Always, Wenny Muffin

Everyone Loves Puppies!

2011-04-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

Hello blogland! Holy cow...I didn't realize it's been a couple weeks since I posted....my bad! I wish I had some more paintings to share with you, but I don't. I totally threw out my back and haven't done much of anything for the past couple of weeks except sit with an ice pack on my back. After sitting at a desk at work all day, I felt like crap by the time I got home and couldn't bare to sit at my desk at home and paint. Hopefully, I'll get back to it this weekend, even though my back is still down and out. That's the stinky thing about when you move to a new area....you don't have your typical chiropractor to go to & I can't find any near me that have hours to where I can make an appointment. I should have become a chiropractor with the hours they set for themselves...not even bankers hours!

Well, since I don't have any artwork to share with you for this post, I thought I'd share photos with you of my families new puppy! Who doesn't love to see pictures of an adorable little puppy, right?! I guess a woman my mom works with was giving away all the puppies she had & another lady at work took one & then by the time she got home with it, she had second thoughts and I guess my mom volunteered to take in the little cute. I believe my sister said he is a pug/chihuahua mix. Well everyone....meet Scooter!

He's so tiny!!

Poor Emmy (she's the mini dachshund), she looks so depressed...she's no longer the center of attention! She looks so big compared to the puppy and she's not a big dog at all. Awww....I wish I was there to give my Emmy some lovin', but I'd probably give a little to the new little guy, but not a lot because he'd probably just pee on me! Well, that's all for now....until next time! Later gators!

Always,

Same Designs, Different Colors

2011-03-30T21:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Wednesday everybody! Two more days to go and it's the weekend again...Woo-Hoo! I live for weekends...Monday thru Friday are usually a blur because I'm not that fond of work. I don't mind it at all if its doing something I love, but not very many people are lucky enough to land their dream job. I would be happiest being a travel writer, childrens book author & illustrator, book store owner...I could probably go on & on if I really think about it, but those are the main areas that have always peaked my interest. Well...enough wishful thinking for now!

I decided to do another version of my "Birdie On A Branch". This one has a bold rosy pink color on a chocolate background.

The bird painting is the one that has gotten the most attention, so I figured I'd do it again in a different color combo while I try to think of a couple new designs for my other canvas' that I have prepped and ready to go. Don't forget to check out Wenny Muffin Studio at Etsy.com if you're interested in purchasing one of these beauties! Leave a comment and let me know what you think! :)

Always,

Relaxing Weekend

2011-03-20T20:44:00.001-04:00

This has probably been the most relaxing weekend I've had in a long time! Just kicked back, didn't think about anything, except what I'm going to paint next & got myself hooked on the series "Army Wives" that I found on Netflix. What an addicting & fabulous show! Wish I would have started watching it sooner, but I already managed to knock out season one over the weekend and started on season two already. In the midst of watching episode after episode, I also managed to get some sketching done for future painting ideas. I also tore into my new stash of canvas' that I stocked up on, on Saturday & got a few prepped for painting by laying down the initial background color. I managed to get two more painting completed over the weekend! I decided to do a simple little beehive with some bee's buzzing around it & then I did a simple little ampersand. I'm mean who doesn't like typography as art?! Anyways, that about wraps up my lazy weekend! See pics below. Enjoy!

Always,

TGIF!

2011-03-18T21:37:00.001-04:00

All I have to say is....THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

And here's my little painting of the day...."Lady Bug Parade"

Have a Fabulously Relaxing Weekend Y'all!

Always,

Longest Week Ever!

2011-03-17T20:20:00.001-04:00

OMG! Longest week ever! It's been non-stop busy at work this week & the sad thing is....I spent half of the day thinking it was Friday. Pretty depressing when I realized it was only Thursday...lol! Then to top it all off, when I got off work I checked my phone and had an instant message from my Aunt letting me know that her e-mail didn't go through to my mom breaking the news that my great uncle passed away, so wanted to know if I could pass along the news. Seriously?? Pick up the freakin' phone people! Sometimes I really hate technology because nobody picks up the phone to talk to anyone anymore. But when you have bad news like a death...don't you think you should call your family?? I just think it's tacky as hell to send the news via e-mail, text, I.M., Facebook!! Ugh!! Well, they always say deaths seem to happen in 3's, & that would be #3 within the month, so hopefully there is no more news of death in the family for a very, very, VERY long time!

Okay, I'm done ranting for the evening. Now would you like to see my 2nd painting I've managed to knock out this week?? It's simple, but cute. Evidently, I'm on a bird kick. Anyways, let me know what you think! And feel free to throw out suggestions for other paintings. My brother rattled off a few good ideas the other night that I can't wait to try out, but I've got to get some different sized canvas before I can give those a whirl.

The lighting sucked in the first photo, but the 2nd picture shows the color blue better. Nice & bright! I love making the picture wrap around the canvas. I think it gives the picture a little something extra. Then you can just hang it on the wall...no frame needed! :) Anyways, hope you like it. Until next time!

Always,

More Wine Please...

2011-03-16T22:30:00.000-04:00

Oh boy...it's been one of those days! That meant another cork was added to my cork cage...lol! Isn't it darling! My bub bought it for me for Christmas when he came and visited a few weeks ago. I love it!

Always,

One Down...

2011-03-14T21:58:00.001-04:00

One painting down! As promised...here's is a picture of my cute little painting, which I call, "Hootie Who".

Perhaps I'll get my Etsy shop back up and running! Would you be interested in buying various paintings, if I put them up on Etsy? Any ideas for future paintings? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Always,

The Creative Juices Are Flowing

2011-03-12T20:23:00.001-05:00

Oh boy...it's been awhile since I posted! Sorry about that, if you've been checking in daily to see if I've posted. I doubt there is anyone out there that's been doing that though...lol! Well, when I left off posting my little brother was in town and we had a grand time while he was here! On his last day here, when we were on our way to a wine fest we got the call that my uncle was rushed into emergency surgery to take off his other leg (he was diabetic). We were saddened by the news and continued onto the wine fest and got a little tipsy. Then afterwards, we found out that my uncle made it out of surgery & was stable, so we both let out a big sigh of relief! Well, the next morning I got up and took my brother to the airport & I went to work. Well, by the time I got home that evening I logged into my computer as I always do when I get home from work. Went to Facebook & a relative had posted that my uncle passed. Talk about upsetting!! My parents hadn't even gotten home from the hospital yet to call us and it was already on Facebook. The whole family was upset about the situation, but it is what it is. It was a terribly upsetting week, as it was the only uncle that lived close by growing up and we often celebrated holidays and birthdays together. I can honestly say it was the most upset I've ever been at a relative dying. I still well up with tears just thinking about it & still burst into tears when looking at my uncles picture.

