Thanks Grandpa!

Scout got a little package in the mail a few days ago from Grandpa. To her absolute joy it was animals! He typed a little note to go with it telling her that he had never personally bought her anything (Grandma takes care of that) and he felt like going to the store and buying her something. He had observed her play while we were out there the week before and liked the care and love she had for them, so he expanded her collection. It was all a very cute thing to do and we wanted to say thanks. He even picked out babies for the animals which as you all know, means A LOT to Scout.

She says: thanks and she likes that there are babies and her favorites are the horses and the sheep.

Thanks so much dad, such a fun little thing for a 5 year old to get in the mail, out of the blue.

Happy Valentine's Day to Emily!!

Radiohead Dropping The King Of Limbs, Following In Footsteps Of Nine Inch Nails And Themselves


I think they did this as a Valentine for me.

Thanks guys!The Kings of Limbs

New WTB

Very cool--another buzzer beater victory! If only the Jazz could do likewise...

I LOVE Running on Empty. And both scenes with "Fire and Rain" in them are awesome. River Phoenix--what a stupid loss. I second the notion that everyone who hasn't seen it needs to see this movie. Very powerful, very complex, no easy answers, and characters who are really worth caring about.

Okay, on to this week. I PROMISE this one isn't rated R, and it's a bit more recent, which will hopefully allow some of you youngsters to have had a better chance of seeing it.

Person 1: You know, honestly, I never knew I could feel like this. You know? I swear I'm going out of my mind. It's like I want to throw myself off of every building in New York. I see a cab and I just wanna dive in front of it because then I'll stop thinking about her.
Person 2: Look, you will. Just give it time.
Person 1: That's just it. I don't want to. I mean, I've waited my whole life to feel this miserable. I mean, and if this is the only way I can stay connected with her, then... well, this is who I have to be.

Here is the Wednesday hint:

Because that's what people do... they leap and hope to God they can fly! Because otherwise, we just drop like a rock... wondering the whole way down..."why in the hell did I jump?" But here I am Sarah, falling. And there's only one person that makes me feel like I can fly... That's you.

Friday giveaways:

First clue:

Running commentary by a main character as he's dancing: "Do the Q-tip! Q-tip! Now throw it away! Now what am I doing? I'm makin a pizza!"

Second clue (different character from above):

"I'm really sorry. When I saw him on the computer, it said 'The Butcher of Cadíz.' I thought it was a profession, not a headline."

Good luck! Write me at FB with your guesses!

Just in case you thought we were kidding...

You've probably all heard that my mother is dating Mr. Redneck of the Universe. In the summer, he runs his own excavator business, digging irrigation and such, and in the winter, he traps animals and sells the skins to be made into fur coats and other dead thing accessories. Well, we stopped by his house last night, and... were afraid to go inside. This is the front room.

There were 7 coyotes in this room, in various stages of being skinned. 

These pine martens were hanging in the living room, right next to the couch where they were watching TV. 

Lee pulled out two more hangers full of pine martens from the closet in the spare bedroom. If you look behind his arm, you can see a bobcat hanging up. 

These were on the floor of the spare bedroom. You can't see it terribly well, but that pile is almost two feet high of coyotes, pine martens and bobcats. He said he gets $400 for each bobcat, $250 for each coyote and about $50 for each pine marten. 

So there, proof that I was adopted, or at least that I got all of my father's dominant genes. 

WTB Movie: RUNNING ON EMPTY

RUNNING ON EMPTY: I have always liked this little film and used to watch it a lot. I had the VHS tape and everything. It is not shown on cable very much anymore. It's the story of a family that have to move often because the FBI is after the parents because of a protest bombing of a building that was supposed to be empty, but a janitor or some was killed. The oldest son is in high school and has a friendship with a girl and he is gifted in piano and wants to go to Julliard. Anyway a good story, good acting and gives pause for thoughts and family relationships.

I am suprised that so few of you have not seen it. I believe if you had you would have guessed from the clues I gave about River Phoenix dying young and the James Taylor song that had a great part in the film. Go out and rent the movie and give it a look. Very worth seeing.
Contrats to DAN. He beat out Emily by 35 minutes on the 9 with his true guess. Sorry Ems, you just seem to be stuck in 2nd place these days. You're first in my heart though.

