movie is based on a book by Hunter S. Thompson I am met with blank stares. Come on folks! How can this be? It really makes me sad. How can you not know about a guy that had his ashes shot out of a cannon? Johnny Depp was actually the guy that set off the cannon by the way. How is it that I am the only one that knows about this?

Anyway, the movie was great. I told Jeff that it would be trippy because it was based on HST's book and I don't think he really believed me until the trippy stuff started happening. I don't think anyone on earth could have played the part better than Johnny Depp. Yes, I now have a new celebrity crush. I swear I still get goose bumps thinking about the most perfect cinematic kiss I've ever seen. I give this movie two thumps up! I loved it!

And I'm sorry if you think I'm horrible for skipping Halloween. Can I explain now? I honestly don't mind trick-or-treaters. When we first moved in our house I was so happy to finally live in a neighborhood with kids and get to participate in Halloween. All our neighborhood kids came by the house fairly early and we would visit with everyone for a few minutes but as the night grew later the kids got older and bigger. Kids that weren't from our part of town started coming to our neighborhood to t-o-t. I felt like I needed Jeff standing with me to hand out candy and decided then I probably don't need to be answering the door. And the sad truth is I felt more like these "kids" were casing my house instead of enjoying a fun holiday. So, we turned off all the lights, locked the doors and went to eat pizza and watch a movie this year.

Thank you Halloween for my new obsession with Johnny Depp and his kissing skills! YUM!

I Hate Multiple Puncuations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do people feel the need to add a zillion exclamation points or question marks? I will admit that I've been guilty of using the !? when really excited and on occasion I have even used two exclamation points for something that seems really exciting when texting or e-mailing with a friend but what's with holding down the button during work e-mails?

Is it just me or do you feel like someone is angry with you when you get a message asking a question with two or more question marks??? It seems like an angry question to me. Or maybe the person has arthritis and they couldn't make their pinkie finger stop??? Or maybe they didn't pay attention in class and missed the whole single punctuation mark lesson??? OR MAYBE THEY ARE JUST STUPID!!!!!!!!!!! (are you enjoying the overuse????)

It bothers me. I just got an e-mail that was work related and I counted how many exclamation points there were...there were 11!!!!!!! A client asked for a phone number. I gave it to her. She replied back with this message:

invalid # I have dialed several times!!!!!!!!!!!

Was that really worth all of the exclamation points? I've got to tell you folks, in case you don't know me, if you push me it makes me dig in my heels. When I get a message like that I feel the need to tell you to try google and all the while I'm typing I am giving you a mental middle finger. Seriously folks, please lay off the exclamation points! We get it if it's a question it only takes one and if you're excited...I'll give you two but past that you're official annoying and/or stupid.

Thanks and have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welmed?

So, this morning I had SO much stuff piled on my desk I started to feel overwhelmed. I thought that to myself, "Whew, I'm starting to get overwhelmed". And then the word got stuck in my head...overwhelmed. Have you ever said a word so many times that it starts to sound wrong? I did that as I was powering through my pile and getting stuff done. Overwhelmed, overwhelmed, overwhelmed, overwhelmed... ad nauseum.

P.S. I got EVERYTHING but one thing done and as much as I wish I could get that done before I go home...it's not happening.

And then I had a thought. On a regular day, am I just whelmed? I've heard of people being underwhelmed. I know I felt overwhelmed. Is anyone ever...whelmed? Food for thought.

Day 4 - 28 Day Challenge

Day 4 - Or as I like to call it CRASH & BURN DAY! Yes, we failed.

Now, can I explain?

So, for breakfast we had our fruit and it was the first day we were disappointed. The mango I cut up wasn't ripe (I have no idea how to tell if it's ripe or not!) and it was so tough and hard to eat. So, I had a banana for a snack mid-morning. I was excited. I was motivated. We were going to do this! So, for lunch I had the leftover chicken soup (STILL GOOD!) and Jeff went to eat at Sakura. He swore that he stayed away from the soy sauce and everything else that is on the "do not eat" list. He said he got 1 roll that only had raw fish in it. So, we're on track. Jeff survived his first trip to a restaurant and we were going to make it! YESSSSSS!!

Then it was time for dinner. Well...shit. (Pardon) So, I'm taking off work tomorrow and I had to stay late to get some things set up tomorrow. I ended having to stay WAY late for a closing that had complications. I didn't get home until after 6:00. I know to most people this may be normal or even good but for us to cook these healthy meals we need every minute we've got after work. So, the only thing we had left to eat this week was fish. I finally got home and we got the fish out...and it STUNK!! FUNKY! We decided that even if we did cook it neither of us wanted to eat anything that smelled like that. So, chicken. Yeah, I froze the chicken last night because we'd used all the chicken recipes I had for the week. WOOPS! So, what were we going to do? It's now 6:30. The fish was in the trash and the chicken was frozen. We ordered salads from Cracker Barrel. Not terrible, right? We keep trying to tell ourselves that. There was A LOT on that salad that is on the "do not eat" list this week and we ATE IT ALL! YUM!! We ate the eggs, cheese, and fat free ranch dressing (which has dairy!).

I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to have 4 whole days of doing great (which I think we could have pushed to the rest of the week). Salads are better than burgers and fries, right? We are still motivated to keep doing well. We both feel better and we can both tell a difference in how we feel!

Oh, I forgot to tell you Jeff actually got up today and did yoga with me. So, we're going to keep getting up to exercise. We're going to keep eating our fruit for breakfast and leftovers for lunch. Tomorrow night we'll have a chicken meal for dinner. We did fall off for dinner but not WAY far off. Not as far off as I would have liked (hamburger & fries).

NOW! For our wonderful news! We're having the yard re-landscaped!! WHOO-HOO! So, after a motivating meal with croutons, cheese, eggs & fat free ranch dressing we were motivated to get out in the yard and do a little work ourselves! Jeff says we worked off all the bad stuff we ate. Whatever, that salad was SO good!

Wish us luck tomorrow and the rest of the week!

Day 3 - 28 Day Challenge

Ding! Ding! Ding! We finally have a winner!

So, we've survived three whole days of eating healthy and not cheating. I won't lie. Today was SO hard. Both of us were having withdrawl symptoms today. I swear to you I craved EVERYTHING that is bad but tastes so good!! Today I honestly considered going to The Baker's Rack today. Probably the only thing that saved me was the fact that I didn't have any cash and would have had to use my debit card and Jeff would have seen that! I almost ate some popcorn, too. Popcorn doesn't sound too bad, right? Yeah. It was movie theater butter flavored popcorn. BUT I RESISTED!! Honestly, I just hope to make it through tomorrow. If I can make it for 4 days then I can make it 7, right? So, I'm almost to my first goal!

Okay, today we had the bowl of fruit again (still good). For lunch we had the shredded chicken over the cucumber, green pepper & basil salad. I had the oil & viniger dressing that I made. JEFF had poppy seed dressing (NOT ON THE LIST). Then he had two crackers. Yes, they were whole wheat crackers but that wasn't on the list either. I had a banana for dessert and Jeff had an apple.

