Indie Movies

I’m having a lovely day today, are you? Knowing that my weekday hours will be very limited with start of my new job, I decided to visit a little-known art museum just six miles from my home. The Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Art is free to visit on weekdays. I love so many pieces in Phoenix Art Museum’s Western collection, however, I’d have to say I was overall “underwhelmed” by the old-fashioned art in the Basha Collection. There were as many sculptures as there were paintings, and anyway, I’m glad I checked it out and felt like I was having myself a little adventure by exploring a part of our city I’d never been before.

I finished the fabulous novel called Descent by Tim Johnston, so decided I’d better dig into filling out the huge amount of forms that came in my new teacher packet. I gasped when I came to the Social Media Agreement—the first sentences on the list read like this: “My photographs will adhere to all staff policies. No photographs of drinking, smoking, or illegal activities. (Clothing doesn’t have to adhere to code, but I will be mindful of what I am wearing.)”

I paused for more than a minute, then quickly initialed all of the little boxes. There are gives and takes to every job, and I know this one is truly meant to be. I got a great vibe from visiting the campus, and really liked the staff members who I met. But at this moment, I’m fighting the urge to group all of our booze bottles and photograph them, posting it on Facebook. You know, just to get it out of my system. (I’m so naughty.) And we have SO MANY BOTTLES right now since we just had a party! But seriously, a lot of the photos I post on Facebook are of Hubby and I out with friends trying a new brew pub or sports bar, so I will definitely be making changes. BEER IS GOOD, NOT EVIL. Sigh. From now on when taking a FB photo, I will make sure I push all alcohol away from view and if, by chance, a school parent sees my post, they will assume I am there for the good grub.

All summer I’ve been making a list of good movies to give to friends when they complain that there’s just nothing good to watch. Pshaw, I say. Lucky me, we not only have Netflix (which we share between the five of us in my family who happen to live in three different houses) but recently bought a year of Amazon Prime. The free two-day shipping is fantastic—I’m not sure how they’re making any money by charging only $99 annually for the service. So here is the short list of fabulous movies you may have never heard of. Click on each one for a link to the trailer. There’s vintners, Italian restaurants, pirates, broken hearts, rock and roll, and mannequins. You know, something for everyone. You’re welcome.

Snatch
Bottle Shock
Miller’s Crossing (My favorite!)
Big Night
Juno
16 Blocks
Stuck in Love
Crazy Stupid Love
The Greatest
Whip It
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Pirate Radio
Lars and The Real Girl
Tonight You’re Mine

Cheers,
Mary

Coming of Age

Wednesday.

5pm.

Fry’s Marketplace/

I’m back at the Redbox dispensing cubey thing. To avoid the acute embarrassment of standing there one more minute than necessary, I’d researched my five first choices at home (because renting a Redbox movie says to the World that you are a sad lonely figure with no social life).  ACCKK! Nothing was available except my last choice. So yes, last night I watched the never-award-winning film called Two Night Stand. It was a little movie about a dating site hookup for two awkward people in their twenties. Honestly, it wasn’t really that bad. It truly had some great moments. I laughed out loud several times, and I liked all of the actors. It’s not fair to compare it to Unbroken, which was my first choice!

I love war movies (weird, I know), but my next favorite film category is “Coming of Age.” This is probably due to the fact that I had such rich experiences during my own teen years. I have an excellent memory and can recall conversations I had at a party at Linda Person’s house when her dad was out of town and we had the biggest band party of our senior year. This “talent” of mine (remembering things) simultaneously delights and appalls my old high school friends who would mostly rather leave the past in the past.

So here is a list of my favorite Coming of Age movies. Some tell the story of a person during their teen years, and some focus on their early twenties. If you had things figured out in your early twenties, kudos to you, but for myself that was truly a growth period. And new scientific research reports major brain development until age 25. Which explains SO MUCH.

