movie review: Shooter

very good action movie. just a hint at romance with 2 maybe 3 kisses and oh, about 20 guys being shot, hence the name shooter. mark wahlberg was great in this role. he's not the traditional 6'2 250 lbs lead that normally would take on this character but he plays it well. he definitely has come a long way in his career.

4 1/2 stars

movie review: Crash

this movie was definitely not what i expected. it started out just totally pissing me off and took a while for me to figure out where the story was going. but in the end, it was eye-opening. so many twists and turns and flips, this movie keeps you guessing. you think one way, and the movie takes it in a whole new direction.

watching this movie brought many questions to my mind about society as a whole. or at least, my idea of society. even that is skewed because of my upbringing. society for someone else is going to mean something completely different. strange how things work and come together, isn't it.

5 stars

movie review: Wedding Crashers

this movie was really funny. even the second time i watched it. michael fell asleep during the first showing. vince vaughn's acting was great. he really can talk fast. owen wilson's laid back personality was great for this role as well. i thought christopher walkin was just as scary in this role as any other role he does. although there was a light heartedness from him that i didn't expect.

4 stars

hee hee

over the weekend

michael and i had to head to the new apartment complex saturday to sign our new lease. friday afternoon/evening and night it snowed. yes, i said snowed. in march. it snowed. and i'm not talking light dusting. i'm talking 13 inches snowed. michael had to shovel out the vehicle it was so bad. wasn't really that cold as there wasn't a wind but still, the white stuff was on the ground. ugh!

so we took care of the signing and our official move in date is april 7th. our apartment is on the 3rd floor but it's ok, there's an elevator! we are so excited about that. on the way home, we called sister to find out if she was coming over. she indicated earlier in the week that she wanted to stop by on saturday. with the weather change, she wasn't going to stop so we decided to do some errands and go home.

we had initially intended to watch a movie but decided against it and took a nap. woke up a few hours later and just hung out on the couch and watched mindless tv. i think i played roller coaster tycoon 3 on my new computer.

sunday: another lazy relaxing day together.

movie review: Last Man Standing

let me preface this review with the fact that we weren't suppose to get this movie in the first place. we were expecting Ron White: You Can't Fix Stupid.

last man standing wasn't all that bad. i normally don't like westerns or movies set in that location but this really wasn't a western. it was filmed in a ghost town during the prohibition era and was more like a western 1920's ganster/mobster movie. two rival gangs were raging a war on each other and the main character was playing side against side in a shoot-em-up way. the gun technology was a bit far fetched and was strictly used for dramatic effect. for the most part, i'm glad i watched it.

4 stars

movie review: Jarhead

i'm a little biased when it comes to this movie since i was in the marine corps. Jake Gyllenhaal, in my opinion, did a very good job of acting. it was a bit difficult to figure out what the plot was. in the end, it was a letdown although it did keep me on the edge of my seat. i kept expecting something huge to happen and when it didn't, i was left feeling like the character. maybe that's a good thing and maybe it isn't. you take it as you want. i wanted a little more out of it.

3 3/4 stars

lunches

ok, so i'm a little behind on the lunch thing ... sorry.

today -- didn't eat lunch yet even though it's going on 3 pm. but i did have breakfast. a bowl of golden grahams with 2 small glasses of orange juice and buttered toast. half a cup of coffee.

yesterday -- woke up really late so i skipped lunch. although i did have some buttered toast before hubby came home so i could take my toprol. 2 cups of coffee.

day before yesterday -- progresso soup with boiled shrimp on the side.

over the weekend

Saturday :

my vehicle has been acting up lately so we decided to take it in to the mechanic. michael's car, a 93 VW Fox has been in need of some repair for a while as well. he made an appointment for both cars at meineke in nashua, NH for saturday so off we went. we dropped my car off and headed out to eat breakfast at Friendly's. It's kinda like a Perkins or an upscaled Denny's. It was good. I had a bacon, egg and tomato melt and michael had pancakes with strawberries and cream.

after breakfast we headed to walmart for some things. once done there, we went back to nashua but figured the car wasn't quite ready so we stopped off at barnes and nobles bookstore. spent a few hours in there and got some books then got the call that my car was done. we switched vehicles and went home to finish brokeback mountain.

