Randomness......At The Movies

We were supposed to go to the movies this weekend. Spiderman 3. But something came up so we didn't make it. I don't normally read reviews, but I do know this one got lukewarm ones at best. I still want to see it....I hope to find the time soon! This week's randomness is about movies, one of my favorite topics!!



randomness...feed your mind and your blog
week of May6: At the Movies


1. Do you like going to the movie theater? How often do you go? What treats do you buy when you go? I LOVE going to the movie theater! I always have. There is nothing like seeing a good movie on the big screen!! I do miss the old movie theaters though. The multi-plexes just aren't the same. I usually always get the same thing when I go....Popcorn with butter, soda and a big bag of Twizzlers!

2. Cell phones in the theater, do you keep yours on or off? I usually turn mine to vibrate. Something about being disconnected to the rest of the world that I find a little scary any more!

3. What's the last movie you went to see in the theater? I saw Hot Fuzz a week ago. Before that.....it was Grindhouse!

4. Have you ever waited on line for an obscene amount of time (several hours) just to get tickets to a movie? Also, have you ever dressed up as a film character.....i.e. a hobbit, a witch or wizard...while watching a movie?Honestly, I don't think I've waited in a huge line for hours since I was a kid. My aunt and uncle took me to see the first Star Wars. (I was really young, but I do remember it!) And no. Never dressed up for a movie (unless you count a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture show in college!)

5. What do you like most and least about going to the movies? I love seeing a movie on the big screen. It's just so much better. Visually and especially the sound! The only thing I hate about going to the movies is the commercials. I get enough of that at home on TV.

6. What's the worst movie you've ever seen? Why? I generally know about the movies that I see. I'm sure there are a few that I would have liked to have my money back from, but nothing I can think of off the top of my head. I did have a date in high school take me to see a Rambo movie and I fell asleep in the middle of it. That didn't really bode well for the date, but he deserved it for taking me to such a lousy movie!! Actually, I used movies to gage how my dates would hold up. One date didn't want to see Clear and Present Danger with Harrison Ford, but took me to see Encino Man instead. Yep. That was a one date wonder!! I was also dating a grad student. We got along great. He was cute and fun. But we went to see Silence of the Lambs. During the BEST scene in the whole movie (the END) when it was dark and Clarisse was trying to catch the killer, my date leaned over and said he thought we should leave. It was a little too intense for him!! I told him he was nuts and he could wait for me in the car if he wanted to leave. That pretty much was the end of THAT relationship. Oh well....bygones!!

till next time... Later!!

My Daemon...what do you think??

How damn cool is this?? In honor of the new movie "The Golden Compass" from the book by Phillip Pullman, you can go to the movies website and create your own daemon!! If you would like to try this youself, you should!!

Thursday Thirteen # 8

As you can tell, I've been in the dumps the last few days. And it's rained all week, which goes a long way to explaining part of my attitude. So, I wasn't actually going to do a TT this week, but figured I might as well throw SOMETHING in. So I started looking at my blog and wondering why in the world, I have signed up for so many challenges. I think it's a way to keep my mind occupied. And I just like to read!! So I thought today's TT would be related to that!!

Thirteen Different Challenges I've signed up for (or MIGHT ....just so I can bang my head on a wall and say "What were you THINKING???)

***I'm not signed up for all of them....yet!!***

1…10:4 Challenge - I really LOVE the idea of this challenge. This is the challege to lose 10 pounds in 4 months!! May 1 to Sept. 1 (although I actually stepped on the scale yesterday, and decided to reach my goal weight, it would have to 25- 30 lbs!) If you are interested in joining us on this quest, check over at Stainless Steel Droppings for the rules. Everyone who joins in and completes it will be a winner!

2. 2007 TBR Challenge - This is/was my very first reading challenge. It started on January 1 and goes through the entire year to December 31st. The object is to take 12 books that have been on your TBR (or To Be Read list) for a while and make the effort to read them this year. It's a great way to clean out your bookshelves, although I have so many new books recomendations the TBR will never end!

3. Once Upon a Time Challenge 2007 - This one is sponsored by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings (again!) and is great for the fantasy lover out there. There were a couple of different "Quests" that could be undertaken, but the most popular was to read a book from each of the following genres: Mythology, Folklore, Fairytale, and Fantasy. Culminate with a reading of Shapespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Because the challenge ends on June 21st - Midsummer Night's Eve).

