RED

My husband and I got to have a date day of sorts. We started with a matinee movie with 1 free ticket & a free small popcorn. Who doesn't love free? We added 1 ticket & 1 large cherry coke to share.

We chose to go see RED with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker & Helen Mirren. All the way around a fantastic cast! it's an action comedy with lots of loud shooting & very little language. Honestly, its says its rated PG-13 for action violence & brief strong languages but neither my husband or i remember there being any language. Now, it could be stated that we watch R rated that are heavy in language and in comparison it just didn't register on our radar. Either way it's a very fun movie - not a constant laugh out loud but i chuckled a lot.

Coraline in 3D

FANTASTIC!!!

We went to a swanky movie theater that shows all movies in HD and they were only showing Coraline in 3D. I was hesitant but we also had a free ticket to that theater so we went. The new digital 3D is amazing! The 3D actually works, not kinda gives an effect if you get the glasses just right but works all the time. Plus it works even with them over my normal glasses. The theater gave out these big plastic 3d glasses.

The 3D part aside, the visuals in Coraline are great. I'd like to go see it again just so i can absorber more. The story line in general is a good one, kinda creepy. The parents are a little over the top rude to Coraline to get the point across quickly that they ignore her and she's miserable because of it. The other characters are over the top eccentric but good entertainment. I agree with some reviews i've heard that it's not for young children. It does depend on your child but i wouldn't think anyone younger than 8 would like it. The subject matter is a little mature, Coraline's parents ignoring her, her looking for better options, having to deal with a witch, encounter ghosts that want Coraline to find their eyes again. These are not things that younger kids would find funny or interesting i'd think. The movie does have a happy ending.

I recommend checking out the offical movie website too. For those of us that love special features go to the "Theater" section of the site and you can watch varies short clips on how things were done.

Tropic Thunder Review

Yup, it was boy humor. It wasn't horrible but not hysterical either. I actually enjoyed the 2 minor characters performances better than the 3 huge stars. However, Robert Downey Jr's performance was good.

Tonight it's Wall-e which I already reviewed as Great. Originally saw it on the 4th of July. Not sure i'm going to watch all of it tonight. Need to get up at 5am tomorrow for a press check. At least i can get to work with out any traffic.

Tropic Thunder

Ok, i'm giving the movie a try. My husband says it's hilarious but i have a feeling it's a guy hilarious and not a universal hilarious.

I'll let you know.

Blogging Harry Potter - Sorcerer's Stone

Watched the first HP tonight and a little ways into it i thought it would be fun to blog my thoughts to some things and any dialog i really liked. It got long and doubt it's entertaining but there you have it. I wish blogger offered the "continue reading" option to cut your posts.

***
Hogwarts Express Train number: 5972

Introduction of Ron & Hermione

Ron: "wicked"

Herm: "you know you've got dirt on your noes, just there."

Every time the characters go to the school its by some new transportation. First years, it's by boat across the lake.

Houses:
Hufflepuff {they never get any notice}
Raveclaw {barely a little notice than Hufflepuff}
Gryffendore
Slytherin

Intro Malfoy the nemesis

Ron: "mental that one, i'm tellin' ya." Ron about Hermione

Oooh first ever scar pain for Harry when he noticed Prof. Snape staring at him. Prof. Snape is also talking to Prof. Quirrell at the same time.

Harry convinces the sorting hat not to put him in Slytherin which will haunt him for the next 2 movies.

Dumbledore: "Let the feast begin" - what you later learn in the books is that house elf's make the food in the kitchen below the dinning hall.

"Nearly headless, how can you be nearly headless."
"Like this" [sr. nick pulls his head off his shoulders]

Intro moving stair cases and moving paintings - both have various degrees of importance from one movie to the next.

Oh, they changed the fat lady painting between the first and the fourth movie.

Ms. McGonagall {who is named after some obscure Scottish poem/tale} - transforms from a cat to her human form. "Then perhaps a map. I trust you don't need one to find your seats"

Prof. Snape: "There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class... for those select few you posses the predispositions, i can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the sense, bottle fame... and even put a stopper in death."

I enjoy the typography and design of the Daily Prophet.