Well, I'm still very sad, but I've got to get out of this funk. So, I went out today and got me some paints, brushes and canvas' & have sketched up many random ideas throughout the day for cute little paintings. Perhaps, I'll put them up on etsy.com when I'm done in case anyone wants one of my happy little paintings! I'm excited....it's been a long time since I painted anything. I just need some sort of creative outlet & that seemed like the way to go....at least until I can get a blog design site up and going, but still working on that. There just isn't enough hours in the day! I need at least a 3 day weekend to even start to get everything done that I want. Anyways, that's my update for now. I will do my best to post more often! Once I get some of the paintings done, I'll make sure to share! Have a lovely rest of your weekend! The weather is gorgeous, so I'm enjoying mine! Oh, and don't forget the set the clocks forward an hour before you go to bed tonight! If I hadn't had come across a reminder from someone on twitter I wouldn't have known about it myself!

Always,

Orlando Area Fun - Day 2: Cocoa Beach & Universal City Walk

2011-02-19T12:27:00.000-05:00

Hi again! I should have posted this last night at the end of day number two, but we were beat by the time we got home around 1am & a little on the tipsy side as well...lol.

Our day started off by jumping in the car and heading east until we hit ocean & what do ya know...in about 45 minutes that's exactly what happened! We weren't real sure where we were going, but we were in no hurry, so we just followed the signs that pointed to the direction of Cocoa Beach. Now my brother has never been to the ocean before, so he was a little excited and thought it was pretty cool as we drove up and seen the coastline. We we headed into town, we immediately seen the landmark Ron Jon Surf Shop, so we just pulled into the free parking garage there since we weren't real sure where else to go as far as parking along the beach. So we went in and browsed around Ron Jon and the Cocoa Beach Surf Company for a little bit.

Then we walked about a block down and hit the beach. We were hungry, as it was lunch time, so we thought there would have been a board walk or places to eat right there on the beach, but there wasn't....bummer! Then again...there may have been places like that further down the beach. Anyways, we walked out to the ocean for a few snapshots. Then I took some pics of my brother as we ventured out into the ocean for the first time....he looked kind of nervous as there were some pretty good size waves. I on the other hand, was not ready to go out an be seen in a bathing suit publicly...lol. It was just nice letting the water run up over my feet...I could have stood there all day.

Well, Chris went out and romped around in the water for 15 or 20 minutes, playing in the waves & then he came back up to shore & he wasn't thrilled with the taste of the salty ocean at all...lol, as one of the waves my have given him a mouth full of ocean water. I guess I should have warned him! So after that, we were pretty hungry, so we walked back to the car & headed off to find some grub. We weren't in the mood for fast food, so we searched for a pub, as I love a good pub burger! It wasn't long before we came across a little pub/tavern called Rum Runners, so I ordered a pub burger that was delicious & you know what came with it on the side...a fried pickle! Who would have thought a fried pickle would have been so good...whoever came up with that idea was genius! It was so good!! My brother opted for a heaping pile of nachos with the works & a rum & coke. We were so full when we left, but it was so good! Definitely hit up Rum Runners if you're in Cocoa Beach if you want some good eats!

When we were done eating we just drove down a little bit to see if there was anything to see, then turned around and went the other way and ended up in Port Canaveral, so we got to see a cruise ship that was in port. Then we went back and parked by Ron Jon's again and walked back down by the beach, but then my brother said he was bored with the beach, so back to the car we headed & drove back home, as he was ready to jump in the shower and wash off the salt water.

Well, we weren't home long and then we decided to head out to Universal City Walk for some dinner and drinks. We were going to eat at Margaritaville, but my brother seen Hard Rock and opted for that since he had never been to one before. Let me tell you...if you want an awesome drink at the Hard Rock Cafe...order the Pickled Tink....so freaking good!! After dinner, we headed over to Margaritaville to look around the store & then we grabbed a couple more drinks and just walked around a lot. There was a band playing when we first got there but they were packed up and gone by the time we got done eating. It wasn't too lively, but then again...it's February. Most people were in the clubs, which you had to pay a cover to go into, but we weren't interested in doing any of that. We had more fun people watching and talking with some of the drunkards!

All in all, it was a pretty good day. We were definitely exhausted by the time we go home & both actually slept in to 11:00 this morning. Now we're trying to figure out what we're going to do for Day 3! Stay tuned!

Orlando Area Fun-Day 1: Gators, Gators & More Gators

2011-02-17T23:32:00.008-05:00

Today was my brothers first full day visiting me here in sunny Orlando, so we wanted to make sure we went out for a full, fun packed day! So last night we went through Orlando area attractions online to map out our day. The top two things on my brothers list of things to do when he was here was to go on an airboat & go to Gatorland, so we decided we'd do both on his first day of vacation. So we researched all of the area airboat tour websites and we settled on Wild Willy's Airboat Tours because they offered the best prices in the area compared to all of the other companies & they are far enough out that you don't have any housing developments to ruin the view!

We didn't plan far enough ahead of time & make reservations....which you can do on the website. So, we just drove on down to Wild Willy's Airboat Tours this morning & walked in to see if we could go on one of their airboat tours, so they told us it would be about 30 minutes & we'd be on our way! So we paid & then went outside and sat under the pavilion to wait our turn and to soak up the sun & scenery. As we waited, we could hear our airboat heading back in & we started to get more excited. I have been on an airboat tour once before when I was younger, but Chris hadn't, so he was super stoked to get the opportunity!

One of the great things at Wild Willy's is that they have 6 passenger airboats, unlike some places that are big enough for 15 people or so, but when you only have 6 passengers aboard that means you can go a whole lot faster & the faster the better, right?! These little boats are super loud, so you are provided with a set of ear muffs to block out the sound. Don't worry...Captain Mike will tell you when to put them on, so you don't miss out, as he gives you a little history about the lake, as you head down the canal out into the open lake. Then hang on to your hats, for a super fast & awesome ride! If you've never been on an airboat before, you must try it...you'll love it! The airboats feel like they just float across the water with such ease, you almost get the feeling that you're flying. Then when you look out and you have the area birds flying next to you, it almost feels like the end of Jurassic Park where they are flying out on the helicoptor and they look out and see the Pterodactyls flying next to them...it's just a pretty cool feeling!