4. Chunkster Challenge 2007 - This challenge is hosted by Bookfool at Bookfoolery and Babble. From Jan 1 - June 30 read some "Chunksters" - books that are over 400 pages!! Choose as many as you want to read, and just start! But it's not as easy as it sounds. These are some LONG books!!

5. Banned Books Challenge 2007 - This challenge is being sponsored by the Pelham library in Canada in an effort to celebrate Canadian "Freedom to Read" Week. I'm not Canadian, but all for Freedom to Read!! It runs from Feb. 26 to June 30. Just choose books on the ALA's Banned Book List, read and post!

6. Non-Fiction Five Challenge - This challenge JUST started. It is hosted by Joy from Thoughts of Joy. Pick 5 NON-fiction books and read them between May 1 and Sept 30. This one is tough for me because I read very little non-fiction. But some of the great non-fiction books out there actually made it a tough choice!

7. New York Times Notable Book Challenge - This one actually has it's own review blog! Every year the New York Times creates a list of the 100 Notable Books for that year. It is published in December. So we are trying to choose books from the 2006 list to read this year. Some Amazing reads, that's for sure!!

8. By the Decade Challenge - Michelle at 3M is hosting this challenge. It was originally supposed to be 15 books from 15 decades, but it has been switched around a bit fit everyone's needs. As many as you want as long as the decades are consecutive. A fun chance to read some "Classics" too, if you go back that far!

9. Spring Reading Thing 2007 - This challenge is hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days . She has some great book giveaways too, BTW! This challege runs form March 21st - June 21st. Spring! Choose books you want to read and do it!! Also a change to get to know a whole host of new people!

1. 10. Dystopian Challenge - Hosted by Lisa at Books. Lists. Life. (great new look to her blog, by the way!) Runs from now until November 6th. Choose books that fit the Dystopian/Utopia genre and read them during this time period. Interesting books to find here, that's for sure!!

11. Newberry Challenge- Hosted by Natalie at Nattie Writes , this is a FUN challenge. I love kids/young adult books!! The object is to pick 6 books of the Newberry Award Winning list and read them from May 15 - Dec. 31st. Can't wait to start on this one!!

12. Something About Me Challenge - Hosted by Lisa at Breaking the Fourth Wall, this is one of the more unique challenges I've seen. You are suppsed to come up with a list of five books that somehow represent who you are. Fiction and non-fiction . You will list them on the blog. Then in August 1st, you will choose a personal list from EVERYONE ELSE's list of books you want to read. Cool idea!!

13. Southern Reading Challenge 2007 - Hosted by Maggie at Maggie Reads, this is a chance for you to read some Southern Authors and in the mean time get some great information about the South! Read 3 books from June 1st through August 31st. Summer in the South!

If you'd like to learn more about any of these challenges, click on the link provided. Or check out the new blog Novel Challenges that Wendy at Caribousmom created. Here she lists all the challenges and links that are out there. New ones all the time!!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


Later!

A New Challenge for EVERYONE!

Carl, at Stainless Steel Droppings, our FABULOUS host of the Once Upon a Time challenge, has come up with a new idea for a challenge. It's the 10:4 challenge.

The objective: Lose 10 pounds in 4 months
The Time Frame: May 1st through Sept. 1st

Who can join: EVERYONE!!

Seems like we can all use a little help from our friends. Maybe this will be a good nudge!! I'm in (and I want to lose a little more than 10!!) My first goal is to start drinking more water! My biggest vice these days is Diet Pepsi! I can drink 4 or 5 of the 20 oz bottles a day!!! Not only is it probably eating away at my stomach, but it's starting to get expensive. So today, I'm drinking water at work. Limiting myself to 1 a day. (Yeah...we'll see how long this lasts!)

Later!!

Solo Debut is a First Rate Thriller

The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross (352 pgs) was sent to me for review from Harper Collins. It is Andrew Gross's debut solo effort. He has co-authored 5 novels with James Patterson, including The Jester and Judge & Jury.

From the Witness Protection Program Manual:

"The Blue Zone: the state most feared, when there is suspicion that a subject's new identity has been penetrated or blown. When he or she is unaccounted for, out of contact with the case agent, or has fled the safety of the program. When there is no official knowledge of whether that person is alive or dead."

