Sexy Friday

Today's Sexy Friday comes from suggestions from various people. So, never let it be said that I don't listen to you. I managed to tie in two suggestions into one theme. The theme happens to be one of the few movies in which I've liked the two actors - A Time to Kill. I wasn't really impressed with Sandra Bullock's casting, but I ended up liking her well enough in the roll. Matthew McConaughey was decent. Of course, in the movie, it's Samuel L. Jackson that steals every scene he's in. The cast is great. The movie was a pretty fair adaptation of the only John Grisham novel that I ever really loved.

So, I'm still not sure I love the idea of the co-ed Sexy Friday, but I suppose it is only fair to the (all of two) men who read the blog.

Little Wonders

OK, to counter my last post of angry boy music, I've decided to post this topic. This is difficult for me to admit, but I've decided I'm going to fully embrace my girl card and say it anyway. I'm not going to say I never cry, but I cry at weird things, not necessarily typical sad or emotional things. As I mentioned before, Eight Below makes me sob every time I watch it as do most animal movies - sad or happy. Any time there's a scene involving Matt Saracen and his family on Friday Night Lights, I find myself with a little dust in my eye. Still, I can't say I cry a lot and, if I do, there's a reason.

However, every time I hear Little Wonders by Rob Thomas, I get all choked up. It's from Meet the Robinsons which was a mediocre movie. I actually think the real reason is that the song came out when we were expecting Little Miss. So, the first time I really heard the song, I would think of her. So, now, when I hear the song, I think of her and all the little moments. Plus, I always thought the song was a great song during pregnancy because, during all the "oh, my goodness, is this over yet" moments, I got to find a little clarity in the experience. I thought it was just a hormonal thing, but then I got all weird in the car when the song came on my iPod the other day. I had to flip to the next song to bring me back to even keel. If you haven't heard the song, the video is below:

If this post doesn't make sense, it's because I started it about four hours ago. Little Miss went to bed about three times tonight. It's bedtime now and, because of all the activity, she should sleep through the night, but the blog got put on the back burner and rightly so.

What's Your Entrance Music?

This is a point of discussion every baseball season or whenever I watch Major League. When pitchers (and some batters, I believe) step up to the mound or plate, they have entrance music. If I knew enough about sports, I'd give you an example. However, the only example I can think of right now comes from the movies.

If you were to have your own entrance music when you, say, entered a room, what would your song be?
If you have not seen Major League, the clip of Ricky Vaughn advancing to the mount is below (warning: language is definitely R-rated which is funny for me, but it may not be funny if you have little ears nearby or if you have extra-sensitive ears):

I haven't decided my theme song yet. I sometimes think it's Whatever by Godsmack or Headstrong by Trapt. I'm trying to think of a less, um, angry song, but those songs just get me fired up every time. (Also do not click on the links to the songs if you, or people around you, have sensitive ears.)

Weekend Update - Easter Parade

On Friday, I got out of work at noon, and Husband took a half day. I stopped at Trader Joe's, Honeybaked Ham, and Giant for food for Easter. As a treat, I stopped at Baja Fresh for lunch, too. Husband went to the driving range while I started the first wave of cleaning for Sunday. When Little Miss came home, we dyed eggs. She did not want to dye eggs. She wanted to eat and go to bed. So, we dyed eggs while she watched.

On Saturday, Husband woke up with Little Miss before he went to play golf in the rain. He was going to play golf and then go to a bar to watch the Masters Tournament. So, Little Miss and I stayed home. We had breakfast. Then, she napped. We had lunch. Then, she napped. In the afternoon, she turned into a tornado and threw everything we owned all over the place. So, when she went to sleep, I cleaned up and finished cleaning for Easter. I was on morning duty for Easter so when Little Miss woke up at 1AM, Husband went to calm her down.

On Easter, I woke up with Little Miss. I got her breakfast which she ate slowly. Then, I put her down for a nap and got an extra hour of sleep myself. We then all woke up and got ready for Mass. Just before we left, Husband cleaned the floors in the main rooms. Then, off we went!

