Ahh, that's better!

I went to Water Moves class tonight for the first time since January and man did that feel GREAT!! The water was warm even! Bliss! It felt so good to get back in the water again. For those of you who don't know, I can't swim at all but, with the flotation belt, I'm able to workout in the deep end with the rest of the big kids *grin* I figured it would take me a while to get comfortable with the water again, after having been out of it for so long but it only took about 5 minutes.

It was just me, the instructor, and one other lady tonight but we got a great workout. I must've really needed the endorphin rush cause I've been in a fantastic mood ever since I crawled out of the pool. I cranked the radio up and sang along all the way home.

I stopped at Wendy's to grab a grilled chicken BLT salad since the kids had already been fed and it was so late. Usually, especially in my town, going to Wendy's (or any other fast food) is a frustrating experience. The order is wrong 10 times of 11 - you really have to remember to check every bit of your order before you leave the driveway. Tonight though, I pulled up to the window and the manager was working the window. The little cashier girl took my card and the manager said "Hi! How're you doing?" And she sounded like she actually cared! It kinda took me aback for a moment - you never get that! And, to cap it all, my order was right, right down to the dressing and croutons. Hells yes! I was so pleased and in such a good mood that when I got home, I ate and then I called the store to tell them that they did a great job and I appreciated it. I figure that they hear "You didn't do this or that" often enough but not "hey, y'all did a great job" anywhere near often enough. So I figured why not. And I'm telling you, you hear feel the relief when I told her that I was pleased with my service and was calling to say thanks instead of complain. :o) And that, in turn, made me feel good all over again.

It's the little things, I suppose :o)

Making friends

Isn't it funny how thoughts progress? One minute I'm thinking about reality tv and the next I'm thinking about making friends.

I started out thinking about the Jersey Shore and wondering why that show is so damn popular with some people. I don't get it, which is ok. I don't have to get it. Something about "The Situation" skeeves me though. *shudder* Anyway, the thought-train progressed to American Idol and making friends.

Years ago, I worked as a receptionist at a surgical office and most of the girls in the office LOVED American Idol. So, in an effort to make friends and have something to talk to them about, I started watching the show and tried so hard to give a damn about it.

I've never cared about this show or the people on it because it seems like such a sham. Very few, if any, of the contestants are actual musicians. I'm not saying that they don't have talent - they do. But I just have a hard time giving a damn if they get a recording contract when so many people who have talent don't have a shot because they don't "look good for the tv". But I watched anyway and went to work the following days and tried to make conversation. Unfortunately, with that bunch nothing I did was going to make any difference. We were never going to be friends, no matter what I did! I didn't belong in that office and we didn't get along from day damn one. I still can't figure out why the office manager hired me. I must've been way more qualified than their other applicant.

So my question to you, if anyone is actually out there reading this - what have you done in an attempt to make friends?

I almost made it! I almost got all the laundry done in time for me to go to bed at the regular time. I was so close! One load in the dryer and one in the washer. As soon as the one in the dryer is done, I'm switching out and crashing - I'm exhausted!

Raven and I are watching Anonymous Rex right now - he wanted to watch it so I told him to go ahead and pop it in. There's just a few minutes left on it.

Thrilling I know. Maybe life will be more exciting tomorrow.

Star Wars

Somehow, my kids convinced me to let them watch Star Wars Episode II tonight. I love the Holy Trilogy but I really can't stand Episodes I or II and I hate Episode III with a passion. That's the movie that did me in in the theater and made me cry buckets. Embarrassed the hell out of my late fiance too. I couldn't help it though - you know something really bad went down to make Anakin go all the way to the Dark Side but my mommy-heart just can't cope with the slaughter of young ones.

Oddly enough, I love Cartoon Network's Clone Wars. Captain Rex is the man! First in, last standing - that's my boy! That Anakin is a lot more likable. Better acting too. I hate to say it but I've never seen Hayden Christensen in anything that he didn't suck in. Jumper, anyone? *shudder*

Episode III is on next - I've got my finger on the kill-switch already.

Recipe Time

I promised some friends I'd share the recipe for the pasta my coworker J shared with me today. I don't have an exact recipe but it's close.

