T minus 1 day

Tomorrow is "D" day for my team at MegaBank. It will be a mostly uneventful event. They will come in, give me their laptops and then we will go have "lunch." By "Lunch" I mean drinks. That's the plan anyway. I'm pretty sure no one will be in the mood to go out for a drinkie, but I've got the credit card in hand and am ready to buy a few rounds.

I've been somewhat detached about the reality of this situation. I know its happening, I have been preparing and talking with them about it, and since the middle of December my team hasn't been in the office. But this weekend it really hit me how badly this really sucks.

In 2001 when eCharge closed its doors we were all in the same boat. Top to bottom, executives to file clerks - we were all informed on the same day that we no longer had jobs as of 2 weeks earlier (dirty bastards.) It sucked, it was shocking and it was awful but at least we were all equally screwed.

This time it feels worse. Maybe it is the fact that we've had weeks and weeks to sit and stew knowing that 'we' aren't wanted, or maybe that "they" made decisions about peoples future without really knowing them. Maybe I just really respect the team of folks I work with and feel like they are getting a raw deal.

So, tomorrow is going to suck. I may even show emotion - so much for being the "strong, managerial" type. I'll let you know how it goes.

Flu Hoo

After a lovely romantic weekend I was smacked down to reality with a mild case of the flu. I've been light headed, achy and stuffed up.

Thank Proctor & Gamble for NyQuil!

I've been sleeping all day but just took a shower. I'm pretty sure my honey is in this for the long haul, but why test that theory with hair that hasn't been washed in two days . I scared myself when I used the restroom and accidentally turned on the light.

So, no witty and observational post from me today. I've got to hold down the couch some more.

Humble

One of my dearest friends gave me a generous and extremely thoughtful gift for my 40th birthday that I am using today.

J and I are headed to the Salish Lodge for spa treatments, a soak in the hydro-therapy room (aka, indoor pool - no kids) and then staying overnight in a lovely room with a soaking tub that overlooks the falls. Tomorrow morning we'll dine on the most fabulous breakfast.

We made dinner reservations for tonight and are planning on dressing up and having date night for our romantic weekend "away."

I am overwhelmed at the kindness of this gift and we will enjoy it to the fullest.

HOWEVER... I had to get a bathing suit today. I figured out last night that we needed suits and I had returned the suits that had been purchased for Greece. With only a few hours to work this out a trip to the mall wasn't practical, so I did my suit shopping at Target. It was nice to be able to shop in the regular section - but OH MY... those suits are for little girls who have no extra bits to cover up. Bikini -- not so much for my 40 year old boobs, and HELL NO for my newly deflated stomach. I did find a demure but not OLD LADY suit that covers most of my trouble spots, but will still be a bit sassy for the fella.

So, while you're enjoying your Saturday, you won't be hearing from me for the rest of the weekend. I intend to be blissed out after my massage and spin in the whirlpool.

Have a lovely one!

Velly Intellesting

You almost count me amongst the unemployed these days. I have a couple days a week where I am working remotely, and since no one calls me, nor emails me and my application is essentially dead, my work life consists of a few governance meetings a week and being available for emergencies. The former boss called me an "insurance policy".

Because of this change in my work flow, I'm not tied to a desk and am experiencing life in a new way. Yesterday, I 'worked from home' and while I waited for inbound contact, I took care of some minor personal things. I picked up a shirt from the dry cleaner, got a coffee at the local Starbucks, and went to Target to get some tubs to pack away the last of the Christmas things. (Christmas stuff grows each year. Have you ever noticed that?)

I have experienced unemployment before, and I've taken a week off and stayed put so I'm familiar with the idea that stores and traffic is MUCH different at 10 am on a Tuesday than they are at 6:30 pm. I don't quite remember the EXTREME shift in the demographics of the patrons at that hour. Yesterday I noticed that I was the only woman on the face of the earth (aka Issaquah) who was out and about but didn't have a kid in tow. There were wall to wall moms at Starbucks, and Target was even worse. On the roads they were all zipping around purposefully with kids. I felt like the only girl at the ball in jeans.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking at these women wistfully and longing for their beautiful babies and their lovely lives. I know that for me, being a 'mommy' wouldn't be Tuesday morning play dates at Starbucks with by best friend "Whitney" and her baby "Jonah" for me mommyhood would likely be a frantic flip flop between loving my adorable baby and dropping him or her at day-care-palooza so I could get to work. I would be covered in baby pooh and filled with enormous guilt that I was not only leaving him/her for hours at a time to work, but enjoying my work. I see my friends pull it off, and they do it with grace. I respect them, respect their parenting skills and am amazed that the are wearing matching socks. I just don't see HOW they do it.

