i saw shaun of the dead. it really scared me actually. but i did laugh at the funny parts.

Blog Poll:

I need a recipe to take camping - it should be quick and FABULOUS - any suggestions?

The Weekend in Review

Friday: Went to Bangor, got last minute Bday gifts for the boy, groceries, etc.

Saturday: slept in, went to Suzanne's and got ready for the partay. Kudos to Orlie and Suzanne for the excellent cake, and to Amy and Orlie for the excellent frosting job.

Isaiah got tons of excellent gifts, including several game boy games, a cool Scooby Doo watch and some excellent decorations. Thanks to all who attended.

I kicked ASS at poker this week (finally) and I deserved it too after the wicked dry spell I've been having. No poker next week as JK and I will be at Lobster Lake eating corn and drinking whiskey or something. The next poker match will be on 9/10.

Next major event is Emily's shower. Leigh - you and I need to nail down the menu this week!

What else? I don't know - what did you do all weekend?

No I can't believe that, the muppet Movie gets really slow at one point - remember? Anyway, Emily what did you do with your night off?

MXC is a perfectly acceptable show to laugh hysterically at - GAWD.

Last night JK and I watched, as Jen aptly named it, Casa-boring. I decided I would stop saying I hated it until I had at least seen it. I was right in my assessment, well, it might have been as good as, hmm, I can't think of a comparison. It was no Godfather though, maybe it was in line with "The Muppet MOvie", better than watching CSI Miami, but not better than survivor or football.

I think I liked Tripletts too.

Well, I have to say that I've been completely discombobulated since my trip, I guess it was a result of sleep deprivation. Anyway, I'm feeling like myself again. My washing machine repairman is here now, so I'm sure I'll be 100% better when I can do laundry.

Blog Review: Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t Season 1.

My first complaint is with the title. Why do they have to go all Gwen Stephanie and put the asterisk in, just say what you mean dammit, we're all grownups here.

So anyway, I don't know what I expected from this show. I DID expect a fair amount of humor, but I guess I didn't read the description of it, just the "Penn and Teller" part - so I thought I'd get some laughs. Anyway, imagine someone gave me a big fat contract to make a series of shows about my greatest complaints. One might be "Target Telephone Customer Service", one might be "people that don't like asparagus" one might be "people that put in windows that are too small for the proportion of their house" on might be "strange dogs" etc., now imagine that you had to sit there and listen to me rant about each of these subjects for one half hour. Can you imagine how annoying that would be? Well this is the Penn an Teller show. And although we enjoyed the "people who claim to have been abducted by aliens" one and another one that I can't remember when it came to "the myth of the dangers of second hand smoke" we had to turn it off, also the "chiropractors" one was ignorant. Of course they find the weirest nincompoops they can and focus on them. Don't watch it for yourself.

no offense, singers ;-)

OMG so you think you can dance is the WORST show ever. melodrama...my god. and we thought singers were divas.

i want to see 'the 40 year old virgin'

i do NOT want to see the brothers grimm. i want to like terry gilliam's movies, i really do want to, but i just don't, usually.

i hate to be a pest about this, but i haven't received a photograph of liam in like, a year.

well, it has been forever since i blogged. let me catch up. well, after all that reading, i amazingly have not much to say. i'm moved--thanks to rk for being wonderful. i'm just exhausted from having to do my work and my boss's work for hte last 3 weeks. luckilly i hired someone last week who started today who is actually more qualified than i am for this job, which works out well for me. she's a whisperer though, so you can imagine how much i like that. i say "WHAT??" every time she whispers. that amuses me.

the only thing i like about the south is chick fil-a.

thanks to mom and dad for realizing that i'm not good enough for the best pickles in the world--thanks for giving me the other stuff though.

how elvis-like is it to toast a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a pan like a grilled cheese?

For those of you who may be trying to contact me, for any reason, I am semi-computerless, for some reason I have no DSL no dial tone or any kind of connection whatsoever on my dedicated computer line. I don't know if lightening hit it or what and I have no idea how to deal with it. I am trying to compensate by using JK's computer, which works fine. So I'll check my email a few times, but don't expect big things from me today.