Almost Famous is about a 15-year-old boy in the 1970’s who goes on tour with a rock band and writes for Rolling Stone Magazine. I should not admit this, but I watch it at least once a year. The movie is full of memorable scenes, and at the very least, you’ll enjoy the blast-from-the-past fashions. The acting is AMAZING (I must say it again: AMAZING!), and I cry every single time I watch the scene on the tour bus when they’re all singing Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. This movie sucks you into their world (and aren’t those the best movies?).

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist was made in 2008 and depicts New Jersey high school seniors who have a big night clubbing in New York City. Did you ever have a night out with your friends that seemed to go on and on, with so much drama and excitement and romance? This movie feels like one of those nights as this movie depicts only 24 hours in these characters’ lives. It took me right back to age 17. The actors are charming, and this movie made me laugh over and over again.

Diner is a period piece that takes place in Baltimore, Maryland in 1959. These high school friends, now in their early twenties, have gathered to participate in a wedding that may or not happen. The sets are amazing, accurately and convincingly depicting music, fashion, restaurants, and cars of that era. This is probably one of my favorite movies of all time due to the witty banter that always cracks me up. I wish MY friends were that funny!

Another is Stand By Me. I’ve always loved Stephen King, and this movie compliments his short story from which it is abstracted. I’m blown away by the quality of acting considering the fact that the actors were in their early teens when they made this movie. This story is nostalgic and reminds me of stories my father would tell me about his childhood growing up in a small town in northern Illinois.

And last, but not least, is Ferris Buehler’s Day Off. I was in college and working two jobs when this film was released, so you can imagine how the concept of “a day off” resonated with me at that time. It’s just silly. I love every bit of it. I was thrilled to discover my kids loved this movie as much as I do. This might be my favorite comedy ever.

And for chicks, there’s 13 Going on 30, Catch and Release, and The Greatest.

Congratulations for sticking with me through my little love letter to the movies. I have more news and a recipe, however, since you’ve been so patient, I’ll save those for tomorrow. As my friend Lois says, “I want to read your blog, really I do . . . but there are just SO many words!”

Cheers and Happy Movie Watching,
Mary

Twilight

At 8:00pm in Tempe, Arizona, it is twilight. I briefly went outside to check on our crazy elderly Siamese cat (Cosmo) who has decided he is no longer a house cat, but is a back yard cat. He yowls all day at the back door until we let him out. I hate the noise and when I gave in almost immediately today, William chided me, “Mom, we can’t give in to the terrorists!” He’s so funny. Most of the time it’s okay. Cosmo is very fat and almost blind, but somehow is able occasionally to jump on the fence . . . and last night must have hopped over (or fallen) and it was a frightening/irritating ten minutes while I was calling and calling for him at 11pm, and finally he leaped over the fence and says, “Mreow.” Which means, sorry, Mom, I was having an adventure.  And when Cosmo is finally chased into the house, the other cats sniff him crazily, greeting him like he’s freakin’ Lewis or Clark.  He brings with him the foreign scents of mesquite leaves, Algerian ivy, Cape Honeysuckle, and Star Jasmine.

But tonight it is very quiet. No cars drive down the streets. Peeking over the fence, I do not see anyone walking. Most people in Tempe try to get out of town in the summer. Not that our temps have been hot yet (thank you global warming, for the record-breaking low temps), but still, it’s what people are used to. Getting the hell out of Dodge in the summer. People who have money go to San Diego, Colorado, or back to the Midwest to visit the family they’ve left behind. Those who don’t go to the mountains to camp near our beautiful lakes or in the tall pines. Arizona is a grand place. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. And I love the hot weather, so whether we get away or not makes no difference to me. If we’re out of town and miss a particularly violent monsoon storm, I’m so mad—I’ve missed something I can’t get back.

