Mid-Life Crisis

Ten on Tuesday...on Wednesday

I was drawing a blank due to my pounding headache, so I looked at everyone else's lists and got some ideas. So many ideas that I had to do twelve...

Ten Movie Characters You Love

1. Atticus Finch
2. Willy Wonka - the Johnny Depp version
3. Silent Bob
4. Every character Doris Day ever played
5. Felix Unger
6. Donkey from Shrek
7. Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.
8. Forest Gump. How can you not love Forest?
9. Norma Rae
10. Kathleen Kelly from You’ve Got Mail
11. Harry and Sally
12. Bunny Watson from Desk Set

Ten on Tuesday

I have such a bad headache that I can't come up with a list for this week's "Ten on Tuesday" topic, "Ten Movie Characters You Love." I happened upon this old "Ten" that I never posted for some reason, so I'm using that one instead:

Ten Movies That Have Made You Cry

1. Good Will Hunting - It hit home. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
2. Titanic - the part where they find each other again on the staircase after they die. *sniff*
3. Fiddler on the Roof - the part when the daughter and her new husband pass by her former home on the way out of town, and the father ignores her because he's disowned her. OY! I just sobbed!
4. Schindler's List - I only saw the last ten minutes but I still cried like a baby.
5. Dumbo, Bambi & ET - I have separation anxiety, what can I say.
6. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - when Spencer Tracy gives that speech about how much he loves his wife (played by real life partner Katherine Hepburn). When they pan to Hepburn she's crying real tears, because she knew Tracy was ill and wouldn't live much longer. He died shortly after shooting ended.
7. It's a Wonderful Life - "To George Bailey, the richest man in town." Omg, that ending gets me every time!
8. To Kill a Mockingbird - "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing."
9. The Way We Were - the very end when Katie and Hubbell meet in front of The Plaza Hotel years after breaking up. You know, when she brushes the hair on his forehead? *sigh*
10. Driving Miss Daisy - "Hoke...You're my best friend." Getting old makes me sad.
11. Life is Beautiful - Ack, this one was sad from beginning to end.

Let's Pretend It's Still Tuesday...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You Have a Weakness For

1. Books

2. Broadway Musicals

3. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo: B&LElie on Flickr

4. Romantic Comedies

5. My Nieces & Nephews

6. Oyster Crackers

Photo: SaintAlia on Flickr

7. Decorating Magazines

8. Blogs (reading more than writing)

9. Kit Kat Bars

Photo: Lee Rock on Flickr

10. Hot Young Men (did I even have to say this one?!)

Ten on Tuesday...on Wednesday

10 Great Halloween Costumes

Is this supposed to be costumes we've worn, or costumes we've seen? Or are we supposed to think up new ones? I hate halloween with a passion, and avoid it at all costs, so I haven't had much experience with costumes in any of those categories. I guess I'll just name my favorites out of the few I've had experience with and see what I come up with...

1. Princess - This was my costume for the first five years I went trick-or-treating. It consisted of one of my mom's old bridesmaid gowns from her friend's weddings. I had to use a new one every year because after one day's wear I returned with the hem in shreds from dragging it up and down the street. My mom hated the whole princess thing. She thought it was wimpy.
2. Nun - I borrowed this costume from someone after getting a last minute invite to a party. My then boyfriend, who was Jewish, went as a friar. My friend's dad--who is very religious--kept talking to me in whispered tones and bowing his head. It was hilarious.
3. French Maid - I wore this to the only other costume party I've ever attended. I was complaining to my parents that I'd be the only single person there, so my dad suggested I go as a French Maid so all the husbands would pay more attention to me than their wives. He was right. I have never gotten so much male attention in my life. (Not that I really wanted attention from a bunch of married men.) In any case, it was a pretty interesting experience, to say the least. I think the only costume that might top that one would be 'slutty nurse'. I'll have to remember that one for next time. (And no, that's not me in the photo, but I had a similar costume
4. Clark Kent changing into Superman - A guy I used to work with made this one. It was incredible. One side of his body was Clark Kent, the other side was Superman. He worked in the display department, so he was a really creative guy.
5. Austin Powers - My brother wore this one, complete with bad teeth and really hairy chest, (that came with the costume, not his own.)
6. Reginald Van Gleason and his Dame - My mom and dad wore this to a party back in the early sixties. Reggie was a character that Jackie Gleason did on his variety show. My dad looked just like Jackie Gleason, so with the top hat, mustache and cape, he looked perfect. My mom took yards of fabric and wrapped it around her to make a strapless gown, then added a blond wig and long cigarette lighter. It was supposed to be a joke, but I thought they looked very glamorous. Somewhere there's a photo of them taken at the party. I wish I could find it.
7. Fonzie - I didn't actually wear this costume for Halloween, I wore it in a play in college. It was pretty funny, I must say. This is one costume I'm glad I don't have a photo of!

