Teri Parris Ford's Blog

3 Marvel movies in one month!

I finally got to watch Black Widow on Disney+ earlier this month and last weekend Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings went on Disney+, Monika and I watched it the night it was released. Then yesterday Monika and I went to see Eternals for $5 at our local theater. It had been the first time either of had been to the movies in nearly 2 years! I thought it would be crowded since our local theater lowers the price on the Tuesday but it was quite empty! I did not feel uncomfortable at all in my mask (yes, we are still masked in Madison) since I'm pretty much living in one during the work week anyway. Of the three movies, I really liked Shang-Chi the most but all three were very entertaining! I do enjoy a Marvel movie!! I'm usually waiting for months to get in one good Marvel movie, so to see three within weeks of each other seems extraordinary. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to Black Widow (which came out in July) other than I knew I did not want to go to the theater to see it. I was reluctant to go last night but Monika was very eager to see Eternals. There were lots of names I was eager to see, esp Selma Hayek, who is my age playing a superhero. Monika was very excited to see the first Mavel movie gay kiss on screen and we were both thrilled about a most diverse cast. We both gave the movie a big thumbs up.

The Last One

I was up early, spending time cleaning up and then sipping coffee with some news. I got a really good work out in and then a shower. I started watching episode 8, but didn't finish in time for my matinee. I saw enough to refresh my memory. I wanted to watch it last night but the girls took my tv away from me. As much as I love having them home, there are some downsides. 

I have to admit I was surprised by episode 9-- surprised how much I enjoyed it and how emotional I got at the end. I have a very vivid memory of seeing the first one, episode 4 in the summer of 1977 and talking about it in the car with my mom and brother on the way home after. I was 11 years old at the time and it wasn't like any movie I'd seen before. Of course it wasn't long until we had star wars toys in the house. I remember seeing every other episode after-- episodes 5 and 6 were my freshman and senior years of high school and then taking my kids to see episodes 1, 2 and 3 when they were kids. It has been a long journey-- 42+ years.

After the movie I treated everyone to chinese food for christmas eve dinner and then it was time to relax. This holiday is pretty low key. There are very few gifts under the tree this year. Monika got a car, Jessi got a house, Jim and I are going on a trip... so the gifts are just a lot bigger.

 

 

Schooled

There are only 8 days left of this semesters with finals to follow. With the new year comes the slippery slope to the end of the school year. My seniors are getting excited. We got a proof of the yearbook cover today and kids were very excited to see our ideas come to life. Kids worked a little more today. As the semester runs out of time, kids either step it up or fall off altogether. 

After school I went home and built a fire. I watched Eighth Grade on Amazon. Someone in my family rented it and I got the notification that it was available for 48 hours. I cozied up with Balt and watched it. It was actually kind of uncomfortable-- it was too realistic. I had theory at one time; who you really are forever is the you, you became in 8th grade. The cool kids stay cool forever and the dorks feel like dorks forever. As an older adult, I'm not so sure anymore. That 8th grader I was, wasn't as fat as she thought she was and she wasn't as ugly as she seemed to think she was. I see photos of myself in 8th grade and I wish I could tell that girl how absolutely beautiful she was! I would have sounded exactly like my mom at that time though. Weird. The movie ends with a special moment with the Eighth Grader's parent. I think our parents play a very difficult role during those awkward years, while pushed away and ignored, they are often the only voice of reason during a very unreasonable time of life.

Saturday Matinee

Monika and I went to an 11am matinee at the AMC to see Ant-Man and the Wasp. I thought I was ready since we had seen the first episode yesterday but I still have yet to see the newest Avengers, which I guess is needed also to fully understand the ending. I also missed the Captain America movie where Ant-Man turns into a giant or at least I can't remember it if I did see it. All the Marvel movies are so good, but there are SO many of them! Ant-Man and the Wasp was the 20th, I believe.

After the movie, Monika and I went out for Mexican and then came home to wash cars. It was a perfect afternoon for being outside to clean or garden. 

Black Panther (2018)

It's been a while since I've offered up a movie review! I purchased Black Panther tickets for Jim and I on Friday, knowing it would be a packed house and boy, was it. We made it to a matinee' after a leisure morning. There have been a lot of reviews out there-- all positive.  I don't think I have read anything negative about Black Panther yet. The Marvel movie was very entertaining but I have to say the best thing about the movie was all the strong women, smart women, warrior women and none of them fighting over a man or really in need of one. This movie offered hope for smarter movies for women in the future. I think all the buzz has been how it is a break out film for an all black cast, but I ended up being blown away about all the amazing female roles! I am hoping this will be the beginning of more women of color in better roles in the future.

The rest or day was spent relaxing. I went to an early evening hot yoga class which was wonderful. I made a fire and we watched two episodes of Victoria.

