Heart of Dixie

Movie critics corner

I've been to two movies this week, so I thought I'd give you my opnion on both.

Batman Begins - I guess with its name it's appropriate that I didn't like the way the movie began. I did understand the need for it but that still didn't make it any more palatible. However, after the opening scene, I really was bowled over by the movie. The screenwriter(s) came up with a fabulous concept of the hows, whys and wherefores of Batman, the Batmobile, and the Bat Cave. If you have a chance to go ... take it!

Shark Boy and Lave Girl - No glowing review here. Yeah, it's a kids movie and Loryn and Kiley did like it. First thing, have you ever been to a 3-D movie that was truly a good flick? Didn't think so. The premise of the movie gets a little mushed around and lost in the exaggerated finger pointing and out-flying rocks. If you have a kid that wants to go to a movie, go to Madagascar or maybe even Herbie Fully Loaded (which I haven't seen). If they want to go to SB/LG, offer to give them $20 and let them spend it at Wal-Mart or Toys 'R Us. You'll have a better time.

Piggy Sue's not been feeling well

For the last several days she hasn't been eating and not drinking much at all. She was getting weaker and weaker. We really thought that any day she'd be crossing the Rainbow Bridge. Tonight, though, she drank two bottles of PediaSure (banana cream flavor, of course) and ate about one-fourth can of whole baby carrots. Afterwards, she did, ummmm, "pig things." We were thrilled! She's still not out of the woods, but we are feeling a little more optimistic.

Losing a mind - is it him or me?

Yesterday the hubs made me think I was truly losing my mind. Really, it freaked the snot out of me, enough to make me think I perhaps needed to consult a physician.

I was looking on the Birmngham-Jefferson County civic center website to check on the dates of a certain event when I saw that the Lion King play was going to be there this summer and fall. I told him about it and said I'd like to go. That's when it happened..five little words..."Why? We've already seen it." I just stared at him for a second or two, wondering what the heck he was talking about. "No, not the movie. The play."

"I know what you're talking about. We saw it in New York the last time we were there."

I gulped and started trying to think about seeing it and had absolutely no recollection. "No, we didn't."

"Yes, we did. It was in the theatre right around the corner and down a couple of blocks from The Muse. We didn't have anything else to do and bought tickets."

"No, that was Aida."

"We saw that but we also saw Lion King."

He was so positive about it, I was starting to mentally panic. "We talked about it when we were trying to decide what we wanted to see, but you said no, because we'd seen the movie upteen times and the production at Disney."

I knew we had seen two plays, Aida and one more, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember the other one. I went on-line and googled Broadway shows. I perused the list. AHA! The other one was Chicago. When I told him, he said, "But I can see the people playing animals on stage." However, his face was not quite as confident. But maybe we really did see three..no...but yet...

So one of us is losing it. I honestly think this time it's him. I think he's seen the commercial for the play on TV and the trailer on the Lion King CD so much that it's become ingrained. But yet, when he said it, I could see it too...but I know it's just from the trailer on the CD. Isn't it? Yeah, I know it is, but it's still scary as hell.

Wreckless Driver Takes Out My Mailbox

Loryn, Dixie, and I just walked to the end of the driveway to get the mail and retrieve the garbage can. Whenever the kids are here, I always make them wait about 10-15 feet before the end of the drive. If I've got Dixie, I'll always pick her up. Today showed Loryn exactly why I do that.

We leave on a curbless curve. It seems like we have a lot of race-driver wannabes living in the neighborhood, as cars just zoom around the curve. Sometime today one came off the road, across the end of the drive, hit the grass, and then mowed down the mailbox. The car tracks made the deed unmistakable.

The post is not one of those flimsy metal posts. No, it was a 8"x8" chunk of wood driven into the ground. It's now broken, lying on the ground.

I'm going to watch for vehicles with right front end damage and just laugh my a$$ off.

