Where's B?

Thank you SYSK

The Poisonwood Bible

This is our first book for our KWAW Book Club. I have chosen "The Poisonwood Bible" written by Barbara Kingsolver in 1998. I really enjoyed reading this book and as I read it, I kept thinking that my family would really like this book, too. I hope I'm wright. I have not been blessed with the other Wright girls' gift to review books and movies. I'm terrible at it. So, I've copied a review from the internet hoping that it would give you a good idea of what this book is about. I also included some book reviews.

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.

Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.

Critics' Praise

“There are few ambitious, successful and beautiful novels. Lucky for us, we have one now, in Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible . . . this awed reviewer hardly knows where to begin.”
— JANE SMILEY, WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD

“Haunting … A novel of character, a narrative shaped by keen-eyed women.”
— NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

“Barbara Kingsolver has dreamed a magnificent fiction and a ferocious bill of indictment. … What we have here—with this new, mature, angry, heartbroken, expansive out-of-Africa Kingsolver—is at last our very own Lessing and our very own Gordimer.”
— THE NATION

“Fully realized, richly embroidered, triumphant.”
— NEWSWEEK

“Kingsolver’s powerful new book is actually an old-fashioned nineteenth-century novel, a Hawthornian tale of sin and redemption and the ‘dark necessity’ of history.”
— MICHIKO KAKUTANI, NEW YORK TIMES

“A powerful new epic. … She has with infinitely steady hands worked the prickly threads of religion, politics, race, sin, and redemption into a thing of terrible beauty.”
— LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEW

“Beautifully written. … Kingsolver’s tale of domestic tragedy is more than just a well-told yarn. … Played out against the bloody backdrop of political struggles in Congo that continue to this day, it is also particularly timely.”
— PEOPLE

“Kingsolver is a gifted magician of words.”
— TIME

“Tragic and remarkable. … A novel that blends outlandish experience with Old Testament rhythms of prophecy and doom.”
— USA TODAY

“The book’s sheer enjoyability is given depth by Kingsolver’s insight and compassion for Congo, including its people and their language and sayings.”
— BOSTON GLOBE

“Most impressive are the humor and insight with which Kingsolver describes a global epic, proving just how personal the political can be.”
— GLAMOUR

“Compelling, lyrical and utterly believable.”
— CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“A triple-decker, different coming-of-age novel, but also a clever look at language and cultures.”
— SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

“A bravura performance. … A subtle and complex creation, dealing with epic subjects with invention and courage and a great deal of heart.”
— NEWSDAY

“A novel that brims with excitement and rings with authority.”
— PORTLAND OREGONIAN

“Kingsolver’s work is a magnum opus, a parable encompassing a biblical structure and a bibliography, and a believable cast of African characters.”
— ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

Back to Amy: I really was captivated by Kingsolver's writing. She's amazing. I love how the 5 women in this story narrate the book, each in their own voice and style. Brilliant. This book also shows the arrogance of Western civilization and what happens when other governments try to interfere, thinking they can "fix" what's wrong in other countries. Well, I hope you all enjoy the book. We will have through the month of May to read and then we will start discussing in early June. Happy reading!

Haley's WTB

Yeah I finally won! I knew the quotes were familiar all last week but just couldn't place it until the last one. I'm surprised I was first. Alright, here's your new quote peeps:



Person 1 :         , are you hungry?
Person 2 : Uh no, I already ate.
Person 1 : Okay, I make you something.

Wednesday Quote:

T: When I was growing up, I knew I was different. The other girls were blonde and delicate, and I was a swarthy six-year-old with sideburns.

Friday Giveaways:

Gus Portokalos: You know, the root of the word Miller is a Greek word. Miller come from the Greek word "milo," which is mean "apple," so there you go. As many of you know, our name, Portokalos, is come from the Greek word "portokali," which mean "orange." So, okay? Here tonight, we have, ah, apple and orange. We all different, but in the end, we all fruit.

Gus Portokalos: Put some Windex.

Nick Portokalos: I've never seen my sister this happy, Ian. If you hurt her, I'll kill you and make it look like an accident.

Toula Portokalos: There are three things that every Greek woman must do in life: marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone.


Hope you enjoy my playlist featuring Allison and I's favorite songs to dance to. Good luck!

Bippin Flintstones

GEEEEEEEEZ Sorry I'm late guys. Have been without internet for a bit. My bad. My bad.