Kate Raab, a medical researcher from New York, had a wonderful life. She had a loving family, a great job, and a fiance she loved with all her heart. One phone call from her mother though would change her life forever. Her father Ben, a gold trader in the city, had been arrested by the FBI and was being brought up on charges of money laundering for a Colombian drug cartel! How can this possibly be true? Ben claims he didn't know that he was involved in anything illegal with his gold trading, but all the evidence is pointing to the fact that Ben is a lot guiltier than he lets on. When a hit man tries to murder the family at their home, the Raab's are moved into the Witness Protection Program (or WITSEC) and Ben is forced to testify in court. The whole family is moved except Kate, who at 23 has a life of her own.

Just when her life is starting to get back to normal, Kate starts getting a bad feeling. She thinks she is being watched and that someone has been inside her apartment. Her friend Tina is the victim of a random accident, closing the lab one night instead of Kate. Then she is hit with more bad news. Her father is missing and the Raab family case agent has been murdered!

I was a bit leary about reading this book, mostly because of the connection that Gross has with James Patterson. I really enjoyed his first few Alex Cross books, but recently, his writing just seems tired and formulaic. But there should be no worries about this book!! The Blue Zone is a First-Rate, First-Class thrill ride!! There are many twists and turns, and nothing is at it seems. This book has everything: secrets, drug cartels, government agents, Witness Protection gone awry, crazy killers and more!! If you are looking for a good book, lighter reading that's a real page turner, look no further than The Blue Zone! 4.5/5

Satire or Reality?? You Choose......

Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart (352 pgs) was named one of 100 New York Times Notable books of 2006. This is the main reason I chose to read it, for both the NY Times Notable Challenge and the Spring Reading Thing Challenge. It's not exactly the type of book I would normally pick up, although I do like a good satire. There is a lot of understated politics in this book, and to be honest, I don't know a lot about the breakup of the former Soviet Union. However, I really did enjoy this book.


The story revolves around the narrator, a man by the name of Misha Vainberg. Misha, or "Snack Daddy" as he was aptly nicknamed by his college friends, is grossly overweight, rather naive and has a lot of self-esteem issues. He is the son of Boris Vainberg, the 1238th richest man in Russia, Jewish, and a local mafioso. He gained most of his wealth and "fame" after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Boris raised Misha alone in St. Petersburg after his wife passed away. He sent Misha to the United States to be educated like an American at Accidental College in New York City. And Misha LOVED New York. He studied "multi-cultural affairs", ate lots of food, listened to rap music, and made many acquaintances - but very few friends. After graduating, Misha took an internship, and moved to a fabulous loft-apartment. It is then that he met Rouenna. Rouenna is a ghetto-girl from the Bronx who spends her days in a bikini, serving shots at a local bar. She takes an immediate liking to Misha, and sees him as a way to get out of the 'hood. Not only does she take Misha's virginity, she takes his heart.


But here is where Misha's happiness gets sidetracked. He gets called back to Russia by his father. While there, Boris kills an Oklahoma businessman. Misha finds himself stuck in St. Petersburg with no hope of getting another American Visa and going back to New York. When he father is assassinated, Misha decides to get out of Russia by any means possible. He develops a plan to buy a Belgium Passport and from there find a way back to the US. To do this, he travels to Absurdistan. But shortly after he arrives, a war breaks out over control of the Absurdi oil (hmmmm...doesn't this sound a little familiar?) Here is where all Misha's troubles seem to get exponentially worse.


This book is rather raw. There are some seriously vulgar sex scenes dealing mostly with Misha's size that were just a little TOO detailed. But there are also many extremely humorous parts, most notably Misha's circumcism at the age of 18. And I really, really liked Shteyngart's whole depiction of Absurdistan, the country. He creates two groups of warring people that are doing whatever it takes to make headlines on CNN. I have a feeling there is a lot of reality in his view's on this fictitious country. Especially as they are dealing with the US and "Golly Burton" (Halliburton). And while it takes awhile for Shteyngart to get to his point, he delivers a rather scathing attack on world politics as it applies to us today. He is a very clever author who subtlety makes his views known. And he really doesn't pull any punches. Although he describes a pretty bleak existence for Aburdistan, he does it with humor and an almost insider's view. I'm definitely going to have to read his first novel, "The Russian Debutante's Handbook". All in all I'm really glad I decided to choose this book. 4/5

Do you ever wonder how you got here??