After church, we put Little Miss down for another nap while I did little things to ready the apartment. She woke up around the time In-Laws arrived. We grazed on appetizers (crab dip, shrimp cocktail and cheese and crackers) and then sat down to eat dinner (ham, potatoes au gratin, sweet potatoes, green beans, and crescent rolls). Then, we had dessert (profiteroles). All the while, Little Miss entertained us to no end while the Masters played in the background.

Around bedtime, Little Miss grabbed my iPod for which Husband scolded her. She knows she's not allowed to play with it. However, she also knows that I listen to it while she falls asleep at bedtime. She handed it to me and made it known that it was bedtime. So, we put her to bed. She happened to wake up upset (and cold) before In-Laws left. Then she went right to bed when they left at which point I turned on the heat in her room so she would be warm. I'm a bad mommy. And so a super quick weekend flew by, and the work week begins again. Next week, Little Miss spends the weekend with my extended family. Can't get enough of the family time!

How Excited is Little Miss for Citi Field?

The New York Mets played its first regular season game at the new stadium, Citi Field. So, how excited was Little Miss? She was so excited that she asked to be lifted onto the couch where she crawled to the far end... and fell asleep.

Sexy Friday

It was only a matter of time until the sexy Paul Walker made the list. So, I waited until his movie was the number 1 movie in the country. I haven't seen most of his movies, but I did enjoy sobbing through Eight Below. I took time between tears to admire how pretty he is even wrapped in a gigantic parka. The scenes between Maya and him make me water up just thinking about it... and Maya's a dog.

What Happens When You Poke the Kitty?

He may poke back at you... with his teeth.

Little Miss learned a lesson the other day: Toby doesn't like to be poked in the eye. Little Miss got very bold and started to chase my parents' kitty. The kitty finally had enough. Even though Little Miss was scolded for poking the kitty, she did it anyway. So, finally, Toby nipped at her. Usually, he nips but doesn't break the skin. You freeze, he lets your hand, foot, body part go. However, Little Miss yanked her hand back at the same time so she has a little scrape on her wrist. Of course, she reacted like her hand was bit off. She quieted down shortly after. We cleaned her up and gave her a Band-Aid. She immediately looked at us and said, "Num Num" for food. She's a trooper. Hopefully, it'll teach her not to torment the cat. For awhile, I'm sure she and the cat will avoid each other which is a good thing. Toby must have sensed that I was just bragging how good he is with the kids. Nephew, meanwhile, yelled at Toby, gave him a time out for 8 minutes and blocked him into the corner so he could learn his lesson. He's very protective of his cousin.

Below is Little Miss poking Toby, two pokes before he "poked" back.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

It is officially the beginning of baseball season. Last night, the Braves and Phillies played. For Husband, the start of baseball season doesn't start until the Mets play. This year, Little Miss has her own jersey to wear to cheer on his team.

Above is a photo of the two of them in matching jerseys (though different numbers on the back). Below is a photo of Nephew in his Cubs hat and Nationals shirt.

I can't say I'm a big fan of baseball, but I love going to the stadium and having my annual hot dog. We're hoping to bring Little Miss to the stadium this year.

Weekend Update - Where Did My Weekend Go?

Let's see... Last Friday, I was grumpy. So, we hung out with Little Miss, ate a late dinner, and then I went to bed.

On Saturday, I woke up and planned to head into the city to meet the Parents and Grandma in the city to see the Cherry Blossoms. Sister and Nephew came to the apartment to meet us. While we were leaving, my Mom called and said it was too cold and they were coming home. So, we didn't bother going in. In their defense, they were there very early for the parade so they got chilled. Also, Gram is in her 80's, and they did a lot of walking. So, we had lunch and Little Miss had one of her first public tantrums. So, we brought her home and I participated in a 2-hour nap with her. She was much more refreshed after that.

Saturday night, I met friends for dinner at Maggianos', and we discussed our latest bookclub pick, American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. After, we went to Borders to pick up next month's book choice, Beach Music by Pat Conroy. I'm looking forward to it because I haven't read one of his book in over a decade, but I used to enjoy them.

