BURLESQUE – This movie came out last year, but I didn’t see it until this year. Cher looked great, and I really liked the song “Bound to You” that Christina Aguilera sang. And Cam Gigandet was H-O-T. Holy. Cow.

THE MECHANIC – I love me some Jason Statham

I AM NUMBER FOUR – Alex Pettyfer is hawt! And I liked all of his special abilities.

FROM PRADA TO NADA – kind of a cutesy version of CLUELESS.

BATTLE: LA Never a dull moment. The action never let up. And strangely enough, Ne-Yo isn’t that bad of actor.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU – Interesting take on the topic of free will…and whether or not you’re really controlling yours.

BEASTLY – This didn’t get very good reviews. There were a few moments in there where the dialogue was kinda corny, but I liked it. Alex Pettyfer is SO HAWT.

SOURCE CODE – This one was interesting and the special effects were cool, too. Scott Bakula voiced Jake Gyllenhall’s father (but you never see him). I just happened to see his name in the credits. If you see this movie and then remember the show that Scott did, you’ll see the irony his small yet unseen part.

SUCKER PUNCH – I liked this one. A mixture of fantasy and reality.

RED RIDING HOOD – What’s ironic about this movie is that the actor who plays Bella’s father in the TWILIGHT series, portrayed a father figure in this movie, too. But he wasn’t exactly….normal. Shiloh Fernandez is a cutie. Loved the crookedness of his mouth, reminded me of Corey Haim.

THE WARRIOR’S WAY Love me some martial arts.

TANGLED OMG, I loved this cartoon. Zachary Levi is freakin’ awesome. It was like watching a cartoon version of CHUCK. LOL.

KUNG FU PANDA 2 Really liked the story and how they integrated Po’s adoption into it. Also pretty cool to “hear” Jean-Claude Van Damme. I really used to love his movies.

PROM The newcomer dude was pretty hot, even though I didn’t get a romantic vibe between him and the leading lady.

FAST FIVE Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker, all together in one movie. Serious eye candy, people!

THOR – OMG, Chris Hemsworth. Shirtless scene. Freeze frame. Wha–?

THE HANGOVER II Same guys, different story.

13 ASSASSINS Epic. Battle scene. Epic, I tell you!

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS: Liked seeing the history of Charles and Erik, the references to the other movies, and absolutely LOVED Hugh Jackman‘s cameo. Funny.

SUPER 8 – This reminded me of a more action-packed version of STAND BY ME. Really liked it and the soundtrack sounded awesome.

Technorati Tags: BURLESQUE, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Cam Gigandet, THE MECHANIC, Jason Statham, I AM NUMBER FOUR, Alex Pettyfer, FROM PRADA TO NADA, CLUELESS, BATTLE: LA, Ne-Y, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, BEASTLY, Alex Pettyfer, SOURCE CODE, SUCKER PUNCH, RED RIDING HOOD, Shiloh Fernandez, Corey Haim, THE WARRIOR’S WAY, TANGLED, Zachary Levi, KUNG FU PANDA 2, Jean-Claude Van Damme, PROM, FAST FIVE, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker, THOR, Chris Hemsworth, THE HANGOVER II, 13 ASSASSINS, Hugh Jackman, SUPER 8

DAYBREAKERS – interesting take on the whole vampire thing.

NINE – Fergie. Wow. And Daniel Day-Lewis wasn’t too bad, either.

LEAP YEAR – I heart Amy Adams. I always get her and Isla Fisher mixed up.

BOOK OF ELI – So, did you think Denzel was blind throughout the whole movie or that God let him “see” until his journey was over?

DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM – The stunts and the fighting are pretty awesome. It also introduces the sport known as parkour

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF – I so want to be a demi-goddess.

THE WOLFMAN – Anthony Hopkins always makes for a good bad guy.

ONG BAK 2 – The fight scenes in this movie are siiiiiiiick. Tony Jaa is f***kin’ amazing.

VALENTINE’S DAY – Liked the interconnectivity of the characters, but thought Taylor Swift sucked.

GREEN ZONE – Matt Damon makes a very good action star, but I was kind of expecting more.

