no rest for the weary

there's been snow to shovel every day.  ice to break up, remove.  cold temperatures to deal with.  laundry to wash, fold.  rooms to dust, vacuum.  walls to tape, paint.  jobs to search for, apply.  books to read.  tv shows to watch.  music to listen to.  food to cook, eat.  cats to feed, pet.  naps to take.  i've been busy.

second star to the right

getting back to favorites.  what would be my favorite ride at disney world?  obviously one that includes tinker bell.  how can you not enjoy flying over london in a pirate galleon to never land?  grab a seat on the ship, get doused with pixie dust, sail out of the darling's nursery into the moonlit sky above london.  fly over the famous sights of big ben, london bridge and more. see the tiny street lights and headlights of automobiles twinkling below.  descend to never land, sweeping past the lost boys camp, mermaid lagoon and skull rock. peter pan faces off against captain hook aboard hook's pirate ship to save wendy and her brothers.

frosted

winter is still making its prescence known.  cold, snow, lake effect, thaw, snow, snow, lake effect, frigid cold.  i did notice that the days are getting longer, albeit through the snow falling.  busy week doing much of nothing, or some things around the house, pictures on the wall, playing games on the wii, watching television, feeding the cats, internet searches.  watched some disney movies yesterday.  out of the three we watched, boris liked the princess and the frog the best.  baked cupcakes from scratch today.  going to make dinner, some sort of meat and potato dish, thought a dessert would be nice to have.  afterward going to watch an old disney classic, the cat from outer space.  staying home and warm during the cold snap.  well getting cold going out and shoveling but i haven't gotten outside yet today.

throes of winter

too much snow.  too cold.  i want to hibernate.  i want warmth.  i want sun.  all i seem to do each day is get up and shovel.  i did get a new shovel.  i named it sebastian.  i have used sebastian too much.  i do other things through out the day too.  but none of those activities wear me out.  i bake too much.  brownies, granola bars, banana bread.  i use the slow cooker too.  the last meal consisted of chicken, penne pasta, cream of mushroom soup, seasoning, shredded cheese.  warms the belly.  i apply for job opportunities too.  i nap too.  i watch tv too.  i dream of summer too.

turn the page

the book thief by markus zusak is extraordinary, heartbreaking. an incredibly well crafted book. it speaks to the heart, draws the reader into the darkest of times and allows you to experience the depth of human emotion in so many ways. Beautifully written and deeply moving.


it’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
 
that's why the book thief is my favorite read.

white out

snow emergency declared.  lake effect snow warnings until morning.  three days of snow and it's piling up.  official count right now 18 inches.  my unofficial count too much damn snow.  it's not stopping the cardinals from taking over the bird feeder.  it's not going to stop me from baking some brownies either.  need energy to shovel out the driveway.

changing channels

tv show.  since i mentioned my favorite song, my favorite movie, i figured i would come up with my favorite show on tv.  i thought of past and current shows.  did i consider a comedy such as arrested development, friends, the simpsons (a definite contender), big bang theory, frasier my favorite?  how about the dramas like law and order/law and order svu (another in the running), er, chicago hope?  variety/reality shows like the wonderful world of color, the carol burnett show, survivor, america's next top model (dare i consider this one as my favorite?), amazing race, big brother, project runway, top chef could take the top spot.  i watch quite a bit of television.  really it came down to two shows.  st elsewhere and la law.  both were well written, well acted, had colorful characters, good storylines, and completely entertaining.  how did i decide on which one is my favorite?  the one with one of the most memorable final episodes shown on tv.  my favorite show?  st elsewhere.

sitting in the dark

movies have provided many escapes, many hours of entertainment, many laughs, many thought provoking moments.  i decided to pinpoint my favorite movie just as i did my favorite song.  without any hesitation (or surprise) it is the lion king.  surprising would be the reason, which i will get to.  i have many favorite movies for various reasons.  the nonsensical laughs provided by mindless comedies like 1941, clueless, or dude where's my car?; the senseless disaster flicks like dante's peak, twister, the poseidon adventure; the frivolity of grease; the seriousness of schindler's list; the adventure of the raiders of the lost ark, terminator 2 judgement day; the horror of the mummy, the shining.  i could go on and on.  getting back to my favorite movie.  it is my favorite for a number of reasons.  it is a good compelling story, beautifully animated, engaging characters, memorable music.  summer of 2000 while browsing through videos on sale at a store closing, i found a copy of the lion king for $5.00.  i bought it because i had just started getting back to my fondness and love of things Disney after a long time focusing on other things.  on a rainy sunday i put on the movie and was instantly captivated.  it brought me 100% back into the magic and joy.  i watched it multiple times that day.  i have watched it regularly since.  still captivated, mesmerized.

music to my ears

recently in conversation the topic of music came up. specifically favorite genres, favorite songs.  it's easy to throw out memorable tunes that have guided my way like the one song about a special relationship use somebody by kings of leon; the one song about tearing the dancefloor up at that club downtown attack ships on fire by revco; any number of Disney songs that can always bring a smile to my face mickey mouse club march etc.  i had easy off the cuff answers, all meaningful songs, but i never really gave it a thought about what would be my favorite.  a few days rationalizing, sorting through the rolodex in my mind, narrowing choices. it was difficult and i was surprised by the realization of what my favorite song actually is.  growing up i heard music from every genre, pop, rock and roll, country, jazz, easy listening, broadway, childrens, r&b, dance, so there was plenty to choose from.  soon i narrowed it down to a handful.  california dreaming by the mama's and the papa's; midnight train to georgia by gladys knight and the pips; flashlight by parliament; london calling by the clash; message in a bottle by the police.  each one of these songs moves me, defines my love of music, defines me.  to simply put into words what they mean is impossible, but each is profound to me.  i understand it is subjective and not everyone would agree with my choices, but it is a personal choice.  i loaded up the zune, played the songs i chose over and over.  they all had the same effect on me as they did the first time i heard them.  one song stuck with me after i stopped listening.  it made my choice rather easy.  it is running through my mind right now.

my favorite song?  flashlight by parliament.

why?  the song grooves.  it is funk, soul, and rock collectively.  the bass line grabs hold of me, pushes my body around, never lets go.  it invades, takes hold, i become the rhythm.  that is what music is about.  that is what makes a song a great one.  agree with me, disagree with me, it doesn't matter.  just appreciate the music, let it move you, own you.

some new things

house party on the 31st to celebrate the new year.  friends came over.  pot of chili, crock of meatballs, cornbread, french bread, pasta, veggies, cookies, desserts.   chatted up until midnight, moved into the family room, grabbed the champagne, watched the ball drop, toasted to health, happiness, good friends.  we never did get to play the games intended for the evening, a good social gathering.  new year's day Ken and Beth came over and helped install a new ceiling fan in the dining room and a new light fixture in the kitchen.  (THANKS!)  Napped the evening away. demon monster creature thing and the vacuous made their rock band debut on the wii.  epic mickey is next on the agenda.  gonna head out for movie night with the gang.  tomorrow back to the routine.