Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher is chased by spurned wife, Lucy Jo Heisner (Brit Morgan)
Seems a very handy thing indeed that 'Fiona' (Emmy Rossum) was 'almost' a track star in high school (she had to drop out to care for her siblings, natch) because she will put those running skills to the test when ambushed--in her own home!--by an intent-on-blood, Lucy Jo Heisner (Brit Morgan). Fiona, you'll recall, had an unrequited high school crush on 'Craig Heiser' which was just requited in the back seat of Craig's car, a virtual low-rent kiddyland of toys, baby seat and (ew!) old juice boxes and uneaten food. To make it worse, Craig makes odd noises when having sex so the whole experince grossed Fiona out. Very doubtful that she'd planned on going back to that well again. Try telling that to the bat-wielding 'Lucy Jo', though.
Jeremy Allen White as 'Lip Gallagher' (Credit: Showtime)
SNEAK PEEK: Shameless - Possible New Client - Fiona deals with the consequences of sleeping with Craig when his angry wife shows up at the door:
SNEAK PEEK: Shameless - 'Copy That' - Lip invites Jody to the Alibi Room:
SHAMELESS EPISODE 2.04 - 'A Beautiful Mess' (Showtime Extended Synopsis):
Fiona deals with the consequences of sleeping with Craig when his angry wife shows up at the door; Debbie develops a stress-rash and Fiona wonders if she's putting too much responsibility on the kids; Sheila has made it all the way to the hair salon and Frank realizes his days in the Jackson household are numbered; no longer having sex with Karen, Lip tries to dig up dirt on Jody; Ian continues on the path to West Point; Carl house-sits with his friend, Little Hank; Ethel meets Malik, a boy on Kevin's youth basketball team.
William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher in Showtime's Shameless - Episode 2.04
Looks like Lip (Jeremy Allen White) is ratcheting up his risk-taking by stealing credit-card numbers. Wonder if he's trying to impress Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins) with his derring-do?
Kevin (Steve Howey) does have a plan and it doesn't sound too bad to me. His father, who is on the edge of death, owns Frank's favourite bar and Kevin's place of employment--'The Alibi.' Kevin's plan is to go to 'the loan store' and buy the bar from dear ol' dad leaving dad with the means to die with dignity. Kevin's shown his ability to control the going's on at The Alibi so you'd think, with a bit of help from 'Vi' (Shanola Hampton) with the books that Steve would fare just fine--though since this is Shameless...anything could happen.
Shameless: I Have a Plan
Kevin tells Veronica he wants to buy the Alibi Room.
Shameless Episode 2.03: 'I'll Light a Candle for You Every Day'
Season 2, Episode 3 Episode Synopsis:
Fiona ponders the morality of getting involved with a high-school crush who's now married but when she finds an abandoned purse with $500 inside she assumes her luck is changing; Frank pulls out all the stops, even proposing marriage, in an effort to stay in the good graces of his meal ticket, Dottie; and Harry's health issues leave Debbie obsessing over death. Meanwhile, Kevin considers buying the Alibi; Lip takes a meeting with an Army officer to see about getting Ian into West Point; Jody asks for Frank's permission to marry Karen. Original Air Date: Jan 22, 2012
I'm totally jazzed that Shameless is back on, aren't you? What's that you say, you have not started watching season 2 of Shameless?! Well, if you are reading this in January 2012, you only need scroll down to the bottom of this blog and you'll be able to view Shameless season 2, episode 1 (for a limited time, edited for naughty language and bits).
We subscribe to Showtime in our household as they have great shows throughout the year. Shameless has quickly become my favorite comedy on any television station. I think both the sneak peeks below for episode 2 of Shameless which airs on Sunday, January 15 are excellent examples of why the show is so awesome. In the Shameless: 'Quality Father Daughter Time' video (below), Emmy Rossum as 'Fiona' and William C. Macy as deadbeat drunk dad 'Frank Gallagher' spar over yet another of Frank's brain-dead schemes to make cash any way but legitimately.
SCREENCAPS for SHAMELESS episode 2 and beyond:
SHAMELESS Synopsis Episode 2: Summer Loving:
As Sheila conquers her agoraphobia, a worried Frank finds a new financial plan in fellow bar patron Dottie, whose declining health and city pension make her an ideal match; Fiona juggles her job, the kids and her burgeoning love life, and Jasmine tries to help by setting up Fiona with a sugar daddy; Veronica takes some old folks from the home on an excursion; Lip worries about Karen's growing relationship with Jody; Ian tries to land a recently released Mickey a job at the Kash and Grab; Debbie wants her own room; Carl moves into the van.
Shameless: 'Quality Father Daughter Time' (VIDEO) Published on Jan 9, 2012 by SHOWTIME Fiona scolds Frank about the Gallagher's new roommate.
Joan Cusak as "Sheila' in Shameless, Sunday nights at 8c/9e on Showtime.
Sheila (Joan Cusak) makes it farther and farther away from home. Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins) reminds Frank (William H. Macy) that soon her mom will get to meet all of Frank's friends at the bar.
Why Emmy Rossum Wanted to Be on Shameless
What the Shameless Kids Have in Common:
Actor Jeremy Allen White, who plays Phillip "Lip" Gallagher on Showtime's hit series Shameless, reveals that he's the only Gallagher child with a sibling in real life—none of the other children have brothers and sisters! Emmy Rossum, who stars as Fiona, explains why she thinks that's one of the reasons the cast is so close.
Jeremy Allen White as 'Lip" in Shameless on Showtime
Does William H. Macy mentor his castmates? What's it like for Emmy Rossum to play a not-so-glamorous character? The stars of Showtime's hit series Shameless answer burning questions from some of their biggest fans. Plus, watch an impromptu musical performance from Laura Slade Wiggins.
Rosie's Favorite Shameless Character:
A die-hard fan of Shameless asks Rosie who her favorite character is on the Showtime hit series. It's a hard choice for Rosie, who says that "every character is perfect," but she shares which one she likes the most and why.
The cast of Showtime's Shameless on the Rosie Show:
Working it, Shameless style
Shameless: This Year's Crop
Kevin (Steve Howey) shows Lip (Jeremy White) his grow house which will be shut down unless he finds $9000 to pay the electric bill.
Happy Holidays from the Gallagher family. Mark your callendars! The new season of SHAMELESS begins January 8th at 9PM ET/PT!
Despite the new season of SHAMELESS taking place during one of our lovely Chicago summers, the Gallaghers have put on their best monogrammed Santa hats and enlisted everyone's help in wishing us a Merry Christmas!
My favourite line?: "Des-ig-nate! Give your keys to someone boring!"
Q: What's in store for the Shameless Showtime premiere?
A: This scoop will be as shameless as the series itself. James Wolk and Emmy Rossum. Naked. In public. Not enough? OK, how about this? William H.Macy. Half-naked. In the restroom of a gay bar.
Q: Do you have any spoilers about Shameless — particularly about Steve/Fiona?
Ausiello: Sorry, Fiona/Steve lovers, but Justin Chatwin is mostly M.I.A. when Season 2 resumes on Jan. 8. Fiona’s rebound dance card, meanwhile, remains full, first with Lone Star‘s James Wolk, and next with Vampire Diaries‘ Taylor Kinney. The latter plays an old and now-married crush of Fiona’s from high school with whom she reconnects with. Look out for a ROTFLOL-worthy scene set inside a car that will have you looking at Kinney in a whole new light.
Season 2 of SHAMELESS finds our favorite dysfunctional family braving the summertime Chicago heat trying to keep cool…and Frank (William H. Macy) out of trouble. Bearing the de facto parent badge, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) spends her nights working at a happening nightclub and her days keeping an eye on Debbie (Emma Kenny) and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) as they run a makeshift daycare center at the house. Meanwhile, brothers Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan) are toying with the idea of college, while Sheila (Joan Cusack, in her Emmy® Award-nominated role) is still housing Frank and making progress with her agoraphobia. As usual, the motley brood somehow manages to hold down the fort and make sure the bills are paid, the lights are on and there is food on the table. Developed for American Television by John Wells and Created by Paul Abbott, SHAMELESS is based on the long-running hit UK series. SHAMELESS is executive produced by acclaimed Emmy® Award-winning television and film producer John Wells, Paul Abbott and Andrew Stearn.
WEEDS: Episode 7.13: 'Do Her / Don't Do Her' Synopsis:
Silas betrays Nancy while Shane attempts to protect her.In the Season 7 finale, Silas betrays Nancy, even as Shane makes one last attempt to protect her from Detective Ouellette; back on Wall Street, Doug and Whit hatch a plan to keep the hedge fund alive.
I have not watched the WEEDS: Episode 13, season 7 finale but I have watched all of season 7 so far and the entire series, for that matter (backtracking at one point about 1.5 years into Weeds' run on Showtime--to get caught up on the first season and a half that I'd missed initially--didn't have Showtime).
I find it a fun show to watch. It's got sharp writing--a good, solid ensemble cast (to which Heylia returned this year--woo-hoo!) and it is not anti-or particularly, pro-pot use. Only someone who hasn't listened to the explanation of what the show is about would not get that Weeds has years where 'weed' is featured almost like a featured cast member and other times sort of relegated to distant co-star (though the "weeds" of the title remain integral to every season). It really all depends on what the Botwin family lead by Nancy (Mary-Louise-Parker), is struggling through at any particular time. Sometimes imminent death is an 'issue,' other times ' just' going back to prison. Another bump in the road was helping Shane (Alexander Gould) (so far) get away with murder (Pilar with the croquet mallet by the pool--in pseudo-self-defense, some would argue justifiable homicide). When the Botwins have problems they are outsize problems. Thank dog they have "Uncle Andy' ( Justin Kirk) to help them through troubled times.
The the set-up of Silas (Hunter Parrish) getting revenge on Nancy for well in truth, years of lousy (but well-intentioned!) parenting is not too daunting to contemplate when all that the Botwins have survived is tallied up.