You will also get the chance to see tons of gators, as Captain Mike, knows all the good gator spots & he knows what he's looking for, so he can point out all the little baby gators in the area, bald eagles sitting in trees, turtles swimming beside the boat, big 'ol water moccasins & other various wildlife. The boat will pull in right next to the gators so you can get a chance to take plenty of photos. Some gators will just sit there like statues, while others are a bit shy and will duck down in the water about as fast as your boat pulls up to them, so you've got to be quick to see some of them! One of the cutest things, is all of the little tiny baby gators you'll see throughout the tour. Some are a bit hard to see because they are so tiny, but if you look close you can see them crawling around on the reeds and branches in the water. Others are a little bit bigger & are easier to see. It's funny to see them scatter when your boat takes off.

Did you know airboats don't need water to work? Yep...they can go on land just as easy as in the water! And if everyone aboard the airboat is game, Captain Mike might just take the boat and spin it around a few times for you! Good times! All I know is by the end of the trip I didn't want to get off the boat as I could have spent the entire day out in the gorgeous weather and enjoying the lake, as I'm always happiest when I'm on, in or near the water!

One of my favorite parts of the day was getting to hold the baby gator...they had two & their names were Thunder & Lightning. I'm not sure which one I got to hold be he sure was cute. And they are a lot softer than you would think! So don't be afraid to hold one for a great photo opportunity! Captain Mike even had him tell us bye, by tickling his belly a bit which cause him to give us a little wave...it was so cute!

So if you are looking for an awesome airboat tour, I can highly recommend that you go to Wild Willy's Airboat Tours. You can visit them on the web at www.wildwillysairboattours.com or you can call for reservations at 407-891-7955. They are located at 4715 Kissimmee Park Rd., St. Cloud, FL 34772. You can also e-mail them for more info at info@airboatwilly.com. If you're looking for the best airboat tour in the area...look no further! This is the place you'll want to make sure and go to! My brother & I both give it a big thumbs up!

Just Rambling...

2011-02-15T21:58:00.001-05:00

Oh boy...what a day! All I know is I can't wait till tomorrow afternoon when I get to take off work early to go pick up my little bro and try to forget about work for a few days! This week has been a bear of a week & I'm looking forward to the break, but I'm afraid of what I'm going to be coming back to! But I'm going to do my best to not think about work & enjoy having family in town!

I'm excited to actually have someone I'll be able to run around with and explore the sites, as I haven't really done much of that on my own since moving to Orlando, as it's just no fun going out by yourself. It's one thing if you want to go out and shop by yourself or take a walk in the park, but who goes to amusement parks & other fun places by themselves....so not fun! Maybe it's my Gemini personality, where I'm usually happier when I have company vs. flying solo!

Once my brother heads back to Illinois on Monday morning, I'll be back to the daily grind. Hopefully, I'll be able to spend a little more time improving my "graphic artist" skills. I used to do blog design a few years ago, but I got out of it because it just wasn't fun anymore, but after dabbling with my old hobby this past weekend I'm ready to jump back into blog design. I've still got quite a bit of refreshing up to do, as they say, "If you don't use it, you lose it." I'll get the hang of it again pretty quick though. Maybe once I get my tax refund back on splurge on domain name and some graphics and get my bloggy design site up and running. Would you like to see the blog header I designed for my BFF this weekend because I was bored?? Go on over & visit her blog: Sincerely, Stephanie Sebastian for a better view & read up on some of her posts!

Well blog land, I'm beat! I think I'm off for the night to soak in a nice hot bubbly bubble bath with a cold glass of vino & then off to slumber land for me because tomorrow is going to be a VERY busy day! Blah! Sweet dreams everyone! I know I'm hoping for some! :)

Always,

Just Another Lazy Sunday

2011-02-13T17:37:00.000-05:00

Boy, oh boy....where has the weekend gone so stink'in fast?? Part of the reason it felt so short is because I worked a good chunk of Saturday working on a "pull your hair out" type report, which I have to finish up tomorrow in order to do another "poke your eyeballs out" report due by Wednesday. Ugh! So not looking forward to it.

I can't wait until Wednesday afternoon though! Of course I work most of that day, but around 4:00 or so I get to escape the office 2 hours early to go pick up my little brother from the airport! Yippee.....family in town! He'll be my first official guest since I transplanted myself to the sunshine state. Funny thing about living in Florida is that a lot more people are willing to come and visit you....even more so, than when you only lived a few hours away. Bizarre, huh?

I'm still trying to figure out what all we'll do, yet keep everything reasonably within a budget. We are for sure hitting up Cocoa Beach, which I haven't even been to yet and it's only like 45 minutes away, so look for pics and a post on that. I know Gator Land is on his "To Do" list, so that will get hit up as well. Not sure what else we'll do, I guess we'll just play it by ear. Then on his last day, we might go to a winery and go on the tour and do some wine tasting....seems like a good lazy Sunday agenda to me! All I know is it's going to fly by way to fast and I'll probably cry like a baby when I drop him back of at the airport on the Monday morning he leaves. Tearing up just thinking about it :(

Alright, well that's all for now. Enjoy celebrating my Very Merry Unbirthday tomorrow! I'd enjoy it better if I didn't have a report to work on....blah!

Movie Review: Secretariat

2011-02-10T20:47:00.002-05:00

“Secretariat” does what the horse and its caretakers never did on the way to Triple Crown glory in 1973. The movie plays it completely safe, offering a classy but standard Disney-fied tale, whose thrilling race scenes are offset by some of the blandest “you can do it if you try” dialogue you’re likely to encounter on film.

Cheery performances from Diane Lane as the housewife-turned-horse-owner and John Malkovich as Secretariat’s oddball trainer help rein in some of the movie’s sentimental excesses.

To be fair, “Secretariat” can be an exhilarating pep rally, especially in this rousing re-creation of the horse’s runs in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and particularly, a breathless finale at the Belmont Stakes.

And Lane, though limited by the greeting-card cliches of Mike Rich’s screenplay, is a grandly indefatigable competitor as Penny Chenery, a Denver wife and mom who took over her family’s Virginia stable from her dying father (Scott Glenn).

Needing a winner to turn around the stable’s finances, Penny hires the flashy-dressing, sometimes cantankerous trainer Lucien Laurin (Malkovich) and banks her fortunes on Big Red, a chestnut thoroughbred that became an international sensation under his racing name, Secretariat.

The movie jumps hastily from the horse’s birth to his unspectacular start on the race course, then settles in for a prolonged buildup to the Triple Crown bid.

With pluck and optimism that occasionally strains credibility, Lane’s Penny overcomes every hurdle, hatching a savvy scheme to cover the stable’s debts, nursing the horse through sickness, holding her family together amid the vexation of her husband (Dylan Walsh).

Lane and Malkovich forge a touching on-screen friendship, and it’s especially nice to see him goof it up as the garish Laurin.