But tonight it’s very quiet. Ruby is eating grass, and Cosmo lounges in the gravel under the orange tree. I have no idea what Ruby got in to, but for two days she threw up gelatinous goo all over the carpet we put in a year and a half ago. Good dog. Upon advice from the Interwebs she is now getting two Pepcids a day and is eating small meals of rice with a tiny bit of chicken. No barf in 24 hours now, but I’m glad she’s eating grass. It’s supposed to be good for them. (Note to self: Next time I have an upset stomach, try eating some fresh Bermuda stalks.)

But then the silence is interrupted by an overhead plane. Thank God we were not aware we were under the Sky Harbor flight path when we bought our house. It is a beautiful, modest neighborhood full of good people and close to everything a person could ever need. And the planes are still high in the sky as they fly over–nothing like what they experience where my kids live five miles north of here by ASU, where you can practically see people looking out the plane windows.

Hubby is on a business trip to New Jersey this week. One day at lunch friends said to me, “You should go with him!” My response (with a sarcastic face), was to say “To New Jersey?” And then I wished I could eat my words because two of those friends were born in NJ. Whoops. Simultaneously they objected: “But it’s the Garden State!” I apologized and promised to make plans to visit there very soon, but seriously, Hubby is working 24/7 and for me to venture out exploring on my own is quite laughable. I get lost in my own neighborhood. Today after lunching in downtown Phoenix I got very disoriented and was traveling west while I thought I was traveling south. I can easily get lost in a new doctor’s office, exiting from the exam room in the wrong direction EVERY SINGLE TIME. If Hubby and I are lost, he will ask me, “Left or right?” And when he turns opposite from what I intuited, that is the correct way. I miss him and hope he will have a fun adventure and get lots done in the Garden State this week.

I am in the middle of watching Boyhood. I have not used Redbox in a bazillion years, but we do not have cable tv and nothing on Netflix appealed to me. Standing at the Redbox machine at the grocery store, I felt immensely embarrassed. The people I usually see standing there are so sad that you just want to give them a hug. And maybe, just maybe, I would have been happy if someone noticed my shame and asked, “Would you like a hug?” But back to Boyhood: I am hearting this movie. I love it so much that I decided to pause it for a half hour to write this wee diddy so as to savour and postpone the ending. Telling you about it makes me want to hit “play” and finish this beautiful coming-of-age story. It’s an old story, as old as time. I would say it’s everyone’s story, so familiar that you find yourself thinking back on your past as you watch the movie. Ain’t it a bitch how fast our children grow up? And for that matter, doesn’t it suck how quickly WE grew up? Youth is fleeting, it’s a fact. But we’re allowed to be bitter about it once in awhile, right?

Cheers,
Mary

Don’t Let’s All Go to the Dogs Tonight

Hubby and I went on a date Saturday night. It had been a long time since we’d been out to a nice restaurant, and it’s Restaurant Week, which means select places are offering special prix fixe menus. I chose Citizen Public House in Scottsdale, which always gets great press.

Well. I was disappointed. The waiter was the over-friendly, loud, in-your-face type, checking in way too often, and taking too long delivering that first drink. The food was “eh.” The restaurant is very proud of its Original Chopped Salad, and Hubby did enjoy it. It was dropped off in a rush at the table and Hubby was halfway finished when the waiter stopped by to explain the salad is supposed to be stirred together (awkward!). That’s what everyone wants at a restaurant—for the waiter to come and tell you you’re eating your food wrong! Listen to the menu description of my salad: “Local field greens with cashews, goat cheese, grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, celery seed balsamic dressing.” My mouth watered at the grand description. Oh my—the salad I was given was such a disappointment! The small handful of drowned, limp leaves were sad, not grand. I swear to you on a stack of 100 Julia Child cookbooks when I say to you my salad contained a half teaspoon of goat cheese and one cashew. The two tomatoes looked awkward sitting in the too-tart dressing. Hubby raved about his scallops, and they did look pretty on his plate. I ordered the Amaro Meatloaf, which was so plain and the texture so rubbery, I looked about to make sure I was not on a Delta Airlines Jumbo Jet. I’d hoped to take a photo of our dessert (apple & bacon bread pudding, maple ice cream, blueberry sauce, blueberry-maple streusel) but it was a small, homely lump in a too-large bowl. It tasted great—but it was in no way photo-worthy. It would have been hard to take a photo anyway since the lighting was extremely dim. Most likely intended to be romantic, instead it reminded me more of a visit to the home of an elderly relative, the lights kept low to save electricity. Only half the room’s tables had guests, yet it was extremely loud. The only decor (and I use the term loosely) were small groupings of framed photos (of what I have no idea) over some of the tables. There were awkwardly placed electrical outlets next to each photo grouping. How many times have I used the word awkward in this review? That word sums up The Citizen Public House.