THE PURINA DIET

Yesterday I was buying 2 large bags of Purina dog chow at Walmart, for my dogs Winston, Chief, Gus, and Mximus. I was about to check out when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think, that I had an elephant?

Since I had little else to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I ended up in the hospital last time. On the bright side though, I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care unit with tubes coming out of everyhole in my body and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you felt hungry and that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again..(I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was enthralled with my story by now)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food had poisoned me. I told her no; I had stopped in the middle of the parking lot to lick my ass and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack, he was laughing so hard!

WAL_MART won't let me shop there anymore.

BLONDE JOKE (Airport stuff)

A plane is on its way to CHICAGO when a blonde in Economy class gets up, and moves to the first class section and sits down.

The flight attendant watches her do this, and asks to see her ticket.

She then tells the blonde that she paid for economy class, and that she will have to sit in theback.

The blonde replies, "I'm blonde, I'm beautiful, I'm going to Chicago and I'm staying right here."

The flight attendant goes into the cockpit and tells the pilot and the co-pilot that there is a blonde bimbo sitting in first class, that belongs in economy, and won't move back to her seat.

The co-pilot goes back to the blonde and tries to explain that because she only paid for economy she will have to leave and return to her seat.

The blonde replies, "I'm blonde, I'm beautiful, I'm going to Chicago and I'm staying right here."

The co-pilot tells the pilot that he probably should have the police waiting when they land to arrest this blonde woman, who won't listen to reason.

The pilot says, "You say she is a blonde? I'll handle this, I'm married to a blonde. I speak blonde."

He goes back to the blonde and whispers in her ear, and she says, "Oh, I'm sorry." and gets up and goes back to her seat in economy.

The flight attendant and co-pilot are amazed and asked him what he said to make her move without any fuss.

I told her, "FIRST CLASS ISN'T GOING TO CHICAGO."

hehehehe!

WTB New Movie for the Week, Yippee!!

The Silver Fox strikes again. Least you think that I am that good and my brain or what is left of it can remember quotes from a movie I saw in the theater way back when...forget that! I just reasoned that it was a British comedy from a few years ago and then looked at Dans' Playlist, remembering that he likes to mess with our heads and leave clues around, and I saw "Funeral For a Friend" and "The Wedding Song" Now who, but Dan, would put on his Playlist "Funeral For a Friend" if it wasn't a clue to the WTB Movie? Funeral, Wedding clicked to this movie that I don't remember much about it except it had Flopsie in it. I mostly like Hugh Grant except every time I see him I wonder how he could have been unfaithful to Elizabeth Hurley.

Anyway, here is the new movie of the week. It is a nice nugget of a move from the mid to late 8os and I have always liked and have watched it many times. The movie does not trivelize or glorify crime like so many do these days and leads to some tough decisions. Will I put a clue in the Playlist??....Naaaa... well, maybe and then maybe not.. Most of you should get this one so get your guess on facebook soon.

Quote # 1: Lorna: You are certifiable! What is this? Some sort of smart-ass joke? You're taking cooking?

Michael: I want to learn how to cook.

Lorna: Yeah, right. You have some burning desire to learn how to make apple brown betty..

Michael: What are you doing here if you think so highly of it?

Lorna: Well, they wouldn't let me take auto mechanics, and I didn't have time to take the issue to the Supreme Court.

Have fun folks.

WEDNESDAY

No guesses yet this week. Come on peeps, get going. Some clues...one of the songs in my playlist does have a part of maybe the best scene of the movie. One of the actors died at a way to early age.

Quote #1: Person 1. What's this about a pizza?

Michael: Well, you ordered one.

Person 1. I didn't. Well, will you have to pay for it?

Michael: Oh no.... I'll have to eat it.

Quote #2: Mother: What are we doing to these kids? They've been running their whole lives like criminals, and they didn't do anything!

FRIDAY: Only two guesses so far.

Quote a: Michael: Aren't we supposed to question authority? You taught me that! Who do you think you are. General Patton?

Quote b: Arthur: Now, go out there and make a difference. Your mother and I tried. Don't let anyone tell you different.

Quote c: Michael: Now, I have no right in telling this to you. It's dangerous for you and it's dangerous for them, but i'm sorry I just couldn't stop myself. You can do what you want to, you can tell your dad; anything, i don't care. I just needed you to know...I don't know what i'm doing, and I love you.

