2 more pics of house being built

They added a big long wooden thing across the top of the garage. now if you will excuse me i have 200 phone calls to make for my lawyers. sigh.

Its a nice day here in Oregon.

This is the view from the door out to the patio looking across the liv and out the dining room window. But of course, no stairs yet...

This is a view as if you were standing on the patio and looking in thru the back door and you can see the bay Window outline of the kitchen.... You have to sort of use your imagination a lot...

This is one a the few tiles I am going to use in Spencer's bathroom, which will have a sea life these... I am going to use like TEN of these tiles only because they are hideously expensive. From a co in MI called Pewabic Pottery Frog above and TURTLE Below... Cause Spencer is my TURTLE

It is sunny. We had a picnic at the Maple Street Park today. The dog is out playing with the goat in the field. Yesterday they were all out in the field, the goat, the dog, Bill and Spencer , and I was even out for a bit feeding treats to the goat. They were trying to fly Spencer's dragon kite he got for Xmas.. a great buy from Costco for 9 dollars, but they had no wind... We are thinking of a rule... No TV on Sundays anymore. He watches some during the week and that should be fine. Still the only TV I let him watch is SPROUT which is PBS Kids. He loves Sesame street Bob the builder OF course... He is getting out of KIPPER mode...

Spencer is unhappy with this rule, but there are plenty of better things to do when the weather is nice on a Sunday then TV. Like tickle Spencer and then read him 7 books and then go to the park for a picnic. We did not MAKE the picnic... we got Quiznos... but still fun. Amy Mamie the dog is feeling so much better, and we took her too!

Oh and the house has WALLS now.. at least on the first floor. It was weird to "walk In" to the house last night, but it felt oddly good. So. There you go. We have SO MUCH WORK to accomplish for the mediation and I am going crazy trying to get it all done and keep these lawyers and adjusters and other sometimes annoying people out of my hair with their deadlines. BUT I am getting it done somehow. Not fast enough for them.....but...

My Name is Sally O'Malley and I'm FIFTY YEARS OLD

I swear to you there is a woman at my Curves who is like this business manager person.... SHE IS that Molly Shannon Character on SNL.. She has the big hair, the intense Mary Kay, the RED VELVET like track suit, giant sparkly glasses circa 1985....I have not LOOKED for the Camel Toe cause its too gross but I am sure its there.... I am sure somewhere in her wardrobe there is also a leopard skin purse. I doubt she can tell stories about sleeping with Mickey Rooney, but I'll bet she can KICK, and STRETCH and KICK!!!!!!!!!

I cannot even look at her when I go there now.....
I want to just scream out... I'MMMMMM FIFTY!!!!!! FIFTY YEARS OLD!!!!!!!

WOW, Up go 1/4 of two walls!!!!!!!!

Just keeping you updated, for those of you keeping score at home....I used to do dishes and yell at my family right in front of that hole in that plywood half wall over there.... Good Times....

OMG One more piecve of news...My friend Siri, who is probably my BFF in OR? Al week long she is like OW My foot hurts, right? I am like Gawd did you sparin it? Do you have GOUT? What is the deal? She did not know...

Are you ready???? Her foot is like BROKEN!!!!!!
O. M. G. No more Curves for her for a WHILE.

I still go. Those old ladies treat me like I belong on the short bus seriously. Today one thought I was Spencer's gramma, they are all either blind, deaf, or crazy.... BUT tomorrow I am gonna try the STAIR MASTER for the first time. Yeah. Lookin forward to THAT.

Master Thespian Cage Match/ Dinner Party

if its Friday it must be time for.... Master Thespian Cage Match/ Dinner Party

You all know the rules. There are two parts of the game: The first is to choose who would be a more interesting couple of Thespians at a dinner party, and then for the Bonus Round, Determine who would be the winner in a cage match bewtween these two thespians.

SO First Round Questions:

Of the following pairs of Thespians, who for the purposes of our game are dating, who would you most want to have to dinner, and WHY?

A Sigourney Weaver and Nick Nolte
B Wanda Sykes and John Malkovich
C Loretta Swit and Ashton Kutcher
D Shirley MacClaine and Jamie Foxx


Bonus Round:

If the following pairs of Master Thespians were in a wrestling match, who would win and why? Note that I have tried to Match the Thespians in equal weight classes, to keep it fair.

A Rob Lowe and Carol Burnett
B Marisa Tomei and Michael Douglas
C Jeremy Piven and Susan Sarandon
D Peter O'Toole and Nicole Ritchie


Here are my choices:

For dinner, I would have to choose D Shirley MacClaine and Jamie Foxx. I think they would make an interesting couple. If the conversation got boring, Jamie Foxx and play the piano and Shirley can sing.

As to who would win the match:
I am not sure who would win but I would enjoy watching Susan Sarandon slaaping around Jeremy Piven for a bit.

WOW.
I need therapy.

HEY LOOK!!!! We have wood floors again!!!!!

Well, uh sort of...