Anyway, my point is... oh my, I have no point (and I guess if you're still reading me after all these years you know I often don't have a point.) I guess I was just shocked by the amount of mommies and I wonder why I didn't notice them when I was unemployed and hanging out at Starbucks in 2001.

The bubble

I've been accused of being in a "Love Bubble" in the blog-o-sphere and am making an effort to get back to my "witty" "smart" and "enjoyable" content. But, I'm not making that effort right now. (lol)

Today, I will bore you with horrific wedding details.

As a 40 year old bride there are things that work and things that just don't. Pink - as a color scheme frankly loses its oomph after the age of 34. The bubble skirt is also a monstrous look that on anyone over the age of 16 looks silly and stupid. (My apologies if you are wearing a bubble skirt right now... but TAKE IT OFF, it is WRONG.)

Things that work for a 40 year old bride - paying your own way. Making decisions and only having to make one other person happy is great. I can't imagine trying to explain to my mom why the sable colored organza ribbon printed with our names is important. (For the record - no such item has been discussed, has been ordered, nor is in the works.)

Today we discussed and decided on a fun thing for the wedding. We researched and purchased photo booth services (you know, like the penny arcade thing) for the wedding. Our guests will get to take home the photos they take and we ( J&I) will get a CD with all the pictures. We think it will be a groovy interactive activity.

Plus, we will set it up next to the second bar, so we are confident that as that bar gets action the pictures will get more and more "special". No nudity though- there will be an attendant. (Yes, Jody I am talking to you!)

Other things that are awesome about being a 40 year old bride is the ability to strongly say no to a vendor, caterer, florist, or whomever without the worry that I'm hurting any one's feelings, or being "bridezilla." "I SAID NO to the 'Macarena'! I'm sure I will instill fear in the heart of the DJ when I explain my adamant desire to have ONLY the approved country music played. I don't have friends in low places, so there's no reason to let ANYONE sing about it. Should someone bring Garth Brooks to the wedding as a guest, I suppose I MIGHT let it happen, but that's my only contingency plan.

Holy crap, that was a hell of a lot of "me" and "I". Don't judge me, no one will be filming the wedding for a terrible lifetime tv show. I promise to be gracious and happy the whole day no matter what.

The one draw back is that I've been a bridesmaid at so many weddings that my efforts to avoid the things that irritated me are causing a little bit of strife. Apparently you DO have to say that you want certain things. Having a wedding is something I've been waiting for (and it helps with the fact that I found the most neat-o-est of guys) but... being "THE BRIDE" and running the world is not a power trip for me. I was told (kindly) this weekend that I needed to voice my desires rather than negotiate the things that are important. Oh... so actually saying I want to spend the day with my girls vs. trying to fenagle them into spending the day with me is the way to go.

Any who.... as I read this back, I'm realizing that my second glass of wine is effecting my ability to track and record thoughts. So, recapping:

Pink after 40 -- BAD
Bubble Skirt -- BAD
Photo Booth -- Bad Ass (which means GOOD to you old fogey's)
Bridezilla -- BAD
Being Clear on the things that are important to you -- GOOD.
My friends -- Awesome
Second Glass of Wine -- ill advised.

Huh?

As I came into the lobby this morning, I was assaulted by an odd sight; a "career fair" booth was set up directly across from the security station.

 

When working at a big company you expect the random booths to be set up in the lobby.  United Way day usually brings out a few tables and Community Reinvestment Day brings out the "volunteer here" booths.  New product campaigns generally bring freebies and information.  All these events seem normal, but a career fair where external companies are trolling our staff for the best and brightest is an odd occurrence.

