My first comment

Okay, not really the first comment but the first one that requires a response.

Macaroni's birthday party was held at The Chatterbox Pub in St. Paul. We had a great time and besides the old school video games, they have really good food. Almost too good for bar food.

Netflix review: The Last King of Scotland

Five stars! Love this one. Forrest Whitaker so earned his Oscar. Excellent film about the man I grew up thinking was the devil, as my dad would probably still call him. And although the movie doesn't really change that impression it certainly shows another side to him. Makes him a real person, which is sort of scary. I almost wish I didn't know that the doctor was a fictional character, although it doesn't lessen the impact at all. And I do love me some Scottish boys...James McAvoy was brilliant. Everyone was brilliant. So good and creepy. I'm sure I was the last person to see this one, but if not watch it. It's good.

Forest Whitaker stars in an Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning role as brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in this drama. During an African medical mission in the 1970s, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) impresses Amin by acting swiftly in a crisis. Installed as the dictator's personal physician soon thereafter, Garrigan enjoys the perks of his new position, until he begins to become aware of Amin's inhumanity -- and his own complicity.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

I swear my mom, the Coolest Person on the Planet ™, is getting younger every year. I'm pretty sure she's discovered the fountain of youth and unfortunately for me, she's not sharing her secret.

Today is also Macy's birthday, the woman who cut and colored my hair today. My first real grown up color, finally chased away the grey. I'm thinking I'll try something more adventurous next time. Red or black probably. Maybe both.

The Bowl A Thon is tonight. Macaroni is dead set on winning the low score prize...he's refusing to use bumpers. How do I get away with using bumpers if he won't? We're not a bowling family so this could be really funny. Or embarrassing. It's for charity so I'm sure we'll have fun.

Afterwards we're heading here

for dinner, Kinhdo in Uptown. I can't wait, craving Pad Thai and egg rolls. Tomorrow is Veronica Mars night with Mary and then next week Shayne and KK are coming to town! I'm so excited. KK left me a voicemail message (that I just got...I hate my cell phone!) and I swear she just breaks my heart. Sweet little voice saying "Hiii Aunnie Sunsine". I can't wait to scoop her up and cover her in kisses!

F*cktards, or Why I Hate Fox TV

They cancelled Drive after airing only four episodes, three of which were aired back to back on a Sunday and Monday night. Uggh.

And I was so looking forward to the episode where Nathan wakes up with no memory, just a cell phone and a mysterious tattoo, and ends up hitchhiking his way through the rest of the race. On the side of the road all nekkid. Now that would be must-see-tv.

Veronica Mars is back next week, and I swear if she gets cancelled I'm gonna throw away my TV. Or you know, just watch my DVDs instead of the crap they keep cancelling good shows for.

Netflix review: Babel

I really liked this movie even though I watched it in bits and pieces while doing a million other things. I especially liked the story involving the deaf Japanese teenager. I loved how old Brad looked and Cate, of course, was her usual gorgeous self. Four stars.

When an American couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) vacationing in Morocco fall victim to a random act of violence, a series of events unfolds across four countries that demonstrates both the necessity and impossibility of human communication. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu artfully weaves together three seemingly disparate stories of strangers in strange lands in this Oscar nominee for Best Picture and Golden Globe winner for Best Drama.

The birthday party

kids playing Scrabble at a video game party...awesome

I'm sick of thinking about it...

...and yet I can't stop reading about the Supreme Court upholding King Georgie's ban on late term abortions. Which is only the beginning.

I've read so many great blogs and articles, but this one really hits home. The same people who want to overturn Roe also want to cut funding for birth control and accurate sex education. Programs and policies proven to reduce abortion. The same people who think women should be forced to give birth to protect a fetus don't want to protect living, breathing children by providing health care to them.

This isn't about being pro-life or loving babies. This is about controlling women.

Pro-choice = Pro-life

No Netflix review. Instead a book review, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

I remember the chills I got reading this book for the first time. Not a future I want my kids to live in but am really afraid it's not as unlikely as we'd like to believe. I'll be digging this one out to read again and to have Jboy read for the first time. Scary.

In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?

"A novel that brilliantly illuminates some of the darker interconnections between politics and sex . . . Just as the world of Orwell's 1984 gripped our imaginations, so will the world of Atwood's handmaid!"--Washington Post Book World

"The Handmaid's Tale deserves the highest praise"--San Francisco Chronicle

"Atwood takes many trends which exist today and stretches them to their logical and chilling conclusions . . . An excellent novel about the directions our lives are taking . . . Read it while it's still allowed."--Houston Chronicle"

Splendid."--Newsweek

Nathan made me do it

Nathan posted on his myspace page and basically instructed everyone to get the word out about his new TV show, Drive. Does that name sound familiar yet?
And because I'll do anything Nathan tells me (and I do mean anything Nate) I'm gonna bombard you with lots of links. Again.