 

Holiday Weekend

I love Sundays, but a Sunday that includes a Monday off, is even better!! Balt and I went for a nice walk together, I made a fire and watched some news. I did a bit of cleaning and ran some errands. I went into school with Balt to get a bit of work done and then met up with Erika at a 4pm hot yoga class. I came home and enjoyed a turkey burger. I bought a dozen of them for Jessi and she only ate 2. Meanwhile in California my parents helped Monika move into her dorm room. I'm so thankful for them and their generousity. Monika is very blessed to have grandparents like them. 

I got to watch "Bright Lights" with Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher which was really good. It's on HBO. I find it amazing that these two made this documentary together with a premiere date of January 7 and then died a couple of weeks prior, only a day apart. If America had royalty, these two women were as royal as they come in our country. After watching Carrie Fisher being monitored for weight loss while shooting Episode 7 of Star Wars, watch her chain smoke and constantly drinking Cocoa Cola, I don't think it is so surprising that she would have a heart attack. After watching this documentary and seeing how much Carrie took care of her mother and how close they were, it doesn't surprise me that her mother would pass so shortly after her. 

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Christmas Eve & Rogue One Review

Of course the day started early with Balt, sipping coffee and watching the news. I went outside to shovel snow from yesterday instead of going on a long walk and then went to yoga alone. The girls had all stayed up too late to go to a morning class. I had 1pm tickets to see Rogue One at the Ultrascreen with great seats. Then to continue our Christmas Eve tradition of Chinese food for dinner, we went PF Changs for quite the meal. We all came home full and ready for some couch time by the fire watching Christmas movies; Scrooged with Bill Murray, which I had never seen and then Grinch Who Stole Xmas, which I fell asleep to and woke to find everyone had left and gone to bed but Erika, who was getting ready to go home.  It was a WONDERFUL day and the movie was GREAT... here's my spoiler alert for my review below:

We argued a bit afterward about which movie was better, Rogue One or The Force Awakens-- both fantastic, but the familiarity with The Force characters helps connect you quickly and the investment for The Force is deep since you know there's going to be 2 more movies. Rogue One is a stand alone. There are a lot of characters in Rogue One, each you'd like to get to know a bit more but in the end, you don't and know you won't ever see them again in future Star Wars movies. Rogue One is faster paced but a bit confusing from all the opening planet jumping. Luckily, for the first time in Star Wars movies, places are labels in the corner so you understand you've just moved to a different place. Then as soon as you get to a know a planet, Jedha, it's destroyed, along with a major character you wish you understood better, Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). Disney has taken the Star Wars franchise and diversified the characters and put leading female roles in both of its first two films. Both women are similar yet different enough. The Force has it's main white male characters from the original cast but Rogue One doesn't have a one. Both have charming robots but Rogue One's K2SO (played wonderfully by Alan Tudyk) is darker and has quite the dry wit. The rolling BB8 is way more kid friendly, making the Force Awakens a lot more family friendly in the end. i have to admit to being completely confused by seeing Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) in Rogue One since I did not think he could still be alive. He wasn't. He died 22 years ago. The CGI was not so obvious to me but when a young Princess Leah shows up at the end of the movie, then it all makes sense. 

A Day of Gratitude

I am so blessed to have 3 amazingly beautiful and healthy daughters, even though I could only spend time with one of them today. Cooking today was easy... I did not make bread since Jessi wasn't home and I did not make extra vegetarian gravy  since Monika wasn't home. I got the corn bread stuffing made and stuffed into the turkey by 6am. By 6:30 I was sipping coffee watching the news. At 8am, Balt and I were at the dog park enjoying a beautiful morning. I finished mashing potatoes and got the green bean casserole all cooked by 10am and then I turned everything off and went to yoga to meet up with Erika. I came home after yoga and turned the oven back on to warm things up and waited for Erika to get home from work. I was so hungry when she finally arrived. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together and had a fire blazing. She watched an episode of the Simpsons while I washed dishes and then we set off for the movies. We got in super early, about 45 minutes, to enjoy the recliners and previews, chit chatting and loving the experience. We watched the Harry Potter prequel, Fantastical Beasts, which was everything I hoped it would be and more! So good!! I believe there are a few more movies coming in line with this new time line that has bits and pieces of the history we already knew. While only a few familiar names, the Harry Potter world is not all so different in the New York City, 70 years earlier, but it's bit darker but the movie is filled with undertoned messages of tolerance. After the movie, Erika and I enjoyed a bit of "black Friday" madness at Kohls and then went home for pie.

