Second Ride of the Year - Sunday Snapshot 3.16.14

On Tuesday 3/11 the weather in Columbus was amazing.  High 60's and full of sunshine.

I had gone on my first bike ride of the year the previous Sunday.  It was about 45 degrees, which wasn't bad on the way out, but we had the wind in our face coming back and it was pretty miserable.

Tuesday was perfect.  I completely forgot to grab my headphones and it was a really good thing.  I was only going on a short ride, less than 10 miles, so I really didn't need the motivation/distraction.  It gave me the chance to enjoy the wind, and the other people out and enjoying the nice day.  There were a lot of couples out walking their dogs, jogging and biking.  

But the show stopper was the sky.  Totally gorgeous.It was so nice getting out into the sun and the air and getting the chance to really move.

Doctor Sleep - Review

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Doctor Sleep works as a stand alone novel but is the sequel to The Shining.  If you have only ever seen the movie for The Shining you have done yourself a disservice.  The book and the movie are completely unique.

Doctor Sleep is at its most intense, its most scary, when  focused on Dan Torrence.  His talents, his addictions, his demons and his memories.  Introduced in Doctor Sleep is a group of energy eaters called The Knot.  They were suppose to be the villains of the piece, but this book really didn't need them.  It had Dan.

The first part of this book had me afraid to have my limbs hanging off of the bed and walking around my dark house with my flashlight app on.

The rest was a very enjoyable story.  But I really could have read 500 pages of Dan's personal and supernatural battles and been just as happy.

5/5

  

Favorite Songs

The Favorite List continues with my favorite songs.


Creep
I would have never put this on a top list of my favorite songs until a few months ago.  My husband said "Hey it's your favorite song" and I said " No it's not" and then I realized that in fact it was.  Glee did a really fantastic cover version, believe it or not.  You can listen to it hear.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
Why this Meat Loaf - Jim Steinman song?  I don't know.  I've always loved it.  I can remember forcing my brother to sing back up with me to it in the car when we were little.  I can't help but sing along when I chance by it on a radio.

Lincoln Ave - Train
 Let's go back to 2003.  Drop's of Jupiter was mine and every other woman's favorite song of the moment.  Train released another album called My Private Nation.  So I bought it, because I loved that one song off of their first album.  I think the big hit off of this album was Calling all Angels, which for the record I do not like.  Track 10 was never released on the radio.  Track 10 though..... track 10 I have always had to listen to at least twice every time.  Because as I am singing along and getting to the part that says " And I'll tell myself, I'll make it through, I'll tell myself anything to get over you" I tear up. EVERY TIME.  So then I have to listen to it again as a kind of palate cleanser to just enjoy the song. Then I usually listen again.  You should do yourself a favor and check it out.  It's about a husband telling his wife, that he's sorry that he hasn't grown up fast enough, but does she remember when she loved that about it him?  He tells her he's ready to show her, ready to try, but if she doesn't take him back he knows he will never get this again, but he will try to get over her anyway.  It's sad, and it tells a beautiful story.  You should do yourself a favor and have a listen.

Acoustic # 3
Another song that was never on the radio.  Dizzy Up The Girl is the Goo Goo Doll's biggest most famous album because Iris is on it.  In my opinion, it is one of the greatest albums ever, and certainly my #1 favorite.  I had a really hard time picking one song on it for this list.  Black Balloon, Bullet Proof, Hate This Place, all my favorites.  I am still conflicted really.  But Acoustic #3 wins because it's quiet, beautiful, and can also get me emotional.  The whole album is amazing though.

Backstreets/Jungleland
I know, that's cheating.  I think it's a fair compromise though considering I could rattle off 10 of my favorite Springsteen songs with out even trying.  When I was growing up, my two favorite Springsteen songs were The River ( great birth control when taken to heart) and Racing In The Streets.  My dad's has unnwaveringly been Backstreets since forever.  I am older than he was when the song first came out now, and I get it.  Lost youth, sacrifice, and trying so hard to be an ideal that you lose part of yourself to it.  I get it, and now it's my favorite song too.  I am mentioning Jungle Land because I love words, and Jungleland is a song for people who love words.  If I ever A. Stop being Lazy and B. Stop being cheap I want to get "Outside the streets on fire in a real death waltz between what's flesh and what's fantasy" tattooed on my hip.


