Four months

It's one of my favorite days of the year!

That would be: International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

AKA: Get a Dozen Free Donuts if You Dress Up Like a Pirate and go to Krispy Kreme Day.

This morning (after having had a sleepover last night with Maggie (7) and Sally (5), during which very few people got any kind of decent sleep), the Wood kids and I (sans Roomie, because she had a soccer game and thinks her priority needs to be with her team and not with us and our glazed donut pirate booty - lame!) dressed up and went to claim our goods.

One dozen donuts per person in costume = 5 dozen donuts. That's 60 donuts for five people to eat, kids.

And while we didn't eat all 60 of them, we ate... a lot of them. Like, until we all felt sick.

It was a very awesome morning.

And then, this afternoon, I met back up with the Woods to see this Mormon movie.

And, you guys... IT WAS FUNNY.

As in, actually funny. Not just laugh-at-Mormon-culture, funny. (Okay, mostly it was that. But I think it would be funny even for people who don't know about camp songs or ridiculous, totally contrived, but still somehow effective spiritual object lessons.)

I laughed. I cried. I thought about my life, about the people I love the most and would do anything for (including putting myself right back on chemo, even though it made me wish I could just die, in case it'll give me more time with them... but that's a post for another time). And then I laughed again.

At one key moment, I had just taken a swig off my ever-present water bottle and something happened that made me laugh. I mean, out loud. ... After spitting my entire mouth full of water into my hands and then letting it fall into my lap. (It was a super full theater, and I didn't have any napkins. Or warning. What was I supposed to do? Spew water on the kids sitting in front of me? ... I felt like spitting it into my own hands and then dumping that popcorny spittle into my lap was the right thing to do.)

You guys. This movie is funny. If you live somewhere that you can see it (which, mostly, is... Utah), you should. It was a good time.

And, when the movie was over, I walked outside to see this. You can try all day long, from wherever in the world that you are, but I'm telling you straight up that you just can't beat an Arizona sunset.

Pirate costumes. Free donuts. Harkins popcorn. A movie that made me laugh and made me cry. All kinds of quality time with my favorite little weirdos. A gorgeous sunset.

Topped off with the fact that, as of today, I'm officially four months into the 3-6.

It's been a really good day. ... And, so far, I am winning.

Blast from the Past

Yesterday, my friend Cili came over to make brownies and watch movies with me.

Product Placement Break:

Have you had these?

They are a-maaaaaazing! (And they're just under $2 a batch if purchased at your neighborhood WalMart.)

You're welcome.

Anyhoo... C came over to make (and eat) a batch of brownies and watch some movies. Knowing the Wood house rules, I gave the girl a handful of PG movies to choose from.

Sleepless in Seattle was her first pick. (Smart girl.) She'd never seen it, and I knew she was in for a treat. (I mean, besides the brownies. Those were an obvious treat and a half.) That movie and 11 yr old girls are MFEO.

She laughed, I laughed. I teared up a little at all the Affair to Remember references. ("It was nearest thing to heaven. You were there!" ... "Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.") She asked me if Meg Ryan's character was crying. I had to tell her that, yes, she was. (I did not admit that maybe I was a little bit, too.)

All around, it was a good time had by all.

And I'm not just saying that because I saw this familiar face.

Ahhhhh, Rosie.

Back in the day when, everywhere I went, people told me that I looked just like her. 

Case in point:

Mind you, this face I'm pulling is a little bit more "Another Stakeout" than it is "Sleepless in Seattle". But still.

I'd forgotten how much we really did look alike. ... And how, circa 1993, that was a compliment. (Post-A League of Their Own, anyway. I never did like to hear that I looked "just like" Doris Murphy, as I'm sure you can imagine.)

I had a friend in one of my BYU wards who actually called me Rosie instead of Laurie. (It's alright. I called him Bob. As in, Bob Saget, of Full House fame.) 

See the pic below: 

Care to guess which one is my boy, Bob? 

I promise you that he was bent almost in half in this pic. In no way was Bob short enough to put his head on my shoulder on the reg.

When Rosie was doing her daytime talk show, she did a show when she filled the audience with women who were look-a-likes. When Mark Packard found out that I had known she was doing that show, and hadn't sent my picture in, he was furious and insisted that the bank would have given me the time off to travel back and forth so I could be on TV. He was certain that no other woman in the country could possibly look as much like Rosie as I did, and that I would have for sure won a huge prize.

Ahhhh... the Rosie days. They were good times.

I mean, so are these. But those were good times. For me and for Rosie. (Is it just me, or did she use to smile more?) It was fun to see the old me/her on the small screen yesterday. And when I told C that people used to tell me I looked like her, she looked me over and then sagely said, "I can see it". Ha!

Different, not less

For those of you who aren't aware, I'll just tell you point-blank... Judy is a big fan of Book TV.

I mean, huge.

Judy may even be Book TV's #1 fan. I'm not kidding you. She loves it. ... Has for years.

She stores up a lot of knowledge, watching/listening to authors talk about their non-fiction books. And, every once in a while, she'll latch onto a certain author or topic and go all in.

This spring, that author was Temple Grandin.

For real.

I'm here to tell you, as the daughter (and part time prisoner) of the woman who loves Temple Grandin, I've watched a lot of Temple YouTube videos and TED talks in the last few months.

Aaaaand... Judy is right. Temple is awesome.

A few weeks ago, we watched this awesome biopic that HBO did on the early life/education of Temple Grandin.

It's so good, you guys.

I mean, so good.

And it's free with Amazon Prime.

Check it out. It'll be two hours well spent, I promise.

The woman is truly amazing. And it's the fact that her mind works differently that's allowed her to progress so far in her chosen field. I super duper love that this woman with Autism is such an advocate for children  who also live on the spectrum.

"Different, not less." - Beautiful.

White Christmas

Tonight, I got to see White Christmas on the big screen.

Again.

Last year, I went with some single friends, and it was a good time.

This year, I took Cili with me. And it was... well... perfect.

I so love that kid!

C's such a funny, sassy, musical-loving kid. When I saw that White Christmas was the classic movie for this week, I knew she's who I should see it with this year. And I'm so glad that I did.

She was suitably impressed that I know the movie well enough to talk along with the dialogue...

"When what's left of you gets around to what's left to be gotten, what's left to be gotten won't be worth getting whatever it is you've got left."

And the ever popular,

"Well, I like that. Without so much as a 'kiss my foot!' or 'have an apple!'".

Also, 

"In some ways, you're far superior to my cocker spaniel."

But I digress.