I'm going to apologize now for the depressing post, but I guess I just need to let off a little steam. Have you ever gotten to a point in your life where you wonder, "How in the Hell did I get here??" I'm at that point right now. Financially, things are pretty bleak for us right now. And I just don't know what to do. I went to college with all these high expectations for a "better life". My parents didn't have a lot of money and I remember the lean years vividly. Neither went to college. I grew up on a farm. It was a really nice, hard-working life. But there was never a lot of money. I made my own money babysitting, and waiting tables when I was 16. I got a scholarship to a private university, but I worked hard when I was there too. I always had a job. When my friends from Chicago were playing and hanging out, I had to work. The year I lived in the sorority house (no laughing here folks.....yes, this goth girl was a sorority girl!), I never got to eat dinner with the girls. I worked ever night 4 -7.

When I graduated, the job market wasn't great. I stayed on at the place I was working part-time. I did books and reservations for a limousine company. (It was run in the same building as the owner's jewelry store, which I also helped out in) and I bartended some nights and most weekends. Student loans to pay too (private school ain't cheap!) But I found a job in a good company. I started low...one of those mailroom type gigs....and have since moved up from a Class 4 to a Class 21 management employee. This is where things are supposed to get better. I met and married my husband. He started working for the Mitsubishi Manufacturer in Normal. A great job. Finally lots of money. And we started spending. We bought a house, nicer vehicles, started having kids. The real American Dream.

But things started falling apart about 5 years ago. Mike got hurt at work. His back. And if you've ever been through a workman's comp claim you will know what I'm talking about. He was out of work for over a year and ended up having surgery on his upper spine. Mitsu fought it all the way. We went for almost a year without any sort of pay from them, wiping out most of our savings. We had been in the process of some home improvements, and had just taken out an equity loan. A big one. He finally ended up getting most of his pay back, but it ended up breaking him. He used to like his job. Now he hated the company. They had called him a liar and he really took it hard. He also hurt his ankle in the injury and it was never the same. He ended up going out on disability. What that meant was he still received a check from the company, but at lower rate. And it was about a $25,000 a year pay cut. They finally laid him off during bad times which is where we are at now. It's amazing what losing that much money a year can do. Especially when none of your expenses go down. Kids cost money, more so each year. Gas and electric prices skyrocketed. Insurance goes up. Healthcare goes up.

So here we are now....five years later. Struggling again. Mike seems to be a broken man...and it's left to me to make things right. And I've done a horrible job so far. I never thought to plan better 5 years ago. I thought it would get better instead of worse. I don't want to claim bankruptcy, but right now I don't even know if that will help. I can't lose my house or my cars. And I want to be able to do things with my kids. But I am willing to go the extra mile and take a second job. I would love one of those work from home data entry things, but I don't even think they do that anymore. Mike is working part-time now, but just above minimum isn't $30/hour, that's for sure.

So, I'm sitting here today looking back and wondering how I got here. I can't tell you what I would give for about 50 grand right now. That would just about take care of all my debt and car payments. Put my money market back where it should be. Pay off the equity loan. Ah.....to win the lottery (of course the odds of that are so slim, it's not worth the buck!) I just wish I could get a handle on this. I would love to work for myself. That was always a dream...but there's no way that could happen now.

Again...sorry for the depressing post. It feels good just to let it out. I pray every night for some sort of solution, but one never comes. So, if you know any billionaires out there.....let me know!!

Later!

Busy Weekend....What did I accomplish??

Well.....I wish I could report that the Sox kicked some major Angel butt....but no! A week after pitching a No-No against the Texas Rangers, Buehrle gave up 9 hits (including back-to-back homers in the 3rd!) in a 5 - 2 loss. The biggest disappointment of the day was that Jim Thome re-injured himself on Saturday and didn't even get to play Sunday! My son was pretty heartbroken about it because he spent all Saturday making signs for Thome. Of course, it was Kid's Day at the ballpark. Not only did the Chad and Bella get some really cool baseball cards when they got there, after the game they got a chance to run the bases! The day was beautiful and even though the Sox lost, we still had a lot of fun!!

Out of my HUGE list from Thursday, what did I get accomplished??? Well, I did finish Absurdistan. A review will be forth coming.....after I think about the book a bit. I ALMOST finished The Blue Zone. Should have that one done tonight. A surprisingly good thriller so far!!

