In honor of my 60th birthday, I thought it appropriate to share the wisdom that comes with this advanced age. Here is a list of what I have discovered about life and about myself in my first 60 years. I figured I better write it all down because I'll probably start to forget it all in the years ahead.
1. The anticipation is almost always worse than the event itself.
2. If you don't do something now, you might not have the chance to do it later, so do it now. This does not apply to scary things.
3. I am short, vertically challenged, height handicapped -- and probably shrinking. So there is no reason not to use my grabber to reach things on the second shelf of the kitchen cabinets. Go ahead and laugh. It works for me.
4. Take lots of pictures. They remind you of happy times and who knows how long we'll remember them without visual aids?
5. It always gets dark earlier in September and October, so why do I always feel surprised when that happens?
6. There is no valid reason, in my opinion, to eat ice cream when it is cold outside.
7. I am always cold. I just have to dress appropriately, because my inner furnace will never work enough for me.
8. It's only a game. So if the Yankees lose or my beloved Rutgers Women's basketball team goes down in flames, life will go on.
9. You should always say "I love you" to those you love. They might already know, but reminding them can't hurt.
10. When someone -- especially a child -- does something wrong, it doesn't make them a bad person. It is the behavior you don't like, and that can be changed.
11. Making people laugh makes me feel great.
12. No matter how badly your day is going, I will do everything I can to make you have at least one laugh.
13. Work hard, always do your best and have fun! I based my whole management philosophy around those words and I am still friends with the people who worked for me, all of who have succeeded in their careers.
14. Paying bills or doing something you don't like takes the same amount of time if you do it now or do it later, so get it over with. And I don't care about the preposition at the end of that sentence -- for once.
15. You can have a manicure or pedicure for no reason. Nothing makes me feel more like a girl.
16. I wear perfume every day, even if I don't leave the house. I do it for me.
17. It is OK to cook a great meal for yourself.
18. Leftovers are great, as long as you liked what you ate the first time around.
19. Little kids remember everything, so be careful what you say and how you act around them.
20. For that matter, little things you say and do make an impression on people in ways you never imagined. Think about something someone said to you and how it helped or hurt and adjust accordingly.
21. Soup is for winter consumption only. I can't eat soup if I am sweating.
22. No matter how bad your day is or how insurmountable your problems seem, there's always someone who has it worse than you do.
23. If you have nothing to do, do something for someone else. It brings you great rewards.
24. Not only is it OK to cry at movies, but sometimes it is necessary. A good cry soothes the soul.
25. Don't expect too much and you will never be disappointed.
26. There is no point in having siblings or children if you can't tease them -- in a fun way, not in a mean way -- once in a while. Ask my sister.
27. I am addicted to chocolate. If it were declared illegal, I'd find a chocolate connection and risk the jail time.
28. Kidney stones hurt like giving birth. I guess. I just know they are really painful.
29. Everything you have to do takes longer and costs more than you thought it would. This particularly applies to any work done around the house.
30. You should listen when people talk to you. Just listening without judging can mean the world to someone.
31. Find something to enjoy in every day. Maybe it is the blue sky or the fact that you don't have to drive in the snow. Find something that makes you smile.
32. Keep in touch. Friendships mean a lot and they have to be nurtured to endure. That doesn't mean you have to see each other all the time, but make an effort to call, e-mail and get together. You'll be glad you did.
33. Friendships are made at all stages of life. Just when I thought I was done making friends, I started aqua aerobics and made more friends. My friends have brought me so much joy.
34. Friendship isn't a big thing, it is a million little things. That one isn't mine, but I subscribe to that theory.
35. Sweatshirts last forever. Or at least I wear mine until they disintegrate.
36. My chances of running into someone I know increase exponentially depending on how bad I look that day. Conversely, if I am having a great hair day, chances are I will see no one I know. I wonder if the strangers who see me think, "She's having a great hair day."
37. There will never be a day without a sale at Kohl's. At least until they go out of business from all that price cutting.
38. Come on. You can always do more or do better.
39. You shouldn't buy towels just as gifts for others. Treat yourself to new towels every now and then. Why not?
40. Take surveys. The people conducting them are looking for intelligent opinions, so why not express yours?
41. If I am at the beach for a day, I'll still have sand in my car six months later.
42. Nothing beats the taste of a hot dog at Yankee Stadium.
43. Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium will always make me cry.
44. The time you spend with friends is priceless.
45. A beautiful day, with great light, me with a camera and something to shoot. That's what I call a great day.
46. Whatever age you are now seemed old to you when you were young but doesn't seem quite as bad now.
47. My doctor thinks I need to lose weight. For this she spent years in med school?
48. Anything written can be edited, and most people can't wait to get their hands on what someone else writes so they can do just that.
49. I love to be in the pool, but I hate getting my hair wet.
50. Chocolate should be served unadulterated. Get that fruit and those nuts away from it.
51. Bumble Bee Tuna should be the only brand, and it should always be served plain -- no mayo, no celery, no nothing!
52. Having a routine works for me. On days when I have nothing to do, I do nothing. And I am really good at it.
53. Whatever you have to do takes up the time in which you have to do it. That's my "kitchen cabinet" theory of life.
54. Buy books as gifts for kids. Encouraging them to read is the best gift you can give them.
55. Speaking of gifts, when you hear someone say they like something, or if you see something that would be the perfect gift for someone, write it down or buy it. You can even give the gift when there is no special occasion.
56. Naps are wonderful little respites, especially when they are least expected. I just love a good nap.
57. As soon as I walk out the door it costs me money.
58. There is always something new to learn. Read books, watch movies, read the paper. What you learn might not be life-altering, but it will enrich your life in small ways. And it will provide you plenty of material for small talk when you need it.