Madam Hooch is introduced but never to be seen again after this movie. She gives flying instructions: place a hand over your broom and firmly say "Up."

Longbottom has an incident with his broom, of course but when his rememberable gets lost it gives the Malfoy and Harry and chance to have their first conflict. It ends well for Harry when he's seen catching the little thing and given the Seeker position on the Quidditch team.

Malfoy says "fat *ss"! I didn't realize there was cussing in the first one.

Oooh Oliver Wood, love his accent!

Fred & George Weasely, funniest twins. "We make sure you don't get bludgeoned to death".

Filch's cat Mrs. Norris - creepy red eyes.

Ron: "That's it, we're done for" - always one for the dramatic.

Herm: "I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another crazy idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled".
Ron: "She needs to sort out her priorities"

Prof. Quirrell : "TRrrrOoooLL! Troll in the dungeon!" The trio's first challenge to over come. Save Hermione and defeat the troll.

Harry: "Yuck, troll boogies."

Prof. McGonagall: "5 points for each of you for sheer dumb luck!" - which carries them through about half of the things they do.

Ron: "That's not just a broom stick. That's a Nimbus 2000."

Hagrid "Who told you about fluffy?"
Herm: "that thing has a name?!"
Hagrid: "Of course he's got a name."

Hagird: "I should not have said that."

Keyword: Nicholas Flamel

Christmas! Lots of snow that i'm thankful we don't get. Ghosts are caroling. Ron & Harry are playing Wizards chess, a foreshadowing. Ron's brother is in Romania who's working with Dragons there, also a foreshadowing.

Ron: "I think we've been a bad influence on her."

Harry gets his invisibility cloak - i'm still not sure who really gave it to him.

More plot... the mirror that gives neither "knowledge or truth" but shows Harry his most deep desire which is to have his parents back. Again, something that will be brought up to be used in future books. It's amazing all the things J.K. Rowlings linked between one book to the next.

Ta-Da! They figure out what Fluffy is guarding.

Mr.Filch: "At one time detention was you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. Oh, i miss the old days."

Herm: "As long as Dumbledore is around you can't be touched" - well, wouldn't you know, he went out of town.

Gees this movie is long...

Ron: "you're a little scary sometimes, brilliant but scary"

Harry, taking it upon himself to protect the object and herm and ron. Don't you think it's odd that a bunch of old, knowledgeable wizards would put spells and blocks up to protect the stone and then first years can come in and do basic magic to get by? Hm, anyone find that convenient? It is nice that each challenge does cater to one of the threes abilities, so with out one of them, all of them couldn't make it.

The larger than life chess set has to be the best one of the movie.

Voldemort: "Ha, bravery! Your parents had it too."

Harry's hands can some how burn Pro. Quirrell's body. What, really, how? Apparently love did it. Harry's mom died trying to save him and gave Harry and special protection of love. This theme is also continued on through the movies.

Things never to be seen again: The awarding of house cup, points taken and given, and those pointy hats they wear at the end.

Time

Here is the catch with NaBloPoMo, it actually takes time to write interesting blog posts. I seem to forget this, i imagine that every day i'll be able to whip up something interesting but quickly.

Needless to say, it's been a day when i get home and my mind is numb and i give into the urge to watch a movie with out doing anything productive. Tonight's selection is Get Smart with Steve Carell and Ann Hathaway. We saw it in the theater and laughed and laughed! I recommend it if you need something light hearted.

Good note, i mailed off my zine pages tonight. I'll have a scanned version tomorrow.

Harry Potter backwards

My hubs and i watch a lot of movies. We're currently on a Harry Potter kick, we don't own it so we've been renting them but in reverse order. It's most interesting to watch all the kids getting younger. It's pretty impressive how much they change between movie 4 and 5. Currently watching Chamber of Secrets, i don't really like this one, as i recall it leaves a lot of the book out and in general i don't like Prof. Lockheart.

Also, i just realized it on this watch through, that Harry uses magic every summer and always gets out of the rule "no underage magic out of school". For that matter there is a lot of special treatment for those 3 on all the school rules. Guess it wouldn't be as good if they were not helped along all the time.

Ok, that's it, i've got to get back to the zine pages.

Who Does She Think She Is?