On Sunday, I woke up early, fed Little Miss breakfast and went to brunch with friends. Little Miss was very fussy so I was nervous she was going to melt down, but she ended up falling asleep for most of breakfast. Then, we picked up Husband and drove out to my parents' house. We got to see G.G. (my grandmother). We went to the playground and enjoyed the nicest day we've had in awhile. Then, we stayed for dinner. Little Miss wore herself out and fell asleep about the time we reached home, but we bathed her and put her in her pjs at my parents house. For some reason, she freaks out when she's in my parents' tub so we washed in her in the (tiny) bathroom sink. When we got home, I mostly uploaded 50 pictures, updated my iPod and went to bed. The weekend flew!

She Got the Way to Groove Me...

Okay, Neil Diamond was singing "Cherry, Cherry" about a girl and not about the blossoms, but it is that time of year again. Time for The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. I went last year to view the blossoms as shown in the photo and blog post. (Aw, Little Miss was just a Baby last year!) This year, Little Miss will be able to run around or at least be slightly more amused. We'll be going in this weekend so Little Miss can spend time with G.G. (my grandmother, her great-grandmother) and the rest of the family. So, stay tuned for next week's Weekend Update, it'll be jam-packed with family. Between this week, next week (Easter), and the following week when my uncle, aunt and cousins visit, Little Miss will get her fill of family.

Sexy Friday

This Sexy Friday was 15 years in the making. I was going to dedicate the month to ER, but I decided to just do a big post with a sampling. There are tons of options with this subject, but I only chose the ones below. You can register your complaints in the comments. If it makes you feel better, my favorite current ER castmate is not included for lack of a suitable photo.

First up is Goran Visnjic. He's tall, dark and handsome... with an accent. His character had a tragic story. Plus, Goran Visnjic gave me a reason to sit through at least some parts of Rounders. He took on the important role of ER hottie after Dr. Doug Ross moved away.

Second up is John Stamos of whom I was never a huge fan. However, he's not looking too bad nowadays. I think he looks better and better. I didn't watch the ER years when he was on, but he rocked the scrubs in the scenes I did watch.

Third up is Mekhi Pfeifer. I didn't watch him on ER either, but the restrospective last night showed his final scene, and it looked like he would have made me cry. I've seen him in a handful of movies, but my favorite of his is 8 Mile. Plus, it takes a special man to pull off the tank top. He is a special man.

The last three are strictly for Husband. I'll let him choose which one he likes the most (and you can interpret "like" anyway you wish). He has a total man crush on George Clooney, so much so it makes me a little uncomfortable. He's a man's man who just looks better and better with age. He's a great actor and did an amazing job with Good Night, and Good Luck. He has causes for which he fights hard, but continues to keep a sense of humor.

I believe we first saw Linda Cardellini as Velma in Scooby Doo, but we have watched some of Freaks and Geeks and plan to finish out the series when we get a chance. She's been in a lot more than I thought, and I must have seen her in a bunch of things, but it was Scooby Doo where she made her mark on my brain.

Finally, to found out the reasons why Husband watched the last seasons of ER on and off, I post a photo of Parminder Nagra. I adored her in Bend it Like Beckham which stars another recipient of Sexy Friday. Husband always loved her character on ER and found her cute. I think he also is taken with her accent. I don't know if he knows that she's our age.

By the way, this will be the last time we have women on Sexy Friday.

Contest Fun

Below is the link to a great contest. Please go and enter. Er... please go and read the authors. Don't enter the contest or I won't win. I don't read all three of the authors regularly, but the books I have read are very entertaining and good fun. Click here for more information.

Books Read in March 2009

1. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb. (NOTE: This is part of her Eve & Roarke series. The entire order for the series can be found here.)
2. Almost Home by Pam Jenoff.
3. What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Good month. I really enjoyed Promises in Death. I like a bigger body count, but the characters helped that along. J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) always seems to write really great characters and her secondary characters are always complex, too. The bookclub book, Almost Home, was a quick read. I liked it overall, but I hate open-endings in books. I understand how some things had to be open-ended as the book was written in First Person and that's one of the weaknesses to the style. I really enjoyed What I Did For Love though it took me awhile to get hooked. Once I did, I ignored everything (sorry, Husband and Little Miss)!

Clear Eyes! Full Heart! Can't Lose!

You may have heard me say this before, but I love Friday Night Lights. So, when multiple sources reported that the show will be renewed for two more years, I did a huge happy dance! This is part of the deal with DirecTV, but I don't care because 1. I have DirecTV and 2. it means the show will be on for 26 more episodes! The deal means two 13 episode seasons. Yippee!!! This means you all have until next summer until you have to hear me talk about the show again (and until next summer to watch seasons one, two, and three)!

