Aunt B's All-Time Favorite Movies

After careful deliberation, I have narrowed my list down to the top twenty-five favorites. They are in no particular order. Just my faves. It's hard to pick one as the best. So, without much further ado:

1. Tombstone - "I'm your huckleberry."
2. Mr. & Mrs. Smith - They are just *hot* together. I love their chemistry.
3. My Best Friend's Wedding - Dermot Mulroney
4. Vacation with Chevy Chase, the first one, the original. This is where it all started!
5. Top Gun - the volleyball scene ("Playing with the Boys")
6. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Numar - You go Wesley Snipes! I love you Miss Noxema Jackson.
7. Sixteen Candles - "Oh sexy girlfriend...."
8. U-571 - Matthew McConaughey, intense, intense movie!
9. Footloose - Gave us all a Biblical reason for dancing!
10. Grease - This should be on any female, 30 something's list!
11. The Sound of Music - Oh, that scene where Maria is teaching the boys how to dance and the Captain steps in. It sends chills down my spine.
12. The Sixth Sense - Hands down, the best psychological thriller I've ever seen.
13. The Silence of the Lambs - I loved this movie. So, so cleverly done.
14. Under the Tuscan Sun - Diane Lane was fabulous, she made me want to pick up and move to Tuscany. (Dang that married realtor. Why did he have to be married? That would have been an awesome hook-up!)
15. Mona Lisa Smile - I loved Kirsten Dunst in this movie. She did a fabulous job.
16. Stepmom - Julia and Susan - need we say more?
17. Lonesome Dove - Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, great western
18. Return to Me - What a beautiful story, I fell in love with David Duchovny in this one!
19. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - Matthew McConaughey
20. The Pirate Movie - Christopher Atkins & Kristy MacNichol
21. Titanic - Just a good love story
22. Pearl Harbor - fascinating account of the events intertwined with a love story
23. The Notebook - a lifetime of love, a love that stands the tests of time.
24. Sweet Home Alabama - A love that was meant to be, and a past that couldn't stay there
25. When Harry Met Sally - "I'll have what she's having."

Pet Peeves

I have three, yes three, pet peeves that just get under my skin.

1. People who litter. This includes, but is not limited to, people who throw their cigarette butts on the ground. Especially lit ones. We live in hot, dry West Texas and it would not take anything to start a fire. But that's almost beside the point. How is it that these people don't view this as littering? Hello????? A couple of months ago, I saw someone walk out of a pharmacy, look at their receipt and then just throw it on the ground. I nearly lost it. Especially since there was a trash can *right there.* Idiots. I have, however, discovered how to get revenge on said idiots. Did you know that you can report a litterer? You can! Just go to:

www.dontmesswithtexas.org

You will need the date, time, location, make of car, license plate number, what was littered, who littered and then you can post comments. The offender has to have Texas plates. (The geeks who are from out of state get away with it.) The offender will receive a letter stating that they were caught littering and will also be given a Don't Mess With Texas trashbag for their car. I love it. And believe me, I've used it. I've reported *several* offenders. I now keep a notepad and pen handy for just such occasions. I think I feel like it empowers me a little. A chance to fight back! So don't mess with Texas or I'll turn your butt in, too. Pun intended.

2. Cigarette smoke in public places. I don't mean to offend, but I hate it. I hate it that most designated smoking places are at the entrace to that very business or institution. I don't care if you want to defile your own body, but don't drag me or my hyper-sensitive nasal passages with you. It's disgusting and bad for you. And Heaven forbid, I'm sitting in my car at a stop light or at a drive-in somewhere. You're gonna get the "look" from me. If you know me, you know the "look." Chances are, you have received it before for some reason or the other. And if you are my brother, you've been embarassed by being seen with me when I administer the "look." It will likely get my butt kicked someday. Avoid the "look." Quit smoking in public places.

3. Gum smacking. This one sends me into what I can only describe as "body jolting seizures." I can't stand it. Especially those people gifted enough to do that wierd little "pop" thing with their gum where you never even see a bubble. They just keep doing it, over and over. It's inside their mouth and all you hear is this redundant clicking. It drives me *insane.* It was the worst in college when I was trying to take a test. Maybe I have ADD or something, but I could never concentrate when someone was popping or smacking their gum. I would have to wait until the dipwad finished their test before I could start mine. Then hopefully I had enough time to take my test. It didn't matter if I moved across the room or not. Once it existed, I knew it was there and was *so* sensitive to it. This one will get you the "look" everytime. Even if you are family. I don't care. Quit smacking and popping your freaking gum. I have popped DH on the back of the head before and told him to spit his gum out or we were about to have a major problem. He usually agitates me for about a minute more and then quits. I probably look like my head is going to blow off of my shoulders (like in the cartoons) and then just explode. So, dear friends, don't be offended if I wrestle you to the ground and pry gum out of your mouth someday. It's just because I like you and don't wish death upon you. ;-)

New Movie Review

Firewall

Great film. Predictable ending. But it still had some of those edge of your seat moments. I'll see Harrison Ford in just about anything. Quite a thriller. I don't view the time spent viewing as wasted. It was worth the couple of hours. I"m just mad that I wasn't folding clothes while I was watching the movie. You know, kill two birds with one stone?

Mona Lisa Smile

I've seen this one over and over and it has to go on some list that contains my favorites. It gets an A- Great chick flick.

My Noah

Here is the LO I submitted for the blog contest at SU. It was hard to do (emotionally) but I'm glad I did it. You may want to click on the picture to enlarge it so you can read the journaling.

Lasik Rocks!