Pumpkin Carving & Ghostbusters (2016)

Today was an amazing Autumn day, with a high in the mid 60's. the humidity was high enough to run around in a tank top. I sweat buckets in my morning yoga class, came home and started cleaning. I watched a Requiem fo the American Dream on Netflix while having eggs for lunch. I decided to get outside and hang the Christmas lights which was sweaty work. I also pulled out a leaf blower my mom gave me, as well as raked some leaves. I carved my pumpkin, roasting the seeds with salt and honey. I made an amazing batch of Thai peanut rice noodles for dinner and finally got to watch Ghostbusters (2016) with some great female comedian leads! I was out of the country when the movie came out, so I missed the buzz. I heard there was a bunch of misogynistic whiners complaining about it. Of course I loved it, but I am a big fan of Kristen Wiig,and Leslie Jones. Kate McKinnon was awesome too-- she's going to be busy in the coming years playing Hillary on SNL! I got a lot of great laughs and it was fun to see all the cameos from the original cast as well.

Erika popped in to pick up more costume stuff, but I have yet to get a photo of her dressed up! I did get a couple of pics of Jessi and Moni this weekend. Monika did a bike ride with her school across the dessert and Jessi was out pumpkin picking!

Memorial Day Movie

The New York Times had an article about how Captain American beat Batman which I found fascinating. I did not go see Batman vs. Superman because the reviews were so bad. I only wanted to see the scene with Wonder Woman anyway, so I'll just wait for her own movie. Captain America, on the other hand had great reviews and had so many tie ins to other movies, I was glad I'd seen Winter's Soldier last night. It has gotten to the point with a lot of these super hero movies that you have to know a bunch of stuff going in in order to fully enjoy it. Civil War introduces it's audience to several characters that will have their own movies soon, Black Panther, Spider Man (re-boot) and of course another Avengers movie-- a two parter no less, not to mention  another Guardians of Galaxy, Thor and Ant Man are coming as well! It is quite the money making machine and I am happy to add my few dollars for an afternoon of fun.

My morning started late, which was nice to finally sleep in. Balt and I went for a walk but it was hot and it made me think twice about sleeping in in the future. I had my Cuba ladies over for a meeting to prep for our trip and then I ran out to the pool to get my laps in. I did a quick grocery shop run before taking Erika and Monika out to a late lunch/early dinner before our movie fun. It was a great holiday!

In 3D

Balt got me up early and by 7am we were out on our walk. I ended up rounding my way to Starbucks for a coconut latte treat and then enjoyed the rest of the morning lounging, watching the news and doing a bit of cleaning. By noon I was on my way to Melissa's to meet up for lunch. We had a wonderful lunch together.  We enjoyed an afternoon matinee watching The Jungle Book, in 3D. I was eager to see it until I read the NY Times review, calling it disappointing. But when Melissa checked Rotten Tomatoes, it had a 95% critic score, so it couldn't be too disappointing and it was not, but it was so close the original Disney cartoon, that there were few surprises. Bill Murray is certainly entertaining as Baloo. We ended our afternoon with a face swap (shown) which is hilarious and hideous. While driving home from Mel's I had a great chat with Jessi and then after dinner, Monika, my mom and I had some fun facetiming. I'm in bed early, knowing Balt will have me up early tomorrow! 

It only gets better...

Today is the coldest day of the week, and it is my hope that it will not be as cold as it is today again until after summer. This spring has been cold but I know it'll only get warmer which always makes life better. After a week of being observed, today I began to give a little bit of responsibility to my student teacher. She seems to be on top of things, so I'm looking forward to having some time at the end of this semester to get a few big projects done while she continues to take over my classes. It's a nice perk. After school, I enjoyed some sunshine with Balt, leftovers for dinner, and relaxation time.

Last night I started watching Robert Reich's Inequality for All on Amazon. I finished it this evening. It explains the decline of the middle class, with great graphics, persuasively, and with smart humor. Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, who I follow on Facebook and occasionally catch his live office hours. He's a huge Bernie Sanders supporter and watching his videos are not only entertaining but incredibly informational. After writing my blog post on why I was voting for Bernie, I thought about the things that might be pushing me to the left but after watching this documentary, I realized that it wasn't necessarily me that was moving left, but the right has moved further right. I haven't been into politics much, and I'm realizing that part of the reason has been that this is the first time in my life that I've been on my own and have had to do my own reading, my own research. I don't have someone feeding me information, telling me what to think. I am thinking for myself without anyone really to bounce those thoughts off of. It changes things, maybe for the better.

Aprils showers of snow, sleet and hail...