Chasing the Years of my Life...

This is from Brandi's blog. She was also kind enough to find a photo of me at 15 or the year I turned 15. Now, if she was only kind enough to find a better photo... I also had some trouble finding a photo from the year I turned 22. This is seriously the only one I can find.

She posted lyrics from Five for Fighting's 100 Years and showed pictures from the mentioned years.

Here is my attempt:

I'm 15 for a moment, caught in between 10 and 20...

I'm 22 for a moment...

33 You're on your way, every day's a new day...

Eventually, Everything Comes Back into Style...

Earlier this year, I heard that Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is being made into a movie. It looks awesome. I cannot wait to see it and see how one of my favorite books is adapted.

Today, I read that Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary is being adapted into a movie, too! I don't necessarily remember this particular book, but Ramona Quimby was one of my favorite characters as a child.

Little Miss will still be too young for either in the theater, but I can't wait to share the books and perhaps the movies with her when she's older. She does have a lot in common with Max making his mischief of one kind and another and another. However, she'll never go to bed without dinner... all bets are off with witholding dessert.

Weekend Update - Wedding Bells

Last Friday, I drove to Pennsylvania to visit a mailshop with which I work. I got there around noon after successfully driving the 3 hours or so to arrive. I took the tour and met a lot of people who were only voices on a phone before. Then, my CSR took me to lunch. We walked around Philadelphia. Then, we checked into my hotel, got our nails done and grabbed dinner. At that point, we were facing the choice of painting the town or, well, going to bed. I hate to say it, but I was exhausted and was sleeping by 10PM. I'm so sad! My big weekend without the baby, and I slept in a giant King size bed hogging all 6 pillows with the temperature at a nice 78 degrees.

On Saturday, I woke up at 6AM. That's the downside of going to bed at 10PM. I dozed on and off until 9AM. At this point, I showered and couldn't find a hair dryer. (Later, I was told it was in a bag in the bathroom. I kind of wondered about the bag, but I didn't really pay attention to it.) So, I walked to a salon I saw the night before and got my haircut. Luckily, it came out good. Then, I watched tv until Husband arrived by train. We drove to a wedding and arrived in plenty of time. The ceremony was beautiful. The reception was a lot of fun, and it was great to see so many friends and have a blast.

Meanwhile, Little Miss stayed at my parents' house. My parents were nervous because she doesn't spend as much time alone with them as with the in-laws, but she's pretty laid back. It seems like she had a blast, and she got a lot really well with the kitty, Toby. She appeared very happy to see us, and we certainly missed her. We played when we got home. Well, she played with Husband after a failed attempt at a nap. He watched her while I rested a little. Then, she played in the bath and went to bed. We'll have a quiet night and head to bed. Now, I only wish I had another weekend to recover!

Sexy Friday

To round out the Irishmen, this week goes to Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He isn't really my type, but I do like this photo. I also did like him in Bend It Like Beckham. I've actually seen more of his movies than I thought, and I did watch the first season of The Tudors. (New season begins Apr. 5 on Showtime. I actually didn't know he was born in Ireland so Sexy Friday is actually educational for me.

Mind Your Own Business!

Garlic is believed to have many health benefits. Not to mention that it keeps away the vampires so I hear. Not to mention the fact that garlic is tasty. So, I walked into my local Trader Joe's for a little lunch supplement and a beverage. I picked up some garlic hummus, Parmesan, Garlic & Herb pita chips, and a bottle of San Pellegrino. I go to check out and, after admiring how nice looking the cashier was, the bag boy (who was also good-looking even though he looked kind of dumb) started talking me up. He first told me that I was going to be all garlic-y later and then asked me how the weather was. It's like "dude, you have sliding doors 50 feet away from you that open every 20 seconds. You can feel what it's like outside unless your brain can't compute that wet means rain, heat means hot, chills mean cold." Also, so what if I turn into a big stinky garlic. It's my business. Don't criticize my shopping... or I'll criticize the hideous bleached streak in your hair. Just for that, I declined a bag and carried my snacks myself.