The weed-jacked Heylia could be scary but Nancy had been able to sweet-talk her way out of ever dire situation save one--last year's federal arrest subsequent three-year incarceration--so I don't think truly anything awful shall befall our favourite weed distributor in the season-ender.
It's hard to know where Weeds will go from here. There's been no formal announcement by the network about renewal for a season 8 Weeds. Would you want that if it were to be an option? Especially when I compare it to some of the network shows that go on FOREVER plus the fact that one season of Weeds comprises 13, 30-minute shows--Weeds could easily go on--I'm good with that.
Weeds: 'Deep Breaths' Silas admits his wrong doing to Andy.
Weeds: 'Fire Sale' Doug walks into a problem at Vehement Capital.
The original Dark Shadows was 'a memorably offbeat ABC daytime drama about a vampire whose extended family are bedeviled by ghosts, witches, and other Gothic woes.'
Johnny Depp has recounted how as a boy he practically raced home to watch Dark Shadows after school each day. I did the same but living in the Northeast (versus Depp's Kentucky) we got released from school too late in the afternoon to watch the entire episode. I still turned it on and caught the second act of each one-hour installment. As Depp says, Dark Shadows was 'very weird' so it didn't really seem to matter that I was only getting about half the narrative. The parts I saw were terrifically fun and seemed quite subversive being unreeled during weekday afternoons.
“I remember seeing a group photograph of the cast of the original series,” he told EW. “For me it captured the weird Dark Shadows vibe in a single image." - Dark Shadows director Tim Burton
'Weird certainly sums up this particular family portrait — a shot director Tim Burton, who also obsessed over Dark Shadows as a boy, staged in the early days of production.
Here’s the Collins family, from left to right with a brief description of each character following:
Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) – From Alice in Wonderland’s Red Queen, to the cannibalistic cook Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Burton can’t help but cast the mother of his children as a deranged person. This prim and proper psychiatrist, who has taken up residence with the Collins family to care for their troubled youngest boy, might seem to break that trend — but don’t bet on it....
Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Moretz) — Though she played a voracious child vampire in the critically acclaimed Let Me In, Moretz is on the human side of the spectrum in Dark Shadows — though that doesn’t mean this cousin of young David Collins (and daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer’s character, seen on the far right) isn’t without her own peculiarities...
Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) — The Bond girl from Casino Royale turns up here as the villain of the story. “Angelique is a witch who has known Barnabas since the 1700s, when they had an affair that went sour. She is the one who cursed him to be a vampire and locked him in that box...”
David Collins (Gulliver McGrath) — Lonely, confused, and neglected by his pompous father (Jonny Lee Miller, over on the right next to Pfeiffer), David has no one to confide in except his bizarre psychiatrist — and the dead people he claims to see...
Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) — This young woman arrives to become David’s new governess, only to find herself swept up in the vampire-witch melodrama. “When Barnabas meets Victoria, he’s instantly reminded of the woman he lost in the 1700s, before he was cursed to be a vampire...”
Mrs. Johnson (Ray Shirley) — “Poor old Mrs. Johnson …” Grahame-Smith sighs when talk turns to the old woman seated in the back behind Depp. “She is the mostly blind, mostly deaf maid, who has been with them for decades and decades... I don’t think she actually says anything in the entire film....
Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley) — How awesome is it to play an actual Groundskeeper Willie? The Oscar-nominee for Little Children is... the guy who takes out the trash, mows the lawns, and fixes the cars, except he’s usually so drunk and so disinterested that he doesn’t take his job seriously anymor..."
Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) — This scion of the once-great Collins family is one of the main reasons the aristocratic clan has fallen into such disgrace. “He’s a creepy, self-centered guy who likes to order Willie around, likes to pretend the family is still on top of his game...”
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) — The mother of Carolyn Stoddard, and mother-figure to David, she’s the one adult member of the Collins clan who is at least slightly competent. “Elizabeth is the rock of the family. She’s the matriarch,”...with a witch perpetually trying to destroy her, and a long lost vampire relative turning up to reclaim control...'
SOURCE:EW Weekly - Johnny Depp's true 'Dark Shadows' vampire revealed!
Before shooting, Depp said: “What Jonathan Frid did with that character and that classic look he created… I find it very difficult to stray very far from that. I think it’s going to be somewhere in that arena, with maybe just a couple of different touches here and there.
“I do remember, very vividly, practically sprinting home from school in the afternoon to see Jonathan Frid play Barnabas Collins,” the actor says. “Even then, at that age, I knew — this has got to be weird.” -- Johnny Depp
SOURCE: The Inquisitr - ‘Dark Shadows’ Cast Photo Released; See Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins
Weeds Episode 5 - Is Nancy Capable of Going Straight?:
A surprise awaits Nancy and Silas in the new episode of Weeds.
Weeds fans are speculating that in this episode, Nancy & Silas seek out Heylia who with Conrad, taught Nancy the ropes when Nancy first started dealing 'weed' back in her bucolic-seeming Agrestic days. Things literally went up in flames and Nancy beat a hasty retreat from what was left of Agrestic so it's quite a mystery as to how, if she indeed is seeking Heylia out, Heylia will react to Nancy showing up on her doorstep.
Weeds: 'Character Witness'
Nancy asks Silas to be her character witness in the custody hearing.
A couple of observations about Weeds: Season 6 thus far. The show has again radically changed it's tone and along with it Nancy's sons Silas and Shane, from whom she been seperated by both an ocean and 3 years behind bars.
Shane initially presented as the Shane of old but he's catching on quickly that his mom has not been 'reformed' as he previously optimistically/naively put it, by her three-year stint in the pokey and further, she is rebuffing every loving gesture he puts forth.
Just prior to Nancy's arrest, elder brother Silas found out that his mother had deceived him about his parentage--Juda Botwin was NOT his real dad. Silas, who was able to support himself quite nicely as a model while in exile seems to relish seeing his mother at the mercy of the prison system, which has seen fit to transfer Nancy to a halfway house to serve out the rest of her sentence. Since everyone's face time with Nancy is quite constrained by her circumstances, most of the family interactions are fraught with tension. True, this is nothing new for Weeds but there's been a significant shift in the family dynamic from Nancy's bumbling through and the family following almost lock-step, to a splintering among them which seems to get more painful with each interaction with the utterly unreformed Nancy.
Next on Episode 5: Nancy travels to California for a court hearing.
Weeds Season 6 Episode 5 : 'Fingers Only Meat Banquet':
With help from her lawyer and Silas, Nancy returns to California to continue her custody battle against Jill; Andy's relationship takes a bizarre turn; Shane gives college a try by enrolling in classes; back on Wall Street, Doug makes do without Nancy.
Screencaps: Weeds Season 6 Episode 5 : 'Fingers Only Meat Banquet'
Laura Linney in 'The Big C' (Photo credit: Showtime)
When I grow up* I want to be able to write as well as Ileane Rudolph does in her stellar TVGuide article on Showtime's The Big C. Writer Rudolph simply nails oh, everything I like about the show. The piece echos my sentiments about The Big C's ability to strike a chord with survivors of not only life-threatening conditions such as the protagonist, Cathy Jameson with stage 4 cancer, but of the great lot of us that have survived and often thrived in the aftermath of one of the many things that smack us HARD out of left field.
The Big C and Weeds are on tonight beginning at 10:00/9:00c on Showtime.
After coming home from the real-life fireworks I'm watching both shows which always have someone or some situation heating up, blowing up or causing massive cracking up. How about you?
*Chronologically-speaking this happened a few decades ago...but I'm still coming to grips with that.
(Photo Credit: Showtime)
With a mischievous smile, Laura Linney is gleefully ruining a take. During a tense scene between her character, Cathy Jamison, who has Stage 4 melanoma, and her bipolar brother, Sean, played by John Benjamin Hickey, she makes her costar break down in giggles.
Whoever says cancer is no laughing matter hasn't seen The Big C, Showtime's irreverent comedy about a Minneapolis teacher, wife and mom who's trying not only to beat death but to live as fully as possible in whatever time she has left. The smartly written, beautifully cast show has earned a devoted fan base and critical plaudits, and three-time Emmy winner Linney has already snared a Golden Globe for her deft portrayal of the strong-willed Cathy.
The oft-repeated mantra at The Big C is "It's not a show about dying; it's a show about living." And for sure, Cathy lives large. In the first season she kept her illness a secret, booted her immature husband, Paul (Oliver Platt), and had an affair. "Cathy doesn't behave in a safe, by-the-numbers fashion," says Hickey, during a break on the set in Stamford, Connecticut. "A lot of people who are living with cancer love the funny, outrageous, sometimes controversial way that character deals." Executive producer Jenny Bicks, a survivor herself, says, "The writers take the kid gloves off when we talk about cancer, because when you've gone through it, it's not all tragic and dramatic. It can also be super strange and funny."
This sneak peek is very, very funny. I so love Uncle Andy (Justin Kirk) and Alexander Gould just gets better each season. Having literally grown up in his role of Nancy's misunderstood (some call him 'weird') younger son 'Shane,' he really seems now more than at any time, to exude complete comfort when wearing his 'Shane suit'.
Weeds - 'Game Time'
Doug tells an old friend about his relaxed lifestyle, but gets a sales pitch to re-enter "the game."
HEY!:
Weeds/The Big C Poster Art Giveaway:
Of course, I'm giving away posters! Drop me an email: foreverafangirl@gmail.com. Be sure to put 'Weeds' in the subject line and if I pick your name out of a hat on July 13, you win the poster art for both Weeds and The Big C!
Is Weeds' Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) 'the same ol' Nancy'? Do you really need to ask? Even if you don't, it is big fun finding out how much of 'old' Nancy remains and how much 3 years in prison have changed her--for good or ill.
Then there are 'the guys' -- Nancy's family plus 'Doug' (Kevin Nealon), for whom Nancy, as creator Jenji Kohan states, is their 'True North.' Watch for them to abandon Amsterdam for Nancy's new stomping grounds--New York City--but don't expect each of them to be on board for the move.
