Christmas Movie Review

I have had an unending love affair with cheesy Christmas movies since I was a child. It began with classics like Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas which I remember watching as a child and loving every minute of. The mix of sentiment and holiday cheer left me with a gooey feeling on the inside that I just adored.

Years later I discovered the Christmas movies on Lifetime, ABC Family and Hallmark and would flip on the TV to fill the space of time while setting up the tree, writing out Christmas cards or wrapping presents. But 2 years ago I had my first holiday season with a TiVo and it changed this deep appreciation of Christmas films into a crazy obsession. Now beginning in mid-November I set up "Wish List" searches, set recordings for my favorite titles, rearrange my NetFlix queue so that I only receive holiday films and read up on the "new" premier films. All this so that I can spend every spare moment from mid-November through early January overdosing on sappy Christmas movies, it is an addiction, I'm well aware.

During the 2008 Christmas season I watched 51 movies. And yes I am aware that 51 is A LOT of movies. With the urging and teasing of Don and Kat I made a list of the movies I watched and rating them on a 1 to 4 star scale, 4 being the best. I typed it up and then forgot it as this post has been sitting in my draft folder a really, really, really, really, really long time. It was complete with the exception of links and comments so I added those and decided that today is the perfect day to post it since Christmas is five months from today. They are listed in alphabetical order with links to applicable IMDB pages. Enjoy!

All I Want for Christmas (2007) **** Story is really only 3-star worthy but I loved the character, Ben, portrayed by Robert Mailhouse. Am I the only one who thinks he is adorable?

All I Want for Christmas (1991) ** I don't recall seeing this when it came out, now I know why.

All She Wants for Christmas *** Cute story but Monica Keena is just annoying.

Angel in the Family ** They implied that there were tons of deep seeded family issues but they could all miraculously be fixed in one day with their "angel" mother, I didn't buy it.

Boyfriend for Christmas, A **** Adorable!

Carol Christmas, A * Exactly how many twists can be made on Charles Dickens wonderful tale, ugh! And Tori Spelling was horrible.

Christmas Box, The ** I LOVED this book and hated the movie, all the magic of the book was lost when it was converted to a screenplay. Richard Thomas is overrated and didn't portray the role well.

Christmas Caper ** Saw this when it premiered last year and thought it was okay but Shannen Doherty isn't one of my favorite people and it bugged me this year.

Christmas Card, The *** Great story but Alice Evans (who stars in the lead role) has a weird lisp and it drove me NUTS the entire time I was watching the movie.

Christmas Choir, The **** Very touching especially when you learn that its based on a true story.

Christmas List, The **** This is the epitome of a cheesy Christmas movie for me, I've watched it every year for as long as I can remember.

Christmas Secret, The ** Story dragged on and on and once again with Richard Thomas in the mix to ruin it all.

Christmas Shoes, The *** A perfect example of why a 3-minute song shouldn't be turned into a 2-hour movie. Only redeeming factor was the cast as I love Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Rob Lowe.

Christmas Wedding, A *** Sappy Christmas romance, but it dragged a bit.

Christmas in Boston **** Cute!

Christmas with the Kranks * HORRIBLE!

Different Kind of Christmas, A *** Cute, but probably won't watch it again.

Diva’s Christmas Carol, A ** Enough with the twists on A Christmas Carol. Ugh!

Elf ** Actually liked it better the first time I saw it. This year I didn't find it funny at all.

Eve’s Christmas **** Cute!

His and Her Christmas ***I kept falling asleep during this one which I don't think was because of the film but rather the time of day I was choosing to watch it, right before bed.

Holiday Affair (1996) **** Cute. I just realized that its a remake of a 1949 film with Janet Leigh, I'll have to check that one out next year.

Holiday in Handcuffs *** It was better the first time around, but still entertaining this year.

Holiday to Remember, A *** I hereby declare that Randy Travis shouldn't make any more movies.

Home by Christmas *** I've seen this one before and always find it moving.

Home for the Holidays ** Yawn!

Its a Wonderful Life ***** The quintessential holiday classic and my favorite holiday movie by a long shot.

Lost Holiday: The Jim and Suzanne Shemwell Story ** Nothing says happy holidays like watching a couple get lost in the woods and then scream and yell at each other for a week.

Man Who Saved Christmas, The **** Based on the true story of the inventor of the Erector Set.

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas **** It's Mickey Mouse, what is not to love about Mickey.

