We should all be glow-in-dark

Now I know what you are thinking- Lynne, you crazy girl, why in the heck should anyone be glow-in-the-dark? It's simple: there are a lot of things to be gained by being glow-in-the-dark. 1) Safety- In fact the whole idea of us glowing came from this concern. Saturday night I was driving my friend home after the movies, it was raining and dark out. Low visibility, all in all, and then bam! I see this little kid, playing out in the rain, near a highway, late at night. I practically didn't see him. Now think- if he was glow-in-the-dark- he would have been seen. Safety! Plus all the runners who work out early morning/late night. People who deliver early morning newspapers. The list of potential people who can be helped with safety- is endless!
2) Comfort- Comfort? Heck yes- no need for nite-lights any longer! Your children and sooth themselves to sleep! Sweet deal!
3) Peace of mind- Say- your kids are out in the backyard playing, it gets dark you can't see them- oh wait! yes you can- they glow!
4) Awesomeness- Plus it is really really cool!

Updates...

So I have had an interesting day already. This morning was I just getting ready to start the dishes, yes- I am awesome and have been cleaning them on a regular basis, then: knock, knock, knock... Two employees of the store underneath my apartment- Radio Shack, they say there is water dripping into their store. Naturally I have the incriminating sound of running water in the background, but I promise them it isn't coming from my place. They leave and call the landlord- I heard a lot of movement next door so I assume they found the leak in the apartment next door. The story is I stopped doing the dishes, and I promised myself I wouldn't make any more food until I did the dishes so finally tonight I finished them. I also started a baking project- I have some visitors for the weekend, so they should get excited!

Silent Sunday

Reader Request...

This is for Alyson... (she rocks!)

Alyson recently asked me what I thought about the change in looks of movie star Patrick Swayze. Earlier this year Mr. Swayze announced he was suffering from pancreatic cancer, still fighting it, and hoping to continue to work on his new show: The Beast (on A&E). The media has reported a few times his unhealthy appearance and he has been in and out of hospitals all year. For many of us Patrick Swayze's heyday was Dirty Dancing- oh all those shirtless scenes, or even Ghost. So I think it is fair to say that he isn't going to look so smoking hot, 20 years later, regardless of health. As Alyson said he is 56- so you know not a complete loss in Hollywood standards yet. But I think his health has taken a definite toll. I can say I liked him in Dirty Dancing, but really haven't seen him in anything since- so yeah I like him dancing it up but never thought he was that good looking in anything else. Any thoughts? Some die hard fans our there?

Film Friday

This week's Pick: A Room with a View (1985).

A Merchant Ivory film based on the novel of the same name. The story is about Lucy, a young Englishwoman, traveling aboard in Florance with her spinster cousin as a chaperon. Lucy and her cousin Charlotte were promised "a room with a view" but were not given one at the hotel they are staying at in Florence. As Charlotte complains about this mix-up at the dinner table, the eccentric Mr. Emersons (Father and son) offer to trade rooms with them, being men they have no use for their view. Charlotte is shocked by their forwardness and rejects the offer, although she is later convinced to accept. The Mr. Emersons are viewed as unusual and not accepted all of the hotel patrons, however Lucy frequently runs into them when visiting various locations around Florence, she is polite to them, although a little put off by their unique-ness. One afternoon Lucy witnesses a violent murder of an Italian in a square, George Emerson (the son) is their and catches her as she faints. They walk back to the hotel together and talk at length. Charlotte does not approve of the Emersons and encourages Lucy to avoid them. One day several hotel guests including, the Emersons, Lucy and her cousin, a female novelist, and English clergymen Mr. Bebbe, travel to the Florence country side. George and Lucy end up alone in a field of violets, overcome George kisses Lucy, but her cousin Charlotte sees and forces Lucy and George to promise to never speak of the incident to anyone. The movie next picks up in England, at the home of Lucy. Lucy has just been proposed to by Cecil, a English gentleman she met when traveling in Rome, she accepts, although it is clear her brother Freddy does not approve of Cecil. In a bit of fate the Emersons have just taken lease of house in the neighborhood, being recommended to it by Cecil- although neither realize the connection they share with Lucy. George and Freddy become easy friends, and Freddy invites George over to play tennis. Cecil reads out loud to everyone a scene from a novel that is strikingly familiar to the kiss George and Lucy shared in Florence. George sneaks off and kisses Lucy again. Lucy realizes that the novelist they met in Florence has written the book and her cousin Charlotte must of told her about the kiss. Angered, she forces Charlotte to witness as she tells George to leave and never come back. George argues with her, saying Cecil could never love her the way he did. Lucy still sends him away. Later that evening angry with Cecil, Lucy breaks off her engagement with him. She plans to escape the country and travel to Greece with some friends she might while in Florence. Before she leaves she speaks with Mr. Emerson (the father) and confesses she has been in love with George all along. George and Lucy marry. The film picks with George and Lucy honeymooning in Florence at the hotel where they met.

