Linked

A while back I talked about how great it was to see where the different people who had visited my blog hailed from. Another thing that I find really great is to visit a blog and find that I've been "linked". I just love visiting another blog and finding out that the blog owner liked my blog enough to add me to their links, their blogs of note! I have to admit, I haven't been feeling particularly noteworthy lately, but I hope I don't get unlinked before that turns around! Thanks to everyone who linked me on their blog...it means a lot to me!

More Yadda, Yadda, Yadda

Okay--well, I am still feeling about as creative as your average vegetable...so today I will be rambling on about some of my favorite movies. And since I could go on and on and on about movies in general, I will try to limit myself to some of my favorite classic movies.

The Manchurian Candidate. There was a time when I wouldn't be caught dead watching a black and white movie. But many moons ago, when extended cable wasn't as extended as it is today, I was stuck with nothing to watch and decided to give this movie a go. It turned out to be an awesome movie and forever ended my snobbery against black and white movies. The movie was a political landmine when it was released, playing on all the fears that Americans had about "the enemy". Stands the test of times. And despite the excellent cast of the remake, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. You could just tell that it wouldn't be the same.(Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh, Laurence Harvey, Angela Landsbury)

The Day the Earth Stood Still. Another movie spawned by fear...this of nuclear weapons. The special effects are nothing compared to what we see today, but so what....it's still a good movie. And "Klattu barada nikto" has made its way into latter day culture...quoted in Army of Darkness for one. And its overly simple look and right and wrong, good and evil are somehow refreshing instead of trite. And Gort rocks! (Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal)

Harvey. Come on...what's not to love about a story about a man and his imaginary friend (a six foot three and half inch rabbit). It's a sweet movie filled with great quotes like, "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. " Elwood, my hero, flying in the face of convention all the way through the movie and all the happier for it. (James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Charles Drake)

Night of the Living Dead. Nothing beats this classic. It is genuinely creepy and far superior to every attempted remake or all the "sequels". And the ending....well, it is the definition of irony. "They're coming to get you Barbra." (Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman)

Casablanca. After I got over my "fear" of black and white films, I decided to give this one a try and immediately fell in love with it. It is amazing to think that when this movie was made, the film companies were churning out 50 pictures a year each and had to trade for stars like baseball cards. Great lines, great starts, great story and a wonderful love story. Also, one of the most misquoted movies of all time. (Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Socially relevant and very challenging when it came out, this movie shines. From Hepburn's firing of snobbish Hilary to Tracy's fight with his sock drawer, the movie will please. It's sad, it's funny, it's 100% worthy. (Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier)

Sabrina. Another movie where I wouldn't touch the remake with a ten foot pole. Nothing against Harrison Ford, but he's no Bogart. Bogart wasn't originally thought of as a leading man, but it doesn't get any better than him, does it? Underneath the love story, there is a message about class distinction, but it isn't nearly heavy handed to ruin the movie. (Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden)

The War of the Worlds. I actually did watch the remake of this recently (I can't resist a disaster flick) and despite all the advancements in special effects, the remake pales in comparison to the original. Sometimes the special effects get in the way...before they came along, you really had to concentrate on the character and the stories. (Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne)

And that is all for today! What are you favorite classic movies...or heck, just your favorite movies?

Yadda, Yadda, Yadda

Well, my creative dry spell continues.....I started a poem and it was even too dark for me (and that is saying something). So I'm going to write about some t.v. shows that I've loved (and maybe some I didn't). I know it's terribly exciting, but please try to contain yourself. And these are in no particular order.