Actually we are rethinking wood floors now and are pretty much have decided on sort of a cool looking fake slate tile on the entire first floor. I have always loved the look of slate. A lot of people either love it or hate it. But we may have have wood in the very entry part and the dining room, like in front of the stairs.


Anyway, as you can see they have started to rebuild the house. Finally a step in the right direction.. The foundation was okay so Nick just hooked up all the gas and water and heater crap or whatever and then put the floor in. Well, this is not the REAL floor.. it will be underneath the floor. In the back to the left is our tool shed, and then in the way back is a little play house that came with the house. I was gonna paint it all log cabin-y one of these days with a FORT SPENCER sign on it or something, so it would not be like pink anymore. Bill had to take the front door off of it, because Spencer kept going in there as a toddler and Bill was afraid the door would stick, and he would get stuck in there.. Plus in today's world, I do not think we ever need to put the door back on. Seriously. Until he is about 35 I don't think Spencer should be doing much that I do not know about... ANyway the tool shed survived the blast along with the play house.

Spencer is looking forward to getting back to the neighborhood. We all are.

I DID go to Curves today... I am still sick but feeling a LITTLE better, so I went. SInce I have not been in two days my arms and legs feel like spaghetti. SO I have Spaghetti Arms... Which remind me of Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing... I hope he gets better soon. Nobody puts baby in a corner...

Red Robin is the new FRIDAY's

Martini is.........

The New Shampoo

I swear I get so annoyed when people say things are "the new______" Do you? I think Oprah started it with her whole 40 is the new 30 deal... Now it seems I hear it ALL the time... Bruge is the new Venice, Houston is the new Venice, Baja is the new Provence, Red is the new Black, Black is the new Beige, On and On it goes. I thought we could have fun just making some UP and see if they take off, so EVERYONE can be annoyed like I am.

I slept all day today because I had a bad cold. Then I skipped my WW meeting too, but so did Siri. She teaches 4rth grade and she had a 4th grade concert to go to. I am still sick and I did Curves Monday but not today so I feel like I do not want to miss tomorrow AM...So I will go with Bill when he takes Spencer to preschool and he can drop me at Curves on the way.... and then its just enough time for me to get it done and he comes to get me ont he way home. I could drive myself, but this way I really really go. I still feel like CRAP and I may abondon this idea depending on how I feel but I do not want to get behind on my Curves... lately its one of the few things keeping me sane. Well, they have started the house and they should have it all framed in a couple of weeks. I am not sure what that is, but I assume it is good. Right now it just looks like foundation with a criss cross wooden floor thing. Nick says he may get it done earlier than the end of the summer. That would be GREAT not to miss another summer in the neighborhood, and I think the sooner we get off the Goat Farm the better, However I may miss it A LITTLE. Its great not being so close to your neighbors and stuff.

Anyway:

Here are my Top Fictional "______ is the new______."

Branson is the New Vegas,
Dubai is the new Branson,
Tyra Banks is the New Princess Margaret
Grapes are the new Flounder
Canby is the New Molalla
Orange Juice is the new Formal Wear
Gossip is the new Porn
The Doodlebops are the New Wiggles
Preschool is the new Kindergarten
Toyota is the Cuisinart
Mauve is the new Aubergine
Catnip is the new Osler
Salsa is the new Applesauce
Martinis are the new Shampoo


NOW ITS YOUR TURN!!!!!!!!

Sure its goofy - Gold's Gym it Isn't - but I like it!!!!

Curves. Yes, its a little goofy, a little cultish and full of sort of lumpy older women... (not unlike myself, let's face it.) They all wear the cutesy "Curves" T shirts, they all know each other, and they all like to talk about goofy stuff when they exercise. It reminds me of those ladies at my grandparents condo in Florida, you know those ones who swim REALLLLLY slowly in the pool and never put their head under the water? My living nightmare when I would go down to FL was that I could NOT wait to swim but I would always get busted by Mrs. Leposky and have to put on a bathing cap. Then, since I would have forgotten mine at home in Michigan, I would have to use my grandmother's which was covered in flowers. CRAAAAAAP!!!!!!!

Mrs. Leposky and the other overly tanned 78 year old women who mostly looked like a raisin had mated with a praying mantis, would sit around the pool half of the day til "their stories" came on in the afternoon, and would talk about their painting classes and their latest medical procedures... GAWD. As a TERMINALLY BORED 14 year old I would look forward to their leaving for the afternoon when I would have the pool to myself, even though it was hottest then. I would enjoy the quiet while nurturing my third degree burns... Florence Leposky fancied herself quite an artist and had hundreds of HORRIBLY PAINTED canvases in the condo she shared with her husband Howard. Together they unofficially ruled Vista D'Oro, and if you have ever watched Seinfeld where his parents talk about the politics at their condo in FL, Del Boca Vista, I swear to God it is ALL TRUE!! At Vista D'Oro the biggest fight was always over the temperature of the pool and when to have the Pot Luck in the Rec Room.

Anyway... Curves reminds me of all the holidays I spent at Vista D'Oro, and in a way I find it sort of comforting. Slowly my body is getting used to the workout there and I suspect in about 6 - 8 months I will be ready for a REAL gym, but until then, I enjoy toning my pectorals while getting good recipes for something called "Brown Betty" and Oatmeal Scones. Most of the ladies at my Curves are retirees from Hope Village, a Retirement Community just down the road from my Sploded House.