 

In other work news, I had my final "evaluation" with my manager today.  I'm a "solid contributor" which means, average.  I'm fine with that assessment from him.  We talked for a long time about how hard the year was and how he and I could have communicated better.

 

I'm learning (about myself) that I tend to swallow the big irritations but explode over the minor ones.  I could have told him early on that it was extremely frustrating to me that he wasn't talking to me, but I waited until today...when our manager/employee relationship is essentially over.    What is that!?  I'm a strong confident person, where does the conflict avoidance come from? 

History

Nothing I can say can or would come close to expressing the momentous events of today. I did have to watch most of it on tape delay due to actual work requirements, but I still teared up.

One fun thing... we have satellite tv and they were showing multiple channels at once. Why choose NBC over CNN when you can have them both. (We just can't have ABC...that's a whole other irritating and non-relevant topic.)

Zoo Day

Was it a day of service? Probably not, but it was a spectacular day! J and I spent our MLK jr. day at the Woodland Park Zoo and then in Fremont.



The lions.























The cute old elephant.




























Here's the gorilla pooping, inspecting and then eating his poop! (Fabulous!)

















J & I in Fremont

Wow!

So, I was watching the US Coast Guard film of the crash and the rescue and as the people were coming out on to the wings, and the boats were arriving to help, the plane was floating on the current of the river.

I didn't take into consideration that the plane would be a moving object. The boats that came to pick up the people had some serious risk management to do.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Countdown....

I'm not going to miss him!

I've been meaning to comment on something I heard Bushie say the other day as part of his "Get me the f*ck out of here" media tour. He said he thought he has been "mis-underestimated."

Uh... what? I think he has been appropriately underestimated. HE SUCKED.

Our Exciting New Life

Life as a newly engaged person is thrilling.  There are wedding things to talk about, song lists to discuss, invitations to order, for the pent-up bride it is an exciting time.

 

Last night, we drove into town and procured our sparkling wine for the wedding.  It was on sale, and there was room in J's wine locker to store it.

 

The real benefit of buying things as they come on sale is that we won't be paying for everything all at once.  So, by the time the next big purchase comes along, the sparkling wine will seem like a free item. 

 

But, once we got home we sat down to watch a little tv.  We are trying to catch up to the current CSI so that when people start talking about Grissom's departure that we're up to date.  Well.. 20 minutes in we were both asleep.  I don't mean lightly napping but still listening to the tv, but full on drooling and head dropping sleeping.  We finally woke up around 8:30 and moved back to the bedroom to watch something "more exciting."   I think it was Law & Order, SVU - but all I really remember is waking up when J took my phone out of my hand and turned off my light. 

 

We are an exciting exciting couple of people.  How nice to get a preview of what life will be like at eighty.

Upcoming Movies: TP gal predicts the bombs

Here's a list of upcoming movie titles and their descriptions with my predictions for their impact on our world:

Winter and spring:

ALL ABOUT STEVE: Sandra Bullock's a crossword-puzzle creator on a road trip in pursuit of her soul mate. (if sold as an art-movie it could have a small following, but it won't be a huge hit.)

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: A journalist (Isla Fisher) finds romance as she pursues her retail addiction. (fun date movie)

DUPLICITY: Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are spies carrying on an affair amid a dangerous assignment. (dull, dark and will have a small following)

FAST AND FURIOUS: Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead the original cast of "The Fast and the Furious" into a new racing thriller. (huge hit with the immature drivers)

FRIDAY THE 13TH: The slasher franchise goes back to its beginning with an update of the horror tale about killer Jason Voorhees. (been there, screamed at that)

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE: Miley Cyrus brings her dual life as an ordinary school girl and pop star from TV to the big-screen. (OMG, It's Hannah!!!!!! $$$$$$$$$)

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson lead the cast of this ensemble romance. ($$$$$, but it will suck)

THE INTERNATIONAL: Clive Owen and Naomi Watts lead a probe into banks that finance terrorism. (Like the Insider, this will be dark. Clive is very attractive, but it doesn't compensate for the fact that he's a mumbler that can't be understood.)

JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: The Disney stars follow the hit "Hannah Montana" flick with their own concert movie. (OMG....$$$$$)

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS: Reese Witherspoon leads the voice cast in an animated comedy about mutants battling an alien robot. (Sounds dreadful, so I'm sure it will make lots and lots of money)

OBSERVE AND REPORT: Seth Rogen stars in the tale of an overzealous mall cop aiming to get into the police academy. (Seth Rogen is super funny... so have a drink this looks like mind candy.)

THE PINK PANTHER 2: Steve Martin's Inspector Clouseau bumbles through an investigation of stolen treasures. (WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?)

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN: Dwayne Johnson's a cabbie aiding fugitive teens with special powers in a remake of "Escape to Witch Mountain." (please....)

17 AGAIN: Zac Efron and Matthew Perry star in a comedy about a middle-aged loser transformed back to his teen years. (really, does anyone think Matthew Perry looked like Zac? Zac is so pretty, and Matthew is funny, but NOT pretty.)

THE SOLOIST: Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. star in a drama about a music prodigy living on the streets. (I saw a review for this and it loks touching - Jamie Fox could be up for more hardware for this one.)

STATE OF PLAY: Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck star in a murder mystery set among the elite of Washington, D.C. (HAS BENS)

STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI: The video-game sensation is adapted into an action tale of warriors in Bangkok. (fun!)

THE UGLY TRUTH: Romance is in the air for a lovelorn TV producer (Katherine Heigl) and a tough on-air personality (Gerard Butler). (Predictable...they meet, they hate each other, one falls in love is rebuffed, the other goes away and then BAM the other one realises that he is her true true love. HURL)

UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS: The roots of an ancient feud between vampires and werewolves are explored in this prequel. (is that even in English?)

WATCHMEN: A superhero's murder casts his old associates into the investigation of a global conspiracy against their kind. (interesting... teenager money)



Summer season:

ANGELS & DEMONS: Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard follow up "The Da Vinci Code" with this showdown between the Vatican and a secret brotherhood. ($$$$, but Tom Hanks with long hair is disturbing.)

BRUNO: "Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen takes another of his alter egos, Austrian fashionista Bruno, on the road. (Could be fun, Bruno is one of my favorite Cohen characters.)

DRAG ME TO HELL: "Spider-Man" and "Evil Dead" director Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots with this tale of a cursed woman. (NO ONE WILL SEE IT)

FUNNY PEOPLE: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and director Judd Apatow aim for laughs with a serious story about a dying comedian. (a dying comedian?)

G-FORCE: Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz are among the voice cast of an action comedy about guinea pigs trained as covert operatives. (I can imagine the porn version of this already.)

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in the tale of a womanizer visited by the spirits of his jilted exes. (strange... MM is oddly interesting, but his last few flicks have been horrid.)

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA: The Hasbro toys go into action in this tale of military operatives hunting an arms dealer. (if this is stop motion, I say woo hoo, if it's animated... dull)

ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS: Ray Romano and his prehistoric pals return in part three of the animated franchise. (I LOVE RAY ROMANO! Welcome back doomed Dinos!)

I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER: Hayden Panettiere stars in a romance about a teen geek who gets his shot with the school hottie. (ick)

IMAGINE THAT: Eddie Murphy's a dad whose daughter's imaginary world holds the key to solving his personal crises. (Murphy needs to stop with the kid flicks, and go back to being dirty and raw!)

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS: Brad Pitt stars in Quentin Tarantino's World War II epic that's a throwback to "Dirty Dozen"-style war action. (ooh, QT makes great movies!)

LAND OF THE LOST: Will Ferrell's a scientist hurled into a world of dinosaurs in this update of the TV show. (Chacka!!!)

MY SISTER'S KEEPER: Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin star in a drama about a girl conceived as a donor for her ailing sister. (this bummer of a book will make a bummer of a movie, oh, the ladies will see it and cry and cry...)

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN: The national museum comes alive in Ben Stiller's comedy sequel. (er...oh, I get it, he's a a new museum with new displays.)

THE PROPOSAL: Sandra Bullock's a book editor trying to avoid deportation by marrying her harried assistant (Ryan Reynolds). (mind candy, predicatble, and I'll totally see it.)

PUBLIC ENEMIES: Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star in Michael Mann's saga of Depression-era gangster John Dillinger. (ooh, me likey!!!)