(I would like to say that in no way am I a professional chef or restaurant reviewer. This is simply the opinion of one person. You may visit this restaurant and have a completely different experience . . . though I would advise you to bring your own goat cheese and cashews.)

We had fun AFTER dinner walking up and down 5th Avenue and peeking into the windows of the restaurants we wished we had chosen (next time!). Then we came home and watched an old movie, Three Kings, on Netflix. And after that, I stayed up too late reading a hilarious/touching/irreverent book called Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfullness written by the wonderful Alexandra Fuller. I must now re-read Don’t Let’s All Go to the Dogs Tonight, her first novel. I love her writing so much that last night I dreamed we were good friends, Alexandra and I, and we were laughing together while sipping glasses of wine. Oh, if only!

Cheers,
Mary

Aurora’s Chicken Pepperoni

I woke up today with great energy. Not only am I Taking Care of Business, but I worked out with my Pilates friends on the tv. It’s all about stretching and feels so good, and is also very amusing/intriguing/scary because the two women in the video have humongous breast implants under their tight work-out clothes. Wouldn’t it be so uncomfortable to have those big things on the front of your body? I’m sure those women can’t sleep on their stomachs. When’s the last time they saw their toes? If I had breasts that large, I’d probably be knocking stuff over with them all the time. (Maybe that’s why they’re called knockers.) I’d be doing the dishes and CRASH! There goes another wine glass! I’d turn around and give someone a black eye. The whole thing seems impractical, and a little bit dangerous.

Anyway, after excercising, I decided to clean out my closet. I have soooooo many clothes (yet nothing to wear). I made a vow to get rid of the stuff that does not fit and/or was never attractive. I am currently wearing a short-sleeved blouse made of shiny fabric which is the color of a runny egg yolk. It has strange silver snaps on the pleated pockets, and even though I’ve tried it on 20 times during the three years I’ve owned it, I’ve never worn it out of the house . . . until today. I will have my lunch dates weigh in. If I bump into you this month, you will likely notice my strange attire. Be prepared to give my outfit a thumbs up or down, and know in your heart it’s all for a good cause.

I have a new cooking project! It’s called “Food Featured in Films.” I thought of this idea while watching Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows recently. If you haven’t seen this movie, you really should. At one point during the film, Holmes and Watson find themselves having dinner in a gypsy camp. Holmes is handed a bowl of food, and after he takes a bite, he says, “This is the best groundhog stew I’ve ever tasted!” to which Watson asks, “When did you last have a groundhog stew?” I love that movie.

When I was at the grocery store yesterday, I forgot to ask the butcher for a pound of groundhog, so last night had to go ahead with a different dish. I made Aurora’s Chicken Pepperoni, which is a recipe featured in the zany, madcap movie Seems Like Old Times. Released in 1980, this film stars Goldie Hawn, Charles Grodin, and Chevy Chase. This is a family favorite and every time my Aunt Linda impersonates Aurora, who has a very thick Spanish accent, I can’t stop giggling. “I’m getting my feet ah-scraped,” and she describes her famous dish as “chicken chess with chiss” (translation: Chicken chest with cheese). I have it on DVD if you want to borrow it!