Hey Speaking of the SPLODED HOUSE, they started the framing today!!!!!! WHEW HOO!

"Curves-Isms"

• Curves is "The Girl Power Half Hour"
• Curves Mission: "Strengthening Women".
  
• At Curves, your Health and Fitness is our Business.
• Invite a friend to Curves and you will never be lonely.
• Curves - The Power To Amaze Yourself!
• Meet Your Next Best Friend at Curves.
• No Men, No Makeup, No Mirrors.
• Friends "LET" Friends Workout at Curves.
• Curves is your Safe Place to Workout.
• Curves is a Community of Support.
• Curves Works!

This is a REALLLLY good Pilot

I am not sure if this will work...

Richard Engel, The Most Courageous reporter I have ever seen

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501982_pf.html

You maybe have never heard of this guy This is an article about Richard Engel, the Middle East Coreespondent for NBC. Before that he was like this nutty Freelance guy.. He is 33 and fearless... I think he is so courageous.
The article above is from the Washington Post, and the Article below is from the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/24/arts/television/24enge.html

Article in NY Times @ TOOTSIE.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02wwln-medium-t.html?_r=1&ref=television&oref=slogin

Master Thespian Survey Friday: BEST OSCARS EVER - WHAT ARE YOURS???

At this point I have no idea what do do with Master Thespian Friday, but I am not a quitter. I will keep trying things until I figure out something that works. I cannot post any Movie Moods lately because for some reason on my blog only the YouTube will PLAY but no sound happens. I have no idea what that is about... My guess is some kind of curse from either Dada Drummer or the Spanish Medievalist, and probably Osler put them up to it.... OR it was the work of the Evil Skunk that is living in the back seat or my Toyota.

SO here is this week's Master Thespian Friday:

Your ALL TIME OSCAR Nominations and/or Winners: Just post yours... or if you can think of more categories, do those..

Here are mine:

Best Actress EVER -
Meryl Streep,
Susan Sarandon,
Bette Davis

Best Actor, EVER -
Gene Hackman,
Tom Hanks,
Don Cheadle,
Al Pacino
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman


Best Comic Actress EVER-
Joan Cusack,
Diane Keaton,
Sarah Jessica Parker
Gilda Radner
Sandra Bullock

Best Comic Actor, EVER:
Bill Murray,
Owen Wilson,
Ben Stiller
Will Ferrell
John Belushi

Best Supporting Actress, EVER - Joan Cusack in Working Girl

Best Supporting Actor, EVER -
Bill Murray in Tootsie,
Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Next Stop Wonderland
Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Along Came Polly
William H Macy in State and Main

Most Charming Handsome Leading Man EVER-
Cary Grant,
Hugh Grant,
Robert Redford,
Russell Crowe
Alec Baldwin
George Clooney

Most Lovely Beautiful Enticing Leading Woman:
Meryl Streep,
Sigourney Weaver
Bette Davis
Judy Garland,
Grace Kelly
Deborah Kerr

Funniest Movie, Period, EVER -
Tootsie,
Rushmore,
Manhattan,
Small Time Crooks,
Annie Hall

Best Drama, EVER:
All the Presidents Men
Out of Africa
The Firm
Erin Brockovich
Michael Clayton
Proof of Life

Best Action Film EVER - ??? The Firm? The Fugitive (Harrison Ford one)

Best Outer Space Movie, EVER Blecch... I don't know - The First ALIEN?

Best Hobbit/Elf/Magician movie EVER Uhmm I dunno Not My Thing.

Best Spoof Movie, EVER -
Airplane,
Office Space,
Dill Scallion,
Spinal Tap,
Best in Show,
Blades of Glory
The Wedding Singer

Best Classic Movie Ever -
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,
To Catch A Thief,
Affair to Remember

Best Modern Romantic Comedy EVER -
Music & Lyrics,
You've Got Mail,
A Good Year,
About a Boy,
Groundhog Day
Two Weeks Notice

Best Movie that makes you Cry, EVER -
Stealing Home,
Out of Africa,
Schindler's List,
The Way We Were
Love Story

Best Kid's move, EVER - Finding Nemo

Best Independent Movie EVER -
Next Stop Wonderland
Boogie Nights

Best Documentary EVER - Grey Gardens, Who Killed the Electric Car?

Best Old Hollywood Musical: Singing in the Rain

Best Old Hollywood Singer: Judy Garland


OKAY now: YOU ARE THE ACADEMY!!!! VOTE!!!!!

I don't even know what to say about this....

other than it is brilliant. I love the guy in the back... MORE COWBELL!!!!

Its Spring on the Goat Farm..... HERE COME THE FROGS!!!!!!!