Sunday :

this was a lazy day for both of us and we didn't end up doing much but just relaxing and being together.

it was a good weekend!

finish ramblings from friday

So, the issue was that we weren't going to get the apartment we wanted but the complex did have a different style available. We decided to do another search and picked out about 3 other complexes and made plans to tour them the following day. The first one was just way too dated, the second one was on the second floor and was directly under some high powered electric power lines and the 3rd wasn't memorable. We went back to Washington Crossing and took a look at the new floor plan and decided to go with that one. At least it was in the same complex and if the clarendon became available we would be first in line to get it. The new place is on the 3rd floor, smaller in square footage but is less expensive than the previous one. The manager said she would give us a call when the tenant officially gave notice to let us know when we could move in. We weren't as excited but were still happy to be moving. She estimated the second week of April. As you know, she called last week to let us know we could move in April 7th so that's our date!

for lunch

woke up late. around 11. got up and took a shower.

made coffee and had a cup while checking my email. got one from katy which surprised me but actually it wasn't real. from flixster. guess she did a survey or something which automatically generated an email to all of her yahoo buddies.

got a new comment on my myspace from a friend saying congrats on the wedding.

sent an email to my sister with my brother's email.

signed into yahoo messenger and noticed michael sent me an IM from work. so we are now 'buddies' and can chat through there. it's easier and doesn't leave a record like the email does. chatted with him for a bit then decided to eat something so i could take my toprol.

i cooked the chicken thinking i would shred it and have a chicken burrito. it started burning and smoking so i had to disconnect the fire alarm which went off and had to open the window and door. then i realized we don't have a shredder so i finished cooking the chicken and just took it apart with my fingers. my nails are long enough that they did the job. i ate while i was shredding and had enough to fill me up for now. had another cup of coffee and that's about it.

more later

Movie Review: Brokeback Mountain

Hubby and I joined Netflix this past week and got our first movie Friday. Brokeback Mountain. He gave his review on Netflix so I figured I would write mine here.

The movie was a bit long for me. It took a while for me to get interested in it. There wasn't any plot. The acting was awesome. Australian born actor Heath Ledger, besides being way too cute for his own good, was very convincing as a Wyoming cowboy. It was rather difficult to understand him at times and we ended up putting on the subtitles to figure out the dialog. The photography was amazing. Out of a 5 star rating, I would give it 3 1/2 stars. I can say I've at least seen it now.

ramblings on a friday

I sit here and watch other people live their lives on TV with what not to wear on TLC. Granted, it’s just a little snipit of their lives but so far, every woman I’ve seen has changed her attitude toward herself. I wonder if I would do the same. Not that I would ever get the chance to be on that show, but I just wonder what I would do in that situation.

More ramblings from me. I was reading another blog just a bit ago and it was of some guy telling us what he ate for lunch. Think I should do the same and see how many people out there really care. Today, I actually ate lunch. Perhaps for the 2nd time this week. I ate a bologna and cheese sammich with some tator tots along with a spoonful of sour cream, ranch dressing and ketchup. I made sweet tea last night and had a glass of that. Oh great, now I can’t remember if I took my toprol. Hmm. Think I should take another one just in case? Oh, that reminds me, something I saw on TV was … smells are suppose to help with memory. A nice fragrance in the bedroom is suppose to help your memory.

Hubby just called and needed some info for his work. He is working for a company that does top secret stuff. Nah, not really but he is getting a security clearance which I think is pretty cool. He’s had security clearance before when he was in the Army but I wasn’t around him then. I just think it’s kinda neat.