This literally took five minutes of prep. Easy peasy! Hubby said it was delicious.

Aurora’s Chicken Pepperoni

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup pepperoni slices
1 cup mozarella cheese, grated
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss breasts in bread crumbs. Place in a baking dish. Cover with marinara sauce. Arrange pepperoni slices on top of that. On top of that sprinkle grated cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan on top of that and bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Serve with crusty bread and a side of steamed broccoli.

Cheers,
Mary

Sting, Popeye, and Me

I have banished William to his room where he may not exit until it is tidy. His floor is covered with clean clothes and stacks of Magic Cards. On top and under that is a fine layer of cat hair. Tomorrow I am vacuuming, come Hell or High Water. Hubby and Eve are at Ski Pro renting skis for their upcoming Ski Adventure (I do not ski; I fall.) So I am enjoying some time alone in the kitchen, singing as loud as I can with Sting (The Soul Cages). I haven’t listened to it in years—what a relief to find out my old brain still remembers most of the words! My favorite song on the album is Why Should I Cry For You. SO ROMANTIC, and don’t you love how the sailor is conflicted—he loves the ocean and he loves Her. Or maybe he is personifying the ocean and there isn’t a woman? Oh snap, can’t believe I’m not sure after all these years.

What’s for dinner? I’m so glad you asked! Chicken with bell peppers–BORING, but healthy. No cheese, no grease. Hubby likes to be healthy. You know how people say “Your body is a temple?” Well, I can safely say my body is a shack. My body is a cardboard box that a hobo lives in. My body is one of those houses you see in Mexico with three walls, no roof, and rebar sticking out the top. You get the picture. I do not want to turn over a new leaf. I do not want to go to the gym. It’s loud and stinky and I do not like the people there. I want to eat nachos and bacon and drink tequila and stay up too late and get up too early. So there.

Yet . . . tonight I am making a healthy dinner. Peppers have antioxidants, but truly they are very tasty. I also made my Baked Spinach Thing. It’s so easy I cannot call it a recipe. I’ve been making it forever and haven’t ever written it down. Take two packages of frozen spinach and thaw them. Plop the spinach in a bowl. Pretend you are Popeye the Sailor Man for a moment by putting your arms to your sides to bulge your muscles, then close one eye and grimace, and say in an old man voice, “I yam what I yam, and that’s all I yam.” Watch your kids roll their eyes. To the spinach add two eggs, 1/2 cup or so of grated parmesan, 1/3 of a block of softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup half and half (or milk if that is what you have), salt, pepper. Often I put in a minced garlic clove but I was too lazy tonight. Mix the whole thing well, put in a buttered casserole, sprinkle with more Parmesan, and bake for 30 minutes on 350. It reheats well and is even good for breakfast (I swear). I’m sure some of you are laughing at the fact that I consider spinach with cream cheese healthy.

Did you see the full moon a few days ago? Ahhhhh, it was gorgeous. I went out and said hello to it, and when I came back inside was delighted to find out the movie Moonstruck is available on Netflix streaming. I LOVE THAT MOVIE! I had not seen it in years. I laughed, I cried. My favorite line is when Loretta’s mom asks her a question, “Do you love him?” Loretta responds, “Aw, Mom,I love him awful.” And her mom says, “Oh God, that’s too bad.” Cher won Best Actress for her part in this movie.

Many years ago I made a list of favorite movies which you can find here: https://cheersd.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/classic-movies/ I need to add newer movies to the list. If you read that old blog posting, you will see that I offered Patrick $20 to read The Stand by Stephen King. Can you believe he finally read it this summer (four years after I asked him to) on our trip to Ireland. This cracked me up because it’s one of the heaviest, largest books we own—yet he decided THAT’S the one he needed to carry in his backpack on our Trip Across the Pond. He loved the novel, and he did not ask me for the $20.