Weeds Season 7, Episode 2 - From Trauma Cometh Something
Struggling to create a new life for herself in New York, Nancy is thrown for a loop when Andy and Shane show up on her doorstep; Silas seeks to launch a state side modeling career; Doug looks up an old friend.
SPOILERS: Nancy - Gay For the Stay?:
Q: How could Nancy betray her cellmate/lover like that on Weeds? Is that the last we'll see of her?
A: Don't count on it, executive producer Jenji Kohan says. But also don't count on it being all hearts and flowers next time they meet. (Remember, said girlfriend did set fire to her last boyfriend.) "Zoya is a woman of passion," she adds. "[But Nancy was just] gay for the stay."
Everyone's favorite TV troublemaker, Michelle Trachtenberg, is set to cause some serious trouble for Nancy Botwin on 'Weeds' this season.
Like Mary Kate Olsen before her, Trachtenberg will play a pot dealer on the Showtime series -- but her character will be one of Nancy's rivals, not one of her coworkers. Look for the actress also known as Georgina Sparks to pop up in two episodes this season.
I have a sneaking suspicion that also 'like Mary Kate Olsen before her,' Trachtenberg's character is going to be bedding Silas (Hunter Parrish). Call it a hunch because it isn't a spoiler. ;)
After the jump: The FULL Season 7 Episode 1 of WEEDS!
Vampire 'Jessica' (Deborah Ann Woll) and human roomie, 'Hoyt Fortenberry' (Jim Parrack) in a scene early in season 4 True Blood: Sam Merlotte's (Sam Trammell) new shapeshifting honey, 'Luna,' (Janina Gavankar).He told her he'd enjoyed the view and would try to take her from behind--when they next shift into horses and race wild together.
Plus! Episode Three True Blood Preview - 'If You Love Me,Why Am I Dyin?':
True Blood Season 4 Episode 3 "If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin?" Promo:
Having just watched episodes one and two of Season 4 True Blood on HBO and HBOGo, I think the character that surprised me most was the generally self-composed, very self assured vampire sherrif Eric Northman, with his frequent displays of emotion. And this is before the big 'thing' happens near the end of episode 2! (cont.)
Warning True Blood Episode 2 Spoilers:
Is it the vampire backlash in the wake of Russell Edgington killing the news guy on live TV killing Fangtasia business 'cos Pam seems very snarky as well?
Could Bill's !SPOILER! assendence to being the King of Louisiana be chaffing Eric just a bit or has Eric truly missed Sookie?
Not only is Erik more sentimental- sounding in eppy 1 but he's sort of mood-swingy as well. This sets the stage for the SPOILER totally new Eric not being such a jarring change from the bad boy Eric of (in Sookie's mind/time-frame) just a week ago.
She needed a plausible way to segue into bedding this guy and as of episode one we have him buying and refurbishing her house whilst she was "away"...to control her he says, but we know he means (too), protect her. He's made it clear to his second in command, vampire Pam, that he has significant feelings for Sookie-- feelings of the almost human kind. And Pam makes Sookie aware of this, causing eyebrows to be raised.
Episode 1 of True Blood went fast and was very amusing. Episode 2 has a different pace. I want to watch it again not on my HBOGo before I have a real comment on it.
True Blood Season 4 - Recap s04e01 (#37) - 'She's Not There'
Jessica - A House Is Not a Home [VIDEO]:
Babyvamp Jessica Soliciting Homemaker Tips?!
After the jump: Synopses for True Blood Episodes 1-6:
WEEDS - Showtime Season 7 Synopsis SPOILERS (after the jump):
As if Nancy's life wasn't filled with enough odd characters, the producers are looking for a slightly odd, well-off New York City attorney (they're thinking of a John Waters type) who takes on pro-bono cases in exchange for juicy prison gossip. Does he sell the gossip to the tabloids? Nope, he writes the stories down in a book — which he reads when he's sad, horny, or both...
EDIT 5.27.11/ In re: the casting description above and the Showtime Press Release from 5.26 (below): they both describe the role that of the 'eccentric attorney' that went to Martin Short (Damages).
Fortunately, on Weeds 'icky' can be turned into something quite funny. If they can make 'Uncle Andy' having his toe bitten off by a dog, funny which they did, then...
It seems in the last month or so the Disney-Pixar folks have left me eating their dust when it comes to getting out the word on Cars 2! I need to burn rubber and try to play catch-up right now! :)
Worldwide racing and mistaken identities -- Click above to watch the final trailer for Cars 2 before it races into theaters on June 24th! Who are you rooting for in the World Grand Prix? - Disney-Pixar Facebook
Today would have been my mother's 84th birthday. She passed away on January 12 of this year:
Mom at Ocean World late 1970's
Peggy didn't make a big deal out of her birthday--but she did other people's. On April 9th she'd acknowledge that yes, it was her birthday but also her niece Patti as well as (now my memory fails me) deceased dear friend from childhood. It was their birthday, too. She was really, really good at remembering birthdays and anniversaries and such.
I've been sifting through the mountainous pile of photographs in my mother's collection trying to cull the most suitable for her remembrance service at Maple Lake this August 25.* Most of them are from a time before I was born so though they are indeed photos of Peggy, they are not pics of the woman I knew as 'Mom.' This one is however very much how I remember my mother.
Notice the camera on her wrist? Ubiquitous when we went somewhere. :)
*Tentatively--still need to firm it up
The photos here are but a fraction of the many my mother took (there are a few exceptions--obviously, the ones with her in them, for example). My mom loved to shoot snapshots of her family and friends. I remember sometimes getting impatient for her to hurry up and get it over with. I was shortsighted where she was not. I will be forever grateful to her for preserving memories that would otherwise be lost to us. On January 12 of this year my mom died at the age of 83. She spent a great deal of time with my Dad at Maple Lake so we will have a remembrance gathering at Maple Lake for her on Wednesday, August 25, 2011. We still have many photographs from her collection to sort through and we have her to thank for the privilege of doing so.
Father Frank: John Wells Executive Producer John Wells discusses the season one finale of Shameless.
One of the crucial aspects of a TV show isn't just how you react to it while you are watching, but what you think of each episode upon its conclusion. I found Showtime's new series, Shameless, which just finished a 12-episode first season, very conducive to some lively discussion afterward. My spouse and I watched the show at home in real (Chicago) time, taking our dogs for their nightly walk as soon as it was over. Our neighbourhood, though only 25 or 30 miles from the Gallagher's, may as well be 3000 miles away. Even so, this fictional family, first introduced on British television (with a British cast) has issues that most any family can relate to on some level. Nothing about the Gallagher's seems truly foreign, as loyalty and love of family are something (hopefully) everyone knows and understands. And so love of family and sacrifice for them amidst rather dire circumstances, despite all the far-out situations in Shameless, is the show's core theme, some aspect of which my spouse and I came 'round to discussing frequently.
Another commonality that non-TV families have with the Gallaghers is what we like to call 'dysfunction.' Essentially, a 'dysfunctional family' is one whose behaviour deviates from normal families--whatever they are.
Some folks say there is no such thing as a 'normal family' and the older I get, the more I think the saying, 'We are all dysfunctional in our own way,' is on the money. It's really about how we cope with the dysfunction, don't you think?
Episode 12 of Shameless, 'Father Frank, Full of Grace' was about coping with the fallout of some highly dysfunctional circumstances that impacted every family member as well as those involved with the Gallaghers (rock-steady neighbours 'Vi' (Shanola Hampton) and 'Kev' (Steve Howey) excepted--they literally played supporting roles in this episode).
In the video I've included (above) showrunner John Wells discusses two of the main dysfunctional aspects of the Gallaghers in this episode.
The foundation of the show, perpetually drunk father 'Frank Gallagher' (William H. Macy) has lived with 'accidental' girlfriend, 'Sheila' (Joan Cusak) for most of the season. Her situation includes having debilitating agoraphobia and anxiety, an almost ex-husband (Joel Murray) living in her basement, and a very sexually active older-teen daughter who is dating the eldest Gallagher son, 'Lip' (Jeremy Allen White).
Daughter 'Karen' (Laura Slade Wiggins), and her father, who she once referred to as 'f*ck-face,' causing me to forget his character's real name, have a very strained relationship due to 1. her furious sexual activity and 2. his outrage about her behaviour coupled with his lack of a filter when he shares his opinion about it. Most commonly, Karen's dad calls her a slut. He's managed, by this episode, to have called her a slut in front of a roomful of people as they were supposedly 'making up,' sending her into a tailspin of self-destruction while seeking revenge against him.
'Bodyworks' - View Preserved Corpses Performing Amazing Feats of Physicality!:
CLICK THROUGH FOR VIDEOS
In our family, spring break means a trip to the city of Chicago, not that there's no other time but I'm not at all inclined to brave the lake effect during the depths of winter unless I have to and summertime can get crazy with tourists.
This was a nice, late-March day albeit only about 40°F so the utterly fantastic underground parking at the Museum of Science and Industry was super-welcome. (The added benefit is you leave your coat n' stuff in the car.) All aspects of a trip to the city, even to a very specific destination need to have to have additional niceties that I consider when making the trip. Easy access is a very big plus.
That said, since it is spring break for my son, he picks out the museum/activity of choice and he inevitably chooses the Museum of Science and Industry. If I want to go to the Art Institute for example, I'm on my own (which does not ever stop me--I sort of like going to the Art Institute in particular, by myself so I can unselfconsciously linger where I please). I digress.
We caught glimpses of some cool Chicago sights on the way and saw plenty of great stuff when we got there including the current Bodyworks exhibit. Though no hands-on activities there (they are real bodies), otherwise this Museum is known for having some very cool either hands-on or 'living' activities as well, which is perhaps why I've not been able to convince 'junior' to return to the Field Museum where everything is 'dead.' The hands-on stuff can be quite sophisticated so you'll see less tiny kids and more adults participating which I admit, I prefer. There is a farm area that I think the tots gravitate towards though. One visit to the huge, fake pig and her 'suckling' piglets as well as the fake cow giving milk was enough for me.
