Monday Movie Meme

This week's movie topic is all about Epic Battle Scenes. Share on your blog those battle scenes that are so epic, they make you stop everything to watch.

• Gettysburg (1993)- Charge of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment: George Pickett's ill fated infantry assault on Cemetery Ridge is the most famous and most often discussed maneuver of the Gettysburg campaign, but the heroic actions of Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine on Little Round Top prevented the entire Union line from being flanked.
  

• Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (2007)- Dumbledore Vs. Voldemort: Wizard smack down!

• Lord Of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)-Battle of Pelennor Fields: The Rohirrim kick some Orc butt.
  

Charge of the Rohirrim at Pelennor Fields by Indiratur

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Questions Meme, Pts. 2 & 3

21. Have you ever had a garage sale? We had one about 6 years ago. I'm tempted to have another one, but it's too much damn work.

22. What color is your cell phone? Burgundy.

23. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? Amaretto Stone Sour, 2 years ago at the Pop Century Resort (WDW). I'm not a drinker.

24. Are you happy right now? Not really. I need to make some serious lifestyle changes.

25. Who came over to your house last? Kelly, Elizabeth, and Nathaniel.

26. Do you drink beer? No. It's nasty.

27. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? No.

28. What is your favorite key on your key chain? Car key.

Is It October yet?

The St.Louis Blues released their 2011-2012 schedule on Wednesday. The games I'm most interested in attending?

• Oct. 8: Nashville Predators
• Nov. 4: Vancouver Canucks
• Nov. 12: Tampa Bay Lightning
• Dec. 26: Dallas Stars
• Jan. 21: Buffalo Sabres
• Feb. 18: Minnesota Wild
• March 10: Columbus Blue Jackets

The Lightning game on Nov. 12 is a definite. I wanted to see them when they were in St.Louis a couple of years ago, but thanks to bronchitis and stomach flu, both my best friend and I were too sick to travel :( I'd like to make it to at least one other game next season, but that depends on my money situation.

One of the items on my bucket list is to see all 30 NHL teams play in person. So far, I’ve seen the Blackhawks, Avalanche, Sharks, Hurricanes, Penguins, Maple Leafs, Capitals, and Flyers. 9 down, 20 to go.

Wishing

That Comcast would carry Current tv. I miss Countdown with Keith Olbermann. How am I going to get through the 2012 Presidential election without him?

Cat Nap

Pippin Took deep in kitty dreamland. I don't know why, but the top of my bedroom dresser has become his new favorite place to snooze. He's so weird.

NKOTBSB

Some random notes from the concert..

* I had heard that the United Center was located in a bad section of downtown Chicago, a rumor that turned out to be 100% accurate. My sister, Sara, quickly locked all the car doors and warned us not to make eye contact with any one. During the 15 mile stretch through the mostly Mexican neighborhood, I noted that there were 3 hospitals. Pretty convenient for us in case were were shot at (we weren't, thank you baby Jesus).

* I couldn't believe the size of the United Center. Of course, I have seen it on television from my many years of watching Blackhawks and Bulls games, but I had no idea how enormous the building really was. Our seats were in Section 334, Row 6, which means we were about 20 rows from the top. I'm not scared of heights, but when I walked out and saw how high up we were, I'll admit I became a bit nervous.
* Before the doors were opened to the general public, Sara and I (and Sara's cousin-in-law Kim) hung out with some of the other fans at the fence surrounding the loading dock, where we watched the adorable Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys play baseball with his son. None of the other guys came out pre-show */sad face.
* AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys still has the best voice in either group. He may look freaky with his tattoos and black nail polish, but that man can sing. Gave me goosebumps.
* I've been a fan of NKOTB for 22 years now, and I still want to climb Donnie Wahlberg like a tree :) When he ripped his t-shirt off during Cover Girl (I think it was that song), Sara and I wanted to throw ourselves off the third level and attack him (which is saying a lot for Sara because she's in love with Joe McIntyre). Papa's been working out. Wish I could've gotten a decent picture of his six pack and guns.
* I don't care that Jonathan Knight is gay; he's hot as hell. Still looks as uncomfortable as ever being on stage. Poor guy.
* I kinda feel sorry for Danny Wood and Howie Dorough. They (along with Jon) are the group members that the fans sort of forget are there.
* The cutest part of the evening was when the Backstreet Boys brought 4 fans on stage and serenaded them with "I'll Never Break Your Heart". Brian chose a little girl and the look she was giving him while he was singing to her was priceless. I wanted to smack the woman holding Nick Carter's hand. Apparently, I had a crush on him and didn't even know it until that very moment.
* The only thing that would've made the night perfect? This guy (my favorite BSB who isn't touring with the group).