ETA: after the hubs got home and we were discussing the situation, he reminded me that the wood was cut from a timber out of an old home and was probably 100 years olf. He planed in some angles and coated it with creosote (one coat a night for about two weeks). :(

Vermont is Beautiful!

It is sooooo pretty! They don't call it the Green Mountain State for nothing. If you're a shutterbug and go to Vermont, you'd better take upgrade your camera's memory! Right off the bat, I saw a perfect photo opportunity -- a white church steeple rising from amidst a sea of green trees. Unfortunately I was driving on the interstate and it's kinda' hard to focus the camera and get a good shot while going 70 mph!

I also got to visit the gravesites of the Captain and Maria Von Trapp (Sound of Music) and then dine at the Trapp Family Lodge. It was spectacular!

The only unwelcoming thing was the weather - chilly and rainy and whole time I was there. The highest temperature was 61! ACK!

Off to Vermont!

Tomorrow I leave for the 6th Annual Trixie Convention (now called Trixie Camp). It's a gathering of folks who grew up reading and loving the Trixie Belden book series. We go to places where Trixie and the gang went in the book series. I'm one of the co-coordinators this year, so I'm a wee bit nervous, hoping that nothing major bad goes wrong and that everyone will have a good time. I'm also very excited that I'll get to see old friends and meet new ones!

I'll be packing the laptop this evening, so if I don't talk to you before then - caio for now!

Not guilty - dagnabit

Could they not find wacko jacko guilty of anything? Is showering with minor children who are not your own not against some law or rule? sheesh.

In better news, I've just completed my best game of Bespelled ever - 4,177,950. I'm so proud - but it doesn't even come close to cracking the top ten.

Thank goodness for weather.com. I'm getting ready to go to Vermont and had out capris, t-shirts, and sandals. I checked and the website said overnight lows in the 40's and highs in the upper 50's/low 60's - brrr!

well, so much for that

"That" being a nice afternoon.

Since my daughter and I both are going to be out of town next Sunday (I'm headed north and she's headed south), we celebrated Father's Day today for the hubs. As mentioned below, we were going to see Madagascar and then to a new barbeque restaurant in town.

The movies didn't start out on a good note as my 5-year-old granddaughter was being very Bobbyfied (my Trixie friends know what I mean; i.e. extremely bratty and demanding). As usual, instead of discipline, they alternate between trying to reason with her and threatening her. At one point the hubs is coming up out of his chair to take her out of the movie theatre. I tell him no, it's not his job. Finally after the movie gets started, she calms down.

But, once we got to the restaurant, things went downhill in a hurry. Toward the end of the meal, the hubs starts to get up and I ask him where he's going. He says, "I'm taking her outside. This is ridiculous the way she's acting." Now, I know he was talking about the 5-year-old, but it was applicable to DD as well. Even though I agree with what he's saying, again, I tell him no, it's not his responsibility to do that when her parents are there.

Of course, I'm sure I didn't help things when I gave DD the brochure on ADHD I got from my doctor's office.

Anyway, at the end of the meal, I'm mentioning some things I need to get done tomorrow and DD asks, "Well, what about Kiley?" "What about her?" "About her staying with you tomorrow?" "Ummmm, you didn't say anything about it." "I asked you. I know I did." "Noooooo." She bends down to retrieve a supposedly dropped napkin and then hautily mutters, "That's okay. I'll just take her to work with me." "Well, it's kinda' hard for me to do things when I don't know anything about them." More muttering.

So we paid the bill, got up, kissed the kids, and left. Both of us were steaming. We went into Wal-Mart and charged around the store, picking up a few things. By the time we left, we felt better, but I think there are some scorched aisles in Wal-Mart.

Family day at the movies

DD and her crew and us are going to see Madagascar this afternoon. Anyone want to join us?

I think Tropical Storm Arlene has already blown through. We just got some rain yesterday, nothing more than normal. It looks like it's going to be a pretty day here.