Moonlight and Mistletoe **** New this year, I liked it but wonder if it will retain the 4-star rating in the future.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year, The **** Loved Henry Winkler's performance, he cracked me up.

Ms Scrooge ** Again with the Christmas Carol remakes, ugh!

Polar Express, The ** I loved this book but the movie is just creepy and LONG.

Recipe for a Perfect Christmas **** Cute!

Road to Christmas *** Cute, but a little on the slow side.

Santa Baby *** I used to find Jenny McCarthy annoying but in the last decade she has transformed herself from Playboy/MTV bimbo into a kind and loving advocate and mother and now I adore her.

Santa Jr. ** Trying a little too hard.

Season for Miracles, A **** One of my favorites as it has the perfect mix of intrigue, magic and love to give you chills and bring a tear to your eye.

Silver Bells **** Cast leaves a bit to be desired but the story has that typical holiday sentiment that I adore.

Snow *** Tom Cavanagh is adorable and this is a cute holiday story.

Snow 2: Brain Freeze *** Sequel of the previous film and the "rest of the story" and cute, but lacking a bit of the magic that the first one had.

Snowglobe *** One I could relate to in that struggle between wanting a "perfect Christmas" and just being in the moment, a cute film.

Stealing Christmas **** Tony Danza and Lea Thompson in a "bad guy turned good" Christmas tale, it is holiday gold.

Three Days *** A woman (Kristen Davis) dies but then gets to come back and spend 3 days with her husband. It has been described as "It's a Wonderful Life, Part II" yet I wasn't blown away by it, but I was setting up the tree and chatting while it was one so I really need to give it another chance.

Twelve Days of Christmas Eve, The ** Not funny, only mildly charming and Molly Shannon drove me nuts.

Town Without Christmas, A ** Chuck full of holiday cheese but it just lacked something, not sure what.

Unlikely Angel **** Very predictable and filled with holiday goodness, plus Dolly Parton is adorable.

Very Married Christmas, A *** Movie tagline is "It takes a lifetime of marriage to find your way back to true love" and it is a nice combination of reality, sadness and love.

Very Merry Daughter of the Bride, A **** A new one for 2008 and cute, sure to become a long standing favorite.

White Christmas *** A classic and one that must be watched annually. I own it on DVD now and the quality is amazing.

The 6th Food Group

Cheese that doesn't require refrigeration!?! Meat that comes in a can!?! Some things just don't make sense and that is especially true when it comes to food. I decided years ago that there should be a 6th food group for all of the foods that can't be easily qualified in any of the traditional food groups. Kat, Don and I were discussing this over dinner last night and started making a list of foods that qualify for classification in the 6th food group. Our list, in alphabetical order, with hyperlinks:

Bologna
Bubble Tea
Cheese Whiz
Cool Whip
French Fried Onions
Fruit Cake
Hamburger Helper
Hot Dogs
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Jello
Macaroni & Cheese
Maraschino Cherries
Meat Pies
Marmite
Marshmallow Fluff
Mincemeat
Minute Rice
Powered Gravy
Pudding Snack Cups (unrefrigerated)
Soy Milk
Spam
Tongue Loaf
Twinkies, Ding Dongs and all other Hostess products
Vegemite
Velveeta
Vienna Sausage

When searching for the links for the items above I was shocked at how many of these treasures are manufactured by Kraft. The marketing professional in me couldn't help but think that maybe they should consider a new tag line - "Kraft: producing all your 6th food group favorites for 105 years" or "Kraft: where odd food is born." I may have to send them an email with my suggestion.

I eat foods some of the food that I classify in the 6th food group, in fact a few of the items listed are favorites of mine. I believe that life wouldn't be complete without many of the things on this list; cause, Cool Whip is just yum, it is fascinating to watch Velveeta melt and nothing cures a bad day like a box of Mac & Cheese.

Don sent me this link this morning to a few additional items which certainly need to be considered, proof that we have just begun exploring the world of the 6th food group. What food treasures do you think should be added to the list?

200 More Things

I stole this from Don's site and have had it saved in my "drafts" folder for months and decided to get it posted today. I've done the things in boldface.

1. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelight bath with someone
8. Said 'I love you' and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten my own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than I can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when I'm not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied my bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as I possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice-cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about my life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for my computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved my job for all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shit-faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road trip
59. Gone rock climbing
60. Lied to a foreign government official in that country to avoid notice
61. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
62. Skydived
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then I was actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Bench-pressed my own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized my records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Gone scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something I should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to have known about my blog has discovered it
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had my heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Sword fought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone I shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
95. Gotten divorced
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn me on
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk I don't remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to Las Vegas
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of my parents
119. Shaved or waxed my pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a cheque
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read—and understood—my credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed my favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named my own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that my ancestors did
132. Called or written my Congressman/Member of Parliament
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. —More than once? —More than thrice?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when I knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or my female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident I shouldn't have survived
140. Written articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someones heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a TV game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
154. Had a body part below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had my picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in my lifetime
173. Changed someones mind about something I care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Para sailed
177. Changed my name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one "important" author I missed in school and read his/her work
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because my apartment needed them
183. —and gotten 86'ed from the restaurant because I did it so many times, they figured out it was me
184. Taught myself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologised to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all my school reunions
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written my own computer language
191. Thought to myself that I was living my dream
192. Had to put someone I love into hospice care
193. Built my own PC from parts
194. Sold my own artwork to someone who didn't know me
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196. Dyed my hair
197. Been a DJ
198. Found out someone was going to dump me via Live Journal
199. Written my own role-playing game
200. Been arrested

100 Things About Me

The idea for this list was inspired similar list that I saw on the website of a girlfriend. It's 100 factoids about me that were spontaneously generated in about 15 minutes.

1. I am my parents oldest child.
2. I have 2 younger brothers.
3. My parents are divorced.
4. They are both re-married.
5. I have 11 step-siblings.
6. I know them all by name.
7. I don't have addresses or phone numbers for the majority of them.
8. That used to bother me, it no longer does.
9. I went to college at Oregon State.
10. I was in a sorority.
11. Living with 61 other women drove me crazy.
12. We didn't have pillow fights in our underwear.
13. My second grade teacher told my mother that I was loud because my voice carries.
14. My mother told her that I was loud.
15. I am a good cook.
16. I love experimenting in the kitchen with new flavors and inventing recipes.
17. My current passion is pairing the perfect wine with every dish.
18. I used to hate white wine.
19. Now I love it and prefer it to red.
20. My favorite color is red.
21. When I was a kid my favorite color was fuchsia.
22. I hate the color purple.
23. I have curly hair.
24. I love my hair.
25. Sometimes I wear it straight.
26. I live in Seattle.
27. And I love it.
28. And no it doesn't rain 9 months out of the year.
29. I like rain.
30. I wished it snowed in Seattle at least once a year.
31. Autumn is my favorite season.
32. I love sweater weather.
33. Christmas is my favorite holiday.
34. I love giving gifts.
35. I hate receiving them.
36. I like to watch people open gifts that I have given them.
37. I hate to open gifts in front of people.
38. I have been known to get a bit carried away with decorating for the holidays.
39. Last year I had 28 strands of lights on my tree.
40. Valentine's Day is my least favorite holiday.
41. I think it is a stupid holiday.
42. If you love someone you should tell them everyday.
43. I would love to have a dog.
44. I need to find the right dog for me.
45. I love football.
46. I prefer college match ups to the NFL.
47. I was born in Utah.
48. I have lived in Oregon, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.
49. I went to Girl Scout camp every summer.
50. I loved camp.
51. I was a CIT (Counselor in Training) summer of 1988.
52. My camp name was Gonzo.
53. I don't do a lot of camping as an adult.
54. The best part of camping is singing camp songs.
55. I often misinterpret the lyrics to songs.
56. This often leads to embarrassing moments.
57. I am not a very good singer.
58. I love to sing in the car.
59. I love music.
60. I saw my first concert at the age of 12.
61. It was Neil Diamond.
62. I have been to numerous concerts since.
63. And have seen Neil Diamond 3 other times.
64. I am a total klutz.
65. My family calls me "Princess Grace."
66. Slippery surfaces are a nightmare for me.
67. My family also calls me "The Camp Director."
68. I have always been the organizer of family functions.
69. When my mother remarried I passed out 4 page itineraries to the family.
70. I was not very popular that day.
71. I have always resenting being the one in charge.
72. Yet I always end up being that person.
73. I can sleep almost anywhere.
74. I snore.
75. I find it to be horribly embarrassing.
76. If I could change anything about myself snoring would be at the top of the list.
77. I love to have pedicures.
78. I love to read.
79. I love to escape into other lives and worlds in books.
80. I have a fairly good memory.
81. I tend to remember useless bits of trivia.
82. I am smart.
83. I love being smart.
84. I love playing board games.
85. I love coffee.
86. I got an espresso maker for Christmas last year.
87. The older I get the more I like tea.
88. I love my palm pilot.
89. It keeps my life organized.
90. I get teased by friends and family about relationship with my palm pilot.
91. I love technology.
92. My favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls.
93. I also like Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and ER.
94. I usually watch my favorite shows when they are on because I can't wait to see them.
95. I am addicted to NetFlix.
96. I do not like to "browse" when shopping.
97. Except in bookstores.
98. I hate working out.
99. I always feel better when I work out.
100. I love living alone.