59. I don't like coffee or beer and refuse to to waste my time developing a taste for them.
60. I Love Lucy still cracks me up. I wish I had some Vitameatavegamin for my 60th birthday.
61. You always should strive to exceed expectations -- your own or those others have of you. Hence, 61 items on this list.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tina's September Movies 2010
I hit my 100th movie this month and finally sat down to watch the classic "Citizen Kane." But the best movie of the month was the little-known "Mao's Last Dancer." Here's what I watched, with numbering picked up from the rest of the year.
94. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (TCM) – This 1939 movie is about as old-fashioned as they come. Mr. Chipping (Robert Donat) is a teacher at a boarding school in England, where he dedicates his life to teaching generations of young boys about Latin and life. Along the way he meets and falls for the gracious young woman (Greer Garson, in her movie debut) whose very presence makes him even more adored by the boys. This slow-paced story won’t wow anyone with action and adventure, but dear old Chips is beloved by all. Goodbye, Mr. Chips, had me at hello. 4 cans.
95. Mao’s Last Dancer (@ Montgomery with Angela and Dee) – After a stop for lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant, my pool pals and I passed up a glorious day to see what turned out to be a glorious film. This movie is based on the true story of Li Cunxin, a boy plucked out of his tiny, impoverished village by the Chinese government for special training. With years of hard work and determination, he grows into an accomplished ballet dancer who has an opportunity to study with the Houston Ballet. Young Li assimilates into the American culture rapidly, much to the consternation of the Chinese officials who decide he must return to China. Should he defect and risk both the safety of his family remaining in China and the chance that he may never see them again? Or should he stay and enjoy his new-found freedom and the girl he loves? This is a wondrous ode to ballet, a harsh look at Mao’s regime and a salute to the joys of freedom and the arts. So good you want to see it again an hour later. 4½ cans.
96. The Summer of ’42 (TCM) – In the many years since I last saw this movie, I had forgotten how beautiful it is. From the opening sequence of sepia stills of the New England island where it was shot to the haunting Michel LeGrand music, this bittersweet tale is captivating. Hermie is a 15-year old boy spending his summer vacation hanging out with his goofy friends, eagerly reading about sex in a book and just as eagerly looking for an opportunity to put into practice what they have learned. But Hermie is smitten with a beautiful young woman in her 20s (Jennifer O’Neill) whose husband has shipped out to war. She and Hermie strike up a friendship that they both need to fend off their loneliness. This is the summer Hermie learns not about sex but about love, a memory that will stay with him for the rest of his life. 4 cans.
97. Tender Mercies (TCM) – Robert Duvall won an Oscar for his role as a down-on-his-luck country singer (aren’t they all?) who gets his life back in gear after he meets a good woman. His Mac Sledge hits rock bottom at a rundown Texas motel managed by Tess Harper. With no money and nowhere to go, he helps out the widow Harper and her young son, eventually giving up drinking and taking up songwriting once again. The performance by Duvall is authentic and nuanced, with a great accent (at least it sounded like Texas to me, but what do I know?) and a simplicity that makes him believable. Being in the right place – or the wrong place – at any given moment can change your life, as the characters here discover. 4 cans.
98. Get Low (Montgomery, with Dee) – I wasn’t trying to limit my viewing to Robert Duvall movies this week, but that’s the way things turned out. Here he plays hermit Felix Bush, an irascible loner who has hibernated in his cabin in the woods for 40 years, ruminating over events that changed his life. He decides he wants to plan and attend his own funeral service, enlisting the aid of town funeral director Bill Murray to book the ceremony and band and run a raffle to get the townspeople to turn out. He wants to reveal his big secret – or to have his old preacher friend handle that chore if he can’t. The secret didn’t seem all that secret to me, and the pace of this movie could justify changing the title to “Get Slow,” but it is just quirky and well-played enough to keep up interest. Sissy Spacek, who never fails to impress, also appears, but it is Duvall’s turn that most likely will garner another Oscar nomination. A strange little movie, this one gets 4 cans.
99. The Wonder of It All (TV) – Did you ever wonder what it would be like to actually walk on the moon? Between 1969 and 1972, 12 Americans did just that, and in this documentary seven of them recount their experiences. They discuss how they became astronauts (a term that didn’t exist when most of them joined a branch of the service or became test pilots), their feelings about walking on the moon, their place in history, spirituality and how their accomplishments should be remembered. For most of them, the realization of being there only hit home when they got home – and years later – because NASA had them so busy in their time on the moon. I thought the movie was a blast. 4 cans.
100. Citizen Kane (TCM) – Wealth…power…politics…scandal. No, I am not reviewing the sequel to “Wall Street” but rather the Orson Welles movie than many people consider a masterpiece. It is amazing how Welles’ themes in this 1941 movie still apply today. His megalomaniac Charles Foster Kane is larger than life, bullying those around him to get whatever he wants, yet he fails to get the one thing his money can’t buy – love. This is a stunning movie in so many ways: Welles was 25 when he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in it. He ages from a young to an old man in the course of the story and is convincing at any age. The camera angles actually make Kane look larger than life, and the silhouetted shots make him seem mysterious and frightening. I am glad I finally experienced this movie, and I admired it in many ways, though it isn’t the kind of movie I long to see again, which on my scale, doesn’t make it hit the top. 4 cans.
101. The Informant! (HBO) – Matt Damon, complete with bad hair and a cheesy mustache, plays Archer Daniels Midland executive Mark Whitacre. This movie could have been called “The Man Who Talked Too Much,” as Whitacre, dismayed at the price fixing taking place at ADM, turns FBI informant and spins a series of tales which, by the end of the movie, made my head spin. Despite his attempt to take down the company, Whitacre naively believed he would be a hero and run ADM one day. Well played, with tongue firmly in cheek, this movie reminded me of the more charming “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo DiCaprio. Both movies lean heavily on the lead actors, and both come through with credible performances – especially for liars. 3½ cans.
94. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (TCM) – This 1939 movie is about as old-fashioned as they come. Mr. Chipping (Robert Donat) is a teacher at a boarding school in England, where he dedicates his life to teaching generations of young boys about Latin and life. Along the way he meets and falls for the gracious young woman (Greer Garson, in her movie debut) whose very presence makes him even more adored by the boys. This slow-paced story won’t wow anyone with action and adventure, but dear old Chips is beloved by all. Goodbye, Mr. Chips, had me at hello. 4 cans.
95. Mao’s Last Dancer (@ Montgomery with Angela and Dee) – After a stop for lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant, my pool pals and I passed up a glorious day to see what turned out to be a glorious film. This movie is based on the true story of Li Cunxin, a boy plucked out of his tiny, impoverished village by the Chinese government for special training. With years of hard work and determination, he grows into an accomplished ballet dancer who has an opportunity to study with the Houston Ballet. Young Li assimilates into the American culture rapidly, much to the consternation of the Chinese officials who decide he must return to China. Should he defect and risk both the safety of his family remaining in China and the chance that he may never see them again? Or should he stay and enjoy his new-found freedom and the girl he loves? This is a wondrous ode to ballet, a harsh look at Mao’s regime and a salute to the joys of freedom and the arts. So good you want to see it again an hour later. 4½ cans.
96. The Summer of ’42 (TCM) – In the many years since I last saw this movie, I had forgotten how beautiful it is. From the opening sequence of sepia stills of the New England island where it was shot to the haunting Michel LeGrand music, this bittersweet tale is captivating. Hermie is a 15-year old boy spending his summer vacation hanging out with his goofy friends, eagerly reading about sex in a book and just as eagerly looking for an opportunity to put into practice what they have learned. But Hermie is smitten with a beautiful young woman in her 20s (Jennifer O’Neill) whose husband has shipped out to war. She and Hermie strike up a friendship that they both need to fend off their loneliness. This is the summer Hermie learns not about sex but about love, a memory that will stay with him for the rest of his life. 4 cans.
97. Tender Mercies (TCM) – Robert Duvall won an Oscar for his role as a down-on-his-luck country singer (aren’t they all?) who gets his life back in gear after he meets a good woman. His Mac Sledge hits rock bottom at a rundown Texas motel managed by Tess Harper. With no money and nowhere to go, he helps out the widow Harper and her young son, eventually giving up drinking and taking up songwriting once again. The performance by Duvall is authentic and nuanced, with a great accent (at least it sounded like Texas to me, but what do I know?) and a simplicity that makes him believable. Being in the right place – or the wrong place – at any given moment can change your life, as the characters here discover. 4 cans.
98. Get Low (Montgomery, with Dee) – I wasn’t trying to limit my viewing to Robert Duvall movies this week, but that’s the way things turned out. Here he plays hermit Felix Bush, an irascible loner who has hibernated in his cabin in the woods for 40 years, ruminating over events that changed his life. He decides he wants to plan and attend his own funeral service, enlisting the aid of town funeral director Bill Murray to book the ceremony and band and run a raffle to get the townspeople to turn out. He wants to reveal his big secret – or to have his old preacher friend handle that chore if he can’t. The secret didn’t seem all that secret to me, and the pace of this movie could justify changing the title to “Get Slow,” but it is just quirky and well-played enough to keep up interest. Sissy Spacek, who never fails to impress, also appears, but it is Duvall’s turn that most likely will garner another Oscar nomination. A strange little movie, this one gets 4 cans.
99. The Wonder of It All (TV) – Did you ever wonder what it would be like to actually walk on the moon? Between 1969 and 1972, 12 Americans did just that, and in this documentary seven of them recount their experiences. They discuss how they became astronauts (a term that didn’t exist when most of them joined a branch of the service or became test pilots), their feelings about walking on the moon, their place in history, spirituality and how their accomplishments should be remembered. For most of them, the realization of being there only hit home when they got home – and years later – because NASA had them so busy in their time on the moon. I thought the movie was a blast. 4 cans.
100. Citizen Kane (TCM) – Wealth…power…politics…scandal. No, I am not reviewing the sequel to “Wall Street” but rather the Orson Welles movie than many people consider a masterpiece. It is amazing how Welles’ themes in this 1941 movie still apply today. His megalomaniac Charles Foster Kane is larger than life, bullying those around him to get whatever he wants, yet he fails to get the one thing his money can’t buy – love. This is a stunning movie in so many ways: Welles was 25 when he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in it. He ages from a young to an old man in the course of the story and is convincing at any age. The camera angles actually make Kane look larger than life, and the silhouetted shots make him seem mysterious and frightening. I am glad I finally experienced this movie, and I admired it in many ways, though it isn’t the kind of movie I long to see again, which on my scale, doesn’t make it hit the top. 4 cans.
101. The Informant! (HBO) – Matt Damon, complete with bad hair and a cheesy mustache, plays Archer Daniels Midland executive Mark Whitacre. This movie could have been called “The Man Who Talked Too Much,” as Whitacre, dismayed at the price fixing taking place at ADM, turns FBI informant and spins a series of tales which, by the end of the movie, made my head spin. Despite his attempt to take down the company, Whitacre naively believed he would be a hero and run ADM one day. Well played, with tongue firmly in cheek, this movie reminded me of the more charming “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo DiCaprio. Both movies lean heavily on the lead actors, and both come through with credible performances – especially for liars. 3½ cans.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Choice Cuts - September 2010
Remember when life was easy? When you didn’t have to choose between seven different kinds of turkey at the deli counter? When ordering coffee didn’t take half an hour? When fewer choices made life less complicated?