Wow, have you ever sat down and talk about the songs that you love?  This is quite the emotional roller coaster.  Ahem, next on the list.

Stop and Stare
This song got me through a really rough time in my life, and deserves to be here just for that.  Memorable lyric for me : You start to wonder why you're here not there, and you'd give anything to get what's fair, but fair ain't what you really need"

Innocent
Another fantastic album from my college years was Something Like Human from Fuel.  Another very solid over all album.  Innocent wins as my favorite Fuel song mostly for this line " Angels lend me your might, forfeit all my lives to get just one right."  But I enjoy all of their songs.

Mr. Brightside
I can't really explain all the reasons I love this song.  I just do.  I love it.

The Scientist
Even though this is the only Coldplay song I really enjoy, it's somehow one of the most important songs in my my life.  It really helps you with mourning a relationship.  Any relationship.  Even when you don't think you have too.

(Everything I do) I do It For You
If you remember back to my favorite movie list, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves was right at the very top.  For the record, I love every Bryan Adams song ever, 18 till I die was one of the best records ever made and I feel some guilt over going with the big obvious one.  But it is what it is.  Not only have I loved this song since 4th grade, but I still love it now.  So, on the list it goes.


What is your favorite song?

Thinking Feeling 3.10.14

*** This is my 100th blog post!  Yay me!***

Feeling:  
Tired.  There is a lot going in right now with health type stuff.  Add that to work type stuff and life type stuff and it's all pretty overwhelming.  

Watching: 
Castle .  One of my friends gave me the first 5 seasons on DVD and I have gotten through every single episode.  I am currently watching the 6th season on Hulu.  It is good fluff.  More about the mystery then about the gore.  It's been really nice filler tv while everything I usually watch was on winter break. 

Reading:  

Dr. Sleep and it is scaring the crap out of me.  It is the sequel to Stephen Kings The Shining I am sure there will be a review here because so far I am LOVING it.  Even if I currently can't let my limbs hang off the side of the bed and I might be a teeny bit anxious in the dark.  

As a side note to this, I first tried reading Innocent which is Dean Koontz's new book.   I've read more Dean Koontz, and I would have told you that I am Dean Koontz fan.  BUT.  I probably won't be finishing Innocent.  It's basically Odd Thomas and Stormy Llwelyn in a new adventure. The blatant recycling of characters irritated me enough to give up on it quickly.  It had not done much to grab before then.

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Looking forward to:   
Warm weather!  Sunshine!  Fresh air!  Riding my bike!  Trips to the park! Sunshine!  

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Making me happy:  
We have had a fruit fly infestation for months.  We couldn't figure out how to get rid of them.  We used every commercial trap and Google solution we could find.  We kept the kitchen clean, I used garbage disposal cleaner once a week, it was So ridiculous So disgusting and So disheartening.

Then, the basement drain backed up.  We had have a plumber drag a huge rotorooter down the stairs and snake the drain.  Then what happened?  The fruit flies magically went away.  It's amazing.  I was a month or two away from burning the house down, so I am relieved.


What are you up to?

Favorite Movies

When MySpace was the "in place" to be, a bunch of old high school acquaintances and I filled out a lot of surveys to get to know each other again or better.  That as slowed on Facebook, we all use status updates a lot more than we use the notes or blog section.  One think I miss about those days is the self reflection.  For example I haven't asked myself what my favorite song is in a long time. Therefore, I am going to do some top 10 lists on the blog.  Starting with movies because songs are way harder.  Way.

1.  Sense and Sensibility
If I had to pick one movie to watch for the rest of time this would be it.  I've probably watched it at least 30 times.

2.  Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves
Oh Kevin Costner.  Now this movie I've probably seen 100 times. Seriously.  Love it.

3.  Disney's Robin Hood
Yes, two Robin Hood movies one after the other.  I don't care, both are great.  I had a huge crush on the fox Robin Hood.

4.  Santa Clause The Movie

The original one from 1980's.  It's everything that I dreamed Santa's workshop would look like and I got to see it play out on TV.  Completely magical.