Yeah. So I don't really have too much to say about this movie. I remember watching it a lot when I was a kid and thinking Halle Berry was really good lookin. The only reason I thought of this movie was because of my little Canadian rant on my last post and I thought about The McKenzie Brothers (Dan turned me onto them when I was in high school and I love think they're hilarious) so that made me think of Rick Moranis and The Flintstones was the first one of his movies I thought of. Pretty random, right?

So it was pretty much crickets all week except for some incorrect guesses from Haley and B who thought it might have been Tommy Boy or Men in Black, respectively. I knew this was going to be a tough one so I wasn't suprised to not receive a correct answer until the Friday giveaway.

The Wright guesses came pouring in after that...

First was Haley, who beat George by just 40 minutes. Then it was Dan, Cat, and Em.

So that's that. I'm gonna miss this playlist. Definitely one of my faves.

Take it away Haley.

Matt died.

Like I'd announce that on the blog. But there is a story to tell. Sorry it's so long.

Yesterday was an awful day. I won't bore you with all the awful details, but Matt dropped me off at work at 1 so that I could work for a couple of hours, and he could pick up some stuff to deliver for them to Farson. He left at about 1:30 to be there by 3:30. South Pass had been closed the day before, and even though it'd been warm, he was still warned to be careful. At 4:30 I got a phone call from my boss saying "Matt hasn't been to Farson yet. My guys have been waiting for him for over an hour. Have you heard anything?" My stomach just knotted up and I felt like I was going to throw up. I instantly thought the worst because-

·      I knew that Matt had his phone

·      Matt hadn’t met the guys he was supposed to meet in Farson

·      Matt picks up hitchhikers

·      Matt would call if he had any problems that would delay him

·      There are brief spots on South Pass with cell phone service

·      It just seemed like Murphy’s law

·      Conditions on South Pass were questionable

·      I’d just read in the paper about a local kidnapping at gunpoint. 

      So I started picturing Matt pinned beneath our car, and things along those lines. I was with a friend who called her husband and asked what he thought we should do. He said we should wait an hour because Matt might have gotten a flat or something, and if 2 hours had gone by and there was still no word, then we should head after him. We agreed to do this, but my boss decided he would head out looking for him right then, and had called the highway patrol department to see if there were any accidents, and to keep an eye out for a white Nissan. So I headed out with Cory to go look for Matt, and continued trying to call Matt to see if there was any response, and worrying. I should say that I knew deep down nothing had happened, but I hadn't been very rational that day, and this wasn't helping my rationality. So Cory and I said about 5 words on the drive up there, got to the entrance of South Pass (like the gates where they'd close it) at about 6, meaning it'd been about an hour and a half since I started picturing him dead, and guess who drives by! I was SO RELIEVED to say the least!! We tailed him back to Riverton, but he never noticed. When he got home he noticed he had a few missed calls from me, so he called me back (we were a couple minutes behind him) and I freaked out on him. He was completely oblivious that anything had happened, he'd had no idea he was supposed to meet anyone (Cory forgot to mention that little detail), so he'd showed up, dropped off the stuff where he normally did, got an energy drink, napped for about 20 minutes, and came home. He'd had the music up loud and his phone down low, so he hadn't heard my 30 phone calls. Bip. So Cory is going to work on his communication skills, Matt is going to make sure to ask questions, and I am going to remember that no matter how bad my day is, at least my husband isn't dead. 

Bip This Movie, Yo.

NACHOOOOOOOOOO!! Haha love that movie. I can't believe I was the only one to get it from the first clue. Thought it'd be an easy one for at least a couple of ya, but I guess not.

Anyway, bully for me! I believe I have just surpassed my Father at yet another thing in life. Man I never get tired of that feeling. ZING!

I think you're right B. I do tend to win alot of the ones you pick. Wierd.

So, as I'm writing this I still am not sure what movie I'm gonna do. Damn Canadians are messin up my brain. Well, them, and the fact that I'm rather sick... But most of the blame definitely belongs on the shoulders of those free-healthcare-lovin-non-censor-havin-hockey-puck-slappin-Maple-leaf-salutin-no-good-dirty-rotten-Hoseheads to our North.






MONDAY QUOTE:

F: I'm only one man.
B: Not from the back.