For dinner we finally had a winner! Jeff gave it an A! I was so excited. I must say that out of everything we cooked this smelled the best. This recipe will definitely get put into our regular lineup once we're done. It was fast, easy and healthy. It doesn't get much better than that! So, we made chicken soup with onions, garlic, sweet potato, collard greens and chicken. If you're like me then you probably think the collard greens sound funky but it was SO good! Oh, I forgot there was Almond Butter in it. That's what gave it isn't great flavor. We were both so happy to have finally found a recipe that was a hit!

So, today's suggestion was to start a stress log. It sayes to make a note every time something or someone causes stress. I guess this isn't too foreign to me. If something upsets me I usually write an e-mail or text to one of my friends. So, I either need to also write it down in a journal or only write it in the journal and leave the fun happy stuff to talk to my friends about. So, I'll start now: I was stressed today because I couldn't eat a cheeseburger! I was stressed because I hated that I'd started this stupid challenge and I so desperately wanted to give up today and go eat some bad stuff. I have a gift card to Cracker Barrel and I tried to get Jeff to go eat it. He told me no. He said we had to eat at home because we'd spent so much on groceries. His family called and asked us to go eat at Logan's with them tonight. I was PUMPED! I was envisioning ordering the meatloaf with mashed potatoes...and some other AWESOME unhealthy side! But he told them no so we ate at home. I'm glad we stayed home and finished another day of healthy eating.

And...we still haven't given up TV. The ESPY's are this week. Yeah, sorry. Not happening Martha. The ESPY's are my favorite awards show. FAVORITE. So, if I'm going to watch that tomorrow night then I might as well enjoy tonight, too, right? And besides, if I have to give up awesome food then can't I at least have the pleasure of watching TV? So, maybe next week!

Three days down! 25 to go. YIKES!

Day 2 - 28 Day Challenge

Hello world. We're here. We're staying on track begrudgingly!

This morning I set my alarm early and...actually got up! I had intended to walk the neighborhood with Hank but it was so hot and humid that we only walked our street (just long enough for Hank to do is business in someone elses yard - hehe). I went back in and did yoga instead. I'll be doing yoga every morning until this heat breaks. Jeff didn't get up with me. He came in the den about the time I was finishing my yoga.

Today after work we did yoga again. I wanted to do more but Jeff said he was too hungry so that's all we did before I fixed dinner and cut up fruit for tomorrow's breakfast.

For breakfast we had our fruit again. For lunch we had the leftover vegetarian chili. That chili was SPICY yesterday and I expected it to get worse overnight but it wasn't bad today at lunch. For dessert after lunch I had a banana. I took an apple to work with every intention of eating it during my typical snack time but I never got the chance. I was slammed at work today since my boss was gone. There is a certain "person" that I feel like can't do her job without Alan holding her hand and since he wasn't there today I had to help her along. *eye roll* For dinner we had shredded chicken on a salad...but not just any salad. It was cucumbers, green peppers and basil with an oil, vinegar & lime juice dressing. It was the first meal (besides the fruit for breakfast) that I thought, OH YEAH! But Jeff gave it an "Eeehh" rating. So, I was a little bummed that he didn't like it like I did. I will admit that I got a bite of basil one time and it made my eyes pop. Except for that one bite I thought the flavors mixed well. Jeff had an apple for dessert tonight.

Um, we just saw a preview for Denny's and it looked HEAVENLY! I think we'll probably go to Waffle House after this is done and gorge ourselves on all the things we're not going to eat over the next month. Then we'll probably go to Wendy's to get a Frosty...and who knows where else we'll go but we're both salivating for nasty, greasy, heavenly food!

So, today's task was to give up TV and reduce on-line time. Yeah, that's not happening. At least not today. Tonight is the MLB home run derby. It is the only time I watch any type of baseball with Jeff and we always love watching the home run derby. I LOVE the home run derby. I don't think I can say that enough. We've watched it every year since we've been together. So, usually I pick a favorite to watch. I'm a BIG Boston Red Sox fan. My reasons are totally silly and female but I don't care. So, I'm pumped that my boys have two guys in the derby: Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz a/k/a Big Papi! I should be pumped that right now Gonzalez is in the lead with 9 but I'm not going to lie...Robbie Cano was a BEAST!! His hits were incredible! A-MAZING! But nothing...and I mean NOTHING will ever beat the year Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round and 35 total. He didn't win but he stole the show. I was cheering for him that night! What a great story, he got his little league coach to pitch to him and I just loved it all. You're a cold hearted person if you didn't love it, too!

And finally, have you seen the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium? I've never seen anything like it! It's called Chase Field and it's in Phoenix. It has a retractable roof that many football and baseball stadiums have now but do you know what it has that I've never seen before? A SWIMMING POOL! You know how the Redbirds have a patio that you can rent out for parties? The Jackson Generals have one, too. Well, so do the Diamondbacks but it has a POOL! HOW COOL IS THAT? If I win the lottery then I'm renting that party deck and we're going to swim and watch baseball! Someone just hit a home run in the pool! I'm shocked and impressed!

Good night folks...2 days down & 26 to go. Whew!

Day 1 - 28 Day Challenge

The dawn arrived bright and hot and I woke up motivated! Today is the day that Jeff and I get healthy! Did you watch the movie Julie & Julia? It's the duel story about Julie Powell and Julia Child. It is a fun and funny movie. Well, this is the TOTAL opposite of that movie! Julie Powell took a year to cook her way through Julia Child's cook book. I just want to take 28 days to try to develop some healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

Okay, so Hank woke us up at 7:00 this morning. I decided to make our first breakfast: Fruit. Black grapes, mango, kiwi, peaches, and plums. Along with the fruit is a sauce to top it. Applesauce, honey, water and...tahini. Ever heard of tahini? Yeah, me neither. It is sesame paste. Jeff didn't try the sauce on his bowl of fruit. I did. I'm indifferent. It definitely didn't enhance the bowl of fruit. I don't know what the nutritional value is of the sauce so I figure we'll leave that off the rest of the week. Yes, that is our breakfast for the rest of the week.

After breakfast Jeff and I sat down to watch The Fighter (great movie!). After watching the movie it was time for lunch which was two bean vegetarian chili. It was decent. It probably won't be on the menu after this week but it was good. AND it was easy to make! I always worry that Martha's recipes will be too in depth for me. So, two meals down and things are looking good. Except for the mess I made! While fixing lunch I opened a can of black beans to pour in my pan and I spilled the bean juice down the side of my cabinet. Well, that got me going. I cleaned the whole kitchen. I cleaned out the fridge, pantry, spice cabinet and EVERY cabinet and drawer in the kitchen and then I cleaned them all as well! I am TIRED! I think I threw out 4 bags of garbage and got a great yard sale pile started. I swear I don't think our kitchen looked this clean even when we first moved in. I didn't think I had 4 bags of trash in the kitchen but I was wrong.

So, then after a quick trip to Lowe's it was time to start dinner. Dinner was a super easy recipe, too. Although it too will not be added to our regular menu. For dinner we had fresh salmon baked in the over with olive oil and salt and pepper on a bed of lentils, carrots, onion, spinach (was supposed to arugula but I couldn't find any). Neither of us were impressed but we both ate our dinner! All the meals have been hearty and filling but trying to be good is not easy!