5.  Someone Like You

Ever since Hugh Jackman was Wolverine, I have loved him.  It's probably why I ever sat down to watch Someone Like You.  It is a Rom Com, right down to Marisa Tomei as the snappy side kick.  But the cast is solid, it makes you laugh and at one point, Hugh Jackman takes his shirt off.  What else could you ask for?

6.  Lord of the Rings The Two Towers

Continuing on with men who I am in love with, Viggo Mortensen.  I like all three movies but The Two Towers is the quickest to get through and packed full of sexiness.  And other good movie stuff....

7.  Fight Club
This movie will also show up on my favorite book list.  I kind of aspire to live like Tyler Durden, and fail miserably.  So I watch this movie and read the book over and over again instead.

8. Pride and Prejudice ( the Keria Knightly version)
Among Austenites this is a fairly sacrilegious choice.  If you don't go with Colin Firth as Darcy then you can't really show your face.  Don't care, it's still awesome.

9.  Love Actually
While I enjoy the whole movie, I really only watch it for the Keria Knightly storyline.  And my broken heart will love you, until you look like this.

10.  Talladega Nights
I am not a huge Will Ferrell fan.  But I laugh my butt off to this movie ( the original, not the lame ass extended cut) Every. Single. Time.  "Anarchy!  Anarchy!  I don't know what it means but I love it!"

What is your favorite movie?

Room - Review

The first nightmare I ever remember having was about abduction.  Ever since, my nightmares have always been about abduction, rape, torture and murder.  Very graphic, with movie like story lines.

That being said, I have no idea what possessed me to read this book.

Room  is written from the perspective of Jack, a 5 year old boy.  You come to realize that he and his mother are in a 12x12 room that they cannot leave.  His mother was abducted when she was 19 and Jack was a product of the repeated rape.

Happy right?

Room is extremely engrossing.  First, I was obsessed with seeing how the mother managed to keep a 5 year old entertained day after day in a 12x12 room.   Then I was obsessed with seeing if they got out and the potential repercussions.

There were sometimes I skimmed a bit,  but I also read this book in one day and probably wouldn't have gotten bored with some of the details had I set it down occasionally.  Room is really hard to set down.

Room is very well written, and getting to know Jack makes it completely worth the read.  I have already added other books by  Emma Donoghue to my Kindle wish list.  I haven't had that reaction to a book in quite awhile.

 However, if violence against women, rape, suicide, abduction, or anything like that is a trigger for you are better off to stay far away.

My nightmares are certainly back full force.

4/5

Things That Make Me Happy

1. Art

I forget sometimes how happy art makes me.  Looking at beautiful things is something I really need make a concerted effort to do more often.

2.  Indoor pools during the winter

My husband and I's anniversary is in late February, right about the time we are fed up with winter and can't take anymore.  Every year we go to a hotel with an indoor pool.  It is amazingly good for the soul and i highly recommend it.

3.  Whimsy

I am a serious logical person.  Sometimes I forget how much fun it is to just have fun.  Be goofy, remember childhood, imagine and dream.

4.  Books

I've talked about this before, but I love books.  I love the smell, I love learning, I love being in a fantasy.... I love reading.  I think I need to relish that a little bit more too.

Pet Peeves

1.  Whistlers

Seriously.  Why do people think I want to hear them whistling at Meijer or while I eat lunch or anytime.  Ever.  I don't.

2.  Parents

There were quite a few incidents of ungrateful parenting this weekend.  A mother in a clothing store, disinterested in her daughter trying on dresses for a dance for example.  The daughter said to her mother " Mom I want a reaction, not just it's okay."  The response was  " What do you want from me?  You dad is trying to face time me and I am hungry.  I am not going to buy you a dress today anyway you will just change your mind."  How many dresses will she get to shop for with the daughter she was blessed to have?  2 or three a year for four years?  So let's say 12.  12 dresses, 12 experiences, 12 chances to make her daughter feel beautiful and wanted.  The mother definitely  failed that time.

3.  SUV's that drive like they rear wheel drive cars with bald tires in the snow.

4.  SUV's that drive like they are invincible in the snow.

5.  Paying $5 for a drink that is nasty.

Starbucks and Planet Smoothie, I am looking at you.  The least you could do for $5 is get it right.

I should post things that make me happy next.