I'm mostly rested up from the big trip, however I"m still tired and I have a mountain of housework to deal with today.

That's it for now.

Well, I'm back from DC, AND I'm alive, though I don't feel very alive. 1550 miles, 19 hours of driving friday and 16 yesterday was just about enough for me. Still, Jen and I had fun running all around on Saturday and the cat was SO good, (well, while he was riding in the car anyway). Where IS that coffee?

Well, you still didn't say ONE thing about Neil Diamond for instance....but I want Leigh to report on that anyway, since she actually likes him.

Leigh - I hope you'll give a full review of the entire trip as Amy obviously doesn't want to give us any details.

JUST IMAGINE - the thrill of receiving a ND T-shirt and Mug from my wonderful Aunts!!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you Lora and Doris!!!

Page 4
Haven't seen ANY of those, oh wait, i did see and love Psycho.
Page 5
Well, much as I love Gene Kelly and the Singin' in the Rain song - the rest of the movie is kind of lame. Sunset Boulevard on the other hand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some like it Hot? Some like it NOT!!
Page 6
2001?? yucko Wizard - of course it's great.

Page 3
Old School????? GMAB!!!

Blog Review:

Vanity Fair's "50 Greatest Movies of all time" insert.

First of all they didn't have the GUTS to actually number the movies listed, they took the easy way out and listed them alphabetically and now as to the particulars...
Page 1
The only one I've seen is Annie Hall and I can't put that on the same list as the Godfather - you know that.

Page 2
Citizen Kane...eww
I need to put the rest of page 2 on my netflix.

Saraband

You're right about Saraband, pardon the confusion, it was Liv Ullman that threw me off. I didn't realize she was in EVERY Bergman film. The film it is an update of is "Scenes from a Marriage" 1973.

But why would she give me a Harpswell address?

ridiculous confusion

OK so I had ONE last invitation to send out - Audrey, the rest have gone right? Janelle sent me an address for Lincoln that I KNEW wasn't right because I know she lives in Enfield. Well, Janelle is on some Canadian escapade so I can't get a hold of her for a correction. So I thought, "I'll just call Audrey". I grab the phone book and call the A. Butter..... listed in Enfield. So I call and she answers. "Hello, Audrey? This is Rachael K (S), Emily's cousin? I'm calling for your mailing address so I can send you and invitation to the baby shower, etc." "Who?" She responds? So I try to explain it again. I'm a cousin on the other side, we met at Janelle's wedding?" Nothing registered with the poor girl, still she gave me a mailing address, for Harpswell. Well that didn't seem right to me either. So I tried again..." I'm Emily Call...'s cousin - on the Preble side - one of Janelle's nieces?" Now at that point wouldn't she say - I don't know no stinking Preble's or somethings? She said "You'll have to forgive me, I'm here alone with the baby, and I'm all confused". Now how many Audrey's have a baby that live in Enfield. If this was truly Audrey, than I'm truly sorry for the confusion, but I believe there are two people with the same name on Lincoln Road in Enfield. Is that crazy or what?

Well I didn't have as much fun as you last night - that's for sure. Dinner was rice, peas and pork chops (he he), oh yes, and my first fresh sliced tomato of the year which was excellent. We THOUGHT Monday Night Football was going to be on, but alas, it was on ESPN. Friggin disney, always plotting to ruin my life for some reason. Anyway, I hope Pitt won. JK and I just thumbed through magazines all night then watched "The Ice Cream Show" on pbs and went to bed.

OMG!!! I can't believe you reviewed that movie because i JUST put it on my netflix. Apparently Ingmar just released a movie about the people in that movie - 30 years later....

Well, according to your review I might have to take it off my Netflix list.