Witness:
“Do you want plastic AND paper?” the teenaged ShopRite cashier asked. “Sure,” I responded, not knowing I had that option. I thought the drill was paper OR plastic (except in Pathmark, where nary a paper bag can be found), so she threw me. Now I mostly bring my own bags – partly to be environmentally conscious and partly because I can’t make that choice.
The guy at the deli counter asks if the cheese is cut thin enough for my taste, and offers me a slice. Do I then dare voice a preference for thinner or thicker slices, and do I really have one? When I mentioned to a friend that I couldn’t get the slices apart, she declared, “I always have them shingle it.” Shingle it? I had never heard the term before, but I didn’t have to ask as I instinctively knew what she meant. I just didn’t know we had a choice to ask for it to be shingled for easier cheese access. (Speaking of cheese, the dumbest choice I was ever asked to make was in the Johnson & Johnson Corporate cafeteria, where, after ordering a grilled cheese sandwich, the guy behind the grill asked me, “Do you want cheese on that?” I replied, “Yes, I think you need to include the cheese, or we’re talking toast.” So that was one of the simpler decisions, but they aren’t usually that easy.)
At Quick Chek, just ordering a sandwich has become an adventure in self-service. You belly up to the computer, select your meat, then, by pressing the appropriate buttons, decide whether you want mayonnaise or a little mayonnaise, and all the other sandwich accompaniments, like salt, pepper, cheese or extra cheese, lettuce and tomato and who knows what else. I’m waiting for the computer to actually spit the finished product out at me, but, thankfully, creating the sandwich still requires an actual person. A friend of mine went to his local Wawa and proceeded to make the same sandwich choice day after day, until finally the sandwich maker refused to make one more of the same. I guess he had no choice but to change his sandwich selection.
“I’ll put your items in a double shopping bag,” the eager Williams Sonoma employee offered. “And do you want a handle to help carry it? Do you want your receipt in the bag?” “OK, thanks,” I replied, bewildered at the number of decisions we are asked to make each and every day. I thought just selecting my purchase was enough of a challenge.
At a restaurant (granted, a decent one), you are asked if you want water and whether tap or bottled is your preference (wet and in a glass is fine for me). And forget the wine list. Reading the latest John Grisham novel takes less time than wading through the phonebook-sized list to make your choice.
My refrigerator not only gives me cold water from the door, but makes me choose ice cubes or crushed ice. How to decide? Besides, the cubes look pretty crushed to me regardless of my choice.
Thankfully, I don’t drink coffee, because there seems to be an entire language one must master to order a double latte yada yada yada, a language and series of choices that would render me mute. And tea is no better. If you want tea at a decent restaurant, they bring that wooden box that looks like a pirate’s treasure chest and is filled not with doubloons but instead with herbal, breakfast, decaf and a myriad of other choices. Remember when tea was Lipton or Tetley? When sneakers were Keds or PF Flyers? When mustard was Gulden’s or French’s? I must have spent 20 minutes in the store the other day trying to decide whether my hand soap should be antibacterial, antibacterial with moisturizers or just moisturizing, and then I had to select a fragrance (apple, green tea, cool mint cucumber or citrus, among many) that wouldn’t make me hungry or nauseous. And you know how I feel about deciding among the dazzling array of skin lotions and potions.
I can’t even leave the house without making a decision. I have to choose between driving Gracie, my 13-year old Mercedes (she is doing fine, by the way), and her younger counterpart, Sunny, my 6-year old Chrysler Sebring convertible. Luckily, weather helps make that decision, but then, if I choose the convertible, I am faced with the decision of putting the top down or keeping it up. That choice depends on both weather and where I am going. No one at ShopRite cares if my hair has blown all over the place, but if I am headed to a meeting, I have to protect my hair, right?
When I am looking for new jeans, I not only have to find the right size, but I have to consider the variety of styles, from boot cut to high waist to fuller leg (guess which one I chose) and more, not counting the variety of shades of denim from which to choose. Thank goodness acid washed is now passé, since that helps narrow down the choices by one.
I can handle the choices at the diner, where I can quickly express my preference for a table or a booth (even though I have no logic for why I might prefer one over the other). I can go to a restaurant with outdoor seating and decide whether to sit inside or outside, depending on the weather. But with all the TV shows I watch, it is hard to decide what programs I want to see live and which others I should record on my two digital video recorders for later viewing. Back in the days when the remote control consisted of the youngest child in the house being ordered to get up and change the channel, deciding between channels 2-4-5-7-9-11 and the dreaded 13 was relatively easy. When Dad fell asleep on the couch, you made your move, hoping he wouldn’t awaken and bark, “I was watching that,” although his eyes were closed. With fewer choices – or none at all – life was considerably less complicated.
Hmm, I wonder what I should write about next month. Decisions, decisions.
Witness:
“Do you want plastic AND paper?” the teenaged ShopRite cashier asked. “Sure,” I responded, not knowing I had that option. I thought the drill was paper OR plastic (except in Pathmark, where nary a paper bag can be found), so she threw me. Now I mostly bring my own bags – partly to be environmentally conscious and partly because I can’t make that choice.
The guy at the deli counter asks if the cheese is cut thin enough for my taste, and offers me a slice. Do I then dare voice a preference for thinner or thicker slices, and do I really have one? When I mentioned to a friend that I couldn’t get the slices apart, she declared, “I always have them shingle it.” Shingle it? I had never heard the term before, but I didn’t have to ask as I instinctively knew what she meant. I just didn’t know we had a choice to ask for it to be shingled for easier cheese access. (Speaking of cheese, the dumbest choice I was ever asked to make was in the Johnson & Johnson Corporate cafeteria, where, after ordering a grilled cheese sandwich, the guy behind the grill asked me, “Do you want cheese on that?” I replied, “Yes, I think you need to include the cheese, or we’re talking toast.” So that was one of the simpler decisions, but they aren’t usually that easy.)