Towards the end of the movie, as I was basking in the glory that is White Christmas (it was the final scene when they do the dinner and everyone's in uniform), I had a memory rush in of the year that Santa brought the VHS tape and a giant bag of Cheetos. (I think I was 15.) After everyone else went back to bed, my mom and I sat down on the brown couch in the family room, with the bag of Cheetos between us, and cried and sang and laughed and cried our way through the movie. (Those dang general scenes make me cry. Both in the beginning and at the end. Every time. For over 25 years.)

We'd been watching White Christmas for years, but only when it was on TV. We didn't own a copy of the movie until that year, and being able to sit down and watch it from beginning to end without commercials, just the two of us, with an unlimited supply of crunchy Cheetos... I remember that Christmas morning better than I remember most of them, because of the trifecta of awesomeness.

That Christmas morning was perfect.

Tonight, I took a 10 year old to see a movie with me. We had a giant tub of buttered popcorn to share (my one true love... even Cheetos have to take a backseat to buttered theater popcorn), more candy than any two girls should ever have access to at one time and two 32 oz Cokes. I quoted the movie, and sang my little heart out (and did a little chair dancing, as I am sometimes wont to do). C sat there next to me, sometimes laughing, sometimes staring straight ahead (I'm pretty sure my wild arm gestures to "Choreography" took her aback), and sometimes singing along (she knew every word to "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" - most impressive).

Just before Bing headed to NY to be on the Ed Harrison show, C leaned over and said she was going to fall asleep. (It was after 8:00 and she is a girl after my own heart, with her early bedtimes.) For maybe 5 minutes, she was drowsy... but then I whispered/sang my own special version of "Love", and she perked up.

By the beginning of that final scene, she was wide awake and happily singing along to the "Gee, I Wish I Was Back in The Army" song. We laughed and we sang, and I chair danced a little. And then, while Bing and Rosemary and Danny and Vera Ellen and Cili sang "White Christmas" and they threw the barn door open so everyone could see the snow, I just... sat there. Watching the movie, listening to my little ten year old friend sing along, and I realized... I was having a totally perfect moment.

Watching White Christmas.

Again.

But, this time, I was on the other end of that generational gap. Tonight, I was the grown up who was sharing a movie and some snacks with a kid that meant the world to her.

I love my life.

I do.

I love it.

I may not have children of my own to brainwash, but I do have children in my life. Cili's not my 10 year old, but tonight, I got to have a generational bonding experience with her.

I've always been grateful that Dean and Jo live so close, that I have so much access to them, to their family. 

But tonight, I'm grateful on an entirely different level.

At this point in my life, the reality is that I know that I will never have my own biological children. ... Mind you, I'm not giving up hope that someday I'll marry a fabulous man who'll buy me some babies from an orphanage in a foreign country where they'll never think to check my health history before they release some kids to my care. I am not giving up on the dream of being a mom and raising kids. But the reality is that I live in a body that grows cancer, not babies. That ship has sailed... around the world, actually. Twice. ... But tonight, I had a flash of focus where I could actually see that I had passed on something I love to another generation.

I'm so grateful for that gift, for this sudden awareness that I have given Cili some of the same things that Judy gave me. 

I'm so grateful that the Woods can see beyond all the potential damage I could do to their children, and they let me have an active role in their children's lives.

Tonight, I am grateful; for a movie I love, for the woman who taught me to love it, and for my friend who shares her children with me.

This may not be the circle of life that I expected, but it is the circle that I have... and I am infinitely grateful for what (and whom) I do have.

I'm grateful: For the perfect moments in my life, for movie musicals, and for the people I get to share both of those things with.

Vermont must be beautiful this time of year...

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I am a movie loving fool. And any movie that can be quoted is a movie worth watching, over and over again.

Enter White Christmas:



Good gravy, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! I mean, so much. And the people who know me best (my mom, my sister, my cousins) know that the surest way to make me giggle is to throw a line out every once in a while, just to keep me on my toes. See the text conversation below between Julie and me. This started at about 10:00 PM Thursday night and ended 11:00-ish, when we realized how late it was and sent ourselves to bed like responsible grown-ups do.

Julie: You'd have to pay $6.60 or even $8.80...

Julie: Mutual, I'm sure. (She had to send two texts to get my attention, I guess. Like I wasn't going to guess the movie at the first quote. Whatever.)

Me: Girls like that are a dime a dozen. ... Don't quote me the price when I haven't got the time.

Julie: Boy, girl, boy, girl.

Julie: I guess she carried me away with her. I don't weigh very much.

Me: General Waverly... a janitor? It's worse than that, I'm afraid. I own the place!

Julie: A landlord!

Julie: Right in between ouch and boing...

Me: What do you get when you mix liverwurst and buttermilk?

Julie: Pray, tell, what does "Mandy" have to do with the minstrel number?

Me: Who knows... But doesn't she have great legs?!

Julie: Grab the cow.

Me: It's time for mother hen to leave her nest.

Julie: I'm starting to play trombone a little, too.

White Christmas + Cousins (with a capital C) = a good time. Forever and ever. Amen.

Hottest. Dad. Ever.

"What I do have are a very particular set of skills."

I shudder. (And not necessarily in a bad way.) I tell you what... Hottest. Dad. EVER!

If you haven't seen Taken, you must! It's an adrenalin rush and a half. I've seen it a good 10-15 times (easily) and even now, I'm exhausted when it's over. This movie is fan-freaking-tastic, in a kick-ass dad, don't-mess-with-my-kid-or-I'll-hunt-you-down-and-make-you-pay sort of way. (Also, it made me decide that I never want to go to Europe alone. Even if I am a paunchy woman in her mid-late 30's and am therefore not the type who's gonna bring a good price on the black market, I think it's just too big a risk to take.)

Call me crazy for likening movies a little bit too much to my own life, but I can tell you right now that I feel a lot safer since I made the decision to stay away from kidnappers in foreign lands. ... Just imagine how safe I'd feel if I had a man in my life who had those same special skills that Liam has. (He's delicious!)

I love this movie!

(But who's kidding who? I love Liam. Almost without fail.)

For real, if you haven't seen it - you must. Call me. I'll bring my dvd and the popcorn. It'll be a good time!

Five Movies That Remind Me Who I Am

Is anyone else finding themselves a little obsessed with The Pioneer Woman's new entertainment tab? ... Because I sure am.

Probably because I live for movies (and who's kidding who, tv on dvd, too), this section of her site is my new best friend.

