an airing of my grievances

I was originally going to post this blog post on December 18th to coincide with the Festivus Tweet Up and Diaper Drive. that made sense since the Airing of Grievances is an integral part of the Festivus holiday.......... and even though I was unable to attend this awesome event, I didn't want to miss my opportunity to air my grievances. however, in the process of finding a link to inform that one person on the planet who may not already know about Festivus (courtesy of Seinfeld), I found that it isn't on the 18th but rather the 23rd. so there you go!

so now it is the 23rd........and gosh darn it, here are my grievances! (and before anyone starts whining about my first world problems and how much better my life is than many many others......I totally get it! do you not get the sarcasm and humor in all of this?!?! I hope so.......otherwise I kinda wonder why you would even bother to read my blog or be friends with me. I do come with a high level of sarcasm, ya know.)

GRIEVANCES TO BE AIRED: (in no particular order of annoyance)

#1 - People who bum-rush the elevator and/or train.
seriously people! let us OFF the freakin' thing before you barrel your way on! it isn't like the elevator/train is going to slam shut and leave you......and where are you going to go if you don't let US off?!?! sheesh!

#2 - People who scan their access card on the elevator and then don't MOVE away from the scanner so other people can scan their cards.
this is particularly annoying to the chick who has to get off at the first stop (8th floor) and you bum-rushed your way on the elevator (see grievance #1) in the first place so you don't miss YOUR floor.........the 23rd! thanks for that free tour of the entire building!

#3 - People who drive in the carpool lane and aren't.
do I really need to explain that one?

#4 - People who answer questions that were specifically addressed to someone else.
did they use YOUR name when they asked that question? if the answer is no..........SHUT UP!!! (reminds me a little of my favorite movie, Holiday Inn....... "Is your names Miss Linda?" but no where close to being as cute)

#5 - People who use the express check out and have too many items.
(see grievance #3)

#6 - People who think because you work in a cubicle that you are ALWAYS available for whatever they want whenever they decide to walk on in.
yes, because I live to serve..........(super sized sarcasm alert!)

#7 - People who slurp their coffee.
is it because it is too hot? then don't flippin drink it yet.......or stick an ice cube in it.......or go hide in a closet to drink it cuz I don't want to hear you slurping!

#8 - People who eat/drink in my cubicle.
seriously................... go eat in your office, the breakroom, the closet. this is MY office! I don't want your food smells or whatever here. would you seriously do that to someone with an actual office? and if you want to talk to me WHY are you eating?!?! talk with food in your mouth often?

#9 - People who "overshare" their music on the train.
see how polite I was with that?!?!? first.....if I wanted to listen to it, I would play it on my own darn phone. second......you are gonna go deaf you fool! third......how would you feel if I were blasting MY music?!?! I would totally hand out ear buds if I didn't think someone would kick my butt for such an action. oh, and while I totally understand if your goal is to tune out the jerk who has been whining about his car repair woes for the past 20 minutes......I gotta hear it and so do you! welcome to public transportation!

#10 - People who smoke around me, my kids.......anyone's kids.....or in front of buildings.
this falls under the concept that you have every right to kill yourself, slowly, quickly, whatever.....but you do not have the right to endanger anyone else. and probably just as bad is most smoker's sense of entitlement........like they have been wronged.

#11 - People who put their feet up on seats.
this one is basic: would you want someone to put THEIR dirty shoes on something YOU are going to sit on? then don't do it yourself! and while I somewhat expect this kind of horrific behaviour from some of the people on the train, I am thoroughly amazed at how many other places I see it happening.

#12 - People who leave long detailed voicemail messages.
people should assume a few things when leaving messages: 1. the person is going to listen to your message looking for a SUMMARY: name, number, why the heck you are calling. they are not expecting War & Peace. 2. people have a short attention span: limit your message to 15 seconds. 3. they are going to have to call you back to respond so you have a chance to be more specific then.......heck, chances are you are going to have to go through all the detail you so belabored in the voicemail message. and now you have annoyed them because they had to listen to all that "blah, blah, blah" and still have to call you back and hear it again. I feel so strongly about this that I have asked my family to not leave me voicemails on my cell phone. if I don't answer, I'll see that they called and call them back.........or they can send me a text. course that only works if you are dealing with cell phones and not landlines and you recognize the number calling you. so a little slack.......but there is never a need for a 2 minute voicemail message that ends with "so please call me back."

gosh I sound grounchy! but if you look over all my grievances, they come down to one thing: being considerate of others. how difficult is that?!?!? obviously extremely. maybe it is like that guy I met at the movies the other night said: "I don't like people. They are rude."

but now that I have aired my grievances I can warmly wish you and all those annoying people I just complained about a very Merry Christmas..............or whatever politically correct winter time holiday tradition you choose to participate (or not) in!

Tale of Two Movies (Playing for Keeps & Anna Karenina)

in the past 2 days I have been to 2 sneak previews. I have another one tonight but don't think I'll be posting about that one for while. 

PLAYING FOR KEEPS is about a "down on his luck" former soccer player, unsurprisinly played by Gerard Butler.......in pretty much the same role he played in The Ugly Truth and The Bounty Hunter. depending on who you talk to, he has moved to Virginia to connect with his son or to try and win back his ex-wife......... who is played by a Jessica Biel that was made as homely as possible but conveniently engaged and just a few weeks away from being married. Playing is a completely by the book romantic comedy. I had hoped for just a few surprises or twists, but was denied.......thus making this the perfect movie if you want an excuse for a girls' night out or a reason to sit in the dark and eat popcorn. for me, this would be a great movie for a cold rainy afternoon where I am too lazy to grab the remote and change the channel.