One caveat, and I suppose this can be said of any activity in the city. It has gotten super-expensive. We paid general admission plus 1 special exhibit (there are a number from which to chose). Adult admission was $30 each.** There is no public trans that is going to get us there from here in the northwest suburbs to the south side of Chicago in under 2 hours so car is the way to go. That was another $20-something bucks in parking. We bought nothing at the museum, no food, drink, or souvenirs (we can get them online), instead stopping on the way home to clog our arteries at Outback Steakhouse (we do this no more than once per year, which is good because I still felt full the next day).
All-in all a perfect spring break day spent with spouse and son.
**there are so-called 'free days' but they are very irregular and spotty throughout the year, with long periods where there are none--specifically school break times and tourist season(s).
Shameless EPISODE 10: 'Nana Gallagher Had An Affair' Promo:
Monica's return wreaks havoc on the Gallaghers; Fiona moves out.
From Shameless EPISODE 10: 'Nana Gallagher Had An Affair' - Parental Rights'
Previously on Shameless: 'EPISODE 9: But At Last Came A Knock':
Frank has some settlement money coming his way. The only catch — he needs his ex-wife's signature on the documents. Debbie goes on a mission to find out if Steve is cheating on Fiona, only to discover Steve may not be who he says he is at all. Kev and Veronica receive a visit from Ethel's baby son Jonah... and the DCFS. Lip needs money to take Karen on a date so he turns to Steve for help. Meanwhile, Eddie reaches out to Karen and invites her to a Purity Ball.
Things don't end well when Frank's ex-wife Monica shows up, announcing her plan to take Liam. Kash catches Ian and Mickey going at it. An enraged Fiona moves out of the house and in with Steve.
Best line from Shameless - EPISODE 9: 'But At Last Came A Knock':
Lip to Ian: “You know how Dad’s a total fucking asshole? Turns out he’s the good one.”
Wow. Shameless - Episode 9 was one head-spinning moment after another.
Firstly, I never thought we'd see mother Gallagher 'Monica', so quickly. I figured they'd stretch that part of the plot out maybe even until season 2 because 'missing mom' has been such a large, looming spectral presence in the Gallagher home. But no, Mrs. Frank Gallagher did show up in full force with a Peterbilt-driving gf and she was ready not only to reunite with the family but to take home a souvenir afterward. That would be baby Liam, a mixed-race baby, obviously not Frank's biologically (though I realize that legally it could get very complicated as Monica and Frank were living as husband and wife, Frank's name is probably on the birth certificate, etc.).
As mind-blowing as it was for Frank (William H. Macy) to come face-to face with his ex, it was about 6 times as awful for the Gallagher children.
Though they were all shocked (with the exception of the previously-mentioned 2 y.o. Liam) their reactions immediately following Monica's proclamation that she wished to be a 'mother again' to the young ones and to actually take custody of Liam varied widely, with Fiona-- not unexpectedly-- reacting with outrage.
Realizing that there was nothing she could do to fight back at that moment and overcome with a flood of emotions that she probably kept dammed up for the previous 2 years, Fiona announced to Monica that the kids were Monica's now--then out into the Chicago winter she walked. Emmy Rossum's pronouncement to her onscreen mother (Chloe Webb China Beach, Sid & Nancy, performance art), was just devastating. Less a tirade than it was a howl of psychic pain. Emmy Rossum played it very, very real. It's my opinion that Rossum's 'Fiona' is the heart of this fine new series, though she is surrounded by stellar talents all 'round.
When Fiona's heart broke into a million pieces right before our eyes and the eyes of her sibs, bf, & parents, it was like watching her crumble emotionally. It was hugely touching.
Despite the fact that William H. Macy is the co-star of Showtime's Shameless, with such a big 'family' he's has not gotten a huge amount of screen time yet. As you can see in the sneak peek, 'Boot and Rally' Macy, when set loose as 'Frank Gallagher', is quite a treat. Looking forward to this week's eppy on Sunday (it's 'appointment television' for spouse and I) to find out why Frank is behaving like a good dad.
CLICK on Photo for Slideshow
'Boot and Rally'
Frank makes breakfast for Debbie and Carl.
Shameless - Episode 1.08
'It's TimeTo Kill The Turtle' Frank stops drinking, worrying Sheila but delighting his kids.
Hank learns from his lawyer (Carla Gugino) that he will be going to trial for statutory rape. After Hank finishes the F & P script, Charlie (Evan Handler) drags him to a meeting with the director (Jonathan Kasdan), the producer (Stephen Tobolowsky) and an eccentric financier (Fisher Stepens). A dead billionaire caps off the meeting.
How 'bout your very own, super-awesome, let's celebrate Californication getting-picked-up-for a-5th-season, Californication official poster art?
All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me one thing you like about the show Californication on Showtime and you are in the running. An announcement of the winners will be posted on Sunday, February 20th. Good Luck!
I published this in January of 2004. I write very differently now, almost never anything personal. Many times the thought crosses my mind to blog but then I think, why bother? If I want to get my thoughts down in writing I have no more need to share them with the universe. On another note, I wrote this before Facebook, before Twitter, before the vast majority of social media was out there. It seems rather quaint in retrospect. 1/2004
Too bad redesigning one's blog doesn't burn calories. If so, the four hours I just spent doing it would have done me good.
A short, boring list of what I've ingested since the beginning of the Season of Overindulgence, which begins with American Thanksgiving, includes stuffing/dressing, (my) birthday cake, stuffing/dressing, candy, candy, fruitcake, candy (Christmas), booze, cheese, crackers, little sausagey things, cheese, cheese, cheese, guacamole & salsa dip, chips, and booze (New Year's). That pretty well sums up why I feel like crud.
So what's a good thing to do on New Year's afternoon, after having one too many kamikaze shooters on New Year's Eve? My idea of a "good thing" was an attempt to focus on my web page redesign. I use the term loosely, because I'm only a second-tier TypePad member and therefore can only monkey with the design/layout to a point. Colours though--what fun! I can choose any colours I want. So despite feeling very fuzzy, I plunged in. First, I changed my banner. The old banner was a stock pic I found when I moved from Blogger to TypePad, just over 2 months ago. It had been rather a rush job. My intent was to warn anyone with youngsters hanging over their shoulder, that I have some R-rated content here.
Even though at first glance the couple in my previous banner looked perfect, upon scrutiny one noticed that she'd been in the lake fully clothed including her socks, and they were all bunched up and goofy-looking. I like when something that you would think is perfect turns out to have flaws.
I've noticed that other bloggers seemed to going through some changes as well. Maybe an end-of-year ritual purging of the old?
Some bloggers are taking the purging thing to the extreme--they are using the end of the year as an opportunity to kick the blog habit. Yup. They are quitting--going off into the great land of RL. I say, good for them. Most seem happy about it. Reasons cited include having said all they feel they can say, blogging taking away too much time from other activities/commitments, and blogging having taken on an addictive quality.
I shan't call the kettle black, as the old phrase goes, because I spend a lot of time blogging. I also spend a lot of time doing other things. If I had to pick one activity that I do less of because I blog, it's housework. I've fobbed some of it off on my two kids who are ages 11, and almost 21. The 11 y.o. had chores already, so I haven't given him much else to do--the occasional mopping of the floor, some vacuuming. The older one is on a very short leash right now. In the past, he wouldn't do his share--he did nothing to contribute to the maintenance of the house. He knows now that if he doesn't help, he doesn't live here.
The other activity that I do less of (though I wasn't doing much of it before) is watch television. Because of blogging, I forget to watch what were my favorite shows--and I really don't care, because I'm choosing between passively sitting in front of the tube, versus composing, working on my photography and reading--all on-line. I'm thinking the computer time wins out. Do I goof off on-line? Absolutely. When I'm finished with everything else, I'll go to FARK or elsewhere for diversion.
Well, this has turned out to be a exercise in navel gazing. It's about as good a thing to do with my spare time as anything else.
Not a bad Santa, tho' he looks as if he's a tad warm in that suit.
Below: A family Christmas get-together from about 1967. I have cousins and an aunt (my dad's sis) and uncle and my dad as the adults in this pic. There's me, my brother, and my cousins after that. No one in the kitchen one looks happy. My brother, the 2nd littlest, looks fearful. We may have just gotten yelled at by the host (not kidding!) It is after all, the kid's table.
I have no idea what the wonderful Richard Dreyfuss (as 'Warren Schiff,' Nancy's former high school teacher who deflowered her back in the day) is doing in this shot from this Monday, 11.08.10 episode of Weedson Showtime. (To venture a guess, he's packing/was packing to go with Nancy & Co. to where ever their next stop is to be and he's been interrupted rudely in the process by a hard truth.)
Warren clearly looks annoyed at someone (Nancy, most likely, but maybe Nancy's old 'friends'?) and the contents of the suitcase he is standing over appear to be his clothing.
My money is on the getting caught scenario, not that I wish them to be. That so-called reporter that duped Nancy is no way just a reporter. Newspapers don't have the kind of budget that allows investigative journalism on the level of chasing/surveiling someone like Nancy. Nope, I'm going with, though 'Ellis Tate/Vaughn' may indeed be a reporter, he's also being financed by someone else to find Nancy, namely her furious husband/baby daddy Esteban Reyes (Demian Bichir).
Is Nancy Finally Getting Caught?
To venture a guess, he's packing/was packing to go with Nancy & Co. to where ever their next stop is to be and he's been interrupted rudely in the process by a hard truth. What that truth is, whether it is as simple as Nancy making clear that he cannot come with her or if it is a harder truth like as indicated, by this week's guest cast, that Nancy has finally been caught-- we'll just have to watch to find out. The reason btw why Weeds keep s getting renewed. It's still good.