And this post especially resonated with me. ... Call me crazy, but I must say that when I see a post titled "When Movies Remind Us Who We Are", it speaks to my very soul. I read this post earlier this week (like, you know, the day it was written, because that's the kind of blog stalker I am), and I've been thinking all week about movies. Specifically, about movies that define periods in my life, and people in my life. Here is my list of five movies that remind me who I am.



Such a surprise that this is the first movie on my list, right? I know, I know. I'm soooo predictable! But listen, this movie is the best! For so very many reasons. It's based on a true story. Real people who stood up for what they believed in and left their homeland in hope of a better life elsewhere. (What's not glorious about that?) Also, Edelweiss is one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Amen.

Ways in which this movie defines my life:

When the Taylor church was condemned (before my boy James bought it and turned it into his studio), the old chapel curtains were left there to rot. When Jamie & Co came in to restore the building, they had no use for drapes that had been left in a semi-open building for YEARS. But I did. I wanted to make play clothes out of them, so my sweet mother went to the church and came back with yards and yards of drapery for just such a dress. (Too bad we had to throw them out because we couldn't figure out how to clean them before we could sew. But still, that I wanted "play clothes" out of drapery leads directly back to a childhood influenced by Fraulein Maria.)

I knew what flibbertigibbet meant at a very young age. (Vocab has always been a big deal to me.)

When Molly Sanchez got married, a bunch of us from BYU 3rd ward rode up to Logan together for the sealing/reception. That night, after the party was over, Julie and I twirled on the hill and then ran skipping down it. One of our friends commented on how I thought life was a musical. Darn tootin, I did! (And I still do.) And this movie is so much of why I think it's important to dance and sing your way through life. Maria was the queen of finding ways to incorporate music into the mundane and make life fun. I heart her (and that goatherd puppet show)!



I love this movie. For oh, so very many reasons.

1) It's one of the most quotable movies of all time. "These mashed potatoes are so creamy." "Do I like jello?" "Caesar Romero wasn't tall!"

2) I soooo relate to Lucy and her unfortunate situation. (No kidding, before I saw this movie myself, I had two different friends tell me that I had to see it, because the train track situation followed by the hospital "I was going to marry him" scene, leading to his family thinking they were engaged and her not being able to tell them the truth because she was afraid she'd kill grandma is EXACTLY the kind of thing that would happen to me.)

3) When this movie came out, one of my best friends was in Chicago on a mission for our church. I hadn't seen him, or even talked to him, in over a year and I missed him like crazy! Watching a movie set in Chicago, seeing the train and Lake Michigan and other touristy spots throughout the movie, things and places that I had seen in the pictures he had sent home, helped me miss him less. I remember walking out of that theater feeling closer to him than I had in months. I still remember that feeling, how I felt more at peace with the distance and knew we were still friends, even if things weren't the same as they had been when we were younger. Cheesy? Maybe. But it was a real sensation. It's been 15 years or so, but I still remember that feeling as I walked out of the theater.



Again, one of the most quotable movies of all time. "That's MY beauty spot!" "Fancy meeting you here, Judith Tremaine." "To think we were against you in the late war..."

I grew up watching this movie. I remember dancing the Tapioca (or trying to, anyway) with my cousins when we were kids. At the time, I had no idea what white slavery was, but I knew that Mrs. Meers and her henchmen were up to no good with that fake soy sauce.

I had a crush on a boy named Jim once and I would sing the "Jimmy, oh Jimmy" song to myself all the livelong day.

Some of my dearest friendships have been made with folk who know (and quote) this movie as well (and often) as I do. ... I'll never forget the day at the bank when I inadvertently quoted TMM (as anyone who knows me - and the movie - know I am wont to do) and two of the tellers surprised me by throwing lines right back at me. I tell you, I learned a long time ago that if someone knows and loves Millie, they're kindred spirits and the sky's the limit as far as friendship goes! (Don't mind me throwing in one more movie reference there. I can't help it, I get it from my mother's side of the family. ... Okay, okay, I'll stop. But just know that I'm cracking myself up over here.)

If I want a guaranteed laugh, all I have to do is throw this movie in the dvd player and I'm good to go!



Oh, how I love this movie! And the beauty is that it takes place over an entire 12 months, and there are songs for every holiday, so I can justify watching it any time of the year. This, my friends, is NOT "just another Christmas movie"!

When I was growing up, I loooooved this movie, but *sigh* we didn't have it. Whenever I was sick, I'd have my mom call Lorraine Solomon to borrow it so I could lie on the couch and veg to Bing and Fred.

I'd make Valentine's Day cookies when I was in high school and sing "Be careful, it's my heart" to myself as I'd frost heart-shaped cookies with pink icing.

For years, I have been looking for a good recording of the 4th of July song that's in this movie. All the time, I sing "On this day of Independence, on this Independence Day" to myself and then giggle at what a fun play on words that is.

This movie was the debut of the song White Christmas, and it's my favorite version/recording of it - ever. When Bing hits the bells on the tree with his pipe, my heart just sings.



Because my mother raised me to love a good con.

It is true. My sweet, angelic mother looooooves a con. The intricacy of the foil. The finding of a mark and the playing of that person (esp if they deserve it, a la Terry Benedict) is a thing of beauty. My mother taught me many things; how to appreciate a con is one of the most fun (and surprising, if you know her) things that I learned from her.

Somewhere in my heart there is a deep dark spot that wishes I could get away with something like a triple casino heist. Or maybe I just wish I knew a guy like Danny Ocean. Tomato/tomahto.

Honorable mentions (because we all know that I could have listed umpteen movies here):

The original Parent Trap (My whole life, I've wanted to cut the back out of some snotty girl's dress).

Random Harvest (What would you do if the person you loved couldn't remember you? Would you walk away, move on? Or would you find a way to be with them, even if you couldn't be "with" them? ... Thank heaven I've never loved an amnesiac, I don't know what I'd do!)

You've Got Mail (Because who loves Joe Fox? I do, even if he does take the caviar that's supposed to be a garnish. I can't help myself.)

Rebecca (Mrs. Danvers is the epitome of all that is deranged and lunatic. When I was a kid, I would get her and Rochester's first wife confused in my head all the time. ... All I knew is that only crazy women burned houses down and I wanted nothing to do with them. Amen.)

GWTW (Rhett Butler. Need I say more?)

Mrs. Miniver (Probably the first WWII movie I saw that really struck a chord with me. I was a teenager the first time I saw it. Every time I even THINK about that movie, I am filled with a sense of loss and an appreciation for everything that generation sacrificed during the war.)