As we were leaving Lowe's Jeff asked if I wanted to go to Wendy's to get a Frosty. OF COURSE! Yes, I want a frosty but I really want to succeed in this challenge. Maybe we'll go directly back to our old ways but I'd at least like to try. Jeff was disappointed (and I was too secretly) but we survived the drive down Vann Drive and all the unhealthy and appealing restaurants!

In addition to eating healthy the challenge gives a daily task for us to try. Today's task was to begin a week long media fast: no TV and cut back on online time. We did NOT give up TV today. Mainly because I wasn't ready. What else were we going to do on this scorchingly hot day? We'll give up TV tomorrow. Tomorrow's task is to go to bed 10 minutes early and every day go to bed 10 minutes earlier until you've added a whole hour of sleep to your cycle. Not a problem! I'll swap the suggested tasks for today and tomorrow.

So, Week 1 is all about detox. Foods to avoid this week are: added sugar, processed foods or beverages, alcohol, caffeine, wheat/gluten, eggs, dairy, peanut products, fruit juices, soy and corn. When I read that in the magazine it doesn't seem too bad. Talk to me tomorrow when I'm at work and I'm itching to go to The Baker's Rack at 2:30 for my afternoon snack! I can pack a banana and an apple but neither of those sounds nearly as appetizing as an oatmeal raisin cookie or a mud cookie or anything over there!

Ah, well! As Day 1 draws in a close I'm still determined to stick to this and finish without cheating (too much!). Wish me luck! And Jeff, too!

28 Day Mind & Body Challenge

Martha Stewart and Dave Ramsey don't mix!

So, Jeff and I have been fans of Dave Ramsey since our second Christmas as a married couple. Jeff was surfing through the channels as most guys do when he stumbled across a Dave Ramsey special on PBS. We were rivited! We couldn't move, talk or change the channel. We loved him. He was funny, relatable and he motivated us! We decided to try some of his methods. It worked okay for us. Then last year something clicked in me and I decided to get even more motivated financially so we participated in the Financial Peace University and while Jeff has always been responsible monitarily I was a "wild child" so there was a yin/yang thing going on at our house. Well, after FPU I'm more in tune with what we spend, when we spend and how we spend. I LOVE having a budget. Do you know why I love having a budget? Because when I go buy a new outfit a Talbots and Jeff sees the bag and questions me about it I can look at him and say, "It's in the budget!" I LOVE THAT!

So, enter Martha Stewart. I love Martha Stewart. I've loved her for a while. I don't know when or why I started watching and reading her but I did. No, I don't do anything I see in her magazines or on her show. I just enjoy watching her and reading her magazine. Well, if you're at all familiar with Martha then you know she has a multiple shows and multiple magazines. I subscribed to two of her magazines. Well, on one of her shows she was talking about an article that was running in another magazine (that I don't subscribe to - Whole Living) and that it was a 28 Day Mind & Body Challenge. It actually interested me and I really wanted to try this challenge for a while. Well, the time has finally come. The stars have aligned and moons are shining on me. I"m ready to start this challenge.

So, what is this 28 Day Mind & Body Challenge? Well, it is a challenge to eat better and live a healthier, fuller life. So, what do we do for this challenge? Would you believe too much? I have decided this was the week to start for a while now. Jeff's finally done with WestStar and no longer traveling, we're both healthy, we're no longer care givers. It is time to do all the things that we've been putting off! Jeff has been saying for a while that he wanted to eat healthier and so I gave him the deadline of today.

Yesterday was the prep day. I went to the farmer's market in Jackson to try to buy local, fresh produce. It was a fun experience. I only spent $22.00 and got a TON of produce. Then...I went to Kroger to buy the rest of the ingredients. Umm...CRAP! Dave Ramsey would have FLIPPED if he'd seen how far over budget I went on groceries this week! I'm flipping...and you KNOW Jeff's flipping. It's all I've heard about for the last two days. Ugh! Eating healthy is EXPENSIVE!

So, what did Jeff and I eat yesteday before we started this 28 Day Challenge?

Breakfast - McDonald's
Lunch - Chick-fil-A
Dinner - Chicken and cheese enchiladas

NOT HEALTHY! But needless to say, it wasn't time to start eating healthy yet so we took advantage to eat lots of processed and unhealthy food (that tastes SO dang good!). Please follow me on this journey as we try new and crazy recipes and try to live a healthier and fuller life...at least for the next 28 days!

Larry Crowne - With An E!

Last night our "ladies group" went to see Larry Crowne. Tom Hanks wrote and starred in the movie along with Julia Roberts. I loved it! If you want to watch an inspiring an uplifting movie then this is for you! Don't worry, it's not sad. You know I am Patti's daughter and if she can cry everytime someone says "Amen" then you know I'm not far behind and I didn't even tear up once.

I loved both Tom Hanks character and Julia Roberts character! I'm more keenly aware of actors now and I always wonder if I'll see them as their previous characters. No worries, Forrest Gump and Erin Brokovich were not in evidence in this movie. I will be SHOCKED if this movie is nominated for any awards but that doesn't mean that I'm not in awe of this movie. Tom Hanks wrote it. He WROTE the movie. Yes, I know, someone writes every movie but even as I watched it I wondered to myself "Did he write that or was that improv?" I am in awe that someone created such a good, fun movie. I don't know why this movie is sticking out in my head so much because he wrote it. I loved That Thing You Do (which was a critical flop but cult classic). I know he wrote and starred in it but this movie was so warm and funny. I'm in love with Larry Crowne - Crowne with an E!

I hope you'll check this out sometime soon. It makes me feel like I can do anything! I know I need to do something and stop floating along. Maybe this movie will be a motivating factor and help me get my nose out of a book, my butt off the couch and get me moving. If not, I really enjoyed it for the entertainment value! Two thumbs up! Loved it!!

Flattery will get you...EVERYWHERE!

I think that's a quote from Samantha Jones on Sex and The City but...it's true for most women. I just had the funniest e-mail from a friend and it made my day. I just had to share. And for me...if you make me laugh and make me feel good, then you're going to get moved a few notches higher in my book!

I'll try to give a quick back story: The Lester family is good friends with the Aylor family. Adam, the oldest Aylor is a year younger than Jeff & Jeremy. The whole time Jeff and I dated, got married and all that Adam was in Iraq (he was a Marine). He came home for Danny's funeral which is the first time we met. Margie doesn't allow shoes in the house. So, we're all sitting in the living room and there are so many people around that the "kids" are sitting in the floor. Adam and I were sitting next to each other and quitely getting to know each other while all the adults are doing their "mourning" thing. All of a sudden Adam says quite loudly (practically yelled). "Oh! My! God! Look at your toes! They're like fingers!" And thus began Adam's obsession of my toes.

I've received many texts, Facebook posts and e-mails from Adam throughout the years and they always have an opening like similar to: "Hello my finger toed beauty". Yes, it's silly but I swear to you it makes my day. I will get a cheek ache from laughing and smiling at Adam's silly messages.

Today was the mother of all messages! He sent me a youtube video! It doesn't get any more funny than this! It is The Cleverlys - Podophiliac.

I'm not smart enough to put the video in this post. Maybe someone will teach me this weekend...