God help me, I swear to you... there are endless surprises here on this Godforsaken Goat Farm where I live.. First there were ducks, and the giant great dane, and the horse noises all the time, and the chickens, and the stinky Llamas across the road... Lately we smell skunks like ALLLLL the TIME, I mean EVERY NIGHT and not around the corner but I think that there is seriously a skunk out to get us and he poops his smell out like every night..I literally smell it EVERY TIME I get in the car,. I think he is living in the back seat of my Toyota.... and get this.. now we have FROGS..

Yes we have these Frogs apparantly they come out this time of year of their little hiding place near the creek which is on the other side of the goat barn, and they are SO LOUD.. Not only that, Bill says that there are like A HUNDRED of them. Seriously, there are like ONE HUNDRED FROGS living about 300 yards from where I sleep. What the FRICK is next???? LOCUSTS????

I mean it is bad enough that the goat is stinky and makes noise every morning, and then when he starts up then all the lovely animals get going in the AM and thus its like a choir of chickens and I think maybe a donkey and God knows what else.... Then the air smells like cow poo from the dairy down the road...

But NOW,, EVERY NIGHT there are like 50 decibel frogs that make this huge noise outside all night.. I close my bedroom door and get under the covers and I swear its like they are in the hallway.

How much is a person supposed to take?????? I never thought I would say this but I CANNOT WAIT TO GET BACK TO THE SUBURBS where I will no longer have to see the food chain in action, where they only smell is of my neighbor constantly pressure washing his driveway and the only sound is the sound of toddlers driving electric jeeps and maybe that one kid two doors down playing basketball like 23 hours a day. The most dangerous thing that ever happens is when Jen and Andy next door have one of their wild parties and the other neighbors behind them call the cops, which means in the morning they will think it was US who called, until we can once again convince them otherwise....

Seriously, the worst thing that happens in the summer on Sycamore Street is that the Corn Lady runs out of Cantaloupe.

Well.... once in a while a house explodes I guess........

BUT - There are no Killer Frogs or Evil Skunks after me, maybe a pissed off Soccer Mom, but NO LONGER will there be MOOING, cows, frogs, ducks, donkeys, goats, skunks or sulfur showers. Bill says I will miss the goat farm when we leave. I say probably not, unless I suffer a closed head injury. Its like the Extreme Home Edition of FARM ANIMALS GONE WILD ..... AND ITS ONLY FEBRUARY!!!!!!! I am terrified of what the summer will bring. Until then, I wait for the frogs to come for me.

Boogies Cancelled Due to Writer Strike.....

I have been really busy doing things for the mediation, like reconstructing fiscal years and gathering documents and STILL filling out claim forms. Batman left for Africa and will be gone until April. I am also planning the grand Reptile Birthday Extravaganza. Also worte mean email to PBS Kids about horrible show called The Hoobs. Also I have been going to Curves a lot, just because it is a nice break and I feel really great and energized afterwards.

As far as the Oscars tonight, I have only seen ONE of the nominated movies: Michael Clayton. While excellent I doubt Clooney will win. Since I hate bloody violent scary movies I doubt I will ever see There will be Blood or No Country for Old Men. I never made it to see Charlie Wilson's War, but would have if I had found the time. I do know who that woman who played Edith Piaf was, Marianne Cotillard. She was in a great little movie called A Good Year with Russell Crowe and Albert Finney. It was based on the Peter Mayles Year in Provence books. It was so nice to see Russel Crowe just playing a normal guy instead of a gladiator or cyborg or something stupid.....I also liked him in that movie with Meg Ryan where that guy from St Elsewhere gets kidnapped.

I also have like 46 books checked out from the Canby Library currently.

I have so much to do tomorrow that I think I might be on the phone the ENTIRE day. I cannot wait until this mediation is over When it is, we are planning a trip to Florida to visit my Uncle and also take Spencer to Disney/Epcot/Space Center/ Busch Gardens Everglades Et al. Uncle John is my mother's brother, and he has never even met Spencer, and Bill has never been to Florida. He lives down there with his friend/companion/whatever she is Linda and their two dogs. We p[lan to stay with them part of the time and then do the tourist stuff too. Normally staying at Disney would be out of the question, since it sooooo expensive but I think they have a thing where kids fly free if you do and coming all the way from Oregon, that would make it worth it , maybe. I have not done the math yet....

I have given up cooking for the time being. I plan only to make some soup in the near future and figure out stuff to make for the birthday party. ALso, I have to figure out who from Spencer's Preschool to invite? I don't want to leave anyone out, but he goes to THREE CLASSES there...I thought about inviting ONly the boys, but then he is friends with a bunch of girls, too.
There are also like 20 kids coming already from the Exploded house neighborhood. With all those kids plus all those reptiles it is going to be a freaking zoo. I thought about having it somewhere else, like Bullwinkles this one place with all this stuff for kids to do, But this kid Ashton had his b day party there recently and Spencer went to it, and all they had was pizza and cake and yet every kid got food poisoning. Plus I have already booked the reptile lady.

Quelle Nightmare.

Time for THE BOOGIES!!!

The Coveted BOOGIE ^
Just ignore that plaque.... its a typo

Oh By the way: It is STILL for rent: The Faux Chateau, that is....