• Although I didn't get all 3 Netflix movies finished, we did watch Deja Vu with Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer. Very Good!! Complicated and little confusing at times, I really ended up enjoying it!! Denzel is the MAN!!
• I got a few loads of laundry done. Not the whole pile, but a good start!!
• I didn't run out of caffeine!! Made my way to the grocery store to stock up on the essentials.....Diet Pepsi, bread, cheese and milk!!
• Finished all Bella's Books!!
• Got out ALL the girl's spring and summer clothes and packed up most of the winter stuff and everything that is too small.
• Now....the rest of the cleaning kind of fell by the wayside!! The bathroom in the upstairs is now clean, but the rest of the top floor STILL needs dusted and vacuumed. And Chad didn't come close to finishing his room. The bathroom downstairs still needs cleaned and I didn't even consider cleaning out the frig!

All in all I got a lot done!! But here is the reason I didn't finish my entire To-Do list:

Mike and I went to see Hot Fuzz Friday night. Oh man. What a FUN movie!! Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are absolutely HILARIOUS together. If you haven't heard of this movie, it's by the same guys (and STARS the same guys) as the British zombie movie "Shaun of the Dead". It's basically a spin on every Buddy Action movie ever made!! Simon Pegg plays Officer Nicholas Angel of the London police. He gets to be SO good at his job, he is given a "promotion" - a reassignment to a small country village called Sanford. (He is making the London office look bad....his arrest record is 400% higher than the closest officer!) Sanford just happens to be one of the safest towns around. He ends up partnered with Danny, Sanford's Chief Inspector's son. He is rather bumbling and naive, but he has watched a lot of American Action movies!! But while Sanford's Crime rate is incredibly low, it seems the "accident" rate is rather high!! If you are a fan a British humor and cheesy action movies, I HIGHLY recommend this one!!

I guess that's it for now....Later!!

Overheard in New York

One of my new favorite blogs is called Overheard in New York. I can't help but laugh out loud. I gotta stop reading this at work!! (And see...I'm not the only one that thinks it's funny!!) It's a place where people log conversations they've heard in New York City. Some of them make me very glad I don't actually live in NYC!! These a just a couple of my favorites from today:


How the Projects Got Gentrified

Yuppie girl: Sometimes I feel like it would be fun to live in the projects.
Yuppie guy: Uh, why?
Yuppie girl: Everybody knows each other -- it's like summer camp.
Yuppie guy: But they shoot each other.
Yuppie girl: Yeah -- summer camp, but with guns.

--99th & 3rd Overheard by: Dan

Skinny NYU girl #1: Oh my god, I couldn't believe it happened. It's one of those things you have nightmares about.
Skinny NYU girl #2: I know. Don't people know they shouldn't eat for at least two hours before?
Skinny NYU girl #1: Duh, totally. Who farts in the middle of yoga class?
Skinny NYU girl #2: She'll have to go to therapy for months.

--Washington Square ParkOverheard by: Michelle

Check it out! Later!

Thursday Thirteen # 7

Well....it's that time again, and it's Lucky #7. But today, I'm wicked busy at work and don't have all that much time to be creative. So, it's a boring one for me today, but I needed to make a list anyway!! So here it is:


Thirteen Things that Stephanie Has to do this weekend!!



1…My first order of business is to finish Absurdistan. It HAS to go back to the library by Saturday!! It's an Inter-library loan book and it was due yesterday!! I'm their best customer these days, and I would hate to have my privileges revoked!!

2. I also need to finish Blue Zone by Andrew Gross. I am late with a review to Harper Collins!! Man...being sick really cut into my reading time. I'm about 1/2 through this and it's really fast-paced, so I shouldn't have any problems finishing it.

3. We have 3 movies from Netflix that I'd LIKE to watch sometime in the next few days. The Good Shepard, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Deja Vu. I know....good titles. Just need to find the time!!

4. I have piles of laundry to do. It's amazing how much laundry can accumulate with 5 people. I try to do a load or so a night....but inevitably, I always have tons on the weekends.

5. Tomorrow night after work, I must go to the grocery store. You know...I hate grocery shopping. I always forget something. It doesn't matter if I make a list, it just happens. I'm about out of Diet Pepsi, and would hate to start the weekend caffeine free. That CAN'T happen!

6. Bella has to turn in her final "Book It" sheets on Monday. For a 1st grader, to get your "Book It" coupons, you have to read 10 books a month. BUT to get a BigTime Certificate at the end of the year you need to read 100 books! My being sick this month put a damper on our nightly reading, so I need to make sure she has at least 4 books done this weekend! Danny the Dinosaur and Sammy the Seal, here I come!