He also mentioned the apartment and the fact that we get it a week earlier than anticipated. WHICH IS TOTALLY AWESOME AND I CAN’T WAIT TO GET MOVED!!! Here is a little history on the relocating issue.

We live in a very small apartment. When I say small, I mean small. He doesn’t know exactly what the square footage is but I estimate it’s probably around 400. I can stand on my feet, flat footed and touch the ceiling. For lack of room, Michael brushes his teeth at the kitchen sink. It is considered a one bedroom apartment because the bedroom can be closed off with a door but it’s still way too small for the two of us. The goal was to move into a larger apartment once he found a job. About 2 weeks ago, he was offered a job with a company in Burlington, MA and took it. Once the offer came in, we were on the internet within minutes looking for apartments and planning our move.

After an evening of research, we had a plan. On the first list we had about 15 different apartment complexes to take a look at and were excited to be doing so. That day we went to the first 5 and fell in love with number 1. The complex is called Washington Crossing and the floor plan we picked out was amazing. It was a split with a semi separate dining room, huge kitchen, fireplace and balcony. The best part, in my opinion is the full size washer/dryer and garden tub that come with the apartment. How amazing is that? I tell ya!!! We took a look at the model which wasn’t the actual plan we wanted but the model was beautiful. Previously shopping for apartments, I had never thought about asking to see the actual apartment that I would be living in but Michael wanted to see it so he asked. The following day, we headed back to take a look at the one we would be living in and fell in love with it. The layout was wonderful, the garden tub was just calling my name and the fireplace looked inviting. We put a deposit down along with the application fee and headed home feeling great. They said we could move in the second week of April which gave us about a month and a half to pack.

About 3 days later, the manager called us from Washington Crossing and said the tenant took back the notice to vacate and decided to extend his lease. That meant we didn’t have the apartment any more. She said there was another apartment available but was not the floor plan that we wanted. It was still a 2 bedroom 2 bath but no fireplace and no balcony.

Got interrupted – Michael is home so I’ll finish later.

More to come.

a small rant

i decided that i would take this opportunity to actually post my view on a public issue. yes, i know, i normally don't do this even in my private life so why here? why now? because of my new life. my husband shows me every day that i'm beautiful. i'm cute. even though i tell him i'm not, deep down, i know i am. with that being said and knowing that he is going to read this, i don't like myself. i don't like my body at all. i am getting fat and i'm scared about it. why am i just sitting here right now instead of doing some kind of exercise? cuz i'm putting it off. i'm thinking 'oh i'll start next week.' or 'i'll start once we move into our new apartment because that complex has a fitness center.' so why should i start now when i don't have any equipment? oh, but i do.

ok where did that come from? so back to the initial rant. here is what i wrote this morning while watching the news. I started typing after hearing someone say that they thought the law enforcing personnel were treating these people like 'criminals'. Excuse me but what exactly is the definition of a criminal? According to Webster’s, a criminal is “one who has committed a crime". Well, that’s rather obvious as long as you know what a crime is. Let’s define crime. Webster says a crime is “an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law” So, someone who has broken the United States law, is a criminal.

The reason behind this little rant is a local news story that has gotten some serious publicity. Michael Bianco Inc., which produces military survival vests and backpacks, was raided by federal agents earlier this week. Why you say? Because of illegal aliens. According to news reports (Fox25) this company employed 361 illegal aliens most from Central America. OK, I'm all for letting immigrants into America to have their equal chance at a better life. There are rules put in place to allow those people to do just that. Those rules need to be followed to protect everyone involved. I am the first to admit I don't know enough about how a person enters America but I do know some things. My friend Amiee is from England and she came over here during the summer of 2004 to work for Disney in Florida. She had to apply for a work visa. No, I don't know what all was involved but I know it was somewhat difficult. Another person I know was from Canada and she had problems. My previous roommate and her were planning on getting married. She wanted to live with him for obvious reasons however they were having issues with the legalities. So in that case, I can understand the wish to perhaps bypass the law and just move. But then, how would she get a job. Oh, just like the people from Central America where they think they don't have any other choice but to work in a sweatshop. I don't know any specific details about their situation but I truly believe that there is always a way to do something you want to do. LEGALLY!