Jon Hamm For NHL Commissioner!

Gary Bettman needs to step aside and let Jon Hamm take over the league. With Hamm in charge, the St.Louis Blues couldn't lose ;)

I Lucked Out

Despite not having my teeth checked since Bill Clinton was President, my dental appointment yesterday turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I had myself convinced that I was going to need thousands of dollars worth of work done, but you know what? Other than a tiny cavity in one of my bottom molars, my teeth were in good condition. I go back next Tuesday for a filling and a good cleaning, and then I'm done for 6 months. Not bad for going 11 years without a dental exam, eh?

Monday Movie Meme

This week's topic is all about movies that leave you thoroughly depressed after viewing.

I can think of 2 movies that left me emotionally scarred and wanting to swallow a bottle of Zoloft . The first, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, is the story of the friendship between the 8 year old son of a concentration camp commandant and a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence. My nephew Garett, 9 years old at the time, had wanted to order this movie on pay-per-view (he's interested in all things World War 2), but I told him that I wanted to watch it first to make sure it was age appropriate. Of course, I knew that any movie featuring Nazis and concentration camps wasn't going to be fun, games, and happy endings, but the final minutes of Pajamas damn near made me physically ill. It made my heart ache on so many levels. As you can probably guess, Garett didn't get to watch it.

Keeping with the Nazi and concentration camp theme, another movie I never want to see again is Schindler's List. The brutality and utter disregard for human life is mankind at its' very worst.

Funny Coconut Face

I saw this coconut while grocery shopping the other day and just had to take a picture because it made me laugh out loud. Yeah, I don't get out much.

Note To Self: Bring The Kleenex

If I'm this much of an emotional wreck while watching the trailer, how bad am I going to be on July 15th?

Thursday Thirteen: Who's Your (TV) Daddy?

In honor of Father's Day (Sunday, June 19...don't forget!), here are my 13 Favorite Dads From TV. In no particular order:

Red Forman from That 70's Show- Okay, maybe Red is a little gruff and has a penchant for calling his son and his friends "Dumbass", but deep down you know he really cares.

Herman Munster from The Munsters- I've always thought Herman was cool. Remember the bitchin' hearse he drove to work to the funeral parlor? And the way he would crack up laughing over his corny jokes? AND the pet monster under his front staircase? And the schemes that him and Grampa would always get into trouble over?

Homer Simpson from The Simpsons- D'OH! Homer may not be the most energetic dad in TVLand, but this beer drinking, donut eating goober is a riot. I think more than one of us can look at him and see our OWN dad, lurking somewhere within.

Congratulations Boston Bruins...

...2011 Stanley Cup Champions!

P.S. Please take extra special care of the Cup this summer because we want it in excellent condition when it comes to St.Louis next June!

Thinking

The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who voted for Melissa Leo over Hailee Steinfeld in the Supporting Actress category were either drunk and/or high. No disrespect to Leo and her performance in The Fighter, but Steinfeld's performance in True Grit was more deserving of the Oscar. Her portrayal of Mattie Ross projects so much strength, wisdom, and maturity that it's easy to forget she's only 14 years old. It takes talent to pull that off.

Reason #239 Why I Love iTunes

Tell me if this has ever happened to you: was there a song from your childhood that you loved, but as time wore on, you forgot the title and/or the artist, and no matter how hard you tried to remember, you would come up blank?