Happy Summer!

My co-workers and I toasted the summer solstice with root beer floats this afternoon. The weather cooperated and the sun popped out for a few minutes right before the big toast. I am very ready for summer this year!

I don't usually pay much attention to the official season changing days, but I always pay attention to the summer solstice and the first day of summer. And it's not because summer is my favorite season, because it's not. I think it's just that I love many of the things that I associate with summer and I am always missing them by the time June 21 rolls around every year. This year the weather has not been very *summery* in Seattle which has left me wanting it even more. Here are a few of my favorite things about summer that I am really looking forward to this year.

• Long days
• Warm weather
• Lazy hot days by the pool!
• Alfresco dining at some of my favorite spots
• VACATION! (8 more days)!!
• Fireworks
• barbecues
• Camping
• Outdoor Movies and Concerts
• The beach

I hope that you summer plans include some of your favorite things! And... HAPPY SUMMER!

Academy Award Winning Pictures

I decided in January that I wanted to watch all of the movies that have ever been awarded the "Best Picture" Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (otherwise known as 'The Academy'). I scanned the listing and marked the movies that I had already seen but that only accounted for 25% of the overall list. I located the rest of the movies at the library and one by one I am knocking them off the list.

I watched two of them this weekend (The Best Years of Our Lives and Going My Way) and realized that this venture is turning to require a bit more patience than I anticipated. Some of these movies are not very good. So far I have seen 39% of them. I have seen the movies in BOLD. I will continue to update my progress.

1927/28 - Wings
1928/29 - The Broadway Melody
1929/30 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1930/31 - Cimarron
1931/32 - Grand Hotel
1932/33 - Cavalcade
1934 - It Happened One Night
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1938 - You Can't Take It with You
1939 - Gone with the Wind
1940 - Rebecca
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1943 - Casablanca
1944 - Going My Way
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1948 - Hamlet
1949 - All the King's Men
1950 - All about Eve
1951 - An American in Paris
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1954 - On the Waterfront
1955 - Marty
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 - Gigi
1959 - Ben-Hur
1960 - The Apartment
1961 - West Side Story
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1963 - Tom Jones
1964 - My Fair Lady
1965 - The Sound of Music
1966 - A Man for All Seasons
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1968 - Oliver!
1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1970 - Patton
1971 - The French Connection
1972 - The Godfather
1973 - The Sting
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1975 - One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
1976 - Rocky
1977 - Annie Hall
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1980 - Ordinary People
1981 - Chariots of Fire
1982 - Gandhi
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1984 - Amadeus
1985 - Out of Africa
1986 - Platoon
1987 - The Last Emperor
1988 - Rain Man
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1990 - Dances With Wolves
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1992 - Unforgiven
1993 - Schindler's List
1994 - Forrest Gump
1995 - Braveheart
1996 - The English Patient
1997 - Titanic
1998 - Shakespeare in Love
1999 - American Beauty
2000 - Gladiator
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2002 - Chicago
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2005 - Crash

Weekly Update - All good things....

Hello all!

I hope that you all had a safe and happy holiday weekend and that your 4th of July was relaxing and fun. This week has been very busy and fun for me. Here are some of the highlights.

I met with my adviser and attended an information session at the University of Washington on Wednesday evening in preparation for going back to school in the fall. I have now narrowed down my prerequisites to an exact list and now it just comes down to figuring out what kind of load I want to take each semester. The information session on the PA programs was informative and I left with many of the questions that have been rolling around in my head answered. I am excited and nervous to go back to school. It's been a really long time, but I am also older and more mature (well in theory anyway) than I was 10 years ago and everyone that I have talked to about it says that it's easier to be a student when you are a grown-up. I don't know about that, but will know soon enough!

My Seize the Summer list kept me busy again this week. I am now 34% done and completed the following this week....