TUESDAY QUOTE:

S: Can I get you anything? Coffee?
F: Sure.
S: How would you like it?
F: In a cup?
S: Bold choice, Mr. __________

WEDNESDAY QUOTE:

Person 1: Do you know what we do up here?
Person 2: Well me and the guys have always wondered.
Person 1: We interface, ___________, we conceptualize, tenderize, prioritize.
Person 2: When do we eat?


I had a feeling I was going to have to spell it out for you guys.

FRIDAY QUOTE:

Barney: You know, Fred, I hear that eatin' too much red meat is bad for you.
Fred: What a load of bunk! My father ate it every day of his life and he lived to the ripe old age of thirty-eight.


Good luck, 'Bippers. You're gonna need it...(diabolical laughter)

Nacho Libre!!!!

Ok, I can't get a single bipping photo to download to put into this blog, so just Google Image Nacho Libre and look at the 3rd picture. I love it. Done? Great. 

I saw this video in the theatre while sitting next to Tyler Huff. It was one of the earliest activities that Matt and I ever hung out at, and I really wanted to sit next to him, but I had brought my little sister and Tyler snagged the spot on my other side. If you know Tyler, you know why this wasn't ideal. If you don't know Tyler, he finds almost everything funny, is very loud, and laughs until his lips turn bright blue. I heard maybe 10% of the movie that first time, but I believe I got to see it with Matt after it came out on video... so again, I paid attention to about 10% of it :-) It is now a Wright classic, and I couldn't believe my good fortune that it hadn't been done yet! We watched that song scene with Scott about 20 times one night. 

So anyways, Alex won!!! Whoo hoo!!!! We must be on a similar wavelength because I think you almost always win when it's my turn. I can't believe you got it from the first quote! Well done sir. Matt got it next from the second quote, Dad got it from the giveaways, and Cat got it just a little bit ago, and said that she saw the song scene yesterday, and that was all, so wow! Good timing! Oh, and good thing I checked my Facebook right before I posted because Amy just got it. Good work!

Alex, I vote we keep my playlist up. Please and thank you. 

What the sugar pie poppin bip?!

All I know is that my friend posted this on his Facebook. He also put "Gotta love people of the internet".

I watched it and said "Umm, what just happened?"

He replied "Not really sure. Silly Willy Extensions I guess."

B says it looks like Lady Gaga had a child with Willy Wonka in a cotton candy machine.

New movie bip

Person 1: How did you get up here so fast? 
Person 2: Shh, shh, shhhh... secret tunnels


Time for my Sunday nap! The playlist will come later. 


Thursday quote! Some of you are going to kick yourselves when you realize what movie it is.


Person 1:(Name of person 2)! I need to borrow some sweats. 
Person 2: Are you leaving us? 
Person 1: No, (Name of Person 2), I would never leave you. I just need to borrow some sweats


Here's the giveaway. Sorry it's late. 


Person 1:Well, my favorite color is light tan. My favourite animal is puppies. I like serving the Lord. Hiking, play volleyball... 
Person 2: You gotta be kidding me. Everything you just said, is MY favourite thing to do, every day! 


When the fantasy has ended/and all the children are gone/Something good inside me/helps me to carry on/I ate some bugs/I ate some grass/I used my hand to wipe my tears/To kiss your mouth/I break my vows/no no no no no no way Jose/Unless you want to/Then we break our vows together. 

WTB = Fievel Goes West!

Hey guys. sorry I'm kind of in a hurry. I'm in the middle of a live PBS pledge drive so I'll make it short and sweet.

First off, let em say that I love this movie. Probably my favorite animated flick ever, The Fox and the Hound being a close second. I watched this movie a million times when I was little and can't help but think it contributed to my wanting to be a cowboy of some sort when I grew up.

So Dan was the first to guess. He wrote to me on Thursday. He said that Lorri thought it was "An American Tail" but he had his doubts. Now, I dont think I should give it to him because the official title of the movie is "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" It is the sequel to the movie titled "An American Tail" So, technically, it was an incorrect guess.

Late Thursady night, however, I did recieve a Wright guess from...............B!!!!
Yay! I was really hopin she would get this one, and was happy when she correctly identified the movie as "Fievel Goes West". 20 minutes later Haley sent in her correct guess, followed by Amy, who, like Dan, just had "An American Tail" then Cat took a stab at it with "Rock-A-Doodle" Then on Friday Amy changed her guess to "All Dogs To Heaven" Emily also thought the same thing with her guess this morning.