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/apa/581296348.html

Anyway I am sure you are all, my adoring public, waiting for Master Thespian Friday, which is sort of being remodeled... But I do not want to disappoint both of you....

So I am holding my first ever Fake Oscars, The Boogie Awards, or The Boogers for short...

SO STAY TUNED I will announce the Nominations shortly.

Octopus video....Welcome to my nightmare.....

Sorry to offend but EWWWWWWWWWWW

Aquarium trip was a HIT.

I amd back.. I did not take my laptop with me to the coast. and I would not let Bill take his either. it was only one night but we had fun. Spencer had a BLAST at the aquarium and at the beach. He flipped out over the octopus and the jellyfish, as well as over the sharks and stingrays. He also touched a starfish in the touch pool.

We stayed at a decent hotel with the tackiest furniture and decor I have seen since that one weekend we spent in Lake Tahoe Caesars's Palace. Yikes.... There was a five foot tall lamp that was a statue of a woman in a genie outfit holding up two white orbs that were the lamp The rest of the furniture was just like the above picture. A lot of the hotels on the coast are like this, but at least you never forget your visit...



We had a forgettable dinner, had a good time playing in the sand on the beach and we had a great time at the aquarium. it was good to get out of town even for a little while. Spencer learned a lot about fish and he had a great time.

The aquarium kind of freaked me out.... I mean I hated that tunnel that went under the ocean or whatever... seriously



My worst nightmares are being stuck in the ocean without a boat, and seeing sharks and stingray above my head all over.. I hate creepy crawlie things anyway the grossest thing to me was the octopus - have you ever really LOOKED at an OCTOPUS????? it was HUGE and soooooooo disgusting looking I mean I cannot get that picture of that thing out of my head..... and when we could not see it, the lady from the place went into the tank and pet it to "wake it up" so that we could see it.. God I SO WISH I had exited at that point but Spencer was practically peeing his pants and screaming with delight and jumping all over he LOVED it. I was so happy for him but I never ever need to see another octopus, live or dead, ever again.

Traveling Poet - Chris Elliott

I don't even know what this is...

Movie Mood for Friday Also weekend plans

This is an aerial view of Lincoln City, Oregon where we will visit Sunday

Have you ever had a zit on your EYEBALL, MARY?????

Chris Elliot should have been nominated for an Oscar for this part.....
There are no quizzes today, just this silly clip from this silliest of movies. I hope your Valentine's day was great. Mine was okay but what made it worthwhile was Spencer coming home all sticky holding Valentines from all of his classmates at preschool. he was so excited! Bill worked at the preschool ALL DAY yesterday. He was sticky too, and tired.

We are all going crazy trying to get ready for the mediation hearing in April. One of our attorneys (Batman) is leaving for Africa with his family for like 6 weeks tomorrow, and the other one's (Robin) mom died. So they are leaving us along for the moment and we are trying to take advantage of the extra time to get our act together. There is a ton of stuff to do. I do not even remember the last vacation we had if ever, we did not even really have a honeymoon except driving across the US and stopping at every weird ass tourist thing there was. But oh well, there willbe time for that later I guess.

Spencer recently read this book that had jellyfish in it, and since then we have been talking and reading a lot of about jellyfish so on Sunday we are gonna head to the Oregon Coast Aquarium

http://www.aquarium.org/

to look at some jellyfish I guess they have a really cool exhibit of them there:

http://www.aquarium.org/exhibitsJellies.asp?sid=2

We will stay only one night and we have to take the dog who is doing MUCH better but still it will be fun. I cannot wait to see Spencer's face when he sees all the jellyfish!! This kids book I read him about the sea is really cool and he has learned so much from it. If you ask him now how a dolphin sees in the dark when he is swimming, he will tell you "Echolocation."

its one of many of these Dr Seuss books that use the the Cat a\in the Hat guy to teach kids stuff like about the human body or animals or dinosaurs or the sea or how to take care of your teeth etc. I am sure they were written long after Dr Seuss died, but Spencer loves them so much so I am glad they exist. They are all in the Cat in the Hat Learning Library and the one we learned about the fish is called Wish for a Fish: http://www.amazon.com/Wish-Fish-About-Creatures-Lrning/dp/0679891161/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203111056&sr=8-1

There are a lot of them and I plan to get out the rest of them from the library soon.

So. I have like 48 books checked out from the library, though a lot of them are cook books and also kids books. I am currently reading Armistead Maupin's first installment of "Tales of the City." So far pretty cheezy. Then I just finished the bio of Laci Peterson that her mom wrote which was kind of sad. I know its stupid to read those true crime books, but I ususally only read ONE of them. I only read TWO OJ books, the Kardashian one and another one by that one guy who looks exactly like my friend Ben Mayer, Jeffrey Toobin. I am also starting the Peter Mayle books, I have two of them out: A year in Provence and Up the Agency. Also I bought Sidney Poitier's bio Measure of a Man for 50 cents at the library but have not read it yet, so that one is waiting for me...

So we have been working on the case, I have been reading, lots of valentines and stuff and that is about it.

my Movie Mood for Thursday

The Universe is Expanding

In Honor of IPLAW... My Movie Mood 4 Wednesday

See if you can guess what I am now.