X-Files....Sometimes you just know that you're going to love a show before you see the first episode. The X-Files was one of those shows for me. I loved it....almost to the end. Toward the end, when David Duchovny had pretty much exited, the show really lost what made it magical...the combination of Mulder and Scully. I vaguely remember the last episode...it was both sad(its over) and a relief (its over!). (David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi)

Lost....I had a pretty good idea that I was going to like this show and after one episode, I became a Lost junkie. The second season wasn't as good as the first, but with so much anticipation waiting for it, that is to be expected. I look for all the hidden clues, read some message boards (there are people out there whose obsession with the show make me feel really normal) and try to guess what is happening. My only fear is that the show will fizzle and that the end, when the truth is revealed, it will never be as good as I hope it will be. (Matthew Fox, Evangiline Lily, a hobbit and lots of other people)

Picket Fences--I never watched a single episode of this show during its first run. I started watching it when I worked until 10PM at night and they were showing it on FX. It was a great show filled with flawed, quirky characters and excellent writing. (Tom Skerritt, Holly Marie Combs, Ray Walston, Don Cheadle)

EZ Streets--It was dark, gritty and intelligent so it lasted about 4 episodes before it got yanked. I set up the VCR to record an episode because I was at work when it came on. I couldn't wait to get home and watch it only to find that I had recorded some, what I thought was random, movie. I thought I'd had a complete lapse and recorded the wrong channel...turned out to be the right channel, but no more show. (Jason Gedrick, Joe Pantoliano, Debrah Farentino)

Strange Luck--another great, offbeat show filled with real characters that lasted....about 4 episodes before it got yanked. It actually might have made it more than 4 episodes, but not by much. In one episode, the main character, orders some weird food combination from a street vendor and ends up with a bag of cash...he's mistaken for a hit man who was to order that specific weird food combination because they thought no one would ever actually order that. Hmm....I guess you really had to see it. (D.B. Sweeney, Frances Fisher)

Outer Limits--I actually like both the original and the more recent versions of this show. I love the twists and the endings that you never see coming no matter how much you might try.

Twilight Zone--the original, the remake never really hit the spot. Original, creative and sometimes creepy. Like the Outer Limits, you were going a journey and you never knew where you were going to end up.

Stargate SG-1--It took me a long time to watch this show because I was a fan of the movie and I was afraid that they would make a mess of it. But it pays homage to the movie while cutting its own path. The downside is that Richard Dean Anderson is mostly gone (the occassional appearance is all we get) and this show, like the X-Files, really centered on the chemistry of the team. The addition of Ben Browder, who seems to be playing the exact same character as did on Farscape, is really annoying because it seems like he's playing the exact same character as he did on Farscape. And Claudia Black is wasted in the most annoying role I've seen in quite some time. (Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks)

24--I knew that I was going to love this show and I was glad to see the return of Kiefer Sutherland. They make real time work (unlike the Depp movie, Nick of Time), keep you on the edge of your seat and craving more. (Kiefer Sutherland, various others).

There you have it....the ones that occurred to me while I was writing...guess I didn't have too many in the can't stand column.....and who knows, if my writer's block doesn't let up soon, you might just see round two!

Oh Yeah....This Was a Big Surprise.....

You're Totally Sarcastic

You sarcastic? Never! You're as sweet as a baby bunny.Seriously, though, you have a sharp tongue - and you aren't afraid to use it.And if people are too wimpy to deal with your attitutde, then too bad. So sad.

How'>http://www.blogthings.com/howsarcasticareyouquiz/">How Sarcastic Are You?

In Good Company

I have known women who have agonized over who to ask to be in their wedding party or have faced pressure from family members (okay..from their mothers) about who they should ask. After all there is always a cousin somewhere that your mother thinks you should ask even if she's someone you wouldn't know if you tripped over her. For me, this was an easy question (and when I say easy...I mean "would you like a piece of chocolate" EASY!)
It took me all of about a nano second to decide who I was going to ask. I am blessed with having some exceptional women in my group of friends. It is amazing how much we have in common while at the same time, being so different. Heidi, for example, is much more optimistic than I am. You will note that her blog is a bright, happy pink while mine...well isn't. And Angela doesn't think that nature is something best viewed through the window, but something you should go out and be part of. Lisa is one of the most positive, happy people that I've even known in my life. When she laughs, there is no way to stay unhappy. Amy is nothing short of my angel and can always put anything that I think is going wrong into perspective and make me believe it as well.
Over the years that have gone by, lots of things have changed. Amy & Lisa are mommy's now and Amy and me don't do our grocery shopping at 10:00 at night after getting off work. And we've got a little older and Angela doesn't call me at odd hours of the night to ask me horror movie trivia questions (and yes, I do still know the lullaby that they sung in the commercial for The Fly II, that wasn't in the movie). Not everything changes....and that's a good thing which is why Heidi still always looks for the bright side of things and always looks for the way to cheer you up when you're having a really, bad day.
I know that no matter what happens or what time of the day or night, that if I needed one of them, they are just a phone call away. And I know that they understand why you go out to eat and start with an appetizer and skip straight to dessert or why you just start with dessert. They understand the things that make me happy and those that make me sad. I know that when times are hard, that they remember me in their prayers and that they rejoice with me when I'm on top of the world. They would talk with me about anything I needed, cry with me when I'm sad, laugh when I'm being silly or just sit quietly with me.
And that's why I know when my wedding day comes and I look over at these four women, I'll know that I'm the one who's truly blessed.