ANNA KARENINA is at the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum. beautiful and lyrical, this movie is written like a ballet with characters and scenes flowing together and through each other. with a story that had been told so many times before, they obviously knew they needed an unique approach and I think they found it. in fact, I kept waiting for someone to break out in song.........ala Moulin Rouge. but, this take obviously hasn't set well with several of the "real" critics........and there were a couple of people who walked out of the screening. perhaps this version is a bit too artsy for the main stream movie goer? and a few of the actors seemed to be a bit mis-matched to their characters..........I believe a certain blond hair blue eyed gentlemen was cast more for how great he looked against the backdrops than for his skills as an actor.......and pretty much anyone short of Kristen Stewart could have played the title character. the stand out performance for me was Jude Law. he was elegant, tortured, dignified, and understated as the cuckolded husband. end result: unless you really truly dislike anything other than the normal teen age boy humor, car chase, sci-fi kind of flic that is generally being offered, this is a must-see-in-the-theater movie. and if it tells you something.......hubby came out of the theater impressed.

Drive-Ins: we have one....check it out! (FREE!)

you probably aren't old enough to remember American Graffiti................heck, I'm not! but I do remember E-ticket rides at Disneyland, rotary dial phones, and the drive-ins! somehow I connect American Graffiti with the drive-ins.

currently there are 368 drive-ins open in the United States. at their pinnacle of popularity in the late 1950's, there were between 4,000 and 5,000 drive-ins. I can remember Sacramento having 3: Sunrise off Greenback just north of Fair Oaks Blvd, 49er out in Rio Linda, and Sacramento 6, the big one out off of 50 & Bradshaw. and no, I am NOT including the adult drive-in off of I80 in Davis. still don't understand how that was supposed to make sense!

anyway......of the 3 I can remember, the only one remaining is Sacramento 6. and every year I remember hearing that they too were closing down. well......opened in 1972, it was sold in 2006 and is now a WestWind Drive-In. they not only own our local drive-in but they own a total of 7 drive-ins throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona. I am also a little more than humored by the fact that their mascot is a dinosaur! is it a Fred Flinstone reference? a nod to the prehistoric feel of watching a movie IN YOUR CAR? or a sarcastic jab at the fact that most drive-ins smell like gas for the first half hour after the movie starts?

for myself, my biggest memory of the drive-ins are watching Star Wars. I honestly think we saw that movie 10 times.............and all at the drive-ins. why? I don't know. maybe because it was because you used to pay per carload? maybe because it was easy to pile a group of kids in a car and if the youngest fell asleep you didn't have to do anything with them? and the older kids who had eaten too many red vines could bounce around without disturbing the people sitting in the seats around them?!?!? I remember the importance of finding a speaker that worked. see......in the ol' days, kiddies, they had these fangled boxes attached to wires that played the sound from the movie. you would attach it to your window. sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't. it was like a fun little game to start the evening off right! the best was when you didn't have a neighbor and could use TWO speakers! now in the 21st century you use this new fangled thing called........wait for it.........a car STEREO!!! though seriously, I won't be surprised if I can one day stream it on my phone.

there is nothing more nostalgic than a summer evening at the drive-ins!

which leads me to the point of this particular rambling..................... FREE MOVIE NIGHT AT WESTWIND!!!!

need I saw more?

The Odd Movie (I mean LIFE) of Timothy Green

I hadn't read this book before seeing the movie. why? well, because according to Barnes & Noble there is no book for this movie to be based on. how odd is that? seems that most movies these days are based on books.......or on previous movies. so an original movie concept was......well........odd!!

but the movie was able to interest Jennifer Garner to the lead female role so I knew it had to be worth giving a try. I don't give Disney as much credit.

the basic premise of The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a couple unable to conceive plants a box of their dreams for a child. lo and behold, one shows up. odd, huh? (okay, I'll stop with that......) now in the real world, CPS would swoop in and snag the kid away and it would take years for them to get Timothy back again.......assuming they weren't imprisoned for kidnapping him or something. but this is Disney, so that doesn't happen. but, that doesn't stop odd (sorry) and magical things from taking place. like the fact that no one questions a boy mysteriously showing up and the school not making the parents show 24 forms of proof of birth and immunizations......

Disney knew exactly how to pull the punches in the script. from the type-A sister saying that Timothy wasn't a "real" son (that irks all us adoptive parents who want to know how a kid isn't real) to the unattentive parent who makes the dad strive to be a better parent. we are set up to fight for the Green family to succeed. does it work? I don't really think so. the ploys were too obvious and the ending a little too perfect.
despite all that, the boy who plays Timothy, CJ Adams, is totally adorable and the perfect fit of gawky young boy and wizened old man. his impish charm adds to the adventure. somehow he keeps this sappy story from truly plummeting head first over the cliff of saccharine sweetness. and I'll be honest, it teeters so darn close!!

while this is a Disney movie, it is rated PG and for a reason. there isn't anything that will permanently scar children, but they won't enjoy the movie and the simplistic look at adoption and how children are "gotten" is a little odd (last time). I'd save this one for a rainy afternoon to watch while you are drinking hot chocolate.

People Like Us (wow! lots of movies this week!)

Okay People Like Us, another new release this week, can be boiled down to a very simple story line: a son dealing with the death of his father and that he has a half- sister whom he needs to deliver a $150,000 inheritance to. If only it were that easy! But it isn’t and that is what makes this Alex Kurtzman film such a gem.