Tricky one! Was nervous I had gone a little too obscure this time.

YAY Beatrice!

Get-er-dun hun.


P.S.
Happy anniversary Dan and Lorri! 25 years is a long time. Good job guys! Love, love.

TKWAW Book Club?

Amy and I were happily discussing one of our favorite subjects together this weekend- what we've been reading. Amy had an idea that we should do a blog book club. We made this great book list and I don't know about you guys, but I've never gone back to even look at it. So here is our idea:

First off- we thought it would be a good idea to only do it every two months, to cut down on stress to those of us that are in another book club.

Secondly, we think we should rotate who picks the book and a good suggestion would be to pick a book that you put on the book list that you are the only one (or nearly) who has read it.

(that rule is greatly flexible of course to make allowances for people that want to participate, but may not have submitted any books, or if you've read a new book since you would like to feature. Picking one from the list just is a way to incorporate our book list more into our lives, cause it is a great list and there are many books on it I'd like to read, I just haven't.

So what about it peeps? Is this something anyone is interested in?

I'm Alive- Part Deux

I meant to add what books I've read a few days ago, but I took this drug called Charlie Sheen and my face melted off and children have been weeping over my exploded body for the last few days. Oh man, what a kook. Actually I've just been too busy at work to do this, but today is a bit slow.

Okay, here are the books I've read in the past month or so. I found out about these books on Powell's Books website, www.powells.com. They were all listed in the staff recomendations. So, I'm basically going to just add the description of the book from the website and add my own couple of comments.

Freedom- Jonathan Franzen- "In Freedom, Jonathan Franzen bulldozes through the facade of the progressive, modern American family. His characters are intelligent, analytical, selfish, needy and full of regret. They comme off as unlikable, but are instead complex, realistic people choking on their freedom; each earns our sympathy as they actively poison themselves and the ones they love. Franzen's writing is intimately elaborate, offers astute observations, and, in its entirety, amounts to a tremendous achievement--clouded in gloom, but ultimately shining with hope." -- I first learned of the author, Jonathan Franzen, when Emily gave me his book "The Corrections" a few years ago. I loved that book and his writing style. Turns out he was good friends with the author David Foster Wallace, whom Cat and I are so fond of. Franzen creates great characters and great, dysfunctional families. The only negative comment I would have about "Freedom" is the pages and pages of detail about mining and rebuilding soil and mountain tops and things like that. If you can get through that, it is a great read. Cat, have you read any of his stuff?


Great House-Nicole Krauss-- "For twenty-five years, a reclusive American novelist has been writing at the desk she inherited from a young Chilean poet who disappeared at the hand of Pinochet's secret police; one day a girl claiming to be the poet's daughter arrives to take it away, sending the writer's life reeling. Across the ocean, in the leafy suburbs of London, a man caring for his dying wife discovers, among her papers, a lock of hair that unravels a terrible secret. In Jerusalem, an antiquies dealer slowly reassembles his father's study, plundered by the Nazi's in Budapest in 1944. Connecting these stories is a desk of many drawers that exerts a power over those who possess it or have given it away. As the narrators of Great House make their confessions, the desk takes on more and more meaning, and comes finally to stand for all that has been taken from them, and all that binds them to what has disappeared."--This book was pretty good. The best thing about this book is the writing. Nicole Krauss is a good writer, she is good at telling stories, even if the story isn't all that interesting. I found myself reading on more because I liked her writing more than I liked the story itself. I could see what she was trying to do with connecting the desk with the different narrators, but it just didn't work to well. It wasn't terrible or anything like that. It's certainly not a bad read, I give it a "meh".

Promise Not To Tell- Jennifer McMahon- "Forty-one-yearold school nurse Kate Cypher has returned home to rural Vermont to care for her mother who's afflicted with Alzheimer's. On the night she arrives, a young girl is murdered--a horrific crime that eerily mirrors another from Kate's childhood. Three decades earlier, her dirt-poor friend Del--shunnded and derided by classmates as "Potato Girl"--was brutally slain. Del's killer was never found, while the victim has since achieved immortality in local legends and ghost stories. now, as the new murder investigation draws kate irresistibly in, her past and present collide in terrifying, unexpected ways. Because nothing is quite what it seems.....and the grim specters of her youth are far from forgotten."--I really liked this book through most of it. Kind of an interesting murder investigation type book with ghosts. I like a good ghost story. But, when it got to the ghosty parts, they were kind of hokey. It's another "meh".