So the question next is what to do with these people? Should they have been arrested? Yes. They are here illegally. Do we as tax payers send them back to where they came from and let them try again to enter America? Or, since they are already here, do we as tax payers pay for them to try to stay legally? The person that made the comment about law enforcement treating them like criminals was a family member of one of the illegal aliens. I understand she was upset about the situation. It's a hard situation to be in and even harder to say what I would do in the same position. I wouldn't want my Aunt Maria to be sent back to her hovel in Central America. I would definitely try everything possible to get her here legally in the first place.

A new situation has risen from this issue. There are children involved that are now left alone without a parent. These kids go to school while mom works. Now that mom is in jail, what to do with the kids? Foster care has been a temporary solution. Perhaps some of these kids are legal citizens of America. Perhaps some are not. I never said I had all the answers, just an opinion. And that opinion is that if you aren't here legally, you shouldn't be here.

Echo's tribute

My good friend Echo. Yes, her real name is Echo and she is very happy with her name. I am too! It completely fits her.

I first met Echo at work during the summer of 2004. We both worked at Walt Disney World. She was there for the summer working on a college program. College students are able to take a semester off school to work for Disney and still get credit for school. It's something like an internship. We were both working Main Street Entrance but I think she started working in Delivery Services and I stayed in the Stroller section.

I don't recall the exact moment we first met but I do remember one particular scene. She and some other cast members were under the train station at the counter there and I came to relieve someone. I was fairly new and didn't really know anyone but she included me into the conversation and I instantly felt like I had found a friend. At that time, the thing to do was to head out to eat after work. Most of the time we would end work at around 2 or 3 am and there is a restaurant called Steak and Shake that was open 24 hours. So a group of cast members would head over there to hang out. I was invited and decided to go. That started my friendship with several people that have lasted and Echo was among them.

Echo is a young woman that is always smiling. Even when she is crying and thinking the world is out to get her, her inner beauty and calm reserve is always shining! She epitimizes the word blonde, but don't let that fool you. She is much more intelligent that she lets on. She is less than a year from a costume designer degree and has produced/directed/designed several plays. I might have that wrong but still, she's done a lot with regards to plays. I think she's much more talented than she gives herself credit for.

She definitely has had a difficult road emotionally. Very close friends of hers have met with tragic ends and that has shaped her as a somewhat cynical person. I doubt people would ever use that adjective but I think it is among the top 25 that I would use to describe her. I feel bad that she has had to deal with such sadness. I do think it has helped her to cherish every day and live it to the fullest, which she does in abundence. She packs as much as possible into one day and I love that about her. She's always willing to do some crazy things for a laugh in and outside the limits of the law. It adds a reckless flavor to her demeanor.

She's a great friend to me and has given me many hours of laughter. I know I am not the only one that feels this way. All, and I say ALL of her friends would say the same. After meeting and talking to her for just a few short minutes, you will never forget her! She floats on a breeze in and out of your life and you are so much more because of it.

I've done some crazy things with this girl. Here are a few. One day we decided that going to both sides of the state during the same day would be awesome. We wanted to watch the sunrise and sunset within the same 24 hour period. So, Echo, her friend Michael, our friend Veronica and I headed out to Clearwater Beach at around 1 pm. Once we got into Clearwater, we found a Target and stopped to get some drinks and snacks. We bought one of those styrofoam coolers that cost about $.87 cents and filled it with ice and wine coolers. On the way out of the Target store, Echo (she is going to hate me for puting this on the net but it's way so precious and I just have to tell it) walked up to the exit door and just stood there. She had walked up to the manual door but didn't realize it. So she started jumping up and waving her hand thinking that the sensor for the automatic door was broken. I was laughing so hard I doubled over. After about 3 seconds, Veronica walked up next to her and said very softly but loud enough to be heard, "Echo hun, you have to push." Echo then proceeded to turn as red as a fire engine as she pushed open the door. By then, I was crying so hard from laughter and could barely walk much less breath and Michael had to sit down on the curb to try to compose himself. Veronica was consoling Echo who was trying to convince us that she thought it was the automatic doors and that she really wasn't that stupid.