People Like Us stars Chris Pine (Star Trek and This Means War) as Sam, the slick salesman son who resists coming home for his own father’s funeral and Elizabeth Banks (most recently of Hunger Games) as the daughter/half-sister, Frankie, who is having a rough time of life. Michael Hall D’Addario provides an amazing performance as Frankie’s son, Josh. I’d like to go on record stating that we will see a lot more of Michael in the coming years. Michelle Pfeiffer shows that she can tackle being the mother/grandmother with as much finesse as she did the love interest in years past and Olivia Wilde, still known to me as Thirteen from the House tv series, rounds out the cast and fills in the cracks that the storyline forces the characters to cross.

Pine, however, stands out in this film as a surprise. He does an excellent job, as shown in his movie credits, of playing a self-absorbed ladies man. Pine brings this edginess to People Like Us making the audience a bit uncomfortable and unhappy with Sam for a good portion of the movie. That is the film’s secret weapon! It is the internal change in Pine’s character that takes what could have been a shallow feel-good movie and brings it into the realm of last year’s The Descendents.

While the movie includes the obligatory relationship confusion including the generic soap opera scene where half-sister makes a play for her unknown brother, the formula is balanced out by solid character development and surprising tidbits of music throughout the movie. It can be boiled down to this: don’t let the clichés keep you away from what is truly a heartwarming and well thought out film.

I’d also like to give a serious nod to the musical references. Diverse and eccentric. Probably meant to give insight into the deceased father who laid the foundation for the premise of the movie.

My suggestion: make it a date night. The kids won’t want to see it but you shouldn’t miss it.

Magic Mike versus Ted (movie stuffs)

this week I saw two sneak previews: Magic Mike and Ted. one I'll see again and one I will sadly never forget.

Magic Mike is full of male stripper hype. I got to give it to them, the movie is packed with sexy men! however, the storyline is laughable and the characters are so stereotypical that the movie itself comes off (no pun intended) as a parody of what a real stripper movie would be.......as if someone would actually make one. needless to say, the movie does have some good qualities: all of them visual. despite THAT, I would have preferred a bit more editting and a little more thought into the cinematography. at one point the camera angle made me nauseous, and yes, it was the camera angle and not the movie itself. also, the dance scenes went on way too long. after reading a CNN article, I learned that Channing Tatum's "big break" was in Step Up. everything makes a lot more sense now but doesn't change my view that the dance scenes could have been cut down. do strippers really do an entire fully clothed dance number, tear off their clothes at the last minute and then get drowned beneath a waterfall of bills? oh, I could also have skipped Matthew McConaughey singing. do strip shows usually have musical interludes? you tell me......I don't plan on going to do the hands on research (yes, that pun was intended).

my suggestion: Magic Mike is perfect for a girl's night out......that starts with a few friends, a few drinks........a few more drinks......

Ted, on the other hand, was hysterical, and not because someone truly expected me to believe that a teddy bear had magically come to life but just because it was FUNNY! full of potty humor and real characters that found themselves in real life dilemnas (stuffed animals aside) about relationships and priorities but all done with a great sense of humor. and did I mention it was funny? Both Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis played the perfect straight man/woman to Seth McFarlane's fuzzy lead. yes the movie was a bit too sexual and mature to take my boys (though they would protest otherwise) but that is why it was rated "R". the 80's music and movie references might be missed by the younger members of the crowd. even I missed some of the jokes as I wasn't a Flash Gordon fan, but it did not reduce my enjoyment of the movie. so, despite the excessive amount of fart jokes and turnip abuse (I think it was a turnip......I was too busy laughing at Bill Smitrovich's deadpan) I really enjoyed the movie.

my suggestion: leave the kids and turnips at home. and if Patrick Stewart's foul mouthed narration isn't enough for you, keep an eye out for a few cameos.

Something dishonest about Abraham Lincoln (movie review)

Last night I was able to see a sneak preview of the movie, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter that comes out on Friday. Sometimes I know ahead of time if I am not able to catch a preview that I will be forking out the cash to see it anyway. This was one of those movies.

Well, I am glad I didn't pay.

The movie is based on a book by the same name from Seth Grahame-Smith about the secret life of our country's 16th president. See, when he was a youngster, Lincoln saw his mother die after being attacked by vampires. From this moment, his life's goal was to seek revenge for her death. Both the book and the movie take the historically known information about President Lincoln and weave into it what we haven't known, up until now. things like the Civil War being a war to stop the vampires' main food supply (slaves) and that Lincoln's own son dies from a vampire, not what ever they tell us on Wikipedia. I have absolutely no problem with this alternate view of Lincoln's life. I don't even have a problem with the random events in the movie that have no link back to the book. I think the idea of this all going on while Lincoln lead our country is incredible......in an amazingly creative and awesome way. And the execution of this in the book was impressive.

Not so much in the movie.

Where I was left disappointed in the movie was the visuals. Grahame-Smith wrote the screenplay and Tim Burton was one of the producers. I thought this would be a great pairing. Instead I feel like the two of them got together and made a mud pile of special effects. One would suggest doing something "cool" and the other would feel the need to one-up him. (and honestly, it may have nothing to do with either of them.....I just have higher hopes from any project they are associated with.) In the end, most of the actual story was pushed aside to make room for an overwhelming 3D, slow motion, splashy, computer generated assault on my senses. Everything felt hyped up and super sensitized. I guess I should have known something was wrong when in the first 5 minutes or so of the film parts of the screen went fuzzy as the camera focused on different people. Why do that?