CLASH OF THE TITANS – Blood of Hades = Kracken’s and gigantic scorpions. Sweet!

THE LAST SONG – Miley Cyrus didn’t do too bad. And her love interest was quite the hottie.

KICK-ASS – Great movie. Funny how an 11-yr-old girl–and her father–were doing all the ass kicking.

THE LOSERS – Chris Evans is H-O-T!

THE BACK-UP PLAN – Really good to see Alex O’Loughlin in a leading man role. Loved him in MOONLIGHT.

IRON MAN 2 – The film melting was the highlight of my experience

LETTERS TO JULIET - Once again I was reminded why I need to visit Italy

ROBIN HOOD – *blowing raspberry*

PRINCE OF PERSIA: SANDS OF TIME- Jake Gyllenhaal looked pretty hot.

SEX AND THE CITY 2 – I could’ve done without hearing Liza Minelli’s version of “Single Ladies.” I liked the outfits (but SJP has man hands!) and Abudabi is a beautiful country that I’d never visit.

JUST WRIGHT – Common is actually a very good-lookin’ guy. And Paula Patton is so pretty!

THE A-TEAM – Bradley Cooper has got the bluest eyes!

THE KILLERS – Ashton Kutcher makes a good action hero.

JONAH HEX – I like the last name. This movie was shades of THE CROW. I still miss you, Brandon.

KNIGHT AND DAY – Low-key version of his MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movies.

THE BOUNTY HUNTER – Gerard Butler. RRRRRR! I love how his accent comes through.

THE LAST AIRBENDER – The kid was cute. And I like the idea of kids having the ability to manipulate the four elements.

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE – Still Team Jacob

DESPICABLE ME – “It’s so fluffy!

SALT – Angelina Jolie does really well when she’s kickin’ people asses. She should stick to these types of movies.

INCEPTION – You know a movie is good when you’re talking about it afterwards. So, what was your take of the ending–real or dreaming?

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD – sad, but good. And wow, David Franco looks just like his older brother, James.

THE EXPENDABLES – Everyone looked so old. Except for Jason.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD – I so want to be part of a band called Sex Ba-Bomb.

THE AMERICAN – quiet, intense, film. Not a lot of dialogue on George Clooney‘s part. And wow, he actually looksp retty good for his age.

MACHETE – Danny Trejo has been in 189 films. This is his first lead role. Wasn’t too bad.

EASY A – It’s amazing how one little rumor can get totally out of hand. Also, I would love to have a father like Stanley Tucci and a teacher like Thomas Hayden Church.

LET ME IN – We saw the original version (Swedish w/ subtitles) and liked it the best. Although it was fun comparing scenes.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT – Josh Duhamel. Abs. That’s all I remember seeing. Oh, and he’s great with kids.

MAO’S LAST DANCER – Beautiful, beautiful movie. Go see this if you’re a fan of dance movies, specifically ballet.

RED – OMG, I so love Mary-Louise Parker. She was funny as hell in this movie. And Bruce Willis looked great, too.

DUE DATE – Spitting in the dog’s face? Unacceptable, Mr. Robert Downey, Jr. Masturbating dog? Totally unnecessary. Didn’t need to see that.

FASTER - Wow, is Billy Bob Thornton lookin’ old! But Dwayne Johnson sure looked good! Even though he didn’t say much. He let that cannon of a handgun do all the talkin’. LOL

MEGAMIND – Yes, I actually got Babendude to see this with me. Not as funny as DESPICABLE ME, but there were funny parts.

THE WARRIOR’S WAY – The way this movie was made was interesting. Babendude and I are big martial arts fans, so we’ll see just about anything.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER – Love Ben Barnes and his dark eyes. Watching this series makes me want to read the books all over again. And I SO want to see Aslan’s country, beyond the massive, magical waves.

TRON: LEGACY – Those motorcycles were so cool. And I liked how they were able to make Jeff Bridges look young. Very cool.

UNSTOPPABLE – Never a dull moment.

TANGLED – I heart Zachary Levi. This was just like watching CHUCK. But the animated version, of course.