#43 - Pretend to pirate a tall ship at the Tacoma Tall Ship Festival. I walked along the waterfront in downtown Tacoma on Sunday morning and checked out the ships. The lines to board them were extremely long, so I decided not to tour any of them, but it was neat to just be in the presence of them. I have always loved boats and I especially love tall ships, so I was in my element.

#39 - Watch the crowing of the "Seed Spitting" King & Queen along with food, rides and fireworks on the Fjord in Poulsbo on the 3rd of July. www.communityeventproductions.com Dave, Kristen and I drove up and spent the majority of the day in Poulsbo on Sunday. We shopped at the unique shops on Front Street, listened to live music, ate funnel cakes (Dave had never had one, so I got to be there for his first), played numerous games of UNO and then finally once the sun had completely disappeared from the sky, we watched the fireworks over Liberty Bay. The worst part of the day was the traffic. It took nearly 2 hours to get from our parking space to the main highway, I don't think that many people have been to Poulsbo since July 3, 2004 :)

#40 - Enjoy the Family 4th at Lake Union Fireworks on my balcony following a barbecue with friends and family. www.familyfourth.org This was the highlight of my weekend. I got to cook for a crowd of 9, which I love to do. The evening was filled with good food, great friends, laughter and FIREWORKS! I love fireworks and I was blown away by the fireworks over Lake Union they were incredible! We watched them on TV again right after the show and they are just not the same on TV as in person.

So now to explain my subject, All good things. Well, all good things eventually come to an end. I have been doing this weekly update on and off for several years. The "off" times come when it is no longer a fun and joyful experience for me. Recently completing the weekly update has become more of a chore and not as much fun as it used to be. Because of my organized and orderly nature I have felt a lot of self induced pressure to get it out on a weekly basis and therefore have become to hate it. I have decided to share things on a more spontaneous basis and only to those who request to be included. So if you would like to receive updates from me on a "whenever" basis please send me an email and let me know and I will add you to that list. If you choose not to be included I completely understand and won't take it personally, why clog up cyberspace with unnecessary mutterings if I don't need to. I hope you are all enjoying summer as much as I am, where ever you are.

Weekly Update - Summertime Harmony with the Animals

Summer is now officially here and I am officially thrilled! I really like the warm summer days and sunshine, and I don't mind the occasional rainy days at all! It is tradition at work to toast the beginning of summer with root beer floats. Tuesday started out to be a beautiful day, but about 30 minutes prior to the scheduled celebration the thunderstorms began to roll in. That didn't stop us. We made our root beer floats and ran outside to quickly toast the beginning of summer and just as the last person made it inside the building it started to pour. I don't consider the rain a bad thing at all. I love summer thunderstorms and we were lucky enough to experience an all-around summer weather day on the first day of summer complete with sun, wind, rain, thunder and lightning.

The animals (the birds and squirrels) are doing just fine, and we have seemed to fine a rhythm that we can all live with and not bother one another too much. I fill the bird feeder with fresh seed that the birds are able to consume in 24 - 36 hours, but like most birds they are slobs and drop quite a lot of seed an debris on the ground which the squirrels gladly eat saving me from having to sweep. Also they have not bothered my herbs and flowers, so everyone is happy. I hung a hummingbird feeder this week and am hoping that the hummingbirds will find it soon! My deck remains one of my favorite hangouts in the world! This week they launched the concerts at South Lake Union Park and you can see the lights and hear the occasional tune coming from the park. It just adds to the myriad of noise coming from the city and it's great to just sit out there and take it all in.

I have been busy this week working on "the list" and filling my days will summertime fun! I am currently 28% done with the completion of 4, 7, 13, 14 and 30 this week! Here are the highlights:

#13 - Hit Ivar's Lake Union Salmon House for happy hour including bargain drinks, clam strips and killer views of downtown's sparking skyscrapers. This is one of my favorite spots around town and the weather was PERFECT on Thursday evening for a some clam strips and bit of brew.

#30 - Take a tide walk along Discovery Park 's two miles of protected shoreline for some prime limpet, sea star and anemone-viewing. My friend Nikki was in town for the weekend and we went on a guided walk on Saturday to check out the beach during a record low-tide. We saw sea stars, moon snails, crabs, sea anemones, and even got squirted by clams.

#4 - Gather the girls and go searching for Seattle 's unofficial nude beaches (Hint: There might be one in Discovery Park , but you didn't hear that for us.) While Nikki and I were at Discovery Park we looked around for the nude beach, but no such luck. If there really is one, it may not have been warm enough.

