I love Sunday afternoon naps. I think it should be every one's tradition. Go to church, come home, eat lunch, get into comfy PJs (I love PJs by the way. I wish I could wear nothing but those everywhere I go but they are frowned upon in the workplace, mall, church, etc.) and take a nice nap before heading back to church!
Why then am I writing a blog post during prime nap time? Because I have to go to a bridal shower at church. They have these things at 2 p.m. on Sundays. That means no nap is possible.
So, why didn't I just drop off the gift this morning and not go so I could take my nap? Well, I feel like I have to go. I should show my support. It is the right thing to do.
My WHOLE life has come down to those sentences above. In the movie Parenthood, one of the main characters (a mom) says that her whole life is "have to". I know where she is coming from. Have to go to work. Have to be the best I can at work even when I am trying to learn new things as fast as I can. Have to keep the house running. Have to make sure everyone is where they are suppose to be on the right day. Have to be a good Christian. Have to exercise, eat right, try to look good for the 38 years that I am. Have to be a good mom. Have to help nightly with homework to make sure the kids are being successful. Have to volunteer at school. Have to eat school lunches or go to school events. Have to plan birthday parties. Have to shop for Christmas. Have to be a good friend. Have to show my respect and go to funerals. Have to show my support and go to bridal showers. Have to smile when I want to cry because that is what is expected of me. Have to...
We all are in this boat together. Especially women. We take the weight of the world on us and worry about everything. Even our vacations must be planned by us, packed for by us and executed like a battle plan by us.
I am tired. I would like to just take a break and sleep for a little bit. I am instead going to do one of the "have to" things...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Nine Years Ago...
There is rain this morning. Nine years ago there was no rain. It was blue skies and crisp fall air. I know exactly what I was wearing. I remember the phone call from Richard telling me that The Today Show was reporting a plane had hit The World Trade Center. I recall not being that concerned because it was certainly an accident.
It was not an accident.
The memory of being in my office watching a 13" TV comes back easily to my mind. After adjusting the antenna, Becky and I watched the news coverage. Smoke poured from a deceptively small looking hole that had been punched in one of the WTC Towers. Then it happened. The camera focused on the smoke caught sight and zoomed in on an airplane. Not a Cessena...not a private plane...a commercial jet. We watched as that plane made a very deliberate turn and flew straight into the other tower. We knew. There were no dramatic actions in that room. In fact, I can't really recall, other than telling my boss what I had seen, what happened for the next few minutes. Then, we didn't have time to sit and watch because it was time to go to work.
For the first time in history, a notice such as this was issued...
!FDC 1/9731 FDC SPECIAL NOTICE - DUE TO EXTRADORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR REASONS OF SAFETY. ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS, BY ORDER OF THE FEDERAL AVATION COMMAND CENTER, ALL AIRPORTS/AIRDROMES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR LANDING AND TAKEOFF. ALL TRAFFIC INCLUDING AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT ARE ENCOURAGE TO LAND SHORTLY.
This was the first FDC special notice issued by the FAA grounding all U.S. flight operations until further notice. No plane could take off. All planes were to land at the closest airport that could handle the aircraft. All inbound international planes were turned away. The United States of America had just lost the ability to travel by air.
The remainder of the day contains many memories. I am sure everyone has memories of that day. Mine have been written down for my children. I also have the one page of notes I took at work as we learned of all the events of the day. Those too have been kept for my children.
September 12 was a Wednesday. I walked into work and saw no activity. Everything was silent. It was the 7th Anniversary of the first day I had arrived at the airport to work. There was little time for any of us to sit and take in all the events. Much had to be done in the new world of air travel that had been issued in the day before.
I would love to tell you that I had a flag and a "God Bless America" sign on my office door. I had a flag. I also had a sign. It was more of a "we're gong to come kill you for doing this" type of sign. Harsh? I didn't think so then. I don't think so now.