What about you? Did you see any of these? Which ones did you see that weren’t on the list?

Technorati Tags: DAYBREAKERS, NINE, Fergie, Daniel Day-Lewis, LEAP YEAR, Amy Adams, Isla Fisher, BOOK OF ELI, DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM, parkour, PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, THE WOLFMAN, Anthony Hopkins, ONG BAK 2, Tony Jaa, VALENTINE’S DAY, Taylor Swift, GREEN ZONE, Matt Damon, CLASH OF THE TITANS, THE LAST SONG, Miley Cyrus, KICK-ASS, THE LOSERS, Chris Evans, THE BACK-UP PLAN, Alex O’Loughlin, MOONLIGHT, IRON MAN 2, LETTERS TO JULIET, ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF PERSIA: SANDS OF TIME, Jake Gyllenhaal, SEX AND THE CITY 2, Single Ladies, JUST WRIGHT, Common, Paula Patton, THE A-TEAM, Bradley Cooper, THE KILLERS, Ashton Kutcher, JONAH HEX, THE CROW, KNIGHT AND DAY, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, THE BOUNTY HUNTER, Gerard Butler, THE LAST AIRBENDER, TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, DESPICABLE ME, SALT, Angelina Jolie, INCEPTION, THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE, CHARLIE ST. CLOUD, David Franco, THE EXPENDABLES, THE AMERICAN, George Clooney, MACHETE, Danny Trejo, EASY A, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Hayden Church, LET ME IN, LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, Josh Duhamel, MAO’S LAST DANCER, RED, Mary-Louise Parker, Bruce Willis, DUE DATE, Robert Downey, Jr, FASTER, Billy Bob Thornton, Dwayne Johnson, MEGAMIND, THE WARRIOR’S WAY, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, Ben Barnes, TRON: LEGACY, Jeff Bridges, UNSTOPPABLE, TANGLED, Zachary Levi, CHUCK

I was watching SOMEWHERE IN TIME with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour and was totally blown away by their first kiss. If you’re not familiar with the 1980 movie, here’s the blurb:

A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to find the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.

Fast forward to about 3:28 – when they’re right outside her hotel room door–and you’ll see what I mean.

I have no idea why there’s no sound, but that’s no problem, I can tell you what she’s saying. Because as you can see, his lips don’t do anything at all but touch hers during this scene.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asks breathlessly.

Then:

“No,” she says breathlessly. Maybe even a little halfheartedly. Because, really, who in their right mind would say no to a kiss from Christopher Reeve.

And then:

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” she whispers.

And here’s the kicker: no tongues were involved. It was a really passionate, no-tongue kiss….but it still made me squirm a little bit because it was so beautifully done! That whole scene, from the moment he closes the door to when he kisses her, was just abso-freakin-lutely perfect.

He didn’t talk at all, just let her know without words what he really wanted to do and gave her plenty of time to refuse him. Even though it was just a movie, it seemed like Chris and Jane were really in love. Every time he clapped eyes on her, it was with deep adoration and this all-consuming love. At one point during the movie, after they “get together”, she says, “I want to be your everything” and he responds “You are.”

*wistful sigh* It might sound cheesy, because you know a man and a woman wouldn’t say that in this day and age, but GAWD it was so romantic. In an old-fashioned way.

Stuff like that just doesn’t happen in real life. I love it when the man cups the woman’s face. I love reading a line like that in a novel. That is such a turn-on to me and it’s not even an intentional sexual move! And wow, wasn’t Christopher drop dead gorgeous back then?! And Jane was so beautiful. Still is. They made such a great couple and had fabulous chemistry. Amazing. I loved it.

If you get a chance, rent this movie.

And it reminded me why I love reading romance books. And why I love reading about the tender, tentative, getting-to-know-you-please-don’t-slap-me-or-knee-me-in-the-balls type of kisses that lead up to the I-want-to-devour-you-whole kisses.