Cheers,

Mary

One Thousand Monkeys

Last night we visited the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the fabulous new installation of large-scale Chihuly glass art and wander on the luminaria-lined paths in the brisk winter air. Our friends had never been to this event before and were charmed by it all, however, Hubby and I were disappointed by how few musical groups were there. Twenty years ago, there were 15-20 musical groups on any night. Last night there were FIVE. Trust me, I will be making some calls on Monday. It was still a ton of fun. We drank many tiny thimblefuls of wine and a good time was had by all.

This morning Hubby asked me in a chipper voice, “Are you ready to go to the gym?” I made a sad face and said, “I’m pretty sure one thousand monkeys danced on my head while I was sleeping. My head hurts.” He hugged me and made sympathetic noises. We agreed it was partly because we had skipped dinner, partly because of the cheap wine, and mostly because of the large margarita I drank once we were home. Sometimes I forget I am not 20 years old anymore. (But I DO have fun!)

I have absolutely no explanation for why I have not written my blog for so long. I have been very busy. On the days when I was not busy, I stared out the window thoughtfully while eating cheese and it was lovely. One day (while staring out the window) it occurred to me that in less than one year, I will be 50 years old. My heart was filled with terror. I toyed with the idea of having a mid-life crisis, then thought better of it. I turned my thoughts to Christmas and have felt pretty terrific ever since.

Here are some of the things that happened during the past month:

I hosted Thanksgiving here. All five of my little family were here, plus my in-laws and Patrick’s lovely girlfriend, Samantha. My meal was tasty and my table looked pretty. I made an especially delicious corn casserole. We watched the movie, The World’s End which is about a mid-life crisis, drinking pints in English pubs, and robots. I think everyone liked it.

I have been touring at the Phoenix Art Museum almost every Wednesday. I spent hours and hours and hours preparing for the Art & Science Connects tour, and my hard work paid off. It went very well. I have a ton of work to do for next week’s Math in Art tour, which may turn out to be mostly an Elements of Art tour because I am just not very “mathy” (mathly? mathish?) and am regretting agreeing to do it in the first place.

Eve had bacterial pneumonia. It came on quickly and I am proud that she went to the health center right away for help. I asked if we could come get her, but she said no, she was fine. On Friday morning at 6am I saw this email she had written in the middle of the night: “I am all alone! I’m hallucinating and my fever is high and I’m not handling this very well.” I woke up Hubby and said, “We’re driving to Flagstaff to rescue Eve!” The snow on the San Francisco Peaks was breathtaking, and we had time for a quick lunch at PATO Thai before picking her up. Eve slept all weekend and was glad to be home. She had an allergic reaction to her antibiotic and had a migraine. We had to get her new meds, but happily that was a week ago and she is feeling very much improved.

The long-awaited endoscopy happens on Monday. We are hoping that William gets good news regarding his eosinophillic esophagitis and will be given permission to reintroduce either dairy or gluten back into his diet. The poor guy is so skinny and bored with eating mostly meat and potatoes!

My preschoolers have been so wild and crazy that I accused the moms of putting coffee on their Cheerios before leaving them in my care. I know the school year is only halfway over, but I am already feeling a bit sniffly at the thought of not seeing these sweet families anymore once summer arrives. I (of course) cannot name names, but some of these kids (and some of the moms) are especially so dear to me.

I will leave you with this FABULOUS recipe. It is called Green Chile Chicken Macaroni and Cheese. I made it when Eve was home sick and I don’t think she even ate any. It is comfort food with a “kick.” Next time I would add small pieces of broccoli because it needs a bit of veg. Maybe some red pepper? It is not an especially attractive-looking food and red pepper would make it look prettier. I like that it is purely made on the stove top and not baked. Next time I will HALVE the recipe since there is just no way Hubby and I will be able to finish it, though rest assured, we are doing our best.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN MACARONI AND CHEESE

2 teapsoons cornstarch
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 eggs
Cooked chicken breast, chopped (about 1 pound total or more if you like it more meaty)
salt
Half pound dry elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
1 (3.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 cup homemade or store-bought salsa verde (next time I would use more)
Optional garnish: fresh cilantro leaves and chopped scallions

Start cooking the pasta. Then combine cornstarch, evaporated milk, and eggs in a small bowl and whisk until mixed. Once the pasta is done, add butter to the pasta and stir until melted. Add evaporated milk/egg mixture and cheese. Stir until smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped chilies, salsa verde, and shredded chicken.. This reheats well.