Give credit also to the five horses used to play Secretariat in various guises, though the filmmakers cannot resist injecting petty human bluster into the four-legged co-stars. In one silly moment as they head toward the starting gate, Secretariat and his key opponent give each other such a taunting glare, you almost expect them to break out in a bout of trash-talking like heavyweights preparing for a title fight.

Anyone remotely familiar with the story of Secretariat knows the outcome before the movie begins, but that Belmont climax still is intoxicating to watch. It's definitely one of those feel good movies where you almost feel like your cheering from the stands and rooting for Secretariat to win. Granted it wasn't as good as I thought it would be, but it was still worth watching & I'll give it 3.75 stars out of 5.

Here's A Glimpse of My House

2011-02-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

Superbowl Sunday is here....yeah, who cares?! Not me...I don't even have cable! So, I'll just watch a couple of dvd's today between browsing the internet and cleaning. Plus, I get a kick out of heckling my uncle that the team he is rooting for to win will ultimately lose. I guess it comes with the territory after living in Chicago for the past 7 or 8 years, that you never root for the Packers! Plus, I had a very good friend in high school that was a die hard Steelers fan, so she would probably kill me if I didn't root for them.

Anyways, nothing too exciting to post about this weekend. So I decided to just take a few pictures and take you on a little tour of my house. Pardon the quality of my photos as I don't have a fancy schmancy camera that takes rock star quality pics like a lot of you bloggers out there. I will own one someday, but not anytime soon. Anyways, here's a little glimpse into my home.

Here's my laundry room/Catch-All Room

The Kitchen

The Living Room View when you walk in the door

View of the living room from the kitchen doorway

The Bathroom

Another view of the bathroom

My guest bedroom, complete with comfy air mattress

My VERY comfy bed..this pic makes my room look really plain because I haven't found a picture to hang over the bed, but I do have pictures on the other walls, so I don't completely lack decor! Same goes for the space over my couch...just haven't found the right pic, but I have pics on just about every other wall in the house, but didn't want to bore you with pics of pics...lol. Anyways, enjoy another lazy Sunday!

Always,

Game Day Appetizers

2011-02-05T19:53:00.002-05:00

Well, with tomorrow being the big game day I
thought I'd just leave you with a few yummy appetizers that everyone will love! Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (10 oz) box of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed)
1 (14oz) can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup Shredded parmesan/romano cheese blend
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 oz prepared alfredo sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 oz (1/2 pkg) of softened cream cheese

*Combine ingredients throughly in a bowl and spread mixture into a small baking dish. Bake in the oven, preheated to 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips. YUMMO!!

BBQ Cups

3/4 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup of BBQ sauce
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1 (12oz) pkg refrigerated biscuit dough
1/3 cup shredded chedder cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the cups of a muffin pan.
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, cook beef until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in barbeque sauce and dried onion. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat.
Flatten each biscuit, and press into cups of the prepared muffin pan. Make sure the dough comes to the top of the pan. Spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each dough cup.
Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 3 more minutes.

This one is always a big hit! You can also fill the cups with pulled pork, taco meat, etc...

Anyways, those are just a couple of my favorite apps that are super easy and win the hungry
crowd over every time!

Always,

Some of My Favorite Things...

2011-02-03T21:46:00.001-05:00

Today I thought I do a post on some of my favorite things at the moment...

Falling In Love by Philosophy...one whiff & you'll be hooked! I absolutely fell head over heels with this scent when I came across it one day while shopping at Ulta. It's smells like a hint of cotton candy, a hint of blackberry pie and a bit of vanilla. It's sweet, but subtle...I love it!

Yankee Candle's Cinnamon & Sugar is my favorite candle scent of the moment. It makes the whole house smell heavenly!

I've loved my set of Rachael Ray pots and pans ever since I got them two years ago. They are the best & nothing gets stuck to them, plus you just have to love the bright orange color!

This is also Rachael Ray brand...it's called the Bubble & Brown 3 Qt. Stoneware Baker. Forget about a typical 9x13 dish...I love the look and shape of this. The bright orange color just makes you happy when you're baking too!

I got the Barnes & Noble Nook for Christmas & I absolutely love it! It's so lightweight...you can just stick it in your purse and go. No more having to lug around heavy 'ol hardback books anymore! Yeah!

I can't forget to mention my favorite p.j.'s I slip into everyday when I get home. They are Nick & Nora brand from Target. I got mine at quite a steal for a whopping $3.00 on clearance...who can pass up cute look sock monkey's on clouds for that price! Plus they are super comfy!

Last, but not least....my favorite song of the moment. "Anchor" by Mindy Gledhill.

Make sure you come back tomorrow, as one of these items will be up for a giveaway! Yeah!! Any guesses which one it will be? You'll want to make sure to stay tuned! Spread the word on the giveaway! Well, until tomorrow! Peace Out!

Always,

Saturday Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine

2011-01-29T20:52:00.001-05:00

Alright, I know this movie has been out for a few months already, but I wasn’t blogging back then, so I’m throwing my review for it out there now. This was the first movie in a long time that mad me laugh uncontrollably throughout the whole film! The great thing about this movie and you pick up on more and more things everytime you watch it, especially if you’re a kid of the 80’s! For instance, I just caught a part in the movie where you hear a kid talking about he wants his two dollars….hahaha….if you’re a John Cusack fan…you’ll know that was a classic line in one of his movies!

Anyways, the movie is about three long time friends, Adam, Nick and Lou who find themselves unhappy and unfulfilled with their adult lives. Adam (John Cusack) has just been ditched by his girlfriend, Nick works at a job he hates, but when they get called to the hospital because of a suspected suicide attempt by Lou, they realize that a weekend getaway would do them all some good. They decide to revisit their old stomping grounds, a ski resort that they used to party at when they were younger and Adam’s nephew reluctantly tags along for the ride. After a night of drinking, they pile into their hotel room hot tub only to wake up in 1986, inhabiting the bodies of their younger selves. As they retrace their own footsteps, they are tempted to correct past mistakes, but could their changes to the past also sabotage the future?

Nostalgia is definitely a big part of “Hot Tub Time Machine”, but it doesn’t get caught up skewering every little bit of 80’s culture. In fact, it lovingly embraces it, not just in terms of the fashion and the music, but also the very tone of the film. Crispin Glover has a great recurring gag throughout the movie and his presence alone acts as a homage of sorts to “Back to the Future”. “The Karate Kid’s” Billy Zabka makes an apprearance and the villain of the film is a communist hating bully cut from the same cloth as some of Zabka’s previous roles. Even with all of these pop culture references, there aren’t really any direct parodies being made. If you grew up in the 80’s you may get a little more out of this movie, but it’s certainly not required to enjoy it!

