I just got home from teaching at Arts Smarts camp. A summer arts camp at our church for kids, there are 644 enrolled. Of course, I'm only teaching one class, not all 644 kids. But it's very, very loud. So I'm anxious to get home for some peace and quiet. The new CD we purchased at camp today is blaring, Kev and Elizabeth are having a running, screaming, and banging rubber band fight, and the little kids are howling with laughter at them.
Ow. But in a fun way.
Rubi and I went to see "The Lakehouse" last weekend.
Good movie for a chick-flick (gotta love Sandra Bullock), but the ending made my brain hurt.
It's basically about these two people living two years apart but still writing love notes to each other - one in 2006 and one in 2004. The letters magically appear in the same mailbox, sometimes while they wait.
That's kinda cool.
But then Sandra Bullock goes messing with the timestream and tries to change the past/future/present (??) with one of those notes.
Then the paradox kicks in. Or at least it did for the scifi geek that I am. That's why my brain hurt. By changing her past, and his future, wouldn't she have changed her own present and none of the movie would have happened? Or did she create an alternate timeline, therein leaving her out of the nice outcome anyway?
But! The movie isn't really clear on when she changed the timeline! It seems like she changes it before the event happens in her time, but that doesn't really make sense. Is it late winter/early spring at the end of the movie or is it autumn?
Rubi did an internet search looking for an explanation of the timeline. What she found basically said "don't try to understand it, just enjoy it". The movie was based on a book - I wonder if the book explains it better.
Yes, I'm writing this review almost a week later, and I still can't change the past.
I can handle "plain, predictable, and trustworthy".
And yes: my life is better for having taken this quiz and posted the results online. (Mostly because I haven't updated in a week, and this at least puts something new here.) Now if someone would just design a quiz to see what kind of fast food leftovers found on the floor of a car I'd be, my life would be almost complete.
Poor Elizabeth. Neither of her parents are keeping up with their responsibilities. So here I am, checking in. [looks out window] Yup, grass is still tall. You know why? Because Kev hasn't mowed it. You know why? Because instead, he went to his parents house this morning and did all their yardwork for them. You know why? Because he's a wonderful guy and an awesome son.
So there.
What else? Lots of things going on here on the mom front that are probably only exciting to me. Scrapbooked at a friend's house for a while yesterday. We did the everyone-bring-some-food thing. Sandwich "fixins", fresh fruit, peel & eat shrimp, veggie tray, and the hostess purchased a 12-pack of Caffeine Free Diet Coke just for me. (I'm the only one in our bunch that drinks it, so she usually doesn't have it.) I wanted to hug her - now THAT'S a good friend, someone that'll buy a case of something that nobody in her family drinks, just for when you come over every few weeks.
She herself is a Ski drinker. I believe Ski is an Evansville thing, maybe a regional thing, and one of the reasons that I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't live in Evansville. Turoni's and Grippos are two other reasons.
Anyway, I got one whole 2-page layout done, in...four hours. Had a good time.
Uh. What else? Y'all want to hear about Catherine's ballet class, or Alexander's reading class? How about the ironing I really, really need to do? Or the unfinished Bible study lesson, when I have Bible study in 3 hours? How about that Alexander's birthday is in a matter of weeks and I haven't even purchased invitations, let alone sent them out? No? Well, sorry people, that's my life.
Ooh, ooh! I know! My birthday is in five weeks, and I KNOW you're all in a tizzy about what to get me. I want a dishwasher, so a Home Depot gift card toward that purchase would be perfect. Or anything off my Amazon wish list. I'm not picky. Huh? What? You've never met me, and have no intention of getting me ANYTHING, and besides, I didn't get you anything for your birthday? Oh. Well, that's okay then.
the 3rd annual recognition of this esteemed day (join the fun!!).
Seven Things:
I would like to do before I die:
1. Be relatively debt free.
2. Loose weight.
3. Hang Glide with Rubi
4. Have my eyesight corrected by Lasik.
5. Watch my kids get married and have kids.
6. Easily loose weight.
7. Pay off my home.
I cannot do:
1. Skateboard tricks (tried).
2. Use a gun (never tried).
3. Happily eat vegetables.
4. Avoid meat for any reasonable length of time (not that I'd want to).
5. Motivate myself.
6. Bring myself to eat seafood.
7. Easily loose weight.
Things that attracted me to my spouse:
1. Her sense of humor.
2. Her hair.
3. Her legs.
4. Her friendship.
5. Her smile.
6. Her twinkling eyes.
7. Her laugh.
Things I say often:
1. "NO!!!"
2. "9-1-1 Do you have an emergency?"