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3: Denzel Washington and John Travolta star in the remake about crooks who hijack a subway train for ransom. (has beens.)

TERMINATOR: SALVATION: Christian Bale leads humanity's remnants against machine enemies in the franchise's first flick without Arnold Schwarzenegger. (nope, not worth your time, and yet, you'll see it.)

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN: Shia LaBeouf and his giant Autobot buddies team up for a rematch against the tyrannical Decepticons. (I hear the first one was ok, so I'm sure it will have an audience.)

2012: John Cusack stars in an action epic about the end of the world and what comes after. (Cusack...oh how I miss you Lloyd.)

UP: The latest from Pixar Animation ("WALL-E") follows the balloon adventure of an old man and a boy stowaway. (Pixar - say nothing more.)

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE: Hugh Jackman goes solo in a prequel to the "X-Men" movies spelling out the back-story of his mysterious superhero. (I hate prequels...)

YEAR ONE: Jack Black and Michael Cera are primitive outcasts on an epic romp through ancient history. (bill and ted of 2009?)



Fall and holidays:

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKUEL: The talking chipmunks return for part two of their big-screen adventures. (lord help us.)

AVATAR: "Titanic" director James Cameron spins a sci-fi epic about a human-alien hybrid fighting for his people's survival. (Tron?)

DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Jim Carrey does multiple roles as Scrooge and the holiday ghosts in Robert Zemeckis' animated Dickens adaptation. ($$$)

FAME: Students sing, dance and dream of stardom in a new take on the hit film and TV show about a school for performing arts. (those of us who wore leg warmers originally will stay away, but the kids will love it.)

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX: George Clooney's the mouthpiece for a sly fox stealing chickens from dopey farmers in this animated comedy. (Clooney should be seen not heard.)

THE INFORMANT: Matt Damon stars in Steven Soderbergh's tale of a corporate whistle-blower with secrets of his own. ("MATT-DAMON")

THE LOVELY BONES: Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings") directs Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz in a drama about a slain girl playing guardian angel for her family. (oh my...another bummer, but this could be really suspenseful.)

NEW MOON: Young love between an awkward teenager and an ageless vampire continues in the "Twilight" sequel starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. (whatever)

OLD DOGS: A bachelor and a divorced man (John Travolta and Robin Williams) become the unexpected caretakers of 6-year-old twins. (holy hell... no thank you)

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Disney returns to old-school hand-drawn animation with an update of the classic frog prince fairy tale. (how quaint... DVD)

SHERLOCK HOLMES: Robert Downey Jr. has the lead in this latest take on literature's most-famous detective. (Downey is on fire these days... could be interesting.)

SHUTTER ISLAND: Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese pair up again for a story of U.S. marshals on a case at an insane asylum. (dark...DiCaprio... Delicious)

TOOTH FAIRY: It's tutu time for Dwayne Johnson, who plays a hockey player magically sentenced to serving a week as the mythical Tooth Fairy. (you lost me at Dwayne Johnson)

UP IN THE AIR: George Clooney's a corporate hatchet man whose job is in jeopardy due to corporate downsizing. (I'm living this... who wants to see it as a movie? Nobody in my office looks like George Clooney!)

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE: Director Spike Jonze adapts the children's classic about a boy with a fantastical world as his personal playground. (neato-bandito!)

THE WOLFMAN: Benicio Del Toro turns werewolf in this new take on the horror classic that co-stars Anthony Hopkins. (so, no makeup artist required?)

Not in this list.. Harry Potter - (I'm getting in line now!)

and Star Trek - (I'm getting in line now!!!)

Not OK

The work days are slow and it is a challenge to sit there all day. Today I left at 3 and took the bus to the mall in Bellevue. I spent $7.00 at Crate & Barrel and am now sipping a tall soy chai outside the starbucks.

It is a public space with multiple couches and a large fireplace. One certainly has no expectations of privacy in this space. It is also to be assumed that conversations will be overheard. To combat this many patrons are wearing earphones. I am not in the mood for music and was enjoying the ambient sounds.

WAS.

An older man sat near me and pulled out a transistor radio. It had a little antana and everything. He pulled it out, scanned the dial for a station and then turned it up.

