Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

It took me a little time to get into this book, but once I did it was quite engrossing.  However, I kept going back and forth on whether or not I really liked it.  The language was beautiful but also a bit pretentious to be taken seriously.  (Did people really talk like that in San Francisco and Boston in 2009?)  The vulgar display of wealth and privilege was necessary for the story, but also a little hard to take.  (Did people really live like that in San Francisco and Boston in 2009?)  Overall, this book was probably a real sign-of-the-times kind of novel for the over-busy, over-thinking set of our generation.  I did like the way it handled how difficult parenting a special needs child could be and the tolls it could take on a marriage.  On the other hand, this book just gave me a very strong urge to give the leading lady a  get-up-and-put-your-big-girl-panties-on-and-quit-complaining lecture whilst running out and telling young people to never get married or procreate.  So, yeah

  "I see she writes as badly as she dresses."

Since this film had my dream-90's man, Ethan Hawke , and a little bit of science fiction for my real-life man, E-Roc, I felt certain it would be a winner.  The synopsis made me think this would be a little like Looper , which E-Roc and I both loved, so I thought we'd like this. And we did. This film is a complete mind-bender.  I have thought about hardly anything since.  In a way, I really want to figure it all out but I also want to keep the confusion, if that makes sense.  I can't really describe it and I don't want to give any of it away, so I think I can best describe it in this mash-up: Looper meets Inception meets The Matrix meets X-Files meets Cloud Atlas  with a dash of Caitlyn Jenner and old episodes of The Twillight Zone . Confusing?  You bet.  But so worth it. (And on a side note, I began thinking about how much I would love to see a movie starring my three favorite Hollywood dream men: Ethan Hawke, Matt McConaughey and Daniel Day-Lewis.  At

There are so many reasons why you should visit aSHEville Museum , an outstanding women's museum in Asheville, North Carolina.  Getting to pretend to be Rosie the Riveter is just one! 

First off, I have to say, my husband and I probably go and see a summer blockbuster about every 4 years.....so I guess it's about that time!  And even though this isn't the type of movie I would typically choose, I have 2 words for you: Chris. Pratt. I would probably go and see a film of him sitting on a folding metal chair discussing photosynthesis, so there's that. But honestly?  This movie is actually pretty fun!  It has dinosaurs for the kids and the good looking mans for me!  Also?  There's a whole lot of reference and sometimes jokes made toward the original Jurassic Park which is perfect for anyone still living in the 90's like me.  And the underlying discussions of lab-created creatures, the rights and feelings of animals, and whether or not science helps or hurts us is always great for the ride home! Only word of caution, the PG-13 rating should be taken seriously.  Some of the dinosaurs fighting each other and eating of humans is a little scary..

  You bad, bad boy!

This HBO film, from waaaaay back in 2003 , was tackling the subject of middle-age transgender and reassignment surgery waaaaay before the kerfuffle it has become in our media today.  With a stellar cast, it takes an extremely sensitive and misunderstood subject and boils it down to something we can all understand even if we can't relate to it.  This film also tackles something that the Caitlin Jenner case has brought to everyone's mind: what happens when a normal, regular, non-privileged person experiences gender dysphoria?  When I first saw this back in 2003, I was so moved by its sensitive emotionality.  Thinking about it today, I realize how complicated life can become.

Golden State wins, and it's not hard to love them for it.      And a local boy, now a grown man and the son of my all-time favorite Hornet, makes us all proud!

"We’re working our jobs Collect our pay Believe we’re gliding down the highway When in fact we’re slip slidin’ away......" 

I felt sad yesterday when I heard that "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes had died.  But today, when I heard some sound bytes of his infamous trash-talking on the old school MidAtlantic Wrestling, lemme tell ya, Tony Schiavone, I really felt sad. 

Conversation in the truck while riding to the DQ last week.  "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath comes on the terrestrial radio station.   Me: Do you know what that song is?   Little Boy: (with enthusiasm) Heavy Metal!   Me & E-Roc: (gaze at one another proudly)

This movie was not awesome, but it did have this whole throw-back to the 90's that I obviously enjoyed and a surprise star much later on in the film to at least make you feel good about watching that far.  I think it would have been better if Toni Collete's character had been more likeable and if there wasn't this whole not-so-subtle link to Kurt and Courtney.  There were many comparisions made by my hubs and me to Singles and High Fidelity .  This movie was sadlly not nearly as good as either.  

 I was thinking this movie was going to be some kind of Mobbed-up murder mystery.  Not so much.  As a matter of fact, I'm not sure how this movie could be described.  While we were watching it, my husband said he wanted to take a shower and then watch children's television.  I decided I wanted to sit in a spring field, eat gummy bears, and call my mother.   Yes, it's dark, people.  And with no real resolution.    It had the shootings, the cursing, the unsexy sex, the bad polyester.  But the one phrase I kept waiting for and never got?  The brash "you think ya betta than me?" famous Phillyism.  Never heard it.  I was shocked.  And let down a little.   As weird and dark as it was, my husband actually claimed to like it, but I did not.  The only thing we did agree on was that it made you happy for your clean, simple life.   And that we never wanted to go to Philly or New Jersey.  Ever.

  Captivating. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. This movie is awesome especially if you love: The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson. Pet Sounds . SMiLE . If you don't love or know about those people and things, you will walk away feeling like you learned something about one of the greatest musical geniuses of our time.  

         

So since I'm a lifer for Levon Helm , I obviously had to see this!  And it's a really good documentary in that it hits the high spots on his life with The Band, spends pretty much no time at all on his childhood and expounds greatly on the last few years of his life with his last recordings, Midnight Rambles and life in Woodstock, New York.  If you're like my husband and knew very little of the man, it will make you walk away understanding a little bit more about 60's culture and one of its more interesting characters.  If you're like me, you'll walk away feeling once again sad at the loss of a great man and great musician. 

"But it's all right now, I've learned my lesson well, You see, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." 

In celebration of his upcoming 13th birthday, (OMG) Little Boy went to his first "big" concert this week at an outdoor pavilion.  Although he didn't make it to the encore, it was still a great show and fun time for me, E-Roc and my Big Sis.  Another successful milestone as we race toward another milestone birthday!