Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Movie Review2: Talladega Nights
It was a weekend of watching videos with Toby still recovering from her cold - - we watched Talladega Nights starring Will Ferrell. It was pretty much as I was expecting, very middle of the road, what you would expect from Ferrell. I did like it better than the first time I saw it, when it was called Anchorman. I don't know if it's just me but I keep hearing what a comic genius this guy is supposed to be but I just don't see it I guess. The movie is basically a goofy story about how a guy becomes a famous Nascar driver. The movie pokes fun at all the usual suspects in Nascar which is entertaining for not more than a few minutes. I guess one part that I did find pretty funny was when he decides he's going to sell additional advertising space on his front windshield, even though he can't see around it. If Little Miss Sunshine was a B or B+ this one was probably a C. Highly recommended if you are looking for a mindless movie that won't make you think too much or expend any energy talking about it after.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Movie Review: Little Miss Sunshine
I finally got around to seeing a movie that I had heard was pretty funny - - Little Miss Sunshine. Basically it's about a dysfunctional family traveling out to California to one of those kinda-creepy Children's Beauty Pageants. The first half of the movie made me laugh out loud a number of times. The guy who plays the boss on The Office was fantastic. The second part of the movie was also good, but not quite as hilarious as the beginning. It was a little too close to Chevy Chase's Vacation to be considered perfect. However, if you enjoy movies like Welcome to the Doll House & Best in Show then this one will be right up your alley. I was definitely entertained and enjoyed it quite a bit.
Toby is really sick now - - the doctor said she had a 102 degree temperature when she went in to get checked. Devera and I have been keeping busy while Mom is recovering. Since Toby is so sick it might mean renting another movie tonight. I don't think I've seen this many movies in years....at least not after Devera was born!
One other note, I should have a new special up over the next couple of days so keep checking if you are interested.
Have a Great Weekend!
Toby is really sick now - - the doctor said she had a 102 degree temperature when she went in to get checked. Devera and I have been keeping busy while Mom is recovering. Since Toby is so sick it might mean renting another movie tonight. I don't think I've seen this many movies in years....at least not after Devera was born!
One other note, I should have a new special up over the next couple of days so keep checking if you are interested.
Have a Great Weekend!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Cute Little Story
Last night I had an indoor soccer game at 6:00pm so Toby took Devera out to Peanut Butter & Ellies for dinner. For those of you that don't know, Peanut Butter & Ellies is a local restaurant that really caters to little kids. There are tons of toys everywhere, including chaulk boards on the walls and a large train track right in the middle of the place. The upside is that the food is very good, most of it made with local ingrediants and the meat is all from free-range, sustainable farms - - so it's a huge step up from the other options for kids like Red Robin or Chilis.
When Toby got home she mentioned that Devera was playing with 2 other children and there were only 2 mini-chaulk boards for 3 kids. She said that after Devera got done playing she took her chaulk board over to the other child and said, "here you go". Isn't that cute?
When Toby got home she mentioned that Devera was playing with 2 other children and there were only 2 mini-chaulk boards for 3 kids. She said that after Devera got done playing she took her chaulk board over to the other child and said, "here you go". Isn't that cute?
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Job Search Update - Lots of Excitement
While everyone knows that searching for a new job can be stressful, I'm finding it to be very enjoyable so far. For one, I'm excited to start something new. It's nice to evaluate what you are doing every so often and make sure it fits into your life goals. Another thing I've noticed is how many business contacts and friends I have made over the years. It seems like everyone I talk to points me in the direction of someone that they know and so on.
On the bead front I've got a couple new sets that I need to photograph and then put up for auction. I'll probably shoot for tomorrow sometime. I play indoor soccer tonight so it might be a little later in the day tomorrow. We'll see what happens.
Have a great day!
On the bead front I've got a couple new sets that I need to photograph and then put up for auction. I'll probably shoot for tomorrow sometime. I play indoor soccer tonight so it might be a little later in the day tomorrow. We'll see what happens.
Have a great day!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Job Search Delayed
Last week was kind of funny. I was all excited about beginning to look for a new job. Monday was MLK Day and Devera's daycare was closed so I knew I would be starting on Tuesday instead...or so I thought. Devera and I went to the art museum downtown and had a great time on Monday. But Tuesday and Wednesday it snowed so Devera's daycare was closed again! So definitely no job searching was happening...and we were kind of stuck at home since my car is front-wheel drive. Then Thursday Devera went back to daycare.....for 45 minutes. Then I got the call that she had pink-eye. I took her to the doctors and they said she couldn't go back until Monday. So that was my week. Devera and I spent the whole week together. I was sick too so that was a little tough. We had a fun time but I was pretty exhausted by the end of the week.
Then the Saints lost today...that was the big bummer. Oh well, what a great season they had! I'm already excited thinking about next session.
Then the Saints lost today...that was the big bummer. Oh well, what a great season they had! I'm already excited thinking about next session.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Aren't These Interesting?
