X-tremely Nice Saturday

          What a fun day!  It was a great Saturday (minus the wasp Lydia stepped on in the garage, which stung her toe).  We played games, ate good food, talked, consumed yummy chocolate, drank many cups of tea, and watched the final film in the X-men trilogy.  Speaking of X, I have recently begun watching The X-Files series online via Amazon Prime.  Our inconsistent internet connection makes watching things online difficult.  So when I received a one-day-only offer from Amazon to buy the complete series on DVD (movies included) for $88.99, I jumped on it!  I look forward to watching this new addition to our Sci-Fi collection free of the Wi-Fi!   

       

Muppets!!!

          Lydia, Rachel, and I went to see Muppets Most Wanted today!!!  I have been looking forward to seeing this film for so long!!!  It has everything that makes a Muppet movie a Muppet movie:  funny songs, silly gags, great cameos, and -- of course -- Muppets!  Now, I know going to the movies on a Monday afternoon in Grass Valley won’t bring out a crowd, but today we hit an all time record -- we were the only ones there!  This allowed us to talk before the movie, laugh as loud as we wanted during the movie, and I even stood up and stretched partway through the film.  I could get used to having the movie theater to myself.  So, what to see next Monday?  The new Captain America film looks good!  ;)      

 

Today

Today I . . .

1.  Put on cute clothes AND makeup (big deal for the past week).

2.  Attended bookclub.  (There were 7 of us today!!!  A record!)

3.  Finished all the gluing needed for a 35-mount order.

4.  Went grocery shopping with mom.

5.  Picked up some sushi at the store for dinner -- super yummy!

Tonight I will . . .

1.  Put on cute and comfy P.Js.

2.  Make popcorn.

3.  Watch the new Tinker Bell movie, The Pirate Fairy, with the family!

Not a bad day; not a bad day at all.  :)

   

Put a Smile On My Face! :D

Our Mutual Friend

          I must admit, reading Dickens’s novels is always a challenge.  Not only are the majority of his works extremely long, but he tends to weave such an intricate web of characters and events you start to feel lightheaded after the first few dozen incidents -- and that is just in chapter one!  I am, however, a big fan of the BBC miniseries.  Today, we concluded their 1998 version of Our Mutual Friend.  It had everything that makes Dickens so Dickensian: mystery, misdirection, mistaken identity, secret love, unrequited love, forbidden love, hope, despair, disgust, and death, just to name a few.  Someday I WILL read all of Dickens’ works.  Until then, I would highly recommend this if you have six hours needing filling.  It pairs quite nicely with a stormy day and a warm blanket to curl up under.  :)

 

 

 

The Book is Beautiful. The Movie is Stunning.

Monsters

          We watched Pixar’s Monster films in their chronological order the last two nights.  It is so fun to catch all the little ways they made Mike and Sully look younger, see Randal’s transformation from nice guy to chip-on-his-shoulder villain, and try and find all the little Pixar Easter eggs scattered throughout the two films.  Lydia and mom were all excited the other day when they learned (via one of the Disney blogs) that another Monster movie and a sequel to The Incredibles are in the works!  Keep them coming Pixar, we love your movies!

  

Matthew's Choice

          While most of us were excited to watch Frozen again, it was Matthew’s first time seeing it.  He has been listening to the music for months now, and he sat with us the entire time watching the film.  Tonight I walked into the Tiki Room and discovered him watching it solo, grinning and laughing.  :)

More Frozen Fun! (I Just Can't Get Enough Of This Film!)

Time & Purple Roses

          I just love having my internal clock messed with twice a year, ugh!  Even the promise of sunnier evenings does not change the fact that the lost hour ALWAYS comes out of my sleep time.  I will attempt to keep my inner grumpy bear contained as my internal clock adjusts to this time shift *growl,* still, there are a ton of fun things to counteract one tiny inconvenience.  For example, tonight we watched The Purple Rose of Cairo, a must for anyone who has ever been in love with love in the movies.  I think watching a movie with my family (and kitty), snuggled under blankets with popcorn in hand is the very best way to end the weekend; plus some amazing man might jump off the screen and fall in love with me. ;)         

The Evelyn-Couch-Green-Tomatoes Workout!

          Every year about this time, I make my annual pledge to get in shape and drop those nagging extra pounds.  It is no secret that I am a foodie, and though I can exercise some self control when it comes deserts and portions, losing the extra pounds will not tone my lazy muscles so I usually opt for more exercise in addition to less snacking.  Well this particular bug has been caught by other members of the family, and when we uncovered Matthew’s trampoline while cleaning out the garage (it had become the unofficial cardboard recycle holder), this has become the exercise tool of choice.

          Mom has dubbed this particular form of exercise the “Evelyn-Couch-Green-Tomatoes Workout.”  If you have not seen this film . . . 

. . . cook some good southern food, go out and rent it, and sit down with the aforementioned food and a box of tissues.  Now you are ready to enjoy a great film.  I do not want to spoil anything but here is a quick clip showing off our inspiration, followed by our own rendition of the workout.  Enjoy!    

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

I love our traditions!  No matter how insignificant the event or how obscure the holiday, why pass up an opportunity to celebrate!?!  Tonight we had a build-your-own-burrito buffet for dinner (followed by the most amazing chocolate & butterscotch chip cookies ever!), while we watched our traditional Groundhog Day film, Groundhog Day (bet you wouldn’t have guessed that!).  A film we have seen so many times we start laughing before the punch line has been said (or the punch has been thrown!), and we never get tired of it!  I have had friends ask me how I can spend so much time at home without being bored.  Honestly, I tend to have a much more boring time when I have to leave home; not to mention I tend to miss out on fun activities!  So, Happy Groundhog Day everyone!  May your next six weeks of winter be fun, exciting, and full of celebrations!

          

A Winter Dance.

Saturday night was the final performance of the Winter Dance at The Center for the Arts in downtown Grass Valley.  All different dance studios, age groups, and styles of dancing, came together to put on a show.  I went because my friend Robbie was dancing and I can very proudly say he was one of the best dancers in the entire performance!  The pictures I took did not turn out as well as I had hoped and they certainly do not do Justice to Robbie’s dancing, but you can take my word for it, he was amazing! 

So long SG-1.

I am sad to say that tonight I came to the end of my favorite Sci-Fi show, Stargate SG-1.  What took over ten years of television time, I polished off in two-and-half years on DVD. 


The ones that started it all.

SG-1
Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping),
Teal'c (Christopher Judge), & Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson)

SG-1 with Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec).

The fabulous original cast.
With Janet Fraiser (Teryl Rothery) & George Hammond (Don S. Davis).

The new SG-1.
With Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) & Hank Landry (Beau Bridges).

And the final incredible cast.
With Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black)



I have found something to like about every character
that has come through SG-1, but I have to say
that cute Cam is my very favorite. 

  Thanks Stargate SG-1 for all of the exciting adventures.