Uh.... I love National Public Radio as much as the next (liberally biased) person but not blasted on a monospeaker portible radio.

I'm giving him the death look now, but my mojo is off. Maybe it is the head injury from yesterday. **GLARE**

Shelves... part XXIII

The shelves were quite the saga to obtain and install. In one short day, they were dismantled and relocated to the new Casa d' TPgal and oh my they look amazing!

If you can blow up the pix, you'll see Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead (insert the "awe" sound) they are together and holding hands (urk...hurl!)

Sometimes, I'm too cute for my own self.

Who's a dumb girl?

Not dumb... clumsy.

We were packing the car this morning to take more items to the storage unit that we rented yesterday (I'm really moving out of my house and selling it) and I lifted a plastic tub filled with some odd sized but heavy items over my head. As the box crossed my face the damn items shifted and the tub crashed into my face, leaving me with a mild, but painful trauma.

It swelled up and is a bit bruised, but thankfully I didn't cut the skin. It does look like I was clocked by a short straight hard edge. Poor J was horrified as we continued on to church this morning. As we drove it was getting more and more noticeable. I think he was worried that folks might think he's a TPgal beater. Lucky us, it isn't terribly big and doesn't at all look like I've been in a fight.

I'd post a picture, but I don't want to be accused of trying to one up my friend Lori who fell in her house and broke six bones in her face. Poor thing...

So, the lesson for today is either, pack boxes more securely, or don't lift crap over your head.

Movie Review: Benjamin Buttons

Don't fall over dead, I'm actually reviewing a movie that is still in the theaters.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, staring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett is delightful. Ben is born and quickly discarded because he is born an old man. He ages backwards through the movie from an old man/ baby to a baby/old man.

The finer points of how this might happen are nicely overlooked and we watch as he has his first drink at the age of 15 (but looks 70) and has other "firsts" that are unusual for a someone who looks his age.

The movie is long, but for $10 each, long is ok as long as it is enjoyable. Cate Blanchett, as Daisy is ethereal as usual. They don't put her through the same movie makeup aging process as they do Brad and that's a good thing. Mr. Pitt's aging makeup appeared at times to be out of whack with how old he was supposed to look.

It also seemed that Ben and Daisy's time lines didn't quite work. I'm not the only one to mention that she seemed to grow up a lot faster than he 'got younger.'

Regardless, this is a sweet story about enduring love. A sweet treat for Valentine's Day.

Movie Review: The Hulk

I'm reminded that I viewed the latest Hulk movie a while back and that my live-in reader was sad to see that I didn't post a review.

I think I may have slept through the entire movie, because while I know that it starred Edward Norton (who I think is kind of dreamy) and Liv Tyler, I don't really remember anything else.

Maybe there was some sort of bio-nuclear incident and when Ed get's pissed he transforms. Maybe he remembers who he is, or not, I have no idea.

I do know, that the Eric Bana / Jennifer Connolly version of this very same movie that came out less than a year before the Norton/Tyler version, oh gosh, how to put this... SUCKED.

This in fact, may be the least helpful movie review ever written. Hulk 2008, saw it, don't remember it. Save your money and time. The Death Race movie would be a better use of your time.

Movie Review: Death Race

CAVEAT: this movie was not written or produced for women. It is a movie for dudes, and honestly, not for the majority of the dudes who read this blog. Yes, I'm talking to you MJS and MWR...

Also, I must confess that I slept through 80% of this movie, so there is a slight chance that I may have missed the deep and meaningful point.

Plot: In the year 2020 (or sometime in the near future) prisons are run by private companies and in order to maximize profits they televise epic car races (to the death) and our hero is set up so that he can go to prison and be the next Death Racer. He rides around in his pimped out armored car and gets shot at by a meaner guy (you can tell he's mean because he smokes. Oh, and he's shooting at you.)

Joan Allen plays the warden and it is disturbing to see someone so refined drop the f-bomb over and over again.

In the end...the race is rigged, people get blown up in very stylized ways and I couldn't sleep last night because I had a 1 1/2 hour nap at 8pm.

