Recent Movie Viewings

Just to keep tally -

"Good Night, and Good Luck." Wow, great movie, but scary how it relates to current events. I really wish there was some very influential and credible journalist to take on the establishment as it is today. *Sigh*

"Saved" Christian school girl gets pregnant trying to "save" her gay Christian boyfriend. Sounds hideous, but really not bad.

"Goonies" played at Central Market, central location, on a blow up screen. It isn't often the weather is perfect in June (usually too hot), but it was! Funny remembrances in the movie. Strange that all the "kids" are now my age. Guess it makes sense because I was their age when I first saw it. If you get a chance, go to one of the Alamo Drafthouse rolling roadshows this summer. It is a blast!

"Match Point" Woody Allen without being too Woody Allen. If you are a purist, then I apologize, but this was one of the first W.A. movies I have seen that isn't really about his neurosis. Very good movie. Matthew Goode, Scarlett Johansen and Jonathon-Rhys Meyers. Very good.

"Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" I am trying to like them. I haven't seen a Star Wars movie after Empire Strikes Back, but since I have a little boy, I feel like I need to be able to hang with him. I am really trying. Not a bad movie though...for Sci-Fi.

Hair before and after

Paula used to joke about "momma cut my hair" do's.  She said she would never do it, but 
then she did.  First pictures of X Man's hair before the cut and after.   

box wine

 My mother does it.  I swore I never would.  But...then I had a child and became poor.  What to do for the every day wine?  Hmmm...I have tried jugs and cheap bottles, but until now I have avoided the BOX.  The box has always been represented by the Franzia that I grew up seeing in the fridge.  No crappy box chablis for me.  No way!  Then...again...I had a child and became POOR.  I guess I don't need to repeat that for those of you that formerlly enjoyed a decent disposable income before baby and day care, but for those of you who have not experienced this yet, that's right...you become POOR.  Then you resort to BOXED WINE!  Oh...the horrors.  I actually "Googled" boxed wine to see if they made decent ones.  The first recommendation was the Black Box wines.  I am a red wine drinker, so I chose the merlot.  Not too bad.  Paula kind of screwed up her face in a contortion I can't exactly explain without photos, but she said (in that voice that ends more high pitched than it begun... usually a sign of lying) that it was ok.   The second box was the Delecato Shiraz.  Actually pretty good.  There are pictures of both boxes, the "inards" and the danger of pointing the little spigot in the wrong direction.  Beware of that!

Home Improvement

Besides being one day before Juneteenth, the birthday of both my friends Jason S. and Jesse G., this is also exactly 2 months and 1 day away from Paula's 30th birthday party. Yep, 2 months to go and about six months without any major progress on our home improvement projects. Well...today we made up for it! We continued stripping our kitchen cabinets of the 4 layers of paint they have accumulated since the house was built in 1971. Along the way, it was decided that Paula would make new cabinet doors instead of continue the tedious project of stripping, sanding and staining the old, warped doors. Of couse we would continue to strip, sand and stain the bases of the cabinets. Anyway... here are some beforee and not quite after yet pics!

Xander's boots

Last year at Christmas, we talked about not buying him presents because he was just one year old and he wouldn't care, blah...blah...blah. By the way, this theory was mostly my blah... but I couldn't do it. I couldn't stick with the plan. I hit ToysRus a couple of weeks before Christmas and bought a basketball goal for toddlers and a tricycle with a steering bar for moms. Then on my way to Central Market, I stopped at the Cavendar Boots store in the parking lot of the CM. I had to do it, I don't know why, but I bought his first pair of Wranglers and a pair of roper boots.

I brought these home and showed them to Paula who crinkled up her face and said..."WHY?"

I couldn't explain it. Regardless, six months later, here is X man wearing his BOOTS.

Could I be notorious already?

A picture from Sinda while she and the girls were in our nations capital.

Age him 18 years

And pretend he is in college. These are what the party pics would look like. Please note, no partying was involved. Just a raucous 19 month old.

Happy to just be mama

X man is finally learning more words. This past week he started saying "Paaaula." Instead of calling her mama, my partner is now "Paaaula." Last night when Paula was gone, X man was walking around the house looking for "Paaaula." This morning, Ema at his daycare was "Paaaula." I am reaping benefits of having a difficult name to pronounce. Guess I am just mama.

Why strawberry is the wrong choice...

for your toddlers snow cone. See pic of X man after the Austin Pride Festival. Mommy did a foolish thing. A very very foolish thing! Here's hoping the power of spray and wash comes through.

My idea of bliss

My toddler who is usually reluctant to sleep...sleeping blissfully

The movie tonight: Spellbound

I was supposed to go to the Pride Parade to honor my bretheren tonight, but I was honestly too beat from last nights' suburban mom museum, fun roadside bar fest. Plus, I had to work early this morning. So...off went the amazing Paula to the march...hopefully marching proudly for the whole family while I was hanging with the X man and watching my as previously mentioned, and derided Netfix, choice "Spellbound." (Netflix derided, not the documentary).

Good documentary. Take aways - sometimes parents push and that sucks, but sometimes these kids are SO self motivated and if they lose that sort of sucks, but they are STILL awesome self motivated kids who after the damn spelling bee will probably accomplish more than you and I could ever dream about!

Evening at the Blanton, Barton Springs Saloon

An evening out with the "girls" started at the Blanton Museum where the first Friday of every month includes drinks (sadly, not for free) and apps (free, think we spotted the HEB brownie bites in there - though I didn't eat anything). Good art fun was had. Saw Rich from the Starbucks next to my work. Hi Rich! Got lost a couple times in the museum. Really liked the modern art and like the one older painting of the guy with his head on a silver plater - maybe John the Baptist? Not sure, the others knew but...

Then we went to the old gas station turned saloon that is at the corner of Lamar and Barton Springs. We got to watch the motorcycles wizz by via the light of the "Golden Arches" across the street. Cool place. Great eclectic "Austin" mix of people.

Goodbye

Today while shopping at the Barnes and Noble for a book for my son and another friends' 2-year old's birthday party I ran into someone I hadn't seen in about six years. This man was the one time roommate of my ex-girlfriend. He informed me that she had passed away at the tender age of 32 a few days ago. She had been sick for a very long time with Lupus. Though I hadn't talked to her in a number of years, her death kind of slammed into me. Just when I thought my Friday was going ok, after spending the day interviewing sales people and getting ready to escape to the comfort of home, this happened. So - Goodbye Nikki. I hope your pain has ended and you are in a better place. The earth was lucky to have you as long as it did.

For more information on Lupus, go here

PO'D at Netflix

I quit once and I am SURE I could do it again! I signed up for the one movie at a time plan. Then I lost the envelopes - well my child ripped them up - so I started the two movies at a time plan. Now, despite the fact I've had the same discs (guess movies isn't the right term since one of them is the BBC women in prison drama "Bad Girls") for the last three weeks, I logged onto the site today to see what I would have coming after "Pride and Prejudice." It said I had 4 free rentals left. Huh? I didn't know I had a number. I didn't have a number the last three months on this plan, but all of a sudden I ONLY get 4 RENTALS in an entire month. No other plan had a restriction (though I've read the news about intentional delays from Netflix for high users). What is UP? I want to quit, but I know how lazy I am. However, I can be passive agressively pissed!

However, in other news, this is a picture of X-man at his first Margarita party in Waterloo park. NOOO... he didn't have any Margaritas. It wasn't bedtime. :)