By the way, I do have to commend both Benjamin Walker and whoever did his make-up on how well they aged him, despite the one scene where he looked like a deranged leprechaun. In fact, all the actors and actresses involved did an above and beyond type performance. Too bad most of it probably ended up on the editing room floor to make room for more special effects.

After screenings, the studio has a person waiting to politely take any and all comments the viewers have to send back to the studio. I waited a bit before approaching her and told her (more simply) how I felt about the excessive use of special effects. I asked if others had said the same thing. Nope. Just me. She did get a lot of "really cool" comments. So perhaps this movie is not meant for people who want a story but instead want to see really neato eyes that kinda glow in 3D?

Next week I get to see Magic Mike. I expect no special effects. I expect no story. I don't expect that I'll be disappointed.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - oh finally!! (a movie review.....kinda)

Do you know me? Probably don't need to know me much to know how much I have been obsessing over The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo movie. Yes, I was one of those hold outs who didn't read the books when all the buzz started. Why would I want to read some book about an inked chick?? But I did and the rest is kinda history.

So that you know where I am coming from, I have read the entire series once.....pretty much didn't leave the couch from the beginning of the first book through the end of the third. I have watched the foreign films once. Then a couple weeks ago I read the first book again and rewatched the foreign version of the first movie. I stopped short of piercings and tearing my clothes (I would be tempted if I could find a shirt that said "fuck you, you fucking fuck" like was worn in the movie.......though I would probably be too chicken to wear it in public.......or in front of my kids........maybe under a sweatshirt?!?!? I don't think H&M will be offering it in their Dragon Tattoo collection!)

Last night was the sneak preview. Couldn't believe I hadn't tracked down passes until Sunday morning......thankyouverymuch SandwichJohnFilms!! After talking with the studio rep, I was a bit worried about the amount of violence in the movie: rape, rape, torture, etc. All the heavies. Despite the continual laughing of the dude across the aisle from me, this was not a comedy!



Anyway, the worst part of the movie was the Trent Reznor "video" at the beginning. My friend MsChick said it was to get us in that "weird dark Swedish vibe". You can see the video on his site......sans movie credits. This movie was a long one.......why saddle us with a ridiculous waste of time on top of that? (Otherwise, he and Atticus Ross did an amazing soundtrack!!)

After that, everything was much better! I don't know how to really say it (which is why I won't be quitting my day job to become a movie critic anytime soon), but this version of the movie took a slightly different view of the storyline than the original version and I liked it better. It did a better job of explaining things than the foreign film and will go over better with those few in the audience who haven't devoured the books. The movie was faithful to the story, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It still took liberties with some of the details of the story and I would love to ask the screenwriter, director, producer, whomever "why???? why bother changing something like that?" But I can't.

End result: this movie lives up to the hype. They did not ruin a good story as I had feared they would. Other than 2 obvious and annoying product placements (McDonalds and Coke, I am looking at you!), it was not what I call "Hollywoodized." (Apple and Epson got their fair share of screentime too, but somehow that wasn't as annoying.) I can't imagine how many shots it took to get some of the subtle emotions and nuances from the actors. I was uncomfortable where I knew I would be (this is not a kids's movie people......and the 2 people I saw there with their young children: bad! bad bad parents!!!). The movie (with the help of the soundtrack) was fast paced and I didn't notice that I was sitting for so long. They did an excellent job of providing some relief so you didn't leave the theater needing a chiropractor from being stressed up and clenched for almost 3 hours. I will go see it again. 

One thing that feels off is that what you remember being the main story ends, but there are still several minutes left to the movie. The viewer (even me) forgets that the story begins with Mikael Blomkvist being convicted of slander. Then we quickly get swept up into the "meat" of the movie. But that part of the story is only there because of the fall-out of the court case and after the mystery is solved, the slander storyline needs to be concluded. Seems a bit anti-climactic. It does in the book too. But it is necessary for the continuation of the Trilogy. Maybe instead of seeing it as the end of this story, see it as a prelude to the next?


Anyone know when The Girl Who Played With Fire will be out?

Things to do......you know, pretending its Fall and all!

And here is where you expect me to tell you "go to Apple Hill....see the leaves turn.....blah, blah, blah." Assuming you live anywhere near here, you already know about Apple Hill (go early, leave early). I want to tell you about the other things happening! Let's call them the "B-side" of the things to do list! lol!!

This Thursday, September 22nd is West Wind Theaters annual Customer Appreciation Night! What is better than the drive-ins? How about FREE drive-ins!! You get your choice of Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Transformers 3. Long rumored to be their "last year" every year, West Wind has done a great job of remaking themselves as more of a family destination. Let's hope the weather is a bit cooler than those meteorologists are saying so we can all hang out watching movies and eating $1 nachos......oops! I forgot to mention that! Yeppers, $1 nachos!

If that puts you in the mood for some more family together time, check out Citrus Heights' Sunday Fun Day on Sunday, September 25th at Rusch Park. This is the 15th year for this free bounce house, pony rides, rock climbing wall, live entertainment, and give-away event. There will be lots of food, music, and fun for everyone in the family! I have some great photos of a cute little Ryan on the amusement rides, and the boys a bit older "steering" the fire truck, and now spinning give-away wheels. The worst part of this event.......parking! Be patient and be willing to walk. It will make life a lot easier.

So if anyone has any pull in the weather department, order up some cooler fall weather!

A girl and 3 movies....