Gone Baby Gone is Great Baby Great

I'm in love. I've got a new celebrity crush. Casey Affleck, Ben's little brother. I have never thought anything about Casey except the fact that I thought he was riding his beautiful brother's coat tails and I thought he needed to go away. He proved me wrong. He is the lead character in Gone Baby Gone and I'm in Love Baby Love! I can honestly tell you that I forgot he was Ben's little brother or the guy from the Ocean's movies...I was so engrossed in the story. He made me believe he was Patrick Kinzie.

Now, this movie is wonderful. It's been running through my mind all last night and all this morning. To tell you Jeff's Lester's thoughts on the movie: "It is a mind freak." If this situation were to ever happen to me in real life I don't know if MY moral compass would point north. I might have to side with Michelle Monaghan's character. I really might. I don't want to give away the movie to any of those that haven't seen it that want to watch it. But I do think there is a big difference between men and women and the choices we make and my heart leads towards what Michelle Monaghan's character said and did.

Something I loved about this movie was the deep faith that Casey's character had. Anyone that's been to Boston or watched any movie about Boston knows about the large Catholic community in the area and Casey's character frequently quoted his priest and his moral compas always pointed north no matter how difficult the decision was. I honestly loved that.

If you liked the movie The Departed then you will love Gone Baby Gone. It was a very gripping movie about the choices people make and how the ripple effects are felt in the others around you. It gets two thumbs WAY up! Loved it baby loved it!

I do want to leave you with the opening lines of the movie. The really spoke to me: "I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are. Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here take pride in these things, like it was something they'd accomplished. The bodies around the souls, the cities wrapped around those." I know my home town, my home church, my family and all that is "Dyer" shaped me and for that, I thank you!

You SERIOUSLY Gross Me Out!

Okay, I just can't hold it in any longer. I have to post this somewhere and I feel like only a rare few read this whereas everyone would see this on Facebook...so. Here we go. Down in the rabbit hole that are my pet peeves. Where do I start?

1. Please stop slurping! My next door neighbor at work slurps all her drinks. I really do not want to HEAR you drink your slimfast. I used to think she slurped her coffee because it was hot but now she's on a diet and she's drinking slimfast and all she does is slurp! I'm on the verge of knocking down some walls with my disgust of hearing her drink her beverages. Why was no one taught that is not only rude but gross...and as I type, she just took a big gulp...my skin is crawling.

2. PLEASE, Dear Sweet Baby Jesus, PLEASE stop scraping your fork on your teeth! I honestly don't know which is the worst offense to me. At the moment probably the slurping because it's what I'm hearing but when people eat their meals and scrape their teeth on their fork it's all I can do to stay at the table. Recently I was sharing a meal with said teeth/fork scraper. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and continue the conversation as if nothing were wrong. I have NO idea what I said during the meal. The whole time I was seated I was envisioning myself getting up, no excuses, no comments to my fellow diner, just walking right out the door and not returning. It was making my skin crawl! Then, to top it off I start to over analyze the eating technique of my fellow diner. Most people have been on the receiving end of an awkward handshake, right? The "dead hand" guy that doesn't squeeze or shake, just throws his dead hand up there for you to hold? Yeah, watching this person eat was much like experiences a "dead hand" shake. This person would open their mouth for the fork and push the fork against their top teeth and pull! AAAAHHHH!!! Even picturing it I'm getting grossed out. Please, for all things Holy in this life, insert the fork, close your lips and pull the fork out...without the use of teeth! But, even if you couldn't break that habit at least I couldn't see you "dead teeth" the fork! You disgust me.

3. And, smacking. Most of us would think that smacking would be associated with eating, correct? Not so, my friends! I have two co-workers that make smacking sounds when they talk. SO WEIRD! Especially a certain someone, he always clamps his mouth shut and then there is this big suction sound followed by a massive smack as he is about to profoundly expound on the subject at hand. I think all the air in the room leaves as this event occurs. I can't believe the walls of his office are still standing! Then my next door neighbor (Slimfast Slurper) makes a smacking/squeaking noise every time she talks. Does her mouth create too much saliva? Does she need to see a doctor about this? I don't know but it baffles me.

4. Ah, the open mouth chewers! I have many of these in my family, I'm ashamed to say (along with some slurpers & teeth scrapers...they're everywhere)! Just last night I was getting a pedicure with a friend and we were discussing some fellow Jacksonians and I made a comment that I liked someone but I could not share a meal with her (or at least sit across from her during the meal) because she's an open mouthed chewer. My thought about this certain mouth chewer (as with most mouth chewers) is that her nose doesn't work. She must have a deviated septum or something that blocks oxygen from entering through her nose so she uses her mouth and therefore she doesn't realize that she's an open mouth chewer. Folks, come on! I do not want to see your chew your food like Mazie the Cow! Please shut your mouth!

Please do not draw any attention to yourself when you are eating...just quietly eat, drink and consume your food. PLEASE?! SERIOUSLY PLEASE!?

Okay, I could probably go on but we'll stop with the food pet peeves today. Thank you for letting me share...By the way, I know that I have appalling manners in certain areas and that overall I shouldn't judge. That is how I keep my friends and keep my mouth shut (except when the "family" part of my brain kicks in and it's out before I realize it). I will happily say that for those of my friends and family I do truly love...I honestly don't notice if you do any of this stuff...it's just the people that haven't reached that pinnacle of my inner circle.

Best Weekend...Maybe Ever!

This weekend we went to Dyer for Liz's wedding. I always love going home to Dyer but this weekend really seemed to be so much sweeter...and I'm going to get sappy so watch out!

Friday night we went to eat at the country club with my parents, grandmother and some of the Dyer crew. Nathan met us there and then Justin & Allison joined us later. The spotlight of that night was when my grandmother asked if there was going to be dancing at the reception. We told her yes. She asked if anyone was going to dance with her. My dad said he could pay someone to dance...then Nathan asked how much he was paying. At that my grandmother sat up in her chair and said, "Nathan, you should volunteer to dance with me! You shouldn't have to be paid! In my next life you're not going to get to swim in my pool, go to my lake house or sleep in my king sized bed with pretty girls." Needless to say, we were all laughed pretty hard at that. We had a good, slow night that night.

Saturday morning dawned bright...and hot! I got over to the farm about 9:00 and got put to work right away. There were flowers to arrange, chairs to position and messes to clean. We put out luminaries to guide folks for the parking and we just tried to make sure that everything was in place before it was time to go to church. Jeff spent the morning putting out luminaries and then he and Tom & Jay spent the rest of the morning getting ice for all the beverages. I think they had a good time doing that.

After lunch I went to the church to help my mom and Mrs. Doris make sure everything was ready for the ceremony. To quote my mother, "it was hotter than blue blazes out there." I played in the sprinkler at church. You know it's hot when you're a fully dressed, grown-up and you play in the sprinkler beside the church bell at church! HOT...I swear I've never seen Patti's face so red in all my life.

Then we ran home and got ready for the wedding as quickly as we could! That was entertaining and a mad house all at the same time, Scott, Jeff, Patti, Cathy and Marilyn Skiles all running around taking showers and trying to get ready. We were passing the hair dryer, hair straightener and jewelry around. We were all cracking up. At one point Marilyn was in my parents bathroom putting on makeup and my dad walked in with a towel around his waste and he said, "I'm cover...besides we're friends." Yes, folks! Only in Dyer. Man, I love Dyer.