J found this dressing that's olive oil with sun dried tomatoes and basil - so far she's only been able to find it at Ingles' grocery stores. Use that dressing to cook your chicken - I prefer to use the skinless boneless breasts but use whatever floats your boat. Cook your chicken, then add a bit more of the dressing, a can of cream of chicken soup, and a package of cream cheese (8 oz). You can experiment with the cream of soups - mushroom would probably be good in this. She used cream of chicken. Let that get hot so the cream cheese melts. Cook your pasta until it's done, put the cause over the top and nom. It's really good! It's very similar to another recipe that a friend gave me for Creamy Italian Chicken - I usually make that one in a crock pot.

In other news, we're having an actual thunderstorm here tonight - thunder, lightning, hard(ish) rain, the whole deal. And it's getting closer so I'm getting offline. That last round of thunder shook the whole house! Fun times!

Get Naked, A Trail

Today, I want to talk about a probably not-very-well-known movie that I saw way back in the Dark Ages (also known as the 90s) called Exile. I seem to remember that it was one of those Magical World of Disney Presents... movies and I do recall that I LOVED it when I was a kid. I watched it over and over and over.

The basic premise is that 15 high school kids take off with their teacher to some remote island to study the native culture and get credit for college. The teacher, being a cheap ass grad student working on his masters, decides to hire a cheaper pilot. Big mistake. Said pilot takes part of his fee to buy drugs instead of fuel. The plane, referred to by one of the kids as a "deathtrap", loses an engine and they have to make an emergency landing on the water near this island. The pilot says that he can take off but not with the plane loaded - of course - so he'll go and get a part to fix the plane and be back for the kids. The teacher says oh hell no, I'm going with you and they take off, leaving 15 high school kids alone on an island. Wow.

Disaster strikes one of the kids the first day there (or maybe second day) and then they discover the remains of the plane that had brought them to the island. It washed up on the shore - no signs of the pilot or the teacher until later on when one of the kids spots a fire. Well whaddya know, the pilot washed up on the same island he abandoned the kids on.

It wouldn't be a Disney movie if there wasn't a bad guy for the kids to triumph over (the pilot and he is a good bad guy for real - he really looks the part). In the end, they have to win over him to win back what's been taken from them and they have to learn to survive on their own on this island until someone comes to rescue them.

All in all, it's a very cool little movie. The characters are likable (or dislike-able, if that's what they're supposed to be). And if any of you hear where it can be found on DVD, give a shout!

Yeah, blog post just isn't happening today. I'm sick and going home soon!

My name is Jack Bauer and this is the longest day of my life...

In case you didn't catch it, today's post will be about Jack Bauer and the season of 24 that I'm currently watching, Day 4. If you're behind like me, there will be spoilers so walk away now. Otherwise, proceed as you wish.

Yeah, I know - I'm way behind on the happenings in Jack's life but I got into the show very late. And then I had to catch up on Supernatural (got into it late too) and well, these things happen. I had the opportunity a few years ago to pick up a box set of the seasons of 24 at an excellent price and I didn't do it. I so wish I had now because it is a fantastic show! My oldest son and I watch the show together - he likes it as much as I do. It's our Sunday afternoon tradition. I'm perilously close to falling head over heels in love with Jack Bauer - he is the man! He can do anything, take anything, foil any terrorist plot. *swoon* And he's hot ;o)

We just finished disc 5 of day 4 so there's only 4 episodes left for us to watch. This season is great fun for me because Arnold Vosloo is in this season. He plays the bad guy, Habib Marwan. I've loved Vosloo ever since the first time I saw him in The Mummy. I'm also enjoying this season because, so far, Kim Bauer has not been seen. This gives me a happy - can't stand Kim.