I totally recommend Angelo Laser Eye Center!

http://www.lasiktx.com/

They treated me *so* well. (It helps that I tested 20/15 in both eyes for my first follow-up visit today!) I am **loving** this no glasses/no contacts thing. It is so cool. I mean really cool. This is one happy, non-contact wearin', loving Dr. Lui, smiling, laser-corrected woman!

Lasik, here I come...

Whew, the clock is ticking and the big moment is getting closer. I have three hours and forty-five minutes until I have to be there. I'm ready. Good-bye you cursed glasses. Be gone from my face. Hello non-blurred peripheral vision. I can now scrapbook with some heart.

Here we go. I'll update when I'm done and can. Say a prayer!

Seinfeld "Puerto Rican Day Parade"

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a Seinfeld maniac. I love the show. I love that they spare no one's feelings. They pick on everybody -- they don't care.

We watched it again yesterday. It still cracks me up. Two lines in particular:

"Mucho Traffico! (said by Kramer)

"Fold your dog's ear back!" (said by Elaine)

Classic, classic episode! It's a must see. But good luck finding it. It is rarely shown in syndication because the PR's were offended. I have no offense to them. I just think the show is funny. Society needs to quit wearing their feelings on their sleeves.

Yoda

"The force is stong in that one."

She and SD saved my butt tonight. I was working on a project with a rub-on phrase and I wasn't paying attention. I *screwed it up." She and SD helped fix it. Now, it looks awesome.

Yoda also gave me some awesome hints at the crop last night. She truly is my Yoda and I am her not-so-young Jedi. I am a Jedi in training. Inspires me, she does.

Fake Nails, Weight Loss and Inspiration

Okay, the fake nails addiction needs to go. They have begun to interfere with my scrapbooking. Do you know how hard it is to handle a mini brad or an eyelet with those things? It's crazy. Since I was too cheap to get a new set this past time, I got them polished. (Which, by the way, can and *will* transfer to your projects.) They are also too expensive. I'd rather spend my money on scrapbook stuff. Maybe if I'd lose some weight I wouldn't need artificial means to feel better about myself. (Ouch! Yes, I said it.)

That brings me to my next subject. I'm feeling a need to really pull this weight off, tone my *not so sexy* body and get in shape. I *hate* the huge mirror in my bathroom. I feel sorry for David. He must really love me because I'm really not looking good. At all. It's time to put some action to it. I've lost at Weight Watchers before and I know I can do it again. Truth be told, if I'd stayed with the program, I wouldn't have gained all of my weight back in the first place. It's a lifestyle change. I need to change my lifestyle. I've got kids now. I need to do it for them. I want to run and play with them both now and with their kids many years from now. That first step is the hardest. I need to be completely committed or it won't work. My mirror is quite an inspiration. I want to feel pretty. Right now I don't. I know there's more to a person than outward beauty. Okay, I'm rambling. I'm going to lose weight. No more of "well, I'll start after that birthday party or after I go to that crop. It starts this week. Goodbye Fatty McButter Pants (any King of Queens fans?). Hello new, thinner, sexier, healthier, happier Me!

Wal-Mart.com Photo Center Sucks

Ugh..... Let me say that again. UGH!!!!!!!!!

I have been picking out pictures all week to have printed out for my crop tonight. I submitted them online to Wal-Mart at 9:21 this morning. Because of their "high volume" my order summary said they would be ready at 11:21. I can forgive an hour. Even though one-hour service isn't technically one hour anymore, but whatever. I need to quit using one hour service and plan a little further ahead next time. That's beside the point.

I went at 12:00 (I gave them an extra 39 minutes) and THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY ORDER. Yes, I'm yelling. Not at you. It's my frustration. I had a *small* window where I could pick up my pictures, head to my LSS, powerscrap the pictures and head back home. They called some 800 number in Dallas and 10 minutes later told me that there was a "problem with my account" and I could get my picture in 3 - 5 days. Huh???? That doesn't exactly do me a lot of good for tonight. I have a freakin' project I'm working on. I have a crop tonight. CRAP!!! Then, that butt-munch at the counter said to me, very condescendingly, "Well, did you get e-mail confirmation of your order?" No, I didn't. I assumed that because my order summary said that they'd be ready at 11:21, then that was good enough. Apparently not. Then that *man* asked me that question again. (Same tone.) I could feel the steam shooting out of my ears just like in the cartoons. He's real lucky I've been doing a Bible Study lately that helped me keep my composure and not just absolutely *go-off* on him. It wasn't his fault, but he didn't have to act like such a *man.* I was the dumb woman who didn't wait for my e-mail confirmation. I shouldn't let anyone make me feel that way.

So, I get home, calm down a little. It's not worth the headache I'm getting. I called the customer service number for Wal-Mart.com myself. A woman answers. (After I listened to their stupid hold music for five minutes. Are you adding up how much of my *valuable* time I've waited on them today?) My intelligence was further insulted after she read an obviously scripted response to me. It's not just me, it's their online one hour service. They have since taken the service off of their site all-together until it is fixed.

Did they send me an e-mail telling me there would be a delay? No. Did they offer to give me a discount or give me some other "perk" for my inconvenience? NO. Will I submit pictures to them ever again? No.

Whew, I feel a little better. But if they charge my credit card, after I cancelled the order, I *will* go off. Ugh.

Chicken Soup

I got my new book yesterday. It is Chicken Soup for the Scrapbookers Soul. It's extra special because my friend Ami has a story in there about how she and Jody got together and opened our local scrapbook store. They had an adorable party promoting the book and even signed books for people. The book is really sweet and funny. I started reading it last night. Don't wast your time if you are not a scrapbooker. You won't get it. But if you are, can I get an amen?