WTB--Four Weddings and a Funeral

If you haven't seen Four Weddings and a Funeral, which seems to be the case with most of you as I only had two guesses come in this week, I think you should. If you like Notting Hill and Love Actually and the style of romantic comedies that come out of England (and usually star Hugh Grant), you'll like this. It's a commentary on love and marriage and commitment featuring a bunch of single friends who all seem to get invited to the same weddings but never tie the knot themselves (except you'll see some of that during the "What happened next" collage at the end before the credits). It's got a lot of broad comedy and memorable and likable characters who are all broken in their own way, but each of them grows a bit throughout the course of the movie. It has some foul language (some of it British cussing that features words we don't quite know are as dirty as they are over there), but not a lot (though I think a ton of them might arise in the very first scene) and overall I think it's safe for everyone in that way. Some huge, HUGE laughs, and also one scene that has me bawling every time (and practically right now as I type this). See it! It will warm your heart...

Our winner, who is now pulling even farther ahead of the pack, is Pops George! Congrats! He got it from the Wednesday clues (or at least enough to venture a guess, which turned out to be Wright). Em then came in on Friday with the only other guess, and it was Wright as well. I apologize to the rest of you if I picked one you haven't seen. I figured because of its critical success as a nominee for Best Picture, etc., it was at least a fair one to choose. Plus, as usual, I gave clues in my playlist (something I've done the last few times--not my fault that you don't remember that about me and my playlists)...

Anyway, I had fun revisiting this movie in my head and heart this week. Now, take it away Pops!

WTB

Alright. Found one that I hope and think many of you will have seen and liked. It's full of great characters. Not too deep but not too shallow. Actually well reviewed and even some prestigious nominations in its day.

Here's the first clue. Had to pick this one to start because it has a U2 reference in it and I know that will torture a few of you haters:

H: The thing is, C_____, l’ve spoken to lots of people about you. Everybody agrees you’re in real trouble, C_____.
C: Am l?
H: You see, you’re turning into a kind of serial monogamist. One girlfriend after another, yet you never really let anyone near you. On the contrary... You’re affectionate to them and sweet to them. Even to me, although you thought I was an idiot.
C: I did not.
H: You did. I thought U2 was a type of submarine.
C: In a way, you were right. Their music has a naval quality.
H: Be serious, C_____. Give people a chance. You don’t have to think ‘I must get married’, but you mustn’t start relationships thinking ‘I mustn’t get married’.

Wednesday clues:

Oh, I don't know, C_______. Unlike you, I never expected "the thunderbolt." I always just hoped that, that I'd meet some nice friendly girl, like the look of her, hope the look of me didn't make her physically sick, then pop the question and, um, settle down and be happy. It worked for my parents. Well, apart from the divorce and all that.

Second clue (not related closely to the one above):

Person 1: Where's G_____?
Person 2: Torturing Americans.
Person 1: How thoughtful of him.

Thursday hints....
No one has even sent in a guess, so I better help a little! I won't give more quotes today but will say the following:

It's a comedy, but one of those really good ones that have serious moments that make the rest all the sweeter.

It's cast in not primarily made up of American actors.

I'm almost certain that this movie marked the introduction of a really funny British actor to the U.S. public. I know if did for me, and led me to be surprised that he had been pretty famous over there for a decent amount of time before this film.

It was released in the mid-90s.

Friday Giveaways (I hope):

Priest (during a ceremony): In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spigot. Spirit!

(And in a later part of the same ceremony): In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Goat. Eh... 'ghost'.

Second giveaway clue (from almost the very end of the movie--actually maybe the very end except for a funny "what happens to these characters next" collage before the closing credits):

Person 1: Let me ask you one thing. Do you think - after we've dried off, after we've spent lots more time together - you might agree "not" to marry me? And do you think not being married to me might maybe be something you could consider doing for the rest of your life?
Person 2: I do.

If you've seen this movie, these quotes should do it. If you haven't seen this movie, your life will be impoverished until you do!

Wright me with your guesses!

Holy heck, people! Wow! More of you HAVE to have seen this movie. Wild.

For a final clue, look at my playlist. A large proportion of it was selected for the theme and even main words in the movie title....

Okay, and now for a FINAL final clue: The character who says the Holy Spigot and Holy Goat lines is the actor who plays Mr. Bean. I am pretty sure very few in America knew him until this flick--a film that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year. Surely more of you know this movie....