Christmas Movie Pick #2: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

I don't know anyone who doesn't like Christmas Vacation. I'll rephrase. I don't want to know anyone who doesn't like Christmas Vacation. Because to me, you can know all you want about Marxism, the Great Pyramids, and Botticelli, but if you don't understand this scene......don't bother talking to me.

If you love the movie you also understand other great lines like "little full.....lotta sap" and the momentous "Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?"

If you love Christmas Vacation, you know why Ellen loves Clark so much. They've been through a lot together. Did you see the first installment of Vacation? And European Vacation? Ellen is a ride or die chick if there ever was one! I guess that's why she's protecting Clark's greatest assets when the cops bust in......

And who can forget Aunt Bethany? Is it true that she voiced Betty Boop back in the day? A better blogger would've researched that already. All I can say is, did I break wind?

And you gotta love that Todd and Margo.....the very picture of 80's yuppie mentality, fashion, hair and even names. (How did the carpet get all wet, TODD? I don't KNOW, Margo!)

But at it's heart, all the Vacation movies, no matter where they're set, always come down to being about family. Say whatever you'd like about Clark W. Griswold, but he loves his damn family. And as goofball and misguided as he may be, that's something to strive for in any family.

So do yourself a favor this Christmas season and take a trip back in time to 1989 to a suburban Illinois street. You'll have some laughs, take your mind of your own seasonal troubles and have some funny lines to share at Christmastime for years to come......."If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised."

Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

My Week with Rumor

My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...

NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

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