The Eyre Affair- Jasper Fforde- "Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. Baconians are trying to convince the world that Francis Bacon really wrote Shakespeare, there are riots between the Surrealists and Impressionists, and thousands of men are named John Milton, an homage to the real Milton and a very confusing situation for the police. Amidst all this, Acheron Hades, Third Most Wanted man in the World, steals the original manuscript of "Martin Chuzzlewit" and kills a minor character, who then disappears from every volume of the novel ever printed! But that's just a prelude.

Hades' real target is the beloved Jane Eyer, and it's not long before he plucks her from the pages of Bronte's novel. Enter Thursday Next. She's the Special Operative's renowned literary detective, and she drives a Porsche. With the help of her uncle Mycroft's Prose Portal, Thursday enters the novel to rescue Jane Eyre from this heinous act of literary homicide. It's tricky business, all these interlopers running about Thornfield and deceptions run rampant as their paths cross with Jane, Rochester, and Miss Fairfax. Can Thursday save Jane Eyre and the Bronte's masterpiece? And what of the Crimean War? Will it ever end? And what about hose annoying black holes that pop up now and then, sucking things into time-space voids."--I loved this book! The idea is so great. People can enter actual novels, well, only the original manuscript, and become part of the book! The author is from London, and he has that silly, British humor. The names he gives characters are the best. There is a guy named Braxton Hicks and another named Jack Schitt. Hahahaha! I think it's pretty funny that the novel is set in 1985, and yet, it is futuristic. It's one of those books you just have to accept what is happening and enjoy the ride. It's kind of like a Kurt Vonnegut book. It's fun when Thursday is at Thornfield, especially if you are a fan of Jane Eyre. I'm really glad there are a few books in this series. I am currently about 20 pages into the second one.


The Vanished Man- Jeffrey Deaver- "Imagine a killer who's a cross between Hannibal lecter and David Copperfield. Yes, really. I didn't discover Deaver until I read "The Vanished Man", now I'm a major fan. It's a top-notch thriller--and you'll never again watch a magic show quite the same way"--This book was pretty good. I do like the mystery crime fighting books. The main character is Lincolm Rhyme, he is a quadriplegic crime fighter. There are quite a few books featuring him. Dad and Emily? Have you guys read any of the Lincoln Rhyme books?


So, those are the books I read while I was sick. I'm really glad I discovered that Eyre Affair book. As I mentioned, I'm about 20 pages into the second book of the series, "Lost in a Good Book" I think there are 5 or 6 books in the series.

Name the Bippin Movie

Yeehaw. Go me!

That first quote instantly made me think of the scene where the string quartet knows they're gonna drown, so I thought I'd take a guess. I wasn't super confident in my guess until the second quote, then I knew I had 'er.

Titanic is one of those movies that, love it, hate it, or whatever it, everyone has seen it and can quote ya a line or two from it.

I remember the first time I saw this movie. It was with Dan at the Redwood Drive-in. We used to go there all the time. Hope was still little and Lorri isn't much for stayin up late, so a lot of times it was just us boys. I remember before we left, Lorri asked what movies were playin and when he told her one of them was Titanic, she got this really irritated look on her face and made reference to the nude scene. Dan kinda rolled his eyes and said somethin along the lines of "I'll make sure he covers his eyes" So, as I sat there munching on some of my father's famous homemade caramel corn, I remember him turning to me and saying "don't look!" or "cover your eyes!"(or something to that effect). But I, of course being a 10 or 11 year old boy, simply could not resist. And it was there, at the Redwood Drive-in Theatre, my perverted little eyes first feasted upon the female anatomy in all its glory.

Wow. Can't believe I just told that story on this here blog.

(embarrased chuckle)

Moving on....

Here is your first quote:

Person 1 "Look Mama, a singer... and an actor."

Person 2: "______, stop that! You shouldn't stare at people less fortunate than yourself."

No guesses yet. C'mon folks. You can do it!

Wednesday Clue:

"I see you're missing an eye, pilgrim."
[Pulls hat over one eye]
"Now that makes it a fair fight. That's right, I'm talkin' to you, furhead!"