3. "Stop it!"
4. "I mean it! Stop it now!"
5. "Don't make me come in there!"
6. "Luvya!"
7. "Yes, I'd like to order a pizza..."
Books that I love:
(or at least really enjoyed)
1. Iron Dragons
2. Dragon Champion
3. The Armageddon Strain
4. The Star Wars Expanded Universe.
5. Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series
6. Isaac Asimov's Robot Series
7. The Star Trek Deep Space Nine post-season 7 continuing series.
Movies that I watch over and over:
(or would if I had the time)
1. Star Wars
2. Serenity
3. Highlander
4. The Empire Strikes Back
5. Stargate
6. Dragonheart
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
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5 things in my vehicle
Trash
Broken crayons
Small TV/VCR unit.
More trash.
Hot air.
5 things in my front right pocket
Various coins (more than five).
5 things in my closet
Which closet?
Hall Closet: Bath Towel, hand towel, face towel, paper towels, linens.
Bedroom Closet: clothes, Legos, computer parts, filing cabinets, comic books.
5 things in my refrigerator
Cold air.
Butter.
Hamburger Buns.
Grape Jelly.
Leftovers.
5 things in my head
Cobwebs.
Thoughts.
Dreams.
More cobwebs.
Aches.
Okay, VERY occasionally I'm in the mood for a meme. This happens to be one of those occasions.
1) What were some of your scariest vehicular experiences, either behind the wheel or as a passenger?
Ooh, this is an easy one. Taking out a guardrail on a street near where we live now. I was driving to work, it was dark and the roads were icy. There was a place on my route to work where the road jogged over, so you were kind of driving toward the guardrail, then made a quick 45 degree turn to stay on the road. The guardrail was along the edge of someone's yard. I hit a patch of black ice as I was going into the turn. The car didn't turn, and I panicked and slammed on the brakes. Whoops. I had time to scream and throw my hands in front of my face, then bang. I'd flattened the guardrail and landed in that yard. The people who's yard I was in were SO kind to the sobbing, freaked out 21 year old in their yard - they said it happened all the time. (!!!) Nope, I wasn't hurt. Weird thing I remember from the accident: Kev's hardback copy of Mists Of Avalon was in the backseat. The impact threw it into the back of one of the front seats, hard enough to tear it in two. Yikes.
2) Are you going anywhere fun this Summer, and does Summer even mean the same to you as it did when you were younger?
The browncoat thingy that Kev mentioned. Holiday World with some friends.
Summer certainly doesn't mean the same thing as when I was younger. I spend lots of time trying to pacify my cranky hubby and maintaining the kids schedule. I don't remember doing anything like that when I was a kid! (However, I do remember mowing the lawn, and running over the German Shepard poo that I'd left there because I was a lazy teenager, and didn't like scooping. So I did a halfway job, and paid for it when I mowed over it. P.U.)
3) What was your favorite childhood toy, and how did it influence you over the course of your life?
Huh. I don't know. I remember a really ratty stuffed bunny, I think it was pink. There is some vague memory of my mom telling me no, I could not take it to kindergarten. That makes me laugh, because I've had that conversation with my kids over their ratty old stuffed animals.
4) Choose a cartoon, novel or other favorite work of fiction that's never been made into a movie, and tell us who you'd like to see star in it.
Big screen movie? How about Joss Whedon's fabuloso Once More With Feeling. Two hours long, and on the big screen. How awesome would that be??? Original cast, of course. Also, Witchblade. Original cast. That would make me so very happy.
5) Your Current Age/2 = A (15) A + (A/2) = B (22)Your Current Age = C (31)What was your favorite pizza topping at A, B, and C respectively?(Providing the numeric values of A, B, and C is of course optional).
What? Huh? I don't get it. Wait, I think I do. You know, this is easier if your current age is an even number. Just sayin'.
15 - No clue.
22 - No clue.
31 - Chicken and spinach.
SPECIAL BONUS QUESTION: If you could know one thing about MCF that you didn't, what would it be? His real name!
Yay! MCF gives us another Astonishing Test!
1) What were some of your scariest vehicular experiences, either behind the wheel or as a passenger?
Paying for car repairs!
Okay, really - Probably the most scariest vehicular experience I wasn't really involved directly. I was at work, Rubi was on her way to my parents house to pick up the kids. We got a call at work of a motor vehicle accident close to my parents neighborhood involving a vehicle matching the description of the van Rubi was driving. Just seeing that, and knowing Rubi should be in that area about that time, I got scared for my family's safety. It turns out it was Rubi and the kids involved in the accident, luckily no one was hurt - besides the van. An off-duty officer that lived near there just happened to be behind Rubi when it happened. She called in on her cell phone to report the accident, and I took the call. I told her it that was my wife involved. The officer turned to Rubi, handed her the cell phone, and said "Here, it's for you."