If that Tuesday in September taught us anything, it should be that life can change in an instant. We should live our lives to the fullest everyday because it might be the last. We should kneel before Almighty God because He and He alone is our only hope in this world.
I'll end with one of my favorite quotes...
"In time, perhaps, we will mark the memory of September the 11th in stone and metal something we can show children as yet unborn to help them understand what happened on this minute and on this day. But for those of us who lived through these events, the only marker we’ll ever need is the tick of a clock at the 46th ...minute of the eighth hour of the 11th day." ~ President George W. Bush
It was not an accident.
The memory of being in my office watching a 13" TV comes back easily to my mind. After adjusting the antenna, Becky and I watched the news coverage. Smoke poured from a deceptively small looking hole that had been punched in one of the WTC Towers. Then it happened. The camera focused on the smoke caught sight and zoomed in on an airplane. Not a Cessena...not a private plane...a commercial jet. We watched as that plane made a very deliberate turn and flew straight into the other tower. We knew. There were no dramatic actions in that room. In fact, I can't really recall, other than telling my boss what I had seen, what happened for the next few minutes. Then, we didn't have time to sit and watch because it was time to go to work.
For the first time in history, a notice such as this was issued...
!FDC 1/9731 FDC SPECIAL NOTICE - DUE TO EXTRADORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR REASONS OF SAFETY. ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS, BY ORDER OF THE FEDERAL AVATION COMMAND CENTER, ALL AIRPORTS/AIRDROMES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR LANDING AND TAKEOFF. ALL TRAFFIC INCLUDING AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT ARE ENCOURAGE TO LAND SHORTLY.
This was the first FDC special notice issued by the FAA grounding all U.S. flight operations until further notice. No plane could take off. All planes were to land at the closest airport that could handle the aircraft. All inbound international planes were turned away. The United States of America had just lost the ability to travel by air.
The remainder of the day contains many memories. I am sure everyone has memories of that day. Mine have been written down for my children. I also have the one page of notes I took at work as we learned of all the events of the day. Those too have been kept for my children.
September 12 was a Wednesday. I walked into work and saw no activity. Everything was silent. It was the 7th Anniversary of the first day I had arrived at the airport to work. There was little time for any of us to sit and take in all the events. Much had to be done in the new world of air travel that had been issued in the day before.
I would love to tell you that I had a flag and a "God Bless America" sign on my office door. I had a flag. I also had a sign. It was more of a "we're gong to come kill you for doing this" type of sign. Harsh? I didn't think so then. I don't think so now.
If that Tuesday in September taught us anything, it should be that life can change in an instant. We should live our lives to the fullest everyday because it might be the last. We should kneel before Almighty God because He and He alone is our only hope in this world.
I'll end with one of my favorite quotes...
"In time, perhaps, we will mark the memory of September the 11th in stone and metal something we can show children as yet unborn to help them understand what happened on this minute and on this day. But for those of us who lived through these events, the only marker we’ll ever need is the tick of a clock at the 46th ...minute of the eighth hour of the 11th day." ~ President George W. Bush
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
OK...Just One More...I Promise...Maybe...
I have never seen Firefly or Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I think Nathan Fillion was in both. Here is a great intro to Castle with Fillion in his Firefly costume (I think) and a reference to Buffy via the vampire murder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpiB7ermeLY&feature=related
What a great show...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpiB7ermeLY&feature=related
What a great show...
Castle...one more thing...
I was on YouTube and found this great clip of the actors being asked about the Castle/Beckett relationship. Makes me wonder if these two have something going! Enjoy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjXH8pHmefI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjXH8pHmefI&feature=related
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Castle
I love The Vampire Diaries but Castle is probably my favorite show on TV now that LOST is finished.
This one stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle. He is a ruggedly handsome, world-famous author by day/crime fighter by night. He fights crime with NYPD Homicide Detective Kate Beckett who is played by Stana Katic. She works the crimes and he offers his writers take on what has happened. Their partnership was formed because he was researching a new book. (Castle had just finished off his popular series about a character Derek Storm and needed a new character.) His newest character would be a NYPD Homicide cop, so he asked his buddy the mayor to let him do some research with the real thing. Enter Beckett. She was none too happy to take on Castle. That was then...
