Getting my HP fix at last!

Dear faithful readers...

I am currently under the spell of the Deathly Hallows...

I will return to blogging once I reach its conclusion...

Take care!

The mystery of Mr. Grant...

What is it about Hugh Grant that never fails to amuse and charm the pants off me? It’s not like he is a fantastic actor, nor is he even stunningly beautiful – yet I’m drawn to every film he is in like a moth to a flame. I sat down and watched “Music & Lyrics” this afternoon –his latest easy paycheck which also starred another favorite of mine, Drew Barrymore. Because they were in it, I enjoyed it. It was as a light-hearted romp…just like others I’ve seen before but with different stars and situations, yet very similar. I am glad that I got to see it for free though – seriously, it could have been an ABC Family movie. I don’t think Grant even bothers to try and act any differently regardless of which bad film he is currently in. He gets paid either way and his fans (like me) will go see him regardless. Grant has gone from the English floppy-haired, boyish bumbler to the smooth, well-dressed, jaded British cad. I think I like the new version…although I will always love him in my all-time favorite “Sense & Sensibility.” I think it must be his accent. I’m a sucker for the Brits. That’s why I watch Colin Firth movies and tune into BBC America…plus John Oliver, of The Daily Show fame, is my new favorite. It doesn’t hurt that they are always dressed up in sharp suits…American boys are so damned sloppy! Why can’t a guy wear a tie anymore? That’s why I’m a Bond fan too. Anyhow, if you like Hugh & Drew, I think you’ll be happy to spend an evening watching Music & Lyrics…especially if it is a girl’s night only with a pint of Moose-tracks ice cream on the sofa kind of night.

Hey, you should check out this great new store in the Garden District. It’s called Rivet. They are a new designer toy & art gallery. They have some very wicked toy collections – intended for grown-ups. The art is dark fun too. I loved the place – of course I am a bit odd so take that into consideration. Check it out yourself. They are located at 1200 N. High St. near 5th Ave. Very interesting stuff! My friend who takes photos of dolls should look into this place to display her stuff – they’d love it (like I do!).

So, we are back from vacation. It went alright. I won’t bore you to death with all the details, but the kids did really love Idlewild Park. It had all the best carnival rides from the past (The Whip, Scrambler, Round-up, Bumper Cars, etc.) and a few newer rides as well. They could ride everything, and since they only had to wait maybe one turn for each ride, they did until their little heads were spinning! It was a great day. We also went to see the famous Frank Lloyd Wright home, Fallingwater. It was very beautiful but way too short, dark and narrow to live in now. Our family had to pay almost as much to walk through that house as I did to stay an entire night at our hotel…and we couldn’t even sit down at Fallingwater! The area we were in (Laurel Highlands - PA) was up in the mountains and it was very beautiful. We simply did not have enough time or money to do and see everything.

Because this is our family, we did have some unexpected things happen…like the first night we stayed at a hotel in the town of Blairsville. It wasn’t exactly what the website promised. The most interesting discovery was the power plant located just 5 minutes away in Homer City – a plant which looked very much like the Springfield Nuclear Plant on The Simpsons. There was even a big stream that went through the town – which we suspected had three-eyed fish in it. We laughed a lot over that…but I didn’t drink the water (ha ha). They were also apparently very proud of their “Mud Bog” – because there were signs everywhere for it. Also in plentiful supply – strip joints! Including the “world famous” Climaxxx DRIVE-THRU strip joint! I promised Brian to take him through it, but the thought of doing so in our rented mini-van was just too terrible to actually go through with. My favorite was the strip joint “Cheaters” which was located next to “Beavers Automotive”…I’m not making this stuff up folks!

We had a better time when we relocated to Somerset, but not before driving through Latrobe, PA. We went there to visit the Latrobe Brewing Co. which makes Rolling Rock Beer – Brian’s favorite. Well, it wasn’t there anymore. OK – it was, but it was a new beer plant and they had removed everything Rolling Rock a year earlier. All that poor Brian got to see was the outline of a RR horse on one building and a street sign that said “33 Street”. The lady there was very nice though and told us that the RR artifacts were moved to the Latrobe History Center…but you guessed it, the place was closed that day. Grrr! I felt very bad for my hubby – especially since the tour and brewery was listed in the most current tourist info for Latrobe. Then on our last day of vacation we went to one of those indoor water parks – and Brian broke his little toe sliding down a baby slide with Brandon. It was terrible! His whole foot turned black and blue. These things only happen to us…sigh.

Brian’s mom had triple bypass surgery last week – which put a crimp in our vacation as well. We kept trying to get in touch with the hospital and relatives but being in the mountains, we kept loosing the signal on my mom’s cell. Luckily, she made it through the surgery and seems to be doing well. They just moved her to a care facility for rehab. It means that we will have to take on some unexpected duties with Brian’s brother and aunt to take care of her for the next few months though. Since we are not the best of buddies, it isn’t exactly good news. Yet, there is no choice here but to suck it up and do the right thing.