That's all I can think of for now. If I come up with something else I'll come back and add it in.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Best of TV This Season:

My favorites, starting from Monday night...

1. What About Brian
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. Boston Legal
4. Project Runway
5. Grey's Anatomy
6. Six Degrees
7. My Name is Earl
8. Men in Trees
9. Desperate Housewives
10. Brothers and Sisters

Honorable Mention To:

• 30 Rock (Only saw one episode, but it looks promising)
• The Class (Not sure the premise will hold up, but it's funny)
• Ugly Betty (It's cute, but it should be only half an hour)

Compiling this list made me realize two things:

1. I'm watching entirely too much TV.
2. Almost every show I watch is on ABC.

And by the way, I would like to express my undying gratitude to ABC, who had the good sense to realize that people are getting sick of reality TV, and to J.J. Abrams for almost single handedly bringing back the one hour drama. Thank you both for bringing unreality back into our lives.

Tuesday Twosome...on Wednesday

Choose and explain…

1. Shower or Bath: Shower. I'm too impatient to take baths.

2. Comedy or Drama: Comedy! I enjoy the occassional drama, but I like to laugh. It's the best medicine.

3. Coffee or Tea: Tea. I love plain old Lipton tea with milk and lots of sugar. Unfortunately I can't have any of those things so I drink camomille tea, black. The only good thing about it is that it's hot.

4. Fiction or Non-Fiction: Hmmm... That's a hard one. I enjoy both. I'm going to go with non-fiction because I've been reading more of that lately.

5. Television or Movies: Whoa! What kind of choice is that?! I would have to say that I could live without television, but never without movies. However...I need the televison to watch the movies!

Tuesday Twosome

If you had to, which would you choose?

1. Humid or Dry: Dry. I hate humidity with a passion.

2. Earthquake or Hurricane: Earthquake. I've done the hurricane thing. It's scary, but at least you get a warning.

3. Flood or Fire: Oy...what a choice. I've been there, done that with the fire. It isn't pretty. I guess I'll have to go with flood.

4. Wet or Dry: Dry! I don't like being wet, for any reason what-so-ever.

5. Lake or Beach: Beach. I don't like being in the water, but I love being near it. Except for Lakes. Still water runs deep, but with it comes many, many bugs.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You'd Do If You Had More Time

You mean we only get 10?! My own 'to do' list is a mile long, but's that just the things I have to do. These are things that I want to do but probably never will:

1. Upload all my digital photos to Flickr.
2. Scan my favorite printed photos and upload them to Flickr.
3. Buy software from Collectorz.com and scan in all my books, videos, and dvd's.
4. Clean out my "favorites" links.
5. Download all my Hotmail emails to my Outlook account and get rid of Hotmail.
6. Learn to use the IPOD that I've owned for A YEAR.
7. Post to my blog on a daily basis.
8. Create and maintain a blog for my family.
9. Finish all the books and DVD sets I've started.
10. Read the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and New York Magazine on a regular basis.

Whew...I'm tired just compiling that list. I think I'll sit down in front of the TV and vegetate.