Cheers,

Mary

Dreams of Murder

Last night I had the most vivid dream: I had murdered someone. To be completely accurate, Hubby and I pretty much done the deed together.

It seemed so incredibly real. In my dream, I woke up and said to Hubby, “I had the most vivid dream that we killed someone . . . and their severed head is still in the closet. Thank goodness it was just a DREAM!” And in my dream, Hubby gave me this sad look and said, “It’s not a dream. We need to get rid of that head!”

EEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!

So when I finally did TRULY REALLY COMPLETELY wake up, I was so relieved.

I blame the Benadryl. I have post-nasal drip from my lingering cold/flu/bronchial mess and if I try to go to sleep without taking some sort of decongestant, I cough all night. My friend Gail made me laugh by saying she finally stopped her cough by “pretty much taking every cold product I could find in the house.” Yikes.

Last year at this time, I started writing a novel. In that novel, I was writing about an accidental murder. One of the reasons I stopped writing was because I simply could not get inside the head of this character I had created. After this dream, I’m eager to write down how it felt after committing such a heinous crime. Destroying the evidence was truly challenging, with us sneaking the severed head out of the house in a big box and taking it and throwing it into a pond. And after that I saw the dead person wherever I went, and then would do a double-take and see it wasn’t them at all. It occurred to me that if there IS a Hell, I would certainly be going there. But then I consoled myself that at least Hubby would be going with me.

Maybe it’s not the Benadryl at all–because we are still on Winter Break and because I have not felt well, I have watched more tv than I ever do. I am certain that too much tv rots the brain. I have seen numerous episodes of 24, 30 Rock, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Warehouse 13, Dr. Who, and Big Bang Theory. I have watched strange indy movies available on Netflix such as Prairie Love, which I would highly NOT recommend. The only reason it worked for me at all is that I was completely exhausted and had a fever. Very weird movie. Watch it next time you have a fever.

I am actually happy to be getting back to school, back to work, back to art . . . back to more of a scheduled life. I think all this free time is not good for my family or for me.

Happy New Year!

Mary

Christmas 2012

I apologize for not writing for so long.

Life has been boring.

I know, I know: It was CHRISTMAS. I should have exciting things to tell you! How the gifts were all wrong, how my in-laws were rude, how we drank too much, or that time the Christmas tree caught on fire.

None of it is true. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Nada, Zip, Zilch, Gornisht. (That’s a Yiddish word I just learned which means “nothing.”)

The kids were sweet. They enjoyed the gifts I’d bought for them. I was so organized that we had no last-minute prep at all, the gifts wrapped ahead of time and stuck in the back of our closet.

Dinner at my in-laws was exactly the same as the year before. Correction: This year my mother-in-law’s prime rib roast was delicious. Grousing on the way to their home on Christmas Eve, I said to my family, I hope she is not serving her dry prime rib. I choked on it last year and almost died. Hubby, I think your mother is trying to kill me. Whoever sits next to me at dinner, be ready to administer the Heimlich.” I am very cheery about spending time at my in-laws. And this year the beef was tender and there was no choking.

We are all perplexed at why they cannot shop and buy gifts for the children. This year there weren’t even stockings (gasp!), something my mother-in-law used to enjoy preparing. At only 69 years old, she is not too old, nor is she too busy. She simply chooses to opt out. My kids were disappointed to see she was far more interested in completing her latest quilting project than choosing thoughtful gifts for her grandchildren. They were given cash instead. Kudos to my kiddos that they would truly prefer thoughtful gifts over money.