Seeing all the different neighbors out and about helping get ready for Liz's wedding really was fun and special and it really made me grateful to be from Dyer and to know what good friends are, what good fun is and when you've got both you're blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

To top off this incredible weekend, I went to church with my parents on Sunday morning. I've pulled a lot of stunts in that church (some intentional & some not). I can remember getting to church late and everyone in the choir loft motioning for me to get up there...so what did I do? I walked through the middle of church and waved at everyone. I was told that I loved to twirl in my frilly dresses when they made the little kids get up to sing or put on a skit...I'm sure there's plenty more but overall...I can say that I am blessed to have grown up in such a loving and wonderful place as Dyer First United Methodist Church. Yesterday I was sitting there listening to the sermon and I was looking around at all the familiar faces and sites of the church. As I was sitting there the church suddenly got brighter. Logically I know that there was probably a cloud in front of the sun and after it moved things got brighter. Well, as a little girl when I would sit in church I would always imagine that was Jesus giving us a "hug" as we sat in his house. The stained glass gets brighter and the colors are reflected on the walls and it just seems warmer in the church, like you're getting a hug from your best friend. So, yesterday while I was sitting there and it got brighter I couldn't help but think I was getting another hug, surrounded by my family and some of my favorite people on this planet. It felt good. It felt really good. I hope everyone is so lucky to have a place where they feel that loved and welcome. If not, then I hope you make a trip to Dyer First United Methodist Church soon. Their arms will be open to you.

SHUT UP Patti LuPone!

I'm sure not many of you are die hard Will & Grace fans like I am. There was an episode where Will told Jack that he didn't think Jack was a very good friend to him. So, they went to dinner and the dinner was supposed to be all about Will. Of course, during this dinner Jack is tested to the max when the award winning actress, singer, dancer Patti LuPone is seated directly behind them. Jack desperately wants to get a piece of Patti LuPone's hair (side story) but instead channels all his attention to Will and tries to be the best friend to Will. During the episode Patti LuPone is asked to sing some of her famous songs from her more famous characters on Broadway and Jack wants to do nothing more than get up and sing and dance with her but he's trying so very hard to prove to Will that he's a good friend and at one point he screams, "SHUT UP PATTI LUPONE!"

And how this relates to me, there is a woman that is so very nice and kind but when she asks legal questions (yes, she has been to law school) I have visions of Jack screeching "SHUT UP PATTI LUPONE!" and I want to yell that at her!

Thank you for reading my short rant today!

P.S. I'm doing a major yard renovation so I'll try to get back to blogging once I'm done with that.

Trip to a local bank

So, I had to visit a local bank for work business. The bank is not my personal bank or one that we use at the firm. Just a local bank that we randomly do business with occassionaly. I'm not usually a fan of going to this bank because I don't feel as if I receive "quality" service there. Today I was pleasantly surprised! The (newest) branch manager spoke to me and seemed happy to have a customer in the bank. Typically I felt like a leper and each employee seemed unwilling to talk to me for fear that I would ask for their help. Wonderful surprise! I hope the new branch manager does well and turns the branch into a great place. My second observation was of the only other customer in the branch. She was wearing a muumuu that went all the way to the floor and covered her feet. The sleeves were so billowy that they would probably cover her hands if she put her arms down. The pattern of the muumuu was black and white stripped. My first instinct was to hold up a baby lion cub and single "Circle of Life" from The Lion King. I swear if she had a headdress she could have performed with the Broadway musical of said movie...interesting! And my final observation of the visit was with the teller that waited on me! She has lost her eyebrows somehow. She's either never had them or she's removed them by force. And to compensate for her lack of eyebrows she decided to draw some on her face with the help of a makeup pencil. I understand this process, however, I did not understand why she felt the need to draw geometric shapes on her face inches above here her natural brow-line was...and then fill in the space between her eyelashes and her drawn on brows with a very shimmery eye shadow. It was a startling combination that made me want to stare and therefore I tried not to look at her geometric shaped and colored areas for fear of offending. Baby, that aint' natural! That short trip made my day and I just had to share!

Cadillac Records & Shem Creek

Last week I watched Cadillac Records. Yet another movie I chose for the actors and not the story. I hope you can follow me on this, the story was GREAT but the movie was okay. Cadillac Records is about the true story of Chess Records. Leonard Chess found and cultivated such talent as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Etta James. The story of how Chess Records came to be and how all of these great musicians dealt with the growing and changing times during American history was full of drama and intensity. If you love music then I highly recommend this movie. This movie honestly helped me to understand where all of our current (and even classic) music comes from. These guys influenced the Rolling Stones, the Beatles...and too many others to list. If you're a music lover then check out this movie. You won't necessarily love the movie but you'll love the story and appreciate music just a little more. If you know me well then you know that I love nerds. I'm a sucker for them. That's my "type". I even have a t-shirt that says I "heart" nerds. Well, Adrien Brody is 6'1" of pure nerd and one of my top celebrity crushes! He played Leonard Chess, the founder of Chess Records...and I've been a fan of his for a LONG time. Beyonce played Etta James and she was so atypical (translation - not Beyonce) that I actually enjoyed her. Give it a shot. It is a truly great story and one that every music fan should know. As for my most recent book, I just finished Shem Creek by Dorothea Benton Frank. I am head of heels in love with Dot Frank. She is so funny! I always enjoy and appreciate a funny book but a funny, southern, chick-lit book...it just doesn't get any better than that! Reading books by Dot Frank is like visiting a friend that I didn't know I had. I went to Charleston and Myrtle Beach with my parents when I was 12. I swear that reading these books is like reading something from a pen pal that I kept in touch with over the years. I don't feel like I'm reading a novel...I feel like I'm hanging out with some friends. She's so stinking funny! I love that the books slowly intertwine and connect. The stories are not continuous but the characters keep popping up in the books. It's just great fun. I haven't started the fourth book yet. Right now I'm reading a hysterical book sent to me by a dear friend. I can't wait to pass it along. I haven't decided who should receive it yet but it's super fun and easy so keep a look out because it might be headed your way!

Ruined My Night!

As most of you know I don't sleep well when I'm home alone and I've been home alone a lot lately. One of my favorite things about sleeping alone is getting to watch whatever I want on TV. Last night I had just turned on Nick @ Nite and was reading my new book (thanks Nathan) when I had an epiphany! Do you know how someone you know may remind you of someone else but you can never quite put your finger one it? Well, last night I was watching The Nanny when all of a sudden the bells chimed, the light bulb went of and I all but smacked my forehead! For anyone that watched and loved Coming to America..."Aaaahhh!"

Fran Dresher's character is just like...someone I know well and wished I didn't know well! This person always fiddles with her hair. I always think she wears so much makeup that she looks like a clown (correction...she looks just like her mother who looks like a clown) and she says words in the MOST annoying way! Even...names. I know we're in the south and I know we tend to put extra syllables in words...but COME ON! Hearing this girl speak is getting to be like hearing nails on a chalkboard to me. SCREEECH!