There are a lot of great characters in this season of 24. I'm happy to see Tony Almeida back at CTU - he's been a favorite of mine for a while. I'm kinda on the fence about Michelle Dessler though - I'm waiting to make up my mind. Better do it fast, huh? Chloe is one of the characters that I really do like but I'm damned if I know why. She has no people-skills to speak of: she's very blunt, almost to the point of rudeness. Actually, she is rude at times. But I can't help but like her - it's weird. I'm happy to see President Palmer back. I like his character a lot! :o)

I do not like Vice President-turned-President Logan at all. He's too weak to be the president - I was not impressed that his first action of the presidency was to take cover in the bunker. Can you say pussy? I did. I'm also no fan of Audrey Raines - she's not good enough for Jack. She just doesn't have what it takes to let him do what he needs to do to do his job effectively. He has to make the hard decisions sometimes - she just can't quite cope with that. She needs to go away now.

And I think I just spoiled myself on the end of this season at the 24 wiki page. Oops...

I believe in 6 impossible things before breakfast...

My thoughts on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland below. There will probably be spoilers so if you don't want to be spoiled, go ahead and pass by now.


OK, if you're still here, I'll assume that spoilers are ok.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie! In fact, I didn't want to leave the theater when it was over - I wanted there to be more. I won't say that it's the best movie I've seen or will see this year but it is a good time.

The cast was excellent, of course. Johnny Depp was wonderful as the Mad Hatter! Johnny is one of the best method actors in the world today - you give the man a script and he will produce a quality product. I thought he was brilliant :o) Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen was brilliant as well - she was so funny! I really loved her in this role and she had some fantastic lines! Alan Rickman as the Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar - *swoon* That voice is a national treasure, I swear it! I honestly did not know he was doing a voice for this movie until I heard him speak :o) Alice was played by Mia Wasikowska and she really didn't impress me much. She didn't put a lot of heart into her role, in my opinion. She was very flat. Anne Hathaway was very enjoyable as the White Queen except for her hand placement. That got on my nerves a bit but I suppose that she was just trying to act up her part as the simple and pure White Queen. It was a bit ... eye-catching but not a deal-breaker. Crispin Glover as Stayne, the Knave of Hearts was very good but one thing about him bothered me - his movements. The way he walked was very marionette-like in a way - I wondered if part of him had been CG'd or if he was on lifts to make him taller or something. I couldn't quite wrap my head around what it was exactly but it was weird. He rocked that scar and eye-patch though.

My favorite by far has always been and will always be the Cheshire Cat. Chess was voiced by Stephen Fry and he did a magnificent job! I really liked this interpretation of Chess - the blues as opposed to the pink and purple. I just love the Cat :o)

I loved the colors and the scenes in this - the White and Red Queens' armies were excellent, the playing cards and the chess pieces. Very cool. I loved the faces in the flowers and the Tweedles were great! The Jabberwocky was very well-done as well. I remember reading the Jabberwocky in high school but it didn't occur to me that it was part of the Alice stories really.

All in all, it was a great time and definitely one to own when it comes out. I did not see it in 3-D though, so I can't speak on how well that worked out.

I can't wait to get my hands on the DVD so I can cap it and make some icons! There are a lot of scenes that I haven't seen capped yet that I think would make beautiful icons!

I have a raging migraine - I think it's because I haven't had caffeine today. I'm trying to cut out the soft drinks - I haven't had Pepsi at work in a week and I decided that I should cut out the Pepsi at home too. So I just didn't buy any this weekend when I went grocery shopping. And oh the pain! Cold turkey is just not smart!

How do I get myself into these things?

My youngest asked if we could have a sleepover in the living room last night. I told him we couldn't for a couple of reasons - the boys had to go to school today for one, and we didn't get back from the movies until very late last night (er, early this morning actually) - but that we could have one Saturday night if he'd be good.

Now I'm stuck sleeping on the couch tonight even though I really don't want to. He just enjoys the "sleepovers" so much, I can't tell him no. He crashes in the papasan chair and I get the couch. If my oldest wants to participate, he gets the recliner. And we pick a movie and watch it until we fall asleep.

I usually wake up with my back in knots but, as I said, it just makes him so happy. *sigh*

All a part of being a mommy, I suppose :o)

In honor of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland opening...