Okay guys- it's Thursday and I'm thinkin you all might need a little help. I don't want to stump ya.

Hint: Dom Deluise is a voice actor in this 1991 movie.

Bonus quote cause you guys are making me nervous:

Person 1: Poppa, they're throwing vegetables at me AGAIN.
Person 2: Keep singing and they might throw some fruit for dessert

Friday giveaway:

"Give 'em the laaaaaaazy eye!"

Just for fun:

Wylie Burp: "Let this sleepin' dog lie, son. Dog-gone it, I'm dog tired. I'm tired of leading the dog's life and fightin' likes cats and dogs against cats and dogs, a young pup's doggin' my trail tryin' to become top dog. I'm going to the dogs in a dog eat dog world, son. I... I'm so far over the hill... I'm on the bottom of the other side."

G'Luck!

WTB? Titanic

I mostly picked this movie because I did wtb while watching the Oscars and this movie, while it ties in both categories, it is the only one to show up in both most wins and most nominated. It was nominated for 14 oscars (tied with All About Eve) and won 11 of them (tied with Ben-Hur and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). I picked Titanic since it was in both categories and also because I haven't seen ANY of the other movies (I know, shame shame). The other reason I picked it is even though I only saw it one time, and even though hearing the name of the movie leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth- I actually enjoyed myself while watching it. The love story part of it never appealed much to me, but everything else was really cool. By everything else I mean the ship stuff. It really was awesome. I just wanted to remind myself and everyone else of that fact.

The winner this week was Alex! He got it rather quickly after the first quote. Congrats Alex- that was a good win. Next was pops, he got it yesterday after the shadow of death quote (that line still makes me shiver. GAG.) B got it next followed by Dan. Matt made a real valiant effort at 3:30 this morning and wrote, "pirates?" Haha. I was impressed that you even tried, you usually won't bother if you are pretty sure you aren't winning. Anyway, I figured that deserved some props. Good job Alex!

THE KINGS SPEECH....BLOODY AWESOME MOVIE

Wow! Mom and I saw this this afternoon. If I had seen this movie before the Oscars, I would have bet the farm that Colin Firth would have the Best Actor award and the movie the Best Picture. It is hands down one of the best movies, maybe ever! Top ten.

Don't let the R rating keep you away except for the principle if you choose. The blast of F bombs lasted maybe 10 seconds and it's funny and not offensive to the ear and soul. (in my opinion anyway) I am glad they are going to bleep out that scene and release a PG edition. The movie has a good message for young people, history people, disability people and all people and that will open it up for a larger audience.

See it! See it!

I'm Alive!!!!

I'm alive!! I don't know if you guys noticed or not, but I've not been online for awhile. At the end of January, I got strep throat, and that really sucked. I was better for about 4 days and then I got bronchitis which turned into pneumonia. I believe it was on Catherine's birthday that I started feeling crappy again and the next day I completely lost my voice, like seriously lost my voice. My voice was barely a whisper with a squeak here and there. My voice was gone for about 2 weeks! I was put on major antibiotics and that awesome cough medicine with codeine. Love that stuff. you only need like half a teaspoon and it knocks you out! And you don't feel groggy when you wake up. Anyway, I had to take a short leave of absence from work so I could get better. And in the middle of all this, Cam and I moved. So, needless to say, I've been sick and busy lately. I'm back to work now, and feeling good. Oh yeah, and my friend's husband died on Valentine's Day. (He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in October). So, 2011 begun.....well, let's go with interesting.

I still haven't hooked up the internet, so I'm doing this at work. Frankly, it's been kind of a nice break. I haven't been on Facebook for a month, and I haven't missed it either. I'm planning on getting all that done in the next few days. So what did I do while I was sick in bed and had no internet or cable you ask? I watched movies and read books! I thought I'd give a little run down of what I've watched and read. Let's start with the movies.