A to Z of Me Meme

A little while back, Dagoth published this meme so I thought I would give it a shot. Oh....and he tagged everyone on the planet to do this meme....I wonder if he knows that means that he has to read all of them!

Allergies As a kid, I was allergic to bees and that was it. The older I get the more allergies
I get. Oh joy!

Baseball Particularly the Atlanta Braves (and yes, I know they've hoovered for most of the
season).

Cats Although, yes, I have developed allergies to them as well. But I wouldn't trade my
my big cat for anything...except maybe some chocolate.

David I am marrying him come October so I guess he rates a mention along with our dog.

Extremly opinionated Kind of speaks for itself!

Favorite smells Garlic cooking, the world after it rains, some flowers.

God I'm a believer!

Housecleaning I hate it!

Ice Cream Chocolate....does it have chocolate in it?

Jokes Sometimes...depends on my mood.

Kids Do the four legged ones count?

Love The most wonderful thing in the world if it's not breaking your heart.

Movies Love them, love them, love them.....I could go on forever listing the ones I love (and
the ones I hate).

Numbers Not my friend..never all that good at math.

Omni No clue...just popped into my head!

Pasta If they ever declare it a diet food....I'm in business!

Quitting Time One of the best times of the day!!!!!

Rebellion Can be good for the soul!

Shrimp I don't think dinner filled me up....several food references...oh wait, I love food!

Temper Better at controlling it the older I get, but when I blow, the paint will peel!

Universe I am amazed by how big it is, how small we are and how little we really now.

Vegetables I've heard of them! I'm trying to get better but those force feeds as a kid still
haunt me.

Wisdom There isn't enough in the world (kind of like common sense), but I hope that I
achieve some one day!

X-Ray Vision Really....it's not all its cracked up to be!

Yelling Can be very cathartic....primal scream therapy and all that, yelling along with the
radio at a very high volume.

Zero Tolerance for stupidity.

Is This Me?

I was over at Dagoth's Domain and he had a personality test on his blog. If you'ver read through my previous posts, you know that I have a certain fascination with these things. And like Dagoth, I think that the results you get on these is often determined by how you're feeling at the moment. I think that this one definitely has a lot to do with how stressed I am feeling these days which I think makes me tend to view things in a more negative light. I find it quite humorous, however, that under the stability traits it lists me as optimistic....makes me wonder about how accurate this one is! I nearly fell over when I read the description for Female Cliche and the part that it says that I prefer looking good to comfort...in WHAT universe? And Dagoth, it says that I know the dark side very well! I guess that means that I get the ammo! I couldn't get it to look as nice as Dagoth's....it kept rearranging my page and I'm fairly hopeless at fixing those things!

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion 36%
Stability 46%
Orderliness 43%
Accommodation 50%
Interdependence 56%
Intellectual 50%
Mystical 36%
Artistic 63%
Religious 90%
Hedonism 36%
Materialism 63%
Narcissism 36%
Adventurousness 10%
Work ethic 43%
Self absorbed 50%
Conflict seeking 56%
Need to dominate 50%
Romantic 43%
Avoidant 50%
Anti-authority 50%
Wealth 10%
Dependency 63%
Change averse 56%
Cautiousness 76%
Individuality 23%
Sexuality 36%
Peter pan complex 43%
Physical security 83%
Physical fitness 24%
Histrionic 30%
Paranoia 70%
Vanity 43%
Hypersensitivity 63%
Female cliche 70%


Stability results were medium which suggests you are moderately relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.