Returning home from our vacation with only 2 slim one dollar bills, I missed out on being able to purchase the new Harry Potter book on the 21st like everyone else. Hell, I know people who have already read the whole thing! I must wait until tomorrow…and then it will be mine, all mine! Wooo-Haaa-Haaa! Ahem- sorry about that! I have heard it is good, but I refuse to know a single thing about it until I get to read it for myself – so please, no spoilers!!! I’m glad that I am finally able to get my own copy though because my daughter’s friend who lives two door’s down has a copy…and she sometimes reads it on my front step…and she’s only 10 so I think I have a good chance of taking her in a fight over it. LMAO! Oh, I’m just kidding…

The 20th was Brian and my 11th wedding anniversary! Hard to believe but true nonetheless. I wonder who picked 10 years in the pool at our reception. Sucker! ;o)

Well, it is late. I want to catch The Daily Show…so I’ll write more soon.

Harry Potter's latest adventure...

I saw this picture online among a list of Harry Potter parodies and couldn't help but share it here! Can't you just hear Mr. Burns aka He Who Must Not Be Named uttering ...Exssssssssssellent! (in parcel tongue natch!) LMAO

So, yes - I finally saw Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. It wasn't my favorite of the 5 films, but I did enjoy it. I really thought this one stepped outside the HP box more than any of the others. Seeing the wizards flying over real time London was surreal. I also thought this film had superior special effects - particularly the fighting sequences at the Ministry of Magic. Still with so much cut out of the book for the film, there was some disappointments. I felt this film was too light on Hermoine and Ron. They didn't add to the film in their usual ways. Also, each consecutive movie seems to ignore the genius of Alan Rickman's Snape. That in itself is just unacceptable!

However I thought the addition of Luna Lovegood was very beneficial to the films as a whole. I really liked Evanna Lynch's portrayal - so much in fact, that as a viewer of Order I wondered why Harry didn't fall for her instead of Cho Chang. (Film 6 spoiler - if you don't read the books - don't even get me started about the whole out of the blue Ginny Weasley thing. Ugh!) Neville is sneaking in as a fan favorite too!

The new film gave Potter fans much to cheer about. Dolores Umbridge stole the whole movie - but in a deliciously evil way. :o) I guess my biggest complaint was that there were key elements introduced from the book in the film - like the Black Family House Elf and Percy Weasley working for the Minster of Magic - but none of the back story or conclusions from the book about these important pieces were included in the film. Guess we can't have everything.

Ha! I was just looking at the website for Order and there is a character called "Slightly Creepy Boy" (played by Ryan Nelson, in case you were curious). What a cool thing to be called..."Why yes, I did play 'Slightly Creepy Boy' in the new Potter movie." hee hee

Well, dear readers, I'm off to vacation in the morning - so no posts until next weekend. It is the first vacation we've taken in a couple of years and we need it. Of course we can't really afford it - but we are going nonetheless. Foolishly I am living in the NOW and worrying about LATER...well, later. I can't say it is the smartest move, but we will weather through the results.

Catch you all later!

Yet another reason I do not need to drink...

Sometimes my friends wonder why I don't drink anymore...well, this story of humiliation should clear up any further questions:

I went to pick up my husband from work today. It had been a very long day - with three loud children in tow the entire day. So we get to his building and we dash in to let him know that we have arrived. I decide that it is going to be a long drive home, so I best duck into the restroom before we all pile back into our car.

So far, so good.

I go to the lobby and turn right and enter the restroom. Having to pee pretty darned badly, I head straight for the first stall. I do my business and flush the toilet, just as a couple others join me in the bathroom. I open the stall door and immediately see the reflection of two MEN facing the opposite wall. At first my brain did not register this - I was like, "Um, why are there two guys in here?" A split second later the sound of the two men peeing, and their position facing the wall clicked into my pea-sized brain: I WAS IN THE MEN'S RESTROOM! Further more, I was in the men's room AT MY HUSBAND'S PLACE OF BUSINESS! Adding insult to injury, only a thin metal stall wall separated me from one of the men now peeing next to me.

I did the only sane thing a person could do at this point, I slammed the door to the stall shut and hid! LMAO I doubt they saw me. I can only imagine what these guys were thinking though. They see my feet, they heard the toilet flush and then the door open - but then BAM it slams shut again and there is total silence. (My daughter offered up this gem: "Maybe they just thought you were a guy who had diarrhea!" My mother said: "They probably thought you were a cross-dresser.") I'm not sure what is more embarrassing - the reality of the situation or the thoughts crossing their minds in those excruciatingly slow moments it took for them to finish and wash up.