April moved into Wisconsin with a big storm, we had rain and hail yesterday and blizzard winds and snow today. Eventually the sun came out and much of the snow melted but it did make for a great excuse to stay in this morning with a hot fire. Balt had me up at 4am, so I ended up napping a bit mid morning. I eventually got out to get some shopping done, get gas and mail Jessi a package. After short changing Balt with his morning walk because of the cold and severe winds, I promised him a good romp in the park once things cleared. It was still so windy but wonderfully bright. I finished the night with more fire and another movie-- Selma, on Amazon. It was so good and got me thinking about while, yes, we've come a long way in this country for both equality for blacks and voting rights BUT not far enough! The movie is based on a march led by Dr. King in Alabama for voting rights and I could not help but think of the fiasco in Arizona last month, of people having to wait 5 hours to vote. Even here in Wisconsin, things have gone backward as we now have one of the nations toughest voting restrictions starting next week just in time for the primary. I have read that up to 300,000 may be prohibited to vote because they do not have a proper government issued ID, and not just any ID. This new Wisconsin law targets the young and poor, who are less likely to have a driver's license and most likely to vote for Bernie Sanders. Without an official driver's license, folks in this once progressive state must obtain an official voter ID-- and who has time for that!? Next we will be asking voters for a literacy test as well... hmmm... sounds like something from the sixties in the south?

I am not the only one attending political rallies for the first time. This week I had a student attend a Donald Trump rally in Janesville. I was disturbed by his account. As a Hispanic young man, he was there to protest peacefully and he was not the only one. While the event was primarily peaceful, my student shared with me that it had been the first time he had witnessed real racism. We see crazy racists on tv or in movies but to witness it first hand is difficult and heartbreaking. I saw a quote on Facebook, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything" (Albert Einstein) and it makes me proud of my students who will take a day off school to hold a sign in dignity at a rally. It's something. It does make me wonder though, what can I do?

Friday Night!

It was a good Friday. It rained and hailed a bit while we were at school but the morning and afternoon dogwalk times were fine. I suppose if you are going to have terrible weather, it's best while at work. I had a meeting after school, came home and got a quick walk with Balt in before rushing off to hot yoga. Friday nights are one of my favorite classes. I came home, made dinner and sat to watch a movie on Amazon-- Brooklyn. Nominated for best picture and best actress, it was a great film with a strong female lead. It was a great way to finish of the week and start my weekend. 

Currently on Vacation

I picked up Monika last night after 10pm and got home nearly at midnight. While Milwaukee flights are cheaper, they are not as convenient, but what I love about them is the ride home. I get an hour of captive conversation. Monika told me all about her trip to DC and talked about her Summer internship to India, her at Fall semester abroad, her hopes for her career and life plans. It was a very nice ride home. We will both be in India this summer and I've got to figure out a way for us to connect. I woke up a bit late and got dropped off at work so Monika could have the car for all of her errands. She only has a few days in town to get quite a bit done. My work day was pretty productive with tons of kids gone. I covered for Joe's class after lunch and finished the day sending in 12 pages of the yearbook 4 weeks early and rewarding the kids who turned in those pages early. I had to walk home, which was fine. It was only 41 degrees, but sunny.

Without a car, my favorite Friday night yoga class was not so doable. I watched the Big Short instead with a fire. I purchased my condo a year before the housing/banking bust, which is what the movie is all about. I was under water on my mortgage for years, but my payment was less than rent and as long as I had a job, I could cross my fingers that eventually my investment would pay off. What initially was a great deal ended up being a not so terrible a loss. My next door neighbor ended losing her job and short selling her place with a $45,000 loss. My other next door neighbor walked away from her home completely, ultimately going bankrupt. It has sat empty for several years as her bank wont take a loss on it. The movie was extremely entertaining for so dry a plot as the housing market bubble burst. I was completely disgusted by how it all ended-- the whole bail out. I was pretty disgusted back when it was actually happening. So much corruption and the public just takes it all in stride and seems to want more, looking at the way this election is shaping up. Most everyone seems to be asleep -- living the American Dream. Oh, maybe that's too deep?

Monika's home now with friends over. I'm eager to get to bed early. I've got a whole week off for yoga, dog walking and chit chat.

... and the winner is

... but I won't stay up to find out. Last night I ended up watching Trumbo and that was a great movie-- not on the best picture list but Bryan Cranston was for his leading role. Every one is betting on Leonardo Dicaprio winning best actor though. It won't be long until we find out who and I'd be very happy if Cranston won, but I didn't see the Revenant-- too tense. I certainly have not gotten in all of the movies, nor did I get quite as many in this weekend as I had planned. This morning was wonderfully mild so Balt and I were out early walking, enjoying the sunshine. Afterword I went in for a late morning yoga class. I made a nice brunch and then got sucked into PBS's Downton Abby marathon. The whole 6th season was playing all afternoon. I'd already rented 3 movies on Amazon this weekend, which was quite a splurge, so I decided to forgo a fourth. I watched Chris Rock's monologue and then switched back to Downton Abby. I'll find out who the winners are in the morning.