2) Are you going anywhere fun this Summer, and does Summer even mean the same to you as it did when you were younger?
Not going anywhere fun this summer. No, I take that back. Rubi and I plan on going to Bloomington for a small Browncoat Shindig involving a showing of Serenity. Plus maybe a couple of daytrips around the area if we can swing it.
Summer used to mean a break from school and more "me" time. Now it means I get to sleep in until maybe 7 a.m. most days (that's sleeping in for me), I get to sweat a lot, do yard work, do my parents yard work, sweat some more a lot, and run Rubi and the kids all over Creation.
All that in addition to my normal "going to work". Plus, summer means vacations (for my co-workers), and that means I get to work crazy shifts and get some overtime, frequently resulting in the loss of sleep and disruption of normal sleeping patterns. And lots of cranky.
3) What was your favorite childhood toy, and how did it influence you over the course of your life?
I can't say I had one specific favorite toy. For along time, I had a stuffed animal of a cat that was my favorite stuffed animal (he's still in storage at my parents house). I had G.I. Joes, and Transformers, Robolinks... Can't say any one specific toy was my favorite and influenced me.
4) Choose a cartoon, novel or other favorite work of fiction that's never been made into a movie, and tell us who you'd like to see star in it.
Hmm... the only one I've ever really thought if is Robotech, and that was when I was in high school. I had a teacher that I thought would be perfect for the role of Exedor.
5) Your Current Age/2 = A (16)
A + (A/2) = B (24)
Your Current Age = C (32)
What was your favorite pizza topping at A, B, and C respectively?(Providing the numeric values of A, B, and C is of course optional).
It was my understanding there would be no math...
However, Pizza math is okay I guess.
A = Pepperoni
B = Pepperoni
C = Pepperoni and Chicken
If you had gone younger, I might have said "sausage". I preferred sausage on my pizza up until I was maybe 12 or so. Please don't ever put veggies of any sort on my pizza. I will have to pick them off, and that just ruins the amalgamation of the pizza.
SPECIAL BONUS QUESTION: If you could know one thing about MCF that you didn't, what would it be?
His real name!
Magneto (sp?) was criminally miscast. Robin Sachs would have been just divine in that role. Just sayin'.
Hey, do you have a daughter? She should really have this: http://www.poshtots.com/catalog/210/927/product_detail.asp
Oh, wait! What about a boy? Got a son? How about this: http://www.poshtots.com/catalog/210/2497/product_detail.asp
Aren't they great? We got two for the girls and one for Alexander. They should be delivered later this week.
Yep, I just didn't get it. I've never read the comic books (They're comic books, right?), never seen the other movies, just don't get it. I'm the wrong breed of geek.
Hey MCF - that was Kelsey Grammar? Really?
I was okay most of the time. When that goofy kid leaped off the table and spread his wings, dramatic music all dun-dun-DUNNNN!!!, I nearly choked to death trying to muffle my laughter. He just looked so silly. Snerk.
And the military hand gesture Kev referred to was very similar to Riley's in Fool For Love (BtVS Season 5...Oh, good grief, I'm SUCH a geek.) See: http://www.moviemistakes.com/name2620 Heh...choo choo.
And when they went flying to the rescue, and found the bad guys awaiting: "Go to stealth mode!" Switch was flipped, plane turned invisible, and I was DONE. No, I'm sorry, this has just gotten too silly. I went for drink refills.
Took the day off from work today, in anticipation of working 12 hours tomorrow night from 7 pm to 7 am (Sunday morning) and then doubling back 8 hours later (Sunday afternoon) to my normal 2nd shift hours of 3 pm to 11 pm. So... no sleep for Kev tomorrow.
I spent the day today hanging with my boy while Rubi and the girls went to a friends house. Alexander and I went to Krispy Kreme for a late breakfast, CiCi's Pizza for a late lunch, then to the dollar store where Alexander picked up a couple of fun toys - a blister pack of "Magna Links" (generic Magnetix), and one of those basketball goals that you mount to your wall or door and throw a small orange foam sponge basketball at and always miss unless you are standing right next to it. While at the dollar store, I found a hardback novel that I had been meaning to read, "Shadowmancer". I grabbed that too and will eventually get around to reading it.
Also on my list of things to read is the new Star Wars novel "Legacy of the Force".
Here are my bookmarks/internet favorites imported from my browser.
Main Bookmarks
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