Ironically, there was a SUPERMAN marathon after that, #’s 1-3. Day-um, that man was foin. I think it was the dark hair/blue eyes combo that did it for me. I only watched the first one because it was already getting late. The funny I noticed when watching both movies: he spoke to Jane the same way he spoke to Margot Kidder as Clark Kent, the sort of shy-unsure-I-don’t-know-how-to-talk-to-girls tone of voice.

Really, it was just a fab night of “me” time: bed snuggling and movie-watching.

Technorati Tags: SOMEWHERE IN TIME, Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, SUPERMAN, Margot Kidder, Clark Kent

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #35: What was your favorite book for the month of June?

A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak

For my ACL course this semester, we have to read an autobiography about a children’s author. The assignment itself isn’t due until July 25th, but I wanted to get a head start so I chose to read about Shel Silverstein. Where the Sidewalk Ends is one of my favorite children’s books and it was given to me by my parents when I was young; I still have it. I actually just finished the autobiography today and am just….blown away. Even though he was most famous for his children’s books, he was first and foremost, a cartoonist (he was a longtime contributor to Playboy). He was also an accomplished singer (although he didn’t have the right voice for it), songwriter (he wrote “A Boy Named Sue” which was first sung by Johnny Cash), playwright (The Lady or The Tiger Show), and screenwriter (collaborated with director David Mamet on the movie THINGS CHANGE in 1998 starring Don Ameche and Joe Montegna). He never married, but fathered two children (his daughter died when she was 11 of a brain aneuerysm).

Last week, I was telling my best friend about all the stuff I’d learned about him so far and she said, “It sounds like you’re having a love affair with this author.” I laugh about it now because she was so right. This man was the ultimate creative being. He dabbled in every creative medium across the board and was very successful at all of them. Shel was a hardcore life observer and everything—and everyone—he came into contact with was inspiration for his work. He would get so in the zone with his creativity that if he wasn’t near a piece of paper to record his ideas, he would find whatever he could at that point in time: his arms, his hands, his clothes, a tablecloth, etc. He’d lived such a full, rich life by the time he passed away of a massive heart attack in May 1999 (he was born in 1930), I was a tad jealous.

He’s the male version of SARK, who’s one of my favorite authors. She has such a presence about her, a positive aura, that every time I left her company, I felt uplifted.

I think I would’ve felt the same had I ever met him.

He was just an amazing, amazing person, who touched so many lives—readers and friends alike. After reading this, I wanted to go out and buy more books that he wrote. As a writer, I liked this quote the best:

“You should never explain the philosophy behind anything you do, it’s not important. If your work is weak and needs to be explained, it isn’t clear enough.”

Technorati Tags: Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway, A Boy Named Shel, Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Playboy, A Boy Named Sue, Johnny Cash, The Lady or The Tiger Show, David Mamet, THINGS CHANGE, Don Ameche, Joe Montegna, SARK

The story lacks focus. You say your main plot is about the investigation into this fellow yet from what I can nearly 100 pages in, Draven has does very little to show the reader that she is this awesome, kick-ass informant. We see much more of her at school or with her friends just talking about “stuff” that is arguably sub-plot and fails to move the main plot along.

I see very little tension at all in the book. I assume as a reader that a book which focuses on a sleuth will have elements of tension, danger not only from the investigation itself but from Draven’s cover being blown. I also assume that in her role, she will make enemies. So, that also adds to the danger/tension. But I see none here. In fact, she is just hanging out like nothing is going on at all.

So, that is the plot, sub-plot and story-telling side.

There are some issues with redundancy and consistency. I’ve highlighted them in some cases and made comments on others.

There are cases when I feel the dialogue is forced. Some pages of dialogue go on for too long and fail to move the story to the next level.

Also it is hard in some places to know who’s talking in your dialogue exchanges. Watch for it.

Consider your pop-culture references and how they might date you as an author and how a reader may take that reference. There are many. While they may be funny to you, your readers are teens today.

Consider your use of stereo-typical representation of Hispanic youth. “Chica, Chiquita, etc.” Just make sure that you are 100% comfortable with these references and they are genuine.

There’s a scene in CLUELESS where Brittany Murphy’s character said something hurtful to Alicia Silverstone and Alicia responded with, “That’s way harsh, TY.” That line was running through my head after reading this. LOL.