So, in conclusion, I just had one of my favorite Nick @ Nite characters ruined with the realization that I have a real "Nanny" in my life. I wish I could mute or change the channel on her. *Sigh*

Book, Movie, Movie, Book & Movie

We've been a little busy lately so I haven't had a chance to post anything new. We're off today so I'm trying to catch up on plenty of things...including the blog.

A good friend recently sent me The Giver by Lois Lowry. It is considered a children's book (young adult) but it won two prestigeous awards so I knew it must be good. It was an excellent thought provoking book. The story is about a boy living in a utopian society but the more he learns the less utopian everything seems. It is such a thought provoking story. One of the things I struggle with in Jackson are "society" folks or as many call it "keeping up with the Jonses". In the utopian society there is none of that. Everyone is equal however in their equality they loose their individuality. It was a very interesting book to read. I hope you take the time to read this book.

Last week we watched The Green Zone with Matt Damon. Are any of you fans of The Office? Holly (Michael's love interest) is in it and it was nice to see her in a serious role. The movie was good and like The Hurt Locker, it proves that we everyday citizens just don't understand war. This movie was a cross between The Borne movies and The Hurt Locker. If you don't mind the seriousness of war then you'll enjoy this movie. It was very interesting to see how powerful men used soldiers as pawns in the "game of war."

Yesterday morning we watched Away We Go with Jim Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. It was hilarious! I highly recommend this movie for anyone that is currently expecting a bably or has recently had a baby. Burt (Krasinski) & Verona (Rudolph) find out they are expecting their first child. They both work from home so they realize they can raise the child anywhere and set off on a journey to visit friends and family and see where they want to end up. Their journey is HYSTERICAL!! Two thumbs up! Go watch this movie!

Also this week I just finished reading Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank. It is the third book by Frank that I have finished. I think this one may be my favorite! I didn't want it to end. I really felt like I knew the characters and I really could have been friends of them if they were real. It definitely made me wish I lived in South Carolina on a wonderful plantation. It was a great book. Definitely chick lit. This book is definitely recommended for all mothers and daughters! That relationship is special, crazy and...almost indescribable. I can't wait to start her next book, Shem Creek! Oh, and I didn't think there was an order to these books but there is! Definitely read them in order starting with Sullivan's Island!

And finally this morning I totally wasted two and a half hours watching The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Ugh! That was a total waste of time. I've read all three Larsson books and watched the first two Swedish movies. I thought I'd enjoy the final movie. Nope, I was totally wrong. It was a total time drain. It didn't follow the book very well and it just...sucked! I don't recommend this one. I really ejoyed watching the first two but this last one gets two thumbs down from me. Save yourself and don't watch!

I haven't been my highest self

So, this was mine and Jeff's first weekend off from our care duties. We have thoroughly enjoyed it! Because God is wonderful and knew exactly what we needed (a wonderfully lazy weekend) it rained and we didn't do anything but laze around the house. It was PERFECT!!

While we enjoyed our lazy weekend we cleaned out the DVR which had filled up rapidly from not being home for two weeks. Then we watched our Netflicks movie, The Kids Are Alright. What an interesting movie...Netflicks had it listed as a comedy and it was NOT a comedy. It wasn't even entertaining but it was thought provoking and very interesting to watch. A lesbian couple raising their two kids and as the kids got older they wanted to meet their donor father. Well it just go crazy after that! The most amazing and...I don't know what word I'm looking for but the best part about the movie was the family's communication skills. Yeah, I know, that sounds bizarre but seriously these people communicated on a whole other level that was just amazing and made me wish that there was a class I could take so I could communicate on a higher level, like this family. At one point one mom says to the other, "I haven't been my highest self and I haven't been very appreciative of you lately." Um, wow?! "I haven't been my highest self." That line has been rolling around in my head for the last two days. And to go along with the communication skills of this family we'll move on to the book I just read.

The Giver by Lois Lowry. What an interesting book. This book was not something I would typically read. It is a Newbery Medal Winner. In the book they also talk about precision of speech. It's something that as a southerner I've never really thought about. When I'm hungry I usually say that I'm starving. That's totally false and an over-exaggeration. The movie and the book have both made me very aware of my misuse of language! I honestly don't know if I will change but I am more aware and hopefully I will speak more properly.

As for the book The Giver. It was great! Even for a children's book (probably a young adult book) it was very entertaining and thought provoking! I'm so glad my friend sent it to me. Please do yourself a favor and read this book! Be checking your mailboxes! This book may show up at your house soon!

2 Theater & 1 DVD

Last week we got our movie on. We went to the movies twice and then we watched a DVD that came in the mail from Netflicks.

First up was No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman and Aston Kutcher. It was hysterical. We laughed all the way through it. It was a typical, predictable rom-com but the writing was funny. We really enjoyed the movie. If you're looking for a laugh and especially if you're looking for a good date movie then you should go watch this one. It was funny and fun.

Next we watched The King's Speech. What an amazing movie!! It is based on a true story and those stories typically make compelling movies. This did not disappoint. And it was actually funny. To be such a great movie that is getting so much award season buzz I didn't expect the funny but it is! If you get a chance you need to watch this movie. Also, something that I enjoyed was how similar the actors looked like the people they portrayed. Two thumbs up! Please do yourself a favor and go see it!

And the DVD we watched was Crazy Heart. Now, this movie knocked my socks off! I'm not a fan of country music. One of my favorite jokes is what do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your house, your dog and your wife back. Honestly, I was not looking forward to this movie because of the country music and because I didn't think it would have a happy ending. This movie totally blew me away! I even enjoyed the music in the movie. The movie received a lot of award buzz last year and so I figured there had to be something to it. It was wonderful in it's simplicity. There is a scene where Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall went fishing. I do not enjoy fishing. If I'm going to be on a lake I'd much rather be skiing but watching those two guys made me want to get out on a lake with a fishing pole and just relax. It was such a great movie that was really enjoyable to watch. AND....it did have a happy ending although it was not the one I was expecting. Please go rent this movie if you get a chance. Two more thumbs up!!

Leader or Lemming?

I just finished reading "The Help". It was AMAZING!! Of all the books I've read this one made me want to take the day off work so I could keep reading. I was totally engrossed in this book. It was extremely thought provoking for me. Jeff is probably happy that I've finished the book so I'll stop talking to him about it. I just don't know where to start. If you haven't read it then go get it today. Every time I would talk to Jeff about this book he would tell me I was rambling because one thought leads to another...and another...and another. I know I could really ramble with this post.

The thought that kept occurring to me the most was that we've come so far since the early 1960s and then again we haven't. Something else that I usually do is identify with a character. Sometimes it's easy for me to put myself in the book as a certain character if I really identify with that character. In my dreams I would love to think that I'm Skeeter. I want to be the one that hates the "old ways". I want to be the brave one that tries to make changes in society. I want to be the one with enough confidence to throw everything I know out the window and take the road less traveled. I just don't think I could have done it. Even now after I've finished the book I'm proud of her for telling Stuart the truth but a the same time I wish she would have kept her mouth shut and married him. So...does that make me Elizabeth or Lou Anne? Would I be a Leader or a Lemming?