[I decided to do a "Down the Rabbit Hole post". The concept is this: January 27th is the birthday of Lewis Carrol, author of ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. Alice fell down a rabbit hole into a place where everything had changed and none of the rules could be counted on to apply anymore. I say, let's do the same: January 27th, 2005 should be the First Annual LiveJournal Rabbit Hole Day. When you post on that Thursday, instead of the normal daily life and work and news and politics, write about the strange new world you have found yourself in for the day, with its strange new life and work and news and politics. Are your pets talking back at you now? Has your child suddenly grown to full adulthood? Does everyone at work think you're someone else now? Did Bush step down from the White House to become a pro-circuit tap-dancer? Did Zoroastrian missionaries show up on your doorstep with literature in 3-D? Have you been placed under house arrest by bizarre insectoid women wielding clubs made of lunchmeat? (courtesy of LJ User "crisper")]
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Today is off to a very strange start. It all began with my alarm clock acting crazy. Instead of sounding the usual alarm, it began to sing. I swear to you, I do not have a clock radio but the damn thing started singing a very off-key rendition of "Sober" by P!nk. Yikes. I smacked the snooze button to make it stop and it hit me back. Peachy. So I got to go to work this morning with a cute little mini-bruise right under my eye.

I didn't have to drop the kids at school though. As we were walking out the door, this massive door just fell out of the sky and landed in my driveway. WHOOMP! The door opened and there was this guy in a black suit, very butlerish. He said that his name was Al and he was acting as doorman for the children today. Uh huh. He gave my Batman t-shirt a shifty look - I'm wondering if he was the Alfred. Nah... Couldn't be. Could he? Huh... Anyway, I packed the kids off through the door and Al assured me that he would have them home through the same portal by 3:00. Sweet. No sitting in traffic for me!

Work is going to be fun today. There are terra cotta soldiers playing at valet parking in the parking deck. A bit unnerving at first but damn can they drive! Who knew? I wasn't about to hand off my keys to one of them so I just parked in the lot at the building. But the deck is next door so I was able to watch them for a while. Not one wreck all morning- I'm impressed!

There are goblins playing in the mud room - they're mostly just lobbing chunks of clay at each other and taking turns going for a ride on the pottery wheel. I really hope they don't throw up when they get dizzy. I also hope that they don't discover the kiln - burning goblin is not a smell I want to experience. There are pixies in the air ducts again - HVAC has refused to come over this morning. I suppose they remember being pixed last time and don't want a repeat performance. I can't blame them really.

The telephones are answering themselves and making prank calls. I'm trying to not mind it - after all, it keeps me from having to answer the phone - but if I hear "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?" or "Is your refrigerator running?" one more time, I'm going to SCREAM! And unplug the phones. Possibly bash them with a hammer. I haven't decided yet.

The doors of the building are playing musical chairs with each other. The door to the conference room goes to the mud room. The door to the office leads to the third-floor exit.

Oh but the very best is the coffeemaker. It's having an identity crisis and swears that it's a little teapot. It's hilarious! I mean, it could be a little teapot but this office is staffed with coffee-fiends - tea just won't fit the bill.

I know that we're all mad here but this is a bit on the ridiculous side.

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I hope you enjoyed!

I Give Up...

I have been trying all day!! to write a rabbit hole post and my creativity just isn't working today. It's been a helluva day folks. This place just gets stranger and stranger every single day.

I have a new TV love...

Anyone watch the return of SouthLAnd last night? I did and I was blown away!

I've been a fan of Shawn Hatosy for years - ever since I saw him in the faculty. He reminds me a lot of an old boyfriend of mine :-) Anyway, I heard that he was on SouthLAnd (as Detective Sammy Bryant) but that was about the time NBC canceled the show. Just yesterday, I learned that SouthLAnd had been picked up and saved by TNT. Go TNT!!

I love victory stories like that! Apparently the fans rallied and demanded that their show be saved and TNT got the job done. It kinda makes you feel like you CAN make a difference as a fan. I wish someone would do that for Reaper. And Boomtown. And Justice. And a host of other shows that I freaking loved but the idiot networks killed before their time. Yeah, I'm bitter.

Anyway, TNT ran a marathon of SouthLAnd yesterday, leading up to the premiere of season 2 last night at 10:00 EST. I watched the last two episodes of the first season so I'd know what was going on in this season and I was blown away!