The song I was looking for was from 1980 (when I was 11). I could remember a bit of the melody and bits and pieces of the bridge, but that was about it. For some strange reason, I had myself convinced that the artist was Todd Rundgren.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was browsing the playlists of other iTunes users and came across one titled Choice Hits of 1980. I clicked on it and chose the "preview all" button. Guess what song was #26?


My 31 year search has come to an end. Eric Andrews, I owe you big time.

Pondering A Change

I haven't changed my hairstyle in years and am now thinking of trying something new. I'd like to find a style that isn't too long, and one that doesn't require much work. Here are a couple of looks that I'm considering:

Right now, I'm favoring the one on the left ( but with shorter bangs). My face is square shaped, so the one of the cover of Cut&Style might not be as flattering. No matter which one I choose, I'm going to have to grow my hair out a little.

Wondering

Why isn't Season 4 of The Twilight Zone included in streaming Netflix? Three of my all-time favorite TZ episodes (Miniature, Jess-Belle, and The New Exhibit) are from that season, so I'm bummed that I can't watch them instantly.

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Questions Meme, Pt. 1

1. Your ex's car is on the side of the road, on fire. What do you do? I don't have an ex, but if I did and saw his car on fire, I would call 911 and let them handle it.

2. Your best friend tells you she is pregnant. What is your reaction? Well, considering she had her tubes tied after Nathaniel was born in 2003, I'd probably be in shock.

3. When is the last time you wanted to punch someone in the face? This past March. I won't go into details, but will say that it was someone from work.

4. What is the last thing you spent money on? My ticket for the upcoming NKOTB/BSB concert in Chicago.

"Bear" The Kitty

My best friend Kelly and her family brought home a new addition Friday afternoon: an eight week old male kitten. Isn't he just adorbs? The kids decided to bestow him with the name "Bear" (don't ask me why). His coloring leads me to believe that one of his parents must be either Siamese or Himalayan. He has the blue eyes and markings of a Siamese, but he's fluffy like a Himalayan.

Between Bear and Teena's new kitty Crumpet, I'm dealing with a serious case of kitten fever. If only they would stay that little and cuddly...*sigh*

Edit 11/11: It's been discovered that "Bear" is a girl.