7. Because we only have a 3 bedroom house and the closet space SUCKS, I usually have to pack up the clothes by the season. It's time I pull out the girls' shorts, tanks and sandals for the summer!!

8. Since I'm doing #7, I might as well get the bedrooms straightened out. The kids have been lax the last few....months! It's time for an overhaul of putting toys away, dusting, and cleaning out under the beds. That could be scary!! (this one will be done with mucho help from the kiddies themselves!)

9. While on the subject, I need to haul the vacuum up to the top floor and vacuum and dust. I try to do this weekly, but it never happens. I really need to plan better.

10. The 2 bathrooms need cleaned. Do you see a pattern here?? 3 or 4 weeks of feeling bad, and the house has gone to hell in a handbasket. Try as they might (which really wasn't that much) the rest of the family didn't do too well without me!

11. Might as well go for the glory and clean out the frig while I'm at it. This is like the worst for me. Stuff always gets pushed to the back. You never know what might be lurking there!!

12. After all this cleaning on Saturday, I think I will need to take the kiddies for Ice Cream!! Yeah!! The Dream Hut is open again, and I love their waffle cones!! Besides that, they have little candy eyes and lips to put on the cones for the girls.

13. And the piece de resistance of the weekend. Tickets to the White Sox/Angels game at Comisky. Yes, I do realize it's not Comisky Field anymore. But it just doesn't sound the same by saying "US Cellular" field!! We have great seats and want to get to the field earlier. My son is making a sign for Mr. Jim Thome, who is a graduate of the high school in our fair town. Chad's hoping for at least a wave from the Big Guy! Can't wait. Supposed to be fair and in the 70's!!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


Later!

I've Been Tagged!

Kookiejar from A Fraternity of Dreamers tagged me for this literary related meme. Although I am SUPPOSED to be working, I've been trying to think of my answers all day!! Some days, I guess my head just isn't in the IT game! Anyway, here are my answers:

Name 3 Characters........

.............You wish were real so you could meet them:

1. Atticus Finch - from "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This man is the epitome of a great person. He did what he thought was right, no matter what anyone else thought. Everyone could learn a lesson from Atticus. "They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
2. Gandalf the Gray - from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit" by Tolkien. Gandalf is the archetypal wizard, combining kind wisdom with the ability to perform magical feats, particularly those involving fire. I can't help but picture Sir Ian McClellan when I think of Gandalf. He seems so wise, I'd just like to pick his brain!
3. Estella Havisham - from "Great Expectations". Probably my very favorite Dicken's character. This beautiful and graceful gal is as cold as ice, taught by the loony Mrs. Havisham to be hard-hearted and unloving. I'd still like to meet her....see what makes her tick. See if she really does have feelings for Pip!

..............You would like to be:

1. Hermione Granger - from the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. She's young, adorable and sharp as a tack. As Ron Weasley said, "You're a little scary sometimes, you know that. Brilliant. But scary." Yep. She's my kind of girl. AND she can cast spells!!
2. Rowan Mayfair - from "The Mayfair Witches" series by Anne Rice. Rowan is the 13th in the line of Mayfair witches, and probably the one with the most strength. She's smart (a doctor), beautiful and has piercing gray eyes....and a whole bunch of powers! I WANT powers too!!
3. Stephanie Plum - from the "Numbers Series" by Janet Evanovich. I AM Stephanie without the 2 hot guys fighting for me!! I'm stressed, spunky, have a completely whacked out family (although no gun-toting Gramma!), and have been known to total a car or two! I've got the bad hair thing going too right now. (gotta love growing out layers!) I just need to find me a Morelli and a Ranger, and I'd be set. (Personally, I'm a Morelli girl!)

.................Who Scare Me:

1. Randall Flagg - from "The Stand" by Stephen King. Yes, this book scared the bejesus out of me. Flagg is sort of the Antichrist-like figure that personifies all that is evil. He stakes his claim in Vegas and tries to lure anyone that is willing to sell their soul. This is one bad dude.
2. Lord Voldemort - from the "Harry Potter" series by J. K. Rowling. Come on....he's called "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". Doesn't that tell you right there what a bad guy he is??? Not only did he murder Harry's parents and is trying to kill Harry, he is trying to gain unmatched power and immortality. Sounds like a pretty frightening guy to me!
3. Annie Wilkes - from "Misery" by Stephen King. Talk about a nut-job. (Again, I can't help picturing Kathy Bates while I'm writing this. She SO deserved the Oscar for her portrayal The scene where she hobbles James Caan still gives me shivers). Annie Wilkes is not only a loon, she's a serial killer.....she was a nurse and ended up whacking patients in the hospital she worked at. Or just any random person that she sees as a threat.