My Movie Mood Tuesday

Walken steals the movie with this scene in my opinion. Happy Birthday, Abe Lincoln!!!

Love child of Bruce Vilanch and Michael Moore?

Bruce Vilanch

Michael Moore

That would be Bill's new doctor... I imagine he resembles a Muppet, so I will call him Dr. Muppet from now on. Its cool though, because Bill now has a doctor here in town. Amazing, because most of the doctors in Canby are Veterinarians... ALso he is the kind of guy who gives out samples etc.. unlike MY doctor, Dr. Greg Kinnear Lookalike Dude, who never gives me ANY drugs and only keeps doing BLOOD WORK.

Anyway I think Bill was close to getting pneumonia and I got Dr. Muppet's name from Steve, My friend Siri's husband, who goes to him too. Bill and Steve are pretty good friends.

SO Bill went to Dr. Muppet today. I am sure he will be feeling better soon.

I called the reptile lady today and we are booking her to come for the B day party. She is bringing 20 reptiles and a crocodile dressed up in a costume.. a REAL croc in a costume.... Okee Dokee!!!!

Monday Movie Mood: Don't Hassle Me, I'm Local.

Ahoy.

My Movie Mood for Sunday....

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scene of this movie.

Does it place itself into the Dishwasher when it finishes cooking your Coq AuVin????

Benefits Associated With The Weight Of Le Creuset

• Distributes the heat more evenly.
• Ensures moisture and flavors are sealed in by heavy, tight fitting lids.
• Increases pan's longevity by preventing warping or burning.
• Retains heat longer, which keeps food hot when serving.
• Is lined with Plutonium
• Pan plays soothing Beethoven which braising your beef
• Comes with a lifetime membership to the Maidstone Club in Easthampton so you can hang with Ina
  
• Act now to receive our rare Columbian emerald encrusted meat thermometer: a $24,999.00 Value!
  

My husband likes to cook, In fact he does most of the cooking in our house I do only my hideous experimental cooking However I do have a specialty and that is the crock pot cooking. I also make GREAT soup. I mean that soup is GREAT I had only made about 400 gallons of it RIGHT before the house exploded and it was all stored in the freezer, which I think a firefighter landed on top of. Our neighbors saved the freezer for us but the soup had to all be thrown away.

Growing up my mother was sort of a vicarious thrill kind of chef.... she would READ cookbooks a lot, and CLIP A TON of recipes particularly form the New Your Times Magazine section every Sunday. In fact, she clipped so many that I found like 7 binders full of clipped recipes and some were from like 1971. I found recipes for black and white food that were from Truman Capote's Black and White ball in 1962. or 66? I dunno ANYWAY. My mother was LITERALLY reading a cookbook on her deathbed.. I mean, like the DAY she died the last book she had read was literally a cook book. I think it was all about having a TAPAS party.... Honestly, I inherited about 200 cookbooks, and I still have them all and yet I still also obsessively rent cookbooks from the library as well.

SO she would also buy a lot of specialty cooking equipment in the hopes that one day she might use it but never ever did. Thus, I also inherited things like springform pans, Madeleine molds, canape cutters, butter molds, puff pastry cutters that make the puff pastry into shells or fish dishes to hold the lobster salad... melon ballers, odd knives and spoons and tongs, demitasse cups, espresso cups, Pots de Creme cups, mini ramekins, you name it, if it was weird, it was in our house. Unfortunately she rarely cooked, and most nights made frozen stuff.

However she did have these weird pans I hated. She was quite proud of her set of Le Creuset cookware - which was in the color BLEU. I only know that when I wanted to scramble some eggs or make a grilled cheese that the saute pan weighed about 34 pounds and was a pain to wash. When I would go to other people's houses I would notice that they had NORMAL stainless steel or whatever cookware, with the copper on the bottom maybe. Did we have any of that? Nope. So non of my friends were risking life and limb pouring the pasta into the colander when it had been cooked in a pan that filled with water weighed about 87 pounds. I reallllly thought my mother was insane and I VOWED NEVER to have those stupid pans in my house when I grew up.

However, since like her, I make a LOT of SOUP like all the time, My regular stock pots are okay but I would prefer a Le Creuset round Dutch Oven like my mother had. I got a set of All Clad for our wedding, but a lot of it has been ruined by burning... sometimes Bill's fault, sometimes mine... and my stock pot is only 6 qts.

SO the other day I went online looking for a Dutch Oven like my mom had. I was thinking maybe a nine quart. I found one. Price? $289.00 ON SALE.

Tell me WHY does this stupid pan cost this much????? The All Clad is the same price, but for my soup I would prefer to have one that cannot be killed by conventional weapons. America's Test Kitchen is this amazing cooking show that also rates equipment. They tested tons of Dutch Ovens. Usually they sort of like to prove that you don't have to spend a million dollars on a chef knife or a grill pan to be a good cook, but in this case? Their panel chose only three.... What do you think those were?

All Clad,
Le Creuset and
Mario Batali.