I probably could write 3 different posts talking about each of the movies separately, however I don't know that I have that much to say. But, I did want to put my $0.02 in on them!

Contagion came out Thursday. This movie demonstrates how quickly a virus can spread throughout the world. I still had a bit of a cough and I could feel the entire theater cringe every time I coughed. I even cringed when I had to cough! The movie was done in such an understated almost factual manner that it could easily double as a documentary for a high school health class. While I am sure you can guess the eventual outcome of the storyline, I was not the only one who left the theater feeling despair and helplessness at the possibility of the movie becoming reality. Overall, it was a good quality piece of film work with quality acting, but falls on my "wait and see it at home" scale of movie rating. Bonus: at home you don't sit there wondering who last touched your arm rest!

Lion King 3D is roaring back into theaters for a limited 2 week engagement starting September 16th. (Can you hear the commercial: "Disney is opening the vault for a limited time"?) Same story, same taglines. Heck, depending on your kids' ages, you might be able to mouth the entire movie along with the characters! So, why should you consider going to see it? And why am I going to suggest that you go so far as to plunk out the big bucks for the biggest screen you can find? Well, because if any animated movie was meant to be pulled out and redone in 3D, it was Lion King. You know that the minute the bird flies over your shoulder and into the screen. I am not a fan of 3D, but this movie did it right! In fact, I am disappointed to see that it won't be showing at our local IMAX theater.

50/50 is going to be called one of the best movies of the year. I put it up there with The Help. And you know how much I loved that movie! The storyline is about a young man finding out he has cancer and how he and his circle of family/friends all deal with it. I am not going to go more into it than to tell you that not everyone reacts the way you think they will......and that is kinda the point of the movie. I was fortunate enough to see a really early sneak preview 50/50. Took the boys with me even though I thought the subject matter might be a bit too grown-up for them. They laughed, they cried, and they want to see it again! The movie did an excellent job of balancing the seriousness of the situation (hey! the guy has a 50/50 chance of survival! can't get more serious than that!) and providing enough humor to make it feel "real".

So, if I had to pick just one of these movies to see, it would be 50/50. Sad, because Contagion had such possibilities along with my favorite quote: "Blogging is just graffiti with punctuation." Let me know what you think about these movies.....and how do you feel about the whole idea of remaking movies in 3D? Is it an easy way to make a quick buck or are they really that much better?

PS: Today is your last chance to try and win some Tillamook Cheese!

oh the things you could do!

well.....if you have the time or could be in 2 (or 3) places at one time! all very cool things! I am so thankfully that Sacramento has so many great options to spend your free time doing.

• in case you have fallen prey to the propaganda put forth by that dastardly Wizard, you can spend Saturday afternoon at the Crest Theater enjoying the Wizard of Oz sing-along! Karaoke starts at 1pm.
• tonight is an outdoor viewing of the Wizard of Oz at the Crocker Art Museum. (sorry for the last minute notice...I WAS going to give you 3 hours notice but Blogger decided maintenance was more important than informing you about this!) not billed as a sing-along, though I have been promised that no singers will be punished. the event starts at 8pm. I would suggest a quick check at the weather since there is a huge fire burning at 7th and Richards and all of downtown has that "fresh smoked" feeling.

I wanna know when they are going to make a Wicked movie and then have sing alongs for the faithful! Elphaba Lives!

• tomorrow night, Thursday, plenty of notice, don't complain if you didn't know about it already...... is Wonderbread 5 at Outdoors at UC Davis.....as you might assume AT the UCD Med Center. that nifty link will give you a link to directions in case you are Med Center area challenged like I am! be a good sport, take some soda tabs or laundry detergent or microwave popcorn by the Ronald McDonald House while you are in the area! it will start your night off with GROOVY karma!!

• finally, if that ol' "sing the praises of Oz" thing isn't for you.....but yellow squishy fruits are more your style (somehow that didn't look as good written out as it sounded in my head)....the head over to the Second Annual Banana Fest! really, you could do both since this event is August 13th & 14th! the event is at William Land Park (handy dandy close to the Sacramento Zoo) and features all those wonderful foods that make the smell of ripening bananas worth it along with some pretty nifty entertainment for the entire family! where do I sign up for the banana split eating contest? AND, if the $7 price tag makes you skittish, have I got a deal for you!!* follow @BananaFestival on Twitter, mention them in a tweet today, and you will get a code for $5 tickets! that gives you $2/person towards the purchase of your favorite banana delicacy! I have heard that you can only use the code once per order but can use it on multiple orders.....just think how much money you and your bunch (of bananas) can save!

finally, if you are in the mood for a darn good movie (and some popcorn whether it is good, bad, or indifferent) remember that my favorite movie of the year, The Help, comes out tonight! remember me talking about it?

I think I am missing something (even though I DID make a list!). so how about if I just state that these amazing events are in addition to all the already great things you can enjoy before the summer disappears and I start singing the praises of Halloween, pumpkin patches, and how bad I look in the color orange!

*not really a I-have-personally-scored-for-you kinda deal......just something I saw and of course had to share.

#TheHelpMovie - a review and comparison

Under the theory of sharing the things I see, I wanted to try and do a more formal review of the movie The Help. I have read the book and seen the movie twice now. I tried to think and be objective the second time around instead of just basking in the beauty of the story. (there is a hint about how I feel about the movie.)