#7 - Join in the fun at an outdoor movie in Fremont at 35th Street and Phinney NE, across from Redhook Brewery. Who knew that a parking lot and a white square on the side of a building could be a great movie theater! We took our fold-able chairs and sat with a few hundred others and watched Napoleon Dynamite. It was a little chilly at the end, but very fun!

#14 - Score some fun finds rip-off designer sunglasses and maybe 10-minute chair massage – at the European style flea market, the Fremont Sunday market. This was very different than I anticipated it being. I did score some cute new sunglasses and saw a whole lot of creative stuff and a whole lot of junk.

This week is shaping up to be a busy one even before it has begun. I really looking forward to the holiday weekend, which is already filling up with fun activities! I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Weekly Update - THE LIST is finally here!

Happy Summer!

It's almost here..... SUMMER!

I mentioned in my message a few weeks ago that I had picked up a copy of the June issue of Seattle magazine with 161 ways to seize the summer. For the last two weeks I have been transferring everything from the magazine to a word document and then once I transferred it over I played and played with it and I never did get it to add up to 161. And in process of transferring everything I realized that it would be nearly impossible to complete ALL of the activities. For example, I cannot see 6 firework displays at the same time on the 4th of July! So I narrowed it down, added a few of my own and created a list of 50 things that I am going to do to seize the summer. Here is the list!

My List for Seizing the Summer of 2005!