This is a picture of 300+ clear Swarovski crystals that I just ordered - - aren't they nice? They are so sparkly when they are in the giant pile! I've got thousands of these things in all different colors laying around - - I use them in most of the sets that I sell as they kind of tie the set together.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Snow, Snow, & More Snow
Before I went to bed last night I heard that we should be expecting less than 1 inch of snow with this current storm....4 inches of snow later and it looks like the snow is over but there is tons of fun to be had out there.
Devera's daycare was closed today (and will be tomorrow) so we decided to go for a sled ride down to the coffee shop. She laughed the entire way but decided on the way home she would rather walk home. She looked like a little bundled marshmallow moving in slow motion....VERY slow motion!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Saints Win!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe it...the New Orleans Saints are in the NFC Championship game. Tonight was only their 2nd playoff win in 40 years. I cooked up a big pot of Jambalaya complete with shrimp & andouille sausage to get us in the mood. ....it was delicious! I also went out and got one of the local New Orleans beers (Abita) to wash it down. Ok, it was more like 3 beers but whose counting? We're actually considering taking a trip to New Orleans if they make it to the Super Bowl. Either way I think we are going to try to take a trip down there before the end of the year. Whenever we go it will be our first trip back since Katrina. I'm sure we'll have a lot of mixed emotions.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Out of Work....
Well, my consulting gig ended this week so now I need to figure out what I'm going to do next. I'll probably be a little more productive on the bead front over the next month or so but I'll also be focusing on getting some other work. I'll keep you posted. While I'd love to do more consulting I may end up working full time again. Not to worry though, the beads won't be stopping. I've always made most of them at night anyway.
On the bright side, this weekend is shaping up nicely. Tomorrow night I'll be watching the Saints game. I've been a fan since I was in the 5th grade....Toby tells me that's about age 10. In 28 years of being a fan they've only won ONE, yes one, playoff game! So it has been rough sledding being a fan all these years. Even when we moved to New Orleans and I used to go to the Superdome and watch games they were lousy. But this year they've been pretty solid, so I'm excited to watch the game. I'll even be cooking up some Jambalaya to get in the mood. On Sunday we are taking Devera to a playdate, so that should be cute. And Monday is MLK day and Devera's daycare is closed so I'm going to take her to the Art Museum that day.
Hopefully my next post will be a happy one after the Saints have played. Go Saints!
On the bright side, this weekend is shaping up nicely. Tomorrow night I'll be watching the Saints game. I've been a fan since I was in the 5th grade....Toby tells me that's about age 10. In 28 years of being a fan they've only won ONE, yes one, playoff game! So it has been rough sledding being a fan all these years. Even when we moved to New Orleans and I used to go to the Superdome and watch games they were lousy. But this year they've been pretty solid, so I'm excited to watch the game. I'll even be cooking up some Jambalaya to get in the mood. On Sunday we are taking Devera to a playdate, so that should be cute. And Monday is MLK day and Devera's daycare is closed so I'm going to take her to the Art Museum that day.
Hopefully my next post will be a happy one after the Saints have played. Go Saints!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
New Special & Ebay Auction
Just a quick note letting you know that there is a new special up on the site now. Send me a note if you are interested...it's first come, first served. If you miss out but like the reflective beads, I'll have an auction up Thursday at noon that is in the amber gold color that a lot of people seem to like. Good Luck!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Start Making a Reader Today (SMART)
I can't remember if I mentioned that I signed up for SMART again this year. It goes from September to May and this year I signed up with a partner so I read every other week for an hour. It's pretty fun - - basically I get to read to 2 children for 1/2 hour each. They also get to pick books out that they get to keep and take home...they always love that part! The girl that I read with always picks out books with Princesses in them and the boy loves dinosaurs. I think SMART is a Portland thing but if you've got something like this in your city it sure is rewarding. Plus, before long you will be an expert in just about EVERY children's book out there - - I think I've read, "If You Give a Mouse A Cookie" 1,000 times!!!! Do I sound like a monster if I admit that I'm really beginning to hate that book? No matter how many times I try to steer them towards "Green Eggs & Ham" it just never happens....sigh.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Superman
Ok, how cute is this - - this morning Toby and Devera headed to the coffee shop about 20 minutes before I started walking down to meet them. When I got down there Toby said, "Devera, show Daddy the picture." So Devera walks over and points to some artwork on the wall that is an abstract portrait of Superman. And then Devera goes, "Look, it's Daddy!" Ok, that was pretty funny. I asked Toby if she prompted her and she said no, that Devera just thought it looked like me. Anyway, I thought it was pretty damn cute. This kid thing has been a lot funner than I was expecting!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Playdoh!!!!!!!!!!!
This kid loves playing with playdoh! Tonight Toby brought home the "Haircut" one where you put the playdoh in and squeeze the hair out. She thought it was the greatest. She actually likes going to get her haircut so I think that made it even more fun for her.
I'm still amazed by how cheap playdoh is compared to all of the other children's toys. It's like $10 for the playdoh and the whole hair styling set. This one even comes with multiple "heads" that you put on top to make different hair styles.