In the more basic ways I am Skeeter! I can vividly remember my mother comparing me to herself. She's an over-achiever. She graduated college early. She got married at 21, she had me at 24 and soon after that she got her Master's while teaching and raising me and living with my dad. At one point in the book Skeeter's mom says to her, "When I was your age I was married and already had Carlton, Jr." I heard that all through college, "When I was your age I was already graduated." "When I was your age I was married" "When I was your age I already had you." The to compare myself more to Skeeter, I was tall, had massive massive feet, awkward, no boyfriends, funky hair (sometimes I cut my own...and it was crooked, especially on picture day). I can't tell you HOW many times I heard, "You're wearing that?" "Honey, wouldn't you be more comfortable in something else?" And a personal favorite said to me by my mother was, "Whoever told you your hair looked good like that lied to you." That is one that I will never forget. I was home from college (I think freshman year at MTSU) and we were going to the Moss Christmas party down the road. I was feeling good! I was excited to go see friends and as I'm walking out of the bathroom to the front door she cuts me off at the knees (which would have been good in High School because then I would have been the same height as everyone else). There is no time to go wash my hair and re-fix it. I have go to the party and spend the whole night thinking that I need to fix my stupid hair. Ah, memories!

This book was just a wonderful study of human nature. It was extremely thought provoking for me and I highly recommend this book. Two thumbs up!

Loose Ends

Thursday night I finished Return to Sullivan's Island. It was the sequal to...Sullivan's Island. I enjoyed the book and she made me laugh but I didn't enjoy the book nearly as much as I liked Sullivan's Island. I thought the author really stretched her themes to the point where I rolled my eyes a few times. It was a funny book and if you read Sullivan's Island then I would recommend the sequal. I have two more books by Dot Frank in my cabinet so I will continue to read this funny southern lady.

Thursday Jeff was out of town and I checked the mail when I got home and there was an Amazon box in my mailbox!! I love those days (although I have a kindle now so those days are probably over). So, I ran inside warmed up some soup, finished Return to Sullivan's Island as fast as I could and then I ripped open the Amazon box! It contained Loose Ends by Tara Janzen! *Sigh* These books are my true escape. Nothing take me away from work, laundry, dishes and all the other everyday stuff the way Tara Janzen does! All of her books are filled with all of my favorite things: guns, classic cars, sexy guys, hot chicks and sex! I understand that she named the book Loose Ends because she tied up some loose ends that had been presented in previous books. The problem is that I am absolutely HOOKED on this author and these characters. On Ms. Janzen's website she says that this is the end of this series but there will be more to come. I'm already feining for the next book. Tara Janzen's books are the books I thought about while watching The Hurt Locker. That movie was a harsh movie and watching those guys go out on missions just didn't compare to my imagination while I read these books. I will make you laugh. After I had finished reading one of these books I realized I wanted to do two things, shoot guns and learn Spanish! So, later that week my dad took me to the gun range and we shot about 5 of his guns (yes, he has many more than that) and for Christmas I got a Spanish instruction kit. I honestly think if there was any way for me to literally jump into a book it would be one of Tara Janzen's books. In short: LOVE HER!!

The Sucky, Kinda Sucky and Not Sucky

So, I've been home for the last two days with some more funk. My flu test came back negative but I'm being treated for flu just in cases (Love Actually reference there...). And in my dislike for daytime TV I have cleaned out the DVR and watched a few movies.

First, the sucky. We watched Up In The Air last night. I had high hopes for this movie because it was directed by Jason Reitman, the same guy that directed Thank You For Smoking and Juno. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and this movie didn't have it and not only did it not have a happy ending but Vera Farmiga was a total witch in this movie!! I fell in love with her in The Departed and all through this movie I kept thinking "I love her" until her true character was revealed. I was so bummed for George Clooney's character. I honestly don't know how this movie could have ended and I would be happy. I have watched movies that don't have a happy ending and loved them (The Departed being one of them) but this just left me feeling low. I just wish that George Clooney would have created some Self-Help program that was happy or maybe he could have gone to work in San Francisco with the little chick. I don't know but I hated the ending. Don't waste your time with this one. It was a total bummer.

The kinda sucky was Did You Hear About The Morgans with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant. It was predictable rom-com but it was enjoyable. It wasn't a stretch for SJP to play an uncomfortably displaced New Yorker. Hugh Grant is looking old but he's still charming and funny. If you need to get lost for about 2 hours and want some laughs then this is a good one (New In Town is better). Again, this movie took place in Ray, Wyoming but it very well could have been Dyer, Tennessee. It made me wonder about the people that move to Dyer. Are they in the witness protection? Why would anyone actually move to Dyer? I love it and I think it's magical but I have a hard time believing anyone sees it the way Dyerians do. Anywho...it is a chick flick and I only recommend it for those that love chick flicks.

The not sucky is VERY surprising for me! I must say that today I watched a movie today just for the actor Channing Tatum. He has to be one of the most beautiful people on this planet and I will even suffer through a Nicholas Sparks movie just to watch him...and ladies, he is shirtless in a lot of it so it's so worth the tears!! Dear John is a Nicholas Sparks movie and like I said earlier I like a happy ending so I usually HATE anything by Nicholas Sparks. I became a non-fan when I read one of his books and he killed the dog (The Guardian). Well, this movie was surprisingly not as sad as all the rest of his stories! Don't get me wrong, anything that has to do with love, relationships and the war is bound to squeeze a few tears from even the hardest hard ass but I was surprised by how much this movie didn't suck! If you're a Nicholas Sparks fan then you'll really enjoy this movie. If you're a Channing Tatum fan then you'll really enjoy this movie. If you don't mind tears then you'll enjoy this movie. Otherwise, don't watch it!

It's Complicated Geechee Girl!

Did I get your attention with the title? Yeah, I thought I would.

First up, I recently watched It's Complicated with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I laughed out loud while watching this movie by myself. I know the dog had to think I was crazy but the movie is just that funny. The best description I've heard of this movie is when my mom told me it was like porn for her. She said she wanted the house, the garden and the shop where Meryl Streep lived and worked. I thought that was pretty darn funny. This movie gets two thumbs way up! It's not a typical rom-com. It is great fun. If you haven't watched then you need to put it on your list of must-see. And I won't lie...Alec Baldwin was probably my favorite...funny and sexy!

Next up I just finished the book Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank and that's where the Geechee girl comes in. As I learned in the book a Geechee is someone born in the Lowcountry, which extends from the Ogeechee River down in Georgia clear up to Georgetown, SC. The author, Dorotha Benton Frank was actually born and raised on Sullivan's Island and that is the location of her very first book. My parents and I took a trip to Charleston and Myrtle Beach when I was about 12 or so. This book really makes me want to go back to visit soon. In the book she talks in detail about locations around Charleston and she even mentions a joggling board. I remember my mom and I took a walking tour of Charleston and on the tour we had tea in the garden of one of the historical homes and they had a joggling board in the garden. It's a great memory that I've always carried with me and it seemed all that much sweeter when I was reminded of it when reading this book. Oh, and did I mention that the book is funny? Hilarious! I'm in love and fully plan to read all of Mrs. Frank's books. If you haven't read anything by her yet you should definitely check her out. The book was great fun and I can't wait to start the next one! (I got two others for Christmas so you'll be hearing a lot about her) I'll be happy to pass around the book now that I'm finished with it. I know I've already got one taker but let me know if you're interested so I'll know who to give it to next.