From Season 5 finale "Twack,' moments after Pilar went swimming ('Nancy & Shane Botwin,' Mary-Louise Parker, Alexander Gould)
At age 16, both IRL and on Weeds, Alexander Gould as ' Shane,' the youngest son of Nancy and the now-deceased-for-a number-of-years, Juda Botwin, has had some awesome opportunities in season 6 (!) to strut his strut his stuff. The last 6 years (to interviewer: "I started when I was 10 years-old,") of being surrounding by good actors and solid writing have not hurt this kid at all.
Since he committed a murder at the last moment of the last season of the last episode of Season 5, Shane has been a sort of center to the show (which Gould anyway is handling well) with all aspects of the family's life pivoting around how to best not be caught (because of what Shane did).
If you recall, Shane was shot in season 5 while his mom Nancy was in the crosshairs and the true target of an assassination because she hadn't towed every crooked line that Pilar, the initiator of the hit, ordered she do.
Once she got started, Pilar, who pulled the strings of Nancy's spouse, gangster-mayor of Tijuana, 'Esteban Reyes' (Demian Bichir), continued to verbally threaten Nancy to follow her orders--even in public places--which literally proved Pilar's downfall...into her own pool, at a nighttime cocktail-y thing she hosted.
Clonk!
Pilar was clonked once in the noggin' with a croquet mallet by Shane, in defense of himself and his brother Silas, as Pilar baitingly invoked a scenario of their deaths to Nancy as they stood away from the party crowd near the unlit/unused swimming pool. Shane, Nancy's youngest and strangest son, probably did not wanted to be shot again.
So as Justin Kirk, who plays the role of Nancy's former bro-in-law "'Uncle'" Andy Botwin," summed up, season 6 was a kind of road story.
P.S. I looked it up but I totally cannot find a reason why this episode is named 'Fran Tarkenton.'
Despite winning a lot he's lost a lot too, especially in 1975, but I'm hoping he is actually referred to in the episode like say, ' A Yippity Sippity' was, so I can have a better notion about the mystery of why this title?
SHOWTIME | Season 6 Ep. 12 | Added: November 02, 2010
Doug tries to reconnect with his wife.
SHOWTIME | Season 6 Ep. 12 | Added: November 02, 2010
Nancy continues her interview with Vaughn.
Episode 12: Fran Tarkenton
Nancy has a tense, one-on-one, sit-down interview with Vaughn. Andy, Shane and Warren to get more cash plus passports they'll need for the family to enter Europe. Silas continues to wrestle with the fact that Lars may be his father. Meanwhile, Doug returns to Agrestic to locate his passport.
Episode Cast and Crew Details
Stars : Kevin Nealon Doug Wilson - Alexander Gould Shane Botwin - Hunter Parrish Silas Botwin - Justin Kirk Andy Botwin - Mary-Louise Parker Nancy Botwin
* Guest Cast: Eric Lange Ellis Tate / Vaughn - Rick Ravanello Lars Guinard
Update Oct 22, 2010
Goebbert's Farm, 40 W. Higgins Rd., South Barrington, IL, USA
-
We go every year because it is a local, fun outside thing to do. http://www.pumpkinfarms.com/
We started going to Goebbert's prior to the common use of digital cameras--so I have tons of photos--in boxes that I should scan to add to this bunch which only cover the last five Octobers.***
We always try to pick an Indian summer-type day to stroll around Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm. The best day to go is a weekday for the thinner crowds--and you save $ on anything that takes tickets.
I guess because I'm not a farmer's market get-up-at-dawn-type, I really savour being able to pick through the many mini gourds at Goebbert's until I find the right colour and texture combo for my cornucopia, now on the table in the living room. The kids have always liked finding the weirdest or ugliest ones they could find, too. Just a really pleasant, relaxing couple of hours, always finished off with yummy baked apple or pumpkin goods.
***Found a bunch. As soon as I have a better than Blackberry connection, they'll be posted, say by Sunday.
Where were you in the fall of 1969? Just a couple of months past "the summer of love," at Maple Lake in the Haliburton Highlands in Ontario pictorial evidence suggests that "everything (was) beautiful."*
As I've talked about before, my mom was not the best photographer in the world (nor am I) but she often had her camera at the ready and I'm so very thankful to her that she did. Again Mom, sorry I complained so much about having to stop playing for a few minutes so you could snap a shot that I now realize preserved moments that are ever-increasingly from long ago.
I'm so glad that we can savour these photos in the here and now.
I'm one of nine first cousins that spent our summers when growing up living on Maple Lake. However in the mid-1960's my father's work compelled us to move to the eastern United States, 500 miles from our former home in Toronto. In the early years we traveled home many times a year-- summertime of course, but Easter, Canadian Thanksgiving, and Christmas, too.
The photo here is of 7 of 9 of the cousins in what was called the "back field." What is striking to me now is just how few birch trees remain. I don't know if they simply aged or if a blight took them or a combination or neither. I love the pretty white birches but I'll never forget my grandfather admonishing us to never peel bark from their trunks. Funny thing is I don't recall anyone EVER doing so that we'd need to be warned but to this day my thought process goes like this: Oh, pretty birches -->image of my grandfather --> don't peel the bark off them!
***those who know the family dynamic know better--another story for another day.
Synopsis: After Shane's kidnapping, Nancy attempts to get her son back by going
head-to-head with Cesar in a Skee-ball "Hall of Fame" museum. Elsewhere,
Andy, Silas and baby Stevie sit at a nearby diner, formulating ideas on
how to help Nancy out. At the same diner but unbeknownst to Andy and
Silas, Ignacio, Shane, and Doug await the outcome of Nancy and Cesar's
showdown.
Silas proposes the hypothetical idea of giving Stevie to Esteban.
Interesting. Maybe it is not a brilliant solution but I thought of this, too. It's not like the narcissistic Nancy has particularly bonded with little Stevie Ray. The "Newmans" couldn't exactly "stop running" as Silas suggests, but they might not get killed which is inevitable given the trajectory they are currently on.
The reference to Dexter was a bit odd considering they've had very little opportunity to watch TV never mind pay for premium cable. Just the same, its a nice nod, timed well for the Dexter debut on Sunday.
Team Newman waits for Nancy to resolve the Shane "issue."
To celebrate my forty-fifth birthday, E
asked me to select a dessert recipe from our vast collection. I gave
the decision much thought—should I choose a new and exotic recipe or one
that had already proven itself? Should I pick brownies, cake, cookies,
pie, or something offbeat and eccentric? We just happened to have made
chocolate pudding from scratch last month, and because the result was
underwhelming, I opted to return to the beginning, to where it all
began, to the very first recipe I ever called my own: my original
fudgin’-A brownies.
For those unfamiliar with the story,
here’s a quick recap. My college roommate and supposedly best buddy,
Moondog, had the unfortunate habit of hording his CARE packages,
especially baked goods. I returned to our dorm room alone one afternoon
and was soon tantalized by a rich, chocolate aroma. It took me a few
minutes, but I tracked it down to the top shelf in his closet, where I
found a half-eaten pan of homemade caramel brownies. One bite, and the
course of my destiny was fixed. I had never tasted anything so delicious
in my life. It was all I could do to save Moonie a couple of bites.
I
wanted more, so I went to Jewel and bought a caramel-brownie mix. The
results were predictably dismal, but I noticed that they were
nonetheless popular among guys and girls alike. Especially the latter. I
thus began to explore the world of baking from scratch in a quest to
replicate the splendor of those caramel brownies. I somehow became
sidetracked, however, when I had at last created a remarkably tasty
batch of fudgy brownies. They weren’t caramel, but they were very
popular just the same, and friends often asked for them for their
birthdays. We quickly became bored with brownies, so we explored other
avenues of baking and then of cooking in general. Years later, I entered
the fudgin’-A brownies and a batch of cinnamon cream cheese brownies in
a bake-off; the latter won first prize, and fudgin'-A’s were ignored
entirely. Only rarely would I ever again return to that classic recipe.
Until
today. About to turn forty-five, I’m feeling nostalgic, so we blew the
dust off the fudgin’-A recipe and once more worked our magic.
But not really. The magic of the fudgin'-A's is gone.
Somehow,
our tastes have evolved over the years. The brownies taste the same,
but the tongues tasting them are different. Yeah, they’re fudgy and
nutty and gooey, but still, there’s nothing really interesting there.
Not anymore. Not for us.
So
adieu, fudgin’-A brownies. We had a lot of good times, and you made a
lot of people happy in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. I’m still trying to
lose the pounds you added. I’ll try to remember you not as you were
today but as you were then: moan-inducing.
It's either laugh or cry about the BP Gulf oil spill disaster. I prefer to laugh. Also, I use the "I am disappointed" thing on my kids when the situation merits. It conveys the message loud & clear but skips the "angry Mom" scenario. At least overtly.
A little boy named Andy loves to be in his room, playing with his toys, especially his doll named "Woody". But, what do the toys do when Andy is not with them, they come to life. Woody believes that he has life (as a toy) good. However, he must worry about Andy's family moving, and what Woody does not know is about Andy's birthday party. Woody does not realize that Andy's mother gave him an action figure known as Buzz Lightyear, who does not believe that he is a toy, and quickly becomes Andy's new favorite toy. Woody, who is now consumed with jealousy, tries to get rid of Buzz. Then, both Woody and Buzz are now lost. They must find a way to get back to Andy before he moves without them, but they will have to pass through a ruthless toy killer, Sid Phillips. Written by John Wiggins
[IMDB.COM]
Kinda cool to revisit the original Toy Story. TBH, I wasn't wowed by Toy Story 2. I only saw it once and it may have been my mood that day but I think it was the plot that didn't grab me. I know that much is true because Pixar animation always grabs me. Regardless, Toy Story 3 is as powerful as the original Toy Story. Up 'till tonight though I didn't realize that the name of "the guy that did Slinky's voice"--who died in 2000 was Jim Varney. Amazing that they got the rest of the originals back after 15 years.