At Quick Chek, just ordering a sandwich has become an adventure in self-service. You belly up to the computer, select your meat, then, by pressing the appropriate buttons, decide whether you want mayonnaise or a little mayonnaise, and all the other sandwich accompaniments, like salt, pepper, cheese or extra cheese, lettuce and tomato and who knows what else. I’m waiting for the computer to actually spit the finished product out at me, but, thankfully, creating the sandwich still requires an actual person. A friend of mine went to his local Wawa and proceeded to make the same sandwich choice day after day, until finally the sandwich maker refused to make one more of the same. I guess he had no choice but to change his sandwich selection.
“I’ll put your items in a double shopping bag,” the eager Williams Sonoma employee offered. “And do you want a handle to help carry it? Do you want your receipt in the bag?” “OK, thanks,” I replied, bewildered at the number of decisions we are asked to make each and every day. I thought just selecting my purchase was enough of a challenge.
At a restaurant (granted, a decent one), you are asked if you want water and whether tap or bottled is your preference (wet and in a glass is fine for me). And forget the wine list. Reading the latest John Grisham novel takes less time than wading through the phonebook-sized list to make your choice.
My refrigerator not only gives me cold water from the door, but makes me choose ice cubes or crushed ice. How to decide? Besides, the cubes look pretty crushed to me regardless of my choice.
Thankfully, I don’t drink coffee, because there seems to be an entire language one must master to order a double latte yada yada yada, a language and series of choices that would render me mute. And tea is no better. If you want tea at a decent restaurant, they bring that wooden box that looks like a pirate’s treasure chest and is filled not with doubloons but instead with herbal, breakfast, decaf and a myriad of other choices. Remember when tea was Lipton or Tetley? When sneakers were Keds or PF Flyers? When mustard was Gulden’s or French’s? I must have spent 20 minutes in the store the other day trying to decide whether my hand soap should be antibacterial, antibacterial with moisturizers or just moisturizing, and then I had to select a fragrance (apple, green tea, cool mint cucumber or citrus, among many) that wouldn’t make me hungry or nauseous. And you know how I feel about deciding among the dazzling array of skin lotions and potions.
I can’t even leave the house without making a decision. I have to choose between driving Gracie, my 13-year old Mercedes (she is doing fine, by the way), and her younger counterpart, Sunny, my 6-year old Chrysler Sebring convertible. Luckily, weather helps make that decision, but then, if I choose the convertible, I am faced with the decision of putting the top down or keeping it up. That choice depends on both weather and where I am going. No one at ShopRite cares if my hair has blown all over the place, but if I am headed to a meeting, I have to protect my hair, right?
When I am looking for new jeans, I not only have to find the right size, but I have to consider the variety of styles, from boot cut to high waist to fuller leg (guess which one I chose) and more, not counting the variety of shades of denim from which to choose. Thank goodness acid washed is now passé, since that helps narrow down the choices by one.
I can handle the choices at the diner, where I can quickly express my preference for a table or a booth (even though I have no logic for why I might prefer one over the other). I can go to a restaurant with outdoor seating and decide whether to sit inside or outside, depending on the weather. But with all the TV shows I watch, it is hard to decide what programs I want to see live and which others I should record on my two digital video recorders for later viewing. Back in the days when the remote control consisted of the youngest child in the house being ordered to get up and change the channel, deciding between channels 2-4-5-7-9-11 and the dreaded 13 was relatively easy. When Dad fell asleep on the couch, you made your move, hoping he wouldn’t awaken and bark, “I was watching that,” although his eyes were closed. With fewer choices – or none at all – life was considerably less complicated.
Hmm, I wonder what I should write about next month. Decisions, decisions.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tina's August Movies 2010
Not a great month for movies, with nothing really special beyond a few old favorites and no documentaries. But I am getting close to 100 movies for the second consecutive year, a feat worth noting (at least to me). Here's what I watched in August, with numbers picked up from the year's total.
August
83. The Notebook (TV) – You don’t want to be with me when I watch this movie, unless, of course, you don’t mind the sights and sounds of someone sobbing, sniffing and blowing her nose. I’ve seen this movie a number of times but that never diminishes its impact. It is a lovely love story, heartwarming and sad, with indelible characters and wonderful performances by Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands. 5 cans and a box of tissues.
84. The Flamingo Kid (HBO) – A very cute, very young Matt Dillon plays 18-year old Jeffrey Willis, from a working class family in Brooklyn. When his friends take him to a beach club in Rockaway, Jeffrey gets a job there parking cars, cleaning cabanas, getting great tips and career advice from slick card player Richard Crenna. It takes Jeffrey a while to understand that the flashy car dealer Crenna, so initially appealing, isn’t all he seems to be. Best scene: Crenna showing off his new remote control to change channels and passing through a scene of himself and Walter Brennan in “The Real McCoys.” 3½ cans.
85. The Go-Between (TCM) – Long before the advent of cell phones and text messages, before e-mail, Facebook and tweets, love was expressed through letters. The logistics of an illicit affair were challenging for the lovers, since they had to devise a way to exchange messages surreptitiously. Enter young Master Leo, a 13-year old boy spending the summer at the country estate of his friend Markus and taking on the role of “postman” for Markus’ beautiful older sister Marian (Julie Christie) and her lover Ted (Alan Bates). Though poor Leo suspects what is going on, he has no understanding of the birds and the bees. With a major crush on Marian, however, he is a willing pawn. Much of the film is devoted to scenes of the poor kid running from the estate to Bates’ modest cottage. Slow-moving and veddy British, this is one of the few British films I have seen which doesn’t include Emma Thompson or Dame Judy Dench in the cast. 3 cans.