1. Spend a day soaking up the sun at Alki Beach in West Seattle then grab a broiled burger and thick shake from Pepperdock’s (2618 Alki Ave. SW) a true beachside burger shack.
2. Gather together a big group of friends and spend an evening around a campfire complete with smores.
3. Enjoy the sights and smells of the 3rd Annual Harvest Festival by the Vashon Lavender Growers Association. http://www.vashonlavender.com/
4. Gather the girls and go searching for Seattle’s unofficial nude beaches (Hint: There might be one in Discovery Park, but you didn’t hear that for us.)
5. Chow on tacos and sip margaritas on Agua Verde’s outdoor deck, overlooking Portage Bay. http://www.aguaverde.com/
6. Walk down to the Seattle Center and see an outdoor movie at the Mural Amphitheater.
7. Join in the fun at an outdoor movie in Fremont at 35th Street and Phinney NE, across from Redhook Brewery. http://www.fremontoutdoormovies.com/
8. Drink a Jones’ soda and watch the sunset from Kerry Park.
9. Grab a fleece blanket, a low back lawn chair and a few friends and head to the 7th annual Redhook Moonlight Cinema.
10. Watch a summer blockbuster at the Valley 6 Drive-In before it becomes yet another housing development.
11. Enjoy at concert South Lake Union Park. http://www.summernights.org/
12. Enjoy a concert at The Zoo. http://www.zoo.org/
13. Hit Ivar’s Lake Union Salmon House for happy hour including bargain drinks, clam strips and killer views of downtown’s sparking skyscrapers. http://www.ivars.net/
14. Score some fun finds rip-off designer sunglasses and maybe 10-minute chair massage – at the European style flea market, the Fremont Sunday market. http://www.fremontmarket.com/
15. Enjoy the best of Seattle by having a Barbeque with friends. Buy fresh tuna at Fisherman’s Terminal and make kabobs with zucchini, onion and cherry tomatoes from one of the six Seattle neighborhood farmers markets. http://www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org/
16. Chill out at Sunset Hill Park (7531 34th Ave. NW) and watch the sails dance across the waves at a Wednesday-night regatta (around 6 p.m.) sponsored by Corinthian Yacht Club, in Shishole http://www.cycseattle.org/. Then hit Ray’s Boathouse http://www.rays.com/ for some prime Northwest fare.
17. Hike through Seattle’s larges stand of old-growth forest at Seward Park www.cityofseattle.net/parks and bird-watch for the city’s only flock of feral parrots.
18. Dine in your car on bacon cheeseburgers and delectable fresh blackberry milkshakes and Burgermaster’s retro Aurora location.
19. Spend an afternoon kickin’ around the antique shops on Greenwood Avenue around 85th Street.
20. On San Juan Island, go for a 3-hour Taste of the San Juan’s sea kayaking tour with Crystal Seas http://www.crystalseas.com/ and then quench your thirst and appetite at the Front Street Ale House http://www.sanjuanbrewing.com/ with a pint of chili-enhanced Diablo Ale and a mondo plate of Ale House Nachos.
21. On Lopez Island, camp at Spencer Spit State Park http://www.parks.wa.gov/ in mid-August for a perfect view of the Perseids meteor shower (we hear the 12th is the best night).
22. See The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas performed by Theatre Schmeater in Volunteer Park.
23. Watch Shakespeare under the starts with a production by GreenStage or the Wooden O Theatre. http://www.greenstage.org/ and/or http://www.woodeno.org/
24. Stop by the roadside and sample the tasty fruits of our most-appreciated and reviled week, the Himalayan blackberry. Throughout August, this can be done anywhere gardener’s vigilance has waned. Berry abundance can especially be found along the Burke-Gilman Trail near Lake Union and at ferry stops.
25. Eat an ice cream cone at Waterfront Park on a hot summer day.
26. Attend a Mariner’s game at Safeco field. http://www.mariners.org/
27. Play hooky for a day in early August, and head to Mount Rainier National Park to see the wildflowers in bloom and tramp around the snow in nothing but shorts and a T-shirt.
28. Enjoy a pint of Bullfrog Ale from Rogue Issaquah Brewhouse. www.rogue.com/locations-issaquah.html
29. Go berry pickin’ for sun-ripened strawberries and raspberries at Remlinger Farms http://www.remlingerfarms.com/ and then make homemade jam.
30. Take a tide walk along Discovery Park’s two miles of protected shoreline for some prime limpet, sea star and anemone-viewing. http://www.discoverypark.org/
31. Pretend you’re in Cancun at Colman pool in Lincoln Park and enjoy a buoyant swim in the city’s only saltwater pool.
32. Eat a hot dog and drink a beer at Shorty’s. http://www.shortydog.com/
33. Watch dogs of all sizes, from Rhodesian ridgebacks to pugs, joyously splashing at Warren G. Magnuson Park.
34. Embrace my inner child by splash around a city park wading pool. A favorite is Soundview on Crown Hill, known for – you guessed it – great Puget Sound views. www.cityofseattle.net/parks
35. Walk on an afternoon ferry to Bainbridge Island and then meander into Winslow and have dinner at the Harbor Public House. Time your return trip to watch the sunset. http://www.harbourpub.com/
36. Shop for hidden artsy treasure at a local Arts Festival. http://www.edmondsartsfestival.com/ and/or http://www.shorelinearts.net/
37. Taste some new brew at the Summer Brewfest http://www.washingtonbrewfest.com/
38. Enjoy the entertainment and crafts at the West Seattle Junction Festival http://www.wsstreetfest.com/
39. Watch the crowing of the "Seed Spitting" King & Queen along with food, rides and fireworks on the Fjord in Poulsbo on the 3rd of July. http://www.communityeventproductions.com/
40. Enjoy the Family 4th at Lake Union Fireworks on my balcony following a barbeque with friends and family. http://www.familyfourth.org/
41. Enjoy some of the events for Seafair. http://www.seafair.com/
42. Instead of running though a sprinkler in the backyard, run through the fountain at Seattle Center on a REALLY hot summer day!
43. Pretend to pirate a tall ship at the Tacoma Tall Ship Festival. http://www.tallshipstacoma.com/
44. Enjoy a potluck barbeque in the park with friends and family.
45. Enjoy a summer evening laughing and drinking beer on the patio at Hale’s Ale’s in Ballard. http://www.halesales.com/
46. Dance to fun music, eat great food and people watch at the Folklife Festival. http://www.nwfolklife.org/
47. Perfect my plank grilled salmon recipe!
48. Paddle around Green Lake in one of their rental paddle boats.
49. Practice my home improvement skills by donating a day of my time to Barb’s house.
50. Grow herbs and flowers on my patio!

From my list of 50, 5 were completed in previous weeks! (33, 44, 45, 46, 47)! Woo hoo! This weekend saw the completion of a few more (28, 36, 37 and 50). Friday night I swung by Home Depot on my way home from work and picked up some flower and herb to plant on my patio. I planted sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil in a galvanized tub which will be completely growing out of control before too long. I also planted geraniums and daisies. The deck feels very summery now.

Saturday I attended the NW Source Summer Brewfest with some friends, which was great fun! I also accomplished #28 by sampling a little Bullfrog Ale and the festival. I still may make it out to the Rogue's Issaquah Brew house to have another this summer, but just in case I am counting it here. Then on Sunday I shopped for hidden artsy treasure at the Edmonds Art Festival in Edmonds, Washington with friends. It was a GREAT arts festival with wonderful and unique treasures. The weather this weekend was phenomenal and today I am showing off my sun-kissed face, shoulders and arms.