A documentary following 5 women who are artist, mothers and wives. The trailer is a must watch, it makes me giddy {it starts playing as part of the intro to the site}.

Here is the synopsis from the website:
"In a half-changed world, women often feel they need to choose: mother or working? Your children's will-being or your own? Who Does She Think She Is?, is a documentary by Academy Award winning filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll, features five fierce women who refuse to choose. Through their lives, we explore some of the most problematic intersections of our time: othering and creativity, partnering and independence, economics and art. The film invites us to consider both ancient legacies of women worshipped as cultural muses and more modern times where most people can't even name a handful of female artists"

This actually speaks to one of my fears about being a mother, will i lose my self by having a baby? I'm glad to say that i am continually meeting woman that art artist and mothers and have not lost them selves at all.

The other question i've struggled with is, why do creative people have doubts about if they have the right to make art? Why would a person not have the right to make art? I definitely know there is a part of our world that does not understand a truly creative spirit, one that feels fulfilled by painting, dancing, singing etc. but those people do not hold all the power to dictate what is and is not "right".

Have you watched the trailer yet?

Happy Fourth of July!

July - a year half full - already!

I hope everyone had a pleasant day. Mine was filled with sleeping in late, a church picnic, getting sunburned even though it was really cloudy, and seeing a movie. That's right, this year we broke with tradition and saw a movie instead of fireworks. Neither of us were feeling the need to mess with traffic to go see any. Instead we saw Wall-e, very good movie! Who knew you could make a little cartoon roach likable! Also impressed with the personality the animators were able to put into the robots. I recommend you go see it, not that you probably needed a recommendations.

Movies still to see:
Hancock {think i can wait till dvd though}
Wanted
Hellboy 2 {out next weekend}

On a complete random side note, never format your hard drive and then realize that you don't have your install key for Window's Office that could have been recovered from the HD that was just wiped. It causes a lot of headaches!

Monday - slow build up from bad to good

Monday started out badly, really it all started Sunday night when my husband ended up having to work an hour later than normal which caused me to fall asleep and miss saying good night.

Was enjoying my breakfast at home {go me} when my phone went off at 7:15am. It was my company's printers - not completely unexpected because i did have a press check today. Oops turns out it was at 7am and they forgot to tell me! I told them sorry but i can't get there any faster then an hour {had to wrap up my lunch & it takes me 45min to get there - bonus go me for packing lunch}. The whole way there i was annoyed even though i was rockin' out to OK GO i kept playing out defensive arguments i would have with the press men and then my boss. Turns out everyone was cool/didn't care.

Walked in the door at work and was informed that the Xerox tech would be in this afternoon. Ok, what's wrong? The paper catch tray broke off! Apparent the machine really can malfunction and not tell it self that the catch tray is full until it's too late and the weight of the paper makes it snap off. Now, i could make some snide remark about why didn't the guys on shift notice that the paper was full and move it off? I could but then some day it will probably happen to me and i wouldn't want to be called a moron when it's really the machines fault.

Turning point - my sister sent me pictures of Noel sleeping - awww her little mouth was slightly open. One can not stay in a bad mood with baby pictures of their niece. Way excited that i leave on Saturday to go see her!

This afternoon i was feeling a little weird - i think it was having too much cheese with lunch but i digress... and wishing i didn't have a gym training session right after work. What happens an hour later? I get a phone call from my trainer saying he needs to reschedule! Excellent - so now i can go home and feel weird which is so much better then trying to do leg lifts on a bad stomach.

I think i might rewatch Mad Money tonight. I know, you wouldn't think it was a good movie but it's funny and clever. Plus the song that plays on the main menu and i think the credits is very catchy.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

It is warm! sunny! on a Friday! I am having a hard hard time sitting in my office but thankful i have a window that looks out into the big office that has big windows that look out into the sky which is perfectly clear and blue today. My plans for lunch is Thai sitting outside on a picnic bench reading Ann of Green Gables {i know, it's a crime i've waited so long to read it but big fan of the movies}.