The Help is the story of an independent young white woman, fresh from college and itching to write the story of her career, and the supposedly "free" colored women who are paid below minimum wage, treated like slaves, and considered disposable as they run households, raise white children, and put up with the indignities of living in the South in the 1960s. (wow that was a mouthful!) The story Skeeter decides on is how these maids/housekeepers feel and their relationships with the ladies they work for. This isn't easy for her to accomplish and that underscores the worries of the time. Two very strong willed maids, Abileen and Minny, help her. These three women are the focus of the book and film.

For me, the most important part of any movie adaptation of a book is that the movie retains the spirit of the story. I realize that characters need to be combined sometimes and parts left out. but the resulting movie still needs to make me feel the way the book did. (think about the avid fans raging against Harry Potter for the parts of the movie that don't live up to the books.)

The Help did an excellent job of keeping the overall feel of the story. Yes, parts were left out and events skimmed in some cases, but the viewer still left the movie feeling the same way a reader feels when done reading the book: totally peeved about how maids/housekeepers were treated by the white women they worked for and vindicated by their victories, small and large. I loved that at certain parts of the movie (which I shall not spoil for those who have not read the book) you could tell who in the audience had read the book. But knowing what twists and turns were coming didn't take away from the joy of watching the film. In fact, I think it made it just that much better. And while many movies might fade after the second watching, I was only more captivated the second time.

The actresses picked to play each of the main roles, Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer shine! in this role, Emma Stone has proven herself an actress to be reckoned. Equally impressive are newcomers (to me) Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter), and Jessica Chastain. I know it is cliche, but these women truly brought their characters to life.

Is it a good indication of an excellent adaptation when you leave the movie wanting to read the book again? if that is the case, then The Help is truly an excellent movie. even if you have not read the book, you will enjoy this story of friendship and courage.

but why??

so, one of the reasons I haven't posted very often is because I was debating my blog's focus. at first I think it started as an online diary of sorts, but I did as good a job with that as I did with my pencil & paper diaries as a teen!

a while ago I changed the tag line of the blog to represent the focus I intended for myself. pretty much a cool way of saying "who, what, where" thinking I would talk about the things I do (like read books), the places I go (like movie reviews), and people......a catch-all for everything else.

I started by doing my famous amateur restaurant review and then thought I would do a full scale "The Help" review. that last part hasn't happened (yet!). the most recent post was about an event happening this weekend that is just quirky and fun! hopefully if you live locally you have already visited the Sacramento Zoo, and who can complain about a cute van and cheese? overall, I would love to let people know about things they might like but might miss if I someone doesn't tell them about it!

anyway, these are some of the things I would like to include in this blog......along with my overall general randomness that is always a favorite of mine! lol!!

The Help

short blog post, short and to the point:

you need to see this movie when it comes out.

if you haven't read the book then you need to read the book before the movie comes out.

trust me on this.

period. end of statement.

ps: I could say the same thing about the Millenium Trilogy (you know....Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc) but you have a few more months for that.

12 of 12 - the Stanley edition!

Stanley (Flat Stanley that is) has arrived for a visit! so in honor of his visit this will be HIS 12of12! lol!! as a reminder, 12of12 is Chad Darnell's creation....... you can learn more about it (and perhaps join us next month) here.

woke up a little after 7am. did a little bit of snuggling with Tessa. she is such a good doggie!

for breakfast we had Strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats. Mommie B says these are her favorite. I liked them......tasted a little too much like cardboard to eat every day but they were okay.
check out Mommie B's odometer! now that she isn't working she isn't putting as many miles on her car. just over 1,000 this past month she said! at look at the temperature! it is only 9am. wonder how hot it is going to get out here?

We had to drive Big Bro B and his friend to a Scout camp this morning. because of all the bikes and stuff we borrowed a truck from the friend's mom. BRIGHT RED! HOW COOL!! I took some time to check it all out while the boys loaded the back.

dropped off Big Bro B and his friend. not really sure how they are going to get all their stuff where they need to. and it isn't like I can be of much help! lol! they told me I couldn't stay this time, but maybe next time. I sure hope so! this place looks FUN!
before heading home, we stopped by the District Pinewood Derby. these were the fastest cars in from each of the Packs from the District. my favorite is the black one with the StormTrooper driving! because I am not a Scout, they decided I should wear a Tiger Cub shirt so that everyone knew who I was! Thanks guys!
after our busy morning it was lunch time. Mommie B thought I might be a tad homesick so she made Lil Bro B and I an egg salad sandwich. YUMMY!!

you know when people talk about how hot it has gotten.....in the shade??? well here I am in the shade and it is 85 degrees! a few minutes later we went to go get gas and the car said it was 90! needless to say Mommie B got me some sunglasses so I can be cool.

the price of gas is crazy! here I thought it was expensive to send me USPS! Mommie B said that last month it was $3.44 a gallon.
when Daddy B and Big Bro B are at camp, Mommie B said one of the things she loves to do is get the seafood special from a local Chinese place. sweet & sour pineapple shrimp, crab cream cheese won tons, etc. YUM! normally she gets won ton soup with it, but she said it was too warm today. so instead she had to add on an appetizer sampler so they would deliver. look at all this food! Mommie B said that this will feed her for 2 dinners and a lunch.......even with sharing with me! lol! guess what my fortune said: "A cheerful letter or message is on its way to you." wonder if I am actually that cheerful letter or message and I got Mommie B's fortune by mistake?

the second part of Mommie B's evening routine when Daddy B and Big Bro B are gone is to watch chick flicks. I was trying to be a good house guest so I watched "The Devil Wears Prada" with her. it wasn't that bad.......not as mushy-girlie as "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" that we watched on tv afterwards. Mommie B even cried a bit at the end. blech!
after that it was bed time. I was already half asleep from that last boring movie so it was good to get tucked in bed. couldn't believe it was after 11pm! YAWN!!!!
what a busy day I had! I am really having a good time with the B family. thanks for stopping by.