Once we got to Clearwater Beach, we parked and started unloading the car. We put the drinks in the cooler with a bag of ice and everyone grabbed a bag and headed to find a spot on the beach. Michael took a few steps and then, we heard a crash and the sound of breaking glass. I turned around and looked as Echo gasped. The styrofoam cooler didn't hold up as we had thought and the handles on the sides fell apart. Ice and beer was all over the sidewalk and Michael was covered. He looked like he had done something terrible and I simply started laughing again. Veronica tried to console him and Echo started cleaning between laughs. It was Michael's turn to be embarrassed but in the end, we all laughed and only lost one beer.

We finally made it to the beach and spread out our blankets and towels. We headed out to swim and played around in the water for an hour or so. Veronica and I after a while, decided to head out and just relax on the blanket while Michael and Echo played sharks. Vee and I started eating and then came the attack of the birds. Those seagulls get brave and downright violent sometimes. We watched the sunset which was just beautiful and hung around a little longer just to soak up the moment. After deciding to head back to Orlando, we wanted to hook up with some other friends. We waited around for them to get off work and picked them up around 11 pm.

Meg, Scottie, Eddie and Jo joined us for the rest of the trip over to Cocoa Beach on the east coast. I think we stopped once again for drinks and then headed out. On the way, music was loud as was the singing but it was so much fun. To be somewhat carefree and surrounded by friends that enjoyed doing crazy things is a treasure. We got to the beach and Echo along with Michael and Meg decided to go swimming. I wasn't about to. Besides, I was having fun just watching everyone.

The rule was No Sleeping. I think that time, I was the only one that didn't fall asleep. I woke everyone up as the sun was rising and we watched it come up. Beautiful! Then we all loaded up in the SUV and headed home. It was an awesome experience and I recommend it to all who read this. Whether it be with that special someone or with a group of special someones, it's amazing!

Well, I suppose since I've been working on this all day, I should finish up. Echo, you are truly an amazing woman. I hope you never lose sight of the value you have. The love of friends and family are around you at all times. Keep smiling and know that you are truly loved by many! I wish you the best in everything.

photo test

this is a test.

hmm let's see if i can do this myself. Here is our family picture. My husband, our Georgie the Duck and I.

to do list

in no particular order

travel
see certain movies with my new husband
ride as many roller coasters as possible
learn to scuba dive
take a cruise
learn to ballroom dance
buy a house in florida
go on a ghost hunt
go to a county festival



more to come -- stay tuned.

My free Past Life reading from astrology.com

So, I'm bored and decided to check out my horoscope on yahoo. Turns out I had the ability to get a free sample reading of my past life. Imagine that! I simply entered in the appropriate information and viola! Here it is.



Leo symbolizes the consciousness wherein there is strength, creativity and virility, as well as a certain headstrong or willful nature in how you apply yourself in relationship with others. (for a fee, i could get more information)

For instance, Tracy, reading biographical or historical novels about European royalty, daydreaming about the courts of Kings and Queens of modern Europe or ancient times and other grandeurs of the past may bring to your conscious mind memories of previous incarnations when you were at the forefront of things. Hence to this very day there probably remains within you considerable inner strength along with a strong feeling for behind-the-scenes intrigues as well as a powerful sense of individualism. These qualities are probably connected with your past life experiences involved -- directly and indirectly -- with leaders of society and government. (for a fee, i could get more information)