Toy Story - Official Trailer #2 [1995]
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (USA), Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Director: John Lasseter
Producer: Bonnie Arnold, Ralph Guggenheim
Executive Producer: Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs
Writer: John Lasseter (story) & Pete Docter (story) & Andrew Stanton (story) and Joe Ranft (story), Joss Whedon (screenplay) & Andrew Stanton (screenplay) & Joel Cohen (screenplay) and Alec Sokolow (screenplay)
Cast: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head), Wallace Shawn (Rex the Green Dinosaur), Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head), John Ratzenberger (Hamm the Piggy Bank), Jim Varney (Slinky Dog), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), John Morris (Andy), Erik von Detten (Sid)
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy
[IMDB.COM]
MoviesHistory | May 29, 2009
Ken (of Barbie and...) was amusing but also sinister. I'll never look at/ think of a Ken doll in quite the same way again. Barbie was more like I would expect (sort of a bubblehead). Ken was positively evil at times and I don't agree with the excuse that "Lotso" turned Ken bad. Spanish Buzz Lightyear was truly funny.
I hope they integrate some Spanish Buzz on one of the Toy Story/Buzz Lightyear rides at Disneyland.
Do that and skip the truly lame idea of a LOST ride. Three Cap'n Jacks on a single ride (Pirates of the Caribbean) was a big enough gaffe. One Depp doppleganger would've been fine. Three was (were?) jarring. LOST--a teevee show that...I'll just say not enough mass appeal/understanding of the show to warrant a Disneyland ride. I hate to put it this way but LOST was too 'niche.'
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.
I suppose it is unsurprising that as we move further into the 21st Century that the wearing of watches seems a vestige of the past. After all, most everyone carries a cellphone and all of them have a time function. In addition, many people, especially more active business people carry netbooks or the like in their day-to-day coming and goings.
What used to be an "essential" to be fully dressed for work is now seen less and less in favour of tech pieces that forgive the pun, do not stand the test of time. Even though technology generally improves our lives there can be a cost, too. In the case of wristwatch-wearing the cost has been their increasing scarcity. And that can be a great loss because a great watch is not disposable. It can be worn by a father and passed on--still fully functional with timeless style--to his son
Since I can remember, my Dad has worn a watch and my spouse as well and my eldest son wears one to work. And speaking of work, I think one of the best reasons to wear a time piece is that you look so much more businesslike checking the time on a great-looking Victorinox Swiss Army watch for instance, then you do pulling out your cellphone and checking it. It's undoubtedly more convenient to simply pivot your wrist slightly to check the time as well. Plus no one is going to suspect you of wasting time on the job when you take a peek at your watch versus whipping out your cellphone.
If you haven't thought about watches for awhile I encourage you to check out this Victorinox Swiss Army timepiece:
This is the Swiss Army Summit XLT Chronograph. It's appealing both visually as a fine piece of functional jewelry.
Made in Switzerland with
precision Swiss analog quartz movement
Mineral crystal
Water
resistant to 10 ATM (100 meters/330 feet)
Stainless steel case
Luminous
hands and hour markers
Screw-in caseback
Date
Unidirectional
rotating bezel
Chronograph
Rubber strap
This watch would be my choice for either of my sons, one a businessman and the other a just-graduated high school student. It's rugged, functional and great-looking with features they'd both appreciate.(The mom in me thinks too, "That watch looks really well-built (and beautiful) I bet it will last forever!")
Are you thinking of Father's Day or a graduation gift that will always be remembered? Have a look then at swissarmy(dot) com so you can see a terrific range of quality timepieces.
And because everyone loves to win really great stuff, go to the
Facebook IWAW sweepstakes page and become a fan and
participate in the I Wear a Watch sweepstakes.
You could be one of the 30 (!) winners over a 30 day time frame who will win a Victorinox Swiss Army
timepiece!
DisneyPixar—May 28, 2010
—
Toy Story 3 will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select
theaters on June 18th, 2010.
The creators of the beloved Toy
Story films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the
delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters
in TOY STORY 3. Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would
grow up someday, but what happens when that day arrives?
*** I'm way behind--but catching up! "Ken" is only three days old. Besides, don't you like having lots of Toy Story goodies all in one place? I knew you would!
In the third installment, Andy is preparing to depart
for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain
future. Lee Unkrich (co-director of Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo)
directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy
Award®-winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine, brings his unique
talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings.
Toy Story 3
will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters on June
18th, 2010.
The creators of the beloved “Toy Story” films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in Toy Story 3. Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would grow up someday, but what happens when that day arrives? In the third installment, Andy is preparing to depart for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. Lee Unkrich (co-director of “Toy Story 2″ and “Finding Nemo”) directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award®-winning screenwriter of “Little Miss Sunshine,” brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings. Toy Story 3 will be presented in Disney Digital 3DTM in select theaters.
"The toys are back for a whole new 3D adventure. In theaters June 18, 2010"
Hopefully I'm not the only one grappling with catching up on the past two weeks of entertainment news.
Among the gems released over winter break is this video short which introduces the plot of Toy Story 3-D as well as a brand new character, a hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants.
Here is a shot of Mr.Pricklepants as well as a couple of screen caps from the most recent Toy Story 3-D preview/promo.
The Toy Story franchise keeps chugging along with this third installment, Toy Story 3 (D). Disney has pronounced 3D as the format that they intend to heavily incorporate into their future endeavors and the future is now.
Frankly, I have not seen a single modern-day 3-D feature film that really benefited from being 3-D. The 3-D is usually so spotty that if you blink you miss it.
Contrast that with the amazing Muppets 3-D show at Disneyland in which being a member of the audience gives one the feeling of being pulled right into the show and the differences become even more striking. I'm still waiting for a 3-D film to wow me as much as the first one I ever saw, "Vincent Price's House of Wax."
"By popular demand, the Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D double feature has
been extended in theaters. For more info and tickets click here: http://disney.go.com/toystory/"
PHOTOS/VIDEO: Godric Meets His 'True Death' at Sunrise:
Godric (True Blood) // Dark Waltz
'I thought this song was perfect for him. I loved his character, and seeing him die was disappointing. So I had to tribute-him. :) The first voice over translates to: "There are centuries of love between us." Song: Dark Waltz by Hayley Westenra Ask Questions: http://formspring.me/ILoveThesePeopl Livejournal: http://heathyr-iltp.livejournal.com/ Tumblr: http://heathyr.tumblr.com/'
True Blood S02E05 "Never Let Me Go" Flashback Clip
Teaser for the G. I. Joe Resolute Show by Titmouse Inc. Watch now in high quality on http://www.adultswim.com (US denizens only) or check youtube.comicchaser
Last line uttered by one of two Joes that had been outnumbered and was pinned down upon finding that the entire threat was neutralized--by one man: "Ninja? I didn't know we had a ninja."
The promos then ends with "NOW YOU KNOW" flashing forward before the clip ends.
It's pretty fun and I love how the show looks (animated sort of like a video game).
GI Joe in full movie house form is about to be released. I've seen the GI Joe trailer–twice. The first time was about a week ago and then again tonight at my first Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, viewing. I've seen a couple GI Joe the movie promos online as well.
I watched quite a bit of GI Joe over the years– the more recent (last 90's/early aughts), and older (late 80's/eraly 90's) and the original old-time cartoon GI Joe (early 70's; probably reruns from the later 60's as well) by the happenstance that I grew up with a brother and a father who liked cartoons. Then married I had teo kids–boys and I made it a point to sit down for a part of every time they watched television because they didn't watch a lot–and I like cartoons, too.
My youngest son, age almost-17, remarked tonight after seeing the trailer for GI Joe,"That's not anything like the GI Joe I remember."
I did not recognize it as a GI Joe movie until it was really obvious upon first viewing–I was just thinking "what a cheesy movie–wonder what it is…" On tonight's second viewing of the GI Joe trailer of theatrical release, I thought "cheesy" and, "they are trying too hard with too little pay-off."
It's hard to bring a television doll/action figure or toy to life on the big screen. It doesn't work more often than it does.
To be fair, here's the latest Trailer for the 2009 movie version of GI Joe.
G.I. Joe - In theaters: August 7, 2009 - A live-action film based on the action figure G.I. Joe, an American soldier. Starring: Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid, Arnold Vosloo, Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Marlon Wayans
..or at least that's how it feels. In a good way! There are just all kinds of new features that the talented, smart, and creative team at Six Apart have been offering up that really lend themselves to easy and painless customization and making and joining conversation with some fascinating folks and other good stuff--like this fun Q and A from TypePad.
I think it's another new feature here at TypePad but I loved a similar one at Vox (which I must say I'm not getting over to as much as I 'd like).
Here's the Q: Blockbuster season starts this weekend with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Next up: Angels & Demons, The Transformers, Harry Potter, Star Trek and Land of the Lost. Which summer mega-hit are you most looking forward to?
Star
Trek: My dad, nerdy science dude that he is/was "force-fed" the
original Star Trek series to me. It was on in the morning, I think on a
UHF station(!) The concept of a peaceful universe, beaming up and
phasers and the Prime Directive was cool but I was not a big fan of the
show. Later, I enjoyed most of TNG and the often-ignored Deep Space
Nine. I didn't initially watch the first season of Star Trek: The Next
Generation because I disliked the original Star Trek, most especially
Shatner as Kirk. I'm being truthful when I say he makes me gag. Spock
was always cool and Scotty and McCoy were amusing. Not seeing it unless
someone I know is dying to see it.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine: How big a part does Dom Monaghan have? I
miss him since he was killed off LOST. Hugh Jackman is cute n' angsty
but he alone couldn't get me in the theater to watch it. Possibly, I
may take my kid if he wants to go. The one Jackman did with Anna Paquin
(were there two?) was OK.
Transformers: Probably yeah 'cos my first son was devoted to the
original TV show when he was little so I watched, too (spent a fortune
on transforming cars and trucks) and I've seen newer incarnations
through my younger son. I've always dug the transforming sound and that
cars and trucks could turn into robots. It was a pretty cool show. I'm
curious to know if they'll keep Shia's seriously busted-up hand hidden
as he broke it off-set, but while filming, I believe. Still gets
surgery on it. Yikes.