Ring of Fire.....

we finally watched Walk the Line tonight. I am not a Johnny Cash fan and don't like country music. however I had heard such great things about the movie that I wanted to see it. dh didn't care if we saw it but R really wanted to see it. but only because when we saw LoveHammers in concert they did a cover of Ring of Fire! lol!! the movie didn't disappoint. we didn't let D watch it and I was worried that it would be too mature for R. but I checked out a family review site and their concerns were violence and drug abuse. BUT, they said, the movie did show serious consequences for the drug abuse. I thought that might be a good thing! afterall, we knew that the movie was a reasonable likeness to reality. so R got to see how bad things can get when you do drugs and how you can lose things and people as a result. it also showed that you can turn things around. sometimes I think having the kids get messages like this from sources other than parents and teachers is a good thing.

but this post wasn't supposed to be a lecture about drug abuse.

so moving on!!! today I completed 2 two page layouts. I haven't updated my accountability blog but will do so tomorrow. I am hoping to get 2 more layouts done tomorrow. I think I have an idea for one of them.......we shall see! lol!! but I am enjoying doing those unpopular double page spreads with all those pictures on them. can you believe that I have done 3 layouts in the past 2 days and 2 of them had 7 pictures each and the other had 8?!?!? and the funny thing is that I really think they are nice looking. I think the boys will like looking at them in a couple decades.

guess that is all for tonight. tomorrow is the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. take a moment out of your day tomorrow (especially if you don't have to work) to think about his message of peace and acceptance.

and your little dog Tessa too!

you know.....Wizard of Oz.....the witch flies by on her broomstick and threatens poor Dorothy. well.....I kept an eye out for that witch today! we had HORRIBLE winds.....HORRIBLE winds!!! a neighbor lost a fence and a couple lost trees. the street by the park was flooded and I got to watch people drive through the huge puddle that is always there.

at one point I asked R to get out some flashlights and batteries in case we lost power. so later when he left to go to a friends house he asked if he should take Tessa and Stubbs with him.......you know.......in case we lost power! lol!

I have the Wizard of Oz on TiVo.......do you think it would be pushing it to watch that tonight?

and here is a resolution for 2008.....

we are watching AFI's Top 100 Films of all Times. there are a few movies that I am embarrassed to say I have never seen. there are a few movies I really don't WANT to see.....but overall it is an amazing list. I told J I think we should try to see the movies from the list that we haven't seen. obviously if they are on this list they offer SOMETHING worth seeing, correct????

the list has 100 films on it and I am not sure how many of them I have seen.......so I am not sure I can realistically expect to see all of them during 2008. but I think seeing 1 or 2 a month should be realistic, shouldn't it?!?!?

what kind of quirky goals do you have for next year?

been awhile......

tomorrow is 12of12 so before that happens I thought it would be a good idea to do a 10 second tidy on the blog and catch everyone up to date.

on the 26th, C arrived from down south and we started our whirlwind celebration of Halloween with a little Christmas thrown in. if you check out her blog (linked in the Oct 30th blog entry) you can atleast see some photos of what happened.......even if you can't read Danish! lol!!

we went to the pumpkin patch, visited a haunted house, had dinner at Weiner Works, L&L Hawaiian BBQ, Big Joes BBQ, had a merry little Christmas (little being the operative word), saw Nightmare Before Christmas, took a mini Christmas album class, carved pumpkins, went to the Jelly Belly factory, went to the zoo to see the penguins, ate at the Hard Rock, had lots of Starbucks, Trick or Treated, made Halloween treat packets, volunteered at R's school, ate breast cancer awareness bagels at Panera (actually VERY tasty!!), and of course met some LM friends for dinner at Chevys! whew! even just typing it wore me out! lol! we totally had a blast while she was here but I think we wore her out a little bit.

then C and I took off for Detroit for the LM crop. what a BLAST we had!!! we were lucky enough to sit near each other......so it kinda extended the feeling of her visiting a little longer. I roomed with Peggy and it was SOOO great seeing her and Stephanie (and everyone else too) again.

I flew home late Sunday and had Monday off. I pretty much spent it on the couch watching tv and almost napping. Tuesday I woke up to go to work and was sick. my head was so clogged that I was getting dizzy just looking side to side to drive. so back home I came and into bed for a majority of the day.

this past weekend I taught again for Cosmo Cricket at the Sacramento Scrapbook Expo. it was fun! I only taught 2 different classes each day so I felt a little repetitive........ but it was easier than teaching 4 different classes. R had a band event in the afternoon so I went to see it and then brought him back to the crop to help with Make & Takes. as always the women just thought that a scrapping boy was the cutest thing....... and let me tell you........ that boy is a serious salesman!!! I really wish I could have videotaped or even tape recorded his spiel. he was selling Buck Naked Chipboard like there was nothing more grander!! at one point I just started busting out laughing because he was s-m-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-t-h!!! he sounded like he had been a scrapper for the past 11 years! really!!

to finish off the weekend......I actually cooked! lol! I cooked yesterday but it was just a soup mix and crescent rolls. today I made chili (lots and lots of chili), cornbread, and pineapple upside down cake. I was in the mood for the cake when I made it but by the time we had it after dinner I wasn't in the mood anymore. but it was still good!! I really loved the chili. J thought it would be too spicy for me but I thought it was terrific. good thing too because there is enough leftover for 2 more meals! good thing because I doubled the recipe and there was 4 lbs of meat in there! lol!!

tomorrow is 12of12 and Veteran's Day observed. not sure what I will have to take pictures of except atleast a photo of R working at a local pizza place to raise money for his Scout Troop. if you live in the greater Sacto area and want to come support them, drop me a line and I will give you the info!

also.....take a moment today or tomorrow to say a prayer for all Veterans and those who are actively serving now. while we may not agree with the war we should all support the soldiers and their families!