“Hot Tub Time Machine” will not disappoint if you’re looking for a good comedy that will make you laugh until you cry at times. I highly recommend this movie as one to rent! I give it 5 out of 5 stars. This is one I actually bought as I’ll watch it time and time again & it will still make me laugh every time!

Always,

Movie Review: Inception

2011-01-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

For starters, I’ll tell you right off the bat that “Inception” is a complete and total mindfuck! Blockbuster movies rarely spark real conversation anymore, which is what makes Inception special. You can't walk out of the theatre and say that it sucks, or that it's good. It is too overwhelming for that. It plants a seed. The seed grows.

By now, you know the basics. Inception deals with a man named Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who can infiltrate the dreams of other people. The purpose for doing so is simple: Powerful men and women have powerful secrets locked away in their minds, and by slipping into a person's dreams it is possible to steal those secrets and sell them. Unsurprisingly, Cobb's talent has landed him into no uncertain amount of trouble: In the United States, where his children live, he is wanted for the murder of his wife, Mal.

A job presents itself that could clear Cobb's name, allowing him to see his kids again. Saito , a Japanese energy magnate, wants Cobb to slip into the dreams of Robert Fisher Jr., who stands to be the heir to his father's energy empire. The thing is, he doesn't want Cobb to steal anything. He wants Cobb to plant a wholly new idea in Fisher's head: That he should sell off his father's empire. This is considerably more difficult, but, given the circumstances, Cobb can't refuse.

This leads to what is basically a heist movie. Cobb, the old pro, and his trusted associate Arthur put together the kind of crew that can pull off something as complex as giving a person a new idea. Ariadne is the architect, who creates the layout of the world the dream takes place in. Eames is the forger, who can pass himself off for just about anybody the mark knows. Yusuf is the chemist, whose job is twofold. First, he must create something strong enough to put the crew and the mark to sleep for the amount of time necessary to this sort of job. Then, he must create a series of "kicks," which are cues for the crew to wake up. The second part is hardest--if you wake up before or after the kick, you're stranded in limbo, which is raw, untapped subconscious; totally empty dreamspace.

Any further summary of the plot is unnecessary. This is a heist movie, in a way, but one that plays out like a chess match on multiple boards. When one piece is moved, all the pieces on every board are effected. Gravity shifts? Avalanches? Death? It's all part of the plan.

The settings are cold, emotionless, and sterile because the crew is essentially performing brain surgery, which, obviously, is never done on a messy table. Calling the story cold, emotionless, and sterile is another thing entirely. Things go wrong almost the minute everybody slips into Fisher's dream, as he has been intensively trained for dream infiltration, and it appears that Cobb's subconscious has a rather large influence on the dreams that he enters. The way to getting Fisher to sell off his father's company lies in changing the fundamentals of the relationship between the two. The way to achieving that lies in having Cobb confront the guilt he has harbored over his wife's death. Both Cobb and Fisher appear cold, seem emotionless. One is the son of a billionaire whose last words were "disappointed." The other has turned his dreams into a mausoleum for the things he regrets; compartmentalized, hidden away, and threatening to consume him.

Inception is an absolutely brilliant exercise in filmmaking, taking the tropes and rules of the heist movie to an altogether different level. There are some points that annoy and are left open to endless questions, theories and interpretations, but they don't do so to the point of detracting from the overall experience. I would definitely give this movie a thumbs up!

Always,

Spread the Word!

2011-01-26T20:58:00.003-05:00

Happy hump day my blog land friends! Two more days to go and then it's the weekend again...yeah! Nothing planned...it will probably be my typical weekend of watching a few movies, reading & absorbing info from the Internet...fun, fun!

Now don't you all forget to follow my blog, as I'm probably going to be doing my product review next week, as I got an e-mail today that it was shipped! Woo-Hoo! Now I'm not against begging or bribery for followers...but if we can get my blog up to 100 followers, some very lucky person is going to win the product that I'll be reviewing! So go out and spread the word to follow this blog....the sooner I hit 100 followers, the sooner you'll find out if you're the lucky giveaway winner! Now go on..go twitter your little heads off or mention my giveaway in a blog posting. This will hopefully just be the start of many more reviews and giveaways to come!

Now for my movie review of the night: "The Ultimate Gift"

The Ultimate Gift is a movie version of the book by the same name written by Jim Stovall. The book has sold over 3 million copies.

This is a story of a year long quest by Jason Stevens to inherit a piece of his billionaire uncle's estate. Jason is arrogant, selfish and has had life handed to him on a silver platter for his entire life. He believes that all the best things in life can be paid for.

Following the death of his wealthy uncle Jason is late to the funeral and then heads to the lawyer's office waiting to receive his share of the billion dollar estate. Instead, what he finds, is that in order to receive his inheritance he has to complete 12 monthly assignments or gifts that will eventually lead him to "The Ultimate Gift." This 12 month journey will change his life forever as he decides which is more important: money or happiness and they are not necessarily dependent on each other. It's a journey of self-discovery.

His uncle, before he died, had recorded a video which would be shown by the lawyer to Jason each month. Each month the next part of the video would direct Jason to his next assignment. As an example, the first gift is The Gift of Work. Jason will need to go to Texas to a sprawling ranch where he will be required to do back-breaking manual labor for several weeks. He must do it to the rancher's satisfaction or the task is not considered completed.

Jason's transformation through the course of the movie is inspiring to anyone. You sometimes have to lose everything to appreciate life and the joy of giving. The actress who REALLY takes this movie to soaring heights is Abigail Breslin, the young girl from Little Miss Sunshine, Nim’s Island and many more great movies. I read that she beat out Dakota Fanning for the part.

The movie and book are somewhat different, but knowing that the two are not exactly the same doesn't detract from enjoying either film or book.

During this movie don't be surprised if you laugh and cry (guys included). In the movie, Jason's life was changed forever. Your life as well maybe changed forever after seeing this. This will be one of the most heartwarming & wonderful films you will ever see. It’s definitely one to through in the ‘ol Netflix queue…I know I’m glad I did!

Always,

Product Review & Giveaway....Coming Soon!

2011-01-25T21:06:00.000-05:00

Holy cow! It's raining pigs & elephants in central Florida & tornado's everywhere. I guess I got lucky and didn't come home to any damage, but I guess there are about 5000 people without power, roofs off buildings, etc! Still storming, but I think the worst has past thank goodness. It dumped a good 3-6 inches of rain in a short amount of time. All I can say is, I'm glad it's not snow and ice...lol. That's the winter weather I was used to back in Illinois.