Angels & Demons: No.
Harry Potter: Have read and watched the film series so far so, yes.
EDIT/Igot this confused with Land of the Giants.
The plot of land of the Lost appears the similar except this is a Will Ferrell comedy./end edit
Land of the Lost: Did not even hear about this one 'till the other day.
I watched the teevee show (again, in the mornings on UHF, the public
television channel). Depends on who is in it and what the reviews are
like. I haven't missed the show but they could probably do some cool
things with it.
TVGuide video interview with Dom Monaghan about Wolverine and his "Easter Egg" part in it.
Last big family trip until the youngest is done with uni. Thank the powers that we have Maple Lake.
I'll put up a few more after I go through them. There are some interesting ones of the open-in-2012 "Cars" section of the park. Nifty models and colour plans.
My new favourite Disneyland (California Adventure) ride- "Pixar's Toy Story Midway Madness." <exhale> Mr.
Potato Head is animatronic and interactive. Keeps you company in the
line--which we found later can be bypassed by riding single rider--no
line at all. I sucked at this paintball shooting game but it was big
fun. Lots of people said they liked it more than Buzz Lightyear's Astro
Blasters in Disneyland but they are really different. I love Disney but I could have stayed here for a week, just chillin'. It's south Laguna Beach at sunset.
I have a ton of Disneyland shots but this too is in Disney's California
Adventure whcih they are in the process of a near-complete makeover
after only 8 years(!).There were flowers everywhere and after the long
Chicago winter everything looked so _alive_.
After watching three seasons of Dexter, one of cable's very best shows,I was wondering how in Season Four, which sadly is some time away, it could maintain it's killer level of entertainment.
I've been enthralled with Dexter since Season 1, E1, "Dexter" having started watching Dexter beginning with the premiere based solely on Michael C. Hall's work as "David Fisher" in HBO's brilliant (but sometimes grating) Six Feet Under.
After all these years of watching him I would have thought I'd see him give away something when he looked at his real-life love while she was literally acting as his sister.
I totally never saw this coming on Michael C. Hall's side, but what I've mentioned a couple times over the recently finished Season 3 to my spouse and son with whom I have a standing weekly date to watch Dexter, is that Jennifer Carpenter keeps getting better--looking great and growing incredibly as an actress. Now I see that she's only age 29 so must have started "Dexter" around age 25-26. I noted that Jennifer had sort of taken on the role in a way in which it seemed she felt really comfortable in her skin. I'm guessing dating "the sexiest man alive" has helped her grow into the role--of big-sister, Deb. Eep. She's only 29 and he's 37. That it hasn't been glaring obvious is a huge credit to Michael C. Hall's seemingly eternal youthfulness.
I :heart: Jennifer Carpenter. I'm so happy for them both but honestly just a tiny bit weirded out. I'll get over it, obviously (or will I?) but the newlyweds really must share some weddings shots so we can really picture them as Mr. and Mrs. Hall. Please and thank you. (Big Sur! Yummy, though it is rainy season and the winds get pretty stiff there. Still, a beautiful backdrop for nuptials.)
"...They may play brother and sister on Dexter, but in real life Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter were lawfully wed on New Year's Eve, according to Hall's rep... The outdoor ceremony was held in Big Sur, CA. Jennifer carried a bouquet of white roses with her
grandfather's wedding band attached.
Dexter's cast and crew are currently on hiatus but will resume
work on the upcoming fourth season early this year. Dexter has already been renewed by Showtime for two more 12-episode seasons.
Hall, 37, and Carpenter, 29, plan to appear together at this year's Golden Globes Awards on Sunday. The couple has been secretly
dating for about a year and a half and will make their first public
appearance together on the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton. The series
is up for multiple awards, including Best Actor in a Drama for Hall.
PEOPLE...spoke with Jennifer the Emmys last September, where she answered the question, "Who's the sexiest man alive?" with, "Michael C Hall!. "He's the sexiest man alive. He's one of the best we've got. He's an incredible talent..."
I've had many good things happen in my life including wishes and dreams coming true. Recently, a fellow blogger wrote an insightful, moving, humourous, and thought-provoking blog post about wishes. I tend mostly to cut straight to the chase of a topic but Brett never seems in a hurry to get his thoughts down in print and his Grant a Wishpost was no different.
Brett thoroughly explored what a wish means to him by breaking it down into components and linking important members of his biological family to the attributes.
He began with his grandfather, who he described as "a self-made man who granted wishes his entire life."
Brett recalled his memories of his grandfather and in doing so reminded me of my own grandfather, known as "Frank," who was also very much a self-man man. He was a man who in his 101-year life went from a 14-year-old cook out in the wild west of British Columbia to a Sargent with the Toronto police department. Of course there were many, many places in-between. Also like Brett's granddad, Frank built many things with his hands and would have appreciated the quality of Craftsman tools. Some of his creations include the cottages at Maple Lake and many of the original furniture pieces in them or that were in them.
Brett wrote too of his grandmother who he credited with bestowing empathic abilities--a truly golden gift in my opinion, as I was given it as well. He went on to credit his mum with instilling a love of reading which in turn garnered him a wide life perspective as well as spoke of his dad encouraging Brett's freedom to chose what he wanted to do in life. Besides empathy, he credited his grandmother with an understanding of potential in others and in his grandfather’s drive to help people, an example of and a desire for improving the world around them.
And just as if he had a large, lovely ribbon Brett tied together the things that his loved ones had given him.
He spoke of his grandfather at the tender age of 16 building a working motorcycle from scratch so he'd be able to get to town and find better work. He shared that his grandfather's interest in finding a better way to accomplish things never waned. Brett said that if his grandfather found a more efficient or effective way of doing things he adopted them and integrated them into his own repertoire.
The theme of continuing improvement to realize a dream tied together much of what Brett said about his family and he shared that he believes it "important in life to try and improve upon those talents
and gifts that we receive from our parents and grandparents."
With this in mind, Brett approached Sears, saying that as he shops for the important people in his life this holiday season, he planned on focusing on "finding those things that will
help them realize their potential, realize how to master their own
situations in life, and realize their own dreams and wishes."
Brett summarized his essay (it was so much more than just a blog post) with looking beyond his immediate family to the world of blogging and what he calls his "extended blogging family" with this: "I see in Sears and in the
Grant a Wish program the opportunity for people looking to explore
their creative side and work in blogging or podcasting or even learning
how to do video, I see an opportunity." Brett advised people that were scouring the store shelves in search of the perfect gift for that special someone to "look at the products on the shelf, and think how those products might
be used by the people that receive them to un-tap their potential. If
you can do that, if you can even get a little close, you will probably
Grant a Wish to the person you love and I believe that the gift that
they receive will not go to waste."
Brett summed up his post with these thoughts: "Maybe you can provide some inspiration to someone that might just
change the world, and if that’s true, then you will have changed the
world a little bit for the better yourself!"
Desmond Harrington as Quinn, Jennifer Carpenter as Debra
"I HAD A DREAM" Dexter - Episode 3.11
While preparing for his big wedding day, Dexter has to figure out a way to remove Miguel from his life for good. But how does Dexter manage to do this when Miguel is not only a highly placed D.A., but also his Best Man? Rita has troubles of her own, when Syl reveals that Miguel has been seeing one of his old flames. Meanwhile, Debra finds a new clue that brings her even closer to catching the Skinner.
When last we saw Dexter he'd been grabbed from behind, had his head shrouded, and was hog-tied with duct tape and stuffed into the trunk of a Caddy.
To his great relief, Dexter had been "kidnapped" by Masuka and gang for Dex's bachelor party.
I'm sure like Dex, some of the audience was fooled but spouse and I immediately questioned who the caddy belonged to. The Skinner? Not hardly. Miguel Prado? Well, if it did it was the first time we'd ever seen it. His ride is the now-notorious black SUV.
I was definitely surprised with the outcome tho' and thought the sequence was handled cleverly.
Though Dex seemed to lose his stride after killing his sociopath brother at the end of Season One, by the time he met ADA Miguel Prado in this, Season 3, Dex seemed like he was back in the saddle. But the temptation of dealing with a won't take no for an answer-type like Miguel pushing and pushing to be his "friend" had Dexter letting his guard down and eventually allowing Miguel to be a part of a kill.
Dex quickly found that was a huge mistake when Prado killed again--without Dex's overseeing it and worse, an innocent women was put to death. This obviously rattled Dexter even more so that even he snapped out of the fantasy of having a true confidante and friend and instead focused on stopping Miguel from a killing spree in the making.
Before Dex killed him, Miguel put the still-wanted Skinner onto Dex's trail and since that was not dealt with in this eppy, it's inevitable that it will have to be in next week's season finale which is supposed to include Dexter's wedding to the pregnant Rita, too.
Only Deb and her partner, Quinn caught the scent of the Skinner and almost had him until Quinn's pursuit was interrupted by the Skinner's blade.
I'm unsure how all these loose ends can be tied up in next week and so I'm wondering if unlike Season One and Two if Season Three of Dexter will have a cliffhanger ending.
The sneak peeks though interesting, give us precious little to go on in that regard so we shall just have to wait it out to see what becomes of Debra's attempt to get her shield as well as how Dexter's kill of Miguel is handled. In the mix too is Maria's knowledge about what Miguel did to her good friend, Ellen Wolf and if her guilt about no one but she and Dex knowing who actually did it will get the best of her and by extension Dexter, too.
Lauren Velez as LaGuerda, Jimmy Smits as Miguel
Dexter's Apartment
The police search Dexter's apartment for evidence.
Secrets
Laguerta comes to Dexter for advice about Miguel.
NEXT WEEK: DO YOU TAKE DEXTER MORGAN? In episode 312, the third season finale, Dexter attempts to calm the emotionally unstable Ramon now that Miguel is out of the picture; Debra is about to receive her detective's shield but is blind-sided with information that could derail her promotion.