ANYWAY.

We did a Christmas light drive after dinner and settled down in front of the tv to watch my favorite Christmas movie, Diner. While it is not specifically about Christmas, it takes place at the holidays and is heartwarming to me because it is about a group of close friends and takes place in the 1950’s in a magical old-timey world which no longer exists. Plus the boys in the movie are cute. Eve said no way, she was not watching it again. William wandered in and out, but Patrick and Hubby stuck it out with me. I love it from start to finish, but my favorite scene is when Fenwick has passed out in the manger of the life-sized nativity scene in front of the church.

I received a text during the movie. “Hey Guys, it’s Santa. He says he’s running late. He wants to know if he can leave the presents in the morning instead of tonight. Can you all stay in bed til about 9 tomorrow?” What a relief. Santa and Mrs. Claus typically stay up after the kids go to sleep to do their elf business. How very much more civilized to bring all the gifts down and put bows on them in the morning while sipping coffee after a good night’s sleep.

On Christmas Day, we played some rousing rounds of a new game that Santa brought called Bird Bingo. I’m not sure what Santa was thinking. It isn’t very fun. I’m sensing it will be a re-gift. We also watched The Family Man, another Christmas favorite of mine (not of the kids) but the biggest crowd pleaser was the Doctor Who Christmas Special. My kids sure do like their Dr. Who!

So there you have it. Another Christmas come and gone. I am still sick, but finally got enough sense to go to the doctor. Day 3 of Zithromax and I’m still rattling the dishes with my cough. I’m still procrastinating writing my Power Point presentation on the Art Deco era. And I’m still eating cookies and candy as if there’s no tomorrow. Nothing changes. Another holiday season navigated successfully. No drama. Smiles and conversation and free time to be lazy with my precious family. It’s all good.

Cheers,

Mary

Sick

I am sick.

I’m not surprised.

Everyone I know has a cold or is recuperating from one. I knew I couldn’t be so lucky to be THE ONLY ONE who didn’t get it. Half of my students had thick green stuff oozing from their nostrils last week. I tried to get them to wipe their own noses, yet that poses a different problem of boogers on their arms and faces and hands and clothing!

The only thing that surprises me is how quickly it came on . . . and with absolutely no warning! One night I’m baking gingersnaps, drinking tequila, and dancing to The Pogues in my kitchen, and just 8 hours later, I awoke with a sore throat, cough, fever, and general sense of dread.

I drank a big glass of water with Airborne, but alas, it was too late. I worked my last day of the semester and came home to crash. After a shivery three-hour nap, I felt human again and rallied to eat a sandwich at Mac’s with my three very favorite guys in the whole world, Hubby, Patrick, and William. Hubby will probably catch it in time to be miserable on Christmas Day. Fingers crossed he does not get it, and the boys and Eve already had it.

Today I am trying to put together my grocery list and plan some hors d’ouerves and desserts. Because tomorrow night 30 people will be in my house for our annual Christmas Cocktail party. I will have Hubby make the drinks and will not cough on the food as I prepare it. I will not give in and ruin one of the most fun nights of the year! I won’t, damn it!

On a completely separate topic, I would like to recommend some good tv and a good movie. We saw the movie Lawless” last week and thought it was very good (a Redbox rental). It takes place during Prohibition and is about a family of moonshiners. Good acting, great plot, and just enough action to keep Hubby and William interested. Eve has been watching The United States of Tara on Netflix streaming which is about a woman with multiple personality disorder. I have seen five episodes and really enjoy the surprisingly witty dialogue and the always-yummy John Corbett. Last night, Hubby and I finished the last episode of Terriers. How incredible that they did not renew this show after only one season! We loved it. There are 13 hour-long episodes on Netflix streaming. Check it out.

Cheers,

Mary