But I have to remember that it’s a first draft. The novel, not the feedback.

It’s not going to be good the first time. Nor is it going to be good the second, third, or fourth time.

It’s a story that I completed some time last year and then promptly put away because I didn’t want to look at it anymore. It was a hard write. Then I pulled it out—I don’t remember when—and started editing it. I got midway through Chapter 8 before putting it away to start Book 3 (NaNoWriMo 2009 Fail).

I wish this was the only class I was taking this summer, because I won’t be as focused on the process as I normally would be. The revisions won’t be as good as I want them to be, or should be. Yeah, I know it was my bright idea to create a book revision college course, but even though my concentration is going to be pulled in three different directions, I still expect this to be a learning experience I can carry through to future books.

Technorati Tags: CLUELESS, Brittany Murphy, Alicia Silverstone

Saturday – My intention was to go to Phoenix Comic-Con. John Shneider (I’m a DUKES OF HAZZARD fan) and James Marsters (Spike from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)—among other celebs—made an appearance and I’d wanted to get my picture taken with them. But I didn’t want to wait nearly all day to do it. I guess I could’ve gone and just gotten pictures of them. But I didn’t want to deal with paying for parking. Or parking and walking. Because, really, it’s starting to get hotter than a witch’s tittie here, and if I had gotten my pic taken with them, I would’ve been all sweaty and stinky. From the parking and walking, that is. So I skipped it, went to eat at our Usual Place, then went shopping while Babendude hung out with his BF.

I ended up buying a bathing suit.

For $161.

That’s what I get for shopping in Scottsdale. I’d gone to Scottsdale Fashion Square to hit up a particular store: Roxy. But they didn’t have the kind of bathing suits I was looking for: tankinis. I ended up going to Everything But Water and paying $95 for the top and $66 for the little skirted bottom. I, then, of course, end up at Old Navy later (I’m really diggin’ their 2 for $5 flip flops. I’ve not a nice little rainbow of colors. Got a cute sundress, too) and notice their tankinis.

For $12. I think the bottoms were, like $16.50. Or something like that.

I know what you’re saying. “You should’ve waited. DOOFUS!” I know, I know. Needless to say, I’m having buyer’s remorse. Babendude and I went to the same mall yesterday and I should’ve returned it. The tags were cut off, but I still had the receipt.

Anyhoo, to soothe the guilt, I went to see SEX AND THE CITY 2.

Liked the outfits. Almost made me wish I was fashion conscious.

Loved Abudabi. Fabulously beautiful country, but would never want to visit for fear of being kidnapped into a harem or something.

Didn’t like Liza Minelli singing “Single Ladies.” Really could’ve done without hearing/seeing that. Bad enough I get tired of hearing Beyonce sing it, but I really wanted to fast forward this part of the film.

And SJP really isn’t attractive. At all. She’s got man hands. Just sayin’.

Later that night, I watched the saddest. Movie. Ever. Well, maybe not ever, but it was close: MY SISTER’S KEEPER. It’s based off a YA novel by Jodi Piccoult and Lordy, it was a tearjerker. There was nothing happy about this movie. It put you in a constant state of sadness and pissiness (there were a couple of times I wanted to slap Cameron Diaz upside the head). Pass the Kleenex, please.

Sunday – Ate breakfast at the Usual Place, saw PRINCE OF PERSIA (And wow, a buffed-out Jake Gyllenhaal. Wow), bought some Capri pants for work at TJ Maxx, had some ice cream at Baskin Robbins. We used to have one of those near our house and it closed down and was replaced with Thrifty ice cream! *nastyassgenericicecream*. Oh, the horror!

Monday – Breakfast at our Usual Place. I know! Three days in a row. When Ron, the owner, saw us, he laughed and shook his head. He came over and said to me, “Don’t you cook?” “Yes, but we like your breakfast better,” I told him. LOL. Which is why we’re there every weekend. LOL. We walked around the mall and Babendude bought me a couple of pairs of sandals at Shiekh. Buy one get one free. And they gave us the more expensive ones for free. Sweet!