If you're looking for a modern version of Mad Max and the Punnisher this is your show. It was very slick and other than the fact that I as a woman, hated it, as dude shoot-em-up movies go - this wasn't terrible.

Oh my stars

Like everyone else in the new years rush... I have started attending the gym again.

Without going into too much detail, my butt hurts.

It's a good thing, but I'm still a little whiny.

A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste

Lisa, a much enjoyed and soon-to-be-ex-coworker popped into my office today. She said, "oh hi!, I needed to borrow your um..." and then made a hand signal that confused me greatly because I couldn't think of anything in the work setting that it could be.

Using her left hand she touched her thumb to her fingertips making a circle and then inserted her pointer finger on the right hand through the hole repeatedly and was saying "you know, your um..." poke poke poke.

Just as I started to look really scared, she reached behind me and picked up her iPhone that was attached to the charger on my desk.

Well, glad I could be of assistance.

Movie Review: Momma Mia

Oh My God...

I feel duped! "Audiences are raving about Momma Mia.."

stark raving mad! This may have been one of the worst train wrecks of a movie I've ever seen.

Meryl Streep, a superb actresss... HORRID
Pierce Bronson, an attractive and talented guy... when he sang, my ears started to blead.

E on line says that it had possibly the worst choreography in a movie ever, but the New York Times said is was a perfectly nice time but that it is a mindless, hedonistic assault on coherence.

I can't quite agree, about the nice time. At one point I looked over at J and he was poking sharp objects into his ears.

We got to the point where we just wanted to find out who the kid's dad was so we were fast forwarding through the songs. Which means, through everything.

I know that many women around the world loved this movie. I love them for loving it, much in the same way you love your dog even though he poops on your floor.

The one positive thing I will say for the movie... it made me want to go to Greece. (sigh) Someday.

New Years & THE Wedding Show

We headed over to Eastern Washington this weekend to bring the delayed Christmas to my parents. Before we left town Saturday I dragged J to the Seattle Wedding Show. We were in and out in an hour and got some great information on chair covers (OMG...CHAIRCOVERS!?) and some discounts on items that we were going to buy anyway.

It was wall to wall women and I must give J credit for being a good sport. He repeatedly told me not to rush. It helped speed things along that we were able to skip all the venues, caterers and photographers. This photo is a random shot of the Wedding Show; J is a good sport!!














Happy New Year!! Here's a few shots from our fun party we attended.

1-2-2009

One of the blogs that I follow made a pact to blog every day for a year. Frankly, even I don't have that much to talk about.

It's Friday today, and I'm at work. I took the 31st off, and of course, yesterday was a holiday. On the 31st, I went over to my condo to visit the racoons and to take down the tree.

I put up a tree over there because my parents were coming, and since they didn't it could have been viewed as a waste of time. However, I enjoyed showing J my holiday trimmings (ooh, that could be taken in a naughty way... don't take it like that because I'm innocent!) We have similar tastes when it comes to the holiday decor. Thank goodness... imagine the horror of finding out your fiance' has 19 boxes of Holly Hobby Christmas ornaments. YIKES.

We ended up consolodating some of the Christmas stuff. It was odd to see "my" stuff get packed away in his Christmas boxes. Our lives are really intermingling.

Since I was at my house I picked up more boxes from U-Haul and boxed up my china, my every day dishes, my favorite display items... I may have to take that box to J's and incorporate some of my 'things' into the decor. His house is decorated well and he's been generous with space, but I do miss some of my "things." However, I don't want to continue to bring things over without having a home for them. It is hard enough adding a new person without bringing over everything I own. Likely, what will happen is that when we move into a house, I'll find this box with the pretty things I love, like my Dale Chihuly Glass Piece and my stunning crystal candle holders and it will be like getting them new all over again.

I also packed the car FULL of things to take to Mom and Dad's. We're going to have a monster yard sale in the summer. It's nice that I don't have to give away everything. Some things, like my pots and pans will be ok in a garage sale, some stuff is better to GoodWill. I'm going to need the tax write off next year.

J and I are headed over to eastern Washington tomorrow to bring Christmas to my parents and to drop off some of the yard sale stuff. Cross your fingers that we'll make it over the pass ok.

Running... more later.