One last note - - I've got a new auction that will be going up on Ebay at 10:00am on Thursday...happy bidding.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year & Go See This Movie....
Unfortunately the weekend is coming to a close, however, it was a lot of fun! This morning we got up and watched the Rose Parade. Devera wasn't as interested in it as I thought she'd be. In fact, it wasn't 30 minutes in and she was already playing with her toys not even paying attention to the floats.
Last night Toby and I watched the ball drop on TV. Dick Clark was hosting for like the 100th year. However, since his stroke he's not hosting it by himself anymore. We also watched Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth". Wow....now that is a worthwhile thing to watch! This is one of the few movies around that can actually change your life in a positive way. It's too bad Al Gore didn't win when he ran for president. I think he just didn't get his point across very well during that campaign. I did vote for him but I also remember thinking, "oh, they are both about the same, it doesn't really matter who wins". It's a lot easier to see something clearer after it's happened but I didn't realize what a great person this guy is. I hadn't heard the story that his father was a tobacco farmer and that his sister died of lung cancer from smoking and then his father got out of the business. He did a good job tying his thoughts about tobacco and the current issue of global warming. Basically he said, "look, when I was growing up we didn't all know that smoking caused cancer, but after it became clearer and clearer it was easy to say we were wrong." Then he said that he wished the current administration would just come out and say, I'm changing course, the planet getting warmer is a big problem and I'm going to solve it.
It was also interesting to see how our own country, the U.S., is by far the worst polluter per person in the world. And while most Americans think of countries like China and Japan as being big polluters, Americans actually produce over twice as much carbon as those countries. We are 30% of the total world's emissions! How embarrassing. He did have some humor too - - it was funny when he showed a picture that Bush Sr. had presented that had a scale with one side showing gold bars and the other side showing the planet and the tagline was something like, we need to balance these out. Gore was quick to point out that without the planet there would be no gold. Also quick to point out that the importance of the planet was slightly higher than that of gold bars. It was funny seeing one of the most stiff speakers in politics show that even he has a humorous side to him.
For me the part that stuck most was when he said, "when your children are older, do you want them to ask you why you were so self-absorbed that you wouldn't even change your consumption patterns to preserve the planet for my generation?" Since my daughter is two years old I could relate to that statement. I would rather say, here were the things I did to try to make the world a better place and be a better person. ....I think I could live with that.
So go out and see the movie - - you won't be disappointed....maybe sad, but not disappointed. In fact, for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, the first person to see it and reply to this post (I think my blog is set up to do that) with what you thought of the movie will get a focal bead from me....you can even pick the colors that you would like. The only caveat is that you can't have already seen the movie yet...scouts honor.
Last night Toby and I watched the ball drop on TV. Dick Clark was hosting for like the 100th year. However, since his stroke he's not hosting it by himself anymore. We also watched Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth". Wow....now that is a worthwhile thing to watch! This is one of the few movies around that can actually change your life in a positive way. It's too bad Al Gore didn't win when he ran for president. I think he just didn't get his point across very well during that campaign. I did vote for him but I also remember thinking, "oh, they are both about the same, it doesn't really matter who wins". It's a lot easier to see something clearer after it's happened but I didn't realize what a great person this guy is. I hadn't heard the story that his father was a tobacco farmer and that his sister died of lung cancer from smoking and then his father got out of the business. He did a good job tying his thoughts about tobacco and the current issue of global warming. Basically he said, "look, when I was growing up we didn't all know that smoking caused cancer, but after it became clearer and clearer it was easy to say we were wrong." Then he said that he wished the current administration would just come out and say, I'm changing course, the planet getting warmer is a big problem and I'm going to solve it.
It was also interesting to see how our own country, the U.S., is by far the worst polluter per person in the world. And while most Americans think of countries like China and Japan as being big polluters, Americans actually produce over twice as much carbon as those countries. We are 30% of the total world's emissions! How embarrassing. He did have some humor too - - it was funny when he showed a picture that Bush Sr. had presented that had a scale with one side showing gold bars and the other side showing the planet and the tagline was something like, we need to balance these out. Gore was quick to point out that without the planet there would be no gold. Also quick to point out that the importance of the planet was slightly higher than that of gold bars. It was funny seeing one of the most stiff speakers in politics show that even he has a humorous side to him.
For me the part that stuck most was when he said, "when your children are older, do you want them to ask you why you were so self-absorbed that you wouldn't even change your consumption patterns to preserve the planet for my generation?" Since my daughter is two years old I could relate to that statement. I would rather say, here were the things I did to try to make the world a better place and be a better person. ....I think I could live with that.
So go out and see the movie - - you won't be disappointed....maybe sad, but not disappointed. In fact, for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, the first person to see it and reply to this post (I think my blog is set up to do that) with what you thought of the movie will get a focal bead from me....you can even pick the colors that you would like. The only caveat is that you can't have already seen the movie yet...scouts honor.