No.50 - Go to the cinema once a week.

As part of my 101 challenge we were to go to the cinema, once a week, taking advantage of our monthly subscription to the cinema. We no longer have these subscriptions, having stopped them last year in an effort to save money.
But thanks to Lovefilm we are now seeing new movies at home. (OK it's not when they are brand new but it's cheaper than our cinema passes) So I will continue to list new movies watched, only they will be viewed in the "cinema" in our front room.

With that in mind here is the new movies watched in the last 2 months:

Monsters Vs Aliens - A good family romp - enjoyed this.

Observe and Report - Trash, had enjoyed Mall Cop thought this might be good too - Wrong! -Like Jack Black's Year One - painful to watch, and with far too much profanity just for the sake of it. Even my son (who normally loves this type of crap) found it dull and a waste of time.

Angels & Demons - Loved this, great plot, great acting especially Ewan McGreggor. I haven't seen Da Vinci Code but will definitely give it a look in now.

Bandslam - A coming of age type thing - liked this, was funny and quirky loved Lisa Kudrow's character, and the music was good too. Was blubbing at one point though, so you may need a hankie in your pocket when you watch it.

Recovering.....

Not from my birthday celebrations, but from another bloody bout of cold/flu/sore throat stuff. I seem to be getting more than my fair share this year, think I better get some extra vitamins inside me.

I have been miserable all week, missing out on 2 meetings, a meal with a friend, a trip to the pictures and a friends 80's theme 40th birthday party which I was really looking forward to. It's the busiest my social calendar has been in ages and I missed the lot.

However I am not going to moan on heaps, I have managed to read 2 books this week, both Joanne Fluke murder mysteries. I really enjoy them, they are an easy read with believable characters and a good amount of suspects to keep me guessing for a bit. I usually do figure out who the killer is early on but then I tend to do that with most mysteries.

Also had heaps of postcards this week and some letters from my new found pen pals in Finland, Germany, and America. They really cheered me up.

Thanks to GGOM by the way, for posting about sky player, after a bit of palaver have managed to download some of the episodes from Season 4 of Bones that I missed. Enjoyed opener of Season 5 too, so glad to have it back. What about True Blood folks? - I'm still undecided will give it a couple of weeks. Don't think I'm going to enjoy the new Stargate Universe though, I found it a bit too confusing, however it could just be because I was poorly so will give it another chance too.

Saw a quirky little movie this week too from Lovefilm called "Is anybody there" with Michael Caine. It's about a young boy who lives with his parents in a old peoples home and how disconnected they all are. Cue Michael Caine as a new but reluctant resident who befriends the little boy and tries to bring some life into the place. It was endearing, funny, sad and at times painful but worth the watch. Babes even enjoyed it and I didn't think it would be his type of film at all.

All snuffly

I feel like s**t today. Sore throat, snuffly nose and headache. Napkin is ill too, but far worse than me so I spent the day looking after her. Now I'm going to bed with beechams to see if I can sleep it off because I want to go to meet a couple of friends tomorrow.

Napkin lay on the sofa inside her sleeping bag all day and we watched "Day After Tomorrow" and "Dog Soldiers" - just what you need when you're feeling ill a bit of guts and gore!!!

On the plus side I received my first postcard from "Postcrossing" today. A lovely card depicting beautiful buildings in Gent, Belgium, so I thought I'd share it with you. Anyone visited Gent?

Lovefilm

Yesterday we watched "Lesbian Vampire Killers" and no its not porn. It's by the guys that do "Gavin & Stacy". What a lot of silly nonsense but amusing too. Don't know that I'd necessarily recommend it but it was certainly better than the Jack Black c**p I saw last month. Kinda more slapstick than anything else. It was one that Peanut had wanted to see from "Lovefilm".

I quite like "Lovefilm" rental because its so easy. The only bad thing is that I've seen a lot of the movies on offer and the ones I do want to see can sometimes be on the long wait list. Anyone else out there use them?

I am waiting to see Nicolas Cage's "Knowing" as I missed it in the cinema, also "Valkyrie" with Tom Cruise. If anyone has seen them can you tell me what you thought of them.

Reading Frenzy

Sorry for the lack of posts have been engrossed in books. Have now finished both "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer, books 3 & 4 of the "Twilight" saga. (14/101)

I just couldn't put them down. Peanut starting reading them when I started book 2 and he finished reading book 3 last night whilst I finished book 4 this morning. Like me once he starts a book series he can't wait to get to through them all.