Over the course of the last two seasons, Castle and Beckett have solved crimes and danced ever closer to a relationship with each other. Beckett is Castle's muse for his character, Nikki Heat, and he continues to "research" that character by becoming more like Beckett's partner than her annoying sidekick.
With every new show, (except for the one two parter) there is a new mystery to solve. Who killed who, etc. Woven into the mystery are Castle's perfectly wonderful daughter and his overly dramatic mother. Beckett also has two guys who work for her, Ryan and Esposito, who add comic relief when necessary. Add in a feisty Medical Examiner friend for Beckett in the character of Lanie Parish, and you have one great cast. Sure, there is a lot of "will they or won't they" action, but you have to buy into the whole Castle world to really love the show. Which, of course, I do.
I am going to try to pick out some favorite scenes. This is harder than I thought because I love so many! The banter between Castle and Beckett is priceless and makes the show. Here are some of those exchanges and other things. (Again...this is more PG-13 stuff so, kids, don't watch!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oD3BNCiXn8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3entRN2bPY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUDpqFAuXYo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eC6QZijB74&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O3PkivqN48&feature=related
OK...there are FAR too many. BUT...I have to add in some of my favorites that tie to the book Heat Wave. Heat Wave is the book that Castle wrote about Beckett by turning her into the character Nikki Heat. Funny thing is that ABC actually had someone write the book and Nathan Fillion's picture is on the book! I read the book and, other than the fact that the names are changed, it is the show Castle on paper! The great thing about this set up is that ABC can sort of "hook up" Castle and Beckett without going "Moonlighting" and ruining the sexual tension of the show. Season Two of Castle opens with the book about to be released and Beckett having a copy of the book that she tells Castle she isn't reading. Of course, she is reading it. Check out some of the interplay about Heat Wave.
This one stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle. He is a ruggedly handsome, world-famous author by day/crime fighter by night. He fights crime with NYPD Homicide Detective Kate Beckett who is played by Stana Katic. She works the crimes and he offers his writers take on what has happened. Their partnership was formed because he was researching a new book. (Castle had just finished off his popular series about a character Derek Storm and needed a new character.) His newest character would be a NYPD Homicide cop, so he asked his buddy the mayor to let him do some research with the real thing. Enter Beckett. She was none too happy to take on Castle. That was then...
Over the course of the last two seasons, Castle and Beckett have solved crimes and danced ever closer to a relationship with each other. Beckett is Castle's muse for his character, Nikki Heat, and he continues to "research" that character by becoming more like Beckett's partner than her annoying sidekick.
With every new show, (except for the one two parter) there is a new mystery to solve. Who killed who, etc. Woven into the mystery are Castle's perfectly wonderful daughter and his overly dramatic mother. Beckett also has two guys who work for her, Ryan and Esposito, who add comic relief when necessary. Add in a feisty Medical Examiner friend for Beckett in the character of Lanie Parish, and you have one great cast. Sure, there is a lot of "will they or won't they" action, but you have to buy into the whole Castle world to really love the show. Which, of course, I do.
I am going to try to pick out some favorite scenes. This is harder than I thought because I love so many! The banter between Castle and Beckett is priceless and makes the show. Here are some of those exchanges and other things. (Again...this is more PG-13 stuff so, kids, don't watch!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oD3BNCiXn8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3entRN2bPY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUDpqFAuXYo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eC6QZijB74&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O3PkivqN48&feature=related
OK...there are FAR too many. BUT...I have to add in some of my favorites that tie to the book Heat Wave. Heat Wave is the book that Castle wrote about Beckett by turning her into the character Nikki Heat. Funny thing is that ABC actually had someone write the book and Nathan Fillion's picture is on the book! I read the book and, other than the fact that the names are changed, it is the show Castle on paper! The great thing about this set up is that ABC can sort of "hook up" Castle and Beckett without going "Moonlighting" and ruining the sexual tension of the show. Season Two of Castle opens with the book about to be released and Beckett having a copy of the book that she tells Castle she isn't reading. Of course, she is reading it. Check out some of the interplay about Heat Wave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YkmX3XKe4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZkRW_nTC40&feature=related
Castle will return to the small screen in less than two weeks. If you aren't a fan yet, I would suggest you check it out! Oh...the newest Nikki Heat book, Naked Heat, will be out later this month!