And...have any of you watched Top Gear on the history channel? Yeah, I didn't think so but it is hilarious! I just watched the most recent episode tonight and I think I laughed through the whole thing. There are three co-hosts on the show and they decided to find out what the toughest truck in America was. They each picked a truck and competed in challenges in Alaska. When I wasn't totally cracking up I was completely jealous! Of all the shows I've ever watched that is one show I would actually like to be on (okay, that and Yard Crashers and What Not to Wear). The season finale is going to air on Sunday night if you're interested. P.S. The Chevy Truck won!

Sarah's Key

Yesterday I finished my first book of 2011. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. It was such a beautiful and compelling book. I cried through at least three chapters. The story is a dual story about Sarah, a young girl in France in 1942 and Julia, a journalist in the present day. Julia, the journalist, starts researching the roundup of the Jews living in Paris, France in 1942. As Julia researches the roundup she discovers a link to Sarah and the story was just gripping. I couldn't put the book down. I read most of it all day yesterday. It was such a tragic story but at the same time it was beautiful. The past broke my heart and the present gave me hope. I know that we (my generation) can't really fathom what it was like to live during World War II and we don't seem to truly understand or empathize with what happened to the Jews during that time...but we have witnessed and lived through tragedies and wars and we still find hope. I highly recommend this book. It is a chick lit book so I know guys probably wouldn't want to read it but I hope you all get this book and enjoy it the way I did.

Iron Man 1 & 2

This week Jeff and I have both been sick so it's been a round the clock movie marathon it seems. Our latest movies were Iron Man and Iron Man 2.

We were both a little leery of a comic movie re-make after the terrible time drain that was G.I. Joe. We were both pleasantly surprised by both 1 & 2!! Robert Downey, Jr. is so stinking funny in these movies and I actually enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow. I guess I had put her on a pedestal after her Oscar win and I was surprised by her being in these movies...but they were well written, well acted and all around entertaining. Even watching them back to back was fun. At least too much time hadn't gone by and we could remember what had previously happened. I give these two movies a fun thumbs up! If you're looking for something to entertain you and take you away from the stresses of you every day then these are some fun entertaining movies that I think will do just that. Give them a shot!

3 Rom-Coms & 1 Action

I've watched four more movies in the last two days. There isn't much to do when you're home sick.

First up was New In Town with Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick, Jr. I really enjoyed it! Of course it was cheesy and predictible but I enjoyed! The movie took place in Minnesota but it very well could have been Dyer, TN (except for those goofy mid-west accents). I thought it was a fun romantic comedy. The whole time I was watching it I was wishing something like that would happen in Dyer.

Next was When in Rome with Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel . I was mainly interested in Josh Duhamel. He's super hot!! This romantic comedy was too cheesy. I don't like "magic" in movies typically. Instead of being charming I thought it was goofy. Josh Duhamel was sexy enough to help me watch the whole movie...and the idea of my alernative of watching daytime TV. This was isn't a recommendation or a skip...I will leave the decision up to you.

Today the first movie I watched was Serious Moonlight. Never heard of it? Yeah, neither had I until Netflicks said I might like it...so I watched it. SAVE YOURSELF!! I decided to watch it because it had a cast of folks I liked: Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell and Justin Long. I was really disapponted at the actors. I've enjoyed most all of Meg Ryan's movies. I LOVE Timothy Hutton. He was one of my celebrity crushes. He was the main guy in Beautiful Girls (a classic favorite) and he's currently in Leverage on TNT of which I am a fan. I honestly don't blame the actors. The script was just terrible. The description sounded like it might be funny. A couple gets robbed while trying to work through their marriage...For anyone that is a fan of The Ref with Dennis Leary you might understand why I gave it a shot. Ugh, it sucked! It started off pretty darn funny! I laughed quite a bit in the beginning but then it just got stupid and it never recovered. There is a reason it was never in theaters and we'd never heard of it...it sucked!! Don't bother.

And finally today I watched G.I. Joe. I'm sure that will earn a few snickers. Really, Tori? G.I. Joe? Um, yeah! It has Channing Tatum! I will watch any movie as long as he's in it. G.I. Joe had the potential to be decent. I really enjoyed the Transformer movie. It was fun and I could even get into the sci-fi of Transformers. G.I. Joe just wasn't even believeable. I just couldn't really get into it. Channing Tatum is worth the time but unless you were a die hard G.I Joe fan when you were a kid then I don't recommed it. I would tell you to save your time for something worthwhile.

Netflicks is from the Devil!

Yes, it's been a while. Our laptop powercord died and it took a while to get a new one...and then I was just lazy. Sorry.

I LOVE movies but had refrained from enrolling in Netflicks because I feared I'd never do anything but watch movies. Well, Netflicks has made my addiction even easier. We have a Wii so not only do we get movies in the mail, we can get them through the Wii! I've watched 4 movies in the last 24 hours. Now, before you judge I would like to disclose that I am sick and I had fully planned on spring cleaning the house today but with the flu (we think) it just wasn't happening.


Yesterday I was a good girl and I took down all the Christmas decorations and cleaned out two closets (you should see my Good Will pile! It's up to my knees). After I got everything packed up and put away we decided to watch the movie that came in the mail. The Hurt Locker. I honestly don't know what to tell you about that movie. It was good, really good, but it's not for everyone. It's rated R for a reason. I don't want to tell you why it deserved it's rating (language was a big part) but it was rough. If you like war movies and can handle some blood and guts then watch it...if not then you need to pass. I thought Jeremy Renner was incredible in the movie. I will say that there is a series of books that I enjoy reading and it is about a special ops force and in the books they kill people and carry out risky missions...the books and my imigination have NOTHING on this movie. To actually watch these guys kill, complete missions and breakdown was very hard to watch but I'm glad I did. This isn't a movie for the weak but it was great.


This morning I got up feeling much worse so I flopped on the couch and made a little nest with everything I would need and settled in for a day of movies...and nothing else. The first movie I watched this morning was The Duchess with Keira Knightly. Um, OMG!! It was such an emotional movie. So, I'm a fan of smut books (they are my ultimate escape). I've read a few historial romances and in those books they mention old, wealthy lords marrying young wives for an heir. They also talk about the lords taking multiple mistresses and sleeping with maids and such. In my brain I'm sure I romanticise all the books and think they sound wonderful. Watching Keira Knightly live it all was very harsh! I loved the movie and will watch it again but if you're not a fan of period movies and harsh stories then it's not for you.

Next up was The Young Victoria...I liked it but I wouldn't recommend it. I'm a fan of Emily Blunt and Paul Bettany so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Don't waste your time. You could probably learn just as much from wikipedia and save yourself a couple of hours...


The final movie today was The Bounty Hunter with Jennifer Anniston and Gerard Butler. Two thumbs way down! Gerard Butler is pretty darn hot but the movie was way too cheesy and way too predictable. Again, save yourself some time and skip this movie.

P.S. For Christmas I got 5 new books, a netflicks membership, a movie theater gift card and a few movies...I should have plenty to tell you about in 2011! And we've got a new powercord for the laptop.