Hope the sun is shining on you wherever you are!

Weekly Update - Seizing the Summer and my new PEO Chapter!

Hello all!

I apologize for being a bit delayed in sending my weekly update this week, I have been working on in for a few days, but just haven't be able to get it finished. Every time I have sat down to work on it, I end up getting distracted. So better late than never, here it is.

It's hard to believe that less than 2 weeks ago it was extremely warm outside and I was ready to seize the summer. I was ready to trade in my sweaters for flip-flops, but no such luck. It's been a cool week here, which makes for great sleeping weather, but I am ready for sandals and Capri's and eating lunch outside! Maybe next week.

Speaking of seizing the summer, I picked up a copy of Seattle magazine a few weeks ago and it's their official summer issue which includes 161 Ways to Seize the Summer. After reading the article I made a decision, I am going to do all 161 Things! When sharing this hair-brained idea with the locals, many thought me completely nuts, oh well. As I have been transferring the list to my palm pilot it has become very clear that I cannot complete all 161 things because many are happening simultaneously and there are a few on the list which I have absolutely no interest in. In addition there are a few things that I think that should be on the list that are not..... So I decided to make my own list with many of the items from Seattle magazine and a few of my own. It's currently a work in progress, but I will share it with all of you once I complete it.

Work has been really busy! I wrote a record number of quotes last week (7), which was aided greatly by our recent appearance at the trade show in Cleveland. We finally worked out the travel schedule for the remainder of the trade shows this year and I am attending all of them, which should be a lot of fun!

I have visited a total of five PEO chapters for various activities and meetings since I arrived here in Seattle. I had decided that I really wanted to take my time and find a chapter that was the perfect fit for me. In the past I know I shared my experience visiting the "Anne" chapter which met in Queen Anne and everyone seemed to have Anne in their name somehow and no one had noticed it! After visiting the first three chapters I was sure that I would never find a good fit. I began to think that my chapter in Utah was even more exceptional that I previously thought because none of the chapters I was visiting even came close! But then I visited Chapter ID and after that first evening I knew that it was different than the rest and that feeling was just reconfirmed on every visit since. I really wanted to hold off making a decision until the fall, but when it's right, it's right. I received a call from the chapter president right before the Memorial Day holiday asking for my address and a few days later my invitation to dimit arrived. And although no chapter will take the place of AE in my heart, I am really excited to create some new friendships in Chapter ID. On Sunday morning I sat down and wrote letters to my chapter in Utah and the 4 other chapters I had visited in Seattle to let them know that I was accepting Chapter ID's invitation. It feels really good to have found a PEO home here in Seattle and if there were a doubt in my mind about this chapter it was eliminated last night. We prepared and served a meal to 40 PEO's including the State Officers and the State Convention Planning committee and we had a blast. We worked hard and pulled off a beautiful evening, all the while laughed, joking, talking and sharing some wine! Here is a excerpt from the "thank you" email from the chapter President today.....

"And our new member REALLY rallied - As whip cream flew and hands puckered in the dishwater, I knew Julie Anne was a great fit! Thank you for jumping in with both feet!

On Thursday night I was smacked in the face with one of those experiences when you realize that you are getting OLDER. My friend Barb wanted to see Marc Brossard at the Showbox in Seattle and I agree to go with her. I had burned a copy of the CD from Barb a few months ago and liked his Louisiana Pop style and thought it would be a fun evening. We ended up meeting some friends who weren't attending the concert for dinner before hand at the Alibi Room. The doors to the Showbox were supposed to open at 8 pm, but 30 minutes later we were still out on the sidewalk outside the building. When the doors finally opened and we got it, I realized that there were 2, not 1, but 2 opening acts prior to Marc Brossard. It was a "school-night" and I am a grown-up and he wasn't even going to be on stage until 11pm. Urgh! I decided to chalk it up to a great experience and have fun with it. Marc was great, although he looks like he is about 12 (he's actually 22!) and we met some fun people!

I have been on a bad picking streak as far as movies go lately. Everything I have rented has been "only okay" or "downright awful." So when I picked decided on Bend It Like Beckham on Friday evening I was really nervous, but it turned out great! Then when I talked to Jimmy over the weekend, he told me that he met David Beckham in NYC last week. He promised to send a picture that I could include in this update, but he is traveling and I am sure it slipped his mind, but it was a odd bit of coincidence.

I hope you all have a great week (what's left of it anyway)!