Movie and a Fire

I watched Steve Jobs last night. Micheal Fassbender and Kate Winslet won nominations from the movie. Neither will win. The movie was interesting as Steve Jobs was a very interesting person but it was missing something. I was impressed with Micheal Fassbender's performance, but it was a performance. The whole movie was too theatrical. I liked Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs in Jobs (2013) so much better but I suppose that's because Ashton Kutcher is a more likable guy.

My Saturday was low key. I went on a 3 mile walk with Balt, made gluten free pancakes, ran into work for a bit, did some grocery shopping and laundry. I made a big fire and watched Spotlight. Wow, now that movie belongs on the best movie list. The ensemble cast all should be nominated but Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams got supporting actor nods. While I haven't heard a lot of buzz about them winning, they'd deserve it, especially Mark Ruffalo. I know it doesn't take a lot to get me crying but this was not about cancer and no one died, but I still cried. Wow, what a story and so sad, so, so sad. There's a remark from a reporter about the community being "good Germans" referring to Nazi Germany and other about taking a village to abuse children. It made me think about what else will we be held accountable for in the future because as a society we just let it happen? Powerful stuff. 

Next up, Brooklyn... or Trumbo... or maybe Bridge of Spies.

Oscar Weekend

Looking at the weekend ahead, I've got nothing pressing to do; a long dogwalk and some grocery shopping. With the Oscars on Sunday, I looked at all the movies I needed to watch and decided to make a weekend of it-- after hot yoga. At the end of a very uneventful school day, my brother called me from the red carpet, yes, in Los Angeles, the Oscars' red carpet. He works for AT&T and award season is his busy season. He's usually underground keeping live feeds flowing on phone lines but occasionally he gets to come and look around. I got a family update and a couple of photos from his adventure today. It was about 80 degrees where he was- 50 degree difference!! But at least I have some warmer temps to look forward to this weekend. On the docket to watch on Amazon-- Spotlight, Brooklyn, Steve Jobs, Bridge of Spies and Trumbo. And if I can get Erika to join me at the cheap seats theater-- Joy and Creed. Then maybe if I really go nuts-- The Big Short at the AMC, and/or 45 Years at the Sundance. That should keep me busy this weekend!

It's still Winter

I'm not sure why Balt is waking up at 4am, but it's annoying, especially on the weekend. I have to cuddle and pet him to get him back to sleep.  I gave up around 5am, fed him, made a fire, made some coffee and starting reading the paper. I fell asleep on the coach at some point which was fine. I finally got up and went for a 3 mile walk with Balt. It was the second day going out without a coat on, but I wore a scarf and mittens as it was still quite cold-- about 34 degrees. I came home, made cookies and watched a movie; Life Itself-- about Roger Ebert. I grew up watching Siskel and Ebert & the Movies. Anytime I wanted to know about a movie, I checked on Ebert's review first. I really didn't know much else about him, except I really liked what he had to say about movies. When the movie was over, I was crying. Maybe his dying of cancer hit too close. He ended his life writing a very poignant blog, his last entry especially. It made me think of how candy coated my own blog is, doing my best to avoid the soft center of my life. I can't talk about work really. I avoid discussing the pain of the failure of my marriage. I do my best to abstain from personal issues involving my girls, for their privacy. There are times I wonder what I am doing here. After the movie, I put on some music and kept crying, so I turned off the music and started reading a book I'm reading for work and that got me crying, so I knew I had to get to yoga. When sweat pours down your face, it doesn't matter if you are crying or not. I don't know how the process washes away everything. I left feeling wonderful, refreshed and ready for dinner and eager for Downton Abby.

The Lady in the Van (2015)

It was an amazing Friday that started with a lovely morning dogwalk in 40 something degree weather. The snow is finally melting which kind of makes my heart melt a little bit too. The school day was non-eventful, busy with yearbook pages to edit or finish. After lunch, I covered Joe's video class and then finished the day with my two yearbook classes. I slipped out as soon as I could for a yoga class, rushed home to shower, feed and walk Balt and then meet up with Melissa for dinner and a movie. We watched The Lady in the Van at the Sundance. Although it had wonderful marks on Flixter, it was too slow going for Melissa. She needed a nap anyway. I on the otherhand was excited to see Maggie Smith as someone other than Downton Abby's Violet Crawley or Harry Potter's Professor McGonagall. Interestingly there lots of other Harry Potter players in this movie as well that may have made it a bit more entertaining for me. In the end it was an all too British movie adapted from a play about very sad people who made me laugh. Homelessness, loneliness, guilt, dementia, aging, friendship, family, sanity, fear, and vulnerability are all themes that run throughout the movie. It's a great movie for the well rested, BBC loving types. Mother's of 3 year old twins have been seen sleeping through most of it. ;)

2nd Challenge Day

The alarm went off at 5am but I still did not make it to a morning yoga class, but it all worked out fine. Monika needed the car today for an eye appointment at the UW and then to go out to lunch with a friend. She picked me up at 4pm and we met up with Erika for a 4:30 hot yoga class all together. It's always more fun to take classes with my girls! The class was hot and crowded but we got in early to get good spots by the door (which is always nice to have a blast of cold air when someone opens it). I tried to keep my breathing steady and not to fidget as much. 