Orderliness results were moderately low which suggests you are, at times, overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.

Extraversion results were moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.


trait snapshot:

does not make friends easily, secretive, introverted, reclusive, observer, dislikes leadership, somewhat socially awkward, does not like to stand out, dislikes large parties, values solitude, solitary, avoidant, ambivalent about fitting in, not dominant, unassertive, suspicious, prudent, unadventurous, worrying, weird, intellectual, frequently second guesses self

The site, of course, has other tests (some obviously less "serious" than others)"

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Sigh.....

I haven't had much of a chance to blog lately and I really miss it. I also miss having a creative spark which has apparently been sucked out of me by having too much to do and not enough time to do it and stress way past my eyeballs! I know that this too shall pass (at least I really hope it does) and I'll have more time, more energy and some original, creative thinking. From time to have I have these random thoughts, little fragments of something...that might turn into something...but then it just fizzles out...the rest of the thought just fades into the background of the chaos all around me.

For now, I'm just going to kick back and give a new show on Sci-Fi, Eureka, a chance.

Insert heavy sigh here................

Why We'll Never Understand Each Other

What he heard: You're way too stupid to be trusted driving alone in bad weather!

What she said: Drive carefully, dear

I Don't Eat Grits (Confessions of an Unsouthern Southerner)

There's a television station called "Turner South" that routinely features commercials featuring both celebrities and "regular folk" who talk about what "My South" means to them. When I watch these, I'm always like "Really"? The South is the place that I live, the place that I've lived my entire life, but I don't feel particulary "southern". If you asked me what it meant to be southern, I'd probably just stare at you like "What?". I have been called the most unsouthern person from the south by my southern friends in the know. So here are some ramblings on being southern (or unsouthern) as the case may be.

1) I don't eat grits. I can't stand them. This used to drive my daddy crazy...after all, what kind of self-respecting southerner doesn't eat grits. Um...I guess I'm not a self-respecting southerner? My fiance whose family is from New York (okay, he was like 7 or 8 when they moved here), loves the gritty things. I make them on occassion for him and grimace a bit when he eats them. I also use INSTANT grits, which I think consigns me to a special unsouthern status.

2) Accent. Here is a conversation that I've had more than once in my life:

"Where are you from?
"Here."
"No, I mean originally."
"I'm from here."
"Really, you don't sound like it."

Despite having lived in the south my whole life, it is apparently the last place that I sound like I would be from. Non-southerners are more likely to detect an accent, but they are wrong like 98% of the time about where I'm from. I've been told Texas more times than any other guess. ???? I can sound like I'm from the south...but it sounds like a really bad impression of a southern accent.

3) Sweet Tea. There is exactly ONE acceptable reason to not drink sweet tea. And that is if consumption of sugar will actually cause you bodily harm. Otherwise, refusal to drink sweet tea is apparently some sort of mental disease or defect.

4) Feeding people. I do think it is southern compulsion to feel the need to feed people and I have this in spades. If you are in my house for more than 60 seconds, I am going to try to feed you something and I am miffed if you don't accept. Don't even think about showing up a dinner time with some lame excuse like you just ate. I don't care. You will sit your butt down at the table and you will eat something. And you will be happy about it!

5) Southern hospitality. I don't consider feeding people as being hospitable...its more of a compulsion. Other than that, I'm really not all that hospitable. Granted, after years of having my brain dissolved by customer service, I am less unhospitable than I used to be, but I don't consider myself especially hospitable. I don't like people showing up unannounced and I have left more than one person standing on my front door knocking or ringing the doorbell. Why don't you be hospitable and frigging call me before you show up on my door. I remember working the front desk at a hotel years ago when two men from New York were checking in. When I asked how they were going to pay for their stay, they snapped off "Pay? Pay? Whatever happened to southern hospitality?" "I'm so sorry, but that died with the war." The Fed-Ex man, who was Hawaiin, nearly fell over laughing.