So...that's about it. Thanks for the tag Kookie, and now it's my turn. I'm tagging Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza, Katie at Rhinoa's Ramblings, and Kristy at Just Another Blogger.

Later!

Books, Books, and More Books

As a resolution this year I promised myself that I would try not to BUY so many books. I already have so many books in so many corners of my house, I'm trying to get rid of the clutter a bit. I need to read what I have before I buy more. But the past month has been a bit of a challenge, what with getting my bonus and getting our taxes back!! I've been bad....and others are feeding my addiction as well!! I got a box of books from Curledup.com to review, 4 books from Harper Collins to review, I've won a couple of books, some library books and then I went on a buying jag! Figured I would confess here. I'm sure you guys will absolve me a lot sooner than my husband! He thinks I'm nuts with the books. Why buy more when there are so many I haven't read??? It really is a sickness!!

So.....here are the books I've bought in the last 6 weeks or so:

• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (had 46% off coupon from B&N)
• Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (another coupon from B&N)
• Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy
• Poison Study by Maria Snyder
• The Scent of Shadows (The First Sign of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson
• The Taste of Night (The Second Sign of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson
• Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (Buy 1 Dresden Files, get one 50% off see below!)
• Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
• No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• I am Legend by Richard Matheson
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
• A Mirror for Observers by Edgar Pangborn (Amazon Used Books)
• Lest Darkness Falls by L. Sprague de Camp (Amazon Used Books)
• The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A. E. van Vogt (Amazon Used Books)
• Earthman's Burden by Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson (Amazon Used Books)

Eeeek. No wonder my husband gets mad at me!! It doesn't look so bad until you lay it all out like that. Then you throw in the 8 or so books I have sitting around still waiting for me to review, plus my trips to the library......and yes, there are books everywhere! With all the books I just bought I still came home with these from the library last weekend:

• Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson
• Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
• Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
• The Ananzi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• The Keep by Jennifer Egan

I admit it....I have a problem. Step one is knowing your powerlessness!!

Later!

Cool New Site To Find Books

Yesterday, I found a new website called booksprice.com. If you ever buy books online, you should check it out. It's not a bookstore, per se. It's more of a search engine. Put in the name of the book you want (or game, or dvd, or cd), and it will give you back all the sites that carry it. It even finds used copies (which is especially good if you are like me and trying to save a few dollars!) What comes back from your search is a comparison grid. It shows the prices PLUS shipping so you can see where the best deal is. It can also show prices/shipping for both inside and outside the US.

I'm really impressed. If you are like me and are always looking for a bargain.....or books that are out of print.....then you might really like this site. You can search by name, author of ISBN number for books, audiobooks, textbooks, etc. You can even browse by categories if you don't have a particular book in mind. Pretty nifty, if you ask me.

Later!!

Randomness for April 23

randomness...feed your mind and your blog
week of April 22: name 3 of each.... I couldn't have a list of my favorite things without including Pooh and friends!!
1. favorite tv programs The Sopranos, Lost, Heros
2. favorite foods Ribeye, Strawberries, Chicken Marsala
3. favorite books (why ask me to name only 3??)To Kill a Mockingbird, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Stand
4. favorite people My three kids....Chad, Bella and Anastasia (and I have to throw my hubby Mike in for good measure!)
5. favorite movies Donnie Darko, Dead Poet's Society, Shawshank Redemption
6. favorite vacation spots
Daytona Beach, Florida, San Francisco, CA & Puerta Vallerta, Mexico
till next time...

Birth and Death of the Bard

Not only is today, April 23 the day of William Shakespeare's birth, it is also the day of his death! So, even though my knowledge of Shakepeare's works is limited to what I read in school (Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Ceasar and Much Ado about Nothing), I thought it would be remiss of me if I didn't acknowledge probably the greatest writer in history! (I'm also planning on reading A Midsummer's Night Dream for the Once Upon a Time Challenge). (Most of the information below comes from the Shakespeare Resource Center online).