I had really ambitious plans last night and i completely gave them up for movies. I watched P.S. I Love You which was good, didn't make me cry and i laughed a little more than i expected. Then i watched Lars and the Real Girl really good story but it did make me teary. Here is the part i'm proud of, you know that new book i got, Doodle Stitches? Well, i actually pulled it out last night and used it! That's right, i practices stitches while watching my second movie. Months ago i had picked up these square swatches that are pre-cut for quilts or whatever. My original plan was to show M. "look these would make great curtains for our back door" - we went a different route that still isn't even up... anyway i digress... i took one of the pieces of fabric that has a large flower pattern and decided to follow the pattern to practice my stitches. It worked, it looks nice for my first try, I'll post proof as soon as I take a photo. Ta-da proof:




I'm also getting anxious about my sister delivering. Early this morning between my alarm going off and the snooze time i was dreaming that my dad had called to tell me my sister had gone into labor. When i woke fully and checked my phone, it wasn't true. Which really is good according to the calendar she has another week. The waiting is getting hard!

I hope the weather is amazing where you are!

Tuesday Night Thoughts

I just finished watching Juno for the first time. It's a great movie. The writing is excellent, the actors perfect - I even cried at the end. It is a movie more apt to interest female viewers because the main topic is pregnancy and the awkwardness that is teen pregnancy but it's also about family and relationships. It's just very very good.

***
Today is earth day, whoo-flippin'-do. The big thing in the media (radio, tv news) is what're you doing to be greener? Green, hybrid, recycle, reuse, renew, biodegradable, global warming, one thing, renewable resources, mother earth, save the planet... Alright, yes, we should not trash the planet we have but do i believe that it's absolutely has horrible as the media makes you think? Not quiet.

Here is the thing, as an example of the "one thing you can do" is take your coffee cup to work and or local coffee shop to save on using paper cups that can't biodegrade (or at least not quickly). What is the problem with paper not degrading? Eventually we're going to run out of room. But how can we affect one area w/o affecting another? Because that coffee cup that i'm toting around has to be washed which requires electric energy and hot water and soap. So, by keeping a paper cup out of the waist i have now burned energy that is linked back to a power plant that is probably emitting something bad. I've used water which again linked back to a power cleaning plant which i'm sure is emitting something bad. So, is the carbon foot print more or less by me using a normal mug? Which may or may not be made of plastic or metal which is a whole other thing about what kind of carbon foot print happened while making this reusable cup.

Here is the other twist of irony, i'm required by law to pick up my dog's poo and dump it in a plastic bag (the plastic bag is not specified in law as far as i know but that is what's available to me). Why, when plastic is not biodegradable should i put something that is completely biodegradable in it?

***
I'm tired of pretending that everything is ok in my life. Marriage is extremely hard! My husband and I last night came to the conclusion that we both feel a pressure to do everything in the marriage. Yet oddly enough nothing gets done (like budgeting or real grocery shopping) because i think we're waiting on the other person to do it. I know i've been waiting to see some initiative. After I made the statement about the pressure and he agreed - we didn't say a word. Probably 3-5 min. later i told him I didn't know what to say and he agreed to that. Another 3 min. and he leaves the bedroom to go finish a movie he had started prior. I put in a call about 2 weeks ago to a counselor on my insurance list about making the first appointment, i haven't heard back. I'm thinking i'll need to call someone else.

It was probably about a year before i got married I was having a conversation with my step-mom and it lead to her commenting that people in a relationship can feel lonely. I told her that didn't make sense to me, how could people being part of something be lonely? Sadly, i totally get it now.

What?

I fell off the face of the earth but i'm back now!

The most important thing to remember when you take that kind of trip is to pack your good shampoo and conditioner. I picked up Herbal Essence as a back up because i ran out of the good stuff. I no longer like Herbal Essence, I even purchased the one labeled "conditioning" and my head has never been so dry and itchy!

While i was gone I also got my Oregon drivers license. I know, very exciting after 9ab4djf8 year(s). Now I only have to spend the next month converting my name every where I go. I hate dealing with the state or federal government on anything. They make me so nervous! Even though i know logically they can't do anything to me except require more paper work or more payment but still I never feel they are on my side wanting to help me and this causes high levels of anxiety. Except my experience at the dmv was really good, everyone was friendly and i got in and out (including a computer test) in an hour. So, maybe i can go through even more paper work to get my tags and license plates with less fear.

