My fall TV viewing has already begun. NBC got the excellent Grimm off to an early start back on August 13. Sophomore years always frighten me as they can be quite the letdown (I’m looking at you Falling Skies) but thus far Grimm Season 2 has proven as darkly magical as Season 1. It’s on a brief break until September 28th but this show is on my must record/watch list for the year.
We swim almost all year long at the indoor pool here in town. Summer adds a whole new dimension to our swimming though. That is when beaches, waterparks and outdoor pools also become viable options for when we want to take a dip.
My youngest son loves to listen to the radio. This has actually been really good for me – without him I might be stuck in the ’80’s, listening to the same music I did back in college. The down side is that I often find myself haunted by the music we just listened to. This is my latest haunt. I’m lucky – the song bears up well under repeated hearings. And the video has some amazing imagery.
What music has been haunting you lately?
- Maggie AAR
Way back in 2005 my husband surprised my son and I with tickets to the midnight showing of Batman Begins. My son, only 10 and not allowed to stay up that late on a regular basis, was completely and totally thrilled. We were on vacation and as a result got to see the film on a Super IMAX screen. The experience was just amazing. Seven years later it is still a special memory.
By the time The Dark Knight came out our town had built an IMAX, so I took my son to a midnight showing of that movie as well. He was excited about being able to see both films on an IMAX at midnight and started talking about seeing the third movie the same way before we were even seated for the second one. Needless to say, I bought tickets for Dark Knight Rises back in June to ensure that he was able to see all the premieres at midnight in an IMAX theater. It was a silly thing to be excited about I guess but we are a family of nerds and movie buffs and this is the type of thing that makes us happy. In order to guarantee good seats Michael got there by 8:30 pm. He had a fellow fanatic seated next to him (duh) and the two were able to pass the time discussing all the films they mutually loved as well as their expectations for this one. Anyone who has been to a midnight showing knows this is not just your typical movie outing. The fans are beyond excited. Many dress in costumes. The atmosphere is festive and jubilant. (more…)
I have a few songs that make me think of just how wonderful summer is. In spite of the heat, I thought I’d share them and remind us why we all love this season.
While on vacation I had the chance to watch a couple of films that were favorites from the 80’s. Both are movies I loved enough to have seen multiple times, going so far as to own them on DVD. Both are films I haven’t picked up in at least (gulp!) eight years. It was funny the different reactions I had to each.
I was on vacation during the first week of June. That just happened to be the time an important election was taking place in my state. Because I wanted my voice to be heard, I made sure to vote by absentee ballot before I left. It was no big deal; the whole experience, including driving, took less than twenty minutes.
The Hunger Games have been all over the news lately. In one of the many articles a critic discussed Battle Royale, a year 2000 Japanese film about a class of teenagers forced to fight to the death in an arena. The writer pointed out the similarities between the two films. The greater violence of Battle Royale was emphasized, a fact which drew my husband like a magnet. We watched the movie one rainy Saturday night and I have to admit to being disturbed on many levels. But mostly, I was impressed – because much of the heart that I felt was missing from Hunger Games (the movie) appeared in this movie.
In the future, the Japanese Government finds itself with growing numbers of disenchanted youth. Disrespectful in school, violent in some cases, they represent to the adults a break down in society and the culture they have always known. In retribution and an attempt to hold some form of power over these kids the Battle Royale Act is instated. Battle Royale is a fun little game played every year in which a random class of young people is chosen to fight to the death in an arena. Each person is given a back pack with a weapon but don’t be fooled, there’s nothing fair about the fight. Some backpacks contain frying pans, others machine guns. To add some spice two ringers are added to the field called transfer students. One ringer is a former winner being punished for attitude, reminding the kids that they are never safe from vengeance. The other is the equivalent of what the Hunger Games called a career – a seasoned, trained fighter who likes to kill. Everyone on the island has only three days. If at the end of three days more than one person is alive, all are detonated and no winner is declared. (more…)
I hate laundry. Always have. One reason is that I have always lived in homes with inconvenient laundry rooms. At my parent’s house it is in the basement, down a very steep flight of concrete steps. In the first apartment my husband and I shared we had to use a portable washer and dryer. Very annoying. In every home we have owned since it has been in the basement.
I love stationery, always have. Initially, I began with just cards – birthday cards, the just because funny Hallmark cards, Christmas cards. Then I began a love affair with stationery sets – pretty matching paper and envelopes, most often with some kind of floral motif.