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, allegedly on April 23, 1564. Church records from Holy Trinity Church indicate that he was baptized there on April 26, 1564. Young William was born of John Shakespeare, a glover and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a landed local heiress. William, according to the church register, was the third of eight children in the Shakespeare household—three of whom died in childhood. John Shakespeare had a remarkable run of success as a merchant, alderman, and high bailiff of Stratford, during William's early childhood. His fortunes declined, however, in the late 1570s. There is great conjecture about Shakespeare's childhood years, especially regarding his education. It is surmised by scholars that Shakespeare attended the free grammar school in Stratford, which at the time had a reputation to rival that of Eton. As the records do not exist, we do not know how long William attended the school, but certainly the literary quality of his works suggest a solid education. What is certain is that William Shakespeare never proceeded to university schooling, which has stirred some of the debate concerning the authorship of his works.

The next documented event in Shakespeare's life is his marriage to Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. William was 18 at the time, and Anne was 26—and pregnant. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583. The couple later had twins, Hamnet and Judith, born February 2, 1585 and christened at Holy Trinity. Hamnet died in childhood at the age of 11, on August 11, 1596. For the seven years following the birth of his twins, William Shakespeare disappears from all records, finally turning up again in London some time in 1592. This period, known as the "Lost Years," has sparked as much controversy about Shakespeare's life as any period. Rowe notes that young Shakespeare was quite fond of poaching, and may have had to flee Stratford after an incident with Sir Thomas Lucy, whose deer and rabbits he allegedly poached. There is also rumor of Shakespeare working as an assistant schoolmaster in Lancashire for a time, though this is circumstantial at best.

It is estimated that Shakespeare arrived in London around 1588 and began to establish himself as an actor and playwright. By 1594, he was not only acting and writing for the Lord Chamberlain's Men (called the King's Men after the ascension of James I in 1603), but was a managing partner in the operation as well. With Will Kempe, a master comedian, and Richard Burbage, a leading tragic actor of the day, the Lord Chamberlain's Men became a favorite London troupe, patronized by royalty and made popular by the theatre-going public.
Shakespeare's success is apparent when studied against other playwrights of this age. His company was the most successful in London in his day. He had plays published and sold in octavo editions, or "penny-copies" to the more literate of his audiences. Never before had a playwright enjoyed sufficient acclaim to see his works published and sold as popular literature in the midst of his career. In addition, Shakespeare's ownership share in both the theatrical company and the Globe itself made him as much an entrepeneur as artist. While Shakespeare might not be accounted wealthy by London standards, his success allowed him to purchase New House and retire in comfort to Stratford in 1611.

William Shakespeare wrote his will in 1611, bequeathing his properties to his daughter Susanna (married in 1607 to Dr. John Hall). To his surviving daughter Judith, he left £300, and to his wife Anne left "my second best bed." William Shakespeare allegedly died on his birthday, April 23, 1616. This is probably more of a romantic myth than reality, but Shakespeare was interred at Holy Trinity in Stratford on April 25. In 1623, two working companions of Shakespeare from the Lord Chamberlain's Men, John Heminges and Henry Condell, printed the First Folio edition of his collected plays, of which half were previously unpublished.

William Shakespeare's legacy is a body of work that will never again be equaled in Western civilization. His words have endured for 400 years, and still reach across the centuries as powerfully as ever. Even in death, he leaves a final piece of verse as his epitaph:
'Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbeare
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones"

His works include:

Comedies:

• All's Well That Ends Well
• As You Like It
• The Comedy of Errors
• Love's Labor's Lost
• Measure for Measure
• The Merchant of Venice
• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Much Ado About Nothing
• The Taming of the Shrew
• Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Tragedies:

• Antony and Cleopatra
• Coriolanus
• Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
• Julius Caesar
• King Lear
• Macbeth
• Othello, the Moor of Venice
• Romeo and Juliet
• Timon of Athens
• Titus Andronicus
• Troilus and Cressida

Histories:

• Henry IV, Part I
• Henry IV, Part II
• Henry V
• Henry VI, Part I
• Henry VI, Part II
• Henry VI, Part III
• Henry VIII
• King John
• Richard II
• Richard III

Late Romances:

• Cymbeline
• Pericles
• The Tempest
• The Two Noble Kinsmen
• The Winter's Tale

Sonnets and Poetry.

I really to read more Shakespeare. I think to think I'm well-read person, but I seriously lacking in the Bard!

Later!!