86. Eat, Pray, Love (Hillsborough, with Dee, Angela and Sheila) – Can a divorced New York author find happiness and fulfillment by eating her way through Italy, praying her way through India and loving her way through Bali? That’s the question here, as Julia Roberts portrays Elizabeth Gilbert, who took a year off to find herself and eat some beautifully photographed Italian food in this chick-flick. She’s not looking for a man, though she finds several influential men during her journey. The India part could have been shorter, but the other two seemed just right. Who among us hasn’t wrestled with her soul or the zipper of her jeans when life and our midsections become too much weight for us to bare? Gotta go now – the pasta is boiling on the stove. 3½ cans.
87. Cadillac Records (TV) – Before there was Berry Gordy and Motown, Dick Clark and Bandstand, even before rock and roll itself, there was the blues, exemplified by musicians like Muddy Waters. When Leonard Chess opened a club in Chicago, he introduced a stable of talented but often troubled musicians, signing them to his own Chess Records label. Along with Walters, his standouts were Little Walter on the harp, the legendary Chuck Berry, whose guitar riffs were later ripped off by the Beach Boys, and the tough but vulnerable Etta James, played here by Beyonce. Chess at one time or another bought them all Cadillacs to thank them for helping him grow the label, even as they wrestled with booze, drugs and money problems. Any movie that features the Etta James classic “At Last” can’t be all bad. 3½ cans.
88. & 89. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kind/The Sting (TV) – It is only appropriate to pair together two movies that teamed the duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Whether playing bank robbers in Butch Cassidy or con men in The Sting, Newman & Redford are such good bad guys. Their effortless performances, the pleasurable plots, the unique music that became popular because of these films (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” in Butch and Scott Joplin’s piano music in The Sting) made both of these movies immensely engaging. George Roy Hill directed both and I can only imagine the fun these guys must have had throughout production. Throw in small but effective parts by Katharine Ross in Butch and Eileen Brennan in The Sting and you have perfectly cast roles. Love it all. 9 cans, or 4½ cans each.
90. Impromptu (Netflix with Angela) – This strange little movie stars Judy Davis as author George Sand and a very young Hugh Grant as composer Frederic Chopin. The trouser-clad Sand has a reputation as a wild woman who goes after lovers aggressively and tires of them quickly. Grant uses his usual befuddled expression (though his usual stammering is replaced her by a persistent cough) while Davis bores in on him relentlessly. Meanwhile, Emma Thompson, as a rich society woman, is happy to invite artists and musicians to her estate since even then it seems that hanging out with celebrities was considered pretty cool. A quirky and occasionally amusing movie, Impromptu rates only 3 cans. Sorry, Angela.
91. Pride & Prejudice (TV) – This remake of the Greer Garson version of the Jane Austen novel is actually very good. As much as I admire Garson, I have to admit that Keira Knightly is more suited – age-wise – for the role of feisty Elizabeth Bennett. The story of a mother worried about having her five daughters marry well, it has all the pride and prejudice of high society versus plain folks – if you buy plain folks living in an old mansion and still having household help. In this version, the dour Mr. Darcy is played by Matthew Macfadyen. While you assume it is inevitable that he will fall for the sprightly Elizabeth, she initially wants no part of him – at least outwardly. I enjoyed the movie, but remind me never to watch anything with commercials. Oxygen not only interrupted the movie repeatedly, but the commercials promoted the network’s “Bad Girls Club,” which is not exactly like the Mickey Mouse Club. As for the movie itself, 4 cans.
92. The Invention of Lying (HBO) – Ricky Gervais plays to his strengths as a short, fat loser with a snub nose who lives in a world where everyone tells the truth (and describes him in that way). Imagine, the waiter tells you the food you are about to eat is terrible and the girl you just met tells you up front she has absolutely no interest in you. When Gervais’ character accidentally lies at his bank he discovers that he can benefit from not telling the truth and no one is the wiser. He tries to comfort his dying mother by telling her that once she passes on she’ll be in a much better place (“Everyone lives in a mansion,” he explains) and he gains notoriety for his wisdom and familiarity with the “Man in the sky.” This comedy has elements of fantasy (beyond the fact that Jennifer Garner falls for him), spirituality and social commentary that make it a step above the ordinary comedy. To tell the truth, I’m glad I saw it for free on cable, but I give it 3½ cans.
93. Without a Trace (TV) – In the 27 years since this movie was made, there have been countless high profile cases centering on missing children. The case in this movie predates most of what we have come to see far too often, young children becoming victims while their anguished and mostly helpless parents become the target of the media. Judd Hirsch as the cop and Kate Nelligan as the mother give excellent, nuanced performances, each trying to cope with life and solve the case. 3½ cans.
August
83. The Notebook (TV) – You don’t want to be with me when I watch this movie, unless, of course, you don’t mind the sights and sounds of someone sobbing, sniffing and blowing her nose. I’ve seen this movie a number of times but that never diminishes its impact. It is a lovely love story, heartwarming and sad, with indelible characters and wonderful performances by Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands. 5 cans and a box of tissues.
84. The Flamingo Kid (HBO) – A very cute, very young Matt Dillon plays 18-year old Jeffrey Willis, from a working class family in Brooklyn. When his friends take him to a beach club in Rockaway, Jeffrey gets a job there parking cars, cleaning cabanas, getting great tips and career advice from slick card player Richard Crenna. It takes Jeffrey a while to understand that the flashy car dealer Crenna, so initially appealing, isn’t all he seems to be. Best scene: Crenna showing off his new remote control to change channels and passing through a scene of himself and Walter Brennan in “The Real McCoys.” 3½ cans.