As shocking as this is the other thing that i did - i made art! I made one block print and two pages of digital collage. The collage is for a colaberative project that i get the results back in a couple of weeks. I'll upload some photos soon!

In other news: i'm a little addicted to Flixster.com - it's a social network of sorts having to do with movies! For the number of movies I watch(ed) this is awesome. You can rate movies, give reviews, make lists, make lists of favorite actors and more. So there is my pro-mo for that. Also, because of this account and because i'm obviously not posting to my movie blog, i'll be deleting my movie blog or renaming it for something else for like photos. I found yet another blog All Things Littleput, that started a group that shoots photos weekly based on a theme (honestly, i know of two but the first one is a little convoluted to participate in) and this group requires you have a sepearte photo only blog. We'll see if I actually get into it but i'm thinking about it.

OH, to also update you go check out Those Little Big Things - there is a new challenge up. I'm excited about it. I also really want to go back and do challenege 3 "collections" - I have SO MANY collections.

Nine (9) days till I leave for Texas!

Weekend Recap

Friday:
Light load at work and then at 2p had a half hour chair massage as a "job well done" treat. The massage was nice, my shoulders are still a little tinder as she said they would be.

My original plan was to leave from work to go to a friend's who is about 30/45 min. from work and stay the night. Saturday being an artsy day together. Small catch. The auto repair place called me Fri. morning announcing my car was ready for pick up*. This caused me to have to head back home 30/45 min drive from work to drop off the rental. I chose to stay in my area of town for Fri night and drive out to her place on Sat. which is about an hour from my home.

*Yea! My car is repaired from my minor car accident back on 10.31.07. Why did it take so long you might ask... the car insurance didn't get back to me until it was 2 weeks before Christmas, i was crazy busy and leaving town, no time. January same story except the relatives where coming into town. Then February arrived and i had some time to deal with it. My car looks almost bran new. Now, someday, i might have the money to care enough to fix the dent on the passenger, driver side, door but not now.

Friday Night:
My husband’s plans also fell through. We decided to go to the movies as a moment to escape with each other. Had not been to the movies sense Jan. it was fun. Saw The Spiderwick Chronicles, enjoyed it.

We leave the theater and M gets a text message from his mom. We drive from the theater to M's parent's house. More bad news. M's youngest brother has a suspicious spot/lump/pump in his left shoulder. Youngest Bro had had pain in his left arm for about six months, had six dr. visits in that time, Fri. finally got an MRI and it showed the spot in his shoulders when previous x-rays had not. Needless to say my mother-in-law is beside herself. She even was saying she got hysterical at the hospital and wouldn't leave until they assigned a dr. for a biopsy this week. Being a Friday they have to wait till today to actually make an appointment for it. Everyone is trying to stay calm and keep the thought that this is all how it started with Ernie only a two weeks ago.

Thank you to everyone for your comments regarding prayer for my family, muchly appreciated!

Saturday:
Drive out friend's house for a day of fellowship and block printing. I got to play instructor on how to make a block print. Until yesterday never realized how many steps are involved in the process. She lives in the country and we got to take a walk along the dirt roads in the sun shine. It was a wonderful time!

Sunday:
Nothing actually happened. I read a little more of The Artist Way and did a few exercises. I helped M with his school photography project. By mid afternoon i had a weird listlessness going on. I couldn't figure out what to do to make it go away. I played more Guitar Hero 3, I'm stuck on the last set of songs on Hard and can't get past the 3rd set on Expert. Apparently I can't strum fast enough for the notes, ah well. Playing online against others are fun. Then I watched Martian Child with John Cusak, it was a good story.


How was your weekend?

Time Time Time

I had planned on writing on an actual topic that I'd been thinking about but it got so late!

So instead I'll give you my quick impressions of Ratatouille - yes i had to go look at the box for the spelling.

Great animation! The story is good and inspiring but it's a little long. I enjoyed all the iconic things they did with the character of the food critic with the nick-name "The Grim Eater". There were about 2 places i thought "this is the end of the movie" and it wasn't. The final ending was cute. The best part? The short movie called "Lifted" listed as an extra on the dvd - I laughed sooo hard through that whole thing!

I'm not really sure this is one I want to own and I think i own just as many animated movies as i do "chick flicks".