I also got a little head start on homework. The summer session starts in two days and I’ve already got an assignment due on Friday. Ugh! I just ordered books for my Financial Mgmt course last week. LOL. Yeah. My name is Celise, but you can call me Mrs. Procrastination. *sigh* I wasn’t sure if one of the books was going to arrive before the assignment was due, but thank God my mentor, Chantal, was able to loan it to me. I’m used to buying books at BN. I forgot that when you order books on Amazon, you’re sometimes at the mercy of others. *double sigh*.

That’s it for me. How was your weekend? I’m looking forward to the short work week and celebrating my birthday at the water park this weekend (hence the bathing suit purchase). Whoo-hoo! Pics will be posted.

Technorati Tags: Phoenix Comic-Con., John Shneider, DUKES OF HAZZARD, James Marsters, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Scottsdale Fashion Square, Roxy, Everything But Water, Old Navy, SEX AND THE CITY 2., Abudabi, Liza Minelli, Single Ladies, Beyonce, MY SISTER’S KEEPER, Jodi Piccoult, Cameron Diaz, PRINCE OF PERSIA, Jake Gyllenhaal, TJ Maxx, Baskin Robbins, Shiekh, Amazon

Saturday – Babendude and I went to breakfast at our usual place, then went to a car show my Dad’s classic car club was hosting. He built a ’33 Ford from the ground up and shows it whenever he gets a chance.

It’s in their will and I get dibs. Don’t worry Dad, Babendude and I shall continue to show it after you’re gone. LOL. There were over a hundred cars on display, two of which were Mustangs billed as “Bumblebee” (TRANSFORMERS). They were pretty cool, actually. The one I liked best had seat belts like the kind you find in a race car and the Autobot (or whatever the name is for the good guys) symbol etched in the seats. That night was date night: dinner at Macaroni Grill followed by ROBIN HOOD with the free tickets we got from the movie theater mishap the previous weekend. Russell Crowe was okay. He was more spectacular in GLADIATOR. But Cate Blanchette…she was made for period pieces. I think she does them a lot and they suit her. I can’t really see her doing contemporary films (or maybe she has). Maybe as a ghostly spirit or something. She’s got the skin for it. And I mean that as the highest form of compliment. She’s got great skin.

Sunday – We saw the morning showing of GLEE Live.

So. Much. Fun. And the opening act? LXD aka the League of Xtraordinary Dancers. Phenomonally. Awesome. The dancers really are extraordinary. Makes you wonder how big the League really is because before each routine, there was a like video “lead-in” skit: it would give you the name of the dancers and their member number. From what I could tell, there are over 400 members. One of the dancers looked like Channing Tatum. LOL. The show was just fantastic. The whole cast was there except for Mr. Shue, the teacher. They’re only touring 4 cities, so if you’re a big fan of the show—and can get tickets—DO IT. If you’re worried that they might be lip-synching, don’t. They sound just like they do on the T.V. show and during the course of the performance, you’ll be able to tell that they’re not. At the beginning of the show, “Cheerios” passed out Barf Bags…courtesy of Sue Sylvester. LOL And I now have a shirt claiming that “i’m a gleek.”

Fun times. Really looking forward to this weekend, too. Will talk about that next week.

Technorati Tags: LETTERS TO JULIET, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, Charlotte Russe, TRANSFORMERS, Macaroni Grill, ROBIN HOOD, Russell Crowe, GLADIATOR, Cate Blanchette, GLEE Live, League of Xtraordinary Dancers, Channing Tatum

Saturday – Got my hair done, bought a wedding gift and then headed to watch a couple of DSG members get married. We got there a little bit late. Just as the bridesmaids were walking down the aisle. Babendude’s all “What the French, toast? When do weddings ever start on time?” Um, that one did. LOL. And ours did, too, now that I think about it. And just like our ceremony, theirs was outside. Unlike ours, their vows were shorter, so it ended a lot quicker. LOL. The food was good, the cake delish and the tunes were taken care of by other DSG members, One Kitty Gone. Good times. Here’s the happy couple, Mark and Becky.