Ten on Tuesday...on Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Television Personalities

1. David Letterman
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Rosie O'Donnell
4. Ellen DeGeneres
5. Craig Ferguson
6. Bill Geist
7. Ty Pennington
8. Bobby Flay
9. John McEnroe
10. Nate Berkus

Honorable Mention: Tim Russert and Andy Rooney

Ten on Tuesday...on Thursday

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Favorite Characters from Your Childhood

I don't know where this week went. I thought I was going to be a day late with this, and I just realized I'm two days late. Oh well, it was a fun one, so I'm going to do it anyway.

I had to dig REALLY deep to come up with this list, because childhood was a looong way back. At first I couldn't think of any, but once I cleared out some of the cobwebs, I ended up with a list that was way too long. I could have done separate lists for favorite book characters, TV characters, and cartoon characters. Maybe I'll post those some day. In the meantime, I cheated and counted related multiple characters as one choice.

Anywho, here (in no particular order), are my top ten:

1. Anne Marie aka That Girl
2. Pippi Longstocking
3. Pollyanna
4. Rocky and Bullwinkle
5. Soupy Sales*
6. Annette*
7. Mighty Mouse
8. Batman and Robin
9. Ricky Nelson*
10. Eloise

[*These characters had the same names as the actor's who played them, but they were characters.]

I'm looking at my final list and laughing to myself, because after all these years, I still have the same taste. I'm still attracted to stong, independent women, funny men, and New York City. (The setting for both That Girl, and the Eloise books.)

I'm also still a damsel in distress, waiting for that guy with the muscles and cape to come rescue me. Wait...I think I hear him coming now...

Here I come to save the day!

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You Think People Don't Like About You

This was a very revealing exercise. It was almost painful to write.

1. I'm slow. Pokey, some would say. (What's the rush?!)
2. I'm always late. (So you wait a few minutes. Will it kill you?)
3. I'm not spontaneous. (I like to be prepared. So sue me.)
4. I'm thorough. Not in and of itself a bad thing, but people seem to find it exhausting. (I'm sorry, but I don't consider pots clean when there are still clumps of food clinging to them.)
5. I'm blunt. (If you didn't want my real opinion, why did you ask?!)
6. I don't drink. (Yes, in my family this is considered a character flaw. And speaking of my family...)
7. I prefer reading and watching movies to sitting in the sun working on my tan. (In my family, tanning is considered a worthwhile activity, second only to biking, and making the perfect guacamole dip.)
8. I'm paranoid. I think everything is about me. (And that is not the same as being self absorbed. Self absorbed implies you only care about yourself and you think you're more important than everyone else. That is definitely not me.)
9. I'm self-absorbed. (See above)
10. I'm argumentative. (No, I'm not. I just like to discuss things until you realize I'm right.)

Now I'm going to stop typing and head straight for the "Self Improvement" section of the nearest bookstore.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Hate Doing

1. Packing
2. Food Shopping
3. Putting gas in the car
4. Bringing the car to get serviced
5. Driving (especially in bad weather)
6. Cleaning snow off the car
7. Calling insurance companies
8. Going to doctors and the dentist
9. Cleaning the bathroom
10. Going to bars, or to parties where I don't know anyone

With the exception of number ten, this is what I spend most of my day doing. Things I hate. Which is why I'm grouchy all the time.

Ten on Tuesday...on Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Feel Good Songs

1. What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
2. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
3. Chelsea Morning - Joni Mitchell
4. Sing a Song - Earth, Wind and Fire
5. Grazing in the Grass - Friends of Distinction
6. Love Train - The O'Jays
7. A Beautiful Morning - The Rascals
8. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
9. Volare - Dean Martin
10. Let the River Run - Carly Simon

Ten on Tuesday

I'm waiting for some files to back up, so I'm going to take this time to answer my favorite meme. Okay, so it was yesterday's meme, but it's a fun one so I'm doin' it anyway. I'm going to start on Sunday night and go down the line...

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Favorite Current Shows

1. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
2. Desperate Housewives
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. The Golden Globes
5. American Idol
6. Boston Legal
7. Project Runway
8. Dancing with the Stars
9. My Name is Earl
10. Crumbs

I had to really reach to get 10 shows. Actually, two of the shows I watch are on two nights so I guess I could have listed those twice, but then I would have to face the reality that I watch the same garbage on two different nights, and that is just too pathetic for me to deal with right now.