The Vampire Diaries
The new fall TV shows are starting this week! After three long months of waiting, I get to look forward to Mondays for Castle and Thursdays for The Vampire Diaries and The Big Bang Theory. I will miss my friends LOST and 24 this season. Farewell old friends...
The first one up is The Vampire Diaries. This series is based on some books about vampires! Yes, what a unique concept! Seriously, I think they took the main characters names and dumped the rest of the books. I read the first three books and, other than those character names, NOTHING is the same. Usually that is a bad thing. In this case it is SO much better.
So, let's enter the world where two brothers are growing up during the Civil War. In their little town, Mystic Falls, there is a vampire problem. The town fathers are aware of said problem and are sharpening their stakes. Unfortunately for the totally hot brothers, Stefan and Damon, they are in love with one of those vamps and her name is Katherine. It is unfortunate for several reasons. First, they both love the same girl and she doesn't seem to mind sharing. Second, she is being hunted by their dad. Finally, they have some of her blood in them when they die trying to help Katherine escape. In The Vampire Diaries' canon, you become a vampire if you drink the blood of a vampire, die and then feed on a human. The brothers wake up really thirsty and decide to just die instead of completing the transformation. Well, that was the plan anyway. Apparenatly, that thirst thing is powerful! There you go...a full season of backstory!
Fast forward to present day and Stefan moves back to Mystic Falls and meets Elena. She is a really beautiful high school girl who tragically lost her parents in a car accident that she alone survived. Stefan is immediately draw to Elena. Why? Well, she is Katherine's doppelganger. The difference is that Elena is good where Katherine was/is bad. Of course, he falls in love with her and she falls in love with him. Enter Damon...the bad boy brother. He is intrigued by Elena but he wants Katherine and he thinks he knows how to get her back. Seems that she and a bunch of other vamps were locked inside the town church and burned right after Stefan and Damon met their fate. What the town fathers in Civil War days didn't know was that a witch put a spell on the church and the vampire were saved. Actually, they were sorta sealed under the church. Being the undead, they grew weak without blood to drink and went into "vampire comas". Damon thinks he can unlock the curse placed on them by the witch and get his beloved Katherine back.
Now, I don't want to give you all of season one...watch it for yourself. Let's just say it is a lot of angst with Elena and the two brothers who happen to be vampires. Oh...they can also walk in the sun with their bewitched rings. Oh...AND Elena's best friend is a witch and one of her teachers is a slayers of sorts. Everyday stuff.
One of the things that season one leads up to is the falling in love of Stefan and Elena. Here is the scene it all leads up to. Please be aware I would call this PG-13 even though it comes on regular TV at 8 p.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7AzaRBqFx0
Too bad for Stefan, he had never told Elena that she looked just like Katherine. She knew he had loved Katherine and she was responsible for turning him, but he had left out that little part about them practically being twins! That doesn't turn out well for him...take a look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC56neUmLLE&feature=related
Never fear, these two love birds seem to work things out. However, Elena is drawn also to Stefan's bad boy brother, Damon. I think any woman who is breathing can see why. In the following scene, Stefan is suppose to escort Elena in the Miss Mystic Falls (or something) dance and he has fallen off the wagon (back on human blood) and doesn't show up. In steps Damon. Take a look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VozqaKUcbU
They ended last season with the following scene. Some things you need to know. The boy that crawls into bed is her brother. He has just drank a vile of vampire blood and OD'd on pills to turn himself into a vampire. The guy in the kitchen is Elena's dad who she thought was her uncle until just an episode or two before. Isobel that he talks about is Elena's real mother who, as fate would have it, was turned into a vampire by Damon and was, at one time, the wife of her teacher who is the slayer. Whew! OK...so here is the final scene of last season...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q83dbHGTKA
It's been a LONG three months!
