Cash and June

We saw the movie WALK THE LINE last night... it was excellent!! I had no idea until I saw the closing credits that both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon SANG every note in the film as Johnny Cash and June Carter. Amazing! I had been plenty impressed that they lip-synched so well... but to learn that they had both taken intensive voice lessons and somehow managed, in just 6 months, to become amazing stage performers and vocal talents... wow. Phoenix sounded EXACTLY like Johnny Cash. They both should be nominated for Oscars, and I can't think of anyone more deserving this year (so far) than them to WIN. (Though David Strathairn in GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK was pretty great too.) See WALK THE LINE... the music is great and the performances are entrancing.

The point of the Holidays?

Christmas is supposed to be peaceful and relaxing, right? Full of love and warm-fuzzies and memories that make you smile years later. Pretty lights and Christmas trees and warm drinks and chocolates... That's how they are in the movies, and that's how I remember *most* Christmases from my childhood. Now I'm realizing, however, that it's a very sadistic holiday! As adults, there is so much to DO before Christmas that by the time it's here, we're too frazzled to really enjoy it. I've already addressed the envelopes of my Christmas cards for 2005... there are over 90 of them. I feel like there are only liek 10 people I talk to regularly, so who the hell are these other 80 people? But I feel compelled to do it, even though most of them will never write back. And then... there's gifts. Thank you cards (have you bought yours yet?). Travel plans to be made. Vacation days to be arranged at work. Pets to be boarded. Snow to be shoveled. Presents to be WRAPPED. Presents to be shipped as if you are UPS-central. Don't get me wrong... I love everyone in my life dearly, but... how are we all supposed to be rejuvinated in January if we're just coming off the maddness of December? Possible New Years Resolution: Buy Christmas presents in July. Write Holiday Cards in September. Seriously. Think how much more FUN December would be if it were all done! *sigh*

I thought these pictures were funny... like the holidays are sideways and too big...

Self-portrait

My friend Kerstin participates in a blogger's "self-portrait Tuesdays," which I always look forward to checking out. Don't think I'm ready to go "public" with mine (and I probably won't be very consistent in remembering to do it), but here's my self-portrait for the day...

Little feet

Last week we had our first snowdusting of the season (much more is expected this week). How cute are Sammi's little pawprints on our back deck?!

Mesmerizing

Peter found this really cool website (flash art) over the weekend and I thought you all might enjoy it... give yourself about five full minutes to watch it... you won't want to look away!

http://fcmx.net/vec/get.swf?i=003702

Life Goes On

Ok, I got my car back this morning with it's nice new tires. Still don't know what went wrong or why it stalled this week. The dealership service guy said "We cannot verify that there was problem". Lucky me. So, I'm trying sweet-talk with my car to make sure it doesn't happen again...But, I did get some really exciting news last night!!! Finally, thirteen years later (crap, I'm old!), Warner Brothers Home Video is finally putting the acclaimed TV show LIFE GOES ON on DVD!!! According to the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, they will release Season One in summer 2006 and Season Two will follow. Seems to me it might be easier to just put the entire series in a box set -- it's only 4 seasons. But I am soooo excited about this! Finally! My old old old old VHS tapes are getting warbly, not to mention they take up a LOT of space in our house, so it will be great to be able to replace them with a nice slim DVD. Thank you Warner Brothers!! And thank you DSALA for pushing to make it happen!!

good news & bad news

The GOOD news is that the dealership has driven my car for 120 miles (gah!) and the problem has not repeated. It's good news because it means I won't have to fork out a ton of money to fix something. The BAD news is that we have no idea what happened or why. *sigh* So I get to drive around in the right-hand lane in fear for a few weeks... fun. Can't I just keep the loaner car? It's soooo nice!

And snow tops it off

I've had a terrible week. In the grand scheme of life, it's not really that bad, but it's just been incredibly frustrating. On Tuesday, I had a business meeting in the middle of the day, and was on my way back to the office when... my car died. Thank god I was at a stop sign about to join traffic on a very busy main road, and I was able to wave cars around me and sit on this side-street. If it had happened 20 seconds later, I would have been much more panicked. Four hours later I was driving home from my dealership in a "loaner" car (and a very nice one at that! An Infinity G35). I managed to get the car to a service station, and drove in the tow truck to get it 23 miles away up to my dealership. The tow truck driver broke one of my headlights, but he was nice about it and they'll fix it for me (it was the last of my concerns at that point). It became clear that I was going to miss a big meeting at my office, so that was adding to my frustration. The driver was a neat guy -- he seemed a little "slow", but he was very talkative -- proceeded to tell me about his failed marriages and how his 1st wife arrested him for beating her (but of course it wasn't really his fault). Then he asked about my husband and my marriage... and where we live. Gah! I never actually felt threatened, but it was awkward, to say the least, especially since my mind was racing with so many bigger concerns. When we got to the dealership, they jokingly asked if I just wanted to buy a new car. Uhm, yeah, thanks... not really looking for humor right now!! And they offered me a lollypop, which was just CRUEL since I'm on day 10 of the South Beach Diet and cannot eat sugar. *sigh* That's a story for another day. So, it's been 2 days, and they have no idea what's wrong with my car... the problem has not repeated and the software records in the car show nothing of interest.

Yesterday my back started spasming and by the time I was driving home from work, I couldn't do it without groaning every few minutes... how pathetic is that?!?!

This morning we woke up to 20-degrees and snowing. It's pretty, but I'm not ready for it and it just seems like the world is laughing AT me right now. Hopefully today will be a better day...

(And to everyone who smokes, please joing the Great American Smokeout and STOP today!)

Mad at Fox

Okay, clearly there are a LOT of reasons to be mad at Fox TV... but politics aside, I'm currently very upset and sad about their decision to cancel the AWARD-WINNING show "Arrested Development". It's truly the funniest thing currently on network television -- inventive, creative, and not so damn cookie-cutter like 99% of sitcoms out there (the only exceptional ones being the new shows "My Name is Earl" and "The Office"). What I'd like to know is, how can they justify cutting "Arrested Development" but not cutting the stupidest show with terrible reviews, "The War At Home" (truly the lamest thing I've ever spent 4 minutes watching). It's so depressing to see the pathetic state of TV writing these days. And the ones that are truly original get axed.
I am looking forward to their final 5 episodes, set to begin airing on Dec. 5th. I may have to get the DVDs of this series -- the humor is priceless. I mean, one of the characters is a self-proclaimed "never-nude"!! And I love that Portia is Ellen's new love. Good for them.

I must have blinked

I must have blinked during all the tornado-leftovers wind we had last weekend... because I missed the Autumn season. Whiiiiiishhh and it's now it seems to be Winter. A few trees are still hanging onto their beautiful Fall leaves... here are some beauties in our front yard.