The Fighting Sullivans (I can't even type the name without choking up. What this movie does to me is the equivalent of Mrs. Miniver squared.)

An Ideal Husband (Oscar Wilde was a freaking genius! The language/dialogue in this movie is to die for. Lord Goring makes me laugh OUT LOUD, and I find myself quoting him on a fairly regular basis. "I always pass on good advice. It is the only sensible thing to do with it." HA!)

The Dark Knight (I know, I know. It's super dark, and this is not a movie most people would put on a list of defining movies. But I looooove Batman! I always have, but I esp love how, in this movie, he lets people think he's the bad guy ... because they need to be able to draw a line between good and bad/light and dark, and it would destroy a city if they knew that their white knight had fallen. That he takes the hit for something he didn't do, in order to allow a city full of people to continue to believe in an ideal is beautiful to me.)

Where the Red Fern Grows (I do love a good coming-of-age story, and this is probably the best ever written. I used to ask to rent this movie whenever I'd get free Rent-a-Flik coupons at school. ... And I'm not even a dog person!)

The latest

It has come to my attention that when I don't blog on a regular basis, friends and family start to worry.

As in... Is everything okay? How are you feeling? Do you have something exciting going on and don't have time to write? ... Did you meet someone and are dating again?

The answers are: yes, fine, no... just work... and - uh - no. No, I sure didn't.

Here's the thing, folks. I went back to work. 40 hours a week, like a real grown up person again. I'm really trying to focus on the positives (you know, like a full pay check), but these full days are KILLING me. (Mostly because I want to take a nap between 2:00 and 4:00. Sad, but true.)

This weekend I did some fun stuff:

I went to Toby Keith's Bar & Grill and had myself a fried twinkie. (It's true.) They are not as delicious as I thought they would be. I was expecting something a little sweeter, I think. ... My recommendation, if you go to Toby Keith's and are in need of a dessert food, go with the brownie. But first have them warm it up for you. (And yeah, I know which dessert is better because my friend Christian and I ordered one of each so we could have a contrast/comparison dessert tasting experience. You know how much I love to be able to taste and compare foods, right? Well, so does Christian and she's a good enough friend to support me in my need for scientific dessert food research.)

I had sweet potato tater puffs. (Yeah, that was the name on the menu.) They're basically tater tots, but made with sweet instead of regular potatoes, and then they're shaken in cinnamon and sugar when they come out of the fryer. Holy smokes, folks! DELISH! (Better than the deep fried twinkie.) I would go back to Toby's just for the sweet potato tots - no joke.


I treated myself to a bucket of theater popcorn and the monkey movie.



It was FANTASTIC! ... Seriously, it was really very good. (I'm not going to lie, I was pretty much sold on the idea of going to this movie as soon as I realized James Franco was the scientist guy, but after multiple reports from trusted sources (like my mother), I was in.) So good! I was literally on the edge of my seat during the big fight scene. And while I do spend a lot of my time on the edge of my seat, due to not wanting to put undo pressure on my tailbone, this was the kind of "what the heck's gonna happen next?!" front-of-the-seat behavior. It was good. Really good!

I cleaned my bathroom AND my kitchen.

I (gasp) made my bed. (First time I could remember fully making my bed in months. I think I may have made it the morning I went in to have the tailbone procedure done - but I'm not sure. If it wasn't then, it may have been in March. Not even kidding.)

I washed, folded and put away two and a half weeks of laundry. (I know, because I counted the pairs of underwear when I was done. I'm sick like that. I love to know how many days it's been since I've done laundry, and that's always a sure-fire way to know.)

I sure didn't vacuum. (I thought about it, though. I even moved the kitchen chair that's been holding my laptop for 3 weeks from the living room back to the kitchen in preparation of vacuuming, but when push came to shove I decided I'd rather sit than push the vacuum. Surprised? ... No, I didn't think so.)

I went to 3+ hours of church. Yup, I'm counting choir practice and a fireside tonight in my + hours. The way I see it, I just bought myself 2 hours off some church time in the near future. ... I know, I know. I should repent for even thinking such a thing. Maybe tomorrow, because tomorrow's another day. (Look at me, channeling Scarlett O'Hara there. A red flag that I need to repent and change my behavior/thought patterns, to be sure.)

I watched some really bad TV (Netflix doesn't always know what's good for me, and it's a shame that I'm too lazy to get up and turn off the tv sometimes) and some really good TV (I found that Leverage season 4 current episodes stream on TNT's website).

I ate a lot of peaches and blueberries and grapes (but not at the same time, because that does not sound delicious AT ALL!).

And... that's about the gist of my weekend. Super big/fun stuff, right? Family members who'd been worried that my life was all exciting and dramatic and that's what was keeping me off the www need not be alarmed. My life's as mundane - and my carpet's as filthy - as ever.

Stay tuned for a possible cookie comparison taste test coming later this week. (Seriously, I bought Grasshopper cookies for the sole purpose of doing a blind taste test against Thin Mints.) This is the excitement in my life. I'm sure you can hardly wait for me to share the results.

In the meanwhile... I'm off to bed. Why? Because I have to be a responsible person and get up and go to work tomorrow. Welcome back to the reality of Monday morning, Evans. Oh, and welcome back to the boring details of my life, readers. You know I love ya! :-)

My whirlwind week.

I went back to work last Thursday. A week ago. I've been back at work for a week. (Well, kind of. I'm only part-time through the end of the month. Which is a blessing, since I can hardly stand to sit.)

Anyway, I went back to work. And then I proceeded to have one of the busiest weeks of my life. I don't even know how all this stuff came out of the woodwork. I've been swamped, and tired (exhausted, really), but I've also been super happy. It's been a good week.

I'll show you what I did. That'll be fun for everyone, I am sure.

I went and saw this movie:



It was, in a word, brilliant. Seriously, fantastic. (If you haven't read the books, you need to do it now. Because I'm not gonna lie, the book is better. But still, the movie was pretty epic.) Here's a little teaser:



My one complaint was that the Fred thing didn't go down quite right. (C'mon. All I'm asking for is for him to see Percy and to get a good laugh in. That would have added, like, 5 seconds to the film. Is 5 seconds too much to ask? I think not.) Other than missing the Weasely thing by a hair, it was fab. I mean, FAB. I started weeping when McGonagall started the enchantment to protect the school and didn't stop until about 2 days later. (True story. It came up in conversation at Sunday dinner and I started to cry - in a good way - all over again.) One of the most incredible stories of good vs. evil that I've ever read. I'm so sad that it's over, but I'm so glad that the movie was done so well. The ending was exactly perfect.