85. The Go-Between (TCM) – Long before the advent of cell phones and text messages, before e-mail, Facebook and tweets, love was expressed through letters. The logistics of an illicit affair were challenging for the lovers, since they had to devise a way to exchange messages surreptitiously. Enter young Master Leo, a 13-year old boy spending the summer at the country estate of his friend Markus and taking on the role of “postman” for Markus’ beautiful older sister Marian (Julie Christie) and her lover Ted (Alan Bates). Though poor Leo suspects what is going on, he has no understanding of the birds and the bees. With a major crush on Marian, however, he is a willing pawn. Much of the film is devoted to scenes of the poor kid running from the estate to Bates’ modest cottage. Slow-moving and veddy British, this is one of the few British films I have seen which doesn’t include Emma Thompson or Dame Judy Dench in the cast. 3 cans.
86. Eat, Pray, Love (Hillsborough, with Dee, Angela and Sheila) – Can a divorced New York author find happiness and fulfillment by eating her way through Italy, praying her way through India and loving her way through Bali? That’s the question here, as Julia Roberts portrays Elizabeth Gilbert, who took a year off to find herself and eat some beautifully photographed Italian food in this chick-flick. She’s not looking for a man, though she finds several influential men during her journey. The India part could have been shorter, but the other two seemed just right. Who among us hasn’t wrestled with her soul or the zipper of her jeans when life and our midsections become too much weight for us to bare? Gotta go now – the pasta is boiling on the stove. 3½ cans.
87. Cadillac Records (TV) – Before there was Berry Gordy and Motown, Dick Clark and Bandstand, even before rock and roll itself, there was the blues, exemplified by musicians like Muddy Waters. When Leonard Chess opened a club in Chicago, he introduced a stable of talented but often troubled musicians, signing them to his own Chess Records label. Along with Walters, his standouts were Little Walter on the harp, the legendary Chuck Berry, whose guitar riffs were later ripped off by the Beach Boys, and the tough but vulnerable Etta James, played here by Beyonce. Chess at one time or another bought them all Cadillacs to thank them for helping him grow the label, even as they wrestled with booze, drugs and money problems. Any movie that features the Etta James classic “At Last” can’t be all bad. 3½ cans.
88. & 89. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kind/The Sting (TV) – It is only appropriate to pair together two movies that teamed the duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Whether playing bank robbers in Butch Cassidy or con men in The Sting, Newman & Redford are such good bad guys. Their effortless performances, the pleasurable plots, the unique music that became popular because of these films (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” in Butch and Scott Joplin’s piano music in The Sting) made both of these movies immensely engaging. George Roy Hill directed both and I can only imagine the fun these guys must have had throughout production. Throw in small but effective parts by Katharine Ross in Butch and Eileen Brennan in The Sting and you have perfectly cast roles. Love it all. 9 cans, or 4½ cans each.
90. Impromptu (Netflix with Angela) – This strange little movie stars Judy Davis as author George Sand and a very young Hugh Grant as composer Frederic Chopin. The trouser-clad Sand has a reputation as a wild woman who goes after lovers aggressively and tires of them quickly. Grant uses his usual befuddled expression (though his usual stammering is replaced her by a persistent cough) while Davis bores in on him relentlessly. Meanwhile, Emma Thompson, as a rich society woman, is happy to invite artists and musicians to her estate since even then it seems that hanging out with celebrities was considered pretty cool. A quirky and occasionally amusing movie, Impromptu rates only 3 cans. Sorry, Angela.
91. Pride & Prejudice (TV) – This remake of the Greer Garson version of the Jane Austen novel is actually very good. As much as I admire Garson, I have to admit that Keira Knightly is more suited – age-wise – for the role of feisty Elizabeth Bennett. The story of a mother worried about having her five daughters marry well, it has all the pride and prejudice of high society versus plain folks – if you buy plain folks living in an old mansion and still having household help. In this version, the dour Mr. Darcy is played by Matthew Macfadyen. While you assume it is inevitable that he will fall for the sprightly Elizabeth, she initially wants no part of him – at least outwardly. I enjoyed the movie, but remind me never to watch anything with commercials. Oxygen not only interrupted the movie repeatedly, but the commercials promoted the network’s “Bad Girls Club,” which is not exactly like the Mickey Mouse Club. As for the movie itself, 4 cans.
92. The Invention of Lying (HBO) – Ricky Gervais plays to his strengths as a short, fat loser with a snub nose who lives in a world where everyone tells the truth (and describes him in that way). Imagine, the waiter tells you the food you are about to eat is terrible and the girl you just met tells you up front she has absolutely no interest in you. When Gervais’ character accidentally lies at his bank he discovers that he can benefit from not telling the truth and no one is the wiser. He tries to comfort his dying mother by telling her that once she passes on she’ll be in a much better place (“Everyone lives in a mansion,” he explains) and he gains notoriety for his wisdom and familiarity with the “Man in the sky.” This comedy has elements of fantasy (beyond the fact that Jennifer Garner falls for him), spirituality and social commentary that make it a step above the ordinary comedy. To tell the truth, I’m glad I saw it for free on cable, but I give it 3½ cans.
93. Without a Trace (TV) – In the 27 years since this movie was made, there have been countless high profile cases centering on missing children. The case in this movie predates most of what we have come to see far too often, young children becoming victims while their anguished and mostly helpless parents become the target of the media. Judd Hirsch as the cop and Kate Nelligan as the mother give excellent, nuanced performances, each trying to cope with life and solve the case. 3½ cans.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Judgment Day - August 2010
I try not to be judgmental, but there are just too many occasions when I can’t help but express my opinions. Although I am completely unqualified in so many areas, that lack of expertise in no way inhibits me from issuing my own verdict about practically anything.
Take dancing, for instance. Having watched all of the seasons of “Dancing With the Stars” – and I use that latter term loosely, based on my judgment of who is really a star – I now find myself opining on the contestants’ musicality, extension and the difficulty of the choreography. Me, whose entire ballroom dancing experience consists of Bunny and Stan Scharf showing me how to do the cha-cha when I was 12. I am equally qualified as a singer, or, at least, I certainly know bad singing when I hear it because that is all I can do. Yet, when “American Idol” airs, I immediately feel free to offer my opinion of the vocal talents of people 16-28 years old – even though no one has asked. Now that Simon and Ellen have left the show and, given my availability, I am waiting for a call from Hollywood officially asking me to join the judges’ panel. Don’t you think I’d be better than J Lo? I’d be much less expensive – and considerably less diva-like (I would agree to any color M&Ms in my dressing room, thank you, and any brand of bottled water, as long as it is cold, will do).