Promo photo Showtime:
CAST:
Kristin Dattilo ... Det. Barbara Gianna, David Ramsey ... Anton, Desmond Harrington ... Joey Quinn, Jimmy Smits ... Miguel Prado, C.S. Lee ... Vince Masuka, James Remar ... Harry Morgan, David Zayas ... Angel Batista, Lauren Vélez ... Lt. Maria Laguerta, Jennifer Carpenter ... Debra Morgan, Valerie Cruz ...Sylvia Prado, Julie Benz ... Rita Bennett, Michael C. Hall ... Dexter Morgan, Jason Manuel Olazabal ... Ramon Prado
Happy day. It was top down weather as I took my big drive out to the country to get the works (colour and highlights). Tomorrow--Halloween is supposed to be 70F! One last little bit o' decent weather. So happy about that.
Carved pumpkins last night. I snapped a few shots of the guys.
The guy's jack o' lanterns.
I don't carve. I'm a bit phobic about knives (yes, I had an accident once) and I hate the smell of pumpkin guts. I used to paint one--but I have no artistic talent what.so.ever.
Spouse still buys me a pumpkin though. ("They were on sale!")
Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving. We went to Goebbert’s Pumpkin Farm, a tradition of ours for close to 15 years. It’s much the same each year. Run by the Goebbert family, it’s farmland full of pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and Indian corn and if you must, on the second floor of the barn, sort-of Halloween stuff. (Click Goebbert’s link above for directions to farm.)
It was a ten or 15 degrees F above normal day and humid. Today was much the same only less humid. We are supposed to have a drastic downturn in the weather and probably according to the weather dude, not recover before next spring(!)
Sometimes it's good to put down the mouse and back away from the computer. I have in the past couple days while I a. waited about 12 hours for the Internet* to start working again, b. finally lost it over the inability of my Logitech MX 3200 mouse to function within any semblance of normal parameters and most enjoyably did Canadian Thanksgiving at Goebbert's Farm with my family.
Monkey making "stew" (look closely)
White-collared Ravens
Photo album in left-side column
*which was Comcast, until last night. Now it is my son's company, a local Schaumburg telecommunications service. I'm so happy to be able to buy local--and it's a family-run business. For sheer heart-warming goodness, the story of American immigrants making very good is one I love to hear/be a slight part of.
Wow! This must have been one of the fastest weeks of my life! Is that another sign that I'm aging? Because seriously, I do not need another sign. I'm fully aware that I'm on the cusp of decrepitude. It wasn't because I was sick and "out of it" because that was my status beginning last night. I did however and quite fortunately have a brief respite around lunchtime today which happily coincided with spouse picking me up for lunch and us going to Mongolian Stir Fry. I love that place and we have not been for far too long! It's a very basic premise of grabbing a big bowl and adding ingredients which include a choice of 4 kinds of meat, if you desire, and then countless variations of vegetables and noodles. Then you add special sauces and spices, then pass the bowl to the chef and watch him whip it up on the circular fry area and offer it back to you all ready to eat. There's also an area where you can get additional food choices like vegetable rolls, fresh fruit, and oddly, hush puppies (I love hush puppies!). It was delish and the neato thing is they are very moderately priced.
Anyway, now I am unquestionably sick. Spouse was sick for a week and now he's recovered. My youngest son had a 24-hour bug and he's all good now. Older son claims that all the super charged things he adds to his food and drink will ensure that his immunities will protect him. I held out pretty well I think, given all the crud floating around me but there's no denying now that I'm down for the count.
Starting back in June when we drove to Maple Lake, Ontario to open up the cottage for the summer we endured what was the most dreaded part of the trip--crossing the border into Canada at Detroit.
Crossing into Canada at Detroit-Windsor is frustrating, time consuming, confusing and worst of all IMO, frightening if you are unfortunate enough to to do so when it's dark.
Due to various commitments here we often did it in the dark--and I did it alone--for the last time I might add. The second to last time that we came home I made up my mind: no Detroit crossing for me. It appeared that crossing the border by driving slightly north--via Flint, MI would be viable though possibly of a longer duration. Every other trip we'd made via Detroit--six of them previously this summer--resulted in a travel time of a minimum of 13 hours. We don't dawdle or make excessive stops, either. Short stops with some brisk walking (we have a dog) and back on the road. This trip we ventured out and decided to blow Detroit off completely. The crossing at Port Huron-Sarnia was painless and fast and on the way home we made the almost 700 mile trip in 12 hours flat!
We had a superb long Labour Day weekend. We took an extra day so had three full days at the cottage. The weather just got better each day with the last actually getting quite hot. It was hands-down the best weather of the 5 weeks total that I spent on Maple Lake this year* and it was a fantastic send off for summer.
*They broke a 70-year record for rainfall.
My very favourite Maple Lake photo from summer, 2008.
Two weeks later this groin (the rock thing above that spouse built) help form this much beach (below w/ red canoe). There was no beach initially due to rain all summer.
Spouse and I will be driving north tomorrow and will be at Lake on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. If I didn't have responsibilities you could not pry me away to come back home. However, from the perspective of being home my biggest responsibility--my family--is also the one that I get the most joy from.
At least spouse and I get to enjoy 3 days of it! Woot!
Wait 'till you see the Moocards I ordered today-almost all have Haliburton cottage country scenes that I photographed. They are beautiful and now are updated since my sample pack--which I don't want to give away the last of, is really outdated and the contact information is outdated as well (one of ways to customize Moocards is as mini-business cards).
Four of them have and I've not got a lot to show for it. Took son school supply shopping ostensibly for just his engineering class. Dropped $50 in the blink of a eye. Haven't gotten the supply lists for other classes but he thinks that we may not have to purchase 4 extra books for English again this year (we didn't have to but it was suggested so that when mid-term test time rolled around he'd have the books from which a chunk of it was based on). Remember when all you needed to purchase for school supplies was a pencil and later, a pen? No? Then you are too young to relate. Modern parents buy a tons of stuff and then pay hundreds in book fees.
The second day home I took son and two of his long-times buddies to Gameworks from early afternoon through evening.
Son's 16th birthday and first day of school were yesterday and by then I felt like a wet dish-rag. The long drive home alone from the doesn't really hit me until a day or two later--and that's when (in my fantasies) I chill at home leisurely unpacking. There's been no chilling and nothing leisurely. Also no unpacking.
However I was reminded today of how much I the school day "debriefings" son and I do immediately after school. I get to hear the news of the day whilst it is still fresh and he reinforces what is on his plate for each class. He really doesn't seem to mind it though it came about as a way for him to be better organized/us better informed.
So far he's really digging his AP Physics and AP Trig and Calc classes. With the exception of one or two friends he's got a goodly amount in each class so the social aspect seems to be off to a good start, too. Apologies to anyone who I've neglected online. It's just a pretty big deal to go away for a month but leave one person here--one person who does not really clean--yet didn't do anything strikingly bad either. I just have to wipe off everything before I touch it which was exactly as I did for the first week in the cottage after it was sealed up tightly for nine months. Plus no person of the male persuation in this house can "see" dust collecting EVERYWHERE. Housework should be called house hard labour.
So OK, here I am about to attack the gmail. Stay tuned for some graphics of why my drive home took 1.5 hours longer than it should have (14 hours, total). From Battle Creek to Climax to Kalamazoo, Michigan--one lane highway--many big trucks--top speed 20 mph. Usually 5 or 10 mph. The truckers, me, and other souls who had to shift gears were not really thrilled with this. Burned a quarter tank of gas.
Oh Detroit, what can one say that hasn't already been said? Who made the detour so I had to fear for my life to be able to get back in to the US? It's just a big circle! And my, what a lovely little tour of the city one gets! The construction mini-highway signs seemed to be directing me correctly but as I saw the last choice --94 East and no sign that said 94 West, I pulled into a well-lit Marathon station. The bullet-proof glass looked like it would be highly effective. The nice man inside quickly verified that I just needed to continue down the road and the on-ramp would be on my left. Then he added a grave-sounding "Be careful!" Holy moley. I was being careful--did not need confirmation that this was a scary place. I was sincerely trying get the heck out of there as quickly as my 5-speed would let me. So home is where I am, feeling sort of normal, finally. Still haven't unpacked my suitcase though I've been cheating and getting clothes to wear each day from it so I'll have less to drag out of there.
Star Trek: My dad, nerdy science dude that he is/was "force-fed" the original Star Trek series to me. It was on in the morning, I think on a UHF station(!) The concept of a peaceful universe, beaming up and phasers and the Prime Directive was cool but I was not a big fan of the show. Later, I enjoyed most of TNG and the often-ignored Deep Space Nine. I didn't initially watch the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation because I disliked the original Star Trek, most especially Shatner as Kirk. I'm being truthful when I say he makes me gag. Spock was always cool and Scotty and McCoy were amusing. Not seeing it unless someone I know is dying to see it.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine: How big a part does Dom Monaghan have? I miss him since he was killed off LOST. Hugh Jackman is cute n' angsty but he alone couldn't get me in the theater to watch it. Possibly, I may take my kid if he wants to go. The one Jackman did with Anna Paquin (were there two?) was OK.
Transformers: Probably yeah 'cos my first son was devoted to the original TV show when he was little so I watched, too (spent a fortune on transforming cars and trucks) and I've seen newer incarnations through my younger son. I've always dug the transforming sound and that cars and trucks could turn into robots. It was a pretty cool show. I'm curious to know if they'll keep Shia's seriously busted-up hand hidden as he broke it off-set, but while filming, I believe. Still gets surgery on it. Yikes.
Angels & Demons: No.
Harry Potter: Have read and watched the film series so far so, yes.
EDIT/Igot this confused with Land of the Giants.
The plot of land of the Lost appears the similar except this is a Will Ferrell comedy./end edit
Land of the Lost: Did not even hear about this one 'till the other day.
I watched the teevee show (again, in the mornings on UHF, the public television channel). Depends on who is in it and what the reviews are like. I haven't missed the show but they could probably do some cool things with it.