I weep. (Even now, just remembering.)

The theater was full - I mean, FULL - and people clapped and cheered at all the right parts. It was awesome.

I also saw this movie:



Soooo not a warm & fuzzy, sweet and sappy story about the Mormon pioneers. It was harsh, and it was hard. And that's exactly why I liked it. I liked that they showed that it was hard. It was hard. Really hard. But, with all my heart, I believe that it was worth it. (Also, I want to marry Levi Savage. Too bad I don't look enough like Sandra Bullock.)

I've whipped right through season one of my new favorite show:



Leverage. It's like Ocean's 11 and Burn Notice got married and had 5 criminally-minded con men babies with a Robin Hood complex. I'm in love.

And while I've been waiting for Netflix to send the next Leverage dvd, I've been catching up on one of my all-time favorites:



Sam Axe. I so love him.

One of the best things about the summer of 2010? Surgery took me totally out of commission and before I knew it, I'd missed the first half of Burn Notice Season 4. I opted to not even try to catch up and just buy the dvd's. ... Best. Decision. Ever. Being able to chain-watch 20+ new-to-me episodes of Sam? My version of a good weekend.

I read this book:



And I loved it. So much. So much more than I remember loving it last time. The language is incredible. The imagery is so vivid that the town practically comes to life. The moral lessons (that are taught on so many levels) are life-changing. Ahhhh... Such a good read. If you haven't read it, you must!

And I'm about halfway through this book:



Charles Dickens was the man. I'm so loving this book! (Of course, I'm not allowed to read it at night, because it's a little much for me. But that's ok. I can watch Burn Notice and/or Leverage at night, as they aren't the kind of thing that makes me think about the horrors of being hidden away from the world for 18 years.)

I went to the doctor AND the dentist yesterday on my day off. It was my final follow-up with my surgeon (hopefully, forever). This is how it went down:

The Good Doctor: Do you have your next 90 day scan scheduled? (He cracks me up. Like he thinks I'm ever going to let 90 days go by without being scanned? Hi, I'm the girl who grew a second tumor in less than 100 days. Uh, yeah, I have my next appt scheduled.)

Me: Yup.

Him: *eyebrows raised* (If you've met him, you know this look. It means that he's questioning me. ... I don't know how I know that he's questioning me, mind you, because he has never actually verbally questioned me, but trust me, it was a question.)

Me: My last appt was June 22nd. My next is scheduled for Sept 17th. (Because I am a "bury with proof" communicator, and I felt the need to make sure he knew that I'm taking this 90 day check-up thing seriously.)

Him: Has the oncologist told you what the follow-up will be for the future?

Me: Yup, every 90 days. Forever.

Him: Forever?

Me: That's what I understand. ... Something about how it came back so quickly the first time. They may relax it to every 6 months if I don't have another recurrence in the next 5 years, but for now? ... Every 90 days. Forever.

Him: That's a long time.

Me: I know. (It's the rest of my life in 3 month increments. Seriously - that's a long time.) And it will be expensive. This is why I must always have insurance. ... Or a rich husband. (We've had this talk before, the doctor and I. He knows good and well that the only reason I was willing to go through the abdominal surgery and possible cancer treatments for the second time in 12 months was because I had my own personal fantasy that it was all so I could meet a single oncologist who'd want to take care of me for the rest of my life. ... We all know how that little fantasy played out. Or didn't, rather.)

Him: I know. *smirking*

Me: And you know that I'm not doing a great job of finding a rich husband on my own, so if you could just keep an open eye on the medical community for me, I'd appreciate it.

Him: Sure, sure. (I got half a chuckle out of him. This, btw, is an accomplishment.)

Me: But all you can tell him is that you have this great patient that you think he should meet. You can't tell him that I'm neurotic, or that I make appointments just to come in and ask you questions.

Him: Of course not. *smiling*

Me: Thank you. ... For agreeing to help me find a husband. Oh, and for saving my life. Twice. And for operating on my bum. (Which also saved my life.) And for being a great doctor.

Him: You're welcome.

I love that man. I mean, I love him. If anyone ever needs the name of a surgeon in the greater Phoenix area, you just let me know. I couldn't recommend him or his quirky bedside manner highly enough - and I get compliments all the time (I'm not even kidding) on my scar. (Apparently, he does good work. Every single nurse and/or doctor who's seen my abdominal incision has raved about how clean the lines are.)

So, I've been busy. I've been working, and watching movies and tv shows and doing laundry and eating fudgecicles and getting stuff caught up and put away and taking care of medical and dental needs. I've been a busy little bee, to be sure.

But you want to know what I sure haven't done? You can probably guess.

It's not hard.

I mean, really - it's not a hard guess.

It's basically the easiest guessing game ever played.

Just think of the one thing that we all know that I never, ever do.

That's right. Vacuum. ... Maybe I'll do that next week. (But probably not.)

Things that make me laugh out loud

Yes, out loud. (Thank heavens I have the ability to laugh this time around. I don't know if it's because my incision is 3 inches shorter than it was last time, or if it's because Heavenly Father knew how incredibly difficult it was for me not to be able to laugh for three weeks in the summer of 2010... but this time, I can laugh. Not for an incredibly long time, mind you, and not at full force, but I can laugh. Which is a blessing. A big one.)

But I digress. As usual. ... I was going to tell you what's been making me laugh lout loud.

Netflix. Netflix has been making me laugh out loud.

I will explain.

First, let me just say that I have the best friends ever. My friend Genevra gifted me a 3 month Netflix subscription, because she knows me and knows that watching movies is pretty much my favorite thing ever (and a very easy thing to do while convalescing).

For those of you who haven't done the Netflix thing, I'll take a moment and explain that one of the first things the website has you do is go through and rate several movies. It does this so it can get a good feel of what type of movie you like to watch, so it can give educated suggestions as to what you might want to put in your queue.

This morning, I rated about 300 movies. (No, I'm not kidding. It's something I can do from the luxury of my recliner, and Mom's busy writing her memoirs in her 3-ring notebook over on the couch. We co-exist quite nicely, no?)

Rating the movies, alone, is a crack up and a half. Why? Because it has you rank them from 1 (worst movie ever) to a 5 (I freaking LOVE this movie and would watch it every day of my life) - there is also an "I haven't seen this movie, nor would I like to" option. After ranking the movie between 1-5, a little blip comes up that shows you the category of movie, and asks you if you watch this type of movie "never", "sometimes" or "often". (The "never" option slays me. Hi, I just told you I watched this movie. Clearly, I wouldn't say I never watch movies like this. Weirdos.) What's been killing me is the way they code, or categorize, a movie.