I don't know anything about ratings and I don't want to know anything about TV executives but Fox has a reputation for cancelling shows without really giving them a chance. So, right now, run and program your Tivo. Unless you're like me and you have to wait until Monday night to push record on your old school VCR. And if you're really like me you'll obsessively check to make sure you're on the right channel enough times to make your kids crazy. Just an added bonus.

My friend was amazed that they still make blank VHS tapes. Like its Betamax or something.

Anyway, if you missed either of the previous episodes you can catch them here for free. Then watch Drive Monday. And why not check out the Drive website while you're waiting.
Spoiler alert (unless you ever watch Fox because they keep showing it in the commercials) Nathan's gonna rob a bank. Again!
(Serenity reference. Netflix it now if you haven't seen it!)

Okay, I should be getting paid for all this publicity. Paid with lots and lots of episodes of Drive.

Bum Rushing the Canadian border

It's frequently embarrassing to admit that I'm from the United States. Cause, you know, of this and this and a million other sad, scary and sometimes hilarious things. When we were in Europe people kept asking Heath and I if we were Canadian, and most of the time we said "yes" or "close enough" since MN is practically Canada. But for all of my "I want to live on an island off the coast of Scotland" whining, I really am proud to be American.

Except today. I haven't had any faith in the Supreme Court since they hand picked that asshat in 2000. But this? This I can't get over. I can't wrap my head around this decision in any way. The procedure is very rare and 99.9% of the time performed in an effort to save the woman's life and/or health. (Actually, I'd love to see hard statistics...I'm sure it's 100% of the time.)
I read this blog daily, and Cecily is by far one of the smartest, funniest and bravest women on the planet. Reading her story about the loss of her twins is heartbreaking, and exactly why this ruling is completely asinine. I would put money on the fact that vast majority of women who have undergone this procedure were wanting desperately to carry to term. Uggh! We were just beginning to see some common sense legislation to prevent unintended pregnancies. This ruling will undoubtedly undo any good done, in an effort to reverse Roe. Because the life of a woman is so much less important than the potential life of a fetus. Morons.

I can't think about it anymore. Quick, what's Ewan doing? I need a distraction.


Anyway, if you ended up here accidentally and want to do something to protect women, you can click here to sponsor my team in Pro Choice Resource's annual bowl a thon! Big, huge thank you's to Shayne and KK's grandma for sponsoring us!

Gush

The hotness of Nathan, fun action stuff, mysteries galore and apparently lots of fun geographical giveaways. Giveaways, not errors.
Drive is so good. And if you missed the first three episodes (two hour premiere on Sunday + last night's episode) you can catch up on the Drive myspace page. For free even. I don't think you'll be disappointed. My boys are really loving the show, which I was kind of worried about because we all sort of hate cars and think they're dumb and 90% of the show takes place on the road.
Another thing I love about this show? Four of my top five favorite things about Drive are totally Joss related. Nathan and Tim Minear, duh. But also Amy Acker and Richard Brooks. And then there's Katie Finneran, who as far as I know doesn't have a Joss connection, but I'd love to get drunk with the two of them!

We haven't done much else lately, saw MacHomer on Sunday and it was so funny my sides still hurt. I'm counting that as an ab workout, thank you very much.

Macaroni's birthday party is this weekend and we just now got our first RSVP. Thank goodness! I think he was starting to get a little worried that no one would show and he'd be forced to play videogames with his grandparents all afternoon. How bad would it suck to have no one show up to your birthday party? Probably one of the top three worries for a nine year old. Right up there with getting pants in gym class and farting during your book report.

So other than watching Drive and waiting for Veronica Mars, I've been contemplating 1) going vegan (although I think I'm way too lazy to actually do it), 2) getting a new tattoo (how many times have I mentioned that here?) and 3) buying some sort of exercise contraption (glorified coat rack anyone?). I've got my parent's out price checking all of the non-impact machines...even ellipticals hurts my knees...so that one might actually happen. I should also make a few doctor's appointments and see if I can get into a hydrotherapy session. Arthritis sucks.