Red- Let's get this one out of the way. I actively hated this movie. The trailer looked great, the cast is great. Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis and John Malkovich. The idea is good, a bunch of retired CIA agents are brought back together to investigate a case. How could this not be a good movie? I don't know what happened, but this movie sucked diddly ucked. The plot was bad and the acting was just horrible. These are all actors I really like a lot! Morgan Freeman did the only decent job. Mary Louise Parker is also in the film, I don't like her acting, so I wasn' surprised that she was bad. I think the biggest disappointment was John Malkovich. He is an actor that I will go see the movie just because he is in it. The way he played his character was just awful. I think he was just trying to do something different, but it didn't work with me. His character was the "hippy" of the group, did a lot of drugs in his past and always had this real doofus look on his face. I think he was channeling Harpo Marx. Anyway, enough said. If any of you saw this movie and liked it, we should talk about it. I'm interested to hear the opposing side.

Cyrus- I loved this movie so much I watched it twice in the same day. Cyrus is played by Jonah Hill, he is a 22 year old who lives with his single mom, Molly, played by Marisa Tomei. Molly meets John played by John C. Reilly, at a party and they start dating. Cyrus is not happy about sharing his mom and makes like difficult for John. Molly and Cyrus have a mother and son relationship that borders on creepy. Jonah Hill is so great in this movie. I picked this particular movie poster because I love the way he is looking at John. There is one scene in particular that I love. It's the first time John and Cyrus meet, they are at Molly and Cyrus' house and Molly is not home yet. Cyrus is an aspiring musician and has several synthesizers in the living room. He asks John if he would like to hear one of his songs. John says yes, and Cyrus starts playing one of the songs and just stares at John the whole time. It is so funny and uncomfortable. After awhile John says "Sounds like Steve Miller" and Cyrus says "No it doesn't". That made me laugh so hard! I recommend this movie. It is rated R, which is lame, because I really don't know why.

Social Network- Liked it. It was about what I expected it to be. I really like Jessie Eisenberg. I have to say after this and "Zombieland" he is probably my favorite young actors. Kind of seems like a good kid too, so I don't think we need to worry about him going all crazy and messed up. Nothing much more to say. Cat did a good review on this movie and I have nothing to add except I liked it.

The Other Guys- This movie was pretty funny. I'm a sucker for Will Ferrell though. I like Mark Wahlberg too. I have to admit I watched this movie while my fever was highest and I was about to text all of you saying it was good to know you and I'll see you on the other side. (It would have to be a text because of the whisper voice with the occassional squeak thing). I don't really remember much about the movie, I remember laughing and Cam said I liked it. I'll have to instant Netflix it and watch it again with a clearer head.

The Kids Are All Right- I loved this movie! Lesbian couple played by Annette Benning and Julianne Moore, each give birth to a bably from the same anonymous donor. The kids become teenagers and decide they want to meet their biological father. Mark Ruffalo plays the father. He is becoming one of my favorite actors too! He is so great in this role, and got a much deserved Oscar nom so did Annette Benning. But, I think Julianne Moore was better than Benning. I'm a big fan of Julianne Moore and I think this is her best role.

Winter's Bone- Holy Crap! This is the best movie I've seen in a long time! Everything was good about this movie. The story, the filming, the acting. Oh man, the acting! the story is about a big, extended family that lives in the Ozarks. The family is divided and feuding. Kind of like the Hatfield and McCoys. And most of them are on crack! Hillbillies on Crack! Makes you want to run out and just buy the movie right now, right? The story focuses on 17 year old Ree Dolly, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who is fantastic. Ree has a little brother around 10 and a little sister around 7. Their mom has had a nervous breakdown or something, she is mostly catatonic throughout the movie, so Ree runs the house. A bail bondsman shows up and tells Ree that her dad missed his court date and he put the house and property up as collateral, so unless Ree can find her dad in the next few days and get him to court, she looses everything. John Hawkes plays her uncle "Teardrop", and he is fantastic too! Where did John Hawkes suddenly come from? He totally looks like he could be Harry Dean Stanton's son. I just checked his movie list. I've only seen two movies he's been in besides this one, and looks like they were very small roles like "store clerk". He got a much deserved Oscar nom, as did Jennifer Lawrence. Another great character was like her aunt or cousin or something played by Dale Dickey. They picked the perfect actress to play that role! Dale Dicky totally looks like she has smoked crack her entire life! I don't think she has, I'm pretty sure it is just her bone structure. Anyway, highly recommend this movie. It's based on a book. I'm definitely going to read that soon.

That is it for the movies I watched. I liked 5 out of 6, that is not bad. My shift is over, so I will do the books tomorrow. Wait, I have tomorrow off, 40, ugh. I'll add the books Friday. Talk to you later!