Some of them make sense:

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was coded as heartwarming. (Okay, that makes sense.)

Runaway Bride was listed as a wedding movie. (Duh. But again, makes sense.)

Most of them do not make sense:

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was coded as a father/daughter movie. (Really? Because I'd have gone more with "action adventure". PS - I hated this movie. One of the worst dates of my life. Remind me to NEVER tell you about it.)

Finding Nemo was coded as an undersea adventure. (Undersea adventure, ala Jacques Cousteau? Uh... no. Whatever happened to "animated", or "animal tale", which is what Ice Age was given, btw? So random.)

Secret Window was coded as a movie about marriage. (What the heck?! Has anyone else seen this show? I have, and I like it, because I enjoy Johnny Deep when he's creepy as all get-out. But let me just say, a movie about marriage, this is not. Stephen King isn't known for his relationship dramas, y'know.)

Salt was coded as a movie from the 2010's. (Hi. 2010 was only one year, there's no need to pluralize that. Also, I think "spy" or "espionage" would have been a better category than "movie from the 2010's", but whatever.)

You can see why I rated over 300 movies. The descriptions of the movies alone was some good entertainment. But my favorite part is yet to come.

The suggestions of what to put in my queue. Priceless, I tell you. Priceless.

I will show you:

What Lies Beneath, because I enjoyed: Sweet Home Alabama, My Best Friend's Wedding and Runaway Bride. (Clearly, What Lies Beneath is another creepy thriller that was somehow mistakenly categorized as a movie about weddings - or marriage - ala Secret Window.)

LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring because I enjoyed: X2 - X-Men United, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Star Trek. (What in the world do these four movies have in common? I mean, WHAT?! PS - I would sooner die than watch LOTR. The creatures. Ewh. Wolverine, not creepy. Elves and fairies, super creepy.)

Conspiracy Theory, because I enjoyed: Runaway Bride, The Patriot and Hook. (Uhh... Other than casting, what do these movies have in common with each other? I don't watch movies just because Mel Gibson and/or Julia Roberts is in them. Weird.)

So, Netflix. It is a never ending source of enjoyment for me. Even if all I ever do is rate movies so I can see how they were categorized, it's a good time.

Reason #743 why I love Joe Fox. (F-O-X.)

Joe Fox is pretty much the most perfect internet chat room BF of all time. Why? Because he knows when his mango's ripe. (Don't mind me. That was just a little inside, once-you've-seen-it-1,439-times-you-can-throw-lines-like-that-out-in-your-sleep, joke. I can't help myself. Sorry, there I go again. Thank your, ladies and gentlemen, thank your. ... Again. Sorry. I'll stop now, I promise.)

Anyhoo, it's no secret that I love this movie. (It's only been one of the two predictable contenders in Laurie's List of Top Five Movies Ever for ... oh, I don't know, forever.) I love Joe. I love his humor, his witty banter and depreciating humor. I love his empire (a man who owns stock in a book store? oh, be still my beating heart) and I love him for his caviar garnish stealing ways.

But one of the things I love best about Joe is that he read Pride & Prejudice because Kathleen Kelly told him that she loved it.



Oh, Joe. I love you, and if anyone but Kathleen had ended up with you, I would be beside myself.

The End.

Well said, Dudley. Well said.

Mom and I watched The Bishop's Wife this afternoon. I so love that movie! It's magical! (And I'm not just saying that because Cary Grant's wearing a suit through the whole movie - and a long coat for a large part of it.)

The end always makes me cry. On so many levels. I love the decorating of the tree. I love the softening of Mrs. Hamilton. I love the line "there are a few people who can make it Heaven, here on Earth". I love the Bishop wanting to punch Dudley out. I love the church scene, when the professor doesn't recognize Dudley - the angel who changed his life. But most of all, I love the sermon that Dudley wrote and the Bishop reads at Midnight Mass.

Tonight I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking.

Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child's cry, a blazing star hung over a stable, and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven't forgotten that night down the centuries. We celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, with the sound of bells, and with gifts.

But especially with gifts. You give me a book, I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer and Uncle Henry can do with a new pipe. For we forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. Its His birthday we're celebrating. Don't let us ever forget that.

Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most. And then, let each put in his share: loving kindness, warm hearts, and a stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on Earth.

Amen, Dudley! I love you (and I'm not just saying that because I have an affinity for men in long wool coats)!

May we all be a little bit better about remembering to hang His stocking, and to give the best gifts this season.

Merry Christmas!

When was the last time you went "Wahoo"?

Have you seen the movie I.Q.? If not, you must. It's one of my faves. This is one of my favorite scenes. I tell you what, Ed Walters makes my heart go pitter-pat. He does. I love him. I also love the old men. With all their talk of "does time really exist?" and their prejudice against Ze Rat Man, they slay me.

Seriously, this is one of the most fun movies I own. It didn't get a lot of press when it opened, and I've found that not a lot of people know it. (Which is tragic, since it's about the most quotable thing since.... Since... Well, since You've Got Mail, which you know is up there with Thoroughly Modern Millie and Dan in Real Life when it comes to quote-ability.)

Rent this movie. Netflix it. Borrow it from me. ... Whatever it takes. Just promise me that if you haven't seen it, you will. (I could really use having someone around who knows what I'm talking about when I reference The Seven Sacred Pools, okay?)

I heart Ed. I'm pretty sure I'd have been telling him "I love you. I. Love. You." only a few days after meeting him, too. He's adorable. He asks good questions. He does a pretty ridiculous Brando impersonation, and he likes ice cream cones. Ed rocks. I'm pretty sure he'd make me go "wahoo" (and I mean that in the most respectable way, of course).

Looky there... it's my 500th post!

Seriously, folks, I talk (type) a lot. I am not kidding. (Of course, you know me and/or my blog, so you already knew this.) This is my 500th post. Wowza. The good news? I'm not going to list 500 things for you. (I'm pretty sure that there was collective sigh of relief heard around the world as I typed that sentence.) No, I'm not going to list 500 things that I love, but I am going to show you 5 things that made me happy today.

This baby. Her name is Sally, and I love her.



She is the best medicine I've had all summer long, and Jo is such a good friend that she lets me hold her baby all day long if I want to. (And today, I did. I got there at 9:00 and left at 6:00. All I did all day was sit and hold Sally while I talked to Jo. It was pretty much the best day ever.)

These Sobe drinks. I double dog dare you to try and find more joy for $1.