No new Netflix reviews, just DRIVE baby!
Tons of reviews over on AICN.
This is part of my favorite one:
Drive is an audacious, exhilarating enough concept, and its pace and writing snappy enough, to make you want to believe. … But Fillion, maybe the most underrated leading man in Hollywood, takes command of the screen every time he's on, and as in Firefly, he gets plenty of Han Solo-esque dialogue that builds and breaks the tension at the same time. …

yesterday

Luckiest day of the year

Today is Macaroni's 9th birthday. He's such an independent, sweet little baby doll, I can't believe it's gone by so fast. If you only knew kiddo.
I've got a photo of him blowing out the candle on his McDonald's Hotcakes (he's going to his dad's house this weekend so we celebrated this morning) and one of him still in bed with his Kick The Cheat doll. Which already stopped talking. Or squawking. Or whatever.
I'll have to upload those when I get home.

Jboy's going to a party tonight. See how calmly I typed that? Jboy doesn't go to the kinds of parties I went to in high school, which he kindly pointed out when I told him not to drink or have sex tonight. Weird thing is, I totally trust him. Good kids I've got.

I'm looking forward to this tomorrow night and this on Sunday.

Ooooh, and I almost forgot to mention for the billionth time. Drive starts on Sunday night! Two delicious hours of Nathan Fillion! And then a "regularly scheduled" episode on Monday night. YUM!

Naked photos by any chance?

Netflix: More of The Office

I totally have a crush on Jim and want to hang out with Pam. Jenna's myspace entries are hilarious, sounds like such a fun set.

My cute boys and beautiful baby girl

Macaroni, Jboy and Papa on Good Friday

Real tears...waiting to go home

Don't ya just want to lick her face? So sweet.

Another silly little email thingie

60 ODD things about me

1. How tall are you? 5' 5 3/4"
2. Have you ever done heroin? Only the synthetic, imaginary kind...shot in my eyeballs during especially boring meetings.
3. Do you own a gun? Never have, never will.
4. Do you recycle? Absolutely. In fact I just ordered a second recycling bin so I can get all of it out of my kitchen.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? I'd actually have to make a doctor appointment to get nervous about it, huh? I'm really nervous about Macaroni's next dentist appointment. A filling AND an extraction.
6. What do you think about hot dogs? What exactly is in them?? Hot dogs may be one of the biggest reasons that I'm vegetarian. My hot dogs are made of tofu, I don't even want to think about what's in the other ones.
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? The Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song. I think it might be called "The Christmas Song". It reminds me of my grandpa. "Me, I want a huuuula hoop"
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? One Awake tea bag in a venti cup. With milk and sugar.
9. Can you do push ups? Plural? Maybe.
10. Is your bathroom clean? Maybe in one of the corners up at the ceiling.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My grandma M's "replacement" wedding ring is my favorite but I almost never wear it because she was a teeny tiny lady and I am, well, not. The only jewelry I ever wear now are the "easter egg" earrings I got from Macaroni.
12. Do you like painkillers? Only the chocolate kind. I've had two kids and all four wisdom teeth out without drugs so I guess I don't really know.
13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? If by lure you mean send a guy running for the hills at record pace, I got mad skills. If you mean actually attracting someone, I can't help you. The only interest I get these days are from guys who were still in diapers when Jboy was born.

What happened to 14 and 15??????????????