The show seriously picked up right where the previous season left off. I was really impressed with the story and the interaction between the characters. And man was that an exciting episode!

I have a new Tuesday night fixation! If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's probably available online somewhere - go, watch, enjoy!

Thinky thoughts...

One of our faculty recently lost his mother and he sent out a message to the faculty and staff so we would know what had happened. Several people described his mother as a "gentle lady." That started me thinking which, if you know me at all, you know that that's not necessarily a good thing.

No one will ever refer to me as a "gentle lady." I have been likened to a bazooka before, and that was my best friend telling me that. It's entirely possible that my epitaph will read "finally that bitch is dead." That actually doesn't bother me - I am who I am and I'm OK with that. It just made me think that no one has ever or will ever refer to me as "gentle."

Another other thing that made me think - my student worker is debating changing her major. She wants to work in hospitality - she thinks she'll enjoy planning and decorating and things like that. I think she's right - you should've seen the way her face lit up when she was talking about it.

Then we started talking about decorating and it occurred to me that I am just not a girl who gives a damn about decorating. At all. I could not care less if my furniture makes a statement. I don't have art or photographs on my wall in an effort to make the place look stylish. I have a Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean posted with Mardi Gras beads hanging from the pins in the corners. I have a Jason Statham Bank Job poster too - he has Mardi Gras beads too. I have an autographed photo of Allan Hyde on my wall. That's it. No wait - I have a photo of Indiana Jones and Mutt Williams on my wall too. Gotta love Indy.

I asked J and C if there was something wrong with me since I honestly just couldn't care less about decorating. It's possible that there is but I find it hard to care enough about it to make an effort to change that.

Nothing really majorly life-changing here. Just some thinky-thoughts.

A few movie reviews - sort of...

I'm trying to do the NaBloPoMo thing for March and thought this would be a good way to fill one day.

This weekend, my brother and I watched Zombieland, Cabin Fever 2, and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. There will be spoilers so if you don't want them - leave now.

OK, I assume that everyone who's left is cool with spoilers so here we go...

Zombieland was AWESOME!! Seriously, I loved it a lot. I kinda knew I would though - I've heard nothing but good things about that movie. This one was interesting for me in that I'm usually NOT a fan of Woody Harrelson but his was the only character that I really liked. I thought the two girls needed to be zombie!dinner - I can understand needing to do what you have to to survive but they were little douchebag con artists before Z-land happened. Ugh. And Columbus? Grow a set homeboy. I cannot believe that little shit killed Bill Murray AND the box of Twinkies!!! What the hell?!? *facepalm* I knew it was gonna happen but I so hoped I was wrong. Tallahassee was the man though.

Cabin Fever 2 was a complete waste of film. Ugh and ergh. Seriously, DO NOT waste your time on this movie. The first one was by no means a cinematic masterpiece but it at least had a plot and the grotesqueness was with purpose. The sequel, however, should've been titled Cabin Fever 2: Random Acts of Disgusting. I don't mind blood, gore, brains, whatever but I do insist on a reason for it other than just to try to gross me out.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant was a fantastic movie! I loved it! I haven't read any of the books so I went into it with a clean slate - no expectations. I really enjoyed the opening sequence. I'm not a huge fan of John C. Reilly but I thought he was excellent as Crepsley. I do like Josh Hutcherson though - I've seen him in a couple of other films that I liked (Zathura and RV) and I'm interested to see what roles he gets as he gets older. The guy who played Marlaugh (Ray Stevenson) was also the Punisher - watch Rhi fangirl flail over that. I LOVE the Punisher :o) I really dug Mr. Tiny's car - that was a sweet ride for sure! The freaks were awesome - Salma Hayek as the bearded lady rocks; Evra the Snake Boy was very cool - I really loved the makeup they used for him; Willem Dafoe - Holy Shit!!! Love them all! And is has to be said: Octa is the ONLY spider that I have ever liked in a movie, tv series, or real life. Ordinarily spiders scare the hell out of me and I say squash them first, ask questions later. Maybe because she was all red and blue and kinda reminded me of Spider Man? I'm not a Spidey fan but that might be it. Whatever the reason, I thought she was really cool :o)

What do y'all think?