As soon as they left, I booked it out of there. I am mortified - now that I have shared my story, however, perhaps it can do some good by lifting your spirits. At least this did not happen to you. It's OK to laugh - I'd be laughing if this was in your blog! :o) The sad thing is that it isn't the first time I "almost" went in there! I aways think that is where the women's room ought to be for some reason and go there first nearly every time I am there! This is the first time I actually did though. So, how did I miss the tell-tale signs (re: urinals) that I was in the wrong place? I guess all I can say in my defense is that I really had to pee. LOL

Music of the moment: Regina Spektor "Begin to Hope"

Looking Forward to: Going to see Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix tomorrow afternoon and the premieres of Psych and Monk tomorrow night (9PM/10PM est) on USA!

A Very Bad Idea...

What I'm about to write should be filed under "need to think out loud"...

I'm sure I have mentioned this somewhere previously in my blog, but I was once married briefly before my current marriage. Mark and I were high school sweethearts - in fact, he was my first real boyfriend, my first kiss - well, my first everything. We began dating the summer before my junior year in high school. He was beautiful, popular and everything I wasn't. I was determined to keep him in my life. Hell, he was my life. Despite many rocky patches - a year after I graduated from high school, we moved from his hometown in Texas where my family had been stationed to my hometown in Ohio.

Once in Ohio, we moved in together and got real jobs. We thought we were so grown up. A couple of years went by and we reached a point in our relationship where we decided to get married. It was one of those - either we break-up or move up to the next step (which in our case was marriage) things. Dear readers - if you ever find yourself in this place in your relationship...break up. If it is really going to work, and you are meant to remain in a relationship, then the "break up" option won't even enter your mind. Please, trust me on this. Nevertheless, we didn't. Our pastor even told us that she didn't think we should get married - but of course we didn't listen. The wedding day was just a couple weeks away...it was all planned, so how could we just cancel on the advice of a person who had sat with us just a few times? We didn't listen...LISTEN, dear reader, if this ever happens to you.

Within six months after exchanging vows, we were separated. I caught him cheating with a girl who worked with us. It wasn't the first time he had cheated on me. Worst yet, he was beating me up. I was not so innocent though - I would hit him back too. We were an immature mess. Still, I loved him in that psycho 'can't live without this misery' way, so I fought him for nearly a year before I finally gave him his divorce. It was a painful, miserable, humbling experience. I walked away broken and scared.

It took a year or so, but I finally grew up for real. I owned up to all the things I had done wrong in our relationship and I was finally able to forgive him for all he did too. We eventually became semi-'friends' again before he finally joined the military and left my life for good. That was over ten years ago.

When my new husband and I moved into this place, I wanted to get rid of a bunch of things instead of moving them once more. I came across some things that Mark left behind, but I had been unable to throw out. This time I was determined to throw it out...but then I came across a porcelain figurine that Mark's deceased grandfather had given him. It was a sentimental keepsake that he had forgotten when he moved out of our place in a hurry. I still didn't feel right just tossing it, so I decided to send it to him. I took a chance and mailed it to his mother's house - hoping she still lived there. I enclosed a note in it and asked him to let me know if he received it. I told my current husband all of this and mailed it with a clear conscious. I didn't know what would happen, but hoped he would eventually receive it. I tossed the rest of his stuff.

Well, he did and he did write me back. Turns out he is still married to the girl he cheated on me with. He is also currently living in Upper Arlington, where her mother lives. He had left the military but was still enlisted through the National Guard. I had been worried about him a great deal ever since the Iraq war began. I would look for his name compulsively in the paper when they would list the war deaths. So, to know he was here and OK was a relief. I was a bit obsessed with the fact that he lived a mere 15 miles from my house though. Would I see him? Would he want to see me? For the first time in a decade I actually thought about him as real instead of in the abstract. It was a bit freaky to be honest. So, we wrote (email) back and forth a few times to catch up - but then we just stopped writing and eventually I stopped wondering about him and his close proximity.

Then about a month ago, I wrote him an email because I was wondering if he would be called up to Iraq again due to the troop surge. He told me that he was being sent out again in August - this time in Afghanistan. Of course this was alarming news. Why I care at all is not clear to me - but I do and I don't want him to get blown up. Well this one simple email has led us to write to one another again. Sometimes we talk about the past, but mainly it is just stupid stuff. He told me I could stay in touch with him (if I wanted too) while he was in the Middle East through his myspace page.