Afterword, Monika and i cleaned up and then ran errands together including getting 5 Guys for dinner!! The lettuce wrap burger is less then 500 calories but the fries are killer-- Monika and I shared a large. We came home to eat and watch a movie, Ex machina (2015), which was really good. Monika then proceeded to share with me all the mythological and Biblical references as well as philosophical references. It was very apparent she'd taken a philosophy class in college.

Merry Star Wars Christmas

Balt had me up at 4am! I think he heard Santa running around around outside. I sat for a while with him and then finally gave up and started working on the cinnamon rolls. Erika got up early to get a bit of work done and the two of us took Balt for an early walk. By 7am everyone was up and ready for gift opening. We went to my brother's for breakfast at 9:30 and then enjoyed a leisure morning at his place. We left after noon for Universal City to see Star Wars. My brother bought my family tickets as our Christmas gift. I had seen one spoiler while reading about Harrison Ford's salary, which was frustrating. The girls had stayed away from all news and talk shows that referred to the movie or cast quite purposefully in order to fully enjoy the movie and they did!! I have to admit it was amazing. I watched the original movie 38 1/2 years ago and it seems so crazy that I'm just as thrilled by seeing the 7th episode as I was seeing the first movie (4th episode), and it's amazing to sit next to my children who are just as excited as I am to see the saga continue. I'm definitely going to see it again soon. Harrison Ford certainly earned his 20 million. The comedy/adventure mix in this episode is perfect and there's not one hokey character (no JarJar, no Ewoks). I was relieved to find that BB8 did not replace R2D2, but was a fun addition to the "family." It's going to be hard waiting until May 2017 for the next episode. I already told Jessi, it was how we would be celebrating her college graduation.

The Martian (2015)

I finally got out to see a movie. Not since summer have I had someone to go out with. I have been tempted to go out alone, but I have Netflix and Amazon at home, so there hasn't been much need really. Still, I really wanted to The Martian with Matt Damon (who is so good).  I had heard nothing  but wonderful things about th is film so when Melissa said she could see a movie with me late tonight, I said yes! I haven't seen a 10pm movie in years but it was worth the wait. Director Ridley Scott does not disappoint. This is a movie about how a man sees each new crisis as a problem solving exercise. I love that even though it's a typical "Robinson Crusoe" type of movie, with a lot of predictable plot elements, there's tons of suspense and a few surprises. Jessica Chastain plays the Mars mission commander, and I was thrilled to see a woman in charge of a space mission making decisions. Michael Peña, a Mexican actor who I fell in love with in Antman, and has an amazing career ahead of him, played the pilot on the mission and provided some comic scenes.  It's definitely staying up late to see.

As for my Saturday, Balt and I walked 4 miles this morning in the freezing cold-- it was 30 degrees. I went to a great yoga class, showered, did laundry, vacuumed and then went out with Erika for pedicures and lunch. I came home and started working on a t-shirt quilt until Melissa came over. It was a perfect October Saturday!

A Great Weekend for the Movies

We finished our Saturday going to see Ant-man (2015). After last night's Mr. Holmes, it was hard to believe that Ant-Man would be nealy as good but it was. While completely different in era and costumes, there were plenty of similarities. Neither movie offered a grand scale super hero but rather weaker men dealing with the realities of their shortcomings. The light humor and minor characters were keys to the success of both movies. I have to say that Ant-Man's Michael Peña was a delightful comic addition to the movie. Evangeline Lilly was pretty bad-ass and of course, the wonderful Paul Rudd (of I Love You, Man, 2009 fame) gave the movie it's pleasantly light feel. Maybe it's hard to make scenes with ants epic? 

Anyway, it certainly was a great summer weekend, not just for the movies. Balt and I were up at 5am to beat the heat and get a nice long walk in. I went into work at 8am to start hanging my birthday show since I will be gone most of the month of August. I have dug out artwork from my college years, as well as lots of past projects. I'm nowhere near being done. By noon Monika and I were at the pool enjoying the heat. We went to Trader Joe's to pick up a few treats and then I made stir fry for dinner. Erika joined us for the movie fun. Jessi's out of the town for the weekend but will return tomorrow sometime. 