The first one up is The Vampire Diaries. This series is based on some books about vampires! Yes, what a unique concept! Seriously, I think they took the main characters names and dumped the rest of the books. I read the first three books and, other than those character names, NOTHING is the same. Usually that is a bad thing. In this case it is SO much better.
So, let's enter the world where two brothers are growing up during the Civil War. In their little town, Mystic Falls, there is a vampire problem. The town fathers are aware of said problem and are sharpening their stakes. Unfortunately for the totally hot brothers, Stefan and Damon, they are in love with one of those vamps and her name is Katherine. It is unfortunate for several reasons. First, they both love the same girl and she doesn't seem to mind sharing. Second, she is being hunted by their dad. Finally, they have some of her blood in them when they die trying to help Katherine escape. In The Vampire Diaries' canon, you become a vampire if you drink the blood of a vampire, die and then feed on a human. The brothers wake up really thirsty and decide to just die instead of completing the transformation. Well, that was the plan anyway. Apparenatly, that thirst thing is powerful! There you go...a full season of backstory!
Fast forward to present day and Stefan moves back to Mystic Falls and meets Elena. She is a really beautiful high school girl who tragically lost her parents in a car accident that she alone survived. Stefan is immediately draw to Elena. Why? Well, she is Katherine's doppelganger. The difference is that Elena is good where Katherine was/is bad. Of course, he falls in love with her and she falls in love with him. Enter Damon...the bad boy brother. He is intrigued by Elena but he wants Katherine and he thinks he knows how to get her back. Seems that she and a bunch of other vamps were locked inside the town church and burned right after Stefan and Damon met their fate. What the town fathers in Civil War days didn't know was that a witch put a spell on the church and the vampire were saved. Actually, they were sorta sealed under the church. Being the undead, they grew weak without blood to drink and went into "vampire comas". Damon thinks he can unlock the curse placed on them by the witch and get his beloved Katherine back.
Now, I don't want to give you all of season one...watch it for yourself. Let's just say it is a lot of angst with Elena and the two brothers who happen to be vampires. Oh...they can also walk in the sun with their bewitched rings. Oh...AND Elena's best friend is a witch and one of her teachers is a slayers of sorts. Everyday stuff.
One of the things that season one leads up to is the falling in love of Stefan and Elena. Here is the scene it all leads up to. Please be aware I would call this PG-13 even though it comes on regular TV at 8 p.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7AzaRBqFx0
Too bad for Stefan, he had never told Elena that she looked just like Katherine. She knew he had loved Katherine and she was responsible for turning him, but he had left out that little part about them practically being twins! That doesn't turn out well for him...take a look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC56neUmLLE&feature=related
Never fear, these two love birds seem to work things out. However, Elena is drawn also to Stefan's bad boy brother, Damon. I think any woman who is breathing can see why. In the following scene, Stefan is suppose to escort Elena in the Miss Mystic Falls (or something) dance and he has fallen off the wagon (back on human blood) and doesn't show up. In steps Damon. Take a look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VozqaKUcbU
They ended last season with the following scene. Some things you need to know. The boy that crawls into bed is her brother. He has just drank a vile of vampire blood and OD'd on pills to turn himself into a vampire. The guy in the kitchen is Elena's dad who she thought was her uncle until just an episode or two before. Isobel that he talks about is Elena's real mother who, as fate would have it, was turned into a vampire by Damon and was, at one time, the wife of her teacher who is the slayer. Whew! OK...so here is the final scene of last season...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q83dbHGTKA
It's been a LONG three months!
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