Is this a good thing?

Never having seen the movie, I have no idea...

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from Spiderman

"I have always been standing in your doorway. Isn't it about time somebody saved your life?"

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

I've always wanted to procrastinate, but I keep putting it off

Last night I want to my local RWA chapter meeting. The topic was procrastination, writer's block and burn out. The speaker, Kara Lennox, also spoke about writer's fears (which she blogged about here).

Anyway, on the topic of procrastination she said many of us waste time on things, like computer games and surfing the net. Me, I don't do those things. And while I wasn't doing those things today, I happened upon a blog and something happened.

It really was quite innocent. Really. And if not, it was Kara's fault...let me explain...

See, Kara told us she'd blogged about this topic on Romancing the Blog so I wanted to check it out. I found it (see "here" link above). As I was scrolling to find the post, I noticed that they had a LOT of author blogs listed. Alyssa Goodnight's caught my attention, seeing as she's a chaptermate of mine and all. It's been a while since I stopped by so I was glad for the "encouragement" to do so.

So, I read Alyssa's posts and when I scrolled back to the top I noticed that she only had three links. Argh Ink caught my attention. Turns out it's Jennifer Crusie's blog (I know, I need to get out more).

Since I've decided I like Jennifer Crusie now, I read several of her posts, including the one entitled "Things I'm Not, Part II" (sorry, can't get it to link). At press time, it had 35 comments - which of course I had to read (so I'd have the full picture and all, you understand).

There was one from Sam, which I thought might be my Sam, so I had to check it out. Of course I was wrong BUT, I noticed this cool clock thing on her blog...you know when I was scrolling down because I was, um, reading her blog and all.

Anyway, underneath the clock it said "Paris, France". So I asked myself, was Sam really from Paris, France? Her picture looks like she's from the good ol' U.S. of A. I think she just likes to know what time it is in Paris. But anyway, so I click on it and find out I too can have a clock for my blog! I was so excited. So I had to play with it and enter code into my template and all so that I could get it just the way I wanted it. Then I went to The World Clock to get the time for Rome, Italy and set the clock. Not because I live in Rome but because I could live there.

So you see, I wasn't really procrastinating at all because, in Rome it's 4:00 in the morning and how can you be procrastinating when you should really be asleep? ;o)

What the heck?

Desperate Housewives is currently my favorite show. Last season it was the number one show in America. This season it's moved down but still in the top five. And I have to wonder, would it have moved down if it hadn't been preempted umpteen times since January 1 and then shown repeats when it actually does air? If I didn't know better, I would think the show was not doing well and the reason repeats were being shown was because they weren't filming new episodes. What the heck is going on? Grrrrrrrrrr!

Best Laid Plans...

Do you ever make plans only to see them go up in smoke before your eyes? That was kind of my day today. I'm not complaining because, all in all, it was a good day - just not the one I'd planned.

I've been waiting a long time for Failure to Launch to open. I sent an email to my girls a month or so ago to see who would be interested in going to see it with me. Two people said they wanted to go but that they couldn't go the weekend it opened - one of those said any time after the 15th. So, I scheduled it for the first Friday after the 15th so it would extend my weekend by a day (I took a vacation day). Then I asked if anyone would be interested in visiting before and/or after the movie. Everyone seemed to like this idea and one woman suggested a restaurant, that only she knew about. :o)

Okay, so we have a date, a restaurant and a movie time (1:40 p.m.). We're all set!

So yesterday, I mapped out my whole day for today. I was going to get up at my regular time, take the dogs for a walk, take a long, leisurely bath while reading a book or magazine, shave (I planned on wearing a sleeveless shirt / with jacket combo), dry my hair, french braid my hair, get dressed and go. That was the plan.

I got up at my regular time but that's where the plan and reality parted company. My mistake was in logging onto the internet when I got up. You know, I was thinking I could check my email quickly and be about my business. I know myself well enough to know that's not how things work but I did it anyway.

Meanwhile, some surfing and a couple of TV shows later (since I have SO much time before I have to leave [picture me rolling my eyes here]), I realize that not only do I not have time to walk the dogs anymore, a bath is out of the question too. All I have time for is a quick shower, blow dry and dressing (which is not optional). I consider not wearing what I planned because I don't think I have time to shave under my arms. I look in my closet and it's all I really have ready so I have this debate in my head. You have the jacket, no one will know you didn't shave. But what if it gets hot today? Doesn't matter, the jacket must stay on. Doesn't matter how hot it gets the jacket must stay on! But... No buts, the jacket stays on no matter what. If it gets so hot that you have to choose between removing the jacket or dying, you don't remove the jacket. Because if you do, you would die of embarrassment when your friends saw you wore a sleeveless shirt without shaving. We're just cutting out the middle man. The jacket stays on! Um, okay.