6) The Civil War. I have never referred to it as "The War of Northern Agression" and I'm not harboring any bad feelings about it. I don't own and never have owned a confedearate flag and don't believe that everyone who does still wants to bring back slavery.

7) Yankees. As my father said, Yankees come for a visit, damn Yankees come to stay. I live in a beautiful area that is being ruined by people who come from a visit and then decide to move here and build big houses on the ridgeline...thereby ruining the view that they say they love so much.

8) Misconceptions. I am annoyed by the misconceptions that people have about southerners and the south. We have a lot of clients who, when they visit for the first time, say it isn't what they expected. What surprised you more, the fact that we have indoor plumbing or that we wear shoes? That our roads are paved? That we have all our teeth or that we know how to speak proper English? (Yes, I use ya'll). I used the word "ain't" one time and someone I worked with actually walked out of their office to be sure that I was the one who said it because apparently my normal method of speaking isn't conducive to that word. They asked me if I was feeling okay.

9) Identity. I don't feel southern. I don't think of myself as a southerner. I can't really say what it means to be southern. I could never do a "My South" commercial.

10) And I still don't eat grits! Or collard greens...or turnip greens. I can't see how anyone does...the smell of them cooking is reason enough to not even think about even trying them.

But what do I know.....I'm an unsouthern southerner.

Time, Sweet Time

All I really need is for the day to be twice as long with none of that extra time spent at work and not need any additional sleep and I think that I'll be good.....is that really so much to ask for?

It really does seem like there just isn't enough time to get everything done that needs to be done and have any time left for "a life".

Despite being a royal pain of late, my job really isn't all that bad...there are lots of things about my job that I really enjoy (and others that make Chinese Water Torture or bamboo under fingernails seem like a day at the park). Lately, it has been taking its toll on me....because there just isn't enough time to get done what needs to be done. I have this amazing stack of crap on my desk...that I intend to tackle every day. But there is always other stuff that pops up that need more immediate attention. Basically the biggest fire gets the attention. And I have the feeling that somewhere in that stack of crap, something important is lurking about, something that is going to end up biting me in the butt with teeth like Jaws on steroids. And we're trying to hire people....and you know what, there are a lot of people out there who really don't want to work. And interviewing them...well, it takes time...time I don't have. (And yes, I would very much like some cheese with my whine!) And then they tell you all the times that they don't/can't work or parts of the job that they would really rather not do, but they would still really like the job (????). Some of them are clever enough to LIE during the interview and then later you find out about all the things that they are entitled to...people its a JOB, you are entitled to a paycheck for doing the work that we hired you to do. But they don't want to do things they don't like...join the club! I don't like every single aspect of my job, either! Don't give me wrong, not everyone that I work with is like this. There are really great people where I work, who show up and give it their all most of the time....hey, we can't give 100% all of the time. I worry about anyone who can.

I'd like more time to work on the house and lots more time to spend with my friends! I'd like more time to soak in a nice, hot bubble bath with a good book, plenty of candles and a frosty beverage. I'd like more time to blog, to be creative, to write. I'd like more time to watch baseball and silly t.v. shows. I'd like more time to be lazy! I'd like to have more time to take classes and learn new things. I'd like more time to read (and okay...I actually would like more time to sleep). I'd like more time to try new recipes and surf the web! And so on and so...I'd just like more time!

More Recipes

A couple of quick & easy recipes!

Zucchini Pancakes

I'm not normally a fan of zucchini, but I enjoy these very much!

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbs biscuit, baking mix
3 tbs grated parmesan chhese
1 tbs vegetable oil

--In a bowl, combine all but the oil.
--Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat
--Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls and flatten
--Fry until golden brown; turn and cook the other side

Apple Kielbasa Coins

1 1/2 lbs fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 c. apple juice
1/4 c. apple jelly
2 tbs. maple syrup

--In a large skillet, bring sausage and apple juice to boil
--Cover and cook for 5 minutes
--Uncover and cook for 5 minutes longer, drain
--Add jelly and syrup, cook and stir until jelly is melted and sausage is coated