Inside Out (2015)

I celebrated the last day of June with a $5 Tuesday movie with my teacher buddy, KG. Monika seemed dead set against seeing it although it has a 98% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes (which I totally trust). I had not heard one bad thing about it and I loved the concept. What I did not expect was the depth. I left the theater holding back tears. Had I watched this movie alone I would have totally bawled my eyes out, and not from laughter.

So according to Pixar there are only 5 basic emotions ruling the brain; Joy, Anger, Disgust, Sadness and Fear. The movie seems to have a lot of actual psychology embedded into the plot line and was not a typical Hollywood animation. The movie isn't really about what is happening outside, although that plays a part --the heroine, Riley, has moved from Minnesota to California and is pretty bummed about it as any 11 year old girl might be traumatized by moving at that age. Maybe this is part of what made this movie so moving for me personally. I too moved at that age and could understand the emotional turmoil. One of the most artistic scenes was when the characters take a shortcut through Abstract Thought, which turns them into Cubist, not-so-representational characters and then mutate into flat 2D figures. While I don't want to spoil the movie, what left me personally so emotional was the realization that Joy was not as much of a driving force in the realities of life as Sadness. I have spent the past year recognizing my own Sadness but trying so hard to keep "Joy" in the driver's seat while at the same time keeping Anger, Fear and Disgust at bay. It is difficult to for me to fully understand the depth of my sadness and so I often wish it away. The complexities of our emotions was certainly a great subject for an extremely entertaining animation.

As for my Tuesday... it was really great. Summer school continues to be a nice way to spend my morning after a my walk with Balt. Jessi spent some time out on the shooting range and sent me a few videos of her shooting a M240B and a 50 Cal machine gun. I grabbed this screen shot for my blog. She seems to have a grin on her face. I think she's having a bit more fun being a Marine than she anticipated. 

This afternoon, after the movie, I went out and purchased a kettle bell to start a 30 day workout. I only got a 15lb. one to start out with but would like to be using a heavier one by the end of the month. I read that the kettle bell was the best work out there. My swimming isn't enough as I'm not losing any weight, so I'm upping the game. I got my first workout this evening while Monika went to another hot yoga class. 

Back to Summer School

It was my first day of summer school and Mother Nature made sure the kids were all glad to be in class. It stormed outside. I have a great group of kids who all seem very happy to be in class so early in the morning. My art class has 24 kids and my computer lit class only has 14 kids and 1/2 of them are ELL kids (English Language Learners). My biggest challenge is to make the computer class fun and not too business-y. 

Balt and I got out for an early walk before the down pour and then I walked into school so that Monika could have the car for her tennis lessons that she teaches on Monday mornings --indoors luckily. I picked up Panera lunch for Erika, Monika and I after school and then Monika and I went to see a movie, Love & Mercy at the Sundance. It is an amazing movie about an amazing musician, Brian Wilson. It made me really think about creative genius and the balance of sanity. Of course I grew up listening to Beach Boys music, and of all the songs, Good Vibrations is probably is my favorite. Monika really enjoyed the history lesson. It was a great way to spend a very humid summer afternoon.

Two Stripes!

Jessi posted pictures from graduation today at the Naval Academy. She may have finished her 2nd year more than a week ago, but today she got her 2nd class stripes!! She will start her "junior" year signing on what is called a "2-4-7" securing her position in the Navy for seven more years and then there will be no turning back. From what I've seen of her first two years, it is clear she's in for the long haul. I know it's not all fun and games, but boy, she looks so darn happy in all those photos!! I can't explain how very proud I am of her and all that has accomplished. We are in for some great fun this summer! She leaves for Alaska on Wednesday and I am hoping to see some photos, but I have a feeling I will have to wait until her adventure is over to see them.

As for my day, it was another beautiful May day and a really nice Friday. I have two classes with projects to present that I just threw off until Tuesday. Who wants to start a new project the day before a 3-day weekend? Not me. Monika took the car today to have lunch with Erika. She picked me up after school and together we took Balt for a walk around Stricker's Pond. It was a wonderful dogwalk. We came home and made asparagus fajitas for dinner and watched Guardians of the Galaxy, which I thoroughly enjoyed and had never really heard of before the movie came out. The girls were quite eager to see it in the theater, so Monika had already seen it. It was the perfect way to finish up my week. 

What a Lovely Day

Sleeping in was mandatory this morning. I am not able to stay up late like I used to without paying for it. My feet were killing me from standing for 5 1/2 hours at the concert and once again I procrastinated my 12 mile hike. I am gearing up to die next weekend. Monika will not let me cancel. So well after 8am, I got up to watch Sunday morning, sip coffee and finish my mom's anniversary album. By noon I needed to walk Balt so we went to the dog park. I went to Sam's Club after to get cake and hot dogs for my backyard's senior send off tomorrow. 