I get dressed.

I finally get out of the house at 9:50 or so (meeting at 11:00 but it's across town and I have to stop for cash), hoping I've allowed enough time because I don't know where the restaurant is. Well, I find it easily and arrive 20 minutes early.

What I forgot to mention is that I sent out a reminder email last night (in case anyone forgot). I heard back from two last night. One said they couldn't make it (they had a funeral to go to). One said she'd try now (she does this every time so this wasn't a big surprise). On the way (which, for the record, was further away from me than anyone else - not that I'm complaining, just explaining), my phone beeps, telling me I have a message (I didn't hear it ring). It's a third person saying she can't make it because she's sick.

I'm starting to think I'm completely on my own for the day. Which would be fine, I don't mind going to the movie alone but had it been planned that way, I would have taken last Friday off, when the movie opened. To make a long story short, I was the only one at lunch. I had two more emails when I got home. One was sick and the other had spent the night in the hospital with her father.

But there was still the movie to see. I went to the theater at the appointed time (well, actually way early because I'd allowed almost 3 hours for lunch - I spent some quality time at a book store after no one showed at the restaurant but still got to the theater way early) and waited for the lady who had said she couldn't make lunch but would be there for the movie. I debated buying a ticket before she showed and decided I was going to see the movie that day, with or without my friends. So I bought a ticket and waited. My friend did show up and it was just the two of us. It was funny because right before the movie started she turned to me and said, "I don't know if you've ever sat next to me when we do these things" (we get our group together a few times a year to go to the movie), "but I tend to comment on things during the movie. Is that going to be a problem for you?" I said it wouldn't but told her I tended to laugh uncontrollably at things and continue to laugh long after the scene is over. I asked if that would be a problem for her -did we need to separate "now". She said no, we'd be fine.

And we were.

So, it wasn't the day I'd planned but it wasn't a bad one. :o)

P.S. It was a fun movie. :o)

I must be psychic

I be-bopped over to Mel's blog and saw she was doing a blog tag - and I knew - knew that she had tagged me. Anyway, I'll play along:


Four movies you would watch over and over:
When Harry Met Sally
Titanic
Roman Holiday (Audrey Hepburn/Gregory Peck version)
It Happened One Night

Four places you have lived:
Pasadena, Texas
Houston, Texas
Katy, Texas
Baytown, Texas (I know, I get around)

Four TV shows you love to watch:
Desperate Housewives
Dancing with the Stars (when it's on)
Ellen Degeneres
Seinfeld re-runs

Four places you have been on vacation:
Hawaii
New York
Las Vegas
Los Angeles

Four websites you visit daily:
Cathy
Sandra K. Moore
Laura Drewry
The Cupcake Police

Four of your favorite foods:
Pizza
Tacos
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae (Weight Watcher's 2 points)
Chicken Crispers (at Chili's)

Four places you would rather be right now:
Paris, France
Rome, Italy
New York
Las Vegas

Tag four friends you think will respond:
Okay, Mel tagged the two people who ever read my blog so...I'll just have to let these people know they've been tagged. hehehe
Honey
Laura Drewry
Jan Conwell
Pamela Hathaway

Sinking of the Titanic

I have a friend who has no luck when it comes to sailing on cruise ships. Seriously, I swear this woman was on the voyage of the Titanic - in another life of course.

A few years back this friend went on a cruise with her sister and mother in tow. Her mother and sister flew in to Houston and the three of them drove to Galveston to board the ship. As it set sail, a tropical storm entered the Gulf. And as is the case for any storm that enters the Gulf, the National Weather Center makes predictions as to when and where it will make landfall. This prediction can change 50 times in the few days before it actually makes landfall. But it's on these predictions that ships make decisions about what they're going to do.

So anyway, the prediction that the decision was based on said that the storm was headed towards the Texas/Mexico border - first stop of the cruise ship. The ship decided it couldn't take the chance and turned around, deciding to dock in New Orleans instead.