I looked at Mario's His was the bargain one at ONLY $100.00 and it seems nice but he only makes a 6 qt.
I already have a 6 qt All Clad.
So what does that leave?????
Second verse, same as the first!

Luckily I live down I -5 from the Woodburn Company Stores - which is an Outlet Mall (where the prices seem not that much better than the normal overpriced pretentious mall, Bridgeport Village -home of the Beautiful People, which is just NORTH on I-5.....) but they do have great stores... Columbia, Nike, Gap, Harry & David, and ALSO.....get this, has a Le Creuset OUTLET!!!!! AND I see they are having a sale in the middle of Feb so I will go to that and hope for the best... But I will NEVER NEVER EVER understand why the hell this pan has to cost three hundred dollars?????? It is lined with Plutonium? I mean what the hell is that about anyway????

Gordeeva and Grinkov 1994 Olympics Long Program

This is the best Pairs Long program I have ever ever ever witnessed. The Long program at the 1994 Olympics which won the Gold,(their second gold) by married Russian Pair skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. He later died of a heart attack after months of weird symptoms that no one caught. She became a solo skater a very successful one and then later married Ilia Kulik, the gold medalist Men's from the Nagano Olympics. She had a daughter with Sergei, Daria, and later,another daughter with Ilia Kulik, named Elizabeth.

My Movie Mood for Saturday

I put some hints in the comments of the Mastah Thespian thing.

Also this is my Movie Mood for Saturday AND

Notice it is one of the trivia questions.

My Movie Mood Today: Its FRIDAY!!!!

John Travolta - these days - let's face it... He's a freak. Seriously. But before Battlefield Earth, the boy had some MOVES.

Do NOT forget to test your movie trivia aptitude below in the latest edition of Mastah Thespian....

MASTER THESPIAN FRIDAY Version 8.2.16.3455

What movies are these quotes from?

1
David Howard: Say it! Say it! Say "I lost the nest-egg." Go on, say it!

2
Barbara Rose: Besides money...
[Barbara kicks off one of her heels and puts her foot in Gavin's crotch]
Barbara Rose: what would it take to get you to help me, Gavin?
Gavin: Come on, put your shoes on, Barbara. I haven't been into feet since '82.

3
Nurse Packer: [reading from a note left by Doc Hogue] "When to call me, you've been stabbed, shot, poisoned, separated from an appendage, knocked or beaten unconscious, run over by a tractor mower, or generally about to bleed to death. Otherwise, leave me alone"

4
Reuben Feffer: Since we have been together I have felt more uncomfortable, out of place, embarassed, and just physically sick then I have in my entire life. But I could not have gone through that, I could not have thrown up 19 times in 48 days if I was not in love with you.

5
Sheldon the Desk Clerk: Are you Mr. Miller?
William Miller: Yeah.
Sheldon the Desk Clerk: [politely] You have a message from Elaine, your mother.
[pause]
Sheldon the Desk Clerk: She's a handful.
William Miller: I know.
Sheldon the Desk Clerk: [seriously] She freaked me out.

6
Doctor Jeff Cooper: You know... you kind of remind me of a bull terrier of some kind.
J.C. Wiatt: Yeah, I bet you say that to all the girls.

TRIVIA

Q Bruce Willis was originally set to star in this movie but dropped out, though he appears as himself in its sequel.

Q In which movie did Kevin Costner play a dead guy and then get cut out?

The Best Skating performance I have ever seen

1998 Winter Olympics - Michelle Kwan Long Program Lyra Angelica

She only got the silver, which was complete crap.

My Movie Mood for Thursday

I am not depressed like this guy.... I just think this is hilarious.

Bill has a terrible cold, but otherwise things are okay. Teacher Gina told Bill this afternoon that Spencer is really smart and that he very interested in camels. Not sure about the connection there. It is very very windy tonight The dog is doing great with her hip. I just got that Jessica Seinfeld cookbook from the library, so I guess I am gonna go hide some vegetables in Spencer's food. Oh and we have come up with a theme for Spencer b day party in April.... REPTILES.

My Movie Mood today.... Moonstruck.

Cuz everyone and everything is driving me crazy.

My Movie Mood Today

From RUSHMORE.

Bette Davis, Joan Crawford: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Here is a clip from the movie Bette Davis is incredible in this movie. I just kind of feel like I am never gonna leave the goat farm.. As if Bette is saying to me.. "Liz YahAhrnt Evah gonna Leave this house..." HAHAHAA

Here's an idea for Master Thespian Friday...

If you can remember a quote from ANY movie, that reflects the mood you are in that day... you should post it on MT FRIDAY.

For example, All this week I will post quotes from Movies that will reflect themood and or moods I am in at the moment.

SO here is how I am feeling today:

I feel like this quote from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane:" Bette Davis says:

Jane: Blanche, yaharn't ever gonna sell this house... and yaharn't ever gonna leave it... either.

SO: how are YOU feeling today on this Monday Morning?

The Carrot, the Egg and the Coffee Bean

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. May we all be COFFEE

Superbowl Schmuperbowl....