Got breakfast in bed from Babes so as I could finish reading (what a sweetie). Am getting desperate for a cup of tea now (water challenge almost over), I'm not really a tea hand only having a cup now and again but obviously because I can't I really want. (Isn't that always the way)

No.42 Put all my CD's on the computer; is now completed. Photo to follow shortly. The kids and Babes are never done connecting their iPods to the computer to upload and update. It's quite funny how so much of my music (moaned about when I played it) is now on their iPods.


Watched "Flushed away" with Mouse last night. That movie is so funny (really didn't fancy it when it was in the cinema) I think it's the singing slugs that do it. The "Le Frog" character is played by Jean Reno (the French Army guy in Godzilla) I love his accent.

Anyway time for lunch so I'll post more later. Corn on the Cob for lunch Yum Yum!

Catch up

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, but it's been hectic. On Friday I went to see Harry Potter (again!) with Napkin. She really enjoyed it and although I did too, I must admit every time I see it I think about more things that have been missed out. I know they couldn't include everything (the movie would be twice as long) but as I said before there does seem to be some vital stuff missing. Anyway had a lovely one on one day with Napkin.

Saturday, we met my Dad for lunch at the local Sainsbugs. They do really nice simple food and it's easy for us all to get to. It was really nice all being together (except Peanut but more on him later). Spent a lovely afternoon finishing reading my book "Dr No" by Ian Fleming, whilst my Dad and Babes slept. Having seen the film Dr No many times but never got round to reading the book, I was engrossed. I quite enjoy 007 novels, not just the ones by Fleming but also ones written by other authors in the same style as Fleming after his death. John Gardner in particular, my Dad gave me one of his to read when I was hospitalised during my pregnancy with Peanut, which I loved.

Mouse was having a sleepover with a friend at ours so it was a very noisy and late night, with fashion parades, make up studios and face packs galore. I eventually fell asleep the back of 2a.m. leaving them settled but still chatting endlessly. Oh to be 12 again (not bloody likely).

Peanut couldn't join us for lunch as he had an appointment to get another tattoo. He has 6 now. (I have still to get my first, it's on my 101 list) His latest is the Alien/Predator Hybrid. I will post a picture once it settles down in a couple of days. My favourite though, is his face hugger alien.

Having finished my James Bond in the afternoon I started a new book at bedtime. The School for Husbands by Wendy Holden. It is brilliant, I couldn't put it down and having fed and watered the girls when they eventually got up this morning, I sat and read till I finished it. What a great read. The things the husbands have to do is so funny. Couldn't see my Babes doing it though, not that I'd want him too. Still that's me up to 8/101 books so am very happy. Water only going well too, up to 7/31 now.

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

Well I really enjoyed it, but there's a couple of bits that I would have liked to see included that weren't and there's bits added that weren't in the book, still well worth seeing though.

Yates said that they were going to focus more on the romance and lighter things in the book given that The Half Blood Prince is a very dark story. There is certainly plenty of laughs.

Won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read the book, or for those yet to see the film, but it will be interesting to see how bits that I consider to be crucial to make sense of things that happen in the "Deathly Hallows" are handled in the next movie. Several characters who play a vital role in the final stages seem to have been missed in this instalment and indeed from the "Order of the Phoenix" movie. Perhaps since the final book is being covered by two movies it will all come right in the end.

That said, I am still off to see the movie again tonight with Babes. He was working this morning and couldn't come with Peanut and myself. Napkin was supposed to be going with Babes tonight but can't make it, there's no point in wasting the ticket though is there!! (I know I'm very sad!!!)
By the way I made certain I wouldn't slip up today, and took a bottle of water with me to the cinema.

101 Movies

Yesterday, Shopaholly, Mouse and I went to see "My sister's keeper"based on the book by Jodi Piccoult. A very difficult subject to cover and I feel they did it well, certainly the young actress playing Katie was amazing.

I really enjoyed the movie, although it is definitely a chick flick and there was crying involved (several people were actually sobbing, noisy toads). There only seemed to be 1 guy in (with his other half or whatever) that I saw, and he left when it got to the really weepy bits and I never saw him come back in (was it too much for him I wonder!)

Now I won't spoil it for anyone, but if you've read the book don't expect it to be the same. I haven't read the book but Shopaholly had and she was disappointed with the changes made. Also Mouse who is 12 found it quite slow, even though she really fancied it and other young cinema goers seemed to be quite fidgety as well, so perhaps not one to take pre-teens to. If you haven't seen it, give it a go but make sure you take a hankie.