Especially if I put it in the freezer for a couple hours, so it starts to get icy. You can't beat a cranberry/grapefruit Sobe that's been frozen and then shaken so it's full of icy woofendoofers. Delish!

This song. Every time I hear it, I smile. It's poetry to me.



What do I love about this version of the song? The intro. "Love, baby. Love." Amen, Pops.

This movie. I love Dan (everybody does, you know).



And, okay, I have to show you this part because it's basically my favorite part of the whole movie - except for maybe the bathroom/shower scene - oh, and the bookstore scene and the breakfast conversation that ensues over the muffin that's the size of a small planet - and the dinner scene, "this corn is an angel" - and the "YOU ARE A MURDERER OF LOVE!" scene - and the "I'm in the 4th grade, I can make things up myself" car scene - not to mention the guitar and the singing in the family talent show. (Okay, okay. So, I love the whole freaking movie. I can't help myself, it's fabulous. If you haven't seen it, you must.)



I swear, if I ever have kids, I'm gonna have to sing to them about little piggies. The "wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee..." part at the end of the song makes me laugh out loud - every time.

Cinnamon rolls. Specifically, Cousin Julie's cinnamon rolls.



You may recall that I've gone on and on about her cinnamon rolls before. They are, in a word, divine. And her sister, my sweet cousin Shelly, is coming to Arizona for the weekend. Praise all that is holy and good in this world, Shelly has room in the car for a special treat from Julie to me. When I talked to Julie tonight and she gave me the option of plain cinnamon rolls, pecan cinnamon rolls and/or pecan and craisin cinnamon rolls I had to say "yes, please" to any and all of the above.

Life is good.

Amen.

I seek him here, I seek him there...

You know how sometimes I wake up and look in the mirror and think "Holy crap! I look like a celebrity!"? Yeah? Well, it happened again.

Check me out:

Before I show you my celeb look-alike for the day, let me just say that whenever I wear this robe, I have to giggle a little bit. You see, I had one of best/most sincere compliments of my life when my friend Jenni was here this summer. I came out of my room, wearing this robe, and she gasped and said that this was such a great color for me, that it made my eyes greeney-browny. (True story.) Now if only I could find more than a robe in this color - you know, a dress, or a top or something a little more suited to public wear - maybe I could find myself my very own Sir Percy Blakeney. I'm pretty sure that no man would be immune to my charms, my big hair and my greeney-browney eyes...

Behold, my celeb look-alike for the day (in my own - very wild - imagination, mind you):

Now, if I could get my crazy hair to be just a little bit bigger (it's lacking some size about the sides), maybe I could snag myself a seemingly foppish Englishman who spends his free time saving French nobles from the guillotine. (Also, he's a bit of a poet.)

Sir Percy Blakeney. Be still, my beating heart.

If you've never seen The Scarlet Pimpernel circa 1982, put it on your Netflix - STAT. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

The most recent page turner in my life

I've been a reading lot this week. A lot.

Gosh, it's good to be back.

This is my most recent read.

Oh my word, I love this book! It is fabulous. Incredibly well written, it's a story of 3 women whose lives are intertwined. It's set in Jackson, MI in 1963. Not the best place in time, if you're at all familiar with the territory. (That line totally just made me sing a little ditty from The Music Man. "But you have to know the territory." ... I digress.)

Anyway, this book? It's fabulous. If you haven't read it, you must. I'm telling you, here and now, it's a must read.

Part of why I have loved this book is that it has reminded me to be grateful for the time and place I was raised in, for the tolerance of my parents and those of the friends I grew up with. Having an underlying theme of Racial Intolerance/Segregation, this book has helped me feel so grateful for my life. It has reminded me that not only were the lines between black and white so thick that generations of Americans had a hard time seeing around them, but also that way too many people had to fight and/or die for the equality that they believed in.

One of those killed on the road to Integration was Medgar Evers. If you don't know his name - if you haven't seen this movie - please watch it. Right away. (But maybe not at night. If you're a sissy like me, anyway. I get a little freaked out, and I've seen it loads of times.)




It's a fabulous movie. It's a true story, and very well done. James Woods is pretty much the creepiest bad guy of all time. And an added bonus, it's from 1996, which was back in the days when Alec Baldwin was a treat to behold.

So, basically, what I'm saying is... Read this book. Watch this movie. ... Just in case you have a hard time figuring out what you want to do with your free time these days, I thought I'd boss you around a little. You'll love both of them, I'm sure of it.

Me & my fancy up-do's...

For those of you not familiar with the movie that inspired the title of my blogsite, let me just say... you must see Thoroughly Modern Millie. It's a treasure, in that it's one of the best sing-along musicals, as well as one of the most quotable movies of all time. (Plus, Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore? What's not to love?)

Anyway, I love that movie. (Clearly.) And one of my fav characters is Mrs. Meers. (She's a lunatic of a villain, but I love her.)

One of my last days in the hospital, I'd put my hair up in a bun, and the bun got a little high on the top of my head. I took a look in the mirror and thought "I bet, if I put some of my bendy straws in that, I'd look just like Mrs. Meers!". So, of course, I had to try it. Below is the result. Pretty smashing, if you ask me.



Fast forward to being home from the hospital just over a week, when I went out to dinner (Chinese, obviously) with my mom and brother. I was sitting by the window, and the sun was streaming in and I got a little warm. I reached into the middle of the table and grabbed a package of chopsticks. Just as my brother was asking if I "could really eat with those" (anyone who knows me knows he was just looking after my best interests - I need a fork, lest I dump all my food into my lap), I pulled my hair up and fashioned a makeshift bun with my two wooden sticks. My mom looked at me and laughed out loud, Kirk just shook his head. I didn't even care what I looked like - I was hot, man! We sat and talked for another half hour or so, then came back to my place. Hours later, I walked into the bathroom and laughed out loud. I'd totally forgotten I'd ever put sticks in my hair and was shocked at the sight. ... Of course, I had to take a picture.



I showed my mom the pic after I'd taken it, and said "Uhm... the flash is a bit much, I'm looking pretty pasty". Mom cut me off with "Yeah, like a geisha".

Awesome.

... And that's what's cracking us up over at my house these days. All this time, I'd thought I might have an inner Mrs. Meers trying to get out. Uh, no. It turns out, maybe it's an inner Geisha.

Yikes!

I heart Russell Crowe. I do.

I know, I know. But, really. I love him. I can't help myself. I think it's a combination of his gravelly voice and his barrel chest. (Also, Beautiful Mind and Cinderella Man are two of my fav movies of all time. Add Proof of Life in there and all I can say is, it's a little unholy, how much I enjoy him.)