Anyways, make sure to keep an eye out in the near future! I'll be doing a product review & GIVEAWAY!! Woo-Hoo! Don't you love a good giveaway! It's definitely a good one! Make sure to spread the word. Make sure to follow my blog, so you don't miss it!! Find me on twitter too! Spread the word!

Always,

Randomness

2011-01-23T19:45:00.002-05:00

Well, once again, I had a pretty uneventful weekend! Got up an went to my weekly weigh-in on Saturday morning...down another 1.3lbs...Yeah! Then I picked up a few groceries at Target, came home and popped in whatever movie Netflix sent me...must not have been that good since I can't even remember what I watched and I didn't post a review for it. I did a little cleaning and when I say little...I mean little..I think did my sink full of dishes. Then come Sunday morning, I did laundry and watched a couple movies from my dvd library. I watched, "Enchanted" & "Stardust". Love both of those movies! Well, since I don't have anything of interest to post, I swiped an idea from Avitable.com and took the questionaire from his blog and answered the questions to post on my blog, as I have nothing else to post.

What time did you get up this morning? 9:20am.
How do you like your steak? I don't eat steak, but if I have to…medium well.
What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
What is your favorite TV show? The Biggest Loser
If you could live anywhere in the world where would be? Norway, it’s the happiest country on earth according to a recent study, plus they have killer benefits!
What did you have for breakfast? 1 cup of milk, a banana & a Jimmy Dean Delight breakfast sandwich
What is your favorite cuisine? That’s a hard one! I like a little bit of everything! I guess I’ll have to go with Asian because I love a good veggie stirfry!
What foods do you dislike? I’m not big on beef and I don’t like tomato.
Favorite place to Eat? The Great Wall…the best chinese restaurant ever, back where I grew up.
Favorite salad dressing? Western/Catalina/French…I think they are all the same…I only eat red dressing.
What kind of vehicle do you drive? A 1998 Black Ford Escort ZX2.
What are your favorite clothes? My sock monkey pajama pants & an old ratty Dallas City Bulldogs t-shirt from high school…it may be thin and have holes in it, but it’s comfortable & I refuse to throw it away!
Where would you visit if you had the chance? Greece, Rome, Fiji, Bora Bora, Italy, Scotland
Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? I try to see it as ½ full, but it’s hard to do the past few years with the tanking economy!
Where would you want to retire? Someplace warm, but definitely not Florida! Let’s just say my own private island with a phat ass house, like Richard Branson has on his own private island!
Favorite time of day? Bedtime…I love snuggling down into my big comfy bed, in the nice cool sheets and pulling my big warm quilt over me…awww! Makes me want to go to bed now and it’s only 7:00pm!
Where were you born? Burlington, IA
What is your favorite sport to watch? I’m not into sports, but if I have to pick I’d say college football…not NFL. College football, the games are more interesting & they aren’t playing for the big bucks…they are playing for the love of the game.
Person you expect to call you next? I don’t expect anybody to call me, as no one ever calls me! I haven’t even called home since Christmas, just testing to see if they’ll ever call me. It’s been 4 weeks & they still haven’t called to make sure I’m not dead! Man, if something ever did happen…I’m screwed!
Bird watcher? Not really. Though I have seen some really cool birds in zoos.
Are you a morning person or a night person? Neither! I’m a middle of the day person!
Do you have any pets? No. I'd like to have a pet but, I my lease doesn’t allow pets. Plus, I’m gone to work all day & that wouldn’t be any fair to a pet. Although, the selfish part of me wouldn’t mind a cat, since they can take care of themselves, just so I have some company when I am home. What I would really like is a French bulldog…they are so adorable!
Any new and exciting news you’d like to share? My future sister-in-law just had a baby girl this week, Emerson Noelle. Other than that, my brother is coming to visit in a few weeks…Yippee!
What did you want to be when you were little? At one time or another during childhood I wanted to be an astronaut (until the Challenger blew up and totally devastated me), an author, an illustrator, an animator, a travel agent & graphic designer. I do the graphic stuff on the side as a hobby now, but other than that, none of my career dreams came true.
What is your best childhood memory? I had a pretty darn good childhood, so it would be difficult to pick just one. Probably a Christmas morning or a family vacation.
Are you a cat or dog person? I grew up with both so I like both, actually. I would love to have either if I was home long enough to care for one. I prefer dogs or cats though.
Are you married? Nope. Engaged for 6 years…working on year 7 now…Blah! Why propose if you’re not going to back it up within a year or 2? Basturd!
Always wear your seat belt? Yes. It's the law, and I don't want to pay a fine.
Been in a car accident? Yes. Some jackass fell asleep at the wheel on the interstate and slammed into the back of our car.
Any pet peeves? People who are late…drives me nuts!
Favorite Pizza Toppings? Mushrooms and Pineapple
Favorite Flower? Daisy…they’re such a happy flower.
Favorite ice cream? I’m not much of an ice cream person, I only really like McDonald’s frozen yogurt.
Favorite fast food restaurant? Chik-fil-A wins that one!
How many times did you fail your driver’s test? Zero
Who did you get your last email from? Brother
Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Amazon.com…they have everything!
Do anything spontaneous lately? No, I’m not as spontaneous in my ripe old age of 32.
Like your job? It’s a paycheck, I don’t HATE it, but I can’t say that I like it.
Broccoli? Yes, please…,especially in a stirfry!
What was your favorite vacation? I have been to so many amazing places that it's almost impossible to choose, but was probably family vacations to see relatives every summer while I was growing up…I miss those vacations tremendously! Miss my family even more!
Last person you went out to dinner with? I haven’t been out to dinner with anyone since October, so that would have been with my fiancé when he was visiting me after I moved.
What are you listening to right now? The television is on for background noise...I had put in the movie, “Enchanted”.
What is your favorite color? Green
How many tattoos do you have? Zero & will stay at zero!
How many times have you tagged someone to do a meme? I'd like to say ZERO, as I usually get things like this via e-mail.
What time did you finish this meme? 7:29pm
Coffee Drinker? I have tried many times to try and drink coffee. I just can't do it. I like the smell of it, but can't stand the taste, unless I’m able to add it a lot of sugar, creamer & a flavor of some sort, but by that point you can hardly call it coffee.

Well, until my next post...see ya later!

Always,

Weekends Are A Drag!