My thoughts: Great little romance, classic story- I have seen one other adaptation that had Lucy act as the Narrator looking back- but it took some liberties with the story having George die in WWI. Only weird thing is during place or time jumps in the film it put up a screen that would read: Lucy lies to Cecil, (etc) using these scenes to narrate a little. Helen Bonham Carter- stars as Lucy, you will recognize the rest of the cast as well, Daniel Day-Lewis is Cecil. Maggie Smith is Charlotte. Judy Dench is the novelist. But for the most part excellent film, I preferred this version over the more recent remake BBC did.

Anyone else?

Does anyone else out there watch BONES? This week and last they have been showing two episodes a week (love!) Monday's episode: Bones is convinced that a co-worker was murdered instead of died at natural causes. She discovers this fact only at his funeral, forcing them to go undercover to solve it. So instead of talking about murder all day at his wake they substitute Translation for Murder. Maybe it is just me but I loved all the moments, there were several, when Bones is talking to Booth and goes: "Booth, we are talking about translation!" to drive home that this is serious. Ok maybe just me but I love it!

Adventures in Babysitting...

Not the movie, (you know, the one that made everyone realize their love for Elizabeth Shue) the real deal. Last Friday I had the privilege of babysitting for two of my favorite people in the world. Things started out smoothly, Laura left us coloring, and Dallas was entertaining himself. Emily, little leader that she is, was directing which colors I could use and where I could be coloring, which is cool, I can take orders from a 2 1/2 year old. (She did prefer I color with purple- because it matched my shirt) It slowly started to creep toward lunch time and after a few minutes of questioning my little boss, we decided a PB&J sandwich would be ok. At this time Dallas wasn't entertaining himself anymore, so I decide to take him with me. The people watcher in Em, apparently could not handle that, both Dallas and I had escaped her watch so came to join us. Which ended up being very helpful - she knows where everything in the kitchen was. This is where things got a bit hairy- Dallas refused to be put down, being held was the only option. Have you ever made a PB&J sandwich with one hand? Not so easy. Plus I had my little boss carefully watching my every move. I quickly learned that although I was raised along side Laura, I perhaps did not my sandwich making skills from her.
Lynne: Do you want Peanut Butter on both sides?
Em: (This part is mostly a questioning look, shakes head)
Lynne: Ok like this? (PB on one side of bread)
Em: Yes
(I go get a spoon for the Jelly)
Em: What are you getting that for?
Lynne: Because I don't want to get P.B. into the Jelly.
Em: My mommy doesn't do it like that.
Lynne: Oh, well it will still taste good.
Em: I want a small plate (I had the big plates out)
Lynne: Ok I will put it on a small plate. Do you like it cut in half?
Em: That isn't how my mommy does it...
Lynne: Does she fold it in half?
Em: (Shakes head)
Lynne: (Holding bread out to her) How does she do it?
Em: Like this (Open faced) but I like it bigger.
Lynne: (How do I make a single piece of bread bigger?) Ok... Lets get you some raisins, you want to eat those while I finish this?
Em: Yes- no not those kind, this kind (big jar)
(Em- finally sitting down, I am finishing sandwich, that is after Dallas spits up on me)
Em: My mommy heats it up for me, I want it heated up!
Lynne: Ok I will do it over, (Looking for toaster, can't find) Em, does mommy put it in the microwave?
Em: No
This is where I decide to lie to her, tell her I heated it up, give her Cheetos to distract, and convince to eat half a banana. Things went pretty smoothly after that, I rocked Dallas to sleep and managed to grab a few bites!