16. Middle Name? Carol
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? "I wonder what Joss is doing right now?" "I wonder what Ewan is wearing right now?" "I wonder if I could fake sick enough to go home early today?"
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought? This morning I loaded money on Jboy's lunch account at school, bought a Powerball ticket from my friend Evil Eye and a bagel with cream cheese at Au Bon Pain. (I passed the first APB I walked by, thinking that my fat ass doesn't need a bagel but couldn't resist when I got to the one by the IDS Center. Not because the bagel sounded so good but because there was a HOT boy with a mohawk in line! Put fifty pounds and a lot of tattoos on him and I'd learn how to lure. Maybe.)
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Water and tea. I also drink milk and soy milk, but not really regularly. I had Pineapple Orange juice yesterday. Oooh, I haven't been drinking much lately, but come summer I'm sure I can add whiskey back to the list. Way ahead of milk.
20. Who is your hero? Yorick Brown? Seriously, my parents and Paul Wellstone.
21. Last person you called? I'm the worst, I never call anyone. My mommy called me this morning, and I sent a text message to Kathleen.
22. Current worry? That the cheap charger I bought to listen to my iPod at work is going to burn out the battery.
23. Current hate? Winter. More specifically, blowing snow.
24. Favorite place to be? Second row center at the Piccadilly Theater watching Ewan sing. To me.
25. How did you bring in the New Year? Playing Scrabble with Jboy. And I won!
26. Where would you like to go? Thailand, Japan, back to Scotland.
27. Do you own slippers? I've got a cool pair of slipper socks. Jboy wore my "Chicks Rule" slippers outside and ruined them.
28. What shirt are you wearing? Black thermal hoodie.
29. Do you burn or tan? Depends. Am I passed out at the pool in Vegas or just in Minnesota? The fatter I get the more I burn. Sucks.
30. Favorite color(s)? Yellow.
31. Would you be a pirate? The best. I think all the best female pirates were Scottish, so I'm sure it's in my blood.
32. Are you wearing socks right now? Unfortunately. Come on flip flop weather.
33. What songs do you sing in the shower? Cake's "Satan is my Motor" and the entire soundtrack from the Buffy musical.
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Mostly Big Foot, but sometime piranhas. Really, it was a whole movie thing.
35. What's in your pockets right now? $13.11, my cell phone and my train card/credit cards.
36. Last thing/person that made you laugh? Re-reading Buffy Season 8, issue 2 last night.
37. Best bed sheets as a child? My Star Wars sheets? I think they were Return of the Jedi, but that would make me about 13 years old. Maybe I'm thinking of my little brother's sheets? I bet I had Charlie's Angels sheets? I had Cheryl Ladd everything.
(Jody, I too had a Hollie Hobbie blankie.)
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Having my face chewed off when I was four.
39. Are you doing anything else right now? Listening to old school Green Day and halfass working.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 3. But one is just for video games, no reception.
41. Who was your High School crush(es)? Like I'd admit to that. Like you all don't already know.
42. Who is your loudest friend? Kathleen. Heather is probably second, but Kata's got her lapped at least once.
43. Who is your most silent friend? Jboy, but he's not supposed to be my friend. Hmmm, I don't know if I have any silent friends.
44. Does someone have a crush on you? There's a scary little college boy on the train who always stares at me, but he's probably just retarded.
45. Do you wish on shooting stars? They don't even have to be shooting.
46. What is your favorite book? Y: The Last Man. Non-comic would be A Tale of Two Citites.
47. What is your favorite candy? Hot Tamales. That's what I've had for dinner the last two nights. Big ass boxes of Hot Tamales.
48. What song do/did you want played at your wedding? Gah, if I ever have to get married I want Ewan and Nicole to sing "Come What May". And them showing up is much more likely than me getting married. I have promised my dad that we'd dance to "Tennessee Waltz" if I ever do get married.
49.What song do you want played at your funeral? I don't want a funeral so I haven't really thought about it. Maybe the soundtrack from the episode "The Message" while I'm getting cremated, Darth Vader style.
50. What were you doing @ 12 AM last night? Listening to the dogs next door, who were either trying to kill each other or were having mind blowing sex.
51. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? "I have got to buy a lottery ticket today. Working is for suckers."
52. What do you regret most about your past? I don't believe in regrets, but I really wish I had given a toast at my best friend's wedding.
53. What's your favorite name for a baby boy? That I haven't already used: Caleb or Xander.
54. What's your favorite name for a baby girl? Ruby! (even though I'm pretty sure I'll never have another kid I'm not telling my favorite baby girl name. Cause you never know, I might win the lottery tonight and go buy some sperm.)
55. Back to question 41, If you ran into your crush(es), would you tell them how you felt? I don't think I'd even recognize him. And even though he was as dumb as a box of rocks, he knew exactly how I felt.
56. Favorite drinking spot? Lately it's been The Drink. I miss Balimi Bay in Uptown. I don't think my liver misses it though.
57. Favorite restaurant? Tao in Las Vegas! The NYC location is good but Vegas rocks the veggie dumplings.
58. If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be? A koi fish. Unless Nathan Fillion has a dirty little lap dog, then I want to be that.
59. Are you tired of filling this out yet? It's better than working.
60. Last question, Who do you hope reads and replies to this? Ewan and Joss. I really want to know what they're doing and wearing today!

Has everyone heard about this?

Kiva

It's a site that hooks you up with small businesses who need non traditional loans. I saw about two minutes of a show about it last night and have only had the chance to peek at the website but wow. It looks amazing. I think this is what the boys and I will be working on this weekend.

First Communion

So Macaroni had his First Communion last night. He was adorable, as usual, and my parents, his dad and step mom and other grandpa all made it to the service. We teased him about choking on the wafer just before the service began, so I think he was a little nervous. And he wouldn't put the wafer in his mouth until he had the wine in his hand, just in case. It was cute.

Afterwards he sat on my lap and said "Dad was wrong, that tastes nasty." Hopefully that's a sign that he won't be a big drinker in high school.

Took the photo with my phone, especially for you Shayne.