Last night we had a lot of fun with our special guests, Dawn,Todd and Leigh. We had cheese and fruit, then Janelle's Gazpacho with shrimp (corn fritters on the side) and for desert Lemon Pie soup (I didn't cook it enough apparently. Ah well, it tasted good and the company was excellent. Tonight Leigh is coming up for drinks and Triumph the INsult comic dog. What are you doing this weekend?

Me? Well I've been cooking and fixing my computer and doing dishes all day. I had brief visits from GG and Suzanne. Todd, Dawn and Leigh are coming to dinner. Wish you were here.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050810/ap_en_mo/obit_mcgrory

i thought this was sad.

There's not much cuter than a three year old, that's for sure.

Blog Review: The French Chef

Disc 1.

Yesterday I watched the French Chef with my children. We LOVED it. Julia, does potatoes, spinach tart and other things. I was quite surprised that my chidren were so interested, but why wouldn't they be really. Anyway, I have two slight chriticisms. The shows on the disc weren't chronological and you flipped from the 60's to the 80's and back with abandon, and second, they should put ALL the episodes on CD so foodies like myself can watch Julia when we need to. And I do mean NEED, because that does happen.

How about earrings? Will she be pierced before she leaves the hospital?

Well, if you HAPPEN to be traveling through Howland this week or weekend, drop them off! I'm going to DC NEXT weekend. But it doesn't matter, she doesn't have the set Peter got her either, but hopefully we can pick that up thursday.

it was a joke. "apartment warming" presents are unnecessary. i have enough crap.

I already told you what I got him - everything else is fair game.

well if everyone else is posting wish lists...here's mine. if you want to get me an apt warming gift, i have a number of books and cds listed on an amazon wish list--you can access it by my name or email address or birthday i think.

Well, the bday gifts are all purchased. Isaiah wants "Scooby Doo" cake - and luckily Gram bought him a cake mold. Didn't we do scooby last year? and the year before that?

RR I really miss your blog input. I'll be glad when things calm down in Montreal for you so you can reassume your duties.

Dates to Remember

Well it's going to be VERY busy for the next month, but here is your "need to know"s.

August 15 - Neil Diamond
August 16 - Return from Neil Diamond
August 19 - Jen and Rachael - DC Moveathon
August 21 - Return from DC
August 27 - Isaiah's Bday partay at Suzanne's
September 1-4 camping
September 4 - FIRST HOKIE FOOTBALL GAME!!!!
September 7 - JK's BDay
September 11 - Baby Shower Luncheon

I guess that's it for now. feel free to add your important dates.

The List

This is one of the thousands of reasons I love the blog. I can post my kids gift requests list and I don't have to keep repeating it 10 million times. Here goes:

Matchbox cars
Matchbox car case
Willy Wonka game for the gameboy
Cartoon network speedway for the gameboy

more later because he can't think of anything right now and I'm getting him the willy wonka game if i can find it - plus some coin collecting supplies.

Maybe I"ll make lemon cream pie.

I wish just ONE ethnic type grocery would come to Bangor. Is that so much to ask? That's my complaint for today.

Yesterday JK went to Rockland for the day. The washing machine rep air guy was here for a while and determined that he needed a part, thus leaving me without laundry for another entire week AT LEAST. I am NOT happy about this.

I had a lovely visit with DC Dawn yesterday afternoon. She and Todd are home for a week. They are coming to dinner tomorrow and I think I'll make the Wonder's wonderful shrimp gazpacho. Blog poll: What should I serve with shrimp gazpacho? I think I'll go grocery shopping tonight, as I am relieved from bridge duty by aunt hopie.

It's going to be the best shower food EVER. You will help make it happen!! Since it's going to be lunch, I don't think there'll be finger sandwiches. I think I'll make "a lunch" maybe.

We are now taking requests and suggestions for menu items for said shower.

Hold the Date

Sunday, September 11 - 11:00 - Baby Shower - luncheon

Friday night JK and I watched Toxic Avenger.