Thursday Thirteen

13 Favorite Childhood Toys

1. Baby Alive- Every little girl celebrating Christmas 1973 wanted Santa to leave Baby Alive under the tree (that's me, as a 4 year old, in the picture). What made this doll so special? You would mix up a packet of the fruit flavored baby food and her battery operated mouth would "chew" it, before she pooped the residue back out in her diaper. For as long as I live, I will never forget the smell of that powdered food...it came in banana, cherry, and lime (I think). Ick.
2. Stretch Armstrong- Okay, "Stretch" actually belonged to my brother Bart, but I played with him enough to count him as one of my favorites. Poor Stretch met his demise one day when we, like most kids in the 70's, could no longer resist the urge to find out what he was made of. Some reddish, viscous gel. Boring.
3. Chinese Jump Rope- My grade school girlfriends and I played chinese jump rope every afternoon during recess. Just don't ask me how to play now...I have no clue!
4. Simon- Simon tested your ability to recall sequences of colors/musical tones on 4 levels of varying difficulty. As a child, I was good up to level 3...nowadays I'd be lucky to get out of level 1! Don't have the attention span that I used to.
5. Barbie- Yeah, big surprise here. This photo was taken around Christmas 1974, while I was (apparently) in the midst of playing "Camp Out" with Barbie and her friends. Check out that vintage psychedelic Barbie van in the foreground *laughing* Knowing me, I probably had Ken getting it on with Midge in the back.
6. LiteBrite- "Lite Brite, makin' things with light/ Outtasite, makin' things with Lite-Brite" Was always fun until pegs started to disappear, and you couldn't use the correct colors to complete your picture.
7. Easy Bake Oven- Chocolate cake, cookies, and other goodies baked by a light bulb.Mmmmmm. Doesn't get any better than that.
8. Socker Boppers- Child abuse? Nah, it's just my cousin Michelle and my uncle Jerald mixing it up with Socker Boppers, the popular inflatable boxing gloves, at a birthday party circa 1975. Me? I liked them because I could beat the snot out of my kid brother and not get in trouble for it.
9. Big Wheel- The best thing about the Big Wheel? Speeding as fast as you could, and then slamming on the brakes so you would do bitchin' 360's. My brother and I all but tore up the hard wood floor in the dining room.
10. Tape recorder- Hey, it was a toy to me! I used to set up my recorder in front of the tv so I could tape my favorite shows and commercials. Also used it to record my friends, my cousins, my brother, and myself...all our conversations, our slumber parties, and all the stupid things we used to do. My only regret is that I didn't save the cassettes.
11. Evel Knievel Shock Absorbing Stunt Cycle: My brother Bart (check out those plaid slacks!) received the toy for his 3rd birthday in 1974, and we had all kinds of fun setting up exciting jumps for Evel to perform, including but not limited to: 1) a line of Matchbox cars and my Barbie van, 2) the ditch by the road, 3) my Barbie pool filled with water and plastic animals, and 4) a line of our friends, laying side by side. It didn't matter that he failed most of our stunts. What did matter was having the opportunity to be like our hero and act out our daredevil fantasies without having to worry about cuts, bruises, and broken bones. 37 years have come and gone, yet I can still remember the distinctive sound that motorcycle made when it was being juiced up in the docking ramp.
12. Toot-A-Loop Radio: The coolest thing about this transistor radio? You could wear it around your wrist as a bracelet, or hang it from the handlebars of your bike as you cruised the neighborhood. AM radio (WLS, baby!)) never sounded so good.
13. Farrah's Glamour Center: I'd like to personally thank the late Ms. Fawcett (RIP) and the makers of this toy for saving me the thousands of dollars I would have wasted had I decided on a career as a hair stylist. After just 15 minutes in my hands, Farrah was completely unrecognizable. I got bored styling her hair with rollers, so out came the scissors and...let me put it this way...she was rocking the "Flock of Seagulls" look a few years before the band.

Now I want to hear from you. What were your favorite childhood toys?

Joyeux Anniversaire!

My adorable niece Claire is 4 years old today. Love you sweetie!

Samsung Infuse 4G "Spider"

This commercial needs to go away. It was funny the first couple of times I saw it, but that woman's scream is irritating.

I Want Wednesday

I want the school year to be over and done with already. I know that we got a later start and used two more snow days than other area school districts, but damn. Going this far into June is just sick and wrong (especially when the stifling humidity and high 90s-100 degree temperatures are factored in). Tempers are flaring, so it will be a miracle if we can survive the remaining 4 days without casualties.

Roar!

You Are a Panther

You are unemotional and downright stoic. It's hard to ruffle your feathers. You have an amazing depth to you. You have layers upon layers that no one else has seen. You are confident about your place in the world, and you've happily carved out your own niche. You live primarily inside your own mind. You happily spend a lot of time thinking.

What's Your Inner Big Cat?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Confident about my place in the world? Um, not true. I'm still trying to figure out where I fit in.

Sunday Stealing: The Team Jeffie Meme

TRUE OR FALSE

Q: Kissed someone on your friends list? FALSE

Q: Been arrested? FALSE

Q: Held a snake? TRUE

Q: Been suspended from school? FALSE

Q: Sang karaoke? FALSE

Q: Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do? TRUE

Thirteen Teen Idols I've Had Crushes On

*This list originally appeared on my Xanga blog about 5 years ago. I want to actively participate in the new Thursday 13, but I haven't had time to come up with some new topics. I'll be able to do that once I'm off work for the summer (8 more days and counting!) so, in the meantime, enjoy one of my previous favorites!

1. Donny Osmond- Like most little girls in the 70's, my first crush was on Donny Osmond, youngest member of the singing Osmond Brothers. Guess I can credit my two older cousins, Michelle and Angie, for introducing me to the world of teen idol worship. They had photos of the Osmonds plastered all over the walls in their bedroom, and we used to spend hours listening to all their albums. Donny had it all...cute face, perfect shag haircut, gorgeously perfect white teeth, and a cry in his singing voice that was so hard to resist. Sigh. Even though he is now a 53 year old Grandfather (gulp!), I think I would still run away with him if he showed up at my front door!