Year One

Babes, Peanut and I went to see this today. We have cinema passes, which you pay a set amount a month for, and you can go to the cinema as often as you like. Over the years we have seen some fantastic movies, some good, some OK and even some bad but only twice have we seen a movie that we didn't even want to sit through.

"Kissing Jessica Stein" was the first and "Year One" is the other. This movie is the biggest pile of shit. We sat through to the end because Peanut likes Jack Black but even he thought it was pretty rough.

I love silly innuendo filled comedy such as carry on.... and Monty python but personally I think Jack Black's comedy is just too out there. Seeing someone eating (supposed) shit and someone peeing on their face is not entertaining in my view. The best bit about the movie were the outtakes at the end as the credits rolled.

There are probably heaps of people in blog land who will totally disagree with me but this my blog space and I'm going rant about it, so there!

OK ranting finished, on the plus side today, I have reached my first weight goal (No1. on my 101 list) of 1 stone off and am absolutely delighted, long may this continue. My water only days are up to (7/31) and I'm up to 98,000 grains of rice donated only 3,000 to go to complete the challenge.

More 101...Menu planning

N052. Set up menu planning and stick to it - I do this more or less all the time now, but as this is a month for concentrating on my 101 list, I am going to carry on doing it till the end of the month and then if I'm still sticking to it I'll mark it as completed. So just to give you an idea of the kind of menus in our house here is this weeks one:

Sat - Pork chops with new potatoes and green beans.
Sun - Chicken breasts with a chopped tomato, pepper and chili marinade, mashed potatoes peas
and carrots.
Mon - Tuna and cheese salad with new potatoes and hard boiled eggs (no meat Monday)
Tue - Pork with apricots served on a bed of rice.
Wed - Tuna pie with peas and mixed beans.
Thu - Pasta salad.
Fri - Spag bol (babes favourite meal)

Saw Night at the Museum 2 at the cinema yesterday, making my movie challenge (11/101) very funny if you haven't seen it, do.

Ice Age 3

Just been to see this as a reward for Mouse as that is her finished primary school forever. Can't believe my baby has grown up so fast. So another one off the 101 movies list

Anyway movie very good, not quite as hilarious as previous 2 I thought, but still really funny. Do recommend it as a must see especially for those who are still in touch with the little kid inside them.

Transformers 2

Well if you haven't seen it go. It is fantastic. Action packed and heaps of great one liners. The only bit I didn't like was the "borat" moment with the agent's arse. I actually had to hide my face, erlack big time. The special effects are amazing.

I will definitely be seeing this movie again, although I will only tick it off once on my list.

Go Autobots!!

Busy busy, chop chop, work work, bang bang...........

My what a hectic week. It's seems to have been non-stop but I'm not quite sure what exactly I've done. Tuesday was supposed to be a relaxing day. Babes was off, so we went to the library and the Art Gallery. (No 71 completed) It was lovely, but I had a upset tummy and had to come home. Felt lousy the rest of the day and did not venture far from my toilet.(sorry if too much info) Therefore, did not go to my WW class but, spoke to my leader and all is OK.

Whilst ironing I have been watching more movies, also in the evenings once Mouse has gone to her bed. So have now watched 2 more box sets - "Alien" Quadrilogy and "Back to the Future" Trilogy. Both sets I haven't watched in yonks and really enjoyed them.

Also 2 more rooms done, very pleased with my progress on this challenge (No4).

Read a new blog thanks to a referral by apieceofwood and really enjoyed it. Thoroughly recommend No more spending.net. She has really tackled her debt. Will be putting several of her ideas into practice to help me with my debts.

Anyway new series of Bones on and Booth is calling to me (in my dreams). So I'm off to drool

Box Set Cinema........

Just a wee quick update on No 51 Watch all our Box Set DVD's. Have now completed 2 Box Sets, Finished watching the last movie in the Agatha Christie set (Miss Marple's) and have watched Series 1 and 2 of "Allo Allo" Very funny, I love the Englishman disguised as the French Policeman who is terrible at speaking French. He always says things like "Good Moaning" and "I was just pissing buy". Also the interactions between Helga and Herr Flick of the Gestapo, especially when she is kissing him. It must have been a riot on set. I wonder how many outakes there were.