My Inner Geek Comes Out

Ok, I don't have an Inner Geek. It's all pretty much all out there. Anyway, when I first read that some of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was going to be on The Family Guy, I was super excited. I was a fan of the show and even watch the repeats occasionally. Then, today, I read more and am totally geeking out. If you don't know them, in the above photo is (from L to R), Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, and LeVar Burton. The only additional cast member not pictured who will be in the episode is Denise Crosby who I think is the actor I've seen most lately (and, by "seen", I mean, she's appeared in a lot of my favorite shows within the last year or so).

Anyway, I'll be out of town and afraid I'll forget to watch so I've already recorded the episode on Sunday. It's The Family Guy so I'm sure it's going to be hilarious.

Weekend Update - March Madness

On Friday, we mostly hung out. We had dinner. Little Miss went to bed. Then, I went to bed early to catch up on a little tv on the DVR while Husband watched college basketball.

Saturday, we hung out around the apartment. Then, Husband dropped Little Miss and me off at Brother- and Sister-in-Law's apartment. The boys went to do boy things while the girls hung out. After, we met up with friends at Crystal City Sports Pub to watch basketball. We had dinner and then ended up staying longer than we expected. Little Miss fell asleep at her normal bedtime and we hung out while she slept in the corner. Then, we went home and went to bed.

On Sunday, Husband stayed home with Little Miss while I met a friend and had lunch at Bertucci's. We then walked around the mall before we saw I Love You, Man which was really cute and funny. Then, I came home, ate dinner and hung out with Little Miss. Good weekend, but I need a weekend to recover! Oh, the photo on top is from the bar and the photo on the bottom is from Sunday night when Little Miss decided the basket of dirty laundry was essentially a treasure trove of toys. She just crawled in and had fun. She's a weird one.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I actually don't remember The Very Hungry Caterpillar very much when I was growing up. I know it was around. I better remember The Very Busy Spider. Either way, Eric Carle was always a big part of our lives and he is continuing to be a big part of Little Miss's life by giving her The Very Quiet Cricket which, from numerous blog posts you know she loves and listens to at least four times daily. Anyway, Google honored Eric Carle with his own Google logo today. Google celebrated The Very Hungry Caterpillar's 40th Anniversary and the first day of Spring with the logo, and now the logo joins the large number of special Google logos.

Solemn Friday

I did want to apologize because I know a lot of you look forward to Sexy Friday. I would like to point out that you did have Bonus Sexy this week. This Friday is not Sexy Friday because it seemed too trivial to post Liam Neeson as my Irishman when his wife, Natasha Richardson passed away this week. My heart does break for their family. Losing a family member is difficult enough without the press following your every move. I loved him in Love Actually and now his scenes will always be a little more bittersweet to watch. He was one of my favorite characters in the movie. It seemed wrong to post as Sexy Friday, and I didn't have enough time to find another Irishman. Although, there is nothing sexier than a man in love with his wife. I love that, in this photo, the two are just staring at each other.

(There were some requests for Pierce Brosnan as he was born in Ireland. However, I'm still mad that he tried to sing in Mamma Mia! so he did not deserve Sexy Friday.)

Next week, we will be back with our regularly scheduled Sexy Friday with the last of the four Irishmen.

March Misery

Why do I bother? Most years, I join the NCAA's March Madness Pool. I've never won, but I've haven't hung my head in shame either. This year, I didn't really want to do it. I felt no confidence at all. However, at the last minute, I entered the pool anyway. Then, I found out that I'm close to only choosing 1 of 3 games correct in the first set. One of the games I may lose contains a team I chose to go to the Final Four. Basically, instead of being discouraged and out after the first weekend, I'll be done after the first day. At least I have the excuse that I don't prepare and don't know what I'm doing. Next year, I'm just having Little Miss chose. I bet she'd win. She can't do worse than I am!

Too Sexy! Too Sexy!

Congratulations, Simon Baker for being chosen as TV Guide's Most Sexiest Man. It's a well-deserved honor. However, he already won the most important honor of Sexy Friday. Patrick Dempsey may have had the honor for the last two years, but it was rightfully taken by TV's golden boy of the year.