Tonight we're doing the counter protest at Planned Parenthood (of course the temperature drops just when we're planning to stand outside for a couple of hours. Where'd that 80° weather go?) and then dinner at the restaurant where we're having Macaroni's birthday party in a couple of weeks. It's actually a pub with old 1970's sofas and old school video games. Hopefully some of the parents will let their kids come to the bar for a 9 year old's party. I would.

Netflix review: The Office (Season One)
Jboy and I have fallen in love with this show, ever since the episode that Joss directed. We Netflix'd seasons one and two and put it in last night thinking we'd watch a couple of episodes. Of course we stayed up late watching them all. Thankfully season one was a short season so it only took about an hour and a half. Totally love Pam and Jim, cause Jenna rocks. Of course I missed last nights new episode but Jboy saw it and filled me in. Five stars.
Based on Ricky Gervais's hit BBC sitcom, this American remake stars Steve Carell as Michael Scott, the deluded general manager of a boring suburban workplace. A biting satire that skewers office life with devious relish, "The Office" co-stars John Krasinski as the lustful Jim, Jenna Fischer as receptionist Pam, Rainn Wilson as know-it-all Dwight and B.J. Novak as temp Ryan.

Lame beyond the telling of it

Such a bad blogger. Shame, I almost feel shame.

I totally missed my boyfriend Ewan's birthday on Saturday and April Fool's Day yesterday.

What has me so distracted? Besides the stupid Star War$ quiz I'm taking on the post office website right now, that is? My new tiny little friend, the iP0d Nan0.


I've been very busy ripping discs and playing with my new toy, that I won on e8ay for only $80! Jboy got the video iP0d for his birthday last year and hasn't come close to filling it up, so I was sure the Nan0 would be big enough for me. I'm only half way through my discs and I've already run out of room. Macaroni may end up with this one when I upgrade. Like next week.


My old MP3 player had a shuffle feature but I never bothered to learn how to use it. The funniest thing about listening to my new iP0d is having Ewan McGregor & Nicole Kidman singing "Come What May" from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack pop up in between the Descendents "Everything Sux" and the Ramones "Stop Thinking About It". Makes for giggles on the train. Plus, I'm learning all the song and band names from my many compilations.


Bet you wish you had my mad Jedi skills. (Speaking of, my favorite movie Serenity just beat out Star War$ as best science fiction movie of all time on some silly internet poll. I'm not sure I agree with the results (Empire is awesome and even the prequels had Ewan, and I don't totally agree that Serenity is sci-fi) but I've got to say I love seeing Joss and the kids still getting attention, even if it is just from other geeks. And the movie theater by my house is showing her again on Joss's birthday in June!)

Okay, I've gotta get back to work on KK's Easter present. The blurry photos on this site should have been a warning to me, here I thought it was just bad karma for stealing people's photos. Nope, it's me and my technologically retarded self. Anyway, I'm going to try to get the present done in time for her grandparents to bring out to her...but they're leaving on Wednesday so I better go.



Netflix reviews:

The Deer Hunter (four & 1/2 stars)
Love Robert De Niro, Love Meryl Streep, LOVE LOVE LOVE Christopher Walken (the scariest man alive).
A group of working-class pals decide to enlist in the army during the Vietnam War and find it to be hellish chaos -- not the noble venture they imagined. One of the survivors (Robert De Niro) must return to Saigon to save a shattered pal (Christopher Walken) from certain death in a Russian roulette club. An Oscar-winning epic, The Deer Hunter shows the heavy toll the conflict exacted on soldiers and civilians.

El Bola (five stars)
Loved it, cried like a baby.
Twelve-year-old Pablo (Juan Jose Ballesta) is stuck in a deeply abusive home ruled by his tyrannical father when he meets a new classmate, Alfredo (Pablo Galan), who befriends Pablo and introduces him to a kinder, gentler version of family life. That life is personified by Alfredo's fun-loving Bohemian father, Jose (Alberto Jimenez). Writer-director Achero Manas's poignant film won more than 30 international awards, including four Spanish Goyas.

March of the Penguins (four & 1/2 stars)
So sweet and kind of sad, but I had to cuddle in bed with a cute boy to watch it or I would have been freezing. And the whole monogamous thing? Just a little misleading.
Award-winning photographer Luc Jacquet takes documentary film to new heights -- and depths -- with his first feature film, a stunning insider's look at the life of the emperor penguin. The product of more than a year of filming in the brutal Antarctic ice, this Oscar-winning Best Documentary presents never-before-captured footage of the penguins' underwater life and explores their steadfast quest for monogamous mates.