You are also likely to have an above-average interest in the great artistic and spiritual accomplishments of the grand cathedrals and great churches of Britain and Europe, as well as the ancient temples of the Mediterranean world. (for a fee, i could get more information)

Hmmm, this makes me want to read the rest of the reading. It's true I have always found the courts of Kings and Queens of ancient times fasinating. Does that mean I was once, a Lady-In-Waiting for a Queen? Or perhaps a Queen myself? HA! Should I be so bold. Strictly speaking in an entertainment aspect only, it does pose an interesting theory. What is it that causes one person to be interested in a particular subject and causes another person to start snoring when reading about that subject. Should I go internal here and start to analyze my own interests and why they interest me? Nah, I'm not that deep.

more to come from my rambling mind. stay tuned.

Living next to Disney (a memory)

Now that I live in the Northeast, I miss Orlando more and more every day. Not only because of the weather but because of Disney. While I'm sitting here it's 14 degrees outside and in Orlando, it's 75. If I was still living in Orlando, I'd still be working for Disney full time. Which means that I would probably be getting ready for work or on my way there by now. I'd have my sunglasses on, windows down in my explorer, and enjoying the drive to work. I considered myself very lucky to be working for Disney. I suppose I was a bit disillusioned. Well, that's a topic for another blog. Back to living next to Disney. I have to admit something. I came across this topic from another blogger and decided to write my own opinion regarding this subject.

"I have to wonder however, whether locals actually make use of the parks to the extent that they could. Do they revel in their location and good fortune in having Disney more or less on their doorstep? Or have they become slightly jaded and bored with the idea of a superstar tourist attraction so close?

I don't think I ever became jaded or bored with Disney but I think I am in the minority. I worked there so I might have a slight bias going. I worked full time for 2 years and in that time, never once got bored with going to the parks. I loved the fact that I could go anytime I wanted. I enjoyed the flexibility of being able to go to Epcot just to see my favorite band Off Kilter or the fireworks show Illuminations, or heading over to the Magic Kingdom for the fireworks show Wishes.

To be honest to this topic however, I do have to admit I'm not entirely positive I would have gone as much as I did, had I not worked there. Yes, of course I would have purchased an annual pass costing approximately $400 and yes, I would have used it more than once a month. Having said that, I don't think I would have gone every day. Not that I did when I was working there but it just seemed like it because I worked there. I worked at the Magic Kingdom which is my favorite park so on my days off, I would go right back to the same park. This is on average.

Ok, since it has taken me over 2 hours to work on this one particular post, I think I'm going to call this topic done for now. Hope you enjoyed my little view of things.

Erika's tribute

So, I'm back for a little while. I wanted to take this time to let someone know that she is an incredible woman! Erika, you have inspired me!!

This woman, in case you don't know, is a college student and works occasionally at Walt Disney World. That is where I met her. The summer of 2004 at the Magic Kingdom. We both were working at Main Street Entrance. She mainly worked in Delivery Services and I in Strollers. I don't recall the first time we met, but her influence on me has remained the same. Here she is in my eyes.

Sweet doesn't even begin to describe her. She's intelligent, very well versed and articulate. She carries herself with high regard and a powerful amount of self respect. She's very down to earth and isn't at all conceited. She laughs. She smiles. When first meeting someone, she's soft spoken but once you get to know her, she's all about having fun. She's complex as every woman is. She's an amazing friend.


Erika, you don't know it, but you truly inspire me to be a better person. Your open and fun-loving attitude shines even when you aren't around. I'm sure you are thinking some strange things and have a few questions. I wanted to do this for a few reasons. 1 is that I was just reading your blog and was thinking about you. 2 is that I wanted you to know just what you and your friendship mean to me. 3 is it's about time I told my friends what I think about them and how much they mean to me.

There is so much more that I am feeling but it's somewhat hard to put those emotions into words. Know that I love you and value our friendship. I hope it continues for years to come.POWER RANGERS UNITE!