2.Randolph Mantooth- My first ever TV crush was on Randolph Mantooth (whatta name!), who portrayed paramedic Johnny Gage in the 70's drama Emergency! How much did I love this man? Enough to endure hour long episodes of Hee Haw, which ran in the time slot directly before Emergency! If you've seen Hee Haw, you know that was dedication on my part.

3.Shaun Cassidy-The younger half-brother of Teen Idol Uber-God David Cassidy, Shaun portrayed Joe Hardy in the ABC series "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" and also had several hit singles, such as "Hey Deanie" and "That's Rock N Roll". When he got married, I cried for 2 days.

4.Bee Gees- Ah yes... the Gods of disco, tight satin pants, and falsetto singing. Back in the day, I loved me some Barry Gibb! (for you youngsters, he is the brother in the middle) With that perfect, auburn colored lion mane 'do, manly chest hair, and *ahem* package, he was the hawt. Damn, those are some tight pants. No wonder the trio could hit those high notes!

5.Paul McCartney- I discovered the Beatles through reruns of their cheesy mid-60's cartoons and was immediately smitten with doe eyed, baby faced Paul. Somehow, I had never made the connection that the man who sang "Silly Love Songs" and "Jet" with Wings was the same man who sang "Michelle" and "Yesterday".

6.Andy Gibb- The younger brother of the Bee Gees, Andy hit the top of the pop charts in the late 70's with songs such as "I Just Want To Be Your Everything", "Shadow Dancing", and "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water". When he passed away in 1988 at the tender age of 30, I was devastated. I'll never understand why someone with so much talent would piss everything away with drugs. What a waste.

7.Rick Springfield- *swoon* How did 12 year old Julie spend the long, hot afternoons of summer 1981? Sitting in front of the TV and drooling over Rick Springfield as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. Not only did I get to see him 5 days a week on my favorite soap opera, I also had him blaring on my turntable (sorry 'bout that Mom). His album, Working Class Dog, spawned such hits as "Jessie's Girl" and "I've Done Everything For You". Actor. Singer. Rick could do it all. In May 2000, two of my closest friends and I were lucky enough to see him perform at Navy Pier in Chicago, and he still looks and sounds as good as he did back in the 80's. He's hardly aged at all.

8.Duran Duran- Simon! John! Andy! Nick! Roger! I never thought I'd lust after 5 dudes who wore more make up than I did. They were purty, weren't they?

9.Menudo- Hands down, my weirdest crush. Why? The group was from Puerto Rico and only sang in Spanish. I couldn't understand a damn word (at least back then I couldn't), but they got me hot and bothered anyway. Why? Helllooooo. 5 cute young men in tight pants, gyrating and singing in Spanish. That was enough for me.

10Jason Bateman- I first noticed Jason when he played the hilariously snarky Derek Taylor on Silver Spoons . By the time he moved on to the starring role on the short lived series It's Your Move, I was head over heels for the boy. To this day, he remains one of my favorites.

11.Huey Lewis and the News- I fell in love with Huey and the boys after they released their popular album, Sports, in 1984. The group's music was good, but the funny, innovative videos were even better. Got to see them play live in the spring of '87, and to this day it remains the best concert I've ever attended. Played their asses off for 3 hours straight.

12.New Kids On The Block- Okay, I can hear the laughing. Knock it off I alternated between loving Jonathan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg. There, I've admitted it. Word.

13.Color Me Badd- My last musical crush. I can thank this quartet from Oklahoma City for helping me bond with my best friend, Kelly. When the two of us started team teaching a Pre-Kindergarten class 19 years ago, we didn't have much to talk about until we discovered a shared fondness for Brian, Mark, Kevin, and Sam. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Kelly and I once drove 6 hours to the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville just to see the boys perform. And then there was the weekend we made the 12 hour trip to OKC so we, and our crazy friend Dena, could stalk their family members. NOT our finest moment.

Who did YOU idolize during your childhood/teenage/young adult years? Let me know in the comments!