I gave Monika the choice of seeing any matinee today and she chose Mad Max Having seen all three movies some 25 years ago, I knew it would be a fun film, but looking over the reviews prior to going, it looked like it was going to be fantastic and it did not disappoint! Tom Hardy plays an amazing Max and the truth is, I would not have gone to see it if it had had Mel Gibson in it. While it returns to the post-apocalyptic desolute landscape of the future, I have to admit what I liked best about the film was a powerful woman known as Imperator Furiosa played by Charlize Theron. Max is really only there to support her and her mission. The movie is epic, a CGI wonder, an insane chase scene from beginning to end that had me sucked in the whole time. Director George Miller's original “Mad Max” changed our vision of the apocalyptic future. "Fury Road" gives that vision a high definition detail that was not available before. Yes, I loved it.

Once out from our movie, we met up with Erika to do some shopping and go out to dinner. I got Erika matching towels and a bath mat for her bathroom, as well as a shower curtain. She is very excited about her new place but not too happy about the lack of wifi available. When I asked if I'd see her this week, she assured me that she'd probably need to swing by to use the wifi... and I thought it was going to be the washing machine she'd be coming by for. I'm glad to have anything to bring her home for.

 

The end of the week...

BUT not the end of the series! Yes, I finished my Friday watching the 6th episode of Star Wars, A Return of a Jedi. It was a rainy afternoon, so I got home, built a big fire and made a nice dinner before sitting down to watch. I cuddled up with all three cats on the couch and Balt on the floor at my feet. It was an idyllic setting for a Friday night movie. Having just watched Anakin's fall into the dark side last week, the struggle was much more plausible watching it now than 30 years ago. I was a senior in high school the first time I watched and waited in line for two days in Westwood, Los Angeles, camping out with my friends, to be among the first to see it. I think, watching it back then, I was focused on Luke doing the right thing, feeling it was his influence that made Anakin switch. Watching it tonight, it seemed different, the Emperor was wrong, and Anakin could not watch simply watch his son be killed. It made me think of The Lord of the Rings when at the end Frodo could not cast the ring into the fire, it was Gollum's glee of getting the ring back the threw it back in. It was not about Good prevailing or doing the right thing, but rather, Evil NOT doing what it was supposed to do... if that makes sense.

Anyway, I am glad to know there are more episodes coming. Seeing Princess Leia in all her glory, skinny as can be in the metal bikini made me look up how Carrie Fisher had gotten into shape for the movie. She took drugs, so no wonder she looked like a waif. In my research I read she was told to lose  40 lbs. for her roll in the new episode and this time she used a trainer. It seems she has gotten wiser in her old age.

As for my day-- it was a Friday, easy going. All of my classes in the midst of projects and working. The photo show is up and open (see below). During my lunch I ran out to get a bunch of errands done and Jessi called me. She made me laugh telling me stories and then she had to go, so it was short. I purchased a shredder for my mail because the local news has been doing a series on identity theft and I learned shredding documents was the #1 way to prevent ID theft. I dropped of my pool membership dues which means the pool will be open in less than a month!! I started the day with a long walk with Balt luckily because I was in no mood to walk after school in the cold rain. 

Throw Back

There were snow flakes falling today. It wasn't pretty, but at least it didn't stay. Balt usually wakes me up between 4am and 6am to go out for his morning business, then depending on what time I feel like getting up, I may or may not stay up. This morning I stayed up-- it was a bit after 5am when he woke me up. I made my morning cup of coffee and sat on the couch enjoying the morning. Balt will usually come back in and join me on the couch. I typically will have a cat or two on my lap as well. It then becomes difficult to extract myself from there. This morning I forced myself down to the basement to get a mile jog in. I got ready for the day and then took Balt for another quick mile dogwalk. I had to wear my winter coat for the first time this month.

The school day was ordinary and somewhat slow.  I always feel like I should be doing more. I came home and took Balt for another shorter walk. It was so cold, even he didn't really want to be out. I decided to get a P90 workout in just for a little extra exercise and then I made GF banana muffins. I decided to watch the 5th episode of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back this evening. I have the poster shown above framed in my house. I would say it is one of my all time favorite movies. Having watched 5 out 6 episodes, I can say without a doubt it is the best one of all. There were no surprises, no special revelations, no new insights. I've seen it too many times, and read a ton about it. I must say having seen Yoda fight Count Dooku (jump half way into this video to watch) and then to see him in the Dagobah training Luke added a bit more respect for what he could do.

Erika came home half way through the movie, so I paused it and had a bit of time to catch up with her. She passed her 3 month mark with her new job and now is a permanent employee-- the trail is over. She can rest easy now but she still has a lot of work to do. I suppose I need to do more yoga now.