Of course, I had to go and see the new Robin Hood movie. (Because who loves the idea of a man who would steal from the rich to give to the poor? Uh, me.) Of course, it was a little gruesome for my blood. Since I'm a weak-stomached thing who has a hard time with a bloody nose, I went into the theater expecting to be a little traumatized by the arrows and the swords and stuff. I was not disappointed in that regard. And just when I thought I had a grip on myself and all the trauma was over... Oh, no. Arrow through the neck on screen. AAAACK! I screamed like a girl and threw my arms over my face. (Yeah, I needed more coverage than just hands/fingers would have allowed there.) ... Here's hoping the Petersons will be seen in public with me again. (I did get laughed at for that complete over reaction. Imagine.)

The storyline was a little different than other Robin Hoods, but I liked it. That they cast the egg-eating assassin from Lost as Little John made me LOL. (Literally. He is HUGE, so the "Little John" thing was a crack up to me.) I think my favorite thing about this movie is how strong Marian is. I like what a hard worker she is, that she is such a woman of principle. (See? I didn't only like it because Russell Crowe was in it.) I did, of course, miss my cousin Shelly fiercely while I was watching the movie. (Cate Blanchett always reminds me of Shell.) I even got a little jealous of her during a kiss scene, until I remembered that it wasn't really Cousin Shelly kissing my BF in the movie. (I know, just go ahead and add that confession to the list of things none of you ever really wanted to know about me and how my brain works.)

All in all, I give it a good 3 out of 4 stars. (I'd do 3 and 1/4 if I could. 3 1/2 seems a bit much, but it's a solid 3 1/4.) I know that seems like I'm saying it wasn't good, giving a 3, but maybe 2 out of 100 movies that I see get a solid 4 stars. So, really... 3 and change is a pretty high compliment.

If you're into movies where people fight with swords and stuff, I think you should definitely go see this one. (And if you need someone to come with you to tell you when that arrow through the neck part's gonna happen, so you can properly cover your eyes so you don't accidentally witness the carnage, you just let me know. I'll be happy to come with and help you out with that. I know, I'm such a giver.)

Here's a little insight into my soul....

I'm a sap. I mean, I'm a ridiculously emotional girl. I've been known to cry in coffee commercials, and also because I can't get my shoes to tie right the first time around. (Have any of you ever noticed you'll never see me wearing shoes with shoelaces? There's a reason for that.) I tell you, I know I'm a sap. I know I get weepy in more movies that almost anyone else I know.

And yet... I double dog dare you to watch Father of the Bride and not get emotional. I'm sorry, but you have a heart of stone if this movie doesn't choke you up at least once (and I won't judge you if you get teary 13 or 14 times). I'm telling you, it slays me.



I love the story, the soundtrack, the ridiculous hi-jinks (George dropping the checkbook - and then himself - into his daughter's future in-laws' pool? Ha!). I love the relationship between the mom and dad, between the dad and daughter, between the brother and sister. Basically, I love this movie all the way around.

And as much as it makes me tear up and cry... Boy howdy, does it make me laugh, too!



"Mr. Bahnks, I do that for a loving, you know." HA!

I also love the caterer talking to the wedding planner:

"No vowel." Who knew that vowel meant veal? I mean... who knew?!

What's SLAYING me is that they cut the "Chipper Chicken" discussion. Oh, the tragedy!

Seriously. One of the simultaneously heartwarming and at the same time funniest movies. EVER.

I just wish I had a piece of keck that I could eat while I re-watched it right now. But alas...

Sabrina: A Study

Over the weekend, I decided to watch both Sabrina movies, back to back, to do a little contrast/comparison study. (You know me, I'm so scientific.) I love them both. This is what I found:

I love the old movie, because I remember watching it as a kid. I was mesmerized by the wrist flip egg cracking routine. (Which I can do, by the way, in both hands at the same time. I'm somewhat of a kitchen wunderkind, I know.) I love La Vie en Rose, the way the melody is in the background through much of the film makes my heart happy. Audrey Hepburn is a beautiful thing. Her clothes, her hair, her skinny little legs and her long elegant neck. Her ball gown ("with yards of skirt") blows my freaking mind. Oh my goodness, she must have had so much fun wearing the clothes for this movie. Honestly, it's beautiful. If I thought I could get away with black leggings and a wide-collared coat, I'd so wear them. (Don't worry, I know I can't get away with that and will not be appearing in public ala Audrey anytime soon. But still, the wardrobe? Fabulous.)

I love the new movie, because it's a refreshing remake of classic. Familiar enough to pay homage to the original, but new and fresh and updated. Julia Ormond's makeover-by-haircut makes me want to bob my hair. The only thing that keeps me from whacking my hair off at my ears is the knowledge that it'd take a whale of a lot more than a sincere haircut and some dark lipstick to turn me into a supermodel. (Well... that, and if I did cut my hair and then found out I had cancer, I wouldn't have enough hair left on my head to have a wig made of my own hair. And that's always been a dream of mine.) I love music in the new movie as well. John Williams is a freaking genius, and I love that he wrote the theme. (It's gorgeous.) I love the voice overs at the beginning and end of the movie. I love Linus telling Mr. Fairchild "I need her, and I don't need anything".



At the end of the day, I love both movies. Truly, madly and deeply, I love both movies. The newer movie is funnier, in a dry hi-my-name's-Linus-Larrabee-and-I'm-rich-but-hilarious sort of way. (I do love the scene when they're getting ready for the party and a dog runs out of the house and Linus asks "What was that?". David replies "It's a dog". Linus's deadpan response, "Why?". It slays me. I mean, laugh out loud slays me. I could marry him for that quip alone.) The newer version has richer character development. I believe Linus when he tells Sabrina that she knows him better than anyone else. I love that she gets him to eat with his fingers, and that she tells him point-blank what people say about him. I love that he really does donate his property to be a half-way house. Ahhhh, Linus. I love him!

These are good movies. I love them! I'm so grateful for a mom who loves a good story, and who instilled in me a love of a well-told story, whether that story is in print or film. ... Sometimes I wish my dad had been a chauffeur and I was his only daughter, but then I remember that Harrison Ford probably wouldn't have lived in the big house next door, anyway, and then I go back to be grateful for the home I did grow up in and the life I have. :-)

If you aren't familiar with Sabrina, I think you should be. Call me if you need to borrow one or the other. Heaven only knows I could spare to loan out a movie or two from time to time...