And so that leads me to this blog post...I visited his myspace page and of course there were photos posted there. I must admit, he has put on some weight in the past decade and I don't find him as attractive as I used too. He doesn't look like "my" Mark anymore...I guess that is because he isn't. But now I find myself going back to his page all the time! I've been writing him and looking forward to his emails. This is all bad news - right?! I tell myself it is because I am feeling lonely these days - the only emails I get are about my group or other impersonal things like ads and newsletters. Ever since I stopped writing to Barb, I don't have "real mail" waiting for me and I miss that. Still, this isn't the right place to find my solution. I'm a smart girl - so why am I putting myself into this bad place? That isn't the worst of it though - he mentioned in an email about wishing we could go see a baseball game together like the old days and wondering how he would feel if he saw me again. I've wondered about that too and so I suggested that we see each other. He hasn't replied to that idea...and now I keep checking my email hoping that he has written.

I'm not interested in a relationship with him outside of a distant but with current knowledge of him, yet then I went and sent him that email. Stupid. I am not in love with him anymore. I am not interested in him like that - but I guess I'm still susceptible to the old allure of "us". The very worst part is that I haven't told Brian that I have been in touch with Mark again. Yes, dear readers, I can hear all the warning sirens blasting; so why do I continue to ignore them?

Honestly, I want to see him. I don't know why. I am a big believer in closure...and I thought I had it with him. Maybe I was wrong. What if something happens to him in Afghanistan though and I didn't take this opportunity? Argh! I wish I never opened this can of worms, but now that I have, I can't seem to get them all back inside. Don't you wish that you could just visit a doctor and have certain memories erased from your mind - a la "Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"? I do. It would be very beneficial to a person like me.

Well, I don't know what I'm even thinking here...I just needed to write it all out. Thanks for listening.

Zach Braff - Man of my Dreams (part II)

Have you seen this movie yet?

I watched it the other day and was just blown away by it. I really liked how it was a chick flick done in reverse. Instead of getting the female point of view in each relationship, you mainly get the male point of view instead. I actually felt like I learned something about my own relationship with my guy by watching it. Now if I could just get him to sit down and watch this too...

Once again, I was amazed by Zach Braff. He is such a talented person. Not only can he do comedy well (Scrubs) but as this film proves, drama too. I adore his musical taste as well. It's practically legendary! Need proof? Check out the soundtracks for Garden State and The Last Kiss, which he hand picked each song on the albums. I think someone's musical tastes can tell a lot about who a person is. I know I relate deeply to certain songs at certain times in my life (thus the many song lyrics preceeding my blog entries) - so to listen to these albums feels almost too personal at times. It's hard not listen to these songs and not feel like you know him. I think that is what I like about Zach the most - his accesibility.

This isn't what I was planning on writing about tonight, but I just got off of Zach's myspace page and had him on my mind. I think I could love a man like that...I know I love the song 'Chocolate' by Snow Patrol which is on TLK soundtrack. Give it a listen. I think you'll like it too.

New look - same me

At long last I am able to post again...

So much has been happening in my life over the past month or so. I've wanted to find the time to share it with you all, dear readers, and hopefully I will be able to do so more frequently now.

Let's start off with the obvious - yes, I've changed the look of my blog. In fact, I'll probably tweak it even more. I hope you like the change. I've also changed the name of my blog. I must credit local band, Saving Jane, with the title however. While I am not a huge S.J. fan, I recently heard their newest song and thought it was perfect for me. I do feel like a one girl revolution most of the time...so I hope they don't mind me using the title.

There is so much to write, but let's keep it light for tonight. I spent the evening with my aunt and her daughter. We went to see the new Transformers movie. I was surprised that they wanted to see it, actually. I, on the other hand, have been crazy to see it ever since I saw the teaser trailer for it last year. I admit it freely - I'm a geek. I loved Transformers as a kid - as in I had the poster on my wall way longer than it was cool to do so; I own the vinyl record of the original movie soundtrack; I still have the entire collection of the original comics and a box full of the original toys (played with but still in their original boxes) in my basement. Yes...I'm that kind of geek. Be afraid. LOL

What can I say about the movie? I loved it! I was really worried about it being too cheesy, especially when I learned it would be live action and not animated. I needn't have worried. Visually - it was a spectacular feast. The special effects were jaw dropping in some places. The humor in the script wasn't too over the top and there was plenty of inside humor to please us old timers. The humans were pretty entertaining as well.

I have always been a Decepticon girl, so I must say I was disappointed in the total lack of personalities given to the Decepticons in the movie. They did a decent job on the Autobots while the Decepticons were just blank, fit-the-bill "bad guys". Boo hiss! I wasn't too upset that they changed Megatron's "weapon" form though. They didn't have him transform into a handgun - which I always thought was lame anyway. At least Starscream (my personal favorite) had a couple cool scenes.

My only other complaint was that there was so much going on during the fight scenes that it was often hard to decipher who was who. It wasn't easy to determine who the Autobots were versus the Decepticons when they were in robot form. I also wish they gave more background story on the robots too. Well, there's always the sequel & considering that it raked in 27.4 million dollars on its opening day - beating "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" who previously held the record - you can bet there will be one.

Well...it's late and I must be up early. Check back soon.