Anyone besides me NOT watching the Superbowl?

I don't even know who is playing. However you look at it, I could care less about football and most sports except Figure Skating, other Winter Olympics and Summer Olympic Diving events and Gymnastics.

I have a husband who also follows pretty much no sports at all. Neither one of us know who is in it, what it is, where it is, or anything else about it. I know it is today only because they talked about how to avoid overeating at superbowl parties in my WW meeting last week. I will avoid that problem altogether.

LAST weekend, however, I was glued to the TV for the Us National Championships in Figure Skating. Bill is on his laptop today and Spencer is playing with something... not sure what... cold be anything. Oh actually he is playing with his letters on the fridge. As a Christmas present we got him a leap Frog Word Whammer. Its all magnetic for the fridge and it helps kids learn letters and how every letter makes a sound and form words and all of that. He loves it. It talks. The only problem is that we find those letters all over the house...

So, NOT THAT ANYONE IS READING THIS, but if anyone out there wants to report who won it or whatever, go ahead...

Good News Today!!!!

We got very good news today: The structural engineer came back to the house today as it is now all torn down and confirmed that the foundation is perfectly FINE!!!!! There was little or no damage on it and they are going to sign off on it. This is great news because it means that we will NOT have to pay to dig it up then have it re poured at a cost of like freaking $40K at the very least...

SO THAT was good news. WE talked to the Builder today Nick the Builder and he is getting everything in line to start construction in three weeks. He has to line up equipment, supplies, etc all of that stuff.

THIS IS PROGRESS!

Also there was a moment of levity in all of this tear down activity. Spencer was walking around the site the other day and he looked at this HUGE piece of wood that Nick has decided he can reuse on the new house.

He points to it and tell Bill: "Daddy, that is an I-Beam. Nick is gonna try to reuse it."

And we thought that whole obsession with Bob the Builder was a waste of time.....

Actually I learned a lot too, as during the tear down process they used this thing called a track hoe which was like a giant dinosaur mouth on the stick... and the guy was SO GOOD and picking all of the stuff up. I though You know? That would be a GREAT job to have!!!! I think it would be so cool to sit up in that thing and wield it around all day picking stuff up. I was fascinated...seriously It was like some kind of hard hat ballet. I loved it.

SO Maybe I'll figure out how to do that, and get that job. Probably you start here: http://www.heta4.com/

MASTER THESPIAN FRIDAY: NEW & IMPROVED

HINT PICTURE is ABOVE^

This is what a house foundation looks like... ^^

MASTER THESPIAN FRIDAY:

1. Name all the movies the quotes below in these two groups are from:

Group 1:

Quote A

Quote B

Quote C

Quote D

Actor all these movies have in common:

Group 2:

Quote A

Quote B

Quote C

Quote D

Actor all these movies have in common:

2. Once you come up with both actors, what movie did they do together?The Picture above is the HINT for Question 2

3. Who directed that movie?
   

Group 1:

Quote A

[Jo Jo is throwing self help books into a fire]
Ben Floss: Those were gifts.
Jo Jo Floss: "Grieving for Grownups"?
Ben Floss: They're supposed to be helpful.
Jo Jo Floss: Please. THIS is helpful.
[Throws another book into the fire]

Quote B

Abby McDeere: What are they going to do to you?
Avery Tolar: Whatever it is, they did it a long time ago.

Quote C

Aaron Altman: And if things had gone differently for me tonight then I probably wouldn't be saying any of this. I grant you everything. But give me this: he personifies everything that you've been fighting against. And I'm in love with you. How do you like that? I buried the lead.

Quote D

Ulysses Everett McGill: Why are you telling our gals that I was hit by a train?
Penny Wharvey McGill: Lots of respectable people have been hit by trains. Judge Hobbie over in Cookville was hit by a train. What was I gonna tell them, that you got sent to the penal farm and I divorced you from shame?
Ulysses Everett McGill: Uh, I take your point. But it does put me in a damn awkward position, vis-a-vis my progeny.

Group 2:

Quote A

[Crabtree and a student drag James, hopped up on codeine, out of the auditorium]
James Leer: The doors made so much noise!
Grady Tripp: Is he all right?
James Leer: It was so embarrassing! He had to be carried out.
Terry Crabtree: He's fine. He's narrating.
James Leer: They were going to the restroom. But would they make it in time?

Quote B

Celeste Talbert: [accepting an award] Ohhh, there's so many people to thank. First of all, my fabulous supporting cast, who gives a new meaning to the word "support"...
[At their table]
Ariel Maloney: Bitch!
David Barnes: Hag!
Montana Moorehead: I hate her so much!

Quote C

Douglas: Say, are you two still married or what? I find it all very confusing.
Charlie: Mmm... it's not at all confusing. You see, when everyone thought we were having an affair, we were married. Now that everyone realizes we're married, we're getting divorced.
Douglas: Man's a wizard with women. No question about it.

Quote D

Billy Covingtonn: Gene, you cant sell the plane! It's government property!
Gene Ryack: The U.S. Government doesn't exist in Laos and neither does this plane!
Billy Covington: Good point!