So instead of listing American Idol twice, I threw in the Golden Globes, which obviously is not a regular program, but is current since it was on this week. It's also become my favorite awards show because it's so much more fun than The Oscars, which has become a big bore the past few years.

I also added this new show Crumbs as my number ten, even though I've only seen it once. Not sure that qualifies as a 'favorite' technically, but I thought it was an excellent show, so it's on my list. Watch it if you get a chance. It's hysterically funny, touching, and it stars Fred Savage from The Wonder Years, all grown up and gay. [His character that is. I don't know anything about his personal life.] Gay...straight, whatever, he's a cutie pie. He also has great comic timing. He makes a great, um...straight man.

That's it for now. Back to the monkey I've had on my back for the past three years.

*rolls eyes*

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Favorite Movie Characters

Did you ever have one of those days where the harder you try, the less you get done? I'm having one of those days. So I decided to stop trying and answer the Ten on Tuesday, because it's about one of my favorite topics...movies. Then, in typical fashion, Typepad decided to be slow as sh*t today. As a result, the fun turned out to be more aggravating than the work I was trying to escape. Oh well. Things could be a lot worse, so I'll stop complaining now.

Also in typical fashion, I couldn't get my list down to ten, so I decided to do ten male and ten female characters. This was hard. I watch a lot of movies, and I have a lot of favorites. And you have to separate how you feel about the actor from how you feel about the character. I love just about every character Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant have ever played, because I love the way they play them. Then there are some movies, like A Room with a View for instance, that are so well written, and so beautifully cast, that I love all the characters. I know, I take this all way too seriously. What can I tell you, I'm a movie dork.

I'm sure that I'm leaving someone out, but here are my lists:

Favorite Female Characters:

1. Bunny Watson - Desk Set
2. Loretta Castorini - Moonstruck
3. Charlotte Vale - Now Voyager
4. Ethel Thayer - On Golden Pond
5. Charlotte Bartlett - A Room with a View
6. Judy Benjamin - Private Benjamin
7. Blanche DuBois - A Streetcar Named Desire
8. Edna Spalding - Places in the Heart
9. Annie Savoy - Bull Durham
10. Annie Hall - Annie Hall

Favorite Male Characters:

1. Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird
2. George Bailey - It's a Wonderful Life
3. Victor Vargas - Raising Victor Vargas
4. Tony Manero - Saturday Night Fever
5. Rocky Balboa - Rocky
6. Hobson - Arthur
7. Mark Thackeray aka Sir - To Sir with Love
8. Cecil Vyse - A Room with a View
9. Spike - Notting Hill
10. Darth Vadar - Star Wars Series

Note: To jog my memory I consulted Premiere Magazines list of, "The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time." Check it out to see how many of your favorites made the list.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased? 

The Hungry Hippo. It was a gift for my four year old nephew. (No really, it was.)

Soup
Name something in which you don't believe.

I don't believe that nice guys finish last. I believe that in the end, you'll get much more out of life if you're a decent human being.

Salad
If you could choose a television personality to be your boss, who would you pick?

Earl from My Name is Earl.

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Did not even have to think twice for this one: I would have had more fun, traveled to more places, had a lot more money in the bank, and would be in much better health, if I had not attempted to create and run "website that shall remain nameless." (Most of you know which one I mean!)

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Monochromatic colors; big comfy chair; big windows, but with nice heavy drapes that close when needed; books; magazines; television; stereo; nice soothing music...

Funny...I just described my living room in the condo I no longer own. *cries*

Also funny...there would have been a time that I would have added, 'by the ocean,' to my list, but lately being by the water just makes me nervous!

Friday Fiver

1. What is your shoe size?  7 1/2

2. How many hours did you sleep last night?  5 1/2 hours

3. Area code of your phone number:  [deleted]

4. Last grade of school completed:  Grad School

5. Time it takes you to get ready in the morning:   I don't have to get up and go anywhere in the morning, but if I did, it would take me two hours.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Favorite People from History

I shouldn't be doing this today beause I have so much to do, (like finding a hotel to stay in for the trip I'm going on in less than a month. Ugh!). But I had an upsetting dream just before I woke up this morning, so I'm out of sorts and my brain is scrambled. I'm hoping that if I focus on something that doesn't give me anxiety, I'll snap out of it.