That said, it's nice to see former Sexy Friday recipients, George Eads and David Boreanaz on the list. Here is the rest of the list: one of my mom's favorites, Maksim Chmrekovskiy; the ever yummy Ryan Kwanten who is deserving of his own Sexy Friday; Matthew Settle who I don't really know well, but he's not so bad; Daniel Sunjata who I always thought was attractive in Rescue Me and The Devil Wears Prada in which Simon Baker shared a screen; Bailey Chase, who I don't know, but I must have seen him in something; Cristian de la Fuente of whom I'm not a huge fan, but he did amuse me in In Plain Sight; and Brody Jenner (I refuse to comment on the last name).

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

I’m raving about how easy this recipe is so I thought I’d share it. It totally made enough for 4 (or for two nights if you're a couple or one night and couple of lunches...).

Ingredients
1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions
For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

I followed the instructions as given except I would add about a half pound more shrimp than what the recipe calls. It also called for the large shrimp. I used medium shrimp and may downgrade to the smaller size next time. I like things extra shrimpy.

Weekend Update - Let's Go to the Mall

As Robin Sparkles would say, let's go to the mall!

Husband had to work a lot for some big, uh, work thing. So, Friday night, I finished a book and relaxed before Little Miss came home. I fed Little Miss dinner and put her to bed. Husband came home late and we ate a late dinner.

On Saturday, Husband woke up with Little Miss so I could sleep late, but I couldn't. I couldn't fall back asleep. It was horrible. So, I got up. I got up and got ready for an afternoon with a friend. When my friend got here, we drove to the mall. We had a fantastic lunch at Five Guys. Little Miss had some pasta and red sauce for lunch. Then, we went to the germ pit so she could run around. She's so funny because the other kids just don't phase her at all. She kind of ignored the kids and just ran around. A little while later, we walked around. Last, we decided to get some ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. Little Miss always has room for ice cream. On the way out of the mall, we stop at Barnes & Noble. Little Miss played with the other children at the train table. She mostly just took a train and ran all around. I dropped my friend at the train station and went home.

On Saturday night, I went to the grocery store and, while I went, Little Miss had a full-out temper tantrum at the prospect of being left home without me. It was kind of sad. When I came home, she ran to the door to greet me and was very happy. It is a nice feeling to be greeted at the door with such happiness.

On Sunday, Little Miss slept late. She doesn't take many naps on the weekends, and that's fine because she doesn't fuss too much when she's sleepy. So, once we both got up and ready, we drove out to a mall that's a little further away. We shared some lo mein and then walked around. I did a little shopping, and we went home, she ate a mix of peas, strawberries, carrots and a chicken cube for dinner. She's going through a phase where she doesn't eat a lot of meat. As long as she eats something healthy, I don't really care. After some playing, I put her to bed early. I did my nails in "An Affair in Red Square. I'm not too in love with the red right now so I may have to go purple later in the week. Anyway, at this point, I'm just hanging out until Husband comes home. He's been gone since before I woke up. I vaguely recall saying goodbye to him. I'll probably head to bed and watch tv until then.

Two things before I end the recap. First, the weather was horrible this weekend - drizzly and chilly. I wanted to get out of the house, and the mall is easy and can be inexpensive. Second, totally witnessed a Mommy fight. Now, I'm a pretty laid back mom. Kids were bumping into Little Miss left and right. As long as she picked herself up again, I was fine with it. Some kid almost hurt this other kid. He didn't, but he could have. So, the girl's mom told the kid to be careful. It's important to say she didn't grab the boy, but she did put her hand on him to get his attention. At this point, the mommies just lit into each other. They were all screaming. Little Miss chose this point to aimlessly wander over to them. I scooped her up. The Super Mommies scare me, but the Scary Mommies scare me even more! Little Miss had a great weekend and both days, the end result was Little Miss sleeping in the carseat.

Sexy Friday

As this coming week is St. Patrick's Day, I thought who does everybody think of when you mention an Irish actor? Colin Farrell. He's not really my type, but I don't dislike him. Actually, looking at his resume, I don't think I've seen much of his movies. Although, he was in our favorite television show, Scrubs so he can't be all bad.

These are Hard Times...

I was a huge fan of Sesame Street when I was younger. I still watch clips on You Tube every so often. So, when I came across this article, I laughed despite the serious aspect *. Obviously, I don't live in the San Francisco area, but I do enjoy following a couple of columns in SF Gate.