12 of 12 - the ORANGE edition!

this almost could have been called the FORGOTTEN edition!! we all know I am not a good weekend blogger.....I just try to not be on the computer as much. and today was a day of running around in circles....I'll explain more as we go through this entry.

so......this is what it looks like as we get ready to leave in the morning. 2 boys and a big ol' pile of stuff! lol!! it takes us 5 minutes to get from the house into the car! crazy, isn't it?!?!?

R always gives T a treat when he puts her collar on. it is how he has trained her to come when he calls her so he CAN put her collar on! lol!! look how attentive and patient she is for him! she doesn't even care if Mommie is taking her picture! lol!!

traditional odometer photo. can you believe we were running late and I forgot to take it in the driveway like normal? so this is at about 7:15. a bit warmer than when we walked out the door. and look at me pile those miles on my car! uuuuugh! lol!!

Starbucks is giving away a free download every day through November 7th. each day is a different artist. there have been some that I don't like at all and some really great ones. the place I normally get my Starbucks at isn't a full service store so they don't have a sign like this. but I didn't stop there this morning and instead grabbed a mocha by work (I had thought I wasn't going to get one and changed my mind!). that store had a sign so I took a picture of it!

Sharon sent me a book she had read. this is it (obviously). it is slow getting in to and is told from various points of reference. I am enjoying it but not enough to have it take over my life! lol! it did, though, keep me good company at lunch today.

I had rented Fantastic Four for J & R to watch. was given the dvd case to return sans the actual dvd. so on my way home from work I stopped by Blockbuster to give them their dvd. check out my creative self-portrait! lol!! not the greatest photo but it isn't like I am going to use this for our Christmas cards! lol!!

one of the things that sucked up my time today was going to get tickets to a concert. I could have pre-sale bought them online 2 days ago for full price however starting at 10am Saturday you could use a $5 off coupon (the one in this photo). anyway.......I had to stop by the coffee shop to get the coupon. this morning (Saturday the 13th) I had to drive R to a Scout event. it was less that 5 miles from where the box office for the concert venue is. dropped him off and headed home in time to buy the tickets. THEN found out (because no one had mentioned it) but the coupon is only good for a few selected rows in the way way back of the arena........AND those tickets weren't released yet! so after dinkering around with the lady at Ticketmaster and then calling the arena, poor D got stuck back in the car and we drove to the arena to buy the tickets directly. they said if I bought the rows they would refund the difference when the promoter gave them the directions to open up the discount. but the lady at the arena and I went through and picked out the possible seat locations available and I ended up getting us some rather nice seats (you know.....for a family of 4 who didn't buy their tickets when they first became available aaaaaarrrrggghhh!!!!). anyway.....by going to the arena I saved Ticketmaster's fee so the tickets ended up being $10 cheaper than they would have been with the coupon.......and were better seats......but cost me 2 hours of my life! I still am happier now with the end result. oh and the dude at the coffee place gave me a coupon for a buy 1 get 1 free yesterday!

so......now back to actually what happened on the 12th and not just the aftermath...... NO!! we did NOT get flu shots! BUT this sign has been up for about a month. every time we drive by or go to the chiro we joke about getting our flu shots. honestly, I am not really sure why anyone would get a shot and how they are supposed to benefit you. figure they are based on the previous year's major strains of flu.....which WON'T be this year's flu. so what are you really protecting yourself from? anyway......we are not old or immune deficient so we don't get them.

J hates our staplers.....period.....end of sentence. a stapler can work fine for me for a long long time and then J gets it and it doesn't work. don't know why. and frankly don't care. so we went to Office Max to get some manila envelopes for R and J picked himself out the exact stapler that he personally wanted. let's hope this solves the whole stapler issue!

because our morning routine is all different and I am not quite used to it, I forgot to get a gas price picture. so on the way home last night I took one. it is dark and fuzzy because it is after 7 and it is dark! for the record, AMPM was 10 cents a gallon cheaper!

seems R has a new Crush at school. seems Crush has her e-mail addy written in her lab book. seems R or a friend had to check Crush's work Friday. seems someone wrote down Crush's e-mail addy and sent her a note. this is R replying to the e-mail Crush sent back!!! (insert the smoochie kissie noises Mommie was making while R was typing this out! lol!)

the bonus for this month was ORANGE. I took a really great picture of this obnoxious ORANGE pen that the FedEx/Kinkos sales rep brought us, but decided that I wanted a photo of my favorite Halloween candle instead. it doesn't take a good picture (obviously) so I will tell you that it is a gel candle. you can see through it......like Jello.....and there are things IN the gel. when lit, the whole thing glows! rather cool.

and last but not least............D getting his treat from the Halloween countdown calendar. the boys take turns and D gets the even days. (they split the 31st so don't worry.....it is all EVEN!!!) today's treat was stretchy body parts! D got an ear and a hand. I can't remember which day R will get his stretchy body parts but he has a foot and a nose! lol! so gross.......SOOOO boy!!


with that I big you adieu until next month!!!