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be! The first list I made only included people who did great things, and then I realized it's not supposed to be the ten most important people, but my ten favorites. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Mother Theresa

2. Princess Diana

3. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

4. Katherine Hepburn

5. Edith Wharton

6. Elenor Roosevelt

7. John F. Kennedy

8. Winston Churchill

9. Martin Luther King Jr.

10. Cary Grant

11. Abraham Lincoln

12. Lou Gehrig

Ten on Tuesday...on Wednesday

As usual, I'm behind a bit. I'm going to do the Ten on Tuesday today because I like to talk about movies. (I should call this the Six on Tuesday because I couldn't come up with ten.)

The Topic: Ten Best Movies You've Seen Lately*

1. Raising Victor Vargas
2. Lords of Dogtown (I bet you didn't see that coming, huh?)
3. Imaginary Heroes
4. Finding Neverland
5. Garden State
6. Being Julia
7. De-Lovely

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I want to do this particular question.  I can't even come up with ten good movies I've seen in the past year. (I'm figuring that would be considered 'lately.') How pathetic is that?

I used to be one of those people who feel life isn't complete unless you go to the movies at least once a week. Now I can count on one hand the number of times I've been in a movie theatre in the past year. Most of the movies on my list I saw at home. How pathetic is that?!

I guess it would be more depressing if there were lots of really good movies I was missing, but truthfully I can't think of one that I missed. Oh wait, there is one...Sideways. I've wanted to see that since it came out, but for one reason or the other I just haven't watched it. And I have no excuse because I don't even have to make the trip to a video store to rent it. We have this On Demand thingie that has all the latest movies.

I'm going to make a point of watching it by the weekend. That is, when I get done playing with my Lords of Dogtown DVD. *cheesy grin*

[*Edit: I came up with a seventh movie! I can't believe I forgot this one because I recently declared it one of my favorite movies of all time. My memory is definitely deteriorating. My doctor said I lost half an inch of height. I think I lost it off the top of my brain. Anyway, see my revised list!]

Bitten by a Different Bug

I'm lovin' the meme thing...I'm sure it will last another week. If that.

Got to get this one in before the clock strikes 12:00!

Monday Madness

1. When you're stressed out, what do you do to relieve your stress?

I go on the internet and get lost in whatever my latest obsession is. Or I'll watch a movie or one of my favorite tv shows on DVD.

2. Are you normally a patient person, or is patience NOT one of your virtues?

I used to be a very patient person, but I'm not anymore. I think that comes from being stressed all the time, and feeling trapped in a situation I can't get out of. Or maybe I'm just getting old and crabby.

3. How many times a week do you blog?

I'm pretty new at the blog thing so I haven't established a pattern. I started off slow, but I'm quickly becoming obsessed. I'm sure I'll do it at least once a day. I wish I could say that about some other fun activities.

4. How many memes a week do you participate in?

This is only the third one I've ever tried. I think doing one of these every day could become a chore, but so far it's fun and a nice diversion from that pesky work I'm supposed to be doing.

5. Describe the perfect day, weather-wise.

Sunny. Temps in the 65 to 70 range. No smog. Either a perfect Spring or perfect Fall day.

6. Would you rather be too hot, or too cold?

That's a hard one, because I don't enjoy being either. Being hot and sweaty makes me uncomfortable and grouchy, but being too cold is painful, so I guess I'd choose too hot .

7. Do you eat out often, and if so, what type of restaurants do you frequent?

Anyone who knows me is gonna laugh when they read this question! I hate eating out, in fact I'm not fond of eating, period. But when I'm forced to eat out I prefer Italian food, although I like the home cooked variety a hundred times better. I also love eating in diners, and kosher delis. That's the New Yorker in me I guess.

8. If you could run your own business, what type of business would it be?

I actually have my own business. I'd like to keep the one I have, only have it make money. And that's no joke.

As usual I talked too much and missed the midnight deadline. Oh well!