2011-01-22T17:59:00.004-05:00

I use to love weekends....couldn't wait till the work week was done, so I could take those 48 hours to indulge in whatever I wanted. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy not working for two days in a stuff office, but with me in Florida & my fiance' in Ohio...the weekends are lonely and depressing! I go from sitting in a stuffy office 5 days a week to sitting couped up in my house on the weekends with nothing to do. I thought Orlando would be great and wonderful, but it's totally boring! It's too expensive to go to any of the attractions & even if I could afford it, who wants to go to an amusement park or anywhere for that matter, by themselves. BORING!

Anybody have any ideas of things to keep yourself occupied? I'm growing bored or spending my days sitting on the couch having nothing to do, but surf the internet and watch various dvd's. I'm going stir crazy....any and all ideas welcome!

Okay, now for a movie review since I have nothing better to do....today's movie, "Remember Me".

Where to begin....this movie makes your heart hurt from beginning to end. What happens at the end of the movie, is one of those things that almost takes your breath away. I hadn't read anything about the movie before I watched it, so maybe that's where the shock value came into play, since I watched it, not knowing what the movie was about to begin with. Plus, I just had to watch it purely for the fact that I have a huge crush on Robert Pattinson.

This movie is a tough one to review because so much of the film’s emphasis rests upon the final scenes, and I choose to discuss Remember Me without revealing spoilerific details. Of course, I certainly don’t mind ruining an ending if a movie deserves it, but Remember Me is not that kind of movie, despite the fact that it just happens to star Robert "Sparkles" Pattinson.

Remember Me is not a cheery affair by any means. It opens with 11-year-old Ally, and her mother in a carefree moment while waiting for a subway train. In an instant, the scene turns violent and the young girl watches helplessly as her mother is mugged and murdered. Then, the timeline shifts forward ten years, and we meet Tyler (Pattinson), a rich boy that has broken free of his father’s grip and now lives a life of relative squalor. Actually, he lives in a truly disgusting apartment with a slightly revolting roommate, Aidan, who does well at providing slight moments of humor to diffuse Tyler’s morose attitude. And this isn’t the typical Rebel Without a Cause faux-aura that disaffected young men tend to feign these days, for Tyler is haunted by his own impending 22nd birthday, which is the very date that his older brother committed suicide.

The dysfunctional remnants of Tyler’s family are also unable to heal, and his father continues to cope by throwing himself into Wall Street and ignoring the other surviving members of the family. So, Tyler’s simmering rage bubbles over within occasional violent outbursts, and, when he jumps into a drunken bar brawl, he finds himself in the slammer overnight with a few additional bruises, courtesy of an unsympathetic Sgt. Neil Craig. So, when Tyler ends up dating Craig’s daughter, Ally (now fully grown and, like Tyler, an NYU undergrad), it is a further source of tension. In fact, Ally’s dad does hate Tyler, but this isn’t really a story of forbidden love, despite the fact that Ally’s father still sees her as an 11-year old and the only family he has left. Instead, this is a story of the healing that takes place through a strong romantic bond between members of two families torn apart by death.

Meanwhile, the most palpable sense of suffering in the movie comes from youngest sibling Caroline, who despairs at her father’s lack of affection and indifference to her feelings and accomplishments. She continues to reel from her ongoing loss, which is aided somewhat by Tyler, who attempts to fill in the fatherly gaps as much as humanly possible.

Altogether, however, Remember Me features solid performances and a well-balanced treatment of its difficult subject matter. After all, since violence often intrudes so suddenly in our lives, perhaps Ally isn’t terribly odd for taking her dessert first because, the way she sees it, she may not ever make it past the entrée.

Hopefully, I've summed up the movie enough to intrigue you to watch it. Like I said, it's a hard movie to review without revealing the ending and ruining the shock value for those who want to watch it. It was a very well acted movie!

Always,

Book Review: Vision In White By Nora Roberts

2011-01-20T23:19:00.001-05:00

To make it short & sweet, I loved "Vision in White" by Nora Roberts. The book, the first one in the series of the bride quartet set, is full of love and friendship, which makes me laugh and smile and is just an enjoyable read.

"Vision in White" introduces Mackensie, Parker, Laurel and Emmaline. The four woman have been best friends since they were little girls and they spent many days in their childhood playing getting married. From just playing "Wedding Day" as kids they went on to planning weddings and now run a successful wedding planning business, which they named, Vows. Isn't that the cutest! Mackensie, a photographer, loves her job and especially making someone else's wedding day and the pictures of it just perfect. But she doesn't believe in a happily ever after for herself because of an absent father and a selfish and unstable mother, which made her wary of marriage and longterm relationships. When she meets nerdy, cute (with a capital C), intelligent and charming Carter Maguire she is shocked that she starts thinking of a future that includes him. Carter is a great hero, he is smart but also easily flustered and still sure of what he wants in life. Their meeting scene is just hilarious and even though Mackensie is afraid to enter a serious relationship she cannot stop getting more and more involved with Carter. But Mac's doubts and her ongoing struggle to handle her selfish mother are making her afraid to trust in her love for Carter. But thank god Carter is also strong-willed and not ready to let go of the one woman that completes his life and for whom he had a teenage crush 13 years ago (so sweet when he tells her about it). "Vision in White" is a beautiful book. I love the wedding theme, heroine and hero are adorable and their relationship is sweet and sexy at the same time. The friendship of the four woman just warms my heart and their scenes together are so touching. Parker's brother Del and his buddy Jack are also great guys and all in all this book wants me to believe that somewhere out there my own Carter is waiting for me (if he would only came out of hiding!!!). I can't wait to read book two in the series "A Bed of Roses", to see how Emma finds the one man she wants to share her life with (an excerpt is included in "Vision in White").

All fans of romances and strong characters will love this book. I'd highly recommend it, as it just puts a smile on your face the whole time you're reading it!

Always,

Movie Review of the Night: The Lovely Bones

2011-01-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

Tonight the movie up for review is "The Lovely Bones". I've been waiting a long time to watch this movie. When I seen the previews for this movie when it came out I thought it looked really good. On top of that, I've heard the book was excellent! Well, regretably...I never read the book, but I have a feeling this is one of those books that should have never been turned into a movie. I've also heard many people that have indeed read the book say that they were horribly disappointed by the movie. Anyways, on with the review....

A 14-year-old girl is murdered by a pedophile on her way home from school," not quite the feel-good film of the year. It borrows elements from "Ghost" and "Our Town," and throws them into a colorful world of razzle-dazzle like the one in "What Dreams May Come." Set in 1973, "The Lovely Bones" follows Susie Salmon ("Atonement's" Saoirse Ronan) before and after her forced exit from the planet. She's a regular girl -- fond of taking countless photographs, embarrassed by the knitted winter hat her mom makes her wear, and smitten with a curly-haired senior whom she hopes to give her, her first kiss.