Sunday – Mother’s Day! We went out to breakfast with my parents. It’s been a 5 yr tradition that we’ve shared with longtime family friends. Unfortunately, the mother had just gotten out of the hospital and wasn’t strong enough yet to join us. They were missed, but she’s recovering nicely. After that, we went to see IRON MAN 2. An hr into the movie, the film melted. MELTED, people. It was the weirdest thing. LOL. You see stuff like that happen in the movies and yet it apparently happens in real life, too. They fixed the film, but then ended up having projector problems. They gave us free movie passes and told us to go to another showing. Thank goodness it was playing every hr on the hr. So, we basically spent 3 hrs at the movie theater today. Good times.

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming weekend: Dad’s ’33 Ford is being displayed in a car show on Saturday and we got tickets to the Sunday morning GLEE concert. Woot!

Technorati Tags: IRON MAN 2, GLEE

Saturday, we ate breakfast at our usual place. And at this point, let me just say that we eat at Ron’s nearly every weekend. Unless I have a hair appt or he’s hanging out with his BF, we eat there nearly every weekend. And it’s worth the wait, lemme tell you. On our way up there, we kept passing signs for a model home furniture sale, so we decided to check it out after breakfast: 5,328 sq ft, 3 beds, 3.5 baths, garage with loft, a play room for the kids (apparently the kids were aspiring actors because the room had a little theater stage. Complete with velvet curtain and an area to change. Too cute), the master bedroom had a serious walk-in closet and the use of skylights was fabulous. It was just an absolutely beautiful home. And they want $2.3 for it. Yikes! Looks like it might’ve been worth it. “This would be too much for us,” Babendude says. “I’d like something like this, but on a more townhouse-condo scale.” LOL. Indeed.

In checking this place out, I got better ideas for Book 3. The people that Draven are investigating needed an understated-yet-expensive-looking house to live in. Done. And the Mom needed a better job than the one I’d originally created for her (antique store owner): luxury home staging. Done. I love it when this idea shit happens.

Later that afternoon, we attended a Welcome Home/Marine Boot Camp Graduation for my niece’s boyfriend.

Aren’t they the cutest couple ever? Her shirt says “I love My Marine”. Isn’t Mr. Blue Eyes handsome? He’s more manly-looking now and he really does have abs of steel. I playfully popped him in the stomach and nearly broke my fingers. Just kidding. Really, though, boot camp buffed him out quite a bit. I’m sure he’s the only recruit who thought boot camp was fun. His job is bulk fuel and he’s going back to Camp Pendleton for 29 days for…something with acronyms. And after that, he goes straight to VA for job training. All that separation is probably going to kill my niece, but I guess she’ll just have to go visit him more often. Or move there.

While we were at the picnic, my niece told me that my nephew was in a play. But he didn’t tell anybody! My niece found out, like, Thursday, and went to see it Friday night. He couldn’t come to the picnic because he had to rehearse all day and at the last minute, Babendude and I decided to check it out. It was a musical and he sings pretty good. And, just like GLEE, he plays football and gets teased about the acting/singing gig from his teammates. Although he hasn’t been slushied. Yet. LOL.

Here’s the cast:

And me and my nephew

Yes, he’s wearing eyeliner. And no, he’s not high. He just hates getting his picture taken. LOL. He did a really good job and even had some funny parts.

Sunday, Babendude hung out with his BF for a little bit. During that time, I went to see THE BACK-UP PLAN

I like when J. Lo does romantic comedies. She’s got great comedic timing and even does a little physical stuff, too. One thing I do have to say is that she does not have pretty feet. Whatsoever. Just sayin’. Anyhow, a friend and I were saying that it really depends on who she’s paired with. Her work is good and the work of the “love interest” is good–separately–but if they’re not good together, then the movie as a whole doesn’t work for me. For instance, J. Lo and Ralph Fiennes (MAID OF HONOR) didn’t work for me. I like Ralph and I like his work, but I didn’t like him paired with her. I wasn’t feeling a connection. Probably because Ralph doesn’t normally do romantic comedies. He’s a pretty serious actor.