The hubs was outside this morning and he said the bugs are in full force, especially the horseflies. Everyone remember to use bug repellant to ward off any illnesses that are caused from bug bites!

Have a great Sunday!

EEK! What's in Your Yard?

The next time we complain about trash in our yard, let's be thankful we didn't find what this lady did!

From CNN.com:
Man's leg lands in yard
FLORAL PARK, New York (AP) -- The body of an apparent stowaway was ripped in half during flight Tuesday and his leg crashed into a suburban neighborhood, where a homeowner found the severed limb in the middle of her lawn, authorities said.

Pam Hearne heard "a loud crash" and later was stunned to see a foot clad in an Adidas sneaker and a sock in her yard, said Officer Thomas Blanchard. The leg, with hip and spine attached, dented the shingled roof of her garage before bouncing into the lawn.

Police suspect the remains are from a stowaway who may have been crushed as the South African Airways jet lowered its landing gear on its approach to Kennedy Airport.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/08/plane.body.ap/index.html

So sweet

Yesterday afternoon Loryn and I went to Birmingham to take care of SuperBaby while my DIL took a mid-term test (my son was out of town). He's just so adorable. And smart! He's 1 1/2 and can count to 10 and with just a little help can count to 20.

He's got this megawatt smile that can truly take away all worries and cares.

When we started to leave, I picked him up and asked for a Big Hug, which I got. With this little arms and legs still around me, he nestled his head on my shoulder. DIL said, "Avery, tell Grammy 'bye. She's got to go." He shook his head and said in his quiet voice, "No. Grammy stay here."

Awwwwwwwwwwwww.

Yesterday was a go-go-go-go-go day until about 11:00 last night. I was dreading coming in to work today, and, as a result, I was totally growly when I walked in the door. One of the things I had to do was take the hubs to a day surgical center for a bronchoscopy. The doc extracted some icky stuff he's sent to the lab for testing. Hopefully there's nothing to it.

A good birthday weekend!

It started on Friday morning (my actual birthday) with presents from the hubs, Dixie, Piggy Sue, and my daughter and her crew; then lots of greetings from on-line friends. Then the hubs, Loryn, and I went to lunch at Smokey Bones. Then Saturday Superbaby and his parents came down, I got more gifts, and then we all went to the Biscuits baseball game.

Donica and I went shopping this afternoon to try to find her some clothes for her job. She says that everyone dresses more professionally than where she works now. Well, between her EXTREME pickiness, bank requirements, and trying to find things that didn't require a home equity loan, all she bought was a black blazer, magenta shirt, and a blue skirt that she'll probably not wear to work anyway.

Seriously, what were these people thinking?!?

Back in April, the hubs and I went to the South Island of New Zealand. The first leg of our journey back home began at the Christchurch airport. We checked in at the Air New Zealand counter and headed for the security checkpoint, along with a herd of other airline travelers. As we and the other cattle made the turn into the thru-way to security, we had to stop short and then walk around something that was right in the middle of that very busy, very dirty floor.

It was a young baby! Its parents had put it on the floor and were allowing it to crawl to the other side of the thoroughfare where its smiling, gooing grandparents (or so I assume) were waiting for it with outstretched arms.

HOW STUPID! HOW IGNORANT! The baby could have been seriously hurt by an unsuspecting traveler pulling a heavy suitcase and hurrying to his gate, not to mention the filthy, nasty germs it was obviously picking up from the floor.

AI YI YI!

Isn't she pretty?

For those that don't know, this is Loryn, my 11-year-old granddaughter. I'm a proud Grammy :-)

All Things Girl

The June-July issue of All Things Girl is now on e-newstands everywhere! Not sure if I posted this in my previous weblog life, but I'm now editor of the travel section called Around the World with the Girls. I've got an article in that section plus two in the Creative Ideas section.

Loryn, my granddaughter from Florida, is here for the month of June, so I'm sure we'll have a fun time together!

Speaking of which, I promised that we'd go get pedicures today so I'd better get on the move!