On Susie's way home to dinner, a creepy neighbor lures her into his secret chamber in the ground, in the middle of a freaking cornfield, telling her to check it out because he built it for the neighborhood kids to play in as a club house. Her life ends there. Ruth, the girl next door, has a strange connection to the deceased and can tell she is occupying the "in-between," another way to describe purgatory. Susie doesn't feel ready to move on to heaven until she can help her family track down her killer, "the solitary man who lives in the green house." Her distraught father in particular is nowhere near ready to let go.

"The Lovely Bones" is a sort of fantastical, sentimental horror movie, which left me both sad to the point of tears and deeply queasy. Susan Sarandon's comedic role helps to ease the trauma of it all, as does seeing "The Soprano's" Christopher (Michael Imperioli) on the other side of the law, playing a detective. But like a shot of wheatgrass, this film doesn't go down easy.

"The Lovely Bones" is not for the faint of heart, but there's a good chance it will make yours hurt a bit. That and you'll want to hug everyone you love for just a few extra moments. All in all, I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. I think I'd recommend you read the book instead of watch the movie.

Always,

Review - Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hool

2011-01-18T21:36:00.001-05:00

Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hool may well be the prettiest animated movie ever put to screen. This picture sometimes rivals "Avatar" in its spectacular landscapes and thrilling flying sequences.

This film is captivating & action packed! Yes, I said action. Despite what you may think, an owl fighting is totally awesome. I'm not quite sure how it works or why it works so well, but the battle sequences in Legend are pretty spectacular. Think 300, but remove the copious amounts of blood and six packs and replace them with owls. There are some action sequences in this movie that will leave your jaw on the floor not just because something cool happens, but because it looks so good as that cool thing occurs. It's should also be noted that the film's 3D is done incredibly well and while it is far from necessary to enjoy the animation it certainly doesn't hurt it at all.

Of course not everyone is OK with simply being visually stunned. Most people probably want a little story to go along with their fancy animation, and all I can really say about that is that Legend definitely has a story. The film is based on the first three books of the children's series Guardians of Ga'Hool, which takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals, and centers around the culture of owls. A young owlet named Soren and his brother Kludd are taken from their family home by an evil owl force. Soren escapes and goes to find the Guardians who live in a mythical tree called Ga'Hoole, but Kludd chooses to stay behind and turns to evil. It's a classic storyline that neither shines nor offends, and offers up some interesting takes on hero worship and family.

It is, however, slightly dark. Legend is definitely more of an older child film than a younger kid's movie. There's never anything bloody or gruesome, but parents should be forewarned that parts of the film could be considered scary. However, for a big kid such as me it made the movie all the better and at just over 90 minutes moves fast enough to keep even the most squeamish of children entertained.

Always,

Uneventful Weekend

2011-01-17T17:28:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can see from the title of my post...I had a very uneventful long weekend! Saturday came and went in a flash, as I spent most of the day on the computer doing my typical research on blog design. I used to do blog design several years ago as a hobby and loved it & then I got bombarded with requests and it wasn't that fun anymore. I still enjoy it, but it's been a while since I've dabbled in design, so I've gotten a little rusty on code and such. I hope to pick it up again though!

Then Sunday came along and I was locked out of my blog because google's automated system thought it was spam, so I had to submit a request to get it unlocked...what a load of crap! Needless to say...that's why I didn't post yesturday. Instead I spent 3 hours sitting at Jiffy Lube. Yep....3 freak'in hours! I went in for a simple oil change & then I also noticed both of the lowbeams on my headlights were out so I was going to have them replace those & of course they always try to get you to spend more money and they talked me into a radiator flush because the antifreeze was rust colored instead of green, so I caved & I had that done since they claimed that my car would overheat when the weather warmed up and I just don't want any part of that non-sense! So I sat there forever as 5 people that came in AFTER me got out of there before me....& then when I go up to finally pay the mechanic tells me he wasn't able to change the bulbs because they were rusty and would require the whole headlight to be taken out and they don't do that, but he does stuff on the side and gave me his number. WTF?? Needless to say, I won't be going back to Jiffy Lube anytime in the distant future!

So, that brings us to today. I wake up to what sounded like someone rolling there garbage can up the drive, so I try to drift back to sleep & I keep hearing the same noise which was just making me a little irritated...then after I woke up a little more and about jumped out of my bed from the loudness...I realized it was thunder. I get up and look out the window & you can forget cats and dogs my friend...it was raining pigs & elephants in Central Florida for the entire morning, until about 2:00pm. I hadn't seen rain come down that hard in some time! I finally got bored enough & sick of waiting on the rain to stop, I decided to run out to Sears Automotive to see if they could replace the bulbs in my headlights. Sure enough, 15 minutes later and $50 poorer they had it done! I hated to spend that much to get it done, but when you don't have a guy around & you don't want to do it yourself, what choice do you have?!

I can't believe the three day weekend is almost officially over...I'm ready for next weekend to be here already! On the plus side, at least it's only a four day work week! Well, my peeps...I'll leave it at that for now. Enjoy the remainder of the day off!

Always,

Hello Blogland!

2011-01-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hello Blogland...I have arrived! This blog will be full of complete and total randomness, purely because of sheer boredom. I've recently relocated to Orlando, FL with my company & my fiance decided to stay in Ohio until he could find a job down here since the job market is so scarce right now. So that leaves me here in the state of sunshine & mickey mouse completely and utterly bored out of my mind! Sure there are tons of amusement parks, but who can afford to go with the ridiculous prices they charge!? You take the amusement parks out of Orlando & you have a city with nothing to do! If anyone is from the Orlando area and have suggestions on things to do that don't cost a lot please leave your suggestions in the comment section! It's so sad that I have a 3 days weekend and Saturday is officially over in another couple hours and I haven't done anything buy sit on the couch on my computer all day and watched a couple movies in the process.

On that note, I can recommend a few good movies worth renting! I watched "Knight & Day", which was definitely a better movie than I expected. "The Town" was an excellent flick directed by Ben Afleck. Now the movie, "The A-Team" was just okay....you just can't beat the original t.v. show cast. I have to say the 10 minute intro of the movie was the best part, otherwise, it just didn't cut it for me. "Despicable Me" was just a great movie..definitely a cute one! Now I'll have to throw a tear-jerker at you, but it was such a great movie and it was based on a true story. It's called, "Haichi: A Dog's Tale" It was an amazing movie & yes you'll bawl through the last half of the movie, but it's too good not to watch it! Well, I could probably go on and on in the movie department, but I'll leave it at that for now. I mean I have to have material for other posts, right?! :) Well, until I post again...later moo-cha-cho's!

Always,