My ability to judge the creative arts appears to have no boundaries. Each year I dutifully note which clothing designers are the best and worst on “Project Runway,” even though I cannot even sew on a button successfully (I blame my eyes for not being able to thread the needle as I drop things off at the cleaners for repair). I quickly identified the bottom two designers on the new season of “Design Star,” and, though I know even less about art than dancing, singing and design, I promptly decided which aspiring artist should pack her brushes and go on the new program, “Work of Art.” Not being able to taste the food on cooking shows like “Top Chef” doesn’t stop me from deciding which chefs should pack their knives and go. And that’s not just a case of giving low scores to the ones who sweat into their food, either.
On the HGTV show “House Hunters,” I watch prospective homeowners look at three houses and decide which of the three to buy. One has big bedrooms but a bad backyard, while another has a room for a “man cave” but not enough room for the wife’s shoes (they never have enough room for the wife’s shoes). At the end of the show, while we review the attributes of each abode, I helpfully hold up one, two or three fingers to tell them which one to choose. When they choose one that I didn’t choose for them, I try to be happy for them, even though I know they made the wrong choice.
Recent editions of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” also have ignored my verbal pleas as someone gets down on one knee and proposes to the wrong person. I don’t want to say “I told you so,” but Jake and Vienna split before Ali and Roberto became a match (and this time, one of which I approve).
It’s not like I always want to be “Judge Judy.” I like the competition shows where the conclusion is clear. On “The Amazing Race,” for example, the last team to arrive at the pit stop is eliminated (unless it is a non-elimination round, that is). It’s easy: Come in last and you go home. But on programs where strategy is involved, such as “Survivor,” I just pick out the people I don’t like or trust and give thanks I am not stuck in a jungle with them, peeing in a bush and brushing my teeth with a leaf. On other shows, such as “America’s Got Talent,” we are asked to judge an earnest young singer whose father has leukemia versus a guy who juggles chain saws. Sometimes it is easier just to change the channel.
In the end, at least I am glad I am making my judgments on these shows based on the merits of the talent as I perceive it. I don’t watch shows like “The Real Housewives of Fill-In-the-Blank” or “America’s Next Top Model.” That’s because I don’t need to see those programs to judge them. I have already decided they aren’t worth my time.
Take dancing, for instance. Having watched all of the seasons of “Dancing With the Stars” – and I use that latter term loosely, based on my judgment of who is really a star – I now find myself opining on the contestants’ musicality, extension and the difficulty of the choreography. Me, whose entire ballroom dancing experience consists of Bunny and Stan Scharf showing me how to do the cha-cha when I was 12. I am equally qualified as a singer, or, at least, I certainly know bad singing when I hear it because that is all I can do. Yet, when “American Idol” airs, I immediately feel free to offer my opinion of the vocal talents of people 16-28 years old – even though no one has asked. Now that Simon and Ellen have left the show and, given my availability, I am waiting for a call from Hollywood officially asking me to join the judges’ panel. Don’t you think I’d be better than J Lo? I’d be much less expensive – and considerably less diva-like (I would agree to any color M&Ms in my dressing room, thank you, and any brand of bottled water, as long as it is cold, will do).
My ability to judge the creative arts appears to have no boundaries. Each year I dutifully note which clothing designers are the best and worst on “Project Runway,” even though I cannot even sew on a button successfully (I blame my eyes for not being able to thread the needle as I drop things off at the cleaners for repair). I quickly identified the bottom two designers on the new season of “Design Star,” and, though I know even less about art than dancing, singing and design, I promptly decided which aspiring artist should pack her brushes and go on the new program, “Work of Art.” Not being able to taste the food on cooking shows like “Top Chef” doesn’t stop me from deciding which chefs should pack their knives and go. And that’s not just a case of giving low scores to the ones who sweat into their food, either.
On the HGTV show “House Hunters,” I watch prospective homeowners look at three houses and decide which of the three to buy. One has big bedrooms but a bad backyard, while another has a room for a “man cave” but not enough room for the wife’s shoes (they never have enough room for the wife’s shoes). At the end of the show, while we review the attributes of each abode, I helpfully hold up one, two or three fingers to tell them which one to choose. When they choose one that I didn’t choose for them, I try to be happy for them, even though I know they made the wrong choice.
Recent editions of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” also have ignored my verbal pleas as someone gets down on one knee and proposes to the wrong person. I don’t want to say “I told you so,” but Jake and Vienna split before Ali and Roberto became a match (and this time, one of which I approve).
It’s not like I always want to be “Judge Judy.” I like the competition shows where the conclusion is clear. On “The Amazing Race,” for example, the last team to arrive at the pit stop is eliminated (unless it is a non-elimination round, that is). It’s easy: Come in last and you go home. But on programs where strategy is involved, such as “Survivor,” I just pick out the people I don’t like or trust and give thanks I am not stuck in a jungle with them, peeing in a bush and brushing my teeth with a leaf. On other shows, such as “America’s Got Talent,” we are asked to judge an earnest young singer whose father has leukemia versus a guy who juggles chain saws. Sometimes it is easier just to change the channel.
In the end, at least I am glad I am making my judgments on these shows based on the merits of the talent as I perceive it. I don’t watch shows like “The Real Housewives of Fill-In-the-Blank” or “America’s Next Top Model.” That’s because I don’t need to see those programs to judge them. I have already decided they aren’t worth my time.
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