On the other hand, J. Lo and Matthew McConaughey (THE WEDDING PLANNER) worked. Matthew’s got a few romantic comedies under his belt, so it was a good pairing. J. Lo and Alex McLoughlin (he’s an Aussie! With a fab bod!! So you know the accent has gotta be sexy) made a good pair for this movie. Alex may look familiar to you, if you were a fan of his vampire detective character, Mick St. John, in the short-lived series MOONLIGHT. I really wish that show had been given a chance, but since it was on Friday nights, well…and apparently, he was on another short-lived medical series, THREE RIVERS, playing a doctor, but I never watched it. It was on Sunday nights and well, normally that’s TRUEBLOOD/DEXTER/HUNG/THE TUDORS night in this household. LOL.

Later that afternoon, we went to see THE LOSERS.

All I’ve got to say is…Chris Evans is H-O-T and funny. Case in Point: the elevator scene. Hi-larious. If you’ve seen it–or plan to–then you’ll know what I’m talking about. During this marathon of movie watching, I saw trailers for only two movies that I’ll end up seeing: SHREK FOREVER AFTER (OMG, Puss’n'Boots. LOL) and BEASTLY (with Vanessa Hudgens). Looks like the teenage version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Whew! Enough about me. Really. How was your weekend?

Technorati Tags: Kabuki, GLEE, THE BACK-UP PLAN, J. Lo, together, Ralph Fiennes, MAID OF HONOR, Matthew McConaughey, THE WEDDING PLANNER, Alex McLoughlin, MOONLIGHT, TRUEBLOOD, DEXTER, HUNG, THE TUDORS, THE LOSERS, Chris Evans, SHREK FOREVER AFTER, BEASTLY, Vanessa Hudgens, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Surprisingly, I liked it. I admit, I’ve watched eppies of HANNAH MONTANA. She’s got great comedic timing. I didn’t see HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE because I didn’t want to be surrounded by squeeing teenies. If it happens to come on one of the cable channels, I’ll watch it. This movie wasn’t a laughing matter. There were a few funny parts that garnered some chuckles from me, but on the whole, this was romance/drama. And yes, you’ll be needing to bring some Kleenex. The bright spot was of course, her love interest, Will (Liam Hemsworth). This guy could be Paul Walker‘s younger brother. Which is probably why I was diggin’ him. Apparently, he was in the movie, KNOWING (with Nicholas Cage). Don’t remember seeing him, so he must not have had a significant part.

Saturday, we ate at our usual place, then went to see KICK-ASS.

Can’t tell you much I loved this movie. I had no idea it was based off a comic book. It was definitely an interesting take on the whole superhero thing. I know some people, like Roger Ebert, were hatin’ on the idea of an 11-yr-old assassin (who was really good at kicking ass, btw. Better than Kick-Ass himself), but the actress who portrayed her (Chloe Grace Moretz) did a great job of pulling it off. I remember her from (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (with Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Sunday, Babendude and I had breakfast with my parents. The last time we saw them was the week we all spent together in Orlando. At the end of February. I felt it was time to reconnect. It was nice, although I’ve never really been a fan of Coco’s. I think we’ve been spoiled by Ron’s place. My Dad didn’t want to go there because he felt rushed. Truth be told, people wait a long time to eat at Ron’s, but it’s worth it. And truthfully, we wouldn’t have been able to sit at the table as long as we did if we hadn’t gone to Coco’s. Either way, it was good times. I like hanging out with my parents.

Oh, and of course, there was the laundry. I cannot wait until we move. Don’t know when that is, so don’t ask. All I know is that maybe I won’t feel like laundry would be such an annoying chore if I had a washer and dryer inside the house. I may not enjoy it as much, but I would seriously enjoy not having to go outside to do my laundry *sigh*.

So, enough about me. How was your weekend?

Technorati Tags: THE LAST SONG, Miley Cyrus., HANNAH MONTANA, HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE, Liam Hemsworth, Paul Walker, KNOWING, Nicholas Cage, KICK-ASS, Roger Ebert, Chloe Grace Moretz, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Coco’s.