Blog Review:

I don't really recommend this movie to any of you except POSSIBLY Leigh, but even that is very iffy. Toxic Avenger is a nerd that gets bullied around until the bullies go far and push him into an open vat of toxic waste. Now the premise is pretty ignorant I admit. I mean, it's not like there would REALLY be OPEN barrels of toxic waste on the back of a truck, completely open to the world right? But I don't know, it WAS the 80's and the Reagan era, so probably there were. So Melvin falls into the waste and suffers severe radiation burns, notice NO ONE calls and ambulance or anything, they just sit and watch him burn. Well, luckily the burns are not fatal, he just turns into a crimefighting wad of goo. He goes around, for the rest of the movie, protecting the innocent and killing the criminals in the most gruesome ways imaginable. The movie has very poor special effects and a LOT of blood. I would have given it a much higher rating if not for all the nude breasts. I mean, it generally doesn't bother me, but it didn't seem to add to the movie any - except that it probably got more teenage boys to go see it when it came out. JK thought the nudity was the only good part about the movie. So don't see it, unless your a 15 year old boy.

1 ~:>

I mean...you HAVE to like someone who names Charles Nelson Reilly as one of his influences.....

http://www.absolutjackass.net/bio.html

I STILL KNOW IT JENN!!!

Is he "Bo Duke"? If so, I say "NOT" Johnny Knoxville on the other hand......

happy anniversary becky and tim!!!

BLOG POLL: sean wiliams scott--hot or not?

i say NOT!

so yesterday i took the metro into dc and hooked up with michelle at the hyatt. we chatted for a while, then we went to georgia brown for dinner. SO GOOD. i had the sweet brown sugar pork chop, michelle had the fried chicken, which i have to say, i'm getting the next time i go there. we shared bourbon pecan pie and key lime pie, and fried green tomatoes which were AWESOME!!! OMG. they were good. anyway, we each also had 3 martinis. needless to say, we were totally stuffed after dinner and tipsy, even though neither of us ate all our dinner or our desserts, we were stuffed. we went back to the hotel and decided to stay there, because there seemed to be a lot of crazies out on the streets last night--not just us. so, we went to the hotel bar and found ourselves surrounded by sales people from the pfaff sewing machine company. are they ever loud and obnoxious. we took to calling them 'fucking pfaffers'. we had girl talk, stayed up too late, drank too much, good times. this morning we had brunch and went our separate ways. but being together made us both miss new england and wish that we lived closer.however she is doing well in minneapolis and with her man andy, and she says to say hi to everyone she knows. so, hi, from michelle!

Voila!!! The finished product. Isn't it cool? 

Thank GOD Ellen had her camera phone. Can you imagine if we didn't have this in pictures??? 

Well, here we are during the process. The red ink is being applied. 

I knew I liked him. Even better now...Last night - well, last night I dropped off the kiddos at the sitter and picked up GG for the big prez. We got in the car and drove to Lincoln. I stopped at the bank for a cash infusion and we hit the highway. As soon as we rounded the corner on 95 I told her about the gift. I was very unsure as to the proper approach. I didn't know if I should just show up at the place with no warning to her, or give her a few minutes to think about it. I decided to give her a few minutes to think about it. So I told her. She was SHOCKED to be sure but up for anything!!! So we met Ellen at Ruthie's and had a lovely dinner. I had fried clams, which I have been craving for a year, with o-rings and salad. It was EXCELLENT. Ellen had the haddock dinner and GG had meatloaf. It was very good, but you could only eat a third of it you know? So we went to Bad Girl Body Art and looked through all the books. I was definitely convinced that I should get a tattoo myself, but I didn't do it. I found just what I want though. Gram had a difficult time chosing between a dolphin and a rose but finally settled on the rose. So we went in the room and our tattoo artist, Peg, explained to gram how it would feel and what to expect. She was EXCELLENT - and SO fun. She knew Everett of course. She also has a house in Zephyrhills, so she and Gram had a lot to talk about and Gram felt really comfortable right away (I think). Anyway, we got ready for the initial pain part and Gram just sat there cool as a cucumber, no visible signs of distress. I think maybe she's done this before and none of us know about it. Anyway, five minutes into the session some of Peg's friends showed up and entertained for a while. They tried to talk Gram into going for a ride on Dwayne's motorcycle but she wasn't up for it. They decided gram should get body piercings for her 80th. Anyway, a VVVGTWHBA, and I can't wait to get mine!!!!

hotdog art

Ever wanted to make a Weiner dog? This site gives you great step by step instructions on how....