As the ship docks in New Orleans, they learn that the storm has taken a turn and is headed straight for them! It's too late for them to pull out, so they have to stay and ride it out. Meanwhile, because the storm is headed towards them and they have no choice to stay, the crew won't allow any of the passengers to leave the ship! So, not only do they not get to go to the exotic ports of call they were supposed to go to, they can't even enjoy the one they were forced to stop at.

A lot of complaints were made and those making the complaints (my friend included) received a coupon for another cruise (only discounted - and not by that much). It had an expiration date and I don't think my friend got to utilize it before it expired.

Anyway, her mother finally talked her into going on another cruise out of Galveston. They left last Sunday. (Neither of them wanted to go again during hurricane season.) I spoke to my friend on Friday and she was sick as a dog and unable to get in to see her doctor. I'm sure that made for a fun cruise.

You know, now that I think about it, it's not just cruises she has problems with. Last September she scheduled a flight home to visit her family. Had it booked months in advance. And it just so happened that the weekend she was supposed to leave was the weekend we had a visit from Rita (that's Hurricane Rita to you) and all the flights were cancelled.

This friend has tried to talk me into taking vacations with her and the more I think about it, the more I'm glad they haven't worked out. I love you Suzanne but you and vacations just don't mix. :)

And the Oscar goes to...

Tonight the 78th Annual Academy Awards is on. I plan on watching but as I looked at the list of nominees, I realized, I haven't seen anything that is nominated.

Seriously, the only movie up for any awards, that I've seen is The Constant Gardner (loved the movie, the book it was based on - not so much). I was present at a showing of the Star Wars movie but it never grabbed my attention and I couldn't tell you much that happened in it. (It also marked my last date with this man I was seeing - but that's another story.)

So if I haven't seen anything up for an award, why do I want to watch the show? For the glitz and glamour. And just because I haven't seen anything doesn't mean I don't have an opinion of who should win. ;o)

Here are, in my "I have no basis for my opinion" opinion, my picks for tonight's awards:

• Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix
• Best Supporting Actor - George Clooney
• Best Actress - Felicity Huffman
• Best Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz (remember, I've seen this one!)
• Best Animated Feature - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Johnny Depp did voices - that's enough for me)
• Best Achievement in Directing - Good night, and good luck
• Best Motion Picture of the Year - Tie - Crash and Good night, and good luck
• Best Adapted Screenplay - The Constant Gardner (In my opinion, they improved on the book - big time)
• Best Original Screenplay - Good night, and good luck

There you have it. My top picks, based (with the exception of The Constant Gardner picks) solely on who I like and not at all on who may be deserving.

Good luck to all the nominees.

Gossip Mongers

I admit, I love celebrity gossip. In the morning, as I get ready for work, I put on the news. All I'm really interested in is 1) celebrity gossip and 2) weather report (gotta know how warm to dress).

I subscribe to People Magazine. I read the headlines on the tabloids as I wait in line at the grocery store (I won't pay money for those though...so if you want to send me your copies when you're done..... ;o) ).

But, where's the line of what's acceptable to write about/ask about a celebrity? I read an article online yesterday (and I wish I had saved the link, I would post it here) where Bruce Willis went off on reporters. He was doing a press junket for his upcoming movie 16 Hours and got asked questions about his personal position on matters, unrelated to his movie. Expletives flew left and right as he railed on them about the questions they were asking. And all I could think was good for him. Everyone, celebrity or not, deserves to have their privacy respected. The individual should get to determine what is public and what's not. No one should ever have to be in a position where they feel they have to explain or defend their thoughts or opinions. He wasn't doing an interview with Barbara Walters (where anything is fair game and you know it going in) - he was doing a press junket for his movie, and that's what the questions should have been about.

On the other hand, for people, like Tom Cruise, who behave like an insane person at every opportunity, I think they've consciously given up their right to privacy. I think it's all fair game. (I think he gets off on the publicity.) I say this knowing that I have no interest whatsoever in knowing anything that happens in that world. He's gone off the deep end and he's inviting the publicity he's getting. For people like that, I have no sympathy.

I still like hearing the gossip and I have no intention of giving up my People Magazine subscription any time soon but I think reporters should respect the privacy of celebrities and boundaries of the interview topic/intent. Celebrities that behave like lunatics hopped up on drugs though, is an entirely different matter.

But hey, that's just my opinion.