So, if you watched the children's show, which resident of the famous street do you think should get the axe? That's a tough one. I do want to say that I love Slimey so I think he should stay. I do find Abby Cadabby kind of annoying, but that may also be because I'm not 4 anymore.

* This is actually amusing, but it's not amusing that Sesame Workshop is laying off a portion of its staff. We live in tough times.

Romance Novel Survey pt. 2

This is from Naomi. She posted part 2 and what kind of follower would I be if I didn't post accordingly? These questions are interesting because my favorite characters don't always come from my favorite book. I judge the question by itself.

1. Favorite heroine in a romance novel.
I'm going with Eve Dallas in the In Death series by J.D. Robb because she's tough and is strong in her believes and her relationships.

2. Favorite hero in a romance novel.
Anyone who knows me knows that it's Richard Lennox, earl of Downe from Dreaming by Jill Barnett. I mean, the man's voice is compared to hot chocolate. He is noble despite his complaining, protective despite his resistance, and he's a good friend even though he'd never admit it.

3. Favorite romance series (a series being more than 2 books that are related)
The Cheseapeake Bay series - Sea Swept, Rising Tides, Inner Harbor, and Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts.

4. Best location in a romance novel.
I'm going to say Silk and Secrets by Mary Jo Putney. When I think of different locations, I always think of this book. It's also one of my favorites.

5. Favorite secondary hero
Well, duh. Ted Mathison from Perfect by Judith McNaught

6. Favorite secondary heroine
You'd think I'd say Katherine (the second half of my secondary hero), but I like to pretend she doesn't exist. I'm going with Torie from Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

7. Favorite secondary storyline - or book you loved because of the secondary storyline.
Sentimental Journey has wonderful multiple storylines though Neil's story in Dreaming is adorable. Both by Jill Barnett.

8. Favorite romance sub genre.
It depends on the author. I read a bit of the vampires, dabble in witches. However, it's really by author not necessarily by subgenre. I just don't care for fairies or time travel.

9. Favorite paranormal/fantasy romance.
Right now, I'm going to say the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

10. Favorite historical romance.
Eeek. I don't read a lot of historicals anymore. I always say Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer though there are tons of others.

11. Favorite contemporary romance.
Sheesh. I have many, but today, it is Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah because I'm a big fan of Liam Campbell and one line makes me cry every time I read it.

12. Favorite romantic suspense/mystery.
I'm not a huge fan of the romantic suspense/mystery, but as I stated before, I do like the In Death series by J.D. Robb despite the fact that it's futuristic. The characters are what draws me to the series. Plus, some books have a high body count and gore which I enjoy.

Romance Novel Survey pt. 1

This is from Naomi. I thought it would be fun. I also tried not to use the same authors for all of the questions. This made things more challenging.

1. One romance book you've read more than once.
Dreaming by Jill Barnett

2. One romance book you want on a desert island.
Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer though I often answer this with Imagine by Jill Barnett because it actually takes place on a desert island though, unless I find a genie, I don't think the book would give me many tips.

3. One romance book that made you laugh.
Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

4. One romance book that made you cry.
The Nightingale's Song by Kathleen Eschenburg

5. One romance book you wish you had written.
Oh, I wouldn't dream of ruining a favorite book by writing it myself.

6. One romance book you wish you could alter the ending of.
This should actually be under the book that made me cry, but what I did was so beyond crying when I read this book. Cloud 9 by Luanne Rice

7. One romance book you are currently reading.
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

8. One romance book you have meant to read.
Sex, Lies, and Online Dating and the subsequent books by Rachel Gibson

9. One romance book that changed you or your views in some way.
I don't know if there is one specific book. I'll say Sentimental Journey by Jill Barnett because of the different points of view and locations.

10. One romance book made into a movie that you liked both the book & the movie.
I don't think there is one for romance novels. However, the movie adaptation of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan was excellent.

11. One romance book made into a movie where you liked the book, but hated the movie.
It's wrong to point any out, but pretty much all of them. I would say Rose Hill, the tv movie adaptation of For the Roses by Julie Garwood was disappointing especially because the ending changed. On the flip side, I had no idea Justin Chambers played Cole.