This is my new favorite website....

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/the_amateur_gourmet/2005/06/the_most_moment.html

How distressing to have all this DSL and nothing (really) to do with it. I hope JK has drawings to email today.

You Are Vanilla Ice Cream

Your personality is anything but "vanilla" You're a risk taker, who's up for anything new. You go well with anyone and fit into any situation. You are most compatible with rocky road ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

my boss had a hysterectomy this week so i am SO swamped at work i could scream. when i started we were a department of 3, now we are a department of me. she could be out for 6 weeks. yes...department of me....kind of like an army of 1, but with fewer guns and i don't go invading foreign departments for their office supplies...unless i suspect someone has a rubber band ball of mass destruction.

So last night, m, t, and i went to wolftrap to a concert. i love wolftrap because the lawn seats are on a slant so you can sit on the lawn and still see the show. we had a picnic of beck's, coconut chicken, green beans with shallots, and roasted corn salad. oh and mango/black bean salsa. oh, and brownies. and LOTS of water because it was SO effing hot and humid until the sun went down. avgtwhba.....who did i see? i'm not telling because you'll all just mock. you wouldn't like any of them. ok ok...we saw ben lee, ben folds, and rufus wainwright. now just hush--you don't have to criticize my musical taste. they were all good. i LOVE ben lee he's the cutest thing. he's about 5'5 and has a face like a cabbage patch doll. i got up at 7 this morning and went to the gym. my legs ache.

You are a Lupe. You like girls/boys, and is a real
charmer.


What Kind of Neopet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

ow, you really know Johnny Depp! You have probably
seen every singel one of his movies, and have a
bunch of his posters. Even I'm sure you are a
pretty decent Johnny Depp fan keep in mind you
cannot compete with me, so maybe you should
give up now. GOOOO YOOOOU!


How much do you know about the wonderful, fantastic, great, handsome, sexy JOHNNY DEPP?
brought to you by Quizilla

Just Stop!!! You... just stop!


The Ultimate Weezer Test
brought to you by Quizilla

FYI

Can you even STAND how busy everything is. Gawd. Anyway Isaiah's birthday party will be held on 8/27 at Suzanne and Orlies. All are invited to attend. This is subject to change at any moment because he mentioned having a bowling party once, and going to the go carts another time - so who know what will actually end up happening.

that's "wear" by the way - not where.

DOH

I can't believe I actually want to go see that movie. Don't tell anyone please. I'm going to have to find a midnight showing somewhere, where my trenchcoat and sneak in.

Bridge report:

All the regulars were there except Helen. She had to stay home with Dean last night. Hopie was the special guest star. The cards were really weird last night, you had, like, 80 honors in one suit then NOTHING to go with it so you couldn't bid. The other hand you might have caught last night was 7 cards of the same suit but NO honors. My most caught hand was 3 of everything - which sucks too. Joyce was the hostess and served a lovely angel food cake with ice cream and sauce. AVGTWHBA. Next event: Smith-paloooza followed on Monday by lunch at Lora's camp.

You are a Acara. Nice and kind, your friends love
you no matter what.


What Kind of Neopet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wow, you really know Johnny Depp! You have probably
seen every singel one of his movies, and have a
bunch of his posters. Even I'm sure you are a
pretty decent Johnny Depp fan keep in mind you
cannot compete with me, so maybe you should
give up now. GOOOO YOOOOU!


How much do you know about the wonderful, fantastic, great, handsome, sexy JOHNNY DEPP?
brought to you by Quizilla

Weezer Fan: You know a lot about Weezer!


The Ultimate Weezer Test
brought to you by Quizilla

What more can I say? This is why I aced my S.A.T's - multiple choice is my friend. I know NOTHING about Weezer - we all know that.

Don't all blog at once

How disturbing it is to be gone two days and not ONE of you has anything to say. Didn't you eat? Didn't you watch tv? Didn't you have coffee or stub your toe? For blog's sake....

Anyway...

Blog Review: Kelly Clarkson

You know, I can't believe I'm saying this but I didn't HATE the Kelly Clarkson concert. Sure I could find things to bitch about, but they're very minor. Over all we had a GREAT time. The opening act was very good "The Graham Colton Band" http://www.grahamcoltonband.com/. I would describe them as better than "Coldplay" but not half as good as Weezer. They did seem like genuinely nice guys though, and they had that "geek chic" look that we all love. Their music didn't suck at all and I bought their CD. Oh - sign of the times - the guy was introducing the "next song" and made sure he pointed out that the "Cigarettes" in the song were NOT his.

Kelly sang all her hits, the crowd was well behaved and sang along at all the appropriate places. There was no smoking, public nudity or drunkenness. AVVGTWHBA.

Blog Review: Screamplay

This movie has changed my life. I'm going to become a B Horror movie groupie for a while.

From IMDB:

This is the story of aspiring sreenwriter Edgar Allen (Rufus Seder) as he arrives in Hollywood carrying his most valuable possessions: a suitcase and a typewriter. Edgar Allen's best attribute is his wild imagination. He imagines scenes so vividly for the murder mystery he is writing that they seem to come to life...and they do! As mysterious murders pile up, and Edgar Allen must confront old actresses, rock stars, and the police in the bleak setting of broken dreams in Hollywood.

George Kuchar .... Martin
Katy Bolger .... Holly
Rufus Butler Seder .... Edgar Allan
Basil J. Bova .... Tony Cassano
Ed Callahan .... Kevin Kleindorf
George Cordeiro .... Sergeant Joe Blatz
M. Lynda Robinson .... Nina Ray
Eugene Seder .... Al Weiner
Bob White .... Lot

Yes, yes George Kuchar is the REASON I rented this movie, and his acting ability was REALLY highlighted in this movie. You could tell he wasn't just acting he really IS an apartment manager or something similar. The lust, the hatred the passion - all perfectly portrayed. Uncle Peter - I HIGHLY recommend this movie to you - and to Leigh - but I'm dropping it off for her so she'll see it anyway.

well i didn't bond with family over the weekend. i didn't even leave the apt on saturday. and i didn't want to sunday but mila and todd made me. i made whole wheat bread and pizza but my yeast was dead. i was sad.

i'm watching russel simmons def poetry jam. can't get enough of it.

Well...after THAT review now i DEMAND that you come up for "Screamplay" because it's even worse than B horror it must be down near "L"- you must see it.

Blog Review: The Jewel in the Crown

Plot summary from IMDB:

The British Raj: though their position seems secure, thoughtful English men and women know that "their" time in India is coming to an end. The story begins with an unjust arrest for rape, and the consequences of this echo through the series. Questions of identity and personal responsibility are explored against a background of war and personal intrigue.

The worst writing in history. IMHO. UNWATCHABLE - and you know I'll watch about anything.

Well, Amy won poker this week - congratulations A-Lo, on catching on great hand after another. She lost to JK at the rematch however. Still, she is on of the winingest players on the Burlington Poker Tour.

Thanks to all who attended the bday party. I must owe half of you money. Now to gg. Feel free to post hints as to her bday present if you care to. But you better not give it away.

We also had a fun time with our Shorey cousins at Joel and Bobbie Jo's. I haven't laughed so hard for a very long time. Maybe since Jen did her roll in the driveway.

Yesterday we cooked all day. I went to bangor and picked up my blueberries and came home. Amy made whoopie pies for work, then orlie, suzanne and I made blueberry jam and two kinds of pickles. Well, we only made one kind and we started the other. I also made jk a pie. The raw kind, which only he likes.